An improved high-frequency high-power transistor includes a transistor chip and capacitors forming an RF shunting internal matching circuit. The capacitors are connected with RF shunting wires to a collector pad to which the transistor chip is die-bonded. The wires have the same lengths and are disposed symmetrically relative to input and output leads of transistor cells within said transistor chip so that they uniformly influence the transistor cells.

Recently, in common communication systems, satellite communication systems, and television systems, demands for high-frequency high-power transistors have increased. Generally, in order to provide high-frequency transistors which can provide high output power, a structure including a plurality of transistor cells in a single transistor chip or in a transistor package is used. A transistor with such a structure, however, will have small input and output impedances, which makes it difficult to provide good impedance matching with respect to external circuits. When such a transistor is connected to external circuits with poor impedance matching, undesirable power loss is caused at input and output sections of the transistor, which degrades operating efficiency. Accordingly, such situations must be avoided.
A technique to avoid the above-stated problem in high-frequency high-power transistors is to provide an MOS capacitor, for example, in a transistor package. An LC circuit includes the capacitance provided by the MOS capacitor and the inductance provided by bonding wires connected to input and output electrodes of the transistor. The LC circuit constitutes an internal matching circuit to provide impedance conversion for proper impedance matching with external circuits.
Further analysis, however, has shown that because bonding wires connecting an output electrode, e.g. collector electrode, of each transistor to various portions of that transistor (i.e. a portion closer to the MOS capacitor, a portion remote from the capacitor, and an intermediate portion between them) act differently, operating characteristics of those portions are non-uniform and, accordingly, improvements in efficiency or output power of the transistor are not achieved as desired.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved high-frequency high-power transistor having an internal matching circuit therein.
Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide an internal matching circuit which acts uniformly on various portions contributing to the transistor function on a transistor chip, so that the operating efficiency of the transistor is increased to thereby provide high output power.
Another object of the present invention is to make as uniform as possible the effects of the inductance of the bonding wires of an internal matching circuit, and characteristics of various portions contributing to the transistor functions on a transistor chip, whereby the operating characteristics of the respective transistor portions become uniform and the output efficiency of the transistor is improved.
Still another object of the present invention is to make as uniform as possible the lengths of the bonding wires of the output side internal matching circuit with respect to the various portions exhibiting transistor functions on the transistor chip so that the operating characteristics of the respective transistor portions become uniform to improve the output efficiency of the transistor.


A following system according to an embodiment, in which a mobile robot follows a moving object, includes a first camera and a mobile robot. The first camera is worn by the moving object and is used to photograph a scene in front of the moving object. The mobile robot includes a second camera for photographing a scene in front of the mobile robot, and acquires a following path according to a first front image from the first camera and a second front image from the second camera.

In a following system, a mobile robot may follow a human such as a soldier or a vehicle via autonomous driving. The following system may be a global positioning system (GPS) type or a camera type.
In a GPS type following system, a mobile robot acquires a following path according to GPS information of a moving object. In such a following system, an appropriate following path may be obtained only when the GPS has high accuracy. Hereinafter, the appropriate following path denotes a path along which a mobile robot may avoid obstacles and at the same time may follow a moving object via the shortest distance.
Therefore, according to the GPS type following system, the appropriate following path may not be obtained in an area where the GPS has low accuracy.
In addition, a camera type following system has also been used, and in the camera type following system, a camera for observing a scene in front of a mobile robot is provided on the mobile robot and images from the camera are analyzed to acquire a following path. In this following system, an appropriate following path may be obtained even in an area where a GPS has low accuracy, but following problems may occur.
First, the mobile robot does not know about a circumstance in front of the moving object, and thus, an optimal following path may not be obtained in a long-term perspective.
Second, if the camera of the mobile robot may not capture images of the moving object due to a long distance between the moving object and the mobile robot, the mobile robot may not be able to acquire the following path.
Third, if captured images have low visibility at night or in a dark place, the mobile robot may not obtain an appropriate following path because the mobile robot may not recognize an obstacle in front of it.
The information in the background art described above was obtained by the inventors for the purpose of developing the present disclosure or was obtained during the process of developing the present disclosure. As such, it is to be appreciated that this information did not necessarily belong in the public domain before the patent filing date of the present disclosure.

Following system for mobile robot to follow moving object


Examples of an API assessment system are provided. The system may obtain a security assessment requirement from a user for surveillance of a plurality of application programming interfaces. The system may create a data corpus from the assessment data associated with the query. The system may create a sequence classification model from the data corpus. The system may identify a plurality of risk parameters and a plurality of risk mapping levels associated with the query. The system may create a risk profile for the plurality of application programming interfaces based on mapping the plurality of risk parameters to the plurality of risk mapping levels and the sequence classification model. The system may create a rectification corpus and a data rectification model comprising a plurality of remediations for automated healing of a risk identified by the risk profile. The system may generate a security assessment result for the resolution of the query.

The importance of Application Programming Interface (API) systems has been increasing with the rapid expansion of digital technology. API technology may provide programmatic access to critical data and services, which may be vulnerable to threats and attacks. Various organizations across the globe have been investing a vast amount of resources into technology related to preventing a breach of API data. Despite deploying such resources, the organizations face the challenge of being attacked for data theft and leakage of critical information.
Presently, organizations have been deploying various types of API security monitoring approaches such as API penetration testing before deploying an API in a production environment, a review of API design documents by various human resources, source code analysis for traditional code-based API. However, these approaches may be time-consuming, prone to error, and may detect issues at a stage where remediation may be complex and resource-intensive. Therefore, to ensure API security assessment effectiveness, efficiency, and completeness both qualitatively and quantitatively, an API assessment system may be required to ensure that API data may be obtained, processed, and analyzed for security leaks in an automated manner. Additionally, the deployment of multiple approaches for API security assessment may lead to low confidence remediation. There is a need for a system that may deploy a single holistic approach for multidimensional scrutiny of an API. There may be a need for a novel security assessment methodology for assessing an API for various security concerns. Additionally, there may be a need for a system that may process and present the API documentation in a corrigible manner, thereby facilitating the generation of key insights related to an API. There may also be a need for a system that may enable code review and establish API design predicates for future API development and upgradation.
Accordingly, a technical problem with the currently available systems for process optimization is that they may be inefficient, inaccurate, and/or not scalable. There is a need for an API assessment system that may account for the various factors mentioned above, amongst others, to generate a security assessment for an application programming interface in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Application programming interface assessment


The disclosure relates to a method of determining a gaze distance, the method including obtaining a plurality of images by capturing each of both eyes of a user, determining, from each of the plurality of images, a corner point located at an edge of the eye, a location of a pupil, and an eye contour, determining each of gaze directions of both of the eyes based on a difference between a reference point and the location of the pupil, wherein the reference point is determined based on the eye contour and a location of the corner point, and determining a gaze distance based on a difference between the gaze directions of both of the eyes.

Eye-tracking technology is used in technological fields requiring information regarding a gaze direction and a gaze distance of a user, for example, in virtual/augmented reality, eye-based user interfaces, driver drowsiness detection sensors, and the like. In addition, eye-tracking technology, which is highly useful in detecting a region to which a user immediately reacts and concentrates on, is also widely used in the advertisement industry.
Particularly, with the appearance of devices requiring interfaces for interaction between human and computer, like a VR/AR device, the importance of eye-tracking technology is increasing more and more. Accordingly, although various technologies for estimating a gaze direction and a gaze distance of a user are being studied, technology for more effectively and accurately estimating the gaze direction and the gaze distance is still required.

Staring distance determination method and device

SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY R&DB FOUNDATION


The disclosure concerns the expansion of wireless network access beyond networks for which a user is registered. A method of facilitating connection to a wireless network access point includes receiving a request from a user device for access information-required to connect to a network through an access point. The network being a network for which the user is not registered, determining user contribution account acceptability for the access point, and providing the access information to the user if the user contribution account is acceptable for said access point. In this manner, users who are willing to share network access to networks for which they are registered will be able to access networks for which they are not registered.

Wireless connectivity can provide the ability to communicate between a user's device and the Internet enabling access to the information and services that the Internet makes available. Because of the utility of the information and services available on the Internet, it is desirable to be able to wirelessly connect to the Internet from any location. However, to provide wireless coverage for many locations, as, for example, cell phone networks do, requires a large infrastructure that is expensive. And as bandwidth requirements for wireless connectivity increase, the cost for the wireless connectivity rises. It would be beneficial to be able to connect wirelessly to the Internet from any location without the cost of building a large infrastructure.


An image forming apparatus includes a toner container, a toner conveyance portion, a container attachment portion, and a biasing mechanism. The toner container has a toner outflow port at a tip portion thereof. The toner conveyance portion is provided in the toner container and conveys toner in the toner container toward the toner outflow port. The container attachment portion supports the toner container. The biasing mechanism applies a biasing force to change the toner container from a horizontal attitude to an inclined attitude in accordance with a toner conveyance operation of the toner conveyance portion. When the toner container is in the inclined attitude, the toner outflow port faces diagonally downward.

