An active optical network switch having a switch module, a plurality of uplink modules and a plurality of downlink modules connected to a backplane for connecting the modules and passing signals among them. A CPU module assists in managing the routing of traffic signals by the switch module; said modules and backplane are enclosed in an environmentally hardened housing. Six downlink modules may include four downlink ports each, for connecting the switch to twenty-four subscribers. Multiple switches may be daisy-chained together; one being a master and the remainder being slaves, to increase the number of subscribers that are served by an uplink fiber/pair. Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing may aggregate traffic signals between many subscribers and a CO/head end along a single backhaul fiber. Switch software may provide “network edge” functions including traffic shaping, policing, filtering and aggregation, and address control.

Recently, the number of network connections providing high-speed access has been growing. The deployment of these connections has typically been over networks using copper digital subscriber lines ("DSL") and existing Community Antenna Television systems ("CATV"), and in some cases wireless links. The demand by consumers for these technologies is based on their desire for faster service than is provided by dial-up modem systems. While traditional dial-up modems typically have a rated download speed of 56,000 bits per second ("bps"), DSL modems can provide up to 1,500,000 bps and cable modems can theoretically provide up to 2,500,000 bps. Thus, these two technologies have the capability to provide up to about 50 times the access speed of a dial-up modem system.
However, another technology known in the art as Fiber-To-The-Home ("FTTH"), can provide 155,000,000 bps or higher, or at least 100 times the download speed of current high-speed Internet technologies. FTTH typically uses Ethernet technology, which is known in the art, to achieve these high transfer rates. Technology referred sometimes referred to as Fast Ethernet can provide in the range of 100 Mbps and an even newer technology can provide speeds in the billion bits-per-second range. Appropriately, this technology is often referred to in the art as Gigabit Ethernet. For present purposes, Fast Ethernet refers to technology that transmits data in the 100 Mbps magnitude range and gigabit Ethernet refers to technology that transmits in the range of a billion bps or higher.
Obviously, the great advantage of FTTH is speed. The downside is that currently the cost is higher than traditional telephony (sometimes referred to as "plain old telephone service", or "POTS") or CATV systems, which are the most common networks for implementing the Internet.
However, as with all technologies, the cost of FTTH is falling as the deployment rate increases. Much like CATV during its early stages of deployment, whether FTTH is available will increasingly be a factor in the calculus for making a home buying decision. This is because not only is the speed of Internet use increased, but also because other services, such as voice-over-IP, video-over-IP and high definition television ("HDTV"), will be more readily available. This may ultimately reduce a subscriber's costs, as all of these services may be offered by a single provider on one incoming fiber optic cable, or drop cable, to a subscriber's house or place of business.
Although FTTH is currently being deployed, its development and deployment are still in their infancy. Accordingly, as is typically the case when new technology is in the early stages of its life, many vendors, in the spirit of competition, are developing new products to implement FTTH. And, as is also typical, these various products are often incompatible with one another. For example, a different method and protocol for transmitting and receiving Internet data signals may be employed from those used for transmitting and receiving HDTV or other video signals.
When this situation occurs, a separate piece of equipment is typically required for decoding and encoding a signal received or sent over the drop cable before the signal is recognizable by the piece of equipment for which it was intended. For example, a television set may require a set-top-box for decoding a HDTV signal before it is presented to the television set, while a personal computer may require a cable modem for interfacing with the network. This has been the state of affairs for a while, since telephony companies traditionally have provided services on copper twisted pair cables and CATV network providers have typically delivered services on typically coaxial electrical conductors.
Although subscribers have grown accustomed to the typical scenario of multiple providers for different services, such as, for example, a cable company providing CATV services, a separate Internet service provider and a separate telephone company providing telephony services, this may not be a desirable scenario for the subscribers or the providers. A subscriber may not enjoy making separate monthly payments to each of the providers. Furthermore, the subscriber probably laments the cost of the service while making the payments. Many of the providers would like to offer more than only one service, i.e. a telephone company may wish to compete with a cable company by providing television programming.
Such competition would, over time, reduce the cost to the subscriber of the television programming and increase the quality of the programming. One of the reasons the providers have been slow to offer services outside of their core services is uncertainty of laws and regulations. Only recently has the United States Congress, and federal agencies and courts, begun passing legislation, promulgating rules and issuing decisions that relax previous prohibitions against a single service provider offering more than their traditionally core service. Such developments in the law and regulations are typically slow to formulate. Thus, providers have been reluctant to test the legal waters, and therefore reluctant to make the investment in infrastructure and technology that would spur equipment makers to develop new technologies and products.
However, as the regulatory oversight by the federal and state governments declines, more and more companies are beginning to offer composite services. This requires that technology be available to facilitate the offering of these services.
One technological hurdle that exists is the one previously discussed in that many equipment makers rely on different technologies that are not always compatible with one another and with every network technology used by the various providers. For example, an optical network provider may employ 100baseF technology in its network, while a coaxial network provider may employ 100baseT technology. Similarly, one optical equipment manufacturer may make equipment configured for multimode 100 Mbps Ethernet networking, another for single mode 100 Mbps Ethernet networking, another for 1310 nm gigabit Ethernet networking and another for ITU grid gigabit Ethernet networking. Furthermore, subscribers may receive cable modem services from CATV providers that conform to the DOCSIS standard. This equipment must be able to transmit and receive a signal and convert it to format compatible with the various types of subscriber equipment devices, yet still be relatively inexpensive.
To date, the architecture primarily used by network operators is the Passive Optical Network ("PON"). A PON typically aggregates 16 to 32 subscribers per fiber at an aggregation point, which is typically a splitter or two splitters at different locations. The range of such a system is limited to less than 20 km, thereby ensuring the need for a network of central office ("CO") locations throughout the serving area.
Parameters that are of prime importance to network operators contemplating the deployment of FTTH networks include cost per subscriber, network scalability, which relates to future proofing and investment lifecycles. A system that can be easily scaled to offer more bandwidth or serve more subscribers is more likely to remain competitive in the future as new services are introduced to the growing community of subscribers with broadband access.
Another important parameter is that of aggregation efficiency; in other words, the number of subscribers that can be served over a single fiber. This is because the costs in the CO/head-end and the long-haul part (portion between CO/head end and splitter or local switch node) of the network are directly related to the aggregation efficiency. An operator will typically have to build additional fiber infrastructure within a service area as customers and services are added that require increases in bandwidth over existing infrastructure. An efficient aggregator is one who can reduce the need to upgrade portions of the longer-haul part of the fiber network, thereby substantially reducing the network costs associated with network deployment vis-à-vis his or her competitors. Thus, there is a need for a method and architecture that provides scalability that, for example, eliminates or postpones the need to install additional fiber to facilitate additional bandwidth.
In addition to the above, another important parameter that concerns network operators is the need for building locations in a serving area. Due to range limitations and/or lack of suitable outside-plant equipment, many competing architectures need multiple 'secondary hub' or CO locations throughout the serving area. The processes and costs associated with identifying, acquiring and preparing suitable locations for building secondary hubs can be extremely burdensome, especially for new or small operators, as they typically involve real estate negotiations, procurement of local-authority-permits and substantial construction costs to build from scratch or modify a given location. These burdens place limits on the speed and magnitude of new service deployment, and can be especially fatal for small operators who need to quickly achieve a critical mass of paying subscribers. Equipment suitable for use as outside plant, i.e. suitable for outdoor or underground use, and with sufficient optical range to reach remote single-serving locations, greatly reduces the need for multiple building locations. Thus, there is a need for a device that facilitates network implementation without the need for many closely located buildings for secondary hubs.
Another concern for network service providers is the prevention of hacking and address spoofing, activities both of which can render the network at least temporarily out of service. Thus, there is a need for a method and architecture for preventing address spoofing and hacking.

Scalable method and architecture for an active switch defining a network edge having multiple uplinks and using wavelength division multiplexing


An optical encoder for sensing angular position includes a rotatable optical medium having a major surface and an axis of rotation perpendicular to the surface, with a plurality of uniformly sized angular sectors defined on the surface. An annular absolute track is defined on the surface concentric with the axis, a plurality of digital bits being formed on the surface in sequence along the absolute track within each sector. Each such bit is optically readable as a binary 1 or a binary 0, with each plurality of bits defining a binary word. A first series of optically detectable incremental marks are evenly spaced around a first incremental track on the surface. The binary word in a sector is optically read to identify the angular position of that sector and indicate the approximate angular position of the medium, while the first series of incremental marks can be optically detected to refine the approximate angular position indication. A source of light illuminates the surface along a fixed radius from the axis, while a digital track detector senses the illumination reflected from the absolute bits and a first incremental track detector senses the illumination reflected from the incremental marks. Signal processing and decoding means convert the output of the absolute track detector into a binary word and interpolate the precise angular position of the medium from the output of the first incremental track detector. An input absolute track optical fiber is connected between a absolute track optical coupler and proximate the surface of the medium, while a first input incremental track optical fiber is connected between a first incremental track optical coupler and proximate the surface. Output absolute track and first incremental track optical fibers are connected between the couplers and the track detectors for conveying reflected light from the tracks to the detectors.

