Systems and methods are provided for delivering energy from an input interface to an output interface. An electrical system includes an input interface, an output interface, an energy conversion module between the input interface and the output interface, an inductive element between the input interface and the energy conversion module, and a control module. The control module determines a compensated duty cycle control value for operating the energy conversion module to produce a desired voltage at the output interface and operates the energy conversion module to deliver energy to the output interface with a duty cycle that is influenced by the compensated duty cycle control value. The compensated duty cycle control value is influenced by the current through the inductive element and accounts for voltage across the switching elements of the energy conversion module.

Matrix converters may be used in electric and/or hybrid vehicles to accommodate delivery of relatively high power over a relatively wide range of operating voltages, while at the same time achieving galvanic isolation, relatively high power factors, low harmonic distortion, relatively high power density and low cost. For example, bidirectional isolated matrix converters may be used to deliver energy from an alternating current (AC) energy source, such as the single-phase grid electricity common in most residential and commercial buildings, to charge a direct current (DC) energy storage element, such as a rechargeable battery, in a vehicle. However, nonlinear power losses attributable to components of the matrix converter, such as transistor switches or diodes, may limit the accuracy and effectiveness of existing control strategies.

Compensation for electrical converter nonlinearities


A steering damper includes a steering damper body installed in a steering system of a vehicle, and having a fluid path therein, and a pressure control valve for controlling a damping force in the steering system, and provided in the fluid path, wherein the pressure control valve controls the damping force so that an increasing rate of the damping force with respect to a steering angular velocity when the steering angular velocity is large is lower than that when the steering angular velocity is small.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering damper.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-151263, filed May 28, 2003, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a steering damper included in steering systems of vehicles such as conventional motorcycles, a type of steering damper is known, which controls damping force generated in the steering system by controlling a pressure control valve provided in a fluid path of a steering damper body so as to change damping force generated by the pressure control valve (for example, refer to Japanese Examined Patent Application, Second Publication No. H7-74023).
The conventional steering damper mentioned above has problems described below.
In the conventional steering damper, a load applied to a front wheel of a vehicle is measured, and electrical current supplied to a solenoid that is installed in a pressure control valve is controlled so as to increase a damping force when the load is decreased. Because the relationship between a steering angular velocity and the damping force of the steering system is set to be basically linear, when the steering damper is configured so that an operation force at the steering handle at the beginning of a steering operation is set to be low, the vibrations due to road surface disturbances in a low steering angular velocity region during high speed driving cannot be absorbed. In contrast, when the steering damper is configured so as to absorb the vibrations due to road surface disturbances in a low steering angular velocity region during high speed driving, the operation force at the steering handle at the beginning of a steering operation becomes high.
In other words, in the conventional steering damper, it is not possible to simultaneously achieve two objects, i.e., one is to set the operation force at the steering handle at the beginning of a steering operation to be low, and the other is to absorb the vibrations due to road surface disturbances in a low steering angular velocity region during high speed driving.


A batting tee system includes a batting tee assembly that may be used with conventional balls or with the ball described as an embodiment of the present invention. Optionally, the batting tee assembly may be used with a netting system that provides feedback to a batter based on a trajectory of the ball after it has been struck by a bat and leaves the batting tee assembly. In one embodiment, the batting tee assembly includes a support base coupled to a swing arm, which in turn is coupled to an adjustable-height batting tee. The batting tee system may be configured for both left and right handed batters and also placed in a portable or storable configuration.

This invention relates generally to a batting tee system, and specifically relates to a batting tee system to help improve batting stances and hitting mechanics of ball players.
"Going with a pitch," a phrase used often in baseball, means knowing where to strike the ball depending on the location of the pitch as it crosses the plate. Advanced players work on this concept regularly, but conventional wisdom considers the concept too complicated for teaching to intermediate or younger players. Generally, intermediate and younger players are taught a proper batting stance and hitting mechanics through repetition using a conventional batting tee, soft toss pitching, full speed pitching (e.g., by a pitcher or pitching machine), or some combination thereof.
The present invention relates to a batting tee system and methods of using and assembling the same. The batting tee system includes a batting tee assembly that may be used with conventional balls or with the ball described herein. Optionally, the batting tee assembly may be used with a netting system that provides feedback to a batter based on a trajectory of the ball after it has been struck by a bat and leaves the batting tee assembly. In one embodiment, the batting tee assembly includes a support base coupled to a swing arm, which in turn is coupled to an adjustable-height batting tee. The batting tee system may be configured for both left and right handed batters and also placed in a portable or storable configuration.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a batting tee system includes a ball carrying at least one target indicator alignable relative to a home base; a batting tee assembly having a base coupled to the home base, the base adjustably coupled to a swing arm that extends laterally over and proximate to an upper surface of the base, the swing arm coupled to an adjustable-height tee selectively positionable along a desired bat-to-ball contact path defined relative to the home base; and a netting system positionable at a desired distance from the batting tee assembly, the netting system having a plurality of indicators arranged to provide feedback information regarding a direction of the ball after it is struck with the bat.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a batting tee assembly includes a base portion configured with a home base; a swing arm adjustably coupled to the base, the swing arm extending laterally over and proximate to an upper surface of the base, the swing arm selectively positionable along an arc relative to the home base; and an adjustable-height batting tee coupled to the swing arm, the tee movable with the swing arm to be positioned in a location along the arc corresponding to a type of pitch being simulated.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a netting system for halting a ball includes a frame assembly; a netting material coupled to the frame assembly; and a plurality of indicators arranged to provide feedback information regarding a direction of the ball after it is struck with a bat.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of setting up a batting tee system includes the steps of (1) arranging a home base for a left or right handed batter, the home base coupled to a base portion of the batting tee system; (2) coupling a first end portion of a swing arm to the base portion; (3) rotating a second end portion of the swing arm about a pivot located relative to the home base, the second end portion distally located from the first end portion; and (4) setting an adjustable-height batting tee at a desired position along a contact path to simulate a desired pitch.

Batting tee system for bat-and-ball games


A modular electronic message badge has a detachable lamp unit which contains a light bulb associated with an interchangeable lens cover. A power pack unit provides one protected enclosure for receipt of electronic components or circuitry, and another portion defining a chamber, which opens to the exterior of the power pack unit for receipt of a battery. Introduction and removal of a battery from the chamber automatically switches on and off the electronic circuitry protectively enclosed within the power pack unit without requiring that such unit be opened. The lamp unit is physically attached to the power pack unit for support thereon and electrically connected therewith so that the light bulb is powered by an output of the electronic circuitry. The lens cover may be partially transparent and provided with a selected message or design. The cover is backlighted by the lamp to display the message intermittently, under the control of the power pack unit.

