A display device is provided for a watch movement provided with a final gear train intended to drive, at least in a mediated way, means of displaying the time and an energy source driving the final gear train. In one implementation, the display device comprises a display disk for an additional function, and a display gearing of which one moving part carries the display disk. The display device also comprises a second energy source connected mechanically to the display gearing and operating means for the display gearing, designed so as to cause the gearing to be driven by the second energy source when the information for display has to be changed.

The display of information by means of one or more disks is known to those skilled in the art. One of the most frequent applications relates to the indication of the day and date, the display being provided by means of two disks which jump once per day. To achieve this jump, the movement is generally provided with a spring, which is set by the final gearing, and which is released at about midnight, thus causing the date and day to change to the next setting. It can also be driven initially with a slow movement provided by the gearing of the watch, and then with a jump created by a jumper-spring.
If the information changes more frequently than once per day, the mechanism becomes more complicated in its operation, since the energy available for each jump is considerably reduced. This problem can be resolved by driving the disks continuously, as proposed in CH 531742. This causes the figures to move slowly in an aperture. This makes it difficult to read the information, since several figures are visible for the same piece of information.
The object of the present invention is to provide an optimal drive for the disk or disks, even if they are large, without affecting the operation of the watch.


A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named xe2x80x98Fisupnic Whitexe2x80x99, characterized by its outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; tall growth habit; freely branching and freely flowering habit; intense medium green-colored foliage; and large, rounded, white-colored flowers that are positioned above or beyond the foliage.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Fisupnic White.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Fisupnic Whitexe2x80x99.
The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany and Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new vigorous Impatiens cultivars with medium flowering response and large rounded flowers with attractive coloration.
The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during the spring of 1999 of a proprietary seedling selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number 98-4098-11, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary seedling selection of Impatiens hawkeri identified as code number K98-4069-21, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Fisupnic White was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain in April, 2000.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Galder, Gran Canaria, Spain, since July, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Fisupnic Whitexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Fisupnic Whitexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Impatiens cultivar:
1. Outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; tall growth habit.
2. Freely branching and freely flowering habit.
3. Intense medium green-colored foliage.
4. Large, rounded, white-colored flowers that are positioned above or beyond the foliage.
Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens were more vigorous than plants of the female parent selection.
2. Plants of the new Impatiens had lighter green-colored leaves than plants of the female parent selection.
3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the female parent selection differed in flower coloration as plants of the female parent selection had light lavender-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens were larger and more vigorous than plants of the male parent selection.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Impatiens were lighter green in color than leaves of plants of the male parent selection.
3. Plants of the new Impatiens had white to pale light green-colored flower spurs and peduncles whereas plants of the male parent selection had brownish pink-colored flower spurs and peduncles.
4. Plants of the new Impatiens and the male parent selection differed in flower coloration as plants of the male parent selection had white-colored flowers with a light pink-colored hue and small pink-colored eye zone.
Plants of the new Impatiens can also be compared to plants of the cultivar BFP-857, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,402. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Hillscheid, Germany, plants of the new Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar BFP-857 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Impatiens were smaller than plants of the cultivar BFP-857.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Impatiens were smaller and deeper green in color than leaves of plants of the cultivar BFP-857.
3. Plants of the new Impatiens and the cultivar BFP-857 differed in flower coloration as plants of the cultivar BFP-857 had white-colored flowers with an occasional light pink hue.


A channel estimation method and a channel estimation system based on time-domain training sequence are provided. The channel estimation system first acquires an initial channel vector used for channel estimation of a current frame, and calculates an algorithm initial vector based on a training sequence vector contained in a received receiving signal vector and the receiving signal vector, then performs estimation based on the initial channel vector and the algorithm initial vector and using a conjugate gradient method based on a preprocessing matrix to acquire each channel estimation value, and eventually perform noise reduction processing on each channel estimation value based on a first predetermined threshold value to acquire a final channel estimation value. Compared with the existing channel estimation methods, the present invention has a shorter delay and lower calculation complexity, and thus can be easily implemented.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of digital video broadcasting, and more particularly to a channel estimation method and system based on a time-domain training sequence.
2. Description of Related Arts
The broadcast channel has the characteristics as follows: 1) the delay is long, and is up to hundreds of symbol rate intervals; 2) in a single orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) block, the channel response does not change or changes slightly; and 3) various additive interferences exist extensively. Therefore, the researchers focus on how to estimate a channel accurately to decode data.
The existing channel estimation method mainly includes:
1. Che-Shen Yeh, et. al have proposed an estimation method based on a training sequence in the document "Che-Shen Yeh, Yinyi Lin, and Yiyan Wu, OFDM System Channel Estimation Using Time-Domain Training Sequence for Mobile Reception of Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BROADCASTING, VOL. 46, NO. 3, SEPTEMBER 2000".
2. Yan-Chang Chen, et. al have in the document "Yan-Chang Chen, Wen-Jeng Lin, Jung-Shan Lin, Channel Estimation Technique with Assistance of PN-Coded Training Sequences for Wireless OFDM Communications, IWCMC'07" have analyzed the performance of channel estimation by using the least-square (LS), simplified LS (SLS), the hybrid LS (HLS), and maximum likelihood (ML).
3. Lei Zhou, et. al have proposed a channel estimation method based on a known delay in the PRC Patent Document with the Publication No. CN 1346187A, in which a conjugate gradient algorithm is used to estimate a channel response of a code division multiple access (CDMA) system at a known channel location to eliminate the data interferences.
4. Jin H. Kim, et. al have proposed a series of channel estimation methods for the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) in the US Patent Document with the Application No. 729722 and the theme "Efficient conjugate gradient based channel estimator", in which the information of the decoding feedback is particularly used as a training sequence and the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion is used to acquire the channel estimation. To simplify the implementation, the FFT is further used to perform the conjugate gradient update.
5. Mark, Fimoff, et. al have proposed a channel estimation method combining correlation and least-square in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,035,353 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,257, and this method requires to prestore a training matrix and a noise square error.
6. Emre Telatar, et. al have pointed out in the document "Aslan Tchamkerten and I. Emre Telatar, On the Use of Training Sequences for Channel Estimation, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INFORMATION THEORY, VOL. 52, NO. 3, MARCH 2006" that the method that combines the channel estimation and reception can acquire the optimal performance. However, in practical applications, the two are actually separated, and the channel estimation greatly affects the system performance.
In the China Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (CTTB) system, as the used training sequence has the relatively weak correlative characteristic, when the method proposed by Che-Shen Yeh, et. al is used, the system performance is deteriorated in the case of direct correlation. The method provided by Yan-Chang Chen, et. al is too complicated and highly inapplicable. For the rest estimation methods, as in a mode 1 and a mode 3 of the CTTB, the phase of the training sequence might be changing, so the method proposed by Mark, Fimoff, et, al, in which the matrix and noise square error are stored to implement the channel estimation of LS, requires the use of a very large storage unit and is thus inapplicable. However, when the MMSE based estimation method proposed by Jin H. Kim, et. al is used, the on-line computational load is heavy and the delay in acquiring the training sequence through the decoding feedback is also unacceptable.

Channel estimation method and system based on time-domain training sequence


A device includes a substrate and a touch control interface including touch control electrodes laminated onto the substrate and a touch controller electrically connected to each touch control electrode. The touch controller is configured to detect a change in a capacitance of a first touch control electrode to determine that a user is touching the first touch control electrode. The device may include a high-pass filter connected to the first touch control electrode and an impedance matching network electrically connected to the high-pass filter. The device includes a radio controller connected to the impedance matching network. The radio controller is configured to use the first touch control electrode as a first antenna to transmit and receive wireless signals. The optional impedance matching network may be configured to match an input impedance of the first touch control electrode to an output impedance of the radio controller.

The present invention relates generally to the field of electronic devices and, more particularly, to touch control interfaces and wireless communication systems for use in such devices. An increasing number of devices are configured to connect to networks in order to exchange information. Typical devices includes one or more antennas made from a conductive material. A wireless communication processor is connected to the antennas and transmits and receives wireless communication signals through the one or more antennas. Such devices may also include control interfaces that enable a user to interact with the device. Example interfaces may include touch control surfaces. Touch control surfaces include one or more touch control electrodes that are each connected to a touch controller. The touch controller is configured to detect a user touching (e.g., with a finger or stylus) one of the electrodes. Upon detecting such a touch event, the device's main processor can take an appropriate action.
When designing a device that includes both a wireless communication systems and a touch control interface, it can be important to provide sufficient isolation between the conductive materials of the device's antennas and the touch control electrodes. These design requirements can increase the overall size of such electronic devices and, where such design requirements result in implementation tradeoffs, reduce device performance.

