A polyol composition comprising a polyol (a) and resin fine particles (b) dispersed in the polyol (a), and a method for producing the polyol composition are provided, wherein the resin fine particles (b) are particles such that an arithmetic standard deviation by volume of a particle size distribution of the particles, derived from respective values in 85 divisions of a range of 0.020 to 2000 μm determined by a laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution analyzer, is not more than 0.6. A resin fine particle-dispersed polyol composition that, even if the resin particles dispersed in the polyol have a small particle diameter, allows the production of a polyurethane resin having an excellent mechanical strength such as elongation at break, and a method for producing the same, are provided.

A polymer polyol is used as a material for a polyurethane resin for the purpose of improving properties, for example, compressive hardness and durability, of a polyurethane foam, and is obtained by polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer in a polyol in the presence of a polymerization initiator. In recent years, a polymer polyol having a small average particle diameter has been demanded for the purpose of further improving compressive hardness and elongation at break. Known methods to decrease the particle diameter include a method of increasing a ratio of acrylonitrile as a part of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer used, a method of using a modified polyol in which a part of hydroxyl groups have been allowed to react with a coupling agent (a silicon-containing compound, trialkoxyalkane, dialkoxyalkane, or the like) (see Patent Document 1), and a method of using a macromer containing unsaturated groups, having a high-molecular-weight part with a number-average molecular weight of 6,000 to 100,000 (see Patent Document 2). Further, another example is available, which is a method of using acrylonitrile at an increased ratio, the acrylonitrile being used as a part of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer used (see Patent Document 3). In this method, a seed dispersion composed of preliminarily formed submicron particles is prepared in polymerization in the first step, and a monomer is added to the seed dispersion in the second step so that a desired polymer concentration is obtained. Still further, a method of obtaining particles by using preliminarily-formed submicron particles as cores is known also (see Patent Document 4).    Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,026            (corresponding Japanese publication: JP 61(1986)-246231 A)            Patent Document 2: U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,957            (corresponding Japanese publication: JP 5(1993)-247109 A)            Patent Document 3: JP 6(1994)-172462 A    Patent Document 4: EP 786480            (corresponding Japanese publication: JP 9(1997)-309937 A)

Fine particle-dispersed polyol composition, method for producing polymer polyol, and method for producing polyurethane resin


Computer-implemented methods and systems may be used for identifying an attribute and/or attribute value in a text string. In embodiments, the text string comprises a search query submitted by a user. Embodiments of the present disclosure include identifying an attribute value from a search query by comparing the search query string to a list of known attribute values and comparing the candidate attribute value to a knowledge base to confirm that the string represents an attribute value rather than a non-attribute concept. In embodiments, a Bloom filter is employed to execute a relatively efficient comparison between a candidate attribute value and known non-attribute concepts.

In general, information extraction technology is directed at detecting structured data within unstructured data. For example, a string of text may include one or more attributes of an item. The text may be parsed and analyzed to extract those attributes. However, current information extraction technologies may lack the refinement to differentiate between attributes and phrases that merely contain words that appear to represent an attribute. In a search engine, this deficiency may produce undesirable responses to a search query. For example, a user search query may include the string "redwood." A conventional search engine may parse the word "red" from the search query, recognize the word as a color attribute value, and return items having the attribute value "red." Such a response is not desirable and was likely not what the user was searching for.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present disclosure.


A magnetic recording medium is disclosed. The medium has a Vickers hardness of said magnetic layer being within a range from 40 to 170, an amount of plastic deformation of said magnetic layer being in a range of 0.3-0.9 .mu.m, and satisfies the relation of (A+200 B).gtoreq.180 wherein A is the value of said Vickers hardness and B is plastic deformation. The magnetic recording medium of the invention provides no contamination of calender rolls caused in the course of manufacturing thereof, and has running stability which is not affected by environmental conditions and which reduces clogging on a magnetic head.

The present invention relates to a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, a magnetic sheet and so on.
In recent years, on magnetic recording media, especially on magnetic recording media for video use on which short-wave recording is needed, high recording density and high reproducing output in short-wave-recording are required. For these requirements, ferromagnetic metal powder such as .gamma.-Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 fine particle of a cobalt-covered type or a doping type has been used as ferromagnetic powder.
In order to obtain a magnetic recording medium having high recording density and high reproducing output in short-wave-recording, it is required to enhance surface smoothness of a magnetic layer to the utmost. As a means for meeting this requirement, temperature and pressure for a calendering process are raised as far as possible. Therefore, calender rolls are contaminated, resulting in lower production efficiency.
For coping with the foregoing, a specific functional group is contained in polyurethane in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection No. 302929/1990 (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication). However, even when this resin is used, the problem of contamination on calender rolls can not be solved completely. The reason for this is that contamination on calender rolls is not affected simply by materials composing a magnetic layer but is affected by physical properties in coating of a magnetic layer.
Further, other trouble caused by the enhanced smoothness on the surface of the magnetic recording medium is deterioration of a traveling or running property of the magnetic recording medium. When a magnetic recording medium having high smoothness on the surface of the medium is caused to travel for a long period of time, running problems may be caused by some conditions of temperature and humidity.
In order to solve this problem, a lubricant has been added to a magnetic layer. This method, however, has proved unable to overcome the following disadvantages. Namely, independently of whether a lubricant is added to a magnetic layer or not, when the magnetic layer is pressed by a magnetic head or by a guide pin, the actual contact area between them is increased, which causes a rise in friction between the medium and the head or the guide pin, resulting in a tendency of unstable running of the medium and consequent sticking and edge-folding of the medium and clogging of the magnetic head.

Magnetic recording medium having a magnetic layer with a specified vickers indentation hardness or plastic deformation


An installation system for attaching a transparent pane to a frame includes at least one support tool having a base member and a support member. The support member is operably coupled to the base member, and the support member is operable to support the pane in a fixed position relative to the frame. The support tool also includes a magnet that is fixed to at least one of the base member and the support member for magnetically and removably attaching the at least one support tool to the frame. A method of attaching the pane to the frame is also disclosed.

Glass or other transparent panes of material are often attached to structures to allow objects to be viewed through one or both sides of the structure. The structure often includes a frame, which supports and attaches to one or more edges of the pane. For instance, vehicles include rear windows (backlite panes), quarter glass, windshields, and other panes that attach to frames defined within the vehicle body.
The pane can be attached to the frame in many different ways. In some cases, pins or other fasteners are attached to the pane, and the fasteners are attached within corresponding holes, etc. formed within the frame. Also, in some cases, the pane is attached using an adhesive that continuously extends about the periphery of the pane.

Glass installation tool with magnet for removable attachment to frame


A composition and method demulsify a produced emulsion from anionic surfactants and polymer (SP) and alkali, surfactants, and polymer (ASP). The produced emulsion is demulsified into oil and water. In one embodiment, the composition includes a surfactant. The surfactant comprises a cationic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, or any combinations thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of enhanced oil production and recovery. More specifically, the invention relates to the field of recovery of crude oil from produced emulsions of surfactant-polymer enhanced oil recovery floods. The invention has particular relevance to the use of cationic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants to enhance oil production and recovery from these emulsions.
2. Background of the Invention
The production of crude oil from reservoirs typically results in significant quantities of non-produced crude oil remaining in the reservoir. Methods for recovering the crude oil include primary production and secondary water flooding. Several methods at various stages of development and application offer promise of recovering significant amounts of oil remaining after conventional production. Such methods include surfactant-polymer and alkali-surfactant-polymer enhanced oil recovery floods, which involve injecting combinations of these materials in brine solutions into the reservoir. Results of such methods include a produced emulsion that typically contains crude oil, water, surfactant, polymer, and alkali when used. Drawbacks include difficulties in separating the emulsion into clean water and dry oil for sale of the crude oil and proper disposal of the water in an environmentally safe manner. Moreover, demulsifiers used to separate conventional oilfield emulsions may be ineffective for some emulsions from surfactant-polymer and alkali-surfactant-polymer processes. Various experiments have shown that conventional nonionic demulsifiers may not be able to provide the desired separation for these processes. For instance, they may fail to produce water with a sufficiently low content of oil.
Consequently, there is a need for improved methods in separating the crude oil and water of the emulsions from surfactant-polymer and alkali-surfactant-polymer processes. Additional needs include improved methods for demulsifying the produced emulsion to produce a clean separation of the crude oil and water.

