The front sole holding device comprises a support bearing which is rotatably supported in lateral bearing blocks which are fixed with respect to the ski, the ski boot resting on the support bearing in a positive-locking manner in the cross-country skiing position. In order to achieve this positive-locking engagement, the boot sole comprises a recess which is adapted to the support bearing constructed as a straight-line shaft, the support bearing fitting into the recess. A tightener lever serves to hold the boot on this support bearing, which tightener lever is swivelably supported by means of tension bars and comprises, at its free end, a pressure piece which presses on the overlapping edge of the boot sole in its closing position, in which the tightener lever is located in a top dead center position. For downhill skiing the boot is placed directly on the ski and the tightener lever is swiveled under the support bearing and comprises, at its end located opposite the pressure piece, a sole hold-down device (12) which overlaps the upper edge of the sole in the downhill skiing position. The tightener lever is held by means of the support bearing under which it is swiveled for the downhill skiing position in order that the tightener lever, which is swivelably supported at the tension bars, cannot be deflected upward.

a) Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a front sole holding device according to the preamble of claim 1.
b) Background Art
A front sole holding device is already known (DE-PS 34 37 725) which is suitable for cross-country skiing, as well as for downhill skiing, and can be converted in a corresponding manner. According to a preferred construction of this known sole holding device, a plug-in axle is provided which is held in lateral bearing blocks, the front edge of the sole of the ski boot being slid under the plug-in axle for downhill skiing, wherein the plug-in axle serves as a sole hold-down device and is inserted through the bearing bore holes of the bearing blocks, as well as through a bearing bore hole in the ski boot sole, for cross-country skiing. A disadvantage in this construction consists, on the one hand, in the fact that the plug-in axle, as a loose part, can get lost when converting the binding from cross-country skiing to downhill skiing and vice versa. Further, the bearing bore hole in the ski boot can become obstructed as a result of snow and ice, so that it is difficult to guide the plug-in axle through this bearing bore hole. Finally, it can be cumbersome in difficult terrain to hold the ski boot at a distance over the surface of the ski in such a way that the bearing bore holes are aligned in the bearing blocks and the bearing bore hole in the boot sole in order to insert the plug-in axle.
A ski binding is already known (U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,666) in which a reinsertion at the front sole holding device when changing from cross-country skiing to downhill skiing is unnecessary, since the front support bearing remains in the same position with respect to the ski boot for both types of use; however, a special mounting is required at the sole of the boot in this binding. This mounting comprises a base body which is screwed on at the sole of the boot and two lateral holders which are constructed so as to be resilient and cooperate with an axle held on a bearing block, wherein the axle is rounded at its ends and the holders comprise cup-like recesses for receiving these ends. The ski boot is accordingly held at a distance from the ski surface, so that cross-country skiing is possible. However, a disadvantage consists in the fact that special mountings making up a part of the bindings are required at the boot, which mountings render the ski boot unsuitable for use without the ski, i.e. for traversing terrain. An additional protection for this binding part arranged on the ski boot is required even for short distances, so that loose parts are again present.
The problem described above does not exist in another known ski binding (DE-OS 22 31 058), since no mounting parts which constantly remain on the boot are necessary; but in this case the ski boot is securely connected with an additional plate by means of a swivel axle projecting through the boot sole, which additional plate comprises a recess in the front area in order to make it possible to swivel the boot relative to this additional plate. This additional plate is clamped into the jaws of a conventional downhill ski binding, wherein the ski boot can be secured in the heel area relative to this additional plate for downhill skiing. As was also the case in the known binding already discussed in the beginning, a disadvantage in this construction consists in that a plug-in axle must be guided through the sole of the boot, which brings up the problems related to such a plug-in axle which were mentioned in the beginning.

silvretta-sherpas Sportartikel GmbH & Co. KG


An apparatus for encoding source data, that includes a first encoder configured to encode the source data to produce first additional data; and a randomizing unit configured to randomize the source data to produce randomized data; and a second encoder configured to encode the randomized data to produce second additional data; and a selector configured to select a number of bits from the first and second additional data to produce first selected data and second selected data, wherein the number of selected bits is selected based upon a data length of an output sequence determined by a transmission frame format, and wherein the data length of the output sequence is variable.

The present invention relates to an encoding apparatus, and more specifically to an error-correcting encoding apparatus.
Encoding technology is widely utilized in various fields. For example, in transmitting data, a source apparatus encodes data to be transmitted and sends the encoded data through a communications path so that a destination apparatus receives and decodes the encoded data. When data is stored in a storage device, it is encoded and written to a disk, etc. The encoded data is then decoded after being read from the disk. Encoding normally refers to converting a data sequence from an information source into a different data sequence, and thus the new data sequence obtained by the conversion is referred to as a code.
When encoded data is transmitted, an error may occur in the transmission path. An error may also occur when the encoded data is read for reproduction from a storage device that stores the encoded data. To detect an occurrence of such an error, or to correct such an error, an error-correcting code is frequently used.
A convolutional code is known as one type of error-correcting code. Each time n-bits of data is input for processing a convolutional code. Data of m (m>n) bits is then determined depending on the n-bit data and s-bit data, which is input immediately before the n-bit data is output. Thus, in processing the convolutional code, data of (m−n) bits is added for error correction to the data to be transmitted. As a result, the redundancy of the data is increased, thereby reducing the decoding error rate when the data is decoded.
The ratio of the amount of data to be transmitted (number of bits of source data) to the amount of data obtained by the encoding process (number of bits of output data) is commonly referred to as an encoding rate (or an information rate) R, and is represented by the following equation.R=n/m
The encoding rate R is always lower than 1 in an error-correcting code. Generally, the encoding rate R is one of the parameters for determining the error correction capability. For example, the lower the encoding rate R is, the higher the error correction capability becomes.
FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an example of an existing error-correcting encoding apparatus using a convolutional code. The error-correcting encoding apparatus 500 includes two convolution units 501, 502 provided in parallel with each other. An encoding apparatus including plural convolution units connected in parallel with each other are often referred to as a "turbo-encoding apparatus".
The error-correcting encoding apparatus 500 generates, for source data d, a data sequence x and parity data sequences y1,y2 for correcting the data sequence x. The data sequence x and the parity data sequences y1,y2 are then multiplexed and output. This output is the encoded data of the source data d. Described below is the operation performed when N-bits of source data d is encoded.
The source data d is output as the data sequence x as is, and is also transmitted to the convolution unit 501 and an interleaver 503. The convolution unit 501 performs a convolutional encoding process on the source data d and outputs the parity data sequence y1. The interleaver 503 temporarily stores the source data d and, then reads and outputs the stored source data in an order different from the input order. Thus, the source data d is randomized. The output from the interleaver 503 is then provided to the convolution unit 502. The convolution unit 502 also performs a convolutional encoding process on the output from the interleaver 503, and outputs the parity data sequence y2.
In the above described operations, the error-correcting encoding apparatus 500 generates an N-bit data sequence x, an N-bit parity data sequence y1, and an n-bit parity data sequence y2 for N-bits of source data d. The data sequence x and parity data sequences y1,y2 are, for example, multiplexed for each bit and output as the encoded data. Therefore, in this case, the error-correcting encoding apparatus 500 outputs 3×N bits of data for every N-bits input. As a result, the encoding rate R is ⅓.
FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing an example of a variation of the error-correcting encoding apparatus shown in FIG. 20. The error-correcting encoding apparatus 510 is realized by providing a selection unit 511 for the error-correcting encoding apparatus 500 shown in FIG. 20. According to a predetermined selection pattern, the selection unit 511 selects the parity data sequences y1, y2 respectively generated by the convolutional units 501, 502, and outputs it as a parity data sequence Z. The operation of the selection unit 511 is referred to as a "puncturing" process.
The selection unit 511 alternately selects one bit from the outputs of the convolution units 501, 502. Table 1 shows the output sequence Z produced by the selection unit 511. In Table 1, y1(i) indicates the output from the convolutional unit 501 corresponding to the i-th data element of the source data d, and y2 (i) indicates the output from the convolution unit 502 corresponding to the i-th data element of the source data d. When N-bits of source data d is input to the error-correcting encoding apparatus 510, the selection unit 511 outputs a N-bit output sequence Z (y1(1), y2(2), y1(3), y2(4), . . . , y1(N−1), y2(N)).
y1(1)y1(3)...y1(N − 1)y2(2)y2(4)...y2(N)
The puncturing operation performed by the selection unit 511 is represented by the following equation.
                    Z        =                                  D          ·          P                                                  =                                                                                y                                                                                1                                                        (                    i                    )                                                                                y                                                                                2                                                        (                    i                    )                                                                              1                                            0                                                                                y                                                                                1                                                                                (                                                          i                              +                              1                                                        )                                                                                y                                                                                2                                                                          (                                                      i                            +                            1                                                    )                                                                                (                                                            i                      =                      1                                        ,                                                                                3                    ,                                                                                5                    ,                                                                                …                                                                                ,                                                                                N                      -                      1                                                        )                                                                    0                                      1
The output sequence Z is obtained by multiplying the data matrix D by the puncturing matrix P. For example, for the i-th data element of the source data d, y1(i) is obtained by multiplying the first row of the data matrix D by the first column of the puncturing matrix P. For the (i+1) the data element of the source data d, y1(i+1) is obtained by multiplying the second row of the data matrix D by the second column of the puncturing matrix P. Therefore, the operation of the selection unit 511 for alternately selecting the outputs of the convolution units 501, 502 bit by bit is represented as an operation of repeatedly performing the above described arithmetic operations.
With the above described configuration, the error-correcting encoding apparatus 510 generates an N-bit data sequence x and an N-bit parity data sequence Z for N-bits of source data d. The data sequence x and the parity data sequence Z are multiplexed bit by bit, and then output as encoded data. Since the error-correcting encoding apparatus 510 outputs 2N bits of data for every N-bits input, the encoding rate R is ½.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,747 discloses in detail the above described error-correcting encoding apparatus shown in FIGS. 20 and 21.
In mobile terminal communications systems, it is required to optionally set the data length M of an output sequence from an encoding apparatus in relation to the data length N (number of bits) of source data d. For example, voice data, etc. is normally divided into data having a predetermined data length, and is then transmitted after being stored in a frame having a predetermined data length. Thus, when encoded data is processed in a mobile terminal communications system, voice data, etc. is divided into data having a predetermined data length, encoded and then stored in a frame.
However, the encoding rate R of the conventional error-correcting encoding apparatus shown in FIG. 20 or 21 is fixed. Therefore, since the data has a predetermined fixed length (the frame in the above-described example), useless information has to be stored to fill the data storage area of the frame.
FIG. 22A shows the process for encoding source data using the error-correcting encoding apparatus 500 shown in FIG. 20 and storing the encoded data in a frame of a fixed length. In this example, the source data d occupies 333 bits, and the data storage area for a frame occupies 1500 bits. In this case, the error-correcting encoding apparatus 500 generates a 333-bit data sequence x, a 333-bit parity data sequence y1, and a 333-bit parity data sequence y2. Thus, to fill the data storage area of a frame, a 501-bit dummy data is required to be stored in the frame, as shown in FIG. 22B. If the frame is transmitted through a network, useless data is transmitted, thereby wasting network resources.
FIG. 23A shows the process of encoding source data using the error-correcting encoding apparatus 510 shown in FIG. 21 and storing the encoded data in a frame of a fixed length. In this example, the source data d occupies 666 bits, and the data storage area of a frame occupies 1500 bits. In this case, the selection unit 511 generates a parity data sequence Z from the parity data sequences y1, y2 in the puncturing process. Therefore, the error-correcting encoding apparatus 510 generates a 666-bit data sequence x, a 666-bit parity data sequence Z. As a result, to fill the data storage area of a frame, a 168-bit dummy data is stored in the frame as shown in FIG. 23B. Therefore, useless data is transmitted as shown in FIG. 22.
Thus, the encoding rate of the conventional error-correcting encoding apparatus having a plurality of convolution units provided in parallel with each other cannot be set to a desired value. Therefore, the source data is encoded and stored in a predetermined frame with poor efficiency.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method for mounting a wind turbine rotor blade which has at least one release unit is provided. A hoisting rope is fastened on or in the rotor blade. First ends of at least one auxiliary rope are fastened on or in the release unit in the rotor blade. The rotor blade is lifted up by means of the hoisting rope. The rotor blade is mounted on a rotor of the wind turbine. The release unit is activated so that the first ends of the auxiliary ropes are released. The auxiliary ropes can be removed.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for mounting a wind turbine rotor blade, and to a wind turbine rotor blade.
Description of the Related Art
Modern wind turbines have a rotor, with typically three rotor blades, which is set in rotational movement by the wind. The rotational movement of the rotor is transmitted directly or indirectly to an electric generator which generates electrical energy.
DE 102 25 025 A1 discloses a device for handling rotor blades when the rotor blades are being mounted. The device takes the form of a carrying element in which the rotor blade can be laid so that the rotor blade can then be mounted by means of the carrying element. Furthermore, when mounting rotor blades of a wind turbine, auxiliary ropes typically need to be arranged on the carrying element or on the wind turbine in order to be able to stabilize or position the rotor blade when necessary during the mounting.
In the German application establishing priority, a search conducted by the German Patent and Trademark Office found the following documents: DE 20 2010 003 033 U1 and DE 10 2011 084 140 A1.

