A beam-type axle suspension system particularly applicable to trailers and which is subject to torsional forces includes an elongated beam, a pneumatic bellows located on the beam, a hanger bracket located at one end of the beam, a connection for rigidly connecting the beam to the axle and a resilient pivot connection for resiliently connecting the beam to the hanger bracket wherein the beam includes an orifice through which the axle is slid or pressed and rigidly attached thereto, thereby preventing the axle from assuming a cross-sectional shape substantially different from its unstressed shape due to the torsional forces imposed on the axle. This beam-type axle suspension system also includes a resilient pivot connection for connecting the hanger bracket to the beam, thereby allowing the brake components to be attached to the beam instead of to the axle, and having the effect of eliminating stress risers on the axle due to welding the brake components to the axle. This is achieved by the combination of a pivot connection having a resilient bushing with different deflection in the beamwise and hangerwise directions and the rigid axle-to-beam connection which maintains a constant distance between the axle and the brake components.

The subject invention finds particular utility in the heavy duty truck and trailer industry. In this industry, the use of air brakes and air-ride beam-type suspensions has become quite popular. Such suspensions come in wide and varied forms. Generally speaking, however, they include a pair of longitudinally extending beams (flexible or rigid) one of which is located adjacent each of the two longitudinal side frame rails located underneath the body of the truck or trailer. These beams are then pivotally connected at one end to the frame hanger that is attached to the frame rail of the vehicle. Spaced along the remaining length of the beam is an air bag (bellows) and an axle. The beam may be underslung or overslung, with respect to the axle, and the air bag(s) may be located fore or aft of, or in a vertical line with, the axle. The axle may be connected to the beam rigidly or resiliently. The beam may extend in a "trailing" or a "leading" direction from its pivot, thus defining a trailing or leading beam suspension. Equivalents of air bellows, such as large rubber balls or pads or hydraulic cylinders, may be employed instead of air bags.
Prior to the advent of the invention in U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,640, the truck and trailer suspension art had not been able to successfully achieve a rigid axle-to-beam connection employing a rigid beam. In short, either the axle-to-beam connection had to be made, in some way, resilient, and/or the beam had to be made flexible, in order to successfully take up the operative articulation forces experienced during vehicle operation, even though a resilient bushing was employed at the pivotal connection (e.g. in the hanger bracket) between the beam and frame rail. By employing a sufficiently sized, resilient pivotal connection which provided a greater degree of deflection, hangerwise than beamwise, thereby to take up the operative forces at the pivot while tracking and roll-stability were maintained, the invention disclosed in the above-cited '640 patent (see FIGS. 5, 6 & 8) constituted a significant, indeed pioneer, advance in the truck and trailer suspension field. This pioneer advance occurred because, by the use of such a unique pivotal connection, there could then be used in combination with this resilient pivotal connection a rigid beam and a rigid axle-to-beam connection. In fact, in the preferred forms of this patented invention, the resilient pivotal bushing system was so designed that it took up, successfully, virtually all of the operative articulation forces during vehicle use, while the suspension as a whole meets all criteria for a very safe suspension. In addition, maintenance requirements were significantly reduced and life-expectancy dramatically increased over known suspensions employing resilient axle-to-beam connections, while at the same time, the extra weight of attendant resilient beams (e.g. leaf springs) was avoided. In some instances, in fact, the resilient bushings at the pivot outlasts the life of the vehicle.
In 1991, an important improvement in the aforesaid invention was disclosed, upon the issuance of U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,126. Employing the basic concepts in the '640 patent of a rigid axle-to-beam connection, rigid beam, and orificed resilient pivot bushing, the invention of the '126 patent included a unique rigid beam and axle connection thereto which significantly reduced the weight of the overall suspension even further.
The above two patented suspensions are ideal examples of rigid beam, trailing arm suspensions finding high acceptability in the truck and trailer industry. The pioneer inventive concept of U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,640 in this respect constitutes the preferred background from which the instant invention arises.
Examples of other resiliently bushed axle-to-beam connection suspensions employing rigid beams may be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,332,701; 3,140,880; 3,482,854; 3,547,215; and 3,751,066. Examples of flexible beam-type suspensions with resilient or rigid axle-to-beam connections include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,785,673; 3,918,738; 3,612,572, as well as the GMC Astro-Air suspension, the Dayton Air Suspension, Western Unit Air Suspensions, Hutchens Suspensions, and the Fruehauf Cargo Care and Pro-Par Suspensions, just to name a few.
Generally speaking, in trailing and leading beam-type suspensions, a rather unique problem occurs. The problem is that during operation of the vehicle, the axle may be stressed to a cross-sectional shape other than as manufactured (e.g. stressed "out-of-round", if a cylindrical axle is employed). There are two different loading conditions that cause this unique problem:
1. forces imposed on the suspension and axle during vehicle cornerings; and PA1 2. forces imposed on the suspension during a vertical single-wheel input.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a rear view of a typical trailer, adequately illustrates these forces. Trailer 1 is formed of body 3, wheels 5, axle 7, and side frame rails 9 (the suspension is omitted for clarity).
FIG. 1 shows the forces incurred during trailer cornering. CG is the center of gravity of the vehicle. As trailer 1 is maneuvered about a corner, a centrifugal force "F" acts upon the vehicle at its center of gravity CG. The force "F" is proportional to the radius of the curve, or corner, and the vehicle's speed squared. This creates a roll moment "M" that is proportional to the height of the center of gravity off the ground and the magnitude of centrifugal force "F". Since the vehicle is in a steady state condition, the roll moment is resisted at the tire-to-road interface by an equal but opposite moment created by unloading the tire of one side of the vehicle by a force "W" and increasing the load on the opposite side tire by the same force magnitude "W".
The roll moment causes the trailer to lean as depicted in FIG. 1, and is due to tire and suspension deflections. The tire deflection is proportional to "W" and the radial spring rate of the tires. The suspension deflection is proportional to force "F", the effective roll center of the suspension, and the roll rate of the suspension.
The forces caused by this roll moment must be transferred from the vehicle body, through the suspension into the axle and on through the tires to the road surface. Transferring the loads from the suspension into the axle is much different in leading and trailing arm air suspensions than in any other type of suspension, thereby creating the previously mentioned unique problem of leading and trailing arm air suspension systems.
FIG. 2 illustrates the same trailer 1 and load configuration as in FIG. 1, except the axle, tires and part of the suspension are omitted. Elements 11 in the drawing are the hanger brackets that attach the suspension to the body of the trailer. In this case, the roll moment "M" is resisted by equal but opposite forces "S" that the suspension inputs to brackets 11. The forces "S" are similar for virtually all recognized types of suspensions. The forces "S" for brackets 11 are, of course, the same for any such suspension employed with brackets 11 (as generically illustrated).
Reference now is made to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 illustrates one side of a typical spring suspension 13 that consists of front suspension bracket 21, rear suspension bracket 22, steel spring 23, means 24 for attaching spring 23 to axle 7, and radius rod 26. The force "S", as depicted in FIG. 2, is distributed between the two suspension brackets 21 and 22, onto both ends of spring 23, then transferred through spring/axle attachment 24, and into axle 7. The resultant force transferred into axle 7 is simply the vertical force "S.sub.v ". If the other side of this type of suspension were shown, the loading would be the same except the vertical force would be in the opposite direction.
Another known type of suspension is illustrated in FIG. 4. Here, half of a typical walking beam suspension 15 consists of front suspension bracket 31, rear suspension bracket 32, steel spring 33, and saddle assembly 34 that pivotally attaches spring 33 to walking beam 35. Axle brackets 36 pivotally attach beam 35 to axles 7A and 7B. The force "S", as depicted in FIG. 2, is distributed between the two suspension brackets 31 and 32, onto both ends of spring 33, then transferred through saddle assembly 34 and into walking beam 35. The force is then transferred equally to axles 7A and 7B. The resultant force transferred into each of axles 7A and 7B is simply half the vertical force "S" (here illustrated as S/2). If the other side of this type of suspension were shown, the loading would be the same except vertical force "S" would be in the opposite direction.
Most known suspensions behave in the manner as those depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4, in that the forces put into the suspension to resist roll moment "M" result in forces into the axle that are vertical in nature only. The exception to this, however, is leading and trailing arm air suspensions, wherein an additional force acts upon the axle.
A typical trailing arm suspension 17 is shown in FIGS. 5,6 & 8 in this respect. It consists of suspension bracket 41 which is pivotally attached at 46 to a trailing arm beam 42 that is supported at one end by bracket 41 and at the other end by air spring 43. Beam 42 has a means of a rigid attachment 44 to axle 7. Suspension 17 further includes a typical brake actuation mechanism 19, comprising brake chamber 27, rod 29 and S-cam assembly 37, S-cam bearing 37A and slack adjuster 45. With this design, air spring 43 is designed to have a very low spring rate (i.e. force/deflection), and, therefore, it contributes very little to resisting roll moment "M". The force "S", as depicted in FIG. 2, is transferred primarily into suspension bracket 41 and then into one end of trailing arm beam 42, through rigid axle connection 44 and into axle 7. The resultant forces into axle 7 are a vertical force equal to "S" and a torsional force "T", equal to vertical force "S" multiplied by beam length "L" (i.e. T=S.times.L).
Additionally, the axle acts as a beam element supporting the vertical loads transmitted from the tires through the axle and suspension to the vehicle frame. These loads generate a bending moment into the axle, thereby placing the bottom of the axle in tension and the top of the axle in compression. A weld on the surface in tension creates the potential for an axle life reducing stress riser.
Reference is now made to FIG. 6 which illustrates the complete trailing arm suspension 17 with wheels 5 and axle 7 attached (brake actuation mechanism 19 shown in FIG. 5 is omitted).
FIG. 6 illustrates axle 7 with trailing arm beams 42 attached to and their resultant forces on axle 7. The vertical load "S" is similar for all suspensions, but this type of leading or trailing arm suspension 17 adds an additional torsional force "T" to the axle. It is this torsional force that creates a unique design stress problem that must be overcome in the design of the trailing, or leading, arm suspensions.
While the suspensions disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,166,640 and 5,037,126 successfully overcame this unique problem, the instant invention overcomes it in a unique and highly advantageous way, thereby constituting a still further improvement on the basic pioneer invention of the '640 patent. In this respect it should be remembered, as illustrated in FIG. 7, that the forces imposed on a suspension and, therefore, the axle, are the same for single wheel input (e.g. one dual wheel going over a curb "C", as illustrated, or one dual wheel dropping into a pothole), as they are for the case of trailer cornering, as described above with respect to FIGS. 1-6.
FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the invention disclosed and claimed in above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,126. In this suspension, and as is widely used in the prior art, U-bolts 39 are used to share in transferring torsional loads "T" caused by the trailing arm suspension into the axle. In '126, furthermore, a rigid, welded axle-to-beam connection is also used. Relatively thick axles are employed, and through proper engineering design, the axle safely accepts torsional loads "T". Nevertheless, U-bolts or similar parts are necessary, and the axle must be designed to be strong (e.g. heavy) enough to accept these forces.
It has now been discovered that virtually all previous commercially acceptable designs of leading or trailing beam suspensions, whether of the '126 or other types as exemplified by citation above, through their design which allows the axle to have transferred to it torsional loads "T", also causes the axle to change its circumferential (i.e. cross-sectional) shape (e.g. "out-of-round" if the axle is cylindrical, as illustrated in FIGS. 5-6). This is caused by inputting torsional loads at two points "M" and "N" (FIG. 5) only around the axle circumference. The U-bolts employed in previous preferred designs serve the function of significantly minimizing this change in cross-sectional shape. Not to do so could otherwise cause unacceptable stress risers at the point of constraint (e.g. at the weld of the axle to the beam). Thus, in most acceptable, known designs of the trailing or leading beam type, U-bolts become a preferred means for improving the life of the suspension and axle.
In view of the above, there exists a considerable, and long-felt need for a new trailing or leading beam suspension which achieves all of the benefits of prior designs of this type, but which also overcomes the need to employ U-bolts, while at the same time not giving rise to stress risers at the axle-to-beam connection, due to torsion and bending forces. It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill this need in the art.
Another problem in the suspension art, which existed and is now overcome by the instant invention should be discussed. The problem experienced, as partially illustrated in FIG. 5, and best illustrated in FIG. 8, was the need in prior suspensions of the leading and trailing beam type to have to attach brake actuation mechanism 19 by bracketry (e.g. 47 and 51) to the axle. Usually this necessitated welding (e.g. 49 and 53) both brake chamber brackets 51 and S-cam bearing brackets 47 by way of six bracket attachments to the axle in an area of high torsional stress. This can result at times in reduced axle life. For this reason, there exists yet another considerable and long-felt need in the art for a new suspension that would allow the safe attachment of the brake actuation mechanism to a part of the suspension other than the axle. It is a further purpose of this invention to fulfill this need in the art, as well as other needs as will become apparent to the skilled artisan, once given the following disclosure.