Integrated touch control electrode and antenna


A blind guide work contact tip for mounting to a drive probe of a fastening tool is shaped in a manner which allows for an angled nail placement, such as 45 degree into a workpiece. The blind guide work contact is a one-piece attachment which is fitted around the existing drive probe and includes a body and two wings which extend therefrom forming a channel through which a fastener passes into the workpiece. The body has a work surface with a peak and sloped slides adjacent each side of the peak at approximately 45 degrees. The sloped surfaces allows the blind guide work contact tip to better access corners and angled spaces than previous work contact tips. The work contact tip also has a flat portion at the peak of the work surface so as to not inhibit face nailing.

The present invention relates generally to fastening tools and, more particularly, to a fastening tool that has a guide for blind fastener placement into a corner or angled spaced.
Fastening tools typically include a drive probe for contacting a workpiece and for enabling the firing of the tool, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,622, assigned to the assignee of this application. U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,043 discloses a work-contacting block connected to a guide rod. U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,348 discloses a work contact element connected to a lower structure or metal rod. However, work contact elements have been so large or obstructive of the view of the workpiece that they make it difficult to determine where a fastener will be driven. The issue is even more apparent when attempting to put a fastener into a corner or angle. The corner or angle makes inserting a fastener into the corner or angled space even more difficult.
Some work contact elements mar the surface of the workpiece. Imprecision and marring are problems when driving fasteners into trim or molding for finishing applications, wherein appearance is important. No mar tips have been fashioned that wrap over the work contact element to prevent marring of the workpiece surface. However, these no-mar tips still do not address the problems associated with inserting a fastener into a corner or angle. Hardwood installations typically require blind and face nailing of the first few rows of flooring. Installers typically use 15 gauge or 16 gauge straight or angled nailers, such as finish nailers for these applications. Conventional work contact elements and no-mar tips hinder line of sight for 45 degree blind nailing.
Accordingly, there is a need for a type of work contact element for a fastening tool that is of convenient size and shape to enable proper placement of a fastener into an angled or corner area while not marring the surface of the workpiece and while minimizing the loss of visibility of the work area.

Fastening tool with blind guide work contact tip


Methods and systems for sound propagation and perception for autonomous agents in dynamic environments are described. Adaptive discretization of continuous sound signals allows one to obtain a minimal, yet sufficient sound packet representation (SPR) for human-like perception, and a hierarchical clustering scheme to facilitate approximate perception. Planar sound propagation of discretized sound signals exhibit acoustic properties such as attenuation, reflection, refraction, and diffraction, as well as multiple convoluted sound signals. Agent-based sound perceptions using hierarchical clustering analysis that accommodates natural sound degradation due to audio distortion facilitate approximate human-like perception.

Current autonomous agent animation research models vision-based perception of agents using abstract perception queries such as line-of-sight ray casts and view cone intersections with the environment. Prior work has developed computational models for sound synthesis and propagation, with limited work that factors the perception of sound into agent behavior. In prior work, visual perception may be used for agent steering, while audio perception is uncommon.

Sound propagation and perception for autonomous agents in dynamic environments

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


IP unicast communication is provided between mobile devices in a wide area network and a wireless local area network coupled by a gateway component. Data communication is established between a mobile device and the wireless local area network, thereby receiving a first unicast IP address associated with the mobile device. A multicast group is joined within the wireless local area network and registering with that multicast group using a predetermined multicast IP address as a destination IP address and the first unicast IP address as a source address. The device disconnects from data communication within the wireless local area network, thereby releasing the first unicast IP address. Data communication is established between the mobile device and the wide area network, thereby receiving a second unicast IP address associated with the mobile device. The device then automatically communicates with the gateway component, via the wide area network, to specify the second unicast IP address as the source address for the mobile device within the multicast group.

Unicast and multicast IP communication has achieved wide popularity in contexts where multiple mobile devices are used within an enterprise. Push-to-talk (PTT) is one of the more requested features in markets that require the integration of traditional walkie-talkie functionality into powerful mobile data devices, and whose primary voice requirement is one-to-many paging and one-to-one direct local dialing.
Presently known IP unicast and multicast systems are undesirable in a number of respects. For example, there are many organizations where employees are located within a wireless local area network (WLAN) for part of the day, and outside the local area network (i.e., within a WAN) for the rest of the day. While it is possible to tie PSTN and VOIP networks to provide walkie-talkie functionality between the WLAN and WAN, such solutions require the use of additional servers and other infrastructure, and do not provide a seamless communication experience to the user.
Accordingly, there is a need for seamless, serverless integration of multicast/unicast functionality in both WAN and WLAN environments. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Methods and apparatus for WAN/WLAN unicast and multicast communication


There is provided a method for compressing images and an image format. The method comprises performing a transform on pixel portions of image data and evaluating resulting coefficients from each transform in terms of a flatness condition. If the transform is found to be flat then the result from the transform is quantized according to a first quantizing scheme. If the transform is found not to be flat then the result from the transform is quantized according to a second quantizing scheme being different from the first quantizing scheme. Different block arranging schemes are proposed for the quantizing schemes. An indicator is stored in the block indicating that the image block is flat or not flat. The resulting bits are written into a compression data structure.

Digital image processing, such as compression, transmission, browsing and communications is common in the art. Typically early methods of digital image transmission and storage used so-called Pulse Code Modulation (PCM). More recent systems use more complicated digital compression techniques.
In some applications it may be advantageous to arrange a fast intermediate cache between a storage device carrying original images, and the display drives displaying the images on a screen. An example may be when several large megapixel images are to be viewed on a mobile phone display, or when graphical elements, such as PNG images are decoded to be later used in a graphical user interface.
Normally the original resources may be in a compressed file format such as JPEG (as standardized by the Joint Photographic Experts Group according to the standards ITU-T T.81, ISO/IEC IS 10918-1 and ITU-T T.84, see inter alia "The JPEG Handbook", by W. Pennebaker, J. Mitchell, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1993), or PNG (Portable Network Graphics, which is a bitmapped image format that employs lossless data compression). Screens commonly display images in a RGB (Red, Green, Blue) format, such as RGB888. In such case it would possible to use for instance the raw RGB565 format or the raw YUV422 format or another well known compression format. It is important to save memory when implementing caches, and other storages comprising many graphical elements. Even if the above raw formats are fairly compact, being in the order of 16 bits per pixel, it would still be desirable to compress the data down to smaller size, while not consuming significantly much more CPU power. Hence, the raw formats are too large, and the compression formats are too slow.

Method for compressing images and a format for compressed images


A method renders a mesh constructed of polygons representing a graphics model one at the time to accentuate geometric features of the mesh. At least one additional polygon is generated at each edge of each polygon of the mesh. Each additional polygon has a predetermined orientation, size, and color. The predetermined orientation of the generated polygons is 180xc2x0 with respect to the polygon if the polygon is a back-facing polygon to accentuate silhouettes. The predetermined orientation of the generated polygon is a first threshold angle with respect to the polygon if the polygon is a front-facing polygon to accentuate ridges, and the predetermined orientation of the generated polygon is a second threshold angle with respect to the polygon if the polygon is a front-facing polygon to accentuate valleys.

