A device for filtering vibration between two parts (2 and 3), includes:                at least a first resilient plate (4) connected to the parts (2 and 3) at two respective fastener points at two respective points (2A and 3A), the first plate (4) being locally deformable under the action of vibration transmitted by one of the parts to the other part; and        at least a first resonator (7) fitted with two laminated elastomer bearings (8, 9) receiving respective fastener elements (80, 90) fastening it to the first resilient member (4) in such a manner as to set the resonator (7) into oscillating pivoting motion in the event of the local deformation of the first resilient plate (4) such that the resonator (7) generates an anti-vibratory inertia torsor that opposes the vibration and filters transmission thereof from one part to the other.

More particularly, such a device serves to provide an elastic connection between two parts for transmitting static forces from one to the other along the axis of the device, while simultaneously filtering the transmission of associated dynamic forces along the axis from one of the parts to the other.
Although said device can be used in any situation where it is important to filter vibration transmitted between two parts, it is particularly applicable to improving an aircraft suspension device for a gearbox for transmitting engine torque to a driven member, and in particular a main transmission gearbox of a helicopter.
Problems of vibration arise in a helicopter in very specific manner. The main rotor for providing the helicopter with lift and propulsion naturally constitutes a powerful generator of vibration that is transmitted to the fuselage, with the level of the vibration conditioning firstly comfort in the cabin and vibration of the controls, and secondly conditioning the levels of dynamic mechanical stresses throughout the machine. As a result, the dynamic stresses impact on the fatigue lifetime of the parts and the various items of equipment, and consequently the lifetime of the various elements constituting the helicopter.
A large amount of research has been undertaken at least to attenuate, if not completely eliminate, this level of vibration that is inherent to the very operation of the rotor which transmits to the hub not only static or quasi-static forces and moments created by:                lift (perpendicular to the plane of the rotor);        drag (in the plane of the rotor and parallel to the component VH′ of the forward speed of the helicopter that is normal to the rotor mast); and        drift force (perpendicular to the two preceding forces and also in the plane of the rotor) which remains small and can generally be ignored;but also periodic forces and moments coming from aerodynamic asymmetries (profile drag and lift) that appear during rotation of the blades, essentially due to the forward speed in translation flight at high speed, or also to asymmetries that result from unequal distribution of speeds induced on the disk of the rotor at low speed (transition zone). These alternating aerodynamic forces and moments are transmitted to the center of the rotor after being attenuated or amplified naturally by the blades.
Writing the speed of rotation of the rotor in general manner as Ω, expressed in revolutions per second, and writing the number of blades as b, it is recalled that:                the forces (due to the flapping movements of the blades) and the moments (due to the drag movements of the blades) whose axes are carried by the rotor axis, are transmitted to the mast and to the fuselage only if their frequency, expressed in hertz (Hz) is a harmonic of bΩ, and thus of the form kbΩ (where k is a positive integer equal to or greater than 1), with these forces and moments of the rotating axes being transferred to the stationary axes without any change of frequency (pumping and twisting effects in the structure); and        the forces (due to the drag movements of the blades) and the moments (due to the flapping movements of the blades) of axes lying in the plane of the rotor, are transmitted to the mast and to the fuselage only if their frequency is of the form (kb±1)Ω, with the resulting forces and moments then being at a frequency kbΩ about stationary axes (rolling and pitching effects, transverse or longitudinal shaking, mainly in bΩ).
Whatever the origin of the excitation, it can thus be seen that a well-balanced rotor transmits to the fuselage, in addition to static forces and moments, only those dynamic forces and moments that are harmonics of bΩ (k=1, 2, 3, . . . ), and that in most cases it is excitation at the first harmonic bΩ that predominates.
In practice, the vibration that is the most troublesome and the most penalizing in a fuselage is vibration in planes that are substantially vertical. Consequently, devices for filtering the transmission of vibration between the rotor and the fuselage of a helicopter are designed in such a manner as to minimize, or even cancel, the following torsor;                a substantially vertical dynamic force, also referred to as "pumping"; and        dynamic moments in pitching (or "longitudinally") and in rolling (or "laterally").
French patent No. 2 499 505 in the name of the Applicant discloses a suspension device for the main transmission gearbox of a helicopter that is effective in filtering such vibration generated by the main rotor providing lift and propulsion.
To this end, the device described in that document is of the type comprising a suspension plate that is situated substantially in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rotor and having a central portion secured to the bottom of the transmission gearbox, and a set of at least three support bars having top ends connected to the top of the transmission gearbox and bottom ends hinged to the outside ends of arms extending radially around the base of the transmission gearbox, to which they are connected and also, in the region of their outer ends, to the fuselage at strong points thereof. The various connections of each radial arm enable it to move by deformation in the radial plane that contains it, with this movement imparting large displacements to a resonator means constituted by a vibrating mass mounted at the end of a blade serving as a support and whose other end is secured to the corresponding radial arm. Otherwise the suspension plate is independent of the radial arms and is constituted by a thin sheet-metal diaphragm that is deformable in bending under forces exerted perpendicularly to its plane and/or pivot moments exerted around its center by the transmission gearbox, but rigid in traction/compression and in shear under forces and moments exerted in its own plane, such as the torque in reaction to driving the rotor, said diaphragm being integrated in the top structure of the fuselage.
Although particularly effective, said prior art suspension device presents certain drawbacks, and in particular:                it is of limited accessibility and it is bulky, in particular because of the presence of the above-mentioned resonator means; and        its cost is high, in particular because of the specific arrangement for enabling the suspension blades and the mass supports to operate effectively.
French patent document No. 2 787 161 discloses an anti-vibration device suitable for being mounted between the main transmission gearbox and the fuselage of a helicopter to filter the transmission of vibration between them.
In particular, that anti-vibration device enables the vibrating masses of the kind mentioned above to be eliminated, and it can be installed as a replacement for each of the above-mentioned support bars.
To this end, that prior art vibration filter device comprises:                a resilient annular element connected firstly to the top portion of the transmission gearbox and secondly to the fuselage in such a manner as to act as a connection therebetween, and suitable for being deformed under the action of vibration generated by the main rotor; and        resonator means connected via at least two blades which are flexible in bending and rigid in traction and in compression, to the inside face of said annular element in such a manner as to be set into oscillating pivoting motion during deformation of said annular element produced by the action of said vibration, such that by said oscillating pivoting motion, said resonator means generates an anti-vibratory inertia force opposing said vibration, thereby reducing the transmission thereof from the rotor to the fuselage.
Nevertheless, that prior art anti-vibration device also presents certain drawbacks:                its mass is significant, since the resonator means comprises vibrating masses connected to the annular element via rigid supports working in bending and blades that are flexible in bending and rigid in traction and in compression. The bending stresses of the supports lead to large dimensions and consequently to high mass for said supports, which are generally made of steel;        the flexible blades are relatively fragile because of the way in which they operate, in particular because of the high stresses due to the dynamic forces and moments, and also because of the static stresses, which can lead to said blades having short lifetimes; and        its amplification ratio λ, characterizing the effectiveness of the device, is contained within small limits.

