A chart generation unit generates an adjustment chart, and a projection unit projects the adjustment chart onto a circular cylinder. A parameter acquiring unit acquires 12 parameters in total, relating to the positions of four corners and middle points of a top side and a bottom side of a chart and lateral expansion of the chart, the chart being input by a user through manipulations of an operation unit. A transform function determination unit calculates, from the total of 12 parameters, an accurate transform function for projecting an image onto the circular cylinder. An image conversion unit applies geometric transformation to the image based on the calculated transform function.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a projection apparatus, a projection state adjustment method, and a projection state adjustment program.
2. Related Art
Generally, a projector as an image projection apparatus is known, in which an image based on image data output from a personal computer, for example, is projected onto a projection target such as a screen.
Such a projector is sometimes used to project an image onto the curved surface of a circular cylinder, for example.
For example, in the case where an image with no distortion is appropriately projected onto a circular cylinder, it is necessary to apply geometric correction to a projected image.
Functions for use in such geometric correction are different depending on the positional relationship between the projector and the circular cylinder, such as the orientation of the projector relative to the circular cylinder, a distance from the projector to the circular cylinder, and the diameter of the circular cylinder.
Thus, it is necessary to provide the settings of geometric correction depending on the positional relationship between the projector and the circular cylinder, for example.
Some methods are known as a setting method for such geometric correction.
For example, a first method is a method in which a projector is used to project a grid pattern onto a circular cylinder, and a user adjusts the positions of intersection points of grids to sequentially change the set values of geometric correction.
A second method is a method in which a distance and a direction from a projector to a circular cylinder, the range of a screen on the circular cylinder, the angle of view of the projector, the position of an optical axis, and so on are found, and correction values necessary for geometric correction are calculated from the values.
For a third method, a technique is disclosed in JP-A-2004-320662, for example, in which typical geometric correction methods not directly involved in a circular cylinder are combined to adjust images.
As for the foregoing setting methods for geometric correction, according to the first method, for example, the user can intuitively perform manipulations.
However, it is necessary to adjust a large number of positions of intersection points, and it takes a lot of time and effort.
For example, in the second method, it is necessary to accurately determine the positional relationship between the projector and the circular cylinder, for example, which is usually difficult to determine, and it is difficult to implement the second method.
For example, according to the third method, the user can relatively easily perform manipulations because the amount of manipulations is small.
However, it is difficult for the user to intuitively grasp which geometric correction methods to combine.
Moreover, the first method and the third method provide approximate settings, and the methods do not always provide mathematically accurate correction.

Projection apparatus, projection method and computer-readable storage medium for correcting a projection state being projected onto curved surface


A voltage source inverter comprises a rectifier having an input for receiving single-phase AC power from an AC source and converting the AC power to DC power on a DC bus. The DC bus has first and second rails to provide a relatively fixed DC voltage. A DC bus capacitor is across the first and second rails to smooth voltage ripple. An inverter receives DC power from the DC bus and converts the DC power to AC power. An active front end circuit comprises a pair of filter capacitors in series across the first and second rails to create a midpoint. A bidirectional switch is connected between the rectifier input and the midpoint. The bidirectional switch is controlled to inject current into the midpoint of the DC bus.

Voltage source inverter based variable frequency drives (VFDs) have an AC to DC rectifier unit with a large DC capacitor to smooth the voltage ripple. In all VFDs, the DC bus voltage is inverted to three-phase variable voltage, variable frequency output to control the speed and torque of three-phase AC motors. For loads rated above 2 hp, it is customary and often required to power up the AC to DC rectifier section from a three-phase AC source. However, the input AC to DC rectifier can be powered up from a single-phase AC source, especially in locations where three-phase AC power is unavailable due to logistics and other reasons. In such cases, some utilities allow three-phase VFDs to be powered from a single-phase AC source provided the peak current flowing into the AC to DC rectifier system is within the rating of the single-phase AC source. Many VFD manufacturers impose restrictions on the rating of the VFD when they are subject to a single phase AC source.
There exist important concerns while operating a three-phase VFD from a single-phase AC source. These include that the RMS value of the input AC current is at least two times that when a three-phase supply is used for a given load. The input diodes have to handle the higher demand current for a given load. De-rating of the inverter is undertaken to address this concern. Higher input current affects the input AC power terminal blocks. In many cases, the diodes may be able to handle the higher values of RMS current but the terminal blocks may not be rated to handle the peak current on a continuous basis. Input harmonic distortion is high when single-phase input is used as an AC source for a three-phase inverter. Poor harmonics is also associated with lower input power factor. This affects the efficiency of power conversion and should be considered in any proposed improvements. Single-phase AC supply results in higher ripple voltage across the DC bus. Higher ripple voltage translates to higher ripple current through the capacitor and more heating of the capacitor. The inverter is typically de-rated to handle the higher ripple current. The current drawn from the single-phase AC source feeding a three-phase VFD is discontinuous. When the pulsed current flows from the AC source, it creates voltage drop that mimics the pulsed current waveform to some extent. The resulting voltage drop can affect other loads connected to the same AC source.
There are many known techniques, both passive and active, that are employed to improve the current waveform and reduce the overall current harmonics. The active techniques have an advantage over the passive techniques in size and performance. The cost of certain type of active techniques can be higher than passive techniques.
One known passive approach creates a resonant circuit across the DC bus. Energy is stored in the resonant components and released naturally at the appropriate time to support the sagging DC bus voltage and thereby reduce the ripple across the bulk capacitors of the DC bus. The topology is shown in FIG. 1 and its operation is described below.
The DC bus resonant method adds a resonant circuit across the DC bus as shown in FIG. 1. The resonance frequency of the resonant inductor L1 and resonant capacitor C1 of the resonant circuit across the DC bus is two times the supply frequency (100 Hz in Asia, Europe and Africa, and 120 Hz in North and South America). A DC link inductor L2 is placed in between the resonant circuit and the main bus capacitor C2 to decouple the main DC bus capacitor from the resonant circuit so as not to detune the main resonant circuit. It also helps in reducing the current ripple of the bus capacitor C2. The value of L2 is about ⅓ the value of L1 and the value of C1 is typically ⅓rd to ¼th fourth the main capacitor, C2.
When the instantaneous voltage across the resonant circuit L1-C1 is lower than the line-line voltage of the AC supply, the input diodes conduct and charge the resonant circuit L1-C1 and the DC bus filter capacitor C2. Because of the resonant circuit, the input diodes remain in conduction for one-half of the resonant cycle, even when the voltage across the resonant circuit L1-C1 is higher than the instantaneous input line-line voltage. The input diode conduction duration is extended because the charging current keeps flowing into the resonant circuit and into the main DC bus capacitor C2.
When the resonant current tries to reverse its polarity and flow in the opposite direction, the input diodes are shut off and they cease to conduct. The energy stored in the resonant circuit L1-C1 is transferred to the load thereby reducing the ripple current through the DC bus capacitor C2. This action limits the DC bus ripple voltage and extends the life of the DC bus capacitor C2. During this time, the DC bus filter capacitor C2 also discharges into the load, which is evident from the drooping DC bus voltage characteristics. The value of L1, C1, and L2 are chosen such that the resonant period when the input diodes are conducting and charging L1-C1 path is similar to the resonant period when the input diodes are not conducting and the energy in L1-C1 is being transferred to C2 via L2. Advantages of the DC bus resonance method are that extending the diode conduction period during the charging cycle reduces the input harmonics and improves the input power factor to some extent, and the DC bus capacitor ripple is significantly reduced.
The passive resonant circuit shown in FIG. 1 has disadvantages as well. Resonant components are bulky and expensive. The DC bus circuit needs to be accessed in some VFDs that do not have a built-in DC link choke, L2. The peak diode current is reduced but the improvement is not conspicuous. Also, average DC bus voltage is still low and the VFDs need to be de-rated though the level of de-rating is smaller than that without the DC bus resonant circuit.
To improve the overall performance, an active solution commonly used in single-phase AC to DC power supplies uses a boost converter that boosts the input voltage to a desired DC bus voltage level under all load conditions. The overall DC bus voltage ripple is also reduced. An added advantage is that the input current is made continuous which reduces the input current harmonic distortion. The active circuit is shown in FIG. 2.
When the switch S1 is turned ON, current from the AC source flows into the inductor L1. During this period, energy is stored in the inductor L1. When the switch S1 is turned OFF, the inductor current cannot stop flowing immediately because of the nature of inductance. The voltage across the inductor L1 forward biases the blocking diode and all its stored energy is transferred to the DC bus capacitor and the load. The switching ON and OFF of the switch S1 takes place very rapidly in kHz range and hence the output DC bus voltage is effectively regulated thereby reducing both the ripple voltage and the ripple current through the capacitor.
As shown in FIG. 2, the boost converter requires a DC link inductor for the boosting action, a switch, and a blocking diode. The main DC bus capacitor is part of the load. The control circuit takes care of the operation of the boost converter by switching the IGBT switch. The schemes developed for the control of the boost converter topology involve maintaining a regulated DC bus voltage with low ripple and simultaneously enabling unity-power-factor operation with continuous input current for the entire load range as mentioned earlier.
The relationship between the output and input voltage can be derived as follows. The output voltage is a function of the duty cycle 'α' of the switch. The relationship between the average output voltageVDC and the average input voltageV1 in terms of the duty cycle 'α' is derived next. If the switch S1 is ON for a timetON and has a cycle duration of T, then duty cycle 'α' is defined as:
                    α        =                                                           t                                    ON                    T                                    (        1        )
Since the average voltage across the inductor is zero, the following expression is true:
                              (                      α                                                                                T              ·                              V                1                                              )                +                  (                                                    (                                  1                  -                  α                                )                                                          T                ·                                  (                                                            V                      1                                        -                                          V                                              D                                                                                C                                                                              )                                                      =                                          0                                                                                α                            =                              1                -                                                      V                    1                                                        V                                          D                                                                                C                                                                                (        2        )
The average output voltage VDC in terms of the average input voltage Vg and duty ratio 'α' is given as:
                              V                      D                                                                          C                          =                              V            1                                1            -            α                                              (        3        )
When the duty ratio 'α' is zero, then the average output voltage is the same as the average input voltage because the switch S1 is not being utilized. If the duty ratio 'α' is 1, then the output voltage can theoretically go to infinity, which is impractical.
Average DC bus voltage control philosophy is employed. A set voltage reference is compared with the DC bus voltage that is actually sensed from across the DC bus. The error is fed through a proportional-integral (PI) controller. The output of the PI controller forms the gain, which is multiplied by the non filtered rectified voltage at the output of the single-phase rectifier. The shape of this gain manipulated rectified voltage is the desired inductor current. The DC link current through the boost inductor is also sensed and is compared with this current reference. The error is fed through another PI controller, the output of which is compared with a high frequency saw-tooth carrier frequency waveform. The comparator has a built-in (non-adjustable) hysteresis. The output of the hysteresis comparator is fed into the gate driver. The output of the gate drive circuit is used to control the switching action of the boost IGBT.
From the discussions thus far, the advantages and disadvantages of the boost converter can be summarized as follows. The input current is sinusoidal and has low harmonic distortion, thereby eliminating the peak current stress in the input diodes. The input power factor is very good and results in lower thermal loss in the AC system. The ripple voltage across the capacitor is reduced but still is conspicuous. The boost switch (S1 in FIG. 2), has to be rated to carry peak of input current and also has to handle the boosted voltage. Hence, the stress across the switch S1 is large making it expensive. Switching noise is observed in the input AC voltage waveform. This means that input EMI filter is needed to limit noise from propagating into the AC source. No de-rating of VFD is needed and VFD can be operated at its rated power condition.
The present invention is directed to improvements in single-phase front end rectifier systems.