A plasma processing unit of the invention includes: a processing container, and a first electrode disposed in the processing container. The first electrode has: a plurality of gas-dispersion holes for supplying a process gas into the processing container, and an opening for a measurement light. A second electrode is arranged on one side of and a predetermined gap away from the gas-dispersion holes and the opening of the first electrode. A power source unit applies electric power between the first electrode and the second electrode and generates plasma between the first electrode and the second electrode. An optical path of a window member adjacently communicates with the other side of the opening for the measurement light. The gas-dispersion holes are formed into a predetermined arrangement, and the opening is formed separately from the gas-dispersion holes without disturbing the arrangement of the gas-dispersion holes. According to the invention, a process gas can be uniformly supplied into the processing container to conduct a uniform plasma process, in spite of existence of the opening and the optical path as a window for monitoring.

This invention relates to a plasma processing unit, a window member for a plasma processing unit and an electrode plate for a plasma processing unit.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications No. 4-94533 and No. 10-64884, a technique has been proposed wherein a window which a beam of light can penetrate is provided at a central portion of an electrode facing another electrode on which a wafer is placed, and wherein reflection of a beam of light given from an outside of an etching unit to the wafer is detected by means of a detector disposed at the outside of the etching unit in order to monitor an etching state. In addition, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2-201924, a technique has been proposed wherein two optical fibers extend through an ozone-dispersion plate from an outside of a heating-type ashing unit, and wherein a beam of light is given to a wafer facing the ozone-dispersion plate through one of the optical fibers and reflection of the beam from the wafer Is received through the other of the optical fibers by means of a detector disposed at the outside of the unit in order to monitor an ashing state.
In cases of the monitoring techniques disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications No. 4-94533 and No. 10-64884, an electric field between electrodes may be affected by a shape of the window for monitoring and a shape of each of the electrodes, and hence it may be difficult to uniformly conduct a plasma process. However, the shapes thereof are not taken into consideration at all. In addition, if an optical fiber reaches a surface of an electrode as shown in the latter publication, an electric field between electrodes may be affected by the optical fiber, and furthermore reaction products may stick to the optical fiber so that a transmissivity of the optical fiber may be deteriorated. However, the points are not taken into consideration at all. In cases of the monitoring technique disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications No. 2-201924, since the optical fibers extend through the ozone-dispersion plate and are subjected to an ashing environment, reaction products may stick to the optical fibers so that a transmissivity of the optical fibers may be deteriorated. However, the points are not taken into consideration at all.
In some types of plasma processing units, dispersion holes for supplying a gas are formed in the whole surface of an electrode. Regarding a window for monitoring in the some types of plasma processing units, a larger window for monitoring is necessary in order to secure a quantity of light sufficient for monitoring, in comparison with the gas-dispersion holes. Thus, a plurality of the gas-dispersion holes are sacrificed for the window for monitoring, that is, the process gas cannot be supplied through the sacrificed gas-dispersion holes. Therefore, there is a problem that density of the process gas may become ununiform between the electrodes, and hence that plasma density may become ununiform, and hence that uniformity of the plasma process may be deteriorated. In addition, if the size of a window for monitoring is large, the plasma may be diffused into an optical path of the window for monitoring and hence suspended particles and/or reaction products in the plasma may fog up the quartz glass in a short time (for example about 30 minutes), so that it may become impossible to monitor the processing state of a wafer W in the short time.
This invention is intended to solve the above problems. The object of this invention is to provide a plasma processing unit, a window member for a plasma processing unit and an electrode plate for a plasma processing unit, in which a process gas can be uniformly supplied into a processing container to conduct a uniform plasma process even if a window for monitoring is provided. In addition, this invention also provides a plasma processing unit, a window member for a plasma processing unit and an electrode plate for a plasma processing unit, in which the processing state of an object to be processed can be monitored for a long time.
This invention is a plasma processing unit including: a processing container; a first electrode disposed in the processing container, the first electrode having a plurality of gas-dispersion holes for supplying a process gas into the processing container and an opening for a measurement light; a second electrode arranged on one side of and a predetermined gap away from the gas-dispersion holes and the opening of the first electrode; a power source unit that applies electric power between the first electrode and the second electrode and that generates plasma between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a window member having an optical path that adjacently communicates with the other side of the opening for the measurement light; wherein the gas-dispersion holes are formed in a predetermined arrangement, and the opening is formed separately from the gas-dispersion holes without disturbing the arrangement of the gas-dispersion holes.
Preferably, the first electrode has a space, the space being connected to a process-gas supplying tube that supplies the process gas and communicating with the gas-dispersion holes.
Preferably, the space is shut off from the opening. More preferably, the space is also shut off from the optical path.
In addition, preferably, the opening and the optical path have such a long and narrow shape that it is hard for the plasma to come into the opening and the optical path. In the case, preferably, the opening and the optical path have an aspect ratio not less than 7, particularly an aspect ratio of about 9.8.
In addition, preferably, it further includes a laser-measurement unit that emits a laser beam into the processing container through the optical path of the window member and that receives and measures reflection of the beam from the processing container through the optical path.
In addition, preferably, the window member has a transparent plate arranged with an inclination with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical path, on the opposite side to the opening side of the optical path.
Preferably, the gas-dispersion holes are formed in a substantially uniform arrangement in a whole surface of the first electrode.
Preferably, the opening is formed in a central portion of the first electrode, and one or more additional openings are also formed in the central portion of the first electrode.
In addition, this invention is a window member for a plasma processing unit, the plasma processing unit including: a processing container; a first electrode disposed in the processing container, the first electrode having a plurality of gas-dispersion holes for supplying a process gas into the processing container and an opening for a measurement light; a second electrode arranged on one side of and a predetermined gap away from the gas-dispersion holes and the opening of the first electrode; and a power source unit that applies electric power between the first electrode and the second electrode and that generates plasma between the first electrode and the second electrode; wherein the gas-dispersion holes are formed in a predetermined arrangement, the opening is formed separately from the gas-dispersion holes without disturbing the arrangement of the gas-dispersion holes, the first electrode has a space, the space being connected to a process-gas supplying tube that supplies the process gas and communicating with the gas-dispersion holes, and the space is shut off from the opening; the window member comprising: an optical path that adjacently communicates with the other side of the opening for the measurement light; wherein the optical path is adapted to be shut off from the space.
In the case, preferably, the opening and the optical path are adapted to form such a long and narrow shape that it is hard for the plasma to come into the opening and the optical path.
More preferably, a window member for a plasma processing unit further comprises: a transparent plate arranged with an inclination with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical path, on the opposite side to the opening side of the optical path.
In addition, this invention is an electrode plate for a plasma processing unit comprising: a plurality of gas-dispersion holes for supplying a process gas; and an opening for a measurement light; wherein the gas-dispersion holes is formed in a predetermined arrangement, and the opening is formed separately from the gas-dispersion holes without disturbing the arrangement of the gas-dispersion holes.

