A rotating electrical machine includes a stator including at least two element coils of the same phase each having a plurality of turns and connected to each other through a coil-to-coil connection wire, the element coils being arranged in adjacent slots, respectively; and a rotor rotatably provided to the stator through a gap. The element coils of the same phase are fitted in the adjacent slots so that wound around portions of the element coils partially overlap each other. The coil-to-coil connection wire connects at a coil end portion conductor wires extending from linear conductor wire portions of innermost wires of the element coils contained in the slots.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rotating electrical machines such as electric motors and generators.
2. Description of Related Art
The tightening regulations on the exhaust gas emission to cope with soaring oil prices and global warming have activated development of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles that use rotating electrical machines such as motors and generators.
Conventional distributed winding stators for these rotating electrical machines include those stators of a lap winding format as disclosed in, for example, JP H08-298756A and JP 2005-51981A. Such a lap winding stator is constituted as follows. A rectangular wire is wound into individual oblong coin-like coils (i.e., ellipse-like coils having two parallel linear sides bridged by round ends; hereafter referred to as ellipse-like coils). Each of the ellipse-like coils is fixed in whole and the fixed wires are subjected to torsional deformation. The coil ends of each coil are formed into a non-interfering format for double layer winding. The individual coils thus obtained are inserted in respective slots to provide a lap winding stator.
A coil for use in a rotating electric machine in the related art is disclosed in, for example, JP S64-1444A. The coil is formed as follows. That is, a temporary fixation tape is wound around an original form coil having a pair of linear regions thereof that are to constitute coil sides of a final coil using a film insulator composed of a wound thermoplastic film. Then, only the linear regions of the original form coil is introduced into an ultrasonic welding apparatus equipped with a fixing apparatus to weld the insulator film of the wire and an insulation tape for insulation from ground is wound. The thus insulated coil is then inserted into a slot.
The conventional distributed winding stator, however, is manufactured by winding and deforming coils one by one. This makes it necessary to provide wire terminals twice the number of the coils and arrange and weld the wire terminals onto the side or top part of the coil ends. This results in an increase in the size of the coil ends, so that it has been difficult to provide compact connection and arrangement of the wire terminals.
Two slot insertion regions of the lap winding coil that are to be inserted into slots are arranged in different slots of the stator, so that they could not be inserted the slots without undergoing elastic deformation. When the lap winding coils are continuously formed, the coils pull each other, resulting in an increase in difficulty of the operation of inserting the coils into the slots. For these reasons, a certain gap (0.1 to 0.2 mm or more) is required between the two coils in order to assemble a continuous lap winding coil of a flat wire with insulation into a slot of the stator. This delimits the space factor and heat dissipation performance of the coil.
In the case of inserting a coil into a slot of a rotating electrical machine, it is desirable that a coil in whole has a flexibility upon deformation of the coil into a shape suitable for inserting it into the slot after having been formed into a wound shape. However, when the coil is inserted into the slot after the deformation, it is necessary to fix the slot insertion region of the coil so that it will not loosen or feaze. The conventional technology would not have sufficiently taken account of achieving a good balance between the two properties.

Rotating electrical machine having a compact stator


A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array unit having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form which perform a photoelectric conversion, a pixel signal readout unit having a logic unit and performing a readout of a pixel signal from the pixel array unit, a regulator, a first chip, a second chip, and a stacked structure in which both the first chip and the second chip are bonded, wherein the first chip has the pixel array unit disposed therein, and wherein the second chip has at least the logic unit and the regulator disposed therein, wherein the regulator includes a reference voltage generation, a plurality of output stage transistors, and an operational amplifier comparing the reference voltage and a commonized output voltage, and an output path of the output stage transistors are connected to a single node, and then is fed back to the operational amplifier.

The present technology relates to a solid-state imaging device represented as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, and a camera system.
It is a main stream for the output circuit of a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) as a solid-state imaging device (image sensor) to be a one channel (ch) output using an FD amplifier having a floating diffusion layer (FD: Floating Diffusion).
Meanwhile, the CMOS image sensor is equipped with an FD amplifier for every pixel, and a column-parallel output type in which a single row line out of a pixel array is selected and these are read out at the same time in the column direction is mainstream as the output thereof.
It may be difficult to obtain a sufficient driving ability in the FD amplifier disposed in the pixel, accordingly, it may be necessary to lower a data rate because a parallel processing is advantageous.
In this way, the CMOS image sensor has been widely used as an imaging device in an imaging apparatus such as digital cameras, camcorders, surveillance cameras or in-vehicle cameras.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of general configuration of a CMOS image sensor in which pixels are disposed in the form of a two dimensional array.
The CMOS image sensor 10 in FIG. 1 is configured by a pixel array unit 11, a row selection circuit 12, and a readout circuit (column processing circuit: AFE) 13.
With respect to the pixel array unit 11, pixel circuits are disposed in a matrix form of M rows×N columns.
The row selection circuit 12 controls the operation of the pixels disposed in an arbitrary row out of the pixel array unit 11. The row selection circuit 12 controls the pixel through control lines LSEL, LRST, and LTRG.
The readout circuit 13 receives pixel data of a row line which has been readout-controlled by the row selection circuit 12 through a signal output line LSGN, and then the data is transferred to a subsequent stage signal processing circuit.
The readout circuit 13 includes a correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit or analog digital converter (ADC).
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pixel circuit of CMOS image sensor which is configured of four transistors.
A pixel circuit 20 includes, for example, a photoelectric conversion element 21 (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as PD) formed of a photo-diode (PD). With respect to this one photoelectric conversion element 21, the pixel circuit 20 has four transistors as active elements such as a transfer transistor 22, a reset transistor 23, amplification transistor 24, and a selection transistor 25.
The photoelectric conversion element 21 performs a photoelectric conversion of an incident light into an amount of charge (in this case, electrons) corresponding to an amount of light thereof.
The transfer transistor 22 is connected between the photoelectric conversion element 21 and the floating diffusion FD (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as FD), and a transfer signal (driving signal) TRG is provided to a gate of the transfer transistor 22 through a transfer control line LTRG.
In this way, electrons which are photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion element 21 are transferred to the floating diffusion FD.
The reset transistor 23 is connected between a power line LVDD and the floating diffusion FD, and a reset signal RST is provided to a gate of the reset transistor 23 through the reset control line LRST.
In this way, a potential of the floating diffusion FD is reset to the potential of the power line LVDD.
In the floating diffusion FD, a gate of amplification transistors 24 is connected. The amplification transistor 24 is connected to a signal line 26 (LSGN in FIG. 1) through the selection transistor 25, and configures a source follower with a constant current outside the pixel unit.
Then, an address signal (selection signal) SEL is provided to a gate of the selection transistor 25 through the selection control line LSEL, and then the selection transistor 25 is turned on.
When the selection transistor 25 is turned on, the amplification transistor 24 amplifies a potential of the floating diffusion FD and then outputs a voltage corresponding to the potential thereof to the signal line 26. A voltage output from each pixel through the signal line 26 is output to the readout circuit.
As the pixel reset operation, a charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element 21 is transferred to the floating diffusion FD, and is expelled by turning on the transfer transistor 22.
At this time, the floating diffusion FD turns on the reset transistor 22 and expels the charge to the power source side in advance in order to receive the charge of the photoelectric conversion element 21. Alternatively, while the transfer transistor 22 is turned on, there are cases where the reset transistor 23 is turned on in parallel with the transfer transistor 22 being turned on, accordingly the charge is expelled directly to the power source.
This series of operations is simplified and is called "a pixel reset operation" or "a shutter operation".
On the other hand, in a readout operation, the floating diffusion FD is reset by first turning on the reset transistor 23, and in such a situation, the output thereof is output to the output signal line 26 through the selection transistor 25 which has been turned on. This is referred to as P-phase output.
Next, the charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element 21 is transferred to the floating diffusion FD by turning on the transfer transistor 22, the output thereof is output to the output signal line 26. This is referred to as D-phase output.
Taking the difference between the P-phase and the D-phase outside the pixel circuit, a reset noise of the floating diffusion FD is canceled to become an image signal.
By simplifying this series of operations, they are simply called "a pixel readout operation".
The control lines such as the transfer control line LTRG, the reset control line LRST, and the selection control line LSEL are selectively driven by the row selection circuit 12.
As a configuration of the pixel circuit, in addition to a four transistor configuration (4Tr-type), configurations such as a three transistor (3Tr-type) and a five transistor (5Tr-type) may be adopted.
The 3Tr-type pixel circuit is not provided with the transfer transistor which controls the movement of charge toward the floating diffusion FD from the photoelectric conversion element (PD) 21 according to the potential of the transfer control line LTRG.
Meanwhile, in the semiconductor apparatus having a structure which a plurality of sensors are disposed in an array-type such as the CMOS image sensor, a demand for sophistication and miniaturization of the signal processing has been increasing.
To achieve this, by making a chip with a stacked structure as in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-159958, a technique has been proposed to integrate a bigger signal processing circuit in the same chip size as until now.
Such a semiconductor apparatus includes a chip mounted with a sensor array that generates an analog signal (hereinafter, referred to as an analog chip), a chip mounted with a logic circuit for signal processing (hereinafter, referred to as digital chip). Further, the semiconductor apparatus, which is a structure connected with a TC(S)V (Through Contact(Silicon)VIA) formed in the analog chip, has been miniaturized by stacking these chips up and down.