The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus configured to support a toner container.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided with a developing device. Developer including toner is stored inside the developing device. The image forming apparatus includes a container attachment portion to which a toner container is attached. When the toner container is attached to the container attachment portion, the toner is replenished from the toner container to the developing device.
As one example of the toner container that is attached to the image forming apparatus, there is known an elongated toner container that is laid transversely. In this type of toner container, a toner outflow port is formed at a tip of the toner container, and the toner is conveyed to outside from the toner outflow port in a state where the toner container is laid transversely.

Image forming apparatus including toner container with changeable attitude


A telephone that is capable of information processing using plural instruction codes. An instruction code discrimination circuit compares an instruction code received by an information receiving circuit with first and second instruction codes stored in an instruction code storage circuit to output a first control signal when the received instruction code corresponds to the first instruction code and a second control signal when the received instruction code corresponds to the second instruction code. An ID code discrimination circuit compares a received ID code with an ID code stored in an ID code storage circuit to provide an ID code coincidence signal when a coincidence occurs therebetween. A system control data storage circuit receives the first control signal and the ID code coincidence signal to store system control data. A parameter storage circuit receives the second control signal and the ID code coincidence signal to store parameter information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a telephone and a remote control system therefor and, more particularly, to a public or pay telephone and a remote control system therefor for remotely setting and updating control data and ID codes in the telephone using plural instruction codes.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, with pay telephones, it is required to update various kinds of information on telephone tariff rate, coin denomination and so on for all the pay telephones each time the telephone tariff rate is revised or the coin denomination is altered.
In published unexamined Japanese patent application No. 62-1352 assigned to the same assignee as the present application, there is disclosed a method for updating parameter information easily and surely. That is, the pay telephone has the following functions: 1) receiving an ID code and new parameter information transmitted over a telephone line from a central office (pay-telephone managing equipment); and 2) making a comparison between the ID code and a code inherent in the pay telephone to replace old parameter information with the new parameter information when a coincidence occurs.
Furthermore, a pay telephone needs various pieces of control data for the telephone as well as parameter information about telephone tariff rate and the like.
For example, where abnormality occurs in a pay telephone, a managing equipment in charge of the telephone is automatically dialed to be informed of the abnormality. In such a case, a dial number of the managing equipment and other control data are needed. Furthermore, a third person may find the ID code inherent in the pay telephone and alter parameter information to make unlawful telephone calls. To prevent this, the ID code has to be changed immediately.
Conventionally, such setting or changing of the control data and ID code was performed at the time of installation of the pay telephone or by opening the telephone after the installation thereof. However, problems may arise in that mistakes in setting the control data and ID code and telephone failure caused by erroneous operation are liable to occur at the time of installation of the telephone. For alteration of the ID code after the installation of the telephone, an authorized worker has to go to the place at which the telephone is installed only for that purpose. Thus, workers and cost therefor were required.

Telephone with data setting by remote control


When performing data encryption at rest of data residing on Kubernetes persistent volume, existing methods rely on storage provider's encryption capabilities, which instill limitations that hinder deployment. Accordingly, systems and methods are described that receive a Pod specification comprising a disk encryption request and automatically annotate the specification to include specifications for the disk encryption (e.g., secret, key, etc.) to mount a persistent volume having a disk encrypted according to the generated specification.

Kubernetes is a portable, extensible, open-source platform for managing containerized workloads and services, that facilitates both declarative configuration and automation. The Kubernetes documents, including specifications, may be found at www.kubernetes.io (collectively, "Kubernetes") and are incorporated herein by reference for all they teach as of the filing date of this application.
Software container orchestration, such as by implementing Kubernetes (often shortened to "K8s"), frequently launches and relocates application containers across nodes. A node can reside on physical or virtual hosts. Often block storage volumes that are mounted inside a particular container need to be mounted on a different node or need to be relocated to newly launched container. Kubernetes provides persistent volume (PV) mechanism to abstract how storage is made available and consumed by Pods and in turn by the Pods' containers.
In order to meet various regulatory compliances like General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), or to otherwise support data security, the data residing on the PV (on the underlying storage hardware or "disk") must be encrypted at rest.
When utilizing Kubernetes persistent volumes, disk encryption can be achieved only if the storage provider (e.g., Amazon Web Services Elastic Block Store, PortWorx, etc.) has an option to create an encrypted disk which is managed by the PV. Storage classes associated with the volumes provide an option to create a PV where data is encrypted at rest. Not all PV types and corresponding storage classes provide encryption and not all venders' solutions, as well as local volumes, have ready-made encryption available. Therefore, when working with Kubernetes persistence volumes for encryption of data at rest, applications must depend upon the underlaying storage provider offering such a functionality.
While advantages may be realized with the foregoing solutions, problems and limitations remain.

Method to encrypt the data at rest for data residing on Kubernetes persistent volumes


An aqueous ink composition is disclosed having high water resistance and excellent age stability and resistance to drying-up. A feature of the present invention resides in a water resistant ink composition comprising an aqueous vehicle which contains a polyamine containing primary amino groups in the proportion of 3-20% of amino groups contained in a molecule, one, two or more stabilizing agent selected from urea, thiourea, ethylene urea, hydroxyethyl urea, hydroxypropyl urea, ethylene, thiourea, diethyl thiourea, 2-pyrrolidone, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, sorbitol, dimethylsulfone and mixtures thereof and water and an anionic dye having a solubility of 10% by weight or more in said aqueous vehicle.

The present invention relates to an aqueous ink composition having high water resistance and excellent age stability and resistance to drying-up.
A variety of researches and developments with reference to aqueous ink compositions having water resistance have hitherto been conducted.
The so-called pigment type aqueous inks containing pigments as the main elements are well-known to the art. However, these pigment type aqueous inks are poor in dispersion stability and have the problem of sedimentation of pigment particles with time. When these inks are used in writing instruments, they tend to plug the ink passages of the instruments and thus inhibit the flow of smooth ink. In this type of ink the deposits of pigment particles along with the evaporation of water causes the so-called drying-up phenomenon at the writing tip of a pen. The result is a deposit of the pigment particles and plugging of the ink passages of the writing instrument.
Accordingly, the art has devised an aqueous ink composition having high water resistance, excellent age stability and resistance to drying-up.
Research on the so-called dye type aqueous ink composition containing dyes as main elements has been conducted in order to solve the problems known in the art. This has lead to an examination of the requisite conditions of ink such as the water resistance.
It has been found that in order to impart water resistance to the written matter produced by the ink, it is required for the written characters to bond to the paper tightly, and thus various materials were examined from the aspect of their adhesion to paper.


A personnel basket that provides a partially enclosed work platform that may be readily attached or detached from the end of a crane boom and may be maintained level with the ground when suspended from a crane boom above ground and that is also capable of being collapsed from a work ready position into a stowed position of substantially smaller spatial volume when not in use.

