To improve the processing efficiency and throughput by performing only a recovery process in read-accessing to a memory even when an address parity error has occurred in write-accessing to the memory, a selector is provided to select one of write data and a parity-bitted address for writing to the memory. If an address parity error has detected, the selector selects the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, instead of write data to be written to the memory during the write-accessing thereto. This address parity error processing method is particularly useful when applied to an information processor, such as a computer system, including a storage (memory).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for processing an address parity error that has occurred in accessing a memory, and also to an apparatus and a storage which each have a function for realizing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in information processors, such as a computer system, which each include a storage (memory), an error check is performed using an address with a parity bit attached (hereinafter called an parity-bitted address) in accessing the memory. Also, the data is stored in the memory under the protection of the error checking and correction (ECC) function; if an error (1-bit error) is detected in the data read out from the memory, a process for correcting the detected error is performed.
An example of such an ordinary information processor will now be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the information processor equipped with an accessing unit 10 and a storage 20.
The accessing unit 10 comprises an write data generator 11, an address generator 12, a parity generator (PG) 13, a control signal generator 14, a read data receiver 15, and an error signal receiver 16, which are provided by a CPU, for example.
The storage 20 has a memory (MEM) 21 storing various types of data, a parity checker (PC) 22, a check bit generator (CG) 23, an error checker 24, and a 1-bit error correcting circuit 25.
The write data generator 11 generates the data to be written into the memory 21 in having access to the memory 21 to write (hereinafter interchangeably called xe2x80x9cwrite-accessingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdata writing processxe2x80x9d).
The address generator 12 generates an address of an access destination in accessing the memory 21.
The parity generator 13 generates a parity bit for the address generated by the address generator 12 and attaches the generated parity bit to the generated address.
The control signal generator 14 generates a control signal instructing the memory 21 to perform write-accessing or read-accessing.
The read data receiver 15 receives the data read out from the memory 21 in having access to the memory 21 to read (hereinafter interchangeably called xe2x80x9cread-accessingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdata reading processxe2x80x9d).
The error signal receiver 16 receives an error signal from the parity checker 22 and the error checker 24 (will be described later).
The parity checker 22 makes a parity check over the parity-bitted address from the accessing unit 10. If an address parity error is detected, the parity checker 22 notifies the accessing unit 10 (error signal receiver 16) of the error detection as an error signal.
The check bit generator 23 generates an error-correcting check bit corresponding to the data from the accessing unit 10 (write data generator 11) and writes to the memory 21 both the generated error-correcting check bit and the last-named data.
The error checker 24 produces and outputs a syndrome code (ECC code) based on both read data from the memory 21 and the error-correcting check bit for the read data in read-accessing to the memory 21. The syndrome code indicates whether or not an error appears in the read data and the type of the error, or which one of a 1-bit error and an uncorrectable error it is. If a single bit is in error (1-bit error), the syndrome code also includes the information as to which bit is in error (to be corrected). The syndrome code is sent to the 1-bit error correcting circuit 25 and the accessing unit 10 (error signal receiver 16) as an error signal. In this instance, the uncorrectable error is exemplified by a multi-bit error, in which two or more bits of the read data from the memory 21 are in error.
If a single bit is in error (1-bit error) in the read data, the 1-bit error correcting circuit 25 corrects the bit before sending the read data to the accessing unit 10 (read data receiver 15). At that time, if the error checker 24 detects a correctable error or a 1-bit error, the 1-bit error correcting circuit 25 specifies which bit to correct (an error bit) based on the syndrome code from the error checker 24, and corrects the read data by inverting the error bit. Contrarily, if no error is detected by the error checker 24, the read data passes through the 1-bit error correcting circuit 25 and is sent to the accessing unit 10 (read data receiver 15).
In the above information processor, the accessing unit 10 takes access to the memory 21 based on both the address generated by the address generator 12 and the control signal generated by the control signal generator 14.
Specifically, in write-accessing, the control signal generator 14 outputs to the memory 21 a control signal giving an instruction for writing-in. Then the write data, which is generated by the write data generator 11, and the check bit, which is generated by the check bit generating circuit 23 based on the last-named write data, are written to the memory 21 in the address, which is generated and designated by the address generator 12.
On the contrary, in read-accessing, the control signal generator 14 outputs to the memory 21 a control signal giving an instruction for reading-out. Then the data stored in the memory 21 in the address generated and designated by the address generator 12 is read out as the read data.
If the error checker 24 detects an error (1-bit error/uncorrectable error) in the read data, the error detection is notified to the accessing unit 10 (error signal receiver 16) as an error signal (syndrome code).
Upon occurrence of a 1-bit error, the 1-bit error correcting circuit 25 corrects the read data based on the syndrome code from the error checker 24, and the corrected read data is then sent to the accessing unit 10 (read data receiver 15). If no error is detected, the read data passes through the 1-bit error correcting circuit 25 and is then sent to the accessing unit 10 (read data receiver 15).
The parity bit generated by the parity generator 13 is attached to the address, which is generated by the address generator 12. The address is then transmitted to the storage 20, whereupon the parity checker 22 makes a parity check over the address using the parity bit.
If an address parity error occurs, it is unclear to which address in the memory 21 accessing should take place. Accordingly, upon detection of the address parity error by the parity checker 22, the error detection is notified to the accessing unit 10 (error signal receiver 16) as an error signal.
Upon receipt of the error signal from the parity checker 22 by its error signal receiver 16, the accessing unit 10 interrupts, during the process being currently made, to immediately perform a recovery process (error analysis or retry).
However, even if a recovery process is made immediately after the occurrence of the address parity error in write-accessing and then the write data is written into the memory 21, the write data becomes useless unless read accessing to the last-named write data is performed by the accessing unit 10, thus making the recovery process also useless.
Since a recovery process takes a relatively long time period, the processing efficiency and throughput of the accessing unit 10 would be reduced because such time-consuming recovery process is performed every when the address parity error occurs in write-accessing.
One object of the present invention is to provide an address parity error processing method in which the processing efficiency and throughput are improved by performing only a necessary recovery process that is required in read-accessing to a memory even when an address parity error has occurred in write-accessing to the memory.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the above-mentioned method.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a storage for use in carrying out the above-mentioned method.
In order to attain the above second-named and third-named objects, there is provided an apparatus/storage comprising: a first selector for selecting one of write data and a parity-bitted address (an address with a parity bit attached) for writing to the memory. If an address parity error has been detected as the result of the parity check made by the parity checker in write-accessing to the memory, the first selector is operative to select the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, for writing the selected address, instead of writing the write data, to the memory during the write-accessing.
In order to attain the above first-named object, in the apparatus/storage, a parity check is made over the parity-bitted address generated in write-accessing to a memory. If an address parity error has been detected as the result of the parity check, the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is written to the memory, thus realizing the address parity error processing method according to the present invention.
As one preferred feature, upon occurrence of an address parity error, only the address in place of the write data, which would not be used until being read out, is written to the memory. After that, if the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is read out from the memory in read-accessing, a recovery process is performed for the address parity error. In this manner, only a required recovery process can be performed in read-accessing to a memory, even when an address parity error has occurred in write-accessing to the memory, thus making it possible to save unnecessary recovery processing if data about the address parity error is not used.
As another preferred feature, an error checker is provided to detect the address parity error based on an error-correcting check bit for the data to be read out, making it possible to recognize in the read-accessing that the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is read out.
The detection of an address parity error by the error checker is realized by the following exemplified construction:
(1) changing means changes an error-correcting check bit, which is to be written to the memory along with an address. If the address is then read back in read-accessing, the error checker produces a syndrome code indicating an uncorrectable error. With this construction, when the address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is read out from the memory, the error checker can detect the uncorrectable error. At that time, the changing means can be easily realized in the form of a circuit for inverting the bit data of the error-correcting check bit to be written to the memory.
(2) upon occurrence of an address parity error, an error-correcting check bit, which allows the error checker to produce a syndrome code that can specify the address parity error, is written to the memory. With this construction, upon read-out of the address in which the address parity error has occurred, the error checker can immediately recognize that the read data is related with the address parity error.
As still another preferred feature, the apparatus further comprises a judging section for discriminating, upon detection of an address parity error in accessing to the memory, whether or not the address parity error is due to a parity bit. If, using the judging section, an address parity error due to any other reason than a parity bit is detected in write-accessing to the memory, the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is written to the memory. In the meantime, if an address parity error due to a parity bit is detected, the write data is written to the memory as it is.
With this construction, if only a parity bit is in error but with no error in address data, the write data is written to the memory as normal. On the contrary, if an error has occurred in the address data, the address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is written therein.
As a further preferred feature, if an address parity error is detected in read-accessing to the memory, the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is output, instead of the read data to be read out from the memory, during the read-accessing thereto, thus enabling an immediate error analysis based on the address.
At that time, if, using the judging section, an address parity error due to any other reason than a parity bit is detected in read-accessing to the memory, the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is output as the read data. In the meantime, if an address parity error due to a parity bit is detected, the read data is read out to be output as it is.
With this construction, if only a parity bit is in error but with no error in address data, the read data is read out from the memory as normal. On the contrary, if an error has occurred in the address data, the address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is output as the read data.
In this instance, two or more parity bits are generated and attached to an address, thus causing a parity bit multiplication. Based on whether or not the plural parity bits are identical, the judging section is able to discriminate whether or not the address parity error is due to the parity bits.
According to the address parity error processing method, the apparatus, and the storage of the present invention, it is possible to guarantee the following advantageous results:
(1) Only a necessary recovery process required in read-accessing to a memory is performed even when an address parity error has occurred in write-accessing to the memory. Namely, since no recovery process such as an error analysis or retry is made for the address parity error unless the data about the address parity error is used, unnecessary recovery processes can be saved, thus greatly improving the processing efficiency and throughput in the apparatus, such as a computer system. Further, the address written to the memory (the parity-bitted address in which the address parity error has occurred) facilitates the error analysis.
(2) It is possible to realize with ease the above-mentioned functions and results by simply adding to an existing apparatus or storage a selector as hardware.
(3) In read-accessing to the memory, it is possible to recognize, using an error-correcting check bit, that the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is read out from the memory and then to immediately moves the procedure to a recovery process for the address parity error.
(4) At that time, changing means damages the error-correcting check bit to generate a syndrome code indicating an uncorrectable error, thus making it possible to recognize the read-out of the address, in which the address parity error has occurred, as the occurrence of the uncorrectable error.
(5) And, the error-correcting check bit is used to generate a syndrome code which specifies the address parity error, thus making it possible to immediately recognize that the read data from the memory is related with the address parity error. In this case, the generating the syndrome code based on the check bit can be realized with ease by utilizing an existing error checking and correction (ECC) function with changes in software only added.
(6) Only when an error appears in address data, the address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is written to the memory. Therefore, with no address data bit in error, a write process is performed as normal to save unnecessary recovery processing, thus further improving the processing efficiency and throughput.
(7) If an address parity error is detected in read-accessing to the memory, the parity-bitted address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is output instead of the read data. Accordingly an error analysis can be immediately performed based on the address and a recovery process such as retry can also be made without delay, thus improving the processing efficiency.
(8) Only when an error appears in address data, the address, in which the address parity error has occurred, is output as the read data. Therefore, with no address data bit in error, a read process is performed as normal to save unnecessary recovery processing, thus further improving the processing efficiency and throughput.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Address parity error processing method, and apparatus and storage for the method


