A method of providing in a packet switched telecommunications network, for a communications session involving a user of said packet switched telecommunications network a value added service associated with a circuit switched telecommunication network. The method comprises the steps of establishing a first signaling data stream of a first basic call state model of a packet switched dedicated protocol type between the packet switched telecommunications network and a service interface adapter unit, and establishing a second signaling data stream of a second basic call state model of a circuit switched dedicated protocol type between the service interface adapter unit and the circuit switched telecommunications network, based on information from the first signaling data stream, for providing the value added service from the circuit switched telecommunications network. The information is augmented with further information for establishing the second signaling data stream, and for exchanging data between the first and second signaling data stream for providing the value added service to the user through the packet switched telecommunications network.

Mobile networks are currently evolving from pure circuit switched (CS) networks towards internet protocol (IP) based packet switched (PS) networks, and by that seamlessly integrate into IP based infrastructure that is also used for the Internet, the World Wide Web and the datacom industry. One trend seen on the telecommunications market is that mobile operators want to migrate their customer base from the CS domain towards IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) domain in order to open up for new revenue streams from the new services available in IMS. Another trend to be observed is that mobile operators try to increase the revenues by extending the customer base to the fixed access domain. This is done by acquiring new fixed subscribers, but also by offering a fixed line access for existing mobile subscribers.
An essential problem of IMS migration is that customers are used to the services that are available in the CS domain. Those services include the supplementary services as defined for global system for mobile communications (GSM), but also operator specific services and customized services implemented via the capabilities of intelligent networks (IN) and customised applications for mobile networks enhanced logic (CAMEL).
In order to resolve the above problem, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has specified the IP Multimedia Service Switching Function (IM-SSF). The IM-SSF is, as defined in the corresponding 3GPP specification TS 23.218, a CAMEL functional entity that provides the interworking between session initiation protocol (SIP) session control and the CAMEL state models. The IM-SSF also provides a CAMEL interface to the home subscriber server (HSS) for downloading the subscriber's CAMEL Subscription Information (CSI) data for IMS. In fact, the IM-SSF is a session initiation protocol (SIP) application server (SIP-AS) that interfaces SIP to a CAMEL application part (CAP) similar signalling protocol.
The IM-SSF is a SIP Application Server (SIP-AS) in IMS, enabling provisioning of CS services to users of the IMS network. It therefore has an incoming SIP signalling data stream, an outgoing SIP signalling data stream, and at least an outgoing CAP-like data stream. The CAP-like data stream provides detection points to a sort of CAMEL service environment (CSE), enabling provision of the desired CS services.
Even though the CAP-like data stream provided by the IM-SSF corresponds to a 3GPP standardized CAP protocol version, it is tailor made for the IM-SSF and therefore slightly differs from CAP versions as used in a standard CSE in an IN/CAMEL network. The reason for using a tailor made CAP version with the IM-SSF is that the IM-SSF uses IP multimedia basic call state model (IM-BCSM) as the basic call state model (BCSM) on the basis of which detection points (DP) in CAP are provided to the CSE. IM-BSCM is the BSCM that is used for SIP signalling in the IMS network, and due to the different nature of IMS networks and IN/CAMEL networks, it differs from basic call state models used in IN/CAMEL networks, such as O-BCSM or T-BCSM under standard CAP versions used in circuit switched networks. In order to provide services based on this tailor made CAP-like protocol used by the IM-SSF, it requires a CSE which is tailored to the CAP-like data stream provided by the IM-SSF. A standard CSE available in regular IN/CAMEL CS networks cannot be applied, because the CAP version of the CAP data stream supported by the IM-SSF cannot be processed in such an environment. The tailor made CSE used for providing the services to users of the IMS network is therefore an adapted version of a regular CSE, and is made available in the IMS network where it is usually implemented.
Due to the mismatch between IM-BCSM based detection points provided by the CAP date stream from the IM-SSF, the adapted CSE used by the IM-SSF for providing services in the IMS is a restricted environment wherein a limited number of services may be provided. Each new service to be provided in the IMS network has to be implemented separately in the CSE tailored for the IM-SSF. This re-implementation of services in IMS (which services were already available in the CS network) is costly, as it has to be tailored to the non-standard CAP-like version provided by the IM-SSF.
On the other hand, existing implementations of the services in the circuit switched network, subject to main investments at the time these implementations were made, are left unused and thus gradually become obsolete.

Method of providing value added service in a packet switched telecommunications network and a service interface adapter for use in such method


A heat-radiating structure co-usable with heat-radiating window of a housing of an electronic appliance, including a housing having a rigid wall defining an interior space. At least one side of the rigid wall is formed with an opening or a heat-radiating window and multiple fin units each having a free end and a connecting end connecting with an adjacent fin unit. The fin units are serially arranged to form a fin construction. The adjacent fin units define a pitch or exhaustion gap meeting the safety standard regulated by IEC. The heat-radiating structure further has a fan unit having a connecting section connected with the connecting ends of the fin construction. The fan unit is formed with a flow way for conducting the heat generated in the housing toward the fin construction and dissipated out from the opening or heat-radiating window through the pitch or exhaustion gap.

The present invention is related to an improved heat-radiating structure co-usable with heat-radiating window of a housing of an electronic appliance. The heat-radiating structure includes multiple fin units forming a fin construction assembled in the heat-radiating window of the housing. The pitch between the adjacent fin units meets the safety standard regulated by IEC. Also, the heat-radiating structure can be easily manufactured.
Electronic appliance such as computer having a CPU or microprocessor in a housing will generate high heat. It is necessary to dissipate the heat. Otherwise, the heat will lead to loss of operation power or failure. Also, the heat will shorten the using life of the relevant components. A fan unit is mounted in the housing for circulating the airflow so as to radiate the heat out from the heat-radiating slots formed on the housing.
IEC regulates a safety standard of the heat-radiating slots for preventing alien articles from dropping into the housing through the heat-radiating slots and resulting in short circuit. That is, the width of the heat-radiating slot must be under 1 mm. However, it is a trend to manufacture the housing of the electronic appliance with plastic material instead of metal material so as to facilitate the manufacturing procedure and reduce the weight of the whole electronic appliance and lower manufacturing cost. In practice, it is hard to manufacture the housing by plastic injection molding and control the width of the heat-radiating slot under 1 mm. As shown in FIG. 1, the heat-radiating slot is quite narrow so that it is difficult to manufacture the mold. In addition, when molded, the screens y between the heat-radiating slots x are easy to have irregular edges. This leads to poor appearance. It is time-consuming to process and remove the irregular edges. Therefore, the manufacturing efficiency will be affected and the cost will be increased.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved heat-radiating structure co-usable with heat-radiating window of a housing of an electronic appliance. The heat-radiating structure makes the heat-radiating window of the housing of the electronic appliance free from the above regulation so that a manufacturer can easily manufacture the housing.
According to the above objects, the heat-radiating structure of the present invention includes: a housing having a rigid wall defining an interior space, at least one side of the rigid wall being formed with an opening or a heat-radiating window; and multiple fin units each having a free end and a connecting end connecting with an adjacent fin unit. The fin units form a series of fin constructions arranged at intervals. The adjacent fin units define a pitch or exhaustion gap under the standard value of 1 mm regulated by IEC. A fan unit is disposed behind the fin construction. The fan unit has a connecting section at front for connecting with the connecting end of the fin construction. The fan unit is formed with a flow way for conducting the heat generated in the housing toward the fin construction and dissipated out from the opening or heat-radiating window through the pitch or exhaustion gap.
The fin unit can be made of metal material such as aluminum and the total weight of the heat-radiating structure is possibly reduced. The front edges of the free ends of the fin construction are in flush with the inner face of the opening or heat-radiating window of the housing.
The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

Heat-radiating structure co-usable with heat-radiating window of a housing of an electronic appliance


An apparatus which provides various functions for physical and/or mental relaxation, as well as for health care of a user, and a method of implementing the apparatus, include downloading personal data of the user from a user terminal to a personally customized bed and controlling one or more functions of the personally customized bed based on the personal data.

1. Field
Disclosed herein is an apparatus for providing various functions related to physical and/or mental relaxation of a user, as well as for health care of the user, and a method of implementing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a result of ongoing and rapid industrial development, the air people breathe contains increasing amounts of materials which are harmful to the human body. In addition, disease rates have been continuously increasing due to physical and mental stress, among other things. Furthermore, electromagnetic waves generated by electronic devices, for example, further threaten people's health and well being. Accordingly, development of electronic appliances, such as washing machines which release anions, for example, has been increasingly focused on consideration of public health, instead of merely on improving performance of the electronic appliances.