Personnel baskets encompass various types of industrial, elevatable work platforms that be attached to the boom of a crane or attached to an aerial lift and then raised above the ground to do work overhead. Personnel baskets come in many different forms, including simple aerial buckets, rigid metal cages, enclosed cabins, partially enclosed work platforms with hand railings and guards, and the like. Such personnel baskets may be attached to the end of a crane's boom or to an aerial lift which is then used to elevate the personnel basket and any personnel and equipment located therein to high, other wise inaccessible positions above the ground where work is to be performed by the personnel.
Personnel baskets are frequently used to perform work on, or to service, "hot" electric transmissions lines (power lines) that are suspended at a height by transmission poles and are energized at very high voltages. For these types of applications, a personnel basket will normally be attached to the end of a crane's boom, and the crane itself will normally be mounted on a mobile vehicle which is normally a service track, but could also be a continuous track vehicle or a rail mounted vehicle. In order to perform work on power lines, the crane and the personnel basket are transported by the mobile vehicle to the work site where work is to be performed, personnel will enter the personnel basket with their tools and equipment, and the crane will be used to elevate the personnel basket up to the level of the power lines and hold the personnel basket in an elevated, suspended position se that the personnel in the personnel basket can perform the necessary work on the power lines. Typically the crane's boom member, or a distal portion of the boom member, to which the personnel basket is attached, will be comprised of a highly electrically insulating material in order to prevent any discharge of current from the energized power lines through the personnel basket or through the personnel or equipment suspended at a height within the personnel basket.
For the type of power line applications described above, and for other similar applications in which work must be performed at a height above ground by personnel who will be suspended within an elevated personnel basket, the personnel baskets are sometimes permanently attached to the boom of a crane. When the overhead is completed and it becomes necessary to move the mobile vehicle from the work site, the personnel basket is normally lowered down by operation of the crane to approximately the level of the mobile vehicle, but the personnel basket may remain permanently attached to the crane that is mounted on the mobile vehicle. The personnel basket may be lowered onto the back of the mobile vehicle, where it will take up room that could otherwise be used for storing equipment, tools, and parts. The mobile vehicle will then transport the crane and the attached personnel basket to the next worksite without removing the personnel basket. However, this type of permanent or quasi-permanent attachment of the personnel basket to the crane's boom may prevent the crane and mobile vehicle on which at is mounted from being used for other applications that do not call for the elevation and suspension of a personnel basket. Thus, in some cases the personnel basket may be detached from the crane boom when it is stored on the back of a mobile vehicle for transport.
Furthermore, many personnel baskets are enclosed, or partially enclosed, work platforms with a generally open cuboidal structure comprised of a floor and walls that define a workspace. These types of personnel baskets typically have rigid structures comprised of frigidly connected members such as integral walls, floor, rails, guards or other similar incorporated features that are intended to prevent personnel from falling off the work platform or out of the work space provided by the personnel basket during work. As a result, most personnel baskets are bulky, cumbersome, and of capable of easy storage and transport. Some representative prior art devices include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,056,510, 4,468,004, 5,286,159, 6,145,619, and 9,206,020. Although some of these prior art devices claim to be partially foldable or collapsible, none of them is actually easily collapsed or folded into a significantly smaller size that may be easily stored and transported. This creates difficulties in the context of using the prior art devices in connection with a service truck because space on the back of service trucks is almost always a commodity, and there is frequently very limited room for storage of tools, equipment, and parts. Moreover, it does not appear that the prior art devices could normally be removed from the end of a crane's boom or other similar elevating device for storage or transport purposes in a time-efficient manner, with most such removals of prior art devices taking over an hour to complete.
Another goal with personnel baskets of the type that are suspended from the end of a crane boom is to maintain such personnel baskets such that their floors and the work platforms they provide are generally level to the ground below. This is necessary because the power lines and other structures that workers will perform work on above ground are more or less level with the ground below. The workers situated on the work platform and in the workspace provided by the personnel baskets need a floor and work platform that provides them proper personal orientation in relation to the work object, such as power lines, and maintaining floor and work platform of the personnel basket in a level orientation to the ground while suspended from a carne boom is desirable.


A testing apparatus includes a thermal control chamber including a test room, which temperature is controlled within a testing temperature range; a carrier frame including a direction guiding unit installed securely within the test room and formed with one guiding groove and a carrier rod extending through the guiding groove in the direction guiding unit; and a clamping unit mounted on the carrier rod for clamping a display-panel module securely, wherein, movement of the carrier rod transversely within the guiding groove relative to the direction guiding unit results in disposing the display-panel module to extend along one of several testing directions for undergoing a burn-in test.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a burn-in testing apparatus, more particularly to a burn-in testing apparatus in which a plurality of display-panel modules can be disposed adjustably along several testing directions when undergoing a burn-in test.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As far as electronic devices are concerned, more particularly to ones provided with display-panel module, the majority of the electronic devices possess complicated processing operation accomplished via complicated system and application software. The more the content of processing operation is complicated; the user of the electronic device wishes the shorter the operation time to finish the processing operation. Hence, the operation load of each electronic device becomes larger as days go by.
Due to the operation load of each electronic device becomes heavier and larger, the heat generated by each component of the electronic device rises relatively high during the operation, which, in turn, results in several disadvantages to the operation performance of the electronic device. In order to maintain a fine operation performance under the high temperature and still resulting in high efficient effects and standard, the manufacturers or the user will let the electronic module [components], semi-finished product or finished product undergone a severe test [i.e., under the high temperature or high speed] in order to test the operation performance, thereby determining whether the electronic device can be operated in stable manner or operation stability of the device. Such type of test is generally known as "Burn-In Test".
Since the electronic device of present days is in the trench to be compact in size, thickness and light-weighted in order to facilitate the user to carry along with or handle such that the electronic device is put under multiple directions during use. For instant when using a tablet PC [personal computer], the tablet PC is disposed at vertical and horizontal positions or at an inclined angle with respect to a support surface.
As far as burn-in test is concerned at present stage, the display-panel module of the electronic device is disposed along a single direction during the burn-in test operation. The test direction is not altered in accordance with the multiple usage positions of the electronic device. Under this condition, one cannot be 100 percent sure; the operation performance of the electronic device is maintained effectively or in stable manner under several disposed positions or directions. Hence, a change is required when carrying out the burn-in test of the display-panel module [or components] due to usage changed positions or directions of the electronic device by the users.


The switching chamber is intended for a gas-insulated high-voltage circuit breaker. It contains an axially symmetrical housing and a contact arrangement held in the housing with two switching pieces, of which at least one is arranged such that it can move along the housing axis. The switching chamber housing has two hollow bodies consisting of electrically conductive material which can be connected to a high voltage and an insulating tube holding the hollow bodies axially at a distance. A separation zone, which is electrically shielded during operation of the circuit breaker, is formed in the surface of at least one of the two hollow bodies and separates two surface zones having different degrees of roughness from one another in the hollow body. In homogeneities in the surface of the switching chamber housing which may reduce the dielectric strength of the circuit breaker equipped with the switching chamber therefore do not have any effect. For this reason, the switching chamber and the circuit breaker are characterized by a high degree of operational reliability and safety with a simple design.

A switching chamber of the type mentioned at the outset is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,495,785 B1. This switching chamber is arranged in a metal container filled with insulating gas and has an axially symmetrical housing borne by a post insulator 50, in which housing a contact arrangement with a stationary and an axially movable switching piece is arranged. The switching chamber housing is formed by two electrically conductive hollow bodies 43, 44, by mounting tubes and flanges 51, which are fixed to the hollow bodies, and by an insulating tube 50, which is fixed to the mounting parts 51 and holds the hollow bodies at a distance in the direction of the housing axis. The hollow body 43 is connected to a movable switching piece and the hollow body 44 is connected to a stationary switching piece of the contact arrangement. Current conductors 45, 47, which are connected to a high voltage, are guided from the outside through the wall of the container 40 via two outdoor bushings 41, 42. Those ends of the current conductors 45, 47 which are located in the interior of the container are guided into drilled holes which are formed in the hollow bodies 43, 44, which apparently are each in the form of a cast metal part, so as to form two electrical plug-in connections. The two hollow bodies shield regions on the insulating tube 50 and on the post insulator 50 which are subjected to severe dielectric loads and they contain exhaust volumes for accommodating hot arcing gases.
DE 42 17 697 A1 describes an electrical high-voltage circuit breaker having two contact pieces, which are coaxially opposite one another. One of the two contact pieces is fixed on a tubular contact-piece mount. The contact-piece mount and the contact piece borne by it are surrounded by a hollow-cylindrical shielding body, which is detachably connected to the contact-piece mount by a latching connection arranged on the inner side of the shielding body. The outer side of the shielding body can therefore be designed to be entirely smooth and without any protruding parts, which could bring about a distortion of the electrical field at the circuit breaker.

Switching chamber for a gas-insulated high-voltage circuit breaker


A spin torque oscillator and a method of making same. The spin torque oscillator is configured to generate microwave electrical oscillations without the use of a magnetic field external thereto, the spin torque oscillator having one of a plurality of input nanopillars and a nanopillar having a plurality of free FM layers.

Spin torque oscillators have been first demonstrated in the year 2003. See S. I. Kiselev et al., Nature 425, 380 (2003). Since then, they have been shown to provide a reliable option as microwave signal generators. They typically provide a smaller size than other microwave oscillators, and are defined mainly by the size of their ferromagnetic nanopillars, which typically have a size below about 200 nm. The frequency of a spin torque oscillator may be tuned by varying the current passed through the same. In general, the operation of spin torque oscillators relies on precession of magnetization in the free (or "active") ferromagnetic (FM) layer under the action of spin torque due to electrons crossing the non-magnetic layer (such as copper or MgO, for example) from the FM layer. The variation or precession of magnetization is then converted to an electric signal via the effect of magnetoresistance, which refers to the change in resistance of the stack of materials of the spin torque oscillator based on the relative orientations of magnetization in the free and fixed FM layers.
Currently, microwave oscillators based on nanomagnets and their precession by the spin torque effect require an external magnetic field for their operation. Under such circumstances, one would need either a permanent magnet or a wire with current in order to create an external magnetic field. In the case of a permanent magnet, however, disadvantageously, the spin torque oscillator would take additional space, and further, interference would be created with other parts of the circuit. In the case of a wire, the arrangement would lead to constantly dissipated Joule heat, which could be disadvantageous to the circuit.