This invention concerns a modular electronic badge which can illuminate an associated design or slogan, or otherwise highlight same. More specifically, it concerns an electronic message badge which can be worn or carried by a user, and which has an automatic on/off switching function achieved by direct manipulation of a battery received within a chamber of a power pack unit.
In the field of novelty items, low cost and uniqueness are desirable features. However, in general, the lower the cost of manufacture, the lower the perceived quality (and hence, value) of the item. Additionally, the life span of a novelty item may not only be reduced by the initial low quality or inexpensive construction of the product, but also by obsolescence of the message which it conveys.
Typical electronic novelty items are battery operated for portability and convenience. Many of such items require the user to open and close a housing to change the battery. Examples of such prior devices are disclosed by Fenton (U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,976) and Reimann (U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,388). If the novelty item is made of inexpensive plastics or the like, such opening and closing tends to wear out the housing or a hinge thereof such that it eventually fails, which renders the product useless. Batteries which power both the Fenton and Reimann devices are retained within enclosed housings of such device, which housings must be opened to gain access to the batteries.
Further, many battery-operated novelty items, including those of both Fenton and Reimann cited above, require an electrical switching system to engage or disengage their operation. In a manner analagous to the wearing out of hinges while introducing and removing batteries as noted above, electrical switches can wear out and ultimately fail. Such failure also renders the product useless.
As noted above, if a novelty item is constructed so as to convey only one specific non-changeable message, the entire novelty device may become obsolete whenever the particular message stated is no longer of interest to the user. Moreover, the cost to a manufacturer of such products with limited, unchangeable messages is undoubtedly higher since each such item must be custom made in accordance with market predictions of interest in various slogans which may be associated with the novelty items. In addition to such higher manufacturing costs, retailers are also required to maintain a higher volume of inventories to provide the variety of messages which may be demanded by consumers.
It is a general object of the present invention to recognize and overcome numerous of such drawbacks of prior novelty items. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery-operated device having a housing which permits introduction and removal of a battery from such housing without requiring the opening thereof. Such a feature protects electronic components enclosed within such housing from dust, dirt, and physical contact which can erode their performance and cause their failure. If electronic components are continuously protected within a housing constructed in accordance with the present invention, their effective lifetime will not be shortened by dirt and physical contact which they would otherwise be subjected to if they were exposed each time a battery was replaced (such as in the devices of Reimann and Fenton) or an electrical switch actuated.
A further object of this invention is to obviate the need for electrical switches which are frequently used for actuation of prior devices, so that the failure problem of such switches is eliminated.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a relatively high quality novelty message item or badge which may be marketed with a variety of messages at modest cost, but without the usual higher manufacturing costs or inventory costs associated with providing a plurality of different single message novelty items.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a relatively high quality and long-lasting apparatus embodying all of the foregoing desirable features as well as additional features, while still being made at relatively low cost and from light-weight material which can be unobtrusively worn by a user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novelty device which includes electronic circuitry which causes a light to flash for drawing attention to the message being displayed, or otherwise produces audible tones or sounds performing such function.
The features and teachings of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of constructions and embodiments. For example, in accordance with one form of the present invention, an electronic apparatus may be provided which has a first housing having electronic circuitry enclosed therein, the first housing defining a chamber which opens to the exterior of such first housing; and a second housing having an electrical load enclosed therein, the second housing being adapted for physical and electrical association with the first housing, whereby the electrical load may be driven by the electronic circuitry.
In still another construction in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a modular electronic badge may be provided, comprising: a power unit defined by a housing having (a) a first portion for enclosing electronic components, (b) a second open portion for receipt of a battery, (c) first electrical contact means for supplying power to a battery received within the second portion to the electronic components, and (d) second electrical contact means which supply an electrical output from the electronic component to the exterior of the housing, whereby introduction and removal of a battery in and out of the second open portion automatically switches power on and off between the battery and the electronic components; and such modular electronic badge further having a lamp unit adapted for attachment to the exterior of the power unit housing for physical support of such lamp unit, and for operative association with the second electrical contact means, wherein the lamp unit includes an electric light received within it and controlably powered by the electronic components associated with the power unit.
In yet another embodiment constructed in accordance with the present invention, and including further features thereof, a battery-operated modular electronic novelty badge is provided, comprising a power pack unit adapted to be worn by a user, having electronic circuitry protectively enclosed within it, and defining a chamber which opens up to the exterior of the power pack to permit introduction and removal of a battery without having to open the power pack unit; electrical contact means, associated with the power pack unit, for electrically connecting a battery received within the chamber with the electronic circuitry, and for providing electrical output from the electronic circuitry; and a lamp unit having an electric light, the lamp unit being adapted to be physically supported by the power pack unit and operatively associated with the electrical contact means so that the electric light is controlably powered by the electronic circuitry, whereby introduction and removal of a battery from the power pack unit automatically switches on and off power from such battery being transferred between the electronic circuitry and the electric light.
These and numerous other teachings and features of the present invention will be better understood by one of ordinary skill in the art upon studying the complete disclosure of this invention, which is further found in the remaining portion of the specification.


A semiconductor package includes a first substrate having a first surface, a second substrate on the first surface of the first substrate, the second substrate having a first surface and a second surface adjacent to the first surface, and the first surface of the second substrate being disposed on the first surface of the first substrate, and a light source on the second surface of the second substrate. A method for manufacturing the semiconductor device package is also provided.

Non-invasive medical tests and treatments are used or developed to replace invasive medical tests. For example, to avoid risk of infection associated with measuring blood sugar levels by finger prick, an optical apparatus may be used to perform a blood glucose test. The optical apparatus may detect optical changes (e.g. change from the incident light (on the aqueous humor/liquid in the anterior chamber of the eye ball) to the emergent light) to determine blood glucose concentrations. The optical apparatus may also be applied to time of flight (TOF), three-dimensional scanners (3D scanners), Lidar, biosensors, or the like.
The optical apparatus may include an optical/light source. The optical/light source may include but is not limited to a light-emitting diode (LED), a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), a semiconductor laser diode with laser beam emission perpendicular from the top surface or edge-emitting semiconductor laser diode (also in-plane laser diode). The optical/light source may be assembled to an optical land grid array (OLGA) type package or other types of packages.

Semiconductor device package, optical package, and method for manufacturing the same

ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR ENGINEERING, INC.


The present innovation discloses the design, configuration and process of a kind of MEMS-based tunable optical devices. The devices can be classed as dual-cavity of Fabry-Perot resonators, which consist of a first outer membrane, a middle membrane and a second outer membrane. And these membranes are separated by cavities. The membranes will deflect under electrostatic force and the thicknesses of cavities will change. The numbers of the layers of membranes should satisfy an equation. These devices can be adopted for optical switches, VOA or tunable filters.

The present innovation is related to the optical telecommunication, Particularly to the design and manufacture of tunable optical devices for WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexed) systems. WDM technology highly expends the capability of modem optical communication network. Tens of wavelengths located between 1530 to 1570 mn can pass through a signal fiber by this technology. Each wavelength corresponds to a Channel. With the development of the optical telecommunication, the network becomes more and more complicated in structures. The network should be intelligent, meaning be more flexible and scalable. These characteristics strongly depend on tunable devices, such as optical switches, variable optical attenuators (VOA) and tunable filters.
Optical switches are used to selectively reroute signals or to control the traveling direction of light beams. VOA are used to adjust light intensities so the network could work in order. Tunable filters are used to select a certain wavelength among many wavelengths and the network can be dynamically managed.
These devices are basic in optical network, and they should have the characteristics such as small size, low power consumption, high reliability, high tuning speed and small insertion loss. Until now, switches, VOA and tunable filters can be made based on different principles, such as mechanical moving, magneto optical effect, electro optical effect, acoustic optical effect and thermal effect. For devices based on magneto optical effect, the power consumption is high. And due to the magnetic parts, they are hard to be made small. For devices based on electro optical effect, the applied voltage is usually quite high. For devices based on acoustic optical effect, side lobes are strong and insertion loss is large. For devices based on thermal effect, the tunable range is small and the response time is usually long.
As for the mechanical principle, it can be divided in several methods. Some devices adopt motors to drive optical parts, some adopt piezocrystal. All these methods need heavy labor on assembly. Recently, MEMS technology has been introduced into manufacturing optical devices. It adopts the state-of-the-art technology of semiconductor to batch fabricate small-sized devices.
For MEMS technology, reflection by micro-mirrors can be adopt to make VOA and switches, while the robust of micro-mirrors is poor; Diffraction by grating is only good for making VOA; Interference devices based on the Fabry-Perot cavity can have very narrow resonant frequency, and is okay to be used for monitoring channels. However, it is poor in re-routing channels. Every optical channel has bandwidth due to modulation, and some information of channels will be filtered out and the error rate will increase if we use the Fabry-Perot cavity as tunable filters to select channels. This shortcoming will become severe in DWDM. Interference devices based on the Fabry-Perot cavity have poor performance for VOA and switches since the wavelength dependent loss (WDL) is high.
Fabry-Perot resonators with multiple-cavity can have flat passband with high resolution. Tunable filters having this structure will be suitable for re-routing channels. When the reflectivity of the resonators is low, this structure can also be adopted for VOA and Switches. Since this structure requires substantially identity of cavities, Macro devices based on this structure is difficult to be made and lack mechanical stability. U.S. Pat. No. 6,424,466 give a related MEMS-based design of tunable filters, but it is mainly on the process of assembling.


A padlock alarm system includes a shackle that carries a cut sensing element and a switch actuator that operates an alarm switch to activate an alarm when the shackle is cut. A shackle retention assembly is operated by a key cylinder to selectively open and close the lock.

Padlocks have long been used to secure lockers, lockboxes and various other enclosures. Conventional padlocks have been quite susceptible to being cut and removed by a thief. This can result in locked valuables being stolen.
Various audible alarms have been developed for sounding an alert when the bent locking arm of the padlock is cut. These known alarms exhibit a number of shortcomings. For one thing, they invariably feature fairly complicated wiring that is run through the lock arm of the padlock. Such items are expensive and typically impractical to manufacture and market. In addition, conventional padlock alarms often do not successfully deter a thief because as soon as one side of the bent arm is cut and the alarm sounds, the arm may be pivoted open by the thief and the padlock removed. This allows the thief to quickly remove locked valuables from the enclosure and depart the scene before the alarm has sounded long enough to effectively alert others of the theft. The same problem is exhibited with conventional padlocks lacking an alarm. As soon as the bent arm is cut, the arm may be quickly pivoted open and removed. Simply adding an audible alarm to the padlock has reduced but certainly not eliminated this problem.

Padlock with alarm and shackle locking mechanism


A system and method of communicating signals is provided. The system includes a plurality of satellites, at least one receiver, and at least one satellite uplink station. The plurality of satellites include at least one active satellite. The at least one receiver is in communication with the plurality of satellites, and receives a signal from the at least one active satellite. The at least one satellite uplink station is in communication with the plurality of satellites, and transmits the signal and alters a frequency of the signal based upon a location of the at least one active satellite to reduce a Doppler frequency shift when activating and deactivating the plurality of satellites.

