A system and method to form a medical construct using surgical rods and connectors. A pair of surgical rods such as those used in fusing vertebrae of the spine are attached to each other with connectors to form a medical construct. The connector includes a plate with a pair of double hook bolts which are attached to the rods. The double hook bolts and rods may be used to provide a rigid or semi-rigid medical construct depending upon the attachment of the double hook bolts with the plate. The connector is assembled prior to the surgical procedure and eliminates any need for manipulating small washers, screws and bolts during installation of the medical apparatus within a patient.

Spinal interlaminar fixation including lumbosacral fusion and correcting scoliotic curves are well known and frequently used medical procedures. Spinal fixation systems, frequently used to correct problems in the lumbar, are installed on opposite sides of the sacrum adjacent to the lumbosacral junction. Such systems often include a pair of rods which are placed on opposite sides of the portion of the spine which is intended to be fused. Pedicle, lateral and oblique mounting means may be used to secure the rods relative to the desired portion of the spine which will be fused by the fixation system.
Crosslinking of spinal instrumentation or spinal rods is designed to prevent rod migration and to increase stiffness of the surgical construct. Even with rigid crosslinking, all spinal constructs are designed to provide only temporary fixation until solid bone fusion has been completed. Without adequate bone fusion, fatigue endurance of the construct will be exceeded, which may cause rod fracture.
Various connectors and cross-links have been used to attach spinal rods to each other when the rods have been installed at the desired location adjacent to the patient's spine. Examples of such spinal fixation systems and related equipment are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,790,297 and 4,913,134 issued to Eduardo R. Luque. Many of the presently available spinal fixation systems require placing extra hardware such as eyebolts on the spinal rods before attaching the rod to pedicle screws or hooks at selected locations along the patient's spine. Also, presently available fixation systems require careful alignment of the hardware used to connect the spinal rods with each other.
A need has thus arisen for improved connectors to attach spinal rods to each other without requiring additional manipulation of the rods or placing the rods in a specific geometric relationship with respect to each other, and at the same time reducing requirements to assemble small pieces of hardware during the surgical procedure.


It is an object of the present invention to provide a motor capable of reducing a loss as much as possible, and securing minimum vibration proof performance and reliability by definitely defining the upper and lower limits of a minimum shaft diameter in conformity with a disk load, the service number of revolutions or the like. In a shaft-fixed type motor of the fluid bearing specifications, the diameter d (mm) of a fixed shaft is set so as to satisfy the relation of .alpha..sup.3.multidot.M1 >d.sup.3 >M1, where M1=J1.multidot.(N/1000).sup.2.multidot.k.sup.2.multidot.D, J1 being a coefficient to be experimentally determined, N(rpm) the service number of revolutions, k the number of a disk-shaped recording media, D (inch) the diameter of the disk-shaped recording medium, and .alpha. a ratio of the maximum diameter to the minimum diameter of the fixed shaft.

In a hard disk drive for reading magnetic recording or content of record while rotating a hard disk at high speed, there is used a shaft-rotating type motor or such a shaft-fixed type motor as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,427.
The shaft-fixed type motor has, as shown in FIG. 15, a magnet 4 provided for a rotor 3 rotatably supported by a fixed shaft 1a through ball bearings 2a and 2b, and a stator winding 6 mounted on a stator core 5 so as to face the magnet 4, for rotationally driving hard disks 7 placed on the rotor 3 around the shaft center thereof.
Generally, the vibration proof characteristic has the following tendency:
When the number of revolutions increases, the vibration proof characteristic is deteriorated, and the vibration proof characteristic is also deteriorated even when a disk load is increased.
Naturally, this vibration proof characteristic will be improved if a motor resonance point is improved. Therefore, as described above, there is generally adopted a both ends supported structure in which a proximal end of the fixed shaft 1a is fixed to a lower case 8a and a tip end portion is fixed to an upper case 8b with a machine screw 9 to improve the resonance point, or in a cantilever supporting structure, a shaft diameter is generally made large.

Motor and hard disk drive having a reduced vibration motor

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An image forming method, device and a recording agent for forming an image through subtractive color mixing by using ink of plural color components different in hue. The ink is created by mixing a first coloring agent expressing one of the color components and a second coloring agent identical in hue to the first coloring agent. The ink has a higher spectral reflectance than a spectral reflectance of the first coloring agent.

Generally, an image recorded on a paper for example, through subtractive color mixing has a narrower color reproduction range than a displayed image that is outputted through additive color mixing. With this fact, in the technical field adopting the subtractive color mixing for outputting an image as a result of image processing, there have been inquisitions for various color materials or researches of usage of fluorescent materials so as to enlarge color reproduction range and to improve hue.
One example of such researches for realizing enlargement of color reproduction range and improvement of hue can be found in a color image forming method disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Tokukai 2000-181170 (published on Jun. 30, 2000). According to this image forming method of the Document 1, colors are compensated during formation of a hard copy through subtractive color mixing by adding a fluorescent material to ink (color material) of a color component so as to enlarge color reproduction range and/or improve hue. With this method, the Document 1 obtains a color reproduction range almost as wide as that of an image outputted through a CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) even for a hard copy reproduced based on the subtractive color mixing.
More specifically, the method of the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Tokukai 2000-181170 (hereinafter referred to as a Document 1) carries out additive color mixing with respect to ink of a coloring component used for a color image forming method, by adding a fluorescent material having a luminescence characteristic to the ink. This results in cancellation of sub-absorbency, which is a characteristic of the ink of a coloring component. Namely, the Document 1 realizes enlargement of color reproduction range by carrying out subtractive color mixing with ink of a color component which additionally includes a fluorescent material.
Further, as described in the foregoing publication Tokukai 2000-181170 in Paragraph 0011, the color compensation in the foregoing case refers to generation of change in at least one of absorbency of color, absorption waveform, half value breadth, absorption peak, color purity, brightness and saturation. Accordingly, the foregoing color compensation is performed by changing absorbency etc. of color in the ink of a color component.
Further, According to the Document 1, the fluorescent material is added to the ink of a color component in an amount or in a ratio for offering −0.3 or greater absorbency throughout the whole wavelength. Note that, in the embodiments described in the Document 1, the compounding ratio of the fluorescent material added to the ink of a color component is specified at or lower than 5%. The document 1 states that this ratio is determined in consideration of suppression of fluorescence generated in the ink of a color component, so as to get rid of other effects than color compensation.
However, image output induces no degradation of picture quality in some cases even with the fluorescence generated by addition of a fluorescent material into the ink of a color component, since the brightness of fluorescent ink is enhanced and results in superior picture quality. Further, there are some difficulties in practice to cancel the sub-absorption of the ink of a color component only by the addition of a fluorescent material in a ratio of as small as around 5% to the ink of a color component. Besides, the addition of this amount causes few changes in hue, brightness or saturation of the ink. As a result, neither color compensation nor enlargement of color reproduction range can be achieved.

Recording agent, image forming device, and image forming method


A robot includes a robot torso, a robot arm, a main controller, and a plurality of bundles of cables; wherein a plurality of shoulder effectors are configured to drive the robot arm to move are disposed on the robot torso, a plurality of arm effectors that are relatively movable are disposed in sequence on the robot arm, and the main controller is disposed on the robot torso and configured to control a corresponding effector to operate, such that the robot arm has a plurality of degrees of freedom; any adjacent two of the main controller, the plurality of shoulder effectors, and the plurality of arm effectors are electrically connected by a cable bundle, each of the plurality of bundles of cables is disposed on an outer surface of the shoulder effector or the arm effector which the bundle of cables travels through.

The movement system of a robot generally includes a plurality of effectors that are connected in series, and multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) movement of the robot is implemented under cooperation between the corresponding effectors. A controller may be connected to an effector by a cable, such that a power source and control information may be output to the corresponding effector. Therefore, wiring and deployment of the cables not only directly determine stability of the movement system, but also affect entire appearance design of the robot. Cable margins need to be provided between the corresponding effectors. If the cable margins are over-short, the cables may be pulled when the robot moves, and thus the cables may be prone to damages, or even breakage. As a result, the robot fails to normally operate. On the contrary, if the cable margins are over-long, when the robot moves, the extra cables may not be normally moved in a narrow space of the case of the robot, and may thus press against the case of the robot, which, in case of being severe, may cause the case of the robot to breakage, and affect the appearance of the robot. In addition, if the margins are over-long, materials are wasted, and the cost is increased. Further, in the related art, for the sake of leaving a sufficient deployment space for the cables, design of the case of the robot is generally restricted, which affect entire appearance design of the robot.