Solid-state imaging device and camera system


A sample injection device (100) includes a tubular suction and discharge unit (23) configured to suction a liquid sample (S), contain the sample therein, and discharge the suctioned sample, and at least a portion of an inner wall (23a) of the suction and discharge unit, the portion having the sample contained therewithin, is subjected to a surface treatment (V) to increase an interfacial tension (F) that acts between the inner wall and the sample.

Conventionally, a sample injection device including a tubular suction and discharge unit configured to suction a liquid sample, contain the liquid sample therein, and discharge the suctioned sample is known (see Patent Document 1, for example).
Patent Document 1 discloses a sample injection device for a gas chromatograph device including a syringe (cylindrical cylinder) configured to introduce a sample into the gas chromatograph device and a turret (placement table) on which a plurality of vials (bottles) that each contain a liquid sample are placed. The sample injection device described in Patent Document 1 includes a syringe drive configured to move the syringe in an upward-downward direction, a plunger (rod-shaped piston) reciprocally driven in the syringe, and a needle (suction and discharge unit) provided at the tip end of the syringe and including a flow passage therein. The sample injection device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to suction a liquid sample into the syringe and discharge the suctioned sample into the syringe via the needle by driving the plunger. Furthermore, the sample injection device described in Patent Document 1 includes a turret drive configured to move the turret in a horizontal direction such that each of the vials placed on the turret is located below the syringe.
In the sample injection device described in Patent Document 1, after the turret is horizontally moved to under the syringe by the turret drive, the syringe is moved downward by the syringe drive until the needle enters the sample in the vial placed on the turret. Then, the plunger is driven to suction the sample into the syringe via the needle to contain the sample, and then the syringe is moved to above the vial. Then, the turret is horizontally moved from under the syringe to a region other than under the syringe by the turret drive, and then the syringe is moved downward toward the gas chromatograph device arranged below the syringe drive by the syringe drive. Then, the needle is caused to penetrate a septum (lid made of rubber) of a sample introduction portion of the gas chromatograph device, and the plunger is driven in a state in which the tip end of the needle has entered the sample introduction portion such that the sample in the syringe is discharged to the outside of the syringe via the needle and is injected into the sample introduction portion of the gas chromatograph device.


A masonry block wall system is disclosed comprising a plurality of piers positioned at predetermined intervals with a pilaster mounted on each of the piers. The pilasters are formed by vertically stacked masonry blocks that are attached to the pier by a reinforcing rod extending upwardly from the pier through a vertical mortarless void in the blocks. A plurality of courses of masonry blocks form block wall panels, each of the blocks in the panels having horizontal mortarless voids therein, the horizontal and vertical joints between adjacent courses being interlocking and mortarless. Selected courses of masonry blocks have a horizontal reinforcing rod attached to each block in the course without mortar or grout.

The present invention relates to masonry block wall systems, and more particularly to a block wall for use as a fence or retaining wall, constructed of masonry block panels without the use of mortar or grout and supported by pilasters setting upon piers spaced at predetermined intervals along a fence line with or without a grade beam spanning the piers.
The construction of a block wall using known materials and methods is time consuming and requires the expensive skills of a mason. The expense of conventional materials and the time required for building these structures using conventional methods limit the use of these otherwise durable masonry block systems. Unlike wood fences, masonry block wall systems resist weathering and provide a permanent structure that requires little, if any, maintenance. Block walls also provide excellent security and privacy. However, block walls require structural integrity such as the ability to withstand exterior forces like high winds and earthquakes. The fulfillment of these structural requirements is thought to necessitate the use of current building materials and techniques. The utilization of some modern building techniques such as post tensioning along a block wall system provide some savings in time and expense, but post tensioning block wall systems require the use of a mason to construct the system using mortar, and skilled personnel to install and tighten the post tensioning apparatus. Elimination of skill intensive building techniques and outdated materials requiring special skill, and streamlining the process for building masonry block walls would result in substantial savings in time, labor costs, and material costs for building such walls.
Existing masonry block walls require frequent vertically extending reinforcing bars anchored in either a concrete pier and footer, or grade beam at the base of the wall. These vertical reinforcing bars are typically extended upward through voids in the masonry blocks. The voids surrounding the vertical reinforcing bars are either conventionally filled with grout to connect the reinforcing bar to the masonry blocks in the wall, or in the case of post tensioning systems, the reinforcing bar is connected to the masonry by way of a steel plate and nut assembly at the top of the wall.
The present invention provides a masonry block wall panel and pilaster system supported by piers that eliminates the need for substantial trenching, concrete grade beams and skilled labor. The present invention relies upon piers at predetermined intervals along the fence line with or without grade beams. When used in poor soil conditions, grade beams between the piers along the grade level support the courses of masonry blocks. The piers provide support for the pilasters by way of reinforcing rods that extend vertically from the pier up through the top of the pilaster and are held in place with deflection restraint clips (DRCs). The block wall panels of the present system are constructed between the pilasters, and held in place by the pilasters, with reinforcing rods extending horizontally through voids in the course of masonry blocks, with the reinforcing rods held in place by DRCs. The reinforcing rods may extend horizontally through every other course of blocks or with greater or less spacing. Cap blocks may be placed on top of the block wall system as the top course using common adhesives or DRCs. Constructing a block wall system of the present invention uses substantially less concrete and labor, and does not require skilled labor.
The present invention utilizes conventional masonry blocks that can be positioned on top of a grade beam or simply placed directly on the soil, without the use of conventional mortared joints or grout to connect the reinforcing rods to the blocks. All joints between adjacent blocks are mortarless, accomplished by using interlocking or tongue-and-groove block configurations and reinforcing rods held in place by DRCs. The DRCs eliminate the need for grout by holding the horizontal and vertical reinforcing rods in place.
Advantages of the present invention include a block wall system incorporating the advantages of prior art block wall systems at a much lower cost in materials, time and labor; a block wall system that may be constructed without mortar or grout while providing substantial structural integrity; a block wall system that may incorporate vertical post-tensioning rods along equally spaced pilasters to increase structural strength and the ability of the wall to withstand external forces; a block wall system that may include post tensioning rods at all or some of the pilasters; a block wall system that minimizes or eliminates the need for skilled labor in the construction of the block wall system; a block wall system that may incorporate grade beams spanning pier footings along a fence line; a block wall system that significantly simplifies the construction of a block wall enabling individuals with no experience to build the block wall system.

Sanders and Associates Geostructural Engineering, Inc.