Generally, vehicles can be equipped with satellite radio receivers as an alternative, or in combination with, traditional terrestrial radio receivers. Additionally, satellite radio receivers can be used in places other than vehicles, such as handheld devices or stationary devices, which are typically used in one's home. Generally, satellite radio systems are designed such that the receiver receives a satellite radio frequency (RF) signal from a satellite and a terrestrial RF signal from a terrestrial repeater or transponder.
Due to current European regulations, the European satellite radio system currently has twenty-three (23) contiguous frequencies across forty megahertz (40 MHz). Generally, there are seven (7) frequencies that are designated for hybrid systems only, which include the transmission of the satellite RF signal and the terrestrial RF signal. Typically, the current European satellite radio system is constrained to frequency bandwidths of 1.712 MHz. With multiple satellites, it can be a problem to receive signals from one satellite and then receive signals from another satellite due to the differing locations of the satellites with respect to the receiver.

System and method of satellite communication that reduces the doppler frequency shift of the satellite signals


A power amplifier includes a front-stage amplifier including first and second transistors connected in parallel, and a rear-stage amplifier including a third transistor. The first transistor is biased into near-Class A without a distortion compensation circuit. The second and third transistors are biased into near-Class B with a distortion compensation circuit. The gain characteristics of the first to third transistors are adjusted so that the concave portion of the gain characteristics of the front-stage amplifier and the convex portion of the gain characteristics of the rear-stage amplifier match each other, to thereby flatten the gain characteristic of the entire power amplifier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power amplifier, and particularly, to a power amplifier including a plurality of amplification stages.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, radio communication systems using a quasi-microwave band or a microwave band, represented by mobile communication systems such as a mobile phone, have rapidly come into wide use. This is greatly attributed to the reduction in weight and power consumption of the mobile terminals. To make the mobile terminal lightweight, it is effective to reduce the weight and capacity of a battery employed therefor. On the other hand, the battery having a small capacity is exhausted in a short time. Thus there has been strong demand for the reduction of power consumption of a transmission power amplifier, which consumes most of the electric power of the mobile terminal in transmission. That is, improvement in electric power efficiency has been strongly demanded for.
In the recent digital modulation and demodulation using OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) modulation technique and the like, the power amplifier is required to amplify an input signal linearly because information is represented by both amplitude and phase of the signal. On the other hand, generally, in the power amplifier, as an output electric power becomes closer to saturation owing to an increase in input electric power, distortion and power efficiency become increasingly high. Thus a high power efficiency and a low distortion are in a reciprocal relationship.
Before the power amplifier is specifically described, first, terms used in the present specification are described. In the present specification, expressions "near-Class A bias", "near-Class B bias" are frequently used, which are generally intended to express certain ranges around "Class A to Class AB bias" and "Class B to Class AB bias", respectively. In recent power amplifiers, it is not unusual that a bias point dynamically changes in accordance with the operating power, and therefore defining the bias point strictly by words may invite unnecessary complication.
Additionally, expressions "without a distortion compensation circuit", "not compensated for distortion", and "not through a distortion compensation circuit" are used. Generally in the field of electric circuits, "without a certain circuit" does not necessarily mean that the circuit is totally physically absent, but it means that the effect is suppressed to be "weak". This holds true for the distortion compensation circuit. For example, if great resistances are inserted in various portions of the circuit to shut off the current, the effect can easily be suppressed to be weak. The above expressions are used in such context.
FIG. 4 is a circuit block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional power amplifier. Such a power amplifier is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-084144, for example. Referring to FIG. 4, in the power amplifier, two stages of emitter-grounded bipolar transistors 33 and 34 are provided between an input terminal 31 and an output terminal 32. Between input terminal 31 and the base of front-stage transistor 33, a matching circuit 35 is provided. Between the collector of front-stage transistor 33 and the base of rear-stage transistor 34, a matching circuit 36 is provided. Between rear-stage transistor 34 and output terminal 32, a matching circuit 37 is provided. Matching circuits 35-37 are circuits for adjusting reflected power.
To the collectors of transistors 33 and 34, a collector bias voltage is supplied through power supply terminals 38 and 39. To the base of front-stage transistor 33, a bias voltage is supplied through power supply terminal 40 and not through a distortion compensation circuit (to adjust the distortion compensation effect to be weak). To the base of rear-stage transistor 34, a bias voltage is supplied from power supply terminal 41 through a distortion compensation circuit 42 (to adjust the distortion compensation effect to be enhanced). Front-stage transistor 33 is biased into near-Class A, while rear-stage transistor 34 is biased into near-Class B.
There are various types of distortion compensation circuit 42, for example as represented by those shown in FIGS. 5-8. The distortion compensation circuit in FIG. 5 includes a terminal 51 connected to a power supply terminal 41, a terminal 52 connected to the base of transistor 34, a resistor element 53 and a variable impedance element 54 serially connected between terminals 51 and 52, and a resistor element 55 and a capacitor 56 serially connected between a node N53, arranged between resistance element 53 and variable impedance element 54, and a line of ground potential GND.
The distortion compensation circuit shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the distortion compensation circuit shown in FIG. 5 in which variable impedance element 54 is replaced by a diode 57. Diode 57 has its anode connected to node N53 and has its cathode connected to terminal 52. The distortion compensation circuit in FIG. 7 corresponds to the distortion compensation circuit shown in FIG. 6 in which diode 57 is replaced by a bipolar transistor 58. Transistor 58 has its base connected to node N53 and has its emitter connected to terminal 52. The distortion compensation circuit shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the distortion compensation circuit shown in FIG. 7 in which resistor element 55 is eliminated and a resistor element 59 is added. Capacitor 56 is connected between node N53 and a line of ground potential GND, and resistor element 59 is connected between node N53 and the collector of transistor 58.
Variable impedance element 54, diode 57, transistor 58 are nonlinear elements that actually serve to compensate for distortion. Resistor element 53 primarily serves to adjust DC current. Resistors 55 and 59 and capacitor 56 primarily serve to adjust nonlinearity.
FIGS. 9A-9C are for describing the principle of distortion compensation in the power amplifier shown in FIG. 4. In each of FIGS. 9A-9C, the axis of abscissa indicates output power [dBm] while the axis of ordinate indicates gain [dB].
FIG. 9A shows the gain characteristic of front-stage transistor 33 without a distortion compensation circuit (with weak distortion compensation effect). The characteristic more or less changes depending on the bias point. When transistor 33 is biased into near-Class A bias, its gain characteristic shows a nonlinear characteristic generally falling rightward.
FIG. 9B shows the gain characteristic of rear-stage transistor 34 to which a distortion compensation circuit 42 is connected. The characteristic greatly changes depending on the bias point. When transistor 34 is biased into near-Class B bias, its gain characteristics shows a nonlinear characteristic generally rising rightward.
FIG. 9C shows the gain characteristic of the entire power amplifier, in which the rightward falling gain characteristic of front-stage transistor 33 and the rightward rising gain characteristic of rear-stage transistor 34 are combined. Adjusting respective gain characteristics of transistors 33 and 34, the nonlinearity of transistor 33 and that of transistor 34 cancel each other, whereby a flat and constant gain characteristic can be implemented. That is, a power amplifier having an excellent linearity can be realized. In FIG. 9C, Section A is the range where gain is flattened.
However, although the conventional power amplifier is effective for achieving linearization in Section A where the output power is relatively small, it is not effective for achieving linearization in Section B where the output power is great and approximating saturation. Hence, further improvement has been required.
Assume an "ideal power amplifier characteristic" in which linearity is ensured closely to the saturation point. It may be represented by the dashed line in FIG. 9C. That is, the right side of the curve indicative of the gain characteristic projects at a right angle.


Described embodiments include a system for inspecting a tubular device that includes an outer surface and a spatially-periodic supporting structure beneath the outer surface. The system includes an imaging device, configured to acquire an image of a reflection of light from the outer surface, and a processor, configured to ascertain a spatial frequency of the supporting structure by processing the image. Other embodiments are also described.

Some tubular devices, such as the shafts of intrabody catheters, comprise an inner tube and an outer tube, with a braided skeletal structure positioned between the two tubes. The braid imparts stability, along with other mechanical properties, to the catheter. The pitch of the braid is typically measured in units of picks per inch (PPI).