Recovery and separation of crude oil and water from emulsions


A building system for building data point prediction, the building system comprising one or more memory devices configured to store instructions, that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive first building data for a building data point of a building and generate training data, the training data comprising a probability distribution sequence comprising a first probability distribution for the building data point. The instructions cause the one or more processors to train a prediction model based on the training data, receive second building data for the building data point, and predict, for one or more time-steps into the future, one or more second probability distributions with the second building data based on the prediction model, each of the one or more second probability distributions being a probability distribution for the building data point at one of the one or more time-steps.

The present disclosure relates generally to building systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to prediction models for building systems.
Building energy consumption constitutes approximately seventy two percent of overall electricity consumption in the United States. It may be important for building managers to be equipped with energy forecasts for their buildings several hours in advances so that building managers can plan activities to both reduce a carbon footprint of their building and cost of electricity for their building. Any time-series forecast, including energy forecast, is inherently stochastic, that is, deviations are expected between forecasted values and the actual values. These deviations can vary with time. Without understanding the intensity of these deviations ahead of time, building managers may be at a disadvantage and may not be able to plan for such deviations appropriately.

Building system with probabilistic forecasting using a recurrent neural network sequence to sequence model


A backing plate and associated brake pad that includes a reinforcement plate and a retention plate. The reinforcement plate has an outboard surface, an inboard surface, and a mold hole. The retention plate has an outboard surface, an inboard surface, and a locking projection that cooperates with the mold hole of the reinforcement plate to mechanically lock the retention plate to the reinforcement plate so that the inboard surface of the reinforcement plate faces the outboard surface of the retention plate. A dampening layer may be included between the reinforcement plate and the retention plate.

Brake pads are used in a variety of vehicles of varying size, including motorcycles, automobiles, and trucks, and generally include a backing plate and a friction pad attached to the backing plate. The backing plate configuration is typically dictated by the caliper design, so it may be desirable to help promote attachment of the backing plate to the friction pad without drastically altering the overall configuration of the backing plate.


The present invention relates to an RF antenna switch circuit, a high frequency antenna component, and a mobile communication device. According to the present invention, an RF antenna switch circuit including: an antenna; an input/output terminal including at least one transmitting terminal and at least one receiving terminal; at least one transmitting switch block disposed on a transmitting path(s) between the at least one transmitting terminal and a common node; at least one receiving switch block disposed on a receiving path(s) between the at least one receiving terminal and the common node; and a common switch block sharing a switching device and turned on by synchronizing with each of transmitting and receiving operations on transceiving the signal through the antenna is provided. When one of the transmitting and receiving operations is turned on, the other is turned off.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an RF antenna switch circuit, a high frequency antenna component, and a mobile communication device, and more particularly, to an RF antenna switch circuit including a common switch block, a high frequency antenna component, and a mobile communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a highly information-oriented society, use of various mobile communication devices is being increased. These various mobile communication devices need mobility along with improvement of communication performance and thus miniaturization is also needed.
Accordingly, in high frequency components used in the mobile communication device, for example, an RF antenna, a multi-band RF antenna having an SPDT switch structure in which a transmitter and a receiver are integrated to support miniaturization is used. Particularly, this RF antenna is implemented as one chip along with the need for miniaturization.
A conventional RF antenna switch transceives a signal through one antenna by disposing a transmitting transistor on a transmitting path of a transmitting terminal and a receiving transistor on a receiving path of a receiving terminal.
At this time, in a conventional example, a plurality of transistors are disposed on the transmitting path and the receiving path to be connected in series to withstand high output power applied as input. That is, the plurality of transistors are connected to each of the transmitting path and the receiving path. When a plurality of switching devices such as transistors are connected to the transmitting path and the receiving path to withstand the inputted high output power, a size of an RF switch is increased.
Further, in a conventional SPDT switch structure, for example, when using an FET device, in on-off states of the FET, loss due to on-resistance and off-capacitance, not due to abnormal short-open circuits, occurs and isolation is reduced. At this time, since trade-off exists between insertion loss of a switching device on one path and isolation on the other path, it is necessary to improve an isolation characteristic with the other path.
Due to this, in a conventional example, in order to improve the isolation characteristic with the other path, a transmitting terminal-side shunt transistor and a receiving terminal-side shunt transistor are provided to be connected to a ground. At this time, in order to withstand high output power applied as input, the transmitting terminal-side shunt transistor and the receiving terminal-side shunt transistor form a structure in which a plurality of transistors are stacked in series. That is, the plurality of transistors are separately stacked in the respective transmitting terminal-side shunt circuit and the receiving terminal-side shunt circuit. Accordingly, the size of the RF switch is increased when designed to withstand high output power.

RF antenna switch circuit, high frequency antenna component, and mobile communication device


A semiconductor device includes a substrate. A gate structure is disposed over the substrate in a vertical direction. The gate structure extends in a first horizontal direction. An air spacer is disposed adjacent to a first portion of the gate structure in a second horizontal direction that is different from the first horizontal direction. The air spacer has a vertical boundary in a cross-sectional side view defined by the vertical direction and the first horizontal direction.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced exponential growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and lowering associated costs. Such scaling down has also increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs.
For example, methods have been developed to form gate spacers with a low dielectric constant, such as air spacers. However, as device sizes continue to decrease, conventional methods of forming air spacers may lead to problems such as the collapsing of gate structures, unwanted etching byproducts, excessive damage to other components, etc. Therefore, while conventional methods of forming low-k dielectric gate spacers have generally been adequate, they have not been satisfactory in all aspects.

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


A binocular image analysis-based asphalt road surface damage detection system, comprising five sub-systems for crack development degree detection model establishment, information collection, information analysis, information transmission and information distribution. Specifically, road surface damage information detection is performed by means of a mobile platform, a processing end, a temperature measurement-type infrared thermal imaging instrument, an ordinary image collector, a vibration sensor, image processing technology, edge cloud computing technology, an embedded system, system integration technology and real-time positioning technology.