The invention relates generally to the field of rendering scenes and objects with polygons, and more particularly to rendering geometric edge features of the scenes and objects with polygons.
Scenes and graphics models are frequently rendered as images using polygon meshes. Polygon meshes often include geometric edge features such as silhouettes, ridges, valleys, and intersections A silhouette edge of a polygon connects a back-facing polygon to a front-facing polygon. A ridge edge connects two adjacent polygons disposed at angle that is less than a ridge threshold angle. For a valley edge, the angle of the two adjacent polygons is greater than a valley threshold angle. An intersection edge is common to an interior portion of two intersecting polygons.
When these particular edges are accentuated in the images, they can convey a great deal of information to the viewer. In static images, such as, technical illustrations, engineering CAD diagrams, and non-photo-realistic renderings, accentuated features enhance the appearance of the underlying graphics models.
A number of rendering methods that consider these special geometric features are know in the prior art. Techniques for rendering features of polygonal scenes are described by Gooch et al., xe2x80x9cInteractive Technical Illustration,xe2x80x9d Symp. on Interactive 3D Graphics, 1999, and Markosian et al. xe2x80x9cReal-Time Non-photo realistic Rendering,xe2x80x9d Computer Graphics, Proceedings of SIGGRAPH ""97, August, 1997.
Raskar, xe2x80x9cImage Precision Silhouette Edges,xe2x80x9d Interactive 3D Graphics Symposium, 1999, and Rossignac et al. xe2x80x9cHidden Contours on a Framebuffer,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the 7th Workshop on Computer Graphics Hardware, Eurographics, 1992, described techniques for rendering silhouettes that required two rendering passes. Furthermore, their edge enhancement was based on non-realistic, substantially orthographic projection, and not exact and correct perspective projection. Moreover, Rossignac et al., required multiple depth and frame buffers during scan conversion, and a mix of line and polygon renderings techniques.
When adjacency information for the polygons is available, identifying sharp edges is relatively simple for static models. In one traditional approach, a scene graph or list is traversed for each polygon edge to determine the relationship between adjacent polygons and identify the special features. Then, the features can be rendered using a visibility process.
When adjacency information is not available, identifying special features requires random traversals of the scene graph or list to locate adjacent polygons. Generating and maintaining an adjacency matrix, and traversing it increases processing time and memory requirements. Hence, such operations are usually performed by software. This task becomes even more difficult for dynamic scenes. This is the primary reason why geometric feature enhancement is not used during most dynamic visualizations.
Even if adjacency information is available, most commonly used hardware and software rendering engines cannot use the information. Rendering hardware preferably operates, in parallel, on relatively small sets of triangles, one set at the time, and all the information necessary for rendering must be contained in the individual triangles of the sets. Ideally, a rendering pipeline processes each polygon without having to use information about other polygons.
A secondary problem with explicit edge rendering as lines is that typical polygon raster scan conversion pipelines are less efficient when 2D or 3D lines are displayed. This is because the raster lines are filled to a uniform width in a screen coordinate system that is different that the coordinate system used for the polygons.
Also, silhouette edges are view-dependent and must be determined for each frame. In contrast, ridges and valleys are view independent, and hence, fixed under rigid transformations. For example, whether a polygon is front-facing or back-facing, with respect to a point or directional light source, is view-independent during lighting calculations. However, for most hardware pipelined rendering operations, it is just simpler to compute and render the edges in frame, without using coherence information from previous frames. And, for software rendering engines, it is usually easier to generalize, and just compute a corresponding dot product for each frame.
Therefore, there is a need for a method that can directly identify special features in a frame buffer. Then, the special features can still be displayed while rendering the polygons one at the time with traditional rendering engines that would otherwise need connectivity information. Furthermore, the method should perform feature identification operations without the use of other rendering operations such as lighting. Furthermore, the method should operate correctly with realistic perspective rendering techniques.
The present invention enables the rendering of special features of a scene or graphics model, such as silhouettes, ridges, valleys, and intersections by rendering engines that process one individual polygon at the time. The invention determines the special features using only local calculations, and does not depend on a polygon mesh being closed or open, concave or convex, or having cusps.
More specifically, the invention provides a method for rendering a mesh constructed of polygons, the mesh representing a graphics model. The polygons are processed one at the time to accentuate geometric features of the mesh. At least one additional polygon is generated at each edge of each polygon of the mesh. Each additional polygon has a predetermined orientation, size, and color. The predetermined orientation of the generated polygons is 180xc2x0 with respect to the polygon if the polygon is a back-facing polygon to accentuate silhouettes. The predetermined orientation of the generated polygon is a first threshold angle with respect to the polygon if the polygon is a front-facing polygon to accentuate ridges, and the predetermined orientation of the generated polygon is a second threshold angle with respect to the polygon if the polygon is a front-facing polygon to accentuate valleys.

Rendering geometric features of scenes and models by individual polygons

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


A Simple Climber's Multi-Tool which performs multiple safety functions for the field of rock climbing. The device is a convenient effective safety back-up device to be used with a solo lead climbing belay device. The device also functions as a standard belay and rappel device. With the addition of an Attachment Snap Hook, the device is an auto-locking belay device for one or two ropes. With the addition of a loop of cord, it can perform functions otherwise performed with specialty knots for safety and self-rescue such as the Prusik knot, Bachman knot, and Klemheist knot. The device can be easily moved along the rope when the First Snap Hook is gripped and pulled with respect to either end of the rope, but will jam the rope against movement when the Main Body of the device is constrained from movement and an end of the rope is pulled with respect to the device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a device which, when attached to a rope, can be easily moved along the rope using one hand, but can jam the rope against movement when a certain portion of the device is constrained from movement and an end of the rope is pulled with respect to the device. Within the field of rock climbing, this device meets a currently unmet need for a back-up safety device for solo climbing activities. With the addition of a cord, the device can also be used in place of many of the safety friction knots used in the field of rock climbing. Certain embodiments of the device also provide the functionality of a standard simple belay and rappel device. Certain embodiments of the device also function as an auto-locking belay device. The device can be produced to accommodate either one or two ropes.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the sport of rock climbing, a belay device is used to protect a climber from injury in the case of a fall. Generally the climber wears a harness to which one end of a rope is attached. The rope passes through a belay device that is often attached to the harness of another person, the "belayer". The belayer operates the belay device and typically remains at a stable point while the climber ascends. When the climber is "lead" climbing, the climber drags the rope up the rock as he ascends. At various points during the ascent, the climber clips the rope into metal loops (carabiners) that, in turn, are attached to the surface of the rock. When the climber is "top-rope" climbing, the rope extends down toward the climber from above. In the case of lead climbing, the belayer feeds out rope as the climber ascends. In the case of top-rope climbing, the belayer takes in rope as the climber ascends. In either case, if the climber falls, the belayer must grasp the rope securely by means of the belay device. The fall is therefore stopped by means of the belay device and the climber comes to rest suspended from above by the rope. Thereafter, the belayer may gently lower the climber to the ground by operating the belay device so as to gradually release tension on the rope. Anyone experienced in rock climbing is familiar with this practice and with the various forms of belay devices.
The simplest, most common, belay device is made up of a solid piece with one or two oval passages and a containment loop. The version with two oval passages can handle two ropes simultaneously. In use, a loop of rope is threaded through the oval passage and a carabiner is clipped through the rope loop as well as the containment loop. The carabiner is also attached to the harness of a belayer. When a climber falls, the rope passing through the oval passage causes the carabiner to be pulled against the surface of the solid piece. The oval passage opening is dimensioned so as to constrain the rope when the carabiner is pulled against it. These devices provide friction to slow the rope, but they all require the belayer to provide additional braking force in order to stop the rope. An example of this simple type of belay device is the ATC Climbing Belay Device by Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Another class of belay devices, auto-locking belay devices, generally consists of relatively more complicated designs, often with moving parts, which have the benefit of requiring no action on the part of a belayer in order to stop a fall. An example of this class of auto-locking devices is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,576 to Petzl et al. which has been commercially introduced as the GriGri Climbing Belay Device by Petzl of Crolles, France. A negative aspect of most of the devices in this class is the fact that the belayer, when required to feed out rope rapidly to the lead climber, must temporarily override the locking function of the device. If a climber falls at this moment, the belayer must release the override of the locking function, otherwise the climber will continue to fall. Another negative aspect of this class is that most auto-locking belay devices on the market will accommodate only one rope, rendering them unsuitable for dual-rope climbing and dual-rope rappelling activities.
One sub-class of auto-locking belay devices consists of devices produced specifically for solo lead climbing in which the climber climbs alone without the assistance of a belayer. In solo lead climbing, the climber anchors a rope at the bottom of the climb and attaches the belay device directly to his harness. As the climber ascends, the free side of the rope is pulled through the belay device by the anchored side of the rope. The climber periodically clips the anchored side of the rope to the rock surface. A commercial example of a belay device for solo lead climbing is the Soloist produced by Wren Industries of Grand Junction, Colo. A very significant negative aspect of many of these devices, including the Soloist, is the fact that, although they will catch a climber if he falls in the upright position, they will not catch a climber if he falls upside down. Because of this danger, producers of these devices recommend that the devices be backed-up by a series of loop knots spaced apart along the free end of the rope, the knots being large enough to catch against the device rather than be pulled through the device. Although adding one element safety, this method of backing-up the device greatly complicates the climbing activity and can, in fact, introduce an element of danger. Each loop knot has to be untied as it reaches the device in order for the rope to continue to feed through the device. On most climbs, a climber periodically can free one hand for this knot untying activity but can almost never free both hands. It is very difficult to untie these knots with only one hand and at times it is risky to even free one hand from the rock surface in order to untie a knot.
A recent new type of belay device, found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,891 to Richard et. al., combines the functionality of a simple belay and rappel device with a rope jamming function. Unlike the subject invention, in order to invoke the rope jamming function the device must be fixedly attached to the rock surface in a specific orientation. When anchored in this specific orientation, the device will jam the rope when the rope is pulled in one direction but will not jam the rope when it is pulled in the opposite direction.
Within the sport of rock climbing there are a variety of friction knots for safety back-up and self rescue applications including the Prusik knot, the Bachman knot, and the Klemheist knot. All of these friction knots contain a cord that wraps around the climbing rope at one end and is anchored to a fixed point at the other end, usually by a snap hook such as a carabiner. These knots allow the rope to move through them if the knot is held while the rope moves, but lock the rope against movement if the knot is released. Once the knot is released it tends to move along with the movement of the rope. Tension is caused by the rope against the knot as the knot is pulled away from its anchor point and this tension causes the knot to tighten thus stopping the movement of the rope. Unfortunately, none of these types of knots can form a suitable safety back-up for the belay device used in solo climbing activities because, since the belay device moves along with the climber, there is no suitable fixed anchor point. If the climber were to anchor the knot to himself, the anchor location would be too close to the belay device itself to be suitable for this particular application.
The devices of the prior art, including those mentioned above, do not disclose, teach or illustrate the unique structure, function and advantage of the subject Simple Climber's Multi-Tool.