Single-phase active front end rectifier system for use with three-phase variable frequency drives


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a mask layer including aluminum or an aluminum compound on a layer to be etched comprising at least one first metal selected from tungsten, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, molybdenum, niobium, ruthenium, osmium, rhenium, and iridium. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device further includes patterning the mask layer, and etching the layer to be etched by using the patterned mask layer to form a hole or a groove in the layer to be etched.

Some methods of manufacturing a memory cell array having a three-dimensional structure involve forming a hole in a stacked body in which different types of materials are alternately stacked. However, when a bit density of the memory cell array is high and there is a corresponding large amount of stacked material, and the stacked body becomes thicker, the hole may have a high aspect ratio. In etching for forming a hole having a high aspect ratio, an amount of etching of a mask is also increased, and thus the mask may, in some cases, be readily deformed. The deformation of the mask affects the shape and dimensions of the hole formed in the stacked body.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device and etching mask


A planetary gear mechanism for a bicycle internal hub transmission that includes at least one stepped planetary gear. The stepped planetary gear has a plurality of first helical gear teeth with a first outer diameter and a plurality of second helical gear teeth with a second outer diameter that is greater than the first outer diameter. The first helical gear teeth have a first helix angle and the second gear teeth have a second helix angle with the first and second helix angles being angled such that for a given amount of rotation of the stepped planetary gear corresponding travel points on the first and second helical gear teeth move the same axial amount with respect to the rotational axis the stepped planetary gear.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a planetary gear mechanism for a bicycle internal hub transmission. More specifically, the present invention relates to planetary gear mechanism that includes a stepped planetary gear.
2. Background Information
Bicycling is becoming an increasingly more popular form of recreation as well as a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a very popular competitive sport for both amateurs and professionals. Whether the bicycle is used for recreation, transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantly improving the various components of the bicycle.

Planetary gear mechanism for a bicycle internal hub transmission


A floor board is arranged to be connectable to other similar boards to form a floor. The floor board includes a first female coupler extending along a first edge of the board, wherein the first female coupler comprises a first coupling element having a groove and a surface extending obliquely from the groove and away from a wall of the groove so as to form a stop. The floor board also includes a first male coupler extending along a second edge of the board, wherein the first male coupler comprises a second coupling element having a V shape portion and a portion disposed in a recess formed in the board, wherein an outer V-leg of the second coupling element is deformable in the direction of an Inner V-leg, and wherein the second coupling element in its non-deformed state is complementary to the shape of the groove of the first coupling element.

The present invention relates to a floor board of elongated rectangular shape, which comprises coupling means at its lateral edges and which is arranged to be connected to other similar floor boards to form a floor, which is made up of a plurality of adjacent, parallel rows of juxtaposed floor boards and in which the floor boards of one and the same row are interconnected short side to short side and the floor boards of adjacent rows are interconnected long side to long side, the coupling means being composed of a first pair of coupling means consisting of a female coupling means and a male coupling means, which extend along the one and the other long side edges of the floor board, respectively, and a second pair of coupling means consisting of a female coupling means and a male coupling means, which extend along the one and the other short sides of the floor board, respectively.
In common, prior-art floor boards of this type, the female coupling means consist of grooves and the male coupling means of tongues (or feathers). A laterally open groove is formed in one of the long side faces of the floor board, and a laterally open groove is formed in one of its short side faces, the two grooves extending along the board""s entire length and width, respectively. A laterally projecting tongue is formed on the other long side face of the floor board, and a laterally projecting tongue is formed on its other short side face, the two tongues extending substantially along the board""s entire length and width, respectively. These floor boards are intended to be interconnected so as to form a floor. For this purpose, the tongues of a floor board are inserted horizontally into a long side groove of another floor board and into a short side groove of yet another floor board. The dimensions of the grooves and tongues are chosen so that the tongues are insertable into the grooves with a very tight fit. Before the tongues are inserted into the grooves, glue is applied in the grooves. The grooves and tongues provide a relative locking of the interconnected floor boards perpendicularly to the floor level, and the glue causes a relative locking parallel to the floor level.
The floor boards described above have several disadvantages. An important disadvantage is that once the floor has been installed it cannot be taken up without the floor boards being damaged. Thus, the floor boards cannot be reused once they have been taken up. Another disadvantage, caused by the tight fit between groove and tongue, is that it might be difficult to insert the tongues into the corresponding grooves, and that it may therefore be necessary to use tools to knock the floor boards into an interconnected position without any gap between the boards. This entails a considerable risk of the floor boards being damaged. A further disadvantage is that glue has to be used in the installation of the floor, which is not only difficult but also time-consuming.
In other prior-art floor boards, some of these disadvantages have been eliminated by dimensioning the grooves and tongues so that it is relatively easy to insert the tongues into the grooves. To interconnect these floor boards different kinds of clips are used, said clips being placed under two juxtaposed floor boards in such manner that they engage in grooves on the under-side of the floor boards by means of upwardly projecting protrusions. This solution allows an installed floor to be taken up in such manner that the floor boards may be reused. A disadvantage of the solution is, however, that loose parts in the form of clips need to be assembled during installation of the floor and that it implies a relatively difficult adjustment of the floor boards with regard to groove-tongue and clips-clip grooves.
The object of the present invention is to provide a floor board which is designed so as. to allow a floor to be installed in an extremely simple manner and without using loose parts or glue by means of a plurality of such similar floor boards and to make it possible to take up the floor boards and reuse them.
According to the invention, this object is achieved with a floor board of the type described by way of introduction, which is characterized in that the female coupling means in at least one, of said two pairs of coupling means comprises a first coupling element, which projects laterally from said one long side edge/short side edge and extends along this edge at a level below the upper surface of the floor board and which has an upwardly open groove extending along the first coupling element and an upper portion with a lower surface, which extends obliquely upwards and over the groove a short distance from the inner limiting wall thereof so as to form a stop, that the male coupling means in said one pair of coupling means comprises a second coupling element, which has substantially the shape of an upwardly open V and which extends along said other long side edge/short side edge in a longitudinal recess formed in the lower portion thereof, the outer V-leg of the second coupling element being springingly foldable in the direction of the inner V-leg of the second coupling element, and that the external V-shape of the second coupling element in its nondeformed state is substantially complementary to the shape of the groove of the first coupling element, the two coupling elements being located in such manner that, when interconnecting two similar floor boards, the groove in the first coupling element of one of the floor boards is situated directly under the substantially V-shaped second coupling element of the other floor board when the floor boards are in such a position relative to each other that their side edges facing each other are vertically aligned, and the two floor boards being inter-connectible by pressing the second coupling element of said other floor board down into the first coupling element of said one floor board, whereby the outer V-leg of the second coupling element is springingly folded, said V-leg springing back to its initial position and snapping in under said stop once the second coupling element has been inserted into the first coupling element.
The upper portion of the outer V-leg of the second coupling element projects laterally from said other long side edge/short side edge.
The female coupling means and the male coupling means preferably comprise a first and a second plastic section, respectively, having a flange which projects laterally from the first and the second coupling element, respectively, and which is mounted in a first and a second notch, respectively, formed at said one and said other long side edge/short side edge, respectively.
The flanges may be mounted in the respective notches by means of glue. The flange of both the first and the second plastic section is suitably provided with longitudinal, glue-receiving ducts that are substantially rectangular in cross section.