Non-invasive measurement of the pitch of a braid


Disclosed is a method for forming a buffer layer for growing gallium nitride single crystals on a sapphire substrate using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), wherein the buffer layer is formed in the form of a doped vertical gallium nitride (GaN) single crystal film with a nanoporosity of 0.10 to 0.15 μm on the sapphire substrate by reacting HCl and NH3 as a Group III/V mix gas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for forming a buffer layer to grow gallium nitride single crystals, and more particularly to a method for forming a buffer layer to grow gallium nitride single crystals, comprising forming a buffer layer as a nanoporous vertical layer on the interface between a sapphire substrate and gallium nitride, to reduce dislocation defect density.
2. Description of the Related Art
The rapid development of information and communication technologies has brought about rapid development of communication technologies to transfer ultrahigh-speed and mass-storage signals. In accordance with increasing demand for personal cellular phones, satellite communications, military radars and communication repeaters of wireless-communication techniques, the demand for high-speed and high-power electric devices requiring micrometer and millimeter wave bandwidth of ultrahigh-speed information and communication systems gradually increases.
In particular, Group III-V nitride-based compound semiconductors composed of GaN, GaInN mixed crystals, AlGaInN mixed crystals, AlGaN mixed crystals, etc., are direct-transition semiconductor materials that have superior physical properties such as large energy gap, high thermal chemical stability and high electric saturation speed, and are widely utilized in a variety of applications including short/long wavelength ranges of photodiodes as well as high-frequency and high-power electric devices.
Gallium nitride (GaN)-based single crystal semiconductors are composed of single crystalline gallium nitride (GaN) films formed on a hetero-substrate by vapor-phase growth methods such as organic metal chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), or hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). Of these, HVPE is suited to growing thick films with a size of several to several hundred nanometers (μm). In particular, the HVPE method enables several millimeters of bulk growth, depending on substrate conditions.
Meanwhile, a sapphire (Al2O3) substrate which has a hexagonal system, e.g., gallium nitride, is inexpensive and stable at high temperatures, and is generally used as the hetero-substrate, on which gallium nitride single crystals are grown. Sapphire is useful for growing gallium nitride thin films. However, sapphire is unsuitable for use in growing gallium nitride thick films in that the large difference (about 16%) in lattice constant between sapphire and gallium nitride, and the large difference (about 36%) in thermal expansion coefficient therebetween causes generation of inner strain in the nitride layer and dislocation of the single crystal hetero-substrate.
Such a dislocation phenomenon progresses in a crystal growth direction and threading dislocation is thus propagated onto the growth surface, thus causing crystallinity of nitride semiconductor substrates. As a result, electrical properties are deteriorated and the substrate is warped due to the generated inner strain. In particular, when crystals are grown on the hetero-substrate, the presence of the inner strain causes the substrate to warp in the process of cooling. The warp is still present on the free standing plate, in which the hetero-substrate is removed. Accordingly, when a layer-structure for devices is grown by polishing the warped substrate, uniform composition distribution cannot be obtained and lithographic processes cannot be thus evenly performed. For this reason, growth of layer-structures for devices disadvantageously causes a considerably low process yield. In an attempt to address the dislocation defect between sapphire/gallium nitride single crystal laminates, technologies such as epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELOG), pendeo-epitaxy, similar thereto and void-assisted separation (VAS) to vertically grow gallium nitride were developed and have been employed. Such a technology is a method wherein a GaN thin film is primarily grown on a sapphire substrate, is then patterned using an inorganic material or a mask material such as SiO2, Sn or W, and is subjected to exposure and developing processes, and GaN is secondarily grown thereon.
However, the use of these methods does not enable the dislocation defect density between the sapphire substrate and the gallium nitride layer to be decreased to 5×105-6/cm2 or less. In addition, these methods involve use of artificial masks, inducing stress into the growth film, thus allowing the film to be warped and cracked, when crystals are grown to a thickness of 100 μm or higher, and finally causing the film to be broken. For this reason, high-quality gallium nitride single crystal substrates having a thickness of 350 μm or higher cannot be secured.
Accordingly, there is a demand in the art for methods for growing high-quality gallium nitride single crystal substrates that reduce tensile stress generated by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between gallium nitride and the sapphire substrate, grow a gallium nitride layer to a thickness of 1 micrometer (μm) to several millimeters (mm) suitable for commercialization without causing cracks, and reduce the lattice constant difference to improve crystallinity.

Method for forming buffer layer for GaN single crystal

Abstract: The nanoporous buffer layer interposed on the interface between the sapphire substrate and gallium nitride reduces tensile stress generated by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between gallium nitride and the sapphire substrate, enables growth of the gallium nitride layer to a thickness of 1 micrometer (μm) to several millimeters (mm) without causing cracks, and reduces the lattice constant difference to improve crystallinity.


The present invention relates to a scalable suspension system for domed shaped ceilings that includes a framework of suspension members interconnected to a central hub. The framework of suspension members are used to support a domed shaped ceiling fabricated from plaster or gypsum wallboard. The suspension members include primary spoke members, secondary spoke members, intercostal members and cross tees. The primary spoke members are attached to the central hub component. The intercostal members are spanned between the primary spoke members. The secondary spoke members are connected to the intercostal members, and extend between the primary spoke members. The primary and secondary spoke members are interconnected by the cross tees to create a unified structure. The hub includes radially indexed integral tabs that facilitate the attachment of the hanger wires and allows for the rigid attachment of the primary spoke members in a precise radial pattern.

This invention relates generally to drywall suspension systems and more particularly to a novel and improved system for creating domed ceilings using suspension members that include primary and secondary curved spoke members interconnected by using a central hub and intercostal members so that a domed shaped ceiling can be created.
Domed ceilings are common architectural elements. Small domes are available in prefabricated forms. Prefabricated domes such as those produced from glass-reinforced gypsum are relatively easy to erect but are fragile, heavy and difficult to handle. Further, such domes are available only in incremental sizes and generally are less than ten feet in diameter.
Larger domes are usually built using conventional ceiling materials. Constructing a dome with these materials is much more labor intensive than constructing a flat ceiling because they pose special challenges to the installer. Most of these challenges deal with the planning, constructing and gauging of an accurate support system to which finishes may be attached. Often, these support systems are constructed without pre-engineered components in an ad hoc fashion such as crude assemblies of wood or roughly bent metal parts. Metal suspension tees have also been modified to form dome suspension frames. The tees are modified to form rough curves by cutting slits incrementally along the length of the tee, hand bending the tee against a template, and applying mending plates across the slots. The modified tees are attached to a center point and suspended in a radial pattern. The position of the radial tees is indexed by inserting short straight sections of tees.
The fabrication and assembly processes of on-site fabricated ceilings are labor intensive. Further, the process results in a surface composed of many discontinuous straight segments and a central region that is overcrowded with tees and hanger wires. Such a crowded number of tees and hanger wires interconnected in a small area presents installation problems and is generally considered an inefficient use of materials. Once the support system is fabricated and assembled, domed ceilings are typically finished using a lath and plaster system or drywall with joint treatment. The amount of labor and material required to form smoothly curved surfaces of these types is greatly affected by the accuracy of the underlying curved support system. If the support system is not accurately curved, large amounts of plaster or joint compound must be applied and sanded to achieve the desired smoothness. Prior art systems do not provide for an accurately curved domed support system that provides for easy on-site assembly and installation.
This invention may be described as a novel and improved scalable suspension system for domed shaped ceilings that includes a framework of suspension members interconnected to a central hub. The framework of suspension members are used to support a domed shaped ceiling fabricated from plaster or gypsum wallboard. The framework is scalable in that it can be dimensioned to accommodate domes of various diameters. All of the suspension members are curved to the same radius and when assembled, trace the surface of a sphere with the same radius. If the suspension system is not a perfect hemispherical dome, the suspension members may have different radii of curvature. The suspension members include primary spoke members, secondary spoke members, intercostal members and cross tees. The primary spoke members are attached to the central hub component. The intercostal members are spanned between the primary spoke members. The secondary spoke members are connected to the intercostal members, which extend between the primary spoke members. The primary and secondary spoke members are interconnected by the cross tee""s to create a unified structure. The hub includes radially indexed integral tabs that facilitate the attachment of the hanger wires and allows for the rigid attachment of the primary spoke members in a precise radial pattern.
These and other aspects of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and are more fully described in the following specification

Scalable suspension system for dome shaped ceilings


A fibrous assembly is provided for performing site-specific chemistry. In general the present invention provides a fibrous assembly comprising a first fiber that sequesters a first reactive component; and a second fiber that sequesters a second reactive component, wherein at least the first or second fiber releases its reactive component when the fiber is in the presence of a releasing agent, and wherein when the at least first or second fiber releases its reactive component, the first and second reactive components react with each other to form a reaction product. Related methods of manufacture and use are also provided.

There is a well-known need for performing site-specific chemistry.
Site-specific chemistry is useful in a number of applications wherein a reaction product cannot be readily delivered to a targeted location. A nonlimiting example of such a reaction product is a gaseous-phase composition. Nitric oxide is a specific example. In order to introduce a gaseous-phase composition to a target location, a reaction that produces the gaseous-phase reaction product can be performed at the target location. Therefore, the art needs a composition or method that can deliver reactive components to the target location in proximity to each other so that the reactive components can come into contact and react to thereby form a reaction product.


