The present invention relates to a transmission apparatus having at least two transmission branches for transmitting respective transmission signals at substantially same frequencies, and to a method of controlling such a transmission apparatus. A first oscillator circuit (62) is provided for generating a first signal at a first frequency to be used in a first transmission branch. Additionally, a second oscillator circuit (64) is provided for generating a second signal at a second frequency to be used in a second transmission branch, the second frequency being different from the first frequency. To enable transmission of the transmission signals at said substantially same frequencies, at least one frequency divider or multiplier (72, 74) is provided for dividing or respectively multiplying at least one of said first and second frequencies by a respective predetermined factor. Thereby, the first and second oscillator circuits can be operated at different frequencies, so that mutual coupling can be reduced.

Multiple transmit (Tx) and multiple receive (Rx) systems have received considerable attention in recent years as they offer substantial capacity improvements over conventional single-input single-output (SISO) systems. They have been proposed to achieve higher data rates, e.g. in wireless communication systems, with no penalty in either power or bandwidth. Multiple transmit (Tx) and multiple receive (Rx) antenna systems are referred to as multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a conventional Cartesian transmitter device, wherein digital I- and Q-data output by a digital processing unit or the like are digital-to-analog (DA) converted at respective digital-to-analog converters (DACs) 12, 14, low-pass filtered at respective low-pass filters (LPF) 22, 24 (which may be tunable by a tuning signal), and up-converted by respective I- and Q-mixers 32, 34. At radio frequency (RF) level the up-converted I- and Q-streams are combined by a combining element 38 (e.g. an adder circuit or the like) and amplified by a power amplifier (PA) 40 before radiated at an antenna 50.
In the architecture of FIG. 1, I- and Q-signal are thus converted from digital to analog signals, low-pass filtered to remove alias components, and mixed with I- and Q-LO (local oscillator) signals in a single transmission path, branch, or chain. After addition and amplification the signal is radiated at the antenna 50.
Based on such a Cartesian transmitter a dual transmit architecture (e.g. 2*TX MIMO) can be realized by adding another transmission path, branch, or chain, which then consists of two more DACs, LPFs, mixers, and another PA. A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and/or a phase locked loop (PLL) circuit (not shown in FIG. 1) provided for generating the I- and Q-LO signals can be re-used, as the Tx frequency for both transmitter chains is the same.
However, the Cartesian transmitter suffers from the disadvantage that is not the most power efficient architecture. Therefore, transmitter architectures have been investigated so as to provide a more efficient transmitter implementation.
FIG. 2 shows a polar transmitter architecture which has a higher efficiency than the above Cartesian transmitter architecture. The base-band information is now provided in the form of polar signals, i.e., an (instantaneous) amplitude signal r(t) and an (instantaneous) phase signal phi(t). By modulating an oscillator circuit 60 (e.g. a PLL/VCO circuit) with the phase component, and adding the amplitude component somewhere else in the RF transmission path, branch, or chain, e.g. by controlling a PA 42, a (data-) modulated signal can be radiated at the antenna 50. The envelope and phase information can be derived from the I- and Q-signal by the following equations:r(t)=sqrt[si2(t)+sq2(t)] and  (1)phi(t)=tan−1[sq(t)/si(t)]  (2)Thus, a dual-transmit polar transmitter (e.g. a 2*TX MIMO polar transmitter) comprises two transmission paths, branches, or chains with two oscillators (e.g. VCO/PLLs) and two amplitude modulators. As the two transmission frequencies are the same, while the modulation at the first oscillator may be completely different from the modulation at the second oscillator, the instantaneous frequencies of the oscillators can be very close together. When these two oscillators are integrated on the same silicon die, coupling between the two oscillators will be present, and may cause huge problems. The signal from the first oscillator may be coupled into the second oscillator and vice-versa. Consequently, requirements concerning error vector magnitude (EVM) and adjacent coupled power ration (ACPR) may not be reached.

Multiple transmission apparatus with reduced coupling


Embodiments are disclosed that relate to mounting brackets for speakers. In some embodiments, a mounting bracket includes a first plate portion; a second plate portion, the second plate portion perpendicular to the first plate portion; and a slot extending continuously from the first plate portion to the second plate portion.

Architectural speakers are designed for mounting to walls or ceilings in order to free up floor space and reduce sound interference, thereby improving acoustic user experience and speaker performance. Such wall and ceiling installations are increasingly utilized in commercial, as well as residential, buildings.
Typically, when installing a speaker in a wall or in a ceiling, the speaker enclosure is mounted to the dry wall with brackets. However, some rooms have special reflective or absorption materials in front of existing dry wall that add thickness to the dry wall. Conventional brackets may have limited extension range for position adjustment. Thus, with conventional brackets, when architectural speakers are mounted onto dry wall that has additional thickness, fabrication of additional interior wall supports may be required to allow the in-wall or in-ceiling system to extend outward for optimal positioning of the speakers with respect to dry wall. Consequently, cost and time for product installation is increased.

L-brackets for mounting with extended mobility range

Harman International Industries, Incorporated


A waveguide antenna is disclosed, comprising: a first plurality of slots, for producing a beam having a first radiation pattern at a first resonant frequency; and a second plurality of slots, for producing a beam having a second radiation pattern at a second resonant frequency. A method of operation of the waveguide antenna is also disclosed, comprising: operating the transceiver at a first frequency to detect objects in a first field of view; and operating the transceiver at a second frequency to detect objects in a second field of view.

A conventional slot waveguide antenna 100 is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. It comprises a hollow metallic tube 102 with a rectangular cross-section orthogonal to the axial direction z of the tube 102. The antenna 100 has an upper broad side 104, a lower broad side 106, a left narrow side 108 and a right narrow side 110. On the upper broad side 104, a plurality of slots 120, 130 are formed, arranged in two groups. One group 120 of slots 122, 124, 126 are formed to the left of a longitudinally-extending centre line 112 of the upper broad side 104. The other group 130 of slots 132, 134, 136 are formed to the right of the centre line 112 of the upper broad side 104. The two groups of slots 120, 130 are interlaced on opposite sides of the centre line 112. For the first group 120 of slots, the slot pitch 128 is λg, where λg is the wavelength of the radiation in the guide. For the second group 130 of slots, the slot pitch 138 is also λg, but the slots are shifted longitudinally by 0.5λg. That is, the slot pitch for slots on different sides of the centre line 112 is 0.5λg. Therefore all the slots radiate in phase to produce a main beam in a broadside direction, i.e. the y direction, normal to the longitudinal direction z of the waveguide 100.


An electrical connector and method of forming the same are provided, where the electrical connector includes a printed circuit board configured to exhibit a first length L, a first width W, a thickness T, and a slot of a slot-width approximately equal to T, the slot also exhibiting a slot-length at least approximately equal to one-half of L. The printed circuit board includes at least a first signal trace, a second signal trace, and a ground plane, where the printed circuit board is configured to electrically isolate the first signal trace and the second signal trace from the ground plane. The first signal trace is configured to make electrical contact with at least a first electrically conductive cable. The electrical connector also includes at least a first contact pin affixed to the printed circuit board and coupled to the second signal trace.