A device for a method for determining the transmission performance of sub-channels of a transmission channel in a radio-communication system is specified, where data-comprising signal carriers are generated for the setup of the transmission channel within the radio-communication system and accommodated in the sub-channels of the transmission channel, and the transmission performance of the sub-channels is determined on the basis of the signal sub-carriers superposed with interferers. In this context, each sub-channel occupies a separate bandwidth sub-range of a total bandwidth range of the transmission channel. The bandwidth sub-range is disposed within the bandwidth at a spacing distance from other bandwidth sub-ranges of the total bandwidth range, and the interferers are limited to the bandwidth sub-range allocated to the respective sub-channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device and a method for determining a transmission performance of sub-channels of a transmission channel in a radio-communication system.
2. Discussion of the Background
A method and test device for measuring the spectrum in adjacent channels is known from DE 100 43 894 A1.
Architectures of the third and further mobile-telephone generations (UMTS, 3 GPP-LTE) are based primarily on the OFDM and OFDMA modulation method, which combines multi-carrier modulation in the OFDM method with the multiple-access method FDMA/TDMA. With the OFDM and OFDMA modulation methods, instead of a single signal carrier, a comparatively large number of signal sub-carriers, which are allocated to sub-channels of the transmission channel, are modulated and coded simultaneously for the transmission of information in a transmission channel.
Dependent upon the quality of the sub-channels of the transmission channel, the signal sub-carriers can be operated with different modulation and coding. In order to achieve an efficient exploitation of the transmission channel, coding, modulation and/or amplitude of the signal sub-carriers are adaptable with regard to the transmission performance of the transmission channel. This means that the transmission power can be adapted to a different transmission performance of the transmission channel by means of targeted power control or power regulation in order to minimise interference within the transmission channel and to improve the useful power of the signal sub-carrier. For this purpose, it is necessary to know the transmission performance of the transmission channel, in particular, of the sub-channels.
In order to determine the transmission performance of the sub-channels of the transmission channel within a radio-communication system, data-comprising signal sub-carriers are initially generated for the accommodation in the sub-channels. After the successful transmission of the data through the transmission channel, the signal sub-carriers and/or the data transmitted by means of the signal sub-carriers are investigated with regard to errors and analysed in order to determine the transmission performance of the transmission channel.
To investigate the performance of the transmission channel and its sub-channels in the presence of different types of interference parameters, which vary especially in a time and/or space dependent manner, and/or different types of parameters of the signal data carrier, especially modulation parameters, coding parameters and/or amplitude parameters, it is conventional to implement for every parameter configuration a separate investigation with regard to one of the interference parameters and/or one of the parameters of the signal-data carrier.

Device and method for determining a transmission behavior of sub-channels


This invention is a beam rider system and method that utilizes polarization-agile millimeter beams. Information is spatially encoded in the beams by varying the rate of rotation of the linearly polarized vector of the beams. In one embodiment, information is encoded on a beam that is nutated around a centerline flight path of a missile. In another embodiment, information is encoded on four parallel beams that form a centerline which is the intended flight path of the missile. Receiver means in the flying missile receive and decode information from the beams and use this decoded information to guide the missile to a target.

This invention relates to a system for guiding missiles to a target. More particularly, the invention relates to a missile guidance system where the missile is guided to its target by a polarization-agile beam.
Beamrider guidance is used to direct missiles to their targets in several military systems. Basically, a beamrider guidance system uses one or more beams directed into space such that the axis of the beam is directed toward the intended target of a missile. The beam, which may be either millimeter or light, contains a code such that a missile with an appropriate receiver can receive the beam and determine its relative position within the beam. If the missile deviates from the beam axis, aerodynamic surfaces coupled to the receiver are moved to direct the missile back to the axis.
There are various known techniques used in beam guidance. One is to have a single non-nutating beam directed toward the rear of the missile as the missile flies toward a target. Missile movements that cause it to deviate from the axis of the beam are detected by a decrease in amplitude of beam radiation received by the missile. The receiving device can be structured so as to cause the missile to return to the center of the beam axis. U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,667 entitled "Beamrider Missile Guidance Method" issued to Miller et al discloses such a system.
Another known guidance method is a nutating beam that forms conical scanning. The nutation is synchronized with operations in the missile receiver. The receipt of the radiation on the receiver can thus cause the missile to return to the center line axis around which the beam nutates. The Miller et al patent also discloses this method.
A third known method uses four non-nutating parallel beams, with the intended missile path being the axis formed by all four of the beams. Each beam is distinguishable from the others by means of having a unique frequency or some other distinguishing characteristic. The receiver on the rear of the missile operates such as to let the missile know which beam or beams it is flying in when it veers from the center line axis of the corridor that is formed by the four beams. This information allows the missile to adjust its line of flight to return to the axis. U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,399, for "Hybrid Monopulse/Sequential Lobing Beamrider Guidance" issued to Loomis discloses this method.
A primary consideration for all beamrider systems is the nature of the beam being used. Laser beams have a limitation of not being able to penetrate dust or heavy smoke and thus are not well adapted to ground-to-ground battlefield conditions where a lot of dust or smoke is likely to be generated. Likewise, simple millimeter wave beams may be susceptible to electronic countermeasures which would diminish their effectiveness. Thus, it is desirable to use beams that can penetrate dust and smoke, and to be resistant to electronic countermeasures. The present invention exhibits these desirable characteristics.

Missile beamrider guidance using polarization-agile beams

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


An electrospray apparatus employing multiple electrospray needles mounted on a rotatable plate sequentially delivers multiple sample streams to a mass spectrometer for analysis. The electrospray device includes an electrospray chamber, a rotatable needle supporting plate, a plurality of electrospray needles mounted on the plate, and a charger for applying a charge to droplets delivered to the electrospray chamber by the needles. The rotatable electrospray apparatus provides fast repetitive screening of simultaneously operating chromatography columns with a single mass spectrometer.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to liquid delivery devices, and more particularly, the invention relates to devices for delivery of multiple liquid sample streams to a mass spectrometer for screening of compound libraries.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a large number of combinatory chemistry techniques have been developed which permit vast libraries of diverse chemical compounds to be rapidly synthesized. In combinatory chemistry, a series of chemical reactions is conducted, typically employing a plurality of reagents at each step, to generate a library of compounds. Such techniques have the potential to greatly accelerate the discovery of new compounds having biologically useful properties by providing large collections of diverse chemical compounds for biological screening.
Mass spectrometry is emerging as an important tool for the interrogation of combinatorial libraries. To date, mass spectrometry has been used to assess library quality and, when coupled with molecular recognition technologies, has allowed for some success in the isolation and characterization of active library compounds. Applications of mass spectrometry have become increasingly important in combinatory chemistry and biological research.
Mass spectrometry obtains molecular weight and structural information on chemical compounds by ionizing the molecules and measuring either their time-of-flight or the response of the molecular trajectories to electric and/or magnetic fields. The electrospray process is one of the most promising techniques for producing gas phase molecular ions for a wide range of molecular entities.
According to a conventional electrospray process, a sample solution containing molecules of interest and a suitable solvent is pumped or drawn through an electrospray needle into an electrospray chamber. A potential of up to several kilovolts may be applied to the needle to generate a fine spray of charged droplets. Conversely, the needle may be held at ground and the solution sprayed into an externally generated electric field. The droplets are typically sprayed into the chamber at atmospheric pressure. Optionally, this chamber houses gas lines (e.g., N.sub.2) to aid in the nebulization of the solvent stream and the disolvation or evaporation of solvent. The ions generated by the electrospray process are then guided into the mass spectrometer by appropriate electric field gradients. This typically requires multiple stages of pumping for the removal of excess neutrals, such as solvent vapor.
With this conventional electrospray apparatus, the electrospray needle is connected to a single sample stream and delivers the molecules contained therein by the electrospray process to the mass spectrometer for analysis. When multiple sample streams are prepared, it is time consuming to switch between successive sample streams. This is due to the fact that the available electrospray mass spectrometers are marketed with a single electrospray needle. Therefore, switching streams involves physically breaking the connection between the needle and one sample stream, and re-establishing a connection with the next stream. Aside from the time involved in switching streams, the possibility exists for cross-contamination of the various streams.
It would be desirable to permit multiple sample streams from multiple chromatography columns or from other sample sources to be easily connected to the electrospray apparatus of a mass spectrometer for intermittent analysis of the sample streams from multiple columns. It would also be desirable to automatically move from analysis of one sample stream to another to analyze a plurality of sample streams in as short a period of time as possible.