Plasma processing unit, window member for plasma processing unit and electrode plate for plasma processing unit


A medical instrument uses solid tapered cones mounted to a preferably concave, spherically curved, piezoelectric ultrasound transducer which focuses and concentrates the ultrasound energy to a narrow tip so very high levels of ultrasound can be delivered to the tissue adjacent to the tip. Ultrasound matching layers or variable curvature geometries are employed at the tip aid in transferring the energy from the tip to the tissue.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus using ultrasonics in the field of medical technology and, more particularly, to an applicator for performing presurgical and surgical procedures using high-intensity focused ultrasound.
2. Description of Related Art
Therapeutic ultrasound refers to the use of high intensity ultrasonic waves to induce changes in living tissue state through both thermal effects--referred to in the art as induced hyperthermia--and mechanical effects--induced cavitation. High frequency ultrasound has been employed in both hyperthermic and cavitational medical applications, whereas low frequency ultrasound has been used principally for its cavitation effect. Diagnostic medical ultrasonic imaging is well known, for example, in the common use of sonograms for fetal examination. Various aspects of diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound methodologies and apparatus are discussed in depth in an article by G. ter Haar, Ultrasound Focal Beam Surgery, Ultrasound in Med. & Biol., Vol. 21, No. 9, pp. 1089-1100, 1995, and the IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, November 1996, Vol. 43, No. 6 (ISSN 0885-3010), incorporated herein by reference. Particular methods and apparatus for medical applications of high intensity focused ultrasound, for example, for hemostasis and tissue necrotization, are the subject of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/961,972 (assigned to the common assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference).
In high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) hyperthermia treatments, intensity of ultrasonic waves generated by a highly focused transducer increases from the source to the region of focus, or focal region, where it can cause a high temperature effect, e.g. to 98.degree. Centigrade. The absorption of the ultrasonic energy at the focus induces a sudden temperature rise of targeted tissue--as high as one to two hundred degrees Kelvin/second--which causes the irreversible ablation of the target volume of cells. Thus, for example, HIFU hyperthermia treatments can cause necrotization of or around an internal lesion without damage to the intermediate tissues. The focal region dimensions are referred to as the depth of field, and the distance from the transducer to the center point of the focal region is referred to as the depth of focus. In the main, ultrasound is a promising non-invasive surgical technique because the ultrasonic waves provide a non-effective penetration of intervening tissues, yet with sufficiently low attenuation to deliver energy to a small focal target volume. Currently there is no other known modality that offers noninvasive, deep, localized focusing of non-ionizing radiation for therapeutic purposes. Thus, ultrasonic treatment has a great advantage over microwave and radioactive therapeutic treatment techniques.
Blood loss due to internal or external bleeding in trauma patients and hemorrhage in surgery is a major form of casualty.
Hemostasis is currently performed using intense heat, electrocautery, lasers, embolization, or application of extreme cold. HIFU offers an alternative as the sonic energy can be focused to a distant point within the body without damage to intervening tissue, allowing non-invasive hemostasis.
Various embodiments of ultrasonic applicators or probes generally include a manipulable transducer, having a power supply and electrical matching circuitry for driving the transducer, and a coupling device for guiding the ultrasonic energy from the face of the transducer to the site of the tissue to be treated. Coupling devices consist generally of a hollow members filled with water. Water provides excellent coupling of acoustic energy into tissue because of the similarity in their acoustic impedances; both media have a characteristic impedance of approximately 1.5 megarayls. However, it has been found that there are disadvantages in the use of the water-filled coupling for medical procedures. At the high intensities at which the device is operated, the water in the coupling device is prone to cavitation; the bubbles produced are disruptive to the ultrasound energy. Thus, degassed water must be used to reduce the chance for cavitation. Furthermore, a water-filled device in a surgical environment is very difficult to sterilize and it must be refilled with sanitary, degassed water each time it is used. If the coupling device ruptures, water leaks out and blood from the patient leaks in, further complicating surgical conditions. Extra tubes and equipment are required to pump and circulate the water within the cone, making for a complicated and cumbersome apparatus difficult to optimize for emergency rescue situations.
In the use of HIFU, another problem is that driving transducers at high voltage generates heat. The frequencies required lead to the need for thin, fragile transducer elements. Thus, a HIFU medical instrument has inherent design problems which can make an HIFU instrument hard to use manually and where overheating can cause transducer failure.
Thus, there is a need for improved ultrasound-to-tissue coupling devices. A simple, effective coupling device to to replace the water-filled coupling devices must be easily sterilized and prepared for use or quickly refittable with a prepackaged, sterile replacement. A solid-state coupling device must additionally resolve the existence of inherent shear modes which complicate and adversely affect the transmission of longitudinal mode ultrasonic energy, the more effective form for most therapeutic type medical procedures. Furthermore, there is a need for improving ultrasonic applicators amenable for use in catheteric medical procedures.

Ultrasonic applicator for medical applications


An equalizer operates on chip or sub-chip resolution input samples of a received spread-spectrum multipath signal to remove interference from one or more secondary propagation path signals within the multipath signal. The equalizer may be configured for cancellation of secondary signals arriving before and after a main propagation path signal, referred to as pre- and post-cursor signals, respectively. An associated communications system provides the equalizer with a path coefficient and delay value for each secondary path signal for which cancellation is desired. With its unique architecture, the equalizer cancels secondary signals displaced in time by amounts as small as the input sample time resolution or by amounts exceeding multiple chips, or even multiple symbols. The length of sample delay buffers within the equalizer, in combination with the input sample rate, determines the maximum secondary signal delay accommodated by the equalizer. Post-cursor cancellation requires only a hard-decision value buffer, while pre-cursor cancellation requires an additional input or compensated sample buffer. The equalizer makes a hard-decision about the phase value of each input sample and buffers these hard-decision values for use in secondary signal cancellation. Hard-decision values delayed from current input samples by delay times corresponding to the path delays of the secondary signals for which cancellation is desired are used to rotate the phase of corresponding path coefficients. These adjusted values are fed back for subtraction from input samples for post-cursor cancellation, and fed forward for subtraction from delayed input samples for pre-cursor cancellation.