With the development of road traffic, the maintenance and management problem of pavement has become increasingly prominent, and the crack detection has become a work focus of the relevant road maintenance department. However, in China the pavement management system is developed mainly by manual detection nowadays with relatively low efficiency and interference of subjective factors. With the rapid development of digital image processing technology in recent years, many researchers at home and abroad have conducted extensive research on image recognition of pavement cracks and got fruitful achievement. However, the existing pavement detection vehicle with multi-dimensional comprehensive and sophisticated technology is expensive and the use cost is high. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve full coverage high-frequency inspection of all levels of roads, resulting in insufficient decision support data for intelligent maintenance. Therefore, the high-frequency inspection equipment covering all levels of roads is urgently needed to collect sufficient crack data for decision support and realize the intelligent management of the entire road network.
(1) N−1 Pavement Inspection Vehicle, Nanjing University of Science and Technology
In 2002, Zhao Chunxia and Tang Zhenmin from Nanjing University of Science and Technology successfully developed the N−1 type pavement detection vehicle. The vehicle can collect pavement crack image, smoothness, rutting and other data under 70 km/h driving condition, then process data offline and generate report forms. Vehicle global positioning system and forward-looking color camera are adopted. This vehicle has promoted the development of automatic pavement detection vehicle in China.
(2) CiCS Pavement Inspection Vehicle of Highway Science Research Institute
In 2006, Zhonggong High-Tech Maintenance Technology Co., Ltd, a subsidiary company of Beijing Highway Science Research Institute, developed the pavement detection vehicle of its own intellectual property rights, CiCs. The system uses linear array camera to collect pavement images combined with structural illumination. The detection width can reach 3.6 meters transversely. The maximum detection accuracy is 1 mm and the maximum speed is 100 km/h. CiAS (Cracking Image Analysis System), a pavement disease treatment software developed by the company, can automatically process key pavement indicators including cracks, rutting and smoothness.
(3) ZOYON-RTM Pavement Detection Vehicle
In 2007, Wuhan ZOYON Science and Technology Co., Ltd and Hubei Heli Vehicle Manufacturing Co., Ltd jointly developed the ZOYON-RTM intelligent pavement vehicle. The car uses a high-precision line-array camera to capture the pavement image and adopts laser lighting technology. Uninterrupted acquisition of pavement images is achieved under the control of the encoder's synchronous trigger signal. The system has a crack resolution of up to 1 mm, a maximum detection width of 4 m and a top speed of 120 km/h.
Prior Art 1
Patent document CN200910222882.5, discloses an image-based pavement crack detection system. The system comprising:
the control module, generating a trigger signal according to the received GPS positioning information and outputting a trigger signal to the image acquisition module; the image acquisition module, according to the received trigger signal acquiring image of pavement and road sign and outputting the image to the data processing module;
the data processing module, splicing the first digital image to obtain a continuous digital image of pavement, identifying the first digital image including the crack, the GPS positioning information, and the second digital image, determining the position information of the crack according to the GPS positioning information and the second digital image and outputting. The invention also provides a theory of an image-based pavement crack detection method. With the disclosed system and method, the accuracy and detection efficiency can be increased.
Prior Art 2
Patent document CN201310252824.3 discloses a pavement crack detection system, which includes an information acquisition system, a data storage display system, a power management system, a data processing system, and a GPS positioning system. The information of the pavement disease is recorded by the information acquisition system, the GPS and mileage station are used to locate the disease. The digital image processing technology of the data storage display system is used to identify the disease, so as to obtain objective and stable detection results. The invention can quickly and accurately locate and measure the crack. The invention aiming at the pavement crack detection, realizes the real-time monitoring of related information, data storage and playback, real-time correlation between GPS information and mileage station number, and measurement of crack state information, and designs an on-board detection system to meet the application of actual pavement crack detection.
Prior Art 3
Patent document CN201410269998.5 discloses a pavement crack detecting device based on depth and gray image, comprising: a carrier platform (1) a camera on the carrier platform (6), a line laser (7), a computing device (8). The carrier platform (1) is used to move along the road direction during the crack detection process, and the line laser (7) is used to illuminate the vertical road surface while the carrier platform (1) moves, and the camera (6) is used to move the laser beam reflected by the linear laser through the pavement at an oblique angle and not far away while the carrier platform (1) is moving and shot each road section to generate road data from laser lines of a plurality of road sections. The computing device (8) is configured to generate depth data and gray scale data of road section, and splicing the data for crack identification.
Term Specification
Crack growth degree: Crack growth degree mentioned in the invention characterizes the extent of damage to the pavement caused by cracks in the asphalt pavement and the severity of recent disease. It covers the traditional crack severity classification, related to the width, the depth and the humidity of the crack and other factors that may increase the severity of crack. It characterizes the level of development of cracks from the beginning to the present.
Classification function: The temperature difference data is linearly classified according to the crack growth by Support Vector Machine. The crack growth is divided into three levels of 1, 2, and 3, and 3 is the most serious. Then there will be one dividing line between 1, 2 and 2, 3, the expression of which is the classification function.
Crack area: An area of asphalt pavement that includes not only the crack area itself, but also a certain range around it, meeting the requirements of image processing and crack identification.
Reference temperature difference data: temperature difference data obtained by taking the measured atmospheric temperature into two classification functions.
Measured temperature difference data: temperature difference data of the crack area and the pavement in the crack area obtained by image processing from the acquired infrared image of the crack area.
Crack growth level: A certain number of 1, 2 or 3 whose size reflects the degree of crack growth. The larger the number is, the more serious the crack growth will be.
Processing terminal: Responsible for collecting the raw data, storing and real-time processing, and finally transmitting the processed data wirelessly to the remote server.
Support Vector Machine: Support Vector Machine (SVM) is a machine learning method based on statistical learning theory, which is developed in the mid-1990s. It seeks to minimize the structural risk and improve the generalization of learning machine to achieve the minimum experience risk and confidence range, which achieves good statistical regularity even the case size is very small. In machine learning, Support Vector Machine (SVMs, which also support vector networks) is a supervised learning model related to learning algorithms that can analyze data, identify patterns, and use for classification and regression analysis. Given a set of training samples, each marked as belonging to two categories, a SVM training algorithm builds a model, assigning new instances to one class or other classes, making it a non-probabilistic binary linear classification. Generally speaking, it is a two-class classification model. The basic model is defined as the linear classifier with the largest interval in the feature space. That is, the learning strategy of the Support Vector Machine is to maximize the interval and finally transform into a convex quadratic planning problem.
Algorithm for pavement disease identification model: According to the gray pattern of asphalt pavement, the presence or absence of cracks and the type of maturity algorithm can be obtained. Both the normal image and the infrared image can obtain the gray map.

System for detecting crack growth of asphalt pavement based on binocular image analysis


In a cable data system, several frequency division multiplexed upstream data signals on an individual cable can be selectively routed to frequency-selective band pass filters using a relay matrix between the filters and the cable. By appropriately controlling the relays, the upstream information can be split out to as many different filters that might be required to recover the frequency division multiplexed information. Cabling installation to a cable modem termination system is simplified and maintenance costs are reduced by carrying multiple signals on one cable.

This invention relates to a cable data system by which two-way data communications, such as Internet access, is provided via a cable televisions system. In particular, this invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for connecting the physical cable media to a cable modem termination system (CMTS) so as to expedite installation and, among other things, provide a more serviceable CMTS to maintenance personnel.
Cable television systems are well known. In such a system, several different frequency-division multiplexed television channels are distributed to subscribers over a coaxial cable. Each television channel is typically allocated a frequency band, (typically 6 MHz.) in which audio and video information for a television channel is carried. Data signals can also be modulated onto an RF carrier and be transmitted in one or more of the pre-allocated television frequency bands. By allocating one or more T.V. channels for data, the cable television network can readily carry data, such as the data exchanged between computers. Cable data systems provide Internet access to subscribers at speeds that are far greater than dial-up modems.
A cable communications system topology resembles an inverted tree or a directed acyclical graph. The top or upper-most node in a directed acyclical graph (DAG) representing a cable distribution system is the node from which signal information is distributed and is frequently referred to as the cable system head end. Each link in the DAG represents a coaxial cable on which there might be several different frequencydivision multiplexed signals.
One or more cable modem termination systems (CMTS) at or near the head end direct the distribution and collection of data to, and from, cable data system subscribers. At the head end of a cable data system, there are typically hundreds of physical cables that branch out from the head end to and from the system subscribers""homes over a hybrid-fiber coaxial system. Downstream signals are transported on a hybrid-fiber coaxial cable with carrier frequencies centered above the 50 MHz point in the cable spectrum, while upstream signals are transported on a hybrid-fiber coaxial cable with carrier frequencies centered in the 5-42 MHz region of the cable spectrum.
Several different upstream channels can be frequency division multiplexed onto a single cable. In order to recover each channel, the upstream signal must be divided (or split) so that it can be coupled into separate RF band pass filters before being terminated at a unique Physical Interface (PHY) chip. Each PHY chip filters and demodulates the upstream signal for a particular channel to re-create the digital data stream for that channel.
If each upstream channel is transported on a different upstream cable, then a different cable must be used to inject each upstream channel into a unique CMTS upstream connector. In the high-capacity, high-bandwidth CMTS systems of the future, there will be many upstream channels supported by a single CMTS, so this will result in a large number of cables connecting to the CMTS in a relatively small area (yielding very high cable densities). These high cable densities, and the provision of CMTS circuitry to accommodate different system designs, with different numbers of multiplexed channels can be difficult to manage. In order to achieve maximum system flexibility, a CMTS should be able to accommodate different numbers of multiplexed upstream channels on the upstream cables. Even if such capability is provided in a CMTS however, marrying the CMTS to the actual cables has been a serious problem because historically, each upstream channel that is delivered into the CMTS is typically assigned to a unique cable connector on the CMTS. As a result, if N channels are frequency-division-multiplexed on a single upstream cable, then that cable had to be split N times before being connected to the N cable connectors on the CMTS. This splitting is typically performed using splitter circuitry external to the CMTS. After implementing the N splits, a copy of the same signal (with all N of the frequency-division-multiplexed channels) is then injected into each of the N cable connectors on the CMTS. Frequency selective filtering behind each of the N cable connectors select and detects a particular upstream channel out of the N frequency-division-multiplexed channels.
The use of splitter circuitry external to the CMTS results in complicated wiring which adds additional hardware cost and is prone to wiring errors and connector faults. A method and apparatus that integrates this splitter circuitry into the CMTS would be an improvement. Unfortunately, it is not usually known how many unique cables and how many splits will be required at a particular cable TV head-end office. Thus, a method and apparatus by which frequency-division multiplexed signals on different numbers of cables can be easily routed to different numbers of filters would be an improvement over the prior art.
In a cable data system, upstream frequency-division multiplexed signals that are received at a CMTS on a single cable and which need to be divided (i.e. split), by the individual frequency bands, are routed to CMTS channel interface cards that include band pass filters using a relay matrix. Delivering frequency division multiplexed signals to band-pass filters (so that various signals can be selectively retrieved) is accomplished using a computer-controlled input switch matrix of relays arranged to provide different signal division factors. In the preferred embodiment, the relay matrix is configured to accept any number of input signals (up to eight (8)) and route each of the input signals to as many as eight (8) different pass band filters. Alternate embodiments can route the input signals on a cable to virtually any other number of band pass filter inputs, depending upon the number of signals that are multiplexed together on a particular cable.

