A method for use in a wireless node configured to receive a wireless signal includes receiving, using a first set of physical resources, a first wireless signal including an indicator descriptive of a transmission power used by a second wireless node when transmitting the wireless signal on a second set of physical resources, and receiving, using the second set of physical resources, the wireless signal using an Automatic Gain Control, AGC, configuration, wherein the AGC configuration is determined based on the indicator. The disclosure further relates to a wireless node performing the method.

In wireless communication systems, information is transmitted wirelessly between the different wireless nodes of the system. For example, information may be transmitted downlink (DL), from a wireless node, such as a base station (BS), to another wireless node, such as a user equipment (UE), or, uplink (UL) from the UE to the BS. In the case of Device-to-device (D2D) communication, information may be transmitted from one transmitting node, such as a transmitting TX UE, to one or more receiving wireless nodes, such as a receiving RX UE. D2D communication between devices in the proximity of one another has been proposed to enhance the user data rates, increase the system capacity and reduce latency. For D2D communications various power control algorithms have been discussed, although these are not implemented in practice. Specifically in 3GPP systems, the sidelink (SL) enables D2D communications over resources that may be controlled by the BS. Due to the mobility patterns of D2D scenarios, and the fading channel characteristics between devices, the received power may vary at the Rx UE devices.
Specifically, in 3GPP LTE systems, SL communications are performed on a subframe or slot basis. In the PHY layer, the SL control information is transmitted over the physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), and the SL data information is carried over the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH). The subframe structure for PSCCH and PSSCH is based on the cellular uplink transmission structure, more specifically, the basic structure of physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). In 3GPP LTE Rel-12 and Rel-13, all SL communications are based on Discrete Fourier Transform Spread (DFTS)-OFDM with subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz and a subframe/slot structure. To cope with high UE mobility (and short channel coherence time) scenarios, in particular in Rel-14 intended for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) SL communication, the number of symbols used for the transmission of demodulation reference signals (DMRS) has been increased to four. The subframe/slot structure may comprise of 14 SC-FDMA symbols for PSSCH and PSCCH in LTE V2V sidelink. The last symbol of the subframe is typically not used for transmitting data. Instead, it is used as a guard period (GP), e.g. for switching between SL transmission and reception, as well as between SL transmission/reception and uplink transmission. An important difference from UL transmission, is that there can be multiple receiving, RX UE, wireless nodes involved in the SL communication. Consequently, SL transmissions may not be power controlled to any one RX UE. This can lead to significant received power variation from one time instant to another for a Rx node. Therefore, the first symbol (up to 70 us) of the subframe for SL communication is reserved or dedicated for use as an automatic gain controller (AGC) settling period at the Rx nodes.
In multipath fading channels, the dynamical range of the received power at receiving (Rx) wireless nodes may be large (e.g. >60 dB), which makes variable gain power amplifiers an important part of the Rx wireless node circuitry. A key component of variable gain amplifiers is Automatic Gain Control, AGC, which is designed to exhibit fast initial convergence and adaptive capabilities to maintain an acceptable link quality even in fast fading channels. This is essential for the correct data decoding at RX nodes. The required AGC settling time at an Rx node depends on many factors, e.g., the receiving power range for the data reception, the hardware of the RX node, the AGC implementation type, the convergence rate of the applied AGC algorithm, etc. To ensure sufficient time for AGC convergence, OFDM based systems may use the duration of a dedicated symbol ("AGC symbol"), e.g. in the beginning of a received data frame, slot or packet. Although this dedicated AGC symbol is useful for automatic gain control, it presents an overhead at the communication link that negatively impacts the overall spectral efficiency and user throughput.
The 3GPP New Radio (NR) system is designed to operate on a wide range of frequency channels, propagation conditions, and device capabilities. A key concept is the flexible numerology that allows UEs or wireless nodes to use different subcarrier spacing (SCS), waveform parameterization, cyclic prefix length, slot- and frame structure, depending on the deployment scenario and the carrier frequency. In the example of 3GPP NR, the default transmission unit length consists of 14 OFDM symbols with normal cyclic prefix. A numerology with a larger subcarrier spacing has a shorter transmission duration. Note that the NR frame structure or slot structure also supports the concept of mini-slots/non-slot based transmissions that contain a reduced number of OFDM symbols for a short transmission duration to facilitate ultra-low latency communications. As the transmission duration becomes shorter, 1 symbol duration with a reference numerology of 15 kHz, i.e., around 70 us fixed time duration, reserved for AGC settling can result in a large overhead. This negatively impacts the overall spectral efficiency and user throughput. In an example, a specific numerology (using 15 kHz or 30 kHz) is used for each OFDM symbol within a slot. As can be understood, a higher SCS reduces the OFDM symbol time for each symbol in the slot. The AGC overhead increases as the subcarrier spacing increases or/and the slot lengths decreases.
Normal OFDM/DFTS-OFDM symbols containing data may be transmitted in the first symbol used for AGC settling, and these data can be used for decoding at the RX UEs. However, a problem when doing so is that the data transmitted during the AGC settling period may be distorted, which can affect the overall data decoding performance, depending on a ratio between the AGC settling period to the overall transmission duration of a subframe, slot or mini-slot. For instance, if the data transmitted in the AGC symbol is lost at the RX UE, and the overall transmission duration consists of two symbols, then, it is high likely that the RX UE cannot decode the SL data since 50% of the data is lost due to the AGC impact/overhead. Therefore, the relative overhead of AGC settling duration has an impact on the SL communication performance, and the impact is higher for shorter SL transmission durations. Moreover, to enable early data decoding and low latency, or/and to enable different MIMO technologies used for PSCCH and PSSCH, it is possible that the PSCCH and its associated PSSCH are multiplexed in the same time slot with the same frequency allocation. If some control information is carried in the first AGC symbol, then, the AGC settling period can cause a reliability issue for the control channel, which can also result in a failure for the decoding of PSSCH.
The AGC settling time and the receiver dynamic range depend on a number of factors including the carrier frequency, the bandwidth of the carrier under consideration, the class of UE selected as well as the scenarios and use cases under consideration. Therefore, it is difficult and can be very suboptimal to set a single value of AGC settling time for all SL communication cases.
In one example of a unicast case, there is a single target RX node for the SL transmission and the TX node is typically aware of the capabilities of the RX node.
In a further example of a multicast case, there are multiple target RX nodes for the SL transmission, and each RX node may have different AGC settling capabilities as well as different receiving power ranges. To enable that the SL transmission reaches all RX nodes, the AGC settling duration is limited to the RX node in need of the longest AGC settling period. However, in the multicast case, the TX node is typically unaware of the capabilities of the RX nodes, which makes it even harder or not possible to acquire the AGC settling related information of all RX nodes.
Thus, different solutions need to be considered to mitigate or compensate the AGC settling effects on different SL communication cases.
Thus there is a need to provide a solution which mitigates or solves the described drawbacks and problems, such as to reduce overhead at the communication link that negatively impacts the overall spectral efficiency and user throughput.

Wireless node for receiving a wireless signal and method thereof


Disclosed herein is a system and method for administering a centralized electronic bingo game and an integrated broadcast announcement. The centralized bingo game is facilitated by a mobile wagering sub-system that communicates with a plurality of authorized mobile devices over a wide area network to provide each authorized mobile device with a unique bingo game session having a random bingo game result. The integrated broadcast announcement is provided by a video presentation sub-system that is communicatively coupled to the mobile wagering sub-system and at least one stationary monitor over the wide area network. The video presentation sub-system integrates a first bingo game session result associated with a first authorized mobile device, a second bingo game session result associated with a second authorized mobile device, and commentary about the first and second bingo game session results into the integrated broadcast announcement. The video presentation sub-system then communicates the integrated broadcast announcement to the stationary monitor client, which then displays the integrated broadcast announcement.

Typical wagering devices include slot machines and video lottery terminals and are normally managed by various types of computer systems which monitor and control their activities. Such wagering devices are typically located in casinos, racetracks, tribal gaming locations or other authorized locations. These are generally capital-intensive operations where the high amount of play justifies a significant capital expenditure.
Smaller gaming venues, including charitable gaming venues, are challenged by such devices for several reasons: 1) play volume may not generate enough revenue to make expensive, proprietary devices cost-effective; 2) small locations cannot afford dedicated maintenance staffs to keep complex devices working; 3) considerable expertise is needed to coordinate effective operations; and, 4) such gaming devices require considerable space.
While gaming is still a popular and generally profitable enterprise, the popularity of gaming activity is not high among younger elements of the population. Indeed, most casinos and large gaming operations report an ever-increasing average age of players. This is an industry concern and results in a constant search for new ways to appeal to a younger age-group.
The systems and methods presented herein are directed to mobile devices, in combination with a video transmission system to produce a flexible, secure, low-cost gaming alternative. Additionally, the systems and methods presented herein support games which are socially-centered and may appeal to younger players. This system will be valuable as a secure low-cost method of bringing wagering systems to players in diverse retail environments, including but not limited to bars, taverns, restaurants, etc. It is anticipated that the systems will be especially valuable to charitable gaming operation in jurisdictions where such activity is permitted, as well as lotteries or other gaming organizations.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Centralized mobile wagering and video presentation


A ratio of the number of fuel assemblies loaded on a core to the number of control rod drive mechanisms is 3 or more. The fuel assembly itself contains mixed oxides of a low enrichment concentration uranium oxide containing 3 to 8 wt % in the average enrichment concentration of the fuel assembly, or mixed oxide containing not less than 2 wt %, but less than 6 wt % in the average enrichment concentration of fissile plutonium of. In the burner type BWR core on which the fuel assemblies are loaded, an average weight density of uranium, plutonium and minor actinides is 2.1 to 3.4 kg/L as a conversion at the value of unburned state.