High speed digital signals are used extensively for transmitting and receiving various types of data, for example, for defense and commercial applications. Data rates or speeds for high speed digital signals are typically measured in gigabits per second (GBPS). Often, the commercial or strategic value of transmitted information is a function of the speed at which it is delivered. Consequently, it is desirable to increase the data rate of such digital signals. As described further below, however, where the high speed digital signals are transmitted over copper or other electrically conductive cabling, the distance along which such signals may be reliably transmitted will shorten as the data rate increases.
Digital signals are electrical pulses as a function of time that rapidly change between two voltage levels that are commonly known as logic levels "0" and "1." To have properly formed pulses as a function of time, the underlying voltage level must change between "0" and "1" rapidly, resulting in a time-dependent waveform that approximates a square wave with sharp edges. The sharp edges associated with a time-dependent pulse are commonly known as the rise and fall times (or edge rates) of the pulse. When convoluted in the time domain according to Fourier transform analysis, a square wave with sharp edges can be shown to be a sum of sinusoidal waveforms at a fundamental frequency and also higher-order odd harmonics of the fundamental frequency (e.g., the 3rd and 5th harmonic frequencies). To maintain the sharp edges of the square wave waveform, these contributions from the higher order odd harmonic frequencies must bear a specific relationship to the fundamental frequency. That is, the relative amplitude and phase of the different frequency contributions must be in a well-defined relationship in order to sum to create a square wave with a sharp edge.
As described above, high speed digital signals may be transmitted using copper cable or other electrically conductive cable connected to a pin contact. For example, FIG. 1 shows Twinax pin contact 100, which is a conventional electrical connector used to connect Twinax cabling. Twinax cabling, in turn, utilizes copper or other electrically conductive material as the medium that carries time-dependent voltage pulses from a signal source (not shown), and which pulses may be detected and resolved at a given location from the signal source as high speed digital signals. Pin contact 100 includes insulator 110 at a front end, cable socket 120 at a rear end for connecting to the cable, and outer body 130 that extends between the two ends. Pin contact 100 also includes two contact pins 160 that are positioned in two respective openings in insulator 110. Related conventional cabling and pin contacts that also use electric conductive cabling material, such as copper, include Quadrax cabling (not shown) and Quadrax pin contacts (not shown).
Conventional copper cable, or other electrically conductive cable, will exhibit a phenomenon called "frequency dependant cable loss." As applied to time-dependent signals, such electrical loss refers to the attenuation of a time-dependent signal at a given frequency that is more pronounced at higher frequencies over a given length of cabling. This phenomenon is related to the so-called "skin effect," where the current density of a current flowing within a conductor (such as copper) is greater near the surface of a cylindrical conductor than near the core of such a cylinder. Thus, the "skin effect" tends to restrict the ability of high frequency electrical currents to utilize the full cross section of a cylindrical cable, thereby resulting in a higher electrical resistance and, hence, higher electrical losses at higher frequencies.
Accordingly, a cable exhibiting "frequency dependant cable loss" will attenuate signals transmitted at the 3rd and 5th harmonics of a fundamental frequency at a given length, more so than the fundamental frequency itself (and the 5th harmonic more than the 3rd, etc.) and will thereby end up distorting the proper proportion of frequencies between the fundamental and higher order harmonics. As a function of the length over which it is transmitted, this nonlinear attenuation will cause the shape of the voltage pulse to become distorted and, specifically, to lose its sharp edges over that length. At a sufficiently large length of cable (and with a given initial distribution of pulses), such distortion increases to the point where a receiver is no longer able to accurately resolve the original set and distribution of pulses, and thereby decode the originally transmitted signal.
Accordingly, although a conventional Twinax cable and Twinax pin contact 100 may be able to carry voltage pulses associated with high speed digital signals, conventional Twinax cabling and Twinax pin contact 100 will tend to produce higher electrical losses at higher frequencies, and thus distort these underlying voltage pulses so that—over a sufficiently great length—any originally encoded signal is no longer able to be resolved.
Consequently, there is a need to provide an electrical connector that is capable of counterbalancing the inherent distortion that high speed digital signals exhibit over sufficiently great length of electrical conductive cabling, such as copper.

Electrical connector with printed circuit board subassembly


There is disclosed a mass spectrometer capable of multiple simultaneous detection. The operation mode of the instrument can be switched between a mode in which a wide mass range is obtained and another mode in which high resolution is obtained. The spectrometer includes a mass analyzer having at least a sector magnetic field and a two-dimensional ion detector placed along a focal plane of the analyzer. The detector detects simultaneously ions focused and dispersed by the analyzer according to mass-to-charge ratio. A lens means having variable magnitude is disposed in the ion path between the magnetic field and the detector. A position-adjusting means places the detector along the focal plane which differs, depending upon the magnitude of the lens means. There is further disclosed a mass spectrometer which is capable of multiple simultaneous detection and includes said lens means and a lens magnitude-varying means. In this instrument, the lens means consists of two quadrupole lenses arranged in series. The lens magnitude-varying means causes the quadrupole lenses to assume one of predetermined sets of magnitudes such that the intersection of the central orbit or ions and the ion focal plane is not moved, irrespective of changes in the magnitudes of the lenses. A rotating mechanism is needed to rotate the detector about the intersection. The rotating mechanism can be dispensed with by using a sextupole lens in conjunction with the quadrupole lenses.

Mass spectrometers equipped with a two-dimensional ion detector and capable of multiple simultaneous detection are disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,435,642, 4,472,631, and 4,638,160.
FIG. 1 shows a mass spectrometer capable of such simultaneous detection. The spectrometer includes an ion source 1 producing ions. The ions are separated and focused along a focal plane ( according to their mass-to-charge ratios by a mass analyzer consisting of a cylindrical electric field 2 and a uniform magnetic sector 3. In order to detect the separated ions simultaneously, a two-dimensional ion detector 4 having spatial resolution is disposed along the focal plane l.
The detector 4 makes use of a microchannel plate or an array of minute semiconductor detectors.
The range .DELTA.M in which the detector can detect masses simultaneously is given by EQU .DELTA.M=.vertline.M.sub.b -M.sub.a .vertline.=(L/A.sub..gamma.)M.sub.o ( 1)
where M.sub.o is the mass of the ion following the central orbit O of ions., M.sub.a is the mass of the ion impinging on one end of the detector 4, M.sub.b is the mass of the ion impinging on the other end of the detector 4, L is the length of the detector 4, and A.sub..gamma. is the mass dispersion of the spectrometer. The mass resolution R determined by the detector 4 is given by ##EQU1## where d is the spatial resolution of the detector 4.
Usually, the length L and the spatial resolution d are determined by the selected detector and so they cannot be selected at will. As an example, if the mass dispersion A.sub..gamma. is reduced to enlarge the range of masses in accordance with equation (1), then the resolution deteriorates as dictated by equation (2). Therefore, the instrument designer has had to strike an appropriate compromise between these two conflicting requirements, i.e., mass range and resolution.