The present invention generally relates to direct-sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) communications systems, and particularly relates to compensating a received multipath signal in a DSSS receiver.
In wireless communications systems, successfully extracting transmitted information from a received signal oftentimes requires overcoming significant levels of interference. Multipath interference represents one type of received signal interference that can be particularly problematic in certain types of wireless communications systems. For example, wireless LANs are typically employed in indoors environments that commonly include partitioned walls, furniture, and multiple doorways, along with various metallic and non-metallic building features. In these environments, transmitted signals follow multiple transmission paths of differing lengths and attenuation. Consequently, a receiver in such an environment receives multiple, time-offset signals of differing signal strengths. These multiple versions of the same transmit signal are termed xe2x80x9cmultipath signals.xe2x80x9d
The effect of multipath signals on DSSS receiver performance depends upon the particulars of the communications system in question. For example, in certain types of DSSS communications systems, multipath signals can actually improve receiver signal-to-noise ratio. To understand this phenomenon, it is helpful to highlight a few basic aspects of DSSS communications. DSSS transmitters essentially multiply an information signal by a pseudo-noise (PN) signalxe2x80x94a repeating, pseudo-random digital sequence. Initially, the information signal is spread with the PN signal, and the resultant spread signal is multiplied with the RF carrier, creating a wide bandwidth transmit signal. In the general case, a receiver de-spreads the received signal by multiplying (mixing) the incoming signal with the same PN-spread carrier signal. The receiver""s output signal has a maximum magnitude when the PN-spread signal exactly matches the incoming received signal. In DSSS systems, xe2x80x9cmatchingxe2x80x9d is evaluated based on correlating the incoming PN-sequenced signal with the receiver""s locally generated PN-sequenced signal.
The spreading code (PN code) used by the transmitter to spread the information signal significantly influences the effects of multipath signals on receiver performance. DSSS transmissions based on a single spreading code with good autocorrelation properties (or on a small set of orthogonal spreading codes) allow the receiver to selectively de-correlate individual signals within a multipath signal relatively free of interference from the other signals within the multipath signal. By adjusting the PN-sequence offset used to generate its local PN despreading signal, the receiver can time-align (code phase) its despreading circuitry with any one of the multipath signals it is receiving. If the spreading/despreading PN code has good autocorrelation and cross-correlation properties, the receiver can recover the transmitted data from any one of these multipath signals without undue interference. Of course, it may be preferable to use only the strongest multipath signal(s) for information recovery.
Indeed, conventional RAKE receivers used in Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital cellular telephone systems exploit the above situation. CDMA transmissions use a relatively long, fixed spreading code for a given receiver and transmitter pair, which results in very favorable auto- and cross-correlation characteristics. RAKE receivers are well known in the art of digital cellular receiver design. A RAKE receiver includes multiple, parallel xe2x80x9cRAKE fingers.xe2x80x9d Each RAKE finger can independently synchronize with and de-spread a received signal.
By synchronizing the multiple RAKE fingers to the strongest received multipath signals (those with the highest correlation values), the RAKE fingers lock on to the strongest multipath signals. Because of the excellent correlation properties of the CDMA spreading codes, each RAKE finger synchronizes with and de-spreads one of the multipath signals relatively free from interference associated with the other multipath signals. Thus, each RAKE finger de-spreads a relatively clean signal and this allows the overall RAKE receiver to coherently combine (with time/phase alignment) the signals to form a combined output signal that represents the addition of the multipath signals. Coherently combining the multipath signals allows the RAKE receiver to achieve an improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), essentially meaning that multipath signals can actually improve reception performance in certain types of spread spectrum systems.
Unfortunately, the characteristics of many other types of spread spectrum communications systems greatly complicate how a receiver deals with multipath signals. Some types of DSSS systems use spreading codes with poor correlation properties. The IEEE standard for high data-rate wireless LANs, known as 802.11b, is a primary example of such a system. Standard IEEE 802.11 transmissions use a single spreading code combined with binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) or quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) to transmit data at 1 or 2 Mbps, respectively. The 802.11b extensions provide higher data rates by defining 5.5 and 11 Mbps transmission rates. These higher data rates use a modulation format known as Complimentary Code Keying (CCK). 802.11b CCK-mode transmissions use multiple spreading codes, and the spreading codes change across symbols. While providing the ability to achieve high data transfer rates and still maintain compatibility with the standard 802.11 1 and 2 Mbps channelization scheme, CCK modulation does include the drawback of making it more difficult for receivers to cleanly despread individual multipath signals.
Indeed, due to the relatively poor correlation properties of the spreading codes used in 802.11b, the various multipath signals can interfere with each other and result in inter-symbol interference (ISI) at the receiver. Thus, in contrast to the CDMA digital cellular scenario, multipath signals can significantly degrade receiver performance in systems operating under 802.11b standards. Of course, multipath signals may be problematic in any type of DSSS system that uses less-than-ideal spreading codes, so the problem is not limited to wireless LAN applications. Multipath interference in DSSS systems arises from both inter-chip interference (ICI) and ISI. For the purposes of this disclosure the term ISI is understood to include both ICI and ISI. From the perspective of a DSSS receiver, each transmitted symbol results in the reception of multiple symbols arriving with relative time offsets from each other, due to the multiple signal propagation paths between receiver and transmitter. ISI, as used herein, describes multipath interference arising from these multiple received symbols and can include interference arising from multipath signal delay spreads exceeding one symbol period.
In DSSS systems where the spreading code(s) do not allow multipath signals to be individually despread without interference, RAKE receiver techniques are not applicable. The basis of RAKE receiver operation assumes that each RAKE finger can cleanly despread a selected multipath signal, which is subsequently combined with the output from other RAKE fingers to form an overall RAKE receiver output signal. If the output from the individual RAKE fingers is corrupted by multipath interference, the combined signal will be compromised and RAKE receiver performance suffers.
Channel equalization offers a potential opportunity for improving receiver performance in a multipath channel. Unfortunately, conventional channel equalization techniques are not suitable for DSSS transmissions due to complexity. For any radio frequency channel, the term xe2x80x9cchannel-coherent bandwidthxe2x80x9d describes the portion of a given channel""s available bandwidth where a relatively flat frequency response may be observed. Typically, only a small portion of a wideband DSSS channel may exhibit a flat frequency response. Consequently, existing equalizers exploiting conventional digital filtering techniques are inappropriate for compensating a wideband DSSS channel for multipath interference. This inappropriateness results from the sheer complexity associated with implementing and training a conventional digital filter having a finite number of filter taps and corresponding filter coefficients that is capable of compensating the received signal for the complex frequency response of a wideband DSSS radio channel.
Existing approaches to DSSS receiver design do not adequately address multipath interference in systems where individual multipath signals cannot be despread relatively free of interference. As noted, these types of systems are typically based on less-than-ideal spreading codes, with IEEE 802.11b representing an example of such systems. Without the ability to handle multipath interference, such systems cannot reliably operate in environments with significant multipath interference. Existing approaches, including the use of RAKE receivers or conventional channel equalizers are either inappropriate or impractical.
Effective handling of multipath signals, whether for the purpose of interference compensation, such as in 802.11b environments, or for the purpose of coherent multipath signal combination, such as in RAKE receiver operations, depends upon developing accurate estimates of propagation path characteristics for one or more of the secondary propagation path signals included in the received signal. Under many real world conditions, the delay spread among the individual propagation path signals comprising a received multipath signal exceeds one symbol time, meaning that, at any one instant in time, the various propagation path signals may represent different information values (symbol values), making it potentially difficult to relate one propagation path signal to another. Without the ability to identify and compensate for secondary signals offset from the main signal by more than a symbol time, only multipath signals having secondary signal propagation path delay spreads less than a symbol time may be processed to remove multipath interference.
Thus, there remains a need for a method and supporting apparatus that provides for multipath signal compensation (interference cancellation) over a broad range of multipath delay spreads. More particularly, there is a need for multipath signal compensation that supports the cancellation of one or more secondary signals from a received multipath signal that is adaptable over a broad range of delay spread, from delay spreads substantially less than one symbol time, to delay spreads substantially more than one symbol time.
With the ability to compensate a received multipath signal for secondary signal interference over a wide range of time offsets between the main and secondary signals, a communications receiver can effectively remove or cancel the effects of secondary signals on the main signal within a received multipath signal in a variety of environments, even those with severe multipath conditions, thus enhancing communications receiver performance. This method and supporting apparatus would be particularly valuable in any type of DSSS communications system that relies on spreading techniques that do not intrinsically provide multipath interference rejection, but would also be valuable in any DSSS communications system subject to multipath signal reception.
The equalizer of the present invention operates on input multipath signal samples, preferably at chip or sub-chip resolution, to remove or substantially cancel the effects of one or more secondary signals from the main path signal. Using predetermined path information for one or more of the secondary path signals, including magnitude, phase, and time offset relative to the main path signal, the equalizer compensates input multipath signal samples by subtracting estimated secondary signal values from the input samples. For each input sample, the equalizer forms a hard-decision value, where the hard-decision value represents a nominal phase value defined by the modulation scheme used in the original chip or symbol transmission that is closest in value to the actual phase of the input sample. These hard-decision values are held in a running buffer and used, in combination with the predetermined path information, to form the estimated secondary signal values for compensating the input samples.
In both structure and operation, the equalizer supports the cancellation of secondary signal interference arising from multipath signal delay spreads ranging from chip or sub-chip time offsets, through multi-symbol time offsets. This ability to cancel selected multipath signal interference over a wide range of main-to-secondary signal delay spreads allows the equalizer to provide effective multipath signal compensation even in environments subject to severe multipath interference. Economically, the range of multipath signal delay spread accommodated by the equalizer depends only on the length of simple storage buffer structures, such as digital shift registers. Thus, more or less delay spread range may be accommodated without changing the essential structure and operation of the equalizer, simply by changing the effective length of the buffers. Many embodiments may be realized for the equalizer of the present invention.
In some embodiments, the equalizer provides compensation only for secondary signals received through propagation paths having longer path delays than the main signal propagation pathxe2x80x94referred to as post-cursor cancellation. In other embodiments, the equalizer may be configured to provide compensation only for secondary signals received through propagation paths having shorter path delays than the main signal propagation pathxe2x80x94referred to as pre-cursor cancellation. In still other embodiments, the equalizer may be configured to provide both pre- and post-cursor cancellation. In an exemplary embodiment providing both pre- and post-cursor secondary signal cancellation capability, operation is detailed as follows.
The equalizer receives successive multipath input samples. Each input sample is compensated for post-cursor secondary signal interference arising from one or more post-cursor secondary signals by subtracting one or more estimated secondary signal values from the current input sample. A hard-decision value is formed for each compensated input sample and buffered. The predetermined path information includes a path coefficient that expresses estimated values for the magnitude and phase of a given secondary path signal relative to the main path signal, and further includes an estimated time offset between the given secondary path signal and the main path signal. Thus, the equalizer has a path coefficient and corresponding time offset for each secondary path signal for which cancellation is desired. For post-cursor secondary signal cancellation, a buffered hard-decision value, corresponding to an earlier input sample, is selected for each post-cursor secondary path signal based on choosing buffered values having delays with respect to the current input sample that are substantially equal to the time offsets of the post-cursor secondary signals.
In general, the estimate of a secondary path signal is equal to the complex multiplication of the associated path coefficient by the corresponding buffered hard decision value. In the case of M-ary PSK signals, this complex multiplication can be realized by rotating the phase of the path coefficient by an amount of the buffered hard decision value. Thus, for each path coefficient, the corresponding buffered hard-decision value is used to adjust the phase portion of the path coefficient. Essentially, the path coefficient expresses the relative phase shift between the secondary path signal and the main path signal, and the buffered hard-decision value provides the reference value for that shift. Once adjusted, each path coefficient represents an estimated secondary path signal value corresponding to an earlier multipath input sample offset from the current input sample by a delay equal to the associated secondary path signal with respect to the main path signal. The number of most-recent buffered hard-decision values sets the maximum delay between a current input sample and the oldest buffered hard-decision value, and, therefore determines the maximum post-cursor secondary path signal delay spread that may be accommodated by the equalizer.
For pre-cursor cancellation, the post-cursor compensated sample values are sequentially delayed with respect to the buffered hard-decision values, necessary because pre-cursor secondary path signals arrive before the main path signal. The maximum amount by which a given post-cursor compensated sample may be delayed with respect to the latest buffered hard-decision value determines the pre-cursor secondary path signal delay spread that may be accommodated by the equalizer. As with post-cursor cancellation, the equalizer selects buffered hard-decision values having delays corresponding to the time offsets of the respective pre-cursor secondary path signals for which cancellation is desired. These selected buffered hard-decision values are then used to estimate the pre-cursor secondary path signals based on multiplying them with the associated pre-cursor secondary path signal coefficients. In the case of PSK-modulated received signals, this can be realized by rotating the phase of the associated path coefficients based on the corresponding buffered hard-decision values. The adjusted path coefficients form the estimated pre-cursor secondary signal values and these estimated values are subtracted from the sequentially delayed post-cursor compensated samples to remove effects of the associated pre-cursor secondary path signals from the main signal.
Essentially, the equalizer of the present invention makes hard decisions about the value of input samples, and uses these hard-decision values in its compensation of multipath signal interference. By including independent and architecturally simple delay structures for both hard-decision values and input sample valuesxe2x80x94preferably, compensated input sample valuesxe2x80x94the equalizer of the present invention may be configured to accommodate arbitrary multipath delay spread ranges for both pre- and post-cursor secondary path signals. The multipath signal delay spread resolution is determined by the resolution of the multipath signal input samples, which are preferably provided at chip or sub-chip resolution. With its optional input decimation block, the equalizer may be dynamically configured to operate at a desired input sample resolution equal to or less than the input sample resolution.