Personally customized electronic furniture and method of implementing the same


An object of the invention is to be capable of easily acquiring a fabric having a desired feeling using a stretch yarn. A knitting controller (20) controls a carriage (5), and the like, according to knitting data and control data stored in a memory (21). Data representing relationships between a gauge texture and a stitch loop length being obtained after knitting and the relationships between these gauge texture and stitch loop length and the length and tension of the stretch yarn (2) being fed at the time of knitting are collected previously and stored in the memory (21) in the form of table data. The knitting controller (20) sets control target values of the length and tension of the stretch yarn (2) for a yarn feed controller (23) such that a gauge texture and a stitch loop length being specified by an input unit (22) can be attained, with reference to the table data stored in the memory (21).

In the related art, a stretch yarn using stretch fibers such as those of rubber has been used in underwear, socks or sportswear. The stretch yarn such as a single-covered yarn has also been used in knitted products such as sweaters (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 09-324334 (1997), for example). This single-covered stretch yarn is formed by singly winding a core yarn of highly stretchable polyurethane around a sheath yarn of other fibers. A double-covered stretch yarn which a sheath yarn us doubly wound is also fabricated (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 10-077538 (1998), for example). Polyether-ester is also used in the core yarn to be covered (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 08-325874 (1996), for example). The core spun yarn, which is spun to have the core yarn of the stretch fibers surrounded by other fibers, is also used as the stretch yarn (refer to JP-A 2003-073947, for example).
Knitted products are characterized by having a specific feeling on the basis of knitting loops. There has already been developed a method for producing a knitted product having a desired feeling with an ordinary knitting yarn other than a stretch yarn while controlling a loop length of the stitches (refer to Japanese Examined Patent Publication JP-B2 2676182, for example). In this knitting, the control of the stitch loop length is important so that a feeding device for the necessary stitch loop length has also been developed (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 11-500500 (1999) and JP-A 2002-227064, for example).
The methods of JP-B2 2676182 and JP-A 2002-227064 are supposed to use the ordinary knitting yarn other than the stretch yarn. The introduction of "Detailed Description of the Invention" of JP-A 11-500500 describes that the invention relates to an electronic control feeding device containing the stretch yarn. This feeding device is provided with a stretch sensor so that the device feeds the knitting yarn to knit the stretch yarn under a predetermined tension. However, this device is deficient in the knitting of a variable texture such as knit, tuck and miss stitches. Although the tension can be set on the stretch yarn used, what feeling a fabric knitted under the set tension takes is not known before the fabric is actually knitted. For the desired fabric, therefore, the try-and-check has to be continued to take a long time period for the production.

Knitting method and system using stretch yarn


A multi-position display rack includes first and second sides having parallel mounting faces and front and rear columns of spaced apertures aligned in opposition to define front and rear sets of apertures. A removable shelf is adapted to be supported between the first and second sides and includes a frame having front and rear hooks. The front hooks are connected to the frame for rotative and sliding movement within an adjustment zone. Support elements extend through the adjustment zone and contact the front hooks to transfer loads from the shelf to the first and second sides. The rear hooks lock the shelf to a set of rear apertures and the front hooks may engage a plurality of selected sets of front apertures.

This invention relates to racks for supporting items in a highly visible and readily accessible position for display and sale to the public. In particular, the present invention relates to such a display rack including at least one removable shelf having front hooks which are rotatively and slidably moveable within an adjustment zone such that the front hooks may engage a plurality of selected sets of front apertures in order to dispose the shelf in various different inclined positions.
A wide variety of display devices have been designed and manufactured for use in merchandising shelved products to consumers. A major disadvantage of prior art shelving designs is a lack easily adjustable shelves. When adjustable shelves are provided, the range of adjustment is limited, the act of adjusting of the shelves is complicated and the shelves are not stable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,971, issued to Boron, et al., describes an adjustable shelf support structure for use in product merchandising display equipment which includes members that telescopingly engage each other such that the members can be moved relative to one another to change the overall width of the support shelf. These members further include a mechanism for varying the effective length of opposing sides of the shelf. A plurality of hooks are provided and one is disposed at each corner of the shelf. The hooks are rotationally and slidingly moveable with respect to the members such that the hooks may engage existing display equipment so as to orient the shelf in either a substantially flat horizontal position or an inclined position for gravity feed operations. The hooks are freely moveable with respect to the members such that the shelf hangs from the hooks. Connecting the shelf to the support is difficult because each hook is independently moveable with respect to the other. Thus, control of the shelf during installation is compromised. Further, there is no structure in connection with the shelf which locks the shelf in place to prevent disengagement of the hooks as a result of unintentional jostling. Accordingly, the shelf of this invention is not stable and product may be damaged as a result.
Further disadvantages of prior art display racks include an apparatus where clips are attached to the upright supports so that the shelf may be disposed thereupon. In this manner, the shelf may be positioned at various different heights and inclinations. However, this design is not easily adjustable as a user must manually support or remove the shelf in order to reposition the support clips into the newly desired position.
Therefore, there is a need for a multi-position display rack having adjustable shelves which are exceptionally simple and economical, sturdy, and lockable into the desired position.


A method of changing dies for a press machine of the type including two or more slides (3a, 4a) arranged in a side-by-side relationship of which lower dead point in terms of a crank angle is different from one another, wherein a resilient member (10) is interposed between upper die halves (7a, 8a) and lower die halves (7b, 8b) for the respective slides (3a, 4a) and movement of the respective slides (3a, 4a) is simultaneously interrupted at a crank angle in the proximity of an intermediate angle between the plural lower dead points so that clamping of upper die halves (7a, 8a) to and unclamping of the upper die halves (7a, 8a) from the respective slides are achieved during the interruption of movement of the respective slides, whereby mounting of dies on or dismounting of the same from presses is simultaneously achieved for the respective slides (3a, 4a).

As shown in FIG. 10, a hitherto known transfer press employable mainly for deep drawing operations is provided with a link driven type slide b adapted to be driven by a link mechanism on the upstream side as seen in the direction of transference of works (as represented by an arrow mark a) and an eccentric gear driven type slide (hereinafter referred to as an eccentric driven type slide) d adapted to be driven by an eccentric portion on the main shaft via a connecting rod on the downstream side.
With such conventional transfer press, a crank angle representative of the lower dead point of the link driven type slide b for deep drawing operation on the upstream side is deviated from a crank angle representative of the lower dead point of the eccentric driven type slide d by an angle in the range of 10.degree. to 20.degree.. For the reason, when the one slide has reached the lower dead point, the other slide has still a certain amount of gap between the upper die half and the lower die half.
In view of this fact, conventional die changing is achieved for two slides in such a manner that one of the dies is separately unclamped from the corresponding slide at the different time when the latter is lowered to its lower dead point. This leads to drawbacks that a long time is required for die changing and die changing operations are performed at a reduced efficiency.
The present invention has been made with the foregoing background in mind and its object resides in providing a method of changing dies for a press machine of the type including two or more slides of which lower dead point in terms of a crank angle is different from each other which assures that the dies on the slides can simultaneously be exchanged with another ones and a time required for die changing can be reduced substantially.

Method of changing dies for a press machine


A system and method for detection and analysis of learner's/performers cognitive flow have been provided. The system is configured to measure the cognitive state of the performer, while they are performing tasks of various complexity levels, using physiological responses like brain activation, heart rate variability and galvanic skin response. The system uses a Bayesian network based framework to probabilistically evaluate the cognitive state of the learner from the difficulty levels of the tasks, IQ level of the learner and observations made using the physiological sensing. The system also measures the actual cognitive state using a questionnaire. The predicted cognitive state and the actual cognitive state is compared and based on the outcome of comparison a relevant step is taken.