Disclosed herein is an information processing device including a contact detection unit configured to detect a contact operation for an operation surface, an approach detection unit configured to detect an approach operation for the operation surface, and a control unit configured to recognize the contact operation and the approach operation as a series of operation inputs when the contact operation and the approach operation are continuously detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing device, an operation input method and an operation input program and is suitably applicable to, for example, an information processing device having a touch panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an information processing device having a touch panel has come into wide use. In an information processing device having a touch panel, contact of an indicator (finger, touch pen, or the like) with the touch panel is detected and received as an operation input so as to execute various processes.
Recently, an information processing device capable of detecting approach in addition to contact of an indicator with a touch panel has been proposed (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-302126). In this information processing device, even when a finger which is in contact with the touch panel is separated from the touch panel, if the finger is close to the touch panel, a process performed when the finger is in contact with the touch panel is continuously performed.
For example, when a button displayed on a screen is long pressed, although the finger is separated from the touch panel partway by vibration or the like, the same process when the button is long pressed, that is, the process intended by a user may be executed.

Information processing device, operation input method and operation input program


The invention relates to a multipurpose necktie (1) with an overall length consisting of a neck portion (2) of one width, a tie portion (3), and a front apron (4). The tie portion can be tied to a knot. The multipurpose necktie is made in one piece and variable in that at least one foldable portion of the front apron of a first length of at least 15 cm is constructed from at least two freely foldable flaps. An additional possibility of variation is provided by an adjustability of the overall length of the multipurpose necktie, the overall length being repeatedly variable, and/or by an adjustability of the width of neck portion (2), the width being repeatedly variable. Furthermore, a method is provided, which uses the multiple usability of the multipurpose necktie with advantage. The multipurpose necktie of the present invention is characterized by its variety for different occasions, be they of the formal or casual kind. The multipurpose necktie also offers the possibility of being suitably worn not only by men, but also by women as a scarf of the like with blouses.

The present invention relates to a multipurpose necktie with a neck portion, a tie portion, and a front apron. The tie portion may be looped to form a knot. A multipurpose necktie as used herein is also understood to include a cravat or long necktie, a neck cloth, or even a kind of scarf, provided the cut of same changes over their length.
Normally, neckties comprise a tie portion, a neck portion, and a front apron. It is not necessary that same exhibit a clear separation from one another. Preferably, the tie portion is looped to form a knot in such a manner that a portion of the front apron covers with its free end the projecting length of the neck portion. Thus, the selection of the necktie material and the configuration of the front apron essentially determine the decorative appearance of the necktie. However, both the configuration and the selection of the necktie material are not arbitrary. In the manufacture of neckties, the material may not be embroidered or designed as desired, for example, be made of lace. This would not support a possibly traditional further processing of a necktie material. On the other hand, the selection of the necktie material is likewise restricted in that requirements exist that result from the use of a finished necktie. These requirements are, for example, longevity, ruggedness, tying quality, washability, and/or pressability. As a result, it is possible that optical quality may become insignificant in the selection of a necktie material. A further restriction of a necktie results from stylish ideas, which ultimately permit for certain areas or occasions only different configurations of a long necktie. While festive occasions require a rather modest form of a necktie, neckties with colorful, in part even loud designs are preferred in particular in the area of leisure-time activities. In addition, likewise the taste as regards styling a necktie changes in the course of time. This change imparts to a necktie an only limited usable life. Known are neckties with exchangeable individual components. DE 88 17 058 U1 discloses a necktie, wherein at least the front apron is exchangeable. EP 0 579 972 discloses a long necktie of a length that is composed of different, combinable individual sections. These individual sections may have different designs and/or patterns. Likewise, DE 92 06 006 U1 discloses a multipart necktie with a front apron consisting of different, but combinable portions. Between these portions it is possible to hide a cleaning cloth for glasses. In comparison therewith, FR 73 37 114 shows a necktie wherein a front apron can be inserted into a neck portion.
Furthermore, DE 69 13 333 discloses a cravat of the kind of a long necktie with two layers of necktie material. Same form each a display surface, and both display surfaces are in part joined to each other at the edge of the necktie. By unfolding one of the two display surfaces, the other one is exposed. Another kind of a multipurpose use is shown in FR 25 93 680. The long necktie shown therein is described a surprise necktie, since its front apron can be unfolded for removing a bow tie from a thus-formed space.
FR-A-846 674 discloses a long necktie, which has to free ends. One is the end of the front apron, the other is the end of the neck portion of the long necktie. It a tied condition, both ends can overlie each other such that none the two ends can be moved against each other. To this end, the narrower end of the neck portion is overlapped by a freely foldable flap of the front apron and secured to same. This is to avoid that the narrower end of the neck portion becomes visible, when the front apron dislodges.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,992 discloses again a multipurpose necktie that permits a variety of tying possibilities of the long necktie, namely both as a cravat and, for example as an Ascot. To this end, the long necktie consists of a neck tying portion and a square of fabric attached thereto. The fabric of the square may be folded depending on the desired form of the multipurpose necktie.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a necktie, which is capable of serving several purposes, and provides by itself different styles. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a suitable method of using the multipurpose capabilities of the necktie with the inclusion of different styles of the necktie.

Multipurpose, one piece, variable necktie


A presence device operable in a first mode and a second mode is associated with a communication device. In the first mode, a user using the presence device is biometrically authenticated and a presence confirmation input is received from the communication device. In the second mode, a user-entered log-in input is received from the communication device. A central presence database is updated to indicate that the communication device is active for the user. A received message which is to be routed to the user is sent to the active device indicated by the central presence database.

The present application is related to the application entitled xe2x80x9cMETHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INTELLIGENT ROUTING BASED ON PRESENCE DETECTIONxe2x80x9d, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/990,761, filed on the same day as the present application, whose disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference into the disclosure of the present application.
The present invention relates to methods and systems for presence detection.
Presence management refers to the task of identifying whether a given user is available to receive a communication. The concept originated, at least in part, in instant messaging products such as those provided by AOL, Yahoo and MSN. In a typical scenario, a user""s availability or presence is registered into an application-specific database in response to the user logging in to a particular software application. When other users wish to contact the user, the availability is obtained from the database using an application-specific protocol. In these scenarios, presence management is tied to particular software applications (e.g. AOL, Yahoo, MSN, and instant messaging products). The applications establish presence, with some user control, when the user logs in to an application. This method limits the information to the particular applications, and is not usable from outside the application for which it was designed.
In today""s applications, presence management usually requires an effort on the user""s part. Normally, the user creates a profile to regulate presence management and to keep it current. Moreover, he or she must log into a device to initiate presence management monitoring. Finally, presence management is dependent upon a software application and/or device to which it is linked.

