Apparatus and method for accurate measuring and mixing of chemicals is disclosed. The apparatus includes one or more metered vessels having a container of predetermined volume and at least one constricted vent tube therein. By mounting a sensor on the constricted vent tube, a greatly amplified measurement of the precise chemical volume in the metered vessel is provided. The apparatus and method of the present invention readily lends itself to a variety of applications and can be adapted to handle virtually any form of chemical mixing, diluting, or generating process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for mixing/diluting, generating, and/or transferring of process chemicals. More particularly, the present invention provides improved process and apparatus for the precise mixing/diluting all forms of chemicals and, especially, ultra-high purity chemicals for use in a variety of industries, such as in the manufacture of semiconductor wafers and similar products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The inventions of the parent applications are directed to process and apparatus for the transfer and delivery of high-purity chemicals from a bulk source to one or more end-use stations. As is explained therein, in many applications in industry today it is extremely important to maintain process chemicals free of virtually all contaminants. For instance, in the semiconductor industry the purity of chemicals, such as sulfuric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and ammonium hydroxide, used in semiconductor wafer production must be pure on level of approximately 25 (or fewer) particles per milliliter with a particle size of less than a fraction of a micron. As a result of these purity standards, many conventional methods of chemical transfer and delivery, such as paddled pumps and similar devices, have proven completely unsatisfactory.
Of further concern in these industries is that many of the chemicals employed are toxic, chemically aggressive, and/or require special conduit material, and must be carefully handled. In order to assure adequate purity and worker safety, it is extremely important that such chemicals be transferred, stored, and dispensed in a closed system, with minimal contact with the environment or workers.
Prior to the inventions of the parent applications, generally one of two methods were employed to effectuate high-purity chemical transfer. The first method is a "pumped delivery." In this method a positive displacement pump, usually an air powered double diaphragm type, is employed to provide both lift at a suction inlet from a bulk source of the chemicals and simultaneous pressure at the output to the end-user. The chemical is lifted from a chemical drum, driven through a pump, and pushed out to the point of use.
Although the pumped delivery system is widely employed, it is far from satisfactory. This system is capable of producing only minimal lift from the chemical bulk source--usually on the order of only a few pounds per square inch. Moreover, the system is replete with contamination problems: the rapidly expanding and Contracting of the pump diaphragm material (e.g. TEFLON.RTM.) causes mechanical degradation, with the degradation by-products (many of which being too small to filter with state-of-the-art filtration equipment) entering the chemical process stream; further, the rapid action of the pump (usually greater than 60 cycles per minute) creates massive impulses in the system with a resulting pulsed flow which forces particles through filters--thus rendering the filters far less effective. Finally, the mechanical shock and vibration inherent in this system creates constant maintenance problems, such as leaks.
The other system which is generally used addressed only some of these problems. In a "pump/pressure delivery" system, a positive displacement pump is again employed to provide lift from the bulk source of chemicals. However, the chemicals are delivered to an intermediate vessel from which inert gas pressure is used to motivate chemical to the use areas.
Although the pump/pressure system is better controlled and is more conducive to use of filters to assure chemical purity, it still has serious drawbacks in a sub-micron chemical environment. Again, lift provided by a double diaphragm pump is restricted. Further, such pumps are prone to degradation--with the by-products entering the chemical stream. Finally, the use of a single pressure vessel for delivery results in non-continuous delivery--constraining the volume of each delivery to "batch" sizes based on the size of the pressure vessel. If demand exceeds the volume of the pressure vessel, further delivery must be "queued" while the pump refills the pressure vessel. Alternatively, pressure from the pump that is equal to or greater than the pressure of the delivery vessel must be applied to the delivery vessel to supplement or refill it during demand; this further compounds filtration and maintenance problems.
The inventions disclosed in the parent applications solve all these problems. In those inventions, a combination of vacuum and pressure is used to transfer chemical smoothly from a bulk source, through one or more intermediate pressure/vacuum vessels ("PVV"), and to one or more end-use stations. First, a vacuum pump is used to establish a vacuum in one of the PVVs to draw chemicals into the PVV. Once a PVV is filled, the vessel is then pressurized to motivate chemical to an end-use station, to another PVV, or for recirculation back to the bulk source. The elimination of pumps from all chemical conduits in the system avoids the problems of degradation and contamination.
As is explained in the parent applications, the advantages of this improved transfer and delivery apparatus include: even (i.e. non-pulsed) flow through the system, reducing maintenance problems and allowing far more efficient use of filters; built-in redundancy to assure constant chemical supply and fail-safe operation; and electronic controls to monitor and maintain all aspects of system operation automatically.
In light of these substantial advantages of a vacuum/pressure transfer and delivery system, applicants believe that similar advantages can be achieved in a vacuum/pressure system for taking chemicals from multiple bulk sources and automatically mixing them (e.g. combining two or more process chemicals or diluting one or more process chemicals with water or other chemical) prior to delivery to the end-user.
Although liquid mixing systems are known, none addresses the contamination concerns of a high-purity environment. Most existing systems employ conventional fluid transfer means (e.g. pumps or water line pressure) to fill two or more metered vessels. From these vessels, the liquids to be mixed are then transferred, usually by pumps, to a mixing vessel and then to a storage facility or user. Examples of such existing systems are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,960,295, issued Jun. 1, 1976, to Horak, 4,019,528, issued Apr. 26, 1977, to Tyrrell, 4,215,719, issued Aug. 5, 1980, to Laar et al., and 4,823,987, issued Apr. 25, 1989, to Switall. None of these teaches means to assure that high purity chemicals will not be contaminated on a sub-micron level by the mixing apparatus itself.
Additionally, none of the existing mixing systems provides a simple yet effective method of accurately mixing chemicals in precise volumes. Although it is common to employ multiple metered vessels to measure the amount of each chemical to be mixed, with sensors typically used to cease the flow of liquid to the metered vessel once it is filled, none of these systems provides means to amplify the sensors'accuracy in order to assure very precise measurement of the volume of each vessel. The use of other metering methods, such as highly accurate flow meters or similar devices, may address some of these concerns, but are generally undesirable due to their expense, fragile nature, and/or possible contamination risks. As a result, none of the existing diluting/mixing systems is considered fully satisfactory in providing accurate mixing of high purity chemicals required by many industries.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus and method for accurate mixing of chemicals from two or more bulk sources.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that includes, or readily interfaces with, means to transfer and deliver chemical from the bulk sources to end-use stations.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that includes means to transfer and mix high-purity process chemicals from bulk sources and deliver them reliably and without contamination to end-use stations.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that includes a simple and relatively inexpensive means to yield extremely precise volumetric measurement of chemicals.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method that employs a vacuum-pressure transfer and delivery system so as to generate even flow and negligible mechanical shock in the system.
These and other objects of the present invention will become evident from review of the following specification.

Process and apparatus for precise volumetric diluting/mixing of chemicals


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, to improve the impact of digital media. One of these methods includes providing a non-affiliated advertisement to a plurality of users. The method includes receiving indications that a subset of the plurality of users have viewed the non-affiliated advertisement. The method also includes creating a control group for an advertisement from the subset of the plurality of users that received the non-affiliated advertisement.

Marketing is about communicating the value of a product, service or brand to customers or consumers for the purpose of promoting or selling that product, service, or brand. Marketing techniques include choosing target markets through market analysis and market segmentation. Marketing can also include understanding consumer behavior and advertising a product's value to the customer.

United Services Automobile Association (USAA)