Method and apparatus for multipath signal compensation in spread-spectrum communications systems


Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described that can encode connection information between consumers and providers for displaying to users. In an example aspect, a distributed control system includes a production network configured to perform automated control operation. The production network can include one or more data extraction nodes and a plurality of devices in communication with the data extraction nodes. The data extraction nodes are configured to collect data from the plurality of devices. The data indicates connection information associated with the plurality of devices. The system can further include a screen configured to display a plurality of interfaces that include the plurality of devices represented as consumers and providers. In some cases, the screen defines a single desktop monitor or a mobile device display.

A distributed system generally refers to a system having components that are located on different networked computers, which communicate and coordinate their actions by passing messages to one another. A given distributed system can be very large with many components. In some cases, a given component is a provider of messages to other components, and a receiver of messages from other components. In such configurations, the number of bidirectional connections for n components can be computed as:
      Number                          of                          bidirectional                          communication                          path                                (      n      )        =            2      ·                        n                                (                          n              -              1                        )                          2              =                  n        2            -              n        .
A distributed system typically consists of hardware components, software components, and firmware. Hardware components and firmware can be assigned to physical locations. A software component can be deployed on computer hardware that is assigned to a location, and/or may provide a service to a virtual software component that is not allocated to a physical location. Generally distributed systems provide well-defined services. To provide such services, many distributed systems employ an operator who monitors and controls the performance of the distributed system. The general intent of the operator is often to maximize the system's uptime and to respond to abnormal situations (e.g. alerts, alarms) in a timely manner. With respect to abnormal situations, in some cases, a root cause and an effective corrective action need to be identified, and the corrective action needs to be properly executed to get the system back to a normal system's status.
It is recognized herein that the cognitive load for a human operator to monitor and control a complex distributed system can be significant for various reasons, such as those mentioned above. For example, some distributed systems can include many system components and many bidirectional connections. Generally, the cognitive load for an operator increases as the number of components and connections increase. By way of example, when an abnormal situation arises in a given distributed system, the operator may need to determine the location associated with the abnormal situation in order to address the situation. Such a determination can be complicated by the number of components or size of the distributed system. Further, it is recognized herein that comparisons between the states and behaviors of different system components can also increase the cognitive load for an operator even if system components are grouped into groups of components (e.g. subsystems), which can result in reduced efficiency for the operator to identify and diagnose an abnormal situation.
As described above, it is recognized herein that various complexities involved in monitoring and controlling distributed systems can create cognitive burdens for an operator. It is also recognized herein that increased size and complexities of systems can reduce screen real estate that is available to present or display information to operators. For example, as systems increase in size, there is often a need to present more information to operators, but there might not be enough display space to usefully present such information. Thus, it is recognized herein that the amount and complexity of information that is displayed to operators can result in mistakes or other technical issues (e.g., screen real estate issues) associated with monitoring and controlling a given distributed system.

Monitor and control for distributed system


A low pressure accumulator assembly for use with a fluid pump comprises a pump housing with a longitudinally extending chamber having a base with a fluid flow opening. An accumulator is secured in the pump housing chamber. The accumulator includes an accumulator housing with a longitudinally extending bore. A piston is biased outwardly of the bore to selectively engage the base of the pump housing chamber. A protrusion extends outwardly from the piston to limit an area of engagement between the piston and the base so that fluid flowing from said opening into the chamber may engage a greater area of the piston.

The present invention relates generally to a fluid pump having an accumulator assembly comprising an accumulator residing in a cavity of a pump housing with a transverse base, and more particularly to an accumulator piston having a protrusion to limit the area of engagement between the piston and a base of the pump housing cavity.
A low pressure fluid accumulator assembly comprising an accumulator temporarily receives and stores fluid flowing through a fluid flow opening in a base of a pump housing cavity. Accumulators generally include an accumulator housing with a longitudinally extending bore to receive a piston. A biasing means is disposed between a floor of the accumulator housing and the piston to bias the piston longitudinally outwardly from the accumulator housing. The piston selectively engages the base of the pump housing cavity.
A gap is required between the piston and the base of the pump housing cavity in order for pressurized fluid to properly flow into the accumulator assembly. If the area of contact between the piston and the fluid flow is reduced to that portion of the piston immediately adjacent the fluid flow opening, insufficient force will be applied to the outwardly biased piston.
A snap ring has typically been inserted into an upper groove of the accumulator housing to limit the longitudinal travel of the piston, providing the necessary gap between the piston and the base of the pump housing cavity. The high spring rate of the snap ring destroys the tooling used to guide the snap ring or directly damages the accumulator housing. Resulting contamination interferes with proper operation of the accumulator assembly. When used in a system critical application such as an antilock brake, in which proper operation of the accumulator assembly is essential during an antilock braking cycle, such contamination is unacceptable.