Method for mounting a wind turbine rotor blade, and wind turbine rotor blade


A bipolar plate with a coolant flow channel, includes a fuel flow field plate and an oxidant flow field plate. The bipolar plate includes an alignment area and at least two misalignment areas. In a fuel cell stack containing the bipolar plate, a coolant is enabled to flow from a coolant inlet channel to a coolant flow channel of one misalignment area without passing through a coolant flow channel of the alignment area. Also, the coolant is enabled to flow from a coolant flow channel of the other misalignment area to a coolant outlet channel without passing through the coolant flow channel of the alignment area.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical reaction device capable of converting chemical energy into electrical energy. Without the restriction of the Carnot cycle, theoretically, the energy conversion efficiency of a fuel cell is higher than that of an internal combustion engine (the maximum energy conversion efficiency of a fuel cell can be 80% or more, and generally, the energy conversion efficiency of a fuel cell is not less than 50%). Moreover, fuel cells have many advantages such as zero emissions, no mechanical noise, etc. Accordingly, fuel cells are popular in the military and civilian fields. According to different electrolytes used in fuel cells, the fuel cells can be classified into five types: alkaline fuel cell (AFC), phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC), molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Among them, solid polymer membrane is used as the electrolyte in PEMFC, so it has the advantages of simple structure, low working temperature and high energy conversion efficiency. Therefore, PEMFC is granted with the exceptional edge in mobile power source. Reportedly, at present, Germany and France have developed PEMFC-powered submarines, and several of the world's top automobile companies, such as Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan, have developed PEMFC-powered fuel cell electric vehicles (abbreviated as FCEV or FCV) which have been available for mass production. As an important mobile power source, PEMFC has a good development prospect.
Each individual PEMFC cell consists of two plates (one anode plate and one cathode plate) and a membrane electrode sandwiched between the two plates. The membrane electrode is composed of an anode catalyst, a proton exchange membrane, and a cathode catalyst which are formed together. A gas diffusion layer (GDL) is usually disposed between the anode plate and the membrane electrode, and between the membrane electrode and the cathode plate. The gas diffusion layer is usually made of a gas-permeable carbon paper or carbon cloth. In some disclosures, the gas diffusion layer is a part of the membrane electrode, while in other disclosures the gas diffusion layer is a separate component in the PEMFC. The anode plate of the PEMFC is provided with a fuel flow channel, which is a place where fuel (energetic compounds existing in the state of gas or liquid at normal temperature and pressure, such as hydrogen or methanol) flows and is transported, and the fuel is transported to the anode catalyst via the fuel flow channel. The cathode plate of the PEMFC is provided with an oxidant flow channel, which is a place where the oxidant (usually oxygen or air) flows and is transported, and the oxidant is transported to the cathode catalyst via the oxidant flow channel. By means of the fuel flow channel and the oxidant flow channel, the fuel and oxidant can be continuously transported into the fuel cell so that the fuel cell can continuously output electrical energy.
The structure of Alkaline fuel cell (AFC) is similar to that of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Alkaline fuel cell is mainly different from the proton exchange membrane fuel cell in that the electrolyte is different, the fuel flow channel is disposed on its cathode plate, and the oxidant flow channel is disposed on its anode plate. Generally, in order to avoid confusion, the fuel cell plate provided with a fuel flow channel, regardless of whether it is a cathode plate or an anode plate, is collectively referred to as a fuel flow field plate. Similarly, the fuel cell plate provided with an oxidant flow channel, regardless of whether it is a cathode plate or an anode plate, is collectively referred to as an oxidant flow field plate.
In order to improve the total generated power of the fuel cell, a plurality of individual cells are usually connected in series to form a fuel cell stack. In the fuel cell stack, except for the two individual cells at the outermost side, the fuel flow field plates of the individual cells located inside the fuel cell stack are closely appressed with the oxidant flow field plates of the adjacent individual cells. If the fuel flow field plates and the oxidant flow field plates that are appressed with each other are fixedly connected to each other to form an individual component, the structure of the fuel cell stack can be simplified and the reliability of the operation of the fuel cell stack can be improved. Further, the separate component formed by the combination of fuel flow field plate and oxidant flow field plate is called a bipolar plate.
The bipolar plate is one of the critical components of fuel cell stacks, which can realize various functions in the fuel cell stack, such as supporting the membrane electrode assembly, distributing the reaction gas, transmitting current, conducting heat, and discharging the reaction product i.e. water, etc. At the current technical level, the manufacturing cost of the bipolar plate accounts for about half of the total manufacturing cost of the entire fuel cell stack.
Both of the fuel flow field plate and the oxidant flow field plate constituting the bipolar plate are in typical plate-like shapes (i.e. the length and width are much greater than the thickness). Each fuel flow field plate has two opposite surfaces, one surface contains a reference surface and a fuel flow channel (here, referred to as a first surface). Another surface contains a reference surface, and in the fuel cell stack, the reference surface is in contact with the oxidant flow field plate (here, referred to as the second surface). Similarly, each oxidant flow field plate also has two opposite surfaces, one surface contains a reference surface and an oxidant flow channel (here, referred to as the third surface). Another surface contains a reference surface, and, in the fuel cell stack, the reference surface is in contact with the fuel flow field plate (here, referred to as the fourth surface). The reference surface described herein refers to a specific part of the fuel flow field plate or the oxidant flow field plate. If the length direction of the bipolar plate is regarded as an X axis, the width direction of the bipolar plate is regarded as a Y axis, and the thickness direction of the bipolar plate is regarded as a Z axis, then the reference surfaces of the fuel flow field plate and oxidant flow field plate are parallel to the plane formed by the X axis and Y axis and perpendicular to the Z axis. Moreover, the distance between the reference surface on the first surface and the reference surface on the second surface is equal to the thickness of the fuel flow field plate. The distance between the reference surface on the third surface and the reference surface on the fourth surface is equal to the thickness of the oxidant flow field plate. The fuel flow channel, the oxidant flow channel, and the coolant flow channel are grooves formed in the Z-axis direction with respect to the reference surface on respective surface. When assembling the bipolar plates, the second surface of the fuel flow field plate and the fourth surface of the oxidant flow field plate are closely appressed with each other and the two plates are fixedly connected by welding, adhesion or other connection methods.
In the fuel cell stacks, most of the chemical energy carried by the fuel is converted into electrical energy, while a certain part of the chemical energy is converted into heat energy. Therefore, in view of a fuel cell stack having a large generated power, the heating power is also rather large. As a result, the cooling of the fuel cell stack becomes a noticeable problem. If the cooling intensity is insufficient, the temperature of the fuel cell stack will increase continuously, which will cause burn-out of the fuel cell stack. In order to ensure that the fuel cell stack generates electricity continuously at a relatively constant temperature, it is necessary to introduce a coolant into the stack to strengthen the cooling of the stack. Currently, the commonly adopted method is to provide a coolant flow channel on the second surface of the fuel flow field plate and/or the fourth surface of the oxidant flow field plate, and to introduce the coolant into the interlayer of the bipolar plate to carry the heat energy generated by the reaction out of the fuel cell stack.
For such kind of fuel cell stack with a large generated power, since the bipolar plate is required to be provided with the coolant flow channel, the bipolar plate is usually designed with a "three-in, three-out" structure. Namely, a fuel flow channel is disposed on one surface of the bipolar plate, an oxidant flow channel is disposed on another surface of the bipolar plate, a coolant flow channel is disposed at the middle of the bipolar plate, and a fuel inlet channel, a fuel outlet channel, an oxidant inlet channel, an oxidant outlet channel, a coolant inlet channel, and a coolant outlet channel are disposed at the edges of the bipolar plate. It should be noted that in some disclosures, the inlet/outlet channels are also referred to as manifolds.
In addition, the bipolar plates must be made of conductive materials due to the requirement of current transmitting. Currently, there are three main types of materials used for making bipolar plates, i.e. graphite materials, composite materials, and metal materials. Graphite bipolar plates have good electrical conductivity and high corrosion resistance. However, due to the high brittleness and poor mechanical properties of the graphite material, the manufacturing cost of the graphite bipolar plates is relatively high. The main raw materials of the composite bipolar plate include graphite powder and resin, and the composite bipolar plate is manufactured by means of molding, etc. So, it has a relatively low manufacturing cost while having problems such as low conductivity and poor airtightness. The bipolar plates formed by sheet metal (such as titanium plate, stainless steel plate or aluminum plate with a thickness of 0.1-0.2 mm, etc.) subjected to stamping and then to the processes of welding, anti-corrosion treatment, etc., and have high strength, good performances of electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, and a relatively low manufacturing cost, which is the mainstream method for manufacturing bipolar plates, currently.
The bipolar plate with a "three-in, three-out" structure formed by sheet metal subjected to stamping has two noticeable characteristics. First, the fuel flow field plate and the oxidant flow field plate are both in a corrugated shape. Namely, the coolant flow channel is simultaneously formed following the formation of the fuel flow channel or the oxidant flow channel. If the length direction of one polar plate is regarded as an X axis, the width direction of the polar plate is regarded as a Y axis, and the thickness direction of the polar plate is regarded as a Z axis, for a specific point on the polar plate (i.e., a point that corresponds to a specific X-axis coordinate and a specific Y-axis coordinate), if the first surface where the point is located is the reference surface, then the second surface where the point is located is the bottom of the coolant flow channel; if the first surface where the point is located is the bottom of the fuel flow channel, then the second surface where the point is located is the reference surface; if the third surface where the point is located is the reference surface, then the fourth surface where the point is located is the bottom of the coolant flow channel; if the third surface where the point is located is the bottom of the oxidant flow channel, then the fourth surface where the point is located is the reference surface. Second, both of the second surface of the fuel flow field plate and the fourth surface of the oxidant flow field plate are provided with the coolant flow channel. Moreover, except for some special parts, the coolant flow channel on the second surface of the fuel flow field plate and the coolant flow channel on the fourth surface of the oxidant flow field plate are aligned and combined with each other in a snap-fit manner (i.e., the projections of the two coolant flow channels in the plane formed by the X axis and the Y axis are overlapped with each other) to form a complete coolant flow channel when assembling the bipolar plate. Normally, the coolant flow channel on the second surface of the fuel flow field plate and the coolant flow channel on the fourth surface of the oxidant flow field plate each account for a half of the coolant flow channel.
The above two characteristics cause a problem that in the fuel cell stack, the fuel inlet channel, the various fuel flow channels and the fuel outlet channel must form a closed space to avoid fuel leakage and mixing of fuel and oxidant because the fuel leakage and mixing of fuel and oxidant are dangerous and can cause fire or even an explosion under the action of electrode catalyst. Therefore, the various fuel flow channels must be isolated from the coolant inlet channel and the coolant outlet channel. Correspondingly, the coolant flow channel located on the back surface (second surface) of the fuel flow channel and between the two fuel flow channels is naturally isolated from the coolant inlet channel and the coolant outlet channel. Unless specific measures are taken to interconnect these coolant flow channels with the coolant inlet channels and the coolant outlet channels, these coolant flow channels will form separated closed spaces where the coolant cannot flow in and out. Therefore, when the bipolar plate having the "three-in, three-out" structure is formed by the metal sheet subjected to stamping, how to interconnect various coolant flow channels with the coolant inlet channel and the coolant outlet channel to improve the cooling intensity of the fuel cell stack and the temperature control system of the fuel cell stack is of great significance. So far, however, few studies focus on this issue.
In addition, when a bipolar plate having a "three-in, three-out" structure is formed by the metal sheet subjected to stamping, the design solution available now also has problems in the layout of various channels. According to the design solution available now, the coolant inlet channel and the coolant outlet channel are respectively disposed at intermediate positions of both ends of the bipolar plate. Since the coolant is a fluid, and the path with the minimum flow resistance during its flow will always have the maximum flow rate. Therefore, when the coolant flows in the interlayer of the bipolar plate, the cooling intensity of the middle part of the bipolar plate will be significantly higher than that of both sides. The two sides of the bipolar plate, which accounts for about two-thirds of the total area of the bipolar plate, are "dead area" for the coolant and thus cannot be sufficiently cooled.


According to one embodiment, an X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray generation unit, an X-ray collimator, a dose detection unit, and a dose reduction rate calculation unit. The X-ray generation unit irradiates the object with X-rays. The X-ray collimator limits an X-ray irradiation range of the X-ray generation unit. The dose detection unit detects the X-rays that have passed through the X-ray collimator. The dose reduction rate calculation unit calculates a reduction rate of an exposure dose of the object based on a value detected by the dose detection unit in X-ray imaging before the X-ray irradiation range is limited by the X-ray collimator and a value detected by the dose detection unit in X-ray imaging after the X-ray irradiation range is limited by the X-ray collimator.