Method and system for multimodal presence detection


In a flexible non-aqueous electrochemical cell, the electrolyte resides substantially entirely within the porous anode, cathode, and separator. In manufacturing the flexible non-aqueous electrochemical cell, the volume within the cell available to receive the electrolyte is substantially limited to the pores of the anode, cathode, and separator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a non-aqueous electrochemical battery comprising an anode, a cathode, a porous separator between the anode and cathode, and a liquid electrolyte, and more particularly to a non-aqueous electrochemical battery contained within a flexible hermetic pouch such that the liquid electrolyte is substantially restricted to pores of one or both electrodes and the porous separator between them. The present invention also relates to a method and apparatus for filling such an electrochemical battery to insure that the electrolyte is substantially restricted to the pores of the electrodes and the separator.
2. Description of the Related Art
The increasing use of portable electronic devices has brought with it an increasing demand for batteries which provide more energy in smaller and lighter units. One approach to meeting these more demanding requirements, for military, commercial and consumer uses, has been to incorporate more active materials, such as lithium or lithiated carbon, as the negative electrode. Lithium batteries, in general, provide higher energy density, higher specific energy, and, usually, longer shelf-life than the traditional dry cell or alkaline batteries.
The selection of a more active negative electrode has a number of design, materials, and operational consequences. In particular, water is no longer an acceptable solvent for the electrolyte. In fact, water must be specifically excluded from the electrolyte and kept from entering the battery from the outside environment. This requirement that lithium batteries be hermetically sealed initially led to the design of battery containers made of stainless steel with glass-to-metal seals surrounding the electrical feed-throughs and requiring a welding step to effect the final hermetic seal. These battery containers are very effective at preventing the entry of moisture from the environment, but also have several disadvantages.
Stainless steel battery containers are heavy and expensive. To reduce component costs, battery containers are typically cylindrical in shape. However, cylindrical batteries do not pack efficiently when several must be combined into a multi-cell battery. A further design and cost disadvantage associated with steel containers is the requirement for a designed weakening in the steel container to allow for a controlled rupture of the battery in the event of either internal or external heating of the battery. The controlled rupture is intended to deactivate the battery to prevent its explosion and the formation of hazardous shrapnel from the steel container.
Steel or other metal containers are required for those non-aqueous batteries which contain pressurized electrolytes, such as the lithium/sulfur dioxide battery. However, the development of lithium-based primary (rechargeable) and secondary (non-rechargeable) batteries using solid positive electrodes and organic solvent-based electrolytes, which have relatively low vapor pressures at operating temperatures, has led to the development of battery containers made of flexible, typically heat-sealable, polymeric films. Such batteries are commonly referred to as "pouch" cells or batteries.
Pouch cells offer significant advantages over cells contained in metal cans. They are less expensive and lighter, and significantly safer, as the flexible container does not allow internal pressures to build to a hazardous level and do not produce hazardous metallic fragments. The flexible containers associated with pouch cells comply with the shape of internal cell components, and they also expand, contract, bend, and otherwise change shape in response to external pressure on the container surfaces. Pouch cells can also be fabricated in a wide variety of shapes to permit efficient packing of many cells into multi-cell batteries or to conform with the shape of the device being powered.
A pouch cell is typically produced by first assembling a sandwich comprising the negative electrode, the separator, and the positive electrode. This assembly may be in the form of alternating flat plates, spirally wound strips, or other configurations known in the art. For the pouch cell, it is common to form a flattened structure in which the electrodes and separator material are wound in the form of an elliptical spiral.
In a separate operation, a pouch is formed, typically from two rectangular sheets of a polymeric film, by sealing them together, typically by a heat-sealing process, along three edges. The polymer film may comprise more than one layer of film to provide the necessary barriers against the ingress of moisture and air from the outside environment, while providing the necessary inertness to attack by the electrolyte solvents. In order to simplify fabrication of the pouch and to facilitate the insertion of the electrode/separator sandwich, the pouch is typically sized such that some space is left between the outer surfaces of the electrode/separator sandwich and the inner surfaces of the pouch.
After the electrode/separator sandwich has been placed in the pouch, the open end of the pouch is closed by the insertion of a cap unit or the sealing of the fourth edge. The sealing of the pouch may involve heat-sealing and/or adhesives. The final sealing design and process must make provisions for the passage of electrical connectors from the inside to the outside of the pouch and must also make provisions for the subsequent introduction of the electrolyte solution and the final sealing of that means of introduction.
In the prior art, the introduction of the electrolyte has typically been accomplished by first evacuating the sealed pouch cell to remove air from the pouch and its contents. A predetermined volume of electrolyte is then injected into the cell. This is followed by sealing the filling tube or orifice, depending upon the design.
The pouch cell designed and filled according to the prior art will have something of a pillow shape, due to the bulging of the flexible pouch caused by the filling of the space, between the electrode/separator assembly and the inner surface of the pouch, with electrolyte solution. This bulging is undesirable in that it increases the volume of the cell over that of the active components alone, and thus reduces the energy density. The bulging also represents an unnecessary expenditure, due to the presence of unneeded electrolyte. It has also been found that the prior art design and method of filling pouch cells with electrolyte solution is inefficient in filling the pores of the electrodes and separator, where electrolyte is necessary for the production of electricity. Instead, electrolyte preferentially fills the void space around the active components rather than the pores of the electrodes and separator as required for maximum utilization of the active components.

Electrochemical batteries with restricted liquid electrolyte volume

Eagle-Picher Energy Products Corporation


A multi-part drive shaft for a transit vehicle door comprises an upper drive shaft connected to a door operating mechanism and having a door panel operating arm extending therefrom, a lower drive shaft journaled for rotation, a door panel operating arm extending therefrom and a flexible drive shaft secured at one end to the upper drive shaft and at the other end to the lower drive shaft. Rotation of the upper drive shaft will transfer torque to the lower drive shaft at the same angular speed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the operation of transit doors.
2. Description of Related Art
There are several conventional approaches to vehicular door systems (of the type typically used in bus or rail mass-transit systems). Commonly used approaches include the following.
Swing doors: These are simple double panel doors which swing outward.
Slide-glide doors: Alternatively known as "inward retracting" doors, slide-guide doors have a mechanism that rotates the double door panels outward (similarly to the "swing doors") but simultaneously retract the door panels into the vehicle. The ideal result is that the door panels are seated flat against the entryway perimeter but with the interior surface of the doors exposed rather than the outside surface (allowing handrails and other "interior" hardware to be accessible when the vehicle is stopped and the doors are in the open position, but not exposed on the exterior of the vehicle when the vehicle is in operation).
In each type of door, along each vertical door frame is positioned driven door shafts which through various linkages drive the opening and closing of the adjacent door panels. A number of transit buses have a significant curve back at the top of the front end of the bus such that the upper end of the forward most door panel must also be curved back. In the past, in order to accommodate the curve back of the door, the driven door shaft is comprised of two offset vertical drive shafts 20, 21 joined by an intermediate shaft 23 that has universal joints 24, 25 at each end as shown in FIG. 1. The intermediate shaft 23 has a sliding spline 26 on one end that interfaces a complementary spline on one of the universal joints. This allows the two universal joints to be installed at various distances from each other, thereby accounting for the production tolerances present in the frame of the bus. Arms 27 fixed to the drive shafts 20 operate the door panels to open and close.
There are also situations wherein rectangular doors have two coaxial drive shafts due to the configuration of the walls adjacent the door and/or obstructions between the upper and lower shafts.
Referring to FIG. 2, a rotary actuator 30 drives connecting rods 31, 32 which drive door shaft levers 33, 34 to open and close the doors.
Unfortunately, each universal joint and the spline connection are sources of backlash which must be accounted for in the design of the door. Moreover, each of these elements must be periodically lubricated.


A powered ditch router for clearing the overgrowth from road side drainage ditches is disclosed. The router includes a power shaft, a plurality of discs attached to the shaft for rotation therewith, and a number of cutting teeth are spaced about the periphery and sides of the discs for cutting the overgrowth. The router is mountable to a tractor for operation through a ditch. The overgrowth, when cut, can be deposited along side one edge of the ditch for subsequent pickup and disposal.

