A rectangular-shaped self-standing liquefied gas storage tank carried in a low temperature liquefied gas carrier ship is disclosed. The tank is of an approximate box-shape having a bottom plate section, front and rear sections, two side wall sections, and a roof plate section. The carrier ship has bulkheads inside thereof, formed along the direction of the width of the carrier ship, to define holds for each of the tanks. The tank has reducing sections between the roof plate section and the lateral wall sections, which are directed toward the inner side of the tank and extend upwardly. Lateral movement restraining members are provided between the front wall section of the tank and one of the bulkheads of the carrier ship, and between the rear wall section of the tank and another bulkhead.

The present invention relates to improvements of a self-standing liquefied gas storage tank for a low temperature liquefied gas carrier ship which transports low temperature liquefied gas such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or the like, and of a liquefied gas carrier ship having these tanks;.
Various types of low temperature liquefied gas carrier ships which transport low temperature liquefied gas such as LNG or LPG have been used. Some of these use self-standing liquefied gas storage tanks for transporting low temperature liquefied gas, and examples of these carriers are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. 2-249796, Japanese Patent Aplication, First Publication No. 4-8999, and Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. 4-92794.
An example of this carrier ship is shown in FIG. 12. This liquefied gas carrier ship may be easily have a flat deck 5 and makes it possible to increase the storage capacity of the liquid by forming liquefied gas storage tanks 4 carried in a ship's hull 1 into rectangular shades. Furthermore, it is contemplated, as shown in FIG. 13, to adopt a double casing structure (armored-structure) having an outer shell 1A and an inner shell 1B in the ship's hull 1 in order to ensure safety.
For such a low temperature liquefied gas carrier ship having rectangular-shaDed self-standing tanks, it is contemplated, as shown in an example in cross-sectional view in FIGS. 13 and 14, to mount the rectangular-shaped tank 4 to a ship's bottom 2 of the ship's hull 1, in a self-standing state, by a plurality of supporting devices 3. The tank 4 is constructed of alloy sheets such as aluminum alloy sheets. In FIG. 14, chain lines show that the tank 4 may contract, as indicated by continuous lines, when the tank 4 is filled with low temperature liquefied gas, and thus, the supporting devices 3 allow the contraction of the tank 4.
The portion above the tank 4 is covered by a deck 5, and the tank 4 is prevented from moving laterally by stops 6 provided between an under surface of the deck 5 and an upper surface of the tank 4.
However, the above structure requires the depth D of the ship's hull 1 to be increased, and this causes the weight of the ship and the amount of labor required to build the ship to increase. Furthermore, it is necessary to reinforce the deck 5 in order to restrain the lateral movement of the rectangular-shaped self-standing tanks 4. Additionally, since the upper surface of the ship's hull 1 is constituted by a single unitary integrated deck 5, stress in the deck 5 arising from the bending moment imparted by wave action is great. In this respect, the above structure again causes an increase in the weight of the ship and the amount of labor required.
An inner surface of a tank wall 7 of the rectangular-shaped self-standing tank 4 is provided with n%ain frames 8 and reinforcing plates 9 as stiffeners, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 15. The main frames 8 and the reinforcing plates 9 protrude from the inner surface of the tank wall 7 and are mutually transverse so that the entire tank can be made rigid. As shown in FIG. 15, each of the supporting devices 3 is located at positions corresponding to both the main frame 8 and the reinforcing plates 9. When the supporting device 3 is bearing the load of the tank 4, stress in the weld (fillet weld) portion between the inner surface of the tank wall 7 and the reinforcing plate 9 may increase.
As shown in FIG. 16, in between two adjacent reinforcing plates 9, a carling 11 is welded at. fillet weld portions 12 at a right angle to the plates 9 in order to reinforce the reinforcing plates 9 and fillet weld portions 10 thereof.
Although a decrease in the occurrence of stress near the fillet weld portions 10 may be anticipated by means of the carling 11, adequate examinations for stress in portions near the boundary section between a side surface of the reinforcing plate 9 and the upper end surface of the carling 11 are required.
if there is a gap G between the upper end surface of the carling 11 and a reinforcing face bar 9a, a welding torch can be inserted in the gap G, and this makes it possible to weld the portion 12 by boxing (box welding) so as to improve the strength of the reinforcing plate 9 and the fillet weld portions 10.
If the upper end surface of the carling 11 is directly welded to the lower face of the reinforcing face bar 9a, stress in the reinforcing plate 9 and the fillet weld portions 10 may be reduced. However, this structure makes it impossible to carry out the boxing (box welding), and thus reduces fatigue resistance.
Typically, a liquid storage tank or a shell of such a iquid carrier ship has a structuze in which a plurality of metal plates are transversely combined.
FIGS. 17-19 show reinforced structural bodies A, B, and C respectively which are conventionally used in such tanks, shells, or the like.
Referring to FIG. 17, the reinforced structural body A comprises a tank wall 7 of a bulkhead and a reinforcing member 14. The tank wall 7 is constituted by an integrated plate in which a plurality of plates are welded at butt weld joint portion 13. The reinforcing member 14 is welded on a surface of the tank wall 7 by fillet welding 15 transversely to the butt weld joint portion 13. A cut-out port 16 is formed on the reinforcing meraber 14 so as to prevent the butt weld joint portion 13 and the fillet weld portions 15 from interfering with each other. A li,zruid passing port 17 is also provided on the reinforcing member 14.
In the reinforced structural body B, as shown in FIG. 18, a reinforcing member 14 is welded on a surface of the tank wall 7 by fillet weld 15. Furthermore, a transverse reinforcing plate 18 is provided by fillet weld 19, in a standing state, on the same surface of the tank wall 7, transversely with respect to the reinforcing member 14. The transverse reinforcing plate 1St has a cut-out port 16 through which the reinforcing member 14 passes, and a tongue portion 18a protruding into the cut-out port 16. The protruding end of the tongue portion 18a is welded to one side of the reinforcing member 14 by fillet welding 20. In this case, the area adjacent to the fillet weld portions 15 is reinforced by the tongue portion 18a. The cut-out mort 16 doubles as a liquid passing port 17, and prevents the fillet weld portions 15, 19, and 20 from interfering with one another.
In the reinforced structural body B, as shown in FIG. 19, reinforcing members 14A, 14B, and 14C, which are parallel to one another, are welded to on a surface of the tank wall 7 by fillet weld portions 15, and ribs 21 are provided in between two of the adjacent reinforcing members. These ribs 21 are welded to both the tank wall 7 and the reinforcing members by fillet weld portions 22, 23, and 24. Cut-out ports 16 double as liquid passing ports 17, and prevent the fillet weld portions 15, 22, 23, and 24 from interfering with one another.
However, in the above-mentioned reinforced structures A, B, and C as shown in FIGS. 17-19, the fillet weld portions 19, 20, 22, 23, and 24 are discontinuous at the cut-out ports 16, and this obstructs a continuous weld. Thus this reduces the welding workability, or makes it difficult to use an automatic welding machine. Furthermore, the discontinuity of the welded portion causes stress concentration thereat, and leads to occurrences of imperfections, and therefore to a deterioration of welding quality an.d reliability.

Self-standing liquefied gas storage tank and liquefied gas carrier ship therefor

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.


A hybrid system for a vehicle including a hybrid machine and a transmission arrangement that includes a first, a second and a third planetary gear set each including a sun gear, a planet carrier and a ring gear, the transmission arrangement further including five shift elements engageable in combinations of two to obtain six forward gear stages, wherein the ring gear of the first planetary gear set and the planet carrier of the second planetary gear set are operatively connected to each other, the ring gear of the second planetary gear set and the planet carrier of the third planetary gear set are operatively connected to each other, two planetary members of the third planetary gear set are selectively connectable to each other by a single one of the shift elements, wherein the hybrid machine and the ring gear of the first planetary gear set are connected to each other.

In connection with transportation of heavy loads at construction sites or the like, a working machine is often used. The working machines may be utilized for transportations in connection with road or tunnel building, sand pits, mines, forestry and similar environments. Thus, the working machine is frequently operated with large and heavy loads in rough terrain and on slippery ground where no regular roads are present.
There is a demand from the market to be able to propel the working machine in a more environmentally friendly manner, for example by hybridization of the driveline of the working machine. Such a driveline may consist of a prime mover, a gearbox and a hybrid machine, such as e.g. a hydraulic machine, which may be used solely or in combination with the propulsive power from the prime mover. The hybrid machine is connected to the gearbox such that several gears are provided from the hybrid machine to the wheels, although not necessarily as many as from the prime mover to the wheels. The number of gears as well as gear ratios and steps have to be optimized for the specific hybrid machine which is used. With an optimized gearbox, the hybrid machine will operate in its most efficient range and the desired combination of rim pull and top speed can be reached with a limited size of the hybrid machine.
The gearbox comprises a transmission arrangement and depending on the specific type of gearbox, the transmission arrangement may comprise e.g. ordinary gear sets with cylindrical gear wheels in meshed connection with each other or planetary gear sets comprising a respective sun gear, ring gear and a planet carrier, or a transmission having a combination of ordinary gear sets and one or more planetary gear sets. Such a transmission arrangement may be combined with the hybrid machine to get a hybrid system.
There is hence a desire to be able to hybridize operation of a working machine as an alternative to conventional propulsion from a prime mover.