Disclosed herein are systems and methods for providing a promotion or incentive. The systems and methods may include detecting, by a computing device comprising a processor, that a consumer has evaluated a product. The product located at a retail store. The systems and methods may also include providing, by the computing device, an incentive to the consumer to purchase the product based on an amount of time the consumer has evaluated the product within the store.

Traditionally, coupons are sent to customers via postal mail or email. Coupons can also be given to customers upon checkout. The coupons can be used to reward loyal customers or to otherwise try and get customers to purchase products. However, currently, there is no way to give customers coupons or otherwise provide customers with an incentive to purchase an item based on the customer interacting with the item in the store.


Map files associated with a terminal-based legacy application, such as a Customer Information Control System (CICS) application, are converted to views and models of a web-based application, such as an application implemented with a Java Platform Enterprise Edition (JEE) compliant server. A hybrid application server executes the legacy application in a first runtime, such as a CICS runtime, in response to a user request received through the web-based application executing in a second runtime, such as a JEE runtime. When a terminal command is identified in the executing legacy application, data associated with the terminal command is packetized and forwarded to the web-based application through an established socket without creating a data stream. The web-based application invokes the models associated with the terminal command and presents a web page responsive to the terminal command to the user.

The present disclosure relates to computer applications, and more specifically relates to converting terminal-based legacy computer applications to web-based applications without creating data streams and without requiring a change to the legacy application code.
Many thousands or more applications have been designed for use with terminals such as the IBM 3270. The IBM 3270 is a class of block-oriented computer terminal normally used to communicate with IBM mainframe computers. These terminals are sometimes referred to as "green screens" due to the text color on the original models. In contrast with a character-oriented terminal, a block-oriented terminal may transfer large blocks of data (known as "data streams") to minimize the number of input/output (I/O) interrupts required. Data streams include both text and formatting functions, allowing an entire terminal screen to be presented as a single output operation. Formatting functions allow the terminal screen to be divided into clusters of contiguous character cells with various attributes. Data streams may include functions that send data for display at the terminal and functions that retrieve data input at the terminal.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Converting terminal-based legacy applications to web-based applications

International Business Machines Corporation


A mailbox support apparatus having a mailbox mounting plate attached to a hollow post member includes a ground mount stake driving into the ground and received within the hollow post member.

This invention relates generally to the art of post supports and more particularly to the art of a post support adapted for a mailbox.
Various post supports have been developed in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,179,931 discloses a post equipped with a foot to increase support. U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,168 discloses a support post for objects having an improved anchor for stabilizing the post. Other post supports are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 907,817, U.S. Pat. No. 919,807 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,702,165. However, while the prior art reveals improved methods of anchoring a vertical pole support into the ground it fails to provide a simple, inexpensive post support which is quickly and easily assembled and especially adapted to support a mailbox.


Provided is a gas turbine plant that enables active clearance control for ensuring tip clearance of first-stage turbine rotor blades required during start-up and for achieving the minimum tip clearance during load operation. In a gas turbine plant including a cooler in an air system used for cooling second-stage turbine stator blades, a first-stage segmented ring and a second-stage segmented ring that oppose tips of first-stage turbine rotor blades and second-stage turbine rotor blades are supported by the same blade ring member, and a cooling-air for the second-stage turbine stator blades forms a cooling air flow cooling the blade ring, to control thermal expansion of the blade ring and to control the clearance with respect to the tips.

Tip clearance in a gas turbine varies depending on the expansion and contraction of rotation-side structural members and stationary-side structural members due to the difference between the temperature during start-up and that during rated operation, and by the centrifugal extension thereof due to the rotation. That is, the variation in the tip clearance is influenced by the temperature at the outlet of a compressor and the temperature of combustion gas, making the clearance of first-stage turbine rotor blades particularly tight.
In a conventional structure, when there is no temperature adjusting means (for example, a steam path) on the stationary side of a turbine unit, the amount of thermal expansion of a blade ring varies depending on the temperature at the outlet of the compressor. Therefore, when the tip clearance during the above-mentioned rated operation is to be minimized, the initial clearance has to be set with no allowance for contact.
Furthermore, in order to deal with the above-mentioned tip clearance, active clearance control (hereinafter referred to as "ACC") for ensuring the tip clearance required during start-up and for achieving the minimum tip clearance during rated operation is performed.
In this ACC, clearance control using steam is performed to increase or decrease the tip clearance of the first-stage turbine rotor blades during operation. More specifically, the clearance is controlled through control of the thermal expansion by heating the blade ring with steam introduced from outside the gas turbine during start-up of the gas turbine and by cooling the blade ring during load operation.
In order to perform the above-mentioned clearance control, an ACC blade ring has, therein, a steam path for heating and cooling. Thus, even if a first-stage blade ring is exposed to a space at the outlet of the compressor, the amount of expansion of the blade ring that may affect the tip clearance is determined by the relationship between the discharge temperature of the compressor and the steam temperature, whereby the amount of thermal expansion of the blade ring can be adjusted. Accordingly, because the tip clearance is increased by heating with steam during start-up and is reduced by cooling with relatively low-temperature steam during load operation, the tip clearance can be adjusted according to the operating conditions (for example, see Patent Citation 1).
Furthermore, a gas turbine is disclosed in which cooling means that cools air for cooling turbine stator blades is provided, and the air cooled by this cooling means is supplied to the turbine stator blades, whereby the amount of discharged air introduced from the air compressor as the air for cooling the turbine stator blades and the amount of air bled from an interstage are reduced to improve the thermal efficiency (for example, see Patent Citation 2).
Patent Citation 1:
The Publication of Japanese Patent No. 3825279
Patent Citation 2:
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. Hei-7-54669


A cluster system coupled to a client computer via a network has plural nodes which provide services to the client computer. A first node of the plural nodes has a priority recognizing processing module, which consults a priority of a frame received from the client computer. A second node of the plural nodes has a fail over processing module, which performs fail over on plural software resources managed by the first node according to an order of fail over priority that is based on the priority consulted by the priority recognizing processing module of the first node.

This invention relates to fail over in a cluster system.
Nowadays companies and other organizations' operations rely more heavily than ever on computer systems, and shutdown of a computer system can thus cause a serious damage to the organization. Cluster system is one of technologies developed to avoid such total shutdown of a computer system.
A cluster system is a system composed of plural computers (also called as nodes) that are connected to one another in groups (clusters). Load-balancing systems and fail over systems, for example, are known cluster systems.
A fail over cluster system is a system which uses plural computers to obtain redundancy. For instance, in the case where a server that provides an business application service to client computers is a cluster constituted of two computers, when an operation of the business application that has been processed by one of the two computers shuts down by a failure or the like, the active computer is taken over by the other computer, so the client computers can continue to receive the service.
The client computers view the whole cluster as one computer, and therefore cannot tell which computer is providing the service after the operation is taken over (after the fail over is executed).
If such a fail over cluster system executes fail over without taking into consideration the running state of a fail over computer to which the operation is handed over, the response speed of the fail over computer could be lowered by too much load from the fail over. Techniques with which the order of priority in fail over can be changed according to the running state of a fail over computer have been disclosed (for example, JP 11-353292 A).