Mass spectrometer capable of multiple simultaneous detection


A flame sensor comprises a filter which blocks light in an infrared ray region, a filter which blocks stray light, a narrow band filter which passes only light of a band corresponding to a line spectrum of carbonic acid gas resonance radiation generated by a flame, and a broad band filter which passes light of a band which is broader than the band corresponding to the line spectrum, and a plurality of light reception elements which convert lights passing through the narrow and broad band filters to electric signals, the flame sensor judging flame when a difference between intensities of the electric signals is equal to or more than a predetermined value and a ratio between the intensities of the electric signals is within a predetermined range, by assuming that transmission band widths of the narrow and broad band filters are equal, is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flame sensor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flame sensor capable of detecting a flame in place where solar rays or artificial rays of light such as halogen lamp are present without being affected by such rays of light.
2. Description of the Related Art
To detect a flame, there is a convenient method that detects resonance radiation generated by a high-temperature carbonic acid gas contained in the flame, as is well known in the art. A line spectrum of resonance radiation of the carbonic acid gas includes many wavelengths. To discriminate the line spectrum from ordinary artificial illumination and solar rays, it is appropriate to utilize a spectral line within the range of the infrared region or the ultraviolet region for detecting the flame. Because optical components belonging to the infrared region or the ultraviolet region do not much exist in artificial rays of light such as illumination, so disturbance by external light when sensing a flame is less in these regions.
To detect a flame in the presence of solar rays, a conventional method detects the line spectrum due to resonance radiation of the carbonic acid gas generated by the flame. To discriminate a continuous spectrum, such as solar rays and artificial light, from the line spectrum of the flame, this method compares and computes a plurality of outputs obtained from a monochromatic filter having a narrow-band that permits the passage of only the line spectrum of the flame and from monochromatic filters of a plurality of narrow-bands, which permit the passage of rays of light having one or a plurality of wavelengths, and the method discriminates whether light is the line spectrum of the flame or the continuous spectrum of the solar rays.
Another method utilizes flicker of light generated by the flame and detects the occurrence of the flame.
Among conventional methods that utilize resonance radiation of the carbonic acid gas, the method using the filter requires at least three monochromatic filters to achieve a flame sensor providing a small number of erroneous detections and capable of reliably sensing a flame. In addition, a computation circuit for sensing is complicated, and the flame sensor is unavoidably expensive.
Flame sensors using two or less filters involve the problem that the number of erroneous detections is great. Though economical, flame sensors utilizing the flicker of the flame also involve the problem that the number of erroneous detections is great.
Solar rays, artificial rays or radiation from a stove emit not only visible rays, but also radiation in the infrared regions. However, this radiation is a continuous spectrum. In contrast, the spectrum of resonance radiation of the carbonic acid gas generated by the flame is a line spectrum in which energy concentrates in extremely narrow regions.
Therefore, a flame sensor, using two filters, capable of reliably detecting a flame with equivalent certainty to the conventional flame sensors using three filters, is proposed (JP-A10-326391, JP-A2000-321132). This flame sensor utilizes the difference between the continuous spectrum and line spectrum for detecting the flame.
In this flame sensor, a broad band filter for permitting the passage of light of a band broader than a spectral line of resonance radiation of the carbonic acid gas generated by the flame and a narrow band filter for permitting the passage of only the spectral line of resonance radiation of the carbonic acid gas, are used. Intensity (optical energy) of light from the flame passing through these two filters is divided by the bandwidth of each filter to determine mean intensities.
When the intensity of the spectrum of light passing through the filters is a straight line-like continuous spectrum, energy of the rays of light passing through the two filters is proportional to the transmission bandwidth. Therefore, the mean intensities obtained by dividing this energy by the bandwidth are equal for the two filters.
However, when the rays of light passing through the filters are the line spectrum of resonance radiation of the carbonic acid gas, both of these two filters allow this line spectrum to pass therethrough and transmission energy is substantially equal. However, optical energy of the light passing through the broad band filter is divided by a greater bandwidth to calculate the mean intensity, whereas optical energy of the light passing through the narrow band filter is divided by a smaller bandwidth. Consequently, a difference develops between these two mean intensities.
Therefore, the flame can be detected by judging whether or not a difference between the two mean intensities exceeds a threshold value.
However, size of a flame which can be detected by the flame detecting device is inverse proportional to square of a distance between the flame and the flame detecting device. Therefore, wide dynamic range is needed in order to detect a flame in a wide range, that is, from a flame which is located near the device to a flame which is located far away from the device. Regarding flame detection signal and noise, the same consideration is needed. The above threshold value is set in accordance with a distance between the flame detecting device and a main (target) position to be detected. However, when the threshold value is set in accordance with a position to be detected which is near the device, a level of the flame detecting signal for a flame located far way from the device becomes too small and therefore detection of the flame becomes impossible or detection error rises. In contrast, when the threshold value is set in accordance with a position to be detected which is far away from the device, a level of the noise for a flame located near the device becomes too large and therefore detection error rises. Accordingly, there is a problem that it is difficult to detect a flame precisely in a wide range.
Further, when light having a large amount of energy in the infrared ray region, such as solar rays or artificial rays of light such as halogen lamp, is incident, due to that temperature of a filter in the flame detecting device rises, secondary radiation is generated from the filter, and therefore, detection error rises due to the secondary radiation being noise. Further, when stray light is incident in the flame detecting device, the stray light is incident from a side surface of the filter therefore detection error rises.
To solve the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a flame sensor that can accurately detect a flame in a wide range.
Also, another object of the present invention is to provide a flame sensor that can detect a flame without error even when stray light or light having large energy in a range of an infrared region such as solar rays or rays from halogen lamp is incident.
A first aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the objects described above is a flame sensor comprising: a narrow band filter for transmitting only light of a band corresponding to a line spectrum of carbonic acid gas resonance radiation generated by a flame; a broad band filter for transmitting light of a band which includes the band corresponding to the line spectrum and which is broader than the band corresponding to the line spectrum; a first light reception element for converting light transmitted through the narrow band filter to a first electric signal; a second light reception element for converting light transmitted through the broad band filter to a second electric signal; and a judging section for determining whether or not a difference obtained by subtracting a value corresponding to an intensity of the second electric signal from a value corresponding to an intensity of the first electric signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and a ratio between the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal and the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal is within a predetermined range, with the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal and the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal being obtained by assuming that the transmission band width of the broad band filter and the transmission band width of the narrow band filter are equal to each other.
The value corresponding to the intensity of the electric signal may be the intensity of the electric signal itself. Also, the value corresponding to the intensity of the electric signal, that is, the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal and the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal may be a moving average value of intensities of electric signals at a range shorter than a predetermined range which is referenced (based) by a moving average value of intensities of electric signals at the predetermined range.
The electric signal converted by the light reception element can be amplified, or it is also possible that the electric signal converted by the light reception element is not amplified. Further, a flicker component of the flame in a range between 1 Hz and 10 Hz superimposed in the electric signal when light of flame is detected is extracted by filtering processing or the like, and the extracted flicker component is used with being amplified or not amplified. Namely, it is possible that the moving average value is calculated on the basis of the flicker component of light of the flame included in electric signal.
When the spectrum of the light passing through the filter is the continuous spectrum, energy of the rays of light passing (transmitted) through the two filters, namely, the energy of the rays of light passing through the broad band filter and the energy of the rays of light passing through the narrow band filter, is substantially proportional to the transmission bandwidth. Therefore, when assuming that a transmission band width of the broad band filter and a transmission band width of the narrow band filter are equal to each other, that is, when the value corresponding to the intensity of the electric signal is converted to a value obtained by assuming that the transmission band widths of the filters are equal to each other, the difference obtained by subtracting the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal from the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal is less than the predetermined value. Causes of the difference being less than the predetermined value include the shape of the intensity distribution of the spectrum of rays of light passing through the filter and the distance between the band centers of the two filters.
In contrast, when only rays of light of a flame are present, the spectrum passing through the broad band filter and the narrow band filter is mainly only the spectral line because the spectrum of the flame is the line spectrum, and energies passing through the broad band filter and the narrow band filter are substantially equal to each other. Therefore, when assuming that the transmission band width of the broad band filter and the transmission band width of the narrow band filter are equal to each other, the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal is greater than the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal.
Accordingly, it is possible to detect a flame by judging whether or not the difference obtained by subtracting the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal from the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, with the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal and the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal being obtained by assuming that a transmission band width of the broad band filter and a transmission band width of the narrow band filter are equal to each other.
When a flame is detected by using only this difference, as described above, detection of a flame becomes impossible or detection error rises if the predetermined value is not set appropriately.
Next, a ratio of values corresponding to intensities of electric signals is considered. When the spectrum of the light passing through the filter is the continuous spectrum, the energy of the rays of light passing through the broad band filter and the energy of the rays of light passing through the narrow band filter is substantially proportional to the transmission bandwidth thereof. Therefore, a ratio of the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal with respect to the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal, or a ratio of the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal with respect to the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal is equal to a ratio of the transmission band widths of the filters.
In contrast, when only the rays of light of the flame are present, as described above, the energy passing through the broad band filter and the energy passing through the narrow band filter are substantially the same. Accordingly, a ratio between the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal and the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal becomes substantially 1. Therefore, a flame can be detected by judging whether or not the ratio between the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal and the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal is within a predetermined range, for example, is between 1 and the ratio of the transmission band widths.
When a flame is detected by using this ratio, precision of the detection becomes worse, calculation for the detection becomes very difficult, or detection error rises if a value corresponding to denominator of the ratio is a extremely small when calculating the ratio.
However, in the first aspect of the present invention, because judging whether or not both conditions of the difference and the ratio described above are satisfied, detection error does not rise, and it is possible to accurately judge whether or not a flame.
A second aspect of the present invention is a flame sensor comprising: a first blocking filter for blocking light in an infrared ray region; a second blocking filter which is disposed at a light transmitted side of the first blocking filter so as to block stray light; a narrow band filter which is disposed at a light transmitted side of the second blocking filter and which transmits only light of a band corresponding to a line spectrum of carbonic acid gas resonance radiation generated by a flame; a broad band filter which is disposed at the light transmitted side of the second blocking filter and which transmits light of a band which includes the band corresponding to the line spectrum, and which is broader than the band corresponding to the line spectrum; a first light reception element for converting light transmitted through the narrow band filter to a first electric signal; and a second light reception element for converting light transmitted through the broad band filter to a second electric signal.
In the second aspect of the present invention, because the first blocking filter which blocks light in an infrared ray region and the second blocking filter which is disposed at a light transmitted side of the first blocking filter so as to block stray light are used, even in a case of that the flame sensor is disposed at a place where solar rays or artificial rays of light such as halogen lamp are present, the flame can be sensed without being affected by the solar rays or the artificial rays of light. Also, detection error due to stray light does not rise.
The first blocking filter which blocks light in an infrared ray region and the second blocking filter which is disposed at a light transmitted side of the first blocking filter so as to block stray light in the second aspect of the present invention can be used in the first aspect of the present invention. As the light reception elements of the first aspect and the second aspect of the invention, lead selenide, a thermopile, or pyroelectric-type light reception element can be used.
A third aspect of the present invention is a flame sensor comprising: a first filter having a predetermined band for transmitting light, a blocking band for blocking only light of a band corresponding to a line spectrum of carbonic acid gas resonance radiation generated by a flame being formed within the predetermined band; a second filter, having a band width substantially the same as that of the predetermined band, for transmitting light of a band including the band corresponding to the line spectrum; a first light reception element for converting light transmitted through the first filter to a first electric signal; a second light reception element for converting light transmitted through the second filter to a second electric signal; and a judging section for determining whether or not a difference obtained by subtracting a value corresponding to an intensity of the second electric signal from a difference which is obtained by subtracting a value corresponding to an intensity of the first electric signal from the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and a ratio between the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal and the difference is within a predetermined range, with the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal and the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal being obtained by assuming that a blocking band width of the first filter and a transmission band width of the second filter are equal to each other.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is a flame sensor comprising: a first blocking filter for blocking light in an infrared ray region; a second blocking filter which is disposed at a light transmitted side of the first blocking filter so as to block stray light; a first filter having a predetermined band for transmitting light, a blocking band for blocking only light of a band corresponding to a line spectrum of carbonic acid gas resonance radiation generated by a flame being formed within the predetermined band; a second filter having a band width substantially the same as that of the predetermined band, for transmitting light of a band including the band corresponding to the line spectrum; a first light reception element for converting light transmitted through the first band filter to a first electric signal; and a second light reception element for converting light transmitted through the second band filter to a second electric signal.
In the third and the fourth aspects of the present invention, the difference obtained by subtracting the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal from the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal corresponds to the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal, which is obtained from the light transmitting through the narrow band filter which passes only light of the band corresponding to the line spectrum of carbonic acid gas resonance radiation generated by a flame, of the first and the second aspect of the invention. Therefore, by judging whether or not the difference obtained by subtracting the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal from the difference which is obtained by subtracting the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal from the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, and the ratio between the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal and the difference is within the predetermined range, with the value corresponding to the intensity of the second electric signal and the value corresponding to the intensity of the first electric signal being obtained by assuming that the blocking band width of the first filter and the transmission band width of the second filter are equal to each other, the flame can be detected (determined).
As described above, in the first and the third aspects of the present invention, a flame can be detected precisely in a wide range.
In the second and the fourth aspects of the present invention, a flame can be detected precisely even in a case of that the flame sensor is disposed at a place where light having a large amount of energy in the infrared ray region, such as solar rays or artificial rays of light such as halogen lamp, is incident, or stray light is incident.