This invention relates to a cutting machine for clearing overgrowth from road side drainage ditches and more specifically to a power ditch router for clearing this overgrowth.
A major problem with maintaining rural roads, is maintenance of the drainage ditch along side the road. Frequently these ditches will become overgrown with grass, weeds, small bushes and the like such that the flow of drainage water is restricted. No easy means of clearing out this overgrowth currently exists. Mowers typically require a flat surface along the entire width of the mower for cutting overgrowth. This prevents a mower from being used effectively at the bottom of a drainage ditch. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a power ditch router for cleaning the overgrowth in the bottom of a road side drainage ditch.
The power ditch router of this invention includes a power shaft having a number of horizontally spaced discs attached to the shaft for rotation therewith. At the outer edges of these discs are a number of cutting teeth for cutting the overgrowth. The discs are of progressively larger diameter with the smallest diameter discs at each end and the largest diameter disc in the middle. This allows the router to reach the bottom V-shaped portion of a drainage ditch without cutting into the side walls of the ditch. The router can be mounted to a conventional tractor and hydraulically driven from the tractor hydraulic system or it can be mechanically driven from the tractor power-take-off. The router can be positioned relative to the ditch such that the overgrowth is cut short, yet the root system remains so that the soil will not be eroded by the drainage water. The router can also be positioned to remove the top layer of soil and the plant roots thereby leaving no growth. The router can be operated at an oblique angle relative to the ditch such that the removed overgrowth can be deposited along the side of the ditch as opposed to in the bottom of the ditch.
Alternatively, the router can be operated perpendicularly to the ditch such that parallel rows of grass between the discs will remain intact in the ditch. The router can also be moved transversely across the ditch. This motion is useful in removing small saplings where more than one pass by the router is necessary to completely remove the tree.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.


Disclosed is a hydrogen generation furnace using decomposition of biomass steam, which employs an infrared source and a furnace body with a water-accommodating structure. A steam separation-drying device is cylindrical and provided at an upper part of an interior of the furnace body and a cavity of the steam separation-drying device forms a secondary gasifier. A lattice plate is provided at a bottom of the interior of the furnace body. A lattice combustion grate is provided above a middle of the lattice plate. A steam distributor is provided outside a lower part of the furnace body. The furnace of the invention performs gasified gas separation as well as secondary oxidation and gasification and mixes steam with gas generated from biomass to perform a decomposition reaction for generating hydrogen.

Energy consumption increases with the development and progress in production and life, and attendant pollution problems gradually restrict the overall development of our society. In recent years, persistent efforts have been made to strengthen pollution control, ameliorate energy and seek pollution-free renewable and clean energy. Hydrogen energy turned out to be capable of changing the existing energy structure and achieving zero environmental impact. Among methods of preparing hydrogen, using plants as hydrogen sources as a method for producing renewable energy is highly anticipated, since the plants grow through fixing carbon dioxide and thus produce hydrogen without restrictions on carbon dioxide. In the prior art, a thermochemical gasification method employs a biomass gas producer or a stalk gasifying furnace, which uses agricultural residues as gasification raw materials. Due to ready availability and low cost of the agricultural residues, this method of producing hydrogen is always in use since it was developed more than ten years ago. However, the method uses low techniques although lots of improvements are provided. An advanced method for efficiently preparing hydrogen is still not found due to the following difficulties. Coal tar cannot be completely gasified; water vapor therein cannot be effectively decomposed and converted into hydrogen; autothermal combustion and gasification involve a large energy loss, low gasification efficiency and inefficient waste heat reuse; in particular, a gasification furnace body is susceptible to chemical damage, resulting in material waste and increased cost. For these reasons, the invention aims to completely overcome these shortcomings in the prior art and provide a technical solution to completely reach a decomposition reaction for fully generating hydrogen. The device provided herein is long-lasting, simple, convenient, low-cost, highly efficient, pollution-free and multifunctional. The device facilitates a decomposition reaction of mixed water vapor and upgrades the generated combustible gas in an environment of biomass gasified gas. Compared to gasified gas generated through biomass, more water vapor is converted to hydrogen, benefiting our society.

Hydrogen generation furnace using decomposition of biomass stream

Fujian JunGie New Material Technology Company Ltd.


A prismatic (18) having a square cross-section is provided in a rotation shaft (16) to which plug terminals (14) are fixed. The rotation shaft (16) is sandwiched between a pair of elastic pieces (17a), (17a) of an elastic holder (17), so that the respective elastic pieces (17a), (17a) are brought into contact with plane surfaces of the prismatic bar (18) parallel to each other. Therefore, an interval between the two elastic pieces (17a), (17a) of the elastic holder (17) is increased when the square bar (18) rotates, so that a firm and steady touch of a click can be provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power plug with plug terminals provided rotatably with respect to a housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some chargers for a portable electric device have a power plug having a pair of plug terminals that can rotate between a projecting position, where tips thereof project from a housing made of synthetic resin, and an accommodated position, where the tips are housed in an accommodation part of the housing. When using such a charger, the plug terminals are brought to their projecting position for insertion into an outlet. When the charge is not used, however, the plug terminals can be accommodated in the housing so as to be out of the way.
Such power plugs include one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3096896. In this plug, a pair of plug terminals are held by bases thereof embedded into a rotation shaft member made of synthetic resin, and the rotation shaft member is rotatably supported on the housing. By rotating the rotation shaft member, the plug terminals are displaced from the accommodated position, where they are accommodated in the housing, to the projecting position, where they project from the housing. The housing has a pair of elastic pieces, opposed to each other, that are provided integrally therewith near the rotation shaft member. The rotation shaft member has an engagement pin in the shape of a round bar, and the engagement pin enters into a gap between the pair of elastic pieces as the rotation shaft member rotates. The engagement pin expands the gap between the elastic pieces while entering therein and is held in that position. Thus, the plug terminals are held in the projecting position thereof.
However, in the above described arrangement in which the round-bar-like engagement pin enters by force into the gap between the elastic pieces, a significant displacement of the elastic pieces cannot be set, and a sufficient touch of a click cannot be provided. To enhance the touch of a click, it is necessary to upsize the engagement pin or the like. However, due to the restriction on the overall size of the power plug, the upsizing of the engagement pin or the like is also restricted.
This invention has been developed in view of the above described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a power plug capable of providing a firm and steady touch of a click.
According to the present invention, a rotation shaft for integrally supporting a set of plug terminals is received on a bearing of a housing. Thus, the plug terminals are supported rotatably with respect to the housing. The rotation shaft comprises a prismatic bar with a peripheral surface including a plurality of plane surfaces and ridges between the plane surfaces, and a pair of elastic pieces positioned to sandwich the rotation shaft therebetween is brought into contact with the plurality of plane surfaces of the prismatic bar. The pair of elastic pieces are arranged not to rotate with the rotation shaft and, as the rotation shaft rotates, are elastically deformed to expand by pressure from the ridge of the prismatic bar. Here, when the rotation shaft is rotated by rotating the plug terminals, the ridges of the prismatic bar press the elastic pieces outwardly. Therefore, the distance between the elastic pieces is repeatedly increased and decreased with the rotation of the rotation shaft. A firm and steady touch of a click is provided when the rotation shaft rotates from a first angle position, where the distance between the elastic pieces is the narrowest, to a second angle position where the distance becomes the narrowest once it has become the widest.
In such an arrangement, a large displacement of the elastic pieces can be set according to the cross-section of the prismatic bar, and a more obvious touch of a click can be provided compared to a prior art arrangement in which the round-bar-like engagement pin simply enters into the gap between a pair of elastic pieces.
Furthermore, in the case where the plug terminals are locked at an angle of 90 degrees as in the prior art arrangement described above, the cross-section of the prismatic bar is preferably formed into a square shape. In such an arrangement, the increase and decrease in the distance between the elastic pieces are repeated every 90 degrees of rotation, so that the plug terminals can be rotated with a simple angle interval to provide a touch of a click.
In addition, the elastic pieces are preferably formed as parts separate from the housing and mounted on the housing in a detention state.
In the prior art arrangement described above, in which the elastic pieces are formed integrally with the housing made of resin, it may be difficult to select a material for the elastic pieces that has a sufficient strength, such as elasticity, wear resistance and rigidity, or to form the material into a shape with these properties. Therefore, by separating the elastic pieces from the housing, an appropriate material can be used for the elastic pieces, or the elastic pieces can be readily formed into an optimal shape.

Power plug with elastic pieces for positioning


In a gas phase coating process for coating turbines blades or housing parts, one or more workpieces to be coated are arranged in a container that is heated. Propellant is supplied to the container via a propellant pipe. A donor substance is arranged at the floor of the container together with an activator and forms a coating gas that is circulated pulse-like in the interior of the container by means for circulation, for example, a Venturi nozzle from which the propellant emerges.