Prominent display of a targeted game in search results from a search within an online gaming platform. In some implementations, a server receives a search query from a device. The search query is executed against a data store of available games to obtain search results indicating a set of games. Based on one or more characteristics of the set of games, it is determined whether the search query is directed to a narrow search for a particular game in the set of games. In response to determining such a narrow search, the particular game is designated with a highlight indication, and the search results and highlight indication are transmitted to the device, causing display of a user interface that includes at least a portion of the search results. The highlight indication causes the device to display an identifier of the particular game as highlighted relative to other search results.

Some online gaming platforms allow users to create content such as games and game assets, connect with each other, interact with each other (e.g., within a game), and share information with each other via the Internet. Users of online gaming platforms may participate in multiplayer gaming environments in which games or parts of games have been created by other users.
When users search through user generated content (e.g., games, items for games, etc.) or other content, a search engine may return search results from game data based on factors such as popularity in terms of numbers of downloads by users, rating by users, etc. However, such search engines may provide too many search results that confuse and frustrate users who are looking for results relating to a targeted item such as a particular game. Accordingly, there may exist a need for improved display of particular searched games in search results provided within a content search engine of an online gaming platform (or other system).

Prominent display of targeted game in search results


An information processing system formed with a relay and light output devices. In the system, an external information receiver receives first external information transmitted from an outside. An external information acquisition unit acquires second external information. A light output controller controls, based on the first and second external information, the light output to be in one or more number of output states, among three or more number of output states. At the relay, an external information receiver receives a sender identifier for identifying sender of the external information, and the external information. A transmission control information memory stores one or more sets of a transmission destination identifier and transmission control information. A transmission destination identifier acquisition unit acquires transmission destination identifier from the transmission control information memory. An external information transmitter transmits external information to a destination identified by the transmission destination identifier.

Portable telephones, computers connected via the internet, etc. are the popular communication tools between one person and other person.
The internet and the broadband networks have now become handy communication means readily available anywhere; the transmission/reception of information can be made through a network connected around-the-clock.
With the above-described conventional communication technologies, however, it is impossible for one person to get an obscure general knowledge about the present conditions, sentiments or affections of his, or her, specific partner (e.g. a sweetheart, a family member) in a soft obscure manner; also, it is impossible to communicate his, or her, present conditions, sentiments or affections to the partner in a soft obscure mood. The expressions, "getting an obscure general knowledge in a soft manner" and "communicating conditions, sentiments or affections in a soft obscure mood" do not mean, for example, to be informed about the busy status through a telephone conversation, or letting a partner understand how he, or she, is busy concentrating on an assignment, through an e-mail via the internet. However, these expressions mean, for example, to let the partner recognize his, or her, strong wishes to meeting the partner immediately, or to confirm that his, or her, strong love affections are towards the partner.
Portable telephones and e-mails, on the other hand, can carry out an active communication on a certain specific status of affairs; but in this case, the act of communicating with respect to the status of affairs can not help remaining as the main point of interest among the communicating parties.

Light output device, relay and program for controlling the light output device

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for determining drying of clothes. The method for determining drying of clothes includes: acquiring an intake air temperature at an air inlet of a drum; calculating a change rate of the intake air temperature at the air inlet of the drum; determining that drying of the clothes is completed when a relationship between the change rate of the intake air temperature and a preset temperature change rate ks satisfies a determination condition. According to the clothes drying determination method of the present disclosure, the determination factors affecting the drying of clothes are reduced, and the accuracy of determination of drying of clothes is improved and the cost of drying clothes is reduced.

Most methods for determining drying of clothes used by the current washing and drying machines all use temperature values from a plurality of temperature sensors and a complex algorithm to implement the determination of the drying of clothes. In the prior art, the degree of drying of the clothes is determined through temperature values from a plurality of temperature sensors and a calculation with the complex algorithm, or the degree of drying of the clothes is conveniently determined. However, the above solution uses too many sensors, resulting in too many factors affecting the determination of the drying of the clothes. Once something goes wrong, it is easy to lead to a wrong determination; in addition, too many temperature sensors are also easy to increase the cost of clothes drying.

Method and apparatus for determining drying of clothes

Gree Electric Appliances (Wuhan) Co., Ltd


An electromagnetic surgical ablation probe having a conical hood reflector and method of manufacture thereof is disclosed. The disclosed probe includes a shaft assembly that has a coaxial feedline core having an inner conductor and an outer conductor separated by an insulating layer. A tubular catheter is disposed coaxially around the feedline and is configured to deliver coolant, such as saline or deionized water, to a coolant chamber at a distal end formed within the conical reflector. A radiating section disposed within the conical reflector may have a conical, cylindrical, or other suitable shape. A membrane disposed across a distal opening of the conical reflector seals coolant within the coolant chamber, and may conform to tissue contours during use. A resilient aperture may be included at the periphery of the conical hood. The shaft assembly may include an angled section, an adjustable section, and, additionally or alternatively, a malleable section.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing energy to biological tissue and, more particularly, to a microwave ablation surgical antenna having a conical aperture, and methods of use and manufacture therefor.
2. Background of Related Art
Energy-based tissue treatment is well known in the art. Various types of energy (e.g., electrical, ultrasonic, microwave, cryogenic, thermal, laser, etc.) are applied to tissue to achieve a desired result. Electrosurgery involves application of high radio frequency electrical current to a surgical site to cut, ablate, coagulate or seal tissue. In monopolar electrosurgery, a source or active electrode delivers radio frequency energy from the electrosurgical generator to the tissue and a return electrode carries the current back to the generator. In monopolar electrosurgery, the source electrode is typically part of the surgical instrument held by the surgeon and applied to the tissue to be treated. A patient return electrode is placed remotely from the active electrode to carry the current back to the generator. In tissue ablation electrosurgery, the radio frequency energy may be delivered to targeted tissue by an antenna or probe.
Presently, there are several types of microwave probes in use, e.g., monopole, dipole, and helical. One type is a monopole antenna probe, which consists of a single, elongated microwave conductor exposed at the end of the probe. The probe is typically surrounded by a dielectric sleeve. The second type of microwave probe commonly used is a dipole antenna, which consists of a coaxial construction having an inner conductor and an outer conductor with a dielectric junction separating a portion of the inner conductor. The inner conductor may be coupled to a portion corresponding to a first dipole radiating portion, and a portion of the outer conductor may be coupled to a second dipole radiating portion. The dipole radiating portions may be configured such that one radiating portion is located proximally of the dielectric junction, and the other portion is located distally of the dielectric junction. In the monopole and dipole antenna probe, microwave energy generally radiates perpendicularly from the axis of the conductor.
The typical microwave antenna has a long, thin inner conductor that extends along the axis of the probe and is surrounded by a dielectric material and is further surrounded by an outer conductor around the dielectric material such that the outer conductor also extends along the axis of the probe. In another variation of the probe that provides for effective outward radiation of energy or heating, a portion or portions of the outer conductor can be selectively removed. This type of construction is typically referred to as a "leaky waveguide" or "leaky coaxial" antenna. Another variation on the microwave probe involves having the tip formed in a uniform spiral pattern, such as a helix, to provide the necessary configuration for effective radiation. This variation can be used to direct energy in a particular direction, e.g., perpendicular to the axis, in a forward direction (i.e., towards the distal end of the antenna), or combinations thereof.
Invasive procedures and devices have been developed in which a microwave antenna probe may be either inserted directly into a point of treatment via a normal body orifice or percutaneously inserted. Such invasive procedures and devices potentially provide better temperature control of the tissue being treated. Because of the small difference between the temperature required for denaturing malignant cells and the temperature injurious to healthy cells, a known heating pattern and predictable temperature control is important so that heating is confined to the tissue to be treated. For instance, hyperthermia treatment at the threshold temperature of about 41.5° C. generally has little effect on most malignant growth of cells. However, at slightly elevated temperatures above the approximate range of 43° C. to 45° C., thermal damage to most types of normal cells is routinely observed. Accordingly, great care must be taken not to exceed these temperatures in healthy tissue.
In the case of tissue ablation, a high radio frequency electrical current in the range of about 500 MHz to about 10 GHz is applied to a targeted tissue site to create an ablation volume, which may have a particular size and shape. Ablation volume is correlated to antenna design, antenna performance, antenna impedance and tissue impedance. The particular type of tissue ablation procedure may dictate a particular ablation volume in order to achieve a desired surgical outcome. By way of example, and without limitation, a spinal ablation procedure may call for a longer, more narrow ablation volume, whereas in a prostate ablation procedure, a more spherical ablation volume may be required. In some instances, targeted lesions may be located on or near the surface of the target organ. Such surface lesions have been treated with invasive ablation needles or sticks, which may cause damage to adjacent anatomical structures, increase the likelihood of hemorrhaging, and lengthen operative and recovery times.

