A laser thermal control system for a metal vapor laser maintains the wall mperature of the laser at a desired level by changing the effective emissivity of the water cooling jacket. This capability increases the overall efficiency of the laser.

The present invention relates to a laser thermal control system, and more particularly to a variable emissivity laser thermal control system. Emissivity is the ratio of the radiation emitted by a surface to the radiation emitted by a black body at the same temperature and under similar conditions.
A laser is a thermal device which is extremely sensitive to temperature variations. As the wall temperature of a laser increases from an optimal value, the output power capability of the laser (in watts) significantly decreases. Typically, metal vapor lasers operate optimally only in a range within .+-.30.degree. C. of a desired temperature. The insulation used in metal vapor lasers is typically within 20% of its nominal value. This is the tolerance of the insulation and not subject to modification. As a result, the pulsed power electronics which drives a metal vapor laser is typically designed to provide pulsed power above the maximum thermal operating point of the laser. This takes into account the insulation tolerance. Thus, prior art lasers are usually designed with a sub-optimal amount of-insulation. With too much insulation, or even optimal insulation, a prior art laser may operate at excessively high temperatures, requiring a reduction in input power to run the laser at the proper operating temperature. With too little insulation, a prior art laser operates at excessively cold temperatures, even with maximum power electronics input. The lack of sufficient insulation results in an inability to achieve a proper laser operating temperature even with maximum pulsed power input. Currently, lasers are operated at about 20% more insulation than is necessary in order to reduce the input pulsed electronics power and still achieve proper operating temperatures. Prior art laser power supplies are thus operated at less than their maximum capacity and consequently underutilize the available pulse power electronics.
The disadvantages of the temperature constraints on prior art lasers are overcome in accordance with the present thermal control system which enables a laser to operate at its full pulsed electronics power. In this regard, the thermal control system is designed to operate at a power level that corresponds to the aforesaid tolerance level of the insulation. In short, to maintain the same laser optimal operating temperature, the input power delivered to the prior art laser is reduced. In accordance with this invention, full pulsed electronics power, e.g. 40 KW, is input into the laser, then the laser operating temperature is gradually increased using a variable emissivity system of vanes and foils until the optimal temperature is attained. If higher power is input into the laser, such as 50 KW, the prior art result would be higher temperatures and eventually lead to a decline in laser output power; however, in this laser, the operating temperature is reduced using the variable emissivity system. Lasers designed in accordance with the present invention operate much more efficiently than the methods and apparatuses of the prior art. In the prior art, only about two-thirds of the available pulsed electronics power is utilized for driving the metal vapor laser. Because metal vapor lasers are expensive to build and operate, the aforementioned limitations are significant factors to consider for monitoring the cost and performance of lasers.

Variable emissivity laser thermal control system

The United States of America as Represented by the Department of Energy


An identification tag for rolled drawings is made froma sheet of heavy stock paper. The tag is enlongated and is preferably from two to three inches wide and five to eight inches long. One end of the device is a holding portion while the other end is the tag portion. Between the two is a transition portion which is comprised of a score line in the paper which extends across the width of the device in an arc. When the holding portion is flexed so as to be inserted into the end of a rolled document, the tag portion can be folded downwardly where it remains substantially planar and perpendicular to the axis of the holding portion and covers the end of the rolled document for identifying the same.

The present invention is directed toward an identification tag or label and more particularly toward such a label which is particularly adapted for labeling the ends of rolled drawings.
Most mechanical, engineering and architect's drawings are made on large sheets of paper which are clearly not suited for storage in ordinary letter or legal sized files. While these drawings and blueprints and the like can be folded to fit into standard filing cabinets, this is not typically done since the folds can distort the drawing and make it difficult for the user to take off accurate measurements. Accordingly, the preferred way for storing such drawings is to keep them flat or to roll the same.
There are special purpose filing cabinets for storing drawings in a flat condition. However, this special filing equipment is expensive and takes up a great deal of space. Accordingly, most drawings are rolled and typically are maintained in the rolled form through the use of rubber bands or the like. Thereafter, these rolls are either simply stacked on top of each other on a shelf with their ends exposed or are stored in racks which include holes therein into which the rolled drawings are inserted.
The primary problem with any of the commonly used storage systems for rolled drawings is that it is difficult to identify any of the drawings in the stack. What normally must be done is that the architect or contractor must remove each drawing and partially unroll the same to look at the title block in order to determine whether he has retrieved the correct drawing. Many users have written a short description on the outside of the drawings but this does not totally solve the problem since the drawings must still be removed from the stack in order to read the description written on the outside.
Devices have been proposed in the past for labeling the ends of rolled drawings so that they can be identified without removing the rolls from a rack or stack. U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,696, for example, shows a wire loop which is spring loaded and which can be inserted into the hollow open end of a rolled drawing. A visual marker in the form of a flat disk with a boss on the rear surface thereof is press fit onto the wire loop. A molded plastic device having an elongated cylindrical portion and a flat label portion is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,547. This device is also intended to be inserted within the open end of a rolled drawing. A device known as a "Clipper Tag" sold by Saga Division of DADE Inc. of Minneapolis, Minn., has a pair of elongated metal clips where one of the clips fits into the interior of the rolled drawing and the second clip extends exterior thereof so as to prevent the rolled drawing from unrolling. A tag is mounted on the clips and perpendicular thereto at the end of the roll.
While each of the foregoing devices is capable of performing a function of identifying rolled documents from the ends thereof, these devices are relatively expensive because of their complex construction. More simplified devices are, therefore, desirable.
Prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,480,307; 2,001,054 and 3,992,794 also show devices which can be used to identify rolled products from the ends thereof. However, these devices are primarily useful with respect to larger rolled products such as rolled carpeting or cloth bolt type products wherein the center portion of the rolled material is flat rather than round. The devices shown in these patents are not useful for rolled drawings.


A photographing apparatus is provided that comprises a photographing lens capable of moving a focal plane of a subject image, a CCD for receiving the subject image and outputting a signal into which the subject image is photo-electrically transferred, as image output, a motor section for driving the photographing lens, and a CPU for controlling an operation of the motor section. This CPU divides a range for enabling driving of the photographing lens 1 into a minimum number of or more sections which are capable of being interpolated, drives the photographing lens to each divided section in sequence, figures out a focus signal based on a photographing signal obtained from the photographing device at the each driving position, and performs interpolation processing of an evaluation value obtained from the focus signal. Further, by the interpolation processing, the CPU derives a focus position of the photographing lens which position causes the focal plane to coincide with the photographing plane. In addition, the CPU drivingly controls the motor section to drive the photographing lens to the derived focus position. The photographing apparatus with this configuration ensures interpolation accuracy, thus offering an excellent balance of focus-position accuracy in an entire driving range of the photographing lens and time needed for obtaining the focus position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus having a function capable of automatically focusing by detecting a focus position using auto-focus (AF) of a charge coupled device (CCD), namely, CCD-AF, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional photographing apparatus is, for example, a video camera, a digital camera, or the like. A conventional video camera employs a contrast system in order to perform auto-focusing. In this contrast system, with a focusing lens being driven, contrasts of photographed images acquired at respective driving steps are obtained as evaluation values, and a lens position having the highest evaluation value among them is set as a focus position.
In this video camera, a CCD photographing device used has pixels in the order of several hundreds of thousands because it is used to photograph moving images. For this reason, high accuracy in AF is not required. If a focusing speed is high too when photographing video, movement of focus will be frequently carried out in accordance with the movements of the camera and a subject, and hence user's eyes will not be able to follow the focus movement, thus causing the user to feel the abnormal of images.
In contrast, the digital cameras for photographing still-frame images are required to quickly perform auto-focusing and not to miss a shutter chance.
However, in digital cameras having a CCD photographing device with a high pixel density, because a focus position must be figured out with high accuracy, a lens position with the highest evaluation value is needed to be detected by repeating driving of a lens by a fine pitch based on the depth of field.
Thus, in the digital cameras using the CCD photographing device having high-density, the use of conventional contrast-system auto-focusing increases the driving number of lens, thus taking a long time to figure out a focus position, leading to miss a shutter chance.
Particularly, in cases where a subject is extremely out of focus, it will take a very long time to obtain the focus position, and hence it is necessary to efficiently perform auto-focusing so as not to miss the shutter chance.
In view of the above-mentioned problems of the contrast system employed in such video cameras, a digital camera that permits effectively obtaining a focus position is proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-281529).
In this digital camera, a driving circuit drives a photographing lens in several steps by a larger distance than the depth of field, figures out an evaluation value based on a photographed image obtained from the photographing device in each driving step, and then performs predetermined interpolation of a plurality of the evaluation values of plural driving steps, thereby obtaining a focus position of the photographing lens for causing a focal plane to coincide with a photographing plane. This driving circuit drives the photographing lens to the focus position based on focus position data obtained.
Thus, the conventional digital camera achieves reduction in time to obtain the focus position, while keeping high accuracy by the interpolation of the evaluation values.
However, since this camera drives the photographing lens by a larger interval or pitch than the depth of field, when dividing a scanning range for auto-focusing into intervals each being larger than the depth field, the appropriate accuracy of the interpolating operation cannot be obtained, or the interpolation cannot be performed depending on focal length and brightness of a lens (F number).
FIG. 13(a) shows a state of one example having the above-mentioned problem. In FIG. 13(a), a horizontal axis indicates a position of a photographing lens based on the reciprocal of a focal length (in detail, Lim (∞) is referred to as a focal-length infinite distance, and Lim (Nr) is referred to as a focal-length closest position), while a vertical axis indicates a focusing evaluation value at each photographing lens position.
This curve of evaluation values has a feature that an intersection point of the horizontal axis and a line vertical to the horizontal axis passing through a maximum point of the evaluation value corresponds to a focus position.
FIG. 14 shows a general example.
In the case as shown in FIG. 13(a), the depth of field 50a is so large that there are few points for sampling, resulting in a low accuracy of interpolation.
As shown in FIG. 13(b), when a curved line of evaluation values is geometrically unsymmetrical with respect to a focal length of a photographing lens, highly accurate interpolation cannot be provided.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 13(c) and (d), in cases where a focus position is at an infinite distance, or at the closest point or its vicinity, a steep extension method used in the prior art cannot be employed, resulting in failing to conduct interpolation.

