An image forming method is disclosed, comprising (a) imagewise exposing a recording material comprising on a support an image forming layer containing colored electrophoretic particles and a photopolymerizable compositon to light to perform photocuring and (b) applying an electric field to the recording material to migrate the electrophoretic particles.

Development of a technique for color printing which is simplified while producing no waste material is desired along with the recent explosive popularization of digital still cameras, internet infrastructure improvements and increased ecological concerns.
There are known a variety of color printing techniques. Silver halide color print systems produce waste material in the processing stage, increasing an environmental load. Ink-jet printing systems, sublimation type dye transfer systems and melt type dye transfer systems produce waste materials such as cartridges and ribbons in the color material supplying section.
Print systems not producing waste material include, for example, a system employing image formation by a thermal head and photo-fixing, as described in JP-A No. 6-127121 (hereinafter, the term JP-A refers to Japanese Patent Application Publication); a system using photosensitive microcapsules, a dye precursor and rupture of the microcapsules by applying pressure, as described in JP-A No. 2001-312058; a system using a color material and photosensitive microcapsules, as described in JP-A No. 2002-268237; and a system using a color developing agent precursor and a photosensitive microcapsule, as described in JP-A No. 2001-142204. There is also disclosed an electrophoresis display comprising colored particles described in JP-A No. 2001-2424292 and fixation of a microgel for medical diagnosis using photopolymerization in an electrophoretic analysis, as described in published Japanese translation of PCT international publication for patent application Nos. 10-508381 and 10-512043. However, none of the foregoing patent documents discloses a print recording technique relating to the present invention in which electrophoretically mobile colored particles and a photopolymerizable composition are used in combination, and photo-curing and electrophoresis are combined.

Recording material and image forming method


An electrical coaxial jack connector adapted for electrical interconnection with a mating plug-type coaxial connector. The coaxial jack connector has an integral molded plastic body from which external connecting wires project to form a unitary cable connector. The jack-connector body is subdivided into three body sections, namely, a contact-housing section, a grip section, and a wire strain-relief section. A contact mounting board divides the contact-housing section from the grip section. A coaxial male-pin contact and a peripheral leaf-spring contact project from a front surface of the mounting board into an access cavity defined by a cylindrical wall which forms the contact-housing body section. This cylindrical wall is formed with an internal recess or groove which is located adjacent to and in alignment with the leaf-spring contact. This recess serves as a receptacle, at least in part, for the leaf-spring contact in response to leaf-spring deflecting movements caused by the mating insertion of a plug coaxial connector into the jack connector-housing body section.

The prior art is prolific in electrical connectors of many diverse designs used in a large variety of different applications. One major category of such connectors is termed coaxial connectors. These connectors are usually employed in coupled pairs to establish a desired electrical connection. In general, one connector of each connecting pair employees a male element or pin that is coaxially aligned with a female element or pin.
In some designs, a coaxial connector may employ a metal body that is electrically conductive; in other instances the body may be fabricated from a plastic material. The connectors may also be panel mounted, or integrally attached to individual wires, or to a cable containing several wires.
In recent times, with the introduction of low-voltage electronic circuitry employing semiconductor elements, such as, transistors, integrated circuits and light-emitting diodes, coaxial cable connectors have become commonplace. In inexpensive applications, these connectors are used to establish low-voltage cable interconnections between circuit subsystems or components. Accordingly, the coaxial connectors are cheaply constructed resulting in poor tolerances between mating coaxial elements that result in unreliable connections both mechanically and electrically. In particular, the individual connections of a poorly constructed mated set will pull apart easily, or a male pin will fit loosely within a mated female pin resulting in an intermittent noisy connection.


A seat load measuring system for use in a vehicle occupant protection device for a vehicle seat has a zero point adjusting capability. The seat load measuring system comprises four weight sensor assemblies; a hub assembly for collecting the weight sensor outputs and providing an output determined by the weight sensor outputs; and means for communicating a user""s desire for a zero point adjustment to each weight sensor assembly. Each weight sensor assembly includes a zero point adjusting section, which receives an output from the communication means for executing a zero point adjusting operation. If a zero point of a weight sensor assembly is not within a predetermined range, the zero point adjusting section may providing an alert. A zero point adjusting command may be entered by a command input device and passed to the zero point adjusting section. Alternatively, the zero point adjustment may be initiated through a momentary switch provided in the hub assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seat load measuring system for use in a vehicle occupant protection device for securing the safety of a vehicle occupant and for measuring a seat load a vehicle seat bears or the weight of the occupant of a vehicle seat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicles have become equipped with seat belt systems and air bag systems as vehicle occupant protection devices. In order to enhance the performance of such devices, attempts are being made to control the operation of each vehicle occupant protection device in response to the weight of the occupant of a vehicle seat equipped with the vehicle occupant protection device as well as a detection of the occurrence of a vehicle crash. For example, the quantity of air bag deploying gas, the deploying speed of air bags and/or the pretension of seat belts are controlled in response to the occupant""s weight.
The present invention relates to vehicle seat load or occupant""s weight measuring systems used in vehicle occupant protection devices as mentioned above. For example, three of such seat load measuring systems are disclosed in European Patent EP0990565 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,039,344 and 5,971,432.
Generally, a seat load measuring system provided for a vehicle seat comprises four weight sensor assemblies and a hub assembly for collecting the weight sensor assembly outputs and providing an output signal determined by the weight of the occupant of the vehicle seat. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional way of determining the seat load component WLD posed on each of the weight sensors from the output W of the weight sensor.
In FIG. 1, the horizontal axis indicates time and the vertical axis indicates the output W of the weight sensor. It is assumed in this figure that the used sensors are capable of measuring not only the pressure (i.e., the positive pressing force forward the sensor) but also the negative pressure or the tension. The least upper bound and the greatest lower bound of the weight sensor output are indicated by dotted lines Wmax and Wmin, respectively. A weight level W0 indicates the output level of a weight sensor assembly measured without applying any load thereto. After installing a seat assembly that includes the seat load measuring system in a vehicle under manufacturing, the output W0+W1 of each weight sensor assembly that includes a seat weight component W1 applied to the weight sensor assembly, is stored as a zero-point in the weight measuring hub assembly. Thereafter, the seat load (i.e., the load applied to a seat) is obtained by summing up seat load components given by the four weight sensor assemblies used for the seat. The seat load component for each weight sensor assembly is calculated as Wxe2x88x92(W0+W1) from the output W of the sensor assembly and the stored zero-point W0+W1 for the sensor assembly.
However, the zero point of one or more weight sensor assembly may deviate far from the stored value W0+W1 to a value W0+W2 due to any cause such as a minor crash or distortion of any rigid member of the seat that is caused by the lowering of durability. In such a case, the inability to adjust the zero-point in conventional seat load measuring system results in the seat load component being still determined by the expression WWxe2x88x92(W0+W1) using the old correction value W1. Further, if the deviation W2 is too large, which means that the positive dynamic range (PDR) is narrower than a necessary range, then the output of the weight sensor may be saturated for a large load. In this case, the seat assembly needs a disassembly and adjustment or the substitution of a new one.
Therefore, what is needed is a seat load measuring system that provides an accurate seat load measurement by adjusting its zero point even when the zero point has significantly deviated.
What is further needed is a seat load measuring system that alerts the user if the zero point deviation exceeds a predetermined value.
According to an aspect of the invention, a seat load measuring system which is for use in a vehicle occupant protection device for a vehicle seat and which has a zero point adjusting capability is provided. The seat load measuring system comprises a plurality of weight sensor assemblies each for providing a first output indicative of a weight component of an occupant of the vehicle seat which component is applied to the weight sensor assembly; a hub assembly for collecting the first outputs and providing a second output determined by the first outputs; and means for communicating a user""s desire for a zero point adjustment to each of the weight sensor assemblies. Each weight sensor assembly includes a zero point adjusting section, which receives an output from the communication means for executing a zero point adjusting operation.
The predetermined zero adjusting operation includes providing an alert if a zero point of the weight sensor assembly is not within a predetermined range.
The user""s desire for a zero point adjustment may be communicated to the zero point adjusting section by using an input device for permitting the user to enter a predetermined command; and portions distributed in the hub assembly and each weight sensor assembly for transferring the predetermined command to the means for executing a predetermined zero adjusting operation.
Alternatively, the user""s desire for a zero point adjustment may be communicated to the zero point adjusting section by using a momentary switch provided in the hub assembly; and portions distributed in the hub assembly and each weight sensor assembly for transferring the operation state of the momentary switch to the zero point adjusting section.

Seat load measuring system with zero point-adjusting capability


According to embodiments of the present invention, machines, systems, computer-implemented methods and computer program products are provided for converting part or all of a document from an unstructured format into a structured format, and combining structured and unstructured data into an unstructured format. In some embodiments, documents are received in an unstructured format, and stored in a repository for querying (e.g., including updating and other operations (e.g., SQL SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, DELETE, MERGE, etc.)). Responsive to detecting a predetermined number of the documents in an unstructured format stored in a repository for querying, an optimization criteria may be applied to identify one or more components of the stored documents for conversion, and the one or more components of the stored documents are converted from the unstructured format to a structured format.