Hybrid system for a vehicle and vehicle comprising the same


An actuation tool uses a lock that when released allows a moving magnet to move into position to repel another magnet. The repelling force on the second magnet moves it away from a locking position on a stored potential energy system where the release of the potential energy creates kinetic energy to drive an actuation assembly to set the tool. In a preferred application the tool can be a liner hanger. The release device can be a selectively energized electromagnet or a solenoid that shifts at least one magnet into alignment with at least one second magnet so as to defeat the second magnet from effectively storing the potential energy that can set the tool when the lock is defeated.

Pressure actuated assemblies that are designed to selectively actuate a subterranean tool typically involves a ball seat and a ball that is dropped or pumped to the ball seat and landed. Once the ball is landed internal pressure is built up through a wall opening to a piston housing surrounding the main bore so that a tool can be actuated. Typically a piston receives the internal pressure through a wall port and has an opposite end referenced to annulus pressure. Raising the tubing pressure moves the piston which actuates the tool. In one example of a liner hanger, the piston can move slips and a sealing element to support a liner from a surrounding casing.
There can be issues with such a design. The tool can be in a long horizontal run so that it may take the ball a long time to get to the seat without having to be pumped. In a horizontal run the ball may not locate on the seat even with a flowing stream urging the ball to the seat. Wall openings to piston housings can also present potential leak paths if seals deteriorate or fail.
Accordingly, an actuation system is needed that can be selectively operated from a remote location to operate a tool at the desired location. In the preferred embodiment an actuation system is described that locks in potential energy with a lock that is disabled to release the potential energy to set the tool. In a preferred application a liner hanger slip system and seal can be set with the device. The lock is defeated with physical movement that is induced with an applied field or with an electromechanical device to name a few preferred options. In one embodiment the field is magnetic and the lock release is accomplished with a repelling response to a magnet that serves at least in part as a locking key and whose movement results in a release of the potential energy force. Those skilled in the art will better appreciate aspects of the preferred embodiments of the invention from a review of the description of the preferred embodiment and the associated FIGS. while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be found in the appended claims.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,532 illustrates moving a magnet in position to hold open a flapper in a safety valve in the open position and to reduce its tendency to chatter in the open position. US Publication 2009/0032238 illustrates a magnet used to assist the movement of a flapper in a safety valve to go to an open position by adding to the gravity force of the flapper weight that tends to move it to the open position. Another magnet can be used to urge the flapper to the closed position. U.S. Pat. No. 7,828,066 transmits power through a magnetic shaft coupling. U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,994 shows the use of a magnet on a dart that is pumped past a tool to use the field to trigger tool actuation. US Publication 2010/0126716 illustrates a hard wired system for initiating tool actuation using a magnetic field. Other patents of interest with regard to the present invention are: U.S. Pat. Nos. RE 30,988; 7,703,532; 7,669,663; 7,562,712; 7,604,061; 7,626,393 and 7,413,028.

Remote subterranean tool activation system


An inspection system for an electronic device of a vehicle includes a vision camera detecting a front state. An ultrasonic wave radiator, which is disposed at a lower side of the vision camera, radiates ultrasonic waves forwardly and senses ultrasonic waves reflected from a front obstacle. A touch screen operating finger moves forwardly and backwardly to touch a touch screen. A button operating finger is mounted to one side of the touch screen operating finger to press a button. A position of a body is controlled in a three-dimensional coordinate system such that the vision camera, the ultrasonic wave radiator, the touch screen operating finger, and the button operating finger are mounted thereto. A driving unit is configured to push forwardly or pull backwardly the touch screen operating finger and the button operating finger.

A vehicle includes various electric devices having a touch panel, a radio button, an air con button, and the like inside the vehicle.
Particularly, as an electric controller (ECU) of the vehicle has become diversified, buttons for controlling the various electric devices are provided at a steering wheel, a dashboard, and a door trim, and processes for inspecting a button operation have been increased.
In general, in order to inspect an operation of a button inside a vehicle, a worker has to open a vehicle door to be seated and operate the button provided at a dashboard, a door trim, or the like.
However, since the worker has to inspect manually, inspection items may be missing or the inspection may be non-uniformly performed. Thus, faulty buttons may often be found. In addition, working efficiency may due to the manual inspection, and further inputting, evaluating, and automatically updating data regarding an inspection result may be inconvenient.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention, and therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Inspection system and inspection method for electronic device of vehicle


Methods of using comminuted Alder bark as a stimulator of seed germination and growth media comprising comminuted Alder bark are disclosed. Also disclosed are seed treatment dusts comprising an active ingredient, a diluent material and comminuted Alder bark and methods of using these dusts. The active ingredients include fungicides, insecticides and other pesticides. The diluent materials used include clays and talcs.

It has long been known that the dusting of seeds prior to planting with seed treatment dusts composed of an active ingredient and one or more diluent materials would improve crop yields. The active ingredients commonly used include fungicides, insecticides, and other pesticides. The diluent materials used include clays, talcs and comminuted Douglas Fir bark.
The active ingredient of the seed treatment dust protects the newly planted seed and its developing root system from attacks by harmful organisms found in the soil during the germination period. The germination period is critical because the events that occur during this period determine, to a great extent, the health and productivity of the plant that grows from the seed. The longer a seed remains in the ground before it germinates, the more vulnerable it becomes to attack by fungi and by other soil-borne pathogens and insects. A seed attacked by soil-borne organisms is less likely to produce a healthy plant. Indeed, such a seed may not produce a plant at all.
If, however, a seed germinates quickly and is protected from attack by soil-borne organisms during the germination period, there is much less chance that the plant will become diseased or will die if it does become diseased. Since the active ingredients used in seed treatment dusts protect the seed from attack by soil-borne organisms, seeds dusted with dusts containing an active ingredient have an increased chance of producing a healthy, productive plant.
The diluent materials used in seed treatment dusts act to dry seeds. Wet seeds are susceptible to attack by bacteria while they are stored awaiting planting, and a bacterial infection may weaken the seed. A weakened seed will, in turn, produce an unhealthy plant or will not produce a plant at all.
The combination of the drying effect of the diluent materials and the fungicidal or other activity of the active ingredient protects the seed during the period prior to planting and during the germination period. Seeds thus protected are much more likely to produce high crop yields.
Seeds which are dusted include the seeds of grains, legumes, onions, tubers and flowers. In particular, the dusting of tuber seeds such as potato seeds is very desirable for the production of good crops.
Potato seeds are prepared for planting by cutting a potato into several parts. The potato seed pieces are then loaded into trucks or bags and stored until planting.
When the potato is cut, the cut sides of the potato are moist. The potato secretes a substance called suberin which begins to heal the cut surface of the potato in six to eight hours if the potato surface can dry during this time. Since the potato seed pieces are piled into bags or trucks after cutting, they would, under these circumstances, remain wet for an extended period of time. These wet conditions promote bacterial growth. Further, since the suberin cannot heal the cut surface of the potato while it is wet, the bacteria can more easily gain access to the potato seed and start to decay the seeds. Seeds thus attacked by bacteria may be weakened before they are planted. Potato seeds and their neWly developing root systems are ordinarily susceptible to insects, to fungi and to other soil-borne pathogens, but a weakened seed is particularly susceptible to these harmful organisms.
If the potato seeds are dusted immediately after they are cut, the diluent materials dry the potato seeds thereby allowing the suberin to heal the cut surfaces of the potato seeds and removing an environment conducive to bacterial growth. The dusted seeds are, consequently, less likely to be weakened by bacterial decay before being planted. Further, the active ingredient in the seed treatment dust will protect the potato from attack by harmful soil-borne organisms after planting.
As mentioned above, one of the diluent materials in use is comminuted Douglas Fir bark. Comminuted Douglas Fir bark is an excellent diluent material since it is a very effective drying agent. One problem with the use of comminuted Douglas Fir bark is that it contains lignin slivers as do all coniferous tree barks, and some workers using seed treatment dusts containing comminuted Douglas Fir bark suffer minor throat, nasal and skin irritation from the lignin slivers. Another problem is that Douglas Fir bark is much more expensive than the clay and talc diluents.


A non-aqueous electrolytic secondary battery that can prevent a drop in the power even in a large current discharge is provided. Porosity of a separator is larger than or the same as porosity of a positive electrode mixture and a porosity of a negative electrode mixture. Particularly, the porosity of the positive electrode mixture is 20% to 50%, the porosity of the negative electrode mixture is 20% to 50%, and the porosity of the separator is 20% to 60%. The separator becomes rich in the volume of the electrolytic solution that infiltrates into interfacial aperture between the separator and the negative electrode. When the large current discharge is carried out in a short time, lithium-ions are released/occluded from the electrodes and the electrolytic solution can gain the released/occluded lithium-ions with a small interfacial resistance.