Device for filtering vibration between two parts, and applications thereof


Methods, systems, and techniques for performing a facet search include receiving facet search commencement user input indicating that a search for a facet is to commence; in response to the facet search commencement user input, searching one or more video recordings for the facet; and displaying, on a display, facet image search results depicting the facet, wherein the facet image search results are selected from the one or more video recordings. An artificial neural network may be used for the facet search, and that network may be trained by generating a facet image training set that comprises training images, with the training images depicting a type of facet common to the training images; and training, by using the facet image training set, that neural network to classify the type of facet when a sample image comprising the type of facet is input to that network.

Intelligent processing and playback of recorded video is often an important functionality to include in a video surveillance system. For example, a video surveillance system may include many cameras, each of which records video. The total amount of video recorded by those cameras, much of which is typically recorded concurrently, makes relying upon manual location and tracking of an object-of-interest appearing in the recorded video inefficient. Intelligent processing and playback of video, and in particular automated search functionality, may accordingly be used to increase the efficiency with which an object-of-interest can be identified using a video surveillance system.

Method and system for interfacing with a user to facilitate an image search for an object-of-interest


Methods and apparatuses are provided for facilitating content-based image retrieval. A method may include determining a selected target image. The method may further include generating a candidate region of interest set including one or more regions of interest within the target image. The method may additionally include determining a recommended region of interest set including one or more recommended regions of interest selected from the candidate region of interest set based at least in part upon evaluation criteria. The evaluation criteria may be determined based at least in part upon analysis of maintained region of interest-based searching history. The method may also include providing the recommended region of interest set for user selection of one or more target regions of interest from the recommended region of interest set as query criteria for searching an image library for one or more result images. Corresponding apparatuses are also provided.

The modern computing era has brought about a tremendous expansion in the power and storage capacity of computing devices. Many computing devices now include sufficient power and storage capacity to store, view, and manipulate large numbers of high resolution digital images. Additionally, the expansion in wireless and wireline networking as well as network connection speeds allows users to access large libraries of images stored remotely over networks. Digital camera capabilities have also been dramatically improved to allow users to capture of high resolution images that take advantage of the expanded power and storage capacity of modern computing devices. Further, many mobile consumer electronic devices, such as mobile phones, now include integrated digital cameras allowing users to readily capture and store digital images.
Consequently, more and more people use electronic devices comprising digital cameras with great frequency in their everyday lives. Therefore the quantity and the variety of digital images produced by computing devices have greatly increased in recent years and are expected to continue to dramatically increase in the years to come. Some image management techniques have attempted to facilitate management of the vast number of digital images stored by and/or accessible to users. One of the key technologies in image management is image retrieval. The functionality of image retrieval is to provide a user with images related to his request.