Photographing apparatus with automatic focus


An improved field effect thin film transistor characterized in that the semiconductor layer being formed from a polycrystal silicon film: said layer containing at least hydrogen atom and fluorine atom except silicon atom layer: and the concentration of said hydrogen atom or said fluorine atom being distributed in the thickness direction in the state that it being relatively thick in a layer region in the side of the substrate and relatively thin in a layer resion in the opposite side. A process for preparing the above field effect thin film transistor, characterized in that the semiconductor layer is formed by:. (a) providing a gaseous active species A generated from a compound (i) containing silicon atom and halogen atom by subjecting said compound (i) to the action of an activation energy in an active species A generation chamber and a gaseous active species B generated from a compound (ii) containing at least hydrogen atom by subjecting said compound (ii) to the action of an activation energy in an active species B generation space; PA0 (b) introducing said active species A, said active species B and one or more of H.sub.2 gas and F.sub.2 gas into a film forming space having a substrate being maintained with a desired temperature; and PA0 (c) applying an excitation light energy into said film forming space to thereby cause chemical reactions among materials resulting in forming a polycrystal silicon film to be the semiconductor layer.

There have been made a number of proposals to use a silicon thin film as a constituent element in scanning circuits of image-reading devices such as lengthy uni-dimensional photosensor, large sized two-dimensional photosensor, etc., or in operation circuits of image-display devices using liquid crystal (LC), electroluminescent cell (EL) or electrochromic material (EC). Various studies have been made on hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin films or polycrystal silicon thin films to be used as such silicon thin film.
However, as for such known amorphous silicon thin film, there are problems that its effective electric carrier mobility (.mu. eff) is a small value of about 0.1 cm.sup.2 /V.sec. On the other hand, the .mu. eff, which is demanded for the constituent layer element in the scanning circuit or the operation circuit of recently developed high-speed and high functional image-reading device or image-display device, is 50 to 100 cm.sup.2 /V.sec.
There are problems also for such known polycrystal silicon thin film that although its .mu. eff is rather large compared to that of said amorphous silicon thin film, it is still insufficient, and in addition to this, it is difficult to obtain a large size polycrystal silicon film of uniform quality. As one of the reasons for this, there is present a localized state density of about 10.sup.18 cm.sup.-3 at the grain boundary. When there is present such defect for the polycrystal silicon thin film, there will occur problems as mentioned below.
That is, (a) such state density at the grain boundary hinders the formation of a channel to cause heightening in the threshold voltage, and (b) such state density also hinders electric carriers to be transported and causes decrease in the field effect mobility.
In order to eliminate the problems relating to the foregoing polycrystal silicon thin film, there have been proposed a method of subjecting the resultant polycrystal silicon thin film to hydrogen plasma treatment to decrease such state density, and another method of subjecting the resultant polycrystal silicon thin film to laser annealing or electron beam annealing to widen the sizes of grains therein thereby decreasing the existing grain boundaries, as disclosed in IEEE Electron Device Letters, vol. EDL-1, No. 8, p. 159 (Aug. 1980). However, any of such proposed methods is not sufficient for solving the foregoing problems. That is, in the case of the above hydrogen plasma treatment, it is difficult to sufficiently decrease such state density at the grain boundary. And in the case of the laser annealing and in the case of the electron beam annealing, there are problems that it is difficult to eliminate an undesired influence caused by the surface state. It is also difficult to form a large size polycrystal silicon thin film having uniform characteristics in the case of preparing a large size thin film transistor.
Other than the above proposals, there has been proposed a method of forming a polycrystal silicon thin film while maintaining a substrate at relatively low temperature by way of associating or reacting different radicals in vapor phase as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 62-40717. According to this proposed method, it is possible to incorporate hydrogen atom into a film while it being formed, and because of this, the defect of the grain boundary may be compensated with said hydrogen atom.
However, even for this method, there are problems that the hydrogen atoms as incorporated cause an increase in the stress in a film being formed and because of this, there often occurs peeling-off of a film during the film forming process.
In view of the above, it was difficult to immobilize a semiconductor device using a non-single-crystal silicon thin film as the constituent element layer in the past.

Field effect thin film transistor having a semiconductor layer formed from a polycrystal silicon film containing hydrogen atom and halogen atom and process for the preparation of the same


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for geographic annotation of electronic resources. In one aspect, a method includes generating a spatial index for a plurality of resources from a plurality of distinct publishers, including, for each resource of the plurality of resources: receiving a plurality of location data points for the resource, each location data point corresponding to one of a plurality of requests for the resource, and assigning each location data point for the resource to a spatial cluster of a plurality of spatial clusters, each spatial cluster corresponding to a particular geographic region. The spatial index is stored. The spatial index is used to identify a plurality of address locations for resources assigned to a spatial cluster corresponding to a first geographic region in response to a request from a requester to identify resources associated with the first geographic region.

This specification relates to annotating electronic resources with geographic information.
Electronic resources (e.g., web pages, documents, pictures, videos, and so on) can be associated with certain locations. The strength of the association can be quantified by assigning a score to an association between a resource and a location. For example, a web page for the New York Subway is likely more related to New York than it would be to Los Angeles. Additionally, that web page is typically more interesting to residents of and visitors to New York than it would be to people in Los Angeles, although it could be useful for someone in Los Angeles planning a trip to New York. Thus, the strength of association between the web page for the New York Subway and New York is stronger than with the location of Los Angeles.
The degree to which a resource is associated with, or related to, a particular location can be conventionally determined and quantified by direct analysis of the resource. For example, for the web page for the New York Subway, the number of appearances of the word "New York" can be counted and used to determine a relatedness score for the page. Similarly, techniques that mine keywords from images and videos can be used to attempt to determine the relatedness of those resources to locations.

Geographic annotation of electronic resources


An air-conditioning register includes a tubular retainer including a wall and a downstream opening, fins that are located adjacent to the downstream opening in the retainer and arranged parallel to one another so as to be tiltable relative to the retainer, and an operation knob mounted to a central fin. Each of the fins includes two rotation shafts at opposite ends of the fin. The wall of the retainer includes bearing holes, each supporting one of the rotation shafts of the corresponding fin. The overlap between the rotation shaft of one of the fins that is free of the knob and the inner surface defining the corresponding bearing hole is smaller than the overlap between the rotation shaft of the fin to which the knob is mounted and the inner surface defining the corresponding bearing hole.

The present invention relates to an air-conditioning register that changes the direction of the air sent from an air-conditioning system and blows it into a passenger compartment through a vent.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2016-159845 discloses an air-conditioning register that includes a tubular retainer defining an air passage, a plurality of downstream fins located adjacent to the downstream opening in the retainer and arranged parallel to one another such that the downstream fins are tiltable relative to the retainer, and a plurality of upstream fins located upstream of the downstream fins and arranged parallel to one another such that the upstream fins are tiltable relative to the retainer.
The plurality of downstream fins includes a main fin and two sub-fins arranged above and below the main fin. The main fin and sub-fins each have the shape of an elongated plate extending in the vehicle width direction. An operation knob is mounted to the main fin.
Each downstream fin includes two rotation shafts, which are located at the opposite ends of the downstream fin. One of the vertical walls of the retainer includes three bearing holes, each supporting one of the rotation shafts of the corresponding downstream fin. The other vertical wall of the retainer includes a recess, to which a shim (bearing member) is coupled. The shim includes three bearing holes, each supporting the other rotation shaft of the corresponding downstream fin.
Conventionally, to couple the downstream fins to the retainer, one of the rotation shafts of each downstream fin is first inserted into the bearing hole of the shim, so that the downstream fins are integrated with the shim. Then, the downstream fins are tilted relative to the extension direction of the retainer, and the other rotation shaft of each tilted downstream fin is inserted into the corresponding bearing hole in the vertical wall of the retainer. The shim is then pressed into the recess in the vertical wall of the retainer and thus coupled to the retainer. That is, the downstream fins and the shim, which are integrated with one another, are rotated while being coupled to the retainer.