Spin torque oscillator having multiple fixed ferromagnetic layers or multiple free ferromagnetic layers


An apparatus includes a deformable eyecup. A display shares an optical path with the eyecup. A monocular houses the display. A shutter shares the optical path with the eyecup and the display, wherein the shutter opens upon deformation of the eyecup. Optionally, the eyecup includes a rubber, neoprene, plastic, and/or pleated material. Optionally, the shutter is integral with the eyecup. Optionally, the shutter includes a mechanical iris, a liquid crystal shutter, a micro-mechanical micro-shutter array, and/or a shutter including a plurality of flaps that flex upon the deformation of the eyecup.

Results of tests with Marines at Camp Pendleton, Calif. indicate that a hand-held display viewed at a distance of one to three feet does not perform sufficiently well enough for many field operations. In direct sunlight, this display becomes very difficult to read due to glare and light saturation. The glare inhibits adequate read-ability of current display technologies. At night, a hand-held display reduces night vision and betrays tactical positions. Tactical positioning is jeopardized by light emission from the hand-held display, a circumstance often remedied in the field by reading the display under a cloth covering. Plainly, such a solution eliminates situational awareness of the surrounding environment.
It is believed that commercially available devices fail to adequately address the needs of the Marines or other users in this and other applications in this regard. For example, PCT Application No. WO 95/24713 to Fischer et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses head-mounted display systems for the viewing of video or other sources of imagery which comprises a mechanism allowing a wide range of adjustments for presenting a display to the wearer. The various head-mounted display systems described can include rubber eyecups integrated into their video module so as to keep all stray ambient light out of the system. The Fischer et al. system prevents situational awareness during operation thereof. Use of the Fischer et al. system invites temporary blindness, at night, for example, upon removal of the system to regain situational awareness. Such temporary blindness inhibits immediate situational awareness.

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A multi-functional authentication apparatus and an operation method for the same are provided. The multi-functional authentication apparatus integrates multiple communication modules into one device. A biometric authentication procedure is firstly performed when activating this multi-functional authentication apparatus. A security code is generated through a security authentication mechanism provided by this apparatus after reading biometric features. After that, according to a connection protocol, one of the communication modules of the multi-functional authentication apparatus is activated to connect with an external host. The security code is transmitted to the host via the communication module for identifying a user. The multi-functional authentication apparatus acts as an authenticator that allows a user to login to a computer system or obtain a network service after authentication. The multi-functional authentication apparatus also provides authentication for the user to open an access control device or conduct a mobile payment.

Generally, an identity authentication technology using information related to accounts and passwords is adopted in an information system. The drawback of the conventional security mechanism is that the account and password rely on a user committing such information to memory, and that the security level of such information may not be high enough to protect user identity. Some biometric technologies such as fingerprint recognition, facial recognition such as 3D facial scanning, iris and finger vein recognition are available to conduct the identity authentication. However, since these authentication mechanisms require corresponding hardware and system setups, such biometric technologies are still not adopted on a universal scale.
Further, some modern identity authentication technologies are already incorporated in the mobile devices, wearable devices or devices for user identification. However, such identity authentication technologies also require corresponding hardware or systems, making it difficult to promote widespread application thereof.
Regardless of what specific purpose the above mentioned conventional security technologies is used for, such technologies are still not seeing widespread use in identify authentication for personalized devices such as mobile devices.

Multi-functional authentication apparatus and operating method for the same


The present invention disclosed the test cell and method of analyzing using the same which can analysis the cause of degradation of flash EEPROM cell in connection with programming, erasing or reading operation. The test cell comprises a first unit cell consisted of a drain, a source and a floating gate, a control gate; a second unit cell consisted of a drain, a source and a floating gate, control gate formed integrally with the floating gate and control gate of the first unit cell, respectively; and a third unit cell consisted of a drain, a source and a floating gate, a control gate formed integrally with the floating gate and control gate of the first unit cell, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a test cell to analysis a property of the flash EEPROM cell and method of analyzing a property of flash EEPROM cell using same.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Generally, the flash EEPROM cell is classified into a split gate type and stack gate type. It is desirable that the properties of the split gate type or stack gate type flash EEPROM cell are not changed although the operations of the programming and erasing are repeated and have excellent endurance property. However, the efficiency of the cell may be deteriorated by the repeating operations of the cell. In order to verify the properties of program/erase cycling endurance, a part of main chip cell is changed to a pattern so that the reliability of cell is verified by the pattern. However, the user does not know the degradation while user knows the degree of the degradation.

Test cell for analyzing a property of the flash EEPROM cell and method of analyzing a property of the flash EEPROM cell using the same

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.


A controller approximates an output characteristic of an air flow meter using at least one parameter, and approximates a characteristic of a fuel injection characteristic of an injector using at least one parameter. These parameters are determined and updated based on an exhaust air-fuel ratio acquired by an air-fuel ratio sensor disposed in an exhaust passage, so that the exhaust air-fuel ratio approaches a target air-fuel ratio.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controller and a control method for an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
In an internal combustion engine using a fuel injection valve (injector) to inject fuel, the opening time of the injector is generally determined by the following procedure. A value output by an air flow meter in response to an amount of air flow passing through the air intake passage (hereinafter "intake air amount") and a pre-established relationship between this air flow meter output value and the intake air amount (specifically, a table or map or the like that establishes the relationship) are used to determine (measure) the intake air amount. The intake air amount and engine rotational speed are then used to determine the amount of air to be taken into the combustion chamber during the intake stroke (hereinafter "in-cylinder intake air amount").
Based on the in-cylinder intake air amount, the amount of fuel to be injected from the injector (hereinafter "fuel injection amount") for the purpose of causing the air-fuel ratio (hereinafter sometimes "air-fuel ratio") of the gas mixture supplied to the engine to coincide with a target air-fuel ratio is determined. The fuel injection amount and a pre-established relationship between the fuel injection amount and the injector opening time (specifically, a table or map or the like that establishes the relationship) are used to determine the opening time of the injector. As a result, by opening the injector valve just for this injector valve opening time, the amount of fuel injected from the injector is the amount required so that the air-fuel ratio is made to coincide with a target air-fuel ratio.
The above-described relationship between the air flow meter output value and the intake air amount (that is, the output characteristic of the air flow meter) inevitably exhibits variations caused, for example, by differences between individual air flow meters and by changes due to aging. In the same manner, the relationship between the fuel injection amount and the injector valve opening time (that is, the fuel injection characteristic of the injector) inevitably exhibits variations caused, for example, by differences between individual injectors and by changes due to aging.
The intake air amount and injector valve opening time established by the above-described table or the like that does not take into consideration these variations can therefore include errors. Because of these errors, the amount of fuel injected from the injector differs from the amount of fuel required so that the air-fuel ratio coincides with the target air-fuel ratio and, as a result, there is a problem of deviation of the air-fuel ratio from the target air-fuel ratio. Hereinafter this intake air amount error and valve opening time error are called "air flow meter output characteristic error" and "injector fuel injection characteristic error," respectively, and these errors are sometimes collectively referred to as "air flow meter and injector error."
For this reason, an apparatus discussed in Japanese laid-open patent application publication 64-24142 (1989), taking note of the difference between the trend of the error in the air flow meter output characteristic and the trend of the error in the injector fuel injection characteristic with respect to engine load (in-cylinder intake air amount), determines the correction proportion when correcting the air flow meter output characteristic and the injector fuel injection characteristic based on the engine load. That is, an attempt is made to suppress the deviation of the air-fuel ratio from the target air-fuel ratio caused by the air flow meter and injector error by varying the proportion between the degree of correction of the air flow meter output characteristic and the degree of correction of the injector fuel injection characteristic in response to the engine load.
In actuality, however, the error trend of the fuel injection characteristic, the error trend of the air flow meter output characteristic, and the injector fuel vary freely and independently due to various other causes, and not due to only the engine load. In the apparatus described in the above-cited reference, therefore, which determines the correction proportion of the air flow meter output characteristic and the injector fuel injection characteristic based on only the engine load, there are cases in which the deviation of the air-fuel ratio from the target air-fuel ratio caused by air flow meter and injector error is not suppressed.

Controller and control method for internal combustion engine


An athletic pole including a handle, a shaft, and a handle-to-shaft transition assembly, the transition assembly adapted for allowing the handle to articulate. The transition assembly includes an enlarged shaft base on the shaft, the shaft base including a handle-base-engaging surface. The transition assembly also includes an enlarged handle base on the handle. The handle base and the shaft base are biased together by a tension force into a mating, coaxially aligned position when any bending forces applied to the pole are insufficient to overcome the tension force, the handle being pivotable to an articulated position relative to the shaft upon the application of a predetermined bending force on the pole sufficient to overcome the tension force. During handle articulation, the enlarged dimensions of the handle base and the shaft base allow the periphery of the handle base to travel across and engage the handle-base-engaging surface of the shaft base such that, after an initial range of handle articulation, the bending force necessary to continue articulation or to maintain the handle in a desired articulated position is reduced relative to the bending force that would prevail if the periphery of the handle base were not allowed to travel across the handle-base-engaging surface toward the center of the shaft base.