Signal splitter matrix for a cable modem termination system


A cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) allocation method and device are disclosed. The method includes: when UE accesses a serving cell, randomly determining, by an entity at which the serving cell is located, a start position for selecting a C-RNTI, selecting a C-RNTI for the UE within a C-RNTI interval range starting from the start position, and allocating the selected C-RNTI to the UE. So the entity at which the serving cell is located randomizes the start position of allocation performed by the entity and uses the start position as a start position of an allocation interval, so that allocation of the C-RNTI is randomized.

With development of mobile communications and broadband wireless access technologies, mobile communications services and broadband wireless access services penetrate with each other. To satisfy requirements of larger mobile communications bandwidth and cope with challenges of broadband communications mobilization, a carrier aggregation (CA) technology is introduced into a mobile communications system.
In the CA technology, as one of important technologies in Long Term Evolution (LTE), larger bandwidth is obtained by aggregating multiple contiguous or non-contiguous component carriers (CC), to improve a system data transmission rate and a system throughput and also resolve a problem of a non-contiguous frequency spectrum of an operator.
The CA technology allows user equipment (UE) with a CA capability to use multiple aggregated carriers to perform data transmission. For UE with a CA capability, multiple aggregated CCs include a primary component carrier (PCC) (also referred to as a primary serving cell) and at least one secondary component carrier (SCC) (also referred to as a secondary serving cell). Each aggregated CC is used for data transmission of the UE. Therefore, cell radio network temporary identifiers (C-RNTI) used by the UE in all CCs need to keep consistent.
Currently, when the UE accesses the PCC, the PCC allocates a C-RNTI to the UE. When the SCC is configured or activated, the PCC notifies the SCC of the allocated C-RNTI, so that the SCC allocates the C-RNTI to the UE. However, meanwhile, the SCC may be used as a serving cell of another UE and allocate a C-RNTI to another UE. In this case, a C-RNTI conflict may easily occur. That is, the C-RNTI allocated by the PCC to the UE is allocated by the SCC to another UE.

Cell radio network temporary identifier C-RNTI allocation method and device


A method and apparatus for use with medical electrode systems that sense the integrity of lead connections and patient transthoracic impedance is provided. In an ECG electrode application, a carrier circuit (12) produces two carrier signals (S.sub.C1 and S.sub.C2) that are out of phase with each other. The S.sub.C1 signal is applied to an RA lead through a terminating impedance (Z1). The S.sub.C2 signal is applied to LA, LL and V leads through terminating impedances (Z2, Z3, and Z4). Each of the S.sub.C1 and S.sub.C2 carrier signals comprises a lead impedance frequency component (S.sub.LI) and an impedance respiration frequency component (S.sub.IR). First stage amplifiers (A1, A2, and A3) located in an ECG preamplifier (13) amplify the difference between a lead voltage on the RA lead (V.sub.RA) and lead voltages on the LA, LL, and V leads (V.sub.LA, V.sub.LL and V.sub.V). High pass filters (F1, F2 and F3) remove patient ECG signals from the outputs of A1, A2 and A3 to produce first stage output voltages (V.sub.1, V.sub.2 and V.sub.5). The V.sub.1, V.sub.2 and V.sub.5 voltages are demodulated by a demodulator circuit (18). Lead impedance demodulators (DM1, DM2 and DM3) are clocked by a lead impedance control signal (S.sub.A) that has the same frequency as the S.sub.LI component so that the outputs of DM1, DM2 and DM3 are lead impedance-related voltages (V.sub.L1, V.sub.L2 and V.sub.L5). V.sub.2 is also demodulated by an impedance respiration demodulator (DM4). DM4 is clocked by an impedance respiration control signal (S.sub.B) that has the same frequency as the S.sub.IR component so that the output of DM4 is a transthoracic impedance-related voltage V.sub.T. V.sub.T is amplified by an operational amplifier (OA10) to produce an impedance respiration-related voltage (V.sub.R). The ECG preamplifier (13) and the demodulator circuit (18) include fast DC restoration circuits (66, 68, 70 and 71) that use switched capacitor integrators (76) to restore ECG outputs (V.sub.E1, V.sub.E2, and V.sub.E5) and the V.sub.R voltage to nominal values when a DC offset has occurred.

As the use of multiple-electrode systems has increased, so has the need to continuously sense the condition of leads which connect a patient to a piece of equipment, such as a medical diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus. A lead, as discussed herein, comprises an electrode and a conductor connecting the electrode to the piece of equipment. The loss of electrical continuity in the lead between a patient and a diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus usually occurs as an electrode becomes separated from a patient's skin, and is referred to as a leads-off condition. Such a condition in a multiple-electrode system will cause the diagnostic or therapeutic apparatus to receive erroneous and/or incomplete electrical signals from the patient. Thus, it is important to detect a leads-off condition quickly so that someone, such as a medical technician, can correct the situation.
An example of an apparatus in which quick detection of a leads-off condition is paramount is a cardiac monitor that senses the ECG signal of a patient in order to determine the patient's cardiac activity and that senses the patient's transthoracic impedance in order to determine the patient's pulmonary activity. As is well known, a patient's cardiac activity and pulmonary activity must both be determined in order to decide upon an appropriate therapeutic measure, such as defibrillation. For example, if the normal sinus rhythm in a patient's ECG signal is absent, and the transthoracic impedance signal indicates an absence of breathing, a logical step would be to defibrillate the patient so as to stimulate the patient's heart. Contrariwise, if the normal sinus rhythm in the ECG signal is absent but the transthoracic impedance signal indicates the patient is still breathing, then the patient should not be defibrillated.
A method commonly employed by the prior art for detecting a leads-off condition is to sense lead impedance. The lead impedance actually comprises several impedances, such as an electrode impedance and a conductor impedance. Another impedance that makes up a significant part of the lead impedance is formed at an electrode-to-patient's skin connection. A leads-off condition that is produced by an electrode being detached from a patient produces a high electrode-to-skin connection impedance and therefore a high lead impedance.
One approach used in the prior art to sense lead impedance is to apply a small DC signal to the leads and to compare the resulting DC voltage to some threshold level. Typically, a DC voltage that equals or exceeds the threshold level is indicative of a leads-off condition. One such method is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,639 (Simon et al.). A problem associated with this type of leads-off detection system is that the DC voltage that is used to sense the lead impedance may corrupt a physiological electrical signal (such as an ECG signal) present on that particular lead.
Another approach used by the prior art to detect a leads-off condition is to supply a high-frequency constant current signal to the leads. A return AC signal is demodulated and filtered to remove the physiological electrical signal (such as an ECG signal). The resulting signal is then compared to a threshold level to determine whether or not a leads-off condition exists. The demodulated signal may be further amplified and filtered to remove any DC components, thereby producing a signal that may be used to measure a patient's transthoracic impedance. Such an approach is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,254 and its divisional U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,265 (Morgan et al.). One problem associated with this approach is that it is limited to systems using a single pair of electrodes.
Another problem associated with the prior art method of measuring a patient's transthoracic impedance is related to the size of the signal used and the size of the prior art apparatus. Typically, the prior art apparatus employ a transformer to produce a high frequency signal that is applied to the appropriate leads. Such a transformer is relatively large and inhibits miniaturization of the apparatus. This is an important consideration with portable apparatus, such as portable, multiple ECG lead apparatus. Also, the amplitudes of the high frequency signals produced by the transformers in the prior art are typically too large for many electronic components used with the compact portable apparatus.
As can be readily appreciated from the foregoing discussion, there is a need for a method and apparatus that will provide both lead impedance and transthoracic impedance information for multiple-electrode systems (i.e., systems with two or more electrodes) without corrupting the physiological electrical signals present. Additionally, the apparatus should be small enough to be used with portable, multiple-electrode systems. The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus that provides these results.

Apparatus for sensing lead and transthoracic impedances


A fin field effect transistor having a substrate, a fin structure above the substrate, as well as a drain region and a source region outside the fin structure above the substrate. The fin structure serves as a channel between the source region and the drain region. The source and drain regions are formed once the gate has been produced.

