Combustion of hydrocarbon fuel is achieved with less formation of NOx by feeding the fuel into a slightly oxygen-enriched atmosphere, and separating air into oxygen-rich and nitrogen-rich streams which are fed separately into the combustion device.

Environmental awareness is growing in the U.S. and around the world leading to increasing public and regulatory pressures to reduce pollutant emissions from boilers, incinerators, and furnaces. One pollutant of particular concern is NOx (by which is meant oxides of nitrogen such as but not limited to NO, NO2, NO3, N2O, N2O3, N2O4, N3O4, and mixtures thereof), which has been implicated in acid rain, ground level ozone, and fine particulate formation.
A number of technologies are available to reduce NOx emissions. These technologies can be divided into two major classes, primary and secondary. Primary technologies minimize or prevent NOx formation in the combustion zone by controlling the combustion process. Secondary technologies use chemicals to reduce NOx formed in the combustion zone to molecular nitrogen. The current invention is a primary control technology.
In primary control technologies, different combustion strategies are used to control so called "thermal NOx" and "fuel NOx". Thermal NOx is formed by oxidation of nitrogen molecules, N2, primarily in combustion air at high temperature. It is the main source of NOx emissions from natural gas and light oils that do not contain chemically bound nitrogen species. The main control strategy to reduce thermal NOx is to reduce peak flame temperature. Fuel NOx is formed by the oxidation of nitrogenous species contained in fuel and is the main source of NOx emissions from combustion of coal and heavy oil. The current invention relates to improved combustion methods to control fuel NOx emission.
The primary control technology for fuel NOx is commonly called staged combustion in which mixing between the combustion air and fuel is carefully controlled to minimize NOx formation. The formation of NOx from fuel nitrogen is based on a competition between the formation of NOx and the formation of N2 from the nitrogenous species in the fuel volatiles and char nitrogen. Oxygen rich conditions drive the competition towards NOx formation. Fuel rich conditions drive the reactions to form N2. Staged combustion takes advantage of this phenomenon by carefully controlling the mixing of air and fuel to form a fuel rich region to prevent NOx formation. To reduce NOx emissions, the fuel rich region must be hot enough to drive the NOx reduction kinetics. However, sufficient heat has to be transferred from the fuel rich first stage to the furnace heat load in order to prevent thermal NOx formation in the second stage.
A conventional low NOx burner (LNB) includes a fuel rich first zone, near the feed orifice, which is mainly controlled by mixing and combustion of fuel and primary air, and to some extent, additional secondary or tertiary air mixed in this zone. For combustion of pulverized coal the primary air is used to transport the coal particles.
In a second zone, the remainder of the secondary air and any tertiary air mix with the unburned fuel and products of partial combustion from the first stage and complete the combustion. An important process requirement for staged combustion is to transfer a sufficient amount of heat from the fuel rich first stage to the furnace heat load to cool down the combustion products from the first stage. Lower second stage temperature helps to reduce the conversion of remaining nitrogenous compounds to NOx and also to prevent thermal NOx formation in the second stage.
In an aerodynamically staged LNB, all of the combustion air is introduced from the same burner port or adjacent to the burner port. The most common configuration of a low NOx coal burner is to have a series of annular passages for coal/primary air, secondary air and tertiary air. The central passage is often used for oil gun or for natural gas for start up heating. Secondary and tertiary air flows are equipped with swirl generators to impart swirling flows to create a recirculation zone for flame stability. Air velocities and swirl are adjusted to create a relatively large fuel rich first zone along the axis of the burner, followed by relatively gradual mixing of secondary and tertiary air along the length of the furnace. Since sufficient air velocities must be provided to mix fuel and air within the furnace space to complete combustion, it is difficult to create a very large fuel rich zone to provide a long enough residence time for maximum NOx reduction.
Although the LNB is a fairly inexpensive way to reduce NOx and many advancements have been made in the burner design, currently available versions are not yet capable to reach the emissions limits in pending regulations of 0.15 lb (as NO2) per MMBtu of coal fired for utility boilers.
Those skilled in the art have overcome the limitations of an aerodynamically staged LNB by a globally staged combustion arrangement using "over fire air" (OFA). OFA is injected separately from a burner or a group of burners to provide a large fuel rich primary combustion zone (PCZ) and a burnout zone (BOZ) where combustion is completed by mixing OFA and unburned fuel and the products of partial combustion from the PCZ. Typically the OFA ports are separated at least one burner port diameter from the closest burner and several burner port diameters from the furthermost burner. Although the fuel and air mixing and the local stoichiometric conditions near the burner port of an individual burner are similar to those without OFA, a large fuel rich PCZ is formed outside the combustion air mixing zone near the burner. Due to the physical separation of the OFA injection ports, the residence time in the fuel rich PCZ is much longer than that typically obtained in the fuel rich first zone of an aerodynamically staged burner. The combination of LNB's and OFA ports has enabled further reduction in NOx emissions.
S. J. Johnson and R. J. Yang ("Interpretation of Small and Intermediate Scale test Results from a Low NOx Combustion System", International Flame Research Foundation Advanced Combustion Technology Meeting, Noordwijkerhout, Holland, May 12-14, 1980) found that NOx emissions from the coal fired two stage combustion process is strongly dependant on the temperature of the second stage. Their experimental results conducted in small and intermediate scale test furnaces indicated that NOx emission is reduced by about 16% for every 100° F. drop in the theoretical second stage temperature.
Flue gas recirculation (FGR) to the second stage was one of the methods tested to reduce the second stage temperature. FGR can provide a large amount of cooling in the combustion chamber. However, the volume of the flue gas is increased by FGR, which causes a higher pressure drop and a greater heat transfer in the convective section and limits the maximum amount of FGR allowed for a give boiler. Furthermore, handling recycled flue gas is very maintenance intensive. Depending on where the flue gas is extracted from the system, it may contain fly ash and/or sulfuric acid vapors which would make it corrosive to recycling equipment. In addition, it will have residual levels of heat and typically low pressures which require larger pipes to handle the flow rates and may have higher than desired oxygen levels depending on the infiltration of air into the flue system and the overall stoichiometry of the boiler operation. This latter condition can also require greater volumes of flue gas to be required if diluting air to a certain oxygen level is required. The dirty nature of the gas also makes measurement and control difficult; and when systems break down, they are expensive to fix so repairs are not always done. In addition, any off-spec operation of the boiler (e.g. high CO levels) can bring these undesirable contaminants back into the boiler house, creating operator safety issues should leaks develop or process safety issues should combustible gases be present in the recycled stream. In addition, the composition of the flue gas recycled will depend on boiler operating conditions and can vary during boiler transients or off-spec operating conditions.
Low NOx burners and over fire air represent a fairly mature technology and as such are discussed widely throughout the patent and archival literature. Many ideas have been proposed to enhance the effectiveness of LNB's and OFA while minimizing detrimental impacts such as poor flame stability and increased carbon in the ash. Of these ideas two are particularly relevant: preheating the air to the first stage, and converting the combustor to oxy-fuel firing.
Both air preheat and oxy-fuel combustion enhance the effectiveness of staged combustion for fuel NOx reduction by increasing the temperature in the primary combustion zone without increasing the stoichiometric ratio. Oxy-fuel combustion offers the additional advantage of longer residence times in the fuel rich region, due to lower gas flows, which has been shown to reduce NOx emissions. As discussed above, staged combustion uses a fuel rich stage to promote the formation of N2 rather than NOx. Since the reactions to form N2 are kinetically controlled, both the temperature and the hydrocarbon radical concentration are critical to reducing NOx formation. For example, if the temperature is high and the radical concentration is low, such as under unstaged or mildly staged conditions, NOx formation is increased. When the radical concentration is high but the temperature is low, such as under deeply staged conditions, the conversion of intermediate species such as HCN to N2 is retarded. When air is added to complete burnout, the intermediates oxidize to form NOx, therefore the net NOx formation is increased.
Sarofim et al. "Strategies for Controlling Nitrogen Oxide Emissions During Combustion of Nitrogen bearing fuels", 69th Annual Meeting of the AIChE, Chicago, Ill., November 1976, and others have suggested that the first stage kinetics can be enhanced by preheating the combustion air to fairly high temperatures. Alternately Kobayashi et al. ("NOx Emission Characteristics of Industrial Burners and Control Methods Under Oxygen-Enriched Combustion Conditions", International Flame Research Foundation 9th Members' Conference, Noordwijkerhout, May 1989), suggested that using oxygen in place of air for combustion would also increase the kinetics. Oxy-fuel combustion, when flame temperature is controlled by burner design, further reduces thermal NOx formation by substantially eliminating N2 in combustion air. In both cases the net result is that the gas temperature in the first stage is increased, resulting in reduced NOx formation. Further, using both air preheat and oxy-fuel firing allows the first stage to be more deeply staged without degrading the flame stability. This allows even further reductions in NOx formation.
Oxy-fuel firing offers a further advantage for LNB's. Timothy et al ("Characteristics of Single Particle Coal Combustion", 19th Symposium (international) on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, 1983) showed that devolatilization times are significantly reduced, and the volatile yield is increased, when coal is burned in oxygen enriched conditions. These tests were single particle combustion tests performed under highly fuel lean conditions, which does not provide information on how much oxygen is needed to accomplish this under more realistic combustion conditions. The higher volatile yield means that the combustibles in the gas phase increase as compared to the baseline—leading to a more fuel rich gas phase which inhibits NOx formation from the volatile nitrogen species. In addition, the fuel volatiles ignite rapidly and anchor the flame to the burner, which has been shown to lower NOx formation. The enhanced volatile yield also leads to shorter burnout times since less char is remaining.
Although the prior art describes several elegant enhancements for staged combustion and LNB's, several practical problems have limited their application. First, preheating the combustion air to the levels required to enhance the kinetics requires several modifications to both the system and the air piping. The air heater and economizer sections must be modified to allow the incoming air to be heated to higher temperatures, which may require modifications to the rest of the steam cycle components. The ductwork and windbox, as well as the burner itself, must also be modified to handle the hot air. All of the modifications can be costly and can have a negative impact on the operation of the boiler.
The primary barrier to the use of oxy-fuel firing in boilers has been the cost of oxygen. In order for the use of oxygen to be economic the fuel savings achieved by increasing the process efficiency must be greater than the cost of the supplied oxygen. For high temperature operations, such as furnaces without significant heat recovery, this is easily achieved. However, for more efficient operations, such as boilers, the fuel savings attainable by using oxy-fuel firing is typically much lower than the cost of oxygen. For example, if a typical coal-fired utility boiler were converted from air firing to oxygen firing, approximately 15 to 20% of the power output from that boiler would be required to produce the necessary oxygen. Clearly, this is uneconomic for most boilers.
Another potential problem of oxy-fuel firing or oxygen enrichment combustion in the boiler is the unbalancing of heat transfer in the boiler's radiative and convective sections. When oxygen enriched combustion is applied to a boiler furnace designed for air firing, the volume of flue gas is reduced and more heat becomes available and transferred in the radiant section and less heat is transferred in the convective section. Flue gas recirculation may become necessary in order to maintain proper heat transfer to various heat transfer sections of the boiler (i.e., water walls, super heater, reheater, and economizer, and feed water heater). However, handling recycled flue gas is very maintenance intensive and it is desirable to have an alternative clean diluent stream.
The control problem of NOx emissions from a coal fired boiler is further complicated as the firing conditions of the boiler change depending on the power output required for the steam turbine. Under boiler turndown conditions, minimum air flow requirements for the burners and coal mill have to be maintained and adequate mass flow through the boiler needs to be maintained to balance the steam production between the radiative (furnace) and convective sections of the boiler. To accomplish this the burners are typically run with excess air which is an inefficient operating condition and usually increases the overall stoichiometric ratio which often leads to higher NOx emissions per MMBtu fired. Although flue gas recirculation can be applied to reduce the excess air requirement, it complicates the boiler operation and raises the maintenance concerns.
Thus there remains a need for a method for achieving reduced NOx emissions in combustion of fuel (particularly coal) containing one or more nitrogenous compounds and especially for a method which can be carried out in existing furnaces without requiring extensive structural modifications or maintenance.

Low NOx combustion using cogenerated oxygen and nitrogen streams


An automated manual transmission includes first and second power input shafts, a drive gear part, a clutch arranged to transmit or interrupt the power of the engine to the first or second input shaft, first and second power output shafts to which power is transmitted from the first or second input shaft, driven gearing including a plurality of driven gears on the first and second output shafts, and a synchronizer connecting or disconnecting the first output shaft or the second output shaft and the driven gear to provide multi-stage gear shift steps. The clutch includes first and second clutches installed at the first and second input shafts to transmit or interrupt input engine power. An example of such transmission having 8 forward speeds and one reverse speed is described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automated manual transmission, and more particularly, to an automated manual transmission capable of realizing multi-stage gear shift steps of six or more forward speeds and one or more rearward speeds.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An automated manual transmission, which is capable of realizing advantages of a manual transmission and an automatic transmission, has advantages of convenience of operation while driving, smooth acceleration and high driving stability.
The automated manual transmission is provided with a hydraulic or electronic control system to realize automatic gear shift of a mechanical transmission.
During the gear shift performed by the hydraulic or electronic control system, since a rotational force of an engine cannot be transmitted to a transmission by an operation of a clutch, transmission of power is interrupted.
After completion of the gear shift of the transmission, the rotational force of the engine is transmitted to the transmission by the operation of the clutch, and the rotational force of the engine is increase or decreased depending on a converted gear ratio to be transmitted to a driving wheel.
The above technical configuration has been described as the background art for illustrative purposes only to help understand the present invention, and is not presented as related art that is well known in the art to which the present invention relates.


Implementations of a flight termination system for unmanned aircraft systems are provided. The flight termination system comprises a ground-based flight termination transmitter (FTTx) located with an operator/observer, an airborne flight termination receiver (FTRx) located on an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), and a radio link connecting the FTTx and the FTRx. The FTTx is configured to communicate a TERMINATE FLIGHT message to the FTRx and, once the TERMINATE FLIGHT message has been confirmed, the FTRx is configured to terminate the flight of the UAS by disabling the propulsion system thereof. In this way, the UAS (e.g., a drone or other unmanned aerial vehicle) may be prevented from flying away in an uncontrolled fashion. The FTTx includes an arming switch that can be actuated by a provided key. The dedicated radio link connecting the FTTx and the FTRx is independent of any radio link used to operate the UAS.

Remotely piloted vehicles and unmanned aerial systems/drones (UAS) are a rapidly expanding category of flying machines. By replacing the pilot with a remote-controlled system or autonomous flight computer, new categories of aircraft are made possible. For example, unmanned aerial systems that use an autonomous flight computer have been developed for mapping, surveying, and crop spraying purposes and remote-controlled unmanned aerial systems are frequently configured for photography and videography use.
However, because they lack an onboard pilot, unmanned aerial systems pose a safety risk due to the potential of a "fly away" event. During a fly away event, the operator no longer has control of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and can no longer keep it within the confines of a safe operating area (e.g. over an approved flying area or within an approved operational ceiling). A malfunction of the UAS flight controller typically precipitates a fly away event during which the flight controller is attempting to achieve a position in space (e.g. a desired GPS position), but one or more malfunctioning sensors (e.g., a compass or pressure altimeter) of the unmanned aerial vehicle are actually causing it to fly away from the desired location.
One approach to curtailing fly away events is the implementation of GPS based geo-fences that disable the unmanned aerial vehicle when it flies outside of a pre-defined airspace zone. This approach to curtailing fly away events is deficient because the unmanned aerial vehicle cannot be disabled until it arrives at the airspace boundary, at which point the UAV may be traveling so fast that is lands/crashes outside of the defined airspace zone, possibly at a location where the craft is unrecoverable by the operator (e.g., on the other side of a body of water).
Other unmanned aerial systems have incorporated "kill switch" functionality that can disable the unmanned aerial vehicle in the event of a fly away. The signal necessary to initiate the kill switch functionality is transmitted through the primary radio control link that an operator uses to fly the unmanned aerial vehicle. The approach is deficient for a couple of reasons. First, due to its reliance on the primary radio control link, the operator will not be able to activate the kill switch functionality of the unmanned aerial system if the primary radio link is lost or interrupted. Second, if the unmanned aerial vehicle's onboard flight controller starts rejecting radio transmitted commands (e.g., due to a software failure), the operator will be unable to activate the kill switch functionality of the unmanned aerial system.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for the flight termination system for unmanned aircraft systems disclosed herein. It is to the provision of a flight termination system for unmanned aircraft systems that is configured to address these needs, and others, that the present invention in primarily directed.

Flight termination system for unmanned aircraft systems


A truck includes at least three steered wheels (5, 6, 7) that are mounted on a chassis (1). The arrangement of the wheels relative to the chassis (1) is predetermined to increase the stability of the truck during the pivoting of the steered wheels (5, 6) and to protect the wheels in frontal mode.

Carts that can be put on board on a transport vehicle such as a motor truck, able to be used in the loading and in the unloading of the motor truck and then to be attached to the rear of the latter to thus be transported, are known. This type of cart is generally of compact production so as to project beyond the motor truck by a small distance, its chassis being made so that the wheels are close to the front end of its loading fork.
For this purpose, the motorized trucks of the above-mentioned type generally comprise a chassis that is shaped like a forward-facing U, equipped with two front steered wheels and one rear steered wheel, so that the lifting means thus extend into their most retracted position between the lateral branches of the U-shaped chassis.
Certain trucks of the above-mentioned type comprise at least three steered wheels so as to allow handling in frontal mode and in lateral mode.
Each steered wheel is mounted on a direction mechanism with pivoting around a vertical axis between a first frontal mode position and a second lateral mode position that is perpendicular to the first position of the frontal mode.
The invention is particularly useful in its application to a motorized truck, able to be put on board at the rear of a transport vehicle, of the type that comprises a chassis that has a U-shaped conformation, equipped with two front steered wheels and one rear steered wheel, a control station and lifting means. These lifting means can comprise a telescopic arm that is mounted to pivot under the action of a lifting jack around an essentially horizontal axis that is located to the rear of the chassis essentially above said rear steered wheel or alternately can comprise a lifting mast of the type that is known in the art.
A first drawback of this on-board truck with three steered wheels results from the fact that in the lateral travel mode, the deformation and the reduction of the polygon or lifting triangle entrains a reduction in stability.
A second drawback of this on-board truck with three steered wheels derives from the risk of the load interfering with the front wheels in the lateral travel position, which may prevent the deposition of the load between the front wheels.
The document EP 0 625 478 A1 describes a cart with movable forks according to the above.

Truck with at least three steered wheels


In an application management system for managing a plurality of applications that are installed in an image processing device, in the case where an instruction of execution start is received, if an application execution unit has already executed an incompatible application that would cause an unintended operation of the application whose execution is to be started if concurrently executed with another application, and a warning screen about the application execution start is output.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an application management technology installed into an image processing device such as a copying machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up to now, copying machines have been proposed where additional applications are installed in the copying machines after product delivery and the installed applications are started, stopped, or uninstalled. For example, in a copying machine proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-287990, applications on the copying machine can be managed through a web browser on a PC. With such a copying machine, various applications can be developed and added in at a later time. It is therefore possible to incorporate the copying machine in an existing system, or to adopt the copying machine to a new system in a flexible manner.
In addition, a technology for restricting concurrent execution of applications in view of resources that the applications use, or in view of a dependency relation of the applications, or the like has been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-333926 proposes a method of setting identification information for other applications whose program concurrent execution should be restricted and setting restriction conditions for each application. Then, during the execution of one selected application, the execution of set other applications is restricted under the restriction conditions until the one selected application execution is finished. Alternatively, depending on the execution status of the application, the execution of an application that is not desired to be concurrently executed on a UI is restricted.
However, when the concurrent execution of applications is restricted in the above-mentioned copying machine, the following problem occurs. According to a technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-333926, it is necessary to previously set restrict conditions for each application, and therefore those conditions need to be reset each time an applications that is not desired to be concurrently executed is newly released. For this reason, there is a problem in that the setting operation is a burden for users, thereby causing inconvenience.
In addition, there is encountered a problem in that it is impossible to concurrently execute the applications after the users are made to recognize a risk of concurrently executing such applications. To cope with the problem, it is conceivable to provide an application management system where application concurrent execution can be restricted without previously setting restriction conditions for each application on an image processing device side by embedding concurrent start restriction information in the application itself. However, there is also a problem in that it is difficult to adapt to a case where the concurrent execution restriction is not desired depending on a version or type of devices on which the application is operated, or the like.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Application management system for restricting application concurrent execution depending on an image processing device that operates the application


A motor drive having controller settings which will result in improved tuning-less performance is disclosed. Gain values for the control loops and/or observer are determined independently of the mechanical loading and the resultant effects of that loading on the motor. The motor drive includes a control loop operable to receive a command signal and to generate a controller reference signal to achieve desired operation of a motor connected to the motor drive. The motor drive also includes a load observer operable to generate a signal that estimates a response required by the motor drive as a result of a load present on the motor. The response estimate signal is provided to the controller to isolate the effects of the load dynamics from operation of the control loops within the controller. A modified controller reference signal is generated as a function of the response estimate signal and the controller reference signal.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to tuning a motor drive and, more specifically, to a method to isolate the effects of mechanical loading to simplify initial tuning and improve performance in a motor drive system.
As is known to those skilled in the art, motor drives are utilized to control operation of a motor. According to one common configuration, a motor drive includes a DC bus having a DC voltage of suitable magnitude from which an AC voltage may be generated and provided to the motor. The DC voltage may be provided as an input to the motor drive or, alternately, the motor drive may include a rectifier section which converts an AC voltage input to the DC voltage present on the DC bus. The motor drive includes power electronic switching devices, such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), thyristors, or silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs). The power electronic switching device further includes a reverse conduction power electronic device, such as a free-wheeling diode, connected in parallel across the power electronic switching device. The reverse conduction power electronic device is configured to conduct during time intervals in which the power electronic switching device is not conducting. A controller in the motor drive generates switching signals to selectively turn on or off each switching device to generate a desired DC voltage on the DC bus or a desired motor voltage.
The motor drive receives a command signal which indicates the desired operation of the motor. The command signal may be a desired position, speed, or torque at which the motor is to operate. The position, speed, and torque of the motor are controlled by varying the amplitude and frequency of the AC voltage applied to the stator. The motor is connected to the output terminals of the motor drive, and the controller generates the switching signals to rapidly switch the switching devices on and off at a predetermined switching frequency and, thereby, alternately connects or disconnects the DC bus to the output terminals and, in turn, to the motor. By varying the duration during each switching period for which the output terminal of the motor drive is connected to the DC voltage, the magnitude of the output voltage is varied. The motor controller utilizes modulation techniques such as pulse width modulation (PWM) to control the switching and to synthesize waveforms having desired amplitudes and frequencies.
In order to convert the command signal to the desired output voltage, the motor drive includes a control section. The control section may vary in complexity according to the performance requirements of the motor drive. For instance, a motor drive controlling operation of a pump may only need to start and stop the pump responsive to an on/off command. The motor drive may require minimal control such as an acceleration and deceleration time for the pump. In contrast, another motor drive may control a servo motor moving, for example, one axis of a machining center or an industrial robotic arm. The motor drive may need to not only start and stop the motor, but operate at various operating speeds and/or torques or follow a position command. The motor control may include multiple control loops, such as a position, velocity, torque, or current control loop, an observer, or a combination thereof. Each control loop may include, for example, a proportional (P), integral (I), or derivative (D) controller and an associated controller gain value for each controller in the control loop and may further require additional feedback and/or feed forward controller gain values. In order to achieve the desired operating performance of the motor, it is necessary to properly select the controllers and the associated controller gain values associated with each control loop.
However, selecting the controllers and associated controller gain values may be a complex process. Adjustment of a controller gain value in one control loop may impact performance of another control loop. Although the control loops may be in parallel or in series with each other, there is ultimately a single input and a single output for the control system. Adjusting a controller gain value along one loop impacts the performance of one or more other controller gain values. The interaction of controller gain values often requires a time and labor-intensive iterative approach to selecting gain values in order to achieve the desired level of performance.
As is further known to those skilled in the art, control of the motor is impacted by the load applied to the motor. Motors are connected to mechanical systems to control movement. Every mechanical system generates unique dynamic behavior due to unique mechanical loading on the motor. Mechanical loading is the result of a combination of mechanical system properties that are present in the mechanical system, such as inertia, friction, compliance, backlash, gravity, torque disturbances, machine-to-machine variations, manufacturing tolerances, and slow degradation over time. The effect of this mechanical loading is that the control loop and/or observer gain values need to be calculated as functions of quantities representing each mechanical property. However, these quantities are unknown and skilled technicians must manually adjust the gain values for several control loops and/or an observer to achieve satisfactory performance. This manual tuning process takes time, requires a high skill level, and adds significant cost.
The dynamics of a load connected to the motor typically requires further adjustment of gain values. A load that is rigidly coupled to the motor usually requires different gain values than a load that has a compliant coupling or a coupling with backlash between the load and the motor. Gain values are lowered as the level of compliance and/or backlash increases. As the ratio of load inertia to motor inertia increases, the effects of compliance and backlash are amplified. For example, a coupling with a small level of compliance and a high ratio of load inertia to motor inertia typically results in significantly lower controller gain values than for the same coupling and a low ratio of load inertia to motor inertia. Controller gain values that produce desired performance with a rigidly coupled load may excite resonant operating points with a compliantly coupled load. Consequently, varying levels of compliance and/or backlash result in a unique set of controller gain values for each application. Successfully setting the controller gain values to achieve a desired level of performance for each application typically takes time and requires a skilled technician. Many companies don't have such a technician and may need to hire a field service technician from the manufacturer of the motor drive. This can add significantly to the cost to start up and commission a new control system. Some companies may elect to set the controller gain values to a reduced performance level to ensure stability of the controlled system. However, the reduced performance level may result in lost revenue during operation due to operating at less than maximum capacity.
Presently, there are no methods of determining gain values for the control loops and/or observer that provide initial satisfactory performance over the wide range of mechanical systems found in industry. Also, there are currently no methods of determining gain values that can be applied to mechanical systems where mechanical properties change over time.
Historically, there have been methods developed that claim to provide higher performance of the motor drive. However, these methods typically sacrifice ease-of use. The gain values for the control loops and/or observer are calculated based on quantities for inertia, compliance, backlash, friction, or gravity that are taken from models or assumed to be known in theory. However, these quantities are typically not known by users in practice but rather require considerable effort and technical skill to measure which ultimately resorts to manual tuning procedures.
Other methods have been developed that claim to provide ease-of-use. However, these methods typically sacrifice performance. These methods often claim great initial performance or claim to account for compliance and suppress vibration. However, satisfactory performance is sporadic in practice or the tuning applies to one specific type of machine, which constitutes a very small sub-set of machine types present in industry.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a motor drive with initial settings for gain values which result in improved tuning-less performance for customers.
Some motor drives may provide an auto-tuning function which attempts to compensate for loading of the motor. Auto-tune methods commonly perform a physical motion test to calculate total inertia and may determine friction as well. The auto tune method then calculates initial gain values for the control loops and/or observer as functions of total inertia, friction, and one bandwidth value. Although these auto-tune methods may provide some success and reduce the need for manually adjusting gain values for the control loops or observer when the motor is connected to a rigid mechanical system, most mechanical systems are not ideal rigid mechanical systems. A rigid mechanical system includes no compliance, backlash, or vibration in the motor, load, or coupling between the motor and load. In contrast, most mechanical systems possess unknown levels of compliance, backlash, and/or vibration, which causes unsatisfactory performance and forces users to manually adjust the gain values for the control loops and/or observer.
Thus, it would also be desirable to provide a motor drive that provides initial settings which provide acceptable performance across a broad range of mechanical systems without requiring further auto and/or manual tuning.

System and method for isolation of load dynamics in motor drive tuning


A fuel tank assembly includes a fuel tank disposed substantially along a seat rail in a space surrounded by a lower portion of a seat and the seat rail of a motorcycle, and a fuel pump unit disposed in a lower portion of the fuel tank. A mounting flange for mounting the fuel pump unit to the fuel tank is arranged below the seat rail and forward of a front end of a rear wheel of the motorcycle as viewed in a side view of the motorcycle. The mounting flange of the fuel pump unit is disposed above a side frame of a body frame of the motorcycle. Such fuel tank assembly provides the degree of freedom of seat layout, and does not interfere with a rear wheel of motorcycle, or gravel or the like thrown up by the rear wheel, during operation the motorcycle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel tank assembly for a motorcycle, and to a motorcycle incorporating the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fuel tank assembly having a fuel tank disposed substantially along a seat rail, to a fuel pump unit disposed in the fuel tank via a mounting flange arranged below the seat rail, and to a motorcycle incorporating the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a known structure in which a fuel tank is located below a seat of a vehicle (motorcycle) and a fuel pump is mounted in the fuel tank. An example of such structure is disclosed in Japanese Published Patent document 2007-118627.
The structure disclosed in the Japanese Patent Published Patent document 2007-118627 is an upper-mount type fuel pump, in which the fuel pump is installed in the upper portion of the fuel tank. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a space between the seat and the fuel tank for installing a fuel pipe therein, for supplying fuel to an engine of the vehicle. In view of a change of shape of the seat when an occupant sits thereon, it is necessary to ensure that a space is not smaller than a vertical width needed to arrange fuel piping. In addition, there is also a restriction on seat layout.
In order to ensure the degree of freedom of the seat layout, a structure is considered in which the space between the seat and the fuel tank is made minimal. Such structure corresponds to a lower-mount type fuel pump, where a fuel pump is mounted in the lower portion of the fuel tank.
However, if the lower-mount type fuel pump is applied to the above-mentioned conventional example as it is, the fuel pump will be disposed right above the rear wheel. Since the rear wheel swings vertically, it is necessary to provide a sufficient interval between the rear wheel and the fuel pump unit including a fuel pump, a mounting flange, and a fuel piping. In addition, it is necessary to avoid interference with gravel thrown up by the rear wheel.
The present invention has been made to overcome the drawbacks of existing fuel tank assemblies and in-tank fuel pumps. In view of the above difficulties with the known designs, in order to ensure the degree of freedom of seat layout, even a vehicle in which a fuel pump is lower-mounted in a fuel tank needs to have a fuel tank assembly in which a fuel pump unit does not interfere with a rear wheel or gravel or the like thrown up by the rear wheel during operation of the vehicle.
Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a fuel tank assembly in which a fuel pump is mounted in a lower portion of a fuel tank, and a fuel pump unit does not interfere with a rear wheel or gravel or the like thrown up by the rear wheel during operation of the motorcycle, while ensuring a high degree of freedom of seat layout.

Fuel tank assembly for motorcycle, and motorcycle incorporating same


This methods and devices described herein relate to displays and methods of manufacturing cold seal fluid-filled displays, including MEMS. The fluid substantially surrounds the moving components of the MEMS display to reduce the effects of stiction and to improve the optical and electromechanical performance of the display. The invention relates to a method for sealing a MEMS display at a lower temperature such that a vapor bubble does not form only at temperatures about 15° C. to about 20° C. below the seal temperature. In some embodiments, the MEMS display apparatus includes a first substrate, a second substrate separated from the first substrate by a gap and supporting an array of light modulators, a fluid substantially filling the gap, a plurality of spacers within the gap, and a sealing material joining the first substrate to the second substrate.

Displays that incorporate mechanical light modulators can include hundreds, thousands, or in some cases, millions of moving elements. In some devices, every movement of an element provides an opportunity for static friction to disable one or more of the elements. This movement is facilitated by immersing all the parts in a working fluid (also referred to as fluid) and sealing the fluid (e.g., with an adhesive) within a fluid space or gap in a MEMS display cell. The fluid is usually one with a low coefficient of friction, low viscosity, and minimal degradation effects over the long term.
Because the fluid may possess a thermal expansion coefficient which is different from that of the substrates which contain the fluid, variations in operating temperature can lead to strong variations in the fluid pressure within the display. These internal pressure variations can lead to bulging or warping of the display surface and in some cases to the formation of vapor bubbles within the display. For example, the CTE of the glass that may be used for a MEMS substrate may be about 3.5 ppm/K and the volumetric CTE for a suitable working fluid may be about 1200 ppm/K. Additionally, the CTE of the adhesive used to seal the fluid in the display can govern the expansion of the cell gap. In some embodiments, the CTE of the adhesive may be about 80 ppm/K. Thus, the working fluid in the gap in the MEMs display expands and contracts roughly 400 times more than that of the glass and 15 times more than that of the adhesive. For an approximately 50 degree Celsius temperature difference, the volume difference between the substrate and that of the fluid is about 5.5%. Thus, if the display is sealed at about 20° C. and is later heated to about 80° C., the fluid will expand about 5.5% more than the glass MEMS substrate, which is in turn dominated by the adhesive swelling or expanding. The differences in expansion cause a force to be exerted on the glass, resulting in a swelling of a portion of the display. This swelling amount is difficult to estimate accurately around the edges of the MEMs display because the glass MEMS substrate is confined around the edges by the adhesive and is generally free to deform in the center. In some embodiments, this swelling may in the center of the gap in the MEMS display may be as large as about 1.5 microns. A similar effect may occur as the MEMS display is cooled. If the display is cooled about 50° C., then the same fluid volume difference of about 5.5% will result.

Methods for manufacturing cold seal fluid-filled display apparatus


This application discloses methods an apparatuses for sending and receiving uplink control information in the field of communications technology. In some implementations, a terminal device may receive first downlink control information (DCI) from a network device; determine, based on the received first DCI, that an uplink shared channel scheduled by using the first DCI is used to send only uplink control information (UCI); and send first UCI to the network device through the uplink shared channel scheduled by using the first DCI. In other words, the network device indicates to the terminal device by using DCI so that the terminal device can determine, based on an indication of the network device, whether the uplink shared channel scheduled by using the DCI is used to send only the UCI.

During wireless communication, a terminal device may send uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) data to a network device and may also send control information to the network device.
Usually, the terminal device may send only uplink control information or both data and uplink control information to the network device through a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). However, the terminal device cannot currently determine to specifically send only the uplink control information or both the data and the uplink control information.

Uplink control information sending, uplink control information receiving method, and apparatus


A system for an internal combustion engine, the engine having an intake and exhaust manifold, the system comprising of a heat exchanger configured to extract energy from engine exhaust gases; a catalyst coupled between said heat exchanger and the exhaust manifold of the engine; a spark plug in a cylinder of the engine; and a controller to operate the engine to perform spark ignition of a mixture of air and fuel in said cylinder during an engine cold start, where said air is heated with the energy before being inducted into said cylinder.

An internal combustion engine may utilize various types of combustion. For example, spark ignition (SI) of a homogenous mixture during the expansion stroke is one example. This method relies on a timed spark from a sparking plug in order to achieve ignition of an air and fuel mixture within the combustion chamber. Another type of combustion is homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), which occurs when the temperature of the air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber attains the autoignition temperature of the specific fuel. HCCI can be used to provide greater fuel efficiency and reduced NOx production under some conditions.
In one example approach utilizing HCCI combustion, heat exchangers may be used to extract energy from the exhaust to heat intake air and thereby improve overall thermodynamic efficiency. However, the inventors herein have recognized that during engine cold starting, there may be insufficient exhaust gas energy to generate stable HCCI combustion. Further, cold engine conditions, such as cold engine coolant, can further exacerbate cold starting with HCCI combustion.
As such, in one embodiment, a system for an internal combustion engine, the engine having an intake and exhaust manifold, may be provided. The system comprises: a heat exchanger configured to extract energy from an exhaust gas of the engine; a catalyst coupled between said heat exchanger and the exhaust manifold of the engine; a spark plug in a cylinder of the engine; and a controller to operate the engine to perform spark ignition of a mixture of air and fuel in said cylinder during an engine cold start and/or the warm-up process, where said air is heated with said heat before being inducted into said cylinder.
In this way, it is possible to transfer some of the energy from the exhaust gases to the intake air to further promote rapid warm-up of the engine and catalyst, without limiting exhaust energy available to the catalyst. In other words, the exhaust energy can be used to increase the temperature of an air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, thereby improving fuel atomization and thereby enabling increased ignition timing retard. Further, the increase mixture temperature may also increase exhaust gas temperature.

System and method for improved engine starting using heated intake air


Embodiments provide a method of fabricating a semiconductor package, the method comprising forming a leadframe, wherein the leadframe includes an inner lead, and wherein a bottom surface of the inner lead comprises a first section and a second section; depositing an oxidation resistant material on the first section of the bottom surface of the inner lead; and forming an oxidation layer on the second section of the bottom surface of the inner lead, wherein the oxidation resistant material deposited on the first section of the bottom surface of the inner lead prevents the oxidation layer from forming on the first section of the bottom surface of the inner lead.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
A semiconductor package is a casing—e.g., composed of metal, plastic, glass, ceramic, or other material—containing one or more semiconductor electronic components. A semiconductor package generally provides protection against impact and corrosion, and supports contact pins or leads which are used to connect a semiconductor electronic component within the semiconductor package to a circuit external to the semiconductor package. Examples of a semiconductor package include a Quad-Flat no-Leads (QFN) semiconductor package and a Quad Flat Package (QFP).

Formation of package pins in semiconductor packaging


The generation of symbol-encoded data from digital data, as part of the compression of the digital data into a compressed digital data, can be performed with reference to multiple alternative alphabets. A selection of a specific alphabet is made based on the digital data being compressed, the compression parameters, or combinations thereof. Information indicative of the selected alphabet is encoded into one or more headers of the resulting compressed digital data. A single alphabet can be selected for all of a set of digital data being compressed, or multiple different alphabets can be selected, with different ones of the multiple different alphabets being utilized to compress different portions of the digital data. Additionally, rather than explicitly specifying a specific selected alphabet, the header information can comprise information from which a same alphabet can be independently selected heuristically by both the compressor and the corresponding decompressor.

While modern computer-readable storage media continue to increase in storage capacity, it can remain desirable to compress computer-readable digital data in a lossless manner such that the lossless compression thereof enables the digital data to be stored utilizing less computer-readable storage capacity while simultaneously enabling the digital data to be uncompressed to its original and unmodified form for subsequent reading, editing and utilization thereof. One mechanism by which computer-readable digital data can be compressed is to first convert the digital data into symbol-encoded digital data, where sequences of bits of digital data that occurred previously in the digital data are replaced with a symbol that represents an offset-length pair, with the offset identifying how far back in the digital data that same sequence of bits previously occurred, and the length identifying the length of the sequence itself. Subsequently, as part of the compression of the digital data, the symbol-encoded digital data is frequency encoded to generate the actual compressed version of the digital data itself Such frequency encoding can replace the aforementioned symbols with shorter codes that represent the symbols, in essence utilizing a shorthand to convey the same information with less digital data.
The generation of the symbol-encoded digital data is based on a single predefined alphabet. That single predefined alphabet defines all of the symbols that can be utilized in generating the symbol-encoded digital data. If the alphabet comprises too few symbols, then the amount of compression that can be achieved can be less. For example, if the alphabet does not comprise a single symbol that identifies a specific offset and length, then multiple symbols will have to be used. By contrast, if the alphabet did comprise a single symbol representing the specific offset and length, such a single symbol could be utilized, thereby enabling the second instance to achieve a better compression of the digital data.
However, frequency encoding requires that the alphabet be encoded in the header of the resulting compressed digital data. Consequently, while a larger alphabet can comprise symbols that can be utilized to replace greater quantities of bits with a single symbol, such a larger alphabet can also result in a larger header, thereby increasing the size of the resulting compressed digital data and negating some of the storage space benefits of the compression. As can be seen, trade offs exist in the size of the alphabet. Unfortunately, the alphabet utilized by compression algorithms is fixed and cannot be changed, resulting in the above-described inefficiencies.

Computer data compression utilizing multiple symbol alphabets and dynamic binding of symbol alphabets


The present invention is an improved AHU that can be easily architecturally disguised, made in a modular unit, have increased overall efficiency and ease of servicing, reduce radial noise emissions and allow for the direct adjacent placement of additional AHU's. This AHU has a cuboid structure with smooth side walls that are insulated and adapted for the attachment of aesthetic surface treatments, roof inset fans louvered end walls with door access. Heat removal can accomplished through angled heat exchangers also housed within the enclosure. Air filtration is also accomplished with angled filters. The improved aesthetic appearance of these units also eliminates the use of surrounding architectural parapet walls or screening units. The improved space effectiveness and modularity shall provide greater flexibility in building construction.

The present invention relates to an architecturally advanced and more space efficient design for air handling units with or without an accompanying heat rejection unit.
Large capacity air handling units are a necessity for most large buildings whether residential, commercial or industrial in nature. These units being noisy, large and requiring a moderate amount of access space, are generally located on the rooftop, or on ground level, about the perimeter of the building. Herein lies part of the problem with the prior art. These packaged outdoor units are in visible locations yet form architectural eyesores. To remedy this situation, architects go to great lengths to make aesthetically appealing disguises. Walls, fences and flora are used to hide ground units whereas parapet wails and screening are used on roof units.
Where more than a single air handling unit (AHU) is required, additional units are generally located near rather than adjacent the first AHU because the prior art AHU's side airflow and side service requirements.
This new design of AHU is a modular style unit that has a compact footprint due to angled heat exchangers and filters, utilizes a floor/louvered end wall air intake and employs roof air exhaust, therein eliminating any unsightly appurtenances and allowing for the utilization of a smooth walled enclosure. This modular smooth walled enclosure is highly space efficient, and capable of being positioned directly adjacent to a substantially similar AHU. From an aesthetic standpoint the present design will have a cuboid configuration with smooth side walls allow for the attachment of architecturally appealing wall exterior surface treatments such as stucco, brick, tile, exterior wallboard or siding. The AHU also has a full length service corridor that doubles as an exhaust air pathway.
The heat rejection fans shall have vertical up discharge and shall serve multiple functions including operation as condenser fans, waste heat rejection fans, and a exhaust/relief air fans. The air handler shall be supported by a roof curb which shall fully enclose the supply and return ducting. Should the air handler be equipped with a condenser section, this portion of the unit will likely have open bottom to allow combination of louvered end wall and bottom air intake. With this design multiple units can be mounted side by side in adjacent configuration with only an increase in curb and pedestal height. This curb and pedestal height is required to offset the loss of air flow to competing AHU's.
Henceforth, an improved AHU unit would fulfill a long felt need in the building industry, especially in larger application that require multiple units and where space is at a premium. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this.

Architecturally advanced air handling unit


The invention concerns a method of manufacturing a modulated optically diffractive grating and a corresponding grating. The method comprises providing a substrate and manufacturing a plurality of temporary elements onto the substrate, the temporary elements being arranged in a periodic pattern comprising at least two periods having different element characteristics. Next, a first deposition layer is deposited so as to at least partially cover the temporary elements with the first deposition layer and the temporary elements are removed from the substrate in order to form onto the substrate a modulated diffractive grating of first grating elements made of the first deposition layer, the pattern comprising within each period a plurality of first grating elements and one more gaps between the first grating elements. The invention allows for producing high-quality gratings with locally varying diffraction efficiency.

Near-to-eye displays (NEDs) and head-up displays (HUDs) typically involve diffractive gratings to produce a viewable image. Gratings are needed as in-coupling gratings, which couple an image from an image source to a wave guide, as out-coupling gratings, which produce the final viewable image for the user, and as exit pupil expanders (EPEs), which increase the size of the displays exit pupil.
The quality and characteristics of the gratings determine the quality of resulting image. In addition to having distinct and consistent grating lines, in advanced applications it is desirable to be able to control the diffraction efficiency of the grating locally. This can be achieved by varying grating line height or fill factor within the grating, i.e. using height or fill factor modulation. To achieve the largest possible efficiency adjustment range, both height and fill factor should be modulated. Thus, there is a need for robust and cost-effective fabrication methods for diffractive gratings in which diffraction efficiency can be freely controlled, and which are applicable for mass production. Moreover, in some cases non-polymeric materials are needed, which adds process complexity in comparison with direct polymer modulation.
There are technologies available for achieving the required grating pattern resolution for optical purposes with inorganic materials. For example, in semiconductor technology, self-aligned double patterning (SADP) discussed e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,972,959 B2, is a well-known technique to enhance patterning resolution for semiconductor components. In x-ray optics manufacturing the method, similar SADP concept (zone frequency doubling), is used to push zone plate line resolution below 10 nm employing electron beam lithography (K, Jefimovs, "A zone doubling technique to produce ultra-high resolution x-ray optics" Physical Review Letters, 99 (2007)).
Fabrication of height modulated elements is generally done by repeating fabrication cycles in which one height is defined within one cycle. In particular, fabrication of micro- and nanostructures with varying heights on a same substrate is difficult especially in the case of inorganic materials that are difficult to process. This generally requires several fabrication cycles with alignment, where each element height is defined separately during one cycle. This also requires highly optimized and often complicated processing of the material. In order to get vertical side walls in the material, highly anisotropic etching is required in the currently available methods, One known processing method is discussed in C. David, "Fabrication of stair-case profiles with high aspect ratios for blazed diffractive optical elements", Microelectronic Engineering, 53 (2000). Because of the complexity of the method, the yield of this process is low. Moreover, overlay exposure requires lateral placement accuracy in nanometer level, and any deviations from optimal causes losses in optical performance. Particular challenges are faced when both height modulation and fill factor modulation are desired in order to achieve maximum efficiency adjustment range.
Thus, there is a need for novel industry-scale technologies for height and/or fill factor modulation for diffraction efficiency control.

Method of manufacturing a variable efficiency diffractive grating and a diffractive grating


A multi-input charging system and method using a motor driving system can prevent relay fusing or cutting in a motor and damage of a neutral point capacitor provided in a charging power input stage in a process of receiving external charging power through a neutral point of the motor and charging a battery.

In general, electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles convert power provided from external charging equipment into a state suitable to charge batteries provided therein and provide the converted power to the batteries to charge the batteries.
For example, conventional charging equipment for rapid charging has been manufactured such that it outputs a single voltage of 400V, but batteries used in vehicles tend to require a voltage of 800V or higher for improvement in efficiency and mileage. Accordingly, a boosting converter for boosting a voltage provided by external charging equipment is required to charge batteries used in vehicles because the batteries have voltage specification of 800V or higher although rapid charging equipment still provides a charging voltage of 400V.
However, a large-capacity boosting converter for boosting 400V to 800V is very heavy and large and is also expensive, and thus the boosting converter is difficult to include in vehicle and may cause vehicle prices to increase.
Accordingly, a new technique of converting external charging power provided through a neutral point of a motor using an inverter and then providing the converted power to a battery to charge the battery has been proposed as a new charging technique capable of boosting a voltage of charging equipment, which has been constructed as existing infrastructure and provides a relatively low charging voltage, to a high voltage without an additional apparatus and additional cost increase and providing the boosted voltage to a battery in the art. According to this proposed technique, a DC voltage provided by charging equipment can be directly applied to a battery when the DC voltage provided by the charging equipment has a level capable of charging the battery, and the DC voltage of the charging equipment can be boosted using inductance according to coils constituting a motor and switching elements of the inverter and applied to the battery when the DC voltage provided by the charging equipment is lower than a battery voltage.
In this conventional technique, a plurality of relays for determining a path through which charging power is provided according to a voltage level provided by external charging equipment is used and a capacitor for voltage stabilization is additionally applied to a charging power input stage.
Accordingly, to stably apply the conventional technique to charge a battery, various techniques for checking whether the plurality of relays has trouble and preventing the additional capacitor from being damaged during a charging process are required.
The matters disclosed in this section are merely for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that the matters form the related art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Multi-input charging system and method using motor driving system


In some embodiments, a method includes delivering to a native valve annulus (e.g., a native mitral valve annulus) of a heart a prosthetic heart valve having a body expandable from a collapsed, delivery configuration to an expanded, deployed configuration. The method can further include, after the delivering, causing the prosthetic heart valve to move from the delivery configuration to the deployed configuration. With the prosthetic heart valve in its deployed configuration, an anchor can be delivered and secured to at least one of a fibrous trigone of the heart or an anterior native leaflet of the native valve. With the prosthetic heart valve disposed in the native valve annulus and in its deployed configuration, an anchoring tether can extending from the anchor can be secured to a wall of the heart to urge the anterior native leaflet towards the body of the prosthetic heart valve.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to prosthetic heart valves, and devices and methods for management of native mitral valve leaflets. More particularly, embodiments described herein relate to devices, systems and methods for the management of native mitral valve leaflets of patients having an implanted prosthetic heart valve.
The human heart is responsible for pumping blood around the human body. The human heart is separated into four distinct chambers, and is commonly referenced in terms of the right or left side of the heart. The right side of the heart, including the right atrium and the right ventricle, is responsible for receiving de-oxygenated blood from the body, and then pumping the de-oxygenated blood to the lungs in order to oxygenate the blood. The left side of the heart, including the left atrium and left ventricle, is responsible for receiving oxygenated blood from the lungs, and then pumping the oxygenated blood to various parts of the body. The movement of blood within the chambers of the heart is controlled by four valves: aortic, mitral, pulmonic and tricuspid. These valves open and close constantly, and as such, can be subject to wear and tear and other challenges that affect their performance (e.g., mitral valve regurgitation, prolapse, and/or stenosis), and consequently, the entire circulatory system.
Some known devices for repairing the performance of the heart, such as, for example, the performance of a mitral valve of the heart, can include a prosthetic heart valve. The prosthetic heart valve can be implanted and secured to a native annulus of the heart. Mitral valve implantation, however, can be associated with displacement of the native mitral valve apparatus. In such cases, native leaflets of the heart valve can become disposed between the prosthetic heart valve and the myocardium of the heart. Further, when the native valve leaflets are disposed in such a manner, the native valve leaflets can, for example, interfere with blood flow into and out of the left ventricle of the heart (e.g., interfere with left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT), and/or reduce effective orifice area (EOA) through the prosthetic heart valve). Native valve leaflet interference with the LVOT is often referred to as systolic anterior motion (SAM). In some cases, SAM can occur when the native valve leaflets become at least partially disposed in the flow path defined through the LVOT. The occurrence of SAM is often characterized by an undesirable flow gradient within the LVOT, and often requires one or more additional procedures to remove the prosthetic mitral valve or correct or recover the LVOT, or in some cases requires additional medication. In addition, over time, the native valve leaflets can stiffen (e.g., change modulus) due to calcification or the like, resulting in undesirable turbulence, eddies, and/or otherwise undesirable flow profiles within the heart. Even more, such degradation and/or stiffening of the native valve leaflets can, in some cases, cause degradation of the prosthetic heart valve leaflets.
Thus, a need exists for devices and methods for managing a native valve leaflet(s) (e.g., native anterior mitral valve leaflet) of a heart valve when a prosthetic heart valve is disposed and operating therein, to reduce or otherwise limit SAM and other undesirable flow gradients within the heart.
Further, patient screening prior to prosthetic mitral valve implantation can help predict potential risk of SAM. Such screening often prevents patients with considerable risk of SAM, who otherwise would benefit from mitral valve replacement, from undergoing mitral valve replacement with a prosthetic mitral valve apparatus. Thus, a need exists for devices and methods for safely and effectively delivering and deploying a prosthetic heart valve within a heart of a patient who has a considerable risk of SAM.

Apparatus and methods for anterior valve leaflet management


A method of deriving the health of a first cylinder in a reciprocating device includes receiving a first signal from a first knock sensor in proximity to the first cylinder, receiving a second signal from a second knock sensor in proximity to a second cylinder, processing the first signal and the second signal, and deriving the health of the first cylinder by determining whether the first signal is coherent with the second signal.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to knock sensors, and more specifically, to knock sensors mounted to multi-cylinder reciprocating devices.
Combustion engines typically combust a carbonaceous fuel, such as natural gas, gasoline, diesel, and the like, and use the corresponding expansion of high temperature and pressure gases to apply a force to certain components of the engine, e.g., piston disposed in a cylinder, to move the components over a distance. Each cylinder may include one or more valves that open and close correlative with combustion of the carbonaceous fuel. For example, an intake valve may direct an oxidizer such as air into the cylinder, which is then mixed with fuel and combusted. Combustion fluids, e.g., hot gases, may then be directed to exit the cylinder via an exhaust valve. Accordingly, the carbonaceous fuel is transformed into mechanical motion, useful in driving a load. For example, the load may be a generator that produces electric power.
Knock sensors can be used to monitor multi-cylinder reciprocating devices. A knock sensor can be mounted to the exterior of a cylinder and used to determine whether or not the reciprocating device is running as desired. Knock sensors sometimes malfunction, break during operation, or may be wired to the wrong cylinder. Thus, it would be beneficial to have a way to check the data collected by a knock sensor, and/or take measurements of a cylinder using knock sensors mounted on a different cylinder in the event that the primary knock sensor stops working during operation.

Methods and systems to derive health of mating cylinder using knock sensors


Optical fibers for delivering laser energy inside the body are often tasked with traversing tortuous routes in accessing the target tissue or pathology, e.g. ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy. A common failure in such applications, known in the field as ‘fiber burn through’, has been known to injure patients and is a major cause of damage to ureteroscopes. Where irregular output that is produced at the start of a lasing interval passes through a fiber that is at or near the optical minimum bend limit, fail safe polymer claddings are damaged and can no longer contain even regular laser output in tight deflection. The invention disclosed provides a solution to premature fiber failure and collateral damage.

Lasers find utility in a variety of applications where significant pulse energies or laser powers are delivered by means of optical fibers. A limitation to delivery of laser power or energy by optical fiber is the minimum bend radius of the fiber where energy loss within the bend is sufficient to initiate catastrophic failure. This minimum optical bend radius is typically dependent upon the wavelength of the laser, the average power or peak pulse energy and repetition rate of the laser, the size and the construction of the optical fiber.
Small optical fibers are often called upon to deliver pulse laser energy to kidney stones while passing through highly deflected flexible ureteroscopes. A common failure mode of fibers within flexible ureteroscopy is popularly described as "burn through", where the fiber suddenly fractures within the scope forceps channel. Such failures are a leading cause of costly scope repairs and have even been known to injure patients by burning through the damaged scope wall.
Another failure that is similar to that described above is caused by gripping the fiber to control its position within the patient; if minimum optical bend radii are exceeded, the fiber burns through and injures the surgeon.

Process and system for reducing laser damage to surgical instruments


Detergent formulations containing cationic nitriles are shown to exhibit reduced silver tarnishing as compared to similar formulations containing TAED.

Silver is chemically the most reactive element among the noble metals and tarnishes readily on exposure to sulfur bearing atmospheres. Discoloration, generally termed tarnishing, is caused by a silver oxidation process in which sulfide is formed. Food, such as onions, mustard and eggs that contain organic sulfur compounds, are also known to tarnish silver. See Singh et al., "Silver Tarnishing and its Prevention--A Review" Anti-corrosion Methods and Material, v. 30 (July 1983) pp. 4-8.
Bleaching compositions and bleach systems are well known and provide desired cleaning properties in many commercial detergents. Chlorine and N,N,N',N'-tetraacetyl ethylene diamine (TAED)/perborate, for example, are well known for their bleaching properties. Bleaching systems that include cationic nitriles in the presence of peroxide are also known (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,236,616 and 5,281,361, EP 0 303 520 B1 and WO 99/63038, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference).
Silver tarnishing is also known to occur when an oxygen bleaching agent used in detergent compositions oxidizes the silver to silver oxide. This oxidation process causes surface blackening of the silverware when machine dishwashed.
Conventional detergents, particularly automatic machine dishwashing detergents, are generally formulated with chlorine bleaching agents in a high alkaline pH range. During washing, certain chlorine bleaches (e.g., chloroisocyanurate) react to form isocyanuric acid and thus not greatly effect silver discolorization.
Detergent compositions are, however, increasingly being based on peroxygen bleaching agents and are being formulated to be milder to produce environmentally friendly products. The problem of tarnishing of silver and silver plated articles has thus become more severe.
Therefore, there is a need for detergent compositions that have bleaching compositions yet have minimal detrimental effects on silverware. There is also a need for more cost-efficient detergent formulations, wherein the desired benefits are achieved through decreased quantities of raw material, through the use of less expensive ingredients and/or more efficient compatibility of materials.

Cationic nitriles for providing a silver tarnish benefit in machine dishwashing detergent applications

Unilever Home & Personal Care, USA, division of Conopco, Inc.


A method for automatic snapshot includes obtaining the amount of data written into a source Logical Unit Number (LUN) and performing increment accumulation; and taking a snapshot when a value of the increment accumulation exceeds the upper limit value. An apparatus for automatic snapshot is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, snapshots are taken according to the size of a data variable, only two characterizing parameters, an upper limit value and an increment value need to be added, and the determination logic is clear and concise. Thus, system efficiency or resource overload is not affected, the pertinence is strengthened, the resource usage is increased, and the adaptability is strengthened. Furthermore, stored data may be automatically protected with snapshot, and data safety and reliability are greatly improved.

With the rapid increase of the amount of information, the amount of data stored in storage systems increases significantly. Service developments also impose higher requirements upon data processing technologies with respect to availability, reliability and expandability, in which data safety is of particular importance. The existing major technologies used for data protection include making backups and taking snapshots of the data. A snapshot is a completely usable copy taken from a data object. The copy includes an image of the data object at a certain time instant. Currently, there are three major snapshot technologies: Virtual Snapshot, Split Imaging and Copying on Demand.
With a snapshot technology, data stored in a source Logical Unit Number (LUN) may be obtained at an instant and occupies a small storage space. Snapshot technologies are relatively mature for the real time protection of data. There are three snapshot technologies in use currently. One is taking snapshots manually by a user. Another one is taking snapshots in connection with other operations (LUN copying, remote imaging). A further one is to take timed snapshot. In the three snapshot technologies, timed snapshot technology is one with which snapshots of a specified source LUN are taken automatically by the system in a certain time interval.
It is found by the inventor in the realization of the present invention that the related art technologies have the following defects:
The existing mode for the usage of automatic snapshot has only a single technology of timed snapshot, i.e. snapshot periodically: the snapshot for the current time instant is automatically taken by the system in a specified time period. The mode of automatic snapshot invocation has only a timed mode, which is relatively singular, and has limitations in some cases. For example, snapshots may still be taken for data even when no or little change is made to the data in the time period, causing unnecessary wasting of system resources.

Method and apparatus for automatic snapshot

Chengdu Huawei Symantec Technologies Co., Ltd.


A dual, stereoviewing operating microscope including a single objective lens adapted to provide a collimated beam of light which is intercepted and transversely redirected by a pair of reflecting prisms into two oppositely directed stereoscopic optical paths. Each stereoscopic optical path is provided with a pair of viewing eyepieces each of which has a zoom lens assembly. Each pair of eyepieces is independently operable of the other. The microscope also includes an aperture between the redirecting prisms intercepting the light from the objective lens in order to provide, through this aperture, a direct optical path between the objective lens and a camera or other recording device. A separate zoom lens assembly is inserted in this latter optical path and a mechanism is provided by which all zoom assemblies are simultaneously operable.

The present invention relates to dual stereomicroscopes, particularly for use in microsurgery.
Operating microscopes are well known in the art and are used in eye surgery and in plastic reconstruction surgery. During such surgery it is desirable to provide simultaneously two independent stereomicroscopes, one for the surgeon and one for an assistant. The surgeon and assistant should be able to see the same operating field with as nearly the same view as possible and with equal and maximum lighting without distortion or degradation due to differing optics in their respective microscopes. It is also desirable that each stereomicroscope have an independent zoom magnification capability since surgeon and assistant, at different phases of an operation, would need different magnification and field coverage to better suit their different tasks.
Further, it is desirable to provide for a separate microscope accessary port for use with a camera or video recorder which port has visual access to the operating field without replacing one of the microscopes.
In the Riedel patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,983, two stereomicroscopes opposite one another are combined. Each stereomicroscope is complete including its own objective lens, but, to combine the two, it is necessary to add a pentagonal prism symmetrically located between the separate microscopes. See also Littman's patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,300, where two stereomicroscopes, including objective lenses, also are combined with an arrangement of reflectors positioned symmetrically between the objective lenses.
In the Peyman et al patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,191, a dual stereo viewing operating microscope which shares a common objective lens is provided. The two pairs of stereo tubes 21, 22 and 23, 24 intersect perpendicular planes i.e., the viewers using the microscopes are at right angles to one another, a configuration suitable for eye surgery but not for plastic reconstruction surgery. Although Peyman states that the lens cartridge 25 may comprise a plurality of variable magnification lens combinations or may be a "zoom" type lens structure to provide infinitely variable magnification, no structure such as gearing, motor, etc. is shown to provide independent zoom capability for both stereomicroscopes simultaneously.
While Peyman discloses the capability to add a camera to the microscope with access to the operating field, the camera 28 can only be effective with the use of prism 29 which switches the camera in by switching the stereoeyepieces 43 and 44 out. Hence, if the camera is to be used, the stereomicroscope is no longer a dual stereomicroscope.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,435 (Lang et al), a stereoscopic microscope is disclosed that provides for multiple observation, so that surgical operations or other events may be observed simultaneously by two observers, or by one observer and a television apparatus. The two stereoeyepieces share a common light path, the viewing paths of the two pairs of stereo eyepieces intersect planes at right angles to one another, and, if a TV apparatus or camera is to be employed, the device no longer has a dual stereomicroscope capability.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,287, also issued in the name of Lang et al, a surgical microscope for two surgeons is disclosed that uses beam splitting to effect the dual stereo capability.


A genetic optimization computer system comprises a model and an optimizer. The model defines the structure of a candidate solution to a problem as a plurality of objects in combination (A,B,C). The objects consist of defined parameters (x,y). The model also runs potential solutions to the problem and generates an output. The optimizer stores potential solution candidates and crosses pairs of them to produce new child solution candidates which are run by the model. The child solutions are evaluated on the basis of the model output and their fitness for purpose indicated, and identified to the optimizer. The model also defines at least one group of objects which are identically structured and equivalent to each other. By associating each object of the defined group from one solution candidate with an object of the defined group from another solution candidate so as to minimize the difference between the respective groups prior to crossing the candidates, a faster convergence towards an optimum solution is achieved.

The technique of genetic optimization is well known for enabling computerised generation of an optimum solution to a problem by selection from a pool of candidates in a manner analogous to natural genetic selection. A model creates outputs in response to inputs defining potential solutions, which outputs are evaluated against it for fitness until an optimum solution is found or a cut off point is reached. The structure of the candidate solutions is defined in the model as a string of parameters representing different properties of the solution. Each specific solution is an instance of the general structure in which specific values are ascribed to the parameters. The process of optimization involves generation of new candidate solutions from the original pool of candidates followed by subsequent iterative generation of further solutions from the modified pool. Poor solutions, as determined by the fitness evaluation are rejected and better solutions selected for the pool.
Thus the candidate solutions may be thought of as analogous to individual or multiple chromosomes and the parameters to genes of living organisms. In order to generate further candidate solutions, crossing techniques analogous to cross breeding are employed whereby portions of two solutions (parents) are combined to form a new solution (child), still meeting the overall structure. This operation is known as a crossover operation. Several types of crossover are possible depending on rules defining exactly how portions of candidate solutions may be combined. A simple example would be where the first half portion of one candidate solution was combined with the second half portion of another candidate solution. Clearly many other ways of combining and rearranging the parameter values of two solutions are possible.
Also known is a mutation operation whereby a defined proportion of the candidate solutions have individual or multiple parameter values changed. This could be done, for example, by means of a random number generator. This is analogous to natural mutation of the genes of living organisms.
Such a known system is illustrated in the flow diagram of FIG. 1 in which candidates from an initial pool 1 are selected for mutation or crossover in decision box 2. In the case of mutation, a single parent, already judged to be promising, is selected at step 3 and its parameters mutated in step 4. In the case of crossover, two promising parents are selected at step 5 and their parameters crossed in step 6. The resulting new candidates are evaluated in step 7 and, if adjudged to be improvements, are fed back to the pool 1, replacing the inferior candidates, and are available for further crossing or mutation.
Clearly, such genetic optimization techniques are extremely demanding of computing time and resources, depending on the number of candidates to be considered and mutated or crossed and on the number of iterations employed in arriving at, if not the optimum, at least an acceptable solution.
Various approaches have been tried in the prior art in attempting to minimize the time and resources needed to reach an optimum acceptable solution. These can involve altering the rules for crossover or mutation, for evaluating fitness for purpose and limiting the number of iterations carried out.
One example of a technique for increasing the efficiency of a genetic algorithm applied to computer programming is described in US Patent Application Publication 2003/004904 A1 entitled "Multi-Module Genetic Programming with Multiple Genetic Data Representations"This employs multiple genetic data component representations for different modules of the solution. Each module is characterised by a "model" and realised by referring to one or more of the genetic data components. Evolution of a solution by using crossover operations is made more efficient by matching the genetic data component representations before crossover so that like component representations are crossed rather than ones of different type.
Another example of an attempt to improve efficiency is described in US Patent Application Publication 2004/0081977 A1 entitled "Genetic Algorithm Convergence Accelerating Apparatus, System and Method for the same"This uses a pipelining technique to speed up the processing of crossover operations, a technique referred to as "hypergeneration crossover"It is claimed that convergence is faster and the solution is closer to the optimal than with conventional techniques.
Neither of these documents addresses the special situation of optimization of a solution where a model defines the structure of the solution or goal to be achieved as a group of objects (A,B,C) in combination, the objects consisting of defined parameters and being identically structured. Such a group may also be thought of as a defined set of submodels. Conventionally, two candidate solutions each including an identically structured group, say, A1, B1 and C1 and A2, B2 and C2 might be crossed in sequence or by name, thus: A1 with A2, B1 with B2 and C1 with C2. This would produce a relatively random group of children not necessarily converging towards an optimum solution and, in general, it has been found that crossover does not work well in this scenario.

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods and apparatus are provided for evaluating XPath filters on fragmented and distributed XML documents. According to one aspect of the invention, a method is disclosed for evaluating a query over a tree having a plurality of fragments distributed over a plurality of sites. The method comprises the steps of identifying the plurality of sites storing at least one of the plurality of fragments of the tree; providing the query to the plurality of identified sites, wherein each of the identified sites partially evaluates the query against one of more fragments of the tree stored by the respective site; obtaining partial results from the plurality of identified sites; and composing the partial results to compute a result to the query. The query may be, for example, a boolean XPath query. The method can be performed, for example, by a coordinating site that stores a root fragment of the tree.

A common task in many publish-subscribe systems is the evaluation of XPath filters on XML documents. In other words, these tasks identify XPath queries that return true if the contents of the documents satisfy certain conditions that the subscribers (users) specify. In practice, many large XML documents are often vertically or horizontally fragmented (or both), and the fragments are often distributed and stored at different sites.
A number of techniques have been proposed or suggested for evaluating algorithms for XPath filters. Such techniques, however, typically only work on XML documents stored in a single site (i.e., when the documents are neither fragmented or distributed). When applied to fragmented and distributed documents, these algorithms have to visit each site in the network an unbounded number of times, ship data from one site to another, leading to heavy network traffic, and access fragments stored in different sites in a sequential manner rather than in parallel.
Partial evaluation or "program specialization" has been studied in the context of programming languages as a general optimization technique. Intuitively, given a function ƒ(s,d) and part of its input, s, partial evaluation specializes ƒ(s,d) with respect to the known input s. In other words, partial evaluation performs the part of ƒ's computation that depends only on s, and generates a partial answer, refereed to as a residual function ƒ′ that depends on the as yet unavailable input d.
Partial evaluation has been found to be useful in a variety of areas, including compiler generation, code optimization and dataflow evaluation. See, for example, Neil. D. Jones, "An Introduction to Partial Evaluation," ACM Computing Surveys, 28(3), 1996. See also, P. Buneman et al, "Using Partial Evaluation in Distributed Query Evaluation," Proc. of the 32nd Int'l Conf on Very Large Data Bases (2006), incorporated by reference herein Dataflow evaluation bears sufficient connections with distributed query evaluation and is worth investigating its use in parallel query processing.
A need exists for methods and apparatus for evaluating XPath filters on fragmented and distributed XML documents

Methods and apparatus for evaluating XPath filters on fragmented and distributed XML documents