To treat an ischemic heart disease, an intravascular treatment that is a minimally invasive treatment is often employed in recent years. The intravascular treatment is conducted fluoroscopically using an X-ray imaging apparatus. The intravascular treatment may need two to three hrs to give, and the dose of the patient and medical staff poses a problem. Hence, to reduce the dose, the object is protected using a protective plate, or the imaging rate is decreased. However, the X-ray dose reduction effect of these measures is not sufficient.
On the other hand, a technique called ROI fluoroscopy is known (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-265449). ROI fluoroscopy is a technique of performing X-ray imaging only for a region of interest designated by the operator. Adopting the ROI fluoroscopy allows to actually properly reduce the exposure dose of the object as compared to a case in which normal X-ray imaging is executed.
However, the operator of the X-ray imaging apparatus cannot know specifically how much the exposure dose is decreased as compared to normal X-ray imaging.
It is an object to provide an X-ray imaging apparatus that allows the operator to recognize the degree of exposure dose reduction implemented by executing ROI fluoroscopy as compared to a case in which normal X-ray imaging apparatus is (to be) executed, and a program.


A determination device 1 includes: a history storage unit 101 configured to accumulate and store use history information in which application identification information, position information indicating a position of a user, and user identification information are correlated with each other; a use region UU number totaling unit 105 configured to total a UU number for each of a plurality of regions on the basis of the use history information for a specific application; a use region number totaling unit 106 configured to total the number of regions on the basis of the use history information for the specific application; a score calculating unit 107 configured to calculate a regionality score for each of the plurality of regions on the basis of the UU number and the number of regions for the specific application; and a determination unit 108 configured to determine whether there is regionality for the specific application on the basis of the regionality score.

In the related art, techniques of classifying applications which are to be provided to a user who uses a terminal are known. Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique of calculating a use state of an application for each region on the basis of use position information indicating a position where the application is used, classifying applications on the basis of the result of calculation, and recommending an application to a user on the basis of the result of classification.


A CCD image sensor includes a package (2) in which there are packaged a CCD solid state imaging device (1) in which a getter layer is formed on the rear surface of a silicon substrate and a photo-sensing portion and a CCD register are formed on the surface of the silicon substrate and a substrate electrode (3 ) of a plate configuration disposed on the lower surface of the CCD solid state imaging device (1 ). A heating device (5 ) is disposed on the lower surface of the substrate electrode (3 ) through an insulating material (4 ) of a plate configuration. The heating device (5) is formed of a resistance pattern (7) that is formed on the surface of an insulating body (6) of a plate configuration by a well-known thick film forming technique. A lattice defect that is caused by a metal ion or the like entered into the CCD solid state imaging device in accordance with an aging change can be repaired without disassembling the solid state image sensor. Thus, the occurrence of a fixed pattern noise on a reproduced picture can be reduced readily.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a solid state imager including a CCD (charge-coupled device) solid state imaging device and a package for packaging the CCD solid state imaging device and, more particularly, is directed to a solid state imager which can reduce a so-called fixed pattern noise that is caused in the solid state imaging device due to an aging change.

Package for solid state imager with heating means to repair imager lattice defect


An attaching Apparatus of an interior part of an automobile includes a base portion, a clip and a cap. The base portion includes an opening portion and a projected portion, the clip includes a front end portion, a parallel portion, a base end portion, a draw stop claw, a hold claw and an engaging hole and is set such that when the parallel portions are maximally closed, an interval between front ends of the draw stop claws<an inner diameter of a vehicle body panel attaching hole<an interval between front ends of the hold claws. Therefore, when the draw stop claws are drawn out from an attaching hole, the hold claws do not pass the attaching hole, and the clip is prevented from being dropped to a back face side of a vehicle body panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an attaching apparatus preferable for attaching, for example, an interior part of an assist grip or the like of an automobile to a vehicle body panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
An interior part of an assist grip, a sun visor or the like of an automobile is attached by an attaching apparatus including a base portion connected to the interior part, a clip a base end portion of which is held by the base portion and a front end portion of which is inserted to be locked by a vehicle body panel attaching hole, and a cap having a leg portion inserted into an inner side of the clip for ensuring a state of locking the clip.
JP-A-2003-226182, shown below, discloses an apparatus of attaching an interior part of an automobile in which a clip inserting hole is provided at a base portion connected to an assist grip, a base end portion of a clip is engaged with an inner periphery of the inserting hole, a front end portion of the clip is projected from the base portion to be inserted into an attaching hole of a vehicle body panel, a first latching claw provided at the clip is engaged with a peripheral edge on a back face side of the attaching hole, a second latching claw provided at the clip is engaged with a peripheral edge on a surface side of the attaching hole, thereby, the clip is attached by the vehicle body panel, a cap is covered on the base portion and a press plug formed at an inner face thereof is inserted into an inner side of the clip, and a latched state is maintained by preventing contraction of a diameter of the clip.

Apparatus of attaching interior part of automobile


The present invention relates to a diagnostic composition for Alzheimer's disease which includes an agent measuring the methylation level of HMOX1 gene promoter, a diagnostic kit and a method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease using the same.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diagnostic composition for Alzheimer's disease which includes an agent measuring the methylation level of HMOX1 (Heme oxygenase 1) gene promoter, a diagnostic kit and a method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a representative degenerative brain disorder that results in degeneration of nerve cells, leading to loss of cognitive ability and memory. It progresses over time and eventually leads to death due to other complications. Alzheimer's disease can occur in people in their forties or fifties, and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease increases with age approaching 40 to 50% at the age of 85 to 90.
As the number of those with Alzheimer's disease is increasing rapidly with the current aging of the population, the need for early diagnosis, prevention and treatment is growing. However, the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease has been made only by neuropsychological tests (e.g., mini-mental state examination (MMSE)) or specialized MRI scans which require much time and cost.
Other biochemical methods have been also proposed for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, for example, a method for detecting the level of beta amyloid protein or tau protein in the cerebrospinal fluid or serum, a method for detecting glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-antibody or the like. However, convenience and accuracy of the diagnostic methods are still in doubt (International Patent Publication No. 92/17152; U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,829; International Patent Publication No. 89/06242; U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,000, etc.).
Meanwhile, HMOX1 (Heme oxygenase 1) is a heat shock protein 32 (HSP32) that exists in the endoplasmic reticulum, and it binds with NADPH cytochrome p450 reductase to convert a pro-oxidant heme to CO, Fe2+ and biliverdin which is subsequently converted to an antioxidant bilirubin by biliverdin reductase. The conversion of biliverdin to bilirubin contributes to protection of cells from oxidative stress. However, there have been no reports that epigenetic changes in the methylation status of HMOX1 gene promoter can be used for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
The present inventors have found Alzheimer's disease-specific hypomethylation of HMOX1 gene promoter. They have confirmed that diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can be made by measuring the methylation level of HMOX1 gene promoter using a biomarker, thereby completing the present invention.

Composition for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease using methylation status of HMOX1 gene and method for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease using the same

EWHA UNIVERSITY—INDUSTRY COLLABORATION FOUNDATION


An apparatus for handling round bales of hay, straw or the like material. In general terms, the handling comprises dispensing a round bale of hay or the like material by unwinding the bale and feeding the thus produced continuous mat into the inlet device of a compactor, typically employing the compacting mechanism of a known square baler. The compactor compacts the material fed into it to produce a second, compacted state generally similar to square bales. Thus, in brief, the invention converts the round bales into the square bales. In a particularly preferred application of the invention, the continuous compact mass of the material is fed directly into a grinder-mixer. The grinder-mixer, being usually on a mobile frame, can thus be fed from a round bale. Since the volume of the round bale is a high multiple of that of hand-fed square bales, which have usually been used for adding hay into a grinder mixer, the use of the invention eliminates labor intensive hand feeding of the grinder-mixer while at the same time the production rate of the bale making is high as round bales are used for the purpose, rather than square bales.

It has long been recognized that it is advantageous to store hay in a compact state. To this end, pick-up balers have been known for many decades. In general terms, a pick-up baler is used to bale hay or straw directly from the windrow in the field. The hay is picked up by prongs and passed to the auger which pushes it to the feed prongs. The feed prongs, in turn, deliver the hay to the bale chamber on each stroke of a compressing plunger. The plunger compresses the hay to compact layers and the bales of hay are usually automatically tied with wire or twine. The advantage of square bales is in their relatively high degree of compactness which results in good economy of subsequent handling which may include untying the bales and dispensing same for the cattle as a fodder or feeding same into standardized processing devices such as a grinder-mixer. Modern grinder-mixers are usually mounted on a mobile frame and are typically brought to the field at which location fodder ingredients to be ground and mixed and including a substantial part of hay, are added into the machine and mechanically processed. The hay component is hand fed into the mixing device in the form of square bales. The feeding mechanism of the mixer grasps the bale and advances the hay further to the grinding/mixing mechanism of the device. Since the grinding and mixing device is usually of a high performance type, a continuous attention is required at the feeding of the hay.
While providing good economy for storage, the compacted square bales are relatively expensive to produce from the standpoint of energy required for compacting the material into the bales. The economy of forming bales of hay or the like material has been improved by switching to so-called round bales. The round bales are typically of a large diameter, often of about three meters in diameter. They are produced by what could generally be referred to as a winding or coiling operation without any attempts being made to compact the hay other than by the weight of the bale itself. The round bales have become very popular because they do not require special storage facilities. Their cylindric shape is suitable even for leaving the bales in the field and then dispensing same for the cattle as fodder, at a later time. However, if desired, the bales can be transported to a central storage place and various devices for handling the round bales have been proposed and are in operation, from the stage of forming the bales to the dispensing of same into shredding or other processing machines.
The disadvantage of the round bales is in their volume and in their weight, which make them unsuitable for manual handling. The relatively low density is usually compensated for by the speed of making the bales, which is much higher per volume unit than that of square bale making.
Among numerous devices for handling and processing round bales, U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,272 (Grillot) should be mentioned which shows a machine adapted to be towed behind a tractor for loading, shredding and feeding a cylindrical bale of hay. A discharge conveyor receives the hay from the auger and discharges it to the side of the machine for deposit in the windrow on the ground or into a feed bunk as the machine is moved by the tractor.
Another round bale dispensing device is shown in Canadian Patent No. 1,028,654 (Guichon). Here, the bale is supported by a series of supporting rollers which can be driven to "unwind" the bale and to dispense the thus formed material.
Another bale handling apparatus for processing round bales is described in Gibson U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,607, Bartolini U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,703, and in Vahikamp et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,958.