A control device for an automobile has at least one sensor for detecting an operational state of the automobile. An output from the sensor is applied to a sample and hold circuit which is adapted to provide a time displaced output to a hierarchical group of neural elements. The neural elements operate upon said time displaced signals by varying the weighting of the signals and/or threshold values of the neural elements in accordance with a desired output parameter. The output of the neural computer is applied to a control circuit which is adapted to control an automobile actuator. The hierarchical group of neural elements are provided with numerous forms of different learning functions so that the desired output parameter is achieved. In one such embodiment desired parameters are applied to said neural computer and to a comparator, signals derived from sensors associated with automobile actuators are also applied to said comparator whereby difference signals are outputted from said comparator to control the weighting and/or threshold levels of the neural elements. The invention may be applied to different functions such as controlling air/fuel ratio, ignition timing, knock control, sensing, suspension adjustment, and road surface detection.

a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control device for an automobile and particularly to a control device for an automobile applying neural network theory.
b) Description of the Prior Art
A pre-programmed control device currently in use with a digital computer is typically used for fuel control in an automobile. Examples are disclosed in, inter alia, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,542,730 and 4,785,783 and in these prior art devices, a number of sensors have been used for detecting operational states of the engine, transmission, brake, vehicle height, suspension and the like. In addition, the outputs from each of these sensors are each used for a particular control variable or as a correction variable for a learning control.
In the prior art devices, however, the disadvantage exists that when using signals undergoing a complicated variation or including a great deal of noise, signal extraction precision is poor. In this respect, an engine knocking signal caused by bad timing or poor fuel consists of the signal caused by knocking and random noise caused by engine vibration and electrical noise. As a result it is extremely difficult to separate the signal due to engine knocking from the noise signal.
Also, there have been very complicated and hard-to-evaluate problems in connection with so-called sensitivity of passenger comfort, or personal preference between control variables of the automobile.
An object of this invention is to provide a control device for an automobile which at least partially mitigates the above disadvantages and problems.
An object of a feature of this invention is to provide an output signal from a sensor transformed into a plurality of signals, which are then inputted to an input layer of hierarchical neural elements, and the inputted signals therein are weighted according to weighting factors so as to generate a signal which is to be used as a parameter to determine control variables for control actuators in the automobile.
An object of another feature of this invention is that each control actuator of the automobile is controlled based on the results of the final outputs from hierarchical neural elements, an input layer of which was inputted with the output signals from a plurality of sensors.


A luminaire includes a housing that defines a light output aperture, a backlight apparatus that emits light toward the light output aperture, and an optical sheet of light transmissive material. The optical sheet is adjacent the backlight apparatus and modifies the light before it leaves the light output aperture. The optical sheet forms a first surface and an opposite second surface. At least one of the first surface or the second surface of the optical sheet includes a first spatial region that includes elliptical diffusers oriented predominantly in a first direction, a second spatial region that includes elliptical diffusers oriented predominantly in a second direction that is different from the first direction, and a third spatial region that includes at least one type of optical microstructure selected from the group consisting of Fresnel lenses, v-groove lenses, v-cut lenses, pyramidal lenses, lenticular lenses, donut lenses and conical diffusers.

The present application relates to optical structures that redirect light. Panel lights and direct-lit LED-based light fixtures typically include plastic sheets that diffuse light from light sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in a uniform manner. Such sheets may be used alone, or in combination with other optical and/or structural elements.

Micro-structured optical sheet and panel light assembly using same


A delivery robot may provide an approach notification to enable people to understand and interpret actions by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), such as an intention to land or deposit a package at a particular location. The delivery robot may include a display, lights, a speaker, and one or more sensors to enable the robot to provide information, barcodes, and text to the UAV and/or bystanders. The robot can provide final landing authority, and can “wave-off” the UAV, if an obstacle or person exists in the landing zone. The delivery robot can receive packages and (1) store them for retrieval (2) deliver them to the delivery location and/or (3) deliver them to an automated locker system. The delivery robot can temporarily close lanes or streets to enable a package to be delivered by UAV. The system may include a shelter to secure, maintain, and charge the delivery robot.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), along with robots and other autonomous machines, are being used to perform tasks that were previously performed by people. For example, a UAV may deliver a package to a residence, for example, instead of a courier. UAVs may enter airspace above a property and deposit a package somewhere on that property.
In some cases, however, the delivery location may lack the space required for a UAV to land. In other cases, the delivery location may lack the security required for the package to be safely delivered. In still other cases, the delivery location can comprise an apartment building, or other high-density residential housing that includes multiple recipients.


A method and apparatus for coating a moving web with a coating fluid. The coating die has at least one feed slot for supplying the coating fluid to the moving web and a front face demarked from the at least one feed slot by a die edge. A guide mechanism guides the moving web in a first direction past the coating die such that a coating bead is formed in a gap between the moving web and the die edge. The spraying system sprays a cleaning fluid on at least a portion of the front face of the slide coating die such that the coating bead forms a substantially linear static wetting line on the front face of the coating die.

The production of high quality articles, particularly photographic, photothermographic, and thermographic articles, consists of applying a thin film of a coating solution on to a continuously moving substrate or web. Thin films can be applied using a variety of techniques including: dip coating, forward and reverse roll coating, wire wound rod coating, blade coating, slot coating, slide coating, and curtain coating. Coatings can be applied as a single layer or as two or more superimposed layers. Although it is usually most convenient for the substrate to be in the form of a continuous web, it may also be formed of a succession of discreet sheets.
Slide coaters have been used extensively since the 1950's in the photographic and related industries for coating aqueous photographic emulsions with relatively low viscosity (less than 100 cP). In slide coating, it is well known to start and stop coating of a moving web by means known as "pick-up." In the pick-up phase, the flow of the coating liquid is established with the coater die retracted from the web. The coating liquid drains over the die edge into a vacuum box and drain. Once the flows of all the coating liquids are stabilized from all the feed slots of the slide coating die, the die and vacuum box are moved into the coating position in a rapid manner with the web moving at the desired coating speed. When the die is in close proximity to the moving web, the coating liquid forms a coating bead that coats the web rather than draining over the die edge. If the coating process needs to be interrupted (for example, as a web splice is passing in the slide coating die), the die and vacuum box assembly are simply retracted from the web until resumption of the coating is desired.
Streak-type defects can be formed by disturbances of the coating bead. Mechanical disturbances include nicks in the die edge. Contamination disturbances that may cause streaking include dirt particles lodged near the coating bead, dried or semi-dried particles of coating compound, and non-uniform wetting of the contact line of the coating liquid on the coating die edge. Non-uniform wetting on the die edge, especially after pick-up, appears to be an important factor when coating fluids containing volatile solvents. For example, contamination may adhere to the front face and/or die edge of the slide coating die. That contamination may lead to a non-uniform wetting line and possible streaking of the coating compound.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary slide coating die 20 in which a coating fluid 22 is flowing along a slide surface 24 to a die edge 26. A static wetting line 28 is formed along a front face 30 of the slide coating die 20. The irregular shape of the static wetting line 28 is likely to cause unevenness and streaking of the coating fluid as it is applied to the moving web (not shown).
Another problem related to slide coating is contamination of vacuum ports and drains in the vacuum box when the die is retracted from the moving web and the coating liquid is flowing freely. Contamination of the vacuum ports and drains can lead to unstable vacuum operation causing defects and eventually requiring cessation of the coating operation to clean the vacuum box and ports. This problem is exacerbated with high viscosity fluids 100-10,000 cP) that contain volatile solvents that dry much faster than water (such as methyl ethyl ketone, tetrahydrofuran, or methanol).


A developing device includes first and second magnet members respectively including first and second transfer magnetic poles that have different polarities, that generate a magnetic force for transferring a developer from a first developer-transporting member to a second developer-transporting member, and that are located at positions where the developer-transporting members come close to each other, wherein (B1×B2)/L2 is less than about 400 where L represents a distance (mm) between an outer peripheral surface portion of the first developer-transporting member, the portion facing the first transfer magnetic pole, and an outer peripheral surface portion of the second developer-transporting member, the portion facing the second transfer magnetic pole, and B1 and B2 (mT) respectively represent maximum magnetic flux densities of the first and second transfer magnetic poles in a normal line direction on outer peripheral surfaces of the first and second developer-transporting members.

(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a developing device and an image forming apparatus.
(ii) Related Art
An image forming apparatus, such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile machine, to which an image recording system such as an electrophotographic system or an electrostatic recording system is applied includes a developing device that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on a latent image-carrying member, such as a photoconductor, with a developer.
An example of such a developing device includes plural developing rollers (e.g., two developing rollers) that hold a developer thereon with a magnetic force, the developer exhibiting magnetism, and that rotate and transport the developer to a developing region facing the latent image-carrying member so as to increase the development efficiency. Examples of the developer which exhibits magnetism include a two-component developer containing a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier and a magnetic one-component developer. An example of the developing roller is a developer-holding-transporting member including a cylindrical transport member that rotates so as to hold a developer that exhibits magnetism and to transport the developer, and a magnetic member that generates a line of magnetic force for holding the developer with a magnetic force on the outer peripheral surface of the transport member and that is arranged in an inner space of the transport member in a fixed manner.