A window surround molding is secured on a vehicle door flange with a retainer clip. The molding extends in a longitudinal direction and has a cross-section including first and second channels separated by a Dutch bend. The flange is disposed in the second channel on one side of the Dutch bend. The clip is disposed in the first channel on an opposite side of the Dutch bend. An arm extends in the longitudinal direction away from first and second ends of the clip and engages the molding to secure the clip within the first channel. The clip also includes a lower edge that engages the Dutch bend. A flex tab protrudes from a front face of the clip and engages the flange to secure the molding on the flange and to prevent rotation of the molding relative to the flange.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a window surround molding for an automotive vehicle door. More particularly, the present invention relates to a window surround molding and a retainer clip for securing and stabilizing the window surround molding on a vehicle door frame.
2. Description of Related Art
Automotive vehicle door assemblies include a door frame having a window opening and a glass window. The window can be selectively raised to close the window opening and lowered to open the window opening. A window surround molding is commonly affixed to the door frame around the window opening as a decorative feature. Conventional window surround moldings are generally extruded and retainer clips are used for attaching the extruded window surround moldings to a periphery of the window opening. One known disadvantage with conventional window surround moldings that are mounted to the door frame with retainer clips is that the retainer clips allow the window surround molding to tilt or pull away from the door frame.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a window surround molding and retainer clip that securely attaches the window surround molding to a door frame and prevents the window surround molding from rocking or tilting.

DLO molding with dutch bend feature and clip retention feature


Provided is a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner main body, a dust container including a dust collection body separably disposed on the cleaner main body to define a dust storage chamber for storing dusts and a lower cover disposed under the dust collection body to open and close the dust storage chamber, a pressing member movably disposed inside the dust collection body to compress the dusts within the dust storage chamber, the pressing member including a rotation shaft and a pressing plate connected to the rotation shaft, a transmission part disposed under the lower cover to transmit a power transmitted from the outside, and a connection member disposed above the lower cover to transmit the power transmitted from the transmission part into the rotation shaft.

In general, a vacuum cleaner is a device that sucks air containing dusts using a suction force generated by a suction motor mounted within a cleaner main body to filter the dusts in a dust separation device.
The vacuum cleaner includes a first suction nozzle for sucking air containing dusts, a cleaner main body communicating with the first suction nozzle, a suction motor disposed within the cleaner main body to generate an air suction force, a dust separation device in which air is introduced from the cleaner main body to separate the dusts, and a dust container in which the dusts separated in the dust separation device is stored.
Also, the dust container includes a dust collection body in which a dust storage chamber for storing the separated dusts is defined. The dusts separated in the dust separation device are stored within the dust collection body. Also, when an operation of the suction motor is stopped while the dusts are introduced into the dust collection body and stored, the separated dusts may be stored in the dust storage chamber at low density.
In the vacuum cleaner according to a related art, the dusts stored in the dust storage chamber occupy a significantly large volume with respect to its weight. Thus, it is inconvenient in that the dust container in which the dusts are stored should be frequently emptied out to maintain dust collection performance.


A turkey decoy for receiving and supporting a real or artificial turkey tail fan is disclosed herein. The turkey decoy can be configured in a stake-supported configuration where the turkey tail fan is supported on a stake and remotely movable by a hunter operating the turkey decoy. Alternatively, the turkey decoy can be configured in a clamp-supported configuration where the turkey tail fan is supported on a clamp that a hunter can hold or attach to a variety of structures in the hunting environment.

There have been several disclosures of wildfowl/turkey decoys that include a turkey tail or remotely movable parts. Animated decoys have distinct, obvious advantages over standard, sedentary decoys. However, previous designs have been prohibitively complex or have not focused on the key component to attracting gallinaceous birds whose tail fan is central to male-female and male-male display. The tail fan, specifically the raising and lowering of the tail fan, is at the center of display. The act and timing of raising and lowering the tail fan communicates rank, signals dominance, and advertises age and fitness.
Several disclosures of decoys include a remotely movable tail, but also include or depend upon a turkey decoy body. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,775,943 (Loughman) discloses a movable turkey tail attached to a stake, remotely operated by the user via a cord. However, this design only produces a side to side motion, it does not produce a raising or lowering motion. Similarly, US2010/0115818 (Rogers) discloses a decoy that utilizes a remotely movable tail fan whose function is dependent upon specific structures of the decoy body, such as a hollow interior, mounting surfaces, and a base connected to the body. Other disclosures such as US2004/0250461 (Dryer), have utilized only a turkey tail fan, but have not disclosed means of attaching the tail to structures other than the rigid stake member, or to multiple structures. U.S. Pat. No. 7,784,213 (Primos) discloses a collapsible fan holder that aides in portability of a turkey tail fan. This device can be attached to a turkey decoy body with movement capability, such as that disclosed by US2010/0115818 (Rogers). U.S. Pat. No. 7,784,213 (Primos) neither discloses a means of attaching such a holder to a remotely movable tail fan stake that can function independent of a turkey body, nor does it disclose a device that could be used to readily detach and attach a turkey tail fan to and from multiple structures.
Other decoys, such as US2008/0078113 (Denny) and US2004/0194365 (Summers), utilize head, neck, body, and tail sections, requiring complex movable parts throughout the decoy to provide motion to the head/neck and tail. Although realistic and likely effective, it is unnecessary, in terms of the effectiveness of the decoy, for the head/neck to move, or for the entire body to have movable parts, or for the decoy to be dependant upon motors or servos for operation. The only motion required for enhanced effectiveness over a static decoy, is raising and lowering of the tail. Certainly, the complexity and cost of such devices outweigh their practicality and effectiveness.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,231,737 (Bradford) discloses a remotely operated tail fan, whose individual feathers move between a lowered position in which the feathers are gathered and a raised position in which the feathers are spread as the result of effort from the user. A spring biases the individual feathers to the lowered and gathered position.
US2004/0250461 (Dryer) discloses a similar invention to Bradford. This design also discloses a remotely operated tail fan with elongated members that spread as the tail rises and gathers as the tail lowers as the result of effort from the user biased against a spring. This design also utilizes a slide and common attachment of elongated supports. The slides of both Dryer and Bradford function as movable load ends. Dryer discloses a weighted slide that moves upon elongated rods. This complex weighted slide is used to raise and lower the tail fan and is required to open and close the tail fan. The slide is attached to a spring, which pulls the weighted slide toward the terminus of the tail, this positioning and weight of the slide causes the lowering and gathering of the elongated members. This design relies heavily upon angle requirements for appropriate weight distribution and functionality. For example, the design requires an angle between members to pull the fan to the upright position, and to lift a point to the level of the pivot point to allow the assembly to move upward from the lowered position. It therefore requires a stop means to prevent the assembly from lowering too far beyond the pivot point.
Similar to Bradford and Dryer, US2010/0115818 (Rogers) also discloses a tail fan with both longitudinal and lateral motion. However, in this disclosure, effort from the user results in a lowered tail fan position. Because spring bias, not effort by the user, supports the tail in the upright position, the tail fan is free to move independent of the user, and this movement, often caused by wind against the open, upright fan, is generally sporadic and unnatural.
Previous disclosures include components that are unnecessary or prohibitively complex and/or rely heavily upon invoking a feather spreading and gathering motions, which do not add to the effectiveness of the raising and lowering motions in a decoying situation. In previous disclosures, the additional motion does, however, add greatly to the complexity and potential difficulty and error in operation, as well as reduces the overall feasibility of the decoys.
Previous disclosures neither provide the opportunity to attach a real turkey tail fan, including tail feathers and connective tissue, that have been removed from a turkey and fixed into an open position, to a structure used for decoying; nor do they provide means of readily detaching and attaching a turkey tail fan to and from multiple structures. A component used to lock a movable tail fan decoy in an upright position also has not been disclosed. This is necessary when the user operates a movable tail fan decoy by hand at the site of the decoy, and when a tail fan decoy is used for cover and the wind precludes the user from attaching a decoy to their weapon.