In known apparatus and processes for gas phase coating of workpieces, for example, turbine blades, the workpieces are arranged, for example, in the upper region of a container. In its lower region, the container comprises a carrier gas inlet and a carrying grid for the acceptance of a donor metal granulate and an activator powder. The container is annealed for a certain time under argon or H.sub.2 and a donor metal gas forms in the container in the proximity of the donor metal granulate.
The problem thereby arises that the heavy donor metal gasses that form must rise from the donor metal granulate to the parts to be coated, whereby a dilution of the donor metal gasses occurs in vertical direction according to the barometric altitude formula, thereby leading to different coat thicknesses on the parts dependent on their geodetic height relative to the donor metal. Particularly given containers with large payload spaces, a pronounced coat gradient arises in barometric dependence from bottom to top due to the heaviness of the coating gas. It is thereby of no consequence whether the donor metal is distributed at the floor of the container and/or under the cover of the container or, respectively, reactor or whether a molten donor metal is employed. When coating inside surfaces of hollow parts, the additional problem arises that the coating thickness decreases the farther the surface to be coated lies in the inside of the part.
Attempts have been made to control the gas quality and to improve it to a certain extent with a gas rinse conduit conducted into the reactor. This arrangement, however, only functions with adequately slice coat gradients given payload spaces having a low height. A disadvantageous coat gradient particularly arises given payload space heights of approximately 120 mm and more, i.e. the coated part has different coat thicknesses dependent on its respective height in the reactor during the coating.
WO 92/08821 discloses an apparatus for gas diffusion coating of hollow workpieces with a container that comprises a gas admission and a gas discharge, whereby the gas discharge follows the inside surfaces of the workpiece to be coated. In this method, the workpieces are held at a geodetically low height relative to the donor metal, whereby the donor metal is present in the form of a donor metal body that, while preserving a gap, completely envelopes the outside surfaces of the workpiece to be coated. A carrier gas conducted into the container from above is conducted past the donor metal body arrangement that is arranged above the part to be coated and around the part. Subsequently, the coating gas is conducted through the inside of the part and discharged at the underside of the container. In order to assure a high donor metal concentration in the area of the part, the gas discharge is formed as overflow or, respectively, siphon, so that a donor metal gas sump forms in the area of the part. However, this known apparatus requires an involved arrangement and fashioning of the donor metal body that, over and above this, must be exactly aligned relative to the part and must be matched to its shape. A coating of a variety of parts with different geometries requires respectively different donor metal bodies, which is involved and cost-intensive and leads to low flexibility. Over and above this, a barometric dependency of the donor metal gas concentration also exists given a siphon arrangement.
Therefore, there is a need for a gas phase coating process and an apparatus for gas phase coating which provides a more uniform coating of outside and inside surfaces of the part throughout the entire payload space of the reactor given low outlay and high flexibility.

Gas phase coating process and apparatus for gas-phase coating of workpieces

MTU Motoren-und Turbinen-Union Munchen GmbH


An information management system is applied to a supply flow of dispensed objects by incorporating microcircuitry into a portable dispensing case that is loaded with objects at a loading site and transported to a dispensing site where the objects are dispensed from the portable case. A communication connection connects the microcircuitry with a reload controller at the loading site and a dispensing controller at the dispensing site. By means of the communication connection loading information on the identities and locations of objects in the case is supplied to the microcircuitry where it is made available at the dispensing site, and transactional information involved in dispensing of the objects at the dispensing site is loaded into the microcircuitry for return to the reloading site. Such an arrangement allows analysis of the transactional information and the loading information showing actual usage of objects at both the dispensing site and the reloading site.

Producing information on the dispensing of objects.
The need for better inventory management and more efficient supply chain flow of dispensable tools and parts has led to a variety of dispensing machines. Some of these machines have produced information on the dispensing of objects, but the production and flow of such information has been expensive and inefficient. Information flow systems accompanying such dispensers have included wired, wireless, and internet connections. The cost and complexity of these have resulted in many supply chains for dispensable tools and objects continuing to operate with manual and inadequate control systems.
The invention aims to solve these problems by making a dispensing system inexpensive to buy and maintain while being able to provide all the information necessary for efficient supply chain control. The inventive way of meeting these needs can make more efficient supply chain dispensing and control available to small users as well as large.
The inventive system accomplishes its goals by combining several features. To insure low cost, for example, the invention uses portable dispensing cases that can be filled at a loading site with objects to be dispensed at a dispensing site. Besides the convenience of transporting dispensable objects in portable cases, the cases also carry information flowing back and forth between the loading site and the dispensing site.
For this purpose, each case is provided with microcircuitry that includes a memory of the objects loaded into the case. By means of connections with the onboard microcircuitry, the portable cases communicate with a dispensing controller at the dispensing site and with a reload controller at the loading site.
The reload controller sends loading information to the microcircuitry in the case, which retains a memory of the loaded objects and their locations within the case. This memory moves with the case to the dispensing site where the loading information is available to the dispensing controller.
The dispensing controller has an interface accessible to a requester of an object, and the dispensing controller can be programmed with whatever transactional information and requirements are appropriate to the dispensing of objects. For example, a person requesting an object and working via the interface can input a PIN, a job number, a request for an object, and possibly additional information such as a machine, product, project, or other identity intending to use the object. The dispensing controller cooperates with the microcircuitry in the portable case to dispense an object whenever an object request is authorized. Transactional information about the object dispensing is thus acquired by the dispensing controller and is communicated to the microcircuitry in the portable case for return to the loading site.
Information on what is available for dispensing, what has been dispensed, and other transactional information can be downloaded from the dispensing controller at the dispensing site for management control of the facility where the objects are used. Similarly, such information returns via the microcircuitry in the portable case to the loading site where it can be downloaded, preferably via the reload controller, for management control of the supply chain. All this makes the information flow effective and low-cost and allows the supply chain to respond to actual usage, rather than demand or estimates of possible future usage, which also improves efficiency.

Information management of supply flow of dispensed objects


Methods, apparatus, and processor-readable storage media for predicting statistics gathering times for database activity data using machine learning techniques are provided herein. An example computer-implemented method includes obtaining activity data pertaining to at least one storage object of a given database; determining one or more times to gather statistics related to activity data pertaining to the at least one storage object of the given database by processing at least a portion of the obtained activity data using one or more machine learning techniques; and performing at least one automated action related to statistics gathering based at least in part on the one or more determined times.

Many applications rely on obtaining data by executing programming language statements in a database. In such a scenario, a component commonly referred to as an optimizer examines one or more possible execution plans for a given programming language statement and selects the execution plan to be carried out on the basis of one or more parameters. To determine a cost related to such actions, the optimizer generally requires considerable information about storage objects (e.g., tables, indexes, etc.) which are to be accessed in connection with the given programming language statement. As such, optimizer statistics typically refer to data that describe a particular database and the storage objects therein. An optimizer uses such statistics to select an execution plan for each programming language statement to access requested data. Accordingly, being able to gather appropriate statistics in a timely manner is critical to maintaining acceptable performance on any database system.
Stale (i.e., out-of-date) statistics can mislead an optimizer and, in some cases, result in selection of a sub-optimal execution plan. However, conventional database management techniques present problems related to stale statistics by using time-intensive and resource-intensive methods. Such conventional database management techniques include, for example, manual intervention on an ad hoc basis, as well as static scheduled statistics gathering during periods of maintenance. As such techniques are based on potentially sporadic and/or infrequent statistics gathering, or a relatively infrequent (e.g., daily) fixed runtime for gathering statistics, such techniques can result in inadequate statistics gathering for certain storage objects. Moreover, determining when to gather statistics might differ from one storage object to another, as transactions may occur at different times and/or in different time zones. In contrast, conventional solutions that include running statistics gathering continuously consume computing resources and negatively impact the performance of one or more other operations associated with the given database and/or corresponding system(s).

Predicting statistics gathering times for database activity data using machine learning techniques


An exhaust chamber of a steam turbine according to an embodiment includes an outer casing which includes an end wall part in an axial direction and an extension part extending upward in the axial direction from the end wall part, a first flow guide formed into an annular shape, the first flow guide forming an upstream region of a diffuser surface in a hub-side flow guide and being fixed to an upstream end portion of the extension part on a radially inner side of the diffuser surface, and a second flow guide formed into an annular shape, the second flow guide forming a downstream region of the diffuser surface at a position downstream of the first flow guide and on a radially outer side of the extension part, and being fixed to the extension part.

Steam from a turbine casing of a steam turbine is normally discharged from the steam turbine via an exhaust chamber. In the exhaust chamber, a fluid loss is caused by characteristics of a steam flow, a shape of an internal structure, or the like. Thus, the shape of a diffuser forming a diffuser flow passage of the exhaust chamber is important.
For example, in a steam turbine described in Patent Document 1, a diffuser length is increased as compared with a conventional one, by extending the end portion of a tip flow guide upper half portion toward downstream, thereby reducing a turbine exhaust loss (see Patent Document 1).
On the other hand, as a recent trend, in terms of a reduction in facility cost, a demand is increased that a diffuser shape is produced individually in accordance with a required specification for each client, whereas an outer casing forming an exhaust chamber is standardized (modularized) to provide an optimized exhaust chamber. Moreover, in order to improve performance, a demand for a replacement work of an existing steam turbine is also increased in which an existing product is diverted as the outer casing, and internal components such as a blade and a diffuser are newly designed.