Present invention embodiments relate to document storage, and more specifically, to determining which portions of a document to store in an unstructured format and which portions to store in a structured format.
Non-relational database solutions (e.g., NoSQL) increasingly utilize interchange or unstructured data formats, e.g., JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), Binary JSON (BSON), etc., for ease of data management and ease of data exchange with applications. Interchange formats such as JSON or BSON provide schema type flexibility, allowing both key-value pair types and the number of key-value pairs to be arbitrary. JSON and BSON provide flexibility to developers, allowing for data to be entered in any desired format, as corresponding schema rules are enforced during subsequent read operations (and not during write operations).
While providing flexibility, storing documents in unstructured format incurs a significant negative performance impact (especially for large datasets) during runtime evaluation of queries, as compared to traditional SQL databases having uniform rows, columns, and data types of predetermined sizes.

Converting portions of documents between structured and unstructured data formats to improve computing efficiency and schema flexibility

International Business Machines Corporation


An above-ground, structure-mounted rain water collection, storage, and utilization apparatus is herein disclosed, comprising a vertical plastic tank situated along a wall of a structure where downspouts are typically present. Rain water would flow from a downspout into a screened top portion of the tank. Once filled, integral overflow spouts may be utilized to divert excess water to either another apparatus unit, a downspout, or a hose for normal grade level dispersal. The apparatus would be supported by a base structure at grade. The bottom of the tank would be tapered to avoid the collection of silt and would terminate in a conventional spigot valve providing conventional connection to a hose system for subsequent recycled use. The apparatus may also be provided with an alternate in-line pump to provide a pressurized supply of water.

Many areas of the world rely upon the collection and use of reclaimed precipitation as a primary source of usable water. Cisterns and other devices are utilized for purposes of collecting and storing water runoff from impervious surfaces such as the rooftops of dwellings. While generally unpotable, such systems provide a useful source of water for tasks such as irrigation, washing cars or driveways, and the like.
Many such cisterns and other similar rainwater recollection systems store the water in a stagnant, manually accessed manner. Items such as pails or buckets are often the only means of accessing and transporting the water. As such, the process of utilizing the reclaimed water is often tedious or impossible, thus reducing the efficiency of employing such methods and resulting in the use of municipal wells or other sources of water for many tasks, which in turn eliminates the usefulness and purposes of such cistern systems.
Various attempts have been made to provide a system for the reclamation and subsequent reuse of rainwater. Examples of these attempts can be seen by reference to several U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 2,814,529, issued in the name of Arnt, describes a water dispersing device. The Arnt device is essentially a hose which is adaptable to a downspout of a common roof gutter system, allowing a user to use the precipitating water in a useful manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,304, issued in the name of Chumley, describes a rainwater collection and distribution apparatus. The Chumley apparatus provides a box-like structure which acts as a rainwater control mechanism by collecting rainwater and dispersing it in a manner which reduces runoff rates and provides infiltration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,941,702, issued in the name of Abrams et al., describes a rainwater collection and dispensation system. The Abrams system provides an elevated storage device for roof-collected rainwater runoff which incorporates the water into nearby systems to augment water flow to toilet and irrigation systems.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffer from one (1) or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. Many such systems do not provide an adequate means for the varied reuse of the collected water according to a user's needs. Also, many such systems are not easily and cheaply retrofittable to existing roof water runoff collection systems. Furthermore, many such systems do not provide adequate storage and pressurizing means to allow a user to use the water in a simple and conventional manner upon collection. Accordingly, there exists a need for a rain water collection system without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional solutions and in doing so fulfills this need.


A power supply device for electric discharge machining includes a switching circuit that supplies a discharge pulse current to an inter-electrode portion that is a portion between an electrode and a workpiece serving as another electrode arranged to be opposed to the electrode at a predetermined interval; and a pulse-width control unit that generates a control pulse signal of a predetermined pulse width in response to a detection signal for starting a discharge at the inter-electrode portion. The switching circuit includes a switching circuit including a switching element suitable for a high-speed operation and a switching circuit including a switching element suitable for a low-speed operation, and receives the control pulse signal in parallel.