Methods and apparatuses for facilitating content-based image retrieval


A method and apparatus are provided for noninvasive sampling. More particularly, the method and apparatus relate to control of motion of an optical sample probe interface relative to a tissue sample site. A dynamic probe interface, is used to collect spectra of a targeted sample, control positioning of the sample probe relative to the tissue sample in terms of at least one of x-, y-, and z-axes, and/or control of sample tissue displacement to minimize spectral variations resulting from the sampling process and increase analyte property estimation precision and accuracy.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to noninvasive sampling. More particularly, the invention relates to a sample probe interface method and apparatus for use in conjunction with an optically based noninvasive analyzer. More particularly, the invention relates to a dynamic probe interface, wherein at least part of a sample probe moves in a controlled fashion relative to a tissue sample to control spectral variations resulting from the sample probe displacement of the tissue sample during a sampling process.
2. Description of Related Art
Spectroscopy based noninvasive analyzers deliver external energy in the form of light to a specific sampling site, region, or volume of the human body where the photons interact with a tissue sample, thus probing chemical and physical features. A number of incident photons are specularly reflected, diffusely reflected, scattered, or transmitted out of the body where they are detected. Based upon knowledge of the incident photons and detected photons, the chemical and/or structural basis of the sampled site is deduced. A distinct advantage of a noninvasive analyzer is the analysis of chemical and structural constituents in the body without the generation of a biohazard in a pain-free manner with limited consumables. Additionally, noninvasive analyzers allow multiple analytes or structural features to be determined at one time. Examples herein focus on noninvasive glucose concentration estimation, but the principles apply to other noninvasive measurements of other blood or tissue analyte properties.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease that results in abnormal production and use of insulin, a hormone that facilitates glucose uptake into cells. While a precise cause of diabetes is unknown, genetic factors, environmental factors, and obesity play roles. Diabetics have increased risk in three broad categories: cardiovascular heart disease, retinopathy, and neuropathy. Diabetics often have one or more of the following complications: heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, kidney disease, neuropathy (nerve disease and amputations), retinopathy, diabetic ketoacidosis, skin conditions, gum disease, impotence, and fetal complications. Diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Moreover, diabetes is merely one among a group of disorders of glucose metabolism that also includes impaired glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinemia, which is also known as hypoglycemia.
Sampling Methodology
A wide range of technologies serve to analyze the chemical make-up of the body. These techniques are broadly categorized into two groups, invasive and noninvasive. Herein, a technology that acquires any biosample from the body for analysis, beyond calibration, or if any part of the measuring apparatus penetrates through the outer layers of skin into the body, the technology is referred to as invasive. A number of noninvasive approaches for determining the glucose concentration in biosamples use spectrophotometric technologies. These techniques include: Raman and fluorescence, as well as techniques using light from the ultraviolet through the infrared [ultraviolet (200 to 400 nm), visible (400 to 700 nm), near-infrared (700 to 2500 nm or 14,286 to 4000 cm−1), and infrared (2500 to 14,285 nm or 4000 to 700 cm−1)].
Noninvasive Glucose Concentration Estimation
There exist a number of noninvasive approaches for glucose concentration estimation or determination in tissue or blood. These approaches vary widely but have at least two common steps. First, an apparatus is used to acquire a photometric signal from the body. Second, an algorithm is used to convert this signal into a glucose concentration estimation.
One type of noninvasive glucose concentration analyzer is a system performing glucose concentration estimations from spectra. Typically, a noninvasive apparatus uses some form of spectroscopy to acquire a signal, such as a spectrum, from the body. A particular range useful for noninvasive glucose concentration estimation in diffuse reflectance mode is in the near-infrared from approximately 1100 to 2500 nm or one or more ranges therein, see K. Hazen, Glucose Determination in Biological Matrices Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, doctoral dissertation, University of Iowa (1995). These techniques are distinct from the traditional invasive and alternative invasive techniques in that the interrogated sample is a portion of the human body in-situ, not a biological sample acquired from the human body.
Typically, one of several modes is used to collect noninvasive spectra including: transmittance, transflectance, and/or diffuse reflectance. In a transmittance-based concentration estimation, the signal collected, typically being light or a spectrum, is transmitted through a region of the body such as a fingertip. Transflected here refers to collection of the signal not at the incident point or area (diffuse reflectance), and not at the opposite side of the sample (transmittance), but rather at some point on the body between the transmitted and diffuse reflectance collection area. For example, transflected light enters the fingertip or forearm in one region and exits in another region typically 0.2 to 5 mm or more away depending on the wavelength used.
Diffuse reflectance spectra are generally generated by capturing at least some of the photons exiting the skin surface with zero to a few millimeters of radial travel from the location that the incident photons penetrate into the skin. Typically, light that is strongly absorbed by the body such as light near water absorbance maxima at 1450 or 1950 nm is collected after a small radial divergence in diffuse reflectance mode. Light that is less absorbed, such as light near water absorbance minima at 1300, 1600, or 2250 nm, is collected at greater radial distances and is referred to as either transflected light or diffusely reflected light. Light collected after bouncing off of the outermost surface of skin is referred to as specularly reflected light.
Calibration
Optical based glucose concentration analyzers require calibration. This is true for all types of glucose concentration analyzers such as traditional invasive, alternative invasive, noninvasive, and implantable analyzers. A fundamental feature of noninvasive glucose analyzers is that they are secondary in nature, that is, they do not measure blood glucose concentrations directly. Therefore, a primary method is required to calibrate these devices to measure blood glucose concentrations properly. Many methods of calibration exist.
One noninvasive technology, near-infrared spectroscopy, requires that a mathematical relationship between an in-vivo near-infrared spectrum and the actual blood glucose concentration is developed. This relationship is achieved through the collection of in-vivo near-infrared measurements with corresponding blood glucose concentrations that have been obtained directly through the use of measurement tools like a traditional invasive or alternative invasive reference device.
For spectrophotometric based analyzers, there are several univariate and multivariate methods that are used to develop the mathematical relationship between the measured signal and the actual blood glucose concentration. However, the basic equation being solved is known as the Beer-Lambert Law. This law states that the strength of an absorbance/reflectance measurement is proportional to the concentration of the analyte which is being measured, as in equation 1,A=εbC  (1)where A is the absorbance/reflectance measurement at a given wavelength of light, ε is the molar absorptivity associated with the molecule of interest at the same given wavelength, b is the distance that the light travels, and C is the concentration of the molecule of interest.
Chemometric calibration techniques extract a glucose or glucose-related signal from acquired spectra through various methods of signal processing and calibration including one or more mathematical models. The models are developed through the process of calibration on the basis of an exemplary set of spectral measurements known as the calibration set and an associated set of reference blood glucose concentrations based upon an analysis of capillary blood or venous blood. Common multivariate approaches, requiring an exemplary reference glucose concentration for each sample spectrum in a calibration, include partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR).
There are a number of reports of noninvasive glucose technologies. Some of these relate to general instrumentation configurations required for noninvasive glucose concentration estimation while others refer to sampling technologies. Those related to the present invention are briefly reviewed here:
General Instrumentation
R. Barnes, J. Brasch, D. Purdy, W. Lougheed, Non-invasive determination of analyte concentration in body of mammals, U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,764 (Jan. 10, 1995) describe a noninvasive glucose concentration estimation analyzer that uses data pretreatment in conjunction with a multivariate analysis to determine blood glucose concentrations.
P. Rolfe, Investigating substances in a patient's bloodstream, UK patent application Ser. No. 2,033,575 (Aug. 24, 1979) describes an apparatus for directing light into the body, detecting attenuated backscattered light, and using the collected signal to determine glucose concentrations in or near the bloodstream.
C. Dahne, D. Gross, Spectrophotometric method and apparatus for the non-invasive, U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,225 (Apr. 7, 1987) describe a method and apparatus for directing light into a patient's body, collecting transmitted or backscattered light, and determining glucose concentrations from selected near-infrared wavelength bands. Wavelengths include 1560 to 1590, 1750 to 1780, 2085 to 2115, and 2255 to 2285 nm with at least one additional reference signal from 1000 to 2700 nm.
M. Robinson, K. Ward, R. Eaton, D. Haaland, Method and apparatus for determining the similarity of a biological analyte from a model constructed from known biological fluids, U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,581 (Dec. 4, 1990) describe a method and apparatus for measuring a concentration of a biological analyte such as glucose using infrared spectroscopy in conjunction with a multivariate model. The multivariate model is constructed from a plurality of known biological fluid samples.
J. Hall, T. Cadell, Method and device for measuring concentration levels of blood constituents non-invasively, U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,758 (Nov. 8, 1994) describe a noninvasive device and method for determining analyte concentrations within a living subject using polychromatic light, a wavelength separation device, and an array detector. The apparatus uses a receptor shaped to accept a fingertip with means for blocking extraneous light.
S. Malin, G Khalil, Method and apparatus for multi-spectral analysis of organic blood analytes in noninvasive infrared spectroscopy, U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,578 (Mar. 21, 2000) describe a method and apparatus for estimation of an organic blood analyte using multi-spectral analysis in the near-infrared. A plurality of distinct nonoverlapping regions of wavelengths are incident upon a sample surface, diffusely reflected radiation is collected, and the analyte concentration is determined via chemometric techniques.
Specular Reflectance
R. Messerschmidt, D. Sting, Blocker device for eliminating specular reflectance from a diffuse reflectance spectrum, U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,706 (Apr. 28, 1987) describe a reduction of specular reflectance by a mechanical device. A blade-like device skims the specular light before it impinges on the detector. A disadvantage of this system is that it does not efficiently collect diffusely reflected light and the alignment is problematic.
R. Messerschmidt, M. Robinson, Diffuse reflectance monitoring apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,633 (Jun. 10, 1997) describe a specular control device for diffuse reflectance spectroscopy using a group of reflecting and open sections.
R. Messerschmidt, M. Robinson, Diffuse reflectance monitoring apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,062 (Aug. 10, 1999) and R. Messerschmidt, M.
Robinson, Diffuse reflectance monitoring apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,034 (May 8, 2001) describe a diffuse reflectance control device that discriminates between diffusely reflected light that is reflected from selected depths. This control device additionally acts as a blocker to prevent specularly reflected light from reaching the detector.
Malin, supra describes the use of specularly reflected light in regions of high water absorbance such as 1450 and 1900 nm to mark the presence of outlier spectra wherein the specularly reflected light is not sufficiently reduced.
K. Hazen, G. Acosta, A. Abul-Haj, R. Abul-Haj, Apparatus and method for reproducibly modifying localized absorption and scattering coefficients at a tissue measurement site during optical sampling, U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,012 (Mar. 18, 2003) describe a mechanical device for applying sufficient and reproducible contact of the apparatus to the sampling medium to minimize specular reflectance. Further, the apparatus allows for reproducible applied pressure to the sampling site and reproducible temperature at the sampling site.
Temperature
K. Hazen, Glucose Determination in Biological Matrices Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, doctoral dissertation, University of Iowa (1995) describes the adverse effect of temperature on near-infrared based glucose concentration estimations. Physiological constituents have near-infrared absorbance spectra that are sensitive, in terms of magnitude and location, to localized temperature and the sensitivity impacts noninvasive glucose concentration estimation.
Coupling Fluid
A number of sources describe coupling fluids with important sampling parameters.
Index of refraction matching between the sampling apparatus and sampled medium is well known. Glycerol is a common index matching fluid for optics to skin.
R. Messerschmidt, Method for non-invasive blood analyte measurement with improved optical interface, U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,530 (Aug. 12, 1997), and R. Messerschmidt, Method for non-invasive blood analyte measurement with improved optical interface, U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,951 (Oct. 20, 1998) describe an index-matching medium for use between a sensor probe and the skin surface. The index-matching medium is a composition containing perfluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons.
M. Robinson, R. Messerschmidt, Method for non-invasive blood analyte measurement with improved optical interface, U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,876 (Nov. 28, 2000) and M. Rohrscheib, C. Gardner, M. Robinson, Method and apparatus for non-invasive blood analyte measurement with fluid compartment equilibration, U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,306 (May 29, 2001) describe an index-matching medium to improve the interface between the sensor probe and skin surface during spectroscopic analysis. The index-matching medium is preferably a composition containing chlorofluorocarbons with optional added perfluorocarbons.
T. Blank, G. Acosta, M. Mattu, S. Monfre, Fiber optic probe guide placement guide, U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,167 (Jul. 2, 2002) describe a coupling fluid of one or more perfluoro compounds where a quantity of the coupling fluid is placed at an interface of the optical probe and measurement site. Perfluoro compounds do not have the toxicity associated with chlorofluorocarbons.
Positioning
T. Blank, supra describes the use of a guide in conjunction with a noninvasive glucose concentration analyzer in order to increase precision of the location of the sampled tissue site resulting in increased accuracy and precision in noninvasive glucose concentration estimations.
J. Griffith, P. Cooper, T. Barker, Method and apparatus for non-invasive blood glucose sensing, U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,605 (Jul. 11, 2000) describe an analyzer with a patient forearm interface in which the forearm of the patient is moved in an incremental manner along the longitudinal axis of the patient's forearm. Spectra collected at incremental distances are averaged to take into account variations in the biological components of the skin. Between measurements rollers are used to raise the arm, move the arm relative to the apparatus and lower the arm by disengaging a solenoid causing the skin lifting mechanism to lower the arm into a new contact with the sensor head. The Griffith teachings do not suggest the use of a controlled pressure between the forearm sampling site and the sampling head. In addition, spectra are not collected during a period of relative motion between the sample and the analyzer.
Pressure
E. Chan, B. Sorg, D. Protsenko, M. O'Neil, M. Motamedi, A. Welch, Effects of compression on soft tissue optical properties, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 943-950 (1996) describe the effect of pressure on absorption and reduced scattering coefficients from 400 to 1800 nm. Most specimens show an increase in the scattering coefficient with compression.
K. Hazen, G. Acosta, A. Abul-Haj, R. Abul-Haj, Apparatus and method for reproducibly modifying localized absorption and scattering coefficients at a tissue measurement site during optical sampling, U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,012 (Mar. 18, 2003) describe in a first embodiment a noninvasive glucose concentration estimation apparatus for either varying the pressure applied to a sample site or maintaining a constant pressure on a sample site in a controlled and reproducible manner by moving a sample probe along the z-axis perpendicular to the sample site surface. In an additional described embodiment, the arm sample site platform is moved along the z-axis that is perpendicular to the plane defined by the sample surface by raising or lowering the sample holder platform relative to the analyzer probe tip. The '012 patent further teaches proper contact to be the moment specularly reflected light is about zero at the water bands at 1950 and 2500 nm.
M. Makarewicz, M. Mattu, T. Blank, G. Acosta, E. Handy, W. Hay, T. Stippick, B. Richie, Method and apparatus for minimizing spectral interference due to within and between sample variations during in-situ spectral sampling of tissue, U.S. Pat. No. 6,839,584 (Jan. 4, 2005) describe a temperature and pressure controlled sample interface. The means of pressure control are a set of supports for the sample that control the natural position of the sample probe relative to the sample.
To date, no FDA device has been approved for use by an individual or a medical professional for noninvasive glucose concentration estimation. Further, current reported versions of noninvasive glucose concentration analyzers do not consistently yield accurate estimations of glucose concentrations in patient trials. To be considered successful, the accuracy of estimated glucose concentrations needs to be better than 15 percent as compared to a blood analysis on greater than 90 percent of trial population. A key source of error in the glucose concentration estimation is related to the probe design and patient interface, as opposed to the spectrograph unit or algorithm design. A key parameter to control is the applied force, displacement, or pressure applied by the sample probe to the interrogated tissue volume or sample site. A force and/or displacement controlled sample interface is beneficial in generating reproducible sample spectra used in conjunction with a noninvasive analyzer and algorithm to create acceptable reproducibility and acceptable glucose concentration estimations.
Clearly, a need exists to control the load applied by the sample probe to the measurement site as a function of time.