A boiling water reactor core using water as a neutron moderator and a cooling medium is constituted by a number of fuel assemblies, water flowing through the fuel assemblies, control rods inserted and withdrawn between the fuel assemblies, etc. In the construction of the fuel assemblies and control rods, as shown in FIG. 8 of the patent document 1, the BWR fuel assemblies are surrounded by channel boxes.
Fuel rods containing uranium, plutonium and minor actinides and arranged in square lattice are disposed within the inner area of the fuel assemblies. In an ABWR core, the length of the fuel rod which contains uranium, plutonium and minor actinides in the vertical direction is about 3.7 m. In the present invention, this length is abbreviated as an active fuel length. When the fuel assembly is constituted by such fuel rods as having different lengths, the longest fuel rod in the fuel assembly is referred to as the active fuel length. The core is constituted by 872 fuel assemblies and 205 of cross-shaped control rods.
Since water works as both moderator for neutrons and cooling medium for control rods in the boiling water reactor, it is said that the fuel rods and water are arranged as homogeneously as possible. Thus, in PWRs now under operation, fuel rods and water are arranged almost homogeneously.
On the other hand, since BWRs are the direct cycle type, wherein steam is present in the reactor core which is two phase flow, channel boxes are disposed to prevent cross flow of steam phase in the transverse direction, and cross shaped control rods are inserted into gaps between the channel boxes. In recent high burnup fuels, in order to secure 4 to 5 of H/HM (atomic number ratio of hydrogen to heavy metal; the heavy metals include uranium, plutonium and minor actinides such as Np, Am, Cm, etc.), with an increase in enrichment, water rods are disposed in the center of the fuel assembly. This structure apparently seems to be not homogeneous; however, the above-mentioned structure was necessarily employed, because of the structure comprising the channel box and cross-shaped control rods.
The basic concept that aims at the homogeneousness is common to the PWRs, however. As a result, in the ABWR reactor cores having about 155 mm of a fuel assembly lattice pitch to secure sufficient moderating effect of two-phase flow, the two-phase flow occupies 40% or more of valuable space in the reactor core. Thus, a volume rate of the fuel material area is only 20%, the volume rate being a volume rate of fuel pellet area. Although, in view of a further reduction of spent fuels and increase in fuel economy, a great increase in a discharged burnup is strongly desired. Although there was prepossession of consistency for attaining both neutron moderating and heat removal, new design for increase in H/HM so as to improve reduction of shutdown margin and reactivity coefficient of the reactor with the high enrichment is being investigated.
On the other hand, the patent documents 2 and 3 disclose a design wherein distribution of moderating material in and outside of the channel boxes is changed; the range of H/HM was 4 to 5, however. The study for increasing fuels has not been conducted.
The conventional design has been prepossessed by structure for attaining the functions of neutron moderating and heat removal; such new designs as to separate functions of water and to increase fuel loading per unit volume without losing fuel economy and thermal margin has not been investigated.    Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Hei 3-273189    Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-open Hei 7-167988    Patent document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-open Shou 63-231298

Boiling water reactor core and fuel assemblies therefor


An imaging instrument includes plural spaced-apart photon collectors, whose sampled outputs are correlated in pairs to yield brightness line integrals across a remote object being imaged. These integrals can be subject to matrix decomposition to yield a 2D array of image data corresponding to the object. Another imaging instrument includes plural spaced-apart reflectors, each having an optical fiber end at its focal point. The precise positions of the optical fiber ends are controlled by a control system (e.g., including piezo-electric positioners) that can be operated to counter-act the effect of atmospheric turbulence. The other ends of the fibers terminate at an image plane and serve to provide an output image. The sensors may be arrayed in a non-uniform manner.