A computer system accesses and processes regulatory requirements for data item(s) in a private manner. Both the data item(s) and the regulatory requirements are accessed and processed privately. The computer system creates an orchestration strategy satisfying the regulatory requirements. The orchestration strategy includes recommendation(s) associating the data item(s) with process(es). The computer system outputs indications of the orchestration strategy to be used to implement regulatory compliance for processing of the data item(s) by associated ones of the process(es). The computer system may be implemented as a portion of a cloud environment, and compliance may be offered as a service for cases where data usage by an application (implementing the process(es)) does not address compliance with the regulatory requirements, but following the orchestration strategy ensures use of the application on the data item(s) will comply with the regulatory requirements.

This invention relates generally to privacy and, more specifically, relates to improving regulatory compliance of applications.
This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention disclosed below. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived, implemented or described. Therefore, unless otherwise explicitly indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section. Abbreviations that may be found in the specification and/or the drawing figures are defined below, at the beginning of the detailed description section.
The European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is effective as of 25 May 2018 and imposes heavy fines—up to 4% of annual revenue—on organizations for noncompliance. Many companies operate in regulated industries and handle sensitive data, adding significant costs to operations.
The finance industry spends $270 billion on compliance-related costs, and the healthcare industry spends about $39 billion annually on the administrative facets of regulatory compliance.
Similarly, technology providers that handle sensitive data across industry are also challenged and exposed to reputation risk and fines. IBM Cloud, for example, must comply with GDPR; Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which is United States legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information; FedRAMP, which is a federal program that simplifies security for the digital age by providing a standardized approach to security for the cloud; IRAP, which is is an Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) initiative to provide high-quality information and communications technology (ICT) security assessment services to government; PCI DSS, which is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment.
One additional set of regulations in the United States is International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which prohibits companies and individuals from importing or exporting defence-related information and materials. However, many companies have networks where data travels freely, and many companies are international, meaning data could be shared between the company in the United States and its affiliates in other countries. For additional considerations, see the white paper by MicroFocus, "Meeting Data Residency and Compliance Challenges in Global Enterprises: Innovative Security Solutions Enhance Business Agility and Reduce Risk" (2018). Microfocus is a company that helps run and transform businesses.
Compliance is currently a labour-intensive process in many industries. As new regulations appear, many companies still trend towards huge manual efforts to remediate issues rather than experimenting with innovative solutions.

Regulatory compliance for applications applicable to providing a service for regulatory compliance on a cloud

International Business Machines Corporation


A water-resistant cover placed on an electronic device in an attachable/removable manner, and for the water-resistant cover and the circumference of a water-resistant area of the electronic device, a sealing member is provided on the whole circumference in the circumference direction of the water-resistant area on one side, and a contact plane facing the sealing member is formed on the same plane on another side, and the water-resistant cover slides and put on the electronic device in the state in which the sealing member contacts the contact plane and pressed.

Conventionally, a waterproof gasket has been used in a water-resistant area in an electronic device such as a mobile phone. As the waterproof gasket, a waterproof gasket that is press both sides in the width direction of the electronic device has been known.
In addition, a waterproof gasket that is pressed by a rib of a battery lid has been known.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-25940
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 4424445

Water-resistant cover and electronic device


A system and a method for correcting erroneous image signals from defective photosensitive pixels utilizes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) architecture that corrects the erroneous image signals as image signals are being converted from analog signals to digital signals. The erroneous image signals are corrected by limiting the deviation of a given analog image signal from a previously processed image signal.

Demand for digital cameras has dramatically increased in the consumer market place for various reasons. One reason for this demand is the fact that digital camera produce digital photos, which are readily distributable through an electronic medium, such as the Internet. Thus, friends and families can exchange digital photos as easily as sending and receiving emails. Another reason for the increased demand is that digital photos produced by the digital cameras can be enhanced and manipulated using an image processing software. Still another reason for the demand is that digital cameras include features that make the digital cameras more attractive than conventional cameras, such as a preview of captured images and an option to delete unwanted images.
A digital camera typically employs a solid-state image sensor, either a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) sensor or a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, to digitally capture a scene of interest. A solid-state image sensor includes an array of photosensitive pixels. Each photosensitive pixel corresponds to an image pixel of a digitally captured image. Thus, the resolution of digitally captured image is dependent on the number of photosensitive pixels included in the image sensor. Consequently, there is a growing interest to develop image sensors with increased number of photosensitive pixels.
A problem with solid-state image sensors is that the sensors may include a significant number of defective photosensitive pixels. Defective photosensitive pixels may be classified as "hot pixels" or "cold pixels". Hot pixels produce unnaturally bright image pixels in digitally captured images, which are caused by leakage current in the photosensitive pixels during an integration period, i.e., the exposure period to capture a scene of interest. Thus, hot pixels may result in a digital image with bright artifacts due to isolated bright image pixels on a dark background. In contrast to the hot pixels, cold pixels produce unnaturally dark image pixels in digitally captured images. Cold pixels are non-responsive photosensitive pixels that fail to accumulate sufficient charge during an integration period. Thus, cold pixels may result in a digital image with dark artifacts due to isolated dark image pixels on a bright background. The number of these artifacts is likely to increase as the density of photosensitive pixels is increased in solid-state image sensors, since more defective photosensitive pixels are expected to be found in image sensors with higher density of photosensitive pixels. Thus, the bright and dark artifacts caused by the hot and cold pixels pose a greater problem of image degradation for mega-pixel sensors.
One conventional approach to alleviate the problem of hot and cold pixels is to map the defective photosensitive pixels in each image sensor by testing all the photosensitive pixels after manufacturing the image sensor. The map of the defective photosensitive pixels can then be used to correct the erroneous image signals produced by the defective photosensitive pixels. Thus, each digital camera is customized to correct the image signals from the mapped defective photosensitive pixels of a specific image sensor. However, this approach introduces complex testing and customization processes, which increase the overall manufacturing cost of the digital cameras.
Another conventional approach to alleviate the problem of hot and cold pixels is to detect and correct the erroneous image signals from defective photosensitive pixels using an algorithm after the analog image signals have been converted to digital image signals. An advantage of this approach is that the same algorithm can be used in all the digital cameras. Thus, customization of the digital cameras in accordance with each image sensor is not required. However, this approach does require a significant amount of processing resources for the algorithm, which tends to increase the power usage of the digital cameras and tends to slow down the operation of the digital cameras to process digitally captured images.
In view of the disadvantages of the conventional approaches to alleviate the problem of hot and cold pixels, there is a need for a system and method for efficiently correcting image signals from defective photosensitive pixels.

System and method for correcting erroneous image signals from defective photosensitive pixels during analog-to-digital conversion


A method for managing communications within a network comprising utility meters, each associated and connected to at least one utility management center through at least one intermediate data concentrator. A message is sent by a utility meter to the destination data concentrator. This message includes metering data measurement reported by said utility meter, its utility meter identifier, the destination data concentrator identifier and the management center identifier. Then, on the basis of several metering data measurements, a metering counter differential consumption value is calculated by difference of two metering counter consumption indexes measured by the utility meter within a time period interval. Then, a report containing at least the metering counter differential consumption value is sent from the destination data concentrator towards the utility management center to which said utility meter is associated.

The on-going deregulation in worldwide energy distribution markets is driving the need for smart utility distribution grids and smart meters, enabling both utility providers and consumers to monitor the detailed consumption of an end user at any time through open communication networks. The energy market is particularly concerned as of today but related issues are also relevant to other utility markets such as water or gas.
While a number of legacy meters already implement some point-to-point Automated Metering Reading (AMR) protocols using for instance standard optical or modem interfaces, they are not able to interact with either the end user home area network devices or the remote utility monitoring facilities using wireless or power line communication networks. The industry answer to this regulatory requirement in the next decade will therefore consist in swapping the legacy meters for so-called smart meters.
Smart meters enable utility providers to monitor the detailed consumption of an end user at any time through open communication networks. The consumption measurement sampling granularity can then be much finer than in legacy systems where the meters were manually controlled about once a year. It is also possible to support multiple tariffs from different providers and adapt them much more frequently in accordance with the finer measurement periods.
From the utility provider perspective, as there will be no more local measurement and physical control of the meter functionality by authorized personnel, the smart metering architecture needs careful design to ensure secure, tamper resistant and trusted data collection and transmission from the smart meters to the provider utility services facility. Various solutions can be defined based on state of the art cryptography protocols and a key management system under the control of the utility provider. Those solutions typically require the smart meter to generate its measurement reporting messages specifically for a given utility provider. In a deregulated market where the smart meter is able to negotiate its tariffs with multiple providers, this results in increased bandwidth and processing needs as well as tamper resistant design complexity, manufacturing costs and maintenance costs for the utility meters.
The document US 2008/0068213 discloses automatic meter reading systems for receiving standard consumption messages from encoder-receiver-transmitter devices located at the end user. To this end, these devices communicate with reading systems that periodically collect reading of residential gas, electric or water meters by using RF communications. Each encoder-receiver-transmitter device is uniquely identifiable so that its information can be properly associated with the corresponding customer account for billing purposes. The encoder-receiver-transmitter devices operates in a low-power standby mode during a majority of the time and it is provided with a timer which operates to periodically wake up the device so that it enters into an active operating mode.
The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,369 discloses an energy management system, in particular a recording node for receiving energy-related consumption meter data for calculating consumption amount and consumption rate for a particular time interval and for storing such information. Price data may be received at the recording node from an external source, e.g. over a network, such as a distributed network, which network may include the recording node. Pricing information might be updated any time a price change is implemented or projected. Service provider can receive previously accumulated consumption values and associated prices for past consumption intervals, for billing purposes over network. Data calculated by the recording node is available for reading by any authorized nodes on network or by other authorized external devices.
However, while keeping in mind that reporting data refers simultaneously to millions of utility meters, none of these documents suggests means for optimizing as far as possible the management of exchanged data in order to save bandwidth and computing resources. Besides, these documents merely suggest exchanging communications through a known network without taking care to prevent hacking and tampering caused by certain malicious persons.
From a security point of view, it is difficult to implement a powerful system for exchanging data, metered by a huge quantity of utility meters, which is fully tamper-proof against hackers. For instance, it is not reliable to implement a single cryptography system for reporting all utility meters given that such a system would require, for all these meters, a shared key that would be difficult to keep secret. As taught by the prior art, it is much easier to implement a security system by using physical access controls in order to monitor sensitive devices, for instance by installing locked gates and video monitoring cameras.
There is therefore a need for a more flexible smart metering network topology to optimize the smart metering operations, communications, and security.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method to manage utility meter communications