This invention is concerned with optical encoders which are used to measure accurately the angular displacement of a shaft or rotating member. More particularly the invention relates to a technique for optically ascertaining the angular position of a rotating member using a combination of absolute and incremental sensing.
The need for precision measurement in a variety of devices demands an inexpensive, high resolution method for ascertaining angular position. Stepper motors, for example, as used in such diverse applications as gun turrets, paper making plants, machine tools, direct drive motors, and robotics applications, require a high precision indication of angular position. Such angular displacement information may be utilized in subsequent process steps or as a feedback indicator of system error and misalignment.
Prior art absolute encoders employ a disk having a series of abbreviated lines at various radii coupled with a multiple channel reader to directly read the position of the encoder in a binary format. While such a system is simple and inexpensive, it does not provide the accuracy required by modern high precision instrumentation.
Other prior art encoders use laser technology, such as the laser incremental encoder model X-1, manufactured by Canon. A complex series of prisms in this device is used to produce 225,000 sinusoidal waves per revolution. The 225,000 waves are each further subdivided into 80 pulses per wave to yield 18 million pulses per revolution. The principle employed in the laser rotary encoder is that of a grating disk having a series of radially oriented bars about its outer periphery. The radially oriented bars are very small and must be positioned on the disk with great precision. A grating disk having the required grating bar tolerances for the laser rotary encoder is difficult and expensive to fabricate. Furthermore, the grating disk is required to be used in conjunction with a phase plate having similarly strict manufacturing requirements.
The cost of such a high precision rotary encoder is consequently quite prohibitive. Furthermore, because of the electronic components in this apparatus, there are limitations on the operating environment in which such an encoder may be employed. The operating temperature of the encoder must remain within a temperature range of approximately 10.degree. C. to 40.degree. C. Otherwise, not only may inaccuracies be introduced into the measurements, but the encoder may be damaged or destroyed. Consequently there is a need in some low and high temperature position measurement applications to employ a device which does not require any electronic components in the position encoder head.
What is needed is an angular displacement rotary encoder having a precision and resolution which exceeds that available for encoders in its class. The cost of such an encoder should be considerably less than that associated with a complex laser rotary encoder, yet the resolution should be much greater than that obtainable with a standard direct digital read encoder.

High resolution optical hybrid absolute incremental position encoder


A new and distinct variety of strawberry plant named ‘Romina’ particularly characterized by high adaptability to non-fumigated soil, very early ripening, good taste with high sweetness, high firmness and shelf life, is disclosed.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct June-bearing strawberry variety designated 'Romina' and botanically known as Fragaria×ananassa. This new strawberry variety was discovered in Cesena, Italy in 1999 and originated from a cross between the female parent, selection '95,617,1' (unpatented, Selection of National Breeding Programme Strawberry Project—Italy) and the male parent, cultivar 'Darselect' (EU CPVR Grant no. 1763 and U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,402). 'Romina' was first fruited in Ancona, Italy in 2001, where it was selected and originally designated AN99,78,51.
The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations via stolons and tissue culture.
Plant Breeder's Rights for this variety have been applied for in Europe on May 30, 2011 having CPVR application no. 20111275. 'Romina' has not been made publicly available or sold more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.


A method of detecting and transmitting radiation detection information to a network. The method including: communicating with one or more personal radiation detection devices, each device including, a host memory, an event memory, a microprocessor, a global positioning unit and a transceiver or a transmitter; a radiation shield around the host memory and the event memory; a radiation detection memory, the radiation detection memory, responsive to alpha radiation and including two or more SRAM arrays including cross-coupled invertors coupled to wordlines through different value capacitors; a conversion device including a material able to convert neutron and/or gamma radiation into alpha radiation; and an event detection circuit configured to detect and to store data relative to detection of the alpha radiation events by the radiation detection memory; storing the data in the event memory; and retrieving, in a reading device of the network, the data stored in the event memory.

In the event of a nuclear event such as a conventional or "dirty" nuclear weapon occurring in a metropolitan, suburban or rural area, there are two problems that would arise immediately for healthcare providers and first responders. The first problem would be determining the extent of radiation exposure for persons brought to hospitals or being treated by first responders. In the case where there is a large numbers of potential victims and limited healthcare resources, triage becomes essential, but there is currently no way to perform radiation exposure triage absent physical symptoms, and wherein those physical symptoms can be unreliable. The second problem is determining both the geographic extent and exposure level distribution of the radiation event as well as determining an estimate of the number of potential victims in the area effected.
Therefore, there is a need for radiation detection schemes and apparatus and methods of transmitting radiation detection information to networks that address healthcare triage and an estimate of the radiation level and potential victim geographical distributions.

Method of detecting and transmitting radiation detection information to a network

International Business Machines Corporation


A cover assembly for an automatic transfer switch (ATS) is provided. The ATS includes an operator-panel portion and a pole-assembly portion, wherein the operator-panel portion comprises at least one solenoid and associated wiring. The cover assembly includes and operator-panel cover and a pole-assembly cover. The operator-panel cover is configured to cover the operator-panel portion such that the at least one solenoid and associated wiring are substantially enclosed, the operator-panel cover comprising a first plurality of ventilation louvers for heat dissipation. Further, the pole-assembly cover is configured to cover the pole-assembly portion, the pole-assembly cover comprising a second plurality of ventilation louvers for heat dissipation.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A transfer switch is an electrical switch that reconnects an electric power source from a primary source to a standby source. A transfer switch may be manually or automatically operated. An automatic transfer switch (ATS) may include an operator-panel portion and a pole-assembly portion. The operator-panel portion may include at least one solenoid and associated wiring. Operator-panel portions having a single solenoid or operator-panel portions having dual solenoids are common in existing ATSs. Further, pole-assembly portions of ATSs commonly include a switch that indicates the operational state of the ATS. For instance, the switch may have respective positions that correspond to a normal-operation position and an emergency-operation position.

Cover assembly for automatic transfer switch (ATS)


Noble metal-containing titanium or vanadium zeolite catalysts are prepared by adding a noble metal source to a titanium or vanadium zeolite that contains templating agent used in the preparation of the zeolite, and then removing the templating agent to form the noble metal-containing titanium or vanadium zeolite catalyst. The catalyst is useful in olefin epoxidation with oxygen and hydrogen.

Many different methods for the preparation of epoxides have been developed. Generally, epoxides are formed by the reaction of an olefin with an oxidizing agent in the presence of a catalyst. The production of propylene oxide from propylene and an organic hydroperoxide oxidizing agent, such as ethyl benzene hydroperoxide or tert-butyl hydroperoxide, is commercially practiced technology. This process is performed in the presence of a solubilized molybdenum catalyst, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,635, or a heterogeneous titania on silica catalyst, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,342. Hydrogen peroxide is another oxidizing agent useful for the preparation of epoxides. Olefin epoxidation using hydrogen peroxide and a titanium silicate zeolite is demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,260. One disadvantage of both of these processes is the need to pre-form the oxidizing agent prior to reaction with olefin.
Another commercially practiced technology is the direct epoxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide by reaction with oxygen over a silver catalyst. Unfortunately, the silver catalyst has not proved useful in commercial epoxidation of higher olefins. Therefore, much current research has focused on the direct epoxidation of higher olefins with oxygen and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. In this process, it is believed that oxygen and hydrogen react in situ to form an oxidizing agent. Thus, development of an efficient process (and catalyst) promises less expensive technology compared to the commercial technologies that employ pre-formed oxidizing agents.
Many different catalysts have been proposed for use in the direct epoxidation of higher olefins. Typically, the catalyst comprises a noble metal that is supported on a titanosilicate, where the titanosilicate has been calcined prior to noble metal incorporation in order to remove the templating agent used in the titanosilicate synthesis. For example, JP 4-352771 discloses the epoxidation of propylene oxide from the reaction of propylene, oxygen, and hydrogen using a catalyst containing a Group VIII metal such as palladium on a crystalline titanosilicate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,265 discloses a catalyst in which a platinum metal, selected from Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir and Pt, is supported on a titanium or vanadium silicalite. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,116 discloses a gold supported on titanosilicate catalyst. These patents all teach formation of a noble metal-titanosilicate catalyst, wherein the titanosilicate is first calcined to remove templating agent prior to addition of the noble metal.
As with any chemical process, it is desirable to attain still further improvements in the direct epoxidation methods and catalysts. We have discovered an effective, convenient process to form an epoxidation catalyst and its use in the direct epoxidation of olefins with oxygen and hydrogen.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Press brakes capable of a high processing accuracy and short cycle times are provided.