The present invention relates to astronomical imaging, and more particularly relates to methods and apparatuses for astronomical imaging using multiple sensors.
Intensity interferometry was invented by Hanbury Brown and Twiss, and is exemplified by the following articles (all by Hanbury Brown et al): xe2x80x9cCorrelation Between Photons in Two Coherent Beams of Lightxe2x80x9d (Nature, Vol. 177, pp. 27-29, Jan. 7, 1956); xe2x80x9cA Test of a New Type of Stellar Interferometer on Sirius,xe2x80x9d (Nature, Vol. 178, pp. 1046-48, Nov. 10, 1956); xe2x80x9cThe Stellar Interferometer at Narrabri Observatory; I: A Description of the Instrument and the Observational Procedurexe2x80x9d (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 137, pp. 375-392, 1967); and xe2x80x9cThe Angular Diameters of 32 Stars,xe2x80x9d (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 167, pp. 121-136, 1974). (These articles, and others landmarks in the field of interferometry, are reprinted in the recent volume xe2x80x9cSelected Papers on Long Baseline Stellar Interferometry,xe2x80x9d SPIE Milestone Series, Vol. MS 139, 1997, edited by Lawson.)
No one, to our knowledge, has employed Hanbury Brown-Twiss (HBT) techniques as the basis for an imaging instrument. Instead, astronomical use of such techniques (for forty years) has been limited to the determination of stellar diameters.
We believe one factor contributing to the failure of others to employ HBT techniques in imaging applications may be certain interpretations that are traditionally accorded the original Hanbury Brown papers. We note some possible alternative interpretations that may be central to the functioning of the below-described embodiments.
One area in which HBT""s work may have been misunderstood is the common impression that intensity interferometry requires that the two sensors be equidistant from the object being measured (c.f. section 3.3 of their 1967 paper). HBT state that correlation diminishes about 10% with the first 1 nanosecond delay between the two collectors (corresponding to a path length difference of about one foot), and diminishes exponentially as this delay is increased.
(To provide this equidistant spacing, the observatory at Narrabri employed two detectors on a circular track having a radius of about 100 m. By this arrangement, the two detectors could be placed equidistant from the star being measured, while also providing a range of spacing from 0-200 meters.)
Another possible misinterpretation of HBT""s original findings is the impression that the variation in correlation, as a function of detector spacing, is a single-lobed function (c.f. FIG. 5 of HBT""s 1967 paper), trailing to zero at a normalized spacing of about 3.5. We believe it is likely that this function instead exhibits multiple side lobes, of diminished amplitude, extending far beyond the 0-3.5 range contemplated by HBT. (Our belief is based, in part, on Fraunhofer analysis of the stellar disk being imaged.) The existence of such secondary lobes would begin to suggest that detectors can be spaced much further apart than previously thought possible.
We caution that our foregoing critiques of the HBT work are preliminary but are believed to explain the operation of our detailed embodiment. Further study, however, may reveal other or additional rationales.
Throughout our work we encounter wave/photon conundrums. For example, classical photon theory holds that a single photon can only be sensed once, e.g., when it kicks an electron out of a valence band in a photodiode. Thereafter, it ceases to exist. Yet HBT interferometry seems to illustrate the contrary, by evidencing intensity correlations between spaced-apart optical detectors.
Hanbury Brown and Twiss acknowledged these conundrums, but posed no answer. In the intervening forty years, no satisfactory resolution of the conflicting photon and wave theories has been found. We offer none, and instead rely exclusively on classical wave theory in analyzing operation of our system.
So that the present invention may be better appreciated, it may be helpful to review other work in the field of astronomical interferometry.
Most astronomical interferometry traces its origins back to Michelson""s work in the late 1800s. Michelson showed that light from a single source, traveling different paths, can be combined to produce fringe patterns. This is the principle on which modern radio telescope arrays work. For example, the New Mexico Very Long Array (VLA) includes 27 antennas (each with a 25 m reflector) movably positioned within a Y-pattern of up to 22 miles across. The data from each pair of telescopes is combined (often after recording on tape with a time synchronization signal) to form interference patterns. The structures of these patterns, and their changes with time (as the Earth rotates) reflect the structures of radio sources in the sky. By applying Fourier techniques to the resulting interferometric patterns, conventional imagery can be produced. (Such radio astronomy interferometry/imaging is well detailed in extensive literature familiar to those active in the field. A bibliography of writings on the topic can be found at the internet address http://sgra.jpl.nasa.gov/mosaic_v0.0/Spacevlbi_lib.html.)
The resolution of imagery obtained by such interferometric techniques depends on the size of the array (the baseline). The fully extended VLA, for example, has a resolution of 0.04 arcseconds at 43 GHz. To obtain still better resolution, longer baselines are required. An example of a transcontinental baseline is the Very Long Baseline Array, which employs ten identical radiotelescopes spread from Hawaii to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A decade ago, first steps were made to extend interferometric baselines still furtherxe2x80x94into space. During 1986-1988, the NASA TDRSS satellite observatoryxe2x80x94working in conjunction with ground-based telescopes in Japan and Australiaxe2x80x94proved the feasibility of such systems by recording interferometric fringes from six radioemitting sources.
Several space VLBI (very long baseline interferometry) projects have since been proposed but have not been completed, among them the IVS and QUASAT programs. The costs and difficulties associated with placing complex optical telescopes into orbit played large roles in the demise of these projects.
Just recently, the first fully-operational space VLBI project began operation: the Japanese Institute of Space and Astronautical Science""s VSOP mission (xe2x80x9cVLBI Space Observatory Program,xe2x80x9d space antenna deployed Feb. 27, 1997, first fringes produced May, 1997). Another imminent program is the Russian RadioAstron mission, developed by the Astro Space Center of the Lebedev Physical Institute and scheduled for launch later in 1998. Each of these programs utilizes a single 8-10 meter radio telescope in an elliptical Earth orbit, in conjunction with ground radiotelescopes. Each observes in the 22, 5, and 1.6 GHz bands. (Imagery from, and information about, the VSOP mission is publicly available on the world wide web at http://www.vsop.isas.ac.jp/. Information about the RadioAstron mission is publicly available at http://sgra.jpl.nasa.gov/mosaic_v0.0/RadioAstron.html.)
(The movement of an antenna in a space VLBI array, together with the changing path length of the space-to-ground data link, complicates the array""s operation. In particular, signals from the moving antenna must be temporally correlated with those from the ground telescopes before they can be combined to generate the interferometric data. However, such problems can be redressed by known techniques described in the literature.)
The interferometric principles employed in radio telescope arrays can likewise be extended to arrays of optical telescopes. Recent efforts in the optical interferometry domain include the Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope (COAST) and the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer (SUSI).
A further interferometric technique is amplitude interferometry as described, e.g., in Currie et al, xe2x80x9cFour Stellar-Diameter Measurements by a New Technique: Amplitude Inteferometry,xe2x80x9d Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 187(1), Part 1, pp. 131, 134 (Jan. 1, 1974). Amplitude interferometry is a variant of Michelson interferometry, designed to better measure stellar diameters in the presence of atmospheric turbulence.
All of the Michelson-based interferometry systemsxe2x80x94whether radio or opticalxe2x80x94rely on the wave conception of radiation, i.e. that light/radio waves exhibit localized maxima and minima which can be combined to constructively or destructively interfere and produce fringe patterns. This imposes on all such systems a high degree of physical precision (e.g. of sub-wavelength dimension) because received waves must be combined in known phase relationships in order for the resulting fringe patterns to have the desired meanings. At optical wavelengths, for examples, the lengths of connecting optical fibers must be physically or synthetically matched to within millionths of an inch. If such arrays are extended to space (c.f. NASA""s New Millenium Interferometer: http://huey.jpl.nasa.gov/nmi/index.html), the locations of the space sensors must be ascertained to the nanometerxe2x80x94a specification which NASA acknowledges will require xe2x80x9ca significant capability enhancement.xe2x80x9d
In contrast, the interferometry aspects of the present invention do not rely on these wave-based constructive/destructive interference forms of interferometry, with their attendant sub-wavelength tolerances. Instead, HBT interferometry is concerned with the correlation of stellar intensity signals over time. The accurate measurement of time is a far easier task than the attainment and maintenance of sub-wavelength physical tolerances. Moreover, the nature of correlation operations is forgiving of many temporal errors (i.e. sample records are time shifted as necessary to obtain optimum correlation, removing small errors in triggering times).
By eliminating the strict physical tolerances inherent in Michelson-based systems, costs are reduced and reliability is increased. Such detectors are thus well adapted for use in arrays whose baselines extend into space. Like Michelson systems, arbitrarily fine angular resolutions can be obtained by spacing the detectors accordingly.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an astronomical imaging array is formed of several widely spaced photon collectors (e.g. photodiodes). Each collector has associated with it a digitizing sampler that collects a stream of sample data from the photodiode in response to a trigger signal provided by a time source. Samplers at different photon collectors are triggered at different instants in accordance with their spacing, and their relative optical path differences from the object being imaged. In particular, each sampler is triggered to collect a record of samples when a given phase front of light from the object being imaged is expected to pass the photon collector.
Using intensity interferometry techniques, the sampled data from each photon collector is correlated with data from other collectors, yielding a waveform whose individual values represent a brightness line integral through the object. Using different photon collector pairs, different sets of brightness line integrals through the object are produced. Matrix algebra is then employed to synthesize the collected set of line integrals into a two dimensional image representing the brightness of the object being imaged.
Also disclosed in the following specification, and sharing the attribute of plural spaced detectors, is a more traditional optical imaging system (i.e. no interferometry). This system employs techniques described in the above-cited patents to characterize/model atmospheric turbulence through which a telescope is seeing.
In accordance with this further aspect of the present invention, these turbulence modeling techniques are used in an array of widely spaced small (e.g. three to twelve inch reflector) telescopes to characterize atmospheric turbulence above each telescope. (Each telescope is pointed at the same general region of the sky.) However, instead of using the resulting data to xe2x80x9cunblurxe2x80x9d each telescope""s imagery, as in the patents"" preferred embodiments, it is used to dynamically repositionxe2x80x94at essentially real time (e.g. 100 Hz repositioning)xe2x80x94the end of an optical fiber in each telescope""s focal region. Such fibers are run from the plural telescopes to a central collection facility, where their opposite ends terminate in an image plane. This collected group of fiber terminations presents an image that can be viewed directly, or magnified/processed by traditional optics as desired. (Alternatively, the image can be sampled/recorded several times a second, and the resulting static images can be combined to synthesize a more accurate image.)
We also presently believe that intensity interferometry techniques can be used with arbitrarily positioned detectors, including arbitrary three dimensional arrangements (e.g. one or more in space). To facilitate description of the present invention, an array of fixed photon collectors is describedxe2x80x94it being understood that techniques borrowed from VLBI space radiotelescope prior art can be used to compensate for the dynamic effects introduced by placing one or more optical sensors into space.
The foregoing arrangement yields extremely high angular resolution imagery (the exact resolution depends on the extent of the telescope array) while employing inexpensive optical components (e.g. the small component telescopes).
The foregoing and additional features and advantages will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.

High resolution imaging instrument using non-uniformly arrayed sensors


An easily attached and detached locking mechanism is provided to prevent accidental disconnection between mounted and removable connector elements. The mechanism comprises interconnected and tensioned arms with tangs that enclose the connector elements with the interconnection and the tangs providing forces in opposite directions to maintain the connector elements in contact. Inward forces, on the ends of the tensioned arms opposite the tangs, increase the distance between the tangs for attachment of or removal from the connectors to be locked together.

There are many situations where removable electrical connectors can be accidentally bumped or otherwise displaced from positive electrical connection with their complementary mounted connector contacts. Many connectors include screw-type lock down devices which provide the locking engagement between male and female connector elements (removable and mounted connectors).
There are times, however, when the design of one of the complementary connector elements is such that presently available and conventional techniques for locking the complementary parts together cannot be used. Even when present day techniques are used, the time necessary to screw the mating parts together and unscrew them when disconnection is desired, can be irritating.
One prior art solution to the locking of a ribbon cable removable connector to the mounted compatible connector uses a sliding locking mechanism which is incompatible with known EMI solutions. Such a sliding/locking mechanism has been found to be difficult to operate and extremely hard to use when there is a crowded backplane.
A specific situation arises in connection with the use of a 50 pin subminiature D backplane or mounted connector that in some instances may be connected to a grounded EMI/RFI shielded removable connector in situations which require EMI/RFI shielding, and in other situations, may be connected to a non-shielded ribbon cable connector. While parts are available, "off the shelf", to connect the grounded connector to the backplane connector, the width of a ribbon cable connector and the design of such, makes the application of positive locking screws on the removable portion of the complementary connector parts, a physical impossibility.


Transgenic Yarrowia species are disclosed herein that comprise a polynucleotide encoding a cytosolic malic enzyme, a lipid content that is at least about 35% by weight of the dry cell weight of the Yarrowia species, and an engineered polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biosynthetic pathway, wherein overexpression of the cytosolic malic enzyme increases lipid content.