A container with a reclosable lid is disclosed as including upper and lower frames and a childproof latching device having finger grips operable to release a retainer from a keeper to open the lid wherein the finger grips require a movement to free the retainer and a movement to displace the retainer away from the keeper.

The prior art is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,870 and No. 5,050,763, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,763 shows a container having a reclosable lid hinged to a frame that is secured to the upper edge of a container U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,870 shows a similar type container with a reclosable lid hinged to its frame. While each of these two patents has tab devices for opening and closing its lid relative to its frame, neither has any means whatsoever to childproof the reclosable feature of the container.
An additional patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,008, shows a child-resistant box for medicines and other harmful products. The box utilizes four spaced latches with two on a front side and one each on adjacent sides. However, this patent requires two adult hands to span the distance between the latches and simultaneously actuate all the latches in order to open the box. The present invention requires the use of only two fingers to open its box.


A system, method, and medium for deduplicating multiple status indications within a telecommunications network is provided. A first and second instance of a status indication is received, and a determination is made as to whether the second instance is a duplicate of the first. If it is, it is not permitted to proceed to alarm status. Multiple alarm occurrences are represented as a single display item rather than separate alarms if desired.

The difficulty of managing a communications network is directly proportional to its complexity. As networks grow in complexity, so too does the difficulty of managing it. Managing a network includes one or more of the following: retrieving historical performance, observing that the network is currently functioning properly, and ensuring that the network will function properly in the future. To accomplish each of these functions, feedback from the network is necessary. The most widely relied upon feedback are alarms.
Alarms provide feedback that element interaction or network elements themselves are not functioning as intended. But a complex communications network may produce on the order of thousands of alarms per hour or millions of alarms per day. An alarm may be referred to in the art as a message, alert, event, warning, or other data indication. Being able to maintain awareness of the potential barrage of alarms, as well as troubleshooting the source of the alarms has historically been a resource-intensive process that plagues network administrators.
At least three aspects contribute to the difficulty of managing a communications network: vendor diversity, geographic disparity, and disparate equipment roles. The larger a network grows, the more likely it is that components will be provided by various vendors rather than by a single vendor. For example, a communications network may include Nortel switches, Cisco routers, Lucent network devices, etc.
Different vendors often indicate similar real-world happenings using different protocols, terms, phrases, or notifications. Consider two persons meeting. In western culture, a handshake is common. In eastern culture, bowing to each other is common. But in both cases, each is greeting one another. If a person from another foreign country witnesses both events, then it would be beneficial for a translator to explain that each course of action corresponds to the same event: a greeting. The problem is that, without an interpreter, the foreign witness will not realize that both courses of conduct correspond to the same happening, just with a different format.
A similar problem exists when disparate vendor components are used to communicate information corresponding to similar fault states, such as for example a loss of signal. If a Nortel device communicates a loss-of-signal notification in a first manner, but a Cisco device communicates a similar loss-of-signal notification in a second manner, then a scheme should be implemented so that each manner of communication is mapped to the same network ailment; here, loss of signal. In both cases, a loss-of-signal alarm should be conveyed to an analyst. Such mapping is wanting in the prior art.
Geographic challenges also contribute to the complexity of a network. A carrier should be able to identify what elements are present on its network, the location of those elements, and what functionality is offered by those elements. When problems occur, a carrier would preferably be able to identify the location of faulty devices. If a carrier does not know the location of a device that is causing an alarm, then responding to that alarm will be exceedingly difficult. The present invention addresses this need.
Different network devices perform different roles. Switching and routing components help determine where and how to direct data across a communications network. A network may be composed of several hundreds of different types of devices that perform different types of activities. When a specific type of component fails, then the functionality that the component was offering will be compromised. Describing or understanding the nature of what functionality has been compromised is also difficult but desirous.
A failed communications device can be queried or tested to help identify the nature of its problem. But the method of interrogation itself may vary across components. Moreover, no generic alarm set exists. Specific devices provide specific alarms in specific ways, which can make interpreting those alarms difficult. Unlike a physician treating a new patient, a network controller cannot simply ask all network devices a common question in a universal format, such as "what is wrong?" Rather, a troubleshooter must know which questions to ask and in what manner to retrieve troubleshooting data. For example, consider a routing device that is routing data to the wrong address. The device may be queried to determine a list of destination addresses. But such a query request would be wholly inappropriate to submit to a power supply that is providing power beyond acceptable tolerance levels.
Because of the briefly described complexities along with a myriad of other factors, identifying relevant alarms and addressing them is difficult. As previously mentioned, an alarm can assume many forms, from a warning to an indication of a severe problem. Historically, no distinction is made with respect to displaying the various alarms. Rather, each alarm is displayed on a user interface, which can get crowded and confused quickly. Moreover, the only information provided are the alarms themselves. And after they are remedied, they are deleted. No sort of root-cause analysis is performed on the alarms. The arduous task of determining the respective underlying causes of each alarm has historically been relegated to a human being. Trying to determine the various causes that gave rise to the plethora of alarms is a difficult task for a person to work on.
Consider the situation where a first alarm gives rise to multiple subordinate alarms. Without the benefit of root-cause analysis, a technician may begin allocating resources to resolving the subordinate alarms when resolution of the primary problem would solve the propagated problems. For example, consider a device that loses power. The loss of power would propagate other alarms related to whatever functionality the device was supposed to perform. The other alarms, as well as the power-loss alarm, would all be displayed for viewing in a control room. At this point, troubleshooting begins. Without the benefit of the present invention that will be described below, an analyst is not provided direction as to how to begin addressing each alarm. Although this simplistic example appears to be a relatively easy problem to solve by an experienced analyst, a carrier cannot rely on the subjective experience of an analyst nor upon such a simplistic example. Even if a carrier were to rely on such benefits, it would have to address such issues as a steep learning curve related to deciphering network alarms and the risks of losing personnel who have mastered a sense and feel for addressing primary alarms.
Still worse, some primary alarms can give rise to sympathetic alarms, which are alarms associated with otherwise properly functioning devices. In such a scenario, ultimate problem resolution can be prolonged because troubleshooting subordinate-alarm devices will yield results associated with the device working properly. Consider a telephone user who cannot make outgoing calls because, unbeknownst to him, his telephone line has been inadvertently cut. A substantial amount of time could be wasted if a technician were dispatched to troubleshoot the telephone. All of the tests initiated on the telephone would yield results consistent with a properly functioning telephone. The root cause does not lie within the telephone device itself, but rather with a compromised communications line. This coarse example provides an illustrative example of how resources can be wasted while attempting to resolve a child alarm that stems from a parent cause, wherein resolution of the parent cause would eliminate the child alarm.
During a network "firestorm," an operations center may be bombarded with thousands or even hundreds of thousands of alarms. The nature of receiving such a large number of alarms from heterogeneous resources makes resolving the problems associated with the alarms difficult. It is very difficult to identify the most important alarms. Alarms are manually tracked down to laboriously attempt to determine any relationships between them. An experienced network specialist may be able to eventually track down and focus in on some of the causes, but such a process is manual, labor intensive, and time consuming. Such a problem is compounded when a new or less experienced specialist is charged with resolving the problems associated with the alarms and would generally become overwhelmed and intimidated by the circumstances.
Currently, problem solving and maintaining a telecommunications network is dependent on the knowledge and experience of the people monitoring the alarms. Dependency on one or more particular persons becomes a problem if one or all of the people were to quit their job. Another issue that carriers face is the inability to enrich topology information that equipment providers supply for determining the location of the component within the network. Currently, there no system is known of that provides a root-cause analysis capable of deciphering a top level event among a plurality of equipment providers.
What is needed is a robust message-enriching system that allows alarms from disparate network-element vendors to be received and troubleshooted using techniques that incorporate deduplication, thresholding, pattern-recognition, root cause analysis, and display management.