A fin field-effect transistor and a method for fabricating such a fin field-effect transistor are described in D. Hisamoto et al., A Fully Depleted Lean-Channel Transistor (DELTA)—A novel vertical ultrathin SOI MOSFET, IEEE Electron Device Letters, Volume 11, No. 1, pages 36-38, 1990 (hereinafter Hisamoto 1990.) FIG. 2 shows such a fin field-effect transistor 200 having a silicon substrate 201 and an oxide layer 202 made of silicon oxide SiO2 on the silicon susbtrate 201.
A fin 203 made of silicon is provided on a part of the oxide layer 202. A gate 204 of the resulting fin field-effect transistor 200 is arranged above a part of the fin 203 and along the entire height of the part of the fin.
In the case of the fin field-effect transistor 200 described in Hisamoto 1990, the channel region, not visible in the figure, of the fin 203 can be inverted by charge carriers with the aid of the gate 204 extending along the side walls 205 of the fin 203. The fin 203, which is also referred to as a Mesa, has on its end sections a source region 206 and a drain region 207.
In the case of the fin field-effect transistor 200 described in Hisamoto 1990, there is no self-aligned spacer technology for the LDD implantation or HDD implantation, in order that the fin 203 is not highly doped with doping atoms in the source region 206 and in the drain region 207 until after the application of the gate, and that an overlapping of the gate and the source or drain region, and a disadvantageous control response, associated therewith in turn, of the transistor is avoided.
In the case of the fin field-effect, transistor 200 described in Hisamoto 1990, there are firstly formed along the side walls 205 of the fin 203 oxide spacers 208 which prevent a doping of the fin 203 by implantation via the side walls 205. In the case of implantation via the free fin surfaces, however, in addition to the source region 206 and the drain region 207, the channel region that is not protected by oxide spacers is provided with doping atoms. In the case of this underdiffusion, doping atoms pass laterally into the channel region after their implantation. Particularly in the case of short channel lengths—such as occur in the case of the known fin field-effect transistor—such underdiffusion has substantial negative effects on the control response of the field-effect transistor.
Furthermore, there is described in D. Hisamoto et al., A folded-channel MOSFET for deep-sub-tenth micron era, IEDM 98, pages 1032-1034, 1998 (hereinafter Hisamoto 1998) a fin field-effect transistor in the case of which the silicon fin is fed through in the horizontal direction by the electric current to be controlled. In the fabrication method in accordance with Hisamoto 1998, the highly doped source/drain regions are already present when the gate oxide made of silicon dioxide is grown on. This leads to a substantial running of the dopant and to undesired series resistances, particularly in the case of a very short channel.
J. Kedzierski et al., Complementary silicide source/drain thin-body MOSFETs for the 20 nm gate length regime, IEDM 2000, pages 57-60, describes a MOS field-effect transistor in the case of which the drain region and the source region are formed from platinum silicide.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,284 B1 describes a planarized fin field-effect transistor in the case of which a spacer is arranged as electrical insulation layer between source and gate and between drain and gate, respectively, in each case between source and gate and between drain and gate.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,455 A describes a method for fabricating an electrically conductive diffusion barrier at the metal/silicon interface of an MOS field-effect transistor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,511 B1 describes a transistor having one or more strip channels and in the case of which the current flow takes place in the lateral direction between source and drain. The gate is located at the side walls and, if required, on the strip channel or channels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,155 A describes an SOI-MOS field-effect transistor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,574 A describes an MIS transistor structure for increasing the conductivity between source and drain.

Fin Field-effect transistor and method for producing a fin field effect-transistor


An exchange node operable to establish a backward connection comprising part of a call session, the exchange node being operable, on the occurrence of a fault in a backward direction of the exchange to transmit a pivot request to a pivot node in a backward direction of the fault, the pivot request comprising a redirection request, a call identifier, and instructions to establish a return connection between the pivot node and a nominated node.

A public switched telephone network (PSTN) conventionally comprises a plurality of nodes, or exchanges, which are interconnected by trunks which provide the call-carrying capacity of the network. The nodes are also interconnected by a signalling layer which handles the routing of calls and co-ordination of the nodes.
When a user device begins to make a call, an originating node to which the user device is connected transmits an initial address message (IAM) to a node in a forward direction of the call, i.e. towards a destination node. In the following specification the "forward direction" is intended to refer to a direction away from the originating node towards the destination node while "backward direction" is intended to refer to a direction away from the destination node and towards the originating node. Hence, a "forward connection" of a node is a connection between the node and a further node in the forward direction of the node, and similarly a "backward connection" of a node refers to a connection between the node and a further node in the backward direction of the node. "Call session" refers to the connection or connections between nodes necessary to connect the originating node and destination node.
The IAM includes codes identifying the originating node, the destination node, a circuit identification code for the trunk to be used and the dialled digits. The forward node reserves the voice circuit identified by the circuit identification code for the trunk between the originating node and forward node and sends an acknowledgement, an address complete message (ACM), in the backward direction to the originating node. A voice circuit on the trunk connecting the two nodes has therefore been reserved for the call session. Successive nodes are then connected in the same way until a connection is established between the originating node and the destination node.
When a call session ends, a node will release the relevant trunk circuit and send a release instruction (REL) to the other node connected to the trunk. The other node will likewise release the trunk circuit and send a release complete (RLC) message. The trunk circuits used in a call session will be successively released in the same way.
Using this mechanism, it is possible to establish a call which is routed such that it doubles back on itself, i.e. it is routed from a first node to a second node and then back to the first node, a phenomenon known as "tromboning" Tromboning is likely to arise in situations such as call forwarding where a call is routed to a destination exchange and then returned from the destination exchange, tying up network resources unnecessarily. Tromboning is also associated with number portability, and can also occur in other situations such as establishing conference calls, or establishing calls to roaming numbers in a mobile telecommunications network for example as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,179. To overcome the problem of tromboning, one solution is so called "pivot routing", described in for example ITU-T Recommendation Q730, which provides a general mechanism that can be invoked by an exchange or node in a network that decides that a call session should be sent to a called number other than that identified in the initial address message and where it is desirable to release the invoking exchange from the call path. When transmitting an IAM, an exchange can forward the information that it has the capacity to perform pivot routing. An exchange in the forward direction of the call can send a pivot request invoking this pivot capacity. The pivot request includes a redirection number to which the call should be redirected and optionally, instructions that the pivot call should be returned to the invoking exchange and a returned call identifier. When this happens, the pivot exchange can forward the call to the redirection number, or alternatively request a preceding exchange which also has a pivot routing capability to route the call session to the alternative called number.
ITU-T Q730 also specifies a further capability, call redirection, which provides the same functionality as pivot routing in that a call may be released to a different number at a node's request, and returned to that node. The capability is suggested for use when the node requesting redirection retains some interest in the call. For convenience, throughout this specification and claims the term 'pivot' will be used to refer to both pivot routing and call redirection, and the specification and claims should be read accordingly
Each trunk in a network carries a large number of voice circuits, so that each trunk can provide a leg of a large number of call sessions. It will be apparent that in the event of the failure of a network element, for example a trunk or a node, a large number of call sessions will fail and will need to be re-routed. To provide backup for such an event, the PSTN conventionally has a plurality of duplicate elements allowing a call session to be switched from a failing element to a backup element. For example, each pair of nodes is generally connected by two trunks, a main trunk and a backup trunk. In the event of failure of the main trunk, the node at each end of the trunk detects the failure and transfers all call sessions to the backup trunk. This approach however requires duplication of costly hardware, the provision of appropriate control technology, and the provision of an idle trunk connection.
An aim of the present invention is to reduce or overcome the above problem.


A seat restraint configured to be secured to an anchoring tube includes at least one anchoring tube engaging member, and at least one fastening member integrally formed with the at least one anchoring tube engaging member.

Young children are typically secured in an automobile by way of a safety seat. The safety seat is secured to a seat or bench of the automobile.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional child safety seat 10 secured to an automobile seat 12. The automobile seat 12 may be a bench style seat located behind the driver and front passenger seats. The safety seat 10 is secured in place over the automobile seat 12 by securing to a seat restraint (not shown in FIG. 1). A safety belt 14 cooperates with the safety seat 10 to secure a child 16 therein.
FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional seat restraint 18. Typically, the seat restraint 18 extends into the center crease 20 of the automobile seat 12 proximate a buckle housing 22. The seat restraint 18 generally is not visible to the passenger. Instead, the seat restraint 18 is located just below the horizontal seat cushion.
FIG. 3 illustrates a safety seat securing member 24 secured to the seat restraint 18. The safety seat securing member 24 may be a strap or belt that is secured to the seat restraint 18 through an eyelet.
FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric view of a conventional seat restraint 18 secured to an anchoring rod or tube 26. The anchoring tube 26 is secured underneath the seat (not shown in FIG. 4). The seat restraint 18 is secured to the anchoring tube 26 through welding 28 or separate and distinct fasteners (such as screws, bolts, or the like). As such, the manufacturing process uses a separate welding step, or additional fasteners. The welding step takes additional time and effort, as does the process of securing the seat restraint 18 to the anchoring tube 26 through the separate fasteners.
Thus, a need exists for an improved seat restraint system that is quicker and easier to secure to a bent steel rod or tube.