For example, a known press brake of the electromechanical type is described in the document EP 0 384 529, where a pair of elongated working means cooperate together, and in which one of the two is stationary, while the other one is movable, approaching the first one. The movable working means, in conjunction with the supporting structure, is provided with a plurality of pulleys on which a strap passes, alternately on the pulleys of the supporting structure and on the pulleys of the mobile working means so as to exert an approaching action between the mobile working means and the stationary working means.
As it is known, in the press brake tool machines, supporting structures are provided for, which are designed to be particularly rigid, so as to limit the deformation thereof during the approaching action of the tool to the mould to deform a piece, for example a metallic one, interposed therebetween. The action between the tool and the mould can also reach several hundreds tons, inevitably leading to a deformation of the structure supporting the mould and of the structure handling the tool.
For example, from the document U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,658, it is known to implement a stationary lower panel comprising two slits that are opened on the side edges of the panel, and in which an abutment member is provided for in the proximity of the slot side opening in order to limit the panel deformation.
While being satisfactory under many points of view, however, this solution does not allow, during the press brake action, to compensate for the deformation of the lower panel so as not to sensibly deform the mould secured thereon, especially in the case where the movable upper panel exerts a thrust action, exerted not only laterally, but distributed along the extension of the tool connected thereon.
The document WO 98/46378 shows a structure of a press brake in which the transversal lower beam is stationary, and has a cut centrally that is horizontal and parallel to the mould housing hydraulic jacks, which lift, by deforming it upwardly, the upper part of the transversal lower beam.
While being satisfactory under many points of view, this solution turns out to be particularly complex and expensive to be implemented, forcing to a very elaborate control of the action of the jacks, which action deforms the mould support beam in the opposite direction relative to the stress imposed by the tool. It shall be apparent that the calibration of this device is particularly complex according to the type of processing also on the same piece, to the type of tool and mould that are used, and also as the working piece varies, forcing to continuous and complex maintenance and calibration operations.
A similar solution is shown in the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,113.
Another solution is known, for example, from the document U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,647, where the deformation is compensated by using tools that are provided in advance with an imposed deformation, contrary or opposite to the one that will be induced on the machine structure by the processing operations thereof.
Again, this solution, while being satisfactory under some points of view, is particularly complex to be used, forcing to use several machine components, and especially several tools according to the type of the piece and processing operation to be performed.
From what has been stated above, the need is particularly felt, not as much to reduce the deformation caused by the pressure of the tool on the piece, which, in turn, is discharged on the mould deforming the lower panel, but rather the need to control this deformation so that, while accepting the deformation of the lower panel, the dimensional geometric deformation of the mould is limited, allowing to ensure a planarity of the surfaces thereof, which thus maintain the ability to perform processing operations on the piece to be deformed with preset tolerances.
It is also felt the need to manage the press brake movements so as to avoid that the supporting structure is affected by the strong deformations, which from the mobile parts are discharged also on the supporting structure, thus deforming it and altering the measurements of the sensors connected thereupon, which measurements are useful to define the mutual position of the various machine components, such as, for example, the tool position relative to the mould, in fact decreasing the processing tolerances of the press brake machine.
These needs are among other things in sharp contrast with the further needs to have press brakes that are capable of higher and higher actions, and therefore capable to deform the pieces by applying higher and higher forces between the tool and the mould, and applying these forces in ever shorter times in order to reduce the processing cycle times.
The reduction of the processing cycle times forces to increase the handling speeds of the machine components, which increase, accompanied by the increase of the actions, in particular of the forces, between the tool and the mould, increase even more the deformation of the components and the press brake supporting structure, enhancing even more the need for a control of the deformations and the determination of machine management solution that are independent from the strong deformations of the supporting structures.


A circuit comprises an output terminal, an output driver for providing an output signal at the output terminal, a switching device for producing one or more connections of the output terminal to a respective fixed or variable potential, and a control device for controlling the switching device, the control device being designed to produce the connection or the connections in the event of a transition in the output signal from a first logic level to a second logic level and to disconnect it at the latest when the output signal attains the second level.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a circuit, in particular a memory circuit, comprising an output terminal for outputting an output signal, and to a method for generating an output signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In present-day computer systems, the interfaces to memory components have to become faster in order to be able to transfer the increasing amount of data to be stored or read out. One important example is DRAM memory components. The latter are fabricated in a very cost-effective technology which can be used to achieve low leakage currents and which has a small number of metal planes. One disadvantage of this technology is that the driver capability of output signals at their output terminals is lower than is customary in other integrated circuits. The small area available means, moreover, that the space available for supply line systems in the integrated memory circuit is also restricted, so that the integrated supply lines can be influenced by interference and noise, as a result of which the driver capability of the integrated memory circuit is further reduced.
Interfaces of present-day DRAM memory circuits are operated with clock cycles of up to 400 MHz or more. This operating frequency is for the most part limited by the noise of the output drivers, where noise is to be understood hereafter to mean all types of disturbances that are superposed on signals. Two main sources of noise at the output drivers are the noise caused by the synchronous switching and a signal storage effect.
Even simple DRAM memory circuits have up to 32 output drivers which can switch simultaneously. The noise on account of the synchronous switching is caused by the different number of output drivers switching simultaneously. If, for example, all the output drivers switch simultaneously from a logic one to a logic zero, this causes a great level fluctuation in the supply network. This leads to a much slower signal level change or level transition than in a case in which only one of the output drivers switches from a logic one to a logic zero. As a result, noise occurs which is dependent on the transferred data and impairs the signal quality.
The signal storage effect also impairs the signal quality. The signal storage effect denotes a different switching speed in a case when a specific logic level is driven during a plurality of clock periods and is switched from said specific level to a different level, and a case when a logic level is driven only for one clock period. If switching to the other level is subsequently effected, the signal change takes place at different speeds depending on the case. In the last-mentioned case, the potential of the signal level cannot have been attained completely during the first level—in contrast to the first-mentioned case—, so that the potential of the subsequent second signal level attains the reference potential earlier and, consequently, the signal change can be carried out faster.
The noise in the supply voltage line leads to considerably vitiated data eyes and thus to a considerably vitiated signal quality.
Hitherto, in the design of integrated memory circuits attention has been given to constructing the supply lines and the output drivers such that they are of the same type as symmetrically as possible and to wiring them in an optimized manner in order to reduce the noise.
However, this does not eliminate the effects described above but merely reduces them.

Circuit and method for generating an output signal


A DC motor having a housing, a hub member rotatably supported by the housing, a flexible printed circuit board fixedly mounted on the housing, and an IC chip mounted on the flexible printed circuit board and located facing a recess formed in the housing. The hub member has a shaft rotatably supported by a bearing within the recess. The flexible printed circuit board has a metal layer for mounting the IC chip, the metal layer being isolated from a wiring pattern formed on the printed circuit board. The wiring pattern on the flexible printed circuit board is directly connected to a connection pin connected to the motor wiring.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct current (DC) motor, and more particularly to a DC motor which is controlled by an integrated circuit (IC).
b) Description of the Related Art
A spindle motor, one of various types of DC motors, has a housing including a stator, and a rotor rotatably supported on the housing and facing the stator.
In a brushless DC motor, permanent magnets are mounted on the rotor, and armature coils are mounted on the stator. Controlled DC current is supplied to the armature coils of the stator to rotate the rotor. In order to control the current flowing through the armature coils while monitoring the rotation of the rotor, a control IC is generally used. The control IC is mounted on and connected to an IC circuit board. The IC circuit board and the motor are interconnected by wirings such as flexible printed circuit board. This IC circuit board is also connected to an external power source and control circuit.
In a known structure of a DC motor, the housing is formed with a through hole at the central area thereof. Grooves are formed in the side wall of the through hole to mount armature coils within the grooves. The rotor has a shaft formed at the central area thereof. The rotor shaft is supported within the through hole of the housing by means of bearings. Permanent magnets are mounted on the rotor at its outer circular wall which is rotatably housed within a space formed in the groove.


A radiation detector is disclosed. The radiation detector comprises an active detector surface configured to generate charge carriers in response to charged particles associated with incident radiation. The active detector surface is further configured with a sufficient thickness for a partial energy deposition of the charged particles to occur and permit the charged particles to pass through the active detector surface. The radiation detector further comprises a plurality of voltage leads coupled to the active detector surface. The plurality of voltage leads is configured to couple to a voltage source to generate a voltage drop across the active detector surface and to separate the charge carriers into a plurality of electrons and holes for detection. The active detector surface may comprise one or more graphene layers. Timing data between active detector surfaces may be used to determine energy of the incident radiation. Other apparatuses and methods are disclosed herein.