Developing device and image forming apparatus


The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention, which comprises spinosin or a spinosin-containing herbal extract, is a composition for preventing and treating cognitive function disorders, and can effectively improve memory and learning ability, and effectively treat and prevent cognitive function disorders such as dementia and amnesia.

With the development of medical technology and the improvement of living standards, the average lifespan of a human has been almost doubled over the past half century, and thus the ratio of the elderly population to the total population has increased rapidly. Along with the development of an aging society, senile dementia has emerged as one of the major health problems that need to be addressed in the twenty-first century. Therefore, the need to develop functional materials, foods, etc. that can prevent and treat cognitive impairments including dementia has been increasing.
Dementia that is a typical disease of cognitive impairments is a pathological condition that needs to be distinguished from normal aging and is classified into Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and other dementias caused by alcoholism, trauma, sequelae of Parkinson's disease, etc.
It has been reported that Alzheimer's disease is one of chronic psychiatric disorders including disorders of higher cerebral functions such as loss of memory, impaired consciousness, spatiotemporal chaos, thinking ability, arithmetic ability, judgment, common sense, etc. Moreover, it has been reported that Alzheimer's disease also occurs in relatively young people and most frequently occurs in elderly people as the incidence is increased two times for each increase of 5 years in the range of 65 to 85 years old. While the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease is not clearly known, a decrease in acetylcholine function in the central nervous system most commonly occurs, and thus therapeutic methods of administering acetylcholine precursors or drugs that inhibit the degradation of acetylcholine to increase the concentration of acetylcholine in the brain have been used. Therefore, acetylcholinesterase (hereinafter, 'AChE') inhibitors have been used alone or in combination with existing cholinesterase inhibitors, and examples of such drugs include tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, etc. While these drugs are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, they only slow the progression of diseases, but have little effect on the treatment and have limited therapeutic potential at the beginning of the disease, and thus made efforts have been made to develop drugs that treat the underlying cause of Alzheimer's disease (Terry and Buccafusco, 2003; Kar et al., 2004; Akhondzadeh et al., 2008; Cummings et al., 2008; Voss et al., 2008).
Vascular dementia is mostly caused by damage to the brain cells due to lack of blood supply to certain parts of the brain caused by cerebral arteriosclerosis. The causes of the vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease are different, but they are the same in that they cause damage to memory and learning ability.
Accordingly, the present inventors have studied to develop an effective medicine for prevention or treatment of cognitive impairments such as dementia and found herbal extracts and their active ingredients which can effectively improve memory and learning ability, thus completing the present invention.

Pharmaceutical composition for prevention or treatment of cognitive function disorders comprising spinosin


A seal device for a turbine is disposed around a rotor so as to separate a high-pressure space and a low-pressure space and includes: a plurality of thin plates arranged along an outer peripheral surface of the rotor. Each of the thin plates has a thin-plate tip surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the rotor; a first side plate disposed so as to face the high-pressure space and covering outer peripheral regions of first side surfaces; and a second side plate disposed so as to face the low-pressure space and covering outer peripheral regions of second side surfaces. The first side surface of each of the thin plates is covered with the first side plate in a region extending further to an inner side, in a radial direction of the rotor, than a region of the second side surface covered with the second side plate.

Generally, in a turbine such as a gas turbine and a steam turbine, a seal device for reducing a leakage amount of a fluid that flows from the high-pressure side toward the low-pressure side is disposed between the outer peripheral surface of a rotor and a stator.
As a type of such seal device, known is a thin-plate seal structure having a plurality of thin plates (leafs) arranged in the circumferential direction of the rotor in a multiple-layered fashion, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3. The thin plates are normally in contact with the rotor while the turbine is stopped, but the thin-plate tip portions levitate from the rotor peripheral surface while the turbine is in operation, so that the thin plates are mainly in a non-contact state with the rotor. As compared to the labyrinth structure, the thin-plate seal structure is advantageous in that the leakage amount of fluid is small thanks to smaller clearance, as well as that abrasion of thin plates is less likely to occur thanks to the thin plates being in the non-contact state with the rotor more often in time series, thus having a longer seal lifetime.
Furthermore, with regard to the thin-plate seal structure, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a configuration in which a low-pressure side plate and a high-pressure side plate are disposed on both sides, respectively, of the thin plates in the direction of the rotational axis of the rotor.
In Patent Document 1, the low-pressure side plate and the high-pressure side plate are used as guide plates in a direction in which a pressure of a fluid is applied. In Patent Documents 2 and 3, the low-pressure side plate and the high-pressure side plate are used mainly to form an appropriate static pressure distribution around the thin plates. That is, during operation of a turbine, the high-pressure side plate is in close contact with the side surfaces of the thin plates due to a pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side, so that the gap between the thin plates is closed in most section on the side of the thin-plate root portions (stator side). Thus, the fluid flows through the gap between the rotor peripheral surface and the rotor-side end portion of the high-pressure side plate, that is, from the side of the thin-plate tip portions (rotor side), into the gap between the thin plates. The fluid having flown into the gap between the thin plates from the side of the thin-plate tip portions forms an upward flow that flows from the thin-plate tip portions toward the root portions, and flows out from the gap between the rotor peripheral surface and the rotor-side end portion of the low-pressure side plate. The thin plates are disposed inclined with respect to the peripheral surface of the rotor. Thus, the thin-plate tip portions levitate due to the static pressure distribution formed by the upward flow of the fluid in the gap between the thin plates, and the thin plates separate from the rotor. Furthermore, besides the effect of the static pressure distribution, the dynamic pressure effect from rotation of the rotor also causes each thin plate to levitate.

Seal device for turbine, turbine, and thin plate for seal device


A capacitor component includes a body including a layered portion having alternately stacked first and second internal electrodes laminated with dielectric layers interposed therebetween in a first direction, and first and second connecting portions disposed on two opposing surfaces of the layered portion, respectively, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and electrically connected to the first and second internal electrodes, respectively. The first and second connecting portions each include a metal layer disposed on the layered portion, a ceramic layer disposed on the metal layer, and an exposed portion penetrating through the ceramic layer to be in contact with the metal layer.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC), a capacitor component, has a small size and high capacitance, and may be easily mounted.
Generally, when external electrodes are formed in an MLCC, a paste including a conductive metal may be used, and a surface of a body on which an internal electrode is exposed may be dipped in the paste.
However, a thickness of an external electrode formed by the dipping method may not be uniform, and a thickness of an external electrode may be excessively reduced on a corner of a body. Also, when a plating layer is formed on an external electrode, a plating solution may permeate into a body, which may decrease reliability of an MLCC.
To address the issues described above, an external electrode may be divided into a primary external electrode and a secondary external electrode, and the primary external electrode may be formed by a transcribing process, or the like. However, when the above-described method is used, a contact area between an internal electrode and an external electrode may be reduced as compared to using a general method, and accordingly, resistance and ESR may increase.


The present invention provides a dual-circuit hydraulic brake system, which has a hydrostatic circuit and a servo circuit. The brake system also has an electronic anti-locking system, which is fed by the servo circuit. To cut off the master cylinder in case of a controlled braking and thereby to guarantee a closed circuit, an annular receptacle in the servo cylinders used for circuit separation is connected to a volume receptacle in case of a braking controlled by the anti-lock system. At the sametime, the master cylinder is cut off by means of a central valve.