Piston for use in a fluid pump low pressure accumulator assembly


The portable air scrubber device provides for removably covering an existing chimney with the chimney cap. The axial fan forces airflow through the device hoses, removable filters, flex joints, and tank. The hose flex joints allow adaptation to various chimneys and roofs. The device may be disassembled into its various components such as the hoses, the fan housing, the chimney cap, the flex joints, and the tank components, thereby aiding portability. Liquid filtration media used for filtration may include water, water and glycol mix, and other additives that aid in air filtration and particulate removal. Air once passed through the filters and sprayed by the liquid filtration media may exit the top section holes. Excessive liquid filtration media may also exit the top section holes.

The need for scrubbing air from a variety of situations and conditions is well established, whether for overall air quality in our environment or simply for quality of immediate air that must be breathed by humans and animals. Various air purification and scrubbing apparatus exist, many of which are quite large and installed in heavy industrial applications. What has been needed is a basic and effective air scrubber that removes smoke and particulates, one that can be portably applied and removed, and one that uses readily available liquid filtration media. The present device provides for this need.


Disclosure are a light source assembly, a backlight module and a display device. The light source assembly includes a light source including a base and at least one luminous element disposed on the base; and a light slot including a plurality of fixing parts, the light source is disposed in the light slot and fixed at one of the fixing parts through the base; and the light source has different light-emitting directions upon being fixed at different ones of the plurality of fixing parts. The light source assembly can adjust the light-emitting direction of the light source, has a simple structure, and is convenient to operate.

With the rapid development of social informatization, transparent splicing display devices are widely used in a variety of display fields, e.g., advertising show cupboards or physical goods display boxes, due to immersive visual experience provided for observers and good display effects. The transparent splicing device generally requires a backlight module to provide a light source, so as to provide better display.

Light source assembly, backlight module and display device


A voice activity detection apparatus having a capacitive sensor and a voice activity detector sensor. The voice activity detector sensor detects vibration of human tissue associated with user speech. Utilization of the voice activity detector sensor output is tied to the output of the capacitive sensor, where the capacitive sensor detects whether it is in contact with user skin.

Voice activity detectors (VAD) are used in microphone applications to monitor input and determine when intended speech is or is not occurring. The VAD determination of voice or no voice may be used in digital signal processing (DSP) voice processing algorithms which adapt filters to noise for transmit signal (Tx) noise reduction. The VAD allows the voice processing algorithms to adapt the noise filters only when speech is not present.
In the prior art, typical VADs detect speech by analyzing the input signal received at the microphone. For example, the signal level of the input signal may be measured and compared to a pre-determined threshold level above which speech is determined to be occurring and below which speech is determined not to be occurring.
Voice activity detectors known in the prior art may also detect speech using an external sensor (also referred to herein as a VAD sensor) such as an accelerometer in contact with a wearer's head. The VAD sensor, using appropriate software and hardware, indicates when speech is occurring based on detection of tissue vibration associated with human speech by the wearer. However, one problem with the prior art VAD sensors is that they must be in complete contact with the user head in order to function. If complete contact is not present, the VAD sensor does not function properly. As a result, any application relying on the VAD sensor determination does not function properly. For example, the aforementioned DSP noise filtering algorithm does not perform as desired when the voice activity detection determination is inaccurate.
Prior art VAD sensors typically use some form of a mechanical means to ensure that the sensor is in contact with the user skin. However, neither the user nor any subsequent processing algorithm is provided any feedback whether the VAD sensor is properly positioned. In a noise reduction application, the Tx noise reduction will not function if the user that does not position the VAD sensor correctly. In some cases, improper positioning of the VAD may prevent the Tx operation from functioning completely.
As a result, there is a need for improved methods and apparatuses for improved voice activity detection.

Voice activity detection with capacitive touch sense


Apparatuses and methods related to command selection policy for electronic memory or storage are described. Commands to a memory controller may be prioritized based on a type of command, a timing of when one command was received relative to another command, a timing of when one command is ready to be issued to a memory device, or some combination of such factors. For instance, a memory controller may employ a first-ready, first-come, first-served (FRFCFS) policy in which certain types of commands (e.g., read commands) are prioritized over other types of commands (e.g., write commands). The policy may employ exceptions to such an FRFCFS policy based on dependencies or relationships among or between commands. An example can include inserting a command into a priority queue based on a category corresponding to respective commands, and iterating through a plurality of priority queues in order of priority to select a command to issue.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory including volatile and non-volatile memory. Volatile memory can require power to maintain its data and includes random-access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), among others. Non-volatile memory can provide persistent data by retaining stored data when not powered and can include NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, read only memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), and resistance variable memory such as phase change random access memory (PCRAM), resistive random access memory (RRAM), and magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), among others.
Memory is also utilized as volatile and non-volatile data storage for a wide range of electronic applications. Non-volatile memory may be used in, for example, personal computers, portable memory sticks, digital cameras, cellular telephones, portable music players such as MP3 players, movie players, and other electronic devices. Memory cells can be arranged into arrays, with the arrays being used in memory devices.
Various computing systems include a number of processing resources that are coupled to memory (e.g., a memory system), which is accessed in association with executing a set of instruction (e.g., a program, applications, etc.). A memory system can implement a scheduling policy used to determine an order in which memory access requests (e.g., read and write commands) received from the processing resource(s) are executed by the memory system. Such scheduling policies can affect computing system performance since program execution time on the computing system is affected by the execution time of the respective memory access requests, for example.

Command selection policy with read priority


A double-stator includes outer and inner stators each having magnetic poles. Outer-stator and inner-stator windings are connected in series in phases, thereby generating winding magnetomotive force. Outer magnets and inner magnets of a rotor are arranged in a rotor core in the circumferential direction, the outer and inner magnets being alternated between a radially outward portion and a radially inward portion, at a pitch equal to that of the poles of the outer and inner stators so as to be magnetized so that a radially outer side thereof will serve as N poles or S poles and that a radially inner side thereof will serve as S poles or N poles. The rotor core includes outer poles formed between the outer magnets circumferentially adjacent to each other in the radially outward portion, and inner poles formed between the inner magnets circumferentially adjacent to each other in the radially inward portion.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a high-field motor, such as a vehicle motor, which requires high torque, and more particularly to a double-stator motor configured by arranging an annular rotor in which radially magnetized permanent magnets are each embedded in the center portion of a pole, a three-phase inner stator arranged in a radially inward portion of the rotor and a three-phase outer stator arranged in a radially outward portion of the rotor.
2. Related Art
Mainstream motors in recent years are synchronous motors embedding neodymium magnets as permanent magnets. For such neodymium magnets, a heavy rare earth metal, such as dysprosium, is indispensable as an additive material. However, with the soaring prices of heavy rare earth metals, future use of such rare-earth magnets in mass-produced motors will carry a risk. For this reason, research and development are being accelerated for the production of motors which can reduce use of rare-earth magnets as much as possible.
In particular, in the art of motors for driving vehicles (axle motor, in particular, used in plural numbers), a large torque is desired to be generated using a small-size motor. Therefore, it is very important in the art to provide a motor structure that can exert high resistance against demagnetization as much as possible. Conventional art related to an axle motor can be seen, for example, in the double-stator motor disclosed in JP-A-2007-282331.
A well-known double-stator motor based on conventional art takes a measure against demagnetization by increasing the thickness of each rare-earth magnet that has high resistance against demagnetization. Thus, using a large amount of magnet, sufficient yield strength is ensured in the magnetic field of the stator. However, such a double-stator motor unavoidably increases the number of poles. Moreover, when such a double-stator motor is used as an axle motor, the amount of magnet used for one vehicle becomes extraordinarily large because an axle motor is needed for each of the axles.