Radiation detectors often require interactions that convert incident radiation (e.g., neutrons, gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles) into a measurable charge for processing and analysis. At the core of many radiation detectors is a charged particle detector. Conventional radiation detectors employ a substrate in which the radiation energy to be measured is fully deposited.
For example, FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional radiation detector 100. The conventional radiation detector 100 includes a substrate 110 coupled with a voltage source (VSOURCE) 120. The conventional radiation detector 100 is configured for full energy deposition of incident radiation 105 within the substrate 110. For example, if incident radiation 105 interacts with the substrate 110, the energy is deposited within the substrate 110, and the incident radiation 105 may cease to propagate through the substrate 110 as indicated by line 106.
In operation, the interaction of the incident radiation 105 with the substrate 110 causes charge carriers (i.e., electron-hole pairs) to be generated within the substrate 110. If an electromagnetic field is initiated by applying a voltage to the substrate 110, the charge carriers can be separated and counted. For example, electrons 108 and holes 109 may move, respectively toward the voltage leads 122, 124 of the voltage source 120. Full energy deposition of the incident radiation 105 may be significant for an accurate measurement, because the number of charge carriers created is proportional to the amount of energy in the incident radiation 105. Therefore, for the conventional radiation detector 100 to appropriately measure the total amount of energy exhibited by the incident radiation 105, the substrate 110 is configured for full energy deposition of the incident radiation 105.
FIG. 2 illustrates a radiation detector 200 according to another conventional approach to radiation detection. Radiation detector 200 includes a substrate 210 in contact with a graphene layer 211. The radiation detector 200 further includes a voltage source (VSOURCE) 220. The voltage source 220 is coupled with the substrate 210 and the graphene layer 211 in order to generate a voltage drop thereacross.
In operation, incident radiation 205 interacts with the substrate 210 as the active surface to generate charge carriers within the substrate 210. The radiation detector 200 is configured for full energy deposition of incident radiation 205 within the substrate 210. For example, if incident radiation 205 interacts with the substrate 210, the energy is fully deposited within the substrate 210, and the incident radiation 205 may cease to propagate through the substrate 210 as indicated by line 206.
If a voltage is applied by voltage source 220, the charge carriers may move toward voltage leads 222, 224 of the voltage source 220. In particular, electrons 208 may move toward the positive (+) voltage lead 222 of the voltage source 220. As a result, the electrons 208 may reach the surface of the substrate 210 and interact with the graphene layer 211. The interaction of the electrons 208 with the graphene layer 211 may cause a modification of the resistance of the graphene layer 211. The change in resistance may be determined by measuring the voltage 230 across, and the current 240 through, the graphene layer 211. The change in resistance may be proportional to the number of charge carriers generated within the substrate 210 and that come in contact with the graphene layer 211. Therefore, while the number of charge carriers is not directly counted, an accurate measurement may still be dependent upon a full change in resistance in the graphene layer 211, such that full deposition of the incident radiation 205 within the substrate 210 may still be required.
Relying on charge carrier generation and collection to determine the presence and the characteristics of the incident radiation through conventional methods may result in reduced energy resolution that may be caused by statistical variations during charge carrier collection and counting. Such statistical variation of charge carrier collection may be caused by defects, thermal effects, and semiconductor impurities in the substrate 110, 210, among other reasons.

Charged particle detectors with active detector surface for partial energy deposition of the charged particles and related methods


A rationalized automated answering machine which can distinguish sentence intervals in the Out Going Message (OGM) left by a host by using a microcomputer and record the space position between adjacent sentences of the Out Going Message. When the rationalized automated answering machine receives a call and plays the Out Going Message left by the host, the rationalized automated answering machine also monitors the sound of a caller simultaneously. If the caller interrupts in the OGM playback at any point, the Out Going Message playback stops immediately and the rationalized automated answering machine records the sound of the caller. After talk from the caller finishes, the Out Going Message playback continues.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an automated answering machine, in particular to a rationalized automated answering machine which can adjust the playback of an Out Going Message (OGM) left by a host according to the talk pattern of a caller.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional automated answering machine, a pre-recorded Out Going Message (OGM) is played before which the caller can be prompted to leave a message following a "beep". When the caller calls in and a host/user can not answer the phone, the caller's left message is recorded by an magnetic tape or a digital IC. FIG. 1 presents a schematic view showing the question-answer situation of a prior automated answering machine in which the left side of the schematic depicts a typical prerecorded voice prompt or Out Going Massage (OGM) from the automated answering machine, while the right side depicts talk from the caller. Typically, the caller may feel impatient and irritated when hearing the Out Going Message left by the host after the telephone is on line. The caller may also be not familiar with leaving messages after a beep sound. Moreover, since the caller can not interrupt the OGM at all before a beep sound in prior automated answering machines, many callers unfamiliar with such machines tend to hang up the phone after realizing that the voice prompt is just an Out Going Message from the automated answering machine. Other callers cannot be bothered to wait until the completion of the OGM. This prevents the automated answering machine from being utilized to accomplish its purpose in relaying messages.

Rationalized automated answering machine


A method of producing an electrophotographic photoconductor, which prevents filler material in a coating liquid from aggregating onto etching pits formed on a surface of an aluminum raw drum. A photoconductor produced by the method of invention scarcely generates printing defects. The method includes steps of cutting a surface of an aluminum cylindrical substrate, degreasing and cleaning the surface of the aluminum cylindrical substrate with an aqueous detergent after the cutting step, and applying and forming a coating layer containing a filler material on the aluminum cylindrical substrate after the degreasing and cleaning step. Nickel concentration in the aluminum cylindrical substrate used in the method of invention is at most 50 ppm by weight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing an electrophotographic photoconductor and an electrophotographic photoconductor produced by the method (also referred to simply as "photoconductor" and "production method"), in particular, to a method of producing an electrophotographic photoconductor mounted on electrophotographic apparatuses such as copiers, facsimile machines, and printers, and an electrophotographic photoconductor produced by this method.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic photoconductor has a basic structure comprising a conductive cylindrical substrate and a photosensitive layer including a charge generation substance, a charge transport substance, and a resin binder formed on the substrate. A material primarily used for a cylindrical substrate of a photoconductor is an aluminum alloy, specifically of material code 6063 (prescribed in Japanese Industrial Standards) containing additives of silicon and magnesium, or 3003 containing additives of iron and manganese. The aluminum alloy is generally cast after the steps of welding, composition adjustment, and removing impurities such as oxides, and formed into a cylindrical shape by hot extrusion. Then, the aluminum cylinder is given improved dimensional accuracy by cold drawing and cut using a turning tool of sintered diamond to obtain a cylindrical substrate having desired dimensions (hereinafter referred to as a "raw drum").
In the cutting process, a mist of cutting oil (electrical discharge machining oil or kerosene) is sprayed onto the surface of the raw drum to cool the tip of the tool and control the direction of scattering of cut chips. As a result, a large quantity of the cutting oil adheres to the surface of the raw drum. Since a photoconductor is produced by coating this surface of the raw drum with a photosensitive layer, the cutting oil adhered to the drum in the cutting process must be removed in a cleaning process before a process of coating with the photosensitive layer.
There are known techniques for improving aluminum raw drums used in photoconductors. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No S63-300277 discloses a technique for obtaining a photoconductor drum exhibiting good electrical characteristics by using a photoconductor drum substrate composed of an aluminum alloy containing a specified quantity of nickel. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. S63-179037 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. S63-179038 disclose techniques for obtaining an aluminum alloy cylinder exhibiting good surface smoothness by regulating iron content and nickel content, respectively, in the aluminum alloy. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H7-234531 discloses in paragraph [008] thereof that a conductive substrate composed of an aluminum alloy containing iron in a specified quantity suppresses the number of etching pits generated in the process of cleaning with weak alkaline detergent. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H6-236059 discloses a technique for obtaining a photoconductor with good image quality by using a conductive substrate produced by controlling the surface roughness in the processes of extrusion, drawing, and pressurized polishing.
In the above-mentioned step of cleaning a raw drum, chlorine-containing organic solvents have heretofore been used, represented by trichloroethylene, dichloromethane, and flon, which exhibit high polarity and strong dissolving ability. Use of these organic solvents was stopped recently because of heavy environmental loading. Instead, so-called aqueous cleaning agents such as neutral detergent and alkaline cleaning agents are being used.
However, problems that occur in the use of aqueous cleaning agents, but not in the process of cleaning with conventional organic solvents, have become apparent. Aluminum alloys primarily used in a raw drum contain inorganic additive elements of silicon and magnesium in order to facilitate cutting, so the aluminum alloys include crystallized deposits or precipitations of intermetallic compounds such as Mg—Si, Fe—Si, Fe—Al—Si or the like having a diameter of 5 to 20 μm. In an aqueous cleaning agent, aluminum around the crystallized deposits dissolves by etching, generating an etching pit. A study by the inventor has further clarified, as described later, that this etching occurs not only when dipping in high pH cleaning agents but also in pure water, resulting in the generation of etching pits.
In these etching pits, a small amount of cleaning agent used in a cleaning process or water used for rinsing the agent generally remains. A photosensitive layer normally comprises a CGL (charge generation layer) and a CTL (charge transport layer) sequentially applied and formed on a raw drum through a UCL (undercoat layer). After applying each layer, heated drying is conducted at a temperature in the range of 80 to 150° C. to dry the applied layer. The undercoat layer often contains filler material of TiO2 inorganic pigment dispersed in the layer. In such a case, due to the water component or the like remaining in an etching pit, aggregation 14 of filler material 13 in the coating liquid 12 of undercoat layer occurs in the etching pit 11 as shown in FIG. 7. It has been clarified that this aggregation causes a printing defect, which is fatal to a photoconductor. The symbol 15 in FIG. 7 indicates a crystallized deposit in the aluminum alloy.

Method of producing an electrophotographic photoconductor and an electrophotographic photoconductor produced by this method

Fuji Electric Device Technology Co., Ltd.