In psychology, cognitive flow is a state of mind involving complete attention with a sense of enjoyment. A person's skill and the challenge of a task together result in different emotional states. When skill is too low and the task too challenging, people become anxious. Alternatively, if the task is too easy and skill is comparatively higher, people become bored. However, when the skill and the challenge are relatively proportional, people enter in a flow state, i.e. state of focused concentration and enjoyment.
It is very challenging to provide a learning experience to a person such as a student or a working professional in which a steady cognitive flow state is maintained i.e. which is meaningful, motivated and at the same time enjoyable in nature. This often affects the students who cannot learn or do not want to learn due to lack of engagement or guidance. The same is also true for the working professional in industries. It is very necessary to provide steady flow state to a learner. Further, it is also important to know the mental state of the person in order to maintain the optimum level of performance.
The mental state of an individual varies according to their IQ levels, task difficulties or other psychological or environmental reasons. The skill level of an individual is directly related to his or her IQ level and is treated as the prior knowledge of the individual. On the other hand, the challenge of the task is synonymous to the task difficulty level.
There are different approaches for measuring the flow state mainly indirect and direct approach. Indirect approach involves namely, (i) semi-structured interviews—for measuring a qualitative performance, (ii) questionnaires—flow state questionnaires/scales used to describe user experience and performance, (iii) experience sampling method—objective is to measure flow and other states of consciousness occurring in activities encountered in everyday life. The other indirect approach involve flow measurement in different domains like piano playing, video-game, online games, social networking sites, e-commerce business etc. These indirect approaches seem to be feasible and less complex, but they are not reliable enough.
The direct approaches involve analyzing the brain signals captured using techniques like functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), functional Near Infra-Red (fNIR) etc. Currently, Electroencephalography (EEG) is extensively being used in educational tasks through the advent of Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology. In a research, greater left temporal alpha activity was noticed when compared to that of right temporal lobe affecting the performance associated with flow. In conjunction to this, the mid beta activity and theta activity also have an effect on performance whereas there was no significant results with respect to delta waveforms. In higher alpha activity coupled with lower beta activity is found to be characterized for flow state. Recently low cost devices are being used for analyzing the effect of various elementary cognitive tasks. Some of these works also suggested using other physiological responses like GSR and heart rate for assessing the flow state. The main problem of using multichannel physiological sensors is that, the results obtained from the multiple sensors need to be fused using an appropriate mechanism.
Prior attempts at such EEG measurements, however, have not been fruitful because of two major shortcomings. First, there was the failure to measure brain activity while the subject performed a task taxing the subject's mental processes, such as working memory, that are highly related to overall performance. Merely recording brain activity while the subject sits idly, watching a meaningless flashing light, or performing a task not requiring her or his full attention is insufficient to produce patterns of brain activity characterizing changes in an individual's overall performance over an extended time period. Second, there was a reliance on single, overly simplistic measures of brain function derived from theoretical constructs without sufficient support from empirical data.
Bayesian network is becoming an increasingly popular technique to model uncertain and complex domains. Unlike classical statistical models, BN allow the introduction of prior knowledge into models. This prevents extraneous data to be considered which might alter desired results. Bayesian network uses the concept of conditional probability which is proven to be very useful in applications to the real world problem domain, where probability of occurrence of an event is conditionally dependent on the probability of occurrence of a previous event. Bayesian Network modelling has been used in the areas of medicine, document classification, information retrieval, image processing, decision support system, gaming, bioinformatics, gene analysis etc.

Method and system for detection and analysis of cognitive flow


Optoelectronic device modules having a silicon photonics transmitter die connected to a silicon interposer are described. In an example, the optoelectronic device module includes a silicon photonics transmitter die connected to a silicon interposer, and the silicon interposer is disposed between the silicon photonics transmitter die and a substrate. The silicon interposer provides an electrical interconnect between the silicon photonics transmitter die and the substrate, and reduces a likelihood that a hybrid silicon laser on the silicon photonics transmitter die will be damaged during module operation.

Modern data centers require high-bandwidth, low-power optical interconnects between servers and chips to handle the increasing functional demands of Big data and connectivity. To service this need, a highly-integrated optical module having a hybrid laser array integrated on a silicon platform may be used. The highly-integrated optical module is an application of "silicon photonics," and can allow for an optolectronic device module to be developed having a bandwidth exceeding 100 Gbps. The optoelectronic device module may thus be used for high performance computing, e.g., as an on-board optical pluggable module for a Big data center.

Optoelectronic device module having a silicon interposer


A latch device includes a case, a rod juts out from inside the case so as to adopt an advanced position, a rod biasing member biases the rod in a jutting out direction pushing the rod out from inside the case, a lock mechanism that includes a slide cam that moves together with the rod in the jutting out direction and a rotation cam that is relatively rotatable with respect to the slide cam about an axis of the rod, with the lock mechanism locking the rod in a retracted position in the case due to the rotation cam engaging with the slide cam and rotating due to the rod being pressed in, a guide mechanism for rotating the rod about the axial direction thereof when the rod is advancing or retracting, and an engagement portion that engages with an engaged portion when the rod has been locked.

Hitherto, as an example of a latch device for retaining a member, attached so as to be capable of opening and closing, in a closed position, a device has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) No. H5-7407. This conventional technology includes a tube shaped body, a sleeve that is housed inside the body and has a sleeve jutting out portion that is a portion jutting out from the body, a shaft having a portion housed inside the body and another portion configured as an anchor head that passes through the sleeve and juts out therefrom, and a shaft rotation means that rotates the shaft by a specific angle each time the sleeve jutting out portion is pressed in toward the inside of the body.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Apparatus for inducing electrically charged alignment changes in biological tissue includes a generally flat translucent cavity containing a volume of gas that includes water vapor, carbon dioxide and other similarly common molecules that is charged along one surface by a sequence of pulses of electrical charge each of a potential sufficient to excite the common molecules to a higher state. The opposite side of the cavity is then conformed for intimate contact with the skin of a person, thus communicating the right hand spin electromagnetic pulses associated with each excitation level change into the tissue. A pulsed coil is then provided in an alignment generally parallel to the plane of the cavity to polarize the clockwise electromagnetic emissions associated with the changes in the excitation states.

1. The Technical Field
The present invention relates to pulsed charge devices, and more particularly to charged surfaces coupled to anatomical parts polarized to a right hand clockwise spin by a pulsed electromagnetic field to induce electron state changes in the biological matter.
2. The Prior Art
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,760 issued on Dec. 11, 2001 I have described a plasma device conformed to ionize certain prevalent biological elements and molecules with the emission spectra of this ionization process then coupling efficiently with the dominant element and molecular structures in living matter. In consequence, repair and reconstruction of living cells is both accelerated and enhanced by the illumination with these selected spectra. Since that time I have discovered that a filly developed ionization process need not be utilized and an electrical potential between the living matter and the charge sufficient to change some of the electron states of the molecular combinations of living tissue may produce the necessary molecular lattice rearrangement to promote growth or healing.
Earlier I and others have observed that virtually all living functions entail electrical potential balances and the cell itself closely mimics a 'wet circuit'. Sporadic disruptions of these potential balances, either because of the introduction of some contaminant or as result of some unwanted change in the charge architecture, seem to be the causative events that lead to disease and it is the rearrangement of this charge architecture anomalies that appear to be at the heart of the process that I earlier described in the '760 us patent. Of course, excepting those abnormalities that reach into the genome itself most of these electro-potential effects seem to be at the larger or macro level, such as those affecting the Na+/K+ pump, and the excitation of just some of the more basic molecules appears to be sufficient to assist in rearranging the other charge architectures back to their normal states.
The foregoing effect appears to have some confirmation in scientific literature. For example, Horwitz, L R, Burke, T J, Carnegie, D, 1999. Augmentation of Wound Healing Using Monochromatic Infrared Energy; Exploration of a New Technology for Wound Management. Advances in Wound Care 12:35-40 describes the use of 890 nanometer monochromatic light effectively treating recalcitrant dermal lesions and ulcers that sometimes resisted conventional care for more than 39 years. Similarly, living tissue molecular array response to weak electric and magnetic fields has long been recognized. See, e.g., Adey, W R, Bawin, S M Brain Interactions with Weak Electric and Magnetic Fields. Neurosciences Research Program Bulletin 15(1):1-129. These and other publications clearly establish an interactive relationship between living tissue and weak electromagnetic fields.
Notably, however, this same effect is also associated with emission of light in unique and distinct spectral patterns with a symmetrical result then obtained by absorption of the light energy in similar molecular structures illuminated thereby. In the bulk tissue structure this interchange is polarity dependent obtainable in an electromagnetic right hand spin polarizing field which may be overlayed over the emitting source. Accordingly, a mechanism for conveniently producing such right hand spin polarized emission fields that induce response in living tissue including electron state changes is extensively desired and it one such mechanism that is disclosed herein.