The invention described herein is a safety athletic pole designed for use in a variety of athletic activities including, among others, hiking and skiing. To maximize clarity but without imposing a limitation, discussion of the invention is hereafter directed toward its potential embodiment as a ski pole.
The traditional ski pole is composed of a handle, a long, thin, rigid shaft with a pointed tip, and a basket near the tip to restrict snow penetration. The ski pole assists skiers in maneuvering efficiently in various skiing terrains and under an assortment of snow and terrain conditions. While using ski poles, a skier, whether skiing downhill or cross country, may sustain significant injuries from the simplest of falls. To minimize this danger, novice skiers are taught to release their poles or attempt to keep their arms close to their body. Recent ski pole handle design attempts to make release easier, but experience indicates that, in actuality, little has been done to prevent a number of ski pole-related upper extremity injuries.
When falling, the natural tendency is to hold the poles tighter and brace the fall with outstretched arms. The resulting positions put the thumb at a significant biomechanical disadvantage. Abnormal forces applied to the thumb in this manner often cause injury to the ligamentous tendon complex, joint capsule, and bones. One of the most disabling injuries often acquired from such a fall is a complete tear of the ulna collateral ligament of the thumb. Statistically, this injury ranks as the second most common reported injury in skiing (knee injuries ranking first). If one includes unreported injuries, it may be the most common injury in skiing. Many skiers we have interviewed have spent six to nine months recovering from injured thumbs for which they never sought medical attention. At first glance, these injuries seem innocuous to those outside of the medical profession. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Simple tasks like holding a cup of coffee are impossible for most skiers suffering from these injuries. Tasks that require motion of a thumb injured in this manner are difficult if not impossible to perform.
The present invention helps prevent these debilitating injuries by incorporating an articulated break-over mechanism into the pole design. The break-over mechanism allows the pole handle to articulate when an abnormally high bending force is applied to the handle, as in an accident. The break-over mechanism includes mating handle and shaft bases that are radially enlarged relative to the shaft. Prior to and during initial handle articulation, this radial enlargement of the mating handle and shaft bases enhances pole stability and integrity by distancing the fulcrum point of the articulation mechanism from the pole axis. As the handle approaches full articulation, the enlarged handle and shaft bases further enhance pole stability and integrity by reducing the distance from the fulcrum point to the pole axis, thereby reducing spring actuation. Both the enlarged handle and shaft bases and the movable fulcrum point they provide render the invention both distinguishable from and superior to the prior art.
In addition, the invention improves on similar prior art ski poles by providing a system of splines and spline-receiving grooves in the enlarged handle and shaft bases that minimizes potential misindexing of the handle and pole both when the handle is unarticulated and in all stages of handle deflection.


A helical drain for a toilet is disclosed. The present invention relates to a novel toilet drain configuration. Specifically, the novel toilet drain configuration comprises a helical loop trapway. The drain of the present invention exits the toilet bowl and forms a substantially vertical tubular loop running generally parallel to the width of the bowl or stool, or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bowl or stool, before being connected to a sewer. The drain of the present invention functions like a P-trap syphon in removing the contents of the bowl. The diameter of the looped tubular portion of the drain may vary by approximately 20 percent or less in the direction of the sewer connection. Sensors may be placed on the drain to monitor drain contents, fluid levels, and drain performance. The drain may be fitted with valves to control the flow of fluids and gases through the drain.

Traditional toilets have a plane of left-right symmetry, or an approximate plane of symmetry oriented vertically from the front of the toilet to the back. The P-trap style trapway or drain in a traditional toilet functions like a siphon in removing waste from a toilet bowl. The trapway remains substantially in the plane and therefore requires bends of differing curvatures to alternately form a trap and return water to the sewer. Due to the symmetry constraint, the flush jet typically enters the bowl from either the front or the back and vice-versa for the water exiting the bowl. Toilet drains utilizing a liquid P-trap style trapway typically comprise multiple bends, exiting the sump portion of the toilet bowl in a U-shape and following a course in a single vertical plane extending through the middle of the toilet from front to back. The bend in the drain creates a pipe section angled upwards to trap a column of water and isolate the sewer from the toilet bowl or sink. The pipe then bends over and back down again and empties into the sewer. From a side view, if the first bend has a positive curvature (bends up), the second bend has a negative curvature (bends down).
In a toilet, a water jet from a pressure source such as a tank or wall may enter the toilet bowl near the bottom. Water may also enter the bowl from the rim or another source of rinse water. One goal of low volume flush toilet design with a siphon flush is to fill the trapway completely with water as fast as possible, to "kick" or engage the siphon with minimal water. The higher the velocity of water, the lower volume flush is possible. In order to generate the kick, the siphon water enters the trapway faster than it is leaving. One possible way to implement such a strategy is to increase the resistance of the pipe section after the second bend, by corrugating the flow or reducing the pipe diameter. Both methods, however, limit the exit flow and increase the likelihood of a clog, in addition to making the toilet harder to plunge if a blockage does occur.
Accordingly, there is a need for improvements in the design of flush systems that rapidly inject water and reduce the incidence of drain clogging.


A vehicle lamp includes a two-dimensional image forming device, a light source, and a controller. The image forming device is disposed near a rear focal point of a projection lens and has a projection plane formed of plural optical elements arranged in a matrix manner. The light source irradiates with light the projection plane. The controller individually drives the optical elements to form, on the projection plane, an illumination pattern having a shape corresponding to a light distribution pattern projected by the projection lens ahead the vehicle lamp. The controller sets an output rate per unit time of the optical elements disposed at an end portion of the projection plane to be lower than that of the other optical elements. The light is output from the optical elements disposed at the end portion of the projection plane towards the projection lens at the output rate per unit time thereof.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a vehicle lamp to be mounted on a vehicle and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
JP 1109-104288 A (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,319) describes a lighting device including a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) provided with hundreds to millions of very small reflection elements. JP H09-104288 A has proposed easily changing the characteristic of light flux emitted from the lighting device extensively with the respective reflection elements of the DMD.

Method of controlling vehicle lamp and vehicle lamp


The invention is directed to providing an improved security system for stations issuing IC cards. In accordance with the improved system, two independent codes transmitted from remote locations must match codes retained at the issuing station and on the IC card prior to the system allowing the issuing station to be activated. In particular, a manufacturer's identification code is entered into the IC card prior to the cards leaving the control of the manufacturer. The card issuer provides a secured area wherein a issuer's identification code is maintained. Upon issuance of an IC card, both the manufacturer's and issuer's codes must be transmitted to the station and verified by the corresponding codes maintained at the station and onboard the memory of the IC card before the station will allow an account number to be written into the memory of the IC card. Preferably, the system includes a transmission path from the station to the location where the manufacturer's codes are maintained. Upon the issuance of an IC card, the manufacturer is informed of the card's issuance so that an accurate record may be maintained for all of the cards delivered to an issuer.

IC cards are most commonly issued by writing an identification number or bank account number into the memory of the card. When the card is used, the identification or account number serves to verify and record a transaction using the card. In order to prevent unauthorized issuance of an IC card, the apparatus for writing the identification or account number into the memory of the IC card is typically controlled by an issuer code.
In one approach, the code is recorded in an EPROM that is fitted into a housing adapted to serve as a plug-in module received by a receptacle at the issuing station. For an IC card to be issued, the user of the issuing station must obtain the EPROM from a secured area and plug it into the receptacle. When activated, the issuing station will read the information from the EPROM and compare it with information stored in an internal memory for the purpose of determining whether a data match exists. If the information matches, the apparatus indicates to the user that it is ready to write an identification or account number into the IC card.
Essentially, the EPROM device acts as an electronic key that prevents unauthorized use of the issuing station. Although such an electronic key is more secure than a conventional mechanical key, it nevertheless is still susceptible to unauthorized use or duplication. Such unauthorized use or duplication allows the issuing apparatus to be used to issue unauthorized cards.