Exhaust chamber of steam turbine, steam turbine, and steam turbine replacement method


An automation system comprises a local threat information server operating within automation plant and a plurality of field devices operating at a control layer of the automation plant. The local threat information server is configured to: receive threat information from one or more external sources, receive plant information from one or more internal sources, set a threat level according to one or more of the threat information and the plant information, and distribute an indication of the threat level to one or more control layer devices. Each respective field device is configured to: receive the indication of the threat level, identify one or more security operations corresponding to the threat level, and execute the one or more security operations.

Improving the security posture of industrial control systems is an active area of research. Most of today's offered concrete solutions for the lowest levels of the Purdue model, especially the control and field levels, are restricted to external controls that focus on protecting the perimeter through network filtering technologies such as firewalls. Mainly due to the lack of flexibility to support the deployment of security features beyond what is built-in at the factory, controllers, sensors, and actuators are not security aware devices. Lacking awareness about the current security status prevents automated response events that would drastically increase the survivability rate for such devices. The fact that perimeter protection is, in fact, the only really effective measure that has been used to protect industrial control systems implies that programmable logic controllers (PLCs) cannot survive in environments that are intrinsically highly exposed (e.g. cyber-military systems, or remote locations that could leverage existing connectivity options to be managed).
Another aspect that constitutes a gap on existing technologies is that smart field devices offer additional connectivity and processing capabilities, but the default security features available don't follow at the same level. Despite the increasing trend in terms of the computational power available to industrial devices, only a very limited number of functions related to user and device identification and authorization are available. Currently existing industrial devices are also inflexible in terms of allowing the addition of security features (no additional security functionality can be deployed and no attack detection or response features are considered).

Self-defending smart field device and architecture


A method for receiving a data packet is described. The method may include receiving a frame in a host Ethernet adapter from an Ethernet network. The frame may be parsed to determine a data packet size. A work queue element (WQE) may be selected from two or more available WQEs having different data packet size capacity. Data packet storage may be provided for each WQE, including at least some cache storage associated with a processor. The data packet may be stored in the data packet storage associated with the selected WQE based on the data packet size, including storing in the cache for data packets under selected conditions.

Many computer networks include a plurality of individual computers or servers that communicate over a network, such as an Ethernet network. Data packets may be sent from computer to computer over the Ethernet network in accordance with one of various communication protocols, such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP). The speed of network communications has increased over time, such that 10 gigabit per second speed for Ethernet network TCP/IP communications is now common. This high speed, combined with ever increasing volumes of data traffic, consume tremendous processing and memory bandwidth in a computer. Each computer in the network may include a host Ethernet adapter (HEA) designed to facilitate communications that terminate at an operating system running on the computer.

International Business Machines Corporation


An apparatus comprising: at least one electrode, having a first potential, arranged to sense a biosignal; a conductive shield provided over the at least one electrode where the conductive shield is configured to be driven to a second potential wherein the second potential is equivalent to the first potential plus a multiple of an inverted common mode voltage; and wherein the conductive shield is coupled to a drain to enable triboelectric charges to be dissipated.

Apparatus for sensing biosignals typically comprise electrodes which can be coupled to a subject's body to detect the biosignals. The subject could be a person or an animal. The biosignals may provide information indicative about the health or state of the subject. It is useful to provide an apparatus for sensing biosignals which provides a good quality output signal.

Apparatus and electronic circuitry for sensing biosignals


Systems and method for reading compressed data from non-volatile storage such as an SSD device are disclosed. A logical section, e.g. page, of data includes a plurality of data blocks that are compressed such that the lengths thereof are different. A header section of the page stores headers for the data blocks and storing a length for each data block. The header section may be a codeword encoding the headers according to an error correction scheme. To read out a data block a hardware decoder requests reading of the page and transfers the header section into a hardware decoder that decodes the headers to obtain an offset for a desired data block. Without instructing reading of the page, the offset is used by the hardware decoder to request transfer of the desired data block that is then decoded and returned to a requesting device.

This invention relates to systems for accessing compressed data in a flash memory system.
Solid-state drives, also referred to as SSDs, are data storage devices that make use of nand flash memory devices as storage elements. Typically such devices have a SSD controller that accepts host commands on one end and communicate to the nand flash on the other. Nand flash is a type of non-volatile storage device that retains data when powered off. The SSD controller accesses the nand flash device through the nand interface. Nand devices have a finite number of write/program cycles. The data write operation into the nand flash includes two phases. The data transfer phase and the memory program phase. Similarly, the data read is broken down into two phases. First the memory read phase and second the data transfer phase. The memory read phase introduces a very large delay (˜60 μs) for the controller as compared to the read out time for data.
The physical hierarchy of a nand flash die is broken down into planes, blocks, and pages. A nand flash die can contain multiple planes, each plane is divided into blocks and every block contains N pages. A typical nand will have 2 planes, ˜4K blocks and 256 pages per block.
As is readily apparent, the page is the smallest memory unit for read and write operations, i.e. a program or read operation is performed on a page. Typical nand page sizes are ˜4 KByte, ˜8 KByte, and ˜16 KByte. The page sizes may be slightly larger than 4 KByte, 8 KByte, or 16 KByte to accommodate the ECC parity data. The typical nand interface data rates can be 200 MBps to 400 MBps. For a read, the memory read time will be ˜60 μs and data transfer out would be ˜40 μs for ˜16 KB data, ˜20 μs for 8 KB data and ˜10 μs for 4 KB.
Logical block addressing (LBA) is a common scheme used for specifying the location of blocks of data stored on computer storage devices, generally systems such as hard drives and SSDs (see, e.g., http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_storage).
Typical host LBA granularity is 512 bytes and 4 KB in SSD aware hosts. The SSD controller can choose to operate on 4 KBytes and manages the mapping between the 512 byte host LBA number and the 4 KByte controller LBA number. Each LBA in the system needs to be mapped to unique data units. The size of this data unit defines how large the physical address pointer is. As a result, the size of the LBA pointer would be a function of the number of dies, number of blocks, number of pages and size of data unit, depending on the size of the data unit in the page.
For example, in one example configuration an SSD is configured as follows:
Number of dies in the system: 128 dies=2^7
Number of blocks per die: 4 K+blocks=2^13
Number of pages per block: 256 pages=2^8
LBA data unit size: ˜4 KB
Number of 4 KB LBAs in 16 KB page: 4
Physical Device Capacity: 128*4K(+)*256*16 KB+=2^43
Logical Device Capacity: 128*4K*256*16 KB=2^41=2 TB
Number of LBA Locations in the Device: 2 TB/4 KB=2^29
Total Bits in one Entry of the LBA Table to point to physical Location=7 (For dies)+13 (For blocks)+8 (For pages)+2 (For 4 LBAs)=30 Bits
Total LBA Table size to store physical LBA location=30 bits*2^29 Entries=1.875 GBytes.
The LBA entry is usually rounded to byte granularity for each firmware management schema. As a result, 4 bytes are used for each LBA entry and total LBA table size becomes 4B*2^29 entries=2 GBytes. In this case, the 4 KB Host data is encoded and mapped as 4 KB data and parity bits into the nand flash.
The apparatus and methods disclosed herein provide an improved apparatus and methods for storing data in a nand flash SSD or other non-volatile storage device. The apparatus and methods disclosed both increase the amount of data that may be stored in an SSD and reduce the size of the LBA table used to access an SSD.


An Advance Driver Assistance System of a vehicle collects measurements for a driving event, including GPS coordinates for a specific location from the EH system, and logs the data into an on-vehicle database. The ADAS uses the data in the on-vehicle database to develop a history associated with the specific location. Information, including GPS coordinates and recorded false output warnings, may be shared between the on-vehicle database and an off-vehicle database, such as associated with and Electronic Horizon system, providing an opportunity to significantly improve the feature performance of the ADAS. Driver assist information may be compiled between the off-vehicle database and the on-vehicle database, thereby continuously updating the knowledge base of the ADAS and optimizing feature performance of the ADAS over the life of the vehicle.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) include systems such as, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Blind Spot Warning (BLIS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and Lane Departure Warning (LDW). The systems monitor the vehicle environment and traffic conditions, typically taking measurements of objects using radar or camera-based sensors, to assist the driver. The systems typically classify object measurements into categories of valid targets (i.e., vehicles, pedestrians, lane markings, etc.) or noise (i.e., any measurement from items of non-interest such as environmental objects or road infrastructure). Further, the systems look for certain measurement signatures that tend to indicate the object as "valid". When an object, or target, is classified as "valid", the systems will determine whether the valid object is a threat that is sufficient enough to require driver assistance.
The process of detection, classification, and threat assessment has several issues and limitations. For example, the noise level, as perceived by radars or cameras, is highly dependent upon the environmental objects and road infrastructure. For a classification strategy that is non-location and non-history based, there is the potential for false classification. An object may be falsely classified as noise when it is actually a valid target. Likewise, an object may be falsely classified as a valid target, when it is, in fact, noise. Similarly, for a threat assessment strategy that is non-location and non-history based, there is also the potential for inaccurate threat assessment.
There is a need to improve the feature performance of an Advanced Driver Assistance System by increasing the reliability of the classification strategy and/or threat assessment strategy.