Kokusai Gijutsu Kaihatsu Kabushiki Kaisha


Polyesters or polyanhydrides are produced by reaction of unsaturated alcohol or unsaturated carboxylic acid of defined structure, respectively, with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst composition formed from a palladium salt, a monodentate phosphorus ligand optionally mixed with bidentate phosphorus ligand, and an oxygen-containing acid having a pKa below 2.

The carbonylation of unsaturated compounds, particularly unsaturated hydrocarbons, is broadly known in the art. European Patent No. 55,875 describes a process for carbonylation of an olefin in the presence of water and optionally alcohol or acid, to produce acids, esters or anhydrides. This process employs a halide-free palladium catalyst and a tertiary phosphine with at least one aliphatic substituent. A similar process is disclosed by European Patent No. 106,379 where the catalyst system contains at least a minimum amount of triarylphosphine and a non-hydrohalogenic strong acid. European Patent Application No. 190,473 discloses a similar process wherein the catalyst system comprises a divalent palladium compound, at least a 15-fold excess of organic phosphine and certain strong acid. European Patent Application No. 198,521 is directed to carbonylation of conjugated dienes in the presence of water or alcohol, an aprotic solvent and a catalyst system containing an excess of tertiary phosphine and at least one mol of hydrogen chloride per mol of phosphine. Yet another similar process is disclosed in European Patent Application No. 235,864 wherein the catalyst system contains non-carboxylic acid having a pKa greater than 2 and/or a sterically hindered carboxylic acid having a pKa below 4.5. European Patent Application No. 282,142 discloses the inclusion of a phosphine having a heterocyclic substituent in the catalyst system.
The carbonylation of an unsaturated alcohol in the presence of acid and a bimetallic catalyst system is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,780. The product is a lactone and apparently polymerization does not take place. Substitution of an unsaturated acid for the alcohol would lead to a cyclic anhydride if the reaction were analogous. Although such lactones or cyclic anhydrides could be polymerized by subsequent procedures, it would be of advantage to provide a process for carbonylation of unsaturated alcohols or acids which directly provides polymeric polyesters or polyanhydrides.

Polymerization of carbon monoxide with ethylenically unsaturated alcohol


A magnetic saturation apparatus for a wireless inductive power and/or data transfer system which comprises a magnetic field transmitter positioned on a first side of a barrier and a magnetic field receiver positioned on a second side of the barrier. The magnetic saturation apparatus includes a saturation magnet which is positioned on one side of the barrier and which in use generates a saturation flux in an adjacent saturation region of the barrier which is located at least partially between the transmitter and the receiver. The saturation flux effectively lowers the magnetic permeability of the saturation region and thereby inhibits the magnetic flux generated by the transmitter from shorting through the barrier and back into the transmitter. Thus, the saturation region facilitates the flow of magnetic flux from the transmitter into the receiver.

The present invention relates to a system which uses magnetic induction to wirelessly transmit power and/or data through a barrier. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for magnetically saturating the barrier to increase the power transfer efficiency of such a system.
Systems which use magnetic induction to wirelessly transmit power and data signals through barriers are known in the art. Referring to FIG. 1, such inductive power and data transfer systems commonly include a magnetic field transmitter 10 which is positioned on one side of a barrier 12 and a magnetic field receiver. 14 which is positioned on the opposite side of the barrier. The magnetic field transmitter 10 typically includes a transmitter coil 16 which is wound around a transmitter core 18 and the magnetic field receiver 14 usually includes a receiver coil 20 which is wound around a receiver core 22. The transmitter 10 is connected to a signal generator 24 which when activated generates a time varying current that flows through the transmitter coil 16. The flow of current through the transmitter coil 16 causes the transmitter core 18 to generate a time varying magnetic field which in theory flows through the barrier 12 to the receiver 14. At the receiver 14, the time varying magnetic field flows through the receiver core 22 and causes a current to flow through the receiver coil 20 which may then be used to power a device 26 that is connected to the receiver coil.
Although inductive data transfer systems work reasonably well with barriers made of many types of materials, inductive power transfer systems usually work satisfactorily only with barriers made of materials having relatively low magnetic permeabilities. The reason for this can be explained by reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, which are representations of the inductive power transfer system of FIG. 1 showing the paths that the magnetic field lines follow when the barrier 12 is made of a material having a relative magnetic permeability of around 10 and a material having a relative magnetic permeability of around 100, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, when the barrier 12 is made of a material having a relative magnetic permeability of around 10, a substantial portion of the magnetic field lines generated by the transmitter 10 flow through the barrier and into the receiver core 22. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 3, when the barrier 12 is made of a material having a magnetic permeability of around 100, relatively few of the magnetic field lines flow through the barrier and into the receiver core 22. Instead, most of the magnetic field lines generated by the transmitter 10 "short" through the barrier 12 and return to the transmitter core 18 before reaching the receiver core 22.
The power transfer efficiency of an inductive power transfer system is directly proportional to the amount of magnetic flux generated by the transmitter which flows through the receiver core. The magnetic flux through the receiver core in turn is proportional to the number of magnetic field lines which pass through the transverse cross section of the receiver core. Comparing FIG. 2 with FIG. 3, therefore, one can see that the amount of magnetic flux in the receiver core 22 when the barrier 12 has a relative magnetic permeability of 10 is significantly greater than the amount of magnetic flux in the receiver core 22 when the barrier 12 has a relative magnetic permeability of 100. Therefore, the power transfer efficiency of the inductive power transfer system will be relatively high when the barrier 12 is made of a material having a relatively low magnetic permeability.
However, in many applications in which inductive power transfer systems would be beneficial, the barriers are made from materials having relatively high magnetic permeabilities. For example, in the subsea oil and gas production industry, electrically powered devices such as sensors, transmitters and actuators are sometimes positioned inside the production equipment components, such as wellhead housings, christmas tree flow lines and valve actuators, in order to monitor and control the flow of fluids through the components. Although power for these electrically powered devices may be provided by internal batteries or external power supplies, batteries lose charge over time and external power supplies require the drilling of holes through the components to accommodate pass-through connectors, and such holes are undesirable when the pressure integrity of the components must be assured.
Therefore, an inductive power transfer system for powering devices positioned inside subsea oil and gas production equipment components would be beneficial. However, many of the common materials used to manufacture these components, such as 4130, X65, Super Duplex and 1010 steel, have relative permeabilities near 1000. Consequently, the power transfer efficiencies for an inductive power transfer system for use with these components would likely be only a small fraction of a percent. As a result, inductive power transfer systems are not practical for use with such components.