Device for delivery of multiple liquid sample streams to a mass spectrometer


A new inverting output driver circuit is disclosed that reduces electron injection into the substrate by the drain of the circuit's pull-up field effect transistor. This is accomplished by adding additional circuitry that allows the gate voltage of the pull-up transistor to track the source voltage. The output circuit makes use of an inverter having an output node (hereinafter the intermediate node) coupled to V.sub.CC through a first P-channel FET, and to ground through first and second series coupled N-channel FETs, respectively. The gates of the P-channel FET and the first N-channel FET are coupled to and controlled by an input node. The inverter output node controls the gate of third N-channel FET, through which a final output node is coupled to V.sub.CC. The intermediate node is coupled to the final output node through a fourth N-channel FET, the gate of which is held at ground potential. The gate of the second N-channel FET is coupled to V.sub.CC through a second P-channel FET and to the final output node through a fifth N-channel FET which has much greater drive than the second P-channel FET; the gates of both the second P-channel FET and the fifth N-channel FET also being held at ground potential. Certain obvious variations of the circuit are possible. For example, the function of the first and second N-channel FETs may be reversed. In addition, the second P-channel FET functions as a resistor, and may be replaced with any device which functions as a resistor.

FIG. 1 depicts a conventional output driver circuit. Given the assumption that the gate voltages on both transistor Q1 and transistor Q2 are at ground potential and that the output node O is low, reflections at a mismatched interface may cause output node O to fall below ground to, say, -1.0 volts. Under these conditions, the gate of transistor Q1 becomes positive with respect to the source. Consequently, the channel of transistor Q1 begins to conduct, and the source region of Q1 begins to generate free electron carriers. In an insulated-gate field effect transistor (hereinafter also FET), such as Q1, electric field intensity is greatest near the silicon-silicon dioxide interface where the drain junction is directly under the gate edge. As the free electron carriers from the source region pass through the high-field region near the drain, they can acquire energy far in excess of that which would be attributable solely to ambient temperature. In such a state, those electrons are considered "hot" carriers, and are capable of causing a number of "hot-carrier" effects. For a field effect transistor, the worst case scenario for hot electron generation is generally regarded to be a condition where gate-to-source voltage (V.sub.GS) is about one-half drain-to-source voltage (V.sub.DS).
In MOS memory circuits, "hot-carrier effects" can disturb circuit operation both by directly altering stored data values, and by permanently altering device performance. Although the vast majority of hot electron carriers are collected by the drain region, some leave the channel and travel to the gate through the gate oxide layer. Some of the electrons inevitably become trapped in the gate oxide layer, thereby shifting the threshold voltage of the device. Other electrons are injected into the substrate, through which they can migrate to the memory array where they are attracted by cells in which a logic value of "1" (i.e., a positive charge) is stored. Through this mechanism, data may become corrupted if the refresh cycle is not shortened to compensate for the charge loss. Electron injection into the substrate can also precipitate a latch-up condition in CMOS circuits.
The very structure required to fabricate bulk CMOS circuitry makes it susceptible to latchup. To have both N-channel and P-channel field effect transistors, it is necessary to have both P-type and N-type background material. Typically, the CMOS fabrication process begins with a silicon wafer of a single conductivity type. Regions of the opposite conductivity type, known as wells or tubs, are created it by diffusing or implanting dopant species, which overwhelm the original dopant. For circuitry constructed on a p-type wafer, P-channel FETs are built in an N-well, while N-channel FETs are built directly in the P-type wafer substrate. Unfortunately, the FETs are not the only structures fabricated. PNPN devices consisting of parasitic bipolar transistors are also created. Under certain operational conditions, these PNPN devices can generate a V.sub.CC (power supply voltage) to ground short that can destroy the circuitry.
Some designers have addressed the electron injection problem in output driver circuits by replacing FET Q1 of FIG. 1 with a pair of FETS, Q3 and Q4. Such a circuit is depicted in FIG. 2. Such an approach is effective in reducing electron injection when the output node O drops below ground potential, as transistors Q3 and Q4 act to divide the voltage drop between V.sub.CC and the output node. However, the area required for both FETs Q3 and Q4 is approximately four times that required for transistor Q1 of FIG. 1. Thus, this solution for reducing electron injection has its costs, which for a typical memory circuit can be significant.
What is needed is a new, space-efficient driver circuit that will reduce electron injection into the substrate.

Inverting output driver circuit for reducing electron injection into the substrate


A system and method for extrapolating a set of specific representational identifiers that are represented or covered by a generic representational identifier found in a target document. Queries are constructed and performed on a corpus of source documents in which members of the extrapolated set of specific representational identifiers are compared to a database of representational data. By matching representational data in this way, any overlap between the generic representational data and specific instances of the generic representational identifier within the source documents is determined. In a more specific implementation, the system and method reduces the scope of the generic representational identifier such that the reduced scope generic representational identifier encompasses only novel specific representational identifiers.

Typically, text documents that are in the field of chemistry, such as patent applications, research reports, and other investigations, refer to chemicals using generic chemical formulas. These generic formulas are commonly used as stand-ins for a multiplicity of actual chemical formula that are encompassed by the generic formula. For example, a text document might reference a substituent, moiety, or other generic place holder that is a short hand for a number of possible atoms or molecules (e.g. a methyl, ethyl, or aryl group) the make up a particular formula.
Similarly, in other technical fields, a convention or nomenclature is sometimes used to represent a set of related subject matter, such as nucleotide sequences, amino acid sequences, and so on. For instance, adenine and thymine can be represented in a nucleotide sequence with a generic substitute, x.
Understanding the scope of the subject matter covered by, say, a generic formula or generalized representation, enables researchers, patent attorneys, and business persons to identify areas of further study, potential business strategies and intellectual property disputes. More particularly, identifying licensees, research partners, or infringements can be challenging when generic chemical names or other generic representations are used in patents and other documents, because the generic terminology can mask whether there is an overlap or opportunity relating to, say, a particular chemical formula or a particular nucleotide sequence that is of interest.
There are a number of analytical techniques to allow for searching a database for specific structural formulas or specific representational forms that are represented by a generic chemical formula or generalized representation. However, these solutions are usually time consuming and include manually identifying or drawing, in the case of chemical formula, the structural formula, and these fall short of providing an environment in which overlapping subject matter between documents can be identified.
Therefore, what is needed is a system and method that provides a mechanism for generating from generic chemical identifiers one or more sets of queries representing the generic formula and searching a chemical database for specific compounds that match the queries in order to identify those entries in the database having overlapping subject matter with the generic chemical formula. Likewise, what is needed is a system and method that provides a mechanism for generating from generic representational data one or more queries representing the generic representational data and searching a database of representational data to identify those entries in the database that have overlapping subject matter with the generic representational data. What is further needed in the art is a system and method which can organize the identified documents in a virtual presentation in support of analytics upon the documents to reveal opportunities. The present invention addresses these and other needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Chemical formula extrapolation and query building to identify source documents referencing relevant chemical formula moieties


A motor-powered windshield scourer for any type of a motor-powered vehicle and or motor craft. The motorized windshield scourer may have a motor propelled appendages or a singular appendage that have replaceable scouring attachments joined to the appendages. The motor that propels the appendages can be positioned anywhere on or in the motor vehicle/craft, whether under the hood, in the cabin or elsewhere. The motor driven appendages with joined scouring attachments may be mounted on the windshield of the vehicle directly opposite of the windshield wiper blades. When turned on, the motor may move the appendages with joined attachments in a side to side and/or up and down motion across the windshield. The appendages may include an unpliable metal such as: steel, titanium, tungsten, or inconel, and the scouring attachments may include nylon scouring pads or a vinyl coated mesh attached to and covering rubber or foam.