A specimen holder for a hydrous specimen comprising:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to specimen holders for hydrous specimens, and to methods of using them, and in particular to specimen holders suitable for high-pressure freezing.
2. Description of Related Art
A method of rapidly freezing hydrous specimens under high pressure is generally known, for example, from German Patent DE-B 1 806 741. The advantage of freezing under high pressure as opposed to normal pressure can be explained as follows: if a pressure of about 2000 bar is applied to a specimen during cooling, the cooling rate required for vitrification (no ice crystal formation, no segregations) is reduced by a factor of one hundred, consequently making it possible to vitrify specimens in the form of slices up to a maximum thickness of 200 xcexcm. It should also be noted that, if there is any ice formation under pressure, the mesh size of the segregation patterns becomes greatly reduced, i.e. hydrous specimens about 200 xcexcm thick frozen under 2000 bar are optimally preserved ultrastructurally (nanometer range) (STUDER D., MICHEL M., WOHLWEND M., HUNZIKER E. B. and BUSCHMANN M. D., Vitrification of articular cartilage by high-pressure freezing , J. of Microscopy 179 (1295), 312-332). Thus far, the advantage of high-pressure freezing for relatively thick specimens (specimen thickness in the range of around 2 mm) has not been recognized. The reduction in the mesh size of the segregation patterns has the effect that such specimens appear optimally preserved under a light microscope, since segregations in the xcexcm range are not visible.
The specimen holder described in DE-B 1 806 741 is generally poorly suited for further processing of frozen specimens. It is a tubular, thin-walled container made, for example, of copper which is closed at one end and widened at its upper end in the form of a funnel. The specimen inside this specimen holder is subjected to pressure by a hydraulic system using a pressure transfer fluid, for example, water, and is cooled from outside by spraying on a coolant. The use of this device makes it virtually impossible for the specimens to be further processed after freezing. By applying a predetermined breaking point, it has been possible at least to use a so-called freeze etching technique. With this technique, thin metal impressions are prepared, which can be investigated.
Commercially available high-pressure freezing devices according to the prior art typically operate as follows: they use liquid nitrogen of about xe2x88x92150xc2x0 C. both as a pressure transfer medium and as a coolant. Its temperature under normal pressure is xe2x88x92196xc2x0 C.; under 2000 atm, it is solid at this temperature. The apparatus-related disadvantages of such systems, in which liquid nitrogen is used both as a pressure transfer medium and as a coolant, include the following: the machines are relatively large (about 0.8xc3x971.6xc3x971.5 m3) and heavy ( greater than 600 kg). Their use entails a risk of accidents for the operating personnel: the spraying on of over 100 ml of liquid nitrogen under 2000 bar requires relatively large bores in the pressure chamber, which accordingly has to be of a very solid construction. Accidents are known; thus far, no instances of personal injury have occurred, but property damage can run into very high FIGS. (5-20,000 Swiss Francs). The costs of these apparatuses continue to be relatively high, since they have to be produced in small numbers from high-grade materials (150-300,000Swiss Francs).
In such systems, the biological specimens are generally located in two thin-walled metal half-shells (so-called aluminum sandwich: about 3 mm outside diameter, inside diameter about 2 mm, with a variable cavity thickness of 100-600 xcexcm), which are securely clamped between two steel plates. These plates are securely bolted to a solid steel impeller (specimen holder). This specimen holder is introduced with the specimen into a high pressure chamber and arrested by a solid transverse bolt. The high pressure chamber is sealed by an O-ring on the specimen holder.
The freezing cycle in the above-described systems typically proceeds as follows: to coordinate the pressure increase and cooling, the high pressure chamber is initially filled for about 30 ms with ethanol, in order to permit the correct correlation of the pressure increase and the cooling. Then, about 100-160 ml of cold liquid nitrogen is passed by means of a high pressure cylinder through the pressure chamber in 300-600 ms. The pressure chamber has an exhaust, the diameter of which is made much smaller than the feedline. The pressure is built up by accumulation at this exhaust. If the pressure chamber were not previously filled with ethanol in the way described, the specimen would freeze before it were subjected to pressure. Ethanol in the pressure chamber is necessary for the correct correlation of the pressure build-up and cooling. It is disadvantageous in this respect that it possible for the ethanol to diffuse into the specimen and form artefacts in it or damage it. What is more, when the above-described method is employed, suspensions are often blown out of the metal half-shells.
It is often possible to achieve reproducible results by the half-shells, provided with the biological specimen, being immersed in 1-hexadecene. 1-hexadecene typically has the following advantages over aqueous solutions: no ice crystals can generally form outside the specimen; the low surface tension avoids gas bubbles, which would collapse during the pressure build-up, between the half-shells. Since 1-hexadecene is not water-miscible, the aqueous specimen is not changed during preparation. The freezing point is 4xc2x0 C., but increases under pressure (2000 atm) to about 25xc2x0 C., whereby a solid, but not rigid xe2x80x9cshellxe2x80x9d forms around the aqueous specimen. This xe2x80x9cshellxe2x80x9d is important in order not to lose the specimens during the cooling process under high pressure, since the nitrogen flow has a velocity of over 40 m/s (See, for example, STUDER D., MICHEL M. and Mxc3x9cLLER M. High-pressure freezing comes of age, Scanning Microscopy Supplement 3, Vol. 189, pages 253-269).
However, biological specimens in the form of suspensions are still often difficult to handle with the technique using 1-hexadecene. Therefore, for receiving the biological specimens, preferably cellulose capillaries of about 200 xcexcm inside diameter and 10 to 15 xcexcm wall thickness of the porous wall have been used, cut into pieces of about 2 mm in length, placed between the metal half-shells and lightly clamped in place. These cellulose capillaries are surrounded by 1-hexadecene in the specimen holder. As already described, the specimens are frozen in a pressure chamber according to the prior art and, after freezing, may be manually removed from the thin-walled, metal half-shells, which serve as specimen holders (See, for example, H. HOHENBERG, K. MANNWEILER, M. Mxc3x9cLLER, High-pressure freezing of cell suspensions in cellulose capillary tubes, Journal of Microscopy 175 (1294), 34-43, in particular FIG. 1, page 35).
The disadvantage of such specimen holders comprising metal half-shells is that the manipulation of the frozen specimens, in particular their removal from the solid 1-hexadecene, is difficult and often leads to specimens being damaged or lost. In addition, on account of their geometry, they are typically not suitable for the use of a separate circuit for the pressure transfer fluid, which in terms of apparatus is a more simple and therefore less costly means of transferring pressure to the specimen, as is described, for example, in DE-B 1 806 741.
An object of the present invention was accordingly to design specimen holders for receiving hydrous specimens, in particular in capillaries preferably made of cellulose or other materials. It was also an object to provide specimen holders which are generally suitable for use in high-pressure freezing apparatuses with separate circuits for the pressure transfer medium and coolant and to ensure easy and reliable manipulation of the frozen specimens, in particular during their removal from the specimen holder.
In accordance with these and other objectives, there is provided a specimen holder for a hydrous specimen comprising: (a) an inner hollow cylinder of a heat conductive material, (b) an inner hollow cylinder of a material which can be cut, (c) a cylindrical interior space within the inner hollow cylinder for receiving the specimen, and (d) the space between the inner hollow cylinder and an inside wall of the outer hollow cylinder being filled by a layer which is liquid at room temperature.
In yet further accordance with these and other objects, there is provided a method for freezing hydrous specimens under high pressure using a specimen holder, said method comprising: (a) introducing the hydrous specimen into a first hollow cylinder, (b) filling the cylindrical interior space of a second hollow cylinder with a substance which is liquid at room temperature, (c) manually introducing the first hollow cylinder into the interior space of the second hollow cylinder, (d) connecting the second hollow cylinder to corresponding receiving devices of a pressure transfer circuit of a high-pressure freezing system, (e) subjecting the specimen to high pressure for a short time, (f) intensely cooling the specimen for a short time so as to thereby freeze said specimen, (g) subjecting the specimen to atmospheric pressure, (h) bringing the specimen to a temperature at which the said substance melts, (i) pushing the specimen out of the second hollow cylinder by introducing an appropriately dimensioned instrument at the end of the second hollow cylinder, and (j) sending the specimen to further processing if desired.
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 in the appended claims.

Specimen holders for hydrous specimens and method of using them


A drive arrangement for a pivoting windshield wiper of a vehicle is designed so that after decoupling the drive connection to the windshield wiper a rack situated in the drive for the windshield wiper can be used as drive element for an actuator that is independent of the windshield wiper.

A drive device for pivoting windshield wipers is disclosed in the book: How Things Work: The Car published by Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim/Zurich, 1968, page 248. This drive is a multiple-step spur gear drive, the driven gear of which is eccentrically connected to a toothed rack. The toothed rack meshes with a pinion of an output shaft. The output shaft is driven to perform a reciprocating movement on the output side of the windshield wiper motor that functions as a drive source. The position of the rack axis and hence the direction in which the rack extends varies according to the stroke similar to the connecting rod of a crank drive.
A drive arrangement of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,431 A, in which a common motor-driven drive source, reversible in its direction of rotation, is provided for driving a vehicle pivoting windshield wiper and an additional mechanical actuator. A mechanism comprising a rack-and-pinion drive is arranged in the connection for the drive source of the vehicle windshield wiper. The connection is formed by a control magnet. The rack of the rack-and-pinion drive is linearly displaceable in the operating direction of the control magnet. The range of travel of the rack and pinion drive lying outside the range serving to drive the vehicle windshield wiper, forms an independent mechanical actuator decoupled from the windshield wiper drive. The windshield wiper assigned to the rear window of a tailgate is a pivoted rear window wiper. The tailgate lock is operated by the actuator, which has corresponding positional co-ordination or suitable mechanical reversals.
The object of the invention is to develop a drive arrangement of the aforementioned type with a view to possible wider applications.