Research has been directed to understanding lipid and fatty acid (FA) biosynthetic pathways, and genetic engineering has been used to introduce these biosynthetic pathways into host organisms. For example, a variety of different hosts including plants, algae, fungi, stramenopiles and yeast are being investigated as means for commercial polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) production. Genetic engineering has demonstrated that the natural abilities of some hosts, even those natively limited to linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 omega-6) or alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3 omega-3) fatty acid production, can be substantially altered to result in high-level production of various long-chain omega-3/omega-6 PUFAs.
Although the literature reports a number of recent examples whereby various portions of the omega-3/omega-6 PUFA biosynthetic pathway responsible for EPA production have been introduced into plants and non-oleaginous yeast, significant efforts have focused on the use of the oleaginous yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica (U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,238,482; 7,932,077; U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. No. 2009-0093543-A1; U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. No. 2010-0317072-A1). Oleaginous yeast are defined as those yeast that are naturally capable of oil synthesis and accumulation, wherein oil accumulation is at least 25% of the cellular dry weight, or those yeast genetically engineered such that they become capable of oil synthesis and accumulation, wherein oil accumulation is at least 25% of the cellular dry weight.
Still there remains considerable interest in increasing lipid accumulation in fungi. Expression of malic enzyme in the cytosol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been shown to increase NADPH production (2004, dos Santos et al., Metabol. Engineering 6:352-363). Given the role of NADPH as a reducing agent in fatty acid synthesis, malic enzyme has been investigated as a possible factor for altering lipid production. Zhang et al. (2007, Microbiology 153:2013-2025) have found that overexpression of malic enzyme in wild type Mucor circinelloides leads to a 2.5-fold increase in lipid accumulation. Consistent with this finding, studies have shown that malic enzyme expression in M. circinelloides and Mortierella alpina is correlated with lipid accumulation (1999, Wynn et al., Microbiology 145:1911-1917; 2002, Ratledge, Biochem. Soc. Trans. 30:1047-1050). Also, a mutant Aspergillus nidulans isolate lacking malic enzyme activity was shown to accumulate half as much lipid as produced by A. nidulans strains having malic enzyme (1997, Wynn et al., Microbiology 143:253-257).
However, studies in wild type Y. lipolytica suggest that malic enzyme may not play as large a role in lipid production. Beopoulos et al. (2011, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 90:1193-1206) briefly report that the overexpression of the mitochondrial form of malic enzyme did not affect lipid accumulation in Y. lipolytica.
Notwithstanding the foregoing disclosures, surprisingly, it has been found that the lipid content of a transgenic Yarrowia species, comprising an engineered polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthetic pathway and having a lipid content of at least about 35% by weight of the dry cell weight of the Yarrowia species, can be increased by overexpressing cytosolic malic enzyme.

Expression of cytosolic malic enzyme in transgenic


According to various embodiments of the present invention, an electronic device comprises: a connector comprising a conductive shell and at least one terminal arranged inside the conductive shell; a capacitor; and a circuit board comprising a first board layer at least partially facing the connector, a second board layer formed beneath the first board layer, and at least one third board layer formed between the first board layer and the second board layer. The circuit substrate comprises: a ground area made of a conductor formed at least one of the first board layer, the second board layer, or the at least one third board layer and electrically connected to the conductive shell through the capacitor while being connected to a ground portion of the electronic device; a first conductive area which is a partial area of the first board layer facing the connector, the first conductive area being made of a conductor having a first size and electrically connected to the conductive shell; and a second conductive area which is an area of the second board layer at least partially facing the first conductive area with the at least one third substrate layer interposed therebetween, the second conductive area being made of a conductor having a second size wider than the first size and electrically connected to the first conductive area. At least one of the first conductive area and the second conductive area may be arranged adjacent to the ground area such that the first conductive area and the second conductive area are electrically separated from the ground area.

As electronic, information, and communication technologies have developed, various functions have come to be integrated into a single electronic device. For example, a smartphone includes functions of an audio reproduction device, an imaging device, a digital diary, or the like, in addition to a communication function, and a greater variety of functions may be implemented in the smartphone through installation of additional applications. An electronic device may be provided with various pieces of information in real time by accessing a server or another electronic device in a wired or wireless manner as well as by executing an installed application or a stored file. For example, an application or a stored information file may be directly transmitted/received between electronic devices or between an electronic device and a server without passing through a storage medium.
In order to provide services such as real-time online games or multimedia streaming, a large-capacity and ultra-high-speed communication environment may be required, and an electronic device may have a performance suitable for such a communication environment. For example, interface connectors of electronic devices initially provided a charging function, but have evolved into a universal serial bus scheme and are capable of providing a function of transmitting/receiving data through wired access. Recently, a mobile communication terminal may be utilized similarly to a personal computer through wired access via a connector. As another example, initial mobile communication terminals provided functions such as voice call and short message transmission through commercial communication networks. However, based on communication protocols such as wireless LAN and Bluetooth, mobile communication terminals have come to be able to transmit/receive various types of information by accessing other electronic devices or networks therearound.


A method, system or device includes one or more sensors for measuring a multimodal metric, a memory having computer instructions, and one or more processors operatively coupled to the one or more sensors and the memory. The one or more processors when executing computer instructions cause the one or more processors to perform operations such as analyzing the multimodal metric to provide an analysis and determine a receptivity to a message, and delivering or receiving or presenting the message at a period of time when the receptivity is over a predetermined threshold based on the analysis. Receptivity to a message can be measured in many different ways including the use of the one or more sensors such one or more microphones used for determining a cognitive load of a recipient.

Interruptions in modern life have proliferated with the adoption of mobile information technology and services. Some schemes have been incorporated in mobile devices to alleviate inappropriate or inopportune interruptions based on a recipient's context, but many other schemes focus on the context of the sender. A sender can set a priority level to their messages or set a priority to a certain type of message based on bandwidth considerations or other contextual factors based on location. A sender can also have certain message delivery features disabled based on their mobile context. For example, many vehicles disable the caller or sender's ability to make a phone call if the device (or the vehicle that the device is in) is found to be in motion. A recipient may also have certain message delivery features disabled if the device or vehicle is found to be in motion.
Existing systems have ignored many factors that go into consideration in sending and receiving messages (which can include texts, SMS messages, phone calls, video call, images, etc.) at a most opportune time and at a context that would be most welcomed and received by a recipient.

Message delivery and presentation methods, systems and devices using receptivity


A DC/DC converter system includes a current sensor sensing a current flowing from a photovoltaic panel to a power converter device, and a DC/DC converter provided between a battery facility and the power converter device and configured to convert first DC power output from the battery facility into second DC power. The DC/DC converter includes a first operation mode in which the second DC power is generated to allow an output current and an output voltage to simulate the photovoltaic-cell current-voltage characteristics according to a current value sensed with the current sensor. The DC/DC converter may also include a second operation mode executing a boost operation of increasing a potential at a connection node, and a third operation mode in which a voltage at the connection node is converted to charge the battery facility. The DC/DC converter can selectively switch among the first, second, and third operation modes.

Conventionally, a photovoltaic system constructed as a DC-link system is known as disclosed in JP 6475945 B, for example. As described in paragraph 0024 of the patent literature, a DC-link system is a system for linking power from photovoltaic cells or a storage battery, for example, as DC power and converting it into AC power using a single inverter.

DC/DC converter system and photovoltaic system

TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION


A guide wire includes an elongated main body possessing flexibility. The main boy is comprised of a first wire having a core member constituted by a metal material, a second wire having a core member arranged on the proximal side of the first wire and constituted by a metal material, and an optically transmissive member arranged between the first wire and the second wire, and connecting the first and second wires to each other and constituted by a substantially transparent tube shaped body. The optically transmissive member exhibits light permeability such that when light is illuminated from one direction of a lateral side thereof, the light is transmissible to the opposite side through the center axis of the main body.

There has been known a catheter inserted into the inside of a living body lumen such as a blood vessel or the like and used for carrying out diagnosis of the inside of the lumen by. An example is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-344274.
The catheter described in this document is provided with a catheter main body including a lumen, a tubular guide wire insertion portion which is installed at a distal portion of the catheter main body and into which a guide wire is inserted, and a shaft which is inserted into the lumen of the catheter main body and which includes, at a distal portion thereof, an ultrasound oscillation unit emanating ultrasound. In a state of inserting the guide wire in the guide wire insertion portion, this catheter rotates the shaft which is inserted inside the lumen of the catheter main body around the axis thereof and concurrently, moves the shaft in the proximal direction, thereby making it possible to obtain ultrasound images of a blood-vessel wall.
It is also possible for the catheter described in this patent publication to be used, depending on the procedure, in such a manner that a shaft capable of imaging a blood-vessel wall by emanating light and light-receiving the reflection light thereof is inserted in the catheter main body instead of the shaft having the ultrasound oscillation unit.
Then, in the catheter described in the patent publication, the guide wire inserted into the guide wire insertion portion includes a metal core wire existing from the past, so that in case of carrying out image acquisition optically as mentioned above, light is shut by the guide wire and there arises a shadow, so-called "back shadow", in the image caused by the aforesaid guide wire as shown in FIG. 10. Consequently, at the portion where the back shadow of the image arises, that portion becomes a blind spot and the blood-vessel wall cannot be imaged. In a situation in which, for example, a lesion portion exists at the aforesaid portion which is not imaged, there is a concern that it may be difficult to visually confirm this lesion portion.


The present invention relates a biodegradable resin composition comprising an L-lactic acid unit-containing resin (1) and a D-lactic acid unit-containing resin (2). Also disclosed is a biodegradable resin molded article obtained from the biodegradable resin composition.