The primary function of the windshield wiper system of a motor vehicle is to remove weather elements such as rain and snow from the windshield, to improve vision for the motorist while driving in inclement weather.
An evolution of the windshield wiper system was the adding of a reservoir of windshield washer fluid and a motorized pump that ejects the washer fluid from the reservoir onto the windshield. Giving the windshield wiper system a windshield cleaning function.
However, in spite of the now standard windshield washer fluid reservoir and motorized pump. That system working together with the windshield wipers, has proven to be incapable of removing splatted on vision impairing foreign matter from the windshields of motor vehicles.
Consequently, to remove insect residue and the like from their windshields, motorists are forced to exit their motor vehicle and use a manual hand-held scourer/squeegee implement that has a coarse/textured mesh wrapped around foam on one side, and a squeegee on the other, attached to a handle.


A desktop personal computer appliance is described for use with external user input and display devices, the appliance consisting of: a system unit having a sealed housing comprising main processing functionality for executing application programs and at least a DCxe2x80x94DC converter, the housing being provided with external connectors for connection to said external user input and display devices; a removable data storage device for storing user data associated with said application programs and a user-specific software image containing said application programs, the housing having a recessed portion for receiving the removable data storage device and a movable closure member for enclosing the recessed portion; and an external power supply having a flying lead connectable to an external socket provided in the housing for supplying DC power to the DCxe2x80x94DC converter.

The invention relates to the configuration of desktop computer systems and other similar types of electronic appliances.
The popularity of personal computers has become such that their use is an everyday occurrence for much of the world""s population. Whilst improvements have been, and continue to be, made to the user interfaces of personal computers in order to make them usable by a wider cross section of the population, personal computer systems themselves have also greatly increased in their internal complexity so hat today most users are unfamiliar with the internal design and configuration of the computers that they use.
This, together with the increasingly ubiquitous nature of the Internet infrastructure and the services that are becoming available using it, is leading to the deployment of simpler, specialized computing devices that allow users to access applications at all times and on demand.
In consequence, research and development efforts relating to personal computer design are being directed to changing the nature of the desktop computer, at least fox some applications, from being a Relatively complex, but flexible, assembly of interoperating components, such as processor, memory, sound subsystem, CD-ROM drive, network card etc, each having distinct functions, parameters and features to becoming a single, network-connected and relatively reliable appliance, more akin to a telephone or television set than a microcomputer, whose internal make-up and functioning is completely invisible and irrelevant to the user.
The overall objective of such efforts is to remove complexity from the hands of the user in order to enable, ultimately, a more productive use of the technology by allowing users to focus on the task at hand rather than the tool itself.
Whilst this, at first sight, may seem a relatively straightforward and routine matter it does present some significant design challenges.
For instance, a major source of complexity, and also of much unreliability, in known systems is the expandability and upgradeabllity of the systems. The existence of standard electrical and mechanical interfaces to option cards and disk drive units means that the user of a system has many ways in which they can change the features of the system by adding or upgrading components. A consequence of this is that the standard platform chat the user receives usually has to be designed so that it will work reliably with all the possible upgrade possibilities a user might reasonably choose to install.
However, if the possibilities for expansion are limited a choice has to be made as to which features the product must have as standard features and which features should be optional.
The present invention addresses the above problems by providing a desktop personal computer appliance for use with external user input and display devices. In at least a preferred embodiment, the appliance consists of: a sealed housing comprising main processing functionality for executing application programs, and at least a DCxe2x80x94DC converter, the housing being provided with external connectors for connection to said external user input and display devices; a removable data storage device for storing user data associated said application programs and a user-specific software image, the housing having a recessed portion for receiving the removable data storage device and a movable closure member for enclosing the recessed portion; and an external power supply having a flying lead connectable to an external socket provided in the housing for supplying DC power to the DCxe2x80x94DC converter.
It can therefore be seen that the appliance is made up of three unitsxe2x80x94the sealed housing and its contents, the removable data storage unit and the external power supply. This simplifies considerably the task of providing maintenance and warranty support for such systems, thereby indirectly reducing their overall cost. The three units can be considered each to be separate field replaceable units, that are simply replaced when defective.
The housing is sealed in the sense that it is not intended that a user need to open the housing during the life of the product. If the product fails, then the housing together with its contents is replaced in its entirety. No expansion slot, socket or capability of any kind is provided within the housing, so a user does not need to open the housing for these purposes.
The use of a sealed housing has the advantage that no expandability needs to be accounted for in the design of the housing. The cooling and power consumption requirements of the components that are contained in the housing are therefore reduced and well defined. This in turn means that an external power supply can be employed, further reducing the need for cooling within the housing as well as the footprint and overall size of the housing itself.
In preferred embodiments, an arrangement is provided for securing the flying lead in its the external socket to avoid accidental disconnection thereof. The securing arrangement can, for instance, comprises a cable shroud that is movable to and from a closed position in which closed position the cable shroud is disposed so as to prevent removal of a plug on the flying lead from the socket, and a lock mechanism for locking the cable shroud in the closed position.
The appliance is provided with a removable data storage device because if it is needed to replace the system unit, the user""s programs and data, being stored in removable data storage device, can easily and transparently be transferred to a replacement system unit simply by removing the device from the defective system unit and fitting the device in the replacement system unit. In a typical implementation of the invention the operating system can be stored in the removable data storage device, although the invention could also be applied to a system in which the operating system is stored in ROM, for instance, within the system unit.
Hard disk drive storage devices have, of course, been used in computers for many years. With the progress of technology, the storage capacity of hard disk drive devices has increased and their size and weight decreased, and nowadays modern personal computers typically include a disc drive device fixed inside their casing. Such drives are generally of a standard form factor and provided with fixing holes in standard positions. Whatever the form or make of the drive, it then becomes possible for a computer manufacturer to provide a standard mounting arrangement having fixing holes through which self-tapping screws can be inserted to engage in the holes in the side faces of the drive. Since the size and weight of the device has reduced, a handle is not usually provided.
Whilst screw mounting the device within the chassis is possibly the most common way of mounting the device, many other types of mounting arrangements for disk drives have been used and proposed. Although the device can be removed from the computer by opening the casing and dismounting the device, this operation is somewhat time consuming and generally needs to be carried out by a technician or at least by a user having some technical skills and knowledge, and often requires the use of tools.
Hard disk drive units that are more readily removable for the computer system are also used for certain applications such as where devices need to be removed for secure physical storage, or in multiple drive systems in which faulty drives need to be replaced whilst the system is in operation, and in mobile and portable computers. However, readily removable hard disk drives have not been widely used in desktop personal computers, since such computers have typically provided the possibility of adding other components within the casing and therefore have usually been designed with the assumption that the user, or the technician responsible for maintaining the computer, will need to open the casing for other reasons.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present invention relates to an EMI reducing structure in a refrigerator. The present invention aims at minimizing electromagnetic waves radiated from a cable 60 for transmitting signals from a control unit 40 installed in a main body 20 of the refrigerator to a display unit 30 installed on a door 22. To this end, it is configured such that the cable 60 composed of a bundle of cables is put into a conductive shielding net 70 which in turn is connected to grounding portions 40g, 30g of the control unit 40 and display unit 30. At this time, both ends of the conductive shielding net 70 are fully connected to the grounding portions 40g, 30g, respectively. Further, the cable 60 wrapped with the conductive shielding net 70 is installed within a waveguide 50. In general, the waveguide 50 functions to shield electromagnetic waves of a high frequency band greater than a cut-off frequency varying according to its sectional shape. According to the present invention, the electromagnetic waves radiated from the refrigerator can be minimized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to an electromagnetic interference (EMI) reducing structure in an Internet refrigerator for allowing electromagnetic waves generated from the refrigerator to be minimized.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an external structure of a conventional refrigerator, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a top structure of the conventional refrigerator.
As shown in the figures, a storage space is defined in the refrigerator 1, and the storage space is selectively opened and closed by doors 3, 3xe2x80x2. The doors 3, 3xe2x80x2 are provided with door handles 4, 4xe2x80x2, respectively. The doors 3, 3xe2x80x2 are opened and closed on the pivot of hinge portions 5, 5xe2x80x2, respectively. Each of the hinge portions 5, 5xe2x80x2 is connected to an upper end of each of the doors 3, 3xe2x80x2 and becomes a center of pivot upon opening and closing of each of the doors. Other hinge portions (not shown) are also provided at lower ends of the doors 3, 3xe2x80x2 so that the doors 3, 3xe2x80x2 can be supported and the pivot thereof can also be guided.
Further, a control unit 7 is provided on the top of the refrigerator 1. An external appearance of the control unit 7 is defined by a control unit cover, and various kinds of components and circuit boards are installed within the control unit 7. The components installed within the control unit include parts for controlling an inherent function of the refrigerator and parts for performing an Internet related function as a home networking server, For example, the components include a digital controller, LCD control related parts, TV receiving related parts, CCD camera module related parts, speakers, a microphone, and the like.
In addition, a display unit 8 is provided at the door 3xe2x80x2. The display unit 8 is an LCD screen and causes a variety of information such as an Internet homepage to be displayed thereon. The display unit 8 and the control unit 7 are connected with each other through a cable 9.
Herein, the cable 9 is connected to the board provided in the control unit 7 through an I/O connector of the board and led out through a side of the control unit cover. The cable 9 led out through the side of the control unit cover is inserted into and through the hinge portion 5xe2x80x2 and then connected to the interior of the door 3xe2x80x2. The cable 9 is also connected to an I/O terminal of the display unit 8 installed in the interior of the door 3xe2x80x2. Reference numeral 10 denotes a dispenser.
In the conventional refrigerator constructed as such, a variety of information such as the Internet homepage are displayed on the display unit 8 so that a user can connect with the Internet and implement home networking.
However, there are the following problems in the prior art.
In addition to the parts for performing the inherent function of the refrigerator, the components required for the Internet and home networking are installed within the Internet refrigerator. Therefore, the electromagnetic waves are produced too much, and thus, electromagnetic interference (EMI) due to electromagnetic waves becomes an issue.
Nonetheless, in the conventional refrigerator, any measures for shielding the electromagnetic waves are not provided to the cable 9 that connects the control unit 7 and the display unit 8. Thus, there is a problem in that the electromagnetic waves are fully radiated therefrom. Particularly, it is difficult to provide a structure for shielding the electromagnetic waves to the conventional configuration in which the cable 9 extends from the control unit cover to the hinge portion 5xe2x80x2.
Accordingly, the present invention is contemplated to solve the above problems in the prior art. An object of the present invention is to minimize electromagnetic waves radiated from a refrigerator.
According to an aspect of the present invention for accomplishing the object, there is provided an EMI reducing structure in a refrigerator, which comprises a main body of the refrigerator in which a storage space is defined and doors for selectively opening and closing the storage space are installed, a control unit installed at one side of the main body of the refrigerator for controlling an operation of the refrigerator, a display unit installed at a front surface of one of the doors for displaying a variety of information thereon, a waveguide installed such that it passes through the interior of the main body of the refrigerator, its inlet communicates with the control unit, and its outlet faces a back surface of the door, a cable which passes through the interior of the waveguide to make signal connection between the control unit and the display unit, and a conductive shielding net wrapped around an entire outer surface of the cable.
Preferably, one end of the conductive shielding net is electrically connected to a grounding portion of the control unit and the other end thereof is also electrically connected to a grounding portion of the display unit.
Further, the ends of the conductive shielding net may be fully connected to come into contact with the grounding portions.
More preferably, the conductive shielding net is flexible to come into close contact with an outer surface of the cable composed of a bundle of cables.
Furthermore, the waveguide may be installed within an insulating layer of the main body of the refrigerator.
According to the EMI reducing structure in the refrigerator constructed as such, there is an advantage in that the electromagnetic waves, which are radiated from the cable used for connecting the control unit installed in the main body of the refrigerator and the display unit installed on the door, can be minimized.