A bill handling apparatus includes: a first loop-like conveying path that includes a bill discriminating unit, is connected to a bill receiving and dispensing port and a temporary storage unit, and connected to a plurality of loading boxes to convey bills; a second conveying path connected to the loading box to convey bills; a first gate that switches a conveying direction of the conveying path that conveys bills; and a controller configured to control switching of the first gate and conveyance of the conveying path. The controller controls the bills conveyed to the first conveying path in one of two directions to be conveyed to the loading box through the second conveying path via the first gate, and the bills conveyed from the loading box through the second conveying path to be conveyed to the first conveying path in one of the two directions via the first gate.

Recently, according to an increase in kinds of denomination values and an increase in storage capacity of bills that ATMs handle, bill handling apparatuses equipped with as many large bill boxes as possible have been proposed. For example, JP-A-H8 (1996)-221636 and JP-A-2009-110230 disclose bill handling apparatuses in which a plurality of bill boxes is arranged side by side at the lower part of the apparatus and the other components are collectively arranged in the upper part of the apparatus.
In the bill handling apparatus disclosed in JP-A-H8 (1996)-221636, a bill receiving and dispensing port, a bill discriminating unit, and a temporary storage unit are arranged in the upper part of the apparatus, while a longitudinal loading box and a plurality of bill storage boxes are arranged from the front to the rear in the lower part. The components are connected by a one-way conveying path. The conveying path of the one-way conveying path will be complicated. In particular, since it is necessary to convey received bills and bills to be dispensed in the same direction inside the bill discriminating unit, an exclusive conveying path for always conveying the bills to the inlet of the bill discriminating unit is required. That is, the bill receiving and dispensing port and the temporary storage unit are arranged in one loop-like conveying route connected to the bill discriminating unit while the bill storage box is arranged in another loop-like conveying route connected to the bill discriminating unit. Therefore, there are disadvantages that the volume of structure forming the conveying path increases relative to the entire apparatus and the size of the bill storage box decreases relative to the size of the entire apparatus.
In the bill handling apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2009-110230, a bill receiving and dispensing port is arranged on the front of the upper part of the apparatus, a temporary storage unit and a bill discriminating unit are arranged side by side in behind the bill receiving and dispensing port, a loading box, a reject box, and a bill storage box are arranged longitudinally side by side, and the components are connected to a two-way conveying path.
Further, according to the bill handling apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2000-172903, the components are connected to a two-way conveying path to reduce the conveying path, similar to the bill handling apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2009-110230. For example, in FIG. 27 (second embodiment), a temporary storage box 40, a reject box 65, and a bill loading and collecting box 83 are arranged in the rear part of the apparatus, the rejection box 65 that functions as a receiving box stores non-return bills and bill left behind from the temporary storage box 40 in receiving bills, and stores bills rejected from the temporary storage box 40 in dispensing bills.
In the bill handling apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2000-172903, the bills fed from the temporary storage box 40 cannot be collected to the reject box and necessarily stored in the recycle box, even if bills not conveyed are detected after passing the bill discriminating unit. Therefore, failure in stacking the bills may be caused in the bills in the recycle box and problems in conveyance, such as jam, may be generated in feeding bills from the recycle box at the next time.
In the bill handling apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2009-110230, since a mechanism to switch between the reject box and the loading box is provided, it is possible to prevent problems in conveying bills after the bills pass the bill discriminating unit, which may be generated in JP-A-2000-172903. However, the apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2009-110230 requires an exclusive conveying path 56 for conveying bills from the loading box to the bill discriminating unit, which make the conveying path complicated. Further, in this configuration, it is required to implement a three-story conveying path composed of two two-way conveying paths 51b and 58 and one one-way conveying path 55 between the bottom of the temporary storage unit and the top of the recycle box, such that it is difficult to reduce the height of the apparatus, and both achieve a compact apparatus and increase the capacity of the recycle box.


Disclosed is a single or multi-route map matching apparatus in a system which provides a navigation service via a mobile communication terminal. The map matching apparatus comprises: an information center for calculating an optimum route to a destination inputted by a user based upon a present location of the mobile communication terminal, and generating a format of route data based upon the calculated optimum route; and an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) terminal for detecting the present location of the mobile terminal to generate location data, processing the route data, performing map matching based upon the location data to determine whether the user travels on a given route or departs from the route, and performing road guidance based upon a result of the map matching.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation system, and more particularly, to a map matching apparatus and method for a single route or multiple routes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle navigation service has a primary purpose of guiding a user to a desired destination via an in-vehicle mobile communication terminal and a navigation terminal functioning as a handsfree kit. In such a vehicle navigation service, a database (e.g., comprising a map) is needed to determine a present location of a vehicle or select a route. According to the current trend, the database is provided from a remote information center to the user rather than stored in the terminal. In a navigation system which provides the navigation service by merely referring to an optimum route obtained through calculation of data including traffic information in the information center, the user must re-access the information center to acquire a new route whenever he/she departs from a given route. In practice, it is possible that the user, by intention or mistake, does not ultimately travel along the provided optimum route. This will be treated as departure from the given route, and so the user must re-access the information center, thereby creating a burden on communication resources and the burden of the cost of the re-access.

Single or multiple route map matching apparatus for navigation service and method thereof


A testing device is provided. The testing device comprises a signal generating unit configured to generate a first number of signals based on a number of receiving components of a device under test, and at least one noise generating unit, each configured to generate noise and to apply the noise to the first number of signals, such that one of a preset total noise power and a preset signal-to-noise ratio is achieved at a reference point associated with the device under test. The testing device is configured to output a second number of signals to the device under test, wherein the second number of signals corresponds to one of the first number of signals and the first number of signals with the applied noise.

Generally, in times of an increasing number of wireless communication applications employing Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), there is a growing need of a testing device and a testing method for testing devices under test applying such systems that employ multiple antennas.
The publication WO2011051537A1 discloses a testing system comprising a noise source coupled to at least two antenna elements. For testing a device under test, the noise source wirelessly transmits noise at a total noise power from the at least two antenna elements to the device under test. In any case, however, this total noise power is disadvantageously applied to the same reference point within the signal path between transmitter and receiver. Consequently, it is impossible to react to different devices under test, respectively to various use cases, in a flexible and cost-effective manner.
Accordingly, there is a need for an approach for testing devices under test having multiple inputs and multiple outputs, and for allowing for the usage of arbitrarily chosen reference points within the corresponding signal path in order to ensure flexible and effective measurements.

Testing device and testing method with noise level adjustment


An adaptable handling system featuring a boundary subsystem and one or more robots. Each robot typically includes a chassis, a container lift mechanism moveable with respect to the robot chassis for transporting at least one container, a drive subsystem for maneuvering the chassis, a boundary sensing subsystem, a container detection subsystem, and a controller. The controller is responsive to the boundary sensing subsystem and the container detection subsystem and is configured to control the drive subsystem to follow a boundary once intercepted until a container is detected and turn until another container is detected. The controller then controls the container lift mechanism to place a transported container proximate the second detected container.