The present application relates to a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery, and in particular relates to a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery where a winding group, where a positive electrode having a positive electrode collector applied with a positive electrode mixture including a positive electrode active material from/in which lithium-ions can be released/occluded through charging/discharging and a negative electrode having a negative electrode collector applied with a negative electrode mixture including a negative electrode active material in/from which lithium-ions can be occluded/released through discharging/charging are wound though a separator, is infiltrated into non-aqueous electrolytic solution where a lithium salt is dissolved into organic solvent, and is accommodated into a battery container.
Conventionally, in a lithium secondary battery using a metallic lithium or a lithium alloy for a negative electrode, there has been a drawback in that internal shorts between a positive electrode and the negative electrode occur since a dendritic lithium deposits on the negative electrode at the time of charging. In order to solve this problem, a lithium-ion secondary battery using a lithium transition metallic complex oxide such as lithium cobaltate (LiCoO2), lithium nickelate (LiNiO2), lithium manganate (LiMn2O4) or the like as a positive electrode active material, and a carbon material as a negative electrode active material, has been developed recently. Among the lithium transition metallic complex oxides, a complex oxide using manganese has an advantage over a complex oxide using cobalt in cost performance due to its abundant quantity of natural resources, and it also has an advantage in safety.
Because the lithium-ion secondary battery has high energy density as its merit, attention to the battery is being paid not only as a power supply source for portable equipment mainly such as a VTR camera, a note type computer, a portable telephone and the like, but also as a power supply source mounted for a vehicle. Namely, in order to cope with the environmental problems in the automotive industry, development of an electric vehicle (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cEVxe2x80x9d) whose power source is confined entirely to a battery so that there is no gas exhausting and of a hybrid electric vehicle (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cHEVxe2x80x9d) where both an internal combustion engine and a battery are used as its power source, has been accelerated, and some of them have reached a practical stage.
The lithium-ion secondary batteries can be classified into cylindrical shape ones and rectangular shape ones according to their outer shapes. The cylindrical shape ones are popular at the present time. The interior of the cylindrical lithium-ion secondary battery has a winding type structure where each of the positive electrode and the negative electrode comprises a metallic foil applied with an active material and is formed in a strip shape, and to form a winding group the positive and negative electrodes are wound spirally through a separator so as not to directly come in contact with each other. The winding group is accommodated in a cylindrical battery can which is a battery container, and after the battery container is filled with non-aqueous electrolytic solution, it is sealed and then by initial charging, the cylindrical battery is given a function as a secondary battery.
The battery for the power supply source of the EV/HEV is required to have high power and high-energy characteristics. In order to meet the requirement, various contrivances are needed not only to the winding group but also to the non-aqueous electrolytic solution. As a contrivance example for the non-aqueous electrolytic solution, Applicant disclosed a technique, in a Japanese patent application, serial number 11-119359, filed on Apr. 27, 1999, for setting the proportion of organic solvent to dissolve a lithium salt. As stated in the application, since generating elements such as the positive/negative electrodes and the like which comprise the winding group deteriorate extremely subject to the influence of moisture or water content, the non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery adopts a hermetically sealed structure in which an opening portion of the battery container is sealed by laser-welding or the like so that the generating elements can be shut off from the atmosphere.
When the complex oxide expressed by a chemical formula LixMnyO2 (0.4xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa61.35, 0.65xe2x89xa6yxe2x89xa61.0) is used as the positive electrode active material, there were drawbacks in that a charging/discharging cycle life characteristic of the lithium-ion secondary battery becomes short and a power (output) characteristic thereof becomes lowered. Particularly, when the battery is used at a high temperature of 50xc2x0 C. or more, there are disadvantages in that the power and cycle life characteristics deteriorate since the manganese elutes from the positive electrode and the eluted manganese forms a nonconductive (inert) coating on the surface of the negative electrode.
Further, in order to assist acceleration force of motor drive in the HEV, the charging and the discharging accompanied with a large electrical current are repeated during a short time. For this reason, in the non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery for the HEV, a new battery characteristic of high outputting that has never been needed hitherto is required. A high output can be gained when the discharging is carried out at a small current in the conventional lithium-ion secondary battery, however, it had a drawback in that the output goes down remarkably when the discharging is carried out at a large current. It is considered for this reason that, since the movement of lithium-ions can not follow the rapid flowing of electrons, it causes large concentration gradient in the separator and/or electrodes. This brings about an increase in an internal resistance and results in a drop in the output.
As stated above, with progress in the development of the lithium-ion secondary battery, the battery for the EV/HEV has been required to have a higher power characteristic that the drop in the power is smaller as well as a longer life characteristic in spite of time-lapse or aging. Especially, since the HEV uses both the engine and the motor, the battery that has the high output and that can maintain high input/output characteristics, in other words, the battery where an increase in a direct current internal resistance is small even the time-lapse, is required as the power supply source for the HEV. Accordingly, it is inferred that the spread of the EV/HEV will be accelerated if such a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery with a higher power and output, and with a longer life, is obtained.
In view of the above circumstances, a first object of the present invention is to provide a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery which can prevent a drop in the power. A second object of the present invention is to provide a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery that has excellent battery characteristics at a high temperature, particularly has a high power characteristic. A third object of the present invention is to provide a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery that has high input/output characteristics. And a fourth object of the present invention is to provide a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery that has a long life characteristic.
In order to achieve the above first object, the present invention is a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery where a winding group, where a positive electrode having a positive electrode collector applied with a positive electrode mixture including a positive electrode active material from/in which lithium-ions can be released/occluded through charging/discharging and a negative electrode having a negative electrode collector applied with a negative electrode mixture including a negative electrode active material in/from which lithium-ions can be occluded/released through discharging/charging are wound through a separator, is infiltrated into non-aqueous electrolytic solution where a lithium salt is dissolved into organic solvent, and is accommodated into a battery container, wherein porosity of the separator is larger than or the same as porosity of the positive electrode mixture and porosity of the negative electrode mixture.
When the porosity of the separator is larger than the porosity of the negative electrode mixture, the separator becomes rich in the volume of the non-aqueous electrolytic solution that infiltrates into interfacial aperture between the separator and the negative electrode. Accordingly, in a case in which large current discharging is carried out in a short time, the lithium-ions are released (departed) from the negative electrode active material, and the non-aqueous electrolytic solution inside the separator can gain the released lithium-ions with a small interfacial resistance. Namely, a resistance increase according to interfacial concentration gradient can be held down. Also in the positive electrode, when the porosity of the separator is larger than the porosity of the positive mixture, since the separator becomes rich in the volume of the non-aqueous electrolytic solution that infiltrates into interfacial aperture between the separator and the positive electrode, the lithium-ions are occluded (inserted) uniformly in the positive electrode active material even in a short time. According to the present invention, since the increase in the internal resistance is held down by setting the porosity of the separator larger than or the same as the porosity of the positive electrode mixture and the porosity of the negative electrode mixture, the drop in the power at the time of the large current discharging can be controlled.
In this invention, in a case in which the positive electrode active material is a lithium-manganese complex oxide expressed by a chemical formula LixMnyO2 (0.4xe2x89xa6xxe2x89xa61.35, 0.65xe2x89xa6yxe2x89xa61.0), and porosity of the positive electrode mixture is set from 21% to 31%, since both the infiltration of the non-aqueous electrolytic solution and the diffusivity as well as conductivity of the lithium-ions are carried out adequately, a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery with a high power characteristic is realized. Therefore, the second object of the present invention can be achieved. Also, when volume of the non-aqueous electrolytic solution accommodated in the battery container is 1.0 times or more than a porosity volume of the winding group, since the non-aqueous electrolytic solution that expedites and retains an electrochemical reaction with the active materials is infiltrated and diffused into porous body formed respectively in the positive electrode mixture and the negative electrode mixture, a high initial output can be retained, and at the same time, the drop in the power as well as the increase in the direct current resistance can be suppressed. Accordingly, a non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery with a high output characteristic is realized. Therefore, the third object of the present invention can be achieved.
The present invention will become more obvious by referring to the following preferred embodiments.

Non-aqueous electrolytic solution secondary battery with electrodes having a specific thickness and porosity


Disclosed herein is a terminal-connecting device including an electrically insulating hollow connecting device body having an open upper end, and an electrically insulating cover coupled to the open upper end of the connecting device body. The terminal-connecting device is constructed such that a plate-shaped conductive bus bar is mounted to the lower end of the connecting device body, two or more terminal insertion holes are formed in the lower end of the connecting device body and the bus bar, the terminal insertion holes formed in the lower end of the connecting device body communicating with the terminal insertion holes formed in the bus bar, and a connecting member insertion slit is formed in one side of connecting device body for allowing further connection of the corresponding electrode terminal to an external connecting member, as occasion demands. The electrical connection between the electrode terminals and the electrical connection between the external connecting member and the corresponding electrode terminal can be easily and conveniently accomplished through the use of the terminal-connecting device according to the present invention. Also, the terminal connection part is isolated from the outside, whereby the occurrence of short circuits and the occurrence of corrosion due to moisture are effectively prevented. The terminal-connecting device according to the present invention is preferably used in manufacturing a medium- or large-sized battery system, especially, for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.