Fail over cluster system and fail over method


An apparatus for filtering well fluids and method of manufacture is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an inner support, a filter spirally wrapped around the inner support, and an outer support wrapped around the filter enclosing the filter between the inner and outer supports. The filter has longitudinal edges which overlap and the filter is held in place by friction with the inner and outer supports. The method of manufacturing the apparatus comprises continuously and simultaneously wrapping a filter and outer support around an inner support and disposing the filter between the outer and inner supports.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the filtering of fluids, and more particularly to the filtering of well fluids. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to the method of manufacturing of such filters.
2. Background and Related Art
Well filters are typically used in subterranean environments in which it is desired to remove a liquid or gas from the ground without bringing soil particulates, such as sand or clay, up with the liquid or gas. A well filter generally includes an inner support member, such as a perforated core, and a filter body including a filter medium disposed around the inner support member. In many cases, the well filter will further include an outer protective member, such as a perforated cage or shroud, disposed around the filter body for protecting it from abrasion and impacts. A filter for subterranean use is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,318, hereby incorporated herein by reference. A downhole screen and method of manufacture is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,468, hereby incorporated herein by reference.
In order to facilitate installation of the cage over the filter body, there is usually a clearance between the outer periphery of the filter body and the inner periphery of the outer protective member. This clearance between the filter body and the outer protective member or shroud is problematic. During use of the well filter in a well, fluid will usually flow radially inwards through the filter body. However, on occasions, such as during acidizing of a well, injection of mud into a well, air sparging, or momentary pressure reversals, fluid may flow radially outwards through the filter body, producing harmful hoop stresses which stretch the filter medium in the filter body outwards toward the outer shroud. Because of the clearance between the filter body and the cage, there is a likelihood of the hoop stresses exceeding the strength of some or all portions of the filter body and producing excessive plastic elongation of the filter medium or damage to seams or joints of the filter body.
It is known in the art to form the outer shroud separately from the filter body and slide it over an end of the inner support member until it surrounds the filter body. After the shroud is disposed around the filter body, the shroud is plastically deformed radially inwardly to reduce the inner diameter of the shroud to a value such that the filter body can expand against the shroud. This process is also know as "swaging," and is typically achieved using a reducing mill or die. Swaging has several drawbacks, making it an undesirable step which should be avoided in manufacturing well filters. First, it adds to the time and expense of manufacturing the filter. Second, it deforms the outer shroud, putting additional stresses on the shroud and affecting its material makeup. Third, swaging does not guarantee that the clearance between the filter body and the shroud has been properly eliminated, or that the pressure on the filter body is desirable, especially considering the "spring-back" phenomenon. Spring-back occurs when the outer shroud expands slightly after the radial inward force exerted by the mill or die has been released.
Other common practices in the well filter industry also cause problems in manufacturing well filters. Often times the filter body, typically a mesh screen, is hand wrapped around the inner support. However, it is not possible to hand wrap the filter body as tight as is necessary, thereby creating unwanted slack in the filter. To combat this problem, the filter body is wrapped around the inner support longitudinally and a lengthwise weld is applied at the seam. Typically, a plasma or laser weld is used at the seam so as not to bum the fine mesh. However, this is time-consuming and expensive. Also, regardless of the type of weld used and care taken, welding causes the mesh in and around the weld to draw together, thereby causing the filter to bend and contort in undesirable ways. The weld also weakens the area around the weld and, over time, can cause erosion and breakage.
In prior art filters and methods, the filter body is usually bound to the inner support using a variety of techniques, including chemical glues and heat. In a process called sintering, the filter body is heated after it is in contact with the inner support. However, this technique does not bind the filter body to the inner support properly, and additionally plugs some of the small holes in the filter mesh and shrinks the filter body.
The industry would welcome a filter and method of manufacturing such a filter that eliminates the problems found with conventional filters and methods. The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.

Filter cartridge assembly and method of manufacture


A surface emitting semiconductor laser capable of controlling the polarization direction of laser light and a surface emitting semiconductor laser array. In a surface emitting semiconductor laser, a resonator is formed on a semiconductor substrate in the perpendicular direction, from which light is emitted in the direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate. The surface emitting semiconductor laser includes a columnar portion, which is part of the resonator, and an insulating layer formed in contact with the side of the columnar portion, wherein the insulating layer exhibits anisotropic stress caused by the planar configuration thereof, and the polarization direction of laser light is controlled by the anisotropic stress.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface emitting semiconductor laser which emits laser light in the direction perpendicular to a semiconductor substrate and a surface emitting semiconductor laser array using the surface emitting semiconductor laser.
2. Description of Related Art
A surface emitting semiconductor laser emits laser light in the direction perpendicular to a semiconductor substrate on which a resonator is formed in the perpendicular direction. The resonator causes laser oscillation to occur and emits laser light. The resonator is formed by depositing a reflection layer, an active layer, and a reflection layer, in that order, on the semiconductor substrate.
The surface emitting semiconductor laser has various excellent characteristics. Specifically, the surface emitting semiconductor laser can be easily arrayed (a plurality of lasers are arranged on one semiconductor substrate), has a small threshold, has a stable oscillation wavelength, exhibits an isotropic, small radiation angle in comparison with edge emitting lasers, and the like. Therefore, as a two-dimensionally integratable semiconductor laser, application of the surface emitting semiconductor laser to parallel optical communications, parallel optical arithmetic, laser beam printers, and the like has been expected.
In the case of forming optical devices using a semiconductor laser, devices such as a polarizer or a beam splitter are often used. The reflectivity of the polarizer and beam splitter are dependent on the polarization direction. In the case of using a semiconductor laser assembled into optical devices, if the polarization direction of laser light is insufficiently controlled, problems occur such as changes in the light intensity depending on the polarization direction. Therefore, it is important to control the polarization direction of laser light.
However, since the angle of radiation of laser light emitted from the resonator is isotropic because of the isotropic structure thereof, it is difficult to control the polarization direction of laser light. To deal with this problem, attempts to control the polarization direction of laser light in the surface emitting semiconductor laser has been made. For example, Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open No. 8-116130 and No. 6-224515 disclose technologies for controlling the polarization direction of laser light in the surface emitting semiconductor laser.
An object of the present invention is to provide a surface emitting semiconductor laser capable of controlling the polarization direction of laser light and a surface emitting semiconductor laser array.
According to the present invention, a surface emitting semiconductor laser in which a resonator is formed on a semiconductor substrate in the perpendicular direction, from which laser light is emitted in the direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate, comprises:
a columnar semiconductor deposit which comprises at least part of the resonator; and
an insulating layer formed in contact with the side of the semiconductor deposit;
wherein the insulating layer exhibits anisotropic stress caused by the planar configuration thereof, and the polarization direction of laser light is controlled by the anisotropic stress.
The anisotropic stress caused by the planar configuration means stresses which are anisotropic and induced by the planar configuration of the insulating layer. The anisotropic stress includes stresses in the directions intersecting at right angles in different amounts.
According to this surface emitting semiconductor laser, the anisotropic stress can be directly applied to an active layer included in the semiconductor deposit from the insulating layer. Specifically, since the insulating layer exhibits anisotropic stress caused by the planar configuration thereof, the anisotropic stress is applied to the active layer which is in contact with the insulating layer, thereby providing the gain of laser light with anisotropy. As a result, laser light in the specific polarization direction can be preferentially amplified, whereby the polarization direction of laser light can be controlled in a specific direction.
In the surface emitting semiconductor laser according the present invention, assuming that the axes intersecting at right angles through the center of the upper side of the semiconductor deposit are respectively the x-axis and y-axis, the anisotropic stress preferably includes stresses in the x-axial direction and the y-axial direction in different amounts.
According to the surface emitting semiconductor laser having the above configuration, since the anisotropic stress includes stresses in the x-axial direction and the y-axial direction in different amounts, the gain of laser light in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the amount of stress is the greatest of the x-axial direction and y-axial direction becomes preferential, whereby laser light polarized in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the amount of stress is greater can be obtained. Therefore, the polarization direction of laser light can be controlled. In addition, since the planar configuration of the insulating layer can be easily adjusted in the layer forming step, the polarization direction can be easily controlled. Moreover, in the case of fabricating a laser array, laser light with uniform characteristics can be obtained.
The following (1) to (4) can be given as embodiments of the insulating layer exhibiting anisotropic stress caused by the planar configuration thereof.
(1) Assuming that the axes intersecting at right angles through the center of the upper side of the semiconductor deposit are respectively the x-axis and y-axis, the planar configuration of the insulating layer may be designed so that the distance between the center and the first intersection point between the x-axis and the side of the insulating layer differs from the distance between the center and the second intersection point between the y-axis and the side of the insulating layer.
Since the planar configuration of the insulating layer is designed so that the distance between the center and the first intersection point between the x-axis and the side of the insulating layer differs from the distance between the center and the second intersection point between the y-axis and the side of the insulating layer, the stress applied to the active layer in the semiconductor deposit from the insulating layer exhibits anisotropy. As a result, the gain of laser light in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the amount of stress is the greatest of the x-axial direction and y-axial direction becomes preferential, whereby laser light polarized in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the amount of stress is greater can be obtained. Therefore, the polarization direction of laser light can be controlled.
According to a preferable embodiment of the surface emitting semiconductor laser, a surface emitting semiconductor laser in which a resonator is formed on a semiconductor substrate in the perpendicular direction, from which laser light is emitted in the direction perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate, comprises:
a columnar semiconductor deposit which comprises at least part of the resonator; and
an insulating layer formed in contact with the side of the semiconductor deposit;
wherein, assuming that the axes intersecting at right angles through the center of the upper side of the semiconductor deposit are respectively the x-axis and y-axis, the planar configuration of the insulating layer is designed so that the distance between the center and the first intersection point between the x-axis and the side of the insulating layer differs from the distance between the center and the second intersection point between the y-axis and the side of the insulating layer.
According to this surface emitting semiconductor laser, the above-described effects can be achieved.
(2) The planar configuration of the insulating layer may be symmetrical with regard to at least either the x-axis or y-axis.
In the surface emitting semiconductor laser, since the planar configuration of the insulating layer is symmetrical with regard to at least either the x-axis or y-axis, the stress applied to one side of the active layer in the semiconductor deposit and the stress applied to the other side symmetrical with regard to the symmetry axis among the x-axis and y-axis are equivalent and face 180 degrees in opposite directions. Therefore, anisotropy of the stress in the direction parallel to the axis intersecting the symmetry axis at right angles can be further increased. Moreover, polarization of laser light in the direction parallel to the axis intersecting the symmetry axis at right angles can be strictly controlled.
(3) The planar configuration of the insulating layer may be two-fold rotationally symmetrical around the semiconductor deposit.
Two-fold rotational symmetry means that the planar configuration of the insulating layer rotated around the semiconductor deposit at 180 degrees coincides with the original planar configuration of the insulating layer (one-fold is 90 degrees).
In the surface emitting semiconductor laser, since the planar configuration of the insulating layer is two-fold rotationally symmetrical around the semiconductor deposits the stress applied to one side of the active layer in the semiconductor deposit and the stress applied to the other side of the active layer are equivalent and face 180 degrees in opposite directions. Therefore, anisotropy of the stress in the direction parallel to the axis intersecting the above axis can be further increased. Because of this, the polarization direction of laser light can be controlled more strictly.
(4) The insulating layer may be embedded.
In the surface emitting semiconductor laser in which the insulating layer is embedded, since the anisotropic stress occuring in the insulating layer can be applied to the entire area of the semiconductor deposit including the active layer through the side of the semiconductor deposit, whereby polarization of laser light can be securely controlled.
In the surface emitting semiconductor laser, the insulating layer is preferably formed of a polyimide resin, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin.
In the case of forming an insulating layer using such a resin, the resin is cured by irradiating with energy rays such as heat or light. The resin shrinks significantly in volume during curing, thereby causing a large amount of tensile strain in the semiconductor deposit due to the volume shrinkage. Specifically, a large amount of tensile stress is applied to the semiconductor deposit including the active layer from the insulating layer. Because of this, a large amount of stress can be applied to the active layer, whereby the polarization direction of laser light can be controlled more stably.
In the surface emitting semiconductor laser according to the present invention, the planar configuration of the insulating layer may be rectangular, diamond-shaped, elliptical, or the like.
A surface emitting semiconductor laser array according to the present invention is formed by arraying a plurality of the above-described surface emitting semiconductor lasers according to the present invention.
Since this surface emitting semiconductor laser array is formed by arraying a plurality of surface emitting semiconductor lasers, a surface emitting laser array can be appropriately fabricated according to the application and purpose by forming a predetermined number of surface emitting lasers in a predetermined arrangement.