Nurseries and greenhouses regularly employ workers to reposition plants such as shrubs and trees in containers on plots of land as large as thirty acres or more. Numerous, for example hundreds or even thousands of containers may be brought to a field and then manually placed in rows at a designated spacing. Periodically, the containers are respaced, typically as the plants grow. Other operations include jamming, (e.g., for plant retrieval in the fall), consolidation, and collection. See U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/0135912 incorporated herein by this reference.
The use of manual labor to accomplish these tasks is both costly and time consuming. But, attempts at automating such container handling tasks have met with limited success.
Large-scale or hard automation is practiced at some greenhouses especially in Europe. The "Walking Plant System" (WPS Horti System, BV) is one prominent greenhouse automation scheme. In this method, conveyor belts, tables on tracks, and other centrally controlled mechanisms maneuver containers throughout the entire production cycle—plants are never placed on an outdoor floor or on un-actuated surfaces. Thus, from seed to sale, virtually no direct human labor is needed.
Such hard automation methods can be cost effective where land and labor prices are high and in operations where only one variety of plant is produced. But, in other circumstances (more typical of the U.S.), this form of automation loses some of its advantage. Because the automation components are fully integrated into the greenhouse, hard automation installations cannot easily be scaled up or down in response to demand. Further, the initial costs of a hard automation system is very high—growers essentially purchase a plant factory.
Visser International Trade and Engineering, BV has automated one container manipulation task known as "spacing." Spacing involves positioning containers on an outdoor field or greenhouse floor with a surrounding buffer space so that plants have room to grow. A forklift-sized device called the "Space-O-Mat" uses multiple actuated forks to position plants in a regular pattern as the device backs up under autonomous control. The disadvantages of the Space-O-Mat become apparent when it is used on real-world field. If the surface is somewhat soft or uneven, the Space-O-Mat may fail to deposit containers properly. Also, many greenhouse are too tightly configured to accommodate Space-O-Mat.
A research project begun in 2000 and sponsored by NASA, Carnegie Mellon University, and the American Nurseries and Landscape Association developed a semi-autonomous device called Junior also intended to perform container spacing. Junior, a tractor-sized mechanism, automated part of the spacing task. Two workers move containers from a wagon to a conveyor on Junior that reaches across the wagon. The conveyor transports the plants to a mechanism with about a dozen grippers mounted on an arm. When each of the grippers has been loaded with a container, the arm activates. The arm maneuvers the plants onto the ground, spacing them relative to plants already on the ground. Then Junior backs up positioning itself to accept the next group of plants from the wagon.
Junior has not been developed into a commercial product. Were Junior to be offered for sale, it would likely have a high price. Junior is also a very complex piece of equipment and might require special expertise to operate. Because of its large size Junior cannot be used inside many greenhouses.


The shoulder-fired grenade launcher includes an electrical firing mechanism powered by a suitable small electrical power source, e.g., a nine-volt dry cell battery. A battery voltage indicator is provided at the side of the action of the weapon. The weapon has a relatively short barrel, capable of firing a single muzzle-loaded round with each firing. The round is only slightly shorter than the barrel. Reliefs are provided at the sides of the muzzle to enable the operator to extract the spent shell from the barrel. An electrical safety switch is provided. LEDs or other suitable lights indicate the status of the safety switch. Closure of the electrical circuit for firing the projectile is accomplished by an electrical toggle switch used for the trigger.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to weaponry, and particularly to a shoulder-fired grenade launcher using an electronic firing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Military weaponry using ballistically fired rounds or shells containing explosive charges have been known for a considerable period of time. Historically, the explosive rounds or shells have been of such a large and heavy mass that a correspondingly large weapon was required to launch them, with the weapon being of greater size and weight than could be carried by an individual. More recently, a number of smaller and lighter weapons capable of being carried by a single individual and launching an explosive round have been developed. Some of these weapons utilize an explosive rocket charge to launch the explosive projectile, e.g., the bazooka of the World War II era and the later M-72 LAW (Light Antitank Weapon). However, other recoil-type weapons capable of being carried and fired by a single individual and launching an explosive round have been developed, e.g., the U.S. military M-79 grenade launcher.
While the M-79 is an excellent weapon for certain operations, it is limited by its relatively small 40 mm caliber or bore. The corresponding round or shell cannot be expanded to provide a great deal of range when fired, nor to provide a particularly large explosive force when the round hits the target. The M-72 LAW provides somewhat greater firepower from its 66 mm bore and correspondingly sized projectile, but the LAW is a recoilless weapon, with the projectile having an explosive rocket charge for propelling it from the launch tube. Moreover, the LAW is a disposable weapon, and is discarded after a single firing. It cannot be reloaded and reused. While the bazooka round was fired electrically by a dry cell battery contained in the launcher, the M-72 and M-79 both use mechanical percussion to fire the round, i.e., the rocket of the M-72 and the explosive grenade round of the M-79.
Thus, a shoulder-fired grenade launcher solving the aforementioned problems is desired.