Method and apparatus for power transfer through high permeability materials


One or more target components of a system that are not associated with an active initiator are identified, where the identifying is based on information regarding zones of devices in the system. The devices in each of the zones include at least one initiator and at least one target component accessible by the initiator. The information describes accessibility of devices between the zones. A power management procedure is performed with respect to the identified one or more target components that are not associated with an active initiator to place the identified one or more target components in a reduced power state.

An enterprise (e.g., company, educational organization, government agency, and so forth) can have a relatively large number of computing devices, including desktop computers, notebook computers, storage servers, storage devices, communications devices, and so forth. The collection of computing devices can consume a relatively large amount of power. Power management mechanisms are typically associated with such computing devices to allow power savings to be achieved.

Performing power management based on information regarding zones of devices in a system

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present invention provides a camera which can prevent interruption of the communication operations caused by shortage of battery capacity, during the communication between the camera and an external device such as a personal computer or the like, and which does not require an external power supply during the communication. That is, the present invention relates to a camera which has a built-in power supply, which is capable of making communication with the external device via the communication contact, and which has a body control circuit for detecting whether the external device is connected or not and selecting any one of the built-in power supply and a power supply of the external device in accordance with the result of the detection to supply the power to circuits of the camera.

The present invention relates to a camera capable of making communication with an external device via interface of various standards.
Various techniques for allowing a camera and a personal computer to make mutual communication via the serial interface have been developed.
For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-75390 and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-136245 disclose the technique relating to a camera system which allows a camera and a personal computer to make communication via the serial interface of the standards such as RS232, USB, IEEE1394 or the like to exchange the image data.
In this communication, the camera has made various kinds of communication operations by a power supply such as a lithium battery, an alkaline battery and the like provided in the camera body, or by a domestic power supply fed via a DC adapter.
However, when the communication operations are made by the power supply of, for example, a lithium battery or an alkali battery, provided in the camera body, inconvenience that the battery capacity becomes short during the communication operations and interrupts the operations has occurred. In this case, the communication could not be made again without exchanging the battery.
Further, in a digital camera, for example, large power is consumed. Therefore, it is connected to the domestic power supply via a DC adapter when the communication operations and the like are made. However, when the communication operations are made by the domestic power fed via the DC adapter, connection of the DC adapter needs to be made besides the connection of the serial interface, which requires complicated works.
On the other hand, today, the USB, IEEE1394 and the like of the serial interface standards have a power supply terminal (for example, a 5-V power supply in the USB) and a GND terminal, and users have expected use of these terminals. In the above prior art, however, feeding the power from a personal computer via the serial interface has not been suggested at all.
A CCD camera which always receives the power from the only personal computer has been already developed. However, it has not accompanied a power supply operated independently thereof, and therefore, the use of the camera has been limited.
The present invention is accomplished by considering the above-described problems, and its object is to provide a camera which can prevent interruption of the communication operations caused by shortage of battery capacity, during the communication between the camera and an external device such as a personal computer or the like, and which does not require an external power supply during the communication.
To achieve the object, there is provided, as the first embodiment of the present invention, a camera having a power supply and an electric circuit operated by the power supply, and comprising: a connector section which comprises a terminal for communication with the personal computer and a power supply terminal for receiving power from a power supply in the personal computer, and which makes connection with a personal computer; a detection circuit for detecting that the personal computer is electrically connected to the connector section; and a power supply control circuit for controlling to supply the power from the power supply in the personal computer, instead of the power supply in the camera, to the electric circuit when the detection circuit detects the connection of the personal computer.
As for the second embodiment, there is provided a camera comprising: a power supply; a plurality of camera operation means for executing a predetermined camera operation; connector means for making connection to a personal computer; detection means for detecting that the personal computer is electrically connected to the connector means; and power supply control means for controlling to selectively supply power from any one of the power supply in the camera and the power supply of the personal computer to the camera operation means. The connector means comprises a power supply terminal for receiving power from a power supply in the personal computer. The power supply control means selects the built-in power supply when the personal computer is not connected to the connector means and selects the power supply in the personal computer when the connection of the personal computer is detected by the detection means.
As for the third embodiment, there is provided a camera having a power supply and a circuit operated by the power supply, and comprises: connector means which comprises a terminal for communication with the computer and a power supply terminal for receiving power from a power supply in the computer, and which makes electric connection to a computer, and power supply control means which controls to supply power from the power supply in the computer instead of the power supply in the camera to the circuit when the computer is connected.
As for the fourth embodiment, there is provided a camera comprising: a camera operation mechanism for executing a predetermined camera operation; a power supply; a connector section which comprises a power supply terminal for receiving power from a power supply in the external device, and which makes electric connection to an external device; a detection circuit for detecting that the external device is connected to the connector section; and a power supply control circuit for selecting any one of the power supply in the camera and the power supply in the external device, as a power supply for the camera operation mechanism, in accordance with a result of the detection of the detection circuit.
As for the fifth embodiment, there is provided a camera comprising: a plurality of electric circuits for executing a predetermined camera operation; a power supply which is built in the camera; a connection terminal for making connection to external devices including a power supply; and a power supply control circuit for selecting any one of the power supply in the camera, and the external device power supply connected via the connection terminal, as a power supply for the plurality of electric circuits.
AS for the sixth embodiment, there is provided a camera system having a camera and an external device which can be connected to the camera. The external device comprises: an external device side communication terminal for making electric connection with the camera; and a power supply circuit. The camera comprises: a camera side connection terminal for making electric connection with the external device; a plurality of electric circuits for executing a predetermined camera operation; a power supply which is built in the camera; and a power supply control circuit for selecting any one of the power supply in the camera, and the external device power supply connected via the connection terminal, as a power supply for the plurality of electric circuits.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.


The thermal image smoothing method, which is a method for smoothing thermal images produced on the basis of thermal image values measured with a work that has been coated with a black body coating, is provided with a removal process wherein estimated thermal image values are set as values on respective line segments between maximum points and thermal image values that are smaller than the estimated thermal image values are removed from the thermal image values as anomalous thermal image values.

Conventionally, as a method for measuring a surface temperature of an object such as a steel plate having a flat or curved shape, a contactless measuring method is well known. For an apparatus for use of such method for contactlessly measuring the surface temperature, there are surface-temperature measuring apparatuses, for example, an infrared thermography which detects infrared light emitted from the object.
The measuring accuracy for the temperature distribution of the surface of the object measured by the infrared thermography varies in response to the emissivity of the surface of the object. In detail, even under the condition that all of the object surface have the same temperature, if the emissivity of the object varies in the imaging area, there is a variation in the amount of the infrared light emitted from the surface of the object. That is, the amount of the infrared light detected by the infrared thermography is different in response to the emissivity, and therefore it is difficult to accurately measure the surface-temperature distribution.
For instance, a black body coating is applied on the surface of the object so as to make the emissivity constant (because the emissivity of the black body coating is nearly equal to 1), thereby reducing the influence of the variation in the emissivity (e.g., see PTL 1 to PTL 3).
Though the surface of the object is coated by the black body coating as the Patent Literatures, in the case that a material of the object has high coefficient of thermal expansion or that the heating/cooling process of the system is quick, the film of the black body coating may have cracks as shown in FIG. 8(a) caused by the thermal deformation (thermal expansion or thermal shrink) of the object. In such case, the thermal image that is produced based on the thermal image values of the object involves linear patterns caused by the cracks as shown in FIG. 8(b), because the emissivity on the crack section of the black body coating is lowered. As mentioned, the cracks unfortunately occurred in the film of the black body coating make the accuracy of generating the thermal image lowered.
Conventionally, for the case that the cracks occur in the film of the black body coating, there is a technique of smoothing the thermal image produced based on the values in the thermal image of the object (e.g., see PTL 4). In the Patent Literature, the smoothing for the thermal image is carried out by using averaging of the values.
In an alternative technique of smoothing, unexpected values caused by internal noise of a sensor are removed by comparing values around the unexpected value, and the removed values are interpolated by the average of the around values (e.g., see PTL 5).
In smoothing the values of the thermal image, it is preferable to eliminate fallings of the value caused by the cracks from the temperature profile data (L1) of the values of the thermal image, which is shown in FIG. 9 as a solid line, and to obtain a smoothed data (L2) showing substantially envelope of the values of the thermal image, which is shown in FIG. 9 as a dotted line. However, in the case where the smoothing is performed as PTL 4, the influence of the lowered values of the thermal image in the cracked areas cannot be eliminated, so that a smoothed data (L3) wherein the values of the thermal image have local falling, which is shown as a chain line in FIG. 9, is obtained. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately measure the surface-temperature distribution.
The technique of PTL 5 is related to removing the internal noise of the sensor, so that the unexpected values are produced in a different way. As a result, it is difficult to apply such technique to remove the influence on the thermal image caused by the cracks occurred in the film of the black body coating.