Prior to the present invention, dual-circuit hydraulic brake systems have been used and taught in the prior art. See, for example, VISITA-PAPER 86 51 40, 1986, page 2, 265. The hydraulic brake system taught in this reference has a hydrostatic circuit which is fed from a master cylinder as a function of the force being exerted by a vehicle operator's foot. There is also provided a servo circuit in this hydraulic brake system. The servo circuit is supplied with hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic pressure source. Such hydraulic pressure source includes both a pump and a high pressure reservoir.
In this prior art hydraulic brake system, hydraulic fluid is communicated to the wheel brake cylinders from both the hydrostatic circuit and the servo circuit, during a brake application, by way of two servo cylinders. One of these two servo cylinders is associated with each wheel on the front axle. The hydrostatic circuit fed by the master cylinder is connected to an annular receptacle portion of such servo cylinder. This annular receptacle increases in size as the braking force being applied is increased. The servo circuit, that is, the hydraulic pressure source, is connected to a cylinder chamber disposed in the servo cylinder.
This hydraulic brake system requires the two servo cylinders to perform several distinct functions. On the one hand, for example, the servo cylinders separate the hydrostatic circuit and the servo circuit from one another. The separation of these circuits is necessary for safety reasons. On the other hand, these servo cylinders match the different pressure levels of the hydrostatic circuit and the servo circuit to one another. This matching of the different pressure levels present in these circuits is accomplished in this prior art hydraulic brake system by means of suitable translation ratios or by piston surfaces. Such servo cylinders also make possible the pressurization of the wheel brakes controlled by a respective one of such servo cylinders by the servo circuit pressure on the one hand and, simultaneously, by the master cylinder pressure on the other hand.
For the realization of an anti-locking function in the hydraulic brake system taught in the prior art, the servo cylinders are preceded by certain control valves positioned on the hydrodynamic booster side. These control valves can be magnetically activated by means of an electrical control signal supplied to them by an anti-lock electronic system. The locking of such wheel brakes is prevented in a manner which is well known in the braking art. In particular, in emergency braking conditions, it is of extreme importance to prevent such wheel brakes from locking. The anti-lock system is preferably designed as an individual regulation (IR) system. In an IR anti-lock brake system, each of the wheel brakes can be regulated individually.
As is known in the prior art, the hydraulic brake systems, as described above, can also be supplemented by two additional solenoid-controlled valves. Such additional solenoid-controlled valves are commonly known as separation valves. By means of these separation valves, in the case of a regulated or anti-lock braking application, the master cylinder can be separated from the servo cylinders by means of an appropriate control signal from the anti-lock electronic system. In this manner, undesirable feedback or pumping-type movement from the regulating anti-lock protection system to the brake pedal can be prevented. In addition to preventing such feedback, a disruptive influence on the regulation of the anti-lock braking system from the master cylinder is eliminated. Further, the annular receptacle portion of the servo cylinder is thereby connected directly to the pressure medium compensation reservoir of the hydraulic brake system. Such direct connection is necessary so that the brake pressure in the individual regulation cycles can be reduced down to a zero value if necessary.
This prior art dual-circuit hydraulic brake system design, however, has the disadvantage that the hydrostatic circuit can no longer be considered a closed system in the event the servo circuit is involved in an anti-lock brake operation. This circumstance presents the danger that the master cylinder can run at no load in the case of a defect or malfunction of one or both of the above-described supplementary solenoid-controlled valves.


A receptacle connector for a electronic device includes two sets of contacts arranged in two opposing rows in a cavity. A corresponding plug connector can be inserted into the receptacle connector so as to contact both sets of contacts. The receptacle connectors includes contacts that are dedicated for DisplayPort signals and contacts that provide non-DisplayPort signals. The contacts dedicated for DisplayPort signals are only enabled if the electronic device receives a notification from a connected accessory that that the accessory supports DisplayPort capability. Otherwise these contacts are in an “open” or deactivated state.

Connectors are ubiquitous and are used in variety of applications for coupling two electronic devices. Most connectors usually have some sort of contacts that facilitate transmission of signals between the devices connected using a connector. Conventionally, each contact in a connector has a specific pre-assigned function. In other words, each contact in a connector is designated to carry a certain type of signal, e.g., power, data, etc.
It would be desirable to have a connector that can be configured based on the capabilities of the accessory so that a single connector may be used to interface with several accessories.

Audio/video connector for an electronic device


A wrench includes a handle, a joint movably mounted on the handle and a working unit pivotally connected to the joint. The handle pivots relative to the working unit between a first position, where the handle and the working unit extend perpendicular to each other, and a second position, where the handle and the working unit extend along a same axis.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a wrench and, more particularly, to a wrench that can be operated in a narrow and deep space.
2. Related Prior Art
Disclosed in Taiwanese Patent M283713 is a wrench including a body 10 and a lever 11 inserted through the body 10 in a radial direction. The lever 11 is long and hence provides a significant mechanical gain. However, as the body 10 and the lever 11 extend perpendicular to each other, the wrench cannot be used in a narrow and deep space such as what is found in the engine compartment of a vehicle.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.


Disclosed herein is a camera module including: a lens part including a lens; a housing having the lens part coupled thereto; a bracket coupled to the housing; and a shaft mounted in the bracket and driving the lens part and the housing.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a camera module.
2. Description of the Related Art
A camera needs to be mounted in order to perform a video call or video conference using a television (TV). However, an edge of the TV tends to become thinner.
Therefore, it is required to miniaturize the camera in order to mount the camera in the TV rather than adding an external camera.
In addition, since it is difficult to satisfy various face positions such as a sitting person, a standing person, a tall person, and a short person at an appropriate angle of view of the camera, vertical rotation of the camera is required.
In order to manufacture a structure for the vertical rotation of the camera, generally, a structure having a size larger than that of the camera should be used. However, in order to mount the camera in the TV, it is important in view of a design to manufacture a rotation structure without increasing a size of a camera part in order to meet the miniaturization of the camera.
In the camera module according to the prior art, in order to rotate the camera, a scheme of assembling a camera module in a case larger than the camera module and rotating the case to adjust an angle of the camera has been mainly used.
Therefore, a rotation structure of a camera having a dimension smaller than a limited dimension (length and height) in mounting the camera in the TV is proposed.