In a hydraulic control apparatus for a vehicular automatic transmission, if it is determined that there is a failure that may cause tie-up in an automatic transmission, communication is provided between a first output port and a first drain port in a switching valve. As a result, a hydraulic frictional engagement device, which should be disengaged when there is a failure, is disengaged. Also, a specific shift speed is achieved by controlling the switching valve. Therefore, it is not necessary to select a shift speed that is achieved on the condition that the hydraulic frictional engagement device, which should be disengaged when there is a failure, is engaged. Thus, it is possible to prevent a shift that may impair driveability when there is a failure that may cause tie-up in the automatic transmission.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydraulic control apparatus for a vehicular automatic transmission in which hydraulic frictional engagement devices are engaged by controlling solenoid valves that output hydraulic pressure directly to the hydraulic frictional engagement devices. More particularly, the invention relates to a technology in which when there is a failure that may cause tie-up in an automatic transmission, a specific shift speed is achieved to prevent tie-up.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2000-65203 describes an example of a hydraulic control apparatus for a vehicular automatic transmission. In the automatic transmission, a plurality of shift speeds having different speed ratios are achieved by selectively engaging and disengaging a plurality of hydraulic frictional engagement devices. The hydraulic control apparatus includes a plurality of solenoid valves that correspond to the respective hydraulic frictional engagement devices, and output hydraulic pressure directly to the respective hydraulic frictional engagement devices. The hydraulic control apparatus achieves the plurality of shift speeds by controlling the plurality of solenoid valves.
In this hydraulic control apparatus, if a given solenoid valve remains in the position to output the hydraulic pressure (i.e., a given solenoid valve continues to output the hydraulic pressure) due to a failure, the hydraulic frictional engagement device corresponding to the failed solenoid valve is constantly maintained in the engaged state by the hydraulic pressure output from the failed solenoid valve. In this case, at least one hydraulic frictional engagement device may be engaged in addition to predetermined frictional engagement devices that are engaged to achieve a current shift speed, and the gear mechanisms of the automatic transmission may be locked. That is, so-called tie-up may occur in the automatic transmission. To prevent this tie-up, the shift speed is changed to another shift speed that is achieved on the condition that the hydraulic frictional engagement device corresponding to the failed solenoid valve is engaged.
That is, in the conventional apparatus, tie-up is prevented by changing the shift speed to another shift speed that is achieved on the condition that the hydraulic frictional engagement device corresponding to the failed solenoid valve is engaged by the hydraulic pressure output from the failed solenoid valve. However, if the shift speed is changed to another shift speed that is achieved on the condition that the hydraulic frictional engagement device corresponding to the failed solenoid valve is engaged, a shift that may impair driveability may be executed, for example, a drastic downshift from the eighth speed to the fifth speed may be executed. This may make the driver feel uncomfortable.

Control apparatus for vehicular automatic transmission


A system and method for conducting preflight planning for autonomous flight missions of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The system includes use of a controller to conduct quantitative risk assessments of available digital data to predict low risk flight routes based on estimated flight risk profiles. The flight risk profiles may be based upon flight safety-critical information, including real time regulatory, airspace, obstacle, and infrastructure data sets. Among other data sets, the flight risk profiles may also account for current weather, current population and traffic data, and aircraft operational data specific to the UAV involved. Each risk assessment can generate a flight risk profile dependent on proposed times of travel, from which a low risk route may be predicted for any impending autonomous aircraft flight. Such risk assessments may enhance chances of expeditious regulatory acceptance of flight plans for such predetermined flight routes.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are commonly used by hobbyists, but are also used by government organizations and businesses for a variety of utilitarian purposes. Specialized UAV missions of the latter typically require specific payloads to be conveyed by UAVs to various locations. Unfortunately, UAV operators have endured relatively limited resources for assessing operational risks of their flight routes, which are generally conducted at relatively low flight altitudes, and thus are burdened with greater restrictions than those normally encountered at higher flight routes used by manned aircraft. Beyond that, currently available resources only partially address substantive risks of any particular UAV mission, with UAV operators often relying primarily on restricted air space regulations and available data for avoiding ground obstacles.
In the meantime, there are no known comprehensive solutions for determining overall operational flight risks for UAVs, which among other aspects include considerations of expected weather, flight regulations/restrictions, infrastructure, and specific limitations of any particular UAV, etc. Thus, UAV operators have generally had to rely on multiple software platforms for preflight planning of any given flight. Such platforms have, for example, included "AirMap" for procuring digital authorizations for UAV flight in controlled airspace, "UAV Forecast" for checking weather, and "Sun Surveyor" for checking amounts of daylight expected along prospective flight paths. In addition, current solutions for preflight planning tend to provide only qualitative methods of risk analysis, even though considerable aeronautical data, including airspace rules, weather, and infrastructure restrictions, are digitally available.


An information display device of an embodiment includes: a storage unit that stores the image data in association with information of the image data; a retrieval condition receiving unit that receives an input of a retrieval condition; a retrieval unit that retrieves the image data from the storage unit according to the received retrieval condition; a display control unit that displays an entire image representing an entire range in which the retrieved image data is distributed on a client terminal; and an operation receiving unit that receives an operation of an input unit by a user on a screen on which the entire image is displayed. The display control unit extracts the image data included in a range represented by a locus formed by an operation of the input unit, and displays the extracted image data on the client terminal together with the entire image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information display device, an information display system, and computer program product for information display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, basic software, necessarily included in an operating system (OS) of a personal computer (PC) serving as an information display device, has a retrieval function; and when the function is activated, an input area for inputting an input condition for the retrieval or the like is displayed on a display screen of the PC. When a user inputs a predetermined keyword through the input area, the keyword is compared with a file name or a keyword stored in the PC by the retrieval function; and a retrieval result is displayed on the screen of the PC in a list form such as a list.
On the screen of the retrieval result, a view of a list form is typically displayed as the retrieval result. As a display form, there may be used various forms such as display starting from a file name, display starting from a file size, or display of file storage information.
For example, disclosed is a technique of performing the retrieval by narrowing down a retrieval target to one or more according to an input retrieval condition so as to display a retrieval result on a screen (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-258441).
However, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-258441 or the retrieval function of the basic software necessarily included in the OS of the PC deals with, for example, installed basic file formats, forms, or names. For this reason, since it is difficult to variably display the retrieval result according to the input retrieval condition and the user's operation, there has been a problem in view of visibility.
Further, in order to obtain a desired retrieval result, the user needs perform the retrieval many times while changing the retrieval conditions and check display of the updated retrieval result at each time; and thus operability and efficiency of the retrieval work have been poor. In addition, since the user is difficult to survey the amount of data or the distribution of data of an entire category to which a retrieval target image belongs, the user is difficult to grasp which portion of the entire category has to be retrieved and to what extent the retrieval has to be performed, and thus efficiency of the retrieval work has been poor.

Information display device, information display system, and computer program product


Cooperative advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) and cooperative safety systems using vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications and methods of use. A method may comprise, by a guiding vehicle, periodically identifying an error of a nearby connected road-user and if an error is identified, transmitting a guidance message with guidance data using V2X communications to the connected road-user; and by the connected road-user as a guided road-user, using the guidance data to fix the error.

Road-users (both vehicles and non-vehicles) are prone to errors. For vehicles, either human driven or machine driven ("automated" or "autonomous" driving), errors include driving errors. For non-vehicle road-users, errors include movement errors.
The two main reasons for driving errors are sensing failures and decision failures. These reasons are common to both humans and automated driving. V2X communication (or in short just "V2X") helps to prevent sensing failures, by transmitting information about a vehicle's own location and movement, and by sharing objects detected by vehicle sensors (e.g. cameras). However, V2X is not known to help to prevent decision failures. Preventing driving errors in extreme cases requires very high computing power inside a vehicle, prolonged testing, and in general limits the introduction of autonomous automated vehicles (AVs).
Each AV uses its own decision algorithm. The industry is attempting to define common driving rules. Intel's Responsibility Sensitive Safety (RSS) model for AVs captures a lot of attention. RSS defines 5 major rules: 1) do not hit the vehicle in front; 2) do not cut in recklessly; 3) give, not take right-of-way; 4) be cautious in areas with limited visibility; and 5) if a vehicle can avoid a crash without causing another one, it must.
Movement errors of non-vehicle road-users put them at a great risk. Examples of such movement errors include a bicycle entering a non-vacant intersection, a pedestrian crossing a street in a forbidden place, etc.
V2X is not known to be used to reduce driving errors or movement errors. There is therefore a need for, and it would be advantageous to have methods and systems that would allow V2X use for reducing and/or fixing such errors.

Cooperative ADAS and cooperative safety systems and methods using V2X communications


The sink sprayer attachment apparatus is for attachment to an existing hose such as that typically associated with a sink. The spray head fitting is installed on the spray head. Spray head fittings are provided with male and female threads and other forms of attachment to spray heads. The apparatus negates the need for total hose replacement, a feature that saves considerable expense and installation time and effort. The apparatus importantly provides for component disposability, and therefore ideally employs plasticized components and other inexpensive materials.

The convenience of having attachments for sink sprayers has been established. However, several problems exist with what has been available. One leading problem is that most such devices involve complete sprayer redesign and sprayer and hose replacement, thereby lending greater expense across the board on acquisition and installation of such devices. Another problem is that further added convenience is needed by inclusion of cleaning agent dispersal from such devices, and not all offer such a feature. The present apparatus solves such problems by fitting existing hoses with no alteration required, and by providing positive attachment engagement. The apparatus includes cleaning agent dispensing upon demand, and encourages disposal and replacement of the various heads provided.


Systems and methods for determining an interval for the transmission of keep alive messages that will prevent a pinhole of a data network interface device from closing are driven by a software client on a computing device. The software client informs a network server of a first time interval, and the server uses the first time interval to send communications to the computing device that trigger the computing device to send keep alive messages to the server. If the first time interval does not result in the pinhole closing, the software client instructs the network server to send messages to the computing device that trigger the computing device to send keep alive messages to the server according to a second, longer time interval. This process repeats until the pinhole ultimately closes, and then the last interval that did not cause the pinhole to close is selected for use.