It is a well-known technique that wire electric discharge machining can be performed at high speed while preventing breaking of wire by applying large and small current pulses to an inter-electrode portion according to a state of the inter-electrode portion represented by a length of a no-load time. On the other hand, a repetition frequency in wire electric discharge machining is about 60 kilohertz to 100 kilohertz. However, when two kinds of large and small current pulses are applied, a ratio of occurrence of the respective current pulses are 50 percents for the large current pulse and about 50 percents for the small current pulse, and the repetition frequency of the large current pulse is 30 to 50 kilohertz.
In general, when current peaks of respective large and small current pulses are changed according to a length of a no-load voltage of a preliminary discharge pulse, if control is performed with a small current pulse (short circuit, immediate discharge) within a no-load time of 2 microseconds from voltage application and control is performed with a large current pulse (normal discharge) in a no-load time of 2 microseconds or more from voltage application, a ratio of occurrence of normal discharge is a value about ½ to ⅓ of a total pulse number. In addition, in short circuit or immediate discharge, occurrence of sludge tends to be time concentrated or position concentrated due to influence of flow of machining liquid or the like, and when occurrence of sludge is discharge concentrated, a repetition frequency increases.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a list of characteristic data concerning switching response times of switching elements with different rated capacities. In FIG. 1, three field effect transistors (FETs) 1 to 3, one insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), and one IGBT module are shown as switching elements, and a "capacity", a "gate input capacity", a "turn-on time", a "turn-off time", and a "minimum pulse width" are indicated for the respective switching elements.
The FET 1 has the "capacity" of 500 volts and 3 amperes, the "gate input capacity" of 330 picofarads, the "turn-on time" of 25 nanoseconds, the "turn-off time" of 50 nanoseconds, and the "minimum pulse width" of 77 nanoseconds. The FET 2 has the "capacity" of 500 volts and 10 amperes, the "gate input capacity" of 1050 picofarads, the "turn-on time" of 85 nanoseconds, the "turn-off time" of 135 nanoseconds, and the "minimum pulse width" of 210 nanoseconds. The FET 3 has the "capacity" of 500 volts and 30 amperes, the "gate input capacity" of 2800 picofarads, the "turn-on time" of 172 nanoseconds, the "turn-off time" of 300 nanoseconds, and the "minimum pulse width" of 472 nanoseconds.
The IGBT has the "capacity" of 600 volts and 75 amperes, the "gate input capacity" of 4100 picofarads, the "turn-on time" of 600 nanoseconds, the "turn-off time" of 800 nanoseconds, and the "minimum pulse width" of 1400 nanoseconds. The IGBT modules has the "capacity" of 600 volts and 400 amperes, the "gate input capacity" of 20000 picofarads, the "turn-on time" of 700 nanoseconds, the "turn-off time" of 1100 nanoseconds, and the "minimum pulse width" of 1800 nanoseconds.
In general, a switching element tends to have longer switching response time when capacities of rated voltage and rate current are larger. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, in general, a switching element having a smaller current capacity tends to have a smaller gate input capacity even if a rated voltage is the same. In other words, since smaller electric power is required for driving, an operation of the switching element can be performed at higher speed.
Since an element having a small ON resistance and small heat generation among the switching elements has a large gate input capacity, the switching element cannot perform a high-speed operation. In addition, since an element having a small gate input capacity and capable of performing a high-speed operation has a large ON resistance and a small maximum current capacity and also has a large heat value, there is a problem in that, for example, cooling of the element is costly and the element occupies a large space.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a structure of a conventional power supply device for electric discharge machining. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a structure of a power supply control circuit that controls to drive switching elements S11a and S11b of a power supply unit for machining discharge 101.
In FIG. 2, an electrode E consisting of a wire and a workpiece W serving as the other electrode are arranged to be opposed to each other at an appropriate interval in an electric discharge machining unit 100. A power supply unit for machining discharge 101 and a power supply unit for preliminary discharge 102 are provided with respect to this electric discharge machining unit 100.
The power supply unit for machining discharge 101 includes a variable DC power supply V11, switching elements (e.g., FETs) S11a and S11b, and diodes D11, D12, D13, and D14. The power supply unit for preliminary discharge 102 includes a variable DC power supply V21, a switching element (e.g., FET) S21, a resistor R21, and diodes D21 and D22.
In the power supply unit for machining discharge 101, a cathode electrode of the diode D11 and a source electrode of the switching element S11a are connected at a positive electrode terminal of the DC power supply V11. In addition, a source electrode of the switching element S11b and an anode electrode of the diode D12 are connected at a negative electrode terminal of the DC power supply V11.
A drain electrode of the switching element S11a is connected to a cathode electrode of the diode D12 and an anode electrode of the diode D13, and a cathode electrode of the diode D13 is connected to the workpiece W. A floating inductance L11 is present in a connection line for the cathode electrode of the diode D13 and the workpiece W.
A drain electrode of the switching element S1b is connected to an anode electrode of the diode D11 and a cathode electrode of the diode D14. A floating inductance L12 is present in a connection line for an anode electrode of the diode D14 and the electrode E.
In the power supply unit for preliminary discharge 102, a source electrode of a switching element S21 is connected to a positive electrode terminal of the DC power supply V21, and a drain electrode of the switching element S21 is connected to an anode electrode of the diode D21. A cathode electrode of the diode D21 is connected to the workpiece W. A floating inductance L21 is present in a connection line for the cathode electrode of the diode D21 and the workpiece W.
A cathode electrode of the diode D22 is connected to a negative electrode terminal of the DC power supply V21, and an anode electrode of the diode D22 is connected to the electrode E. A floating inductance L22 is present in a connection line for the anode electrode of the diode D22 and the electrode E. A stray capacitance C11 is present between the connection line for the cathode electrode of the diode D21 and the workpiece W and the connection line for the anode electrode of the diode D22 and the electrode E.
As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply control circuit, which controls to drive the switching elements S11a and S11b of the power supply unit for machining discharge 101, includes a discharge detecting circuit 13 that detects a discharge current flowing to an inter-electrode portion (W-E) 105, which is a part between the electrode E and the workpiece W, an oscillation control circuit 14 that receives a start instruction pulse signal PK from the discharge detecting circuit 13, and drive circuits 15a and 15b to which a control pulse signal PC is inputted in parallel from the oscillation control circuit 14. The switching element S11a and S11b are adapted to receive a drive pulse signal PD from the drive circuits 15a and 15b and apply a machining pulse signal PS to the inter-electrode portion (W-E) 105.
Next, operations of the conventional power supply device for electric discharge machining will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. Note that FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining a principle of operation of the conventional power supply device for electric discharge machining shown in FIG. 1.
First, meaning of reference signs shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be explained. In FIG. 2, a current IWE10 flowing from the stray capacitance C11 to the electric discharge machining unit 100 is a discharge start current. A current IWE11 flowing from the power supply unit for machining discharge 101 to the electric discharge machining unit 100 is an electric discharge machining current. A current IWE22 flowing from the power supply unit for preliminary discharge 102 to the electric discharge machining unit 100 is a discharge maintenance current. A current IWE flowing from the workpiece W to the electrode E is an inter-electrode current. In addition VWE denotes an inter-electrode voltage.
In FIG. 3, reference signs tk, tc, td, ts denote times (delay times) required for processing for receiving inputs in the respective circuits and generating and outputting desired signals, respectively, and tr denotes a delay time obtained by summing up the delay times. In other words, the delay time tr is a time from the time when the discharge detecting circuit 13 detects occurrence of discharge in the inter-electrode portion (W-E) 105 of the electric discharge machining unit 100 until the time when the switching elements S11a and S11b can apply the machining pulse PS to the inter-electrode portion (W-E) 105. Note that the inter-electrode portion (W-E) 105 will be hereinafter simply represented as an inter-electrode portion.
Incidentally, in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the switching element S21 of the power supply unit for preliminary discharge 100 is turned ON in a state in which the inter-electrode portion between the electrode E and the workpiece W is not discharging and is not short-circuited, a voltage at the DC power supply V21 appears in the inter-electrode portion. At the same time, the stray capacitance C11 in the circuit is charged to the voltage at the DC power supply V21. Note that a distance between the electrode E and the workpiece W is controlled by a numerical control device and a servo drive control device, which are not shown in the figures, such that discharge occurs.
When discharge occurs in the inter-electrode portion due to an output voltage at the DC power supply V21, first, charges stored in the stray capacitance C1 in the circuit are capacitor-discharged to the inter-electrode portion, and the discharge start current IWE10 flows. Consequently, a conductive path is formed in the inter-electrode portion. To maintain this conductive path, since a current has to be caused to continue to flow to the inter-electrode portion even after the charges in the stray capacitance C11 in the circuit are fully discharged, the switching element S21 is kept ON.
As a result, the discharge maintenance current IWE22 flows in a path of the DC power supply V21→the switching element S21→the resistor R21→the diode D21→the floating inductance L21 in the circuit→the workpiece W→the electrode E→the floating inductance L22 in the circuit→the diode D22→the DC power supply V21, and the conductive path formed in the inter-electrode portion is maintained. At this point, since the discharge maintenance current IWE22 flows through the resistor R21, a maximum value of the discharge maintenance current IWE22 is limited to IWE22(max)=V21/R21 by the resistor R21. Therefore, since this discharge maintenance current IWE22 has a relatively small current value and is weak as machining energy, the discharge maintenance current IWE22 has a role of a preliminary discharge current for causing the large electric discharge machining current IWE11 to flow. As described below, occurrence of discharge is detected according to the discharge maintenance current IWE22 appearing in the inter-electrode portion simultaneously with the occurrence of discharge, and the large electric discharge machining current IWE11, which is to be caused to flow to the inter-electrode portion, is outputted to the inter-electrode portion with a delay of a time tr from time t0 when the occurrence of discharge is detected.
In other words, the discharge detecting circuit 13 detects the drop of an inter-electrode voltage due to the occurrence of discharge in the inter-electrode portion and outputs the start instruction pulse signal PK for a large current output to an oscillation control circuit 14. The oscillation control circuit 14 outputs the control pulse signal PC of a pulse width, which is set according to a machining state in the inter-electrode portion, to the drive circuits 15a and 15b. At the same time, the drive circuit 15a drives to turn ON the switching element S11b according to the drive pulse signal PD in the same manner.
Here, when all the switching elements S11a, S11b, and S21 come into an ON operation state, a circuit, to which plural DC power supplies with different voltages are connected, is formed. In this case, elements in the circuit are likely to be destroyed due to a potential difference including a surge voltage. Thus, when the switching elements S11a and S11b are turned ON, the switching element S21 is turned ON as a safety measure.
In the power supply unit for machining discharge 101, the switching elements S11a and S11b perform an ON operation simultaneously, whereby the large electric discharge machining current IWE11 flows in a path of the DC power supply V11→the switching element S11a→the diode D13→the floating inductance L11 in the circuit→the workpiece W→the electrode E→the floating inductance L12 in the circuit→the diode D14→the switching element S11b→the DC power supply V11.
When the control pulse signal PC from the oscillation control circuit 14 disappears, the drive circuits 15a and 15b drive to turn OFF the switching elements S11a and S11b, respectively. At this point, the electric discharge machining current IWE11 is to be caused to continue to flow in the circuit by an inductive action of the floating inductances L11 and L12 in the circuit. As a result, the electric discharge machining current IWE11 returns to the DC power supply V11 in a path of the floating inductance L11 in the circuit→the workpiece W→the electrode E→the floating inductance L12 in the circuit→the diode D14→the diode D11→the DC power supply V11 and is regenerated.