Surface emitting semiconductor laser and surface emitting semiconductor laser array


A non-invasive epidermal electrochemical sensor device includes an adhesive membrane; a flexible or stretchable substrate disposed over the adhesive membrane; and an anodic electrode assembly disposed over the flexible or stretchable substrate including an iontophoretic electrode. The device includes a cathodic electrode assembly disposed adjacent to the anodic electrode assembly over the flexible or stretchable substrate and includes an iontophoretic electrode. Either the cathodic electrode assembly or the anodic electrode assembly also includes a sensing electrode that includes a working electrode and at least one of a counter electrode or a reference electrode. The iontophoretic electrode in either the anodic electrode assembly or the cathodic electrode assembly that includes the sensing electrode is disposed on the substrate to at least partially encompass the working electrode and the at least one of the counter electrode or the reference electrode. The device includes an electrode interface assembly including independent electrically conductive contacts.

Various medical conditions of patients need regular or frequent patient-operated testing to monitor conditions or well-being of patients. One example for such patient-operated testing is measuring the glucose level of diabetes patients. Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) is a metabolic disease associated with high blood sugar due to insufficient production of insulin by the body or inadequate response by cells to the insulin that is produced. There are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is associated with the body's failure to produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is associated with insulin resistance, in which cells fail to use insulin properly. The third form of diabetes is referred to as gestational diabetes, which can occur when pregnant women develop a high blood glucose level (e.g., even without a previous history of diabetes). Gestational diabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes, but often resolves after the pregnancy. Diabetes is widely-spread globally, affecting hundreds of millions of people, and is among the leading causes of deaths globally. Various medical conditions of patients need regular or frequent patient-operated testing to monitor conditions or well-being of patients. One example for such patient-operated testing is measuring the glucose level of a diabetes patients.

Non-invasive and wearable chemical sensors and biosensors

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


Disclosed herein is a method of controlling the current of a high-speed Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) using an inverter circuit including a first switching element, a second switching element, a first diode, a second diode and a reactor, wherein the first switching element and the first diode, the second diode and the second switching element are connected to a bridge circuit, and one end of the reactor is connected to the junction of the first switching element and the first diode, and the remaining end of the reactor is connected to the junction of the second diode and the second switching element; and excitation mode, free-wheeling mode-1, the excitation mode, and free-wheeling mode-2 are sequentially performed in a unit period T, and, when the control is terminated, demagnetization is performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of controlling the current of a Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM), and, more particularly, to a method of controlling the current of an SRM using an inverter circuit including a first switching element, a second switching element, a first diode, a second diode and a reactor, which is configured such that the first switching element and the first diode, the second diode and the second switching element are connected to a bridge circuit, and one end of the reactor is connected to the junction of the first switching element and the first diode, and a remaining end of the reactor is connected to the junction of the second diode and the second switching element; and excitation mode in which the first switching element is turned on the second switching element is turned on, free-wheeling mode-1 in which the first switching element is turned off and the second switching element is turned on, the excitation mode, and free-wheeling mode-2 in which the first switching element is turned on and the second switching element is turned off are sequentially performed in a unit period T, and, when the control is terminated, demagnetization in which the first switching element and the second switching element are turned off is performed, hereby being able to reduce current ripple caused by the fast dynamic characteristics of the high-speed SRM and overcome overshoot current caused by the time delay of current sensing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a switched reluctance motor is a kind of reluctance motor, and includes a multi-phase stator formed by winding an armature coil and configured to generate magnetic force, a rotor adapted to be rotated by magnetic force generated by a stator and magnetic force generated based on the relative positions of teeth, and a location detection unit configured to include a location sensing unit and a sensor plate and to sense the location of the rotor by detecting location detection pulses at predetermined angular resolution as the location of the rotor varies. In this switched reluctance motor, a plurality of teeth is symmetrically formed in the rotor, the armature coil is symmetrically wound around the multi-phase stator, and the location sensing unit senses the locations of the rotor and outputs location sensing pulses, thus sequentially driving the multi-phase armature coil in synchronization with the location sensing pulses.
In the switched reluctance motor, power applied to the armature coil wound around the multi-phase stator is selectively supplied and cut off using a switching element. A forward rotating torque corresponding to an input pulse signal may be generated in the rotor based on magnetic inhaling force by applying an input pulse signal to the control terminal of the switching element in synchronization with the location sensing pulse of the location sensing unit and, thereby, sequentially varying the excitation state between the rotor and the stator. When a specific excitation state is not varied, the rotor may be stopped in a specific location. A reverse rotating force may be generated by controlling the phase of an input pulse signal applied to the switching element on the basis of the maximum inductance shape. Accordingly, a variety of types of drive control can be achieved, so that the motor is being usefully used in various application fields.
In particular, a high-speed switched reluctance motor (SRM) has compact size and high system efficiency, so that it frequently applied to and used for high RPM systems, such as a blower, a compressor, and a pump. A common SRM control method is configured to control an SRM by controlling driving current in accordance with driving speed. In order to control driving current, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is used. As is well known, PWM is a method which is configured to perform modulation by changing the widths of pulses in response to the magnitude of modulation signals, and is widely used to control the current of an electric motor which is subjected to variable and constant speed driving.
In the meantime, the high-speed driving of an electric motor is subjected to a variety of types of limiting factors, such as iron loss, loss in winding, the length of the iron core of a stator, dynamics in a shaft, bearings, the VA (Voltage-Amps) rating of a controller. Accordingly, the design and control of the current of an SRM suitable for high-speed driving require many considerations. Furthermore, in a high-speed driving system, due to electrical frequency and core loss from a high frequency, the number of poles is a very important factor. In order to reduce an electrical frequency at the same speed, many high-speed drives adopt a two-pole system.
Meanwhile, the high-speed SRM is problematic in that the impedance of the motor is significantly smaller than that of a general motor so as to deal with fast electrical dynamic characteristics, with the result that current ripple increase in a high-speed operation condition compared to the conventional motor system. In order to reduce current ripple, high-frequency switching is appropriate. The switching frequency is normally limited by switching loss and the electrical characteristics of a power device.
Meanwhile, a high resolution encoder is not suitable for a high-speed motor due to its mechanical, electrical limitations. The sensing of the rotor location of a low resolution encoder is problematic in that it is not suitable to control phase current without incurring an overshoot phenomenon during the excitation interval of the switched reluctance motor due to the time delay of hardware and the feedback signal of phase current.
Accordingly, due to the fast rotation characteristics of the high-speed SRM, the delay time of current sensing may be a great problem and overshoot current resulting from the delay time is considered to be a serious problem.
A plurality of conventional technologies related to a method of controlling the current of an SRM has been proposed. An example of these technologies is Korean Patent No. 294,209. This conventional technology discloses an apparatus for controlling the current of a switched reluctance motor, the switched reluctance motor including an inverter unit for variably switching an excitation state with respect to each phase of a multi-phase stator, in which, when a current sensing unit is electrically connected to the inverter unit and senses current actually applied to an armature coil, a current control signal is generated to compensate for the current error between the current reference of a current reference unit and the actually applied current using a current control unit, and the current signal is received, subjected to pulse width modulation and then provided to the inverter unit, thereby being able to effectively improve the operating characteristics of the switched reluctance motor by minimizing current error.
This conventional technology is advantageous in that it enables optimal current control on the basis of the location of a rotor relative to that of a stator, so that the rotating torque of the motor can be maximized and noise generated by torque ripple during rotation can be reduced, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the switched reluctance motor. However, it is disadvantageous in that there is an actual limitation to its application to high-speed operation mode in light of the characteristics of the high-speed SRM, and, even if it is applied to high-speed operation mode, it is still difficult to reduce the current ripple of the high-speed SRM and overcome overshoot current using this control method.
Another conventional technology, that is, Korean Patent Application No. 228,695, discloses a method of controlling the driving time of a switched reluctance motor, which is configured to receive a location signal related to the sensed location of a rotor and to allow the motor to operate within delay time limits while maintaining a turn-on duration for a specific time on the basis of a Look-Up Table (LUT) in which preset speed-based turn-on delay time data is recorded for respective rotating speeds, thus being able to effectively reduce torque ripple by optimizing the turn-on and turn-off time of an armature coil.
However, this technology is still disadvantageous in that it is not suitable for high-speed operation mode, in that accuracy is low because a look-up table for delay time data, which can be inaccurately recorded due to various situations, is used, and in that it cannot reduce the current ripple of the high-speed SRM.