The invention is related to Internet Protocol (IP) telephony systems. More specifically, the invention is related to systems and methods for helping to ensure that an IP telephony system is always able to rapidly contact a user's telephony device for purposes of setting up new incoming communications that are directed to the user's telephony device.
Many computing devices obtain access to a data network, such as the Internet, via a data network interface device. The data network interface device could be a wired router, or a wireless router, such as a device offering WiFi service. The data network interface device can provide network address translation services, and may also operate in such a way as to prevent undesired or unauthorized data packets from being communicated from the data network to the computing device.
One way that a data network interface prevents unauthorized or undesired data packets from being communicated to a computing device is through a pinhole timer. In a typical pinhole timer scheme, each time that the computing device sends a communication to a server or computer at an Internet Protocol (IP) address, the data network interface device starts a pinhole timer associated with that IP address, and the port of the data network interface device being used by the computing device. The pinhole timer will run for a predetermined period of time, which may be configurable by the user. While the pinhole timer is running, the data network interface device will allow data packets coming from the IP address to be delivered back to the computing device. The assumption is that the original communication from the computing device to the server at the IP address requested information or data from that server. Thus, the data network interface device allows data packets coming from that server to be delivered to the computing device.
However, once the pinhole timer expires, the data network interface device blocks any further data packets from the IP address from being delivered to the computing device. Each time that the computing device sends a new communication to the same IP address, the pinhole timer relating to that IP address and port number is reset, and begins to again count down. The duration of the pinhole timer could be less than a minute, or as long as several minutes. So long as the computing device sends regular communications to the server at the IP address, the server is able to send data packets back to the computing device. But if the computing device does not send any new communications to the server for a period of time that is longer than the duration of the pinhole timer, the data network interface device blocks the server from sending new communications to the computing device.
The use of a pinhole timer on a data network interface device has ramifications for voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) telephony systems. In most instances, a user's telephony device communicates with the servers of a VOIP telephony system via data packets which traverse a data network, such as the Internet. The user's telephony device typically gains access to the Internet through a wired or wireless data network interface device which operates a pinhole timer.
When a user wishes to place an outgoing call, the user's telephony device sends a communication to a server of the IP telephony system, which starts a pinhole timer running on the data network interface device that provides the user's telephony device with access to the Internet. Thereafter, and for the duration of the call, there are frequent communications passing back and forth between the user's telephony device and the IP telephony system's server. Each time a new communication is sent from the user's telephony device to the IP telephony system server, the pinhole timer is reset. As a result, the pinhole timer does not expire while the call is ongoing, and the IP telephony system server is able to send communications back to the user's telephony device.
Once a call ends, however, there may be no reason for the user's IP telephony device to send any further communications to the IP telephony system server. Once the pinhole timer relating to that IP telephony system server expires, the data network interface device prevents any communications from the IP telephony system server from reaching the user's IP telephony device. This is a problem if the IP telephony system receives an incoming call directed to the user's telephony device. Because the user's data network interface device prevents the IP telephony system server from communicating with the user's IP telephony device, the IP telephony system cannot setup the new call to the user's telephony device.
One way to overcome this problem is for the user's telephony device to be configured to send periodic "keep alive" messages to the IP telephony system server. So long as keep alive messages are sent at time intervals shorter than the duration of the pinhole timer, the pinhole will remain open, and the IP telephony system server will be able to send communications to the user's IP telephony device for purposes of setting up a new incoming call, or for any other purpose.
Many types of IP telephony devices are configured to send periodic keep alive messages to the IP telephony system server to keep a pinhole open. For example, any IP telephony device which has a reliable and constant source of power can be configured in this fashion. However, if the IP telephony device is powered by a battery, constantly sending keep alive messages to the IP telephony system server can cause undesirable battery drain.
For example, some battery powered smart phones and other portable computing devices can run a software application which provides IP telephony capabilities. Such smart phones and portable computing devices often obtain access to the Internet via a wireless data network interface device which operates a pinhole timer. To ensure that a server of the IP telephony system is able to send a communication to an IP telephony software application that is running on such a portable computing device, the IP telephony software application must periodically send keep alive messages to the IP telephony system server, to ensure the pinhole does not close. However, as noted above, this can cause undesirable battery drain.
One way of dealing with this problem, in the case of smart phones, is through the use of push notifications. In this scheme, an IP telephony software application on a user's smart phone is configured so that it does not send periodic keep alive messages to the IP telephony system server. This means that the pinhole of the data network interface device that is being used will close. However, when the IP telephony system server needs to communicate with the IP telephony software application, such as when there is an incoming call for the user, the IP telephony system causes a push notification to be sent to the user's smart phone. When a push notification is delivered to the user's smart phone, and the user accepts the push notification, the IP telephony software application is run, and/or caused to register with the IP telephony system. And when the IP telephony software application sends a communication to the IP telephony system, a new pinhole is opened, and the IP telephony system can begin sending communications to the IP telephony software application on the user's smart phone.
While push notifications are operative to re-establish communications between the IP telephony system and the IP telephony software application on a user's smart phone, the process of requesting that a push notification to be sent, waiting for the push notification to be delivered, waiting for the user to accept or acknowledge the push notification, and then waiting for the IP telephony software application to send a communication to the IP telephony system can take a considerable amount of time. If the IP telephony system is attempting to setup a new incoming call that is directed to the user, the delay can be too long. In many cases, before the process can be completed, and the incoming call can be connected to the user's smart phone, the calling party decides that the call setup attempt has failed, and the calling party hangs up.
Because use of push notifications is problematic, it is instead desirable to configure an IP telephony software application on a user's smart phone (or other battery operated mobile computing device) to keep the pinhole open via alternate means. However, this desire competes with a desire to ensure that the battery of the user's device is not drained unnecessarily. One way to deal with these competing interests is to configure the IP telephony software application so that the user's mobile computing device sends messages to the IP telephony system servers as infrequently as possible, while still ensuring that the pinhole of the data network interface device does not close. However, pre-configuring the IP telephony software application or the IP telephony system servers in this fashion is all but impossible, because the duration of the pinhole timers on different data network interface devices varies considerably. Further, a user can re-configure the pinhole timer of a data network interface device to have a different duration than was originally set by the manufacturer.
In view of all of the foregoing, there is a need for systems and methods that can proactively adapt to existing conditions such that keep alive messages are sent as infrequently as possible to keep the pinhole of a data network interface device open.

Systems and methods for enabling data communications to a telephony device


Provided is a system for coordinating collection and processing of digital data by a plurality of deposit modules with respect to a plurality of users over a communications network, the digital data based on a plurality of original paper deposits and including at least digital images of the original paper deposits and respective deposit information, the system comprising: a communications module that provides a list of one or more deposit functions assigned to each respective user, each of the deposit functions coordinated by a corresponding module of the plurality of deposit modules, and that provides a list of the respective digital data that is associated with each of the assigned deposit modules; the plurality of deposit modules that facilitates a distribution of the deposit functions for the collection and processing of the digital data with one or more users of the plurality of users, the deposit modules including a first module that monitors receipt of the digital images and respective deposit information of the digital data, the first module associated with a scanner function of the list of deposit functions, and including a second module for implementing on the digital data a second deposit function of the plurality of the deposit functions; and a workflow module that monitors a flow of the digital data between the first deposit module and the second deposit module based on a completion status of the digital data with respect to the first module.

The current paper document-processing environment is heavily dependent upon paper processing, which can be inefficient. What is needed is a distributed electronic paper document capture, storage, and process system to alleviate or otherwise mitigate the dependence upon paper form of items such as personal and business checks, for example.
In the prior art, a "thick" client (or, at least, a "smart" client) is used to provide an image of a check and associated data (or a number of checks, as the case may be), which is recorded on the client (computer) and subsequently transmitted to the central processing system. However, this arrangement can have some disadvantages. Deployment of the thick client can require necessary data collection and data processing software to be installed onto the local client computer responsible for the collection of document data, which can be relatively time-consuming as well as administratively expensive.
Further, there can be security concerns. Under "Check 21", images of checks are, in general, usable in the same way that an originally executed check may be used. The security concerns regarding the current state of the art processing data collection and processing systems arise because it is conceivable that an unauthorized third party may access a significant amount of image data relating to checks, which has been collected/processed at a particular local computer, when the collected data is submitted to the central processing system.
A further problem in current systems is inherent in centralised processing of the items, where all decisioning of the items to result in selected settlement paths is carried out at a host system, thus providing for potential bottlenecks in item processing during peak volume periods, for example.
A further problem is in efficient management of the system when it includes a plurality of client systems (for uploading the items) and one of more respective host systems (for processing the items to assign a respective settlement path) in the environment of multiple customers of the system, all with their own settlement and item processing needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for thin client based image and transaction management

Research Development & Manufacturing Corporation


A kit is provided that provides for remotely locating a smoke detector battery from a surface mounted smoke detector of the type that comprises an internal two wire battery connector. The kit comprises a first connector arranged to mate with the internal two-wire battery connector. The kit also includes a length of surface mountable tape wire comprising at least two, flat, thin, flexible, elongate conductors carried by an insulating tape. A second connector is configured to connect the first pair of electrical wire conductors to the two elongate conductors. A container is provided for containing a smoke detector battery. The container comprises a pair of contacts for electrically connecting to a smoked detector battery. A third connector is provided to connect the container contacts to the elongate conductors. The container is mountable at a location on a wall surface to provide convenient access to the battery.