Drive system for a pivotable windscreen wiper


A monopulse antenna system comprising an inner antenna and an outer antenna disposed symmetrically about a central axis of symmetry. A central aperture is located at the axis of symmetry through which a weapon system may fire or an additional sensor may be located. The inner antenna is preferably annular in shape and produces a relatively broad antenna pattern. The outer antenna is also preferably annular and produces a beam pattern with many lobes. The received signals A and B, from each beam pattern, are combined in a hybrid to produce sum signals (A+B) and difference signals (A-B), which are then processed to produce a target off-axis radius relative to the antenna main beam axis, i.e., the axis of symmetry.

The term "monopulse" refers, in general, to radar tracking techniques which derive target angle-error information on the basis of a single pulse. An amplitude-comparison monopulse tracking system utilizes radio frequency (RF) signals derived from two radar beams, A and B, which are "squinted" or off-set about the axis of symmetry of a pair of radar antenna feeds. Thus, a target which is not on the axis of symmetry, will receive pulsed or continuous wave (C-W) RF energy signals from the radar antenna feeds of different amplitudes, depending upon the off-axis location of the target. This phenomena is used to develop an error signal which can be used to track the target.
The return signal is received simultaneously at both antenna feeds and a sum or reference signal (A+B) and a difference signal (A-B) is produced at the output arms of a hybrid junction device. The difference signal (A-B), when compared to the reference signal (A+B), provides an angular error signal proportional to the off-axis direction of the target.
In a conventional amplitude-comparison monopulse system, a cluster of four antenna feeds or horns, divide a primary beam into 4 subapertures which produce two pairs of beams, one pair of which is squinted horizontally and the other, vertically, to produce two-dimensional angular error signals. (See Introduction to Radar Systems by M. I. Skolnik, 1962, pp 175-184 and Phase-Amplitude Monopulse System, W. Hausz et al., 1962, IEEE, for a more complete description.) The four antenna horns are disposed about a central axis and form four quadrants; two above the horizontal axis and two below.
Phase comparison monopulse operates on a similar principle except that the orthogonal beams are produced by subdividing a primary beam at four subapertures to produce two beams in each orthogonal plane having identical amplitude versus angle response. Thus, the amplitude of the return signal from an off-axis target will be the same at each subaperture but the time of arrival will be different, producing phase difference signals (A-B) and (C-D), which can be used for tracking purposes when compared to reference signals (A+B) and (C+D).
Such conventional monopulse systems typically operate in a cartesian coordinate system in which an elevation error signal is generated from a determination of the position of the target off the Y-axis and the azimuth error signal is generated by a determination of the position of the target off the X-axis. In such systems, the monopulse antenna is driven in elevation by an elevation gimble and in azimuth by an azimuth gimble. To determine the elevation gimble error signal, the sum and difference of the return signal from the two quadrants above and the two quadrants below the horizontal or X-axis is needed. Similarly, to determine the azimuth gimble signal, the sum and difference of the two quadrants on either side of the vertical or Y-axis is needed.
Conventional cartesian coordinate monopulse systems, as described above, require a fairly complex antenna feed network of four antenna subapertures combined with four hybrids to produce the required four sum and difference signals. Furthermore, the four subapertures are located symmetrically at and about the axis of symmetry preventing location of an additional sensor, such as an IR detector, at this location, or use of a weapon system boresighted with the axis of symmetry.
Accordingly, a need exists for a less complex monopulse antenna structure and one which will permit location of additional sensors or weapons at the beam axis of symmetry or collimated to the beam axis of symmetry.


In an electric power connector comprised of a plug module and a socket module, a male metal terminals of the plug module and a female metal terminals of the socket module are respectively made out of a respective solid metal plate member through a continuous stamping process, and each male metal terminal has a base and two contact prongs bilaterally extended from one side of the base at different elevations, therefore the electric power connector eliminates electron ionization or thermal stress in the metal terminals, ensuring high stability and reliability of metal terminals in power transmission. Further, the two contact prongs of each male metal terminal are bilaterally extended from one side of the base thereof at different elevations so that when one contact prongs is deformed or curved accidentally by an external force, the other contact prong is still kept in positive contact with the associating contact prong of the matching female metal terminal to ensure the stability and reliability of the electrical connection between the male metal terminals and the female metal terminals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric connectors and more particularly, to an electric power connector in which each male metal terminal comprises a base and two contact prongs bilaterally extended from one side of the base at different elevations, and each female metal terminal comprises a base and two contact prongs forwardly extending from an extension at the base at different elevations and different angles for the contact of the contact prongs of the associating male metal terminal to ensure high stability and reliability in power transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
When designing an electronic circuit, the circuit designer generally will concern two basic parts, i.e., the part of logic (or signal) and the part of power. Because of the current flowing through a logic circuit is low, the circuit designer needs not to consider the effect of status (for example, temperature) on electrical characteristics (for example, circuit component impedance) when designing a logic circuit. However, the flowing of a high current in a power circuit may cause a significant electric change of the electrical characteristics. Therefore, when designing an electric power connector, the dissipation of heat (due to joule effect) must be taken into account to minimize change of electrical characteristics subject to change of electric current. Further, the contact terminals of an electric power plug generally have the shape of a flat blade or round rod. This is the so-called singular-mass design. In a singular-mass contact terminal configuration, the female metal contact terminal comprises an inwardly projecting pair of suspension arms, and the matching contact blade or prong is set in between the two suspension arms of the female metal contact terminal. This design cannot minimize the size without affecting the heat dissipation efficiency. Further, this design simply allows for adjustment of the geometrical shape of the contact to provide a limited resilience that changes the normal contact force.
Therefore, an improved structure of electric power connector capable changing the normal contact force is developed. According to this design, as shown in FIG. 6, the metal terminal (plug contact) A comprises a base unit having two parallel sidewalls A1, and a front contact unit A2. The front contact unit A2 includes an upper part A21 and a lower part A22. The upper part A21 and the lower part A22 each have a pair of suspension arms. Each suspension arm comprises an inwardly curved proximity portion A211, a remote portion A213, and an arched contact portion A212 connected between the proximity portion A211 and the remote portion A213. The remote portion A213 curves slightly outwards. When the suspension arms are inserted with the front contact unit A2 into a metal contact terminal in an electric socket (not shown) and curved by the contact pressure, the remote portions A213 of each pair of suspension arms forced toward each other to protect against overstress. This double-mass metal terminal design provides a relative greater heat dissipation area when compared to the aforesaid singular-mass metal terminal design. When the plug contact is kept in contact with the matching socket contact, a flow passage is provided around the suspension arms for ventilation of air to dissipate heat. However, this design of metal terminal still has drawbacks. After long and repeated uses, the suspension arms of the upper part A21 and the lower part A22 of the front contact unit A2 may be curved due to elastic fatigue, resulting in contact instability. Further, when one suspension arm is curved or twisted accidentally by an external force, the other suspension arm of the same pair cannot be inserted into positive contact with the socket contact, lowering the electric connection stability and reliability between the plug contact and the socket contact, or resulting in a contact failure.


A breakaway device (10) to detect when a towed vehicle (14) separates from a towing vehicle (16) in order to engage the towed vehicle's brakes broadly comprises a sensor operable to detect when a signal from the towing vehicle (16) is lost and a shunt operable to route electrical power to the brakes. In a preferred embodiment, the sensor and the shut may be embodied in a transistor (26). In an alternative embodiment, the sensor and the shut may be embodied in an electro-mechanical switch (34). The device (10) preferably includes an override (42) and lights (44,46) to indicate the device's (10) status.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to breakaway devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a breakaway device that can automatically and reliably engage a towed vehicle's brakes when the towed vehicle separates from a towing vehicle.
2. Description of Prior Art
Towed vehicles, such as trailers, are often heavily loaded and towed behind towing vehicles, such as trucks. Occasionally, a trailer will break away and become separated from a truck. When this happens, the trailer becomes out of control and presents a serious hazard to the trailer's contents, as well as other vehicles in the road. Therefore, many trailers include electrically operated brakes and batteries to power the brakes in the event they become uncontrolled.
Such systems typically use plunger switches to engage the brakes. Plunger switches typically consist of two contacts physically held apart by a plunger. When a plunger is pulled from a plunger switch, the switch's contacts close completing a electrical current path.
Unfortunately, plunger switches are subject to corrosion and are therefore often unreliable. Plunger switches are also difficult to operate and are rarely tested. Furthermore, plunger switches are actuated by pull cables, which are often connected improperly. Finally, pull cables are also subject to corrosion and frequently break when they are used to actuate a plunger switch. For these and other reasons, plunger switches are simply unreliable and do not ensure a trailer's brakes will be engaged in an emergency.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved breakaway device that overcomes the limitations of the prior art.