A thrombectomy method and apparatus for dissolving a soft fibrinous obstruction, such as a recently formed thrombus, within a patient's vascular system, either in a vessel or in a prosthetic implant, employing a rotating brush for separating and mixing the fibrin of the thrombus while a dissolving agent, e.g. streptokinase or urokinase, is introduced and mixed in and applied to the separated fibrin. The brush is formed of soft, flexible bristles that extend outward from the distal end of an elongated, flexible, rotatable drive shaft having a drive motor assembly attached at its proximal end. In use, an introducer catheter is introduced through a patient's blood vessels until the distal end opening is positioned adjacent the thrombus. The brush is passed through the introducer lumen and out the distal opening to place the brush bristles in contact with the thrombus. The dissolving agent is introduced into the region of rotation of the brush either through the introducer catheter lumen or a drive shaft lumen for dissolving the soft thrombus as it is mixed by the bristles. The bristles are sufficiently resilient and dimensioned for ease of introduction and mixing into the fibrin of the soft thrombus, while not damaging the vessel wall. Optionally, a balloon catheter or a mesh basket may be coaxially introduced through the drive shaft lumen and placed downstream to restrain fragments and to allow the dissolving agent to complete the dissolution thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thrombectomy method and apparatus for removing a soft, newly formed thrombus or blood clot from a blood vessel, and particularly to the application of an obstruction dissolving agent into the fibers of the obstruction as the fibers are mixed and exposed by a soft, flexible rotating brush for fragmenting and dissolving the fragments of the obstruction in situ.
2. Description of the Background Art
The acute symptoms of blockage of a vein at a venous valve or a partially sclerosed and narrowed artery may be instigated by the presence of a soft blood clot which may either form at the site or form elsewhere, as through trauma or injury to the vascular system, at a cardiac valve or at the site of an access fistula for enabling chronic hemodialysis and be carried to the site by the flow of blood. In the venous and arterial blood vessels, such clots are referred to as an embolus or emboli and a thrombus or thrombi, respectively. Emboli and thrombi are characterized by a soft consistency that maintains a form and is resistant to dissolution in the bloodstream or in water and entraps red blood cells. Under the microscope it can be seen that this clotting behavior is effected by strands of fibrin which are formed of normally soluble fibrinogen molecules which undergo a conversion to stranded fibrin in response to a chemical released at the site of an injury to a blood vessel wall in order to prevent the loss of blood through the injured wall. Recently formed blood clots stabilized in position as emboli and thrombi are soft and jelly-like in consistency and are readily penetrated but reform after the penetrating object is removed.
The invasive removal of both soft and hard obstructions from arteries and prostheses implanted to substitute for diseased arteries or to retain arteries open to blood flow has become commonplace. Over many years, a patient's arterial system may become narrowed and eventually occluded with relatively hard, calcified plaque resulting in reduced blood flow and consequent oxygen deprivation, to organs and muscles supplied by the arterial system. The progress of atherosclerosis in a given patient may not be diagnosed until the onset of an ischemic episode triggering the symptoms of chest pain or heart failure, with respect to cardiac arteries, or a stroke or eyesight failure, if the carotid artery or its tributaries are blocked. Usually, the cardiac arteries in patients that suffer ischemia and have become blocked slowly over the years develop collateral blood vessels that take over or share the burden of supplying oxygen to the myocardium. However, as the disease is progressive, the arterial system eventually becomes incapable of sustaining that burden resulting in myocardial infarction. In the peripheral arteries, a blockage of oxygen carrying blood may cause pain or the onset of gangrene resulting in amputation of the limb or eventual death.
When blockage takes place, the patient is at risk of death or serious myocardial infarction or paralysis unless the blockage is promptly eliminated. Once diagnosed, treatments are first undertaken to remove the soft obstruction and restore the blood flow. Once the soft obstruction is removed, drug therapy may be instituted and the patient may undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery to replace the occluded cardiac arteries with vein sections sacrificed from the patient's peripheral venous system or with artificial grafts. Alternatively, the occlusions in the arteries may be expanded through balloon angioplasty, and artificial stents may be implanted to brace the expanded arterial wall. Other techniques for removing the obstruction occluding the vessel include invasively abrading or cutting away the built up placque and aspirating the fragments out of the bloodstream with mechanical atherectomy tools are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,579 to Shiber. In addition catheter systems employing laser energy are also being clinically used. In the carotid artery, the occlusion may have to be excised by surgical endorevectomy.
With respect to the venous system, emboli may collect at constrictions or valves in the relatively slow moving bloodstream. Emboli obstructing major venous valves creates a back pressure in the circulatory system so as to reduce blood flow even in the arterial system. Trapped venous blood causes swelling of the limb and the combination of swelling and reduced arterial blood flow may itself threaten the viability of the limb. Treatment for this condition involves long term use of anti-coagulation drugs to attempt to reduce the formation of new emboli.
The acute treatments that are undertaken to remove thrombi or emboli take many forms. At the onset of serious symptoms, the site of obstruction is identified with radiographic agents introduced into the bloodstream in a diagnostic radiographic procedure of the type described in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,635. Then dissolving agents, e.g. streptokinase or urokinase, may be infused through catheters which are introduced into the venous system and advanced until the infusion port at the distal end of the catheter is situated adjacent to the blockage. The dissolving agent is infused slowly over a matter of hours while the patient is monitored. At safe low dosages, this procedure is time consuming and requires careful monitoring of the risk of bleeding.
Other treatments have been proposed for mechanically entrapping and removing stabilized thrombi, including the use of the "Fogarty catheter" or inflatable balloon embolectomy catheter of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,826 to Fogarty. Typically, the balloon catheter is guided with the balloon collapsed through and into a location distal to the thrombus. The balloon is expanded and withdrawn in order to dislodge the thrombus and pull it along and out the incision in a blood vessel. In using this procedure, a risk exists that all or a portion of the thrombus will dislodge and travel to a further restriction in the arterial system.
Various other embolectomy/thrombectomy catheters and methods have been proposed, including the use of an elastomeric foam at the distal tip, rather than an expandable balloon, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,290 to Hilal. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,736 to Auth, it is proposed that a coiled wire be passed through a blood clot and rotated to catch and wind the fibrin structure while withdrawing blood or introducing a dissolving agent, e.g. streptokinase. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,139 to Stiles, it is proposed to employ the combination of ultrasound and a dissolving agent infused into a blood clot to emulsify and fragment the fibrin structure of the clot and to aspirate the fragments.
In use of such equipment, it is not possible to determine if the entire thrombus has been trapped or all fragments have been aspirated. Employing various techniques, accelerated atherosclerosis or internal hyperplasia has been reported at the removal site.
Despite the advances and improvements in treatment that have been introduced in recent years, a need remains for an embolectomy/thrombectomy apparatus and method that is simple to practice, does not threaten the integrity of the vessel, and wherein the vessel patency is rapidly restored.


A portable terminal includes an input device and processing hardware which operates a predetermined method. The input device includes a keypad unit consisting of a plurality of key buttons, a board consisting of a plurality of pressure sensors and dome switches for generating signals when pressed, and an actuator for simultaneously pressing the corresponding dome switch and the corresponding pressure sensor when a key button is pressed, with the processing hardware for performing and finishing a first operation based on the signal generated by the corresponding dome switch if generation of the signal generated by the dome switch stops before a valid time has expired, and for performing a second operation based on a pressure change sensed by the corresponding pressure sensor simultaneously pressed until the generation of the signal generated by the corresponding dome switch remains after the valid time has expired.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of portable terminals and more particularly, to a method and device of providing mechanical and software inputs to the portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of electronic communication industries in recent years, portable terminals light in weight, thin in thickness, and small in size are becoming a trend and functions thereof are being diversified. For example, a terminal may include a speaker device capable of realizing polyphony melodies or may include a mega-pixel color display device. In addition to providing various game content using the speaker device and a display device, the portable terminal provides various multimedia functions such as an MPeg-1 audio layer 3 (MP3) play function, a radio function, a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) function, etc. Therefore, a key signal input device is more frequently used in the portable terminal to perform such various multimedia functions, and thus the key signal input device is considered an important constitutional element of the terminal.
A conventional portable terminal has a key signal input device which includes a contact pattern on a main board and a dome switch for allowing an electrical contact to be made with the contact pattern is pressed. When the dome switch is pressed, a contact is made with the contact pattern, and the portable terminal handles this as if a specific key signal has been input.
The conventional portable terminal also includes another input device which has a plurality of pressure sensors on a main board to output a signal in response to sensing a pressure change. When a signal is generated by the pressure sensor due to the pressure change, the portable terminal handles the signal as an input signal of a specific key.
The input device using the dome switch provides a user with a mechanical click feel, and thus the user can feel conformable in the use of the input device. In addition, the input device using the pressure sensor can configure various key signals depending on a pressure change. On the other hand, the input device using the dome switch has a limitation in configuring the various key signals of the input device. Further, the input device using the pressure sensor is inferior to the input device using the dome switch in terms of providing the mechanical click feel.

Method and device of input for a portable terminal


In accordance with some embodiments, a secure local application communication method is performed at a first apparatus that includes a housing arranged to hold a second apparatus, a controller, a communication interface, and a non-transitory memory storing a matrix. The secure local application communication method includes detecting, via the communication interface, a request originating from a first application executing on the second apparatus to communicate with a second application on the second apparatus. The method further includes determining whether or not to allow the request based on the matrix. The method additionally includes allowing transportation of packets from the first application to the second application in accordance with a determination of allowing the request.

Some smartphones are designed to restrict the local exchange of application data on a single device. On such devices, it difficult for one or more developers, whose combined product offering includes multiple applications, to share information locally.
In accordance with common practice the various features illustrated in the drawings cannot be drawn to scale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features can be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of the drawings cannot depict all of the components of a given system, method or device. Finally, like reference numerals can be used to denote like features throughout the specification and figures.