Next, in FIG. 4, the switching element S21 (3) performs an ON operation, whereby an inter-electrode voltage VWE (1) changes to a certain voltage (voltage at the DC power supply V21), and the capacitor C11 is charged. When a discharge start current IWE10 (2) caused by discharge of the capacitor C11 starts flowing at the discharge start time t0, the inter-electrode voltage VWE (1) starts dropping. In addition, a discharge maintenance current IWE22 (4) starts flowing with a rising inclination of V21/(L21+L22) affected by influence of the floating inductance L21 and L22.
The inter-electrode voltage VWE (1) reaches a lowest discharge voltage Va at certain time after the time tk has elapsed from the discharge start time t0 and maintains the discharge voltage Va after that. The discharge maintenance current IWE22 (4) reaches a predetermined value (IWE22(max)=V21/R21) around time when the discharge start current IWE10 (2) passes a peak value (certain time after the time tk has elapsed from the discharge start time t0). Then, when the time tr has elapsed from the discharge start time t0, since a switching element S11 (8) serving as the switching elements S11a and S11b performs an ON operation, the switching element S21 (3) maintains an ON operation state until the time tr elapses. Therefore, the discharge maintenance current IWE2 (4) maintains the predetermined value (IWE22(max)=V21/R21) in the time tr during which the switching element S21 (3) is performing the ON operation.
When the time tk has elapsed from the discharge start time t0, the discharge detecting circuit 13 detects drop of the inter-electrode voltage VWE (1) to a predetermined value or less and generates a start instruction pulse signal PK (5). This start instruction pulse signal PK (5) is outputted in a time largely exceeding the time tr in which the switching element S21 (3) is performing the ON operation. Subsequently, when a time (tk+tc) has elapsed from the discharge start time t0, the oscillation control circuit 14 generates a control pulse signal PC (6). This control pulse signal PC (6) is outputted in a time (td+ts).
Subsequently, when a time (tk+tc+td) has elapsed from the discharge start time t0, the drive circuits 15a and 15b generate a drive pulse signal PD (7). A generation period of this drive pulse signal PD (7) is the same as a generation period of the control pulse signal PC (6). Finally, when a time (tk+tc+td+ts) has elapsed from the discharge start time t0, that is, when the time tr has elapsed from the discharge start time t0, a switching element S11 (8) serving as the switching elements S11a and S11b performs an ON operation, and a machining pulse signal PS is outputted. A period in which the switching element S11 (8) performs the ON operation is the same as the generation period of the drive pulse signal PD (7).
When the switching element S11 (8) performs the ON operation, an electric discharge machining current IWE11 (9) starts flowing. Since the electric discharge machining current IWE11 (9) flows through the floating inductances L11 and L12, the electric discharge machining current IWE11 (9) continues to rise with an inclination of V11/(L11+L12) in a period in which the switching element S11 (8) is in an ON operation state. Usually, since a voltage at the DC power supply V11 is two to three times as high as a voltage at the DC power supply V21, a rising inclination of the electric discharge machining current IWE11 (9) is steeper than a rising inclination of the discharge maintenance current IWE22 (4). When the switching element S11 (8) performs an OFF operation, the electric discharge machining current IWE11 (9) turns to drop.
Eventually, the inter-electrode current IWE (10) changes to IWE=IWE10+IWE22+IWE11. In other words, a period of a time difference between the first discharge start current IWE10 (2) and the final large electric discharge machining current IWE11 (9) is joined by the discharge maintenance current IWE22 (4) outputted from the power supply unit for preliminary discharge 102. Consequently, electric discharge machining can be performed repeatedly while a discharge state in the inter-electrode portion is maintained.
Here, when the FET 2 shown in FIG. 1 is used as the switching elements S11a and S11b, the delay time tr from the discharge start time t0 until the electric discharge machining current IWE11 appears in the inter-electrode portion is usually about 410 nanoseconds. In addition, a pulse width of capacitor discharge of the discharge start current IWE10 is about 360 nanoseconds. In 50 nanoseconds that is a difference between the delay time tr and the pulse width, although it is likely that discharge is cut off if this state is not changed, since the discharge maintenance current IWE22 flows as described above, the inter-electrode current IWE is never cut off.
However, in the conventional power supply device for electric discharge machining, an upper limit value of the discharge maintenance current IWE22 is limited by the resistor R21. In addition, a current value is reduced by the floating inductances L21 and L22 in the circuit in an initial stage of a transient state. Therefore, there is a problem in that the conductive path in the inter-electrode portion formed after occurrence of discharge cannot be maintained, and input of the electric discharge machining current IWE11 fails.
In particular, in a large wire electric discharge machining apparatus, since a distance between an inter-electrode portion and a power supply device in an electric discharge machining unit in the wire electric discharge machining apparatus is long, a power supply cable connecting the inter-electrode portion and the power supply deice is also long. As a result, a floating inductance in a circuit increases, and the discharge maintenance current IWE22 may not rise even after the discharge start current IWE10 disappears. Thus, a conductive path formed in the inter-electrode portion is cut off.
In addition, in the resistor R21, an inductance component due to a resistance winding is present, and an inductance also increases to obtain a necessary resistance. When the inductance of the resistor increases in this way, the rising of the discharge maintenance current IWE22 is further prevented. The first discharge start current IWE10 is a current due to capacitor discharge and actually includes an oscillation component. Therefore, even if a maximum value of the discharge maintenance current IWE22 is set somewhat large in advance, the discharge maintenance current IWE22 is offset by a component on a negative side of this oscillation, and the conductive path formed in the inter-electrode portion is cut off.
If the conductive path in the inter-electrode portion secured by the discharge start current IWE10 is cut off in this way before the electric discharge machining current IWE11 is inputted, an action of supplying the electric discharge machining current IWE11 stably using the discharge maintenance current IWE22 serving as a preliminary discharge current is not obtained. Thus, various failures occur in electric discharge machining.
In short, in a state in which the conductive path in the inter-electrode portion is cut off, since an output terminal of the power supply unit for machining discharge 101 is in an opened state, the electric discharge machining current IWE11 does not flow. Normal electric discharge machining is not performed in this case. When frequency of occurrence of such a state increases, the number of times of effective discharge decreases. As a result, there is a problem in that machining speed, which should be obtained originally, cannot be obtained, and further improvement of the machining speed cannot be realized.
Since a voltage at the DC power supply V11 is usually set two to three times as large as a voltage at the DC power supply V21 to output a large current in a short time. However, when there is no conductive path in the inter-electrode portion and the DC power supply V11 is in an opened state, a high voltage at this DC power supply V11 is applied to the inter-electrode portion. As a result, discharge is caused by this high voltage anew, and a large current flows to the inter-electrode portion suddenly without preliminary discharge. As a result, when a wire electrode is thin, the wire electrode is broken. Even if breakage does not occur in the wire electrode, there is a problem in that, for example, a machining surface is roughened, machining accuracy is deteriorated, and stable electric discharge machining characteristics cannot be obtained.
Concerning the problems as described above, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H5-9209 (power supply for wire cut electric discharge machining apparatus) points out the same problems and, as a solution for the problems, discloses a technique for providing a circuit, in which an inductance and a capacitor are connected in series, in parallel with an inter-electrode portion and maintaining a conductive path of the inter-electrode portion after occurrence of discharge, that is, keeping a discharge state stably to prevent decline in machining efficiency. However, in this measure, since an excess capacitor is added in the inter-electrode portion eventually, for example, an electric capacitance viewed from a power supply device side increases according to a stray capacitance in the circuit, a rising time constant at the time when an output voltage is applied to the inter-electrode portion increases, and rising of an inter-electrode voltage is delayed. Consequently, since a voltage application time until discharge is caused becomes long, there is a disadvantage in that the number of times of effective discharge decreases and the machining efficiency cannot be improved sufficiently.
In addition, in the power supply for wire cut electric discharge machining apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H5-9209, a peculiar oscillation frequency is obtained according to values of the inductance and the capacitor to be added. However, in recent years, a power supply device for electric discharge machining of a bipolar type, which alternately changes a polarity of a voltage applied to an inter-electrode portion to output oscillation, is mainly used. In this case, the added capacitor repeats charging and discharging operations according to at least an oscillation frequency of voltage application. A dielectric loss is present even in a capacitor for a high-frequency application. Therefore, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H5-9209, in addition to a problem of limiting the oscillation frequency of voltage application, there is also a problem in that heat generation occurs due to the dielectric loss, and a loss of supply energy is also caused.
The present invention realizes a large current and a high frequency necessary for high-speed machining such that both the large current and the high frequency can be attained. As prior examples concerning this point, for example, there are Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-48039 (electric discharge machining power supply device for electric discharge machine), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S64-11713 (electric discharge machining power supply), and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-118147 (electric discharge machining power supply control device for wire electric discharge machine).
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H1-48039 (electric discharge machining power supply device for electric discharge machine) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S64-11713 (electric discharge machining power supply) disclose a technique for supplying a large current to a machining gap but do not examine efficiency of a circuit and a heat loss. In other words, there is a problem in that, when a switching element excellent in a low-loss characteristic with a large current capacity is used to improve a heat loss and switching efficiency at the time when a large current is supplied, a gate input capacity is increased, a rising characteristic of a turn current is deteriorated, arc cut-off easily occurs, and wire breakage occurs frequently.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-118147 (electric discharge machining power supply control device for wire electric discharge machine) discloses a technique for preventing wire breakage more surely by applying three kinds of large, medium, and small current pulses. However, since the power supply control device includes identical switching elements and drive circuits, for example, when a thick wire electrode of φ0.35 or the like is used, it is necessary to increase the number of parallels of switching elements. Thus, there is a problem in that cost increases and a power supply device cannot be reduced in size.
In short, in conventional examples including the prior examples described above, there is a problem in that, although a large current can be supplied, when a discharge frequency increases, an energy loss of a switching element increases rapidly, and the switching element is thermally broken. There is also a problem in that, even if the switching element is not thermally broken, it is necessary to excessively increase a capacity of a thermal converter to protect the switching element from an increased switching loss, and reduction in cost and reduction in size of a power supply device cannot be realized. For example, it is difficult to use a switching element, which has a low loss and is suitable for large current supply, like an IGBT in an area in which a repetition frequency is high (e.g., 40 kilohertz). Since, in general, a small current capacity switching element has a large ON resistance, a heat loss increases excessively when an ON time is long, and discharge treatment is costly.
The present invention has been devised in view of the problems described above, and it is an object of the present invention to obtain a power supply device for electric discharge machining in which switching circuits include two types of switching circuits with different characteristics, wire electric discharge machining coping with a large current and a high frequency can be performed efficiency with the switching circuit, and the number of switching elements and a heat value of the switching elements can be reduced.