A wireless charging transmitter for a portable electronic device is provided. The wireless charging transmitter includes a first housing, a second housing and a wireless charge transmitting module. The wireless charge transmitting module is disposed within the second housing. The second housing is rotatable with respect to the first housing, so that either an included angle is defined between the second housing and the first housing or the second housing and the first housing are folded together. Whereas, in a case that an included angle is defined between the second housing and the first housing, once a wireless charging receiver is contacted with the second housing, electric power may be transmitted to the wireless charging receiver. In a case that the second housing and the first housing are folded together, the wireless charging transmitter has a rectangular shape. Due to the rectangular shape, the wireless charging transmitter is easily carried.

With increasing development of science and technology, a variety of electronic devices are development toward small size, light weightiness and easy portability in order to comply with the users' requirements. Consequently, various portable electronic devices are produced by the manufacturers of the electronic devices. The common portable electronic devices include for example mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld game consoles (e.g. PSP, NDSL and Gameboy series game consoles), and the like.
Due to the portability of the portable electronic device, the portable electronic device fails to be connected with the power source at any time. For providing electric power required for powering the portable electronic device, a built-in battery is usually installed in the portable electronic device. The battery is a chargeable battery. Once a power source is available, the chargeable battery of the portable electronic device may be charged by the power source as required.
For example, in a case that the residual battery capacity of the portable electronic device is insufficient, the chargeable battery of the portable electronic device may be charged by a charger. As known, conventional charger has a connecting wire. After the connecting wire is plugged in the portable electronic device and the conventional charger is connected with the power source, electric power may be transmitted from the charger to the portable electronic device through the connecting wire. However, the applications of the charger are usually restricted by the connecting wire. For example, during the process of charging the portable electronic device, the connecting wire usually becomes hindrance from operating the charger.
Recently, with development of a wireless charging technology, a wireless charging device for wirelessly charging the portable electronic device is disclosed. The conventional wireless charging device comprises a first induction coil and a second induction coil. The first induction coil is disposed within the wireless charging device and used as a wireless charge transmission module for transmitting electric power. The second induction coil is connected with a chargeable battery and used as a wireless charge receiving module for receiving electric power. When the wireless charge transmission module (i.e. the first induction coil) within the wireless charging device creates an alternating electromagnetic field, the wireless charge receiving module (i.e. the second induction coil) takes power from the electromagnetic field and converts the power into an electric current. The electric current is transmitted to the chargeable battery to charge the chargeable battery.
However, up to now, the wireless charging technology has not been well established. In addition, it is still a challenge to introduce the wireless charging product into the market. For example, the connecting relationship between the wireless charge transmission module and the wireless charge receiving module and the connecting relationship between the wireless charge receiving module and the portable electronic device should be taken into consideration.

Wireless charging transmitter for portable electronic device


A folding multipurpose tool incorporating a latch release mechanism including a lever, a cam, and a rocker-shaped grip body to easily effect release of a catch for holding knife or screwdriver blades extended. A spring and cams are arranged to hold each of a pair of handles either extended or folded with respect to the tangs of a pair of pliers jaws or the like. The handles include inwardly directed comfortable rounded rims. Portions of folding blades interlock with other folding blades on an opposite handle when the tool is folded, to stabilize the handles while using a knife or screwdriver. Blades of folding scissors include edges that are serrated only near their tips. A container opener includes a hook defining a recessed throat.