Apparatus for applying pulsed charge to living matter


A method for estimating signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) using a method with low bias that is effective for both positive SNRs and small to negative SNRs. The method is based on an iterative solution for the maximum likelihood estimate of the amplitude from which the SNR can be computed. The method is applicable for various modulated systems, including BPSK, QPSK and MPSK.

The invention relates to processing of communications signals. More particularly, the invention relates to the estimation of the communication signal power in terms of signal-to-noise ratio.
In the field of communications, various types of systems use algorithms that depend on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimate for proper operation. Code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, such as time division duplex CDMA (TDD/CDMA) and time division synchronous CDMA (TDSCDMA) and frequency division duplex CDMA (FDD/CDMA) and CDMA 2000, use SNR estimation for power control to maintain the required link quality while using the minimum transmitted power. An asymmetric digital subscriber loop (ADSL) system uses SNR for the bit allocation algorithm to select the maximum transmission data rate. In turbo decoders, both the determined signal power and noise power are required. Rate adaptive transmission systems often use SNR to dynamically adapt the modulation scheme or the coding rate.
Several algorithms are known for performing SNR estimation. One such algorithm, the received data-aided (RXDA) estimation, is based on the following equation:                     SNR        =                                            (                                                1                  N                                                                                ∑                                          k                      =                      1                                        N                                                                          "LeftBracketingBar"                                          r                      k                                        "RightBracketingBar"                                                              )                        2                                                              1                N                                                                            ∑                                      k                    =                    1                                    N                                                                  r                  k                  2                                                      -                                          (                                                      1                    N                                                                                ∑                                              k                        =                        1                                            N                                                                                "LeftBracketingBar"                                              r                        k                                            "RightBracketingBar"                                                                      )                            2                                                          Equation                          xe2x80x83                        1
where r is the received signal vector and N is the number of sample points read by the receiver for the vector r.
Another known algorithm is the transmitted data-aided (TXDA) algorithm, which is represented by the equation:                     SNR        =                                            (                                                1                  N                                                                                ∑                                          k                      =                      1                                        N                                                                                r                      k                                                                                a                      k                                                                                )                        2                                                              1                                  N                  -                  3                                                                                ∑                                      k                    =                    1                                    N                                                                  r                  k                  2                                                      -                                          1                                                      N                                                              (                                              N                        -                        3                                            )                                                                                xe2x80x83                                                                                (                                                            ∑                                              k                        =                        1                                            N                                                                                r                        k                                                                                a                        k                                                                              )                                2                                                                        Equation                          xe2x80x83                        2
A third known algorithm for SNR estimation is represented as:                     SNR        =                              N            2                                                        (                                                ∑                                      k                    =                    1                                                        N                    /                    2                                                                                (                                                                        "LeftBracketingBar"                                                      r                                                                                2                                                                k                                                            -                              1                                                                                "RightBracketingBar"                                                -                                                  "LeftBracketingBar"                                                      r                                                          2                                                            k                                                                                "RightBracketingBar"                                                                    )                                        2                                                                              r                                                                        2                                                    k                                                -                        1                                            2                                        +                                          r                                              2                                                k                                            2                                                                                )                                      -              1                                                          Equation                          xe2x80x83                        3
The algorithms for Equations 1 and 3 are performed blind without any pilot signal. In contrast, the TDXA algorithm uses a pilot signal with known training sequences, which provides enhanced performance. The drawback of TDXA is that additional equipment is required to process the training sequence. Although the RXDA and Equation 3 algorithms work well when the SNR is high, their performance suffers at low and negative SNRs, where they are known to have a high bias. This is problematic for various communication systems. For example, turbo code applications are known to experience negative ratios of symbol energy to noise density. In CDMA systems, the chip energy to noise density is often negative. Hence, there is a need to develop a blind SNR estimation method that works well at low and negative values without the benefit of a training sequence.
A method for low bias estimation of small or negative signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for a communication signal is presented. The method is iterative and comprises choosing an initial minimum and maximum estimate of the signal amplitude and determining the mean thereof. Next, associated minimum and maximum noise variances are calculated based on the amplitude values. Using probability density, maximum likelihood estimates of the minimum, maximum and mean amplitudes are then derived. Based on whether the mean amplitude estimate increases or decreases, the initial minimum or maximum estimate is set equal to the maximum likelihood mean amplitude, and the resolution between the new minimum and maximum estimates is determined. The method is repeated until the resolution is within the acceptable limit, at which point the SNR is calculated from the mean amplitude.

Low bias method for estimating small signal-to-noise ratio


An assembly configured for attachment to a media drive can include a base with a hinge end and a hinge axis and a handle with a hinge end, a locking tab and a swing end where the handle is configured for a locked orientation with respect to the base with the hinge end of the base extending outwardly beyond the hinge end of the handle and configured for an unlocked orientation with respect to the base with the hinge end of the base extending outwardly beyond the hinge end of the handle. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Conventional server units include bays for installation of media drives such as hard disk drives (HDDs). Depending on types of the media drives, the drive trays, etc., installed, the components may extend outwardly from the unit in a manner that obstructs viewing of status indicator lights, interferes with replacement of components, etc. As an example, consider a conventional hard drive assembly with a handle that protrudes from a face of a unit a distance sufficient to allow the handle to contact and physically leverage the face of the unit when extracting the hard drive assembly from the unit. Further, in such a conventional example, to leverage the face of the unit, a conventional handle typically extends beyond the frontal cross-sectional area of a bay or slot, which prohibits flush mounting of the handle with the face of the unit. As described herein, a mechanism for unseating a media drive from a bay is provided that allows for a flush faced server unit.


A system for managing a time reference includes a real-time clock, an interface, and a processor. The real-time clock store an RTC time. The interface is configured to receive a GPS time and a cellular time. The processor is configured to: indicate to start a time-speed adjustment loop; determine a true time based at least in part on the GPS time and the cellular time; determine an error between the true time and the RTC time; determine an RTC speed calibration adjustment based at least in part on the error; and adjust the real-time clock speed based at least in part on the RTC speed calibration adjustment.

Modern vehicles (e.g., airplanes, boats, trains, cars, trucks, etc.) can include a vehicle event recorder in order to better understand the timeline of an anomalous event (e.g., an accident). A vehicle event recorder typically includes a set of sensors, e.g., video recorders, audio recorders, accelerometers, gyroscopes, vehicle state sensors, GPS (global positioning systems), etc., that report data, which is used to determine the occurrence of an anomalous event. Sensor data is associated with time data in order to identify events occurring simultaneously, distinguish cause and effect, etc. In order for the time data to be usable it needs to be as accurate as possible.


Techniques for spherical decision-feedback sequence estimation are disclosed. A received signal is equalized by forming a trellis comprising a plurality of stages, each stage corresponding to a symbol time and comprising a plurality of nodes, each having a node state. A most likely received symbol sequence is identified by evaluating cumulative state metrics for the nodes according to MLSE or DFSE criteria. The trellis is formed by selecting a set of fan-out branches for each node by identifying, of all possible state transition branches from the node to successor nodes in the succeeding stage, those state transition branches that have a spherical branch metric less than a pre-determined metric limit, and determining the cumulative state metric for each node as a function of the cumulative state metrics for predecessor nodes in the preceding stage and the spherical branch metrics for fan-out branches connecting the predecessor nodes to the node.

The decision-feedback sequence estimator (DFSE) is a very effective approximation to the maximum likelihood sequence estimator (MLSE), which is the optimal equalizer in a certain sense. The DFSE has a much reduced complexity in comparison to the MLSE, while maintaining comparable performance. It has been applied effectively to wireless receivers for the GSM standard, which employs GMSK modulation, as well as to receivers developed for GSM's evolutionary standard, EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution), which uses 8PSK modulation.
With the introduction of larger modulation constellations (e.g., 64-QAM) in more recent wireless communication standards, as well as with the increased complexity arising from the deployment of multiple antenna transmission strategies, it is increasingly important to design new equalizers with still further complexity reduction compared to the conventional DFSE, while still maintaining good performance.