Noninvasive analyzer sample probe interface method and apparatus


Embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for generating, receiving and processing product-specific network addresses that may be used to generate product-specific checkout pages. In some embodiments, an intermediary server is provided that generates product-specific network addresses for merchants to be used on media websites. The product-specific network address is stored by the intermediary server in association with particular product information. The intermediary server acts as an interface between a user that visits the product-specific network address and a host checkout server. Specifically, the intermediary server receives the product-specific network address, retrieves the associated product information, and forwards the product information to the host checkout server. The host checkout server may then generate a checkout page for the user using the product information.

Conventional websites, such as Authorize.net™, provide services to small merchants (e.g., a restaurant) that do not have full service websites that would allow customers to add items to a shopping cart and provide payment information on a checkout page. These conventional websites allow merchants to create a checkout button as an HTML element that includes product information. The checkout button is linked to a single checkout page (i.e., single URL for all products), and the product information is used to populate fields of the checkout page. In this manner, the merchant does not need to display product information for the user to add to a checkout page, but simply adds specific product information to the checkout button.
However, there is no direct, easy way for merchants to sell individual products on social media platforms (e.g., blogs, Facebook™, Twitter™, etc.) or other websites that have software controls that preclude adding product information to a button. Although conventional websites allow users to create checkout buttons, both the creation and publication of the buttons is complicated in that the merchant must log on to a dedicated website and create an HTML form element. The button can then only be published on websites that allow the merchant to post HTML form elements that send information (e.g., product information) to a host server.
Most social media platforms do not allow merchants to post such HTML form elements, primarily because they can send additional information that is invisible to the user to an external server when a link is clicked. Thus, a merchant cannot add the same checkout button used for their own website to a comment or post on a social media website. A merchant may want to do so when a comment or post refers to a product sold by the merchant. In this manner, the merchant would be able to allow a customer to easily purchase the item using a link in a comment or post.
In addition, integrating a checkout button into social media platforms presents a number of technical difficulties. For example, many social media platforms validate the authenticity of any links before allowing them to be posted. Further, many social media platforms need to generate and post accurate summaries of posted links from information provided on the linked website.