Discharge-processing power source device


A persistent connection is used for real-time or near real-time data transfer from a push platform on a network to a mobile station. To establish and maintain the persistent connection between the mobile station and push platform on the network, various protocols are defined over a packet connection between the mobile station and push platform. The real-time or near real-time data is pushed or sent by the push platform to the mobile station, as the data becomes available from a data source. In particular, heartbeat messages are used to determine whether or not the persistent connection is alive and available for real-time or near real-time data transfer. When the persistent connection is lost, the mobile station uses a retry connection scheme based on the number of connection attempts made by the mobile station for establishing a new persistent connection to the push platform.

In recent years, mobile communication services have expanded and increased in popularity around the world. Many advanced networks offer various wireless mobile communication services for voice calls and data communications. The data communications services, for example, enable surfing the world wide web via a browser on a mobile station and receiving various data (including real-time data) from remote servers. Further, more and more applications on mobile stations require frequent updates of real-time data from various information servers, for example, to communicate various notification messages.
Many applications on mobile stations use existing polling techniques to obtain data periodically from remote servers. For example, mail client applications running on a mobile station connect to a mail server frequently to check for new mails and fetch data ("polling") if new mail messages are present. However, the polling techniques have drawbacks, especially on mobile stations. For example, frequent polling shortens battery life. When a polling technique is used, a mobile station's radio draws a significant amount of battery power for several seconds for each attempted retrieval of data from a remote server, regardless of whether the data provided by the remote server has changed or not. The polling technique also consumes scarce network bandwidth by frequently checking for new information that may or may not be available. Another disadvantage of the polling technique is that updating real-time data is not practically possible, because the polling technique is used only at predetermined periodic intervals, not in real-time. Hence, the data may not be current. Further, the polling technique uses potentially complex logic to find out what data were modified and can result in an overwhelming load on the remote server (e.g., when a large number of mobile stations poll the remoter server nearly at the same time).

IP push platform and connection protocol in a push notification framework


A carbon-containing material with organic groups, which is obtainable by reaction of the carbon-containing material with organic compounds of the general formula 1

The present invention provides a carbon-containing material, a process for its preparation, and its use.
EP 0569503 discloses a process for the surface modification of carbon-containing materials with aromatic groups by the electrochemical reduction of a diazonium salt.
Furthermore, it is known that carbon black can be provided with organic groups by linking the organic groups to the carbon-containing material via reaction with diazonium salts that are obtained by diazotization (WO 96/18690) or bonding the organic groups to the carbon black by reactions with radical producers (Ohkita K., Tsubokawa N., Saitob E., Carbon 16 (1978) 41), DE 10012784.3) or via cycloaddition reactions (DE 10012783.5, JP 11315220 A).
Known processes have the following disadvantages:
Apart from toxic and flame-supporting sodium nitrite, the non-ionic organic nitrites which can also be used for diazotisation are toxic and readily inflammable. Residues of nitrites (gegenions, alkyl groups) remain, unbonded, as impurities in the carbon black.
The use of a nitrite in acid medium is required in order to perform a diazotisation reaction. Toxic nitrogen oxides may thus also be produced.
Radical producers are thermally or photochemically labile, potentially explosive and may lead to chain reactions which are difficult to control.
The synthesis and purification of the corresponding precursors of radical producers sometimes proceeds via toxic substances or those which cause a nuisance due to odor.
The elimination of nitrogen which takes place during cyclisation reactions with nitrogen heterocyclic compounds can lead to sudden, explosion-like increases in volume or rises in pressure which makes reaction management substantially more difficult.
It is an object of the invention to provide a carbon-containing material with organic groups, wherein
modification of the carbon-containing material can be varied in such a way that the groups are located directly on the surface of the carbon-containing material and/or may also be displaced well away from the surface of the carbon-containing material,
modification of the carbon-containing material proceeds without the need for preliminary reactions such as activation by starters,
reactions with the modification agents used in accordance with the invention proceed thermally and catalysts (for example Lewis acids) are not required,
due to the chemical properties of the modification agents used in accordance with the invention, no problematic side reactions or difficult to control chain reactions can take place,
the resulting carbon-containing material is not contaminated with acids, salts and the like so no purification of the carbon-containing material is required,
the carbon-containing material does not have to be dried with the consumption of large amounts of energy,
no toxic waste gases are produced during modification, and/or
no solvents, or only small amounts of readily removable solvents, are required.
The invention provides a carbon-containing material with organic groups, wherein this is obtainable by reaction of the carbon-containing material with organic compounds of the general formula 1:
where R1, R2 and R3 are identical or different and comprise H or alkyl or aryl groups with acceptor or donor substituents and/or hydrophilic or hydrophobic groups or R1 and R3 form a cyclic system with the three nitrogen atoms and R2 comprises H or alkyl or aryl groups with acceptor or donor substituents and/or hydrophilic or hydrophobic groups.
The present invention also provides a composition, comprising the carbon-containing material described above and at least one member selected from the group consisting of rubber, plastics, printing inks, inks, inkjet inks, lacquers, toners and colorants, bitumen, concrete, other constructional materials, and paper.
The present invention also provides a method of making the composition described above, comprising incorporating the carbon-containing material into a member selected from the group consisting of rubber, plastics, printing inks, inks, inkjet inks, lacquers, toners and colorants, bitumen, concrete, other constructional materials, and paper.
The present invention also relates to a dispersion, which contains the carbon-containing material with organic groups described above.
The present invention also provides an ink, lacquer, toner, or colorant contain the dispersion described above.
The present invention also provide a method of making the ink, lacquer, toner or colorant described above, comprising incorporating the dispersion in to the ink, lacquer, toner, or colorant.
The present invention also provides compound represented by the formula 2 or 3:
wherein
X is H, metaln+, or N+(R4)4,
Y is H, metaln+, or N+(R4)4,
n is 1, 2, or 3,
u is 1, 2, or 3, and
R4 is H or an alkyl or aryl group or a functionalized alkyl group or a functionalized aryl group.
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following Figures in conjunction with the detailed description below.

Abstract: A process for preparing the carbon-containing material according to the invention is also described. The carbon-containing materials according to the invention can be used as fillers, reinforcing fillers, UV stabilizers, conductivity carbon blacks or pigments.


A driving support system for giving a support to a driving operation of a vehicle includes a drive history database and a drive teaching unit for specifying a travel route of a vehicle subjected to a driving support. Vehicle information including information about vehicle operation is associated with pertinent route information and is registered as a drive history in the drive history database. The drive teaching unit is configured to extract a drive history corresponding to the specified travel route from the drive history database. The drive teaching unit is further configured as a guide for the driving support to teach information about the extracted drive history to a driver of the vehicle subjected to the driving support.

In general, a driving support system for supporting a driving operation of a vehicle acquires traffic information requiring a deceleration control of a vehicle such as an intersection, a temporary stopping position, a curve or an approaching vehicle ahead by means of an on-vehicle camera or a navigation system. The driving support system carries out a deceleration guide with a voice or a deceleration support through application of a semi-forced braking force based on the acquired traffic information around the vehicle, thereby giving the driver the driving support. In such a driving support, usually, the driving support system uses a standard travel pattern obtained by averaging a certain travel pattern through various driving actions, for example, a recognition of traffic information, a determination and a driving operation through a general driver that are measured based on a predetermined travel model such as a simulation course.
However, a travel pattern of a vehicle running toward an intersection, a temporary stopping position or the like varies depending on various elements such as the road environment in which various traffic elements, for example, the curvature of a road curve, the width or inclination of the road and the like, are present, habits peculiar to the driver, the driving skill of the driver and the like. Accordingly, it is hard to adapt a generalized standard travel pattern to a travel pattern of a driver that reflects the elements. Even if the driving support system gives driving support to the driver based on the generalized standard travel pattern in a predetermined travel model, the driving support intended by the driver is not always carried out but the driver may feel discomfort in some cases.
Conventionally, the driving support system described in Patent Document 1, for example, aims to evaluate the driving skill of a driver subjected to driving support and to determine whether a fuel saving driving operation is achieved or not based on an evaluation item depending on a result of the evaluation. More specifically, the driving support system detects or analyzes travel data, for example, the number of revolutions of the engine the vehicle, the vehicle speed, the flow rate of fuel and the like for which the support is intended, thereby evaluating a learning level of the fuel saving driving operation of the driver for whom the support is intended. Based on a result of the evaluation, it is determined whether the driver is a skilled driver or a beginner for the fuel saving driving operation. Consequently, there is a fuel saving driving evaluation depending on the result of the determination. Thus, the fuel saving driving evaluation is carried out depending on the driving skill of the driver. Consequently, a strict fuel saving driving evaluation is assigned to a skilled driver, while a tolerant fuel saving driving evaluation is assigned to a beginner. The driving support system offers a driving support depending on a result of the evaluation to the driver.

Driving support system and driving support managing device


A method for transmitting information effectively in a server/client network system is provided, the network system including a client placed behind a firewall and a server that provides the client with a predetermined service. The method includes the client generating a hole packet which is for making a hole in the firewall to allow a packet to pass through the firewall from the server, the hole being maintained for a certain period of time, and transmitting the hole packet to the firewall; and transmitting a packet from the server to the client through the hole made by the hole packet.