Reduced-complexity equalization with sphere decoding


A universal integrated circuit card (UICC) may include a universal subscriber identity module (USIM); a code division multiple access (CDMA) subscriber identity module (CSIM); a memory to store instructions; and a processor. The processor may execute instructions to determine a type of wireless access network available to a user equipment (UE) associated with the UICC; perform activation of the UICC using the USIM, in response to detecting a CDMA enhanced High Rate Packet Data (eHRPD) network, a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) access network, or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) access network; and perform activation of the UICC using the CSIM, in response to detecting an available CDMA access network other than a CDMA eHRPD access network.

Mobile wireless communication devices continue to increase in popularity, leading to increasing numbers of users and to demands for more services and higher data rates. In order to satisfy the needs of users and to improve service, providers of mobile wireless communication services continue to improve wireless access networks, as well as core networks, used to deliver services for users of mobile communication devices. One aspect of such improvements may include the development of access networks based on newer standards, protocols, and/or technologies.
While a service provider may update an access network in a particular geographic area to a new generation access network, by, for example, installing a new base station, other geographic areas may continue to be served by an older generation network. A new generation access network may operate under different protocols, use different standards, or include different network nodes than an older generation network.
A mobile communication device, referred to herein as user equipment (UE), may include a subscriber identity module (SIM), which may be used by an access network, and/or a core network, to identify a user of the UE. In a hybrid network, which includes an older generation access network and a new generation access network, management of a SIM may prove to be particularly troublesome.

Universal integrated circuit card activation in a hybrid network


According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, wherein an amorphous semiconductor film comprising a microcrystal is annealed using a microwave, to crystallize the amorphous semiconductor film comprising the microcrystal using the microcrystal as a nucleus.

In recent years, polycrystalline silicon, which has high mobility, has been expected to be used as channel silicon in a semiconductor memory (three-dimensional memory) device in which thin film transistors (TFT) and memory cells are three-dimensionally arranged.
To allow such a polycrystalline silicon film to be formed so as to have a smooth morphology and to appropriately cover steps, first, amorphous silicon is deposited at a low temperature of between 450° C. and 550° C. The amorphous silicon offers high resistance and thus needs to be made polycrystalline to offer reduced resistance. Thus, the amorphous silicon is thermally treated at a high temperature of at least 900° C. so as to be crystallized. However, when the amorphous silicon is thermally treated at such a high temperature, nuclei are formed in the amorphous silicon. The amorphous silicon thus has a small grain size and different crystal shapes. As a result, the number of interfaces (grain boundaries) between crystals increases and the polycrystalline silicon film has a roughened morphology. This disadvantageously prevents the resistance from being sufficiently reduced.
Furthermore, disadvantageously, the thermal treatment at high temperatures may, for example, reduce a gate dielectric strength voltage or increase a junction leakage current in peripheral transistors.
As a method for crystallizing the amorphous silicon to increase the grain size, a method has been proposed in which an amorphous Si film is crystallized by growing the amorphous silicon in a solid phase using crystals Ge contacted with the amorphous silicon, as nuclei (see, for example, V. Subramanian et al., "High-performance Germanium-seeded Laterally Crystallized TFT's For Vertical Device Integration" IEEE Transactions On Electron Devices, Vol. 45, No. 9, September 1998, pp. 1934-1939). In this case, SiO2 is formed on amorphous silicon with a thickness of 100 nm, and a 1 μm hole is formed in the amorphous silicon. Then, Ge is formed in the hole between 450° C. and 500° C. so that the amorphous silicon is crystallized using Ge as nuclei. A crystallization temperature for the silicon is between 500° C. and 550° C. Thereafter, Ge is etched away with H2SO4/H2O2. Furthermore, SiO2 is etched away with HF to obtain a polycrystalline Si layer. However, this step is complicated. The crystallization of amorphous silicon requires several hours at 600° C. Thus, if the temperature is set to a smaller value of between 500° C. and 550° C., the crystallization is expected to require several tens of hours, though this may depend on the interval of the Ge nuclei. Hence, throughput is low, disadvantageously leading to an increase in manufacturing costs.
Furthermore, a method has been proposed which comprises forming island-shaped Ge (see K. Yasutake et al., "Size and Density Control of Crystalline Ge Islands on Glass Substrates by oxygen Etching" Japan Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 43, No. 12A, 2004, pp. L1552-L1554), then depositing amorphous silicon, and thereafter crystallizing the amorphous silicon by thermal treatment to obtain silicon with a large grain size (see C. Yoshimoto et al., "Formation of Polycrystalline Si Thin Films Using Nanocrystalline Ge Nuclei", IEICE Technical Report SDM2008, April 2008, pp. 89-93). To form island-shaped Ge, first, Ge nuclei with an average grain size of 89 nm and a density of about 108/cm2 are formed by depositing an amorphous Ge film to a thickness of 50 nm and carrying out vacuum annealing at 500° C. for 2 hours and oxygen etching at 400° C. for 3 hours. Thereafter, an amorphous silicon film is deposited by electron beam evaporation or plasma CVD and then thermally treated between 480° C. and 620° C. Thus, the amorphous silicon film changes to a polycrystalline silicon film with silicon with a large grain size. However, also in this case, the crystallization of the amorphous silicon requires a long time: about 2 hours at 580° C., about 12 hours at 540° C., and at least 20 hours at 500° C. or 480° C. At the low temperatures, the throughput is low, disadvantageously increasing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, since the crystal Ge nucleus has a grain size of several tens of nm, the amorphous silicon has a film thickness of at least 100 nm.
In general, the crystallization temperature tends to increase with decreasing film thickness. Thus, crystallization of amorphous silicon with a film thickness of at most 10 nm is expected to require a further longer crystallization time than crystallization of amorphous silicon with a film thickness of 100 nm. A further lower throughput results from crystallization of a thin amorphous silicon film with a film thickness of at most 10 nm, disadvantageously leading to an increase in manufacturing costs.
Thus, the conventional art has difficulty crystallizing amorphous silicon at low temperatures in a short time.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device


A tamper-evident closure includes a cap having an interior, threaded peripheral skirt, a tamper-evident ring disposed below the lower edge of the skirt and a plurality of elongate bridge members interconnecting the tamper-evident ring to the cap. Each bridge member includes a lower end forming a lower juction with the ring an upper end thinner than the lower end forming an upper juction with a surface of a recess formed in the skirt. Each bridge member is designed to break at the upper end thereof when the closure is rotated in a direction to remove it from the container, and each bridge member is inclined upwardly at an acute angle to the ring from the lower to the upper junction, in the direction in which the cap is required to be rotated to remove it from the container. Each of the bridge members has a stepped configuration for providing a bridge surface closely spaced to and facing the surface of the recess at which the upper junction is formed for engaging this latter surface when the cap is being rotated to secure the closure to the container.

The prior art is replete with disclosures of tamper-evident closures, formed of a cap, a tamper-evident ring and a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart breakaway bridges or tabs interconnecting the cap and ring. One of the problems encountered in the design of such tamper-evident closures is the premature breakage of the tabs or bridge members during a capping operation, in which the closure is being applied to a container.
One solution to the problem of premature breakage of the tabs is suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,478, issued to Fields et al. In the design disclosed in that patent the breakaway tabs or bridge members are inclined in a direction which subjects them to compressive forces when the closure is rotated in a clockwise direction during capping, and which subjects them to tensile forces, which breaks them, when the cap is unscrewed in a counterclockwise direction.
Although the concept disclosed in the Fields et al. '478 patent is very desirable, there is no arrangement provided for actually limiting the amount of compressive force imposed upon the bridge members during the capping operation. This can result in the premature fracture of the bridges and/or the undesired distortion of the tamper-evident ring as it is snapped over a retaining bead on a container during a capping operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,401, issued to Berglund, also discloses a tamper-evident closure of the type employing inclined bridges between a threaded cap section and an underlying tamper-evident ring. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 of the Berglund '401 patent cooperating engagement means, generally referred to by the numeral 11, are provided to insure that the tamper-evident ring is entrained rotationally with the cap when the cap is being screwed onto a container. These engagement means include one or more teeth 12 on the edge of the cap skirt engaging with one or more corresponding notches 13 on the tamper-evident ring. Although this arrangement limits the amount of force imposed upon the breakaway tabs 7 during the capping operation, it is a somewhat complex arrangement, requiring the formation of interlocking members which are separate and apart from the inclined breakaway tabs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,127, issued to Young et al, discloses another arrangement for securing a tamper-evident ring to a threaded cap member by inclined breakaway tabs. In this arrangement, as can be seen best in FIG. 5, the substantially vertical edge 9, provided as part of each recess 8, cooperates with a confronting vertical surface of a tooth 11 to prevent the imposition of excessive forces upon the webs 12 during a capping operation. In particular, the confronting surfaces engage each other to thereby cause the cap and retaining ring to move as a single unit during the capping operation, prior to imposing, on the interconnecting webs 12, an excessive force which will prematurely (and undesirably) fracture the webs during the capping operation. Like the arrangement disclosed in the Berglund '401 patent, structural members independent of the breakaway tabs 12 are relied upon to transmit rotational forces from the cap to the tamper-evident ring during a capping operation.