Thermal image smoothing method, surface temperature-measuring method, and surface temperature-measuring device


In one example embodiment, a sputter target structure for depositing semiconducting chalcogenide films is described. The sputter target includes a target body having a target body composition that comprises Cu1-x(Se1-y-zSyTez)x, wherein the value of x is greater than or equal to approximately 0.5, the value of y is between approximately 0 and approximately 1, the value of z is between approximately 0 and approximately 1, and the total amount of Se, S, and Te phases in the target body composition comprise less than 50 volume percent of the target body composition.

Semiconducting chalcogenide films are typically used as absorber layers in photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells. A chalcogenide is a chemical compound consisting of at least one chalcogen ion (group 16 (VI) elements in the periodic table, e.g., sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and tellurium (Te)) and at least one more electropositive element. As those of skill in the art will appreciate, references to chalcogenides are generally made in reference to sulfides, selenides, and tellurides only. Thin film based solar cell devices may utilize these chalcogenide semiconductor materials as the absorber layer(s) as is or, alternately, in the form of an alloy with other elements or even compounds like oxides, nitrides and carbides, among others. Chalcogenide (both single and mixed) semiconductors have optical band gaps well within the terrestrial solar spectrum, and hence, can be used as photon absorbers in thin film based solar cells to generate electron hole pairs and convert light energy to usable electrical energy.
Physical vapor deposition (PVD) based processes, and particularly sputter based deposition processes, have conventionally been utilized for high volume manufacturing of such thin film layers with high throughput and yield. These thin film layers can be deposited by the sputtering (in the form of reactive/non-reactive or co-sputtering) of high purity sputter targets. Generally, the quality of the resultant semiconductor thin films depends on the quality of the sputter target supplying the material which, similarly, generally depends on the quality of the target's fabrication. Providing manufacturing simplicity while ensuring exact stoichiometry control can ideally be achieved by non-reactive sputter of high purity sputter targets of the appropriate materials having the same stoichiometry. However, as some of these materials have different atomic specie with varying sputter rates, as well as different melting points, achieving the exact desired stoichiometry in the thin film presents a challenge. Any non-stoichiometry in the resultant thin film can contribute to non-adjusted charge compensations in the structure and can affect the device characteristics. Additionally, the incorporation of impurities from the sputter targets into the thin film absorber layers can also cause inconsistent and unreliable device characteristics. By way of example, impurities can act as trap levels (which would vary based on different impurities and their relative concentrations) in the band gap. Furthermore, the sputter targets themselves should have adequate density in order to minimize arcing and defect generation during the deposition process, as these can limit the process yield.

Low melting point sputter targets for chalcogenide photovoltaic applications and methods of manufacturing the same

ZETTA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LLC—AQT SERIES


An optical communication system using a relatively large-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser. The laser has an opening larger than about eight micrometers and is coupled to a multimode optical fiber. The laser is driven into multiple transverse mode operation, which includes multiple filamentation as well as operation in a single cavity.

The present invention relates generally to optical transmission of signals and more particularly to an optical communication network of the kind having a multimode optical fiber that receives a multiple mode beam of light from a vertical-cavity, surface-emitting laser being operated in multiple modes or multiple filamentation.
Optical communication systems are used to carry information from one location to another. One of the advantages of optical systems is that they have extremely wide bandwidths. This means that optical systems can carry much more information than can other kinds of communication systems such as radio or microwave. For example, nearly all long-distance telephone calls are carried by optical communication systems because a single optical fiber can carry thousands of conversations at the same time. Optical systems also offer the potential of carrying large quantities of digital data for high-speed computers more efficiently and economically than other communication systems.
Every optical communication system includes, at a minimum, three elements: a transmitter that generates a beam of light and modulates the beam with data to be transmitted, a receiver that receives the beam of light and recovers the data from it, and a medium such as an optical fiber that carries the beam of light from the transmitter to the receiver. Typically the transmitter uses a laser or a light-emitting diode ("LED") to generate the light beam. The receiver uses photodetectors or the like to receive the beam. The medium may be an optical waveguide or the like instead of an optical fiber.
Light may travel through an optical medium in single mode or multiple modes. In general, a "mode" of an electromagnetic wave can be defined as a stationary pattern of the wave. In the special case of a beam of light (which may be thought of as an electromagnetic wave in the optical portion of the spectrum), a mode is a wave pattern that does not change the shape of its transverse field distribution as it propagates through the medium.
A given optical medium may be capable of supporting many modes or only a single mode. This is determined by physical parameters such as--in the case of an optical fiber--the diameter of the fiber and the difference between the indices of refraction of the core and the cladding.
Likewise, many lasers can be caused to operate in single mode or in multiple modes. This can be done by a suitable choice of device structure and drive conditions. Multiple mode operation has generally been understood to consist of multiple modes in one laser cavity. However, studies have shown that multiple mode laser operation can occur with filamentation due to non-uniform gain or loss. This is especially true for lasers with large transverse dimensions compared with the wavelength. For convenience, the terms "multiple mode" and "multimode" as used herein to describe the operation of a laser will include both multiple modes in a single laser cavity and multiple filamentation.
Optical communication systems are subject to various kinds of losses and limitations. Among these are intermodal dispersion, chromatic dispersion and mode selective losses. All of these have the effect of decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio, and therefore it is desirable to eliminate or minimize them as much as possible.
Intermodal dispersion becomes worse as the length of the fiber increases. Intermodal dispersion only affects multimode fibers, and therefore single mode fibers are preferred for communication over long distances. As used herein, a "long" distance means a distance that is more than a few hundred meters and a "short" distance is one that is less than a few hundred meters. Of course, it should be understood that this is an approximation; multimode fibers up to a few kilometers in length have been used successfully, but usually when the required length of the fiber exceeds a couple of hundred meters a single mode fiber will be used.
Chromatic dispersion also becomes more severe as the length of the fiber increases but, unlike intermodal dispersion, chromatic dispersion affects both single mode and multimode fibers. The adverse effects of chromatic dispersion can be minimized by using a highly coherent laser because such a laser produces a light beam of very narrow spectral width. Accordingly, highly coherent lasers have been preferred for most optical communication systems, especially for communication over long distances.
Of course, single mode optical fibers can also be used over short distances (less than a few hundred meters), for example to carry digital data from one computer to another in a local network or even to carry data between points less than a meter apart within a single computer. However, multimode optical fibers are preferred for short-distance optical communication systems because their relative ease of packaging and alignment makes them considerably less expensive than single mode fibers.
A drawback of multimode optical media has been that these media are subject to mode selective losses. A mode selective loss may be characterized as a physical condition that affects the optical characteristics of the medium. These losses may be, for example, splices in the medium, power splitters and other devices that are connected to the medium, and physical defects such as poor quality connections and misalignment of components. Although such physical conditions can be reduced by careful design and construction, in practice it is rarely possible to produce a system that is totally free of them. Therefore, all practically realizable multimode optical communication systems will be subject to at least some mode selective losses.
The actual mechanism by which physical discontinuities produce mode selective losses will now be briefly discussed. Interference between different modes in a multimode medium carrying a coherent light beam produces a speckle pattern. Ideally this speckle pattern would remain stationary, but in practice it moves about within the medium. Speckle pattern movement may be caused by physical jostling or other movement of the fiber itself (relatively slow movement) or by laser mode partitioning and the like (relatively fast movement). Movement of the speckle pattern in a system having mode selective losses results in power variations in the received signal. These variations are caused by the mode selective losses and result in a degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio. In digital systems, a degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio manifests itself as an increased bit error rate.
Mode selective losses are described in more detail in such references as Epsworth, R. E., "The Phenomenon of Modal Noise in Analogue and Digital Optical Fibre Systems", Proceedings of the 4th European Conference on Optical Communications, Genoa, September, 1978, pp. 492-501, and in Kanada, T., "Evaluation of Modal Noise in Multimode Fiber-Optic Systems", IEEE Journal of Lightwave Technology, 1984, LT-2, pp. 11-18.
Mode selective losses can be avoided by using a relatively low-coherence light source such as an LED or a self-pulsating laser diode ("SPLD") rather than a highly coherent laser. The use of LEDs in optical communication systems is described in Soderstrom, R., et al., "Low Cost High Performance Components of Computer Optical Data Links", Proceedings of the IEEE Laser and Electrooptics Society Meeting, Orlando, Fla. 1989. A disadvantage of using LEDs in optical communication systems is that the coupling efficiency between an LED and an optical fiber is very low. In addition, LEDs are inherently slow, which limits the maximum data rate.
SPLDs have been used in such systems as the Hewlett-Packard HOLC-0266 Mbaud Fiber Channel multimode fiber data link, manufactured by the assignee hereof; this is described in Bates, R. J. S., "Multimode Waveguide Computer Data Links with Self-Pulsating Laser Diodes", Proceedings of the International Topical Meeting on Optical Computing, Kobe, Japan, April, 1990, pp. 89-90. The coupling efficiency between an SPLD and an optical fiber is better than that between an LED and an optical fiber, but still is not optimal. In addition, the maximum data rate that can be achieved with an SPLD is limited. Neither SPLD nor LED systems have been able to achieve reliable data rates as high as 1 gigabit per second
From the foregoing it will be apparent that there remains a need for a reliable and economical way to carry data at rates exceeding one gigabit per second by means of optical communication systems operating over short distances.