Microwave surface ablation using conical probe


An apparatus for storing data that is being processed is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a cache associated with a processor and for storing a local copy of data items stored in a memory for use by the processor, monitoring circuitry associated with the cache for monitoring write transaction requests to the memory initiated by a further device, the further device being configured not to store data in the cache. The monitoring circuitry is responsive to detecting a write transaction request to write a data item, a local copy of which is stored in the cache, to block a write acknowledge signal transmitted from the memory to the further device indicating the write has completed and to invalidate the stored local copy in the cache and on completion of the invalidation to send the write acknowledge signal to the further device.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to data processing and in particular to maintaining memory coherency in a data processing apparatus having multiple masters, at least one local cache and a memory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 shows schematically a very simple system where coherency problems can arise. This system has a DMA 5 (direct memory access device) that accesses a memory 25 via a bus 20. There is also a processor CPU 10 that has a local cache and that also accesses the memory 25. In this example the cache of the CPU 10 is configured as a write-through cache so that data that the CPU 10 writes to the memory is written to the cache as well. This allows the CPU 10 to access this data more quickly later. However, as the DMA 5 is also accessing the memory 25 it may overwrite a data item stored in the memory that is also stored in the cache of the CPU. This would result in the CPU 10 storing an out of date value for that data item which if not corrected could result in errors in the CPU's processing. To protect against this there is a monitoring circuit 12 provided that snoops writes sent from the DMA 5 on the bus 20 and in response to detecting a write to an address stored in the cache of CPU 10 it invalidates the line in the cache storing this value. This means that a future access to the data item by the CPU 10 will miss in the cache and the CPU will access the memory 25 and retrieve the correct value. A problem with this system is that snooping of the bus and invalidation of the line in the cache takes time and in order to avoid errors it must happen quickly enough to keep up with the DMA writes, otherwise if an interrupt occurs between the DMA 5 updating a value of a data item in the memory and the corresponding cache line being invalidated an incorrect value could be stored in the CPU.
One way of addressing this problem is to put "back pressure" on the DMA so that it is stalled until the CPU has completed its work on the cache. FIG. 2 shows an example of a system having a write-back cache where the CPU 30 writes a data value to its cache and marks it as dirty and updates the memory and then marks the value as clean. This increases the speed of the writes but makes the coherency scheme more complex. In such a system, the most up to date value of a data item may be stored in the cache and not in the memory and thus, the snoop unit blocks any DMA writes if it detects the value to be stored in the CPU until the cache has been invalidated and cleaned if required. This maintains coherency but introduces significant delays as the DMA writes are stalled until the CPU has done the required work on its cache.
It would be desirable to be able to maintain cache coherency without unduly increasing processing delays.

Area and power efficient data coherency maintenance


A mobile work station has a generally compact configuration in the closed position. When opened, it has a lower drawer for access to stored material and may function as a filing cabinet and an upper work surface which may be used in a similar manner to the top surface of a desk.

Various traditional designs for work places have been developed. Traditionally, workers were positioned in offices and were provided with desks, filing cabinets and the like. Each piece of furniture was relatively heavy and in many cases two people were required to move each piece of furniture. Each worker may be provided with an individual office which may be constructed using traditional construction methods (e.g. drywall and the like). Alternately, dividers had been used to create a number of individual offices in an open area.
More recently, office systems have been created which comprise, in combination, divider panels and support surfaces which may be hung on the panels to create a work station. While these office systems may be re-configured by a single worker, they are not intended to be reconfigured on a daily basis.
In order to deal with the addition of computers to the work place, additional pieces of furniture have been added to traditional furniture lines. Accordingly, in some cases, separate computer tables have been designed (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,491,375). Such pieces of furniture are intended for use with other pieces of furniture, such as desks, filing cabinets and the like so as to create a complete office environment.
Accordingly, one disadvantage of such designs is that they do not provide a mobile work station for a worker.

Global Contract Limited Partnership, an Ontario Limited Partnership


An automobile spider wheel is made of aluminum alloys and has an outer face layer made of stainless steel. A process for manufacturing the automobile spider wheel includes working the stainless steel insert by a known press process based on side face shapes of an automobile wheel. Joining faces of the insert are treated roughly by sanding or brushing for joining with melted aluminum alloys. Protrusions are fixed on the joining faces of the insert in positions corresponding to rim support faces of the insert. The stainless steel insert is inserted in surface-to-surface relationship with a surface of a lower mold of a molding device with the protrusions projecting upwardly. The stainless steel insert is integrally molded-to the melted alloys to form the wheel by a known die casting process after closing the molding device. The automobile spider wheel of Al alloys with a viewable face layer of the stainless steel plate insert has a pleasing appearance without any of the aluminum plating showing in the external appearance of the wheel and the wheel faces are easy to clean.

The present invention relates to an automobile spider type wheel made of aluminum alloys and having a face layer of stainless steel. The face layer is formed on one side of a stainless steel insert which is worked by a press process. When the spider wheel is cast by a die casting process the casting material is integrally molded on the faces on the other side of the spider wheel whereby the external appearance of the resulting spider wheel is made beautiful and easy to clean.
In addition, the present invention relates to a process for manufacturing the automobile spider wheel. Automobile wheels include disc type wheels as well as spider wheels. The present invention may be applied to a disc wheel as well as the spider wheel of the invention.
In general, a spider wheel for automobiles comprises a rim which supports a tire and a hub. The hub is formed with a hub axle hole which receives the axle and a number of hub nut holes which fix the wheel to the axle. A number of rim supports are radially formed between the hub and a rim base.
In order to facilitate reduction of weight in the wheel and cooling during the production of heat by a brake drum, the spider wheel formed holes between the rim supports have mainly been used.
The automobile spider wheels with tires must allot and support the entire weight of the automobile and must bear up against torques during driving and braking, impulse forces on the road, centripetal forces in rotation and forces in the side direction produced in slanting or turning the automobile. The spider wheels must have light weight and reduce the retention of heat.
Accordingly, materials for conventional automobile wheels have aluminum alloys as casting alloys. The aluminum alloys used include A356 alloys which comprise Al as a main component and can include Mg, Si, Sr, Ti and Fe as minor components, AM alloys and SAM alloys having Mg and Si in different amounts.
Conventional automobile wheels which use the aluminum alloys have been made by a die casting process, which is simple and possible for mass production, or by a combined process which combines the die casting process with a spinning process to provide high strength and high toughness.
However, the automobile wheels made of aluminum alloys which are cast by the die casting process have faces with an external appearance that does not look attractive. In addition, when faces of the wheels have adhered thereto contaminants, such as fine soils, dust, oils and the like, there is much difficulty in washing the contaminants.
Further, in a modified wheel for automobiles, the wheel has been worked to have a smooth face and then has been plated with cromium. The wheel with Cr plating looks fine in external appearance on the face thereof, and is easily washed. However, when the wheel with Cr plating is manufactured, a surface working process or a plating process is supplemented and manufacturing costs such as working cost, making cost and labor cost are highly increased, and many process hours are required to manufacture the wheel. Accordingly, in mass production for the wheels there are various technical problems and cost problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide an automobile spider wheel of aluminum alloys with a face layer formed as a stainless steel insert to overcome drawbacks of the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automobile spider wheel made of an aluminum alloy or alloys, and having a face layer of a stainless steel material at least on the viewable portion of the wheel. A stainless steel insert is worked by a press process based on side face shapes of an automobile wheel to provide wrapped faces for a rim, and faces for a hub and rim supports with holes formed between the rim supports of the automobile wheel. The faces provide the external appearance of the wheel when a tire is mounted thereto and the wheel is secured to a vehicle. On an opposing side of the stainless steel insert, the faces for joining with a melted aluminum alloy are treated roughly by sanding or brushing. A plurality of supporting protrusions are weldably fixed on the joining surfaces of the insert in positions corresponding to rim support faces of the wheel. The insert is placed on a bottom of a lower mold of a molding device with the protrusions projecting upwardly. The side face of the insert having the joining surface is integrally molded to the wheel formed of at least one aluminum alloy by a die casting process after assembling left and right molds and an upper mold of the molding device. The protrusions are then embedded in the aluminum alloy. The faces of the insert contacting the lower mold remains as stainless steel.
Further, an object of the present invention is to provide an automobile spider wheel of aluminum alloy with a face layer of stainless steel so that smoothness, brightness, easy cleaning and beautiful external appearance on the viewable faces of the wheel are provided without any plating treatment due to the stainless steel insert properties having high brightness, corrosion resistance and heat resistance.
Embodiments for the spider wheel and a process for manufacturing the wheel will be explained according to the drawings in greater detail.