Intermediary server to facilitate restrictive websites


Systems and methods related to an online website wherein businesses seeking insurance can obtain quotations and be connected to a plurality of insurance providers are described herein. In some embodiments, the businesses are authenticated and verified by providing such details as, e.g., employer identification number (EIN) or tax identification number (TIN), and being registered with the system prior to requesting quotations. In some embodiments, the system has an online collaboration system where a business can ask or post questions and receive answers from insurance providers or agents who match their search criteria.

1. Technical Field
The embodiments described herein are related to an online website where businesses seeking insurance can obtain quotations and be connected to a plurality of insurance providers.
2. Related Art
In recent years, electronic commerce has become increasingly popular with consumers. In line with this trend, the ease of accessing and reviewing insurance information online, and the speed of electronic processing of data, has attracted consumers to insurance providers having an online presence.
Some insurance providers have set up electronic sites, such as Internet Web sites, that enabled consumers to locate agents of the insurance providers. Consumers providing address information to an insurance provider's Web site would in return receive information identifying the closest agents of the insurance provider that were qualified for the type of insurance the consumers were seeking.
As time progressed, insurance providers began providing quotation services via the Internet. Insurance providers would calculate an estimated cost of insurance based on brief questionnaires provided to consumers regarding the insurability of the consumers' property or business and the desired insurance. The quoted cost was typically accompanied by an invitation to the consumer to contact the insurance provider or one of its agents offline to pursue the insurance coverage.
Recognizing that consumers were increasingly willing to provide information needed for insurance coverage via the Internet, especially as transmission security improved, insurance providers began providing insurance application processes online in which consumers were given user friendly interfaces that enabled them to provide information required for an insurance application. However, certain deficiencies remain that prevent consumers from completing an insurance application process entirely online. For example, insurance providers may further require confirmation of a customer's identification. Additionally, in transactions requiring significant expense, the consumer may require confirmation of the agents' identification.
Thus, the embodiments described herein are directed to a method and system that address the foregoing needs and deficiencies and provides better processing of insurance applications online.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems and methods for purchasing insurance


A lock unit having at least one catch with a primary position and a first position, as well as a first pawl and a second pawl, wherein the first pawl cooperates with the catch in the primary position and the second pawl cooperates with the catch in the first position, and wherein position detectors are provided for both pawls.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lock unit comprising at least one catch having a primary position and a first position, wherein the movement of the catch is blocked by at least a pawl, in the closed position. The invention finds particular application in motor vehicles for locking doors, hatches, etc.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Different embodiments of such lock units may be employed. It is possible, for example, that the locking of the catch is accomplished alone in the primary position by the pawl, wherein the arrangement of the catch and the pawl is chosen such that, for example, the contact force between the catch and the pawl is transferred about the pawl axis. Other embodiments are known, in which the pawl is not in a position to lock the catch in the primary position by itself. This is particularly true for the case in which the catch is spring-biased such that it tends to pivot to its open position at all times. In this case, the arrangement between the latch and the catch is such that the contact force between both parts of the locking mechanism is not transferred about an axis of rotation of the pawl, but rather the locking mechanism comprises a component oriented radially outward, which pushes the pawl. To ensure safe locking of the pawl in the primary position of the catch an additional blocking lever can be provided, which blocks the opening movement of the pawl.
In addition, lock units equipped with a so-called self-closing mechanism are known. The self-closing mechanism ensures that when the catch is moved into the first position, it is then actively pivoted from the first position into its primary position by means of a drive, especially an electric motor, while at the same time overcoming the force necessary to close the door against a door seal.
Moreover, it is considered advantageous to detect the closed position of the lock unit, i.e., when the pawl abuts the primary position of the catch, and then to turn on or off various functions of the motor vehicle. For example, in this way, open door indicator lights can be turned on or off on the dashboard. The automatic vehicle interior lighting may also be controlled, depending on the specific position or positions of the locking components, especially the catch and/or the pawl. When appropriate, the engine starter can be disabled until it is determined that all door lock parts of all doors have reached their locked position.
For this purpose, the location of the catch can be detected by means of microswitches. In particular, whether or not the catch has reached its latched position may be detected. Such systems work occasionally, however, with relatively large tolerances and often cannot handle extreme positions of the locking mechanism, such as the overtravel position, which is often realized in self-closing mechanisms. This can leads to misinterpretation of the sensor signals.

Lock unit comprising two pawls and position detection means


A surface light source control apparatus for a direct exposure apparatus comprises a light-emission level determining means for determining the light-emission level of each point light source for each of a plurality of groups so that a uniform illuminance distribution is achieved at a position corresponding to an exposure surface of an exposure target when a projection device is set so as to reflect all light rays incident thereon toward the exposure surface, the plurality of groups being formed in advance by grouping the point light sources based on similarity in tendency in terms of illuminance distribution characteristics that the point light sources have at the position corresponding to the exposure surface, wherein the light-emission level determining means determines the light-emission level so that all the point light sources belonging to the same group have the same light-emission level.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface light source control apparatus and a surface light source control method for a direct exposure apparatus which, using a surface light source constructed from a plurality of point light sources, projects light onto an exposure surface of an exposure target (exposure target substrate) moving relative to the surface light source.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a wiring pattern on a wiring substrate is formed by exposing the substrate based on wiring pattern design data and by developing the desired pattern on the substrate, followed by etching. In one method of exposure, the exposure is performed using a photomask.
On the other hand, a patterning method based on direct exposure that does not use photomasks has been proposed in recent years. According to this method, since corrections for the expansion, shrinkage, distortion, misalignment, etc. of the exposure target (exposure target substrate) can be made in real time or in advance at the exposure data generation stage, remarkable improvements can be achieved in such aspects as an improvement of the manufacturing accuracy, an improvement of the manufacturing yield, a reduction of the delivery time, and a reduction of the manufacturing cost.
As one example of the patterning method based on direct exposure, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-112579 discloses a method that forms an exposure pattern by direct exposure using a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD).
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating one prior art example of a direct exposure apparatus using the DMD. When directly exposing the resist formed on an exposure target substrate 3 moving relative to the DMD 51, pattern data corresponding to the pattern to be exposed is generated by a pattern generator 52, and this pattern data is applied to the DMD 51. The pattern generator 52 operates in conjunction with a position sensor 53 that detects the position of the exposure target substrate 3 moving in relative fashion, and the pattern generator 52 thus generates the pattern data in a manner synchronized with the position of the exposure target substrate 3. A surface light source 2 projects light onto the DMD 51 through a diffusion plate 54 and a lens 55. The DMD 51 causes each of its tiny mirrors (micromirrors) to tilt according to the pattern data, thereby suitably changing the reflection direction of the light incident on each micromirror of the DMD 51; the resulting light is projected through a lens 56 onto the resist on the exposure target substrate 3 to form the exposure pattern corresponding to the pattern data.
In the direct exposure method, the light source for projecting the light onto the exposure target substrate must be constructed to provide uniform and evenly distributed light over the entire surface of the exposure target substrate in order to achieve a good exposure result.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing one prior art example in which a surface light source comprising a plurality of point light sources is employed in order to provide uniform illumination in the direct exposure apparatus. The surface light source 2 is constructed by arranging the plurality of point light sources 58 in a two-dimensional array. The light from each point light source is first converged using an optical fiber and then converted by a convex lens into parallel light; then, the rays of parallel light are passed through the diffusion plate 54 to eliminate any "unevenness in illuminance," and the thus produced light is projected onto the DMD 51 in FIG. 7.
In an alternative technique, light produced from a point light source is divided into a plurality of segments to achieve multiple light sources in an equivalent manner, and their light levels are equalized to achieve a surface light source.
Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-367900, there is disclosed a technique that provides uniform illumination over the entire surface of the exposure target substrate by controlling the tilt angle of each micromirror of the DMD based on data concerning the distribution of the amount of image light (the illuminance distribution) on the exposure target substrate.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-146789 also discloses a technique for providing uniform illumination over the entire surface of the exposure target substrate; according to this technique, the exposure is performed in the direction of scanning while displacing the exposure area in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction in such a manner that the exposure area overlaps an exposure area adjacent to it.
When the surface light source is constructed by arranging a plurality of point light sources, if a method is employed that measures the illuminance distribution on the exposure surface of the exposure target substrate and that performs feedback control, using the measured results, to control the light-emission level of each individual point light source so that a uniform illuminance distribution is achieved over the entire exposure surface of the exposure target substrate, the amount of computation will become enormous, which is not desirable. Likewise, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-367900, the tilt angle of each micromirror is controlled so that a uniform illuminance distribution is achieved over the entire exposure surface of the exposure target substrate, but controlling the tilt angle of each individual micromirror by feedback control would not be desirable because it would require an enormous amount of computation. Such an increase in the amount of computation means that it takes a considerable time to determine the light-emission levels of all the point light sources that can achieve the uniform illuminance distribution.
In view of the above problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a surface light source control apparatus and a surface light source control method for a direct exposure apparatus, wherein provisions are made to efficiently equalize the luminous intensity of a surface light source constructed from a plurality of point light sources.