Method and system for deduplicating status indications in a communications network


Methods and arrangements for improving quality of content in voice applications. A specification is provided for acceptable content for a voice application, and user generated audio content for the voice application is inputted. At least one test is applied to the user generated audio content, and it is thereupon determined as to whether the user generated audio content meets the provided specification.

The lack of internet access in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries, has given rise to voice applications with a capability for user-generated content. These permit a user to phone into a number and access voice application sites analogous to websites, yet controlled, delivered and administered via audio and voice. Voice application platforms and associated sites thus represent tremendous potential for utility but, unfortunately, significant challenges can arise in ensuring a consistent quality of user-generated audio content (UGC).

Quality of user generated audio content in voice applications


A method and apparatus are disclosed for wrapping a cover yarn onto an elastic core yarn utilizing a "producer" package directly. The disclosed apparatus eliminates the conventional rewinding step used by garment material manufacturers.

This invention is directed to an efficient manufacture of a covered elastic yarn. Covered elastic yarns are used today in body and leg support garments. The covered elastic yarns typically have a core material of spandex or other elastomer. Usually a single filament or monofilament comprises the core elastic element; however, more than one filament may be used. The wrapping element usually comprises several finer denier filaments, and the filaments are usually made from the same material as the support garment. The elastic yarn normally alternates with conventional inelastic yarns during the course of a material construction. Nylon polymer such as nylon 6 and nylon 6.6 is a popular support garment material for leggings, body stockings and the like.
There are a number of ways of "wrapping" the covering element onto the elastic core. It is known, for example, to pass the core yarn through a filament interlacing device. The covering filaments and core filament are intermingled as a result of a vortex action within the interlacing device and the two elements emerge from the intermixing device in an intermingled condition. During the wrapping operation, the core yarn is usually stretched from 3-5 times its relaxed length. The wrapping yarn is fed tensionless or "overfed" into the intermingling device; therefore, the wrapping or cover yarns tend to wrap around the core yarn and provide a covering therefore.
This invention is to a means for positioning covering filaments around a core yarn in a positive manner. Elastic core filaments are helically wrapped by an inelastic wrapping material. It is known to "single" and "double" wrap elastic yarns from, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,529. This particular reference depicts double wrapping. The invention herein may be used in either process.
It is usual for covered yarn manufacturers to wind smaller packages from yarn producer prepared packages and utilize the smaller packages during core wrapping operations. This additional step, especially for higher speed wrapping operations (14,000 rpm and above), is required in view of the conventional producer packages having long winding stroke patterns. As the producer packages are formed, yarn is wound using strokes that generally carry the filament yarn being wound a substantial length of the package per package revolution. Such a package formation creates excessive tension variations when the yarn is being withdrawn in core wrapping operations; thus, the smaller formed packages as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,529 and 4,232,507.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,952 and 4,484,433 depict the use of producer pirn packages in a wrapping operation for spun staple fibers. These references also depict the binding (wrapping) of a staple fiber in conjunction with the sliver forming process. The binding or wrapping in these references act more as a loose bind around the staple fibers and constitutes less than 5% per weight of the thread structure. Therefore, these references are not representative of a yarn covering process such as used in the formation of covered elastic yarns in support garments. The wrap count in the latter is much higher, permitting the wrapping yarn to substantially cover the elastic core in a relaxed condition.

Apparatus and method of covering spandex yarn


The non-aqueous secondary battery of the present invention comprises a positive electrode containing a lithium-containing composite oxide as an active material, a negative electrode, a separator, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The non-aqueous electrolyte contains polyvalent organic lithium salt, and the content of the polyvalent organic lithium salt is 0.001 parts by mass or more and 1 part by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of all of the components of the non-aqueous electrolyte other than the polyvalent organic lithium salt.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a non-aqueous secondary battery capable of exhibiting excellent charge/discharge cycle characteristics even when being charged to a high voltage.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of portable electronic devices such as portable phones and notebook personal computers and the commercialization of electric vehicles in recent years, there are needs for small, lightweight and high-capacity secondary batteries. As high-capacity secondary batteries that can satisfy such needs at present, non-aqueous secondary batteries (lithium-ion secondary batteries) using a lithium-containing composite oxide such as LiCoO2 as a positive electrode active material and using a carbon material as a negative electrode active material have been introduced to the market. And as devices to which non-aqueous secondary batteries are applied are making further advancement, a larger capacity and larger energy density are required of non-aqueous secondary batteries, for example.
To increase the energy density of a battery, a high-capacity positive electrode active material or positive electrode active material capable of functioning at a high potential may be used. From the viewpoint of the latter, lithium-cobalt oxides with increased final voltage and spinel lithium-manganese oxides capable of functioning at a high potential have been studied at present.
For example, although LiCoO2 is generally used in a battery to be charged at a voltage of 4.3V or less against lithium, it has been reported that a battery using an oxide obtained from the partial replacement of Co of LiCoO2 with other metal element can be charged/discharged at a voltage of 4.4V or higher. Further, it has been found that a battery using the lithium-containing composite oxide represented by the general formula LiNixMyMn2-x-yO4 (where M is at least one transition metal element other than Ni and Mn, and x satisfies 0.4≦x≦0.6 and y satisfies 0≦y≦0.1) can function at a potential of 4.5V or higher against lithium (e.g., JP 9-147867 A and JP 11-73962 A).
However, when the lithium-containing composite oxide represented by the general formula LiNixMyMn2-x-yO4 discussed above or other positive electrode active material is used to form a battery, and the battery is charged at a high voltage, the positive electrode active material reacts with a non-aqueous electrolyte, which may lead to the deterioration of the charge/discharge cycle characteristics of the battery. Such deterioration of the charge/discharge cycle characteristics is more likely to occur when the battery is charged to 4.4V or higher against lithium, it is even more likely to occur when the battery is charged to 4.5V or higher against lithium, and the deterioration becomes particularly significant when the battery is charged to 5V or higher against lithium.
With the foregoing in mind, the present invention provides a non-aqueous secondary battery capable of exhibiting excellent charge/discharge cycle characteristics even when being charged at a high voltage.

Non-aqueous secondary battery comprising a polyvalent organic lithium salt


What is described is a motor vehicle ignition key and a method including a movement sensor for detecting the movement of the motor vehicle ignition key, a motor vehicle navigation device, and a method including a calculator for calculating a driving route in dependence of movement data, and a motor vehicle system and a method including a motor vehicle ignition key and a motor vehicle controller.