Recently, a secondary battery, which can be charged and discharged, has been widely used as an energy source for wireless mobile devices. Also, the secondary battery has attracted considerable attention as a power source for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which have been developed to solve problems, such as air pollution, caused by existing gasoline and diesel vehicles using fossil fuel.
Small-sized mobile devices use one or several small-sized cells for each device. On the other hand, medium- or large-sized devices, such as vehicles, use a medium- or large-sized battery module having a plurality of cells electrically connected with each other because high output and large capacity is necessary for the medium- or large-sized devices.
Generally, a battery module is manufactured by electrically connecting a plurality of battery cartridges, each of which has a plurality of unit cells connected in series and/or parallel with each other. According to circumstances, two or more battery modules are electrically connected with each other to provide a medium- or large-sized battery system having higher output.
Consequently, there is needed a connecting member that is capable of effectively performing the electrical connection between the batteries (including the unit cells), the electrical connection between the battery cartridges, and the electrical connection between the battery modules, and the electrical connection for receiving power from the battery modules and supplying the power to an external device. Furthermore, the connection between the electrode terminals and the corresponding connecting members is required when a signal, such as voltage, is outputted to control the operation of the batteries as a power source.
On the other hand, the terminal connection part (which is used as a concept including the connection part between an external device and the corresponding electrode and the connection part between a detection device and the corresponding electrode as well as the connection part between the electrode terminals as described above) is a part which can be easily short-circuited and easily corroded due to moisture. For this reason, careful attention is required during the manufacture or during the use thereof.
Although some conventional apparatuses and methods for isolating the terminal connection part from the outside have been proposed, no apparatus that is capable of fundamentally preventing the above-mentioned problems has been developed yet.


Embodiments of the present invention provide an adaptive noise canceling system. The adaptive noise canceling system may be used in a handset to cancel background noise by generating an anti-noise signal. The adaptive noise canceling system may include first input to receive a first signal from a feedforward microphone; a second input to receive a second signal from an error microphone; a controller coupled to the inputs, the controller configured to adaptively generate an anti-noise signal according to the received signals, wherein the controller derives a profile of the anti-noise signal from the first signal and derives a magnitude of the anti-noise signal from both first and second signal; and an output to transmit the anti-noise signal to a speaker.

The present invention relates to noise canceling in handsets such as mobile phones. Telecommunication is growing at an incredible rate. Accordingly, handset engineers are constantly trying to improve the communication experience for the user.
One major problem in telecommunication systems is the presence of background noise (ambient noise) that can interfere with the user's hearing (i.e., the user's ability to understand what is being communicated). Often times, a user may use a mobile phone in a noisy environment such as a restaurant, a train station, or on the street. The background noise prevents the user from hearing the caller's voice on the other end of the phone call (far-end speaker). Therefore, the user is unable to use his/her mobile phone in noisy environments as he/she would like to, which constrains the use of the mobile phone immensely. As a result, there is a need in the art to improve communication systems to enable handsets to be used in the presence of locally-generated noise without the background noise interfering with the user's hearing of the far-end speaker.
Unlike other audio listening systems such as headphones where the background noise is controlled and static because of headphone cushions, handsets encounter background noise that is dynamic, uncontrolled, and unpredictable. Thus, conventional noise canceling systems for headphones are not optimal for handset use.
Accordingly, the inventors recognized a need in the art for an adaptive noise canceling system that can adapt to real world conditions.

Adaptive active noise canceling for handset


An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a through-silicon via (TSV) extending into the semiconductor substrate, a pad formed over the semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from the TSV, and an interconnect structure formed over the semiconductor substrate and electrically connecting the TSV and the pad. The interconnect structure includes an upper portion formed on the pad and a lower portion adjacent to the pad, and the upper portion extends to electrically connect the TSV.

The semiconductor industry has experienced continuous rapid growth due to constant improvements in the integration density of various electronic components (i.e., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from repeated reductions in minimum feature size, allowing more components to be integrated into a given chip area. These integration improvements are essentially two-dimensional (2D) in nature, in that the volume occupied by the integrated components is essentially on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. Although dramatic improvements in lithography have resulted in considerable improvements in 2D integrated circuit formation, there are physical limitations to the density that can be achieved in two dimensions. One of these limitations is the minimum size needed to make these components. Also, when more devices are put into one chip, more complex designs are required. An additional limitation comes from the significant increase in the number and length of interconnections between devices as the number of devices increases. When the number and the length of interconnections increase, both circuit RC delay and power consumption increase. Among the efforts for resolving the above-discussed limitations, three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC) and stacked dies are commonly used.
Through-silicon vias (TSVs) are thus used in 3DIC and stacked dies for connecting dies. In this case, TSVs are often used to connect the integrated circuits on a die to the backside of the die. In addition, TSVs are also used to provide short grounding paths for grounding the integrated circuits through the backside of the die, which may be covered by a grounded metallic film. An integrated circuit generally includes contact regions for connecting the integrated circuit to other circuits. Contact-bonding (CB) pads are generally formed in metal layers, e.g., the top level of metal, which connect to the TSV through a post passivation interconnect (PPI) structure. A conventional PPI process, however, provides weak adhesion to the CB pad and causes a high contact resistance. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved structure and a method of fabricating such to avoid the shortcomings of the conventional process.

Through-silicon via formed with a post passivation interconnect structure

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


Methods of making a single-walled carbon nanotube thin film, and the thin film which can be located on a substrate, and can have a resistance of less than 7500 ohm/square, and a transparency to 550 nm light of greater than 85%.

Field of the Invention
The present teachings relate to the preparation of conductive high transparency thin films of single-walled carbon nanotubes ("SWNT") via a direct synthesis method that produces the desired thin film without subsequent purification, having sheet resistance down to 4623 ohm/square, preferably down to 4500 ohm/square, and transparency of 550 nm light of up to 97%.
Discussion of the Related Art
Flexible, transparent electrodes are utilized in video displays, optical devices, sensors, solar cells, and numerous other electronic devices. These electrodes can be made from transparent conductive thin films composed of various inorganic or metallic materials which in some cases can be brittle, expensive and in limited supply. There is a need for more readily available and physically stable transparent conductive thin films.
Described herein are preparative methods for making thin films composed of SWNTs supported on quartz substrates and exhibiting sheet resistance down to 4623 ohm/square, preferably down to 4500 ohm/square, and transparency of at least 85% at 550 nm.

Conducting high transparency thin films based on single-walled carbon nanotubes


Different digital radio transceiver front panel escutcheon plate assemblies are provided for different optional transceiver configurations. A digital signal controller which is part of the main transceiver circuitry is capable of performing any of various basic and option functions under control of program control instructions stored in an associated non-volatile memory. Subsets of those features are selectively disabled by irreversibly modifying the transceiver unit from the outside of the unit (e.g., by cutting certain PC board pathways through holes provided in the transceiver unit front panel). The controller enables (executes) portions of the program control instructions stored in its associated non-volatile memory and disables (does not execute) other portions of the stored program control instructions in response to detection of continuity/discontinuity over those certain pathways.