Heretofore, a large number of various plastic products which utilizes the characteristics of light weight, excellent processability, and resistance to corrosion and degradation have been commercially available and widely employed in human life and various industrial fields. On the other hand, corresponding to such circumstances, there is a tendency that the waste amount of the above plastic products after use has been increasing year by year. In addition, since the plastic products are substances resistant to corrosion and degradation, the waste products have caused a big problem of environmental pollution.
In response to such situation, instead of the above plastic products resistant to corrosion and degradation, various biodegradable resins easily degraded finally to water and carbon dioxide by organisms present in nature, especially microorganisms in soil and water have been developed and attracted attention as environmentally sound products.
A process for producing a polyhydroxy carboxylic acid as a biodegradable resin is disclosed in the Patent Document 1 specified below.
Patent Document 1: JP 10-204157 A

Biodegradable resin composition and biodegradable resin molded article


A self-advancing roof support for a longwall mining system includes a base, a hydraulic actuator having one end pivotally coupled to the base, and a canopy portion that is connected to another end of the hydraulic actuator. The roof support also includes a load sensor disposed on the canopy portion. The load sensor generates a signal indicative of an amount of load borne by the canopy portion in abutment with a roof of an underground mine site. A controller is communicably coupled to the load sensor and the hydraulic actuator. The controller determines if the signal from the load sensor is suggestive of a cavity adjacent to a zone above the canopy portion. Based on the determination, the controller actuates movement of the hydraulic actuator such that the canopy portion is displaced into a position underlying the cavity.

Longwall mining systems have typically been using roof supports for controlling a roof of an underground mine. These systems use a moving longwall shearer to cut out a portion of a seam that is located in front of the shearer. However, if poor geological conditions exist when the shearer cuts out a portion of the seam, a cavity could form in a portion of the roof that is between an anterior region of the roof support and the forwardly located seam. This cavity may pose risk to mine and operator safety as it exposes the mine and the operator/s to a potential risk of the roof collapsing over. It would be prudent to provide support beneath an exposed cavity as soon as possible so that both mine and operator safety can be ensured at all times when undertaking mining activity.
However, as operators of the longwall mining system are typically tasked with the activity of noticing deformities in the coal seam, such as cavity formations in the roof of an underground mine, the operators may suffer from fatigue owing to manual intervention in the process of detecting these deformities. Moreover, the operator's intuition and judgement process in detecting these deformities cannot be fully relied upon. When detecting the presence of cavities, the operator's judgement could be less than accurate, more than adequately erroneous, or delayed due to which the operator would not be able to mitigate the factor of risk to both mine and operator safety.
Hence, there is a need for a roof support for a longwall mining system that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and provides improved mine and operator safety.

Self-advancing roof support for a longwall mining system


Systems and methods for receiving GNSS and corrections signals by a GNSS rover. The GNSS rover may include a radome enclosing a GNSS antenna and a GNSS front end. The GNSS rover may also include a corrections antenna attached to a connection housing and configured to receive corrections signals from a base station. The connection housing may be configured to removably attach to the radome. The GNSS rover may further include a corrections front end enclosed within the radome and electrically coupled to the corrections antenna via capacitive coupling when the connection housing is removably attached to the radome. The GNSS rover may further include a first capacitor plate enclosed within the radome and positioned substantially parallel to an outer wall of the radome and a second capacitor plate enclosed within the connection housing and positioned substantially parallel to an outer wall of the connection housing.

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) use wireless signals that are transmitted from medium Earth orbit (MEO) or geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites to GNSS receivers to determine position, velocity, and time information for the GNSS receivers. Examples of currently operational GNSSs include the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), the Chinese BeiDou Satellite Navigation System, the European Union's (EU) Galileo, and the Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS). Today, GNSS receivers are used in a wide range of applications, including navigation (e.g., for automobiles, planes, boats, persons, animals, freight, military precision-guided munitions, etc.), surveying, mapping, and time referencing. Further applications for GNSS technology will become available as new techniques for improving GNSS accuracy are introduced.

Corrections radio antenna mount on the randome of a GNSS receiver

Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC


A self-cleaning hydrodynamic face seal for use with a rotary machine is provided. The hydrodynamic face seal includes a seal ring having a radially-extending seal face. In addition, the hydrodynamic face seal includes at least one brush coupled to the seal ring. The at least one brush includes a plurality of flexible elements extending away from the radially-extending seal face of the face seal ring.

This application relates generally to rotary machines and more particularly, to apparatus and systems for sealing a rotary machine.
At least some rotary machines, such as steam turbine engines, have a defined fluid flow path extending therethrough. The flow path includes, in a serial-flow relationship, a fluid inlet, a turbine, and a fluid outlet. The process fluid may contain debris or solid particles within the system. The debris or solid particles may deposit on internal components and seals of the rotary machine, and may affect turbine engine performance.
Some rotary machines use a plurality of sealing assemblies in the flow path and endpacking regions to facilitate increasing the operating efficiency of the rotary machine. Generally, known seal assemblies are coupled between a stationary component and a rotary component to provide sealing between a high-pressure area and a low-pressure area. Several known sealing assemblies include flexible members such as brush seals, labyrinth teeth, and hydrodynamic face seals.
In some known rotary machines, hydrodynamic face seals may be used to facilitate reducing leakage of a pressurized process fluid through a gap between two components. Hydrodynamic face seals generally include a mating (rotating) ring and a seal (stationary) ring. Generally, shallow hydrodynamic grooves are formed or etched on the mating ring face. During operation, the hydrodynamic grooves in the rotating ring generate a hydrodynamic force that causes the stationary ring to lift or separate from the rotating ring such that a small gap is created between the two rings. A sealing gas flows through the gap between the rotating and stationary rings. Large debris may not be able to enter the small gap between the mating ring and seal ring; however, fine solid particles and contaminants in the process fluid may be able to enter the gap and become caught in the hydrodynamic grooves of the rotating and/or stationary rings.
In some known rotary machines, such as gas turbine engines, maintenance of face seals may be relatively straightforward. At least some known face seals in gas turbines engines may be easily disassembled from the rotating shaft and cleaned of any debris buildup. However, is some known rotary machines, such as steam turbine engines, maintenance of face seals may be challenging. At least some known steam turbine engines may be operated continuously for a period of years, thus facilitating the buildup of debris and contaminants in the grooves of the rings of the face seal. In addition, at least some known steam turbine engines are extremely large, containing rotatable shafts with diameters larger than 20 inches. Such large internal components add to the complexity of maintenance of the seals of such known steam turbine engines.

Apparatus and systems for sealing a rotary machine using a self-cleaning face seal


A mechanism in a multithreaded processor to allocate resources based on configuration information indicating how many threads are in use.

Typically, hardware implementations of multithreaded microprocessors provide for use by each thread a fixed number of resources, such as registers, program counters, and so forth. Depending on the amount of parallelism in an application program executing on the microprocessor, some of the threads may not be used. Consequently, the resources of the unused threads and, more specifically, the power and silicon area consumed by those resources, are wasted.

Multithreaded microprocessor with register allocation based on number of active threads


Apparatus identifying an instrumentality such as a person's hand or an article of merchandise, wherein the instrumentality carries a tag incorporating a transponder generating and transmitting a radio frequency identification signal in response to a radio frequency transmitted inquiry, a nest comprising an identifying station and incorporating a proximity sensor sensing the presence of the instrumentality at the identifying station and producing an indication of the presence or absence of the instrumentality, the identifying station comprising a radio frequency sensor portion generating a radio frequency transmitted inquiry transmitted to the transponder in response to sensing the presence of the instrumentality and receiving the radio frequency identification signal from the transponder, the proximity sensor terminating generation of the radio frequency transmitted inquiry when a clear and reliable output indication identifying the tag has been produced, and the proximity sensor also preventing, after producing a clear and reliable output indication, generation of a subsequent radio frequency transmitted inquiry until the proximity sensor has subsequently produced indications of the absence of the instrumentality at the identifying station.

In industrial processes, it is often important to be able to accurately identify an event such as a person commencing to operate a personal computer or a computer terminal, or such as an item of material or a container residing at a particular location. Such an identification may be recorded and may initiate other events or sequences, and may initiate gathering of other information, such as the time and location of the event or such as the nature of the events to follow.
Identification tags on such an instrumentality (a person, object or container), have been previously known to incorporate a transponder and to emit a radio frequency (hereafter r.f.) signal in response to an r.f. transmitted inquiry, to identify the tag.
However, extensive uses of r.f. transmissions raise concerns with respect to unintended effects of such r.f. signals and responses.
Some of the r.f. transmissions may be closely coupled with personnel in confined locations. It is believed that such r.f. transmissions may have some adverse effects upon such personnel.


A document editing system includes a control configured to review document modifications. This control, referred to herein as a timeslider, allows a user to examine changes to a document as a function of time. The time slider is typically configured to allow review of the revision history of the document both forward and backward in time. Changes are optionally displayed in a redline format. Using the timeslider, a user can navigate through multiple modifications at a time.

Computing applications such as text editors may include undo and redo commands that allow a user to take single steps forward or backward through a history of document modifications. Text editors may also include a track changes feature that allows changes to a document to highlighted, accepted and/or deleted. Some text editors include a feature that allows two documents to be compared.


A counting tube for detecting radioactive radiation exclusively uses cathode pads for signal detection, which are disposed electrically insulated on the interior of an inner wall of the counting tube housing opposite the sample. A discrete electronic evaluation element is preferably allocated to each cathode element, which makes possible parallel evaluation of the counting tube signal. The cathode pads are in particular laminated in the form of a metal-coated conductive surface on a support plate made of an insulating material. The field of application of such counting tubes with the exclusive use of cathode pads is in particular in connection with multiple counting tubes where the partial areas of a total area to be measured are intended to be individually detected and evaluated.