A multi-capillary type electrophoresis analysis apparatus has a sample tray for containing a plurality of samples, wherein part of the sample tray is made from a conductive material. Samples are introduced by applying a high voltage from a high voltage power supply between the sample tray and a coupler in a state in which one-ends of the capillaries are inserted in the samples contained in the sample tray. The apparatus eliminates the necessity of individually inserting electrodes in a plurality of samples contained in the sample tray, thereby making easy works for analysis.

The present invention relates to an electrophoresis analysis apparatus and a sample vessel used therefor, and particularly to an electrophoresis analysis apparatus suitably used for a DNA sequencer (DNA base sequence analyzer) for analyzing biochemical samples such as a DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) using a plurality of capillaries or micropassages as migration separation media, and a sample vessel used therefor.
A DNA analysis technology based on electrophoresis, particularly, a DNA sequencer (DNA base sequence analyzer) has been widely available. With the increased need for analysis, the necessity of improving the analysis throughput has been increased. One method of increasing the analysis throughput is to integrate electrophoresis media.
A thin gel layer formed between two flat glass plates has been conventionally used as electrophoresis separation media. On the other hand, a multi-capillary method using a plurality of capillaries each having a fine inside diameter has been proposed, for example, in Nature, Vol. 361 (1993), Kanbara, PP. 565-566, the specifications of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,277,780, 5,366,608, and 5,274,240, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-72177, and PCT international publication for patent application No. Hei 7-503322. Such a method makes it possible to increase the degree of integration by making use of the fine inside diameters of the capillaries and to simultaneously analyze a large number of samples. In this method, further, since the cross section of migration passages becomes smaller than that of the conventional flat glass plates, a current caused by electrophoresis becomes smaller to thereby suppress generation of a Joule heat. As a result, by applying a higher electrophoresis voltage, a sample can be migrated at a higher speed. Accordingly, a number of samples can be simultaneously separated and analyzed at a high speed.
As a second method, a multi-capillary method of making use of fine grooves formed in a surface portion of a glass plate as migration passages has been proposed, for example, in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,412 and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-93711. Even in this method, a number of samples can be simultaneously separated and analyzed at a high speed.
In the above-described multi-capillary method, first ends of an electrode and a capillary are first inserted in a sample contained in a sample vessel, followed by applying a voltage across the capillary to electrically migrate the sample into the capillary; and then the first ends of the electrode and the capillary are inserted in a buffer solution in a buffer bath, followed by applying a voltage across the capillary to separate the sample by electrophoresis.
In this case, where the number of samples to be simultaneously analyzed is several pieces, since the number of electrodes/capillaries is the same as that of the samples, it does not take as much labor to insert the electrodes and capillaries in sample vessels and a buffer bath.
However, in the case where several tens of samples are simultaneously analyzed to improve the analysis throughput, it is difficult to insert electrodes and capillaries in sample vessels and a buffer bath. To be more specific, the amount of a sample generally used for a DNA sequencer is merely 5 xcexcl because it is difficult to prepare a large amount of a sample and also a reagent to be used is expensive. In the case where the sample in an amount of 5 xcexcl is put in a sample vessel having an inner diameter of 2 mm, the liquid level becomes only about 1.5 mm. It is very difficult to individually insert several tens of electrodes and capillaries in the above small-sized sample vessels.
An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-capillary type electrophoresis analysis apparatus capable of simplifying analysis and a sample vessel used therefor.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electrophoresis analysis apparatus having a plurality of migration passages and a detector for optically detecting a plurality of sample components separated by electrophoresis, including: a sample vessel for containing a plurality of samples to be introduced in the migration passages, at least part of a portion, of the sample vessel, to be in contact with these samples being made of a conductive material; wherein the samples are introduced in the migration passages by applying a voltage to the migration passages via the conductive material forming part of the sample vessels. With this configuration, since part of the sample vessel can be used as an electrode and thereby insertion of electrodes in samples can be eliminated, it is possible to simplify analysis.
The sample vessel preferably includes a plate portion having a plurality of openings and a metal base portion fixed on a bottom portion of the plate portion.

Electrophoresis analysis apparatus and sample vessel used therefor


An improved certificate issuing system may comprise a novel arrangement for expressing certificate issuing policy. The policy may be expressed in a human-readable policy expression language and stored for example in a file that is consumed by a certificate issuing system at runtime. The policy may thus be easily changed by altering the digital file. Certain techniques are also provided for extending the capabilities of the certificate issuing system so it may apply and enforce new policies.

A certificate is a document that attests to the truth of something or the ownership of something. In the world of computing, digital certificates serve a variety of functions. For example, a digital certificate may authenticate some entity by establishing that the entity is in fact what it claims to be. A digital certificate may also authorize an entity by establishing that the entity is entitled to access a restricted resource.
Certificates are very useful, and are at the present time experiencing increased use. Expression and enforcement of security policies is an increasingly important enterprise capability. The number of certificate formats is also proliferating. Some of the more popular certificate formats available today are the X.509, the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) security token, XrML 1.2, and MPEG-REL. Note that MPEG-REL has a number of variations and goes by a number of names, including XrML 2.x, MPEG ISO-REL, and ISO-REL. The acronym MPEG-REL, as used here, refers at least to all of these above-listed variations.
To illustrate the various functions and formats of the above exemplary certificates, X.509 certificates adhere to their own format and typically represent identity. SAML certificates adhere to their own XML schema and are widely used in federated identity solutions. XrML 1.2 and MPEG-REL (a.k.a. XrML 2.x) express use policy for a resource and adhere to their own XML schema.
Services and products exist today which produce and consume certificates. A problem arises, however, when a client that possesses a certificate in a first format encounters a server that consumes only certificates of a second format. At best, this may result in inefficiency as the client attempts to obtain an appropriately formatted certificate, or by requiring the client to determine beforehand which certificate format is required by the server. At worst, it results in an interoperability failure.
Another weakness of present certificate issuing systems is that it is difficult to modify the circumstances under which a certificate may issue, the "certificate issuing policy." In present systems, the policy is expressed as compiled algorithms in the certificate issuing system binary code or as a specifically modeled, "brittle" set of configuration parameters. Altering the enforcement policy requires recoding, recompiling and redeploying a new certificate issuing system binary. Thus, as a practical matter, certificate issuing policies are limited to those preconceived by certificate issuing system programmers. To change the policy, a certificate issuing system may have to be entirely recoded. This can take a product development team a significant amount of time and effort to accomplish.
Therefore, there is an unmet need in the industry to provide increased interoperability in certificate issuing as well as to facilitate changes to certificate issuing policies.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Extendable data-driven system and method for issuing certificates


According to the process of the invention, after heating, nitrogen which exits from a pressure column is compressed under elevated pressure by means of a single nitrogen compressor, and the low pressure column is operated at a pressure of about P.sub.N /.rho..sub.N, where P.sub.N represents the elevated pressure of nitrogen and .rho..sub.N the compression ratio of the nitrogen compressor. Application to the simultaneous production on the one hand of high purity nitrogen at a pressure between 50 and 60 bars, and on the other hand, of oxygen at 65 bars, so as to supply a unit for the production of ammonia.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of nitrogen and oxygen by air distillation. It concerns, first, a process for the simultaneous production, on the one hand, of pure nitrogen under an elevated pressure of nitrogen which is higher than about 25 bars absolute, and on the other hand, of oxygen, by air distillation in a double distillation column comprising a mean pressure column and a low pressure column of the "minaret" type which produces pure nitrogen in the top portion thereof.
A specific application of the invention is the simultaneous production on the one hand of high purity nitrogen, containing less than 10 ppm oxygen, in large quantity (i.e. representing at least 20% and typically more than 30% of the flow of air being treated), at 50 to 60 bars, intended for a unit for the production of ammonia, and, on the other hand, of oxygen of an average to high purity, that is 95 to 99.5% in moles, at a pressure of about 65 bars and with an elevated yield of extraction, for the production of hydrogen by reaction of oxygen with heavy hydrocarbons, the hydrogen being intended to supply the same unit for the production of ammonia.
The term "low pressure column of the minaret type" means a low pressure column, which is part of a double column for air distillation, in which the upper end portion is supplied at the top with "upper poor liquid" (substantially pure nitrogen) which is withdrawn at the top of the mean pressure column and is thereafter expanded, and which produces, at the top, pure nitrogen under low pressure.
The pressures referred to herein are absolute pressures. Moreover, the term "low pressure" and "mean pressure" mean operating pressures of the low pressure column and of the mean pressure column of the double column, respectively.
The invention aims at providing a process enabling the production, in addition to oxygen, of nitrogen under elevated pressure, in large amounts, i.e. representing at least 20% of the flow of air being treated, with a reduced investment.

Porcess and apparatus for the production of high pressure nitrogen and oxygen

L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude


A case sealer has a frame with a conveyor for moving boxes into a pair of spaced-apart lateral conveyors. A floating head located over the lateral conveyors folds the box end and side flaps into a closed position. A seal dispensing platform carrying a tape dispenser seals the box flaps shut.