For marketing and other reasons, manufacturers of radio communications devices typically offer several different configurations for each "model" of communications product manufactured. A particular model of mobile radio transceiver may have a "basic" or minimal configuration but may optionally be provided with additional features at additional cost.
For example, a basic transceiver configuration may provide communications over a limited number of communications channels for basic radio transmitting and receiving functions required by all users. Some users may, however, have additional requirements requiring additional features--such as additional communications channels, receiver channel scanning, telephone access (DTMF) capability, etc. The ability of a manufacturer to provide such additional features increases the flexibility, versatility, desirability and range of applications of the product without penalizing purchasers of the basic configuration with increased cost. Purchasers of the basic model pay a minimum price for the minimal configuration, while users requiring additional features pay an increased price based on the number and type of options they require.
In the past, additional features were generally provided by incorporating additional components and circuitry into the transceiver. For example, channel scanning capability or additional operating channels were added by installing additional frequency selection circuitry. Similarly, DTMF (TOUCH TONE) capability required an additional tone generator circuit and associated keypad to be installed. Transceiver designers used modular architectures to accommodate additional plug-in modules.
An example of this design approach is the prior art "MLS" series radio transceivers manufactured for General Electric Company by Japan Radio Corp. These "MLS" transceivers include basic transceiver circuitry disposed within a housing. The front panel assembly of the transceiver housing is manufactured separately, and consists of a separable front panel "escutcheon" plate. Mechanically mounted to the escutcheon plate is a printed circuit board which plug-connects to the basic transceiver circuitry when the escutcheon plate is mechanically fastened to the housing. The escutcheon plate and associated printed circuit board thus comprises a module separable from the transceiver main housing and basic circuitry, this module including user controls, circuitry required to connect the user controls to the transceiver circuitry, and additional circuitry needed to perform the additional functions.
Since additional features in many cases require different additional user controls, different models of escutcheon plate modules were produced for the "MLS" series transceivers. In particular, the "MLS" transceiver was made available in several different versions, such as: (1) a two-channel "basic" version; (2) an 8-channel version with scan feature; (3) a 16-channel version without scan; and (4) a 16-channel version with scan feature. Different interchangeable escutcheon plates with different user control arrangements corresponding to these different transceiver versions were provided. The particular escutcheon plate/control panel installed on a particular "MLS" transceiver limited the transceiver features the user could access. For example, the escutcheon plate corresponding to the "MLS" transceiver version with 16-channel capability and no scan feature does not have a control to actuate the scan feature--preventing the user from obtaining the benefit of the scan feature. Similarly, the escutcheon plates corresponding to the 8-channel transceiver versions do not include user controls to access more than 8 channels.
Since all "MLS" transceivers included identical basic transceiver circuitry and main housing, reduced manufacturing costs and increased reliability derived from large scale manufacturing were obtained. Specific purchaser selected additional features could be provided in a particular unit simply by installing the appropriate escutcheon plate module--a procedure which could be performed in the field or at the distributor if desired. Incorporation of the circuitry performing the additional functions and user controls interacting with such circuitry within the same front panel escutcheon plate module permitted a transceiver to be reconfigured by simply "unplugging" one module and "plugging in" a different module (further increasing reliability and decreasing manufacturing costs).
Digital microprocessor controlled radio communications devices such as the "MLS" series transceiver are generally known, of course. The following is a (by no means exhaustive) listing of prior patents and publications generally relevant to the state of the art of so-called "digital radios":
U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,551--Drapac PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,135--Ohyagi PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,865--Mears PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,951--Hattori et al PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,504--Lewis et al PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,623--Bonneau et al PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,261--Killoway et al PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,997--Imazeki et al PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,399--Snowden et al PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,355--Henke et al PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,805--Talbot PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,120--Herve PA0 "DYNA T-A-C 6000X Universal Mobile Telephone", Motorola (1984) PA0 Groh, "The uP: The Key to an Advanced Frequency Synthesized HF SSP Amateur Radio Transceiver", IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics Vol. CE-26 (1980).
Such references teach controlling transceiver functions in addition to transceiver operating parameters (e.g., operating frequencies) in response to digital signals stored in a memory device. While older radio transceivers required additional circuitry to perform additional, optional functions such as channel scanning, tone activated squelch and the like, modern digital microprocessor controlled transceivers are capable of performing such additional functions under software control with little or no additional circuitry. For example, receiver channel scanning can be implemented by providing an enhanced receiver program control routine controlling the microprocessor to periodically monitor activity on various channels--and additional frequency data can be stored in a memory device to provide additional transceiver operating channels. Additional tone generating, decoding and control algorithms performed by the microprocessor under control of additional program control software can provide advanced squelch control functions, DTMF and other tone signalling functions, and the like.
It would be unfair (and also poor marketing strategy) to require users needing only a minimal transceiver configuration to pay for the high development cost of advanced features and enhancements. Accordingly, for various reasons it is still very much advantageous to offer the purchaser a "basic" lower cost transceiver configuration while permitting him to select additional features at higher cost--even though the main (and sometimes the only) difference between the basic and the enhanced transceivers may reside in the specific program control routines they execute. This marketing strategy allows the manufacturer to offer the basic unit at reduced cost and at the same time requires purchasers requiring enhanced operation to bear the additional costs associated with developing and providing the additional features. A still further benefit achieved by this strategy is that overall development, manufacturing and inventory costs are reduced substantially--since the same basic hardware configuration can be used for all models of the product.
For this marketing strategy to be successful, however, purchasers of low cost basic transceiver configurations must not be able to easily modify their units to obtain more expensive features. Otherwise, most purchasers would simply buy the "bottom-of-the-line" model and then modify it to obtain additional features (thereby defeating the marketing strategy and also unfairly obtaining the benefit of features for which they did not pay development or licensing costs).
One possible way to prevent purchasers from modifying transceiver units to obtain features they have not paid for is to provide different transceiver configurations, each configuration having essentially the same hardware but including a different PROM (programmable read only memory) storing only the subset of the program control instructions and transceiver parameter data associated with the specific configuration purchased. This approach has several disadvantages, however. Ultra-miniaturization provided by modern manufacturing and packaging techniques now make it possible to inexpensively "pack" hundreds or thousands of components into a very small physical volume (e.g., the interior volume of a hand-held digital radio transceiver). Such assemblies are often extremely difficult, however, to disassemble after they have been assembled at the factory--requiring the appropriate program store memory to be installed at time of manufacture. A large inventory of the various different versions of the program store memory must be maintained, and the final configuration of a particular transceiver must be determined at time of manufacture. It would be highly desirable to somehow defer that configuration determination until closer to time of purchase (so that, for example, distributors would only need to keep one basic unit in inventory).
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,865 to Mears discloses an arrangement whereby a non-volatile memory within a mobile radio transceiver can be reprogrammed without physical entry into the transceiver or removal of components to provide the radio with additional operational options (e.g., tone or digital addresses, carrier control timers, or the like). However, if such reprogramming were used to provide optional advanced features, there may be nothing (other than the copyright laws) preventing an intelligent purchaser from downloading upgrade information into his transceiver's internal non-volatile memory. Thus, the Mears solution is highly effective to permit customization of transceiver "personality information", but may have more limited utility in selecting the set of basic operational features to be provided by particular transceivers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,135 to Ohyagi and U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,551 to Drapac listed above disclose security arrangements for enabling and/or inhibiting features in paging receivers.
Ohyagi teaches an "information setter circuit" comprising an 8.times.9 bit PROM in which is stored "option selection bits" for selecting various functional options of the paging receiver (e.g., automatic resetting after an alert, paging by mechanical vibration in lieu of tone, and a battery saving feature). The microprocessor reads the information stored in this circuit as an input to the program control algorithm it executes and enables or inhibits the various option features accordingly.
The Drapac patent discloses discrete logic security circuitry incorporated as part of the pager which connects with option selection circuitry contained in a separable "code plug." The code plug includes circuitry controlling tone decoding, and additional simple fusible link type circuitry which controls selection of various options such as battery saving, automatic reset, and dual call operation. Logic level signals are connected through the fusible links in the code plug to the security logic circuitry, and the logic circuitry in turn enables or disables the various options. The security logic circuitry detects when a user tampers with the code plug fusible link connections and prevents activation of the paging device whenever tampering occurs.
While such arrangements may be satisfactory in the context of a paging device, they do not readily lend themselves to the more complex environment of a full-featured digital radio transceiver--in which many more options may be provided and some additional circuitry and user controls may be required to implement the various options. In addition, greater security than Drapac's code plug can provide is necessary to prevent purchasers from successfully enabling transceiver advanced option features through tampering.
It is also known in certain prior art devices to disable functions by substantially irreversibly modifying circuitry. One example of such a technique is found cable television applications. Some early cable television decoders included multiposition channel selector switches with each channel position corresponding to a different television channel (some of which were categorized as "premium" channels). A subscriber could subscribe to all of the television channels or to only selected television channels (but of course, his monthly subscription fee would be increased if he subscribed to a greater number of "premium" channels). The "premium channels" were transmitted over the cable television network in "scrambled" form (e.g., with suppressed vertical sync signals or with some other essential signal component suppressed or altered) to prevent them from being properly received and displayed by a standard television receiver. The decoder units included a "descrambler" circuit (e.g., a filter/amplifier network for restoring vertical sync or other essential missing signal components) coupled to the multiposition switch.
All such decoder units were shipped from the factory in a standard configuration in which the multiposition switch disabled the descrambler circuit from operating on all channels. However, PC board pathways connected to different switch positions could be cut to prevent the descrambler circuit from being disabled (i.e., to enable the descrambler circuit) at certain switch (channel) positions (thus providing a capability to substantially irreversibly modify the decoder to selectively enable/disable descrambling functions on a channel-by-channel basis). The Cable Television Company could thus "program" a decoder to descramble only the specific premium channels subscribed to by a particular subscriber by opening the decoder unit to access its internal PC board and cutting selected individual PCB pathways coupled to corresponding channel selector switch positions. The decoder was typically housed in a secure sealed cabinet that was difficult or impossible to unseal without using special tools--effectively preventing the average consumer from accessing and severing additional pathways to enable descrambling of additional premium channels.
This technique has now generally been discarded by the cable television industry in favor of periodically digitally downloading channel enablement tables into a non-volatile memory within the decoder and using this channel enablement information to selectively enable/disable descrambling on a channel-by-channel basis. In any event, it is difficult to see how any of these prior art cable television techniques could provide practical solutions to the problem of selecting functions to be provided by digital radio communications transceivers.
It is also generally known to set hardware configurations by selecting continuity/discontinuity between processor-readable connections. For example, it is common for manufacturers of boards for personal computers to include so-called DIP (dual in-line package) switches or jumpers on their boards to allow the user to set parameters (e.g., bus address, interrupt, or the like) associated with the hardware. Such switches/jumpers may in some cases be used to provide information (e.g., "my address is" or "my hardware configuration is") to the processor communicating with the hardware (thus allowing the system to automatically "configure" itself under software control upon power up, for example). Of course, jumpers and DIP switches are designed such that it is easy to change the configurations they select. As a cost-saving measure, some manufacturers may in the past have eliminated the jumpers and/or DIP switches altogether and instead provided PC board pathways the user or installer must cut or scrape off to provide bus address information or the like. These arrangements are often troublesome, however (since a soldering iron is needed to change the configuration once it has been selected) and are therefore typically reserved for the cheapest of devices.
It is unclear how jumpers or DIP switches could be used to specify radio configuration on the hardware level at time of radio purchase while preventing users from later changing the specified configuration. Jumpers and DIP switches are typically relatively easy to set, and are therefore relatively easy to change. Moreover, such devices are normally mounted directly on a printed circuit board or the like--and would therefore require the radio to be disassembled for the jumpers or DIP switches to be set as desired. Thus, this "solution" is similar to the solution discussed above of providing different program store memories for different transceiver versions--and has many of the same disadvantages (e.g., requiring transceiver configuration to be specified at time of manufacture).
The copending patent application Ser. No. 07/183,212 of Ingham filed on Apr. 19, 1988 referred to above provides a highly suitable and successful solution to the problem of configuring a digital radio transceiver subsequent to time of manufacture. In that arrangement, a single "base" transceiver unit is manufactured, this transceiver base unit being common to all of several different transceiver configurations. Different transceiver front panel "escutcheon plates" carrying different control configurations are provided for the different transceiver configurations. These front panel escutcheon plates interconnect both mechanically and electrically to the transceiver base unit.
Thus, the escutcheon plates in the preferred embodiment disclosed in the Ingham application carry entire electrical switch assemblies--including electrical contacts and associated actuator "buttons". The escutcheon plate modules corresponding to all but the "basic" configuration also carry a "security circuit" which communicates with the transceiver microprocessor within the base unit at certain times (e.g., during transceiver "power up"). Different security circuits are provided for the different escutcheon plate configurations, each of the different security circuits permuting signals sent to them in a different way.
In the Ingham arrangement the transceiver sends serial data signals to the security circuit disposed on the escutcheon plate connected to it, and receives back a permuted version of those signals (if the escutcheon plate corresponds to some configuration other than the basic configuration). The microprocessor determines the configuration of the escutcheon plate module in response to which permuted version of the signals it receives back from the security circuit. Thus, the purchaser cannot obtain additional functionality by merely providing additional controls--he must also provide a security circuit corresponding to the new control configuration. Great security is provided against tampering with or defeating of the security circuit because the permutation function performed by the circuit is complex and emulation of this function would require sophisticated techniques and/or a physically large circuit.
While the Ingham arrangement is highly successful in its own right, further improvements are possible. In particular, the escutcheon plates used in the Ingham arrangement are somewhat expensive to manufacture, since they may carry entire electromechanical switch assemblies, electrical connectors, and (for units having "optional" features) an electronic security circuit. It would be highly desirable to provide interchangeable escutcheon plate assemblies comprising only a few mechanical parts. Such a purely mechanical escutcheon plate module design would eliminate the costly (and occasionally unreliable) electrical connectors used in the prior art to connect escutcheon plate modules to transceiver base units.
Unfortunately, the extremely difficult problem arises as to how to prevent a purchaser of the basic configuration version from simply installing different mechanical parts to provide additional features. The problem is that the same features making it possible for the manufacturer or distributor to quickly, easily and conveniently change transceiver configurations also make it possible for purchasers to alter the configurations of their own transceivers (and thus defeat the manufacturer's marketing strategies as well as obtaining "for free" the benefits of advanced transceiver functions and features the purchaser should in all fairness be reimbursing the manufacturer for developing).
The present invention provides a solution to this problem. Like the prior art "MLS" series radio transceivers and the arrangement described in the commonly-assigned Ingham application, the present invention provides different transceiver front panel escutcheon plate assemblies for different transceiver feature configurations. Unlike past arrangements, however, the present invention does not require any electrical components to be provided within differently configured interchangeable escutcheon plate assemblies.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the same basic transceiver unit is used for several different transceiver feature configurations. This basic transceiver unit typically may provide all of the (software controlled) features and functions of the "top of the line" transceiver feature configuration (and thus provides a superset of the features and functions provided by the other transceiver "models"). This basic transceiver also provides a mechanism for substantially irreversibly selecting a subset of the total features provided by the basic transceiver unit--this selection mechanism preferably being operable from outside of the transceiver case. Once made, the selection is preferably difficult or impossible to reverse--preventing a purchaser from defeating the selection in an attempt to enable additional transceiver functions.
In the preferred embodiment, for example, there are holes cut through the transceiver front panel in registry with associated underlying printed circuit board pathways. To irreversibly disable certain transceiver functions, it is necessary only to sever the pathways. Severing the pathways does not destroy hardware functionality in the preferred embodiment, but instead disables performance of certain portions of the transceiver microprocessor software programming implementing advanced or "optional" features.
As mentioned above, the feature selection mechanism provided by the present invention is preferably substantially irreversible. For example, a purchaser trying to form solder or other similar conductive bridges over the severed printed circuit board pathways in order to defeat the feature selection (and thus "upgrade" his transceiver to provide additional features without paying the additional associated purchase price to compensate the manufacturer for the development costs associated with those additional features) would probably find it necessary to disassemble and reassemble the transceiver (in all likelihood damaging certain components in the process).
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better and more completely understood by referring to the following detailed description of presently preferred exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the appended sheets of drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is an elevated side view in perspective of a presently preferred exemplary embodiment of a digital radio transceiver in accordance with the present invention including an escutcheon plate assembly having a full-featured "SYSTEM" control configuration;
FIG. 2 is an exploded side perspective view of the escutcheon plate assembly shown in FIG. 1 showing how the assembly is mounted to the transceiver front panel;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are elevated front views in plan of escutcheonplate assemblies interchangeable with the escutcheon plate assembly shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a front plan view of the transceiver shown in FIG. 1 with the escutcheon plate assembly removed to expose the transceiver case front panel;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an exemplary flexible printed wiring board (PWB) disposed within the FIG. 1 transceiver beneath the front panel exposed in the FIG. 5 view;
FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary microprocessor-based circuit within the FIG. 1 transceiver;
FIGS. 8A and 8B are detailed schematic diagrams of an exemplary keypad scanning circuit portion of the circuit shown in FIG. 7; and
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of exemplary program control steps performed by the transceiver digital microprocessor shown in FIG. 7.