Automobile spider wheel having a stainless steel face layer and a process for manufacturing the wheel


A speech data recognition method, apparatus, and server are for distinguishing regional accent. The speech data recognition method includes: calculating a speech recognition confidence and/or a signal-to-noise ratio of the speech data, and screening a regional speech data from the speech data based on the speech recognition confidence and/or the signal-to-noise ratio of the speech dat; and determining a region to which the regional speech data belongs based on a regional attribute of the regional speech data. The regional speech data are automatically recognized from the mass speech data by calculating the speech recognition confidence, the signal-to-noise ratio of the speech data or the combination thereof, thereby avoiding manual labeling of the speech data and enhancing the efficiency of the speech data processing.

The vast territory of China boosts a variety of dialects containing regional accents in Chinese language. The dialects in different regions vary in pronunciation characteristics and speech rate characteristics. Therefore, when speech recognition is performed on the dialects in different regions with the same acoustic model, it will arise that the recognition accuracy is not high. In order to solve the low recognition accuracy problem when performing speech recognition on different regional accents with the same acoustic model applicable to Chinese Mandarin, it is a good approach to train, for dialects in different regions, acoustic models customized for various dialects.
Mass training data are needed to train an acoustic model. Currently, with the ubiquity of instant messaging tools such as WeChat, MiTalk, a considerable amount of primary speech data are available on the Internet. These speech data may act as training data for training acoustic models for dialects in different regions. However, in the prior art, there is no automated method for distinguishing, among these speech data, which are speech data in Chinese Mandarin, and which are regional speech data, such that before training acoustic models for regional accents using the primary speech data, it is first required to manually label the primary speech data with regional tags, which will consume a considerable amount of personnel and material resources.

Speech data recognition method, apparatus, and server for distinguishing regional accent

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.


An endoscope apparatus includes: a plurality of connection portions to which an endoscope can be connected, respectively, wherein a priority setting portion sets a connection priority of the plurality of connection portions, a drive portion supplies a drive signal to one endoscope and a control portion that controls so that the drive portion supplies the drive signal to any one endoscope only based on the connection priority. The endoscope apparatus further includes an identification portion that identifies the kind of endoscope based on a resistance value of a specific resistance that differs according to a kind of the endoscope that is arranged in the endoscope, and that is detected by cancelling a contact resistance in the connection portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus to which a plurality of endoscopes can be connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscope systems that include an endoscope and an endoscope apparatus are widely used in a medical field and an industrial field and the like. For example, in the medical field, endoscope systems are used for observing living tissue and the like and for various kinds of treatment.
An endoscope apparatus to which two endoscopes of different kinds can be connected is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-95466.

Endoscope aparatus with priority-based driving control on identifiable plural connections


This invention provides an ink jet printing method which ejects different kinds of ink from print heads onto a print medium to form an image according to print data transferred from a predetermined print data source and which can deal with both a normal print data transfer mode and an offset transfer mode. This printing method discriminates the data transfer mode of the print data transferred from the predetermined print data source and sets, in each of the print heads independently, positions of those of the plurality of nozzles that are to be used for printing. Then, the printing method controls the positions of the nozzles to be used according to the data transfer mode discriminated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method capable of forming color images by ejecting different kinds of ink from print heads according to print data transferred from a print data source.
The present invention is applicable to any apparatus that uses print mediums such as paper, cloth, leather, nonwoven cloth, OHP sheets and even metals. Examples of applicable apparatus include office automation equipment, such as printers, copying machines and facsimile machines, and industrial manufacturing equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, with office automation equipment such as personal computers and word processors in widespread use, a variety of printing apparatus and printing methods have been developed to record information entered from these equipment onto the above-described printing mediums. As an information processing capability of office equipment in particular continues to advance, there is a growing trend toward video information going color. In response to this trend, an increasing number of printing apparatus used to output the processed information also are being provided with a color printing capability.
Printing apparatus capable of producing color images are available in various types in terms of cost and function, from an inexpensive one with relatively simple functions to a multifunctional one that can select a desired printing speed and print quality according to the kind of image to be printed and the purpose of use.
Ink jet printing apparatus have features of, for example, low noise, low running cost, small size and ease with which color printing can be introduced, and thus are in wide use with printers, copying machines and facsimile.
Color ink jet printing apparatus generally perform a color printing by using three color inks, cyan, magenta and yellow, or four color inks including black in addition to the three primary inks.
The printing of color images is normally performed according to print data transferred from a host computer or the like. The transfer of print data, for example, is carried out as follows.
In a serial printing apparatus that performs printing by scanning a print head, image information for each color is transferred for each raster or for each line made up of a plurality of rasters, the rasters extending in a main scan direction (hereinafter also referred to as a raster direction) in which the print head is moved. That is, the Y/M/C/Bk image data for the same raster or the same line are transferred and this is followed by the Y/M/C/Bk image data for the next raster or line being transferred.
The most common print data transfer specification is Centronics which transfers data in parallel. The currently available Centronics specification is for one-way data transfer from the host computer to the printing apparatus. A two-way Centronics specification for bidirectional data transfer is being established. In recent years a system called the USB specification is also available which controls bidirectional data transfer between the host computer and the printer.
In conventional ink jet printing apparatus, to produce a color image with high color saturation without ink spreading, it has been a common practice to use dedicated paper that has an ink absorbing layer. Today, a new type of printing apparatus has emerged which, because of improvements made on ink, has a capability to print on plain paper that is widely used in large quantities as in printers and copying machines.
As a printing means for performing a color printing using two or more color inks, a so-called lateral array print head configuration is used in which nozzle groups (nozzle groups to be used), one for each color ink, are arranged one behind the other in the main scan direction so that each of the nozzle groups ejects ink droplets onto the same raster during the same scan.
In an ink jet printing apparatus using this lateral array print head configuration, there is a problem that since the next color ink lands on a print medium before the previously ejected color ink becomes fixed on the medium, these different color inks may spread and mix together. Particularly in plain paper, because of its ink soaking characteristic, different color inks easily spread one over the other and mix. If the intercolor bleeding occurs between a black ink and any other color ink, this clearly shows up, degrading the image quality significantly.
One method of addressing this problem uses a so-called longitudinal array print head configuration, in which the active nozzle groups assigned one to each different color are arranged such that at least one color ink nozzle group (for example, black ink nozzle group) is located at a position different from other color ink nozzle groups in a subscan direction (column direction). In this longitudinal array system, since the landing order (or overlapping order) of ink droplets ejected from different color ink groups does not change between a forward pass printing and a return pass printing, a resultant hue of the printed image does not change even if a bidirectional printing is performed. This allows a high-speed printing without having to execute complex image processing during the forward and backward passes. Further, since the time after the dots of one color land on specific rasters until dots of a different color land on the same rasters drastically increases, the quality of the printed image improves.
With the above system, it is possible to minimize undesired effects that the combined characteristics of plain paper and inks have on the image quality, thus realizing both high-speed printing and high-quality printing in one printing apparatus.
However, when the longitudinal array print head configuration is used, a bit map memory area in which image data is mapped (hereinafter referred to as a print buffer) needs to be made significantly larger than when the lateral array print head configuration is used. How large a print buffer area is required by the longitudinal array print head configuration will be explained in detail as follows by referring to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the longitudinal array print head configuration and its print buffer area. Here, it is assumed that the longitudinal array print head configuration has Y, M and C color ink heads each with (n+127) nozzles and a Bk ink head with (n+383) nozzles. These print heads of the four color inks are arranged in the order of Y, M, C and Bk in the main scan direction.
In this longitudinal array print head configuration, when the nozzle group used for ejecting Y ink performs printing in a raster range from an nth raster to an (n+127)th raster, the nozzle groups for M and C inks also print in the same raster range of nth to (n+127)th raster and the nozzle group for Bk ink prints in a raster range from an (n+256)th raster to an (n+383)rd raster.
As described above, print pixel data for each color is transferred from an external device (data source) such as a host computer to the printing apparatus one raster data or one line data at a time. Hence, in the longitudinal array print head configuration shown in FIG. 1, the print operation cannot start before the Y, M and C print data for nth to (n+127) raster and the Bk print data for (n+256)th to (n+383)rd raster are mapped into the print buffer.
If, for example, the Y, M and C print data for nth to (n+127)th raster are mapped into the Y, M and C print buffers and ready to be printed, the Bk print data for (n+256)th to (n+383)rd raster, which is to be fed to the active Bk nozzle group, is not yet mapped into the print buffer at this time, so that the active Bk nozzle group cannot start printing. It is thus necessary to keep the Y, M and C color nozzle groups waiting until the Bk print data for (n+256)th to (n+383)rd raster is mapped into the print buffer. Therefore, while the Bk print buffer needs only to have a memory capacity corresponding to 128 rasters of data from (n+256)th to (n+383)rd raster, the Y, M and C color buffers are each required to have a memory capacity capable of storing 384 rasters of data from nth to (n+383)rd raster. That is, the memory capacity for each color must be large enough to hold 384 rasters of print data, as shown in FIG. 1.
Here, if it is assumed that the resolution of the printing apparatus is 600 dpi, an image to be printed is A4 size and each raster has 4,800 pixels, then 384 rasters of print data require a 1,843,200-bit (=384 rasters×4,800 pixels) memory capacity to store. Similarly, Y print data, M print data and C print data each require a memory capacity of 1,843,200 (=384 rasters×4,800 pixels) bits, and the Bk print data requires a memory capacity of 614,400 bits (=128 rasters×4,800 pixels). Thus, summing the Y, M, C and Bk print data, a total of at least 6,144,000 bits of memory area is required.
On the other hand, the print buffer area referenced during one printing scan is 614,400 bits (=128 rasters×4,800 pixels) for each color, or a total of 2,457,600 bits for all Y, M, C and Bk colors, and it follows therefore that the minimum required memory capacity is less than half the 6,144,000 bits.
As can be seen from above, the conventional printing apparatus using the longitudinal array print head configuration requires a large-capacity print buffer (memory), which pushes up the cost of the apparatus. Further, since the time from the start of transferring print data from the host computer to the printing apparatus to the start of printing increases, the overall printing time also increases.
In the longitudinal array print head configuration in which a plurality of nozzle groups assigned one to each of different colors are arranged at different positions (offset) in the subscan direction, an offset transfer mode or mode may be employed. In this offset transfer mode the host computer performs offset processing to change the order of transfer of the print data according to the amounts of offset of the associated nozzle groups and successively transfers the print data offset in the subscan direction to the associated nozzle groups.
In this offset transfer mode, if an expensive high-performance host computer is used, there is no problem in executing the offset processing at high speed. With an inexpensive, low-performance host computer, however, performing the above-described data processing and the offset processing while transferring the print data is too large a burden and it may not be able to execute a smooth printing operation. Further, depending on the operating system (OS) used, the large burden of the offset transfer may render it impossible to offset and transfer the print data.
As described above, because in conventional printing apparatus the print data transfer mode is determined according to the nozzle group configuration, the printing operation may take a large amount of time or the data transfer may become impossible depending on the host computer used.