Tamper-evident closure with angled breakaway tabs


The present invention is a method of producing an ultraviolet light emitting phosphor material. This method includes a step of heat-treating a composition containing zinc and oxygen as main components and at least one selected from the group consisting of aluminum, gallium and indium as a sub-component, in the presence of at least two coexisting substances selected from the group consisting of zinc oxide, gallium oxide and phosphorus oxide under a non-oxidizing atmosphere.

Conventionally, zinc oxide is known as a self-activated phosphor represented by ZnO:Zn and having a broad emission spectrum with a peak around 500 nm, and used as a green light emitting phosphor material excited by an electron beam for vacuum fluorescent displays. In this ZnO:Zn phosphor, the Zn-to-O ratio is greater than 1 and excess Zn is present. It is believed that the zinc interstitials or oxygen vacancies contribute to the green light emission of the phosphor.
On the other hand, zinc oxide is a compound semiconductor with a band gap of 3.4 eV, and is also strongly expected to be used, as a material capable of emitting light at shorter wavelengths in the ultraviolet region due to the interband transition, for phosphor exciting light sources, light emitting diodes (LEDs), etc. In fact, however, the above-mentioned zinc interstitials or oxygen vacancies are easily formed in zinc oxide, and conventional ZnO-based materials show only very weak emission in the ultraviolet region, although they exhibit intense emission in the green-blue region.
It has been reported that when zinc oxide is heat-treated in a hydrogen-containing gas atmosphere or hydrogen is introduced into zinc oxide by hydrogen plasma treatment or the like in order to solve this problem, ultraviolet emission is increased while green emission is suppressed (Patent Literatures 1 and 2).
The ultraviolet emission of zinc oxide is increased by the methods described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2, but it is still not enough.

Method of producing ultraviolet light emitting phosphor material


A valve assembly includes a first valve plate defining at least one first opening and at least one second opening. A valve element located above the first valve plate has a central portion, and at least one tab extending outwards from the central portion. The at least one tab includes a narrow portion axially aligned with the at least one first opening such that the narrow portion at least partially covers the at least one first opening. The at least one tab is selectively provided with electrical energy to melt the narrow portion to form an orifice. The orifice is fluidly coupled with the at least one first opening.

The basic function of damping is commonly realized by the flow of fluid through a restricted path. A damper often uses a piston enclosed in a cylinder to push fluid through an orifice, or a set of orifices. The restricted fluid flow creates a force that opposes the movement of the piston. The magnitude of the opposing force is a function of the orifice(s) size and the rate of the piston movement. The orifice size and/or quantity of orifices may establish the range of damping forces.
The manufacture of dampers requires maintaining a stock of different fluid metering valve assemblies. The manufacturing tolerances of the components need to be maintained within ranges that are specific to each valve assembly. The valve assemblies/valve blocks are assembled into dampers to establish its damping performance. Each different metering valve block produces a damper with a specific damping characteristic. Manufacturing and maintaining an inventory of a variety of valves and their selective assembly into dampers may add cost to the manufacture of dampers.

Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.