In today's world, mobility is an important factor. Therefore, most people have a motor vehicle of their own. Each motor vehicle typically has one or more motor vehicle ignition keys associated with the motor vehicle. There are different embodiments of motor vehicle ignition keys. While motor vehicle ignition keys used to consist, in former times, only of a key bit with a key body, some of them nowadays have complex electronic circuits. Immobilizers in modern motor vehicles constituted a first step toward integrating electronics into a motor vehicle ignition key. This involves adding only a small RFID transponder to the key, which at start-up of the motor vehicle performs, in combination with an RFID reading device within the motor vehicle, an authentication for starting up the motor vehicle. In addition to the immobilizer, most modern motor vehicle ignition keys have a remote-control function for opening the doors of the motor vehicle; while remote controls used to transmit their data to the motor vehicle via infrared in former times, this nowadays has been almost entirely replaced by UHF radio transmission. A motor vehicle ignition key having an RFID transponder built therein is given a serial number of its own. This enables the motor vehicle to identify the motor vehicle user and to adjust the motor vehicle to suit the motor vehicle user. For example, the sitting position and minor settings may be adapted to the respective motor vehicle user. In addition, vehicle-specific data, for example the serial number of the vehicle, but also data relevant to maintenance such as the mileage or error codes, for example, may be stored on the motor vehicle ignition keys. Said data may be read out by a specialist workshop and be read out as a basis for a quick diagnosis.
Another technical innovation in the automotive field are motor vehicle navigation devices. Motor vehicle navigation devices increasingly replace the reading of maps, which is awkward. Whereas itineraries had to be planned ahead with the help of maps in former times, nowadays it is sufficient to input a destination into a navigation device. Navigation devices are able to find an optimum route from a starting point to a selected destination while taking into account a variety of conditions. The navigation device may adapt the route in dependence on the user's desires. For example, the user has the choice between the shortest and the fastest route. Modern navigation devices additionally have extensive data bases wherein the addresses of important places are stored. These may be car parks, railway stations, airports, but also restaurants or places of interest. Navigation devices exist in a variety of embodiments and ranges of functions. Currently, there are navigation devices that are fixedly built into a motor vehicle, and navigation devices that are portable and may be retrofitted into any motor vehicle.
Today, cars are the preferential means of locomotion for most people—irrelevant of whether one undertakes a long holiday trip or drives to the bakery at the corner. Modern man does not move anymore, or at least not more than he absolutely has to. This behavior results in numerous "diseases of affluence": obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and (as a result) cardiovascular diseases, which are greatly favored by lack of exercise. Even though modern man longs for a healthy and well-trained body, realization of such good intentions fails mostly because of the laziness or indolence threshold to be overcome ("one's weaker self"). Due to the demographic change, life-long prevention is indispensable so as to maintain a high quality of life even at an advanced age. Therefore, more regular exercise would be useful for many people. In competitive sports, systems for monitoring the physical fitness of an athlete have been used for quite some time. There are pulse sensors, for example, but also movement sensors, which record the athlete's movement. Nowadays, said systems are also available to amateur athletes. For example, there are systems for pulse measurement that consist of a chest strap and a watch. However, said systems do not provide any information about the distance traveled. A simple system for logging the distance traveled are mechanical pedometers. They have the disadvantage, among other things, that they are imprecise and do not take into account the variations in the step length. Another possibility of logging movement data are movement sensors which record a user's movements with the help of a 3D acceleration sensor. Said sensors may be attached close to the body and detect any movements during sport. A disadvantage of all of these devices is that they are designed for passionate amateur or competitive athletes. Prior to the beginning of any sportive activity, said devices are first applied to the athlete's body and/or be activated. Everyday movements, such as walking to the car or climbing stairs at home or at the office, are typically not detected by this system, since users do not want to burden themselves with additional devices in everyday life. A further disadvantage is that particularly people who are not enthusiastic about sports hardly have any interest in such additional products, and that consequently, they do not have any information about their everyday movements. However, with these people, said everyday movements are often the only sportive activities performed.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,820 shows a basic principle and a general application for detecting human movement activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,160,478 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,658,292 show examples of activity monitoring devices for medical applications and/or for patient care as portable and implantable sensors.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,512,515 shows examples of detecting human movement activities in leisure-time applications and/or lifestyle scenarios.

Motor vehicle ignition key, motor vehicle navigation device, motor vehicle system, and methods

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e. V.


The present invention is the electric power steering apparatus that drives a motor based on the current command value and assist-controls a steering system by a driving-control of the motor, comprising: a handle-returning control section to calculate the target steering angle velocity for handle-returning based on the steering torque, the current command value, a vehicle speed, a steering angle, calculate the handle-returning control current based on a deviation between the steering angle velocity and the target steering angle velocity, and interpose a filter, which motion characteristic, in a calculation path of the target steering angle velocity, wherein the motor is driven by the corrected current command value by using the handle-returning control current.

An electric power steering apparatus (EPS) that provides a steering mechanism of a vehicle with an assist torque by means of a rotational torque of a motor, applies a driving force of a motor as a steering assist torque to a steering shaft or a rack shaft by means of a transmission mechanism such as gears or a belt through a reduction mechanism. In order to accurately generate the assist torque, such a conventional electric power steering apparatus (EPS) performs a feed-back control of a motor current. The feed-back control adjusts a voltage supplied to the motor so that a difference between a steering assist command value (a current command value) and a detected motor current value becomes small, and the adjustment of the voltage supplied to the motor is generally performed by an adjustment of duty command values of a pulse width modulation (PWM) control.
A general configuration of the conventional electric power steering apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a column shaft (a steering shaft or a handle shaft) 2 connected to a steering wheel (handle) 1 is connected to steered wheels 8L and 8R through reduction gears 3, universal joints 4a and 4b, a rack-and-pinion mechanism 5, and tie rods 6a and 6b, further via hub units 7a and 7b. In addition, the column shaft 2 is provided with a torque sensor 10 for detecting a steering torque Td of the steering wheel 1 and a steering angle sensor 14 for detecting a steering angle θ, and the motor 20 for assisting a steering force of the steering wheel 1 is connected to the column shaft 2 through the reduction gears 3. The electric power is supplied to a control unit (ECU) 30 for controlling the electric power steering apparatus from a battery 13, and an ignition key signal is inputted into the control unit 30 through an ignition key 11. The control unit 30 calculates a current command value of an assist command on the basis of the steering torque Td detected by the torque sensor 10 and a vehicle speed Vs detected by a vehicle speed sensor 12, and controls a current supplied to the motor 20 by means of a voltage control command value Vref obtained by performing compensation or the like to the current command value. A steering angle sensor 14 is not indispensable and may not be provided.
A controller area network (CAN) 50 to send/receive various information and signals on the vehicle is connected to the control unit 30, and it is also possible to receive the vehicle speed Vs from the CAN 50. Further, a Non-CAN 51 is also possible to connect to the control unit 30, and the Non-CAN 51 sends and receives a communication, analogue/digital signals, electric wave or the like except for the CAN 50.
The control unit 30 mainly comprises a central processing unit (CPU) (including a micro controller unit (MCU) and a micro processor unit (MPU)), and general functions performed by programs within the CPU are, for example, shown in FIG. 2.
Functions and operations of the control unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the steering torque Td detected by the torque sensor 10 and the vehicle speed Vs detected by the vehicle speed sensor 12 (or from the CAN 50) are inputted into a current command value calculating section 31 which calculates the current command value Iref1. The current command value calculating section 31 calculates the current command value Iref1, based on the steering torque Td and the vehicle speed Vs with reference to an assist map or the like, which is a control target value of a current supplied to the motor 20. The calculated current command value Iref1 is inputted into a current limiting section 33 via an adding section 32A, and the current command value Irefm whose maximum current is limited is inputted into a subtracting section 32B. A current deviation ΔI (=Irefm−Im) between the current command value Irefm and a motor current value Im which is fed-back is calculated at the subtracting section 32B, and the current deviation ΔI is inputted into a proportional-integral-control (PI-control) section 35 for improving a current characteristic of the steering operation. The voltage control command value Vref that the characteristic is improved at the PI-control section 35, is inputted into a PWM-control section 36, and the motor 20 is PWM-driven through an inverter 37 serving as a driving section. The motor current value Im of the motor 20 is detected by a motor current detector 38 and is fed-back to the subtracting section 32B. Field-effect transistors (FETs) are used as a driving device at the inverter 37, and the inverter 37 is constituted by a bridge circuit of the FETs.
A compensation signal CM from a compensation signal generating section 34 is added at the adding section 32A. A characteristic compensation of the steering system is performed by adding the compensation signal CM, and a convergence, an inertia characteristic and the like are improved. The compensation signal generating section 34 adds a self-aligning torque (SAT) 343 to an inertia 342 at an adding section 344. The adding result is further added with a convergence 341 at an adding section 345. The adding result at the adding section 345 is treated as the compensation signal CM.
In such an electric power steering apparatus, friction due to the reduction gears and the rack-and-pinion is large, and an equivalent inertia moment around the steering shaft due to the motor in order to generate the assist torque is large. Thus, in a case that a self-aligning torque (SAT) is small in a low vehicle speed range, a handle-returning is not adequate because the friction is larger than the SAT. That is, the steering angle is not returned to a neutral point by only the SAT when the steering shaft is returned to a straight running state in a low vehicle speed range. In this connection, it is necessary to return the steering angle to the neutral point by means of a steering intervention by the driver, and this is a burden on the driver.
On the other hand, in a case that the SAT is large in a high speed range, the steering angle velocity of the handle-returning tends to be fast in comparison with the low vehicle speed due to the large SAT. However, since the inertia moment is large, an inertia torque is large, and the handle is not converged at the neutral point of the steering angle and is overshot. Under such a situation, the driver feels that vehicle characteristics are unstable.
Accordingly, it is necessary to assist the handle-returning in the low vehicle speed and to improve the convergence in order to stabilize the vehicle characteristics in the high vehicle speed. In order to achieve the above requirements, various control methods, which perform an appropriate assist when returning the handle, are proposed. In those handle-returning controls, the electric power steering apparatus as a prior art whose object is to perform the smooth handle-returning control even in the steering intervention by the driver is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4685557 B2 (Patent Document 1).
In the apparatus of Patent Document 1, a controller, which follows the target steering angle velocity, calculates the target steering angle velocity by performing multiplying and adding corrections by the vehicle speed and the torque to a base target steering angle velocity. In the steering intervention by the driver, uncomfortable feeling for the driver when the driver steers the handle, is reduced by correcting the target steering angle velocity to a direction which the torque is applied.