Surface light source control apparatus and surface light source control method


A multi-functional convertible bedding article capable of transforming into a variety of configurations. The bedding article can assume one or more of a blanket, a throw, a hoodie, and a pillow configuration(s). The bedding article further includes a handle allowing convenient outdoor transportation thereof.

Numerous blankets or cushion items which may be carried are known. Nevertheless, there is still a need for such cushion items that can assume various functionalities in one product. Such items may save substantial load capacity and can be especially convenient for transporting from one location to another, and both indoor and outdoor uses. It is an object of the present invention to achieve this need.


A method for communicating in a multi-processor environment is provided that includes generating a bit at an originating processor associated with a message to be communicated to a destination processor. The bit is positioned in a send register associated with the originating processor and transposed from the send register of the originating processor to a receive register of the destination processor. An interrupt signal is then generated in response to the bit being transposed.

Effective communications between processors are important to the performance or the capabilities of architectures and elements that employ processors. One area of processor communications that generally inhibits system performance is the timing of communications between processors. Communications protocols that delay in transmitting or receiving messages may have a negative impact on the system. This may be due, in part, to the substantive nature of the messages being communicated between processors. In some cases, the message that is being communicated may trigger an action to be performed before the destination processor proceeds to a next task. When communications between processors are delayed, the receiving processor may act inappropriately in executing functions that disregard the incoming message. In certain scenarios, after the message has been properly received by the destination processor, conditions in the corresponding system or environment may have changed, thereby making the message irrelevant or moot. In other scenarios, multiple reads for an entity that received the interrupt or multiple writes for a broadcast message to elements within a system may result in redundancy or increased traffic, which may in turn inhibit processing speeds. Accordingly, messages between processors need to be communicated quickly and accurately to intended targets such that a processor receiving the message may act properly in response to receipt of the message.