1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to information transmission in a server/client network system, and more particularly, to a method of transmitting information effectively in a server/client network and a server apparatus and a client apparatus using the method in order to minimize load without modification of a firewall or a network address translator, the load due to the simultaneous connection between a plurality of clients located behind the firewall and/or the network address translator, and a server which provides these clients with services.
2. Description of the Related Art
In systems where clients are connected to a server on a network over the Internet, network connection structures are becoming more and more complicated in terms of security or efficiency of the network. An asynchronous information transmission system in a typical server/client network environment will now be described with reference to FIG. 1.
The system in FIG. 1 includes a server 10, a client A 41, a client B 42, and a client C 43, and a firewall 20 or a network address translator (NAT) 30 may be selectively present on the client side. In a client-to-server connection through which information is transmitted from the client to the server, the connection is established from an IP address of the client B 42 and a port to an IP address of the server 10 and the port, whereas in a server-to-client connection through which information is transmitted from the server 10 to the client B 42, the connection is established from the IP address of the server 10 and the port to the IP address of the client B 42 and the port. The firewall 20 and the NAT 30 are set so as not to block transmission through the client to server connection and to act as if they did not exist in the system, and to selectively block transmission through the server to client connection. Specifically, in the case of the firewall 20, information transmission is generally blocked as long as the setting of the firewall 20 is not changed, and in the case of the NAT 30, in the course of transmitting an internal IP, which is assigned to the client B 42, to the server 10 after converting the internal IP into an external IP of the NAT 30, since the external IP of the NAT 30 connected to the server 10 and the internal IP of the client B 42 which is placed behind the NAT 30 differ from each other, the information can be transmitted to the client B 42 only if port forwarding is set properly.
As such, in the general server/client network environment, information transmission from a client to a server can be performed without any problem, but the information transmission from the server to the client may not be performed properly because of the block by a firewall. Thus, to overcome this inefficiency, generally, there may be two different asynchronous information transmission methods.
First, the above problem may be solved by changing or manipulating some settings of a firewall or of an NAT using previously well-known methods (for example, methods using UPnP gateway protocol or NAT traversal). In this case, it can be advantageous to use the general network protocol, but there can be difficulty in applying this method practically. This is because all methods of properly manipulating the firewall and the NAT should be made available and the client should be coded in order to respond to all situations which might occur according to these methods. Although these problems may be overcome, this method cannot solve complications in an environment where several firewalls and NAT are installed in an overlay fashion.
Second, a polling method may be used, in which a client-to-server connection is used to solve a problem of a server-to-client connection. In the polling method, a client periodically accesses a server to obtain necessary information, or if there is information which needs to be transmitted to the client, the server stores information temporarily and pushes the temporarily stored information to the client when the client accesses the server at an arranged time.
According to the polling method, when it is assumed that the polling interval of a client-to-server connection is 10 seconds and the number of clients which are online concurrently is 10,000, and when information is transmitted to on-line clients in response to the users remote control or information updating, the total number of occurrences of information transmission per hour is 1,000 on average, the polling efficiency (the total number of information transmission/the total number of accesses to the server) for the server is 1,000/3,6000,000=0.0002777 . . . , that is, 0.028%. In this case, to reduce the load, the polling interval may be extended, for example, when the polling interval is set to 10 minutes instead of 10 seconds, the polling efficiency is 1,000/60,000=0.0166 . . . , that is, approximately 1.67%. This polling efficiency is not high enough, and it may take a maximum 10 minutes for the updated information to be reflected.
In other words, according to the above method, since periodical access (from the clients to the server) is necessary even when a particular information transmission is not required, the number of clients which are online to access to the server is increasing, and thus a load of the server is also increasing regardless of the amount of information or events.

Method of transmitting information effectively in server/client network and server and client apparatuses using the same


An electromagnetic resonance non-contact power transmission device includes a transmitter including a transmitter resonance element having a mechanism for discretely or continuously varying a resonant frequency, a transmitter excitation element coupled to the transmitter resonance element by electromagnetic induction, and an alternating current source for applying an alternating current at the same frequency as the resonant frequency to the transmitter excitation element, and a plurality of receivers each including a receiver resonance element having a specific resonant frequency, a receiver excitation element coupled to the receiver resonance element by electromagnetic induction, and an output circuit for outputting an electric current induced by the receiver excitation element. Electric power is transmitted selectively from the transmitter to any of the receivers having different specific resonant frequencies by changing the resonant frequency of the transmitter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to non-contact power transmission devices for performing wireless electric power transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, non-contact power supply devices which wirelessly supply electric power to apparatuses without power cables or the like have come to be in practical use. The principles upon which wireless electric power transmission is realized are generally categorized into three types: electromagnetic induction type; radio reception type; and resonance type.
Electromagnetic induction non-contact power transmission employs the phenomenon in which application of an electric current to one of adjacent coils induces an electromotive force in the other coil with magnetic flux as the medium. This technique has gradually become widespread in non-contact charging of mobile terminals.
In radio reception non-contact power transmission, radio wave energy is transmitted and received using antennas, and AC waveforms of radio waves are converted into DC waveforms using rectifier circuits, without using amplifiers or the like.
Resonance non-contact power transmission utilizes either electric resonance or magnetic resonance. For example, United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0222542 discloses a technique of transferring electric power using magnetically coupled resonators.


The present invention provides methods for assessing contribution of one or more pathways to the biosynthesis of a metabolite, e.g., a lipid using the levels of the product made and the metabolite precursors for each pathway.

Metabolites are synthesized and regulated by various metabolic processes and pathways. Each metabolite and its metabolic pathways are inevitably involved in certain biological processes of a system, e.g., human and could play an important role in a system's function and regulation. Therefore, it is useful to understand how metabolites, e.g., lipid metabolites are regulated by their biosynthesis pathways. There is a great need in the field to develop various ways to assess metabolic processes or pathways, e.g., measure contributions of pathways to metabolite productions.

Methods of determining contributions to metabolic pathways


Phased array antenna systems are disclosed. An antenna system as disclosed herein can include a plurality of antenna or radiating elements formed on a common plane comprising a first surface of a circuit board. Each antenna element has one or more feeds. Integrated circuits are placed on a second surface of the circuit board. Each integrated circuit is associated with one or more of the antenna elements. Signal lines connecting an integrated circuit to a feed of an antenna element can be shielded using interlayer ground planes and interlayer conductive plugs. In addition, back surfaces of the integrated circuits can be connected to a common heatsink using a thermally conductive medium.

Radio frequency (RF) communication links are increasingly being used to transfer information, and to control devices. As the number of device that rely on RF communications increases, and as the amount of data transferred by such devices also increases, the RF spectrum available for such communications has become increasingly crowded. This crowding of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum requires that RF devices make efficient use of the available bandwidth.
In order to maximize the available RF communications systems, various techniques and standards have been developed or proposed. For example, narrowly steered beams can be used for point to point communications between pairs of devices, reducing the potential for interference with other devices. In addition, agile systems, such as cognitive radios and software defined radios can detect which communication channels are occupied, and which are available for communications, thereby avoiding interference with other transmissions. Some or all of these systems can make use of multiple element antenna systems, such as planar phased array antennas, which can enable beam steering and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas. Systems that can or do utilize such antenna systems include those adhering to the IEEE 802.11n and 802.11as, WiMAX (4G), Long Term Evolution (LTE 4G), and the proposed 5th Generation Wireless systems (5G) standards.
As the telecommunications industry rapidly migrates to the new 5G standard, we can expect unprecedented data speeds, low latency and high reliability communications. To support these advancements, millimeter wave frequency bands are being made available on a global scale for 5G base stations, backhauls, fronthauls and customer premises equipment. The wide contiguous bandwidths available at these newly assigned frequencies enable high data rates. Additionally, the associated short wavelengths allow physically compact electronic steerable (active) antennas to be deployed that offer spatial diversity, spectrum reuse, and high antenna directivity (gain) to overcome the higher path loss encountered at millimeter wave frequencies.
However, current wireless communications technology features omni-directional sectored antennas tailored for use at frequencies below 6 GHz. Additionally, only fixed beam horn antennas and slowly steerable reflectors or lenses have been available for commercial development. These technologies are not electronically steerable and require moving parts or multiple antennas to cover a large geographical area. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an antenna system that incorporated planar antenna phased technology in order to enhance the spectral efficiency of RF communications networks.