This invention relates to box or case sealers for closing the open ends of cardboard boxes or cartons.
In the packaging industry, many products are packed in cardboard boxes or cartons for shipping. Often, one end of the box, namely the bottom, is sealed shut before the box is filled, and after the box is filled, the open top end of the box usually has end and side flaps that are folded inwardly and downwardly. The box can be sealed by applying glue to the inside of the mating surfaces of the folded flaps prior to them being folded shut, or by applying tape to the outside of the flaps after they have been folded shut.
In many cases, the boxes are uniform in size, so providing apparatus that will fold the flaps and apply adhesive or tape thereto is not particularly difficult to do. The apparatus can be adjusted to suit the known width and the height of the boxes and there is usually no problem running the boxes through the case sealer once it has been adjusted properly.
However, sometimes the boxes are of different sizes coming down the same conveyor line. In these instances, a random case sealer is required, wherein the apparatus for folding the box flaps and applying adhesive or tape thereto adjusts automatically to suit the size of the box.
In prior art random case sealers, various sensors have been used to try to determine the exact size or position of the boxes entering the case sealer, and numerous actuators or other adjust mechanisms together with suitable control devices, have been used to adjust the position of the various folding and sealing components to suit the position and size of the box being sealed. A difficulty with this type of apparatus however, is that the boxes are often misshaped or underfilled or overfilled, so that they are not uniform in shape so the sensors often cannot determine the optimum position adjustments. The result is that the boxes get jammed in the apparatus shutting down the packaging line.
The jamming problem was largely overcome by the box sealer apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,814 issued to Tuan Vinh Le. In this patent, the folding and sealing components of the apparatus are gravitationally biased and positioned by contact with the actual box being sealed, so any variations in the shape of the box are automatically accommodated. Sometimes, however, the cardboard or box board used to make the cartons is not as thick or strong as it should be, or the boxes are underfilled, in which case the boxes can still be deformed during the sealing operation with undesirable results.


The fuel sampler/strainer assembly includes a housing formed of fuel resistant material including a transparent elongated main body, a fuel receiving portion at an upper end thereof, and a fuel exiting portion also at the upper end thereof. The elongated main body has a closed lower end. The fuel receiving portion is generally tubular and has spaced-apart indentations in its upper end edge for alignment and cooperation with associated actuating arms of a pet cock drain valve. A rod is removably attachable at a first end to the fuel receiving portion and extends along a central axis of the fuel receiving portion and beyond the upper end edge of the fuel receiving portion so as to engage and manipulate a ball and spring drain valve at a second end of the rod. The fuel exiting portion includes a filter screen functioning as a barrier to water and desired particulate debris. A first protective cap fits over the fuel receiving portion for containing evaporative fumes while the fuel sampler/strainer assembly is being stowed. A second protective cap fits over the fuel exiting portion for similar purposes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hand tools, and more particularly to a fuel checker designed for use in conjunction with fuel tank valves and incorporating a receptacle for receiving a specimen of the fuel tank contents, and returning the specimen to the fuel tank, while filtering water and contaminants from the fuel, and discarding water and contaminants.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a recognized safety precaution, the nature of the fuel in aircraft gas tanks must be checked before each flight to determine the presence of any contaminating agents as well as the octane rating. In the past, this inspection has been effected by, for example, the opening of the tank quick drain valve, by any suitable means in allowing a portion of the fuel to flow outwardly for reception within any convenient type of container. A scrutiny of the withdrawn fuel by an experienced individual will readily indicate whether the fuel is clear or is contaminated, and, further, as to what the octane rating of such fuel might be since its coloration is indicative thereof. In addition to withdrawing a specimen of the fuel from each tank of the aircraft, it is desired that a sample be taken from the lowermost location in the gas system.
Also, the like testing of fuels in the tank of gasoline powered ground vehicles, for example, in the military field, tanks, jeeps, half-tracks, and the like, is a desirable practice for assuming optimum operation. In the past this was accomplished by the use of any convenient instrumentalities, with all the associated inconvenience and time-consumption.
These tasks were made more convenient by the design of more specialized fuel checker devices. U.S. Pat. No. 3,011,349, issued to D. W. Kratz, entitled "Composite Tool and Receptacle", discloses a tool and receptacle for receiving specimens of aircraft gas tanks. The Kratz device utilizes an elongated body of circular cross-section with a closed lower end. The upper end edge is provided with a series of spaced apart, upwardly opening, generally U-shaped indentations or notches for engaging axially aligned actuating arms of a pet cock type quick drain valve. The elongated body is preferably formed of molded transparent plastic. The device has a screwdriver assembly integral to the bottom end of the elongated body which is handy during various operations typically involved with aircraft maintenance.
Present applicant, Robert M. Brodbeck, is the inventor of an improved fuel checker disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,905, entitled "Fuel Checker For Use With Pet Cock or Ball and Spring Drain Valves." The '905 apparatus comprises an elongated body of substantially circular cross-section. The body is fabricated of transparent molded material and is open at its upper end. The body is of tubular character through a portion of its length for defining a fuel-receiving compartment having a central axis and communicating with the open upper end of the body. The body has spaced-apart indentations in its upper end edge for alignment and cooperation with associated actuating arms of a pet cock drain valve, if such a pet cock drain valve is utilized. The tubular portion is closed at its lower end portion. A resilient semi-rigid rod is removably attached at a first end to the lower end portion of the tubular portion. The resilient rod extends along the central axis beyond the upper end edge of the body so as to engage and manipulate a ball and spring drain valve at a second end of the rod, if such a ball and spring drain valve is utilized. Additionally, the rod is supported at an intermediate portion thereof. Supporting the rod at the first end (lower end) provides much more effective use with ball and spring type drain valves making it much less flimsy and incapable of being pushed down the elongated body during use by the opposing force of the ball and spring valve.
Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated that no fuel can be thrown out onto the tarmac ramp. Therefore, it has become desirable to pour the tested fuel back into the fuel tank. This is undesirable if the sample has water and/or other contaminants. Thus, one desires to filter out such contaminants and return the fuel to the tank.
In response to this problem Wing Aero Products, Inc. distributes what is referred to as "The GATS Jar". The GATS Jar is a stand alone fuel checker/separator device that provides both checking and separation of water and other contaminants. It includes a cap that supports a separator screen that creates a barrier to the passage of water through it and certain particulate debris, but remains no obstacle to the flow of fuel. The GATS Jar; however, has an open end so that while not in use it is difficult to store the device due to the resultant fumes and potential dripping of residual fuel from it. Furthermore, it includes a plastic plunger that makes it less than substantial. Additionally, the GATS Jar has synthetic screen that is susceptible to punctures and tears.
Additionally, present co-applicant, Robert M. Brodbeck, is the co-inventor of an improved filter assembly for a fuel checker disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,724 entitled "Water, Sediment/Fuel Separator for Fuel Checker." The '724 filter assembly includes a filter housing, a removable screen assembly, a first protective cap and a second protective cap. The filter housing includes a fuel receiving end portion and a fuel exiting end portion. The fuel receiving end portion is shaped to securely attach to a fuel checker. The filter housing defines a volume for containing checked fuel. A removable screen assembly is securely attachable to the fuel exiting end portion. The removable screen assembly includes a flexible screen housing and a filter screen supported by the flexible screen housing. The filter screen is a barrier to water and desired particulate debris. A first protective cap fits over the fuel receiving end portion for containing evaporative fumes while the filter assembly is being stored. A second protective cap fits over the removable screen assembly and protects the screen when the filter assembly is being stored.


An apparatus and method for regulating the gap between a casting nozzle and a casting wheel in which the gap between the casting nozzle and the casting wheel is monitored by means of at least one sensing element protruding from the face of the casting nozzle. The sensing element is preferably connected to a voltage source and the casting wheel grounded. When the sensing element contacts the casting wheel, an electric circuit is completed. The completion of the circuit can be registered by an indicator, and the presence or absence of a completed circuit indicates the relative position of the casting nozzle to the casting wheel. The relative positions of the casting nozzle and casting wheel can thereby be selectively adjusted to continually maintain a predetermined distance between their adjacent surfaces.