The importance and safety provided by residential and commercial smoke detectors is well known. Building codes typically mandate that smoke detectors be provided in residential and commercial structures.
Most state and local laws regarding the required number and placement of smoke detectors are based upon standards established in NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. The NFPA code requires smoke detectors on every habitable level and within the vicinity of all bedrooms.
Typically local building and fire codes require that smoke detectors be located high on walls or in many instances on the ceiling of the room in which the smoke detector is located.
Most residential smoke detectors run on 9-volt alkaline or carbon-zinc batteries. When these batteries run down, the smoke detector becomes inactive. Most smoke detectors will signal a low-battery condition. The alarm may chirp at intervals if the battery is low, though if there is more than one unit within earshot, it can be hard to locate. It is common, however, for houses to have smoke detectors with dead batteries. Because of the difficulty in replacing smoke detector batteries it is well known that many smoke alarms may have dead or removed batteries.
In new construction, minimum requirements are typically more stringent. All smoke detectors must be hooked directly to the electrical wiring, be interconnected and have a battery backup. In addition, smoke detectors are required either inside or outside every bedroom, depending on local codes. Some areas also require smoke detectors in stairways, main hallways and garages.
Even though smoke detectors are hooked up to electrical wiring, each such smoke detector includes a back-up smoke detector battery that can operate the detector in the event of a power outage. The back-up smoke detector battery is also most commonly a 9-volt battery having snap type battery terminals.
Because smoke detector batteries have a limited life, they must be periodically replaced.
A significant issue with smoke detectors is the inconvenience or difficulty involved in replacing the smoke detector battery. Because the smoke detector is located high on the wall or on the ceiling in a room, frequently a ladder must be used to perform the simple task of replacing the battery.
Still further, the smoke detector must be partially disassembled, the battery connector must be unsnapped from the battery snap terminals, a new battery snapped to the battery connector, and the smoke detector reassembled.
Although the process of replacing a battery is not complex, it typically is done while standing on a ladder. If the ladder is not tall enough, the person replacing the battery may perform the task at some risk.
Many people do not have a ladder, or the ladder is not tall enough to safely perform the task, or in the case of some senior citizens or those with physical infirmities or those who do not like to climb a ladder it is difficult, if not impossible to access the smoke detector to replace the battery.
Millions of smoke detectors have been sold and installed, and it is desirable to provide for easier replacement of smoke detector batteries and back-up smoke detector batteries.
Prior attempts to provide for remote smoke detector battery have required running wire above ceilings and/or within wall cavities to electrical utility boxes that are mounted like conventional electrical boxes extending into the wall stud cavity.
It is highly desirable to provide a kit for the remote locating of a smoke detector battery that does not require running wires in a ceiling or wall cavity.

Kit for remote location of smoke detector battery


A technique to provide a WLAN-based positioning system to determine a location of a mobile wireless receiving device. A single access point is used to generate a plurality of beacons, in which each beacon of the plurality of beacons has a unique identifier. Each beacon is then transmitted in a different direction from other beacons. When the receiving device receives at least one of the transmitted beacons, signal strength or some other signal parameter is obtained from the at least one received beacon. The received signal parameter is used to determine the location of the mobile receiving device.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the invention relate to wireless communications and, more particularly, to location positioning using wireless LAN technology.
2. Description of Related Art
Various communication devices utilize global positioning systems to determine accurate location of the device. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are the most well known systems in use today. Such GNSS systems include the Global Positioning System (GPS) in the United States, Galileo in the European Union and GLONASS in Russia. As illustrated in FIG. 1, GNSS systems rely on a plurality of satellites to triangulate the location. As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle receives coordinated signals from a number of satellites and determines the timing of the arrival of the signals to triangulate the position.
Although GNSS systems may provide accurate positioning at the receiver end, the satellite communication link is line-of-sight, so that performance is compromised when the mobile receiver is indoors or in crowded urban environments (urban canyons). Accordingly, GNSS systems may not provide the desired performance to identify the location of the device, when significant obstruction exists between the positioning satellites and the device to triangulate the location of the device.
A different type of positioning system uses the wireless local area network (WLAN) technology to provide positioning information. WLAN-based positioning systems emerged as a way to augment GNSS in environments where satellite reception is problematic. However, WLAN-based systems are local and not global. FIG. 2 shows an example of a WLAN-based system that triangulates the position of a receiver. FIG. 2 illustrates a mobile person, who is in possession of the receiver. As shown in FIG. 2, three WiFi access points (APs) generate respective beacons with each's own identifier. That is, the mobile person can receive the beacons from the surrounding WiFi APs without requiring association. The receiver, by measuring the received signal strength from each AP, is able to estimate an approximate distance from each AP to triangulate its position, when the user accesses a database that stores a list of measured signal strengths.
Although WiFi signals need not be line-of-sight, WiFi signals are impacted by multipath radio frequency (RF) propagation and other interferences encountered in the channel between a particular AP and the receiver. Increasing the density of the access points by utilizing more APs for triangulation improves the precision, but adds significant investment in equipment and infrastructure.
Accordingly, for a WLAN-based positioning system, there is a need for having a more robust scheme in which positioning may be determined.


A programming method of a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is provided. The magnetic random access memory includes a first magnetic pinned layer, a second magnetic pinned layer and a magnetic free layer. The first magnetic pinned layer is pinned at a first magnetic direction. The second magnetic pinned layer is pinned at a second magnetic direction. The magnetic free layer is magnetized into the first magnetic direction or the second magnetic direction. The programming method includes the following the steps. In the step (a), an additional magnetic field is applied onto the magnetic free layer. In the step (b), a first electron current is emitted through the magnetic free layer to magnetize the magnetic free layer into the first magnetic direction or the second magnetic direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a memory programming method, and more particularly to a programming method of a magnetic random access memory (MRAM).
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with the wide application of consumer electronic products, consumers develop higher and higher requirements of the memory including the power consumption, the cost, read/write speed and the erasing times. Therefore, several new invention memories are presented to fit the needs of different market segmentations with an aim to break through the current memory restrictions and become the mainstream technology for the new generation memory.
Examples of current memories include dynamic random access memory (DRAM), flash memory (Flash Memory), static random access memory (SRAM) and magnetic random access memory (MRAM). The magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is a new invention non-volatile memory, having the same non-volatile characteristics as that of the flash memory. Moreover, the magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is comparable to the static random access memory (SRAM) in terms of read/write speed. The unit memory area of the magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is further comparable to that of the dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Therefore, the magnetic random access memory has been accepted as a new generation memory with high potentials.
In the magnetic random access memory (MRAM), data are programmed through the spin-transferring of current or electron current. During the process programming data, the density of the current needs to be reach 106˜107 A/cm2 so as to change the magnetic-resistance of the memory cell, not only increasing the power consumption of the memory but also incurring electron migration. Consequently, the operating efficiency and quality of the memory are affected. Therefore, how to effectively reduce the density of the current during the process of programming the magnetic random access memory has become an imminent issue to be resolved.

Programming method of magnetic random access memory


An industrial fabric such as a fusing or laminating belt and a method for the production thereof wherein an endless base fabric (21) is coated with successive layers (24, 25,26) of a synthetic plastics coating material, some at least of the layers including silicate bodies therein. The total coating includes at least one layer (25a) applied by lick coating and at least one layer (25, 26) applied by dip coating.

Endless belts for use in fusing and laminating are known which comprise a base fabric having a coating of polytetra fluoroethylene (P.T.F.E.) applied thereto. Whilst the base fabric is normally of woven open-ended form, the ends being subsequently joined, it is preferred that such fabrics are woven endless thus avoiding seam mark-off.
Smoothness of surface is an important consideration in fusing and laminating belts, particularly in the case of belts for use in the context of high quality fine fabric laminations, and undue prominence at the belt surface of the underlying weave pattern can give rise to unacceptable marking in the fabric lamination.