Method and apparatus for externally defining the operational mode of a digital radio transceiver


Methods and systems of computing, involve identifying a target location for live migration of virtual machine services, delivering the virtual machine services to an operating system from a source location, migrating the virtual machine services a first time via a data network from the source location to an intermediate location, delivering the virtual machine services to the operating system from the intermediate location, and migrating the virtual machine services a second time from the intermediate location to the target location via the data network. Breaks in the virtual machine services to the operating system while migrating the virtual machine are minimal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to virtual machines. More particularly, this invention relates to live remote migration of virtual machines over long distances.
2. Description of Related Art
The meanings of certain acronyms and abbreviations used herein are given in Table 1.
TABLE 1Acronyms and AbbreviationsDBDatabaseI/OInput/OutputLMBLogical Memory BlockOSOperating SystemQoSQuality of ServiceTCPTransmission Control ProtocolVLANVirtual Local Area NetworkVMVirtual MachineVMMVirtual Machine Manager
In computer environments, virtualization is the creation of substitutes for real resources, that is, substitutes that have the same functions and external interfaces as their counterparts, but differ in attributes, such as size, performance, and cost. These substitutes are called virtual resources, and their users or operating systems are typically unaware of the substitution. Virtualization is commonly applied to physical hardware resources by combining multiple physical resources into shared pools from which users receive virtual resources. With virtualization, one physical resource can appear as multiple virtual resources. Moreover, virtual resources can have functions or features that are not available in their underlying physical resources. Essentially, each operating system behaves as if it has the resources of an entire machine under its exclusive control, when in fact a virtualization layer transparently provides services to the operating services, which services effectively ensure that resources are properly shared between different operating system images and their applications.
Virtual machines (VMs) may be located within the hardware of a physical host. In the latter case, virtualization may be achieved using a virtual machine manager (VMM), known as a hypervisor. A hypervisor is typically implemented by a layer of code in software or firmware that operates in a privileged environment on the physical host and interacts with underlying hardware to share its resources dynamically among several operating systems.