System and method for communicating in a multi-processor environment


A multiple-output switching power source apparatus has a series resonant circuit connected in parallel with a switch Q2 and including a primary winding and a current resonant capacitor, a first rectifying-smoothing circuit rectifying and smoothing a voltage of a secondary winding in an ON period of the switch to provide a voltage Vo1, a series resonant circuit connected in parallel with the switch and including a primary winding and a current resonant circuit, a second rectifying-smoothing circuit rectifying and smoothing a voltage of a secondary winding in the ON period of the switch Q2 to provide a voltage Vo2, and a control circuit controlling an ON period of a switch Q1 according to the output voltage Vo1 and the ON period of the switch Q2 according to the voltage Vo2 and limit the ON period of the switch Q1 if the voltage Vo2 exceeds a predetermined voltage.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating a configuration of a resonant-type multiple-output switching power source apparatus according to a related art. In this multiple-output switching power source apparatus, the primary side of a transformer T1 includes a full-wave rectifying circuit 2 to rectify an AC voltage from a commercial power source 1, a smoothing capacitor C3 connected between output terminals of the full-wave rectifying circuit 2, to smooth an output from the full-wave rectifying circuit 2, first and second switching elements Q1 and Q2 made of, for example, MOSFETs connected in series between both ends of the smoothing capacitor C3 and receiving a voltage across the smoothing capacitor C3 as a DC input voltage Vin, a control circuit 10 to control ON/OFF of the first and second switching elements Q1 and Q2, a voltage resonant capacitor Crv connected in parallel with the second switching element Q2, and a series resonant circuit connected to both ends of the voltage resonant capacitor Crv.
The series resonant circuit has a primary winding P1 (the number of turns of N1) of the transformer T1, a reactor Lr, and a current resonant capacitor Cri that are connected in series. The reactor Lr is, for example, a leakage inductance between the primary and secondary sides of the transformer T1.
The secondary side of the transformer T1 includes a first rectifying-smoothing circuit connected to a first secondary winding S1 (the number of turns of N2) wound to generate a voltage whose phase is opposite to the phase of a voltage generated by the primary winding P1 of the transformer T1 and a second rectifying-smoothing circuit connected to a second secondary winding S2 (the number of turns of N3) wound to generate a voltage whose phase is opposite to the phase of the voltage generated by the primary winding P1 of the transformer T1.
The first rectifying-smoothing circuit has a diode D1 and a smoothing capacitor C1, to rectify and smooth a voltage induced by the first secondary winding S1 of the transformer T1 and output a first output voltage Vo1 from a first output terminal. The second rectifying-smoothing circuit has a diode D2 and a smoothing capacitor C2, to rectify and smooth a voltage induced by the second secondary winding S2 of the transformer T1 and output a second output voltage V02 from a second output terminal.
The multiple-output switching power source apparatus also has a feedback circuit 5 to feed a signal corresponding to a voltage generated on the secondary side of the transformer T1 back to the primary side. An input side of the feedback circuit 5 is connected to the first output terminal. The feedback circuit 5 compares a voltage across the smoothing capacitor C1 with a predetermined reference voltage and feeds an error voltage as a voltage error signal back to the control circuit 10 on the primary side.
According to the voltage error signal from the feedback circuit 5, the control circuit 10 alternately turns on/off the first and second switching elements Q1 and Q2 to conduct PWM control in such a way as to keep the first output voltage Vo1 constant. Each gate of the first and second switching elements Q1 and Q2 receives, as a control signal, a voltage involving a dead time of about several hundreds of nanoseconds. This enables the first and second switching elements Q1 and Q2 to alternately turn on/off without the ON periods of the first and second switching elements Q1 and Q2 overlapping.
Operation of the multiple-output switching power source apparatus according to the related art having the above-mentioned configuration will be explained with reference to waveforms illustrated in FIG. 2.
In FIG. 2, VQ2ds is a drain-source voltage of the second switching element Q2, IQ1 is a current passing through a drain of the first switching element Q1, IQ2 is a current passing through a drain of the second switching element Q2, Icri is a current passing through the current resonant capacitor Cri, Vcri is a voltage across the current resonant capacitor Cri, ID1 is a current passing through the diode D1, VN2 is a voltage across the first secondary winding S1, and ID2 is a current passing through the diode D2.
The first output voltage Vo1 is controlled by the control circuit 10 that receives a voltage error signal fed back to the primary side from the first rectifying-smoothing circuit through the feedback circuit 5 and conducts the PWM control on the first switching element Q1. As mentioned above, the first and second switching elements Q1 and Q2 are alternately turned on/off according to control signals from the control circuit 10 with a dead time of about several hundreds of nanoseconds.
In an ON period (for example, from time t11 to t12) of the first switching element Q1, the current resonant capacitor Cri accumulates energy through an exciting inductance of the primary winding P1 of the transformer T1 and the reactor Lr (leakage inductance between the primary and secondary sides of the transformer T1).
In an ON period (for example, from time t12 to t14) of the second switching element Q2, the energy accumulated in the current resonant capacitor Cri causes the reactor Lr and current resonant capacitor Cri to pass a resonant current and send energy to the secondary side. The exciting energy of the exciting inductance of the primary winding P1 is reset.
More precisely, in the ON period of the second switching element Q2, the primary winding P1 receives a voltage that is obtained by dividing the voltage Vcri across the current resonant capacitor Cri by the exciting inductance of the primary winding P1 and the reactor Lr. When the voltage applied to the primary winding P1 reaches a level of (Vo1+Vf)×N1/N2, the voltage is clamped and the current resonant capacitor Cri and reactor Lr pass a resonant current and send energy to the secondary side. This results in passing the current ID1 through the diode D1. When the voltage of the primary winding P1 is smaller than the level of (Vo1+Vf)×N1/N2, no energy is sent to the secondary side of the transformer T1 and the exciting inductance of the primary winding P1 of the transformer T1, the reactor Lr, and the current resonant capacitor Cri produce a resonant operation only on the primary side.
The ON period of the second switching element Q2 is determined by the ON period of the first switching element Q1 under a fixed frequency, or is an optional constant period. The ON period of the first switching element Q1 may be changed to change duty ratios of the first and second switching elements Q1 and Q2, thereby changing an energy quantity sent to the secondary side.
The first and second secondary windings S1 and S2 are coupled with each other at the same polarity. In an ON period of the second switching element Q2, energy from the first secondary winding S1 is outputted as the first output voltage Vo1. During this period, energy from the second secondary winding S2 is outputted as the second output voltage V02, which is substantially equal to a level of Vo1×N3/N2.
In practice, however, voltages generated by the first and second secondary windings S1 and S2 are higher than the first and second output voltages Vo1 and Vo2 each by a forward voltage drop Vf of the diodes D1 and D2. Accordingly, a change in Vf due to a change in load on each output worsens a cross regulation. In a power source apparatus with variable output voltages, a change in one output voltage results in proportionally changing the other output voltage. This makes it impossible to directly provide a plurality of outputs from windings.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating a configuration of a multiple-output switching power source apparatus according to another related art. This multiple-output switching power source apparatus employs, instead of the second rectifying-smoothing circuit illustrated in FIG. 1, a regulator 12 such as a dropper or a step-down chopper, to generate a second output voltage V02 from a first output voltage Vo1 so as to stabilize the outputs. This multiple-output switching power source apparatus may solve the cross regulation problem between two outputs. The regulator 12, however, increases a loss and additional parts such as switching elements, choke coils, and control ICs increase costs and packaging spaces. In addition, the switching regulator such as a step-down chopper unavoidably generates noise.
A multiple-output switching power source apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-259644 proposes a switching converter circuit that stabilizes two kinds of voltage with a single converter. This switching converter circuit employs a second switching element as an active snubber to control ON/OFF of a first switching element and stabilize a first output. During an OFF period of the first switching element, the circuit controls ON/OFF of the second switching element to stabilize a second output. This switching converter circuit may stabilize two kinds of output with a single converter. This circuit, however, must have two secondary windings because a secondary winding to provide the first output must have an opposite polarity with respect to a secondary winding that provides the second output.

Multiple-output switching power source apparatus


Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a toughened TiAl-based alloy sheet with periodically misaligned through-hole titanium alloy layers sequentially stacked together. A through structure is formed in the misaligned through-hole titanium alloy layer. Two openings of the through structure are respectively located on upper and lower surfaces of the titanium alloy layer. The misaligned opening position of the through structure is at a center position of a quadrangle formed by every four through holes in adjacent titanium alloy layers. The through structure is filled with a TiAl-based alloy. The TiAl-based alloy layers on adjacent sides of the titanium alloy layer are connected through the TiAl-based alloy in the through structure. The TiAl-based alloy layer is connected to the titanium alloy layer through a Ti3Al interface layer. The TiAl-based alloy and the titanium alloy in the through structure are connected through a Ti3Al interface layer.

Titanium-Aluminum (TiAl) intermetallic compounds have excellent properties of metals and ceramics, and can replace high-temperature alloys such as nickel-based or cobalt-based alloys with high density to manufacture some aerospace structural components and rotating or reciprocating structural components of the ground power system, to greatly improve the thrust weight ratio and the fuel efficiency, and thus has important application prospects in the fields of aerospace, automotive technologies, et cetera. TiAl alloys have entered the practical stage so far. For example, in June 2006, the GE Company adopts the 4822 alloy (Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb) to manufacture the 6th- and 7th-stage low-pressure turbine blades of the GEnx engine, which is the first application of key structural components made of γ-TiAl alloys. In domestic, the University of Science and Technology Beijing has developed a high-temperature high-Nb—TiAl alloy, which is recognized as the "first case" for the development of high-temperature and high-performance TiAl alloy by the international authority in the TiAl alloy research field, Professor Young-Won Kim. The γ-TiAl alloy low-pressure turbine blades are manufactured by the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences with the precision casting method, and have been used in the Trent WB engine of the Rolls-Royce Group Plc, British, to complete 1,750 simulated flight cycle tests covering a major overhaul cycle. However, the research and application of TiAl-based alloys is limited by the room-temperature intrinsic brittleness, which makes it difficult to process and deform, greatly limiting its application fields.
However, in the prior art, the problem that the intensity-plasticity of the TiAl-based alloy is "inversed" with each other has become an important research direction in the field of metal materials at home and abroad.