Secure local application communication bridge


A method for improving interpenetration, mixing, and combustion between a fuel and oxidizer reactant mixture and combustion product gases in engines having a combustor includes the step of providing an engine having a combustor in which the reaction mixture and product gases are subjected to acceleration directed transverse to a direction along which the reactant mixture flows through the combustor during combustion. One or more catalyst elements are positioned within the combustor to generate Rayleigh-Taylor instability and thereby enhance interpenetration of the reactant mixture and product gases within the combustor chamber during combustion.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention generally relates to engines having a combustor in which a fuel and oxidizer reactant mixture is continually mixed with product gases to obtain stable combustion, and to methodologies for achieving improved combustion stability and increased combustion efficiency in such engines. More specifically, the invention relates to methodologies for improving interpenetration of reactant mixtures and product gases within combustors and thereby obtaining improved combustor performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
In traditional gas turbine engines, a compressor first compresses air, which then mixes with a fuel like jet fuel, kerosene, natural gas or propane to produce a reactant mixture. The reactant mixture burns in a combustor to produce combustion product gases. The heat that comes from the burning reactant mixture expands the combustion product gases. As these hot product gases flow at high speed through a bladed turbine, a torque is produced on a turbine shaft. The torque is used to drive the compressor and possibly one or more external implements like a generator.
In contrast to a traditional gas turbine engine, a traditional ramjet engine has no moving parts, and in particular has no compressor or turbine. As known in the art, the traditional ramjet engine instead achieves compression of intake air by the ram pressure that develops in a diffuser from the relative difference in velocity between the engine and the intake air. The diffuser leads to a combustor and compressed air from the diffuser mixes and burns with fuel in the combustor to produce product gases in a similar manner as the traditional gas turbine engines.
However, conventional ramjet engines can only be used when the forward speed of the engine is sufficiently high relative to the surrounding air to produce suitable ram pressure in the diffuser which is needed for acceptable performance. To overcome this limitation of conventional ramjet engines, rotary ramjet engines have been proposed. The rotary ramjet engines configure helical-shaped compression-combustion-expansion channels, which provide the ramjet flow path, in a rotor. The rotor rotates about a central axis to achieve the high relative velocity needed for effective ram compression. One known example of a rotary ramjet engine includes the helical-shaped channels formed by an appropriately shaped radially outward surface of an inner supersonic rotating rotor that faces toward a radially inward surface of an outer stationary stator. Another known example of a rotary ramjet engine is a so-called "inside-out" rotary ramjet engine, which includes a stationary stator having a generally annular, radially outward surface centered about a central axis. A rotor is rotatably supported about the central axis and is concentrically axially aligned with the radially outward surface of the stator. The rotor includes a helically extending ramjet flow channel formed therein. The flow channel in the rotor is disposed radially outwardly of the radially outward surface of the stator such that the rotor orbits about the central axis positioned on the radially outward surface during operation of the engine.
Traditional gas turbine engines, conventional ramjet engines, rotary ramjet engines, and other engines that operate on the internal combustion principle have one or more combustors in which reactant mixtures are continually interpenetrated with product gases. The fuel and compressed air entering the combustor are often referred to as reactants. Often the initially separated fuel and compressed air are mixed together to form the reactant mixture prior to combustion in the combustor. During operation of such engines, combustion is commenced in the combustors, and the flow of the reactants into the combustors and the mixing of the reactants with combustion products generally maintains continual combustion in each combustor. There is a general desire to be able to flow as much of the reactant mixture as possible into a combustor of a given volume while maintaining stable combustion and maximizing the combustion efficiency, or to minimize the volume of a combustor while maintaining stable combustion and maximizing combustion efficiency for a given flow rate of reactants.
Additionally, because continuous combustion is sought within the combustors, hot combustion product gases are also present in the combustors along with the reactant mixture. Interpenetration and associated mixing between the hot product gases and the reactant mixture within each combustor is important to maintain continual combustion in the combustor. Although the product gases are no longer combustible, it is important for the product gases to be present in the combustor, and it is important to interpenetrate the product gases and the reactant mixture within the combustor for purposes of maintaining continuous combustion in the combustor. Achieving proper interpenetration and associated mixing between the product gases and the reactant mixture within the combustor is an important consideration for effective combustor design.
Rate of interpenetration achieved between the product gases and the reactant mixture is another factor that is typically important in combustor design, since the rate of heat release due to combustion is in part determined by the rate of interpenetration. For example, if the rate of interpenetration is too slow in comparison with the rate at which the reactant mixture enters the combustor, then the rate of heat release may not be sufficient to maintain continuous, stable combustion within the combustor. This can cause combustion to cease, often referred to as "flameout".
Another factor that is typically important in combustor design is that the interpenetration should distribute the hot product gases throughout most of the combustor, so that the amount of the reactant mixture flowing through the combustor that is burned before the reactant mixture exits from the combustor is maximized. This is typically important for maximizing combustion efficiency.
As such, there is a strong desire to achieve effective interpenetration and associated mixing of the hot product gases with the incoming reactant mixture to avoid flameout and maximize combustion efficiency. Various efforts have been made in the past to alleviate conditions that result in flameout within the combustors and to thereby stabilize combustion within the combustors. For traditional gas turbine engines and conventional ramjet engines, many such efforts focus on aerodynamic stabilization through geometric design of the diffuser and combustor to control the flow pattern of the reactant mixture and the product gases within the combustor. In effect, aerodynamic stabilization designs the internal geometry of the combustor and various parts within it so that inertia of the reactant mixture entering the combustor provides for interpenetration of the reactant mixture and product gases within the combustor. However, even in common engines such as traditional gas turbines, such aerodynamic stabilization methods can only ensure continuous combustion over a limited range of reactant mixture flow rates and relative fuel-to-air mass ratios than would be desirable. It is therefore desirable to pursue other methods for effectively interpenetrating reactant mixtures and product gases and achieving continuous combustion in addition or as an alternative to methods based on traditional aerodynamic flame stabilization.
Moreover, in some types of engines, such as the rotary ramjet engines as described above, aerodynamic stabilization methods may be generally insufficient for stabilizing combustion to avoid flameout over a useful range of design or operating conditions. In particular, in rotary ramjet engines the reactant mixtures and product gases in the combustors may be subjected to large accelerations as a consequence of the rotating nature of the combustors, and thereby become subjected to large forces that can affect the flow and resulting interpenetration pattern of the reactant mixture and product gases within the combustor. Notably, the density of the hot product gases is substantially lower than that of the reactant mixture entering the combustor. Due to rotation in the rotary ramjet engines, the resulting centrifugal forces that can arise within the reactant mixture and product gases can inhibit adequate interpenetration needed to maintain stable combustion. As a consequence, rotary ramjet engines especially are in need of additional methods beyond aerodynamic stabilization to maintain the continuous combustion therein over a broad range of design and/or operating conditions.

Rayleigh-Taylor assisted combustion and combustors adapted to exploit Rayleigh-Taylor instability for increasing combustion rates therein

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN


At least one device is configured to perform a predetermined process associated with a vehicle using data; and send, to a server system, the data used by the predetermined process as learning data. The server system is configured to obtain the learning data sent from the at least one device, and perform a learning process on at least a factor defining the predetermined process using the obtained learning data to generate update data for updating at least the factor defining the predetermined process. The server system is configured to send the update data to the at least one device. The at least one device is further configured to update at least the factor defining the predetermined process based on the update data sent from the server system.

Machine learning is conventionally used for various fields, such as image recognition, voice recognition, and others.
Generally, machine learning trains a process based on inputting a large amount of data to the process, thus improving the accuracy of achieving desired results from the process.
An example of machine learning is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-12165.
The Patent Publication No. 2006-12165 discloses updating, i.e. training, partially the filtering process of a spam filter, which removes spam mails from received mails, using machine learning, thus improving the accuracy of distinguishing the spam mails from the other received mails.
In-vehicle devices perform an image recognition process and/or others. The accuracy of image recognition based on the image recognition process has been improved according to machine learning in a development phase of the in-vehicle devices.

Learning system, in-vehicle device, and server


A system for monitoring a switchgear includes: an infrared camera for acquiring an infrared image of a switchgear; a visible camera for acquiring a visible image of the switchgear; a processing unit; and an output unit. The processing unit maps a plurality of pixels in the visible image to a plurality of pixels in the infrared image. The plurality of pixels in the visible image includes a plurality of sub-sets of pixels, each sub-set including at least one pixel. Each sub-set of pixels in the visible image is mapped to a corresponding pixel in the infrared image. Each sub-set of pixels in the visible image and the corresponding pixel in the infrared image relates to image data of a same part of the switchgear. The processing unit determines a combined image from the plurality of pixels in the visible image mapped to the plurality of pixels in the infrared image.