Ink jet printing apparatus and ink jet printing method


An automobile pneumatic jack system that can be easily attached to all currently manufactured automobile chassis and frames. There is a front suspension pneumatic jack that is mounted centrally to the front suspension of an automobile between its front wheels. There is also a rear suspension pneumatic jack that is mounted centrally to the rear suspension of the automobile between its rear wheels. The system operates from a compressed air reservoir tank that has connections for the front and rear car jack outlets. Additional outlets can be added to the compressed air reservoir tank for connecting a pneumatic lug wrench and another for a tire inflating hose. A further option to the system could include a connection to the master brake cylinder such that when the car is locked, the compressed air is applied to the braking system to lock the brakes hard on for an anti-theft feature.

The invention relates to pneumatic jacks and more specifically to an automobile pneumatic jack system.
In the past, both hydraulic and pneumatic jacks have been utilized in combination with the structure of an automobile. They have always utilized a separate jack for each of the four wheels of the vehicle.
By having the jacks permanently installed on the vehicle they are ready for operation at all times.
A representative prior art patent in that U.S. Pat. No. 1,168,906, which is a screw-type jack, see FIG. 2. Lifting devices have been installed on vehicles, such as the air spring lift device of U.S. Pat. No., 3,064,994. Additionally, various types of jacks or lift devices have been installed on vehicles which are turned in one fashion or another from a horizontal attitude into a vertical attitude and then extended for the purpose of lifting the vehicle, see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos., 2,233,732; 2,237,167; 2,442,881; and 3,288,436; these may be referred to as the tilt and lift type. Finally, U.S. Pat. No., 2,162,931, is for a lifting jack of a pneumatic type which is mounted to the wheel zone and which extends vertically.
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel pneumatic jack system that only utilizes two pneumatic jacks, one that would be mounted centrally to the front suspension of an automobile between its front wheels and a second pneumatic jack that would be mounted centrally to the rear suspension of the automobile between its rear wheels.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel pneumatic jack system that can be operated by the driver from inside the car.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel pneumatic jack system that has an air reservoir tank having auxiliary outlet connectors for the pneumatic lug wrench, and also for a tire inflation hose.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel automobile pneumatic jack system that may include a connection to a master brake cylinder of the automobile such that when the car is locked, the compressed air is applied to the braking system to lock the brakes in the hard-on position for an anti-theft feature.


A method and device for securing a sensor, a stereo camera in motor vehicles in particular, in which accurate alignment of the sensor holding element is achieved during assembly using an adjusting gauge having the dimensions of the sensor and optionally pins which are inserted into matching receiving parts of the sensor holding element.

For many sensors, in particular in the automobile industry, the exact alignment of the sensor during installation is decisive, because the performance of the sensor system and the measuring accuracy of the sensor depend on the precision of the installation. This is also true for image sensor systems in the motor vehicle, in particular for stereo camera systems, the image sequences of which provide information about the surroundings of the vehicle, in particular the distance to preceding vehicles or other objects when the relative positions of the individual image sensors are known. The measuring accuracy of such sensor systems greatly depends on the installed sensors maintaining their specified alignments. As a rule, holding elements having sufficient mechanical stiffness for ensuring the specified alignment are provided for the sensor or sensors. Holding devices, installed on the windshield of the vehicle, preferably using adhesives, are provided in connection with image sensing systems. These holding devices are designed in such a way that they are also used as an optical screen against the incidence of scattered light. In one embodiment, the shape of these holding elements is that of an obliquely sectioned cone, i.e., funnel. These holding elements are mounted on the windshield of the vehicle prior to windshield installation, and the camera is inserted into the holding element after the windshield is installed. Therefore, the correct alignment of the holding element with respect to the vehicle is essential for the accuracy of the sensor measurement.

Method and device for fastening a sensor


A multichip wirebond-less integrated circuit and power die package is based on a folded single-layer flex circuit. The package is formed with metal-studbumped power dies and IC""s flipchiped to a patterned flex substrate. Extensions of the flex substrate are folded and attached to the backside of the dies for electrical and/or thermal contact. I/O pins are along the periphery of the package for standard SMT mounting while heatspreaders are attached to both sides of the package for double-sided cooling.