A multiple counter of this type is disclosed in GB-A-2190787 for simultaneously detecting radioactivity from several samples which, for instance, are placed in sample dishes. In this case a substantially round, flat cathode element is allocated to each sample, several cathode elements are connected with each other to form rows and anode wires are stretched perpendicularly to such rows in such a way that an intersection point between a cathode element and an anode wire is formed above each sample. Thus a signal on a cathode element as well as that on an anode wire is required for decoding to show the radioactivity of a defined sample.
It is known that anode wire pulses are conducted with the aid of coupling capacitors which are connected to amplifiers. In this case each one of the coupling capacitors must withstand the high voltage of the counting tube and must not generate any interference pulses. The space requirements of the needed large number of coupling capacitors and their wiring is considerable on account of the required insulation.

Multiple counter for detecting radioactive radiation

Laboratorium Prof. Dr. Rudolf Berthold GmbH & Co. KG


Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining configuration update messages received from neighbor cells of a serving cell of a wireless network, wherein the configuration update messages include dual connectivity capability information of the neighbor cells. The neighbor cells are ranked according to the dual connectivity capability information resulting in a dual connectivity ranking. A target cell of the neighbor cells is selected according to the dual connectivity ranking and a dual connectivity capability of a mobile device, and a dual connectivity service is established according to the dual connectivity ranking. The dual connectivity service includes exchanging user plane messages between the mobile device, a master cell and a secondary cell of the wireless network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Dual connectivity (DC) within a wireless mobile scenario, allows mobile user equipment to exchange user data simultaneously with more than one different base stations. For example, in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, the mobile user equipment can be configured to support mobile operation of similar or different kinds. For example, mobile user equipment configured to support both LTE and Wi-Fi, or both LTE and 5G New Radio (NR), or any combination of LTE, 5G NR, Wi-Fi, or the like, may be configured by the network to utilize more than one of these links simultaneously.
Beneficially, DC can significantly improve per-user throughput and mobility robustness by allowing the mobile user equipment to be connected simultaneously to a master cell group and a secondary cell group, e.g., via a Master eNodeB (MeNB) and a secondary eNB (SeNB). The increase in per-user throughput can be achieved by aggregating radio resources from at least two eNBs. In at least some applications, coordination between participating base stations, e.g., the MeNBs and SeNBs in support of DC operation, can be achieved over existing interfaces, such as the 3GPP LTE Xn/X2 interface. More generally, DC can be achieved using different wireless access points having the same or different capabilities, such as eNBs, NodeBs, Wi-Fi, and the like.
As mobile networks evolve towards future trends, such as 3GPP 5G NR (New Radio) capabilities, it is envisioned that introduction will start with geographically limited 5G coverage, e.g., hot spots, to support high throughput using 5G, while relying on the legacy LTE network to provide an underlay coverage and reliability. In all likelihood, LTE networks will co-exist with 5G for a long time. In early stage of 5G NR deployment, 5G NR may be connected to or otherwise in communication with an LTE core system. It is conceivable that in later stages of deployment, LTE cells could be migrated to 5G Next Generation Core (NGC). In either case, UE with LTE and 5G capabilities, e.g., multiple radios, maintains single control plane (CP) connection to the mobility core network, and single or dual User Plane (UP) connection to the mobility core network.
LTE-5G NR Dual Connectivity enables new UE to connect to both LTE and 5G—achieve high throughput via 5G NR and maintain the coverage and reliability by anchoring the signaling (control plane) in LTE. DC can also minimize control plane signaling load to the core network. With the network evolving to 5G, the surrounding LTE macro cells can be of various conditions—some are suitable to be LTE anchor cell for DC, some are not.

System and method for managing dual connectivity with dynamic anchor cell selection


A turbine rotor which is easy to manufacture and has a high tolerable temperature is provided. A highly efficient steam turbine power plant is also provided. The turbine rotor is configured from a rotor shaft, an inner rotor disc constructed integrally with the rotor shaft, and an outer rotor disc which is welded to the inner rotor disc via a weld metal part and has a structure for fixing a turbine blade. The outer rotor disc preferably has a cooling hole which extends in an axial direction to penetrate the outer rotor disc over the thickness of the outer rotor disc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a turbine rotor.
2. Description of Related Art
Energy conservation and environmental conservation, and in particular reduction in CO2 has begun to attract growing interest, and it is desired in the field of a steam turbine power generation plant to increase the capacity and enhance the thermal efficiency. Enhancement in thermal efficiency is achieved by increasing the temperature and pressure of steam, and further increase in temperature is planed in future. The first stage blade of a high pressure turbine is the first element to be exposed to steam among rotating elements, and it is necessary to secure durability to high-temperature and high-pressure steam, and in particular to secure strength reliability, among others.
In a conventional material including iron as a main component, if the main steam temperature exceeds 650° C., the high-temperature strength, in particular creep strength, abruptly reduces. The countermeasures against high-temperature steam have been taken by cooling of a rotating body and the like so far. JP-A-2004-239262 and JP-A-2002-508044 each describe a method of cooling a rotor by providing a cooling hole extending from the inside of a shaft of a rotor shaft to an intermediate portion between discs, and by passing a cooling medium in the cooling hole. JP-A-7-145707 and JP-A-7-42508 each describe a cooling method in which a cooling hole is provided in a bottom of a rotor disc. JP-A-2004-169652 describes production of a rotor from an Ni-base super alloy with high heat resistance.


Ophthalmic lenses, coatings for ophthalmic lenses, and methods for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses are provided herein. In one exemplary embodiment, an ophthalmic lens comprising a polymeric lens has a first surface and second surface. A coating overlies the first surface. The coating comprises a polysiloxane, a polyurethane, an oligomer derived from a polysiloxane or a polyurethane, a polymer derived from a polysiloxane or a polyurethane, or a combination thereof, and a fluorinated material. The coating exhibits a water contact angle of greater than 90° as measured by a goniometer.

Polymeric ophthalmic lenses have become increasingly popular recently due to their fine optical properties, dimensional stability, impact resistance, and light weight. Common lens-forming materials include CR-39 (diethyleneglycol bisallyl carbonate), bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC), and poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA). Despite the above noted benefits to polymeric lenses, one serious drawback to polymeric ophthalmic lenses has been their susceptibility to scratching, particularly compared to traditional glass lenses.
Consequently, plastic lens surfaces have required treatment to provide a scratch- and/or abrasion-resistant layer on the lens surface to increase the field durability of the lens and retard the development of haze. Consequently, nearly all polymeric lenses have some type of scratch resistant coating. Further, additional coating layers and steps may be required in connection with the scratch resistant coating. Both front and back coatings can be applied in different ways such as dip coating or spin coating. Multiple coatings may also be necessary to obtain other desirable properties such as a mirror coating, and stain and smudge resistance.
In this regard, much research has been devoted to providing coatings for polymeric lenses to improve their abrasion resistance. In one coating method, coatings are applied sequentially in a multi-step process with a finish hard coat layer. As with many of the other coating processes, conventionally cured hard coat finishes also have several drawbacks. In general, some of the coating materials require that a primer be applied separately. While thermal cured hard coatings provide superior scratch resistance, they also require long cure times and high energy consumption for solvent evaporation. UV hard coatings provide fast cure, huge energy savings and high throughput production. However, the scratch resistance is generally poorer than that with thermal cure hard coatings.
Still further, all of the above noted coatings are susceptible to dirt collection and smudging. The surface can be cleaned by wiping with a surfactant-treated cloth or paper tissue, but the cleaning is temporary and the surface will become smudged in a short period of time, requiring repeated cleaning. Until recently, there are primarily two general methods of providing anti-fouling, anti-fingerprint, and easy cleaning features. One type is a surface treatment in the form of an over coating via a two-step process. The other type is UV curable or UV/thermal curable coating via polyfunctional acrylates. The disadvantage of the two-step surface treatment is that it is expensive and is difficult to use for high volume production, especially, for disposable protective articles. The shortcoming of a UV curable or UV/thermal curable coating via polyfunctional acrylates is that it results in relatively poor abrasion resistance as compared to the superior thermal curable polysiloxane/polyurethane based coating.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide ophthalmic lenses offering easy cleaning features and that have superior abrasion resistance. In addition, it is desirable to provide ophthalmic lens coating compositions that impart to ophthalmic lenses resistance to dirt collection, smudging, and abrasion, cost effectiveness, long lives and suitableness for high volume production. It is also desirable to provide a method for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses that have abrasion resistance and hydrophobic properties, the method being a one-step application process that thermally cures the overlying coating composition. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Ophthalmic lenses, ophthalmic lens coating compositions, and methods for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses


A cutting insert is produced by form-pressing and sintering of powder. The insert comprises a top chip surface, a bottom surface, and at least one edge surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The edge surface includes at least one relief surface portion which intersects the top surface at an acute angle to form therewith a cutting edge. A grinding operation is performed on the edge surface, but only along a lower portion thereof disposed below the relief surface portion, i.e., only along an area which is to be placed against a locating surface of a machine tool during a cutting operation.