Advanced driver assistance system feature performance using off-vehicle communications


The present invention relates to the determination of an analyte or multiple analytes in blood using information derived from the differential optical absorption spectra of blood. Specifically, the information is derived from the differential spectra of tissue before and immediately after the volume of blood in the tissue has been changed.

The determination of blood glucose is critical to diabetic patients. These patients must measure their blood glucose level several times daily in order to determine how much insulin their body requires. For diabetics with internally implantable or external insulin pumps, the ability to have a reliable glucose sensor that can continuously measure their blood glucose is essential for the realization of an artificial pancreas device.
Considerable efforts have been placed on the development of reliable methods for measuring blood glucose noninvasively. Although several sensors have been successfully developed for in vitro and in vivo applications, these sensors can be used only for intermittent measurements or short term monitoring. None of these devices are suitable for long-term in vivo applications utilizing noninvasive means.
The concentration of a limited number of analytes in blood can be measured noninvasively by spectroscopic means. For instance, by measuring the amount of optical radiation either absorbed by, transmitted through or reflected from biological tissues, it is possible to derive a quantitative measurement relative to the concentration of oxygen in blood. In contrast to invasive measurement, noninvasive measurements are clearly more attractive because they are safe, fast, convenient, painless and can be used to provide short-term and long-term continuous information on changing levels of blood analytes in the body. Therefore, noninvasive measurement of blood constituents is desirable, especially in children and older patients.
Several attempts have been made in the past to develop a reliable method for quantitative noninvasive measurement of glucose levels in biological tissues by irradiating the tissue with light at predetermined wavelengths and using the principle of absorption spectroscopy. Some methods are based on detecting the resonance absorption peaks in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, also known as the "fingerprints" region, which are caused by vibrational and rotational oscillations of the molecules and are characteristic for different molecules. Other techniques are based upon near-infrared spectroscopy to determine the sample's composition. Unlike the "fingerprint" region, which is valuable as a tool for obtaining structural information on the sample, structural measurements in the near infrared region of the spectra are obscured because of multiple and weak overtones yielding many overlapping peaks.
Regardless of which spectroscopic method is employed, there are four basic practical difficulties which limit the noninvasive detection of most biological substances including glucose: 1) The high intrinsic background absorption by water, 2) the relatively low concentration of most biological substances, 3) the number of weak and overlapping absorption peaks in the spectra, and 4) the highly scattering properties of biological tissues. Moreover, the large variations in the optical properties of skin among different individuals makes absolute measurements and calibrations very difficult and impractical.
Two methods are commonly utilized for obtaining spectral information from biological tissues for the purpose of measuring the concentration of various biochemical constituents noninvasively. One method is based on information derived from the absolute optical spectra of tissues containing blood. According to this concept, the tissue is illuminated with light at different preselected wavelengths and either the total or proportional amount of light which is transmitted through, reflected from, or transflected by the tissue is measured by a photodetector. This technique was utilized for example by Hewlett-Packard in their ear oximeter product (U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,640 by Shaw) and by Rosenthal et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,787). According to the other method, which is widely used in pulse oximetry, the tissue is illuminated by two different light sources. Typically, one wavelength around 660 nm and the other in the range between 815 nm and 960 nm are used. The change in optical absorption caused by the pulsation of arterial blood in the tissue is measured and analyzed to provide a quantitative measure of the amount of oxygen present in the arterial blood. According to this second technique, the ratio between the normalized pulsatile and nonpulsatile components of a single pair of red and infrared wavelengths transmitted through tissue is used to compute the amount of oxygen saturation in the arterial blood. Both of these methods are useful for measuring, for example, the oxygen saturation in blood but cannot be readily utilized for measuring the concentration of glucose or other low concentration substances in blood. The reasons are related to the fact that the optical absorption spectra of oxyhemoglobin, which corresponds to fully oxygenated blood, and deoxyhemoglobin, which corresponds to fully deoxygenated blood, are significantly different from each other. Furthermore, the optical absorption spectra of blood in the 660 to 9660 nm region of the spectrum is significantly stronger than the background optical absorption of the blood-less tissue. Lastly, the relative concentration of hemoglobin is normally about 150 times higher than that of glucose and hemoglobin has a much higher optical absorption compared to that of glucose.

Blood constituent determination based on differential spectral analysis


A radial load reducing device includes a high-pressure fluid chamber defined to face an outer circumferential portion of a rotating shaft or an outer circumferential portion of a rotating body integrally rotating with the rotating shaft at a first position where a radial load to be applied to the rotating shaft is directed, and a low-pressure fluid chamber defined to face the outer circumferential portion at a second position opposite to the first position. Further, a sliding bearing and a screw compressor using the above device are also provided. The fluid pressure in the high-pressure fluid chamber is applied in a direction counter to the direction of application of the radial load to be applied to the rotating shaft, thereby reducing the radial load to be applied to the rotating shaft.

The present invention relates to a radial load reducing device for reducing a radial load to be applied to a rotating shaft, and also relates to a sliding bearing and a screw compressor using the same.
In case of a screw compressor for example, a rotor shaft receives a large thrust load and radial load from a high-pressure side to a low-pressure side because of a compressed gas enclosed by a screw rotor. Accordingly, the rotor shaft is supported by a thrust bearing and a radial bearing.
The life of such bearings decreases with an increase in such loads to be applied to the bearings.
There has been proposed a device for reducing the thrust load to be applied to the rotor shaft of the screw compressor and thereby extending the life of the thrust bearing (Japanese Patent Publication No. 48-33041 and Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 57-153986).
However, any measures for reducing the radial load to be applied to the radial bearing has not yet been practically applied at present.
The operation of the screw compressor is limited depending upon the life of the radial bearing, and any screw compressor at present cannot be operated under a high-pressure greater than a given discharge pressure. Thus, it is greatly demanded to expand an applicable pressure range of the screw compressor.

Radial load reducing device, and sliding bearing and screw compressor using the device


The embodiments of the invention disclose an object determining method, a portable device, an object displaying method, an object switching method and an electronic device. Said method is applied to a touch sensitive portable device. Identifications of multiple objects are displayed within a display area of said portable device. Each of the identifications of said multiple objects has a first status of being selected and a second status of being unselected. Said display area has a first area, the identification of a first object is displayed in the first area, and the first object is in the first status. Said method comprises: obtaining a switch instruction; moving the identification of the first object of the first area, switching the identification of the first object from the first status to the second status, moving the identification of the second object into the first area, and switching the identification of the second object from the second status to the first status according to the switch instruction. The embodiments of the invention can simplify the steps of the user's operation.

As is well known, the ways in which a user communicates with contacts using mobile terminals include: phone calls, sending short messages, logging on an instant messaging software and sending E-mails. The existing electronic device with touch function comprises a cell phone with touch function. When a user operates on multiple objects under a same display page, since there's no selecting function, the user often needs to find a determined object from multiple objects, then enter the page of this object by clicking this object, and finally click the operation items within this page, thereby completing a series of specific operations to this object.
Taking phone calls for example, when a user calls a contact using a mobile terminal, he usually needs to operate in the following manners:
Manner 1: selecting the directory, finding a contact desired to contact in the directory by operations, clicking the contact to enter the page of the contact, and then clicking the mobile phone number of the contact to complete the call to the contact;
Manner 2: selecting the directory, finding a contact desired to contact in the directory by operations, clicking the contact, popping up a menu, and then clicking "call" item in the menu to complete the call to the contact.
From the above two manners, it can be seen that, the user's operations are complicated, cumbersome, and it is not convenient to the user.
Also, in the electronic device such as computer and mobile terminal, usually, a plurality of objects are stored in certain order, and the objects are for example pictures, audio files, contact information or the like. When the user wants to switch the currently displayed object, a switch instruction is issued. The switch instruction may be a key-triggered instruction. Alternatively, in the case that the electronic device has a touch screen, the switch instruction may be a touch action, such as a slide action. Usually, there are two switching modes to perform switching in response to the switch instruction.
In the first switching mode, the electronic device switches the currently displayed object to the adjacent next object or previous object. However, in the case that the number of objects is large, if the user wants to switch to the object which is far away from the currently displayed object, multiple switch instructions need to be issued, resulting in low efficiency, and is not convenient to the user.
In the second switching mode, the electronic device performs switching for example in accordance with the speed of the slide action or the duration of pressing a key. If the slide speed is fast or the duration of pressing a key is long, the electronic device switches the display to an object which is far away from the currently displayed object, and if the slide speed is slow or the duration of pressing a key is short, the electronic device switches the display to an object which is near the currently displayed object. However, since this switching mode depends on the user's touch action or the duration of pressing a key, the demand for user's operation ability is high. In some cases, the user desires to switch the display only to the adjacent previous object or next object, however, since the user does not know the judging criterion of the speed of a slide action or the duration of pressing a key of the electronic device, the slide speed may be too fast or the duration of pressing a key may be too long, thereby the electronic device switches the display to an object which is not adjacent and is relatively far away from the currently displayed object, resulting in more error operations, and is not convenient to the user.