Live multi-hop VM remote-migration over long distance

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and apparatus for regulating a supercharged internal combustion engine that has two rows of cylinders, with an exhaust turbocharger associated with each row, a control signal for adjusting at least one exhaust turbocharger is generated in a regulating unit, taking into account state parameters that describe the operating state of the engine. In order to supply the supercharged internal combustion engine uniformly with combustion air to regulate the engine, a state parameter is measured in the vicinity of the compressor of the exhaust turbocharger and a regulating parameter is formed from the state parameter according to a given control law. The control parameter is supplied as a control signal to a control member that influences the effective turbine cross section.

This application claims the priority of German Application No. 198 27 627.3, filed Jun. 20, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for regulating a supercharged internal combustion engine having two rows of cylinders with an exhaust turbocharger being associated with each row of cylinders, and with a regulating unit in which, taking into account state parameters that describe the operating state of the engine, a control signal is generated to adjust at least one exhaust turbocharger.
A multicylinder internal combustion engine with two parallel exhaust turbochargers is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,204 or German Patent document DE 38 32 965 A1 (which is the patent application from which U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,204 claims priority) . The symmetrically constructed engine consists of two banks of cylinders with an exhaust turbocharger associated with each bank. The turbines are driven by the exhaust in the exhaust line of each cylinder bank. The associated compressor is located in the intake manifold associated with this bank of cylinders.
In order to maintain the boost pressure in the intake manifolds of both cylinders at the same level, a regulating unit is provided that equalizes the differential pressure between the boost pressures in the intake manifolds downstream of the compressors. When a certain deviation occurs, a regulating signal is generated. The regulating signal is used to adjust a throttle located in a bypass line of the respective turbine. As a result, the turbine power, and consequently the compressor performance as well, can be influenced, whereupon an adjusted boost pressure is set in the intake system.
Because of the intrinsic dynamics of the system to be regulated, consisting of turbines, compressors, and throttles, this behavior has the disadvantage that the desired equalization of the boost pressure between the two intake manifolds is established only after a time delay. The regulating intervention at the throttle in the bypass of the turbine initially produces a change in the exhaust counterpressure upstream of the turbine. This change results in a modified turbine power which in turn acts on the boost pressure with a time delay. Particularly during non-steady-state operation of the engine, because of the time-delayed occurrence of the regulatory intervention, an undesired boost pressure differential can be established between the intake manifolds of the two rows of cylinders, so that a non-uniform charging of the cylinders in the two rows of cylinders with combustion air can result.
Another charged internal combustion engine is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,382. Here, the engine is equipped only a single exhaust turbocharger provided with variable turbine geometry for a variable adjustment of the effective turbine cross section. In this device, the boost pressure is measured downstream of the compressor and serves as the basis of the setting of the variable turbine geometry. However, the coordination of the operation of two exhaust turbochargers, one for each row of cylinders, is not the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,382.
The problem addressed by the invention is to uniformly supply combustion air to a supercharged internal combustion engine having two rows of cylinders with an exhaust turbocharger for each row, especially at all operating points and during non-steady-state operation.
This problem is solved by a method and apparatus according to the present invention. With the method according to the present invention, a state parameter of the engine is measured directly in the compressor or in the vicinity of a compressor, especially a state parameter that is proportional to the air mass flow through the compressor. As a result, a state parameter is established as the basis of regulation that represents measurement of the supply of combustion air to the rows of cylinders. Advantageously, a state parameter is measured in the vicinity of the compressor inlet.
The generated control signal is fed to a control member which directly influences the effective turbine cross section. Advantageously, the turbines of both exhaust turbochargers are provided with variably adjustable turbine geometry. By means of the control member, the effective turbine cross section can be adjusted. A control signal generated in the regulating unit in accordance with the regulating guideline employed is supplied to the control member. Depending on the regulating strategy employed, the state parameter can be regulated by adjusting one or both variable turbine geometries.
The non-steady-state behavior of the engine is particularly improved because deviations in regulation are detected directly and can be compensated more rapidly. The same air mass flow passes through both compressors, and any differences that may result from manufacturing tolerances for example are compensated. This results resulting in improved fuel consumption and low emissions. The regulating section is limited to sizes and engine components that have a direct influence on the air mass flow transmitted.
Differential regulation can be employed as an especially simple and rapidly performed type of regulation. Here, the difference between two variable physical engine state parameters is advantageously measured in the vicinity of the compressor inlet. Preferably, the state parameters include the air mass flow at the compressor inlet, the rpm of the exhaust turbocharger or the diffuser pressure (which is tapped in the inlet area of the compressor diffusers of the turbochargers). The difference between the two exhaust turbochargers is measured from these state parameters, advantageously with the aid of a differential sensor, and used as the basis for regulation. In differential regulation, in an advantageous fashion, the differential value is set to a reference value which is advantageously equal to zero, so that these state parameters assume the same setpoint in the vicinity of both compressor inlets.
According to another regulation method, the state parameter of only one exhaust turbocharger is compared with a set parameter. A differential value is formed from the difference between the state parameters of the first and second exhaust turbochargers. The state parameters of the first exhaust turbocharger and the differential value are added together. At least one of the two state parameters is varied to the point where a differential value assumes a reference value, especially zero. In this design, the exhaust turbocharger, whose state parameter is compared with the setpoint, assumes the task of a lead element. The state parameter of this turbocharger is initially regulated to the setpoint. The other exhaust turbocharger is set to follow the lead exhaust turbocharger, in which the difference between the state parameter of this turbocharger and the state parameter of the lead turbocharger is set to zero, so that the state parameters of both turbochargers assume the same value. The division into a lead and a following turbocharger has the advantage that only the absolute setpoint for the state parameter of the lead turbocharger must be specified, while on the other hand the state parameter of the following turbocharger is adjusted by differential regulation. Such regulation is simple to perform and sturdy from the regulation standpoint.
The setpoint can be added from a compressor characteristic map stored in the regulating unit, said map representing the relationship between the mass throughput and the total pressure ratio at different turbocharger rpm values. In the characteristic map, a plurality of engine operating curves for specific positions of the variable turbine geometry and certain engine rpm values can be stored for various engine loads and engine operating loads such as operation with acceleration or engine braking operation.
It is also possible to provide an exhaust recycling device that includes a recycling line and an adjustable, especially a regulatable, shutoff valve. In this case, state parameters of the exhaust recycling operation can also be stored in the compressor characteristic map.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method and apparatus for regulating a supercharged internal combustion engine


A crank trigger distributor assembly and method for sealing the crankcase from leaking vacuum through the distributor installation hole. A crank trigger distributor assembly and method for minimizing and/or preventing crankcase leakage, while being adjustable and adaptable to engine blocks or intake manifolds of various manufacturers. A crank trigger having a distributor stem, a collar located on the distributor stem, and at least one sealing element, the at least one sealing element incorporated within the collar. A crank trigger distributor assembly and method for adjusting rotor tip phasing without touching the distributor hold-down, as the cap itself can be adjusted.

A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes voltage from an ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. Crank trigger distributors are a specialized subset of distributors that are designed for racing engines that use a crankshaft triggered ignition. Their low profile lets them fit in tight quarters and still accurately deliver the sparks required for ignition.
Crank trigger distributors, and distributors in general, have a rotating arm or rotor inside the distributor cap, on top of the distributor shaft, that is insulated from the shaft and the body of the vehicle (ground). The distributor shaft is driven by a gear on the camshaft. The metal part of the rotor typically contacts the central high voltage cable from the coil via the cap. This may be accomplished through a cap having a spring loaded carbon brush or a rotor that has a flat spring that contacts the carbon brush. The metal part of the rotor arm passes close to (but does not touch) the output contacts which connect via high tension leads to the spark plug of each cylinder. As the rotor spins within the distributor, electrical current is able to jump the small gaps created between the rotor arm and the contacts due to the high voltage created by the ignition coil.
Existing crank trigger distributors suffer from various deficiencies. One such deficiency is that crank trigger distributors typically leak vacuum through the distributor installation hole in the intake manifold.
Other such deficiencies involve not being easily adjustable, so that the lower drive gear cannot properly mesh with the cam gear, without the crank trigger distributor being adjusted. This makes it difficult to design distributors that can be adapted to engine blocks or intake manifolds of various manufacturers. Furthermore, existing distributors are not both adjustable while also maintaining the positive seal to control crankcase vacuum.
The deficiencies of current crank trigger distributors is especially significant in automobile or truck racing engines as existing crank trigger distributors do not allow for a proper seal that prevents crankcase leakage when the engine builder is attempting to create a vacuum in the crankcase for increased horsepower. Racing engines require decreasing the pressure within the crankcase and increasing the pressures within the engine cylinder to produce optimum horsepower and performance. Decreasing the pressure within the crankcase allows for engines to deliver more performance for their size and also creates more efficient engines.
Existing distributor systems include U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,875 to Judd, U.S. Pat.
No. 4,306,125 to Fox et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,014 to Fox et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,407 to Heine These patents are herein incorporated by reference.
Existing distributor systems include U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,875 to Judd, U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,125 to Fox et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,014 to Fox et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,407 to Heine and MSD Ignition, Distributors, "Chevy V8 Crab Cap Distributor." These patents and publication to MSD Ignition are herein incorporated by reference.
However, none of these existing systems provide a distributor that prevents crankcase leakage, while being adjustable and adaptable to engine blocks or intake manifolds of various manufacturers.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a distributor and method to prevent or minimize crankcase leakage, while being adjustable and adaptable to engine blocks or intake manifolds of various manufacturers.
It is further desirable to provide a sealing assembly and method for making such a sealing assembly.