The present invention relates to a cutting insert for chipbreaking machining tools, in particular for milling tools such as facemilling tools, and to a process for making the insert.
Such an insert is typically manufactured by form-pressing and sintering of an insert-forming powder material to form a body which comprises a top chip surface, a suitably planar bottom surface that can rest upon a seat surface of the machining tool, and at least one edge surface extending between the top and bottom surfaces. The edge surface, which can be placed in abutment with at least one cooperating side abutment surface of the tool, is generally inclined at an acute angle with respect to the chip surface and at an obtuse angle with respect to the bottom surface, whereby a cutting edge is formed along the intersection of the chip surface and the edge surface, adjacent to which cutting edge there are one or several relief or clearance faces.
For the manufacturing of such cutting inserts, in particular indexable cutting inserts, of hard metal. a direct-pressing method is frequently used, in which a hard metal-forming powder first is formed to the intended shape in a suitable pressing die and then given the final strength and size by sintering in an oven at a temperature above 1000.degree. C. The pressing operation as such has been further developed over the years and is today so advanced that it enables the formation of the cutting edges and adjacent chipforming faces and possible reinforcing faces with great dimensional precision. However, during the sintering operation a shrinkage takes place (usually amounting to about 18% of the original length in each dimension) and due to this, the cutting insert loses some of its original precision.
For some types of machining, e.g., some sorts of facemilling, the requirements of form and dimensional precision have become more rigorous over the last years. Particularly insert geometries with a positive cutting edge require a very high degree of dimensional accuracy to guarantee a satisfactory function at small tooth feeds. These precision requirements have up to now been met by so-called contour grinding, which consists of after-grinding the surface(s) adjacent to the individual cutting edge in one step after sintering. However, a serious disadvantage of such contour grinding is that it causes modifications in the micro-geometry of the insert, i.e., in the surface structure of the insert's edge-shaping parts after a surface treatment such as blasting, face grinding or deposition of a hardness-improving surface layer, which is usually done as soon as possible after the sintering has been finished. Thus, the width of existing negative reinforcing surfaces is altered, as well as the distance from the cutting edge to the chipforming surfaces. In practice, this means that the chipforming ability and the cutting performance of the cutting insert are diminished and that its strength and life are reduced.


The apparatus for preventing a secondary accident by short of sensing lines in a high voltage battery using a fuse, includes: a plurality of battery modules provided with a plurality of battery cells; a battery pack including a plurality of battery modules; a battery management system (BMS) for monitoring and controlling voltage of each battery cell provided in each battery pack to monitor the status of each battery cell; sensing lines connected between the battery module and the battery management system to sense voltage of each battery cell of each battery pack; and a passive safety device to be connected in series to a terminal of each battery cell provided in each battery pack when a short accident that a closed circuit is formed in the sensing line occurs.

Automobiles with internal combustion engines (IC engines) which use gasoline or diesel as main fuel significantly affect on environmental pollution such as air pollution. Thus, there has been a great effort on development of electric or hybrid vehicles in order to reduce environmental pollution.
Recently, high power secondary batteries using non-aqueous electrolyte with high density energy are under development. A secondary battery with a large-volume is formed of multiple high power secondary batteries in serial connection to be used in a device such as an electric vehicle that requires high power for driving a motor. Therefore in general, one large-volume secondary cell, which is called "battery" hereinafter, is formed of multiple secondary batteries in serial connection.
Especially for batteries for Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), several or sometimes several hundreds of secondary cells are recharged and discharged in turn and it needs to make batteries keep the optimum status by controlling recharge-discharge systems.
For this, a Battery Management System (BMS) is provided to control overall conditions of the battery. BMS estimates System-on-Chip (SOC) through operation by detecting voltage, current and temperature of batteries, and controls SOC to keep the best fuel efficiency of the vehicle.
HEV which uses high voltage battery is equipped with a system that automatically shuts off the power from the main high voltage battery when a state of emergency occurs.
The state of emergency refers to undue short-circuits and insulation breakdown caused by short that occurs by aging of related components or undue short-circuits and insulation breakdown by components destruction from external shocks. When the state of emergency occurs to the vehicle, upper components controlling high voltage such as BMS or Hybrid Control Unit (HCU) controls a power source by transmitting an order to shut main power off.
Components related to high voltage shut main power off through Controller Area Network (CAN) communication or signal transmission when voltage or current exceeding normal range is detected, when leakage current and insulation resistance destruction are found to be more than allowance during monitoring voltage and current in the line for connecting power through a series of program or sensors.
These conventional technologies for securing safety in relation to a large volume battery for electric vehicles are designed for cases that a battery is used as the main power, but still are not equipped with any device to secure safety from short of the sensing line which monitors the status of batteries.
As described above, the battery is formed of several cells connected in serial and parallel so that it could have the power and storage capability desired by users, and all these cells used are monitored through BMS and is designed to take proper actions to prevent any accident when such an accident occurs or is concerned to occur. The system is called 'active safety device'.
However, accidents do not always occur while the vehicle is under operation. Therefore, a device for preventing any accident occurring in a state that the vehicle is not under operation, i.e., a state that BMS is not started to operate, is required.
There are manual safety devices for this case. For example, provided are methods for attaching an auxiliary device to cut electrical connection off using the change of a battery s physical status, or mounting a large volume fuse on the main power line which provides electrical connection between a battery and an inverter. But for sensing lines, since a separate manual safety device is not prepared, there is a high possibility of a fire on sensing line when a short circuit accident occurs. Accordingly, the secondary fire (firing on the battery) and the tertiary fire (firing on the vehicle) are concerned to occur.

Safety component by fuse at high voltage battery sensing line


In this work, we investigated the blood platelet adhesion and activation of truly superhemophobic surfaces and compared them with that of hemophobic surfaces and hemophilic surfaces. Our analysis indicates that only those superhemophobic surfaces with a robust Cassie-Baxter state display significantly lower platelet adhesion and activation. The understanding gained through this work will lead to the fabrication of improved hemocompatible, superhemophobic medical implants.

Titanium-based implants have received a great deal of attention for their biocompatibility with many different tissues in the human body. However, when these implants come in contact with blood, platelet adhesion and activation occur, which may lead to further thrombosis and sometimes failure of these implants. It is well known that blood platelet adhesion and activation can be tailored by tuning the chemistry and texture of surfaces. One strategy that has been recently receiving attention is improving hemocompatibility (e.g., reduced platelet adhesion and activation) by employing superhydrophobic surfaces (i.e., surfaces that are extremely repellent to water).
Superhydrophobic surfaces display very high contact angles, typically >150° and very low roll off angles (i.e., the minimum angle by which the surface must be tilted relative to the horizontal for the droplet to roll off), typically <10° with water (a liquid with high surface tension, γlv=72.1 mN m−1). However, superhydrophobic surfaces may not display high contact angles and more importantly very low roll off angles with blood (a liquid with relatively lower surface tension, γlv≈56 mN m−1). In this context, we define superhemophobic surfaces as surfaces that display very high contact angles (>150°) and very low roll off angles (<10°) with blood. While there are a few studies investigating the hemocompatibility of superhydrophobic titania surfaces, it is not clear from the reports whether they are superhemophobic or not.
Accordingly, the fabrication of improved hemocompatible, superhemophobic medical implants would be beneficial to the medical field.