An amplifier includes a modulation coder receiving an original modulation signal and generating an amplitude signal and a phase signal, a voltage adjusting instrument which generates an amplitude modulation signal from the amplitude signal, a carrier generator generating a phase modulation signal from the phase signal, and an amplification device receiving the phase modulation signal and the amplitude modulation signal serving as a bias voltage and outputting a modulation signal obtained by restoring and amplifying the original modulation signal. The voltage adjusting instrument determines a DC offset voltage on the basis of a level control signal indicating the level of the amplitude modulation signal and generates the amplitude modulation signal to which the DC offset voltage is added.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amplifier, an information communication apparatus and an amplification method of carrying out polar modulation, and more particularly, to an amplifier, an information communication apparatus and an amplification method of carrying out polar modulation while operating at high frequencies.
2. Related Art of the Invention
Battery life is a big problem for portable terminals, such as portable telephones. In particular, the amplifier in the transmission section of a wireless circuit consumes large power, affecting battery life significantly. Polar modulation is available as method of reducing the power consumption of the amplifier.
FIG. 7 shows the configuration of a conventional amplifier of carrying out polar modulation (refer to the Description of U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,177, for example). The conventional amplifier of carrying out polar modulation will be described below referring to FIG. 7.
The conventional amplifier comprises a modulation coder 701, a phase signal block 702, an amplitude driver 703, an amplification device 704, an amplitude monitor 711, a phase monitor 712 and a modification signal controller 713. The amplitude monitor 711, the phase monitor 712 and the modification signal controller 713 form a feedback loop 710.
The modulation coder 701 is a circuit of generating a phase signal and an amplitude signal. The phase signal block 702 is a circuit capable of phase modulation. The amplitude driver 703 is a circuit of receiving the amplitude signal and a level control signal, and generating an amplitude modulation signal from the amplitude signal according to the level control signal input. The amplification device 704 is a circuit of mixing the phase modulation signal with the amplitude modulation signal and simultaneously generating and amplifying a modulation signal.
In addition, the amplitude monitor 711 is a circuit of monitoring the amplitude of the modulation signal output from the amplification device 704 and outputting an amplitude signal. The phase monitor 712 is a circuit of monitoring the phase of the modulation signal output from the amplification device 704 and outputting a phase signal. The modification signal controller 713 is a circuit of controlling the amplitude driver 703 and the phase signal block 702 according to correction tables.
Next, the operation of the conventional amplifier having this configuration will be described.
The modulation coder 701 codes data or signals, such as sound, characters and images, input from the outside, and generates a phase signal and an amplitude signal.
The phase signal generated by the modulation coder 701 is input to the phase signal block 702 capable of phase modulation. Then, the phase signal block 702 carries out phase modulation using the phase signal input and generates a phase modulation signal. The phase modulation signal output from the phase signal block 702 is input to the amplification device 704 and amplified by the amplification device 704.
On the other hand, the amplitude signal generated by the modulation coder 701 is input to the amplitude driver 703. Furthermore, the amplitude driver 703 receives a level control signal simultaneously. The amplitude driver 703 generates an amplitude modulation signal according to the amplitude signal and the level control signal, and inputs the signal to the power supply of the amplification device 704.
In the amplification device 704, the phase modulation signal is mixed with the amplitude modulation signal, and a modulation signal is generated and amplified simultaneously. If the power consumption of the amplitude driver 703 can be reduced, the amplifier can obtain high operation efficiency.
Generally speaking, the amplification device 704 responds linearly to the phase modulation signal and the amplitude modulation signal; as a result, a distortion is generated in the modulation signal generated and amplified by the amplification device 704. Hence, a method of compensating for the distortion using the feedback loop 710 is adopted.
In the feedback loop 710, the modulation signal output from the amplification device 704 is monitored by the phase monitor 712 and the amplitude monitor 711 and branched into a phase signal and an amplitude signal. The phase signal and the amplitude signal branched are input to the modification signal controller 713. The modification signal controller 713 controls the amplitude driver 703 and the phase signal block 702 according to the correction tables, and adjusts the amplitude modulation signal and the phase modulation signal output from the amplitude driver 703 and the phase signal block 702, respectively, so that the modulation signal output from the amplification device 704 is not distorted.
In the case that a semiconductor transistor is used as the amplification device, it has large nonlinearity. The conventional method of correcting the distortion of the modulation signal, shown in FIG. 7, leads to the increase in circuit size and cost, and makes distortion compensation at speed sufficient for modulation speed difficult. Furthermore, if the compensation amount of the modulation signal at the modification signal controller 713 is large, the size of the correction tables becomes large, causing a problem of increasing memory size.
In other words, for the purpose of reducing the distortion of the modulation signal output from the amplification device, there is a problem that the increase in circuit size and cost cannot be avoided.
Furthermore, in the case that a heterojunction bipolar transistor or the like is used as the amplification device, the minimum collector voltage of generating the output power, that is, the threshold value of the collector voltage, changes with temperature; as a result, the distortion of the modulation signal output from the amplification device increases.
More specifically, in the case that a semiconductor transistor, such as a heterojunction bipolar transistor, is used as the amplification device, there is a problem that the distortion of the modulation signal is generated owing to temperature change.
For the purpose of solving the conventional problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an amplifier, an information communication apparatus and an amplification method of reducing the distortion of the modulation signal output from an amplification device while suppressing the increase in circuit size and cost.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide an amplifier, an information communication apparatus and an amplification method capable of reducing the distortion of the modulation signal owing to the change in the temperature of the amplification device.

Amplifier, information communication apparatus and amplification method


A system for measuring or monitoring the quality of a liquid medium, has first and second sample-takeoff points in the liquid medium and a hydraulic circuit in which the samples taken off from said first and second sample-takeoff points circulate. The hydraulic circuit is mounted between the two sample-takeoff points and comprises two centrifugal impeller pumps, a measuring chamber situated between the two pumps, and a purge device mounted at a high point on the hydraulic circuit between one of the pumps and the measuring chamber. The whole of the hydraulic circuit is preferably totally immersed in the liquid medium.

The present invention concerns, in general terms, the monitoring of the quality of a liquid medium and in particular more or less salty water in coastal areas or estuaries.
More precisely, the invention concerns a system for measuring or monitoring the quality of a liquid medium comprising first and second points for taking off a sample from the liquid medium and a hydraulic circuit in which the samples taken from the first and second sample-takeoff points circulate. The hydraulic circuit comprises in particular                a measuring chamber provided with at least one measuring sensor able to measure a quantity characteristic of the liquid medium, such as a physicochemical or biological parameter of the liquid medium, said measuring chamber having a first opening in fluid communication with the first sample-takeoff point and a second opening, and        a first suction pump having a suction inlet connected to the second opening of the measuring chamber and a discharge opening in fluid communication with the liquid medium, the first suction pump being able, in operating configuration, to circulate in the hydraulic circuit a sample taken from the first sample-takeoff point.
A measuring or monitoring system of this type is for example described in the patent application FR 2 741 446.
To function correctly, this system is supplemented by a de-aerator placed above the first pump in order to trap the gases present in the circuit when the system is started up as well as the gases issuing from the natural degassing of the sampled liquid. It also comprises a priming pump connected to the de-aerator in order to prime the hydraulic circuit at the start of operation and a sample-takeoff system for selectively connecting the sample-takeoff points to the inlet and outlet of the hydraulic circuit.
Although giving complete satisfaction with regard to its performance, this measuring system has a few characteristics that could be improved, such as relatively high structural complexity and energy consumption.

System for measuring or monitoring the quality of a liquid medium with low energy consumption

Institut Francais De Recherche Pour L'Exploitation De La Mer—IFREMER


A system and method for simulating orthodontic treatment using augmented reality. An electronic image of a user's face is received from a digital camera, and a region of interest in the image is identified where the region includes the user's teeth. Virtual orthodontic appliances are placed on the user's teeth in the image, and the user's image with the virtual orthodontic appliances is displayed on an electronic display device. The method occurs in real-time to provide the user with the augmented image simulating treatment when or shortly after the image of the user is received. The system and method can display a 3D representation of the user's face augmented with the virtual appliances. The user's augmented image or 3D representation can also be supplemented for display with an image or model of the user's facial anatomy such as an x-ray or a cone beam computed tomography image.

The use of augmented reality face filters, such as the SNAPCHAT or INSTAGRAM products, are becoming increasingly popular. However, these filters are mainly used in popular culture today for only entertainment purposes, such as to visually apply renditions of hair, make-up, eyeglasses, facial hair, and hats in real-time to the face or head of the human subject in a video augmentation. A need exists to extend this technology for use in medical or dental applications.

Simulated orthodontic treatment via augmented visualization in real-time


A dimming control system includes a first circuit (100) and a second circuit (400). First circuit (100) is coupled in series with the AC line source (10) and receives brighten and dim commands from a user. The brighten and dim commands are communicated to second circuit (400) by momentarily altering the AC voltage waveforms observed by second circuit (400). Second circuit (400) provides an adjustable output signal that is coupled to inverter circuitry within an electronic dimming ballast. The output signal is adjusted by the second circuit (400) in dependence on the observed AC voltage waveforms.

The present invention relates to the general subject of circuits for powering discharge lamps. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dimming control system for electronic ballasts.
Conventional dimming ballasts for gas discharge lamps include low voltage dimming circuitry that is intended to work in conjunction with an external dimming controller. The external dimming controller is connected to special inputs on the ballast via dedicated low voltage control wiring that, for safety reasons, cannot be routed in the same conduit as the AC power wiring. The external dimming controller is usually very expensive. Moreover, installation of low voltage control wiring is quite labor-intensive (and thus costly), especially in xe2x80x9cretrofitxe2x80x9d applications. Because of these disadvantages, considerable efforts have been directed to developing control circuits that can be inserted in series with the AC line, between the AC source and the ballast(s), thereby avoiding the need for additional dimming control wires. The resulting approaches are sometimes broadly referred to as xe2x80x9cline controlxe2x80x9d dimming.
A number of line control dimming approaches exist in the prior art. One known type of line control dimming approach involves introducing a notch (i.e., dead-time) into each and every cycle of the AC voltage waveform at or near its zero crossings. This approach requires a switching device, such as a triac, in order to create the notch. Inside of the ballast(s), a control circuit measures the time duration of the notch and generates a corresponding dimming control signal for varying the light level produced by the ballast. In practice, these approaches have a number of drawbacks in cost and performance. A significant amount of power is dissipated in the switching device, particularly when multiple ballasts are to be controlled. Further, the method itself distorts the line current, resulting in poor power factor and high harmonic distortion, and sometimes produces excessive electromagnetic interference. Additionally, the control circuitry tends to be quite complex and expensive.
An attractive alternative approach that avoids the aforementioned drawbacks is described in copending application Ser. No. 09/966,911, filed Sep. 28, 2001 and entitled xe2x80x9cDimming Control System for Electronic Ballastsxe2x80x9d which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. The circuitry detailed therein employs a wall-switch assembly comprising two switches and two diodes, and sends a dimming command by removing one or more positive half-cycles (corresponding to a xe2x80x9cdimxe2x80x9d command) or negative half-cycles (corresponding to a xe2x80x9cbrightenxe2x80x9d command) from the AC voltage supplied to the ballast. While this approach has a number of substantial benefits over prior systems, it is not ideally suited for those ballasts that include a boost converter front-end. More specifically, because the ballasts receive only one half of the AC line cycle during a light level change, the boost converter may undesirably fall out of regulation during those times. In order prevent this problem, one would have to design the boost converter to remain in regulation down to very low levels of AC line voltage (e.g., down to about 66% of the nominal AC line voltage), which would add significant cost to the ballasts.
What is needed, therefore, is a structurally efficient and cost-effective dimming control system that avoids any need for additional dimming control wires, but that does so without introducing undesirable levels of steady-state power dissipation, line current distortion, and electromagnetic interference, and without requiring that the ballasts remain in regulation down to very low levels of AC line voltage. A need also exists for a dimming control system that is structurally efficient and cost-effective. A dimming control system with these features would represent a significant advance over the prior art.