A stationary exercise bicycle is provided having a frame, a resistance member, a drive assembly, a right pedal, a left pedal, a seat and an adjustable seat mechanism utilizing a rack. Assembly and disassembly of a three piece crank arm assembly is accomplished without requiring the assembling and disassembling of the entire drive assembly. The stationary exercise bicycle also provides a variety of users with an optimum seat position and with a convenient latch mechanism to adjust the position of the seat.

Bicycling is recognized by the avid mountain and road cyclists riding on hilly or mountainous terrain or by the average or "Sunday" rider as a particularly effective type of aerobic exercise. Also, bicycling provides a low impact type of exercise which is especially easy on the knees and feet. As a result, stationary exercise bicycles facilitating this type of exercise are popular for both home and health club use.
Conventional crank assemblies for stationary exercise bicycles usually include a drive pulley that in turn is connected by a belt or a chain to a load device such as an alternator or mechanical brake in order to provide resistance to the user's pedaling. These crank assemblies often include fastener-holes formed in the drive pulley, a crank hub, and an elongated crank arm which has an upper portion formed integrally with the drive pulley and a lower end portion formed with a threaded hole in which a pedal of the stationary exercise bicycle is mounted. The drive pulley has a central opening that permits a fixed rotating shaft to extend therethrough in such a manner that the drive pulley can rotate synchronously with the pedal. Screws are inserted through the fastener-holes of the drive pulley and the crank arm, thereby completing assembly of the conventional crank assembly.
Note: that it is difficult to repair and maintain the conventional crank assembly as a result of the above described construction. When repair or maintenance of the conventional crank assembly is required, the entire assembly including the drive pulley, the crank hub and the elongated crank arm must be disassembled. In addition to substantially increasing manufacturing and repair expense, the conventional crank assembly tends to be noisy. As a result, the crank hub frequently becomes loose and requires frequent maintenance. Thus, it is desirable to decrease the manufacturing expense, reduce maintenance costs and decrease noise of stationary exercise bicycle apparatuses.
With respect to operation of exercise bicycles, research has shown that the optimum position seating for bicycling is for the seat to be at a height that allows for approximately 15 degrees of leg bend when the rider's foot is at the lowest pedal position and for the seat post to be positioned rearwardly of the pedal crank and along a line passing through the pedal crank at an angle of approximately 71 degrees from the horizontal. Thus, the seat positioning requirements for optimum performance vary greatly from rider to rider.
It has also been found that even slight movements of seat position will work either different muscles and/or different parts of the muscles. Typical seat position mechanisms provide only widely spaced adjustments which can limit the user's ability to comfortably work different muscles.
In view of these issues and others, it is clear that a highly adjustable seat positioning system is needed, one that is easily controlled. The most common form of seat adjustment involves using a pin, usually secured to the exercise bikes frame and often spring loaded, that is inserted into one of a number of holes in the seat post in order to position the seat. However, this arrangement has a number of disadvantages including the necessity of dismounting the bike to pull the pin out and because of the spacing of the holes on the post, the seat can only be positioned in increments that are on the order of one inch. One approach to solving this problem has been implemented on an exercise bicycle manufacture by Cybex Intl. of Medway, Mass. In this product, the seat post is configured with openings having a flap portion bent inwardly on the lower edge each of the openings which permit the user to pull the seat up to a new position without pulling the pin out. This arrangement provides a ratchet effect in that the flaps will guide the pin out of the openings while the seat post is moving up. However, it is still necessary for a user to manually pull the pin out to lower the seat. Also, the shape of the openings results in vertical seating increments of at least one inch.


Rotate instructing switches 26, 27, and 28 of an operating remote controller 5 are pressed and then a CPU 12 controls image processing of an image pickup processing portion 8, a direction calculation processing portion 10, and a rotating-image processing portion 9 in accordance with an operating signal to rotate and display a screen 21 displayed on a screen of an LCD 4A. Touch-panel type direction instructing portions arranged on the LCD 4A are operated, thereby supplying operating signals to the CPU 12 via a touch panel controller 4a. The CPU 12 determines, by using a determining area table arranged in a ROM 13 based on the operating signal, which direction instructing portion is pressed. Simultaneously, the CPU 12 calculates the moving direction and the amount of movement of an image by a direction processing portion 11 and the direction calculation processing portion 10, and controls the driving of a driving unit 7 based on a calculated result.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope device having an image pickup processing portion which converts an observed image into an image signal to be displayed on a display unit of an endoscope for obtaining the observed image by inserting an inserting portion at a portion to be observed. More particularly, the present invention relates to an endoscope device which displays a preferable observed image to be displayed without any feeling of strangeness in accordance with a field-of-view direction of an operator, irrespective of the setting direction of the display unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an endoscope is widely used in the medical field and the industrial field. Generally, an observed image obtained by the endoscope is displayed on a display unit.
The above-mentioned endoscope device performs the examination and medical procedure by inserting an inserting portion of the endoscope while observing the observed image (endoscope image) displayed on the display unit such as a monitor. Therefore, it is requested that an operator performs the examination and medical procedure without any feeling of strangeness and the desired observed image is certainly displayed for recognition.
In consideration of the above-mentioned request, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-350104, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-390, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-287921 disclose the endoscope devices as conventional arts.

Endoscope system allowing movement of a display image


An example method for controlling a DC/DC converter or a standalone DC microgrid comprises an artificial neural network (ANN) based control method integrated with droop control. The ANN is trained to implement optimal control based on approximate dynamic programming. In one example, Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm is used to train the ANN, where the Jacobian matrix needed by LM algorithm is calculated via a Forward Accumulation Through Time algorithm. The ANN performance is evaluated by using power converter average and switching models. Performance evaluation shows that a well-trained ANN controller has a strong ability to maintain voltage stability of a standalone DC microgrid and manage the power sharing among the parallel distributed generation units. Even in dynamic and power converter switching environments, the ANN controller shows an ability to trace rapidly changing reference commands and tolerate system disturbances, and operate the DC/DC converter or the microgrid in standalone conditions.

Microgrids (MGs) are becoming an important concept to integrate Distributed Generation (DG) and Energy Storage Systems (ESSs). Microgrids are generally categorized into two types: AC microgrids and DC microgrids. AC microgrids have been studied and implemented by many researchers. Recently, DC microgrids also start to draw a wide attention for many reasons, such less energy conversion, lower losses, and controllability. In particular, some generations and loads are inherently DC, such as solar photovoltaic (PV), battery, electrical vehicle (EV), etc., where a DC microgrid would integrate them more naturally and improve system efficiency and reliability.
A DC microgrid, such as the one shown in FIG. 1, is capable of operating in grid-tied and standalone modes. In the grid-tied mode, a DC microgrid is connected to the main grid via one or more DC/AC inverters 102 and the power deficit of the DC microgrid can be supplied by the main grid and excess power generated in the microgrid can be traded with the main grid. In the standalone mode (the microgrid is disconnected from the main grid by, for example, switch 104), it is necessary to establish the bus voltages and at the same time provide the demanded active powers of loads. One of the more common methods for DC microgrid operation in standalone mode is the droop method, which usually integrates with voltage control of DC/DC converters to maintain MG voltage stability and provide power sharing control among parallel distributed generation (DG) units.
Recently, an artificial neural network (ANN) control strategy has been developed for control of voltage source DC/AC converters in different applications, including control of inverters in AC microgrids (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,379,546 and US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0329714, both of which are fully incorporated by reference and made a part hereof). The ANN control has shown a very fast response time and a close to ideal controller performance. It has a potential to improve frequency and voltage stability of an AC microgrid, enhance power quality, and assure fast synchronization and transition between grid-tied and islanded operating conditions of an AC microgrid. However, until now no known research has been done to develop ANN-based control for DC/DC converters and apply ANNs to control DC microgrids.
Furthermore, in electric power/energy system and renewable energy system applications, a DC/DC power converter is usually employed. Non-limiting examples of the application of such DC/DC converters 106 are shown in FIG. 1. Typical applications containing DC/DC power converters include DC/DC converter for solar, battery and fuel cell applications; DC/DC converter in transportation such as electric vehicles; DC/DC converter for communications and data centers; etc.
Therefore, what is desired are systems, methods and devices for ANN-based control for DC/DC converters and integration of such systems, methods and devices with droop mechanism for control of a standalone DC microgrid

Systems, methods and devices for control of DC/DC converters and a standalone DC microgrid using artificial neural networks

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA


Described and claimed is the combined use of an electric field and ultrasound to ablate a cell or tissue, the use of ultrasound to disrupt a nucleated cell which has previously been electrosensitised by exposure to an electric field, and the use of an electric field for sensitising a nucleated cell to ultrasound. We furthermore disclose the use of electricity to disrupt a nucleated cell which has previously been sensitised by exposure to ultrasound, and the use of ultrasound for sensitising a nucleated cell to electricity.