Optical communication with vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser operating in multiple transverse modes


A concave tapered food product includes a cross section and a second end having a shape defined by a generally concave arc and a generally convex arc. The concave tapered food product has a first side and a second side shaped by a longitudinal cut along the foodstuff. A cutter assembly for cutting a foodstuff to form the concave tapered food product includes a housing member. The cutter assembly also includes a curvilinear blade including a cutting edge for cutting the foodstuff, the cutting edge defining an arc along a first portion of the curvilinear blade and a foot positioned at an end of the curvilinear blade for supporting the curvilinear blade. The foot is configured for being received and secured in the housing member. The housing member is configured for at least partially enclosing the curvilinear blade.

An increasing number of food products are processed before arriving on a consumer's plate. A variety of fruits and vegetables, for example, are cut or shaped and then frozen or otherwise preserved for later use. In order to meet the demand for processed food products and efficiently produce large quantities of such products, the food industry utilizes various equipment for rapidly processing large amounts of foodstuff. One type of equipment for cutting and shaping large quantities of foodstuff includes a stationary array of cutting knives where the food product is propelled through the knife array. For example, the food product may be propelled through the knife array by a hydraulic stream. Mechanical methods may be employed to propel a foodstuff through a knife array, for example a belt may be used to propel foodstuff, in another example a plunger may be used to force a knife array through a foodstuff. A system may be developed to propel foodstuff that utilizes gravity, for example a foodstuff may be dropped from a tower towards a knife array. A pneumatic system may be utilized to propel foodstuff towards a knife array, in one example compressed air may propel foodstuff to a knife array, for example by a belt. Food products pneumatically, or by a hydraulic plunger.
One specific hydraulic food cutter has a receiving tank filled with a hydraulic carrier fluid, typically water. Foodstuff is placed in the tank and suspended in the carrier fluid. The suspended food product is pumped from the tank into a segment of tube. The tube aligns the suspended food product with the cutter blade assembly, which includes a number of knife blades mounted parallel to one another. If the food product is to be cut into slices, only a single array need be utilized; however, if the food product is to be cut into elongated, slender pieces, such as French fries or wedges, two such arrays are utilized with the knives in one array extending generally perpendicular to the knives in the other array.
Foodstuffs that are processed to include planar surfaces lack both the appearance of a natural shape, as well as the functional ability to retain various garnishes and toppings. Many consumers desire products which have the appearance of being a naturally shaped product while including functional characteristics such as the ability to easily retain a quantity of seasonings, toppings, garnishes, and the like.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a food product cut from a foodstuff, the food product including more naturally shaped surfaces and the ability to hold and retain various toppings. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus for cutting a foodstuff into a shape having such characteristics.

Cutter assembly for concave tapered food product


A method for controlling traffic signals to give signal priority to a vehicle travelling along a planned route, which is divided into sections. The method comprises the steps of receiving a report from the vehicle which comprises at least the next few sections along the planned route, determining whether the reports contain at least one section on both sides of an intersection, and, if this is the case, controlling the traffic light at the intersection to give priority to the route through the intersection, for the vehicle to enjoy signal priority treatment. According to the invention, a signal priority method is provided which allows the planned route of the vehicle to be predicted well in advance. The possibility of advance planning is obtained by describing the planned route of the vehicle in terms of predefined sections of the route.

Due to the large number of vehicles on our roads, intense local traffic flows occur now and then. The congestion is particularly noticeable in cities with many intersections, and traffic lights are often adapted to control traffic for optimising the traffic flow.
In some situations it may be appropriate to give priority to specific vehicles, such as emergency vehicles and local public transport. To give these specific vehicles the right of way when passing traffic lights, it is generally known to use signal priority systems. Traffic lights are controlled to give priority to the specific vehicles and to interrupt the normal signal operations. Effective signal priority operations include not only resetting the traffic lights concerned well in advance to allow the specific vehicle to pass, but also timing the operations to reduce disruption of normal traffic to a minimum.
Signal priority systems are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,940,422; U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,113; U.S. Pat. No. 6,909,380; and in WO2005/029467. The systems according to the above patents handle signal priority control in different ways, but with the same objective, namely to give the best possible signal priority treatment to one or more specific vehicles. Even if the systems provide increased accessibility for specific vehicles, more could be done in terms of improving the accuracy in identifying which traffic signals will be affected, when they will be affected and how their signals will be manipulated. In other words, there is a need for a solution offering improved advance planning and greater accuracy as to the planned route of the specific vehicle.

Method for controlling traffic signals to give signal priority to a vehicle


A dispenser for pasty compounds includes a tubular compound housing having a feeding plunger and a head piece which is guided in a spring-mounted manner on an upper tube piece and has a metering chamber with which there is associated an inlet valve. In order to provide a dispenser of this kind that has improved performance and a simplified construction, it is proposed that a spring element is composed of two U legs which roll down between parallel annular walls of the head piece and the compound housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dispenser for pasty compounds, comprising a tubular compound housing having a feeding plunger and a head piece which is guided on the upper tube piece and has a metering chamber with which there is associated an inlet valve, and for the spring-back of the head piece into the starting position, a spring element is provided which extends from the head piece to the upper tube piece and has a U-shaped end at the level of the inlet valve.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dispensers of the type in question are known. They serve in particular to provide metered discharge of pasty compounds, and furthermore, for discharge of a cream such as toothpaste or a body care cream, for example, a feeding plunger being provided in a container which stores the compound, and the compound being discharged in a metered amount by pumping movement of the head piece. In this context, reference is made to EP 1 539 365 B1, for example. A dispenser of the type in question is known from this patent specification, in which a spring element held between the head piece and the upper tube piece of the compound housing is loaded by user-actuated lowering of the head piece to discharge the compound. Upon cessation of the pressure load applied by the user to the head piece, the latter is moved back into the starting position as a result of the restoring force of the spring element that is built up beforehand. The spring element preferably has a U-shaped portion with respect to a vertical portion, the U-shaped portion extending freely between the tube piece of the compound housing and a circumferential wall of the head piece, a U leg rolling up or down along a conical portion of the tube piece at the compound housing end in the course of the loading and/or relaxation of the spring element.