Hemocompatibility of superhemophobic titania surfaces

Colorado State University Research Foundation


An apparatus for processing a still picture in a video laser disc player, comprising a memory store interval control section for outputting a memory store interval control signal in response to field and field reference signals from a field separation section, an external still picture signal and an even field designating signal, a memory control section responsive to the memory store interval control signal for outputting an address increment signal and a self-horizontal synchronization signal and outputting a chip enable signal, a write/read select signal and a write enable signal to a video memory, a memory address generation section for outputting a write or read address signal to the video memory, the even field designating signal to the memory store interval control section and a color burst phase correcting signal in the still picture mode in response to the address increment signal and the self-horizontal synchronization signal, and a video signal processing section responsive to the color burst phase correcting signal and an external video switching signal for, in the still picture mode, outputting an input video signal from a laser disc as a memory output video signal to the video memory and processing an input video signal of one field from the video memory as a video signal of one frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to video laser disc players for playing back a video signal recorded on a laser disc and displaying the played back video signal on a screen, and more particularly to an apparatus for processing a still picture in a video laser disc player, in which video signals recorded on laser discs of the CLV type as well as the CAL type can be displayed as the still pictures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a video signal of one frame is recorded every one circumference (one track) on a laser disc of the constant angular velocity (CAL) type. The recorded video signal of one frame is played back and then displayed as a still picture on a screen. Thereafter, one track is jumped so that the just previously displayed video signal of one frame is again played back and displayed on the screen. The above operation is repeatedly performed to obtain the still picture. One example of this form of apparatus is shown in FIG. 1, herein.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a block diagram of a conventional apparatus for processing a still picture in a video laser disc player, in which a video signal recorded on a laser disc of the CAL type is processed as the still picture. As shown in this drawing, the conventional still picture processing apparatus comprises a microcomputer 1 for inputting an external still picture signal STL and an external vertical synchronization signal VSYNC and outputting a one track jump signal 1TRK and a color burst phase correcting signal TOG by detecting an end point of an even field (second field) according to detection of the vertical synchronization signal VSYNC in a still picture mode, a one track jumping part 2 for jumping a video track of the laser disc of the CAL type by one track in response to the one track jump signal 1TRK from the microcomputer 1, and a color burst phase correcting part 3 for inverting a phase of a color burst of a video signal VIN in the still picture mode in response to the color burst phase correcting signal TOG from the microcomputer 1 and then outputting a video signal VOUT in which the phase of the color burst has been corrected.
The operation of the conventional still picture processing apparatus with the above-mentioned construction will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG. 2.
In FIG. 2, there is shown one example of the laser disc of the CAL type. The laser disc LD of the CAL type comprises two regions which are partitioned at a desired angle with respect to a rotation direction of the disc. One of the two regions is a video information region in which the video signal is recorded and the other is a blank region in which the vertical synchronization signal is recorded. The video signal recorded on the laser disc LD of the CAL type is played back by moving a pick-up along the video track of the disc. Upon inputting the external still picture signal STL in the middle of playing back the video signal from the laser disc LD of the CAL type, the microcomputer 1 scans the end point of the even field or the second field of the one frame by detecting the vertical synchronization signal VSYNC recorded in the blank region of the laser disc LD.
In the case where the vertical synchronization signal VSYNC is active and a field signal FIELD designates an odd filed or the first field of the one frame, the microcomputer 1 outputs the one track jump signal 1TRK to the one track jumping part 2. In response to the one track jump signal 1TRK from the microcomputer 1, the one track jumping part 2 jumps the video track of the laser disc LD by one track to the just previous track in a blank interval. As a result, the just previously played back and displayed video signal of one frame is again played back and displayed on the screen.
On the other hand, the color burst phase correcting part 3 inputs the color burst phase correcting signal TOG which is provided from the microcomputer 1 to prevent a discreteness of the phase of the color burst of the video signal. In response to the color burst phase correcting signal TOG from the microcomputer 1, the color burst phase correcting part 3 inverts the phase of the color burst of the video signal VIN every frame, thereby allowing the phase of the color burst to be successive.
Subsequently, upon inputting the still picture signal STL continuously, the microcomputer 1 outputs the one track jump signal 1TRK to the one track jumping part 2 every frame, thereby causing only the video signal VOUT of one frame stored on the same track to be successively outputted. As a result, the still picture can be displayed on the screen.
However, the conventional still picture processing apparatus of the one track jumping manner as mentioned above has a disadvantage in that it can display the video signal played back from the laser disc as the still picture only in the case of using the laser disc of the CAL type in which the blank region is set to a fixed region on the laser disc as shown in FIG. 2. Namely, the conventional still picture processing apparatus of the one track jumping manner cannot display the video signal from the laser disc as the still picture in the case of using the laser disc of the CLV type in which lengths of the video tracks are the same in any place on the laser disc and the blank region is thus present at random on the video tracks of the laser disc, differently from the CAL type.
Also in the conventional still picture processing apparatus of the one track jumping manner, the one track must stably be jumped in the blank interval of the laser disc to guarantee a quality of the still picture. This stable jumping operation imposes a heavy burden on a servo system. Further, the microcomputer 1 must continue to control the one track jumping part 2 in the process of the still picture. For this reason, the microcomputer 1 cannot perform other commands at that time, resulting in a difficulty in the operation of the circuitry.

Apparatus for processing still picture in video laser disc player


A method for extracting requirements of an architectural software model comprises providing a use case model as a directed graph of the architectural software model comprising nodes corresponding to use cases and relations between nodes, and creating, automatically, a tree comprising a root node corresponding to an abstract use case and at least one leaf node corresponding to one of an abstract use case and a concrete use case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to software design, and more particularly to a system and method for checking the compliance of architectural analysis and design models.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Increasing numbers of software architects, designers and developers are using object-oriented analysis and design modeling techniques and tools to describe and document software systems. In the case of the Unified Modeling Language (UML), these stakeholders can create models and communicate them to others with the help of a common notation. Rational Rose is an example of a modeling tool that uses UML models to provide visual representations of the software. Such models integrate design and implementation environments. However, as software systems grow in the complexity and size, these models are becoming equally complex.
FIG. 1 is a graph of project stages, including analysis, design, and implementation.
A successful analysis effort is important to the success of most software projects as the detailed system requirements are extracted from the analysis model. When using a model such as UML, an analysis model is first created and a design model is derived from the analysis model.
Enforcing modeling rules and constraints can tighten the analysis process, improving analysis sessions by keeping the analysts and subject matter experts focused. Moreover, by using a rigorous process, it is easier to derive a design model upon completion of the analysis effort. However, as analysis models become large on real-world projects, they can have many fine grain details that need to be translated into software. It is typical on large projects to have well over a thousand tasks that need to be identified and assigned during software development. A risk is that the product feature will not get implemented if one of the tasks is not transitioned from analysis to design to implementation.
For a software project, the "implementation model" is the full suite of software needed to implement the design.
Design modeling focuses on architectural and software issues. During design the target language and environment need to be known. Because of the iterative nature of object oriented software development, discoveries made during design modeling may impact the analysis model. Unless the entire software development process is controlled rigorously, traceability between the analysis and design model can start to break down. Changes made to the design also need to be reflected back into the analysis model. Failure to keep the analysis and design models consistent and synchronized will result in a loss of ability to perform risk analysis and effectively manage changes to requirements, as well as an inability to keep the project test plan up to date.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for checking the compliance of such analysis and design models to reduce the overall design, development, and testing costs.

Rule-based system and method for checking compliance of architectural analysis and design models


Diagnostic circuitry of a process device is used to detect degradation of a resistive element of the process device while the process device remains online, without the use of an additional power source. In addition, once degradation of the resistive element is detected, the diagnostic circuitry can be compensated for automatically. The diagnostic circuitry includes a testing circuit and a processing system. The testing circuit is coupled to the resistive element and is configured to apply a test signal to the resistive element. The test signal heats the resistive element and causes the resistive element to generate a response signal. The processing system compares a change in the response signal to a corresponding reference to detect degradation of the resistive element.

Process devices are used in processing plants to monitor process variables and control industrial processes. Process devices are generally remotely located from a control room and are coupled to process control circuitry in the control room by a process control loop. The process control loop can be a 4-20 mA current loop that powers the process device and provides a communication link between the process device and the process control circuitry. Examples of process devices include process transmitters used to measure temperature, pressure, flow, pH, turbidity, level, or other process variables and various process control devices.
Resistive elements are typically found in process devices. Resistive elements can be process variable sensors, wires, coils, resistive temperature detectors (RTD""s), thermocouples, electrical traces, terminations, and other components of process devices having an electrical resistance. Generally, the condition of these resistive elements tends to degrade over time due to wear caused by use and environmental conditions that results in a decrease in performance. Depending on the resistive element, the decrease in performance may produce inaccurate measurements or cause the process device to fail. As a result, process devices are periodically tested to establish the condition of these resistive elements to determine whether measurements must be compensated or whether the resistive element must be replaced.
For example, temperature transmitters can use RTD""s to measure the temperature of process fluids. An RTD is a resistive element having a temperature-dependent resistance. The RTD is placed in thermal communication with the process fluid and the temperature transmitter injects a current into the RTD. The resultant voltage drop across the RTD is used to calculate the resistance of the RTD. The temperature of the process fluid is determined from the resistance of the RTD. As the condition of the RTD deteriorates, its relationship between resistance and temperature changes thus reducing the accuracy of its measurements. Consequently, temperature transmitters store calibration information which is used to compensate for the changing properties of the RTD. The calibration information used by the transmitter is determined by calibrating the transmitter.
Present calibration techniques are generally conducted offline. These techniques involve testing the process measurement device on-site or at the location of the process measurement device. One such offline calibration technique is the plunge test. Here, the RTD or temperature sensor is removed from the process and placed in a bath of a known temperature. The output from the sensor is monitored and compared to the actual temperature of the bath to determine the amount of compensation required or calibration factor. The calibration factor is then stored in the processing system of the process device. The calibration factor is used to compensate the output of the process device such that the output accurately represents the temperature of the process medium being measured. Other offline calibration techniques involve injecting the resistive element with a test current and analyzing the response signal produced by the resistive element in response to the test current. These techniques generally utilize an additional power source due to the power limitations of the process device.
The above-mentioned calibration techniques are inadequate because they can require that the device be tested on-site, that the device be disassembled, and that an additional power supply be provided. Furthermore, process devices which are calibrated offline are unable to automatically compensate for the changing properties of a resistive element used by the process device. Instead, these calibration techniques must be performed periodically on the process device to ensure that the calibration information stored in the process device will accurately compensate for the degradation of the resistive element used by the process device.
Diagnostic circuitry of a process device is used to detect degradation of a resistive element of the process device while the process device remains online, without the use of an additional power source. In addition, once degradation of the resistive element is detected, the diagnostic circuitry can be compensated for automatically. The diagnostic circuitry includes a testing circuit and a processing system. The testing circuit is coupled to the resistive element and is configured to apply a test signal to the resistive element. The test signal heats the resistive element and causes the resistive element to generate a response signal. The processing system compares a change in the response signal to a corresponding reference to detect degradation of the resistive element.

Diagnostics for resistive elements of process devices