In general therapeutic applications of ultrasound in the clinic may be divided into two major categories; applications that employ low intensity (0.125-3 W/cm2) and those that employ higher intensities (≧5 W/cm2) (ter Haar, (1999) Eur. J. Ultrasound 9:3). The former is commonly used in applications such as physiotherapy including the stimulation of normal physiological responses to injury or to accelerate some processes such as transport of drugs across the skin. Treatment with low intensity ultrasound rarely results in collateral tissue damage and indeed extreme efforts are employed to minimise such effects. This includes minimising excessive tissue heating as a result of exposure to the relevant dose of ultrasound. Usually this is accomplished by reducing the treatment time and/or delivering the ultrasound in a pulsed manner.
The major objective of applications involving the use of high intensity ultrasound is to selectively destroy tissue by hyperthermic processes. High intensity ultrasound-mediated tissue ablation may be further categorised on the basis in which the energy is delivered to the tissues. The ultrasound may be delivered directly from the transducer to the treatment area. Alternatively delivery may be mediated by a coupling device which results in focussing of the ultrasound. During the latter the ultrasound passing through intervening tissues is usually at low intensity and therefore relatively non-destructive. However at the focal point the accumulated energy is raised to a pre-determined higher intensity and tissue destruction occurs at or around that focal point. This has the advantage of being relatively selective and prevents major damage to intervening tissues.
In general the use of high intensity focussed ultrasound or HIFU exploits heating at the focal point and a number of methods together with devices for achieving focus and tissue ablation have been suggested (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,888,746, 5,895,356, 5,938,608 and International Patent Applications WO 9735518A1 and WO 9922652A1).
In addition to a requirement for relatively sophisticated equipment to achieve focussing of high intensity ultrasound, one major disadvantage associated with the use of HIFU involves the potential for the occurrence of cavitation events which, in turn, leads to the formation of destructive or possibly mutagenic free radicals (Miller et al., (1996) Ultrasound in Med. & Biol.22; 1131). An alternative approach involving a mechanism of sensitising the target tissue to low intensity ultrasound (either focussed or non-focussed) would therefore provide advantage.
It has been found that delivery of short, intense electric pulses to cell populations or tissues (in vivo) results in transient permeabilisation and this has provided the basis for what has become known as electrochemotherapy (Heller et al. Advanced Drug Delivery Rev.35,119;1999). It was originally developed to facilitate passage of chemotherapeutic drugs into cancer cells which had become impermeable to those drugs. It has since been developed to a stage where delivery of electric pulses in vivo is being exploited in areas such as gene therapy in order to mediate introduction of DNA to target areas. Devices designed to facilitate delivery of the pulses in vivo under a variety of conditions (transdermal, laparoscopic, catheter, etc.) currently exist (International patent applications WO 9922809A1, WO 9906101A1 [Gentronics Inc.]; WO 9901157A1, WO 9901157A1, and WO 9901158 [Rhone Poulenc Rorer S. A.].
More recently it has been found that exposure of human erythrocytes to short and intense electric pulses which facilitates transient permeabilisation also results in a dramatic sensitisation to low intensity ultrasound (WO/01/07011).


An adjustable shelf assembly including an elongated frame and a first shelf and a second shelf attached to the frame. The frame has a first end and a second end, and generally extends in a first plane. At least a portion of the first and second shelves extends in a second plane generally perpendicular to the first plane. The first and second shelves are separately transversely movable in the second plane relative to the frame. The shelf assembly is in an open position when the first and second shelves are transversely moved away and spaced apart from each other in the second plane, a generally vacant space is formed between the first and second shelves. The shelf assembly is in a closed position when the first and second shelves are positioned proximate to each other.

The present invention relates to an adjustable shelf assembly, and more particularly, to an adjustable shelf assembly comprising a frame equipped with at least two shelves that are movable relative to the frame. The assembly may be used as a shower caddy because it is desirable to have an assembly capable of supporting a variety of bathing articles that a user generally requires when bathing or taking a shower. Numerous types of shower caddies have been developed to support such articles so that a person taking a shower can readily access such articles. One type of such conventional shower caddies includes caddies which are mounted over a shower head assembly.
A problem with such conventional shower caddies is that they are not always compatible with the layout of the shower and with the shower head assembly. For example, many shower head assemblies, such as handheld shower head assemblies, generally have a hose or flexible tube which generally rests against a shower wall. However, conventional shower caddies are often difficult to mount over handheld shower head assemblies because placement of the caddy is often obstructed by the flexible hose which lies below the base, or positioning of the hose is obstructed by the caddy. Specifically, difficulties arise because there is no space for the tube or hose of the handheld shower assembly to lay, as positioning of the tube or hose is impeded by the shower caddy.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved shower caddy configured to be mounted over a shower head assembly. More particularly, it is desirable to provide a shower caddy which is configured to be mounted over a shower head assembly and adjustable to accommodate the hose or tube portion of the shower head assembly.


A five-beam laser device that is designed in a self-leveling way and includes three laser sources, wherein two laser beams created by the laser sources are each divided into two partial beams, wherein one of the partial beams in each case meets with the beam of the third laser source at a point P.

The disclosure relates to a self-leveling five-beam laser device. Such devices are used in industry, trade and the DIY sector for adjustment, marking, measurement and alignment tasks. Owing to the beams, measurement points are projected onto walls and/or objects and thus define a horizontal plane and vertical planes. Such five-point or five-beam laser devices are already known and commercially available.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,542,304 discloses a beam splitter for a laser marking device having a central passage around which four reflective partial surfaces are located, the partial surfaces being inclined by 45° with respect to a laser beam and being arranged in the beam axis such that they are rotationally offset by in each case 90° with respect to one another. Hereby, the beam from a single laser source can be split into five laser partial beams which define a three-dimensional orthogonal system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,202 discloses the possibility of beam splitting using mirrors or partially transmitting mirrors.
One of the disadvantages of the prior art is the complex optical construction. In addition, the beams cannot be switched on and off separately. Furthermore, the beam splitting reduces the beam intensity, with the result that the individual projected points are correspondingly less bright, which is a disadvantage since, because of the laser classes, said reduction in intensity cannot readily be compensated for by a more powerful laser.


Data refresh in a replication environment is provided by: reading, by a data services component of a replication environment as part of a data refresh operation, a data store and identifying refresh data, from a source object of source objects of the data store, that is to be provided to a target system, where the data services component is further configured to read a replication log into which changes to source object(s) of the source objects are recorded, and send the changes as change data records to a capture service; and retrieving, by the data services component, the refresh data from the source object and sending the refresh data as refresh data records to the capture service, where the capture service is configured with data record handling routines for applying to received change data records and to the received refresh data records.

Replication products require seeding data in a target data store of a target system before replicating changes to avoid data inconsistencies. This provides a starting point for the target data store to receive on-going changes through replication. Re-seeding the target data store may also be necessary if there is a problem that causes inconsistencies. Typically, replication products provide one or both of an internal refresh option and an external refresh option.
The internal refresh option is controlled within the replication product, which accesses the source data in a source data store and sends the data to the target system. The target system may additionally or alternatively pull the source data. An internal refresh offers a convenience for users in that the replication product does the work of accessing and formatting source data for the target data store.
The external refresh option is largely controlled by the user. The user will use a known copy of the source data to create a point-in-time consistent target copy by transferring the source data to the target system and formatting the source data for the target data store. The user and the external tooling used are responsible for ensuring that the data matches, in order to avoid data inconsistencies during replication.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A motor vehicle alert system based on vehicle dynamics input includes a communication module positioned in a host vehicle receiving and sending vehicle data in a vehicle mobility data format. A list generator in communication with the communication module generates the vehicle data as specific vehicle identification data in a track list to distinguish a sensed vehicle and at least one other vehicle positioned proximate the host vehicle. A tracker module in communication with the list generator periodically updates the vehicle data for the sensed vehicle and the at least one other vehicle. A transient condition data device generates data identifying when a transient condition of the sensed vehicle is present. A message standard conformance module receives the data identifying the transient condition and forwards the data identifying the transient condition to the communication module for transmission to the at least one other vehicle proximate to the host vehicle.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Motor vehicle sensing systems are known which can identify to a host vehicle other proximate motor vehicles and warn the driver of the host vehicle of the other vehicle's movements which may intersect the driving path of the host vehicle. Other motor vehicle sensing systems are known which can utilize the data received from the above noted sensing system and institute changes such as to reduce a host vehicle driving speed, apply brakes, provide audio and visual warning signals, and the like. Known systems may utilize camera systems that receive visual data related to the one or more other vehicles and a computer system to perform calculations and generate vehicle command instructions, and LIDAR (light detection and ranging) which relies on laser light to illuminate one or more target vehicles. Other known systems include the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) system which allows multiple vehicles to communicate with each other using a predetermined frequency band (e.g., approximately 5.9 GHz).
While vehicle communication and sensing systems are known, such systems lack a warning or alert capability from the host vehicle to other receiving vehicles. This field can therefore benefit from improved vehicle communication system designs.