Plurality of broadcasting transmitters each receives distribution of digital broadcast signals via a network (NET) to transmit them toward an area under control by using wireless waves of which the frequencies are the same. Here, when signals transmitted from the plurality of broadcasting transmitters into the area, an occurrence of a deviation of a fixed value or more poses an interference fault and results in a reception disabled state. Therefore, monitors are provided in the area to receive wireless waves from the plurality of broadcasting transmitters, monitors reception states, and controls output power, output timing, etc., of broadcasting transmitters that are transmission origins of the received wireless waves to make the reception states appropriate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to, for example, a digital broadcasting system such as terrestrial digital television broadcasting.
2. Description of the Related Art
The terrestrial digital television broadcasting system which has been currently operated covers a desired service area through a transport stream transmitter transmitter link (TS-TTL) transmission network, intermediate frequency transmitter link (IF-TTL) network, and a broadcast wave receiving/retransmitting network. Meanwhile, in an initial development phase of the terrestrial digital television broadcasting system, application of a single frequency network (SFN) has been intended to effectively utilize a frequency. However, in actual, it is hard to fully shorten the distance between a transmitting station and a relay station, and a signal delay time difference between two signals in a receiving area shared with both stations exceeds a guard interval. Thereby, it is impossible to satisfy one condition of the SFN that is "signal delay time difference between two signals in receiving area should be within guard interval". In the relay station, it is hard to secure isolation between a reception antenna and a transmission antenna in many cases, and this case results in an obstacle of achieving the SFN.
As mentioned above, the construction of a broadcasting network through the SFN, which is planned in an initial phase, has been in a technically difficult situation, and at present, a multi-frequency network (MFN) covers main service areas. Therefore, effective utilization of frequencies is spoiled, and effect to switch analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting is reduced by half. Since it is impossible to distinguish the signal from which broadcasting station the receiving signal is transmitted when the SFN is established, such a problem that the broadcast wave in the service area cannot be optimized has been posed.
As to a technique for maintaining a reception level in a service area constant, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication 2000-324361 discloses a technique to measure, by a field intensity measuring instrument, a reception level of a transmission signal transmitted from a transmission antenna, to adjust the reception level of the modulation signal by a step attenuator on the basis of the measurement result, and to control the output of the transmission signal to be transmitted constant in a digital television device to apply level adjustment to an OFDM-modulated television signal by means of the step attenuator, and to power-amplify it by a power amplifier to transmit it from the transmission antenna.
As described above, in the conventional digital broadcasting system, since it is hard to construct a broadcasting network through the SFN in a relay transmission, and it is impossible to distinguish that from which broadcasting station the reception signal is transmitted when the SFN is established, there is a problem such that the broadcast wave in the service area cannot be optimized.

Digital broadcasting system, and broadcasting transmitter and monitoring device for use in the system


Provided is a process for producing bleached pulp, including subjecting unbleached pulp, which is obtained by cooking a lignocellulose substance, to alkali-oxygen bleaching treatment and then subjecting the alkali-oxygen bleached pulp to chlorine-free bleaching treatment including chlorine dioxide treatment, wherein in at least one chlorine dioxide treatment stage in which the chlorine dioxide treatment is performed, monopersulfuric acid is used in combination. The amount of chlorine dioxide to be used is reduced and the color reversion resistance of the bleached pulp is improved by this process.

Bleaching of chemical pulp for papermaking is attained in multistage bleaching treatment. Heretofore, in the multistage bleaching, a chlorine-base bleaching chemical is used as the bleaching agent. Concretely, bleaching is attained by a combination of chlorine, hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide, for example, in a sequence of C-E-H-D or C/D-E-H-E-D.
In the above, "C" means a chlorine treatment stage; "H" means a hypochlorite treatment stage; "D" means a chlorine dioxide treatment stage; "E" means an alkali treatment stage. "-" means that, after the step of the treatment stage described just before "-", the system is washed, and then, the step of the treatment stage described just after "-" is carried out. "/" means the treatment stage where the chemicals described just before and just after "/" are used in combination; and for example, "C/D" means a treatment stage where chlorine and chlorine dioxide are used in combination.
However, in bleaching, these chlorine-base bleaching chemicals release, as side products, organic chlorine compounds that are harmful to the environment, and the environmental pollution with the bleaching waste that contains those organic chlorine compounds is considered problematic. Organic chlorine compounds are analyzed and assessed generally by an AOX method, for example, by the US Environment Agency (EPA: METHOD-9020).
For reducing and preventing release of organic chlorine compounds as side products, it is most effective to reduce the amount of chlorine-base chemicals to be used or not to use them; and in particular, it is the most effective process not to use molecular chlorine in the initial stage. Pulp produced according to the process is referred to as ECF (elementary chlorine-free) pulp; and pulp produced according to a process using no chlorine-base chemical at all is referred to as TCF (totally chlorine-free) pulp.
As a process for bleaching cooked and oxygen-deligninated pulp by no use of molecular chlorine in the initial stage, generally known is bleaching by use of a chlorine dioxide treatment stage as the initial stage according to a sequence of D-Eo-D, D-Eop-D, D-Eo-D-D, D-Eop-D-D, D-Eo-P-D or D-Eop-P-D, or bleaching by use of an ozone treatment stage as the initial stage according to a sequence of Z-Eop-D, Z-Eo-P-D or ZD-Eop-D.
In the above, "Z" means an ozone treatment stage; "P" means a hydrogen peroxide treatment stage. "p" means hydrogen peroxide; "o" means oxygen. "Eo" means an alkali treatment stage combined with oxygen; "Eop" means an alkali treatment stage combined with oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. "ZD" means continuous treatment of an ozone treatment stage (Z) and a chlorine dioxide treatment stage (D) with no washing between the two stages. The others are the same as mentioned above.
However, chlorine dioxide and ozone are inferior to conventionally used chlorine in point of the ability to remove hexeneuronic acid (which may be referred to as "HexA"), and therefore a large amount of HexA remains in the bleached pulp. The remaining HexA is a cause of the deterioration of the colour reversion resistance of ECF- or TCF-bleached pulp.
Hexeneuronic acid (HexA) is a substance resulting from demethanolation in a cooking step of α-glucuronic acid bonding to xylan, which is a hemicellulose existing in pulp. Though HexA has a small influence on the whiteness of pulp, it reacts with potassium permanganate, because of having a double bond in the molecule, and is counted as a K value or a kappa value; and this consumes a bleaching agent such as chlorine dioxide, ozone, etc.
As a papermaking process, there are known an acid papermaking process of using aluminium sulfate, and a neutral papermaking process of using calcium carbonate. Neutral paper worsens in colour reversion resistance with the increase in the HexA content thereof, but the degree of worsening is low; and it is the acid paper made by use of aluminium sulfate that particularly worsens in colour reversion resistance. The reason why the acid paper made according to an acid papermaking process worsens in colour reversion resistance is unknown at present, but the existence of HexA and the use of aluminium sulfate may be the reason for it.
In a paper mill, in general, neutral paper and acid paper are made separately from chlorine-free bleached pulp forwarded from a series of bleaching equipment, by use of a large number of papermaking machines. Accordingly, using the same chlorine-free bleached pulp forwarded from the same bleaching step, acid paper is made in one line and neutral paper is made in another line. In this case, even though the neutral paper made in the neutral papermaking line has no problem of the colour reversion resistance, the acid paper made in the acid papermaking line may have a problem of the colour reversion resistance.
As a method for improving this worsening of the colour reversion resistance, there is a method of removing HexA by increasing the amount to be used of chlorine dioxide or ozone having the ability to remove HexA. In this case, however, the pulp for neutral paper not requiring measures against the colour reversion must also be bleached, and it causes problems of too much increase in whiteness of the neutral paper and great increase in the cost for bleaching.
For solving the problems, proposed is a process of applying monopersulfuric acid (which may be referred to as "MPS") to bleaching, as mentioned below.
In place of chlorine bleaching treatment or delignination treatment by a combination of chlorine and chlorine dioxide, proposed is a TCF bleaching process of bleaching unbleached pulp by monopersulfuric acid treatment followed by alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment (see Patent Reference 1). This process relates to initial stage delignination in the bleaching step; however, the reference describes nothing relating to the process of the present invention of treatment with monopersulfuric acid used in combination in the chlorine dioxide treatment stage, and to HexA removal, improvement of colour reversion resistance and viscosity reduction inhibitory effect.
In place of chlorine bleaching treatment or delignination treatment by a combination of chlorine and chlorine dioxide, proposed is a process of bleaching unbleached pulp by treatment with a combination of enzyme and monopersulfuric acid (see Patent Reference 2). This process relates to initial stage delignination in the bleaching step; however, the reference describes nothing relating to the process of the present invention of treatment with monopersulfuric acid used in combination in the chlorine dioxide treatment stage, and to HexA removal, improvement of colour reversion resistance and viscosity reduction inhibitory effect.
In place of chlorine bleaching treatment or delignination treatment by a combination of chlorine and chlorine dioxide, proposed is a process of bleaching unbleached pulp by treatment with a chelating agent, treatment with an alkaline hydrogen peroxide and treatment with monopersulfuric acid after oxygen bleaching (see Patent Reference 3). This process relates to initial stage delignination in the bleaching step; however, the reference describes nothing relating to the process of the present invention of treatment with monopersulfuric acid used in combination in the chlorine dioxide treatment stage, and to HexA removal, improvement of colour reversion resistance and viscosity reduction inhibitory effect.
In place of chlorine bleaching treatment or delignination treatment by a combination of chlorine and chlorine dioxide, proposed is a process of bleaching unbleached pulp by treatment with a combination of monopersulfuric acid and ozone (see Patent Reference 4). This process relates to initial stage delignination in the bleaching step; however, the reference describes nothing relating to the process of the present invention of treatment with monopersulfuric acid used in combination in the chlorine dioxide treatment stage, and to HexA removal, improvement of colour reversion resistance and viscosity reduction inhibitory effect.
For delignination process, proposed is a process of bleaching unbleached pulp by monopersulfuric acid treatment followed by alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment after chelating agent treatment (see Patent Reference 5). This process relates to initial stage delignination in the bleaching step; however, the reference describes nothing relating to the process of the present invention of treatment with monopersulfuric acid used in combination in the chlorine dioxide treatment stage, and to HexA removal, improvement of colour reversion resistance and viscosity reduction inhibitory effect.
As a process of bleaching unbleached pulp, proposed is a process of treatment with a peracid and an alkaline earth metal in the final stage of bleaching (see Patent Reference 6). Monopersulfuric acid for use in the present invention is also a peracid; however, the process proposed in the reference differs at all from the process of the present invention in that, in the present invention, treatment with monopersulfuric acid used in combination in the chlorine dioxide treatment stage is performed and an alkaline earth metal is not used along with monopersulfuric acid. Further, in Patent Reference 6, peracetic acid is used as the peracid; however, the main object of the process is for increasing the whiteness, and the reference describes nothing relating to HexA removal, improvement of colour reversion resistance and viscosity reduction inhibitory effect.
As a process of post treatment after bleaching, proposed is a process of adding a bleaching agent between the bleaching step and a preparation step (see Patent Reference 7). Patent Reference 7 describes, as the bleaching agent, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, percarbonic acid, perboric acid, and thiourea dioxide; however, the main object of this process is for increasing the whiteness, and the reference has no description relating to HexA removal and improvement of colour reversion resistance.
As a process of post treatment after bleaching, the present inventors have proposed a process including monopersulfuric acid treatment between the bleaching step and the preparation step (see Patent Reference 8). In this process, the finished pulp is treated with monopersulfuric acid to remove HexA from it and to improve the colour reversion resistance thereof; however, this suggests nothing relating to the process of the present invention that uses monopersulfuric acid in the chlorine dioxide treatment stage and to the effect of inhibiting the pulp viscosity reduction.
As a process of using monopersulfuric acid treatment in the initial stage of bleaching, the present inventors have proposed a process including treatment with an inorganic peroxide followed by multistage bleaching treatment starting from treatment with chlorine dioxide (see Patent Reference 9). In this process, monopersulfuric acid treatment is introduced into the initial stage of bleaching for removal of HexA and for improvement of colour reversion resistance. However, this process has some problems in that the pulp viscosity reduction is great owing to introduction of the monopersulfuric acid treatment thereinto and that the process is hardly usable in a papermaking process that requires high paper strength. Another problem is that the process requires an additional monopersulfuric acid treatment tower at the top of the conventional bleaching equipment for which the investment cost for the additional equipment is great.
Patent Reference 9 suggests nothing relating to the process of the present invention where monopersulfuric acid is used in combination in the chlorine dioxide treatment stage.    [Patent Reference 1] JP-T 6-505063    [Patent Reference 2] JP-A 7-150493    [Patent Reference 3] JP-T 8-507332    [Patent Reference 4] JP-T 8-511308    [Patent Reference 5] JP-T 10-500178    [Patent Reference 6] JP-T 2001-527168    [Patent Reference 7] JP-A 2004-169194    [Patent Reference 8] JP-A 2007-169831    [Patent Reference 9] WO 2007/132836