Dimming control system for electronic ballasts


The active ring gyrometer comprises a path closed by mirrors (11,12,13) forming a resonant cavity (10) in which is placed a cell (20) containing an optically non-linear medium which permits by a four wave mixture the coherent auto-oscillation of two conjugated counter-rotative waves. The gyrometer further includes two pumping laser beams (31, 32), an optical device (40) for irradiating the medium of the cell, an optical system (50) for causing these two waves to interfere, and a detector (60). The optically non-linear medium and the intensity modulators (70) of the pumping beams permit the production of an optical "bias" which eliminates the blind zone in which the gyrometer is unsuitable for measuring relatively low rates of rotation.

The invention relates to inertial devices for measuring rotation by means of a resonant optical cavity in the form of a ring and more particularly concerns active ring gyrometers in which there is an amplifier medium, and more particularly a phase conjugation non-linear amplifier medium which may be of a gaseous or a semiconductor material. The invention relates especially to the manner of ensuring decoupling of the frequencies of two counter-rotative waves so as to prevent them from "locking" under certain conditions.
As is known, optical gyroscopes having a resonant cavity employ the Sagnac effect. This effect, which is caused by differences in relative inertia, has for a result that, when two waves circulate in the same geometrical path in opposite directions, the times they take for traveling through this same geometrical path are different due to the rotation of the system which carries this geometrical path relative to a Galilean reference system. Such differences in traveling time destroy the symmetry of the optical paths "seen", respectively, by each of the two waves.
The article published under the title "Optical Gyroscopes" by J. J. Roland et al. in the review "Optics and Laser Technology" of October 1981, starting on page 239, briefly explains the manner in which optical gyroscopes operate and the different varieties thereof which have been developed.
All the optical gyroscopes operate in accordance with the same principle.
If two beams of coherent light are made to propagate in two opposite directions in the same geometrical path which is closed in the form of a ring, a difference occurs between the beams when the optical paths rotate. A time difference occurs which is proportional to the speed of rotation of the system relative to a Galilean reference system. This time difference of the travel results in a difference in the optical path including a difference of frequency between the two waves propogated in opposite directions. This difference of frequency becomes apparent when the two beams are made to interfere so as to obtain beats representative of the interference.
The mathematical formulation may be expressed as follows.
The difference .DELTA.t, of the travel times of the two waves in opposite directions along the same geometrical path closed in the form of a ring which results in a lack of symmetry in their optical paths, is written: EQU .DELTA.t=4 S..THETA./c.sup.2
in which S is the inscribed area of the ring path, .THETA. is the speed of rotation impressed on the path, and c is the velocity of light.
From this equation, the following operating difference is obtained: EQU .DELTA.p=c.DELTA.t=4 S..THETA./c=4 S .THETA./.lambda.f
in which .lambda. is the wavelength of the beam and f is the frequency of resonance when the system is immobile.
Likewise, the relative variation of the operating difference is expressed as follows: EQU .DELTA.p/p=.DELTA.f/f
and the frequency slip .DELTA.f=4 S..THETA./.lambda.p.
By integrating the above equation with respect to time, a resultant number of fringes N is obtained which is a function of the speed of rotation and written: ##EQU1##
Thus it can be seen that the number of fringes N is proportional to the angle .THETA. through which the geometrical path, or the system carrying the geometrical path, has rotated.
The active resonant ring cavity gyroscopes have shown their worth but are not without drawbacks.
As is known, when the frequency of the beats of the two interfering waves is lower than a certain value, a mutual coupling of the two waves results in their being coupled to each other such that they oscillate at the same frequency. This results in a "locking" wherein the frequency difference, which was proportional to the rotation, disappears. This "locking" phenomenon occurs at low rates of rotation and results in the gyroscope no longer revealing the rotations and, in a sense, becoming "blind" and therefore useless.
This mutual coupling between the two counter-rotative waves is in particular due to the retro-diffusion introduced by the optical components such as the mirrors which define the geometrical closed ring path.
The multiplying coefficient K is, in fact, a function of the rotation of the system and instead of the frequency slip response curve as a function of the rotation being rectilinear throughout, it is hyperbolic at low speeds of rotation and rectilinear at high speeds. It will therefore be understood that between the two limit values, one for each direction of rotation, which mark the boundaries of the "blind" zone, the gyroscope is incapable of revealing a rotation of the system by which it is carried.
One of the most currently employed solutions for overcoming this drawback, consists in subjecting the gyroscope to periodical oscillations alternating at a frequency on the order of a few hundreds Hertz. With this remedy, it is possible to obtain a response which is practically linear for a wide range of operation.
Such an oscillatory swinging, or "periodical bias" is mostly obtained mechanically, for example by means of torsion bars which are made to operate at their frequency of resonance, or "magnetic mirrors" employing the Kerr magneto-optical effect.
As is known, gyrometers having an active laser in the form of a ring employ an amplifier medium which is placed in the ring and whose use involves an electrical discharge in a gas. Consequently, an exterior electrical field must be created to excite the amplifier medium.
The use of a gas as an amplifier medium, most often a He - Ne mixture excited by an electrical discharge, produces other defects of non-reciprocity depending on the direction of travel due, for example, to an imperfect alignment of the resonant cavity, to the flow of the gas subjected to the discharge, or to a thermal sensitivity of the alignment and the flow. Furthermore, the use of such a medium requires the forming of a vacuum which is always delicate, complex and costly.

Active optical gyrometer employing a phase conjugation


Disclosed is an integrated circuit (IC) comprising a substrate (10) including a plurality of circuit elements and a metallization stack (20) covering said substrate for providing interconnections between the circuit elements, wherein the top metallization layer of said stack carries a plurality of metal portions (30) embedded in an exposed porous material (40) for retaining a liquid, said porous material laterally separating said plurality of metal portions. An electronic device comprising such an IC and a method of manufacturing such an IC are also disclosed.

Nowadays, integrated circuits (ICs) routinely comprise patterned metallization layers for interconnecting circuit elements, e.g. transistor terminals in the substrate or to provide external access, e.g. bond pads, to the circuit elements that are embedded in the semiconductor device. Typically, the metallization layers are formed by stacking and patterning dielectric layers and metal layers to obtain the required interconnections. The dielectric and metal layers themselves may contain sub-layers. The dielectric layers typically comprise vias to conductively connect metal portions in the different metal layers with each other.
Rigorous testing of the ICs, e.g. when they are still part of a wafer, takes place to ensure that the IC operates correctly, e.g. is free of manufacturing defects. This is important because the IC may be integrated into an electronic device, where the failure of the IC in the electronic device would most likely cause the electronic device to exhibit faulty behavior. For this reason, significant efforts are made to ensure that defective ICs are removed from a batch of manufactured ICs to avoid field returns of electronic devices containing such ICs as much as possible. Field returns inconvenience the customer, and can lead to a loss of business because of the customer losing faith in the product. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to capture all defective ICs such that it cannot be avoided that some defective ICs enter the market, e.g. inside an electronic device. On the other hand, a returned faulty electronic device may have entered the market functioning correctly, where it is possible that the fault has developed through misuse of the semiconductor device, e.g. by the customer accidentally submerging the device in water. Obviously, in such a case, the manufacturer cannot be held responsible for the failure of the device.
It is difficult to establish why a semiconductor device returned from the field has failed. Re-engineering the device to determine the cause of failure is not always successful and is cost-prohibitive for single devices. U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,823 discloses a structure for a relative humidity monitor which can be built into an integrated circuit chip. A small area on a silicon chip is made porous by anodic etching. This region is then oxidized and a metal counter electrode is deposited over part of the porous area. Due to the relatively large surface area in the dielectric under the counter electrode and the openness of the structure, ambient moisture can quickly diffuse into the dielectric under the electrode and adsorb onto the silicon dioxide surface, such that changes in ambient humidity will be reflected by measurable changes in capacitance or conductance of the device.
A drawback of such a moisture sensor is that in other to determine if an electronic device returned from the field has been subjected to excess moisture, the sensor must be continuously monitored during the operational life of the electronic device and its measurements, or at least measurements exceeding a predefined threshold, stored for future read-out. This is an impractical solution.

Integrated circuit including a porous material for retaining a liquid and manufacturing method thereof