Toughened TiAl-based alloy sheet with periodically misaligned through-hole titanium alloy layers and preparation method thereof


A hybrid circuit includes a current-starved voltage-controlled circuit configured to adjust a first type of signal difference, and a phase-interpolated voltage controlled circuit configured to adjust a second type of signal difference. The current-starved circuit and the phase-interpolated circuit cooperate to provide improved operational performance of the hybrid circuit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a voltage-controlled oscillator and a voltage-controlled delay line, and more particularly, to a voltage-controlled oscillator or a voltage-controlled delay line using hybrid current-starved phase-interpolation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Voltage-controlled delay (VCD) elements are useful in many applications. VCDs are important blocks in delay-locked loops (DLL) which synchronize an internal clock with an incoming clock.
Referring to FIG. 1, a typical block diagram of a DLL 10 is shown, which has a phase detector (PD) 14, a loop filter (LPF) 16, and a voltage-controlled delay line (VCDL) 12. The phase detector 14 compares the timing difference between a reference clock edge φref and a clock edge from the VCDL 12, which is a delayed version of a clock input, φin. Phase detector 14 generates an error voltage for the VCDL 12 to adjust the phase shift φout. The phase detector 14 is usually accompanied by a charge pump (CP) in typical IC designs.
The loop filter 16 between the phase detector 14 and the VCDL 12 rejects high frequency noise. The feedback operation provides a control voltage Vctr by a feedback loop 17, which forces the internal clock edge φref to be aligned to the incoming clock edge φin.
Also, the VCD has been employed to build a ring-oscillator voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) which is one important building block in phase-locked loop (PLL) design.
Referring to FIG. 2, a delay line in a phase locked loop 20 includes a ring-oscillator VCO 22 having a plurality of VCDs 12. A phase-and-frequency detector (PFD) 14 and loop filter 16 are employed to provide a control signal to VCO 18.
For digital clock generation, current-starved ring VCOs 22 shown in FIG. 3 have been primarily used in the monolithic PLLs since they provide wide tuning range and high integration. (See e.g., I. Young, et. Al, "A PLL clock generator with 5 to 110 MHz of lock range for microprocessors", IEEE JSSC, November 1992).
Referring to FIG. 3, the oscillation frequency of the current-starved ring VCO 22 is directly related to the delay time of each delay element 12, resulting in high sensitivity to process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variation. The nonlinear voltage-to-frequency transfer characteristic of the current-starved ring VCO 22 results in a highly variable VCO gain characteristic which is undesirable in PLL implementations.
The VCO 18 includes a Vref input to a replica cell 24. The VCO 18 includes transistors M1, M2, M3 and M4. M3 and M4 are controlled in accordance with the output of the replica cell 24. Vdd is the supply voltage, and Vctl is employed to control a variable current source 26 at the foot of the oscillator. VIN and VINB represent V input and V input bar signals, and VO and VOB represent V output and V output bar signals, respectively. M1 and M2 are controlled in accordance with VIN and VINB, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 4, another way of implementing VCD elements is using a phase-interpolation method. An example of a circuit 30 implementation for phase-interpolation is shown in FIG. 4 and described in J. Savoj and B. Razavi, "A 10-Gb/s CMOS clock and data recovery circuit with a half-rate linear phase detector", IEEE, JSSC, May 2001.
Compared to a VCD using a current-starved approach, a VCD 32 using a phase-interpolation method offers reduced phase noise and more linear voltage-to-frequency characteristics. However, VCD 32 has less tuning range than the current-starved ring oscillator. For this reason, the current-starved method is still widely used in digital clock generation applications.

Hybrid current-starved phase-interpolation circuit for voltage-controlled devices

International Business Machines Corporation


A fishing rod case has a plurality of segments that can be removably connected together in an end-to-end manner to achieve a desired length. Each segment has a connector that enables end-to-end engagement between adjacent segments, and a tubular passageway in axial alignment with the tubular passageways of other segments to store a number of fishing rods. A plurality of elongated security bars can be removably attached in series to one another and to the segments. A fastener is used to secure the security bars to the segments and prevent disassembly of the segments while the fastener is in place.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of fishing rod cases. More specifically, the present invention discloses a fishing rod case made of a series of modular segments that can be connected together in an end-to-end manner to accommodate a fishing rod of any length.
2. Statement of the Problem
Fishing rods are very easily damaged or broken. As a protective measure, fishing rods are commonly stored in fishing rod cases, particularly for transportation. Fishing rod cases are commercially available in a wide variety of configurations. A metal or hard plastic tube is often used to protect the fishing rod. Some fishing rod cases also include an enlarged chamber at one end to hold a reel attached to the fishing rod.
Conventional fishing rod cases are made in a variety of lengths to accommodate fishing rods of various lengths. This creates a problem in that the owner will need to buy several fishing rod cases if he owns fishing rods of different lengths. In response, there have been efforts in the past to create a fishing rod case having an adjustable length to accommodate a range of fish rod sizes. For example, a series of telescoping tubular segments can be employed. Alternatively, a series of tubular segments can be removably fastened together in an end-to-end fashion to achieve a desired length. However, there is a risk of damage or theft to the fishing rods if the case segments can become accidentally disassembled or can be readily disassembled by a thief. Therefore, a need exists for a fishing rod case having both an adjustable length and security.
3. Prior Art
The prior art in the field of fishing rod cases includes the following:
Walker discloses a carrying case for a fishing rod and reel having a detachable rod section. The rod section is secured to the reel section by means of a spring lock that engages a hole or indentation in the reel section.
Sauey et al. disclose a fishing rod case that uses a spring lock mechanism to adjust the length of the telescoping segments of the case.
Adams, Craft, Smith et al., Brant, Miller, Hoffman et al., Hepworth et al., Cooper, and Coca disclose other examples of fishing rod cases.
4. Solution to the Problem
None of the prior art references discussed above show a modular fishing rod case that has a series of modular tubular segments with interlocking security bars. The tubular segments can be connected together to accommodate a wide variety of fishing rod lengths. The security bars help to prevent accidental or unauthorized disassembly of the tubular segments, and therefore help to prevent theft of, or damage to fishing rods stored in the case.
This invention provides a fishing rod case having a plurality of segments that can be removably connected together in an end-to-end manner to achieve a desired length. Each segment has a connector that enables end-to-end engagement between adjacent segments, and a tubular passageway in axial alignment with the tubular passageways of other segments to store a number of fishing rods. A plurality of elongated security bars can be removably attached in series to one another and to the segments. A fastener is used to secure the security bars to the segments and prevent disassembly of the segments while the fastener is in place.
These and other advantages, features, and objects of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the following detailed description and the drawings.