The present invention relates to an integrated power module, in particular to a folded flex bondwire-less multichip power package for high power densities.
Applications demanding high-power conversion such as voltage regulators for microprocessors, automotive electronics and telecommunications have introduced a trend to achieve higher power densities at lower cost. Consequently, to meet future power density requirements, integrated power module solutions rather than traditional discrete solutions are required. Integration of power electronics components (e.g. devices, IC""s, passives etc.) in a module format is, however, complicated by the presence in the module of a wide variety of materials.
Only recently, two commercial state-of-the-art multichip power packages for DC-DC power conversion have emerged, offering an integrated system solution.
A first kind of commercial package for voltage regulator applications involves a packaging architecture using ball grid array (BGA) technology. In a small footprint area of 11 mmxc3x9711 mm, a module using BGA technology houses, for example, two metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET""s), a driver chip and a few passive components on a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) substrate. FIG. 1A is a partial cross section of a package 101 of this kind, which includes a MOSFET 102 and a passive component 103 on a multilayer PCB 104. Inside the package 101, interconnections to the MOSFET 102 are made with wirebonds 105, and copper traces 106 are connected to BGA solder bumps 107 on the back of the package 101 for board attachment. The connection to the BGA solder bumps 107 is by way of copper layers of the multilayer PCB 104. Molding compound 108 fills the package 101. The package thickness is 3 mm or greater.
A second commercial multichip package contains MOSFET""s and an IC within an area of 10 mmxc3x9710 mm, providing an integrated solution for voltage regulators for microprocessors. The package is based on a design, which uses a leadframe etched into a substrate, such as the MicroLeadFrame(trademark) (MLF) technology of Amkor Technology, Inc. of West Chester, Pa. FIG. 1B is a view of a package 109 using MLF technology, which includes a copper leadframe 116 on which a die 111, attached with a die attachment material 112 to an exposed die paddle 113, is mounted. Device interconnections inside the package are achieved with wirebonds 114, 115. The contacts (not shown) on the copper leadframe 116 are brought straight down to a PCB on which the package 109 is mounted. Molding compound 117 fills the package 109. The thickness of the package is 0.9 mm or more.
Power MOSFET dies contain three terminals (gate, source and drain) and thus only require a few terminal connections at the package level. Multichip solutions, however, such as those of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B use, respectively, standard IC packages such as 132-solder bump BGA and 68-lead MLF. A 68-lead MLF pin connection and board layout design for the second type of commercial package is shown in FIG. 2A. In FIG. 2A the MLF package 201 comprises a split leadframe 202 and MLF pins 203. In FIG. 2B a solder bump BGA package 204 has array of BGA solder balls 205.
As can be seen, in particular, from FIGS 2A and 2B, these standard IC packages for power devices lead to a significant number of connection redundancies. Moreover, these designs have reached the limit of pitch requirement for board layout. For example, the lead connections for the commercial package using MLF technology require a pitch of 0.5 mm, which would be impossible to pattern on any copper plane thicker than 2 oz. Furthermore, complex lead connections and tight pitch requirements of these packages also complicate the thermal via design on the board, which is essential for proper thermal management.
Both presently available commercial packages use multiple wirebonds per device and IC interconnections to reduce the effects of high resistance of the wirebonds. Adding more parallel wires to reduce electrical resistance ultimately, however, reaches a limit (2-3 mxcexa9) and the process becomes significantly expensive.
There are then several areas for improvement over the design of the commercial packages now available. The structure of the module can be adapted to provide better thermal management. The module can be made thinner. More devices can be accommodated. The expense of providing multiple wire bonds to reduce electrical resistance can be reduced or avoided. Assembly of the package can be simplified if the number of pin connections or leads is reduced.
Hence, objects of the present invention are, among other things, improved heat transfer, decreased thickness of multichip power modules, allowing increased integration of functionalities within a power module package, eliminating wirebonds, allowing a design without leads, and simplifying I/O pin connections.
These and still further objects of the present invention will become apparent upon considering the following detailed description of the present invention.
Therefore, the present invention provides an electronic assembly or module which includes a multichip semiconductor package based on a folded single-layer flex circuit, without a leadframe. Flipchip studbumped semiconductor power dies and IC dies are attached to a patterned flex substrate; extensions of the flex substrate are folded and attached to the backside of the dies for electrical and thermal contact. The entire package is plastic molded and only the copper contact pads at the bottom of the flex substrate are exposed for standard surface mount attachment to any board.
A flipchip studbumped semiconductor die is one in which the die is electrically connected, through a conductive xe2x80x9cbumpxe2x80x9d on the die surface, to a package carrier so that the package carrier provides connection from the die to the package exterior. The package carrier may, for example, be a substrate or leadframe.
In the present invention, the studbumps provide very short and low resistance paths (less than 1 mxcexa9) for the device interconnects. Moreover, package inductance of the devices with studbumps can be reduced to 0.1 nH compared to 1 nH for a wirebond. Hence, in high-frequency applications, the packages of the present invention generate significantly less noise than the state-of-the-art solutions.
The present invention significantly improves thermal management over that offered by the existing solutions. Devices in the package are attached to a continuous flex substrate. Unlike a split leadframe (shown in FIG. 2A for an MLF module), heat generated from an individual device mounted on a continuous flex substrate has a wider area for dissipation.
The present invention also allows double-sided cooling as a result of its three-dimensional package architecture. Power MOSFET""s have drain connections on the backside of the dies. In conventional packaging approaches (e.g. BGA and MLF packages), the die is attached face-up on the substrate to allow for heat dissipation through the drain pads. Wirebonds used for attaching the source and gate pads (on the topside of the dies) provide only a limited channel to extract the heat from the die-topside. In an embodiment of the present invention, the devices are placed face down (flipchip) on the substrate with gold metal bumps on the source and gate, thus providing more immediate thermal dissipation paths to the board. The flex-substrate is also folded and attached to the drain contacts, thus adding another channel for heat dissipation to the substrate. Because of its three-dimensional construction, the package offers improved thermal dissipation from both sides of the devices in a very small board area. Heatspreaders may be attached to either or both sides of the package. At the same time, flipchip studbumps offer shorter interconnects, thus lowering resistance heating as well as parasitic noise compared to conventional wirebond packages.
The structure of the present invention with its flipchip-bumped devices provides a much thinner package for multichip power-modules than commercial packages now available. Thickness of a conventional power package is primarily dictated by the loop-height of the wirebond interconnections. Using flipchip-bumped devices and folded flex, the present invention can achieve a package profile of less than 0.6 mm, which is a significant improvement over the 3 mm for the package using BGA technology and the 0.9 mm thickness of the MLF packages.
The number of required pin connections for board attachment is also significantly reduced compared to the existing solutions.
Copper pads in the present invention can be thicker than 2 oz., making possible a larger pitch for the lead connections. Larger pads and pitch (1 mm or higher) allow easier SMT (surface mount technology) operations.
These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described herein.

Folded-flex bondwire-less multichip power package


A tilt release system includes a locking mechanism which retains a tiltable end portion of an elongated steering column of a vehicle in angularly adjusted position. The system includes a bracket mounted on a shroud of the steering column. A pivot pin is mounted on the bracket for rotation about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the steering column. A lever is mounted on a radial arm of the pivot pin. The radial arm of the pivot pin and the lever extend parallel to the steering column in a direction toward the rear of the vehicle when in a retracted position. The lever is connected to the locking mechanism by a cable. The lever pivots downwardly to release the locking mechanism. The lever has a frictional, sliding snap fit on the arm of the pivot pin so that if the lever is rearwardly impacted in a crash in a direction parallel to the axis of the steering column, the lever will slide off the arm toward the steering wheel, thereby preventing tilt release.

This invention relates generally to a tilt release system for releasing the locking mechanism of a tilt steering column of an automotive vehicle.
A tilt steering column allows an operator of a vehicle to adjust the height and angle of the steering wheel depending on the operator's stature, seat position and comfort. Typically, the steering wheel can be moved to an uppermost position to allow the operator or driver to get in and out of the driver's seat more easily.
A locking mechanism is provided to retain the steering column in an adjusted position. The locking mechanism must be released to adjust the steering column. Typically, the locking mechanism is released by rearward actuation of a lever on the steering column. If the vehicle is involved in a crash of sufficient magnitude to cause collapse of the steering column, there may be a rearward impact on the lever which will accidentally release the locking mechanism. When this happens, the steering wheel will move to its uppermost position due to the large return spring provided for this purpose. In its uppermost position, the steering wheel is in an unfavorable position with respect to the driver should the airbag accidentally deploy. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to maintain the steering wheel locked in a predetermined fixed position without tilting during a crash.