Apparatus for securing an IC-card issuing station


Disclosed are bandgap circuits that use a resistive divider circuit to modulate the gate voltage of a reference source transistor. The reference voltage transistor is modulated at the base by a voltage that varies inversely with temperature. In this fashion, high sheet resistance poly resistors and diffusion resistors can be used that have very low process variation and minimize the use of die space.

a. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to electrical devices and more specifically to bandgap current and voltage reference circuits.
b. Description of the Background
Reference circuits are needed to bias electronic circuits. Reference sources of electronic circuits use the conduction and valence band difference of the intrinsic substrate material (silicon) to generate a reference voltage or current which may vary as a result of process variations or variations in environmental temperatures. The negative temperature coefficient of the silicon bandgap voltage is cancelled in prior art circuits by using the positive temperature coefficient of thermal voltage to generate the reference source. Typically, low temperature coefficient poly resistors, i.e., on the order of 6×10−4, are used to generate a reference source. However, these poly resistors have low sheet resistance, i.e., on the order of 30-40 ohms per square, and as such, consume a large amount of space on the die. In many cases, the poly resistors may consume up to 50 percent of the die space. In addition, poly resistors have large process variations, and many times require expensive laser trimming to provide the needed accuracy that is not available because of process variations.

Precision bandgap circuit using high temperature coefficient diffusion resistor in a CMOS process


The invention relates to a pressure dome for connecting a transducer with a fluid system comprising an inlet channel and an outlet flow as well as a measuring chamber in which a fluid is able to circulate and which has a measuring membrane. To improve fluid irculation and simplify handling, the measuring chamber ceiling is configured in the shape of a calotte and the pressure dome is removably coupled to the transducer housing by means of a snap connection.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connecting element for connecting a transducer to a sealed fluid system, comprising at least one inlet channel, at least one outlet channel and a measuring chamber connected at least to at least one inlet channel and at least one outlet channel in such a way as to allow a flow to pass through, the measuring chamber being formed in a housing and part of the wall of the measuring chamber being formed by a membrane which is significantly more compliant than the remaining part of the wall of the measuring chamber.
Such connecting elements are known in medical technology by the colloquial term xe2x80x9cdomexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpressure domexe2x80x9d, which originates from the dome-shaped design of the measuring chamber. They serve the purpose of permitting the measurement of pressures in fluids during the examination and treatment of people and animals, preferably by means of electronic equipment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For pressure monitoring during the flushing of body cavities, in DE 42 19 888 A1, for example, there is described a flow pressure transducer with such a connecting element, which is designed for a large volume throughput in accordance with the intended area of use.
For monitoring hemodynamic parameters of a patient, in particular intensive-care patients, it is customary nowadays in addition to the recording of an ECG also to record the invasive pressures into the [sic] patient monitoring, that is to say keeping a check on the state of the vital bodily functions of the patient. Depending on the degree of monitoring, between one and four pressures (arterial, pulmonary-arterial, LAP and venous) are measured.
For this purpose, a catheter with an integrated monitoring set is used. The positioning of the end opening of the catheter defines the measuring point in the patient""s body. A monitoring set refers to a compilation of those parts which establish the connections between the patient and the so-called monitor and, usually for reasons of hygiene, are intended for once-only use. A monitor refers to the electronic monitoring and recording system with which the corresponding measured data are evaluated and displayed, and which in case of need emits corresponding alarm signals if measured data leave prescribed set ranges.
A general description of this, relating to the example of examination by a flow-directed catheter, is found in Buchwalsky, Rainer: Einschwemmkatheter: Technik, Auswertung u. prakti. Konsequenzen [flow-directed catheters: technology, evaluation and practical consequences] (Beitrxc3xa4ge zur Kardiologie [articles on cardiology], Vol. 29); Erlangen: perimed Fachbuch-Verlagsgesellschaft, 1985, pages 106-109.
The monitoring set to be fastened to the catheter comprises an unventilated infusion apparatus for feeding infusion solutions to the patient, a flushing system, which ensures a continuous flushing rate of customarily 3 ml/h at the catheter tip to avoid occlusion being caused by thrombi, if appropriate with a quick flushing function for special cases, and a pressure dome. The pressure dome transmits the pressure signal via its flexible membrane to a reusable transducer (pressure sensor). Such a pressure dome has in the past been fastened on such a transducer by a screw or bayonet connection (see in this respect DE 42 19 888 A1, column 3, lines 28 to 30).
Examples of such pressure domes are to be found on information sheet xe2x80x9cDisposable Transducer Domesxe2x80x9d of the company SMP Specialty Medical Products, Dallas, Tex., US, with reference to the models 078 to 082. A typical transducer (pressure sensor) is described, for example, in a leaflet of the company SensoNor a.s, Horten, NO, Edition 1/95, on the product SensoNor 840.
Further elements of a monitoring set are the pressure hoses (marked in color) and possibly a three-way cock, to allow medicaments to be fed in, or a blood removal system for taking blood for further investigations.
A special problem is that of venting the parts of the monitoring set in connection with the blood system. The problems involved in venting such systems are generally known to the users. During the filling of the system (usually with physiological saline solution) air bubbles become trapped particularly easily in the dome, i.e. in its dome-like measuring chamber above the membrane. On account of the great elasticity inherent in gases, by contrast with the virtually incompressible fluids, the air bubbles trapped there represent a barrier in the transmission of pressure frequencies of more than a few Hertz. This has the effect of significantly falsifying the transmission of the change in pressure to the membrane, and consequently to the transducer lying thereunder, and as a result the representation of the pressure curves on the monitor.
A connecting element of the type mentioned at the beginning is known from prior public use by SMP Specialty Medical Products, Dallas, Tex., US, under the type designation 081. This xe2x80x9cdomexe2x80x9d is intended to fit the Hewlett Packard 1290 Quartz transducer and allow itself to be fastened on the latter by means of a bayonet connection. Lockable Luer-lock connections with a loose threaded part, or with an external full thread, as are specified for example in DIN 13 090 Part 2, serve for connecting the inlet channel and outlet channel to the hoses of a monitoring set.
The known connecting element is produced from a crystal-clear plastic. The measuring chamber of this connecting element is very large and has, in particular, a large diameter of approximately 23 mm. In this case, the ceiling of the measuring chamber is at the same time the upper side of the housing. This ceiling and upper side of the housing is formed in a plane-convex manner as a magnifying lens. This is intended to achieve the effect that even small bubbles in the measuring chamber are detected as reliably as possible by the medical care personnel.
Disposable transducers which contain the pressure-measuring sensor in a flow housing are therefore designed in the form of a simple tube in the flow chamber in order to avoid this very trapping of air bubbles. However, they have the disadvantage that the valuable electronics are integrated in the disposable article and therefore are thrown away each time the monitoring set is changed and have to be disposed of along with it. To comply with hygiene requirements, such an exchange must take place at the latest every second day. This entails not only the disadvantage that the still serviceable electronics are replaced with every change, accompanied by corresponding costs, but also that the presence of electronic components requires additional special, and consequently cost-intensive, treatment as electronic scrap during disposable.
For this reason, dome systems which can be used repeatedly are becoming more popular, at least in Europe. The valuable electronics, in particular the pressure sensor, are located in a special housing. Such a part is usually referred to as the transducer. One or more transducers are integrated in a special retaining plate. The retaining plate is fastened, for example on an infusion stand, by means of a clamping or screwing device. The measured pressure data are transmitted from the transducers in the retaining plate to the monitor via one or more cables.
When in the past it was necessary to mount a twin or even triple monitoring set on a number of transducers with the screw or bayonet connection usually encountered in the case of repeatedly reusable transducers, the turning movements necessary for this were possible to a restricted extend only in the case of the first transducer. When mounting on the second transducer, the presence of the structure mounted on the first transducer was already a hindrance. Mounting a second dome onto the second transducer was not possible without removing the transducer from a common retaining plate.
This complicated handling is not only troublesome, it also represents an absolute obstacle to designing retaining plates with permanently fitted transducers and rear-side cabling.
This problem is also not solved by a connecting element of the type mentioned at the beginning, such as that described in DE 35 25 536 A1. To avoid damage, in particular to the membrane of the connecting element, a fastening in which it is not necessary for the connecting element and transducer to be turned in relation to one another is proposed there. For this purpose, additional fastening elements, such as pivotably mounted clamps or clip-like elements, are to be provided at two points of the circumference of the housing of the connecting element.
It is proposed there to allow these fastening elements or continuations to protrude downward beyond the membrane for the handling of the fastening elements. This is intended to make it possible to check visually that locking of the fastening element provided has also been carried out. Furthermore, this is intended to simplify handling when the connecting element is removed from the transducer. However, it practically rules out a combination with transducers fastened in retaining plates.
The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a connecting element of the type mentioned at the beginning which has improved properties with regard to its application-related reliability on the one hand and its handling on the other hand.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a connecting element of the type mentioned at the beginning in which the measuring chamber has an inlet opening and an outlet opening respectively at the level of parts of the wall which are situated opposite one another and form an edge of the measuring chamber in that part of the wall opposite the membrane which forms a ceiling of the measuring chamber, and the ceiling is drawn-in in a central area of the measuring chamber, so that a radial-channel-shaped part of the measuring chamber with a greater distance between the membrane and the ceiling and a central area of the measuring chamber with a smaller distance between the ceiling and the membrane are obtained, and the wall of the measuring chamber is designed such that it is free from any edges (rounded) with the exception of the inlet and outlet openings and the transition from the membrane to the remaining part of the wall.
This design, according to the invention, of a connecting element of the type mentioned at the beginning practically rules out the possibility of air bubbles remaining in the measuring chamber, even without for example knocking against the connecting element during filling with infusion solution. The filling without any air bubbles is achieved because the filling takes place from the infusion side to the catheter side in such a way that the long paths at the edge of the measuring chamber fill more quickly as a result of greater heights than the short path in the center. Furthermore, vortexing of the flow and the formation of gas-filled cavities are avoided on account of the surface tension of the fluid. In a way corresponding to this special shaping, the liquid flows meet when they emerge from the measuring chamber. With the previously customary dome-shaped shaping of the measuring chamber, air bubbles can remain in the sides, because the liquid flow blocks the simple escape of the air bubbles on the straight short path to the outlet.
In this case it is expedient if the annular-channel-shaped part of the measuring chamber is bounded on its outer circumference by the edge and connects the inlet opening to the outlet opening in such a way that it allows a flow to pass through.
In terms of fluid hydraulics, it is particularly advantageous if, in the central area, the ceiling is designed approximately in the form of a spherical cap. This applies correspondingly if the edge-free part of the wall has curvatures with a radius of at least one millimeter.
To obtain a good flow through the measuring chamber, with as little effect as possible on the measurement result, in spite of the low flow rates and the delivery being effected only by the higher hydrostatic pressure in comparison with the internal pressure inside the patient""s body, it is advantageous if the inlet and outlet openings lie approximately in a plane parallel to the membrane, in particular if the distance of the plane in which the inlet and outlet openings lie from the membrane is not more than 3 mm.
For optimum filling, it has been found in tests to be advantageous if the flow-admitting cross section of the inlet opening is larger than the flow-admitting cross section of the outlet opening.
This applies in particular if the width of the inlet opening is at least 90% of the length of the inlet opening and/or the width of the outlet opening is no more than ⅔ of the length of the outlet opening.
To obtain a uniform transmission of the pressure waves in the entire frequency range of interest, it is advantageous if the flow-admitting cross section of the outlet channel has no sudden changes in cross-sectional area up to the outlet opening.
For use of the connecting element according to the invention in blood-carrying systems, for example in dialysis, it is particularly expedient if at least one inlet channel and/or at least one outlet channel is arranged inclined with respect to a plane parallel to the membrane, in particular if the inclination of the at least one inlet channel and/or of the at least one outlet channel with respect to a plane parallel to the membrane is approximately 15xc2x0 to 45xc2x0, preferably 15xc2x0 to 30xc2x0, particularly preferred approximately 20xc2x0. As a result, the forces on cells present in the fluid when it flows through the connecting element can be minimized. For example, a hemolysis, that is breaking up of the red blood corpuscles, can be avoided to the greatest extent.
In a commercially particularly advantageous embodiment, the connecting element according to the invention is characterized in that the connecting element comprises the membrane and a one-part plastics injection molding.
For visually checking that the measuring chamber is free from bubbles, it is advantageous if the connecting element comprises the membrane and a transparent plastics injection molding.
This object is further achieved according to the invention by a connecting element of the type mentioned at the beginning in which, in the region of the membrane, there is further provided a device for the mechanical coupling of the connecting element to the transducer and the device is part of a snap-on connection.
The design according to the invention also makes it possible even when there are hoses already connected to the connecting element for the connecting element to be connected to a transducer without turning movements, and in particular with only one hand, mechanically so securely that a satisfactory transmission of the pressures in the measuring chamber to the transducer, that is the pressure sensor, in the transducer housing to be [sic] ensured. Consequently, there is then also the possibility of designing retaining plates with a number of permanently fitted transducers and rear-side cabling. This produces a more simple and advantageous design with smooth fronts and, in particular, improved cable routing in the sense of more simple and reliable handling and hygiene, in particular in the area of intensive care.
For simplified handling, in particular in the case of complicated mounted structures of monitoring systems with a number of monitoring sets, it is expedient if the device for the detachable mechanical coupling of the connecting element is formed with the transducer.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the spreading-in connection is formed by claw-shaped retaining elements for engagement in a corresponding groove or undercut of the transducer.
For simplest handling and secure seating, it is particularly advantageous if the claw-shaped retaining elements are resiliently connected to the housing, in particular if the claw-shaped retaining elements are formed by resilient continuations of the housing.
For particularly simple attachment and removal of such a connecting element according to the invention, it is advantageous if the claw-shaped retaining elements are at least partially connected to grips for actuating the retaining elements, in particular if the grips and associated retaining elements are formed in one piece.
An embodiment which is particularly appropriate for production is characterized in that pairs of retaining elements are formed in one piece with a grip, in particular if a total of four retaining elements arranged in a uniformly distributed manner are provided. In addition, this allows sterility of the entire connecting element together with the retaining elements to be established and maintained in a simple and reliable manner.
To avoid damage which could lead to a delay in mounting or dismantling a connecting element according to the invention, it is expedient if the resilient connection of retaining elements and grips with the housing is formed in such a way that no permanent damage to the resilient connection occurs when opposing grips are actuated to the extent that they touch one another. With corresponding dimensioning, blind attachment and removal of the connecting element with one hand is possible.
A particularly good compromise between material expenditure and ease of handling is obtained if the grips and retaining elements are dimensioned such that, when the grips are actuated, a ratio of approximately 2:1 to 3:1 between the path of the free ends of the grips and the path of the retaining elements is obtained.
The simplest attachment and removal of a connecting element according to the invention in the case of monitoring sets with a number of transducers on a retaining plate is obtained if the device for the mechanical coupling of the connecting element to the transducer is designed such that the connecting element can be mounted on the transducer in a direction approximately perpendicular to a plane which is defined by at least one inlet channel and at least one outlet channel.