Method of controlling current of high-speed switched reluctance motor

Kyungsung University Office of Industry-Academy Cooperation


A radial servo control device for a super-resolution optical disc includes an excitation light source, a servo light source, an integrated optical path, focusing units, a servo light detecting unit and a drive control unit; the drive control unit presets N detection error reference values with respect to each guide layer trench irradiated by servo light, and controls corresponding positions of the focusing units in N data tracks below each guide layer trench according to a comparison result between a detection result of servo reflected light and the detection error reference values. The device is applicable to a variety of super-resolution optical discs on the basis of stimulated radiation loss microscopy technology, a two-photon absorption technology, and the like, and achieves accurate radial servo control of super-resolution data tracks (<100 nm) without reducing the wavelength of servo light and the width of guide layer trenches.

Due to the restriction of the optical diffraction limit effect, traditional optical storage has approached the limit of its storage density, and it is difficult to meet the storage demand under the explosive growth of information in the era of big data. Therefore, in order to fundamentally solve this problem, it is necessary to break through the limit of optical diffraction and obtain smaller data recording points.
In recent years, people have discovered some methods that can break through the optical diffraction limit, such as super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (Nobel Prize in 2014), two-photon absorption technology, super-resolution optical absorption technology, medium super-resolution technology, etc. Although not all technologies are found in the optical disc field, they all likely to be applied to the optical disc field to achieve ultra-high density storage.
However, the breakthrough of the diffraction limit does not mean that a new generation of optical disc technology is coming in an all-round way. Technically, a matching optical disc servo control system is required. Optical disc servo technology is the core technology of optical disc drives, and a servo control system matching with super-resolution optical discs has not yet been developed. The reason is that the super-resolution recording point is much smaller than the current minimum information point for Blu-ray discs whose size is 138 nm. It is difficult to realize the servo control of the super-resolution recording point, especially the tracking servo control in the radial direction, during the process of disc recording and reading. Traditional CD, DVD, and BD (Blu-ray Discs) generally use reflection-based methods to read information and servo control. The principles of them are basically the same, except that the size of the pre-groove decreases as the recording point decreases. However, for super-resolution optical discs, neither excitation light nor servo light can achieve radial tracking servo by reducing the pre-groove pitch to the size of super-resolution recording points, because both are limited by the diffraction limit. A magneto-optical hybrid servo system is mentioned in [0071] of the cited reference [1]. The magneto-optical hybrid servo system can realize error signal detection and position correction through pre-encoded position signals in the track groove, but it needs to pre-embed the magnetic field lines in the recording layer of each optical disc to realize the tracking servo of the radial position. If the super-resolution optical discs are manufactured by this method, the cost will be very high, possibly up to USD/MB. In addition, the idea of using fluorescent quantum dots for tracking still exists great obstacles in terms of current semiconductor development technology. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a low-cost, high-precision servo device for a super-resolution optical disc and servo control method therefor.

Radial servo device for super-resolution optical disc and servo control method therefor

SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF OPTICS AND FINE MECHANICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES


System access points are located either in a packet transmission network or at switching unit interfaces provided with gateways with the packet network. Call servers store context data concerning terminals connected to the system through the access points and cooperate with a configuration manager in order to establish communication paths between different access points.

The present invention relates to the field of communication networks, and more specifically to voice transport networks having one or more circuit-switching sub-networks and one or more packet transmission sub-networks, with gateway interfaces to interconnect them.
The development of the Internet network has greatly contributed to the appearance then expansion of telecommunication services designed to operate in accordance with the protocol suite of this network, in particular the IP (Internet Protocol, Request for Comments (RFC) 760, Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), January 1980) network layer protocol.
Telephony services, developed first around circuit-switching techniques, then more recently proposed on IP networks, are one example of this transformation. High-performance integrated networks are being designed today, offering voice and data transport services and operating entirely using the IP protocol.
However, the underlying economic and technical requirements impose that a seamless transition takes place, meaning that a technology jump cannot reasonably be considered. It is appropriate to contemplate an intermediate step during which heterogeneous networks, arising from the interconnection of traditional PABX (Private Automatic Branch eXchange) networks with networks operating entirely using the IP protocol, will be developed.
Such heterogeneous networks may for example include one or more Local Area Networks (LANs) operating using the IP protocol, interconnected with one or more traditional PABX networks forming a "multi-site" network.
A PABX network generally incorporates a set of telephony applications including a communication path supervision application. For each communication admitted by the topology of the network, such an application determines, according to the network's topological description data to which it has access and according to input parameters specific to the communication, a communication path which may then be reserved and then used.
The determination of such a path, more specifically the choice of topological nodes that come one after the other along the path, takes place preferably independently of the technology used to form each of the routes linking these nodes. In the OSI reference model, the process does not fall beneath the network layer. For example, the communication path supervision application is not concerned as to whether the path between two nodes makes use of a 64 kbit/s PCM link or an IP-based LAN. Next a link-layer process takes charge of implementing the switching path, that is reserving appropriate resources along the determined path and managing the use of these resources.
During configuration of the PABX network, network management software is used to declare the routes capable of transporting the determined type of traffic. The parameters of this declaration include in particular the route type, the corresponding topological nodes, the voice traffic transport parameters (in particular the coding laws), etc. The PABX network topology is therefore known by at least some of the network applications, in particular the communication path supervision and setup applications.
This intelligence is absent from networks operating using the IP protocol since, in such a network, the routing of datagrams, whether or not they transport voice, is performed by mechanisms internal to the network which do not interact with the client applications to determine the path used by each packet. Only the IP address of the recipient is taken into account. The RSVP ("Resource ReSerVation Protocol", RFC 2205, IETF, September 1997) protocol intended to increase the quality of service offered to users of IP networks does not bring about any change since it relies on the IP routing mechanisms, and remains an IP network tool, unlike in the case of PABX networks which specifically incorporate path supervision and setup tools.
The success of IP networks has led to the development of applications for the transport of voice over IP networks, raising the possibility of traditional PABX networks eventually being replaced by multi-service IP networks. Most developers are studying systems operating entirely using the IP protocol. Solutions intended for heterogeneous networks, made up partly of one or more IP protocol transmission networks and partly of one or more PABX networks, are not being studied much.
An object of the present invention is to improve interaction between the various types of networks forming a heterogeneous communication system, in order to optimize use of all the resources of the network.