System and method for providing alert to a vehicle or an advanced driver assist system based on vehicle dynamics input


A wireless communication receiver (20) comprises an antenna structure (22) and a joint searcher and channel estimator (24). The antenna structure acquires dimensionally differentiated signals which are concurrently utilized by the joint searcher and channel estimator for determining both a time of arrival and channel coefficient. The wireless communication receiver can be either a mobile terminal or a network node (e.g., a radio access network node such as a base station node, also called Node-B). In “spatial” embodiments, the antenna structure comprises an array of plural antennas. The signals acquired by different antennas of the array are dimensionally differentiated with regard to a spatial dimension, and the time of arrival and a composite channel coefficient are essentially concurrently determined by the joint searcher and channel estimator. In “temporal” embodiments, the antenna structure comprises an antenna which provides signals for each of successive sets of pilot data received by the antenna as the dimensionally differentiated signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to wireless telecommunications, and particularly to apparatus and method for determining a channel estimate for use in reconstructing data symbols transmitted over a channel.
2. Related Art and other Considerations
A wireless telecommunications unit typically includes both a transmitter and receiver for communicating with other wireless telecommunications units over a communication link. For wireless communications, the communication link is typically over an air interface (e.g., radio frequency interface). As used herein, a "wireless telecommunications unit" with its "wireless telecommunications receiver" can be included in a network node (e.g., a radio access network node such as a base station node, also called Node-B) or a terminal. Such "terminals" include mobile terminals such as user equipment units (UEs), which have also been called mobile stations, and include by way of example mobile telephones ("cellular" telephones), laptops with mobile termination. Thus, terminals can be, for example, portable, pocket, hand-held, computer-included, or car-mounted mobile devices which communicate voice and/or data with radio access network. Alternatively, the terminals can be fixed wireless devices, e.g., fixed cellular devices/terminals which are part of a wireless local loop or the like.
As shown simply in FIG. 32, a wireless telecommunications system includes a transmitting antenna 2300T and a receiving antenna 2300R. Channel 2302 describes the relation between the transmitting antenna 2300T and the receiving antenna 2300R, including the wireless interface. A signal, typically modulated into pulses, is transmitted over channel 2302 from transmitting antenna 2300T to receiving antenna 2300R. The signal can comprise a "symbol" or a string of series of symbols, depicted as "m" in FIG. 32. The signal can carry user data and/or certain control data (e.g., a pilot bit or pilot sequence). The signal m as transmitted by the transmitting antenna 2300T is convoluted with a channel impulse response h of the channel, so that the received signal at the receiving antenna 2300R is m*h (e.g., m convoluted with h). The received signal m*h is applied to base band processing functionality 2304 of the receiver where the received signal undergoes radio frequency processing. The data portions of the received signal are applied to a detector 2306, which may be, for example, a demodulator such as a RAKE receiver.
Most modern detectors attempt to recover a symbol estimate {circumflex over (m)} from the received signal m*h. To do so, most sophisticated detectors expect to receive a "channel estimate" for use in modeling the channel over which the signal was transmitted. The accuracy of this channel estimate influences the accuracy and performance of the detector in estimating the actual symbol received over the channel.
The modeling of the channel (which is necessary for most detectors) is facilitated by the control data, often in the form of a pilot bit or pilot sequence, which is transmitted by the transmitter. The control data, hereinafter referenced as "pilot data" for simplicity, is of a known or recognizable format or pattern. The pilot data is typically transmitted periodically by the transmitter source, and thus receipt of repetitions of the pilot data can be expected at the receiver at successive intervals. In view of factors such as relative motion of the transmitter and receiver, the successive intervals are not necessarily constant. The pilot data can be transmitted simultaneously with, or otherwise interspersed with, the user data.
In order to utilize the pilot data, wireless receivers typically include both a searcher and a channel estimator, such as searcher 2308 and channel estimator 2310 shown in FIG. 32. For control data, the received signal m*h is applied to the searcher 2308, which determines a time of arrival (TOA). The time of arrival is then applied to the channel estimator 2310, which uses the time of arrival to determine the channel estimate ĥ and then provides the channel estimate ĥ to the detector 2306. Using the channel estimate ĥ, the detector develops its estimate of the symbol, e.g., {circumflex over (m)}.
The receiver may receive the an original signal (e.g., short pulse signal) from the transmitter source through open space over a single, direct propagation path. Alternatively, in another environment having obstacles or other surfaces, the receiver may receive the same original signal over multiple propagation paths. In the multiple path case, the received signal appears at the receiver as a stream of pulses, each pulse having a different time delay in view of the corresponding propagation multipath over which the signal travelled, as well as possibly different amplitude and phase.
Multipaths are created in a mobile radio channel by reflection of the signal from obstacles in the environment such as buildings, trees, cars, people, etc. Moreover, the mobile radio channel is dynamic in the sense that it is time varying because of relative motion affecting structures that create the multipaths, or due to movement of structures and objects in the surroundings (even if the transmitter and receiver are fixed). For a signal transmitted over a time varying multipath channel, the received corresponding multiple paths vary in time, location, attenuation, and phase.
Some wireless telecommunications receivers capitalize upon the existence of the multipaths in order to achieve various advantages. Such receivers typically operate on the baseband signal to search for and identify the strongest multipaths along with their corresponding time delays. The receiver has a filter which operates on a power delay profile of the signal. The power delay profile can be conceptualized as a time-averaged refinement or other derivation of the channel impulse response. The searcher attempts to locate peaks in the power delay profile, each peak corresponding to arrival of a wavefront of the signal from a respective multipath. In many searchers the peaks also correspond to a channel tap of the filter.
A channel estimate ĥ as applied to the detector therefore comprises a set of both time of arrivals (TOA) and complex channel coefficients, each pair of TOA and channel coefficients being associated with one of the arriving wavefronts. In other words, each arriving wavefront has a pair of members in the set, e.g., a TOA and a channel coefficient. The channel coefficients thus actually form a channel impulse response vector, so that the terms "channel coefficient" and "channel coefficients" as used hereinafter should be understood to refer to a channel impulse response vector. If there is only one wavefront, there is only one TOA and one channel coefficient in the set (one channel coefficient in the channel impulse response vector). But for plural arriving wavefronts, there are a corresponding plurality of TOAs and channel coefficients. Ideally, the channel estimate ĥ should provide as good an estimate of the channel impulse response as possible, thereby increasing performance of the detector as the detector makes its estimate {circumflex over (m)} of the transmitted symbol m.
The channel estimate is then supplied to the detector, such as RAKE type of demodulators. A RAKE demodulator typically allocates a number of parallel demodulators (called RAKE fingers) to the strongest multipath components of the received multipath signal as determined by the multipath search processor. In a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) radio access network, the outputs of each of the RAKE fingers are diversity-combined after corresponding delay compensation to generate a "best" demodulated signal that considerably improves the quality and reliability of the radio communications system.
Conventionally, wireless telecommunications receivers first use their searchers to ascertain time of arrival of a wavefront. Subsequently, after the time of arrival has been determined by the searcher, the channel estimator utilizes the time of arrival to calculate a channel coefficient, which expresses both amplitude and phase of the signal.
Some wireless telecommunications units have more than one antenna for receiving a same signal. In the prior art, the searcher attempts to locate peaks in the power delay profile for each antenna separately. In other words, for each antenna the searcher works more or less independently. See, for example, U.S. Patent Publication US 2002/0048306, which is incorporated herein by reference. As such, the prior art searchers are essentially one dimensional.
As indicated above, the performance of a wireless receiver is considerably dependent upon the accuracy of the peak determination, i.e., time of arrival determination, performed by the searcher. The better the peak determination of the searcher, the better will be the overall performance of the receiver (e.g., less error rate). But in many instances it may be difficult for a searcher to find an actual peak in a power delay profile. As mentioned previously, in many searcher algorithms the peak corresponds to a channel tap. With such difficulty there is considerable risk of incorrectly choosing a peak. Moreover, it can then be difficult to estimate the actual channel tap value. Channels with low signal to noise ratios (SINRS) are particularly susceptible to these difficulties.
What is needed, therefore, and an object of the present invention, is provision of apparatus and method for providing an improved channel estimate for a wireless telecommunications receiver.