Tilt release system for a steering column


A server that obtains current locations of a plurality of mobile devices and compute confidence levels for the current locations is provided. In one embodiment, the server obtains current locations of the plurality of mobile devices. A crowd is formed based on at least a subset of the plurality of mobile devices and crowd data regarding the crowd is generated. A confidence level of the current location of at least one of the plurality of mobile devices is computed based on an amount of time since a location update for the current location of the at least one of the plurality of mobile devices was received. The confidence level of the current location of the at least one mobile device is utilized to perform an action associated with the crowd data.

The present disclosure relates to modifying a user's contribution to an aggregate profile for a crowd of users.
With the growing popularity of mobile smart phones, such as the Apple® iPhone, mobile social networking applications are becoming extremely popular. However, a major concern with current mobile social networking applications is user privacy. What is needed is a mobile social networking application that operates within a strict privacy framework.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Modifying a user's contribution to an aggregate profile based on time between location updates and external events


An improved catheter comprising a tubular body of flexible material designed for medical use and insertion into a body cavity. The catheter includes at least one opening towards the distal end for the drainage of fluids or their introduction or for monitoring pressures from the body cavity and at least one integral, flexible wing member attached to the outer wall of the catheter and flexible to extend outward and bear against the inner wall of the body cavity to be served by the catheter. In the preferred embodiment, two oppositely located wings are formed integrally into the catheter. An insertion and withdrawal tube is dimensioned to slide over the catheter and hold the wings close against the outer wall of the catheter to facilitate introduction and removal from a body cavity. The distal end of the tube is tapered to aid in deforming the wings into the catheter aligned retracted position.

In recent years, the use of the catheter has expanded greatly from its classic application for draining fluids from body cavities. An improved catheter guide wire system is disclosed in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 07-402,343, filed Sept. 1, 1989, which allows the use of a catheter with minimum risk of perforation of a back wall of the cavity sought to be drained. The device of my co-pending application expands the applicability of catheters.
In my review of existing catheters for conventional cavity drainage, I have discovered that one serious limitation seems to be inherent in all available catheters, namely, the lack an effective means for maintaining the catheter in place. Surgical tape secured to the skin of the patient and surrounding the catheter is the age-old technique used. Likewise, the Foley-type catheter for urinary bladder drainage has been available for years but is designed specifically for trans-urethral (a natural body opening with epithelial lining) insertion and withdrawal. In the case of uncooperative or unconscious patients, the unplanned withdrawal of a catheter through its entrance hole is an unfortunate common occurrence. Unwanted migration of cavity fluids, possibility of infection and the like are possible under these circumstances.
Having placed many catheters with continuing concern, it appeared to me that some type of self-holding catheter was an absolute necessity.


A damper mount structure improves accuracy of positioning to increase assembling efficiency and includes a damper mount for fixing an upper portion of a suspension device to an attachment opening formed in a vehicle body. The damper mount includes: a housing to be mounted on the upper portion of the suspension device; a stay which protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of the housing and is brought in contact with a lower surface of a circumferential edge of the attachment opening in a state that the housing has been inserted through the attachment opening to attach the housing to the circumferential edge of the attachment opening; and a plurality of ribs which connect the stay with an outer circumferential surface of the housing. A first rib, a second rib, and a third rib include side surfaces, respectively, facing an inner circumferential surface of the attachment opening.

In a damper mount attachment structure of a conventional art, bolts are provided through an upper bracket of a damper. Further, bolt holes are formed in an upper wall of a tire house body in a tire house. In a state that the bolts are inserted into the bolt holes, ends of the bolts are fastened by nuts. This allows an upper portion of the damper to be attached to the upper wall of the tire house body (see, Patent Document 1 and the like, for example).
With the damper mount attachment structure described above, when the upper portion of the damper is attached to the upper wall of the tire house body, the bolts are aligned with the bolt holes to be inserted therein.

Damper mount attachment structure and damper mount


Clothes dryer wireless moisture data transfer systems and energy-efficient methods of operation thereof are provided. One example method of operating a near field communication (NFC) tag includes determining whether a rotatable drum of a clothes dryer appliance is currently rotating. The NFC tag is secured to the drum. The method includes operating the NFC tag in an ultra-low power mode when it is determined that the drum is not currently rotating. The method includes periodically switching the NFC tag between a normal mode and a low power mode when it is determined that the drum is currently rotating.

In order to provide enhanced control of a clothes drying appliance, it can be desirable to know the moisture content of clothing being dried by a clothes dryer. For example, the dryer can be operated until it is sensed that the moisture content of the clothing has fallen below a desired amount. The heater or other appropriate components of the clothes dryer can then be de-energized or otherwise controlled accordingly.
Certain existing clothes dryers use two metal rods in parallel or a combination of rods and the drum surface as a sensor to detect available moisture in the clothing. Other sensors for detecting temperature and relative humidity can be added as well to sense internal air properties.
These sensors typically receive excitation power from the dryer control board via a physical connection such as electrical wires. Therefore, the sensors are placed on a non-rotating components of the dryer, such as the door or a fixed back wall.
However, for many of such sensors, physical contact between the sensor and the clothes being dried is required for accurate sensor readings. Therefore, sensors positioned on the non-rotating components of the dryer, such as the door or a fixed back wall can have less frequency of contact with the entire clothing and do not provide consistently accurate readings.
Placement of the sensors on the rotating components of the dryer, such as the drum or associated lifters or baffles, can result in obtaining more accurate readings at a higher frequency. However, placement of the sensors on the rotating components can present additional problems. For example, wireless communication systems may be required for transmitting the data from rotating components to the non-rotating components.
In addition, one or more local power sources, such as batteries, may be required to power the sensors and the rotating components, including the rotating data transfer components. As such components generally must be powered over the lifespan of a clothes drying appliance, energy efficiency is a key requirement for extending battery life over the entire lifespan.
Therefore, clothes dryer wireless moisture data transfer systems and energy-efficient methods of operation thereof are needed.


An engine system includes: an ammonia engine; a reforming device that has a reforming catalyst for cracking ammonia gas into hydrogen and configured to reform ammonia gas to generate reformed gas containing hydrogen; and a control unit. The control unit includes: a purge controller configured to control a reforming injector so as to be closed and control a reforming throttle valve so as to be opened, after an ignition switch gives an instruction of a stop of the ammonia engine; and an engine stop controller configured to control main injectors so as to be closed, after the ignition switch gives the instruction of the stop of the ammonia engine.

As a conventional engine system, for example, a technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1 has been known. The engine system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes: an engine main body; an engine intake passage and an engine exhaust passage connected to a combustion chamber of the engine main body; a throttle valve disposed inside the engine intake passage; an ammonia injection valve that injects gaseous ammonia toward the engine intake passage; a cracker that cracks gaseous ammonia with a catalyst to generate hydrogen; an ammonia supply pipe that supplies gaseous ammonia to the cracker; an air supply pipe that is connected to the engine intake passage and supplies air to the cracker; and an outlet pipe that is connected to the engine intake passage and from which gas containing hydrogen generated by the cracker flows out.


A screw-nut feed mechanism for effecting axial displacement of a movable member on a stationary member in accordance with rotation of a feed screw shaft mounted on the stationary member. The feed mechanism includes a first nut element threadedly mounted on the screw shaft and being connected to the movable member for axial movement therewith, the first nut element having internal threads in engagement with external threads of the screw shaft, a second nut element threadedly mounted on the screw shaft, the second nut element having internal threads in engagement with the external thread of the screw shaft and being fastened to the first nut element in such a manner that the screw shaft is applied with a pre-load in an axial direction to eliminate all of the clearance space between the threads of the screw shaft and the first nut element, and a support element coupled with the second nut element and being fastened to the first nut element to retain the connection of the first and second nut elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screw-nut feed mechanism, and more particularly to a screw-nut feed mechanism suitable for use in a telescopically adjustable steering column mechanism for motor vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In Japanese Utility Model Early Publication 60-182278, there has been proposed a telescopically adjustable steering column mechanism of the motor drive type which includes an outer hollow steering shaft rotatably carried on a stationary structure, an inner tubular steering shaft axially slidably disposed in the outer steering shaft for rotation therewith, a telescopic shaft rotatably disposed in the inner steering shaft for axial movement therewith, and a feed screw shaft having one end connected to the outer steering shaft and an externally threaded portion in engagement with an internally threaded portion of the telescopic shaft. In the steering column mechanism, a conical member is axially slidably coupled with the feed screw shaft and threaded into the inner end of the inner steering shaft. The conical member acts to eliminate an annular space between the outer and inner steering shafts during rotation of the telescopic shaft but does not effect to minimize or eliminate clearance spaces between the mating threads. To minimize or eliminate all of the clearance spaces between the mating threads, the respective threaded portions of the shafts must be formed with a very high degree of accuracy. This results in an increase of the production cost of the steering mechanism.