The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of given carboxamido compounds, in particular of 2,4,6-triiodoisophthalic acid derivatives, as useful intermediates for the preparation of X-ray contrast media among which is iopamidol. The said process comprises reacting suitable N-sulfinyl intermediate compounds with a commercially available α-hydroxyacid or a salt thereof.

Contrast agents, also known as contrast media, are often used during medical imaging examinations to highlight specific parts of the body and make them easier to see. Among them are x-ray contrast media and iodinated non ionic contrast media such as, for instance, diatrizoate, iothalamate, ioxithalamate, metrizoate, iohexyl, iomeprol (The Merck Index, XIII Ed., 2001, No. 5071), iopamidol (The Merck Index, XIII Ed., 2001, No. 5073), iopentol, iopromide, ioversol, ioxilan, iodixanol, iosarcol, iogulamide, ioglunide, iogluamide, acetrizoate, iodamide, iocetamide, ioxaglate, iotrolan, iotasul, iodipamide, iocarmate, iodoxamate, iotroxate, iotrolan, and the like. Additional examples of similar iodinated contrast agents are also described, for instance, in WO 94/14478 (Bracco).
Such compounds may be prepared by a multiplicity of synthetic routes, some of those are characterised by the conversion of aromatic amino derivatives in the corresponding carboxamides, by reaction with a suitable α-hydroxyacid derivative. One representative example of such reaction may be found within the processes for the preparation of Iopamidol as disclosed, for instance, in WO 02/44132, WO 96/37459, WO 96/37460, U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,905, WO 97/47590, WO 98/24757, WO 98/28259 and WO 99/58494. For a general reference to the preparation process of Iopamidol see, e.g., the synthetic path as per Scheme I below:

According to Scheme I, the amino derivative of formula (3) is suitably reacted with (2S)-2-(acetyloxy)propanoyl chloride (4), to provide compound (5).
The compound of formula (3) can be obtained, in its turn, by reacting the starting material of formula (1) with a suitable chlorinating agent, e.g. thionyl chloride. Remarkably, and according to what reported in WO 96/37459, an intermediate sulfinyl derivative of formula (2) can be obtained during the chlorination step.
The compound of formula (5) thus obtained is further reacted with the aminoalcohol of choice, in the present case the 2-amino-1,3-propanediol, better known as serinol, and deprotected at the hydroxy group, so to achieve to Iopamidol of formula (6).
Both these latter reactions are carried out according to conventional methods known in the art, either for the preparation of carboxamides by reacting acyl chloride derivatives with amino compounds, or for the cleavage of the acetyl protecting group from the hydroxyl function.
As per the above Scheme I, compound (4) is the activated reactive form of (2S)-2-hydroxy-propanoic acid, commonly known as L-lactic acid, wherein the hydroxy group is suitably protected as therein reported. It has to be noted, in this respect, that the preparation of compound (4) is time consuming as it requires additional synthetic steps starting from commercially available (2S)-2-hydroxy-propanoic acid sodium salt (7), as illustrated in Scheme II below:

According to Scheme II, the first step is represented by the conversion of compound (7) to L-lactic acid (8), by operating under acidic conditions. The compound thus obtained is then protected at the hydroxy group so as to lead to the corresponding acetylated intermediate (9) that, once recovered and purified, is further converted to the desired acyl chloride (4), by properly functionalizing the carboxylic group with a suitable chlorinating agent, typically thionyl chloride.
Besides the time spending, the protocol according to Scheme II leads to the formation of the desired compound (4) upon a process that contemplates some distillation steps for either the isolation or the purification of the intermediate compounds. Furthermore, despite the fact that each of the above steps may be carried out according to conventional methods, the use of air and/or moisture sensitive reagents, for instance thionyl chloride, may thus require the adoption of reaction conditions rather troublesome, at least when operating with large amounts of substrates and reactants, as per the industrial scale.
By that, it would be particularly advantageous to find out an alternative way to prepare Iopamidol, in high yields and with a high degree of purity, by means of a process comprising reacting any suitable intermediate precursor with an alternative reactant to compound (4).
In this respect, examples for the preparation of given aromatic carboxamido compounds by reacting sulfinyl derivatives with α-hydroxyacids are reported in the literature. See, for instance, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2006; 16; 4784-4787; and Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2007; 17; 6261-6265, wherein an α-hydroxyacid moiety is reacted with aromatic not sterically hindered sulfinyl substrates. Likewise, the reaction of given α-hydroxyacids with suitable sulfinyl derivatives, therein referred to as N-sulfinylamine or even N-sulfinylaniline derivatives, is also reported in Tetrahedron Lett. 2000; 41; 6017-6020; and Tetrahedron Lett. 1986; 27; 1921-1924.
Interestingly, all of the N-sulfinylanilines reported in the aforementioned prior art documents and presently referred to as Ar—N═S═O compounds rely, essentially, on rather simple molecules deriving from:                aniline itself, wherein Ar corresponds to phenyl;        mono-substituted anilines, wherein Ar corresponds to p-chloro-C6H4—, p-methyl-C6H4—, p-nitro-C6H4—; or        di-substituted anilines, wherein Ar represents 2-fluoro-4-methoxycarbonyl-C6H3— or 2,4-dichloro-C6H3.
To our knowledge, however, such a synthetic method has never been disclosed for the preparation of given carboxamides, in a single step, by starting from sterically hindered compounds, in particular from N-sulfinylanilines fully substituted, namely penta-substituted on the aromatic ring. To this extent, it is worth noting that within the process for the preparation of Iopamidol, the aromatic ring of the above sulfinyl derivatives of formula (2) is fully substituted in positions 3 and 5 by two carbonyl moieties (e.g. —COCl groups) and, remarkably, in positions 2, 4 and 6 by three iodine atoms, known to be particularly bulky substituents.
We have thus found that sterically hindered fully-substituted N-sulfinylanilines are able to react, in a single step and under mild operative conditions, with suitable α-hydroxyacids or a salt thereof, to give the desired carboxamido derivatives, according to an alternative synthetic pathway.

Process for the preparation of triiodinated carboxylic aromatic derivatives


A high-voltage switch (18) with light sensitive zones is described which transmits the high voltage to the spark plugs. In order to transmit the light energy with the minimum possible loss from the light emitting element (20) to the light sensitive zones of the high-voltage switch (18), a light concentrating device is provided in a transition region from the light emitting element to the light sensitive zone. The light concentrating device can be a glass rod which acts as a lens or a light guide including optical fibers.

The present invention relates to a high-voltage switch and, more particularly, to a high-voltage switch for an ignition voltage distributor of an internal combustion engine.
A high-voltage switch is known consisting of a plurality of series-connected semiconductor elements, especially sweep diodes in cascade connection, coated with a translucent insulation. When a predetermined voltage is applied the high-voltage switch suddenly switches to a conductive state in such a way that on irradiation of the light sensitive zones of the semiconductor elements by a light emitting element, the high voltage switch switches. From EP 0 377 619, a high-voltage switch is known, which operates as an ignition voltage distributor under static high-voltage distribution. This high-voltage switch comprises semiconductor elements which have light sensitive zones. The light sensitive zones can be driven by light emitting elements so that they switch at a predetermined time, corresponding to the ignition sequence, for example. In the known arrangements, light guides or light diodes are arranged opposite the light sensitive zones of the high-voltage switch. The disadvantage in this arrangement is that a portion of the light energy is lost to the environment, whereby the functional reliability of the high-voltage switch is impaired.

High-voltage switch having series-connected light-responsive semiconductor elements and light concentrating means for the semiconductor elements


Techniques and systems for recovering a communication session from a dedicated bearer failure are disclosed. For example, a P-CSCF node can determine that a dedicated bearer associated with a communication session has failed, and, in response, send a SIP message to a UE associated with the communication session, the SIP message causing the UE to refrain from sending SIP requests using a SIP INVITE method. The process may further include identifying a first network node associated with an identifier of the UE, the first network node comprising one of a PGW or a SMF, and sending an instruction to the first network node to dissociate the dedicated bearer from the communication session. This causes a new attach procedure to be performed by the UE to recover the session without session failure.

When a user dials a phone number on a user equipment (UE) to make a call, a dedicated bearer is established for the UE to provide a dedicated tunnel and a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) for the transmission of network traffic. Although today's telecommunications networks are fairly reliable, it is possible for the dedicated bearer to fail. This can be due to various issues that arise from time-to-time, such as data corruption in a routing table, a sudden unavailability of a Diameter routing agent (DRA), or the like. In existing telecommunications networks, when a dedicated bearer fails, the call may be dropped. At best, the UE may be able to fall back to using a circuit-switched (CS) network to establish the call on a legacy CS network (e.g., a 2nd Generation (2G) or 3rd Generation (3G) network). Either way, a user's experience is negatively impacted because the user is either forced to utilize a suboptimal legacy network, or otherwise re-dial the number manually. The disclosure made herein is presented with respect to these and other considerations.