Example embodiments are directed toward a system and a method for downlink scheduling in a multi-user, multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) network with a central controller employing a scheduling scheme pre-selecting user equipment according to probabilities obtained from a large-system analysis. Only pre-selected user equipment is requested to feedback channel state information, thereby reducing cluster interference and increasing throughput while greatly reducing the required feedback channel state information generally required to schedule transmissions.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments relate generally to downlink scheduling of users in a multi-user, multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) system. Pre-selection of a subset of users, for purposes of the scheduling, may be accomplished without first obtaining channel state information for each of the users.
2. Related Art
The next generation of wireless communication systems (e.g., 802.16m, LTE-Advanced, etc.) use multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) as a core technology. A considerable research effort has been dedicated to the performance evaluation of MU-MIMO systems under realistic cellular environments. In a MU-MIMO system, Inter-Cell Interference (ICI) may be treated as noise which may significantly limit system capacity. Using a network MIMO approach, clusters of cooperating base stations (BSs) act as a single distributed MIMO transmitter and interference from other clusters of BSs is treated as noise. Each cluster seeks to maximize its own objective function defined by fairness scheduling.
FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of conventional clusters of base stations 110 (see clusters 1 through L). Specifically, each cluster may include a number of base stations 110, numbered 1 through B. Each cluster may include a central cluster controller 120 with a central scheduling unit 125. The central scheduling unit 125 may be instrumental in ensuring that the base stations 1-B of each cluster "cooperate," from the standpoint that each cluster of base stations 1-B act as a single distributed MIMO transmitter that seeks to maximize its own objective function (which may maximize transmitter output while reducing interference from other clusters).
FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of a single conventional cluster of base stations 110. Specifically, FIG. 2 includes a cluster with two base stations 110 (BS1, and B52), though more than two base stations 100 may be included per cluster. In this example, both base stations 110 serve two cells (cell 1, and cell 2), though other clusters may include different numbers of cells. Within each cluster there may be K collocated user groups (for instance, as shown in FIG. 2, we assume that user groups 1-4 belong to cell 1 of the cluster, and groups 5-8 belong to cell 2 of the cluster). The users in the same group are "collocated," from the standpoint that the users experience the same path loss (and, have the same path loss coefficients) from the base station while their small scale fading channel coefficients are independent and identically distributed (i.i.d), as the user equipment included within the group is in a similar physical location.
FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram of a conventional base station 110 including multiple antennas 135 (antenna 1 through antenna γN). Transmissions from the multiple antennas 135 may be accomplished via a base station scheduling unit 140. The base station 110 may transmit to K user groups 130, each user group potentially including multiple user equipment 145 (1-N), and each user equipment including an antenna 150. At any instance of time, each antenna 145 may transmit to only a single user equipment 145, creating a limit in transmission capacity for the cluster.
Based on the general understanding of FIGS. 1-3, as described above, a more mathematical description of the system of FIGS. 1-3 in now included herein. At the outset, it should be understood that user in a same group 130 (as shown in FIGS. 2-3) are statistically equivalent. In other words, they see the same pathloss coefficients from all BSs, and their small-scale fading channel coefficients are independently and identically distributed. The received signal vector yk=[yk,1 . . . yk,N]TεCN for the k-th user group is given by:
                              y          k                =                                            ∑                              m                =                1                            M                                                                  α                                  m                  ,                  k                                                                          H                                  m                  ,                  k                                H                                                          x                m                                              +                      n            k                                              (        1        )
Symbols αmk and Hm,k may denote the distance dependent pathloss coefficient and γN×N small-scale channel fading matrix from the m-th BS to the k-th user group, respectively, xm=[xm,1 . . . xm,γN]TεCγN is the transmitted signal vector of the m-th BS, subject to the power constraint tr(Cov(xm))≦Pm, and nk=[nk,1 . . . nk,N]TεCN denotes the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) at the user receivers. The elements of nk and of Hm,k are independently and identically distributed.
A cooperative cell arrangement with L cooperation clusters is defined by the BS partition {M1, . . . , ML} of the BS set {1, . . . , M} and the corresponding user group partition {K1, . . . , KL} of the user group set {1, . . . , K}. It is assumed that the BSs 110 in each cluster Ml act as a single distributed multi-antenna transmitter with γ|Ml|N antennas, perfectly coordinated by a central cluster controller, and serving users in groups kεKl. The clusters do not cooperate, as each cluster treats ICI from other clusters as noise. Assuming that each BS operates at its maximum individual transmit power, the ICI plus noise power at any user terminal in group kεKl is given by:
                              σ          k          2                =                  1          +                                    ∑                              m                ∉                                  M                  l                                                                                α                                  m                  ,                  k                                2                                                                            P                  m                                .                                                                        (        2        )
Each cluster seeks to maximize its own objective function defined by fairness scheduling. Under the above system assumptions, a selfish optimal strategy that operates at maximum per-BS power is a Nash equilibrium of the system. At this Nash equilibrium, the clusters are effectively decoupled since the effect that other clusters have on each cluster l is captured by the ICI terms in (2) that do not depend on the actual BS transmit covariances Cov(xm).
From the viewpoint of cluster l, the system is equivalent to a single-cell MIMO downlink channel with a modified channel matrix and noise levels and a per-BS power constraint. Therefore, for a given reference cluster l=1, the user groups in the reference cluster may be indicated as k=1, . . . , A, with A=|K1|, and the BSs in M1 as m=1, . . . , B with B=|M1|. After a convenient re-normalization of the channel coefficients, we arrive at the equivalent channel model for the reference cluster given by:y=HHx+z  (3)with yε CAN, xε CγBN, z˜CN(0, IAN) and the channel matrix HεCγBN×AN is given by
                              H          =                      [                                                                                β                                              1                        ,                        1                                                                                H                                              1                        ,                        1                                                                                …                                                                                β                                              1                        ,                        A                                                                                H                                              1                        ,                        A                                                                                ⋮                                                                                ⋮                                                                                β                                              B                        ,                        1                                                                                H                                              B                        ,                        1                                                                                …                                                                                β                                              B                        ,                        A                                                                                H                                              B                        ,                        A                                                                                ]                          ,                            (        4        )                            where we define βm,k=αm,k/σk
The pathloss coefficients are fixed constants that depend only on the geometry of the system. The small-scale fading coefficients are assumed to change independently from time slot to time slot according to a classical block-fading model (noting that a "time slot" indicates a number of channel uses over which the small-scale coefficients can be considered constant, which is approximately equal to the product of channel coherence time and the channel coherence bandwidth). This is representative of a typical scenario where the distance between BSs and users changes significantly over a time-scale of the order of the tens of seconds (due to movement of the users), while the small-scale fading decorrelates completely within a few milliseconds.
Referring to FIG. 1, the cluster controller 120 including a central controller 120 that operates according to a downlink scheduling scheme that allocates instantaneously the transmission resource (signal dimensions and transmit power) to the users. To accomplish this, we focus on the weighted instanteneous sum-rate maximization problem:
                              maximize                                                                                ∑                              k                =                1                            A                                                                  ∑                                  i                  =                  1                                N                                                                            W                  k                                      (                    i                    )                                                                                R                  k                                      (                    i                    )                                                                                subject                                                                          to                                                                          R                    ∈                                    R              lzfb                                                  (              H              )                                                          (        5        )
Symbol Wk(i) denotes the rate weight for user i in group k, and Rlzfb(H) is the achievable "instantaneous" rate region of Linear Zero-Forcing Beamforming (LZFB) for given channel matrix H. It should be understood that "instantaneous" means that this rate region depends on the given channel realization H, in contrast with the throughput region R, that depends on the statistics of H. It is assumed that A≧γB (i.e., with reference to FIG. 3, the number of users 145 in the cluster is larger than the total number of base station antennas 135 in the cluster) and that all coefficients βm,k are strictly positive. Therefore, rank(H)=γBN is satisfied. In this case, LZFB cannot serve simultaneously all users in the cluster, and the scheduler must select a subset of users not larger than γBN, to be served at each time slot. The solution of (5) is generally difficult, since it requires: 1) a search over all user subsets of cardinality less or equal to γBN, and 2) either a full or a large amount of CSIT (Channel State Information at the Transmitter) feedback since it needs CSIT reports from many (or, all) users in order to select a subset of users at each scheduling slot, even though no more users than the number of antennas can be served at a time.
Based on the discussion of FIGS. 1-3 (described above), and an understanding that users in the system may be in constant movement, conventional cluster controllers 120 have often been designed to obtain CSIT for each user equipment 145 served by the cluster, prior to selecting subsets of users for scheduling transmissions. CSIT characterizes the state of all links between each base station 110 and the respective user equipment 145 of the cluster. Specifically, CSIT may include both large-scale fading coefficient (i.e., path-loss coefficients), which are constant across collocated users, and small-scale fading coefficients (i.e., Rayleigh fading coefficients), which possess time-variations that are much faster than the path-loss and change within collocated user groups (it should be understood that the number of small-scale fading coefficients is equal to the number of receiving and transmitting antennas at the base station). By first obtaining CSIT, the central scheduling unit 125 of the cluster may select subsets of approximately orthogonal users (with cardinality not larger than the number of jointly coordinated transmit antenna) for transmission at a same frequency and time. However, for systems with a large number of users per cluster, the cost of first obtaining CSIT feedback for all user equipment (prior to selecting subsets of users) becomes prohibitive.

Method and system for a reduced-complexity scheduling for a network MIMO with linear zero-forcing beamforming


Provided are an anti-islanding method for a distributed generator in a direct current distribution grid and an anti-islanding device therefor. The method includes: feeding an alternating voltage component into an output end of the AC/DC interface transverter, a frequency of the alternating voltage component being less than the power frequency; sampling a first voltage signal of an output end of the DC/DC transverter; extracting a first effective value of an alternating signal included in the first voltage signal; comparing the first effective value with a first preset voltage; and controlling the distributed generator to stop operation, in a case that it is determined that the first effective value is less than the first preset voltage, which indicates that islanding occurs for the distributed generator.

With the gradual exhaustion of conventional fossil energy and increasingly serious problems of global climate change and environment pollution, a clean, low carbon and sustainable green energy is to be urgently exploited, to satisfy increasing energy demand of human society and ease environmental burden. Distributed photovoltaic power generation in distributed generators is an effective way of using solar energy with a high conversion efficiency, is beneficial for making full use of resource, and improves reliability of energy supply.
Direct current distribution grids are a new development direction for distribution grids in the future, and draw wide attention in academia in recent years, and demonstration projects of the direct current distribution grids are put into application. The direct current distribution grid has advantages of flexible and open, and the inversion step for accessing a direct current generator such as a photovoltaic generator is cancelled. Therefore, the cost for accessing the distributed generator into the distribution grid is reduced greatly, and a large number of the distributed generators can be accessed.
Similar to an alternating current access, there is an anti-islanding technical problem for the distributed photovoltaic generator accessed into the direct current distribution grid. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing that a distributed generator is accessed into a direct current distribution grid.
FIG. 1 shows a two-end direct current distribution grid, in which the power systems at the two ends are an alternating current system 1 and an alternating current system 2 respectively, the alternating current system 1 is connected to the direct current distribution grid through a first AC/DC interface transverter 100a, the alternating current system 2 is connected to the direct current distribution grid through a second AC/DC interface transverter 100b, a distributed generator 300 is connected to the direct current distribution grid through a grid-connected DC/DC transverter 200 and a breaker 400; and a local load 500, other load 600 and other generator 700 are also connected into the direct current distribution grid.
It should be prevented that in a case that the distribution grid stops operation, the distributed generator 300 cannot quit operation as scheduled, but continues to power the local load 500, which forms an unscheduled power island in the distribution grid stopping operation. Particularly, in a case that output power of the distributed generator 500 is basically the same as that of the local load 500, an island with relatively stable power is formed, thereby causing a non-detection zone.
The islanding results in hazards that the stability of power supply of the island and the quality of the electric energy cannot be ensured, the island with electricity affects a low-voltage recloser, and threatens personal safety and device safety in repairing, and disputes for rights and liabilities of power supply are likely caused. Different from an alternating current distribution grid, in the direct current distribution grid, abnormal frequency cannot be detected, and an active frequency shift cannot be performed to avoid the non-detection zone, hence, it is more difficult to prevent the islanding.
Therefore, it is necessary for those skilled in the art to provide an anti-islanding method for a distributed generator in a direct current distribution grid and an anti-islanding device therefor, which can accurately and timely detect whether the islanding occurs for the distributed generator, and control the distributed generator to stop operation in a case of the islanding.