The present invention relates to a multipurpose folding tool, and particularly to such a tool including folding scissors, a blade latch release mechanism, and handles that provide comfort during use of pliers incorporated in such a tool.
As shown in Leatherman U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,862, Rivera U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,582 and Berg, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,997, multipurpose folding tools are well known and may contain folding pliers, various folding tool bits such as screwdrivers, files, and knife blades, and folding scissors that can be stored in cavities defined within handles configured as generally U-shaped channels. Tools of this type may include latches that hold a selected one of various screwdrivers or blades in an extended, operational position with respect to one of the handles, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,059. Such tools may incorporate numerous types of handles, folding and latching arrangements, and folding scissors.
As useful as such folding multipurpose tools are, they still leave improvement desirable in certain details of their construction and operation. In particular, releasing certain latch mechanisms that hold selected blades in an extended position may require another blade or tool to be opened, or may entail use of a latch release lever that is located within a tool handle, occupying space that would better be occupied by a useful tool bit or blade. Accordingly, an improved latch release mechanism is desired. Preferably, such a latch release mechanism should be able to be operated easily, without the tool having to be held in a particular way in order to release a latched blade.
While functional blade latch mechanisms have previously been known in folding tools whose handles are of sheet metal construction, greater security for keeping a selected blade latch in an extended position is desired.
Most folding multipurpose tools having handles in the form of U-shaped channels have the open sides of the channels facing outwardly away from each other when the handles are unfolded to use a pair of pliers or similar tool jaws, in order to be able to receive the tool jaws within the channels when such a tool is folded. The channel sides, however, often have narrow edges that make use of such pliers uncomfortable. It is therefore desired to provide comfortable surfaces to be gripped when a multipurpose tool with handles in the form of channels is unfolded to permit use of the incorporated pliers or similar tools.
Construction of a folding multipurpose tool has previously required costly adherence to close manufacturing tolerances. Assembly of the pivot joint interconnecting a folding tool handle with a pliers jaw or the like has required adjustment by skilled personnel for the handles to be held securely in either an extended configuration or a folded condition with respect to a pair of tool jaws, yet also be folded and unfolded easily. It is therefore desired to provide a mechanism that permits smoothly folding and unfolding the handles, that operates reliably to hold the handles in a selected position with respect to such pliers jaws or the like, and that is less costly than the previously known corresponding mechanisms.
It is sometimes difficult to cut certain fibrous cords or bundles of strong fibers with scissors small enough for stowage in a folding multipurpose tool""s handles. Small, tough fibers are sometimes squeezed out from between the scissors blades, and it is therefore desired to provide easily used folding scissors that overcome that problem.
Folding multipurpose tools have previously incorporated container openers intended to remove crown caps from bottles, to pierce the tops of beverage cans, and to remove the tops from cans used to preserve foods and the like. Such previously available openers have either been undesirably large, or if small enough to fit well within the space available in a folding multipurpose tool, such openers have tended not to function well in removing the tops from cans, often leaving rough or burred edges. It is therefore desired to provide a combination opener that performs well and reliably, without leaving excessively burred edges, yet is easily and inexpensively manufactured.
In using screwdrivers included in a folding multipurpose tool twisting forces may cause the handles of previously available tools to move undesirably with respect to each other. Also, where several blades may be stowed in a handle it is often difficult to open blades located between others. Tool construction that will keep a pair of handles securely located as they should be with respect to each other during use of such screwdriver blades, and that will also facilitate opening of a folded blade is therefore desired.
What is desired, then, is an improved multipurpose folding tool including improvements in some or all of the above-mentioned areas.
The present invention provides answers to the needs mentioned above for improvements in various aspects of a folding multipurpose tool. In particular, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a blade latch release mechanism includes a latch release lever located within a channel-shaped handle for a multipurpose tool, adjacent one side of the handle. The latch release lever includes a protruding part which is moved to press against a latch spring and thus remove a catch from a notch defined in the base of a folding blade or tool bit.
In one preferred embodiment of a latch release mechanism according to the present invention a latch operating lever provides a force-multiplying mechanical advantage to move a cam arranged to move a latch release lever.
In one preferred embodiment of such a latch release mechanism an arcuate grip surface is located so as to provide an increasing lever arm length at the position where a person""s thumb or finger is most likely to contact the grip surface during movement of the latch release operating lever, so that the mechanical advantage available to the user increases as the mechanism moves the latch spring further, and the force required to continue to move the latch release operating lever in releasing latch increases only slightly throughout the entire length through which the latch release operating lever has to be moved.
According to another aspect of the invention, the sides of the channel-shaped handle include rims merging with an outer surface of the handle in a smoothly arcuate surface. Such rims extend inwardly within the handle, defining a space for a portion of a latch release lever.
As another principal aspect of the present invention, the rim along the margin of each sidewall of the channel-shaped handle continues without interruption from one end of the handle to an opposite blade pivot end of the handle, providing a smooth, comfortable surface to be gripped, even in the areas where the margin of the sidewall is indented to give access to blades or tool bits stowed within cavities defined by the handles.
In one embodiment of this aspect of the invention the rim extends inwardly far enough to engage the back of a blade adjacent the sidewall of the handle to keep such a blade stowed within the handle while other blades located closer to the center of the handle are raised from their stowed positions.
According to another major aspect of the invention, a spring is attached to the handle and rides on a cam surface on a tang of a pliers jaw to control pivoting motion of each handle with respect to the tangs of a pair of pliers jaws and, by camming action, to urge the handles into the fully extended position or into a folded position with respect to the pliers jaws once the handles approach such a position with respect to the tangs of the pliers jaws.
In one embodiment of this aspect of the invention, a raised portion of the tang of a pliers jaw cooperates with a lateral surface on the spring to keep the spring aligned properly with the tang.
In such an embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the spring may have a forked outer end including a pair of prongs located on opposite sides of a centrally located raised portion of the tang of a pliers jaw.
In another embodiment of this aspect of the invention an interference bump is provided on the raised portion of the tang of a pliers jaw to engage an interior surface of the channel-shaped handle at the same time the spring acts in a cam-following manner on the cam surface of the pliers jaws to hold a handle securely in a fully extended position with respect to the tang of a pliers jaw.
Another aspect of the present invention is the provision of a folding scissors whose blades include edges that are straight except for a serrated portion on either or both of the blades near their outer tips.
In one preferred embodiment of the folding scissors aspect of the present invention, a spring extends alongside a base portion of one of the legs of the scissors and engages the other leg of the scissors to return the scissors blades to an open position after a cutting stroke of the scissors. In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the spring extends from a base which is coupled to the first scissors leg with some freedom to pivot to provide clearance to permit the scissors to be folded and stowed within a cavity defined within one of the handles, with the spring relaxed when the scissors are stowed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the spring extends generally in the shape of a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d, providing ample length to avoid excessive stress.
According to another aspect of the present invention a container opener includes a hook with a throat area behind the tip of the hook to provide clearance for a crimped rim of a container such as a xe2x80x9ctinxe2x80x9d can, and a sharp edge on the front part of the opener faces back toward the tip of the hook to cut free the top of such a container efficiently.
As yet another aspect of the present invention, interlocking portions of folded blades stowed within the cavities defined by the handles of the tool extend closely alongside each other, between such interlocks and other blades or tool bits stowed within the opposite handles, preventing the handles from moving laterally with respect to each other when the handles are folded together about the associated pliers jaws or the like.
The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Multipurpose tool including folding scissors


Ion water for the production of beverages and foods obtained by acidifying sea water, adding a strong alkali agent to make the pH high, removing the precipitate thereby formed, concentrating the resulting solution and cooling, and thereafter dissolving a precipitate formed on cooling in water, optionally further dissolving a solid obtained by removing the water content from the solution after the removal of the precipitate formed on cooling. An activated calcium material obtained by calcining animal bones at high temperatures and grinding and mainly comprising calcium phosphate may also be added. By using such ion water, the treated beverages and foods enjoy better storability, resistance to decomposition and taste, and provide the body with the essential minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, silicon etc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ion water for use in the production of beverages and foods, and more specifically, it relates to ion water utilizing salt separated from sea water.
2. Related Art Statement
For example, the production of bread and noodles has been heretofore conducted by adding a considerably great amount of salt. The reasons for the addition of salt are as follows:
(1) Gluten contained in flour etc. imparts tackiness and elasticity when it absorbs water and swells. And when the swollen, gluten encounters inorganic matter, it shrinks and becomes firm and solid. In other words, salt helps to make noodles with the so-called strong body.
(2) It prevents the generation of cracks otherwise liable to occur during the drying step.
(3) It inhibits enzyme activity. Therefore, it can prevent a gradual reduction in elasticity.
(4) It has a bacteriostatic action.
(5) It imparts a salty taste.
When bread is produced, it is inevitable to use salt. Bread is produced by kneading flour with salt, sugar, edible oil, water etc., allowing to stand for swelling with carbon dioxide, and baking. The role of salt is mainly for improving the glutinousness. By including the carbon dioxide gas which effects swelling with formation of thin films of gluten, voluminous, tasty bread may be finished. Further, other roles of salt added to bread are to control the fermentation of yeast, and to impart salty taste enhancing the flavor of bread.
Overconsumption of salt causes various diseases, such as hypertension, heat diseases, cerebral hemorrhage etc., and it is advised that the daily intake of salt should not be more than 5 g.
Since noodles contain a considerable amount of salt, it is not desirable to eat a great amount of noodles when the reduction of the intake of salt is intended.
Further, various additives including salt water, are considered undesirable for health. In any case, it is regarded as best if we could avoid using them.
Back to the prior art processes for the production of noodles, if salt or salt water is not used, it is impossible to produce noodles which retain the good taste and mouthfeel for a predetermined time and still do not go bad.
This case also applies to bread. The production of bread requires the use of salt in an amount as great as 1-3% by weight based on the flour.
Furthermore, since water for emergency, water for whisky-and-water etc. have been packed in cans and bottles, they inevitably became very expensive and it was impossible to make them readily available in great volumes. In addition, they required a considerably large space for storage.
If calcium is insufficient, it is believed that not only bones, teeth etc. are weakened but also various diseases such as kidney disease etc. are brought about.
The tendency to eat acidic foods is believed to lead to various diseases, and it is well recognized that foods rather alkaline are good for the health.
Recently, the role of silicon in vivo, in particular, its influence exerted on the metabolism of mineral elements, phosphorus etc. in vivo, has been attracting attention, and it has been reported that with those living in regions abundant in silicon content in potable water, the blood calcium content has been increased more than normal.
Silicon is present abundantly in nature as quarts minerals which are utilized in various fields, but silicon in the sea water is present as orthosilicic acid ions or monosilicic acid ions which have been hardly utilized.