Session recovery from dedicated bearer failure


A connection terminal for connecting two lines comprises two clamping blocks for receiving and electrically connecting the lines. A receptacle is provided on the connection terminal into which a temperature limiter having at least two terminal legs is insertable and into which two connection elements project, each connection element being connected at its first end to one of the two clamping blocks and being contacted at its second end to an associated terminal leg of an inserted temperature limiter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection terminal for connecting at least two lines, comprising a first clamping block to which a first line can be electrically and mechanically connected and a second clamping block to which a second line can be electrically and mechanically connected.
2. Related Prior Art
Such connection terminals are generally known in the prior art.
These connection terminals are available for example in specialty stores as individual parts and are used for example to connect lamps to electrical lines. For this purpose, such connection terminals normally comprise at least two connection parts each consisting of two clamping blocks of electrically conducting material, which are integrally connected to one another, as well as an insulating casing in which the connection parts are arranged.
Each connection part comprises a retaining through bore as well as threaded bores running transversely thereto. The ends, with their insulation removed, of the lines to be connected are inserted into the retaining bores on either side, and these ends are clamped in the retaining bores by screws screwed into the threaded bores. In this manner, a pair of two lines can be electrically and mechanically coupled by a single connecting part. It is also known to insert several lines at one side in the retaining bore, so that an incoming line can simultaneously be connected with several outgoing lines.
Such connection terminals are generally known as lustre terminals.
On the other hand, such connection terminals are also used for connecting transformers, motors, etc. It is known to configure such connection terminals directly, integrally with the housing of the device to be connected, although the connection terminals can also be formed as separate parts secured to the housing of the electrical device by screws or locking.
It is also known to configure the clamping block not as screw connectors but as insulation displacement connectors, where cutting elements are provided in the retaining bores between which the inserted line is clamped and simultaneously contacted.
A so-called temperature limiter is necessary for safety reasons in numerous electrical devices, which normally comprises a bimetal switch and is connected in series with a supply line of the electrical device, so that the operating current of the electrical device flows through the temperature limiter. The temperature limiter is normally thermally coupled to the electrical device to be protected by the limiter, so that a temperature increase of the electrical device leads to a temperature increase of the temperature limiter.
When the temperature of the electrical device to be protected exceeds an allowable upper limit, a bimetal element disposed in the switch is deformed in a known manner and interrupts the current flow to the electrical device. Depending on the configuration of the temperature limiter, it can be provided with a so-called self-holding function, which ensures that the temperature limiter does not switch on again even after the electrical device has cooled off.
It is also known to provide such temperature limiters with a current dependency, so that they respond additionally or exclusively when a certain current value is exceeded, whereby the electrical device is protected against an excess current.
The mounting of such temperature limiters on an electrical device to be protected, normally by hand, is done independently of the connection of the electrical device itself by means of the above-mentioned connection terminal. Frequently, connecting lines of the temperature limiter must be soldered onto contacts of the electrical device to be protected.
An electrical device is known from DE 195 05 342, in which a receptacle is provided for an encapsulated temperature dependent switching mechanism, which is clamped between an external terminal of the device and a terminal part connected directly to the device. From this document, it is also known to provide a receptacle space at the electrical device into which two connecting elements extend between which the encapsulated temperature dependent switch is clamped. A short circuit plug can also be inserted instead of the temperature dependent switch to test the electrical device during fabrication before mounting the temperature dependent switch.
All of the discussed measures for connecting a temperature dependent switch or temperature limiter to an electrical device to be protected have the disadvantage that they either cannot be automated at all or require complicated manipulations, where, for example, first a short circuit plug is plugged in, removed after testing and then the desired temperature dependent switch is inserted.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a simplified, preferably automated assembly of an electrical device equipped with a temperature limiter, where the solution should have a simple construction.
According to the present invention, this object is essentially solved in that the connection terminal as mentioned at the outset comprises a receptacle into which a temperature limiter comprising at least two terminals, preferably two terminal legs, can be plugged in, and into which two connection elements extend, each being connected at their first end to one of the two clamping blocks and at their second end, preferably automatically, contacting a terminal, preferably an associated terminal leg of a temperature limiter, when plugging in same in the receptacle.
The inventors of the present application have found that surprisingly structural modifications of the connection terminal allow a plug-in contact of the temperature limiter so that a series connection of the temperature limiter between the clamping blocks results by simply plugging in the temperature limiter in the receptacle, so that the temperature limiter can be arranged in series with the supply line of the electrical device. This procedure can be automated, because after wiring the connection element the only additional step is to plug in the temperature limiter. Contacting of the temperature limiter to the connection elements is established for example by the insulation displacement technique, although it is also possible to provide screw clamping means. In this case, after plugging in the temperature limiter in the receptacle, only two screws need be tightened down, which however can also be performed automatically, as is the case with wiring the connection element to the lines.
Furthermore, the new connection element allows a rapid and simple assembly and connection of the temperature limiter by hand, for example when a small lot is to be produced or the devices are produced with a lesser degree of automisation.
The new connection terminal can not only be employed for the protection of transformers, motors, etc., where it is secured to the housing in one way or another, rather it can also be used in various fields where protection by a temperature limiter of a device to be connected is possible retroactively in the simplest manner. For example, it is possible to replace the common lustre terminal on a lighting means with the new connection terminal, which only requires a few hand manipulations. With the new connection terminal including the inserted temperature limiter it is now, for example, possible to protect against overheating lighting means previously unmonitored with respect to their temperature development. As is generally known, the lustre clamps in the housing of the lighting means are frequently arranged directly adjacent to the lamp means, so that an overheating results when the rating of the lamp means is too high, which then leads to an increase in the temperature of the lustre clamp, which can be seen over and again with lustre clamps that are charred or deformed by the effects of heat. If the new connection terminals are used instead of the known lustre clamps, an inadmissibly high temperature has the result that the power supply to the lighting means is shut off by the temperature limiter, so that it cannot be damaged or cause any damage as a result of overheating.
In view of the above, connection terminals of the above-mentioned type are subject of the present invention, which comprise between the two clamping blocks a temperature limiter with any interconnection, also for example by soldering the temperature limiter being connected in series with the clamping blocks. By simply exchanging a lustre clamp or by inserting it into a supply line for this purpose, it is possible with the new connection terminal to equip different electrical devices, even retroactively, with a temperature and/or current monitoring means.
Suitable temperature dependent switches are known from documents DE 196 09 310 A1, DE 197 47 589 A1 and DE 197 52 581, each including arranged within a housing a temperature dependent switching mechanism that can be contacted by means of terminal legs extending from the housing, and that according to the first document mainly shows a dependency from temperature, according to the second document a self-holding function, and according to the third document a current dependency.
It should be mentioned that, in the scope of the present application, xe2x80x9ctemperature limiterxe2x80x9d is, on the one hand, generally to be understood as a temperature dependent switch, which separates an electrical connection when an high temperature and/or excess current arises and which optionally is provided with a self-holding function which prevents a closing of the switch after cooling off, wherein in certain configurations the switch remains open even after shutting off the power source, while in other configurations, the self-holding function is reset when the power supply is turned off and then on again. On the other hand xe2x80x9ctemperature limitersxe2x80x9d is here also to be understood as PTC resistors whose resistance increases with growing temperature, so that a current limitation and, indirectly, a temperature limitation is provided for.
As a matter of course it is also possible to integrate the present connection terminal in power switches or plug sockets, couplings, etc. to prevent an inadmissible heating and/or inadmissible high current through the connected consumers. Advantages result, in particular for use outdoors, for example with a water pump in a pond, a garden lamp or the like, which can be inexpensively and simply protected, also when retrofitted.
In an embodiment, the two connection elements at their second end each comprise a clamp contact for an associated terminal leg of the temperature limiter.
This feature is of advantage with respect to simple assembly, since the temperature limiter must only be plugged in and drawing down of additional screws is not necessary.
According to a further object an interruptable short circuit connection is provided between the two connection elements at their second ends, which preferably is interrupted by an actuator member insertable into the receptacle, this actuator member being either arranged on the temperature limiter or provided as a breaker pin, which is insertable into the receptacle so as not to be removable.
These features are generally of advantage in that the connection terminal can be used without the inserted temperature limiter, where no special short circuit plug need be plugged into the receptacle, but the short circuit connection is provided automatically, so to speak, by the temperature limiter not yet having been inserted.