Object determining method, object display method, object switching method and electronic device


A tool holder which efficiently organizes a bartender's tools is disclosed. The tool holder has a pliable support, a first pocket for holding a pen having a first side edge attached to a first side of the support and a second side edge attached to a second side of the support, a hook attached to the first side of the support for holding a bottle opener, a second pocket attached to the first side of the support for holding a lighter, a third pocket attached to the first side of the support for holding a knife, and a ring attached to the first side of the support for holding a towel. The support may be secured to the body of a user by way of a belt so that the second side of the support is adjacent a hip of the user. A hook-and-pile fastening arrangement may be used to releasably fasten the support to the belt at a desired position.

A variety of tools are essential to the proper operation of a bar. Bartenders require the use of a pen, bottle opener, lighter, knife, and towel many times during the course of an average work shift. In the past, there was no single, organized storage location for these tools. As a result, these tools were often misplaced in any number of pockets, shelves, or drawers, and occasionally even the ice bin during hectic shifts. The time spent searching for misplaced tools reduced the bartender's efficiency and, consequently, the quality of service to the customer, the number of drinks prepared during a shift, and the income to both the bar's owner and the bartender.
Numerous tool holders are presently available. However, these tool holders are intended for use in other trades and are incapable of holding and efficiently organizing a bartender's pen, bottle opener, lighter, knife, and towel in a manner which will increase the bartender's efficiency.
Accordingly, a need exists for a tool holder which holds and efficiently organizes the tools of the bartender's trade.


A medical tubular shaft instrument having a tube and a force transmission element extending lengthwise through the tube. The tube includes a jaw member arrangement on a distal end, which is coupled with the force transmission element and actuated by sliding the force transmission element along the tube. The tube includes a handpiece on a proximal end. The force transmission element, over part of its length, has a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the tube to configure a ring-shaped flushing canal, and, one section along its length, it is centered in the tube in this section. The force transmission element includes precisely one section in which it is centered in the tube, and the section is in the vicinity of the distal end of the force transmission element and is perpendicular to its longitudinal axis by reshaping the force transmission element.

Tubular shaft instruments of this type are used as surgical instruments in minimally invasive surgery in order to perform surgical interventions through a small body incision under endoscopic control. For various surgical procedures that are to be performed in the human or animal body, such tubular shaft instruments are equipped for various functions.
A tubular shaft instrument, in the sense of the present invention, is understood to mean, for example, a forceps for cutting and/or grasping and/or a needle holder. The jaw member arrangement can have a movable jaw member that interacts with a blade of a second jaw member that is fastened to the tube. The jaw member arrangement can also have blunted jaw members for gripping tissue. In the case of a needle holder, the jaw members are suited for removably holding a needle in order to produce a seam in the surgical area to mend tissue.
To activate the jaw member arrangement, there is on the proximal end of the tube a hand piece that has a force-locked connection with the movable jaw member by means of an elongated force transmission element, normally in the form of a pull rod. Manual actuation of the handles of the hand piece causes a movement of the jaw member arrangement on the distal end of the tube in order to perform the desired task such as, for example, cutting or holding tissue or guiding a needle through the tissue.
For minimally invasive surgery, especially in operating on small children or else with procedures in certain surgical areas such as the head area, it is also necessary to configure such tubular instruments with a very small tube diameter.
In addition, with tubular shaft instruments there is the requirement that they should be flushable with liquid lengthwise, in order to avoid the necessity of completely dismantling them. To provide the space necessary for flushing, it is proposed in the aforementioned state of the art to make the pull rod generally slightly thinner than the inner diameter of the tube, but in at least one section along their length to provide three supporting protrusions, distributed around the radius, that on the one hand would support the force transmission element centrally in the tube so that it cannot easily bend, and on the other hand would also allow free space in these sections for rinsing the tube in order to comply with sterility and hygienic requirements.

Medical tubular shaft instrument and method for producing a force transmission element of the same


An embodiment rear vehicle body structure of a vehicle including an underbody and an upper body coupled to the underbody includes a reinforcing member coupled to an upper surface of a rear floor panel provided on the rear side of the upper body and connected to both chassis frames of the underbody through the rear floor panel.

Recently, the vehicle industry has introduced a new concept of future mobility visions for realizing a human-centered dynamic future city. One of these future mobility solutions is a PBV (purpose-built vehicle) as purpose-based mobility.
The PBV is an environment-friendly mobility solution that provides customized services necessary for occupants during the time of moving to the destination by ground, and it may also perform setting of an optimal path and cluster driving for each situation using electric vehicle-based and artificial intelligence.
The vehicle body of a PBV is composed of an underbody (also referred to as a rolling chassis or a skateboard in the industry) and an upper body mounted on the underbody.
Here, the battery module is mounted on the underbody. In addition, the upper body may be a space frame composed of a skeleton by welding a steel plate or a pipe, and is mounted on the underbody through a cabin part.
The rear vehicle body structure of such a PBV mounts a rear seat at the wheel house side. Accordingly, conventionally, to prevent a submarine phenomenon, a floor panel vehicle body has to be disposed with an upward slope, but when the floor panel is disposed upward, it is difficult to configure the rear pillar and the rear side member, thereby making it difficult to implement the submarine phenomenon prevention vehicle body.
In addition, conventionally, the vehicle body skeleton strength and collision performance may be deteriorated due to insufficient bonding strength between the underbody and the upper body and damage to the battery module may be caused due to a rear collision.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


Ashless thiophosphates derived from dihydrocarbyl dithiocarbamates have been found to be effective antioxidant/antiwear multifunctional additives for lubricants.

This invention relates to multifunctional antiwear/antioxidant additives and to compositions comprising lubricants, greases and other solid lubricants thereof containing a minor amount of an ashless thiophosphate slat derived from a dithiocarbamate.
The metal surfaces of machinery or engines operate under heavy or normal loads wherein the metal is under friction, even when being lubricated. Thus, there is always metal wear which in some cases can be excessive. It is clear that lubricants used to protect the metal surfaces do not completely prevent wear at the points of metal to metal contact. Consequently, the performance of the machine or engine will suffer, and in aggravated cases the machine or engine may be become completely inoperative from the wear caused by the friction and the load.
There have been many attempts to devise additive systems to improve the extreme pressure/load carrying properties of a lubricant. The non-metallic derivatives of the present invention provide lubricating oil compositions with enhanced antioxidant/antiwear and extreme pressure/load carrying characteristics and are believed to be capable of overcoming some of the aforementioned deficiencies of prior art additives.
Lubricants, such as lubricating oils and greases, are subject to oxidative deterioration at elevated temperatures or upon prolonged exposure to the elements. Such deterioration is evidenced, in many instances, by an increase in acidity and in viscosity, and when the deterioration is severe enough, it can cause metal parts to corrode. Additionally, severe oxidation leads to a loss of lubrication properties, and in especially severe cases this may cause complete breakdown of the device being lubricated. Many additives have been tried, however, many of them are only marginally effective except at high concentrations. Improved antioxidants are clearly needed.
Antioxidants or oxidation inhibitors are used to minimize the effects of oil deterioration that occur when, for example, hot oil is contacted with air. The degree and rate of oxidation will depend on temperature, air and oil flow rates and, of particular importance, on the presence of metals that may catalytically promote oxidation. Antioxidants generally function by prevention of chain peroxide reaction and/or metal catalyst deactivation. They prevent the formation of acid sludges, darkening of the oil and increases in viscosity due to the formation of polymeric materials.
Water (moisture) is another critical problem. In spite of even extraordinary precautionary efforts water is found as a film or in minute droplets in vessels containing various hydrocarbon distillates. This brings about ideal conditions for corrosion and damage of metal surfaces of the vessels and the materials contained therein. Also in the lubrication of internal combustion engines, for example, quantities of water are often present as a separate phase within the lubricating system. Another serious problem in respect to metallic surfaces in contact with adjacent metallic surfaces is the surface wear caused by the contact of such surfaces. One material capable of simultaneously coping with such problems effectively is highly desireous.
The use of metal dithiocarbamates (such as zinc, nickel, or lead dialkyl dithiocarbamates) are known as effective antioxidants and antiozonants for many rubbers and polymers in various kinds of applications, such as styrene butadiene rubber and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber.

Multifunctional lubricant additives and compositions thereof