Anti-islanding method for distributed generator in direct current distribution grid and anti-islanding device therefor

State Grid Heibei Electic Power Research Institute

Hebei Electric Power Commissioning Institute


A mark which at least reflects or radiates invisible light of predetermined wavelength other than visible light is added in a space of the real world. A camera apparatus comprises image capturing means for capturing a real image in which an invisible-light image may be discriminating. An image processing apparatus, comprises: mark discriminating means for discriminating at least one condition of a position of image of mark in the captured real image, a orientation of the mark, and a distance from the mark to the image capturing means, and overlaying condition determining means for determining, in correspondence with the discriminated condition, a overlaying condition which is at least one of an overlaying position which is a position of the image of the virtual object overlaid on the captured real image in the real image, an orientation of the virtual object which the image of the virtual object indicates, and a distance from a view point of viewer, of the image of the virtual object.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the technical field of a composite image generating system, an overlaying condition determining method, an image processing apparatus, and an image processing program which overlays an image of at least one virtual object on an image of the real world, generating a composite image of the real world and the virtual object, and realizing augmented reality.
2. Background Information
A technique of overlaying an image of a virtual object on an image of the real world (or, an object which exists in a real space) to provide an image in which it looks as if the virtual object existed in the real world to augment a real world, is called "Augmented Reality" (hereinafter, referred to as "AR"). (For Example, please see Japanese patent Laid-open No. 2004-213673; Japanese patent Laid-open No. 2004-534963; Japanese patent Laid-open No. 2005-507109).
In such augmented reality, so that a position and an orientation of a virtual object (several virtual objects can be overlaid and each can have an individual position and orientation) as an overlaid image, a distance from a camera for capturing an image (a distance from a view point of viewer), and the like (hereinafter, referred to as "overlaying condition") do not become unnatural, it is necessary that an overlaying location, a position and an orientation (attitude) of the object to be overlaid, and the like, a distance from a camera, and the like (hereinafter, simply referred to as "condition") is exactly grasped, and an overlaying condition of an image of the virtual object is determined in correspondence with this condition.
From such point of view, in case of prior art, a technique called a marker tracking has been widely used. In such a technique, a marker (or more than one) which is a predetermined figure, and the like printed on a board, paper, and the like is located at a location, an object, and the like for which a condition needs to be grasped, a captured image is analyzed, and a position, and an orientation of marker, a distance from a camera, and the like are discriminated, so that a condition of place, object, and the like is grasped indirectly.

Composite image generating system, overlaying condition determining method, image processing apparatus, and image processing program


An MPU performs a degradation diagnosis based on an open circuit voltage characteristic of a rechargeable lithium ion battery indicating how the battery varies in open circuit voltage as the battery varies in capacity to obtain a capacity ratio of a positive electrode, a capacity ratio of a negative electrode, and a deviated capacity of the battery. The MPU applies the capacity ratio of the positive electrode and the capacity ratio of the negative electrode to a predetermined map for degradation attributed to wear to estimate a deviated capacity resulting from degradation attributed to wear and separates the deviated capacity into the deviated capacity resulting from degradation attributed to wear and a deviated capacity resulting from deposition of lithium. The MPU uses at least the deviated capacity resulting from deposition of lithium to determine whether a rechargeable lithium ion battery subject to determination of degradation is reusable and/or recyclable.

In recent years, a rechargeable lithium ion battery is increasingly used as a power supply for driving motors of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles or a power supply for portable devices.
In particular, when it is applied to an electrically powered vehicle, e.g. an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle, it is used in the form of a plurality of packed cells (or a battery pack) in order to ensure required output voltage and a required amount of accumulated electric power, which invites a relatively high battery price. Accordingly, reusing/recycling the battery is an important issue in terms of cost, and diagnosing the battery's degradation to determine whether the battery is reusable/recyclable is an important technique.
For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-7348 (PTL 1) describes a battery provision system and method characterized by determining whether a used battery is degraded. PTL 1 describes a system in which whether a rechargeable battery is degraded is determined and in accordance therewith if the battery is continuously usable it is recharged and resold by a distributor, otherwise it is sent from the distributor to its manufacturer and thus recycled.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 09-232008 (PTL 2) describes a method of recycling a nonaqueous electrolyte used for various types of batteries including a lithium secondary battery. PTL 2 describes a method in which activated carbon is added to a nonaqueous electrolyte and they are agitated together and then left for a required period of time and thereafter an added liquid is filtered to remove the activated carbon for recovery. This can remove a substance that is a cause of degradation in the added liquid that is adsorbed by the activated carbon to recover the electrolyte from degradation.
As a technique of diagnosing degradation of a rechargeable battery, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-241246 (PTL 3) describes a device based on a battery model expression to estimate a state on-line to estimate a state of a rechargeable battery. The document describes that the state estimation device has a characteristics map previously prepared of how a parameter in the battery model expression varies in value from that before use as the battery's state varies, and while the rechargeable battery is in use the device determines a parameter based on the battery model expression and obtains a ratio of the value of the determined parameter to that of the parameter before use corresponding to the battery's current state, (i.e., a rate of change) and diagnoses degradation of the battery.
For a rechargeable lithium ion battery, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-63555 (PTL 4) describes whether a rechargeable lithium ion battery mounted in an externally rechargeable vehicle has lithium deposited therein is determined based on reduction of externally electrically charged full charge capacity. PTL 4 further describes that if it is determined that there is deposition of lithium, then, electrically charging/discharging the rechargeable lithium ion battery is restricted in using the battery. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-199936 (PTL 5) describes that how many times a lithium secondary battery is electrically charged, how long it is operated, and other similar usage history information are referred to to calculate an amount of lithium deposited in the battery on the negative electrode. PTL 5 further describes starting controlling based on an amount of lithium deposited, as calculated, to dissolve and thus remove dendrite.

System and method for determining degradation of rechargeable lithium ion battery


The present invention relates to a method for the prophylaxis or treatment of pain using compounds of formula I,

Compounds of formula I are described in EP 0 627 406 as medicaments for immunosuppression, suppressing rejection, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, pollinosis or Behcet's disease.
Pain is a complex subjective sensation reflecting real or potential tissue damage and the affective response to it. Acute pain is a physiological signal indicating a potential or actual injury. Chronic pain can either be somatogenic (organic) or psychogenic. Chronic pain is frequently accompanied or followed by vegetative signs, which often result in depression.
Somatogenic pain may be of nociceptive origin, inflammatory or neuropathic. Nociceptive pain is judged to be commensurate with ongoing activation of somatic or visceral pain-sensitive nerve fibers. Neuropathic pain results from dysfunction in the nervous system; it is believed to be sustained by aberrant somatosensory processes in the peripheral nervous system, the central nervous system (CNS), or both. (For an overview of pain mechanisms, see, for example, Scholz and Woolf, 2002; Julius and Basbaum, 2001, Woolf and Mannion, 1999; Wood, J. D., 2000; Woolf and Salter, 2000.)
Chronic pain results in individual suffering and social economic costs of tremendous extent. Existing pharmacological pain therapies are widely unsatisfying both in terms of efficacy and of safety.
Up to now, two classes of analgesics were mainly employed for the treatment of pain: Non-opioid analgesics, mostly acetaminophen and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and opioid (narcotic) agonists (wherein "opioid" is a generic term for natural or synthetic substances that bind to specific opioid receptors in the CNS, producing an agonist action). Unfortunately both analgesic classes, opioids and non-opioids, have several unwanted side effects. The most serious side effects of opioids are the possibility of inhibition of the respiratory system and, after long-term treatment, the possibility of addiction (Schaible H. G., Vanegas H.: How do we manage chronic pain? Baillieres Best. Pract. Res. Clin. Rheumatol. 2000 December; 14(4):797-811). NSAIDs, a major class of non-opioids, on the other hand, can induce a variety of gastrointestinal complications such as ulcers and bleeding, but also kidney damage (Schaible H. G., Vanegas H., 2000). It has been estimated that, in the U.S.A., about 16,000 patients die every year because of severe gastro-intestinal complications caused by conventional NSAIDs.
In light of the severe drawbacks connected with state of the art pain treatments, there is a great need for novel classes of pain modulating drugs. Especially in light of the vast gap between the fast advancing understanding of the neurobiology of pain and the unmet clinical need to provide effective treatments without the drawbacks of state of the art treatments, efforts need to be directed to the discovery of new targets for novel classes of analgesics.
It was found that sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is involved in nociceptive processing and is able to decrease pain. S1P is able to interact with at least one S1P receptor, activates the receptor and lowers intracellular cyclicadenosine mono phosphate (AMP). S1P can bind to a family of five G-Protein-coupled receptors, S1P1-5, also known as Endothelial Differentiation Gene receptor EDG 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8. Members of the S1P-receptor family regulate functions involved in neural cell morphology, tumor cell invasiveness, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, vascular maturation, and inhibition of neutrophil motility and migration (Kluk M. J. and Hla T. (2002), Biochim Biophys Acta 1582, 72-80; Spiegel S, and Milstien S. (2002), J Biol Chem 277, 25851-25854). It is well known that several of these actions are mediated at least in part by the inhibition of cAMP synthesis. S1P achieves its adenylate cyclase (AC) inhibitory actions by activating PAM and the inhibitory G-protein Gi. S1P treatment results in a change of the cellular localization of PAM and inhibition of AC enzyme activity. The compounds of formula I and S1P are both S1P-receptor agonists. Therefore, the compounds of formula I can be used for treatment of pain.

2-amino-1,3-propanediol compounds for the treatment of acute pain

Abstract: in which R, R2, R3, R4 and R5 have the meanings indicated in the specification.