In this manner, one can decide which temperature limiter is to be assembled just before using the new connection terminal. It is, for example, possible to test the electrical device initially without the temperature limiter and then to plug in the limiter, which also can take place automatically, depending on the specifications just before delivering the device. These measures are also of advantage when the present terminals are used to replace lustre clamps, since the entire wiring and cable connections can first be made and tested before upon choice different temperature limiters can then be inserted. This means that the present connection terminal can be marketed independently of the temperature limiter, where it is naturally also possible to market connection terminals with installed temperature limiters, optionally soldered-in temperature limiters.
A further advantage is that the interruption of the short circuit connection does not require the removal of a short circuit plug or the like, rather it is achieved by an actuator member which can also easily and automatically be inserted. A particular advantage is achieved when the actuator member is arranged on the temperature limiter, as then only a single hand manipulation is necessary to simultaneously interrupt the short circuit connection and install the temperature limiter.
The breaker pin has the further advantage that it fulfills special safety requirements when configured to be non-removable. A connection terminal once having been equipped with a temperature limiter can then no more be operated without the temperature limiter, so that a device supplied with power via the connection terminal and to be protected by the inserted temperature limiter can only be supplied with power when the temperature limiter is in place. Should the temperature limiter fall out or be deliberately removed, the device is no longer be supplied with power, so that a high degree of safety with respect to monitoring of the temperature and current is guaranteed. The breaker pin can, for example, be locked in the receptacle for this purpose.
According to a further object, the breaker pin is insertable into the receptacle in a force fit, which can be achieved for example when it has a zero tolerance or a slightly larger dimension with respect to the receptacle.
In this very simple constructive manner, it is ensured that the breaker pin cannot be removed or removed only by destroying the connection terminal.
It will be understood however that the temperature limiter can be exchanged, should it be defective or be exchanged with another temperature limiter with other specifications, for example another response temperature.
It is a further object that the short circuit connection comprises a short circuit element clamped between the connection elements and being movable to an open position by the actuator member.
Also this feature is constructively preferred as it is only necessary to provide a resilient part on one connection element, which is biased onto the other connection element and lifted thereoff by the actuator member. The resilient part can be broken or broken off by the actuator member, so that reestablishing the short circuit connection is excluded. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide the short circuit means as a connector block, which is pushed out of the gap between the two connection elements by the actuator member and optionally urged into a clamp seat from which it cannot be removed, so that an inadvertent closing of the short circuit connection is not possible.
It is a further object that the two connection elements each comprise at least one resilient element and the two resilient elements contact one another to establish the short circuit connection and can be separated from one another by the actuator member.
This has the advantage that two resilient elements contribute to the quality of the short circuit connection, so that a very reliable short circuit connection exists between the clamping blocks before inserting the temperature limiter.
According to a further object each resilient element comprises a first contact region through which it forms the short circuit connection with the first contact region of the other resilient element, and a second contact region through which it contacts an associated terminal leg of a temperature limiter when inserted in the receptacle.
Also this measure is constructively advantageous because each connector element requires only one resilient element which establishes either the short circuit connection or the contact to the temperature limiter. A further advantage apart from the simple construction is that an inserted temperature limiter cannot be bypassed again by inadvertently closing the short circuit connection because the resilient elements can only contact one another or the terminal legs of the temperature limiter.
According to a further object the two connection elements at their respective first end are spring biased into contact with the respective clamping block, where preferably at least one of the clamping blocks comprises a retaining bore for receiving a line as well as a threaded hole running transversely to the bore for a screw for clamping the line in the retaining bore, where preferably the two connection elements on their respective first ends comprise an up-standing resilient wing, which extends approximately parallel to the respective screw and is spring biased onto the screw.
These measures are advantageous in that convential clamping blocks can be used, as are known from the common lustre clamps. Contact results through the connection elements which are either resiliently urged onto the clamping block itself or are urged with their wing onto the clamping screw for the line. An advantage of the wing is also that it can compensate for different geometries of the screw, where the contact further is not impaired when lines of different thickness are clamped in the retaining bore, i.e. when the screw is screwed into the threaded hole at different depths to clamp the line or lines.
It is another object that the connection terminal comprises at least one connection part having two clamping blocks directly connected to one another, through which two further lines can be directly connected to one another.
The advantage is that the present connection terminal can connect two lines directly with one another, while two further lines are connected to one another in series connection with the temperature limiter. The inventors of the present application have found that it is not necessary to provide a temperature limiter in every supply line of the electrical device, although this can naturally be of advantage in certain requirement circumstances, for example when a current dependent temperature limiter without the self-holding function and additionally a temperature limiter responding solely to high temperatures with self-holding function are to be used simultaneously.
According to a further object the connection terminal comprises an insulating casing in which the first and second clamping blocks are arranged at a first side and the connecting part is arranged at a second side and the receptacle is arranged between the two sides.
This allows a geometry such that the temperature limiter is located so to speak in the middle of the connection terminal, where naturally a location at the side is also possible.
According to another object the connection terminal comprises an insulating casing having a first casing section receiving the first and second clamping block and at least one second casing section receiving the at least one connection part, where a flexible spacer is provided between the two casing sections such that the two casing sections are variable in their spacing laterally to one another.
This measure has the advantage that the new connection terminal can also be used to connect at least two pairs of lines, where at least the lines on one side of the connection terminal have a fixed distance between one another with certain tolerances. Due to the fact that the spacing of the clamping blocks laterally with respect to one another can be varied within certain limits, the new connection terminal can be applied to lines whose spacing changes with respect to one another due to the accuracy in fabrication or due to different designs. In the simplest case, flexible or elastic bridges are formed between the casing sections, which are configured to have a zig-zag form, meander form, a wave-like form or the like. In a preferred embodiment, two bridges are provided to form a diamond, where the diamond allows an increase or decrease of the lateral spacing.
With a connection terminal being also subject of the present invention, i.e. having a temperature limiter with arbitrary interconnections between two clamping blocks to which it is connected in series, it is preferred that the temperature limiter comprises two terminal legs that are directly electrically connected at their respective free ends to a respective one of both clamping blocks.
It is an advantage of this measure that it is constructively very simple; both connection elements may be dispensed with if the connection terminal is durably equipped with a temperature limiter.
It is a further object that at least one terminal leg comprises at its free end a fish joint strip that contacts the associated clamping block from the outside.
Here, the simple and safe assembly is advantageous, particularly if the fish joint strip is clamped between the clamping block and an inner wall of a channel of the connection terminal wherein the channel receives the clamping block. Here it is merely necessary to attach a temperature limiter after the clamping block has been inserted into the channel, whereby the fish joint strip slides between the clamping block and the channel wall and gets clamped in this position.
On the other hand, it is an object that at least one terminal leg comprises at its free end a connector eyelet that is connected with the associated clamping block by a screw being provided for clamping one of both lines.
This measure results in a very safe electrical connection between the clamping block and the terminal leg, particularly in those cases wherein the connector eyelet has a smaller diameter than the core diameter at the screw bolt so that the screw screws or even cuts into the connector eyelet and ensures in this way a safe electrical connection between the connector eyelet and the screw. The screw is screwed simultaneously into the clamping block where it is used for clamping a line. Independent from the thickness of the line, the electrical connection between the clamping block and the temperature limiter via the screw is guaranteed, the screw being electrically conductive and being connected on the one side with the clamping block and on the other side with the connector eyelet.
It is also an object that both clamping blocks are arranged along a longitudinal axis one after another and the temperature limiter is received in a frontal receptacle extending transversely to the longitudinal axis.
This measure is advantageous in that the temperature limiter can be thermally coupled to a device to be monitored in a very effective manner. If the electrical device to be monitored is, for example, an electrical motor winding, the clamping block can be directly attached with its front end onto the windings, whereby the temperature limiter is electrically isolated from the windings merely by the outer wall of the casing of the connection terminal, but apart from that the temperature limiter is in close thermal connection to the windings. Thus an effective and fast response is provided for.
The invention further relates to an electrical device provided with a new connection terminal, where the connection terminal is fixed to the housing of the electrical device or alternatively, the connection terminal is formed integrally with the housing.
Further, the invention relates to a temperature limiter with an actuator member arranged thereon or an actuator member independent of the temperature limiter for use in the new connection terminal.
Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description and the attached drawings.
It will be understood that the above-mentioned features and those to be discussed below are not only applicable in the given combinations but may also be used in other combinations or taken alone without departing from the scope of the present invention.