A miniature circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, a trip mechanism cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts, a processor having a routine, a plurality of sensors sensing power circuit information operatively associated with the separable contacts, and a non-volatile memory accessible by the processor. The routine of the processor is structured to input the sensed power circuit information, determine and store trip information for each of a plurality of trip cycles in the non-volatile memory, store the sensed power circuit information in the non-volatile memory for each of a plurality of line half-cycles, and determine and store circuit breaker information in the non-volatile memory for the operating life span of the miniature circuit breaker.

1. Field
The disclosed concept pertains generally to circuit interrupters and, more particularly, to circuit breakers. The disclosed concept also pertains to miniature circuit breakers.
2. Background Information
Circuit interrupters, such as circuit breakers, are generally old and well known in the art. Circuit breakers are used to protect electrical circuitry from damage due to an overcurrent condition, such as an overload condition or a relatively high level short circuit or fault condition. In small circuit breakers, commonly referred to as miniature circuit breakers, used for residential and light commercial applications, such protection is typically provided by a thermal-magnetic trip device. This trip device includes a bimetal, which heats and bends in response to a persistent overcurrent condition. The bimetal, in turn, unlatches a spring powered operating mechanism, which opens the separable contacts of the circuit breaker to interrupt current flow in the protected power system.
Industrial circuit breakers often use a circuit breaker frame, which houses a trip unit. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,910,760; and 6,144,271. The trip unit may be modular and may be replaced, in order to alter the electrical properties of the circuit breaker.
It is well known to employ trip units which utilize a microprocessor to detect various types of overcurrent trip conditions and provide various protection functions, such as, for example, a long delay trip, a short delay trip, an instantaneous trip, and/or a ground fault trip. The long delay trip function protects the load served by the protected electrical system from overloads and/or overcurrents. The short delay trip function can be used to coordinate tripping of downstream circuit breakers in a hierarchy of circuit breakers. The instantaneous trip function protects the electrical conductors to which the circuit breaker is connected from damaging overcurrent conditions, such as short circuits. As implied, the ground fault trip function protects the electrical system from faults to ground.
The earliest electronic trip unit circuit designs utilized discrete components such as transistors, resistors and capacitors.
More recently, designs, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,428,022; and 5,525,985, have included microprocessors, which provide improved performance and flexibility. These digital systems sample the current waveforms periodically to generate a digital representation of the current. The microprocessor uses the samples to execute algorithms, which implement one or more current protection curves.
When diagnosing field issues with an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI), engineers often rely heavily on hearsay reports of the circumstances surrounding each issue. These reports can come from users, electricians and sales staff. Although the people providing the information are certainly well-intentioned and their efforts are greatly appreciated, the quality of information that gets reported back from the field is often of poor or questionable value. In fact, assessing the quality of information provided from field reports is often as big a challenge as determining what the original problem may have been.
When the pattern of available information is confusing or unclear, then engineers are forced to make very broad guesses as to what the field issue may have been. Hence, diagnosing a field issue is difficult with little solid information to help diagnose the issue. In these cases, it is often required to send a circuit interrupter design engineer to a field location along with oscilloscopes and other diagnostic equipment in order to collect additional firsthand information about the issue. This can be time consuming, costly and even unproductive if the field issue is not repeatable.
There is a need for a "black box" in a miniature circuit breaker, in order to improve the quantity and quality of information available when diagnosing, for example, AFCI issues encountered in the field.
In known miniature circuit breakers, the information that the circuit breaker uses to make each trip decision is lost because there is no comprehensive storage mechanism. For example, a known AFCI microprocessor stores only a single byte of information (i.e., the "cause-of-trip") in its internal data EEPROM per trip event. This is because of various restrictions.
The highest priority of an AFCI is to interrupt the protected circuit whenever an exceptional condition is suspected. The processor cannot delay circuit interruption in order to store information. Hence, the microprocessor stores a "cause-of-trip" in EEPROM only after a fault has been identified and a signal has been sent to trip open the circuit breaker operating mechanism. Also, there is a limited time after the AFCI interrupts the protected circuit for the processor to store information. This is because the AFCI uses power provided by the utility source, which is interrupted when the circuit breaker separable contacts open. For example, the time required to store information in EEPROM is relatively large (e.g., about 5 to 10 milliseconds (mS)) when compared to the power supply hold time, such that only a single byte of information can be reliably saved for each trip event.
Another problem associated with EEPROM is that the single AFCI microprocessor may stop executing code while information is being written to its EEPROM. As a consequence, the processor does not write to EEPROM any time it is looking for faults. Otherwise, if this were allowed, then the microprocessor would be "blind" to arc fault conditions each time that it stored data. Furthermore, restrictions on the number of write cycles of EEPROM (e.g., 300,000 maximum write cycles), mean that a limited amount of information can be stored in EEPROM.
A conventional branch feeder arc fault circuit breaker provides protection for parallel arcs and 30 mA ground faults. This generally does not employ a processor, and does not provide data logging, extraction of a status log or user communications. Also, no cause-of-trip information is available.
A known first generation combination circuit breaker provides protection for parallel arcs, series arcs and 30 mA ground faults. This employs a processor, provides a single trip record containing one byte of information (i.e., the most recent cause-of-trip) in data EEPROM for data logging, and provides for extraction of the cause-of-trip by connecting a third party EEPROM development tool directly to the circuit breaker printed circuit board, but does not provide user communications. The cause-of-trip information is not available to the user.
A known second generation combination circuit breaker provides improved protection for parallel arcs and series arcs, and optionally 30 mA ground faults. This employs a processor, provides several hundred trip records, each record containing one byte of information indicating a cause-of-trip for each trip event in data EEPROM for data logging, and provides for extraction of the cause-of-trip by an optional blinking LED, but only for the most recent trip event. A status log of the full trip history is available by connecting a proprietary tool directly to the circuit breaker printed circuit board, but is not available to the user.
There is room for improvement in circuit interrupters.
There is also room for improvement in circuit breakers, such as miniature circuit breakers.

Circuit interrupter employing non-volatile memory for improved diagnostics


A rangefinder with a head covering attachment comprising a housing, where the housing includes a front face, a back face, a first side wall, a second side wall, a top surface and a bottom surface; a laser window on the front face; a reader window next to the laser window on the front face; a lens attached to a side of the front face at a bottom edge, where the lens moves from an open position to a closed position; a hinge to fasten the lens to the housing; a receiving means positioned on the top surface; and a clip, where the clip includes a top arm and a bottom arm; wherein the clip connects to the receiving means to thereby attach the housing to a bill of the head covering to position the rangefinder directly in front of a user's face.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rangefinder with a modified top surface to receive a clip therefore allowing the rangefinder to attach to a head covering of a user.
2. Description of Related Art
Accuracy is a key component is many activities such as hunting, golf and archery. Specifically, knowing the distance to the target may greatly assist the performer when they are trying to set up a shot. Knowledge of the distance between the person and the target tells the person how hard to strike the ball, how far to pull the bow or how to angle the gun. With practice, the person is able to fine tune their abilities so that when the exact distance is known they situate their bodies and equipment to perform their most accurate shot.
Currently, there are a variety of rangefinders to assist users when determining the distance between themselves and the target. Most of the common rangefinders are handheld devices wherein the user holds the device with either one or both hands. With the handheld rangefinders the user cannot perform more than one task at a time. The user must first hold the rangefinder, put it down and then pick up their other equipment to perform their desired activity. Some rangefinders have been modified to attach near the eyepiece of a gun, and therefore the user is able to both determine the distance to the target while simultaneously aiming. The user does not have to fumble with switching between the handheld rangefinder to their gun. While these gun mounted rangefinders are handy tools for hunters, golfers and archers still must use the handheld devices when wanting to find their target distances.
Therefore it would be beneficial in the art to provide a rangefinder that allows for handless operation to determine the distance to a target. It would also be desirable in the art to provide a rangefinder that includes a modified screen for easier viewing by the user without using their hands.

Rangefinder with head covering attachments


An inattention determination device includes a sight direction detecting unit that detects a sight direction of a driver, and an inattention determining unit that measures an inattention continuation time from a time point when the sight direction is a predetermined inattention direction to a time point when the sight direction deviates from the predetermined inattention direction and becomes a direction other than the inattention direction and determines that the driver is inattentive when the intention continuation time is equal to or more than a predetermined time. The inattention determining unit maintains measurement of the inattention continuation time when the sight direction is changed at a speed higher than a predetermined movement speed from the predetermined inattention direction to a direction other than the inattention direction or when the sight direction is momentarily a direction other than the inattention direction.

In the related art, an apparatus is known, which determines whether or not a driver is inattentive on the basis of a continuation time when a gazing point of the driver is at a position in a specific direction, such as inside or outside a vehicle, for example, by capturing an image of a driver's eyes using a camera and an infrared irradiator provided in the vehicle (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 3,369,237).