A BLE network includes a first piconet including a first master scanner and a first group of low-power slave/advertisers for transmitting wireless advertisements. Circuitry in the first master/scanner wirelessly scans to detect an advertisement transmitted by a first slave/advertiser of the first group and transmits a connection request in response to the detecting, and transmits a schedule for subsequent advertisements after an initial advertisement by the first slave/advertiser. Circuitry in the first slave/advertiser transmits the initial advertisement, receives an acceptance a resulting connection request, establishes association with the first master scanner, and then causes the first slave/advertiser to go to sleep, to wake up and transmit subsequent advertisements according to the schedule and accept resulting connection requests, and transmits available data to the first master/scanner, and goes back to sleep.

This relates generally to low energy BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) networks, and more particularly to low power/low energy mechanisms and methods of establishing wireless connection between "nodes" of a scatternet or sensor network.
"Bluetooth" is a registered brand/trademark/certification mark for various wireless communication standards referred to herein as Bluetooth standards. The various Bluetooth standards have been developed and promulgated by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group known as "Bluetooth SIG". The various brands/trademarks/certification marks are owned and licensed to various users by Bluetooth SIG., Inc. for use on and in conjunction with various communication devices. Up-to-date Bluetooth guidelines can be obtained from the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. website "https//www.bluetooth.org/en-us". Proper authorized use of the Bluetooth brands/trademark/certification marks is enforced by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., in order to ensure that the standards are properly adhered to in accordance with the Bluetooth licensing terms and guidelines.
A Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) brand/standard/certification mark is called "Bluetooth Smart". The standard called "Bluetooth 4.0" incorporates the BLE or Bluetooth Smart standard. The term "classic Bluetooth" is used herein to refer to all versions of the Bluetooth standards prior to Bluetooth 4.0. All of the Bluetooth standards are developed by building certification standards/programs around certain parts of the IEEE 802.15.x family of specifications.
A "piconet" is basically a collection of slave/advertisers that are scanned by a master/scanner that could wirelessly connect to another piconet. A "scatternet" is a type of ad-hoc computer network consisting of two or more piconets. The terms "scatternet" and "piconet are typically applied to Bluetooth wireless technology. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a feature of Bluetooth 4.0 wireless radio technology aimed principally at low-power and low-latency applications for wireless devices with a short range, up to approximately 160 feet, and facilitates a wide range of applications.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional BLE scatternet including a piconet A and a piconet B each including a "master" or "master/scanner" device capable of wireless communication with a number of nearby "slave" or "slave/advertiser" devices. Bluetooth low energy (BLE) has the lowest power standard, and using BLE for the advertising of slave devices in a piconet provides the lowest known power consuming mechanism within the BLE standard. If it is desired to have the lowest power radio standard presently available, BLE is considered to be the starting point.
In piconet A, master/scanner 3-1 is capable of wireless communication with/advertisers 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, and 5-5 through wireless links 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, and 2-5, respectively. Similarly, in piconet B, master/scanner 10-2 is capable of wireless communication with/advertisers 5-6 and 5-7 through wireless links 2-6 and 2-7, respectively. Slave/advertiser 5-5 in piconet A also communicates with master 10-2 in piconet B through wireless link 7. In piconet A, master/scanner 3-1 can synchronize with any of the slave/advertisers in piconet A, for example as represented by reference numeral 15, to establish wireless link 2-1. After synchronization, master/scanner 3-1 then may perform two-way wireless data communication with the slave/advertiser, for example as represented by reference numeral 17. The BLE scatternet shown in FIG. 1 could include many more piconets that communicate with each other in essentially the manner described above. A shortcoming of the approach shown in FIG. 1 is that it fails to accommodate piconet slave/advertiser devices which must operate with very little power/energy because of the requirements of the BLE standards.
If achieving very low power consumption is not a concern, so-called ZigBee technology with its existing standard can be used. The BLE standard is part of the Bluetooth 4.0 standard and is interoperable with most mobile phones. ZigBee is a protocol that combines with the MAC (Media Access Control) protocol established by IEEE 802.15.4. It has multiple operational modes. It has been shown that advertisement is the lowest energy technique for wireless communication between "nodes" of scatternets. However, the ZigBee standard is not operable in mobile phones. As far as the BLE standard is concerned, there is a "single mode", which is just the relatively new Bluetooth low energy mode of operation, and there also exists a "dual mode", which supports "classic" Bluetooth standard operation as well as operation in accordance with the BLE low energy standard. Modern smart phones usually support both in order to be able to wirelessly connect in both modes with older smart phones and new very low energy Bluetooth phones and devices, respectively.
The Bluetooth standard specifies standard connection time intervals that are established at the beginning of the time interval during which slave/advertiser devices connected in a piconet are allowed to wirelessly communicate with other devices, but the communication connection intervals typically are limited to approximately four seconds. Because of drift in the synchronization of internal crystal-generated clock signals in the slave/advertiser devices in a piconet, is necessary for every slave/advertiser device in the piconet to "wake up" into a high power consumption condition approximately every four seconds. Such high power consumption is unacceptable in some applications. If all the slave/advertisers need to be very low energy devices, then slave/advertisers would not ordinarily be used to aggregate data generated by the slave/advertiser devices in a piconet during their allowed advertising time intervals and then wirelessly connect to the master/scanner of a different piconet, as shown by link 7 in the conventional system of FIG. 1.