Generally, casting is the process by which molten material is formed into solid shapes. A known method for casting materials has involved the use of rolling cylinders to compress slabs of cast material to a desired thickness. However, this process is very energy intensive and costly.
An alternative casting method for producing a strip of material of a desired thickness, known as strip casting, incorporates a rotating wheel, drum, belt or other substrate. The rotating substrate is placed in close proximity to a casting nozzle from which molten material flows. The molten material is deposited on the rotating substrate where it cools, solidifies or "freezes", and is subsequently removed for further processing.
However, when the molten material is initially introduced through the casting nozzle and onto the casting wheel, heat is exchanged from the high temperature molten material to the lower temperature casting nozzle and casting wheel. This transfer of heat energy to the casting nozzle and the casting wheel causes them to expand, often in an unpredictable and non-uniform manner. As a result of this expansion, the distance between the adjacent surfaces of the casting wheel and the casting nozzle is often reduced.
Until the temperatures of the casting nozzle and the casting wheel reach a steady state, at which time further expansion of the casting nozzle and the casting wheel is minimized, the gap between them will not be a uniform or constant distance. In at least the case of planar flow casting, an example of which is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,820, the gap between the casting nozzle and the casting substrate can affect the thickness of the cast material, which is generally crucial to the quality of the cast material. If the cast material does not have the desired thickness, it may either be scrapped or mechanically reformed, both of which are expensive, time consuming, and inefficient.
The inability to control and maintain a desired distance or gap between the casting nozzle and the casting wheel can also cause a variety of other problems during casting. For example, if the distance between the casting nozzle and the casting wheel becomes too large, the molten material can flow along the face of the casting nozzle rather than onto the casting wheel. Material which is not deposited onto the casting wheel will inherently begin to cool as it flows along the nozzle, and can thereby interfere with the efficient operation of the machinery and compromise the quality and uniformity of the resultant cast product. Conversely, if a minimum gap between the casting nozzle and the casting wheel is not maintained, contact may occur between them which can result in severe damage to both the nozzle and the wheel. Such a situation obviously interferes with the safety and efficiency of the casting process.
In particular, when steel and other high temperature materials are strip cast, the relative expansions of the casting nozzle and casting wheel are virtually impossible to avoid. Since it is not generally economical to pre-heat a casting nozzle and a casting wheel to their steady state temperatures, a variety of methods have been used to measure and maintain the distance between a casting nozzle and a casting wheel. An example of an unique pneumatic device and method for monitoring and maintaining the distance between a casting nozzle and a surface of the casting wheel is disclosed in the commonly owned U.S. Patent Application entitled PNEUMATIC GAP SENSOR AND METHOD, filed concurrently herewith in the names of Karl T. Bagdal, Edward L. King, and Donald W. Follstaedt.
Some of the known methods include: product measurement, wherein the thickness of the cast material is measured downstream dynamically and the gap between the casting nozzle and casting wheel thereafter adjusted to compensate for measured thickness variations; and laser gap sensing, wherein a laser beam is utilized to measure the gap between the casting nozzle and the casting wheel.
All of the known methods and equipment have serious drawbacks, however. Indirect or downstream control of the distance between the casting nozzle and casting wheel from the downstream measurement of the resulting thickness of the cast material is complicated by the possible influence of other casting variables, such as casting speed, cooling, and composition, on the measured cast thickness. Moreover, downstream measurements are by definition "after the fact" quality controls, and undesirable rework or scrapping of the measured cast product is not avoided. Laser methods, on the other hand, are expensive and complicated to perform, especially for casts of wide strips of very hot alloys such as steel. In addition, lasers require a straight line of sight between the laser source and the photodiodes or similar laser detectors, through which the laser beam may travel. Unencumbered straight lines of sight are often not available between the expanding casting nozzle and substrate and, at least, difficult to provide. Moreover, the presence of smoke, heat, dust and other gases and particles produced during casting may interfere with (e.g. diffract) and restrict the passage of a laser light through the gap. Examples of devices of these types are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,383,310 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,861.
Consequently, heretofore, there has not been available a simple, reliable and economical device for maintaining a predetermined gap between two surfaces. In particular, such a device has not been available for use in hostile environments such as strip casting.


This lens unit comprises: a lens having a liquid crystal lens; a rim part that covers the peripheral edge section of the lens; a control unit that controls the liquid crystal lens; a conductive part that electrically connects the control unit and an electrode end section of the liquid crystal lens which is exposed at the peripheral edge section of the lens, and that is disposed between the rim part and the peripheral edge section of the lens; and a knob part that protrudes from the lens or rim part.

Allowing users to experience desired lenses have been conducted by attaching a frame member without a lens to a lens that is independent of the frame member and is detachable to the frame member, and letting the users wear the frame member. Such a frame member is referred to as an optometric frame, a trial frame, a test frame, or a universal frame. Such a lens is referred to as an optometric lens, a trial lens, and/or the like.
PTL 1 discloses an optometric lens using a bifocal, multifocal, or progressive refractive index lens.
In recent years, an eyewear including a lens having an electric element has been used for various use. For example, PTL 2 discloses an eyewear including a liquid crystal lens whose refractive index changes.
When using the lens having the electric element, it is necessary to supply electric power to the electric element. In the eyewear disclosed in PTL 2, a conductive path for electrically connecting between an electric power source provided at the end of a temple and an electrical contact disposed along the upper edge of a lens is provided inside the temple and a frame.


This invention relates to antibiotic 42D005.alpha. and 42D005.beta. derived from the microorganism Kitasatosporia, which is useful as an antibacterial agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to new antibiotics designated 42D005 .alpha. and .beta., to their production by fermentation, to methods for their recovery and concentration from crude solutions and to processes for their purification. The present invention includes within its scope the agents in dilute form, as crude concentrates, as a complex of all components, in pure form as individual components and a novel strain of Kitasatosporia.
The present invention also relates to the use of the compounds according to the invention in anti-septic or antimicrobial compositions such as disinfectants or preservatives.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Other related antibiotics are described in the literature. Chlorothricin is reported by Keller-Schierlein, W. et al., Helv. Chim. Acta, 52, 127-142(1969). Antlermicin A is described by Kobinata, K. et al., J. Antibiotics, 33, 244-246(1980). Tetrocarcin is reported by Tomita, F. et al., 33, 668, 940, 946(1980). Kijanimicin is described by Waitz, J. A. et al., J. Antibiotics, 34, 1101(1981). Antibiotic BMY-42448 is reported in U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,933 issued Jan. 21, 1992.


Methods, optical transmitters and a system of optical transmitters for transmitting data over and monitoring a fiber cable. A method performed by an optical transmitter for transmitting data over and monitoring of a fiber cable comprises generating at least a first optical carrier and a second optical carrier at a same optical frequency, generating an electromagnetic monitoring signal, modulating the first optical carrier with the generated electromagnetic monitoring data signal to create an optical monitoring signal, and modulating the second optical carrier with a generated electromagnetic data signal to create an optical data signal. The method further comprises combining the optical monitoring signal and the optical data signal in orthogonal polarization modes, transmitting the combined optical monitoring signal and the optical data signal over the fiber cable to be monitored, and monitoring the fiber cable by detecting the optical monitoring signal being backscattered from the fiber cable.

An Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is commonly used to monitor and detect faults in an optical fibre system. Conventional solutions are divided into two broad categories.
The first category uses the OTDR while normal data communication on the network is operational; this is called "in-service monitoring". The second category uses the OTDR while normal data communication on the network is non-operational; this is called "out-of-service monitoring". In order to achieve in-service monitoring, data traffic should not be disrupted at any time, which requires the use of multiplexing methods ensuring that data and monitoring signals are not interfering with each other.
A conventional solution based on Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) schemes performs in-service OTDR monitoring and is recommended by International Telegraph Union (ITU) in ITU-TL.313: Optical fibre cable maintenance criteria for in-service fibre testing in access networks. In this recommendation, an ultra-long wavelength (U-band) of 1650 nm is used for monitoring and maintenance of the optical fibre network. This maintenance band is reserved in different standards such as G.983.3 (PON, "Passive Optical Network") and G.694.2 (CWDM, "Coarse WDM") since they do not interfere with communication bands.
However, this technique is performed out-of-band and requires external equipment in order to monitor the optical fibre network, increasing the total cost and adding complexity to the network. An alternative technique is Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), which multiplexes the data signals with OTDR signals in the time domain.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,428,382, use is made of protocols to ensure that OTDR signals and data signals will be sent at different times, avoiding the need for a separate equipment to monitor the optical fibre network and using the same wavelength as the data signals. Nevertheless, this technique is not capable of performing fibre monitoring at the same time data is transmitted, which is a desirable feature in an optical transmission system.
Another multiplexing technique used to perform in-service monitoring is known as subcarrier multiplexing (SCM), discussed for instance in J. P. von der Weid, et al., "SCM/WDM-PON with in-service baseband embedded OTDR monitoring", Optics Communications, Volume 356, 1 Dec. 2015, Pages 250-255, ISSN 0030-4018.
In this technique, subcarriers are dedicated to data transmission and the baseband is reserved to perform monitoring of the optical fibre network. On the other hand, this system has Dynamic Range (DR) limitations in the OTDR trace when multiplexing is performed in the electrical domain. Moreover, coherence interference will appear as a noise for the data signal when multiplexing is performed in the optical domain.
Existing solutions for multiplexing OTDR and data signals present different problems among the optical transmission and monitoring systems. In WDM multiplexing, the cost related to external equipment that perform monitoring is usually rather high; consequently, this equipment is typically shared among several WDM channels precluding the possibility to perform monitoring of individual channels at the same time. Furthermore, the use of different wavelengths to perform monitoring reduces the available spectrum for data channels, which is an important concern for data transmission systems where data rate is ever increasing.
In the case of TDM techniques, monitoring of the optical network cannot be performed simultaneously with data transmission, which could cause long waiting times in a busy network to perform monitoring. Furthermore, monitoring of the fibre network interferes with normal data transmission. In the case of SCM techniques, a high DR is difficult to achieve without degrading the data signal. In this regard, data and OTDR modulation indexes should not exceed the linear region of the modulator in order to achieve negligible impact on data transmission. An alternative is the use of different optical modulators to generate the data and OTDR signals. In this configuration, coherent interference will degrade the data signal quality.