A computer-based method and system for optimal print profile selection are provided. The method includes receiving a color document and print profiles into memory, identifying out-of-gamut regions within the color document, presenting the identified out-of-gamut regions to a user, receiving color accuracy requirements from the user for at least one out-of-gamut region, computing a color quality value for each of the at least one print profile based at least partially on the received color accuracy requirements, creating a ranked list comprising the at least one print profiles ranked at least partially according to the computed color quality value, and outputting the ranked list to a user terminal, a computer monitor, or computer memory.

The exemplary embodiment relates to print profile selection and finds particular application in connection with printing of a color document.
In digital production printing color workflows, document color is rendered on many different devices, such as RGB displays and color printers. Different devices have different gamuts (i.e., sets of colors which can be rendered), and are sometimes not able to reproduce the full set of colors contained in a color document. Gamuts differ not only between a display and a printer but also between printers of a different generation or printers using different types of print technology, ink, and paper.
Software tools known as gamut alarms have been used to alert users to the fact that the colors they are using within their document will be out of gamut for the selected print profile (i.e., a characterization of the combination of printer type, paper medium and print configuration) and therefore will not be reproduced accurately. Subsequently, to address this, users can change the print profile, restrict the colors in their document so as to only use print profile compatible colors, or just accept that out-of-gamut colors will print differently (i.e., an automatic gamut mapping transform algorithm will be applied). This creates a situation where gamut alarms need to be dealt with by the user in an individual one-by-one manner per printing profile. Users need to remember or record the different ways in which the print profiles relate to their color document. This makes selection of the best solution for their document difficult. Additionally, other factors that may be relevant to the user's print profile selection, such as cost, are not able to be factored into these decisions.

System and method for print profile selection


Embodiments include a system for performing dispersion compensation on an electromagnetic signal received over a communication channel, the electromagnetic signal bearing information at a symbol rate. An interleaved analog to digital converter (“ADC”) block may be used, wherein the interleaved ADC block may be configured to generate a plurality of digitally sampled signals from the electromagnetic signal. An interleaved equalizer block may be configured to digitally process each of the digitally sampled signals generated by the ADC block to generate a plurality of digitally equalized signals. A multiplexer may be configured to aggregate the digitally equalized signals into a composite output signal.

A telecommunication system may include a transmitter for encoding information to be transmitted as an electromagnetic wave, a transmission medium which provides a conduit for the transmission of the electromagnetic wave and a receiver for receiving and processing the information bearing electromagnetic wave. A telecommunication system may utilize a waveguide as a transmission medium. A waveguide is a structure that guides or constrains the propagation of electromagnetic radiation. A waveguide may comprise a system of material boundaries in the form of a solid dielectric. In telecommunications, optical fibers are often utilized as waveguides.
It is desirable to increase the bandwidth or transmission rate of a telecommunication system for several reasons. First, greater bandwidth is required to support modern telecommunication applications such as that employed in data centers, or for live video and audio, multimedia and other bandwidth intensive applications. In addition, for efficiency and cost reasons it is desirable to increase the bandwidth of telecommunication systems. Therefore, it is important to address the physical limitations of waveguides for transmitting high bandwidth electromagnetic signals.
Dispersion is a significant physical phenomenon limiting the ability to successfully transmit and recover an information bearing electromagnetic wave over a communication channel. The phase velocity of any spectral component within a transmission medium will depend upon the index of refraction for the physical medium. Typically, the index of refraction of a transmission medium will be frequency dependent. Waveguide dispersion occurs when the speed of a wave in a waveguide such as optical fiber depends upon its frequency. The transverse modes for waves confined with a waveguide generally have different speeds depending upon the frequency. A similar phenomenon is modal dispersion caused by a waveguide having multiple modes at a given frequency, each of which propagates at a different speed.
Waveguide dispersion leads to signal degradation in telecommunication systems because the varying delay in arrival time between different components of a signal effectively degrades the pulse characteristic of pulses transmitted through the waveguide. This phenomenon is often referred to as intersymbol interference ("ISI"). Adjacent symbols represented as pulses effectively "run into" one another, and energy may exist at a particular sample instant of one symbol that actually includes energy associated with an adjacent symbol
Thus, it is necessary to correct for error sources such as dispersion and associated ISI that may be introduced in a received signal transmitted over a communication channel. Typically, a receiver will be equipped with a signal processing system to correct for dispersion effects introduced by the communication channel. These signal processing systems often analyze statistical properties of the communication channel in order to cancel the ISI. The signal processing system typically utilizes one or more equalizers to perform these corrections. One type of equalizer often used is a feed forward equalizer ("FFE"), which attempts to correct for pre-cursor ISI (in which a current symbol is affected by a following symbol). Often an FFE may be combined with a decision feedback equalizer ("DFE"), which attempts to correct for post-cursor ISI (in which a current symbol is affected by a preceding symbol).
There are a number of technical challenges that may arise in building signal processing systems to correct for dispersion and ISI, which become particularly acute in communication systems employing a high baud rate or symbol rate. First, it is desirable to perform signal processing operations in the digital domain as it is often easier to achieve a higher SNR than an equivalent analog system. Second, digital systems offer the advantage of significantly lower complexity in signal layout and design and the opportunity to easily modify the signal processing routines employed.
A digital signal processing system necessitates a conversion of a received analog signal into a digital format. In general, it may be difficult and expensive to build a serial ADC to operate at baud rates in excess of 1.5-2 GHz. This is problematic because it is often desirable to build communication systems that operate around the order of at least 10 GHz. Similar issues exist for designing and building equalizers that may operate at high data rates.
A second technical issue relates to the time varying nature of communication channels, which impacts the performance of timing recovery operations at a receiver. A transmitter will typically include a clock, which is used to encode a data signal onto a carrier signal for transmission over the channel. The transmitter clock will determine the rate at which symbols are provided over the communication channel.
The receiver will typically also require a clock, which ideally should be phase locked to the transmitter clock in order to accurately recover the symbols transmitted by the transmitter over the communication channel. However, the transmitter and receiver clocks typically will experience a drift with respect to one another resulting in a frequency offset between the two. The phase being the integral of the frequency, will therefore suffer an offset between the transmitter and receiver clocks. Thus, receivers in communication systems typically include a timing recovery circuit to attempt to synchronize the transmitter clock with the receiver clock.
Digital communication systems may employ a method referred to as baud rate or symbol rate sampling, in which the received signal is sampled at the baud rate. Because the entire analog signal need not be recovered in a communication system, it is not necessary to sample at the Nyquist rate. However, baud rate sampling imposes significant constraints on the accuracy of the timing recovery operations performed at the receiver in order that the receiver samples a valid and stable signal.
As noted above, communication systems require a physical medium for the transmission of communication signals. The nature of the physical medium underlying the communication system may often be time varying. Typically this time dependence will be on a time scale relatively long compared with the baud rate. In the case where the communication channel may be approximated by its first order behavior, higher order effects are small, the channel characteristic is time invariant and initial conditions are known, the effect of the channel on a transmitted signal may be characterized by a impulse response or Green's function, which describes the response of the channel to an impulse signal. In conventional timing recovery systems utilizing conventional algorithms, the time varying nature of the channel characteristic may not be accounted for, reducing the ability of the signal processing system to perform accurate baud rate sampling and thereby effectively cancel the undesirable ISI effects.

Phase control for interleaved analog-to-digital conversion for electronic dispersion compensation