Pressure dome for connecting a transducer with a sealed fluid system


The present invention provides a novel compound having an excellent property to inject a hole into a device such as an organic EL device. More specifically, the present invention provides a compound comprising a residue obtained by removing at least one hydrogen atom from a structure represented by the following formula (1):

In recent years, the development of color displays using organic EL devices is actively progressing, and various light-emitting materials and charge transport materials useful for organic EL devices are being studied. It is known that the use of a compound having an excellent hole injection property as the above-described materials in organic EL devices can reduce their driving voltage.
As an example of the compound having a hole injection property, a polymer compound obtained by polymerization of 2,7-bis(4-methyl-4′-bromo-diphenylamino)-9,9-dioctylfluorene has been reported (Patent Literature 1).

Compound and organic electroluminescent element using the same

Abstract: wherein                each R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or the like, each of such groups optionally having a substituent;        the R1s may be the same or different;        each R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or the like, each of such groups optionally having a substituent;        the R2s may be the same or different;        each R4 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, or the like, each of such groups optionally having a substituent;        the R4s may be the same or different;        each R15 represents an alkyl group or the like, each of such groups optionally having a substituent;        where there are a plurality of R15, they may be the same or different;        each e represents an integer of from 0 to 6; and        the e's may be the same or different.


A viscoelastic body is interposed between a vibrating membrane vibrating in association with a piezoelectric vibrator composed of a piezoelectric element and a base and a support member supporting the vibrating membrane. The viscoelastic body attenuates vibration transmitted from the support member to the vibrating membrane and converts vibration of the vibrating membrane in the surface direction parallel to its main surfaces to vibration of the vibrating membrane in the direction nearly perpendicular to the surface direction. The vibrating membrane is annular with an opening at the center, and the base is joined to the vibrating membrane coaxially with opening.