An improved method and apparatus for detecting and storing for later readout the impingement of certain nuclear particles utilizing a particle detector system having a large area particle detector including a thin or thick film of electron trapping material is disclosed, in which, upon impingement or detection of a nuclear particle, electrons contained in the electron trapping material jump to a higher energy level and a luminescence of a predetermined wavelength is given off by the large area particle detector. The detector may later be subjected to infrared or near-infrared pulsed radiation which will cause the release of photon luminescence of a predetermined wavelength at a position and intensity corresponding to the impinged particles, which can be detected by a suitable sensor and analyzed by a microcomputer. Particle detectors of area of at least 100 cm.sup.2 are disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to the detection and recording of nuclear particles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for detecting and recording the impingement of a nuclear particle on a two-dimensional position-sensitive solid-state detector.
One of the simplest and well known prior art devices useful for detecting and recording the presence of a nuclear particle or radiation image is photographic film which uses a silver halide. However, such materials are difficult to use under various adverse conditions, have a limited lifetime and can be generally difficult to work with. Furthermore, such materials cannot provide a precise position detection function.
The detection of nuclear particle impingement together with position sensing over relatively large areas has, in the past, generally required rather expensive two-dimensional arrays of detectors. The use of such two-dimensional arrays also requires considerably complex position-sensing circuitry for use with such arrays in order to achieve good resolution of the impingement location.
Consequently, a wide range of detectors has been developed which provide benefits over the use of detector arrays. Such detectors are generally semiconductor devices in which the radiation absorption and detection occur in the same material, for example, silicon or germanium diodes, or scintillator media mated with photo-multiplier tubes in which the configuration of light produced in the scintillator is detected by the photo-multiplier tube. Radiographic films have the additional drawback that they do not allow for easy retrieval of the stored information relating to the detected impingement of the radiation particles.
In the past, semiconductor detectors have generally been the most useful for particulate radiation, because the range of the particles is usually less than the depletion region depth of the detectors. Such semiconductor detectors have good energy resolution, excellent timing characteristics, good stability and simplicity of operation. However, the area of such detectors has been limited to approximately 20 cm.sup.2 or less. Thus, the necessity for arraying individual detectors.
Various other methods for recording and reproducing radiation images are also known. For example, British Patent Application No. 1,462,769 and Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 29,889/1976 disclose a method in which a stimulable phosphor absorbs radiation passing through an object. The phosphor can then be stimulated using a certain kind of energy to release the radiation stored in the phosphor as luminescence which can then be detected. Both the British patent and Japanese Laid Open patent disclose a method which is a subset of that method, namely, the use of a heat-stimulable phosphor and thermal energy as the storing medium and releasing energy, respectively.
The method disclosed in those patents involves the use of a thermoluminescent phosphor layer provided on a support base for recording the impingement of radiation thereon. By heating the support base and thermoluminescent phosphor layer, the radiation energy corresponding to the radiation impingement is released as a light signal which can then be detected. However, a major drawback of that type of detector is that the use of a heat-stimulable phosphor requires that the panel or support base upon which the thermoluminescent phosphor is placed be extremely heat resistant. Furthermore, because of the necessity for heating the detector to a high temperature, local heating conditions result in poor position resolution with respect to radiation impingement. Also, the response time of such a detector is very slow due to the thermal time constants involved. In addition, the use of a CO.sub.2 laser limits the position resolution achievable to 10 microns or greater.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,527 discloses an apparatus which does not utilize the input of heat energy in order to release the stored radiation pattern. The stimulable phosphor utilized in that patent is a visible ray or infrared ray stimulable phosphor and visible rays or infrared rays are utilized as the stimulation energy. Visible rays or infrared rays are used in order to convert the radiation energy stored in the apparatus to a light signal. However, there are only a limited number of phosphors, such as cerium and samarium activated strontium sulfide, a europium and samarium activated strontium sulfide, a europium and samarium activated lanthanum oxysulfide phosphor and a manganese and halogen activated zinc cadmium sulfide phosphor which can be used. The sensitivity of the method disclosed in the '527 patent and the phosphors employed therein is very low because the stimulability of such phosphors is very low. Thus, the method and apparatus disclosed in the '527 patent is of little practical use. Contrary to the statement at column 4, lines 11-12 of that patent, applicants have found that the cerium and samarium activated strontium sulfide composition is sensitive to tungsten light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,968 discloses yet another method and apparatus for recording and reproducing a radiation image in which the radiation image is recorded on a stimulable phosphor and the recorded image is reproduced by utilizing the stimulability of the phosphor. The phosphor disclosed for use in that patent is an alkaline earth metal fluorohalide phosphor which is claimed to have high stimulability. The phosphor disclosed in that patent is represented by the formula (Ba.sub.l-x M.sub.x.sup.II) FX:yA, in which M.sup.II is at least one divalent metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Zn and Cd, X is at least one halogen selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br and I, A is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Eu, Tb, Ce, Tm, Dy, Pr, Ho, Nd, Yb and Er, preferably selected from the group consisting of Eu, Tb, Ce and Tm and x and y are numbers satisfying the conditions of 0 is less than or equal to x is less than or equal to 0.6 and 0 is less than or equal to y which is less than or equal to 0.2.
The method described in the '968 patent comprises the steps of causing a visible ray or infrared ray-stimulable phosphor to absorb radiation passing through an object, stimulating the phosphor by stimulation rays selected from visible rays and infrared rays in order to release the energy of the radiation stored therein as luminescence and detecting the luminescence. The stimulation rays are described as having a wavelength of not less than 500 nm. The apparatus utilized for such recording and reproducing of a radiation image is comprised of a radiation image storage panel using a stimulable phosphor which absorbs radiation passing through an object, a light source emitting stimulation rays of not less than 500 nm in order to release the energy of the radiation stored in the phosphor as luminescence and a detector for detecting that luminescence. In both the method and apparatus aspects, the stimulable phosphor is at least one phosphor selected from the group of the above-mentioned alkaline earth metal fluorohalide phosphors.
However, the method and apparatus set forth in the '968 patent has many drawbacks. First, the intensity of the stimulating radiation is very high. Secondly, the efficiency of the phosphor disclosed therein is not efficient enough to be utilized as a relatively large area particle detector because of the sensitivity of the phosphors disclosed therein with regard to the area to be covered. A further drawback of the method and apparatus disclosed in the '968 patent is that it cannot be utilized with readily available low cost infrared sources, for example, laser diodes, since utilization of halide/phosphors require helium-neon ruby lasers. Another drawback to the method and apparatus disclosed in the '968 patent is that it has been found in use that the depth of the traps of the materials disclosed therein is insufficient for the storage of energy over a long period of time. Still another drawback to the '968 device is that it cannot readily utilize infrared wavelengths for both stimulation and emission since good separation between the stimulating and emitted wavelengths is required.
The present invention is directed to detecting impingement of nuclear particles with position sensing over large areas in which the detector provides instantaneous local scintillation at visible wavelengths upon nuclear particle impingement. In addition, storage of a trap charge at such locations is also provided which can later be interrogated and read by the application of near-infrared illumination. Such illumination may be readily provided by solid state sources such as infrared-emitting diodes or laser diodes. The solid-state materials utilized by the present invention are a family of materials known as alkaline earth sulfides and selenides that have highly unusual properties. These particular materials display efficient electron trapping and are called electron trapping materials. These materials can be "charged" by light. That is, upon energetic illumination, electrons are raised to a higher trapping state where they stay indefinitely. Upon arrival of low energy photons, such as contained in an infrared beam, these materials can emit an orange or blue light through the release of the trapped electrons.
In the 1930's and 1940's, natural thermoluminescence was observed in ordinary limestones and granites. While that effect could only be observed once, the emission properties of the limestones and granites could be restored by irradiation by x-rays or gamma rays. The effect was studied in detail and reported by F. Daniels, et al, "The Thermoluminescence of Crystals", Report On Contract AT(11-1) -27, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. A general model involving trapped electrons was later accepted. See, "Electronic Processes in Ionic Crystals", N. F. Mott and R. W. Gurney, Oxford University Press, New York, 1940. Unlike that early work and the work disclosed in the British and Japanese patent applications described above, the method and apparatus of the present invention releases the trapped electrons by use of infrared or near-infrared radiation. In order to measure an accumulated dose of high energy radiation, rather than heating the sample, the dose can be "read" by, for example, infrared pulses. Such pulses will release the trapped electrons and supply an analog of the integrated dose for the previous time interval in the form of the integral released intensity of orange or blue light.
Since the state of the sensor described herein can be tested by an electromagnetic wave, which then supplies information in the form of yet another electromagnetic wave, the device described herein can be termed a photonic detector. The present application is directed to the use of such material to large areas which can be used in many different environments as a nuclear particle detector and event locator with memory.
In order to more clearly describe the family of materials which are utilized by the instant invention, it is believed useful to review the history and terms utilized in this field. The basis for this discussion is the term luminescence, which is understood to be the ability of certain solids to emit light under different conditions.
While luminescence is a long known phenomenon of nature which was first observed at least as early as the 19th century, research in this area seemed to cease with the end of World War II. While much of the early work performed by Seebeck, Becquerel, Leonard, Charbonneau and Urbach demonstrated the existence of the phenomenon and attempted to apply it to practical use, the sensitivities of the known phosphors at that time were far too low for practical use.
After World War II, extensive work continued in the area of cathodoluminescence for use with the screens of cathode ray tubes, and other applications which involve the down conversion of photon energy, rather than the up conversion utilized by the present invention. It is relatively easy to produce the instantaneous emission of light from solids utilizing excessive incoming photon or particle energy, such as accelerated electrons, ultraviolet radiation, x-rays, etc. However, the use of up converting materials, such as infrared phosphors, has been practically nonexistent over the last forty years.
Due to the limited amount of work with phosphors and the time period over which such work was performed, the state of the infrared phosphor field is primitive indeed. Only minimal theories explaining the operation of such materials and little working technology existed prior to the work by the assignee of the present invention. It should be remembered that in the early 1940's, even the electronic structure of materials was still not fully understood, although the concept of band gap was introduced just a few years earlier and Schottky was explaining the electrical characteristics of metal-semiconductor junctions. Schottky, et al. discovered the transistor in 1949 and the theories and applications of solid state materials took an explosive course. Materials with traps, however, were not part of this revolution and, in fact, a whole generation of semiconductor physicists regarded trapping effects as a highly undesirable phenomenon and continuously worked to keep this disturbing effect from influencing their semiconductor devices.
While luminescence refers to the ability of certain solids and liquids to emit light when driven by an external energy source, when the driving energy source is light, the proper term for that phenomenon is photoluminescence. While certain photoluminescent materials will emit light when driven by radiation of short wavelengths, such as ultraviolet, there is another class of materials, which, upon excitation by illumination, can store electrons in "traps" for extremely long time periods. The trapped electrons can later be released, upon command, by less energetic photons. If the emission of visible light is activated by, for example, infrared illumination, a photon energy up conversion takes place because energy is stored in the material. The present invention relates to that class of materials with the unique properties of electron traps. Utilizing such optical up conversion from one wavelength to another, optical communications can be accomplished, as well as making infrared radiation patterns visible. In further applications, in a light-to-light photonics mode, such materials will be used in digital processing or so-called "light" computers.