A luggage support hook is attached to a center tunnel immediately above a storage unit, which is provided at a rear portion of a leg shield of a saddle-type vehicle, in order to provide a degree of freedom in a manner of hooking a hanging strap of an article to be hung on the luggage support hook, and to retain luggage in a stable state during travel. The luggage support hook is formed in a substantially Y-shape, when viewed from a front side, by a base member attached to a recess portion, a plurality of first arms projecting radially from a rear end of the base member, and a second arm member projecting from a position of the rear end of the base member. The second arm member is different from the first arms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a luggage support hook provided on a scooter-type motorcycle, proximate a leg shield thereof, and to a motorcycle incorporating the described luggage support hook. More particularly, the present invention relates to a luggage support hook formed in a substantially Y-shape, which is arranged proximate a leg shield of a motorcycle, and to a motorcycle incorporating the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a known motorcycle having a leg shield for covering an occupant's legs, wherein a luggage support hook is provided at a center of an upper portion of the leg shield and a storage unit (having an upward opening) is arranged below the luggage support hook.
An example of such luggage support hook for a motorcycle is disclosed in the Japanese Patent No. 3633114.
According to the JP 3633114, the luggage support hook or the storage unit is used in such a manner that an article to be hung, such as a bag or a shopping bag, is hung on the luggage support hook, or the article is put in the storage unit, or a body portion of the article hung on the luggage support hook is put in the storage unit and stably supported. Moreover, in some cases, the article to be supported is hung on the luggage support hook, and at the same time, the body portion of the article to be supported is put on a floor portion of the motorcycle, on which occupant's feet are also put, during operation of the vehicle.
The known luggage support hook for the scooter-type motorcycle, as disclosed in the JP Patent No. 3633114, exhibits a substantially L-shape configuration. A hanging strap of the article to be hung is merely hooked to the luggage support hook, so that when the article to be hung is large-sized or the hanging strap is too long, the article to be hung is brought to a state where it is carried on the floor portion of the motorcycle, and looseness is produced in the hanging strap. Therefore, there is a possibility that, during travel, the hanging strap is disconnected from the luggage support hook or the article on the floor portion is rolled and may become unstable.
Moreover, even if an attaching position of the luggage support hook is merely made higher or the hanging strap is merely shortened, there is a possibility that, during travel, the article to be hung becomes easy to swing about the luggage support hook depending upon hung state thereof, so that it is desired that the length of the hanging strap is suitably adjusted and the article is made stable even during operation of the motorcycle.
The present invention is therefore made in consideration of such circumferences. Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a luggage support hook for a motorcycle, in which a degree of freedom in the manner of hooking a hanging strap of an article to be hung, to the luggage support hook can be ensured, and the article can also be retained in a stable state during operation of the motorcycle.

Luggage support hook for a scooter-type motorcycle, and motorcycle incorporating same


A probe array for includes a handle, a first probe and a second probe. The first probe has a first shank, connected to the handle, and a first tip; and the second probe has a second shank, connected to the handle, and second tip. The first tip contains a different material from the second tip. The probe array may be used to write on a surface by contacting the first tip with a surface, where a first ink is on the first tip. This writing method may further include lifting the first tip from the surface and contacting the second tip with the surface.

In recent years, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques have been widely used for nanolithography applications. The scanning probe in an SPM instrument can be used to modify a surface with nanoscale resolution through direct or indirect approaches. Direct scanning probe lithography (SPL) methods, including dip pen nanolithography (DPN) and scanning probe contact printing (SPCP), allow deposition of a variety of chemical and biological materials with high resolution and multi-layer registration capability. DPN uses a sharp, coated atomic force microscope (AFM) tip to transfer molecules onto a solid surface. It has been used to generate images with feature sizes smaller than 100 nanometers (nm). SPCP uses a probe having an elastomeric tip to print images on a surface. Typically, an ink is first absorbed into the elastomeric tip, and each contact of the tip on the surface transfers the ink, creating a pixel print. Images can be generated by SPCP in a dot-matrix manner.
In conventional probe-based nanolithography, a single probe typically is used for both writing and reading. This creates a risk of cross-contamination during use. Although it is possible to switch the probes between writing and reading runs, this practice can be inefficient due to the time required to register the writing and reading probes with nanometer resolution. For future nanotechnology applications, it is desirable to perform a wide variety of different lithography and microscopy operations without having to switch probes and perform multiple registrations.

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois


The embodiments of this application provide a resource scheduling method and device, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The method may comprise: receiving first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information comprises a resource allocation type corresponding to at least one radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) for scrambling downlink control information (DCI); after receiving the DCI, determining a target RNTI that scrambles the DCI; determining a resource allocation type corresponding to the target RNTI based on the target RNTI and the resource allocation type corresponding to the at least one RNTI for scrambling the DCI; and scheduling a resource according to the resource allocation type corresponding to the target RNTI.

In the current wireless communication system, a variety of frequency domain resource allocation types can be supported. In the 5th Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) system, three types of frequency domain resource allocation are currently supported, which are respectively type 0, type 1, and type 2. Among them, type 0 is non-continuous resource allocation based on bitmap, and type 1 is a continuous resource allocation. For these two frequency domain resource allocation types, they are generally semi-statically configured by using Radio Resource Control (RRC), or they are dynamically indicated through an indicator carried in a field of Downlink Control Information (DCI).
As can be seen from the above schemes for configuring or indicating the frequency domain resource allocation types, the semi-static configuration cannot achieve dynamic switching between multiple frequency domain resource allocation types, and cannot effectively support different types of services at the same time, which greatly limits the richness of the business and the business capabilities of 5G; and the indication through the DCI field will increase the signaling overhead of DCI.

Resource scheduling method and device, and computer storage medium

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


A radar measuring device for level and/or limit level monitoring is provided, including a radar signal source configured to generate and/or transmit a radar signal, an antenna arrangement configured to direct the radar signal, a plano-convex lens with a plane side configured to face a medium and to focus the radar signal, the radar measuring device being configured such that the plane side rests at least partially on a container surface and such that a contact surface is formed between the plano-convex lens and the container.

In process automation, a wide range of radar sensors are used to determine the filling level and/or the limit level. In some applications, a radar sensor may be used to measure through a vessel wall. This may be done with radar sensors which are placed at a defined distance from the vessel to determine the level or limit level in the vessel. The distance between the antenna of the radar sensor and the vessel is selected so that the vessel is in the far field of the antenna. This may have the particular advantage that an approximately flat wave front is formed before the wave penetrates the container wall. This arrangement may have a large space requirement due to the required distance between the radar sensor and the vessel wall, so that space and/or arrangement problems may arise, especially in applications where space is limited, such as in mobile vessel applications.

Radar measuring device with plano-convex lens


A system and method for limiting access to one or more forms based on a location constraint is described. A form access module retrieves one or more forms on a portable computing device, determines a location of the portable computing device, determines whether the location of the portable computing device is within a region where form access is granted, granting access to the one or more forms responsive to the location of the portable computing device being within the region, receiving strokes from a first user in at least one field on the one or more forms and storing the one or more forms and the strokes received on the one or more forms.

1. Field of the Invention
The specification relates to a system and method for limiting access to one or more forms. In particular, the specification relates to accessing the one or more forms and annotating handwriting strokes based on location constraints associated with the one or more forms.
2. Description of the Background Art
Portable computing devices can be used to input information into forms. Users who are required to fill out paperwork regularly while assigned to a task will input information using a stylus and approve the form for storing and processing. However, some users will try to submit forms fraudulently without attending to the task personally or fill out information on an incorrect form. This increases fraud and error in industries where filling out paperwork regularly and accurately is crucial.

Location constraints for template access and form activities


A semiconductor laser formed from a semiconductor wafer has an active layer, at last two optical cladding layers, and a ridge waveguide. A ridge top surface of the ridge waveguide is deposited from a first surface of the semiconductor laser wafer by a first height. A plurality of semiconductor mesas are formed on the semiconductor laser wafer and have mesa top surfaces disposed from the first surface by a second height greater than the first height so that the plurality of semiconductor mesas shield the ridge waveguide from mechanical damage.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ridge waveguide semiconductor lasers, such as those used in optical transceivers. More particularly, the present invention is directed towards improving the yield and reliability of ridge waveguide lasers in an InP/AlInGaAs materials system.
2. The Relevant Technology
In the field of data transmission, one method of efficiently transporting data is through the use of fiber optics. Digital data is propagated through a fiber optic cable using light emitting diodes or lasers. Various types of lasers are used to generate the needed electromagnetic radiation to carry data along the optical fibers. For instance, semiconductor lasers, such as InP-based lasers, emitting at wavelengths between about 1.3 microns to 1.55 microns are of interest as laser transmitters for a variety of optical fiber applications, such as use in optical transceivers.
A semiconductor laser includes a waveguide to guide the optical mode. The waveguide is commonly formed by selecting an effective refractive index to be higher in a core region than surrounding regions. In the vertical direction relative to the axis of the as-grown epitaxial layers, the composition of the semiconductor layers can be grown to produce vertical wave guiding. In the lateral direction, there are several different structures that may be used to form a lateral waveguide. One structure that provides lateral waveguiding is a buried heterostructure. In a buried heterostructure laser, a first epitaxial process is used to grow the vertical laser structure. A narrow ridge is then etched down through the active region into the underlying layers. In a subsequent re-growth process, the sides of the ridge are embedded in a semiconductor having an average refractive index less than that of the ridge, thereby forming a lateral waveguide. This results in a substantially planar structure.
An alternative lateral waveguide structure is a ridge waveguide laser. A side view of an exemplary ridge waveguide laser is shown in FIG. 1. In a ridge waveguide laser 10, a single epitaxial growth process is commonly used to grow the vertical laser structure having a bottom cladding layer 14 deposited on a substrate 12, an active layer 16 deposited on bottom cladding layer 14, and a top cladding layer 18 deposited on active layer 16. A narrow ridge 20 is etched down through top cladding layer 18 typically to within several tenths of a micron above active layer 16, such as a multiple quantum well (MQW) active layer. The ridge 20 is commonly coated on its sides by a dielectric insulator 22, with a suitable metal contact layer 24 patterned to form a top contact to ridge 20.
Ridge waveguide lasers have the advantage of requiring fewer epitaxial growth steps compared with a buried heterostructure laser. However, a ridge waveguide laser has the disadvantage that it is more easily damaged during manufacturing than a comparable buried heterostructure laser. Since a manufacturing process for forming edge-emitting lasers requires considerable handling, non-planar nature of a ridge waveguide laser makes it more susceptible to mechanical damage than a comparable buried heterostructure laser. This is especially true since the manufacturing process commonly includes cleaving laser bars, dicing the laser bars into individual laser die, and then packaging individual die.
During the manufacturing process, even a small mechanical force imposed on a portion of a ridge may generate a high local pressure. In some cases, the ridge may be scratched, reducing yield. In other cases, mechanical damage is introduced into the ridge that shortens the lifetime of the lasers. While techniques exist to planarize ridge waveguide lasers with polymers, such as polyimide, these planarization techniques have the disadvantage of significantly increasing the number of fabrication steps. Additionally, this technique reduces yield, increases thermal resistance, and increases mechanical stress to the ridge and hence the ridge guide laser.
What is desired is an improved ridge guide laser structure with improved yield and reliability, while alleviating the problems identified with manufacturing the ridge guide laser.