Method and device for in-service monitoring of optical fibres


Fiber optic connector assemblies are disclosed that utilize a reverse optical fiber loop within the fiber optic connector to isolate the optical fiber from stresses. In one embodiment, a fiber optic connector assembly includes an optical fiber having a fiber end, and a connector housing, wherein the optical fiber enters the connector housing from a first direction and is secured within the connector housing in a second direction, thereby forming a reverse optical fiber loop that is free to expand or contract within the connector housing. In another embodiment, a fiber optic connector assembly includes an optical fiber having a fiber end, a connector housing, and a substrate within the connector housing. The optical fiber enters the connector housing over a first surface of the substrate then passes by (i.e., crosses) the first surface, and is secured within the connector housing at a second surface of the substrate.

1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to fiber optic connector assemblies for optical fiber cables and, more particularly, fiber optic connector assemblies having a reverse optical fiber loop for stress management of the optical fiber within the connector.
2. Technical Background
Fiber optic cables are an attractive alternative to bulky traditional conductor cables, especially as data rates increase. As the use of fiber optics migrates into numerous consumer electronics applications, such as connecting computer peripherals by the use of fiber optic cable assemblies, there will be a consumer driven expectation for cables having improved bandwidth performance, compatibility with future communication protocols, and a broad range of use. For example, it is likely that bandwidth demands will continue to increase with newer protocols such as universal serial bus specification version 3.0 (USB 3.0) or Thunderbolt™ owned by the Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif. and that optical-based connectors will transition into these applications that previously used cable assemblies having electrical-based conductors.
During use or manufacturing, stresses on optical fibers within the fiber optic cable assembly may cause fatigue and damage to the optical fibers, as well as other components, within the fiber optic connector of the fiber optic cable assembly. Such stresses in cable assemblies having internal optical alignment components may also cause optical misalignment between the optical fibers and optical components within the connector, such as light emitting and receiving active components or the like. For example, forces applied to the optical fibers may transfer to optical components within the fiber optic connector, which has the ability to negatively affect performance. Stresses may include tensile stresses due to external forces on the optical cable, as well as changes in length due to thermal coefficient of expansion effects may also cause concerns with alignment.

Fiber optic connector assemblies having a reverse optical fiber loop


The field of wireless communications is related, especially the technique of transmitting uplink sounding reference signal (SRS) by a mobile terminal with multiple transmission antennas is related. A method for receiving uplink sounding reference signal includes the following steps: receiving the SRS signals, which are respectively transmitted from respective radio frequency transmission modules of the mobile terminal according to the respectively allocated Transmission Comb (TC) values and Cyclic Shift (CS) values when the transmission period arrives, wherein TC values and/or CS values allocated for any two radio frequency transmission modules are different; determining the radio frequency transmission module corresponding to every received SRS signal according to the TC values and CS values respectively allocated for respective radio frequency transmission modules. A device for receiving uplink sounding reference signal, a method and a device for transmitting uplink sounding reference signal are also provided. Because different TC values and/or different CS values are allocated for respective radio frequency transmission modules, (multiple) radio frequency transmission modules can transmit SRS signals through (multiple) transmission antennas during the same transmission period by way of Frequency Division Multiplex (FDM) or Code Division Multiplex (CDM).

An uplink Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) is an uplink signal transmitted from a mobile terminal, and a base station performs operations of uplink timing detection, power control, uplink scheduling in the frequency domain, link adaptation, etc., according to uplink channel status information provided in the SRS upon reception of the SRS. For a Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, when Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transmission based on preprocessing is used for downlink transmission, the base station may also perform channel estimation from the SRS and further derive downlink Channel State Information (CSI) due to the symmetry of the uplink and downlink channels.
Before the mobile terminal transmits an SRS to the base station, the base station needs to configure a radio frequency transmission module of the mobile terminal with some parameters and send these parameters to the mobile terminal via signaling, and the mobile terminal configures the radio frequency transmission module with these parameters upon reception of the parameters, so that the radio frequency transmission module may transmit the SRS over a transmission antenna according to the parameters configured by the base station. Upon reception of the SRS transmitted from the mobile terminal, the base station can parse the SRS to derive the parameters thereof and determine from the parameters derived from the SRS the mobile terminal transmitting the SRS.
Typically, the base station configures the radio frequency transmission module of the mobile terminal with the parameters including a duration, a cycle and a specific symbol location for transmitting an SRS, a frequency domain location and a frequency hop pattern for transmitting the SRS, and a Transmission Comb (TC) value and a Cyclic Shift (CS) value.
The inventors of the invention have identified that existing mobile terminals provided with two or more transmission antennas cannot support concurrent transmission of SRSs over the transmission antennas and have to transmit the SRSs alternatively. FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of transmitting SRSs from a mobile terminal with two transmission antennas to a base station in the prior art in a specific transmission flow as illustrated in FIG. 2 including the following steps.
S200: the base station derives the number of transmission antennas of the mobile terminal.
The base station can derive the number of transmission antennas of the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal gains an access thereto.
S201: the base station assigns the mobile terminal with various parameters for transmitting SRSs.
The base station assigns the mobile terminal with various parameters for transmitting SRSs including a duration, a transmission cycle and a specific symbol location for transmitting an SRS, a frequency domain location and a frequency hop pattern for transmitting the SRS, and a TC value and a CS value.
S202: the base station transmits a result of assignment to the mobile terminal via dedicated signaling.
S203: upon reception of the result of assignment transmitted from the base station, the mobile terminal transmits an SRS to the base station according to the result of assignment over a transmission antenna 1 upon detection of arrival of an SRS transmission cycle (called a transmission cycle for short hereinafter).
The mobile terminal transmits an SRS to the base station in a transmission cycle which typically may be 2 ms, 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 40 ms, 80 ms, 160 ms, 320 ms, etc. In other words, the mobile terminal which has transmitted an SRS transmits another SRS at an interval of one transmission cycle. The mobile terminal transmits the SRS to the base station over the transmission antenna 1 according to the result of assignment, i.e., the assigned parameters including the TC value and the CS value, sent from the base station.
S204: the mobile terminal transmits an SRS to the base station over a transmission antenna 2 according to the result of assignment upon detection of arrival of another transmission cycle.
The transmission antenna 2 is configured with the same parameters as those configured in the previous step S203 for the transmission antenna 1, and both of the transmission antennas 1 and 2 transmit the SRSs to the base station according to the assigned parameters (including the TC value and the CS value) sent from the base station.
The foregoing steps S203 and S204 are repeated, so that the SRSs are transmitted over the two transmission antennas of the mobile terminal in different transmission cycles alternatively at the same time and frequency domain location and with the same TC value and CS value, and the base station determines, from the number of transmission antennas of the mobile terminal, over which corresponding one of the transmission antennas the SRSs received in any of the different transmission cycles is transmitted, for example, the SRSs are transmitted over the transmission antenna 1 upon arrival of transmission cycles 1, 3, 5, 7 . . . and over the transmission antenna 2 upon arrival of transmission cycles 2, 4, 6, 8 . . . , and then the base station determines from the number (i.e., 2) of transmission antennas that the SRSs received in the transmission cycles 1, 3, 5, 7 . . . are transmitted over the transmission antenna 1 and the SRSs received in the transmission cycles 2, 4, 6, 8 . . . are transmitted over the transmission antenna 2. Such transmission mode of SRSs over multiple transmission antennas of a mobile terminal in the prior art is also referred to as Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) mode.
The inventors of the invention have identified that SRSs can not be transmitted concurrently (i.e., in the same transmission cycle) over multiple transmission antennas of a mobile terminal in the prior art, and a cycle in which an SRS is transmitted over one of the transmission antennas is essentially equivalent to N transmission cycles, where N is equal to the number of the transmission antennas of the mobile terminal. In other words, an SRS may be transmitted again to the base station over a transmission antenna of the mobile terminal only after two or more transmission cycles. Since an SRS is transmitted over a transmission antenna at a too long interval, the base station typically can not know accurately uplink channel status information of respective transmission antennas from the transmitted SRSs and consequently can not perform accurate channel estimation on the respective transmission antennas.

Method for transmitting and receiving uplink sounding reference signal, base station and mobile terminal

China Academy of Telecommunications Technology