Recently, there is an increasing demand for small and power-saving actuators as small communication devices such as cell-phones have widely become in use. In view of such circumstances, a variety of piezoelectric actuators using a piezoelectric element as a vibration drive source and realizing a small size and power saving have been developed. A piezoelectric element is an element having piezoelectric effect and inverse piezoelectric effect. A piezoelectric element generates a voltage when an external force such as vibration or a pressure is applied thereto and, conversely, vibrates (displaces) when a voltage is applied thereto.
A piezoelectric actuator generates mechanical vibration as a piezoelectric element within a piezoelectric vibrator vibrates. For example, as an electronic part of cell-phones, piezoelectric actuators have applications in vibration devices such as vibrators and acoustic devices such as speakers.
The piezoelectric vibrator of the above piezoelectric actuator includes those of the bimorph type having piezoelectric elements joined on either side of a base and those of the unimorph type having a piezoelectric element joined on one side of a base.
Generally, the bimorph piezoelectric vibrator has advantages such as a high vibration drive power and large vibration amplitudes compared with the unimorph piezoelectric vibrator.
FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a piezoelectric actuator 101 having a bimorph piezoelectric vibrator. As shown in the figure, the piezoelectric actuator 101 has a pair of upper and lower piezoelectric elements 11 having a piezoelectric ceramic plate as an piezoelectric body, a base 12 to which the pair of upper and lower piezoelectric elements 11 are joined, an annular vibrating membrane 13 of which the inner peripheral part of the top surface is joined to the outer peripheral part of the undersurface of the base 12, and an annular support member (frame) 15 connecting and supporting the vibrating membrane 13. The pair of upper and lower piezoelectric elements 11 and base 12 constitute a piezoelectric vibrator (vibration generator) 10. A pair of electrode layers (not shown) as a conductor is formed on the top surface 11a and undersurface 11b of each piezoelectric element 11.
If the piezoelectric actuator 101 has a diameter (the length on a side) of 20 mm so that it can be used as an electronic part of a cell-phone, the piezoelectric actuator 101 has a fundamental resonance frequency f0 of 2 kHz or higher.
FIG. 14(A) is a cross-sectional view of the core part of the piezoelectric actuator 101 having the above-described bimorph piezoelectric vibrator and FIG. 14(B) is a schematic illustration showing the vibration of the piezoelectric actuator 101.
As shown in FIGS. 14(A) and 14(B), as an alternating-current voltage is applied to the pair of upper and lower electrode layers of the piezoelectric element 11 to generate an alternating-current electric field within it, the piezoelectric element 11 radially expands/contracts. Since the piezoelectric element 11 is joined to the base 12 so as to restrain its expanding/contracting motions, as shown in FIG. 14(B), the base 12 flexes in the direction perpendicular to the joint surface to the piezoelectric element 11 as the piezoelectric element 11 expands/contracts. In other words, the base 12 repeatedly deforms into the convex mode indicated by the solid lines and into the concave mode indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 14(B). Then, as the base 12 deforms in such a manner, the inner peripheral part of the vibrating membrane 13 vibrates in the up-and-down (vertical or perpendicular) direction. Then, as the inner peripheral part of the vibrating membrane 13 vibrates, the base 12 and vibrating membrane 13 flex (vibrate) in the direction perpendicular to the top surface and undersurface (which are also termed the main surfaces) of the base 12, during which the connection part to the support member 15 serves as the fixed end and the center part of the base 12 serves as the largest amplitude part.
Generally made of a highly rigid material such as ceramics (a piezoelectric ceramic plate), the piezoelectric element 11 tends to vibrate with small vibration amplitudes. Therefore, the above-described piezoelectric actuator 101 tends to have a low level of vibration amplitude and/or sound pressure compared with an electrodynamic actuator using an electromagnetic force acting between a permanent magnet and a coil as the vibration drive source. Here, the term "rigidity" refers to a property of an object that is determined by the Young's modulus E (Pa) and form factors such as thickness and shape.
FIGS. 15 and 16 show a piezoelectric actuator 102 of another modified embodiment that is different from the above-described modified embodiment, namely the piezoelectric actuator 101. The piezoelectric actuator 102 is of the bimorph type and has the same structure as the piezoelectric actuator 101 shown in FIGS. 13, 14(A), and 14(B) except that the vibrating membrane 13 is clamped by a pair of upper and lower support members 15m and 15n.
When an actuator such as a piezoelectric actuator and electrodynamic actuator is used as a vibration device, it is desirable that the actuator vibrates with large vibration amplitudes in a specific frequency band. On the other hand, when an actuator is used as an acoustic device, it is important to take into account the frequency property of the vibration amplitude of the actuator. In other words, an acoustic device requires not only a high level of sound pressure (vibration amplitude) but also an even (flat) frequency property (for example, 80 dB±10 dB) in a frequency band of 500 Hz to 10 kHz, which is the important audible range in terms of auditory sense in order to faithfully reproduce the sound from acoustic wave signals contained in electric signals supplied to the actuator.
On the other hand, Patent Literature 1 and 2 disclose techniques for augmenting the vibration amplitude of a piezoelectric actuator using a bimorph piezoelectric vibrator.
Patent Literature 1 discloses an embodiment in which the piezoelectric actuator is applied to a vibration device. FIG. 29 of Patent Literature 1 discloses a piezoelectric actuator in which a base to either side of which a piezoelectric element is joined is supported by a support member via a vibrating membrane. The vibration of the piezoelectric elements is restricted by the base and converted to flexing motion. Multiple beams are provided at the outer peripheral part of the base. The vibration of the base is transmitted to the beams and further transmitted from the beams to the vibrating membrane so that a larger magnitude of vibration is obtained.
On the other hand, Patent Literature 2 discloses an embodiment in which the piezoelectric actuator is applied to an acoustic device. This piezoelectric actuator comprises a casing, an annular support member curved between the inner and outer peripheral parts and of which the outer peripheral part is fixed to the inner surface of the casing, and a piezoelectric vibrator fixed to the inner peripheral part of the support member and constructed by joining a piezoelectric element and a vibrating plate. With the vibrating plate and casing being coupled via the curved support member, the piezoelectric vibrator vibrates both in the direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the vibrating plate and in the direction parallel to the plate surface of the vibrating plate.

Actuator, piezoelectric actuator, electronic device, and method for attenuating vibration and converting vibration direction


The present invention is generally directed to a photonic bad gap fiber and/or fiber preform with a central structured region comprising a first non-silica based glass and a jacket comprising a second non-silica based glass surrounding the central structured region, where the Littleton softening temperature of the second glass is at least one but no more than ten degrees Celsius lower than the Littleton softening temperature of the first glass, or where the base ten logarithm of the glass viscosity in poise of the second glass is at least 0.01 but no more than 2 lower than the base ten logarithm of the glass viscosity in poise of the first glass at a fiber draw temperature. Also disclosed is a method of making a photonic bad gap fiber and/or fiber preform.

Hollow core photonic band gap (HC-PBG) fibers have been fabricated from silica glass and reported in the literature. See, e.g., Cregan et al., "Single-mode photonic bad gap guidance of light in air," Science, 285(5433), 1537-1539 (1999); Barkou et al., "Silica-air photonic crystal fiber design that permits waveguiding by a true photonic bandgap effect." Optics Letters, 24(1), 46-48 (1999); and Venkataraman et al., "Low loss (13 dB/km) air core photonic band-gap fibre," ECOC, Postdeadline Paper PD1. 1, September, 2002, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIG. 1 shows a schematic of the cross-section of a HC-PBG fiber. The periodic layered structure of air holes 100 and glass 110 creates a photonic band gap that prevents light from propagating in the structured region (analogous to a 2D grating) and so light is confined to the hollow core. Typically, the periodicity of the holes is on the scale of the wavelength of light and the outer glass is used for providing mechanical integrity to the fiber. The fact that light travels in the hollow core also means that the losses will be lower so longer path lengths can be used. Also, non-linear effects will be negligible and damage thresholds will be higher so that higher power laser energy can be transmitted through the fiber for military and commercial applications. Also, since light is guided in the hollow core, an analyte disposed therein will have maximum interaction with light, unlike traditional evanescent sensors.
The periodicity of the holes, the air fill fraction (defined by the ratio of void volume to solid material volume in the microstructured region, i.e., the region comprising the plurality of holes and solid material therebetween, and exclusive of the core and jacket regions), and the refractive index of the glass dictate the position of the photonic band gap, namely the transmission wavelengths confined to the hollow core and guided within the fiber. HC-PBG fibers are obtained by first making a structured fiber preform and then drawing this into a microstructured fiber with the correct overall dimensions. The fiber preform is typically comprised of a central structured region, which can be made, for example, by stacking tubes, extrusion or templating, which is inserted into a supportive outer jacket tube. This assembly process inevitably introduces voids between the central region and the outer jacket tube. These voids can be similarly sized to the intended holes in the structured region of the fiber preform, or even larger, and run the entire length of the fiber preform, therefore making fiberization difficult. This is especially true for specialty oxide and non-oxide glasses where the vapor pressure during fiberization may be sufficient to prevent collapse of these interstitial voids.
In the fabrication of silica glass microstructured fibers, there is at least one method where the softening point temperature of the inner structured region is higher than that of the outer jacket by at least 50° C. but no more than 150° C., such that during fiberization the structured region remains relatively firm and is less susceptible to deformation (U.S. Pat. No. 6,847,771 to Fajardo et al., the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference). However, this method does not work for non silica specialty glasses, especially non-oxides and chalcogenides, due to their low softening temperatures and higher vapor pressures.
There are no HC-PBG fibers reported using specialty glasses. This is partly due to the fact that high air fractions are needed. Specialty glasses tend to be more fragile and, therefore, difficult to make and handle the microstructured fiber preforms.

Photonic band gap fibers using a jacket with a depressed softening temperature

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy