A keyboard device for use with a tablet personal computer includes a base body and an upper cover. The base body includes a handle and plural keys. The handle is integrally formed with the base body. The upper cover has a receptacle for accommodating the tablet personal computer. The upper cover is connected with the base body. In addition, the upper cover is rotatable with respect to the base body in order to open or close the upper cover of the keyboard device. When the upper cover of the keyboard device is opened, the tablet personal computer is stored within the receptacle, so that the user may input characters or symbols to the tablet personal computer by depressing the keys. Whereas, when the upper cover of the keyboard device is closed, the keyboard device may be carried by grasping the handle.

Generally, the common input device of a computer system includes for example a mouse, a keyboard device or a trackball. Via the keyboard device, the user may input characters and instructions into the computer system. As a consequence, most users and most manufacturers pay much attention to the development of keyboard devices.
Hereinafter, the configurations and functions of a conventional keyboard device will be illustrated with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the outward appearance of a conventional keyboard device. The surface of the conventional keyboard device 1 includes plural keys. These keys include ordinary keys 10, numeric keys 11 and function keys 12. When one or more keys are depressed by the user, a corresponding signal is issued to the computer, and thus the computer executes a function corresponding to the depressed key or keys. For example, when the ordinary keys 10 are depressed, corresponding English letters or symbols are inputted into the computer system. In addition, the function keys 12 (F1˜F12) can be programmed to cause corresponding application programs to provide certain functions.
With increasing development of science and technology, a tablet personal computer is introduced into the market. The tablet personal computer has a small-sized shape as a LCD screen. Generally, the display screen of the tablet personal computer is a touch screen. Via the touch screen, the user may input instruction to the tablet personal computer to control operations of the tablet personal computer. Generally, when the user wants to input a character or a symbol into the tablet personal computer, an on-screen keyboard is enabled and shown on the touch screen of the tablet personal computer. The on-screen keyboard is virtual keyboard simulating the real keyboard device. By touching an icon of the on-screen keyboard, a corresponding character or symbol is inputted into the tablet personal computer. In other words, characters or symbols may be directly inputted into the tablet personal computer without any external keyboard device.
Although the tablet personal computer is easily carried because it has a small-sized shape and no external keyboard device is needed, there are still some drawbacks. For example, the use of the touch screen to input characters or symbols becomes hindrance for most users who are familiar with the common personal computers or notebook computers. Consequently, in many circumstances, an external keyboard device that has functions and configurations similar to the keyboard device as shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the tablet personal computer. In addition, the tablet personal computer is placed and supported on a prop stand (e.g. a bookshelf). That is, the tablet personal computer is usually considered as a common display screen, and the external keyboard device is used for inputting characters or symbols. Generally, the external keyboard device is connected with the tablet personal computer via a universal serial bus (USB) connection.
Although the external keyboard device may facilitate the user to operate the tablet personal computer in the usual practice, there are still some drawbacks. For example, the external keyboard device and the tablet personal computer need to be simultaneously carried. If the external keyboard device is not simultaneously carried with the tablet personal computer, the user has no choice but to input characters or symbols through the on-touch keyboard of the touch screen. From the above discussions, if the user wants to operate the tablet personal computer in the usual practice, the external keyboard device should be additionally carried. If the user does not want to additionally carry the external keyboard device, the user needs to directly input characters or symbols through the on-touch keyboard of the touch screen The above two approaches, however, are not user-friendly.
Therefore, there is a need of providing an easily-carried and easy-to-use keyboard device for use with a tablet personal computer so as to obviate the drawbacks encountered from the prior art.

Keyboard device for use with tablet personal computer


An infinitely adjustable manual control for a lengthwise adjustable automotive steering column of the type having a stationary outer member and an inner tubular member slidable telescopically in the outer member. The manual control includes a housing on the outer member, a clutch element mounted on the housing for radial and lateral shiftable movement, and rack teeth on the clutch element and on the inner tubular member. In a lowered position of the clutch element, the rack teeth mesh to immobilize the inner tubular member relative to the outer member. In a raised position of the clutch element, the rack teeth are disengaged. The rack teeth are oriented at an angle to the longitudinal centerline of the steering column so that the lateral movement of the clutch element in the housing effects longitudinal movement between the rack teeth to assure mesh in all relative positions of the inner and outer members. An actuator and a pair of side bars on the housing releasably secure the clutch element in its lowered position. A flexible cable controlled by the driver operates the actuator to release the clutch element for movement to the raised position when lengthwise adjustment is desired.

Typical telescopic or lengthwise adjustable automotive steering columns include a first member mounted on a second member for sliding movement in the direction of the longitudinal centerline of the steering column. The second member is usually rigidly connected to the vehicle body and a steering wheel is usually rotatably supported at the outboard end of the first member such that the steering wheel moves in-and-out with the first member relative to the second member. A common infinitely adjustable manual control for capturing the position of the first member relative to the second member includes a band or similar clamp anchored to the second member and looped around the first member. A lever manipulated by the driver loosens the band to permit infinite positional adjustment of the first member and tightens the band to fix or capture the adjusted position. Another common infinitely adjustable manual control for capturing the adjusted position of the first member includes friction shoes on one of the first and second members which are urged radially against the other by a longitudinally movable wedge controlled by the driver. The mechanical advantage of the wedge amplifies the longitudinal force on the shoe to generate high friction between the latter and the one of the members against which it bears to capture of the adjusted position of the first member relative to the second member. An infinitely adjustable manual control according to this invention positively captures of the adjusted position of the first member through meshing engagement of rack teeth on the first member and a clutch element on the second member.

Manual control for adjustable steering column


Embodiments described herein provide a user interface for interacting with a smart contract deployed to a blockchain. The user interface is custom-generated for each party to the smart contract. In particular, representations of actions that a particular party is enabled to perform and/or has already taken with respect to the smart contract are provided to that party via a user interface. A user experience generator queries the smart contract itself to determine which representations are to be provided to each party. The smart contract comprises functions and/or user experience annotations that indicate to the user experience generator which user interface representations should be provided to a particular user based on the party identity and/or the smart contract's state. The smart contract provides an event notification to the user experience generator, which prompts the user experience generator to query the smart contract to determine the allowed actions for a particular user.

The gig economy is based on short-term and temporary jobs handled by contractors and other independent workers. Instead of hiring full-time staff, freelancers offer a concise way to accomplish a business goal without the massive overhead. Gig-based work lets freelancers exert greater freedom and control over their time and finances. Moreover, it forces independent workers to broaden their skill sets if they want to continue finding work.
As technology evolves, finding paid freelance work has become increasingly simple. With major platforms that centralize the marketplaces for new gigs, finding freelance work and workers is made easy. However, the current system is not without its flaws. High fees, lack of transparency, and sometimes restrictive policies that work against freelancers are problems inherent in the centralized gig marketplace.
Recently, the rise of blockchain has enabled a decentralized gig marketplace. The technology, which was created as the backbone for bitcoin, uses a mesh-like network of nodes to process transactions and operations, creating blocks of information that are appended together and tracked on a ledger that is updated simultaneously across every node.
This ledger is a major breakthrough, as it offers an incontrovertible and tamper-proof record of every transaction made on the chain, creating opportunities to track a variety of processes beyond simple payments. The blockchain's architecture does away with the current paradigm for data and systems management. Instead of keeping all the data related to products and services on a single server, blockchain-based systems spread this load, so no one point in the network can gate off information or alter data without being noticed.
Additionally, the ledger can be used with smart contracts, which offer automated, performance-based agreements that can be used to create new jobs, products and platforms. Smart contracts comprise code that run on the blockchain. They contain a set of rules under which parties to that smart contract agree to interact with each other. If and when the pre-defined rules are met, the agreement is automatically enforced. The smart contract code facilitates, verifies, and enforces the negotiation or performance of an agreement or transaction.
While smart contracts provide a very simple form of decentralized automation, creating such contracts and enabling users to perform actions with respect to smart contracts (e.g., via a user interface) typically requires a substantial coding effort to synchronize the user interface with the smart contract's state.

User interface and smart contract interaction model for generating user interface representations


The present invention provides a process for producing silylated pullulan, which features reacting pullulan with N,O-bistrimethylsilylacetamide by using, as a reaction medium, only one of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and N-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone or a mixed solvent of both of them. Compared with conventional processes, the process according to the present invention can produce high-purity silylated pullulan simply, easily and efficiency.

Pullulan, a starting raw material for silylated pullulan, is a natural polysaccharide formed of maltotriose units regularly joined together via α-1,6-linkages. This pullulan is excellent in moisturizing properties, adhesion properties and safety, and as a nonionic polymer, is used as various additives.
For example, a derivative obtained by introducing silyl groups as side chains in the nonionic polymer is soluble in silicone oil, and the resulting solution is low in biological irritancy. Therefore, the derivative is expected to find utility in applications such as cosmetics, foods and medicines, and its use as an ingredient in foundations and makeup cosmetic preparations for nails is described in Patent Document 1.
In Patent Document 1, silylated pullulan is also exemplified as a derivative with silyl groups introduced as side chains in the nonionic polymer. Specifically, a process is disclosed, which includes dispersing pullulan in a mixed solvent of pyridine and toluene and then reacting it with triethylbromosilane. In addition, Patent Document 2 describes sunscreen cosmetic preparations with silylated pullulan mixed therein, and Patent Document 3 describes oil-based foundations with silylated pullulan mixed therein.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-62-240335
Patent Document 2: JP-B-3491933
Patent Document 3: JP-A-09-188604

Process for producing silylated pullulan and cosmetic preparation

DAINICHISEIKA COLOR & CHEMICALS MFG. CO., LTD.


A die cast housing has an aperture with cast in situ lips adjacent upper and lower surfaces. A pair of deformable grommets are inserted in the aperture and compressed by applying a force to a pair of bushings disposed in the grommets. The grommets flow under the compression force to fill the aperture under the lips and are thereby retained in the aperture. This provides the housing with an isolator assembly such that the housing can be mounted to a frame while being electrically isolated therefrom.

In many assemblies, a metal housing is secured to a frame by metal fasteners. The housing is preferably isolated electrically and/or vibrationally from the frame and the fasteners. To this end, the mounting member or isolator is a deformable polymer, such as nylon. Since it is desired to install the isolators when the housing is assembled and prior to attachment with the frame, a method of securing the isolators in apertures in the housing is required. To date this has been accomplished by machining the apertures to form an undercut or other irregular surface. It is also possible to install fasteners in the isolators when the housing is assembled, however this adds to the shipping weight and assembly cost; and the fasteners must be removed prior to installation on the frame which further adds to the overall product cost.

Cast in situ retention features for a press fit assembly


A spin FET includes a first ferromagnetic film disposed on a first source/drain area, a direction of magnetization thereof being fixed in an upward direction or a downward direction perpendicular to a film surface, a second ferromagnetic film disposed on a second source/drain area, a direction of magnetization thereof being changed in the upward direction or the downward direction, an anti-ferromagnetic ferroelectric film disposed on the second ferromagnetic film, and a tunnel barrier film disposed at least between the first source/drain area and the first ferromagnetic film or between the second source/drain and the second ferromagnetic film. Resistance of the anti-ferromagnetic ferroelectric film is larger than ON resistance when the first and second source/drain areas conduct electricity through the channel area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spin field effect transistor (FET), a magnetoresistive element and a spin memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, research and development aiming at achievement of a spin electronics device using spin freedom of electron have been actively made. For example, devices using tunnel magneto-resistance (TMR) effect such as a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and a reproduction magnetic head of a hard disk are typical examples.
Recently, the spin FET has been proposed as a next-generation spin device.
The spin FET has a feature in having a magnetic recording portion for memorizing binary data and is used as a component of a reconfigurable logic circuit. If a logic circuit is configured of the spin FET, all logics such as AND, NOR, OR and EX-OR can be achieved selectively only by rewriting data in a magnetic recording portion of one kind of circuit.
If this is achieved, necessity of changing the layout of a transistor depending on the kind of the logic circuit is eliminated, thereby achieving reduction of design/development term to a large extent and reduction of manufacturing cost to a large extent.
Therefore, it has been considered to use such a logic circuit by combination of a non-volatile semiconductor memory such as a magnetic random access memory and a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM).
However, in a current spin FET, writing of data into the magnetic recording portion is carried out with current magnetic field (magnetic field generated by a writing current) or a spin injection current (spin torque by a spin polarized electron).
Thus, if the device size is decreased when the current magnetic field is used in the former case, the value of write-in current is increased thereby increasing consumption power. If the spin injection current is used as the latter case, a problem in reliability, that is, destruction of a tunnel barrier film occurs because a large current density is needed for data writing.
Such a problem occurs also in the spin memory in which magnetization of the magnetoresistive element is changed using the spin freedom of electron.

Spin FET, magnetoresistive element and spin memory


To reduce a disparity of voltage between each unit electrical double layer capacitor without an electrical loss when a plurality of the unit electrical double layer capacitors are connected in series to provide an electrical double layer capacitor, a switching element is connected in parallel to each unit electrical double layer capacitor to be individually short-circuited during discharging of the electrical double layer capacitor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical double layer capacitor device and, more particularly, to a device formed by a plurality of electrical double layer capacitors connected in series.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electrical double layer capacitor device of the type described has a low resistance and a large capacity. Because the electrical double layer capacitor device does not cause any chemical reaction to occur unlike a battery, its deterioration is very small due to repetition of charging and discharging. Therefore, the device can be often used as an accumulator free of maintenance. Further, because the electrical double layer capacitor device contains no harmful substance such as heavy metal as its component material, it is no harmful to the environment. Using this advantage, the electrical double layer capacitor device has been widely used as a memory backup device. Generally, the electrical double layer capacitor is connected to a battery or a power source obtained by converting commercial AC power to DC power, in parallel. Electric charge accumulated in the electrical double layer capacitor backs up various parts when the power source happens to be interrupted. Further, the electrical double layer capacitor device has been developed recently which has a tremendously large capacity, so that it is expected to be used as a battery substitutive component or assistant component for motor drive. This shows that such a device can not only to back up the memory but also to back up the entire system. Particularly, the electrical double layer capacitor device has been recently developed for power application excellent in large current characteristic because of demand for a power source of electrical vehicle or hybrid vehicle.
By the way, such an electrical double layer capacitor has an application voltage limited below a electrolytic voltage of used electrolyte. The voltage limit is about 1 V when water solution base electrolyte, such as sulfuric acid is used. In addition, it is about 2.5 V when organic solvent base electrolyte, such as propylene carbonate, is used. When a voltage is applied which exceeds this limit voltage , the service life of the capacitor is reduced considerably. Therefore, it is necessary to connect a required number thereof in series when the capacitor is used under an environment over the limit voltage.
However, if a voltage is applied to the capacitor device in which the unit capacitors are connected in series, a disparity takes place in the voltage applied to each unit capacitor owing to the disparity of the capacity and internal resistance of each unit capacitor. Further, this disparity may be increased by means of repeated charging and discharging. As a result, a voltage exceeding the limit voltage is applied to the unit capacitor so that a destruction may be occurred thereof.
As a method of suppressing the disparity of the voltage between the unit capacitors Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) No. SHO 62-4848 (hereinafter referred to as document 1) has disclosed a method of reducing the disparity of the voltage applied to the unit capacitors by connecting a plurality of resistors having a equal resistance in parallel. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (JP-A) NO. HEI 6-30247 (hereinafter referred to as document 2) has disclosed a method in which a protective circuit comprises a Zener diode and resistor which are connected in series and is connected to the unit capacitor in parallel.
However, because, according to the method indicated in the above document 1, it is necessary to connect resistances 1/5-1/10 of the insulating resistance of each unit capacitor, respectively as described in the document 1, the leakage current of the entire capacitor is increased five to ten folds as compared to a case in which no resistor is connected. Therefore, a problem exists in which the electric loss is increased tremendously.
Further, because, according to the method described in the above document 2, a current always flows through the protective circuit like the method indicated in the above document 1, a problem is left that power consumption is large. The method of controlling the voltage by such a bypass current is effective when the charging time is very long. However, the by-pass current is increased considerably when charging is carried out in a short time interval of several seconds order. The protective circuit is not practically available by the use of such a large current because not only a power consumption is large but also the parts are very expensive. Further, because the voltages of all the unit capacitor needs to be mentioned according to these control methods by controlling the charging voltage, a problem exists that the protective circuit is complicated and costly.

Electrical double layer capacitor having short-circuit function


A staged missile which is reconfigured in-flight solely by changing vehicle dynamics enabling packaging of kinetric energy kill capability in severely constrained envelopes, thus retaining the use of existing tactical assets to counter advanced armored threats.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a missile construction, and, more particularly, to a missile construction which is capable of in-flight reconfiguration automatically occurring as a result of the forces generated by the vehicle dynamics.
2. Background of the Invention
Many missiles have been of a one-piece construction including a rocket motor at one end onto which is affixed either a centrally or aft located control section, and the payload forming the opposite end. The overall missile length in this case is fixed and consists simply of the addition of the individual part lengths. Accordingly, launch facilities to handle such missiles must be able to accommodate the fixed missile dimensions.
Still other known rocket constructions, referred to as "staged" rockets, provide means for improving vehicle flight performance by separating rocket motors from the control and payload sections upon propellant exhaustion. Again, at launch the overall missile length is fixed requiring correspondingly sized platforms and launchers.
In the future, missiles will be required to counter increasingly capable threats yet remain compatible with existing support equipment. It is therefore essential to provide a missile construction which would substantially reduce necessary overall length at the time of launch without impairing function or reliability.
In addition, a continuing matter of concern in all missiles is the provision of aerodynamic stability. In the past, an approach to static stabilization was to deploy aerodynamic surfaces which may be undesirable in that the surfaces can increase drag, lack reliability, or constrain total size. Dynamic stabilization has been achieved by inducing high spin rates, either aerodynamically or by other means, but this tends to only further complicate system design in a maneuvering vehicle. Any solution for solving the overall length problem of a missile must, therefore, not detrimentally affect aerodynamic stability.

In-flight reconfigurable missile construction


An improved material filling apparatus that can be installed in a front end multipurpose or fixed loader bucket. A hydraulic or electric motor is provided to rotate an auger, which discharges material out of a discharge opening at the one side of the device to fill sand bags or containers that are placed under this opening. In addition the front end loader will still be able to function in its normal manner when not required to fill sand bags or containers.

Various devices have been proposed for filling sand bags. However, a mechanical front end loader is often required to fill the hopper of a bag filling device. Thus, such sandbag filling devices are not stand alone equipment, but instead require other equipment such front end loaders to supply material to the bag-filling component.
Examples of prior art are U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,346 issued to Garden, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,921, issued to Cavefly. These patents describe apparatus that require placement such that a hopper or dump truck can be filled by means of a loader.
In the formation of temporary or permanent barricades, bags filled with sand have been found to be the most expedient means of containing diverting water during a flood. Sandbags have also been used as barricades and revetments for the safety of the military personnel. Sandbags are used for construction and the prevention of erosion around culverts, river banks and numerous similar applications. In emergencies the requirement to fill large quantities of sandbags for dike or levee construction often requires many people working under severe conditions.


Polymer activation apparatus for activating a batch of dry polymer in dilution water includes a tank which contains the dilution water in a mixing vessel and a mixing assembly within the mixing vessel. The dilution water is circulated at a high rate through the mixing assembly to create a high shear flow condition within the mixing assembly. The polymer is introduced into the mixing assembly to disperse the polymer in the dilution water and form a slurry in the vessel without causing agglomeration of the dry polymer. After dispersion and before hydration of the polymer, the rate of circulation through the mixing assembly is reduced to create a low shear flow condition. The low shear condition is maintained as the viscosity of the solution increases.

This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus which mixes a polymeric flocculent in dilution water and activates the polymer for liquid/solid separation and more particularly to a polymer activation and dilution method and apparatus which activates a batch of dry polymer in a dilution chamber, without damaging the polymer structures excessively, to produce a polymer for particular use in the treatment of water.
Flocculent and coagulants such as polyelectrolyte materials, polymers, gums and the like ("polymers") are commonly used in water treatment equipment in order to remove solids suspended in the water. Polymers are high molecular weight materials with millions of charge sites that attract the suspended particles. However, for a polymer to perform properly, the polymer must extend or untangle in dilution water. A polymer so extended is defined as being fully activated.
As disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 07/370,375 incorporated herein by reference, optimum activation of a polymer in dilution water requires a solution of dispersed polymer and dilution water to be subjected to a high shear rate agitation for a relatively short contact time to initiate activation and dissolution of the polymer. However, as the polymer begins to dissolve in the dilution water, the polymer molecules become more susceptible to physical damage from the high shear mixing. Therefore to further the dissolution and speed the activation process, the polymer solution is then subjected to a lower energy or low shear rate mixing for a longer period of time.
Polymers may be supplied in many different forms. One of the forms, a dry polymer such as a dry synthetic polyelectrolyte for example, is very difficult to properly activate. Unless a dry polymer is almost immediately dispersed into the dilution water when the polymer first comes into contact with the water, the tangled polymer molecules tend to attract each other, resulting in the formation of large clumps or agglomerations of polymer particles. Once formed these agglomerations are difficult to activate and are ineffective in liquid solid separation.
Prior art systems which are used to activate dry polymers typically rely on a continuous two step procedure consisting of a high shear dispersion followed by low shear mixing. The high shear dispersion is generally accomplished by combining dry polymer and a small amount of dilution water either a dynamic or jet mixer to form a slurry of dispersed polymer particles in dilution water. The slurry is then transported to a separate low shear mixer typically by a pressurized conduit. In the low shear mixer, tightly controlled flow amounts of the slurry and additional dilution water are mixed to achieve the desired solution concentration.
One of the drawbacks of this type of activation system is the large amount of capital investment required for the equipment and instrumentation needed for these systems. If a small amount of activated polymer is needed, such as in the treatment of potable water, these systems are uneconomic.
Another drawback is that the static mixers rely on a constant dilution water pressure and flow rate. In many locations, the water supply system cannot provide the needed constant water pressure and flow rate.
To provide for the small volume applications, a polymeric emulsion containing dispersed polymer particles may be used. However, polymer emulsions contain a hydrocarbon oil continuous phase making up about 50% of the total volume; and therefore, can only be applied in very small doses. Also, due to the health concerns, polymer emulsions require lengthy regulatory approval. Finally polymer emulsions have a limited shelf life and in remote locations this limited shelf life undesirable.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which can economically activate a small volume of dry polymer. A related object is to provide an apparatus for small volume applications which does not require the use of a polymer emulsion.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for dry polymer activation which does not rely on a constant dilution water pressure and flow rate to function properly.

Dry polymer activation apparatus and method


Camera or object pose calculation is described, for example, to relocalize a mobile camera (such as on a smart phone) in a known environment or to compute the pose of an object moving relative to a fixed camera. The pose information is useful for robotics, augmented reality, navigation and other applications. In various embodiments where camera pose is calculated, a trained machine learning system associates image elements from an image of a scene, with points in the scene's 3D world coordinate frame. In examples where the camera is fixed and the pose of an object is to be calculated, the trained machine learning system associates image elements from an image of the object with points in an object coordinate frame. In examples, the image elements may be noisy and incomplete and a pose inference engine calculates an accurate estimate of the pose.

For many applications, such as robotics, vehicle navigation, computer game applications, medical applications and other problem domains, it is valuable to be able to find orientation and position of a camera as it moves in a known environment. Orientation and position of a camera is known as camera pose and may comprise six degrees of freedom (three of translation and three of rotation). Where a camera is fixed and an object moves relative to the camera it is also useful to be able to compute the pose of the object.
A previous approach uses keyframe matching where a whole test image is matched against exemplar training images (keyframes). K matching keyframes are found, and the poses (keyposes) of those keyframes are interpolated to generate an output camera pose. Keyframe matching tends to be very approximate in the pose result.
Another previous approach uses keypoint matching where a sparse set of interest points are detected in a test image and matched using keypoint descriptors to a known database of descriptors. Given a putative set of matches, a robust optimization is run to find the camera pose for which the largest number of those matches are consistent geometrically. Keypoint matching struggles in situations where too few keypoints are detected.
Existing approaches are limited in accuracy, robustness and speed.
The embodiments described below are not limited to implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known systems for finding camera or object pose.

Camera/object pose from predicted coordinates


Quantizers of delta sigma modulators include comparators to quantize a quantizer input signal. Each comparator compares a respective reference signal to the quantizer input signal. A logic processing module determines a quantizer output signal based upon the comparison. During subsequent periods of time, a comparator offset converter alters “reference signal-to-comparator input terminal” associations to reroute respective reference signals from one arrangement of comparator input terminals of at least two (2) of the comparators to a different arrangement of comparator input terminals. The comparator offset converter can randomly alter the reference signal-to-comparator input terminal associations. The comparator offset converter can maintain a 1:1 reference signal-to-comparator input terminal relationship. By maintaining the 1:1 ratio of reference signal-to-comparator input terminal and randomizing the reference signal-to-comparator input terminal associations, the comparator offset converter effectively converts the comparator offset voltage nonlinearities into energies and frequencies that can be constructively processed and improve signal-to-noise ratios.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information processing, and more specifically to a signal processing system and method for converting comparator offset noise in delta sigma modulator analog-to-digital comparators into multi-spectral noise.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many signal processing systems include delta sigma modulators to quantize an input signal into one or more bits. Delta sigma modulators trade-off increased noise in the form of quantization error in exchange for high sample rates and noise shaping. "Delta-sigma modulators" are also commonly referred to using other interchangeable terms such as "sigma-delta modulators", "delta-sigma converters", "sigma delta converters", and "noise shapers".
FIG. 1 depicts an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) delta sigma modulator 100 that receives an analog input signal x(t) and converts the input signal x(t) into a series of low resolution, digital output pulses q(n), where t represents an instant in time, n is an integer and represents the nth sample. In general, the delta sigma modulator 100 quantizes a difference between the current input signal x(t) and an analog version of the previous quantizer output signal, i.e. q(t−1). In the feedback loop of delta sigma modulator 100, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 108 converts each delayed (z−1) output signal q(n−1) into an analog signal q(t−1). The feedback loop of delta sigma modulator 100 also includes dynamic element matching 106 to correct nonlinearities in the DAC 108 signal q(n−1).
The noise shaping loop filter 102 processes a difference between input signal x(t) and the delayed output signal q(t−1) to generate a loop filter output signal/quantizer input signal VLF. During each output cycle of delta sigma modulator operation, quantizer 104 quantizes signal VLF to generate output signal q(n), generally in the form of digital data. When loop filter 102 is a continuous time filter, the quantizer 104 represents a relatively low-accuracy ADC converter operating at an oversampling rate, such as a rate of 64:1. Quantizer 104 can provide multi-bit or one-bit output quantization levels. The quantization level step size, Δ, represents the difference between each quantization level. One-bit quantizers have only two quantization levels specified as {−Δ/2, Δ/2} or {−1,1}. Shreier and Temes, Understanding Delta-Sigma Signal Converters, IEEE Press, 2005 (referred to herein as "Shreier & Temes") describes conventional delta-sigma modulators in more detail.
Multi-bit ADC delta sigma modulators exhibit some well-known advantages over single bit ADC delta sigma modulators such as reduced quantization noise. However, quantizer design continues to represent one of the significant challenges confronting delta sigma modulator designers.
FIG. 2 depicts a flash-type quantizer 200, which represents one embodiment of quantizer 104. Quantizer 200 includes r comparators 202.0-202.r−1, each having a first input connected to the output of loop filter 102 to receive quantizer input signal VLF. "r" is a positive integer representing the number of comparators in delta sigma modulator 100. Each of the comparators 202.0-202.r−1 includes a second input to receive respective reference voltages V0 through Vr−1. The reference voltages serve as reference signals to quantize the quantizer input signal VLF. A resistor string reference ladder of r−1 resistors 204.1-204.r−1 of value R generates uniform voltage drops across at least reference resistors 204.1-204.r−1 to generate respective reference voltages V0 through Vr−1. The end resistors 204.0 and 204.r have values that can be used to scale the quantization levels (also referred to as a "quantizer step"). For example, the largest quantizer threshold may be 1.2 V, but the available reference may be 2.5 V, so resistors 204.0 and 204.r are set to achieve the desired scale. A reference voltage of +Vref to −Vref is applied across the reference resistors 204.0-204.r. +/−Vref is, for example, +/−1.5 Volts (V).
Each of comparators 202.0-202.r−1 compares the quantizer input signal VLF with respective reference voltages V0 through Vr−1. The ith comparator 202.i generates a logical zero (e.g. 0V) when the ith reference voltage Vi is less than or equal to the loop filter output/quantizer input signal VLF and a logical one (e.g. +2.5 V) when Vi>VLF. Once during each output cycle of quantizer 104 operation, digital encoder 206 encodes the output signals of comparators 202.0-202.r−1 into a digital (discrete) output signal q(n).
Increasing the number of comparators in quantizer 104, i.e. increasing the value of r, yields a higher quality output signal q(n) (e.g. less quantization noise) and higher signal bandwidth capabilities. Each time r doubles, delta sigma modulator 100 typically achieves a 6 dB quantization noise improvement. However, disadvantages also accompany increasing the number of comparators in quantizer 104. For example, increasing the number of comparators requires more physical area to implement and more power to operate. Additionally, increasing the number of comparators decreases voltage spacing between adjacent reference voltages Vi and Vi+1 and increases the relative effects of non-idealities, such as comparator offset voltages.
Comparator offset voltages represent the minimum direct current (DC) input voltage that would have to be applied to input terminals of the comparator to cause the comparator to transition state. Thus, comparator offset voltages can cause error in the comparator outputs, especially when the difference between the reference input signals of adjacent comparators is small. Accordingly, as the relative effects of quantizer non-idealities increase, the nonidealities cause increasing delta sigma modulator error. The non-linearity can cause harmonic distortion, especially at high signal frequencies, increased noise, and modulation of noise with the direct current (DC) input level, all of which are undesirable.
An example with the number of comparators equal to r=16 illustrates effects of comparator nonidealities. Assuming seventeen (17) quantization levels, normalized to −8, −7, −6, . . . , −1, 0, +1, +2, . . . , +8, the input reference voltages V0 through V15 to respective comparators 202.0-202.r−1 scale to normalized values of −7.5, −6.5, −5.5, . . . , −0.5, +0.5, . . . , +5.5, +6.5, +7.5. Each of the actual reference voltages V−v.5 scale with the analog system reference voltage Vref. For example, if level −8 corresponds to −1.5 V and level +8 corresponds to +1.5 V, then the respective comparator input voltage references V0 through V15 for comparators 202.0-202.r−1 are −7.5/8*1.5, −6.5/8*1.5, . . . , +6.5/8*1.5, and +7.5/8*1.5V. Thus, as the number of comparators increases, the voltage reference spacing decreases for a given reference voltage +/−Vref. It follows that as the number of comparators increases, eventually non-linearities, such as comparator offset voltages, of the flash-type quantizer 200 eventually counteract any advantage obtained by increasing the number of comparators. Additionally, in an integrated circuit, chip area is valuable. Increasing the number of comparators requires more chip area and, thus, can become a dominant disadvantage.
Despite developments in quantizer technology, ADC delta sigma modulator quantizer design can still be improved to reduce the effects of comparator non-idealities, such as comparator offset voltages.

Delta sigma modulators with comparator offset noise conversion


A circular chemical mechanical polishing pad that includes a polishing surface having a concentrically located origin. The polishing surface includes groove sets each containing grooves arranged in a pattern in which ones of the grooves in one groove set cross ones of the grooves in another set. The grooves in each groove set are configured and arranged so that the fraction of the polishing surface that is grooved, as measured along any circle that is concentric with the origin and crosses the grooves, is substantially constant, i.e., within about 25% of its average.

The present invention generally relates to the field of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). In particular, the present invention is directed to a CMP pad having overlaid constant area spiral grooves.
In the fabrication of integrated circuits and other electronic devices on a semiconductor wafer, multiple layers of conducting, semiconducting and dielectric materials are deposited onto and etched from the wafer. Thin layers of these materials may be deposited by a number of deposition techniques. Common deposition techniques in modern wafer processing include physical vapor deposition (PVD) (also known as sputtering), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and electrochemical plating. Common etching techniques include wet and dry isotropic and anisotropic etching, among others.
As layers of materials are sequentially deposited and etched, the surface of the wafer becomes non-planar. Because subsequent semiconductor processing (e.g., photolithography) requires the wafer to have a flat surface, the wafer needs to be periodically planarized. Planarization is useful for removing undesired surface topography as well as surface defects, such as rough surfaces, agglomerated materials, crystal lattice damage, scratches and contaminated layers or materials.
Chemical mechanical planarization, or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), is a common technique used to planarize semiconductor wafers and other workpieces. In conventional CMP using a dual-axis rotary polisher, a wafer carrier, or polishing head, is mounted on a carrier assembly. The polishing head holds the wafer and positions it in contact with a polishing layer of a polishing pad within the polisher. The polishing pad has a diameter greater than twice the diameter of the wafer being planarized. During polishing, the polishing pad and wafer are rotated about their respective concentric centers while the wafer is engaged with the polishing layer. The rotational axis of the wafer is offset relative to the rotational axis of the polishing pad by a distance greater than the radius of the wafer such that the rotation of the pad sweeps out an annular "wafer track" on the polishing layer of the pad. When the only movement of the wafer is rotational, the width of the wafer track is equal to the diameter of the wafer. However, in some dual-axis polishers the wafer is oscillated in a plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation. In this case, the width of the wafer track is wider than the diameter of the wafer by an amount that accounts for the displacement due to the oscillation. The carrier assembly provides a controllable pressure between the wafer and polishing pad. During polishing, a slurry, or other polishing medium, is flowed onto the polishing pad and into the gap between the wafer and polishing layer. The wafer surface is polished and made planar by chemical and mechanical action of the polishing layer and polishing medium on the surface.
The interaction among polishing layers, polishing media and wafer surfaces during CMP is being increasingly studied in an effort to optimize polishing pad designs. Most of the polishing pad developments over the years have been empirical in nature. Much of the design of polishing surfaces, or layers, has focused on providing these layers with various patterns of voids and arrangements of grooves that are claimed to enhance slurry utilization and polishing uniformity. Over the years, quite a few different groove and void patterns and arrangements have been implemented. Prior art groove patterns include radial, concentric circular, Cartesian grid and spiral, among others. Prior art groove configurations include configurations wherein the width and depth of all the grooves are uniform among all grooves and configurations wherein the width or depth of the grooves varies from one groove to another.
More particularly, a number of prior art groove patterns for rotational polishing pads include grooves that cross one another one or more times. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,039 to Talieh discloses in its FIG. 3 a circular polishing pad having spiral or circular arcuate groove segments arranged so that immediately adjacent segments wind in opposite directs and cross one another. Japan Patent Publication No. 2001-138212 to Doi et al. discloses a circular polishing pad having two sets of spiral grooves that extend from proximate the concentric center of the pad to the edge of the pad and cross one another several times along their lengths. While these groove patterns are known, polishing pad designers are continually seeking groove patterns that make the polishing pads more effective and useful relative to known pads.

Rohm and Haas Electronics Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.


In an obstacle device, a front end range imaging sensor is used to scan the viewing field relative to the aircraft, while a navigation system provides information concerning the postion and altitude of the aircraft. A data processor uses these data to generate 3-d scene vectors, such that every range image is converted into a measurement point set, from which the presence of cables or wires is detected using a wire detection procedure based on the Hough Transform. For this purpose, an HT acceleration board is provided, which needs not perform complex floating point operations. The processed results are then input to an evaluation module, which determines whether any detected wires are proximate to the position of the aircraft.

This application claims the priority of German patent document 100 55 7572.1-22 filed Nov. 9, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a process for real-time detection of obstacles for low-flying, airborne vehicles such as long distance communication wires and power cables. Such wires and cables constitute a potential hazard for aircraft operating at low altitudes, especially for helicopters.
A procedure for obstacle warning for low-flying aircraft is disclosed in DE 196 05 218 C1. There, range images of the scenery in front of the vehicle are generated by means of a sensor. The outlines (xe2x80x9ccontoursxe2x80x9d) of obstacles are extracted from the range images using high-pass filters to search for discontinuities occurring between adjacent pixels. Using a navigation system, the position of the obstacle contours can be graphically blended with the natural, forward-looking view of the external scenery. Actual detection of obstacles is not performed.
One object of the present invention is to provide a process for the detection of wires or cables, securely and in real time.
Another object of the inention is to provide such a detection process which requires a minimum of hardware.
These and other objects and advantages are achieved by the obstacle detection process according to the invention in which a front end range imaging sensor is used to scan the viewing field relative to the aircraft, while a navigation system provides information concerning the postion and attitude of the aircraft. A data processor uses these data to (generate 3-d scene vectors, such that every range image is converted into a measurement point set, from which the presence of cables or wires is detected using a wire detection procedure based on the Hough Transform. For this purpose, an HT acceleration board is provided, which needs not perform complex floating point operations. The processed results are then input to an evaluation module, which determines whether any detected wires are proximate to the position of the aircraft.
The procedure according to the invention has the following advantages:
maximum security in the process of wire detection by exploiting the three-dimensional geometry of the wire""s trajectory through space, including its slack;
possibility of precisely determining position and length of wire segments;
real-time performance with limited hardware; and
equal potential for day- and nighttime use.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Wire detection procedure for low-flying aircraft


A set of displays are juxtaposed for jointly reproducing, either in still or in continuous motion, successive sets of correlated scenes according to a desired, and readily modifiable, presentation program. The correlated scenes to be reproduced by the displays are retrieved by video disk players from a set of video disks each having a multiplicity of individually addressable record tracks. A system controller is provided which has a rewritable memory for storing a presentation program including the addresses of desired record tracks on each video disks from which the prerecorded scenes are to be retrieved by one associated disk player in a desired sequence, and playback commands indicative of whether the prerecorded scenes on the desired record tracks are to be reproduced in still or in continuous motion. The system controller reads the presentation program on the memory for controlling the disk players according to the presentation program, causing each disk player to retrieve the prerecorded scenes from the desired record tracks on one associated video disk in the desired sequence, for reproduction on one of the displays either in still or in continuous motion as dictated by the presentation program. The presentation program is therefore readily modifiable by rewriting on the memory.

Our invention relates to a visual presentation system having a set of display devices for concurrent reproduction of correlated visual images prerecorded on record media such as video disks. More particularly, our invention pertains to a method and means in such a multiple display presentation system for sequence control of prerecorded scenes for joint reproduction on the displays according to a desired presentation program. The visual presentation system according to our invention lends itself to use for the commercial publicity of new products and processes, the introduction of business corporations and other institutes, the disclosure of scientific and technological theories and findings, and a variety of other presentations addressed to limited audiences.
We know that the idea of juxtaposing a set of, three for example, displays for the simultaneous reproduction of as many correlated video signals is itself not new. Conventionally, the set of displays of the familiar cathode ray tube construction were connected one to each video tape recorder or deck. Loaded with prerecorded magnetic tapes each packaged in a reel to reel envelope such as a cassette or cartridge, the video tape decks were driven synchronously under the direction of an electronic control device. The magnetic tapes had correlated video signals prerecorded thereon. Therefore, as the tape decks were driven synchronously, the correlated video signals were visually reproduced on the displays.
We object to such prior art multiple display presentation systems for more reasons than one. First, the recording of correlated video signals on several magnetic tapes was a very difficult task. It involved complex editing operations, making the recording task even more difficult, costly and time consuming. Furthermore, once the recordings and editings were completed, no change in the sequence of presentation was possible. The slightest change necessitated the rerecording or reediting of the tapes.

Multiple display presentation system capable of sequencing prerecorded scenes for joint reproduction


The present disclosure relates to a multilayer film including polyalkylene carbonate, and more particularly to a multilayer film including a core layer prepared by blending polyalkylene carbonate and an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer in a predetermined ratio, and an outer layer of polyolefin. The multilayer film does not have delamination behavior because two layers are adhered each other with a simple process without an additional step for introducing an oxygen-barrier layer even without adhesive or tie layers, and has an excellent oxygen barrier property. In addition, since an additional process for imparting barrier properties and a separate adhesive or tie layer are not required in the manufacturing method, the cost can be reduced and the layer structure can be simplified, which may greatly reduce the manufacturing cost.

Plastics are used as materials for various articles due to their ease of manufacture and ease of use, and they are used in various fields such as for disposable articles such as packaging films, disposable containers like disposable cups and disposable dishes, as well as building materials and automobile interior materials.
Particularly, since polyalkylene carbonate resins have transparency and a high oxygen barrier property, they have an advantage of preserving freshness of food for a long time when applied for food packaging. However, the polyalkylene carbonate resins have a feature that the produced films adhere to each other at room temperature due to the low glass transition temperature (Tg, ˜20° C.) and adhesive property, thereby making it difficult to be used alone. Also, polyolefin films are generally used as films for food packaging, but polyolefin films have a disadvantage in that, while they have a good moisture barrier property, they have a low oxygen barrier property.
In this respect, when a polyolefin film/polyalkylene carbonate film/polyolefin film is produced, it is possible to make a film for food packaging with a good oxygen barrier property, since the high oxygen barrier property of the polyalkylene carbonate film and the property of the conventional polyolefin film for food packaging are combined. However, the polyalkylene carbonate film having a polar or hydrophilic character and a polyolefin film having a non-polar or hydrophobic character are not compatible due to differences in physical properties. As a result, there is a problem in that direct bonding cannot be achieved at room temperature or even at a high temperature even if heat fusion is applied.
On the other hand, Korean Patent Publication No. 2015-0087084 discloses a method of introducing a tie layer as an adhesive layer between such a polyolefin film and a polyalkylene carbonate film. However, if the tie layer is introduced in this way, adhesion is possible, but it is disadvantageous in that manufacture is complicated because it must be processed in 5 layers or more. In addition, the introduction of an expensive tie layer may result in lower price competitiveness of final products.
Therefore, efforts have been made to develop a multilayer film in which a polyolefin film and a polyalkylene carbonate film are effectively adhered while not introducing a separate adhesive layer like a tie layer.

Multilayer film comprising polyalkylene carbonate and manufacturing method of the same


Techniques and devices for producing short laser pulses based on chirped pulse amplification.

This document relates to generation and control of laser pulses, including optical pulse amplifiers and pulse lasers.
Ultra short pulsed (USP) lasers with a pulse length less than 1-10 picoseconds are attractive for a wide range of applications such as material processing, optical sensing, optical ablation, precision surgery including ophthalmology, biomedical, nonlinear studies and spectroscopy. In some of these and other applications, the laser pulses may be required to have sufficient pulse energy.
High energy laser pulses can be generated by amplifying laser pulses generated by a seed laser. Various optical amplifiers are designed to amplify light by providing an optical gain at the same wavelength of the light to be amplified so that the light, after transmitting through an optical gain medium of the optical amplifier, is amplified in its power or energy and the amplified light is at the same wavelength of the original light prior to the amplification. The optical gain of the optical amplifier can be obtained by pump light that optically excites the optical gain medium such as a Nd or Yb doped fiber amplifier, or by an electrically energized gain medium such as a semiconductor optical amplifier based on quantum wells and other gain mechanisms.

Generating laser pulses based on chirped pulse amplification


An improved portable cooler can be configured to provide access to its contents from multiple orientations while reducing the likelihood of water spillage or contamination. The improved portable cooler may optionally include one or more sliding compartments to allow access to the contents of the portable cooler when the cooler is arranged in any of a horizontal or vertical orientation.

Portable coolers are convenient for keeping beverages or food items cold while traveling or being outdoors for extended periods of time or taking road trips and vacations. Traditional portable coolers are typically insulated, and designed with a hinged top or lid. Such portable coolers are typically filled with ice or frozen, reusable cooler packs mixed amongst the beverages or food items in order to keep the food or beverages cold. In many cases, the portable cooler must be maintained in an upright orientation during use (so that the hinged top or lid is oriented upward) to prevent spillage of water from melting ice.
For example, when packing for trips or other events like picnics, careful consideration must be taken as to the orientation of the cooler and its position relative to other luggage or items in order to avoid spillage of ice or water. Likewise, the cooler must typically be placed on an even or near-even surface during use to prevent spillage. As a result, particularly during travel, items may be placed on top of, or in very close proximity to the cooler.

Multi-positional portable cooler system and method


A method and input circuit unit having a first input circuit and a redundant second input circuit, wherein each input circuit includes an input for feeding a measurement current that can be obtained from a signaling device and that can be switched over and operated in such an input circuit unit, where the measurement current causes a voltage drop across a measurement resistor that can be evaluated as a measured value, where a parallel connection of the first and second input circuits causes division of the measurement current among the first and second input circuits, and where at least one input circuit include a device for compensating the decreased voltage drop across the measurement resistor resulting from the division of the measurement current.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a circuit, referred to below as an input circuit, for detecting input signals, and further relates to an input circuit unit having at least one input circuit as well as to a method for operating the input circuit. As an input circuit that can be made redundant, the input circuit makes possible single operation or redundant operation, i.e., operation together with a further input circuit, and thus a redundant or non-redundant detection of the respective input signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Input circuits and redundant input circuits are known per se. In conventional input circuits, the relevant input signal is detected via inputs permanently designed for a respective measurement range, to which only digital or analog input signals can be fed. To make analog inputs for current measurement redundant, such as 4 to 20 mA, a two-pole input circuit is used.
EP 2 461 221 A2 discloses a control device with a circuit for processing signals of different sensor types. Here, two sensor types which can be connected deliver either analog current signals or PWM signals. In order to provide a reference potential required for evaluating such signals, the circuit comprises a pull-up resistor and a pull-down resistor. Both can be activated by switches which can be actuated by a microcontroller. The measurement current flowing into the circuit is guided via a low-pass filter to two input channels of the microcontroller simultaneously, and the microcontroller evaluates the signals on that input channel which belongs to the previously activated resistor.
US 2012/0280327 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,147,520 disclose conventional circuits in which a single resistor can be bridged by means of a switch connected in parallel in order to adjust a respective overall resistance.

Input circuit that can be made redundant, input circuit unit having at least one input circuit, and method for operating the input circuit unit


A three-phase DC motor output stage including a predriver that supplies drive voltages to power MOSFETs supplies output voltages to three-phase coils, monitors whether each of gate-to-source voltages of the power MOSFETs is greater than or equal to a predetermined voltage and thereby detects a current zero cross, and employs the output of such current zero cross detection in PLL control for controlling energization switching timing and thereby forms drive voltages of 180-degree energization. Lower hooks with a voltage minimum phase as GND and upper hooks with a voltage maximum phase as a source are set as patterns alternately repeated for every electrical angle of 60 degrees. The patterns are expressed in linear approximation to generate sine wave-like drive voltages, thereby causing sine wave-like currents to flow into the three-phase coils.

The present invention relates to a motor drive device and an integrated circuit device for motor driving, and to a technique effective if applied to a rotation control technique for a three-phase spindle motor of HDD (Hard Disk Driver) or the like.
As a system for driving a spindle motor of an HDD system, a soft switch system has been adopted which performs PWM corresponding to two phases upon energized-phase switching to thereby suppress a steep change in current. Although it is necessary to detect the position of a motor for the purpose of rotating the motor, it is known as a sensorless system that a de-energization period is provided after the energized-phase switching to detect a back electromotive force (BEMF) of the motor. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10(1998)-341588 (patent document 1) is known as one for detecting a current zero cross of each inductive load.

Motor drive device and integrated circuit device for motor driving


A system and method for controlling combustion state for an internal combustion engine during engine idling which measures the angular speed of the engine cylinders for a certain interval whenever a predetermined crank angle is reached, and detects a combustion state of a given cylinder in the combustion stroke when the engine is idling according to change in the angular speed. The system (method) also divides the engine cylinders into a plurality of cylinder groups, each group having a pair of engine cylinders, the angular speeds in each pair of engine cylinders (cylinder group) are compared and the ignition timing and/or fuel injection quantity is corrected so that the angular speed of the pair of cylinders (cylinder group) which is higher than that of the other cylinder groups is reduced and, for the pair of cylinders in which the angular speed is slower, corrects the ignition timing and/or fuel injection quantity in the reverse direction to the corrected ignition timing and/or fuel injection quantity by the same quantity so that balance between the angular speeds of the pairs of cylinders is taken, whereby the ignition timing and fuel injection quantity is corrected so that a total sum of the correction quantities for all cylinders in the case of the ignition timing and/or fuel injection quantity always becomes zero.

Recently, high performance requirements for internal combustion engines have increased. Mutually offsetting problems arise such that if the reduction of harmful exhaust gas is achieved, the engine output power is reduced and if the fuel consumption is conserved, engine output power is reduced. Therefore, it is required that the above-described mutually offsetting problems be solved to insure high performance while improving engine efficiency. One example of this problem can be exemplified in the case of engine idling. If engine vibrations at the time of idling can be reduced an improvement in the stability of engine operation can be achieved.
A Japanese Patent Application First Publication (unexamined) Showa 59-201936 published on Nov. 15, 1984 exemplifies a previously proposed combustion state controlling system for an internal combustion engine in which engine rotational speed is detected during the combustion stroke of each cylinder during engine idling, the rotation speeds of the respective engine cylinders are compared with the average engine revolution speed for all engine cylinders, and the fuel injection quantity for each cylinder is corrected so as to make the former approach the latter, in order to reduce engine vibrations.
A Japanese Utility Model Application First Publication (unexamined) showa 63-198473 published on Dec. 21, 1988 exemplifies another previously proposed combustion state controlling system in which the ignition timing for each cylinder is corrected rather than the fuel injection quantity described above.
The two above-described previously proposed combustion state controlling systems for internal combustion engines determine a correction quantity for each engine cylinder according to a difference between the engine rotation speed for each cylinder and average value of the rotational speed for all cylinders. Therefore, the correction quantities for all cylinders are uniformly deviated and the combustion state when the correction is carried out is controlled at a driving point which has been deviated from a target air-fuel mixture ratio or ignition timing determined on the basis of optimal cleanness of exhaust gas and engine driveability. That is to say, since a total sum of the correction quantity for each cylinder is not corrected so as to become equal to a target value, the air-fuel mixture ratio for all engine cylinders does not coincide with a target air-fuel mixture ratio. Consequently, the cleanness of the exhaust gas is reduced and idling engine revolutions are reduced due to the corrected ignition timing. Therefore, various improvements are desirable to overcome the above-described drawbacks.

System and method for controlling a combustion state in a multi-cylinder engine for a vehicle


An image processing apparatus is provided that includes a controller configured to control a communication device to transmit, to an information processing terminal device, image processing information indicating a specific one of image processing operations that has been selected at a time when the controller starts establishment of communication with the information processing terminal device, control the communication device to receive execution instructing information from the information processing terminal device, and control a specific one of image processing executing devices that corresponds to the received execution instructing information to execute the specific image processing operation in accordance with the received execution instructing information.

Technical Field
The following description relates to one or more techniques to allow a user to operate in an intuitive manner an image processing system that includes an image processing apparatus and an information processing terminal device.
Related Art
A multi-function peripheral having an IC chip reader has been known. The known multi-function peripheral is configured to, when a document sheet with a non-contact IC chip embedded therein is set, read out document type information from the non-contact IC chip, using the IC chip reader. Further, the known multi-function peripheral is configured to search for and retrieve an application corresponding to the document type information and launch the retrieved application.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Image processing apparatus, image processing system, and computer readable medium therefor


A device management method, is disclosed in which available features on a slave mobile device are managed (monitored or controlled) by a slave manager module commanded by a master device through secure messages exchanged between the two devices using respective electronic messaging capabilities on the two devices. Selection of the features of the slave mobile device to be controlled or monitored is facilitated on the master device through a master manager module resident thereon. The features that are controlled or monitored may comprise any user-accessible feature incorporated or installed on the slave mobile device and user access to the feature may be prevented according to at least one criterion, such as: date of use, time of day of use, number of times of use, originator and recipient. User access to the feature may be prevented access to the user-accessible feature when usage limitations for the feature have been reached.

Monitoring the use of mobile communications devices is an ongoing issue. Users of such devices can move about, whether or not the users are authorized to do so. Also, users can use the devices in ways that are not authorized. Such use can result in significant expenses.
Improvements to monitoring of mobile communications devices are desirable.
Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.


A spiral cooling system for cooling an aft turbine casing of a gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine includes a turbine casing having a fore end and an aft end, a star bearing support member supporting a bearing housing and including a plurality of struts each mounted to an aft flange at the aft end of the turbine casing. The turbine casing includes an outer casing wall and an inner casing wall at the aft end defining an airflow plenum therebetween that receives cooling air at an input end opposite to the aft flange. The spiral cooling system includes a plurality of fins secured to an inside surface of the outer wall and being spaced from the inner wall that directs the airflow from the input end in a circular manner around the plenum to an output end of the plenum.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a spiral system for providing cooling air to a turbine casing in a gas turbine engine and, more particularly, to a spiral system that provides cooling air to a turbine casing in a gas turbine engine, where the system includes spirally configured fins mounted to an inside surface of the casing within a casing plenum to provide a longer path for the airflow to provide more cooling.
Discussion of the Related Art
The world's energy needs continue to rise which provides a demand for reliable, affordable, efficient and environmentally-compatible power generation. A gas turbine engine is one known machine that provides efficient power, and often has application for an electric generator in a power plant, or engines in an aircraft or a ship. A typical gas turbine engine includes a compressor section, a combustion section and a turbine section. The compressor section provides a compressed airflow to the combustion section where the air is mixed with a fuel, such as natural gas. The combustion section includes a plurality of circumferentially disposed combustors that receive the fuel to be mixed with the air and ignited to generate a working gas. The working gas expands through the turbine section and is directed across turbine blades therein by associated vanes. As the working gas passes through the turbine section, it causes the blades to rotate, which in turn causes a shaft to rotate, thereby providing mechanical work.
The turbine section of a typical gas turbine engine will include a plurality of rows of circumferentially disposed blades, such as four rows of blades, where the working gas is directed by a row of vanes across the blades from one stage of the blades to the next stage of the blades. It is generally desirable that the outer tip of the rotating blades be as close as possible to the static casing surrounding the blades, referred to in the art as tip clearance, so that a maximum amount of the working gas flows around the blades instead of flowing between the blades and the casing, which does not contribute to rotation of the blades, to provide improved blade performance. As the temperature of the engine goes up and down, the blades and casings expand and contract accordingly, which changes the tip clearance. Also, the centrifugal force from rotation of the blades causes the length of the blades to increase, which reduces the tip clearance. It is generally the tip clearance of the blades at system steady state operation that determines the performance of the blades and therefore of the engine. On the other hand, the tip clearances are also crucial in ensuring that the blades do not rub with static hardware during the startup and shutdown procedures of the engine because of different thermo-mechanical expansions and/or contractions of the blades and casings. Thus, tip clearances are set appropriately in an engine so as to derive the best performance and prevent tip rubbing.
Centering the turbine rotor within the gas turbine stationary casing is a challenge that affects the turbine blade tip clearances, and thus can negatively impact turbine performance. Lack of rotor center line positioning control during cold engine build and the subsequent control of the center line excursions under transient thermal and mechanical conditions forces the turbine blade to stator clearances to be set sufficiently large to prevent excessive rubbing or clashing, where these increased clearances result in loss of turbine efficiency and reduction in output power.
At the output of the turbine section, the working gas is passed through an exhaust gas diffuser that recovers the dynamic head of the exhaust gas for optimal performance of the turbine section. The exhausted gas, which is still very hot, is often times directed to other systems that may benefit from the available heat until the working gas is eventually exhausted to the environment or otherwise. For example, the hot exhaust gas at the output of the gas turbine engine may be used to boil water for a steam turbine engine, which also generates power in, for example, a combined cycle plant, well known to those skilled in the art. The configuration of the exhaust gas diffuser at the output of the gas turbine engine is important for the performance of the gas turbine blades because the exhaust gas diffuser partially blocks the gas flow from the turbine section.
The turbine rotor rotates on turbine bearings within a bearing housing. In one gas turbine engine design, a star member supports the turbine rotor downstream of the turbine section, where the star member includes a plurality of struts extending from a central annular portion and having ends that are secured to an aft flange of the turbine casing, and where the bearing housing is positioned within the annular portion. Hot exhaust gas flow, for example, in excess of 1200° F., from the turbine section of the engine flows through the star member around the struts.
Cooling air is pumped through a configuration of cooling channels in the turbine section so that the cooling air cools the outer turbine casing, and usually flows through channels in the star member struts to the bearing housing to cool the bearings therein to a desired operating temperature. Various cooling flow configurations for the design of the star support member and other components cause variations in temperature between different areas of the turbine casing and different struts in the star member. These temperature differentials cause deformities in the outer turbine casing as a result of the struts being secured at different locations to the aft flange of the casing that causes the casing to become out of round, which affects the tip clearance of the turbine blades. More particularly, because the struts are bolted to an aft flange of the turbine casing with heavy bolts, the different temperature struts provide different pressures to the casing causing the deformation of the casing, which changes the centering position of the turbine rotor.

Spiral cooling of combustor turbine casing aft plenum


Provided is a method of manufacturing a magnetic disk glass substrate, wherein, in a main surface polishing process, main surface polishing is applied to one of main surfaces of a glass substrate so that the one main surface has a predetermined arithmetic mean roughness, and main surface polishing is applied to the other main surface of the glass substrate so that the other main surface has a roughness which is higher than the arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) of the one main surface and which is low enough to prevent a component forming the magnetic disk glass substrate from being eluted from the other main surface.

As a magnetic recording medium adapted to be mounted in a hard disk drive device (HDD device), there is a magnetic disk. The magnetic disk is produced by stacking a magnetic layer and a protective layer over a substrate in which a NiP film is coated on a metal plate made of an aluminum-magnesium alloy or the like, a glass substrate, or a ceramic substrate. Aluminum alloy substrates have conventionally been widely used as substrates for magnetic disks. However, following the reduction in size and thickness and the increase in recording density of magnetic disks in recent years, glass substrates excellent in surface flatness and thin-plate strength as compared with the aluminum alloy substrates have started to be used.
Such a magnetic disk glass substrate is manufactured through processes such as a material processing process and a first lapping process (first grinding process); an end portion shaping process (coring process for forming a hole and chamfering process for forming chamfered faces at end portions (outer peripheral end portion and inner peripheral end portion) (chamfered face forming process)); an end face polishing process (outer peripheral end portion and inner peripheral end portion); a second lapping process (second grinding process); a main surface polishing process (first and second polishing processes); and a chemical strengthening process.
The recording density of a magnetic disk has been increasing year by year and even a magnetic disk with 100 GB or more on its one side has been developed. Currently, the magnetic disk satisfies a required recording capacity as the sum on both sides thereof. However, if the recording density increases in this manner, the required recording capacity will be satisfied only on one side of a magnetic disk in the case of an electronic device that does not require a so large recording capacity. If the required recording capacity is satisfied only on one side of the magnetic disk as described above, the number of components can be reduced on the HDD device side such that a single magnetic head is provided for one magnetic disk. This is advantageous in terms of cost and further makes it possible to achieve a reduction in thickness of the HDD device. Therefore, it is expected that from now on there will be an increasing need for a magnetic disk having a magnetic layer only on one side thereof (see, e.g. JP-A-2001-351229 (Patent Document 1)).

Method of manufacturing a glass substrate for a magnetic disk, glass substrate for a magnetic disk, method of manufacturing a magnetic disk, and magnetic disk


There is disclosed a test multiplexer having over voltage protection for use in integrated circuitry, along with methods of operating the same. An exemplary test multiplexer according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of MOSFET devices and over voltage protection circuitry. The plurality of MOSFET devices, including both p-type and n-type MOSFET devices, cooperate to pass an input signal to an output signal line of the test multiplexer while the test multiplexer is enabled. The over voltage protection circuitry is biased so that a difference between the input signal voltage and a bias voltage does not exceed breakdown when the test multiplexer is disabled. An important aspect hereof is that the test multiplexer is compliant to input voltages that exceed the positive supply rail, and is capable of sustaining a high or otherwise out of threshold single ended voltage at the input without latching up.

The present invention is generally directed to voltage protection devices and, more specifically, to the use of test multiplexers having over voltage protection and methods of operating the same in an integrated circuit.
In microelectronic circuit design there is an increasing demand for low-power, low-voltage circuits. Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices operate at high switching speeds and with high packing densities, even with a comparatively low voltage power supply. However, device dimensions in integrated circuits are now becoming so small that their isolation barriers may break down at just a few volts.
CMOS integrated circuits use n-type and p-type metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFET) that may have a gate, a drain, or a source terminal connected to a signal line driven by another circuit. A longstanding problem is that electrostatic discharges (or similar externally generated voltage transients) may break down the thin gate oxide of the CMOS transistor. Once the gate oxide has been damaged, the transistor may be useless. A similar problem may arise in systems using multiple voltage levels. In this case, not only is there a risk of electrostatic discharge but an over-voltage may occur in a low voltage circuit. An external signal line of the regulated lower voltage system may be coupled to a higher voltage pin. Under some operating conditions, xe2x80x9clatch upxe2x80x9d may occur. Consequently, there is a significant risk of damage to the low-voltage components in an integrated circuit due to an over-voltage condition.
A typical CMOS integrated circuit includes a test multiplexer (MUX) that may be engaged by program logic to test the operation of individual circuits within the CMOS integrated circuit. A typical CMOS integrated circuit may be set at Vcc/2(1.5 V) where Vcc is the supply voltage (typically 3 volts). Normally, a regular CMOS test MUX would serve the purpose of over-voltage protection because at no time would the signal at the source or drain of a p-type or n-type device in the test mux exceed the gate voltage by more than the breakdown threshold voltage. However, in certain types of CMOS circuits, peak voltage may be as high as five volts. At five volts, a p-type or n-type device on a CMOS test mux may easily latch up since the voltage difference between the gate and source, the gate and drain, or the gate and bulk would be five volts, which is greater than the breakdown voltage.
There is therefore a need in the art for an over-voltage protection circuit that does not latch up in response to input over-voltages.
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a test multiplexer having (i) a plurality of MOSFET devices that cooperate to pass an input signal to an output signal line when the test multiplexer is enabled, and (ii) over voltage protection circuitry that is biased so that a difference between the input signal voltage and a bias voltage does not exceed breakdown when the test multiplexer is disabled.
According to one advantageous embodiment, the plurality of MOSFET devices comprises at least one p-type MOSFET device and at least one n-type MOSFET device, and the over voltage protection circuitry comprises a bias circuit. When the test multiplexer is enabled (i.e., during xe2x80x9ctest modexe2x80x9d), the p-type and n-type MOSFET devices cooperate to pass a first input signal to an output signal line of the test multiplexer.
In contrast, when the test multiplexer is disabled (i.e., xe2x80x9coff modexe2x80x9d), the bias circuit of the over voltage protection circuitry operates to generate a reference voltage that is not more than a breakdown threshold voltage, Vt, below a maximum signal level on the first signal line. This reference voltage is applied to at least one of a gate, a drain, a source and a bulk connection of the at least one p-type MOSFET device such that none of a first voltage difference between the gate and the drain, a second voltage difference between the gate and the source, and a third voltage difference between the gate and the bulk connection is greater than the breakdown threshold voltage, Vt.
According to a related embodiment, the reference voltage is further applied to at least one of another gate, another drain, another source and another bulk connection of the at least one n-type MOSFET device such that none of a first voltage difference between the another gate and the another drain, a second voltage difference between the another gate and the another source, and a third voltage difference between the another gate and the another bulk connection is greater than the breakdown threshold voltage, Vt.
An important aspect hereof is that the test multiplexer is operable to provide over-voltage protection that is compliant to input voltages that exceed the positive supply rail. In an exemplary embodiment discussed hereafter, the test multiplexer is composed of p-type and n-type MOSFET devices, wherein most of the p-type MOSFET devices are tied to source, and at least two n-type MOSFET devices are connected in series and biased so that terminal voltages do not exceed breakdown. This exemplary test multiplexer is capable of sustaining single ended voltages as high as five volts at an input signal line without latching up.
In another related embodiment, the over voltage protection circuitry of the test multiplexer is capable of sampling another input signal on an input signal line that one of enables and disables said test multiplexer. The bias circuit thereof is operable to generate a reference voltage that is not more than a breakdown threshold voltage, Vt, below a maximum signal level on the input signal line, the over voltage protection circuitry is further operable to disable the bias circuit in response to the sampled another input signal enabling the test multiplexer.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms xe2x80x9cincludexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ccomprise,xe2x80x9d as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term xe2x80x9cor, xe2x80x9d is inclusive, meaning and/or; and the phrases xe2x80x9cassociated withxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cassociated therewith,xe2x80x9d as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. Further definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

Over voltage protection test multiplexer and methods of operating the same