Multi-dimensional joint searcher and channel estimators


Methods and systems are provided for the controlled cursor's behavior. According to one example method, any desired data may be linked to a cursor and a desired cursor behavior could be defined to convey the linked data using the cursor. When a change in the linked data is detected, the example method includes using the desired cursor behavior to convey the changed data independent of a location where the cursor is placed on a screen.

Trading methods have evolved from a manually intensive process to a technology enabled, electronic platform. With the advent of electronic trading, a user or trader can be in virtually direct contact with the market, from practically anywhere in the world, performing near real-time transactions.
Electronic trading is generally based on a host exchange, one or more computer networks, and client devices. In general, the host exchange includes one or more centralized computers to form the electronic heart. Its operations typically include maintaining an exchange order book that records unexecuted orders, order matching, providing price and order fill information, and managing and updating a database that records such information. The host exchange is also equipped with an external interface that maintains uninterrupted contact to the client devices and possibly other trading-related systems.
Using client devices, traders link to the host exchange through one or more networks to trade tradeable objects. As used herein, the term "tradeable object" refers to anything that can be traded with a quantity and/or price. It includes, but is not limited to, all types of traded events, goods and/or financial products, which can include, for example, stocks, options, bonds, futures, currency, and warrants, as well as funds, derivatives and collections of the foregoing, and all types of commodities, such as grains, energy, and metals. The tradeable object may be "real," such as products that are listed by an exchange for trading, or "synthetic," such as a combination of real products that is created by the user. A tradeable object could actually be a combination of other tradeable objects, such as a class of tradeable objects.
A network is a group of two or more computers or devices linked together in any fashion, which may be characterized by topology, protocol, and architecture. For example, some market participants may link to the host through a direct network connection such as a T1 or ISDN. Some participants may link to the host exchange through direct network connections and through other common network components such as high-speed servers, routers, and gateways that allow a trader to connect to an electronic exchange. The Internet, a well-known collection of networks and gateways, can be used to establish a connection between the client device and the host exchange. There are many different types of wired and wireless networks and combinations of network types known in the art that can link traders to the host exchange.
A client device may include computers such as personal computers, laptop computers, hand-held computers, and so forth that have network access. A client device usually consists of a personal computer, laptop, or workstation that has a Microsoft Windows-type or some other type of the operating system that provides a pointing device and a graphical interface based on windowed regions displayed on the screen. Currently, one of the most common pointing devices is a mouse that typically includes a wheel positioned between the left and right buttons. Other types of pointing devices may also be used such as keyboard cursors or trackballs, just to name a few. Regardless of the actual pointing device used, a cursor, also often referred to as a pointer, is displayed on a screen. In relation to graphical user interfaces, a cursor is a visible and moving object or pointer that a user may control with a mouse, touch pad, or a similar device. The relative movement of the on-screen cursor is controlled by the relative movement of the pointing device by the user. The user may use the pointing cursor and special input buttons to select a particular item displayed on a screen. Typically, a pointing cursor is an arrow and a text entry position cursor is a blinking underscore or a vertical bar. However, different cursor formats are used as well, and many operating systems allow a user to choose another appearance for the cursor. In a trading environment, a cursor, among other functions, may be used to highlight information, set order parameters, send orders, cancel orders, and so on.
In addition to typical uses of the cursor, some systems provide information cursors, often referred to as tool tip cursors. Tool tip cursors are mostly used in interactive computer environments where a user may receive a help message about an icon or yet some other object by positioning a pointer with a mouse on the computer's display over the icon about which the information is desired. For example, tool tip icons are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,809,720 and 5,287,448.
Considering that the use of a cursor to manipulate any window displayed on a screen is inevitable, it would be beneficial to provide additional uses for a cursor in electronic trading and other environments.

System and method for using a cursor to convey information

Trading Technologies International, Inc.


A gas turbine combustion chamber is provided, including a flow sleeve structure with an improved anti-vibration performance. A gas turbine combustion chamber of the present invention includes a liner, a transition piece, and a flow sleeve including a plurality of segments and integrated by welding a tie piece along joint portions of the segments. The tie piece includes a first member and a second member, the first member continuously extending along a longitudinal direction of the joint portions of the segments and being arranged to cover the joint portions, and the second member being formed at an end portion of the first member, having a width wider than the first member, and including a recess.

A transition piece, which is a component of a gas turbine combustion chamber, generally has a shape that connects a cylindrical liner and a turbine passage that is an annular passage. Moreover, a flow sleeve is arranged around the transition piece to form a passage for inducing discharged air from a compressor to the liner between an outer surface of the transition piece and the flow sleeve.
This flow sleeve has a structure to house the complex transition piece, so that it often employs a structure in which a tie piece is welded to joint faces of half-section structures to join the half-section structures together. Moreover, in the combustion chamber of the gas turbine, a small vibration may be involved at the time of combustion. Therefore, it is desirable to optimize the shape of the tie piece because fatigue damage may be produced at a welded portion due to the vibration. Examples of the tie piece structure generally include a band-plate-shaped tie piece having a recess at the end portion thereof that is irregularly different in the width as is disclosed in JP 2007-285692, and a rectangular-plate-shaped tie piece which has a recess separately provided.
However, it is conceivable that the technique in JP 2007-285692 needs a more effective anti-vibration structure because the structure disclosed in JP 2007-285692 may be insufficient when future increases in the pressure ratio and output are taken into consideration.
The object of the present invention is to provide a gas turbine combustion chamber including a flow sleeve structure with an improved anti-vibration performance.

Gas turbine combustion chamber having a flow sleeve with a plurality of integrated segments


A retainer for a one-way clutch is provided. In some embodiments, the retainer includes an annular portion with an inner circumferential surface, an outer circumferential surface and a first axial surface disposed between the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface. The first axial surface has a plurality of grooves, a second axial surface is disposed between the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface, and the second axial surface is configured to engage an outer race of the one-way clutch assembly. The retainer also includes a plurality of inner lobes that project generally radially inwardly from the inner circumferential surface, and are configured to engage an inner race of the one-way clutch assembly.

Automotive assemblies, such as torque converters, typically include a set of retainers as part of a one-way clutch that performs a variety of functions. For example, the retainers may provide support and piloting for adjacent needle bearings, facilitate lubrication of the one-way clutch components, and provide piloting for the inner race of the one-way clutch. A set of retainers is typically used in which different retainers include different features to provide the functions described above. As a result, the retainers are relatively simple and typically require few manufacturing steps to produce. However, including a set of retainers can significantly increase the weight of the one-way clutch. In addition, including a set of retainers increases the number of components that are assembled when constructing the one-way clutch.
Considering the limitations of previous retainers for one way clutches, an improved design is needed.


An optical scanning probe assembly for microscopic guide optic scanning and inspection of tissues includes an outer housing having a spring element for a scanning motor. The spring element is formed as a hollow tube configured to receive an optical guide, where the hollow tube has a mechanical stiffness larger than the optical guide to be received. The assembly further includes a lens system and a deflector configured to deflect the distal end of the hollow tube in directions transverse to the longitudinal extension of the hollow tube, so as to form an optical scan pattern.

For correct diagnosis of various diseases, e.g. cancer, biopsies are often taken. This can either be performed via a lumen of an endoscope or via needle biopsies. In order to find the correct position where the biopsy has to be taken, various imaging modalities are used such as X-ray, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound. For example in most of the cases of prostate cancer the biopsy is guided by ultrasound. Although helpful, these methods of guidance are far from optimal. The resolution is limited and, furthermore, these imaging modalities can in most cases not discriminate between benign and malignant tissue.
In order to improve the biopsy procedure direct inspection of the biopsy position, prior biopsy, is required. A way to achieve this direct inspection is by microscopic inspection at the specific position. This requires a miniaturised confocal microscope coupled to an optical fiber probe. However, this system has the drawback that its scanning properties strongly depends on the mechanical properties of the optical guide.
A way to avoid this dependency is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,967,772 where a scanning fiber system based on an electrically operated tuning fork with an attached fiber is disclosed. The mechanical properties of the scanning system described by the US patent are determined by the tuning fork and not by the fiber. However a disadvantage of this system is that it requires a significant amount of space, due to the dimension of the tuning fork, hampering the downscaling of the system. Furthermore, since the driving frequency of the fiber is in this system the resonance frequency of the tuning fork, non resonant scanning is not possible.
In summary, none of previously disclosed fiber scanning systems solves the problem of how to provide a scanning optical guide system in which the mechanical properties of the scanning system is not determined by the optical guide, without compromising the downscaling of the system.
Hence, an improved scanning system which allows for resonant and non resosonat scanning, which allows for downscaling and in which the mechanical properties are independent from the optical guide used, would be advantageous.