Epitaxial layer for laser diode ridge protection


The rotary damper comprises: case having viscous fluid 13 filled cylindrical chamber; rotor housed in the chamber; check valve; and pressure-regulating valve. In the chamber, projecting bulkheads are formed. The rotor comprises: the rotor body and vanes. The check valve closes when the rotor rotates in the normal rotation direction, so as to restrict movement of the viscous fluid between areas 111a-111d partitioned by the bulkheads and the vanes. On the other hand, the check valve opens when the rotor rotates in the reverse rotation direction, so as to allow movement of the viscous fluid between the areas 111a-111d. The pressure-regulating valve opens when rotating force applied for rotating the rotor in the normal rotation direction is above a predetermined value, to cancel the restriction of movement of the viscous fluid between the areas 111a-111d.

There exists a rotary damper known as a so-called unidirectional rotary damper, which generates strong damping torque for rotation in the normal rotation direction while it generates weak damping torque for rotation in the reverse rotation direction. For example, the below-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a unidirectional rotary damper, which is simple in structure and can be produced at low cost.
The rotary damper described in the Patent Document 1 comprises: a case having a cylindrical chamber; a rotor (i.e. rotating body) having a rotor body of a cylindrical shape and vanes, the rotor being housed in the cylindrical chamber such that its rotation axis coincides with the center line of the cylindrical chamber, to allow rotation of the rotor; viscous fluid filling the cylindrical chamber; and a lid for enclosing the rotor and the viscous fluid in the cylindrical chamber. In the inner wall surface of the cylindrical chamber, there are formed bulkheads, which are projecting toward the center line so as to form a narrow gap between each bulkhead and the outer periphery of the rotor body. Each vane protruding from the outer periphery of the rotor body toward the inner periphery side of the cylindrical chamber is formed, so as to form a narrow gap between the vane and the inner periphery of the cylindrical chamber. In each vane, there is formed a flow path from one side surface (referred to as first side surface) perpendicular to the direction of rotation of the rotor to the other side surface (referred to as second side surface). Further, an apical surface (a surface opposite to the inner wall surface of the cylindrical chamber) of each vane is attached with a seal member to close the gap between the apical surface and the inner wall surface of the cylindrical chamber. Each seal member has a check valve of an elastic body, which opens and closes the flow path from the side of the second side surface with respect to the direction of rotation of the vane.
The rotary damper described in the Patent Document 1, in the above configuration, blocks the flow paths by check valves pressed against the second side surfaces of the vanes because of the viscous fluid in the cylindrical chamber, when force for rotating in the direction from the first side surfaces of the vanes toward the second side surfaces of the vanes (i.e. in the normal rotation direction) is applied to the rotor. As a result, the movement of the viscous fluid is limited to movement through the narrow gap between each bulkhead of the cylindrical chamber and the outer periphery of the rotor body. Thus the pressure on the viscous fluid at the sides of the second side surfaces of the vanes increases, whereby strong damping torque is generated. On the other hand, when force for rotating in the direction from the second side surfaces of the vanes toward the first side surfaces of the vanes (i.e. in the reverse rotation direction) is applied to the rotor, the viscous fluid on the sides of the first side surfaces flows into the flow paths and pushes up the check valves to open the flow paths. As a result, the movement of the viscous fluid occurs also in the flow paths. Thus, the pressure on the viscous fluid on the sides of the first side surfaces of the vanes is not increased, and thus weak damping torque is generated.


A navigation device which stores a captured image of an area ahead of user in a moving direction after turning at an intersection and displays the captured image before turning at the intersection, includes: a first storage unit (HDD recording/playback unit 14) storing a map; a display unit (display unit 18); and a control unit (control unit 10) displaying the map on the display unit, and the navigation device further includes a second storage unit (HDD recording/playback unit 14) storing a captured image of an area to be entered after a turn is made at an intersection, and the control unit displays the captured image stored in the second storage unit on the display unit before a mobile body reaches the intersection.

Conventionally, navigation devices that are designed as standard equipment for mobile bodies and portable navigation devices that are designed both for use in any mobile bodies and for use by pedestrians have been commercially available. In addition, mobile-phone terminals having navigation functions have also been commercially available.
Such navigation devices provide guidance at an intersection as to in which direction to go by various methods. In a commonly used method, a route from a current position to a destination is previously set and, for example, an enlarged image of an intersection is displayed and a sound notification such as "Turn right at the intersection about 50 meters ahead" is given on reaching a predetermined distance from an intersection to make a turn at.
Patent Document 1 discloses another method in which an image of an intersection ahead is captured according to key operation, the captured image of the intersection ahead is stored together with coordinates of the intersection, and the captured image is displayed at a next occasion of approaching the intersection. Patent Document 2 discloses still another method in which an image of an intersection ahead is captured not according to key operation but according to operation of a direction indicator, and the captured image is displayed at a next occasion of approaching the intersection.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-H09-014976    Patent Document 2: JP-A-2006-221362

Navigation device and image management method


A trap for the extermination of insects and particularly of may-flies (olive fly, domestic fly, cherry fly and Mediterannean fly) comprising a trap bag with an insecticide soaked surface, containing a water or water solution with insect attracting substances, insects being killed as they fall upon the toxic surface of this trap bag. The materials used in manufacturing this trap are such as to allow a slow, continuous and controlled evaporation of the substances contained therein, the service life of the trap bag being extended by periodically adding a water solution of the insect attracting substances.

Various traps for the extermination of insects are known in the prior art, however these traps have not succeeded in providing an efficient extermination of insects, due to various reasons associated with either the materials used and/or their structural characteristics.
By way of example, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,843 of Clarke Jr., 4,130,092 of Eshnaur et al and 4,706,410 of M. W. Briese, as well as the UK patent No. 1 360 802 of ICI ltd, all refer to traps for the aquatic mosquito and to the extermination of larvae of this kind. On the contrary, the object of the present invention is the extermination of adult dipteres (may-flies). On the other hand, operation of these insect traps of the prior art is based on the dissolution of solid toxic substances within the liquid phase surrounding the trap, whilst operation of the trap bag proposed in the present invention is controlled and based upon the controlled emission of vapour containing insect attracting substances, the insects being killed by the mere contact with the insecticide soaked surface of the trap bag. Thus, due to their mode of operation and to the materials used in their construction, the trap bags of the present invention offer an increased service life, whilst respecting the environment.
The traps of the prior art constitute a serious threat to the environment, create dangers for their users and act indifferently against useful insects as well. Their polluting action is due both to the materials used in their construction (e.g. plastics), or to the water, soil and air pollution caused by their operation due to the emission of toxic substances therefrom. It is further noted that it is not possible for these traps of the prior art to acquire a renewed effectiveness by means of their periodical filling with the required substances and thus they must be disposed off after a single usage. Similar disadvantages may be referred in connection to the liquid spraying of toxic substances, the effectiveness of which deteriorates rapidly after their drying, whilst they additionally leave toxic remnants upon the products onto which they are used.
It is an object of the present invention to effectively overcome the abovementioned drawbacks of the prior art, by providing a low cost environmental and highly effective trap for the extermination of a specific category of insects.
In accordance to the present invention a trap bag for the extermination of insects is proposed, particularly of the olive fly, of the Mediterrannean fly, of the cherry and of the domestic fly, this trap bag comprising a porous surface soaked with a suitable toxic insecticide, a controlled, continous emission of a desired mixture of substances attracting this particular category of insects being provided through the abovementioned porous surface, these insects being exterminated when falling upon the insecticide soaked surface of the trap bag. The service life of the proposed trap bag is longer than that obtained by insecticide means of the prior art and it can be prolongued by periodically renewing the insect attracting substances contained therein.

Trap bag for the extermination of insects with an insecticide soaked surface and a liquid solution content with insect attracting substances