Infrared (IR) thermography is widely used for contactless temperature sensing and represents a convenient solution for a permanent installation of online temperature monitoring of electrical assets such as switchgears. The temperature extraction from thermal images of IR cameras supports the detection of critical hot spots to prevent overheating in switchgears.
Today, the application of stand-alone IR cameras brings the following drawbacks to existing and new solutions of electrical assets:
[1] Especially in unknown electrical assets, the proper installation of the IR camera is quite cumbersome for the purpose of commissioning and retrofit. The thermal image does not provide the information if all relevant components of the electrical asset are fully captured by the IR camera. This is in particular the case in the cold state of the switchgear if cost efficient IR cameras with low spatial resolution as well as low sensitivity are used. In this situation internal components can only be detected reliably after the switchgear becomes heated up.
[2] Individual components of the electrical asset and possible further objects such as forgotten tools are hard to recognize only from the thermal IR image. The recognition of components and objects is essential to detect the type of failure and which phases are affected.
[3] With regard to switchgears, the type, topology and the compartment are hard to identify only from the thermal IR image.
[4] Low-resolution cameras make [1]-[3] even more difficult. In the thermal image, the contour lines of the measured temperatures, representing the boundary lines of the object, become less sharp.
There is a need to address these issues.


A system and method for converting 32 bit addresses into 64 bit addresses and enabling the 32 bit address to include a region index. The region index is stored in low order bits of the 32 bit address. In some architectures, namely the Intel IA-64 architecture, the low order bits are not used in entry point addresses because each entry point is on a 16 byte boundary. In the case of the IA-64 architecture, the low 4 bits of a 64 bit module entry point address are ignored. The region index in a 64 bit IA-64 address is stored in the high 3 bits of the address. Region index information is stored in the low order bits of the 32 bit address and copied to the high order bits for the corresponding 64 bit address. In this manner, the 32 bit address can include memory region index information without compromising the normal 4 gigabyte address space for a 32 bit address. By storing the memory index information, the 32 bit address is able to address a module entry point in any of the eight memory regions found in the IA-64 architecture. In addition, an additional bit in the 32 bit address is usable to further expand the addressable range of the 32 bit address when converted to operate in a 64 bit environment.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a method and system for addressing 64 bit memory addresses. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for using a 32 bit address for branching into a 64 bit target address.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems in general and International Business Machines (IBM) compatible personal computer systems in particular have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today""s modern society. Systems with microprocessors are finding themselves in an array of smaller and more specialized objects that previously were largely untouched by computer technology. Computer systems typically include a system processor and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, a display area, input means, and often interfaces, such as a network interface or modem, to other computing devices.
These computing devices are information handling systems which are designed primarily to give independent computing power to a single user, or a group of users in the case of networked computing devices. Personal computing devices are often inexpensively priced for purchase by individuals or businesses. Nonvolatile storage devices such as hard disks, CD-ROM drives and magneto-optical drives are considered to be peripheral devices. Computing devices are often linked to one another using a network, such as a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or other type of network, such as the Internet.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a system board to electrically connect these components together. At the heart of the system board is one or more processors. System manufacturers continually strive for faster, more powerful processors in order to supply systems for demanding applications. Processors, in turn, have evolved from simple 8 bit microprocessors all the way to current 64 bit processors. The addressable memory of these processors has likewise grown exponentially. Thirty-two bit microprocessors, such as IBM""s 32-bit Power PC processor and Intel""s Pentium processor, could access 232 bytes of virtual memory (4 gigabytes). Meanwhile, 64 bit processors, such as Intel""s IA-64 can access 264 bytes of virtual memory. The Intel IA-64 processor divides its memory into 8 separate regions. The three highest order bits (bits 63, 62, and 61) of a memory address determine the memory region that will be used, as set forth below:
While increasing the power and addressable memory space is advantageous, a large number of programs have already been written to operate in 32 bit environments. In a 64 bit architecture, a 32 bit address only uses the low 32 bits of the possible 64 bits. Therefore, the high order bits, including the bits determining the memory region, will be equal to zero (0). As a result, 32 bit programs only address memory in the first 4 GB memory area in the first region (region 0).
One of the reasons memory regions were established in the IA-64 architecture was to promote shared memory. If certain data, such as shared library text or read-only data, is used by more than one program running in the IA-64 architecture, a single copy can be placed in a region and shared amongst the programs. The MMU is used to fetch the data from physical memory.
The MMU (memory management unit), is a hardware component that manages virtual memory systems, including the virtual memory in the IA-64 architecture. Typically, the MMU is part of the CPU, though in some designs it is a separate chip. The MMU includes a small amount of memory that holds a table matching virtual addresses to physical addresses. This table is called the page table. All requests for data are sent to the MMU, which determines whether the data is in RAM or needs to be fetched from a nonvolatile storage device, such as a hard disk drive. If the data is not in memory, the MMU issues a page fault interrupt.
While it may be advantageous to use different regions for different types of shared memory, a challenge exists with legacy 32 bit programs in accessing these shared memory areas. The region where the 32 bit program is running must have its own copy of these shared memory areas in order to read from them. Translation look aside buffers (TLBs) are hardware storage registers that keep the most recently used translations for loaded page tables entries. Maintaining additional copies of shared memory in order to provide access to 32 bit programs is costly in terms of increased context switching and increased thrashing of translation hardware facilities such as page table entries and TLBs.
Other approaches have been developed to allow 32 bit programs to run within a 64 bit environment. The first approach is to zero extend the 32 bit addresses to be 64 bits in length. With this solution, however, bits 63-61 (the bits that determine the memory region) will equal 0 and, consequently, will always address memory region 0.
A second approach is to use the two highest order bits in the 32 bit address (bits 31 and 30) and use the bit values for the high order bits in the 64 bit address (bits 61 and 62). This approach does allow use of four memory regions (due to setting 2 of the 3 bits that determine a region index), however this approach introduces new challenges. Because the two high order bits of the 32 bit address are used for bits 63 and 62, only 30 bits remain from the original 32 bit address. Therefore, only 1 GB is addressable in each of the accessible regions. In addition, because only 2 bits are used, only 4 of the 8 memory regions are accessible. Shared memory in inaccessible regions still needs to have a copy maintained in an accessible region in order to be read by the 32 bit program. Moreover, because the 4 GB memory space from the 32 bit environment is spread across four regions, programs stepping through memory need to be redirected to another region when one of the 1 GB memory boundaries is crossed.
[ADD PROBLEM WHERE 0 starts at 0, REGION 1 STARTS AT 1GB, etc.]
A third approach is to sign-extend the 32 bit address. This approach allows access to two memory regions (region 0 if the high order bit (bit 31) is zero, and region 7 if the high order bit is one). This approach, again, presents significant challenges. Each of these two memory areas is only 2 GB in size (231), rather than 4 GB because the high order bit is sign extended to determine the region index. Also, only two of the possible eight regions are accessible. If shared memory exists in any of the other six regions, a copy of the shared memory is needed in one of the two accessible regions. Moreover, because the 4 GB memory space from the 32 bit environment is spread across two regions, programs stepping through memory need to be redirected to another region when the 2 GB memory boundaries is crossed.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for 32 bit applications to access any region in a 64 bit environment without losing the normal contiguous 4 GB address footprint of a 32 bit process.
It has been discovered that a region index can be stored in low order bits (bits 0, 1, and 2) of a 32 bit address with minimal performance impact. A region index is stored in the high order bits of a 64 bit address. In the IA-64 architecture, there are eight memory regions and thus three corresponding high order bits used to address the desired memory region.
In some 64 bit architectures, including the IA-64 architecture, code entry points are set at certain minimal intervals to improve performance and system management. For example, the IA-64 architecture specifies that code entry points are on 16 byte boundaries. Because of this specification, the 4 low-order bits of a calling address are ignored since those bits would determine an address within a 16 byte region. In the present invention, these unused bits locations are used when processing 32 bit programs to store a region index in order to address a different memory region. In this manner, shared libraries and other shared data residing in other regions can be accessed by 32 bit programs, thus improving the performance of 32 bit programs operating in a 64 bit operating environment. External program calls are processed by the run-time linker. External program calls such as library calls and system calls are updated to store the region index of the corresponding library call or system call in the low 3 bits. Control is then passed to the 32 bit program""s entry point where the instructions are processed. When the instructions are processed, out of module calls use glue code to bind the 32 bit instructions to the 64 bit operating environment. During the execution of the glue code, the region index that is stored in the 3 low order bits is copied into the high order bits of the corresponding 64 bit instruction. After the bits have been copied, the program branches to the 64 bit address.
The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, inventive features, and advantages of the present invention, as defined solely by the claims, will become apparent in the non-limiting detailed description set forth below.

System and method for 32 bit code branching to 64 bit targets

International Business Machines, Corporation