A method for operating a network, a proper subset of the nodes carrying out at least one special task. The method includes assigning a weight to each node, each node having the option as a donor node to conditionally or unconditionally delegate portions of its weight to recipient nodes. Based on the weight of each node, plus portions delegated to it and minus portions delegated by it, the proper subset of the nodes is selected, based on at least one predefined criterion. A portion of a donor node is conditionally delegated to at least two recipient nodes, under the suspending condition that the recipient node does not belong to the proper subset after the selection, and the same portion that is conditionally delegated to multiple recipient nodes is taken into account at most upon acceptance of one of these recipient nodes into the proper subset.

Block chains are data memories that are organized as a chain of data blocks. Before being added to the block chain, each new data block is checked for compliance with a predefined set of rules, and additionally contains a cryptographic hash value of the preceding block. As a result of each subsequent change of information in a data block, at least one cryptographic hash value in the chain no longer matches the content of the block in question unless the hash values of all subsequent blocks already present are likewise adapted.
With the management of block chains, it is precisely this adaptation that is effectively prevented by distributed networks of computer-implemented nodes. In these networks, all nodes exchange the information, already present in the block chain and to be newly received, with one another and also with querying client stations. Tasks for management and continuation of the block chain, for example the addition of new blocks to the block chain, are special tasks which within the network may be assigned to a subset of nodes according to an automated consensus mechanism. A subsequent change of data in the block chain therefore requires a consensus of a majority of the nodes in the network.
The likelihood that a given node might add the next block to the block chain may be a function, for example, of a computing time spent by these nodes for the network ("proof of work").
Alternatively, this likelihood may be a function, for example, of a deposit amount with which the particular node guarantees compliance with the set of rules ("proof of stake"). Nodes may in particular be free to make contributions from their own resources to the deposit amount of another node from a predefined list ("delegation proof of stake"), or even some other arbitrary node ("unpermissioned delegation proof of stake") in order to support this node in its "candidacy" for the addition of the next block.

Dynamic assignment of special tasks in distributed networks


The present invention discloses a portable water pipe, has a smoking pipe body and a smoking hose connected with the smoking pipe body. The smoking pipe body comprises a cover, a cut tobacco burning device and a water bottle. The cover is provided with air inlet holes, and an opening is provided in the top surface of the water bottle, and thus an enclosed space is formed by the cover and the water bottle. The cut tobacco burning device is provided in the enclosed space and is fixed at the opening of the water bottle by connecting elements. When in use, water is firstly filled in the water bottle, and then the cut tobacco placed in the cut tobacco burning device is lit and the cover is placed. A smoker begins smoking through the smoking hose. Smoke produced by the burning of the cut tobacco in the cut tobacco burning device is discharged through a smoke filtering tube and is then filtered through water and discharged through the smoking hose. The present utility model integrates the cut tobacco burning device in a bottle body formed by the cover and the water bottle, which has a compact structure, a small volume and good portability, and is convenient for the smoker to use during travel.

There is a wide variety of water pipes. For example, Chinese Patent CN2537239Y discloses a water pipe, which comprises a smoking pipe and a mouthpiece, a smoke channel is provided in the smoking pipe, a bowl holder is connected to the upper end of the smoking pipe, and a bowl is connected to the top of the bowl holder, a plurality of through holes are formed in the bottom of the bowl and are in communication with the smoke channel in the smoking pipe; a water container is connected to the lower end of the smoking pipe, and the smoke channel in the smoking pipe extends into the water container, a cavity is provided at the joint of the lower end of the smoking pipe and the water container; a smoke-hole joint is further provided on the lower end of the smoking pipe, and the smoke-hole joint is in communication with the cavity, and the mouthpiece is connected with the smoke-hole joint through a long hose. During use, cut tobacco is firstly placed in the bowl and is sealed by a tinfoil that is perforated to form a plurality of small holes, and then burning charcoal is placed on the tinfoil, and then a smoker may inhale tobacco smoke by sucking through the mouthpiece. The device is used on a negative pressure principle. Since smoke is produced by the cut tobacco between the tinfoil and the bowl, when a smoker sucks on the mouthpiece, a negative pressure is produced in the smoke channel, and the smoke enters the water container through the smoke channel from the bowl, and after being filtered through clean water, the smoke is drawn out of the mouthpiece from the cavity at the lower end of the smoking pipe through the smoke-hole joint and the hose. The water pipe has the characteristics of durability, convenience in use and an aesthetic appeal, and is thus well received by the vast water pipe smokers. However, said water pipe still has some deficiencies in the process of practical use, such as a) a large volume, which makes it difficult to take around for smoking and thus cannot meet the traveling need; b) relative complexity of its connecting parts and complicated assembling process, which directly results in high cost in both production and use; and c) a water container made of glass, which is susceptible to damage and affects the service life span of the device as a whole, etc.


The present invention relates to a Raman amplifier where flexibility in device design considering both of Raman amplification and dispersion compensation is high. In the Raman amplifier, the Raman amplification optical fiber included in the optical amplification section and the dispersion compensating optical fiber included in the dispersion compensation section are arranged while being optically connected to each other. Since the optical amplification section and the dispersion compensation section are provided as independent optical devices, one device can be designed without being restricted to the design conditions of the other device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Raman amplifier Raman-amplifying signal light of a plurality of channels having wavelengths different from each other, and an optical communication system including the same.
2. Related Background Art
A rare earth element-doped optical fiber amplifier which uses a rare earth element-doped optical fiber as an optical amplification medium is an optical device having a structure for supplying pumping light having a wavelength to pump the rare earth element into the optical fiber, and amplifying signal light by using the transition between the energy levels of the rare earth element. Therefore, in a rare earth element-doped optical fiber amplifier, the wavelength band range of signal light which can be amplified is limited. Whereas the Raman amplifier is an optical amplifier using the Raman scattering phenomena in an optical fiber where signal light propagates, and if the transmission medium of the signal light is a silica-based optical fiber, then the signal light can be Raman-amplified by supplying pumping light, having a wavelength about 100 nm shorter than the signal light wavelength, to the optical fiber. Therefore, with the Raman amplifier, the wavelength band range of signal light which can be amplified is arbitrary, and the pumping light wavelength can be appropriately set according to the signal light wavelength.
As the Raman amplifier, not only a structure for Raman-amplifying signal light in an optical fiber transmission line laid in the relay section, but also a structure, as a module provided in a repeater, for Raman-amplifying signal light in the repeater is known. The Raman amplifier is an optical device using Raman scattering, which is one type of non-linear optical phenomena in a Raman amplification optical fiber. Since a dispersion compensating optical fiber compensates for a chromatic dispersion of the optical fiber transmission line is, in general, an optical fiber having a small effective area and a high non-linearity, a structure for Raman-amplifying signal light by using this dispersion compensating optical fiber as a Raman amplification optical fiber is also known.

Raman amplifier and optical communication system including the same


A stress wave sensor comprising a piezoelectric film and means therein for connection to sensor electronics. The piezoelectric film preferably comprises polyvinylidene fluoride. Also a stress wave sensor system and methods employing one or more such stress wave sensors, preferably attached to a vehicle transparent component, most preferably to the vehicle windshield.

Patent Cooperation Treaty ("PCT") Application No. US00/04765 and the art discussed therein relate to detecting forces applied to transparency products such as automotive glass. PCT US00/04765 discloses various sensors, including capacitive sensors, embedded in or adhered to glass products, which are sensitive to physical forces applied to the glass product. In a vehicle crash sensing and occupant protection system, multiple sensors are used to determine the origin of the impact and other useful characteristics of the crash, to optimize the occupant restraining devices.
It is known that most materials change shape or form when subjected to stress, and the change may be evidenced in the material by any of several mechanisms. One such mechanism is an acoustic wave ("AW") in which acoustic energy propagates through the material without affecting the integrity.
PCT US00/04765 discloses use of capacitive sensors, or other sensors such as strain gauges, embedded in laminated glass or adhered to glass, for the purpose of detecting vehicle crash characteristics. The present invention provides greatly improved sensors used for the cited purposes, means for determining parameters of the vehicle crash, application of the sensors on other vehicle structural components, and use of data from the spatially-distributed sensors to determine characteristics of frontal, side, rear, and other impacts as well as vehicle rollover conditions.