Method for establishing communication paths between access points of a communication system and a communication system using said method


An automation framework for a multi-node environment is described. A first host computer executes a parser, a first execution engine, a first communication component, and a first logger. A second host computer executes a second execution engine, a second communication component, and a second logger. The parser parses a test case suite to identify multiple script instructions to test an application. The first execution engine executes the first script instruction to locally execute the first script instruction. The first communication component communicates an execution request to the second communication component to remotely execute the first script instruction. The second communication component instructs the second execution engine to execute the first script instruction. The first and the second logger log a first and a second result of executing the first script instruction on the first and the second host computer. The first logger outputs the first result and/or the second result.

Test automation is the use of software to control the execution of tests, the comparison of actual outcomes to predicted outcomes, the setting up of test preconditions, and other test control and test reporting functions. An automation framework is not a single tool to perform some specific testing task, but a set of tools that provide support for automated software testing in a unified manner, thereby providing a common platform for an automation engineer to do a job. If there is change to any test case for an application that is being tested, only the test case file needs to be updated, such that the driver script and startup script remain the same. The automation framework integrates the function libraries, test data sources, object details and various reusable modules. The automation framework is responsible for defining the format in which to express expectations, creating a mechanism to drive the application being tested, executing the tests, and reporting the results. Typically an automation framework resides on a host computer and includes a test initializer, a script parser, a script execution engine, and a logger that logs and reports the test results. Since many automation frameworks offer relatively limited test coverage, some real time environments are not adequately simulated, such that some regression tests may be missed, which may cause issues when a tested application is executed in the field.

Method and system for automation framework for multi-node environments


An electronic component assembly including an electrical connector and an electronic subassembly. The electrical connector has a housing with a receiving area, electrical contacts connected to the housing, and fusible elements. The electrical contacts include first electrical connection sections in the receiving area and second electrical connection sections proximate a first exterior side of the housing. The fusible elements are connected to the second electrical connection sections. The electronic subassembly includes a printed wiring assembly and electronic components connected to opposite sides of the printed wiring assembly. The printed wiring assembly includes a relatively rigid section with the electronic components connected thereto and a flex cable forming deflectable lateral side sections with contact areas contacting the first electrical connector sections of the electrical contacts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to interconnection of electronic components and, more particularly, to an interconnection within an electronic package, which uses a flex cable, and electrical interconnection between components and assembly substrates.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
Flex cables, such as flat flexible cables (FFC) and flexible printed circuits (FPC) are generally well know. Currently the most typical interconnection method between electronics packages and motherboards is ball grid array (BGA) or land grid array (LGA) type of solderable interconnection. In large modules (containing a lot of functionalities and components) usage of this interconnection method set demands for motherboard technology selection (e.g. wiring of the module requires micro via technology in motherboard).
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a side view of an electronic component assembly 10 known in the prior art. The assembly 10 generally comprises a substrate 12, a plurality of electronic components 14, 15, and fusible elements 16. The electronic components 14, 15 are electrically connected to the fusible elements 16 by conductive paths (not shown) on and/or through the substrate 12. The fusible elements 16 can provide a soldered ball grid array (BGA) or land grid array (LGA) interconnection. These types of array interconnections are currently a very typical interconnection method for connecting complicated electronics packages in applications, such as a microprocessor to another component (for example). One problem which exists with BGA or LGA interconnections is that components cannot be assembled on the bottom side of the module; the side which comprises the fusible elements 16. Thus, the electronic components 14, 15 can be mounted on only the top side 18 of the substrate 12.
Another typical or conventional method of interconnection comprises a board edge plating process. Board edge plating processes are used in existing printed wiring board technology. Electrical contact interconnection areas are formed on lateral side edges of a rigid printed circuit board by a plating process. This type of manufacturing process is difficult and does not always provide an accurate process.
Due to limitations of single sided component assembly on the module, the total area (physical size of the module) is larger than it could be if a double-sided component assembly were used on a physical module. This is solved by improving component assembly processes with the present invention. An example of these are shrinkage of component-to-component spacing rules and usage of smaller component packages in assembly lines. This adds unnecessary complexity to the module electronics manufacturing processes.


A resistor pack assembly including an anti-rotation housing. The anti-rotation housing includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, one or more anti-rotation lugs extending away from the first surface, and an internal cavity extending from the second surface into the anti-rotation housing towards the first surface. The resistor pack assembly also including a positive rail located at least partially within the internal cavity, a negative rail having an inner circular face and an outer circular face located radially outward from the inner circular face, and an insulator ring is interposed between the second surface of the anti-rotation housing and the outer circular face of the negative rail.

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to generators, and more specifically to a rotating resistor pack employed in a generator.
A typical generator assembly includes a rotor portion and a stator portion. Mechanical energy is provided to the generator via a shaft connected to the rotor portion that is converted into electrical energy that is provided via the stator portion.
Many generators take advantage of three stages, including a permanent magnet stage, an exciter stage and a main stage. The exciter stage includes an exciter stator winding for receiving direct current (DC) power that energizes the exciter stator and generates the desired magnetic field. Rotational energy provided by the shaft causes the exciter rotor to move through the magnetic field, resulting in the generation of alternating current (AC) electric power in the exciter rotor. A rotating rectifier assembly is mounted within the rotor for converting the AC power to DC electric power that is supplied to the main rotor winding. The DC power provided to the rotating main rotor winding results in a rotating magnetic field that generates AC power in the stator windings.
Suppression resistors may also be included within or nearby the rotating rectifier assembly to provide an alternate path for voltage and current transients and protect the rotating rectifier assembly. However, the rotating rectifier assembly and the suppression resistors are mounted on the rotating shaft, and are therefore subject to the centrifugal forces associated with the rotating shaft.

Connection assembly cover with integrated anti-rotation


A shed forming device for a weaving machine includes at least one rotary electric actuator for winding, around a pulley, a funicular element controlling at least one heddle and wherein an output shaft of the actuator rotates around a first axis and wherein the output shaft is provided with a pinion meshing with a toothed crown secured to the pulley and rotatable therewith around a second axis perpendicular to the first axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a shed forming device designed to be installed on a weaving machine.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In the textile field, it is known that, on a Jacquard-type weaving machine, the formation of the weaving shed for the warp yarns of the weaving machine takes place by passing each warp yarn through the eyelet of a heddle whereof one end is connected to a spring and the other end is connected to a funicular element. The funicular element or harness is a yarn, a single- or multi-strand cable that can be wound around the pulley and follow a path defined by guide members. The principle of winding the harness around the pulley is known, for example from WO-A-4 433 704 or from EP-A-0 933 456. In the equipment of U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,704, a mechanical shaft drives some pulleys for winding the funicular elements, without use of a rotary electric actuator. In the equipment of EP-A-0 933 456, the pulley is driven by an electric actuator that controls the travel of the harness secured to the pulley. It is also known from EP-A-0 926 280 to use housings comprising up to sixteen subassemblies formed by a pulley and an associated actuator. The housings grouping together these subassemblies have the advantage of saving space on the weaving machine. Up to forty of these housings are assembled on either side of an aluminum profile that ensures their mechanical support and cooling. Each actuator commands a pulley that is removably assembled. The set of the pulleys, harnesses, heddles, springs and associated guide elements requires a significant number of assembly operations. EP-A-1 493 857 discloses a method and a device making it possible to place and disassemble sixteen pulleys from a housing simultaneously. These devices significantly improve the quality of maintenance operations, in terms of practicality and length.
The size of a weaving machine is the result of a compromise between cost and bulk imperatives, taking into account the diversity of the applications that may be involved. In parallel, the development of new weaving techniques, such as 3D weaving, requires both an increase in travel and admissible loads on the driving means of the harnesses of the weaving machine of the Jacquard type.

Shed forming device and weaving machine equipped with such a device