Ion water for production of foods and beverages


Methods, systems and apparatuses are disclosed for approximating vertical and horizontal correction values in a pixel value correction calculation. Multiple vertical and/or horizontal correction curves are used and may be employed for one or more color channels of the imager. The use of multiple correction curves allows for a more accurate approximation of the correction curves for image pixels.

Imagers, for example CCD, CMOS and others, are widely used in imaging applications, for example, in digital still and video cameras.
It is well known that, for a given optical lens used with a digital still or video camera, the pixels of the pixel array will generally have varying signal values even if the imaged scene is uniform. The varying responsiveness often depends on a pixel's spatial location within the pixel array. One source of such variation is caused by lens shading. Roughly, lens shading causes pixels in a pixel array located farther away from the center of the pixel array to have a lower value when compared to pixels located closer to the center of the pixel array, when the camera is exposed to the same level of light stimulus. Other sources may also contribute to variations in pixel value with spatial location. These variations can be compensated for by adjusting, for example, the gain applied to the pixel values based on spatial location in a pixel array. For lens shading correction, for example, it may happen that the further away a pixel is from the center of the pixel array, the more gain is needed to be applied to the pixel value. Different color channels of an imager may be affected differently by various sources of shading. In addition, sometimes an optical lens is not centered with respect to the optical center of the image sensor; the effect is that lens shading may not be centered at the center of the imager pixel array. Each color channel may also have a different center, i.e., the pixel with the highest response.
Variations in the shape and orientation of photosensors used in the pixels may contribute to a non-uniform spatial response across the pixel array. Further, spatial non-uniformity may be caused by optical crosstalk or other interactions among the pixels in a pixel array. Further, changes in the optical state of a given lens, such as changes in iris opening or focus position, may affect the spatial pattern of non-uniformity among the lenses. Different lenses and/or cameras will generally produce different patterns of non-uniform spatial response from a given pixel array.
Variations in a pixel signal caused by the spatial position of a pixel in a pixel array can be measured and the pixel response value can be corrected with a pixel value gain adjustment. Lens shading, for example, can be corrected using a set of positional gain adjustment values, which adjust pixel values in post-image capture processing. With reference to positional gain adjustment to correct for shading variations with a fixed optical state configuration, gain adjustments across the pixel array can typically be provided as pixel signal correction values, one corresponding to each of the pixels. For color sensors, the set of pixel correction values for the entire pixel array forms a gain adjustment surface for each of a plurality of color channels. The gain adjustment surface is then applied to the pixels of the corresponding color channel during post-image capture processing to correct for variations in pixel value due to the spatial location of the pixels in the pixel array. For monochrome sensors, a single gain adjustment surface is applied to all the pixels of the pixel array.
"Positional gain adjustments" across the pixel array are provided as correction values, one correction value corresponding to each of the pixels and applied to the pixel values during post-image capture processing.
One method of determining spatial pixel correction values is to approximate desired vertical and horizontal correction values for each pixel in a pixel array by using one vertical and one horizontal correction value curve which is determined for the pixels. A vertical correction value curve (Fy(y)) provides a correction value for each row. A horizontal correction value curve (Fx(x)) provides a correction value for each column.
For each color channel, the correction value may be represented in as similar manner as that in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/915,454, entitled CORRECTION OF NON-UNIFORM SENSITIVITY IN AN IMAGE ARRAY, filed on Aug. 11, 2004, ("the '454 application"), and Ser. No. 11/514,307, entitled POSITIONAL GAIN ADJUSTMENT AND SURFACE GENERATION FOR IMAGE PROCESSING, filed on Sep. 1, 2006 ("the '307 application") which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. The correction value may be determined as shown in Equation (1):Fc(x,y)=Fxc(x)+Fyc(y)+kc*Fxc(x)*Fyc(y)+1  (1)where c is the channel, where Fxc(x) is a horizontal correction value curve for that channel, where Fyc(y) is a vertical correction value curve for that channel, and where kc*Fxc(x)*Fyc(y) (the "cross term") is used to increase/decrease the lens correction values in the pixel array corners. In the '454 application, the value of the vertical correction value curve at a given row is the vertical correction value for that row and is the same for each pixel in the row. Likewise, the value of the horizontal correction value curve at a given column is the horizontal correction value for that column and is the same for each pixel in the column. The total correction is a function of the vertical and horizontal correction, as shown in Equation (1).
One problem with using one vertical and one horizontal correction value curve as above to approximate the desired vertical and horizontal correction values for an entire pixel array is that typically when a particular pixel is located away from the column/row on which the vertical/horizontal correction value curve is centered, the less closely the value calculated in accordance with Equation (1) may model the desired column/row correction values for that particular pixel.
In the '454 application, typically, the single vertical correction value curve for a pixel array corresponds to the correction value curve for a reference center column of the pixel array and, also typically, the single horizontal correction value curve for a pixel array corresponds to the correction value curve for a reference center row of the pixel array. That is, for a given channel, Fxc(x) and Fyc(y) are usually calibrated such that the gain required at the brightest pixel (generally, the center pixel) is equal to one. Thus, assuming the center of color channel c is located at (0, 0), then Fxc(0)=Fyc(0)=0. Thus, generally, at the center row, the correction value is calculated as Fc=Fxc(x)+Fyc(y)+1=Fxc(x)+1 and at the center column, the correction value is calculated as Fc=Fxc(x)+Fyc(y)+1=Fyc(y)+1. (The cross term doesn't appear because along the center row and along the center column the cross term (kc*Fxc(x)*Fyc(y)) is also equal to zero). It follows that Fc(0,0)=1. (Note that multiplying by a correction factor of one has no effect on the pixel value.) This means that Fxc(x) and Fyc(y) are typically calibrated such that Fc (x, y) depicts vertical correction values for pixels along the centermost column of the pixel array and horizontal correction values for pixels along the centermost row of the pixel array with sufficient accuracy. However, a vertical correction value curve that would correct, for example, a column on the right side of the pixel array with sufficient accuracy could be much different than the vertical correction value curve desired for correcting the center reference column. Accordingly, a correction surface based on a single vertical correction value curve may not correct the entire pixel array to a desired accuracy because the vertical correction values determined from the single correction value curve, even if adjusted by the cross term and Fxc(x), will not always yield a correction value that closely maps to desired values on columns positioned relatively far away from the center column, for example, on either side of the pixel array. Analogously, there may be no choice of values for the single horizontal correction value curve provided in the '454 application that will correct the entire pixel array to a desired accuracy.
Accordingly, methods, systems and apparatuses for more accurately representing and calculating desired correction values for the entire pixel array for use in pixel value correction are desired.

Methods, systems and apparatuses for pixel value correction using multiple vertical and/or horizontal correction curves


In a developer container, a rotating shaft is rotatably supported by a casing and is rotationally driven. A flexible member has a leading edge portion which is connected to the rotating shaft and turns through a region extending over a supply port on an inner lower surface of the casing when the flexible member is rotated in association with the rotating shaft. A rotating plate is formed to project in a handguard-shape from a portion of the rotating shaft adjacent to the flexible member, has an outer edge portion along an edge of the supply port, and rotates in association with the rotating shaft.

In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a developer container supplies a developer to a developing unit, which develops an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a photosensitive member. The developer container includes a casing having a supply port communicating with the developing unit formed on a lower surface thereof, and a rotating body arranged in the casing and driven to rotate.
When the rotating body rotates, the developer is conveyed to the supply port and supplied to the developing unit through the supply port. For example, the rotating body includes a shaft member and a flexible member connected to the shaft member. The flexible member is a film material that stirs the developer by rotation.
Further, it is known that the flexible member causes the developer to jump up from below to a portion in the casing where the supply port is formed by the elastic force of the flexible member.
In the developer container, it is necessary to prevent bridging of the developer. The bridging of the developer is a phenomenon in which the developer is condensed in a state where the developer straddles the supply port. The bridge of the developer blocks the supply of the developer to the developing unit.
While increasing the rotational speed of the rotating body is effective in preventing bridging of the developer, it becomes a factor that accelerates deterioration of the developer. Therefore, it is important to prevent bridging of the developer while suppressing the rotational speed of the rotating body. Further, it is desired to simplify the structure of the developer container.

Developer container and image forming apparatus having the same