A quarterback trainer game apparatus is provided and consists of a flexible back panel suspended from a frame member which is suspended from a support structure. Large and small netting basket pockets are carried in the back panel while a back up net having a bottom ball retainer portion is secured to the frame member to hang loose. When a football is thrown by a person and misses the large and small netting basket pocket it will hit the back up net and fall into the bottom ball retainer portion.

The instant invention relates generally to football practicing equipment and more specifically it relates to a quarterback trainer game apparatus.
Numerous football practicing equipment have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to help football players enhance their playing skills. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,618 to Nedwick all are illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purpose of the present invention as hereafter described.


The present invention relates to a user interface provision method and to a system using the method, and more specifically relates to: a user interface provision method in which video signals provided from a plurality of content providers are generated in a browsing interface and supplied to a display device; and a system using the method.

A digital broadcast receiver is an apparatus having a function for displaying videos which can be viewed by a user. The user may view broadcasting through the digital broadcast receiver. The digital broadcast receiver displays broadcasting selected by the user from broadcast signals transmitted from a broadcasting station.
Digital broadcasting means broadcasting for transmitting digital image and audio signals. Since digital broadcasting is robuster to external noise than analog broadcasting, it little causes data loss, is more favorable for error correction, has high resolution, and provides definite picture image. Also, digital broadcasting enables bidirectional services unlike analog broadcasting.
Recently, various types of contents services such as real-time broadcasting, contents on demand (COD), games and news may be provided using an Internet network connected with each home in addition to the existing propagation or wire cable medium.
An example of contents services based on an Internet network may include an internet protocol TV (IPTV). The IPTV means that various information services, moving picture contents and broadcasting are provided to a receiver of a user through the Internet network. The Internet network may be implemented on various kinds of networks, such as optical cable network, coaxial cable network, fiber to the home (FTTH), phone network, and wireless network, on an Internet protocol (IP).
In case of a service based on the Internet network described as above, unlike general terrestrial broadcasting, bidirectionality may be added, and the user may view its desired contents at his/her convenience time.
In the meantime, the number of content providers, which provide these contents, has been increased geometrically, and contents may be provided from a plurality of content providers to the digital broadcast receiver.
In order to select one of the plurality of content providers and use a predetermined content provider by the selected content provider, the user should first select one content provider through the digital broadcast receiver. In particular, as the number of content providers is increased, much time may be required to select one content provider, and the user may have inconvenience in viewing the contents.
Also, each of users who use the IPTV system may desire to receive information on contents provided by the IPTV system differently from the other users. However, a problem occurs in that the IPTV system according to the related art fails to meet such a request of the user.

User interface provision method and a system using the method


To provide a method for producing a PTFE fine powder having a low paste extrusion pressure property by a simple method. The method for producing a PTFE fine power comprises emulsion polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene in the presence of an aqueous medium, a fluorinated surfactant and a radical polymerization initiator, to produce an aqueous PTFE emulsion, and coagulating it in the presence of at least one bulk density-reducing compound selected from the group consisting of ammonia, an ammonium salt and urea in an amount of from 0.4 to 10 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of PTFE.

A polytetrafluoroethylene fine powder is produced by coagulating an aqueous emulsion of polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as PTFE) obtained by polymerization of tetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter referred to as TFE) in an aqueous medium by using an emulsifier, so-called an emulsion polymerization method, to prepare a polytetrafluoroethylene fine powder (hereinafter referred to as PTFE fine powder) in a wet state, and then drying it. Since the PTFE fine powder is likely to be fiberized when shearing force is applied, it is molded by a special method, and then used for various purposes.
As one of the molding methods of the PTFE fine powder, paste extrusion molding has been employed (for example, Non-Patent Document 1). That is, to the PTFE fine powder, a lubricant such as naphtha or a petroleum hydrocarbon having a dry point of at least 100° C. is added and uniformly impregnated to obtain a mixture. Then, the mixture is preliminary molded to a desired shape such as a tubular form to prevent fiberization of the PTFE fine powder and then charged to an extrusion cylinder and subjected to plastic deformation by a ram to obtain an extrusion molded product. Then, the extrusion molded product is heated in a drying oven to remove the lubricant by evaporation and sintered in a heating oven, whereby a desired molded material can be obtained. Otherwise, the extrusion molded product is subjected to rolling by rollers before the lubricant evaporates to obtain a sheet or a film, and then, after removal of the lubricant, the sheet or the film is subjected to stretching at a low stretching rate, to obtain an unsintered green tape. Further, by monoaxially or biaxially stretching the unsintered green tape at a high stretching rate at a high speed in a heated condition, a high strength porous film or sheet can be obtained.
Usually, with regard to the PTFE fine powder, the lower the extrusion pressure at the time of paste extrusion, the higher the productivity or yield of the product, and therefore the low extrusion pressure property is desired for the PTFE fine powder.
As a method to obtain a PTFE fine powder having a low extrusion pressure property, Patent Document 1 discloses applying radiation such as γ-ray to the PTFE fine powder.
Further, as a method to obtain a PTFE fine powder having a low extrusion pressure property, a method is known wherein the drying temperature is set at a low temperature during a drying step of the PTFE fine powder in a wet state which is obtained by coagulating an aqueous PTFE emulsion after emulsion polymerization. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses that an extrusion pressure as low as possible can be achieved in paste extrusion molding by conducting drying at a low temperature of from about 40° C. to about 80° C. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses the method to increase the content of a lubricant to be used at the time of paste extrusion.

Method for producing polytetrafluoroethylene fine powder


The invention is a device comprising a substrate and a material provided on at least a portion of the substrate and having an exposed surface. The exposed surface of the material is non bio-adhesive. The invention further includes a non bio-adhesive material composition and a method of making a device having the same non bio-adhesive surface. The invention further provides a device having a coating of a hydrophobic material. In particular, the hydrophobic material coated portion of the device is resistant to bio-adhesion.

This invention relates generally to polymer-based coatings and more particularly to non bio-adhesive polymer-based coatings.
The aim of applying coatings is to improve surface properties of an object. Coatings can affect physical properties of various materials depending upon the chemical composition of the coating materials. Such properties include, but are not limited to, adhesion, corrosiveness, scratch resistance, wash resistance, waterproof, and color proof. Advances in coating chemistry have increased the quality, specificity (such as hydrophobicity) and compatibility of coatings with various objects and their use in various applications. For example, silicone resins are used for durable hydrophobic surface coatings. In another example, surface modification of polyester fibers is carried out by plasma polymerization coating technique using hexamethyldisiloxane to form a high water-repellency and super-hydrophobic coating.
Antibacterial coatings for medical devices have long been needed in biomedical and biological applications. For example, antibacterial coatings are used in connection with cell and tissue culture applications, in devices for cell based and protein based assays, in medical devices such as injectable cell delivery vehicles, in CT or MR machines, in surgical devices, in devices for immunoisolation-based therapies and in other in vitro or in vivo usages.
Cell-based assays have become an integral part of drug screening in the pharmaceutical industry. These assays are useful in evaluating potential drug targets by functionally characterizing the effects of drugs on cells, and in assessing specificity and efficacy of drug leads to identify potential targets for drugs and also to determine the mechanism of action of that drug to identify its target. There is an increasing need for high throughput cell-based assays in the functional exploration of genomes and also for analyzing phenotypes associated with genome functionality. Cell microarrays provide an attractive solution while providing a slide for at least 5000-6000 spots, which enables a genome-wide screen on only a few slides. Therefore, cell microarray would increase the throughput significantly, while at the same time minimizing the use of expensive reagents and scarce biological samples such as rare cells. However, adherent cells have a tendency to expand over the available surrounding surface and cause cross contamination over other neighboring spots. Therefore, to spot cells in high-density cell growth on slides or plates is becoming a challenge for biologists. A successful mechanism for the prevention of cross-contamination of cells and DNA between adjacent colonies or DNA spots has not yet been successfully implemented. A non bio-adhesive coating on slides may help to maintain cells on one particular spot and render high-density cell array feasible. Therefore, an emerging need in various areas of biology and medicine is the development of cell culture support, equipment for cell-based assays and cell microarrays and devices for medical purposes, that are resistant to contamination. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to develop a biocompatible non bio-adhesive coating for use in such applications.

Non bio-adhesive polymer coating composition, articles and devices thereof