A vehicle lamp. A lamp chamber is partitioned by a lamp body in a vessel-like shape and by a front face lens, a reflector is attachedly inserted with a light source and is contained in the lamp chamber, and an aiming mechanism is interposed between the lamp body and the reflector for supporting the reflector inclinably to the lamp body. The reflector is inclined by rotating an aiming screw supported by a screw inserting hole provided at the lamp body. A rear end portion of the aiming screw projects to the rear side of the lamp body and includes an integrated crown gear made of a metal. A disk face of the gear is provided with a raised wrench engaging portion for engaging with an L-shaped wrench to thereby operate to rotate the aiming screw by using the L-shaped wrench extending from the side of the lamp piece. Aiming screw adjustments can be carried out even when there is no rear space behind the lamp piece. The wrench engaging portion can be formed simply.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp of a movable reflector type in which a reflector attachedly inserted with a light source is inclinably supported by an aiming mechanism to a lamp body, and the reflector is inclined by rotating an aiming screw supported by the lamp body. In particular, a vehicle lamp of a movable reflector type in which a rear end portion of an aiming screw projects to a rear side of a lamp body has an integrated gear in a shape of a circular disk rotatable by a driver.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a conventional vehicle lamp. An inside portion of a lamp chamber S is partitioned by a vessel-like lamp body 1 and a front face lens (not shown), and a reflector 2 has an attached light source (not shown) inclinably supported by an aiming mechanism. The reflector 2 (optical axis of lamp piece) is inclined by pivoting an aiming screw rotatably supported by a screw inserting hole 1a provided in the lamp body 1.
A rear end portion 4a of the aiming screw 4 projects to a rear side of the lamp body 1 and is integrated with a gear 6 having a circular disk shape. The aiming screw 4 is pivoted by bringing a tooth tip of a screw driver 7 to mesh with the tooth of the gear 6 and turning the driver 7. In addition, the screw at the rear end portion 4a of the aiming screw, includes a cross groove 5 and when the optical axis is intended to incline by a large amount, the tooth tip of the driver 7 is fitted to the cross groove 5 and the aiming screw 4 is rotated by turning the driver 7.
However, according to the above-described conventional technology, it is necessary to form the cross groove 5 for fitting the driver at the rear end portion 4a of the aiming screw. However, fabrication of the cross groove 5 is troublesome and further, the screw rear end portion 4a becomes large-sized for forming the cross groove 5, so that the weight of the aiming screw is increased by that amount, and consequently the weight of the lamp piece is increased.
Further, in order to fit the tooth tip of the driver 7 to the cross groove 5, the driver 7 needs to operate from the rear side of the lamp piece (right behind the screw rear end portion 4a). However, the driver 7 cannot be operated when there is no rear space between a vehicle body and the lamp piece.
The invention has been carried out in view of the problem of the conventional technology and provided is a vehicle lamp capable of operating to rotate an aiming screw by a large amount from a direction other than a rear direction of the lamp piece.
A vehicle lamp is disclosed having a lamp chamber partitioned by a lamp body in a vessel-like shape and a front face lens, a reflector attachedly inserted with a light source and contained in the lamp chamber, and an aiming mechanism interposed between the lamp body and the reflector for supporting the reflector inclinably to the lamp body. The reflector is inclined by rotating an aiming screw supported by a screw inserting hole provided in the lamp body, and an end portion of the aiming screw projects to a rear side of the lamp body and includes an integrated gear in a shape of a circular disk made of a metal to be proximate to the lamp body. A disk face of the gear is provided with a raised wrench engaging portion for engaging with an L-shaped wrench.
When the L-shaped wrench is arranged in a direction substantially orthogonal to the aiming screw direction and is engaged with the wrench engaging portion and the L-shaped wrench is turned, the wrench engaging portion is turned integrally therewith. That is, the aiming screw can be operated to rotate by turning the L-shaped wrench.
The wrench engaging portion can be formed simply by forming a cut in, for example, a U-like shape at a disk portion of the gear and raising an area in a shape of a tongue piece surrounded by the cut. Thus, a step of making a large-sized rear end portion of the aiming screw and fabricating a cross groove at the portion is avoided.
Further, by cutting and raising a portion of the disk portion, the disk portion is formed with an opening portion in correspondence with the wrench engaging portion. Therefore, the gear is light-weight in comparison to the conventional structure or a structure of fixedly integrating the wrench engaging portion formed separately to the gear.
A further feature may include a wrench engaging portion constituted by three pieces of erected walls in a shape of a tongue piece at equal intervals in a peripheral direction, raised toward a center side of the gear to be brought in mesh with three faces of an inner periphery at equal intervals of a hexagonal engaging hole of the wrench. Three faces of the hexagonal engaging hole of the wrench at equal intervals at the inner periphery are engaged with the erected walls in the shape of a tongue piece, the wrench engaging portion and the hexagonal engaging hole of the wrench are prevented from being turned in the peripheral direction and by turning the wrench, the gear (aiming screw) can firmly be integrally rotated.
By raising an area surrounded by a cut in, for example, a U-like shape of the gear disk portion to the center side of the gear, the erected wall in the shape of the tongue piece can simply be formed. Further, the compact wrench engaging portion can be constituted by three pieces of the erected walls in the shape of the tongue piece and therefore, the constitution of the wrench engaging portion is concise.
There also may be constructed a constitution in which the gear is constituted by a crown gear, a teeth portion of which is inclined to a disk face thereof by a predetermined angle. The lamp body may be provided with a first driver guide for holding a driver in a state of bringing a tooth tip of the driver in mesh with the teeth portion of the crown gear. Further, as shown by the embodiment, the first driver guide is constituted by, for example, a circular hole formed at an extended portion of a metal sheet formed member interposed between a crown gear and a peripheral edge portion of a screw inserting hole.
When inclination of the gear portion of the crown gear relative to the disk face is constituted by an angle near to a right angle, the crown gear can be pivoted by using the aiming screw inserted from a side of the lamp piece. Further, when the inclination is made to fall in a range of 0xc2x0 through 90 degrees, by constituting the inclination of the teeth portion of the crown gear relative to the disk face by a predetermined value such that the crown gear can be pivoted by using the aiming screw inserted from a skewed front direction of a side of the lamp piece, and making a position of providing the driver guide and a mode of holding the driver pertinent, the aiming screw can be pivoted by using the driver arranged from the predetermined direction.
Further, the tooth tip of the driver is maintained in a state of being brought in mesh with the tooth portion of the crown gear by the first driver guide and therefore, the aiming screw is pivoted firmly in cooperation with pivotal movement of the driver.
Further, there may be constructed a constitution in which the lamp body is provided with a second driver guide for leading the tooth tip of the driver in a direction of being brought into mesh with the teeth portion of the crown gear. Further, the second driver guide may be constituted by, for example, a pair of upper and lower plate-like extended portions provided at an inclined face of a corner portion of a side face of a rear face wall of the lamp body. When the tooth tip of the driver is inserted along the second driver guide, the tooth tip of the driver is brought in mesh with the teeth portion of the crown gear and at the same time, the vicinity of the tooth tip of the driver is brought into contact with the first driver guide and a state of bringing the tooth tip of the driver and the teeth portion of the crown gear in mesh with each other is maintained. That is, the second driver guide is operated as a guide for inserting to guide the driver, and the first driver guide is operated as a meshing maintaining guide for maintaining the state of bringing the tooth tip of the driver and the teeth portion of the crown gear in mesh with each other and therefore, operation of pivoting the aiming screw by the driver becomes smooth.


A method of verifying a trapped passenger alarm in an elevator system including an elevator car including a sensing apparatus mounted in the elevator car. The method includes obtaining at least one of acceleration of the elevator car and air pressure within the elevator car from the sensing apparatus; detecting the trapped passenger alarm; determining that the trapped passenger alarm is one of a valid trapped passenger alarm and a false trapped passenger alarm in response to the at least one of acceleration of the elevator car and air pressure within the elevator car.

The embodiments herein relate to the field of elevator systems, and more particularly to verifying a trapped passenger alarm in an elevator system.
Passengers may become trapped in an elevator car. In such situations, the passenger may initiate a trapped passenger alarm from within the elevator car through an alarm button. There are situations where the passenger inadvertently activates the trapped passenger alarm. To verify that the trapped passenger alarm is valid (i.e., a passenger is actually trapped in the elevator car), the elevator controller may be accessed to determine the operational state of the elevator car. In situations where the elevator controller cannot be accessed, it is difficult to verify if the trapped passenger alarm is valid.


A fiber fanout assembly is provided with one or more endcaps, an epoxy fill hole, and air vent holes. A mold can be used with endcaps to create an epoxy body without an external housing structure. External housing structures can also be provided with one or more endcaps. Air vent holes can be provided in the endcaps. An epoxy fill hole can be provided in an endcap. An epoxy fill hole can also be provided adjacent to a fiber breakout end of the fiber fanout housing.

The internal construction of fiber optic cables often comprises a plurality of optical fibers. A technician connects a cable fanout arrangement to/on a fiber optic cable to manage the various optical fibers. The fanout arrangement organizes the fibers to facilitate management and maintenance, for example, at a junction point or break-out area.
Previous approaches have been developed to address optical fiber cable fanouts. Examples are described in such references as U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,705,930 and 8,573,855, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Improvements are desired and provided herein.

Optical fiber cable fanout arrangements, components, and methods


An illumination system includes a light assembly. The light assembly may include a housing having a first zone and a second zone isolated from the first zone. The housing may be configured to fit generally flush with a ceiling. A movable light source may be positioned within the first zone and is configured to emit a first light. A stationary light source may be positioned within the second zone and is configured to emit a second light.

Artificial lighting provided in surgical theaters and medical suites may present a number of issues with regard to positioning, shadows, luminosity, glare and cleaning. Often, medical professionals are not stationary and the lighting needs to be dynamic due to the shifting of personnel and instruments throughout the surgical procedure. Lighting may be suspended from the ceiling in the presence of other medical equipment, such as hoses, monitor stands, booms, imaging equipment, etc. Accordingly, new illumination systems for surgical suites and the like may be advantageous.

Flat panel light module with dynamic beam

MAYO FOUNDATION FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH