A method for making a portion of a vehicle seat or back having a surface contour of predetermined shape by placing a sheet of an impermeable film against one side of a portion of a sheet of a permeable cloth fabric to make an impermeable composite portion of a fabric trim material. The composite portion is then positioned on a forming tool having a shaped upper surface complementary to the predetermined shape desired for the final product. A vacuum is then drawn between the forming tool and the impermeable composite portion so as to draw the portion into conformity with the shaped upper surface of the forming tool. A foam bun having an adhesive coated surface is then positioned against the portion on the forming tool. Heat is then applied to deteriorate the impermeable film thus enabling the adhesive to bond the cloth fabric material to the foam bun and maintain the desired shape.

This invention relates generally to automobile seats and more particularly to a method for forming a contoured portion of a vehicle seat or vehicle seat back having contoured styling features.
Various methods of bonding a breathable vehicle seat cover material to an underlying foam bun have been used to form contours or style lines in the surface of vehicle seats. One such method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,199, issued to Kozlowski et al on Sept. 8, 1987.
The Kozlowski method comprises laying a cloth fabric on top of a contoured porous mold surface and overlaying the cloth fabric with an impermeable adhesive film. The film is physically secured and a vacuum is then drawn through the mold so as to cause the impervious film to draw the cloth fabric down into conformity with the contour of the mold surface. A foam pad is then compressed against the mold and the vacuum discontinued. Steam is then applied to heat and diffuse the adhesive film into the adjacent fabric layer and the foam pad to secure the two together. The adhesive film is not a part of the cloth fabric and therefore can gather during vacuum drawing such that wrinkles or creases in the adhesive film are created. These wrinkles can cause uneven adhesive thicknesses over the contoured surface. The uneven thickness can cause adhesive saturation of the fabric which can destroy the outer surface appearance of the fabric. Close visual scrutiny of the operation during the application of the adhesive film to the cloth fabric and to the foam bun or cushion pad is therefore required.
The method according to the present invention eliminates uneven adhesive thickness and minimizes the potential for adhesive breakthrough. The method according to the present invention comprises placing a sheet of air impermeable material such as a polyolefin film against a sheet of permeable cloth fabric to form an impermeable fabric composite. This impermeable fabric composite is then positioned on a forming tool having an upper surface having a shape complementary to the desired predetermined vehicle seat surface shape and having vacuum ports therein.
The fabric trim material composite is positioned over the forming tool with the cloth fabric against the upper shaped surface. A vacuum is drawn between the impermeable material composite and the upper surface of the forming tool. Atmospheric pressure then presses against the polyolefin sheet pressing the material into conformity with the contours of the upper surface of the tool. A foam bun with an adhesive on one face is then positioned against the material composite on the tool and heat is applied to the forming tool. The heat destroys the impermeable barrier created by evaporates the polyolefin film and enables the adhesive to contact the cloth fabric so as to adhere the bun to the fabric. This destruction of the impermeability of the film may be accomplished by evaporation, melting, vaporizing, deteriorating or other method.
The presence of the polyolefin film prevents excessive permeation of the cloth fabric with adhesive so as to preclude damage to the outer surface of the fabric. Excessive permeation of the cloth fabric with adhesive is prevented by removing an inherent limitation involved with the use of an impermeable adhesive film. If the adhesive film gathers and wrinkles or creases during vacuum drawing, the subsequent application of heat will result in the formation of a large amount of adhesive in place of the wrinkle or crease. This large amount of localized adhesive can cause saturation of the fabric and destroy the outer surface appearance of the fabric. The present invention avoids such a result by directly controlling and evenly applying the adhesive to the foam bun. Thus, the formation of a wrinkle or crease in the impermeable polyolefin film during the vacuum forming step of the present invention will not cause adhesive to saturate the cloth trim fabric and destroy the appearance of the fabric. The result is a readily repeatable process in which various style lines can be produced in vehicle seats having cloth covers which are permeable to enable the seat to breathe. Fabrics for such covers are also advantageous from a cost standpoint.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Method for vacuum forming composite vehicle seat


An implementation relates to compensating DC offset in a signal path. The signal path may have a plurality of stages, where for each stage a fine DC compensation is performed by introducing a fine DC compensation signal into the signal path of the stage by way of a compensation analog to digital converter.

Implementations relate to a method and device for compensating DC offset in RF transceivers. One or more particular implementations relate to a method for performing fine DC offset compensation.
Integrated direct conversion RF transceiver architectures became popular in the last decade for many different RF applications. They require a minimal set of building blocks, see FIG. 1. Each RX or TX signal path requires only one mixer with associated local oscillator which also simplifies the synthesizer. An IF filter is no longer needed.
But this architecture has also drawbacks. DC offset is introduced by the individual transceiver/receiver components like the amplifier, mixer, filter etc. It may distort the signal, and directly limits the available dynamic range. Strong offsets can saturate the signal path and also violate the digital signal processing. It became common to compensate this DC offset by adding DC voltages opposite to the occurring DC offset. Several different solutions have been developed in the past.
One typical approach is providing additional hardware blocks as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,756,924 B2 or U.S. Pat. No. 7,271,649 B2 or Tanaka, T. Yamawaki, K. Takikawa, N. Hayashi, I. Ohno, T. Wakuta, S. Takahashi, M. Kasahara, and B. Henshaw, "GSM/DCS1800 Dual Band Direct-Conversion Transceiver IC With a DC Offset Calibration System," in 01 ESSCIRC Session 3.3, 2001. These blocks are typically dedicated to individual building blocks. The DC offset is measured and compensated. This approach requires additional elements not only for compensation, e.g. DACs, but also for measuring the DC offset and for determining the value needed for compensation. These blocks are running permanently. They increase the system complexity and consume additional power and space.
Other approaches determine the DC offset and the resulting DC compensation values permanently in the digital domain as disclosed in Marko Mailand and Hans-Joachim Jentschel, "Compensation of DC-Offsets and RF-Self-Mixing Products in Six-Port-Based Analog Direct Receivers," in 14th IST Mobile & Wireless Communication Summit, Dresden, June 2005; or Russell Hoppenstein, "DC Offset Auto-Calibration of TRF371x," Texas Instruments, 2010; or I.-H. Sohn, E-R. Jeong, and Y. H. Lee, "Data-Aided Approach to I/Q Mismatch and DC Offset Compensation in Communication Receivers," IEEE COMMUNICATIONS LETTERS, vol. 6, no. 12, December 2002. The compensation values are introduced by a DAC in the analog section. But this concept prepares only one set of compensation values. This works well if the system gain is fixed. But systems with variable gain make the DC offset variably as well. Therefore, every new gain configuration requires new DC offset values to be measured and new compensation values to be set. This increases the acts to be done to change the gain as additional calibration acts must be executed as well for every new gain setting. Setting the gain as such becomes more complex and time consuming.
FIG. 1 shows a state-of-the art direct conversion receiver comprising a plurality of components like a low noise amplifier 12, mixer 13, filter 14, VGA 15, ADC 16, digital DC offset compensation 17 between radio frequency (RF) input 11 and baseband (BB) output. Direct conversion RF transceivers, e.g. for WLAN, did use more than one point to enter DC compensation voltages by additional DACs 18, 19. These DC compensation voltages (the calibration parameters) were typically determined from different measurements and from calculations in the digital domain, e.g. by a signal processor. It is common to add short cut and bypass switches to the individual transceiver/receiver components to measure the DC offset that occurs at each individual stage separately. Therefore, some of the components were operated under debug/test conditions (bypass or short cut mode) instead of the real operation conditions while the DC offset is measured. This introduces additional errors, e.g. due to different bias or temperature conditions, and increases the system complexity.
It is generally intended to find a set of calibration parameters that covers the complete gain control range. But this is not common in present implementations as the accuracy of the determined calibration parameters is insufficient. Therefore, the complete gain control range is split into several different sub ranges. Each different sub range has an own set of calibration parameters. Changing the gain from one sub range to another requires also the calibration parameters to be changed which is still complex and time consuming.
The transceiver (Rx path) with DC offset sources and compensation DACs (digital to analog converters) given in FIG. 1, can be simplified, see FIG. 2, to a set of variable gain stages 23 corresponding to mixer 13, 24 corresponding to filter 14, 25 corresponding to VGA 15 between RF input 21 and BB output 210, where the DC offset 211, 212, 213 and the compensation DACs 28 and 29 are connected to the input of each individual stage. The mathematical expression of this simplified model is given in FIG. 3 comprising a plurality of gain stages 321, . . . , 32k, . . . , 32n, DC offsets 330, 331, . . . , 33k, . . . 33n and compensation DACs 320, 321, . . . , 32k, . . . , 32n between RF input 31 and BB output 35.
The compensation DACs are connected to the signal path, FIG. 1. Each DAC adds a DC voltage that is opposite to the DC offset at this point so that the total DC becomes close to zero. This remaining voltage nonzero DC voltage becomes amplified by the gain stages that follow. As this gain is variable the resulting DC offset at the output of the signal path directly depends on the following total gain and the DC offset residual:mean(BBout(Atot,k))=Atok,k*(DCoff,k+DCcomp,k)The total gain for the gain stage k (k>0) is given by:
      A          tok      ,      k        =            ∏              j        =        1            k                                    A              j        ,        i            Therefore, a good calibration method, procedure or algorithm should find values DCcomp,k that meet the relation:0≈DCoff,k+DCcomp,k The essential part of the calibration routines is therefore to determine DCoff,k accurately from different measured mean (BBout) values so thatDCcomp,k=−DCoff,k
Throughout this document the following notations may be used:
number of total gain stages:
DC offset of gain stage k: DCoff,k
DC compensation parameter of gain stage k: DCcomp,k
DC offset residual of gain stage k: DCoff,k+DCcomp,k
gain control range R of gain stage k: Ak,R
gain i of stage k, were Ak, element of Ak,R: Ak,i
total gain for gain stage k: Atot,k
DC offset residual at ADC output (BB_out): DCres

Fine RF transceiver DC offset calibration


A radiation imaging apparatus has a camera installed on a gantry, and a method creates volume data of a subject through images of the subject photographed by the camera and calculates an optimum dose of radiation based on the volume data of the subject. The radiation imaging apparatus includes the gantry, and the camera installed on the gantry to photograph a subject.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a radiation imaging apparatus for irradiating X-rays to a subject, and more particularly to reconstructing signals of X-rays which have passed through the subject using a computer to create images of the subject, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
An X-ray imaging apparatus is an apparatus for irradiating X-rays to a subject and analyzing X-rays which have passed through the subject to measure the internal structure of the subject. Since various tissues constituting a subject have different degrees of X-ray radiolucency, the internal structure of the subject can be imaged using attenuation coefficients obtained by quantifying different degrees of X-ray radiolucency.
The X-ray imaging apparatus can be classified into a general X-ray system for irradiating X-rays in one direction, and a computed tomography (CT) system for irradiating X-rays in many directions and reconstructing images using a computer.
Unlike magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems or ultrasonic systems, the CT system uses radiation such as X-rays. Radiation does harm to a human body. In particular, if a high dose of radiation is emitted to a human body so that the human body is excessively exposed to the radiation, the damage will be significant.
Accordingly, a technology is needed for scanning a subject by irradiating a minimum dose of radiation with which images of the subject can be acquired.

Radiation imaging apparatus and control method thereof


A mobile station in a TDMA network can perform automatic frequency using burst in all or any slot in a control channel. This is achieved by identifying the training sequence of an arbitrary set of or all received bursts.

Mobile communication networks typically comprise a plurality of base stations and a plurality of mobile stations. In order for the mobile stations to communicate effectively with the base stations, they must be tuned precisely to the frequencies used by the base stations. In the case of GSM, the tolerance for traffic mode operation is 0.1 ppm.
Although crystal-controlled reference oscillators are used in the mobile stations, tuning errors can be significant. Indeed, when a mobile station is in sleep mode, the local oscillator drift could be up to 500 Hz in the 900 MHz band, chiefly due to temperature effects and mis-setting. Additional, frequency errors can arise due to drift of the base station's oscillators and Doppler shift.
Consequently, the base stations transmit frequency correction signals.
In GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and similar systems, the frequency correction signal comprises a frequency control channel (FCCH) which the mobile station uses when it is powered up.
When a mobile station initiates a connection, such as "Push to Talk" or WAP, the mobile station must already be on. For such a mobile station initiated connection, the mobile station will be configured in ALL_(P)CCCHmode.
The problem of synchronising with the base station arises when the uplink connection is initiated by the mobile station and the mobile station is configured to ALL_(P)CCCH. The worst case is that the mobile station is configured to combined BCCH/CCCH/SDCCH/SACCH, where 4 block periods (one block is 4 bursts) are used by BCCH and CCCH and 6 block periods are reserved for SDCCH and SACCH in the 51-multiframe. This means only 4 blocks (16 bursts) from the BCCH and the CCCH are available for AFC (automatic frequency correction). Therefore, it takes long time for AFC to adjust the frequency offset to less than 0.1 ppm. Furthermore, the conventional AFC uses only the bursts available in TS0 (time slot 0).

Frequency control for a mobile communications device


A grip assembly for an archery bow including an incrementally adjustable hand grip that can accommodate several customizable wrist positions for one or more archers without the use of separate attachments. The grip assembly includes a grip bed heel and a grip plate. The angle of the grip bed heel may be selectively adjusted relative to the riser by pivoting the grip bed heel. The grip plate may include an upper portion adapted to be coupled to the riser, a lower portion adapted to be coupled to the grip bed heel, and at least one flexible intermediate portion. The grip assembly can further include an adjustment mechanism for setting the angle of the grip bed heel and a securing mechanism for securing the grip bed heel in a desired angular position. The grip assembly can further include a biasing member applying a rotational counteracting force to the grip bed heel.

Archery bows may be tuned and adjusted for optimal performance. Skilled archers tune their archery bows to finely control several factors, including adjusting or changing hand grips to accommodate their desired wrist position for comfort and consistency of use, whether a low wrist position, a high wrist position, or any intermediate wrist position therebetween.
Each archer has a desired position for his or her wrist when holding an archery bow, often unique to such archer. To ensure accuracy during use and that an arrow flies in a true and consistent path each time, it is crucial for the grip assembly of the archery bow to correspond with the archer's desired wrist position. If the grip assembly does not match the archer's desired wrist position, then the archer's hand may not contact or hold the hand grip in the proper manner or in the same manner every time the archer prepares to shoot an arrow. This can cause heeling, toeing, and torquing, thereby affecting accuracy and the arrow's intended flight path. Some archers go to great lengths to prevent heeling, toeing, and torquing and to ensure proper contact between their hand and the hand grip based on their desired wrist position(s).
Traditional bow grips are integrally formed with the riser of the bow. Such bow grips are not adjustable or otherwise able to accommodate an archer's unique wrist position. Conventional adjustable hand grips comprise replaceable modular attachments, including molded plastic or wood handles, that slide over or fasten to the outer surface of the grip area of the riser. Such replaceable modular attachments can accommodate certain archers' preferences, but they are limited to specific, discrete shapes and sizes, including those dictated by the most popular preferences among archers. These replaceable modular grips typically produce a larger or wider grip and provide a wider base for hand contact and can therefore increase the grip pressure and torque applied to the bow by an archer's hand, which can cause poor tuning and arrow flight, and inconsistent accuracy. Further, such replaceable modular attachments limit an archer's ability to customize or finely tune the grip. Further yet, modular grip attachments formed by injection-molding methods require separate molds for each attachment associated with a certain wrist position, which complicates the manufacturing process associated with such modular grip attachments. Additionally, in order to adequately secure such replaceable modular attachments to the bow grip or riser, several specialized or unique tools specific to such attachments may be required.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved grip assembly that provides a selectively adjustable hand grip that can tunably accommodate several customizable wrist positions for an archer or several archers, including a low wrist position, a high wrist position, or any intermediate wrist position therebetween, without the use of separate attachments. A need also exists for an improved grip assembly that provides a selectively adjustable hand grip that can be more easily manufactured and adjusted or tuned without the use of specialized or unique tools. Further, a need exists for an improved grip assembly that may be incrementally adjusted such that it may be precisely adjusted to an archer's desired position.

Bow grip with continuously adjustable wrist angle


Apparatus for monitoring suction leakage of external air into the exhaust gas path of an internal combustion engine during intermittent reduced pressure phases of engine running, includes two oxygen concentration sensing lambda probes arranged at a distance from one another along the path. The probes issue signals indicative of such oxygen concentration which are fed to a control device, such that an error signal is generated on deviation of the two probe signals from one another as caused by suction entry of external air into the path solely during a reduced pressure phase.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for monitoring leakage into the exhaust gas line or path of an internal combustion engine having oxygen concentration sensing and signaling means such as a lambda probe in the path for controlling the ratio of the air/fuel mixture fed to the engine.
Lambda probes are conventionally located in the exhaust gas path of internal combustion engines to measure the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas for accordingly determining by feedback technique the proper ratio of the air/fuel mixture to be fed to the engine. The output signal of the lambda probe has a step at an air/fuel mixture ratio of 1, so that the engine can be regulated to operate with an air/fuel ratio of about such value. In normal operation, the lambda probe output signal contains control oscillations of around 10 Hz, i.e. constituting the so-called lambda control frequency of the output signal.
By way of such lambda probe feedback technique, the formation of the air/fuel mixture fed to an engine intake valve can be controlled to achieve optimum combustion in the associated cylinder and optimum cleaning of the resulting exhaust gas in a conventional three way catalytic converter located in the exhaust gas path downstream from the associated exhaust valve.
A three way catalytic converter is normally used in the internal combustion engine exhaust line of a motor vehicle to make sure that the exhaust gas vented to the atmosphere meets governmental regulatory emission standards for hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x), e.g. in terms of maximum permitted emission concentrations (g/km or g/mi) of these three pollutants. This type catalytic converter typically uses a reducing catalyst to reduce nitrogen oxides in combination with an oxidation catalyst for overall three way emission control of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.
It is only possible to achieve effective catalytic control of these three pollutants when the exhaust gas contains a very small amount of oxygen. This means that the ratio of the air/fuel mixture fed to the engine combustion chambers must be precisely controlled, with a view to maintaining it very close to an ideal stoichiometric combustion ratio. For this purpose, the exhaust gas composition is sensed and the carburetor or like device is adjusted in dependence on the composition via feedback control.
Since the exhaust gas is at a temperature too low for further reaction, treatment in a three way catalytic converter is necessary. However, an increased level of oxygen in the exhaust gas decreases the ability of the catalytic converter to treat the three stated pollutants in the desired manner. This adverse situation is aggravated when the exhaust gas path is subject to suction leakage of atmospheric pressure external air into the exhaust path as can occur during intermittent reduced pressure phases in the engine during operation. Generally, each combustion cycle of an internal combustion engine occurs several thousand times per minute, e.g. in an engine of the type used in gasoline fueled motor vehicles.
A requirement for the effectiveness of this arrangement is that the exhaust gas path be sealed against leakage, i.e. avoid any lack of proper sealing, as otherwise the exhaust gas cannot reach the three way catalytic converter in desired unchanged condition for proper catalytic cleaning before venting to the atmosphere. Internal combustion engine exhaust path sealing failures become evident particularly during reduced pressure phases in the engine operation, which are generated under certain operating conditions by a characteristic intermittent mode of internal combustion engine operation leading to pulsations. As a result of these pulsations, during a reduced pressure phase, comparatively high oxygen containing atmospheric pressure exterior air can penetrate into the engine exhaust gas path by suction leakage action at a sealing failure site.
It is desirable to provide means for detecting lack of sealing of the internal combustion engine's exhaust gas path, and particularly suction leakage of external air into such path.

Apparatus for monitoring leakage into exhaust lines


A keyboard mechanism for a low-travel keyboard and methods of fabrication are described. The low-travel keyboard is suitable for a thin-profile computing device, such as a laptop computer, netbook computer, desktop computer, etc. The keyboard includes a key cap that can be formed of a variety of materials in the form of a flat slab. The key cap is attached to one end of a support lever that supports it from underneath. In one embodiment, the support lever is formed of a rigid material and is pivotally coupled with a substrate on the other end. In another embodiment, the support lever is formed of a flexible material and is fixedly attached to the substrate on the other end. The portion of the support lever that is attached to the key cap is positioned over a metal dome that can be deformed to activate the switch circuitry of the membrane on printed circuit board underneath the dome.

1. Field of the Invention
The described embodiments relate generally to peripheral devices for use with computing devices and similar information processing devices. More particularly, the present embodiments relate a thin profile, aesthetically pleasing keyboard well suited for use with computing devices, and methods of assembling such thin profile, aesthetically pleasing keyboards.
2. Description of the Related Art
The outward appearance, as well as functionality, of a computing device and its peripheral devices is important to a user of the computing device. In particular, the outward appearance of a computing device and peripheral devices, including their design and heft, is important, as the outward appearance contributes to the overall impression that the user has of the computing device. One design challenge associated with these devices, especially with portable computing devices, generally arises from a number of conflicting design goals, including the desirability of making the device attractive, smaller, lighter, and thinner while maintaining user functionality.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide a keyboard for a portable computing device that is aesthetically pleasing, yet still provides the stability for each key that users desire. It would also be beneficial to provide methods for manufacturing the keyboard having an especially aesthetic design as well as functionality for the portable computing device.


An apparatus manages universal subscriber identity module (USIM) data in a terminal using a mobile trusted module (MTM). The apparatus includes a mobile information storage unit configured to store at least one key and the USIM data in a protection region, an information security unit configured to protect information stored in a USIM and the terminal using at least one of the USIM data and the key stored in the mobile information storage unit, and a USIM data manager configured to restore at least one of the USIM data and the key stored in the mobile information storage unit to the USIM, and store at least one of USIM data and the key provided from the USIM in the mobile information storage unit.

Recently, as a security threat to various terminals including a computer system increases rapidly, solutions therefor are being researched and developed from various angles. They are mainly software security methods. In case of the software security method, if a memory in which user data is stored is stolen or maliciously hacked into by the outside, all private data stored in the memory are leaked. In addition, according to the existing security method, since an encryption key may be easily exposed to the outside, it cannot provide any protection when a terminal is hacked into.
Therefore, to overcome the drawbacks, a hardware security method has been introduced. One of them is a trusted platform module (TPM) chip of a trusted computing group (TCG).
In particular, unlike a central processing unit (CPU), the TPM chip provides an encryption engine as well as a storage space capable of storing a key value, a password, a digital certificates. When manufacturing TPM chips, a unique key, e.g., an endorsement key is assigned to each TPM chip, and a storage root key (SRK) is generated through a process of securing ownership. These keys are not allowed to be leaked to the outside.
Accordingly, the TPM chip can complement, by using its nature, various vulnerable points the software security method has, and it is recently in the limelight by users and persons concerned. The TCG is introducing an MTM chip suitable for a mobile terminal in addition to the TPM chip developed suitable for a PC environment. The MTM chip provides various security functions required in a mobile environment as well as employing a part of security functions provided by the TPM chip.
The MTM chip is mounted on a terminal, and provides local verification and platform integrity verification and guarantee for the terminal. The MTM chip has a shielded location, protected capabilities, a safe and hierarchical key management system, and physical safety. Accordingly, it has a good environment capable of safely storing and managing USIM data.

Apparatus and method for managing USIM data using mobile trusted module

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A specimen-receiving receptacle apparatus for use in minimally invasive surgical procedures can be remotely opened and closed from a proximal end of the apparatus, outside of the patient. The apparatus includes a belt having substantial longitudinal rigidity so that the belt can be forced longitudinally into the surgical site to open the specimen-retrieval receptacle from a remote end of the apparatus. The belt can be longitudinally pulled out of the surgical site to close the specimen-retrieval receptacle from outside of the patient. The belt is relatively flexible or easily deformable along an open end of the receptacle without deforming substantially out of the plane of the open receptacle end. This is achieved by aligning the belt with respect to the open end such that a large dimension of the belt is aligned transverse to the plane of the open receptacle end. In a preferred embodiment, the belt is extruded from nylon and has an elliptical cross-sectional shape.

The advantages of minimally invasive endoscopic surgical procedures are well documented throughout the literature. They require substantially smaller incisions that are less traumatic to the patient resulting in accelerated patient recovery and convalescence. Many body cavities can be entered through small incisions by utilizing fiber optic visual systems and special surgical instruments. Thoroscopy, arthroscopy, cystoscopy and laparoscopy are some of the most common of these surgical procedures. One of the most common endoscopic surgical procedures is laparoscopic surgery. The abdominal wall is pierced with a trocar assembly including a sharp trocar within a hollow tube or access port. Multiple other ports are utilized, depending on the operative requirements, to introduce various other devices, including a light source and optical instruments to visualize the operative field and for the purpose of completing the surgical procedure.
Many times during the course of such an endoscopic surgical procedure, specimens must be removed from the patient's body through the relatively small incision. For this purpose, the specimen to be removed must best be captured in a reservoir so that it can be sequestered. Many of these specimens are noxious and should be properly encapsulated or enclosed to prevent contamination as they are removed through the body cavity incision.
The Wilk patent discloses a device that is extremely difficult to operate because it requires the opening of a relatively large planar sheet or membrane in an unstable area. This requires the sheet to be located on shifting organs. Also, the device disclosed in the Wilk patent does not have the capacity to easily remotely open or close the specimen collector. The Wilk device requires the surgeon to open a planar sheet in the body cavity, with extreme difficulty, with other instruments. The planar sheet has no integral mechanism to remotely open the sheet. Rather, it requires other instruments to perform this function and is not remotely controllable.
Surgical specimen receptacles for use in endoscopic surgical procedures are known in the art, as shown in the Clayman, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,379, where one is formed from a thin polymeric sheet material having a drawstring secured to an open end of the receptacle for the purpose of closing the receptacle around the specimen or other specimen to be removed. The receptacle is closed by pulling on the drawstring from a proximal location outside of the body cavity. Such specimen receptacles or surgical specimen bags are made from a readily collapsible sheet material so that the receptacle can be easily collapsed into a much smaller volume for insertion through the access port. The surgical receptacle sheet material should be a material that is non-porous, flexible and tear resistant. Often times the specimen to be removed is a diseased organ, such as an acute appendix, that contains a substantial amount of infectious fluid. For this purpose, the receptacle should have a remotely and easily controllable entry port that allows quick and easy introduction of the specimen without unwanted manipulation of the receptacle and the specimen. It further requires an easy remote control to encapsulate and enclose the specimen so it can be removed from the body cavity without contamination.
One of the problems associated with prior art endoscopic surgical specimen receptacles used in minimally invasive surgical procedures is that opening of such a receptacle in a body cavity requires manipulation of the receptacle with a surgical tool inserted in the body cavity through another access port. The additional effort in such a procedure may be eliminated in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Reservoir for enclosing and retrieving body specimens


A motor vehicle component support and method that includes reciprocating horizontal members that maintain the vehicle component in balance as the support is adjusted according to the component size. With the reciprocating action, the adjustments to one horizontal member are identically and automatically performed on the other horizontal member. In addition, the apparatus includes cushions capable of pivoting to better accommodate components of irregular geometries.

For all motor vehicles requiring service, a mechanic may lower or raise a vehicle component from a vehicle housing to or from a servicing level. Due to the weight and size of vehicle components and of the confined space that exists under a vehicle, devices have been introduced in the past to assist mechanics with the task of removing and installing these components. Typical vehicle components requiring the assistance of such devices include fuel tanks, engines, and transmissions.
Furthermore, it is common knowledge that after a certain amount of usage of commercial and recreational vehicles, certain of these automotive components wear down or breakdown and need repair or replacement. Because of the weight, size and shape of such components, and the confined space in which a mechanic must ordinarily work, handling of such components, when being removed or installed is time-consuming, strenuous and dangerous unless a properly designed mechanical device is employed.
A conventional mechanical device such as a saddle adapter or fuel tank adapter, is generally unsatisfactory for this purpose because of its failure to provide adequate support with the resulting danger that the removed component may topple from the device and injure the mechanic. In particular, with fuel tanks, there is the added danger that fuel may spill out of the tank and cause a fire or an explosion. In addition, use of conventional saddle adapter may be objectionable because it requires laborious and time-consuming efforts of the mechanic and usually requires assistance by another mechanic in removing or installing the automotive component being repaired. The additional effort and assistance are necessary because conventional saddle adapters do not provide a means to safely and securely balance the particular vehicle component during servicing or when it is returned to its original position. Further, conventional saddle adapters have four legs for retaining a particular vehicle component. Adjustments may be made at a variety of locations of the leg to accommodate a variety of sizes. However, as each location is adjusted, a dangerous and precarious situation of imbalance can be created if the adjustments are even slightly incorrect. Accordingly, use of these prior-art adapters is costly due to the relatively high cost of labor.
This potential danger may be addressed by having another mechanic assist in adjusting a corresponding location at the same time. However, danger still exists with issues of timing, miscommunication and human error which may nevertheless result in toppling of the vehicle component and injury to the mechanic. This also results in greater cost in that the more people that are required to assist, the greater the labor cost.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that is safe to use in the handling of vehicle components and lowers costs.

Retractable support apparatus and method


A transmitted digital signal from a digital signal processor is converted into an analog signal at an analog circuit, and then transmitted from transmission lines via a communication transformer. A communication apparatus has a plurality of communication modes that perform communication in different communication ranges. A controller in the digital signal processor changes an output level of the transmitted signal according to the communication modes. More specifically, the controller detects communication quality of the transmitted signal and lowers the output level of the transmitted signal within a range where the detected communication quality does not fall below predetermined quality.

1. Field of the Invention
An embodiment presented below relates to a communication apparatus and a communication method that perform communication through a power line.
2. Description of Related Art
A transmission system that uses a plurality of sub-carriers, including an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) system and the like, has a significant advantage that provides quality communication even on a transmission line under an adverse condition. Thus, such transmission system is used not only in wireless communication, but also in wired communication, including power line communication and the like (e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 2002-344417).
The wired communication using the above-described multi-carrier can also be applied to communication between AV (Audio Video) devices. For example, a television set and a DVD recorder transmit and receive an AV signal over the wired communication using the multi-carrier. The communication between the AV devices, however, is most likely stream communication between specific devices, and transmission volume is substantially high. When a device other than the AV devices is also connected to a wired communication network using the multi-carrier, the device is unable to use the network while the transmission is being performed between the AV devices, and thus the network is not used efficiently.

Communication apparatus and communication method


A camera includes a lens holding member for detachably holding a lens device, an image taking device for taking an image formed by the lens device, a front main body member forming a front portion of the main body of the camera, a rear main body member which forms a rear portion of the main body of the camera and is coupled to the front main body member, and a central main body member on which the lens holding member and the image taking device are mounted and which is coupled to at least one of the front and rear main body members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a single-lens reflex type digital camera and, more particularly, to a chassis mechanism thereof.
2. Related Background Art
The main body of a single-lens reflex camera using a conventional film is formed by coupling the following components: a cartridge chamber for housing a film cartridge, a spool chamber in which a spool for winding up a film is housed, a main body member formed by a coupling portion that couples the cartridge and spool chambers to form a film rail surface, a coupling member for providing auxiliary strength on the lens mount side of the main body member, and a mirror box to which a mount member having a front end face on which a lens device is detachably mounted is attached, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility model Application Laid-Open No. 62-113341.
The mount member and a mirror mechanism are mounted on the mirror box. The mirror mechanism is retractably inserted in a phototaking optical path and designed to reflect a light beam from a lens and guide it to a finder optical system when it is inserted in the phototaking optical path.
As described above, the camera body is separated into the main body member having the rail surface for positioning a film surface and the mirror box for holding the mount member. Even if the main body member and mirror box are coupled to each other, it is difficult to accurately set a flange back which is the distance from the lens mount surface to the film surface.
For this reason, for example, after the main body member and mirror box are coupled to each other, special operation is required for flange back adjustment, e.g., cutting the rail surface of the main body member to attain an accurate flange back. If the main body member is formed by a mold member, the rail surface cannot be cut. In this case, therefore, the flange back must be adjusted by inserting a washer or the like between the main body member and the mirror box when they are coupled to each other, requiring cumbersome operation. Demands have therefore arisen for an improvement to attain an accurate flange back without cumbersome operation and cost required for the operation.
In a digital camera, since a fast-clock CPU is mounted, much noise is produced. For this reason, the camera body is preferably formed by using a metal that effectively suppress noise instead of a plastic material often used for conventional cameras. If, however, the camera body is to be made of a metal, since it has a complicated shape, aluminum die casting or magnesium alloy forming is required, resulting in an increase in the cost of the camera body. Demands have therefore arisen for a technique of suppressing an increase in cost.
According to one aspect of this invention, a camera has a central main body member on which a lens holding member and image taking device are mounted, and the central main body member is coupled to at least one of the front main body member forming the front portion of the camera and the rear main body member forming the rear portion of the camera.
With this arrangement, a camera mechanism can be realized, which can accurately set a flange back and is resistant to external static pressure.
According to another aspect of this invention, the front and rear main body members are formed by metal parts to increase the overall strength of the camera.
In addition, the front and rear main body members are rendered conductive to electric ground to effectively prevent noise generated by the electric part from leaking outside the camera.


An X-ray sensor includes a substrate, a photodiode disposed in the substrate, a reset transistor connected with the photodiode, a source follower transistor connected with the photodiode, and a select transistor connected with the source follower transistor. The photodiode includes a plurality of charge accumulation layers disposed in the substrate and arranged in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, a plurality of pinning layers disposed on the charge accumulation layers, respectively, and a well region for electrically connecting the charge accumulation layers with the reset transistor and the source follower transistor.

An X-ray sensor may be classified as a direct conversion type that directly converts X-rays into electrical signals without any conversion process or an indirect conversion type that converts X-rays into visible lights using a scintillator and converts the visible lights into electrical signals. The direct conversion type X-ray sensor may include a photo-conductor for directly converting X-ray photons into electrical signals, and the indirect conversion type X-ray sensor may include a photodiode for detecting the visible lights. For example, a pinned photodiode including a charge accumulation region and a pinning region may be used as the photodiode.
The charge accumulation capacity of the photodiode may be determined by the pinning voltage of the charge accumulation region. The pinning voltage of the charge accumulation region may be determined by the impurity concentration of the charge accumulation region. However, there is a limit to increasing the pinning voltage of the charge accumulation region, and thus there is a limit to increasing the dynamic range of the photodiode.

Photodiode and X-ray sensor including the same


A target computing system 10 is adapted to support a register window architecture, particularly for use when converting non-native subject code 17 instead into target code 21 executed by a target processor 13. A subject register stack data structure (an “SR stack”) 400 in memory has a plurality of frames 410 each containing a set of entries 401 corresponding to a subset of subject registers 502 of one register window 510 in a subject processor 3. The SR stack 400 is accessed by the target code 21 executing on the target processor 13. The SR stack 400 stores a large plurality of such frames 410 and thereby avoids overhead such as modelling automatic spill and fill operations from the windowed register file of the subject architecture. In one embodiment, a target computing system 10 having sixteen general purpose working registers is adapted to support a register window architecture reliant upon a register file containing tens or hundreds of subject registers 502.

The central processing unit (CPU) or processor lies at the heart of all modern computing systems. The processor executes instructions of a computer program and thus enables the computer to perform useful work. CPUs are prevalent in all forms of digital devices in modern life and not just dedicated computing machines such as personal computers, laptops and PDAs. Modem microprocessors appear in everything from automobiles to washing machines to children's toys.
A problem arises in that program code which is executable by one type of processor often cannot be executed in any other type of processor. Firstly, each type of processor has its own unique Instruction Set Architecture (ISA). Secondly, processors often have unique hardware features which are not present on other types of processor. Hence, the field of program code conversion has evolved to automatically convert program code written for one type of processor into code which is executable instead by another type of processor, or to optimise an old, inefficient piece of code into a newer, faster version for the same type of processor. That is, in both embedded and non-embedded CPUs, there are predominant ISAs for which large bodies of software already exist that could be "accelerated" for performance or "translated" to other processors that present better cost/performance benefits. One also finds dominant CPU architectures that are locked in time to their ISA and cannot evolve in performance or market reach. This problem applies at all levels of the electronics industry, from stand-alone pocket-sized devices right through to massive networks having tens or hundreds of powerful computers.
As background information in this field of program code conversion, PCT publications WO2000/22521 entitled "Program Code Conversion", WO2004/095264 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Performing Interpreter Optimizations during Program Code Conversion", WO2004/097631 entitled "Improved Architecture for Generating Intermediate Representations for Program Code Conversion", WO2005/006106 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Performing Adjustable Precision Exception Handling", and WO2006/103395 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Precise Handling of Exceptions During Program Code Conversion", which are all incorporated herein by reference, disclose methods and apparatus to facilitate program code conversion capabilities as may be employed in the example embodiments discussed herein.
Most modern processors include a set of registers as a type of fast-access memory. The processor uses the registers to hold temporary values while executing a sequence of instructions in a computer program. The processor hardware contains a limited number of these registers and, in use, execution of the program can readily fill all of the available registers with temporary data values. This leads to competition for the available registers as the processor moves from one section of code to another, because each section of code will generate temporary values and will need to make use of the registers in the processor to store those temporary data values.
In response to this difficulty, processors have been developed with a register window architecture. For example, register window architectures based on the Berkeley RISC design of the early 1990s provide a large set of hardware registers (the register file) and allow only a small subset of these registers (the register window) to be accessed by the current section of code. The other registers in the register file lying outside the current position of the register window are not accessible by the current section of the computer program. For example, only eight registers are visible at any one time from a register file of sixty-four registers in total. When the processor moves from one section of code to another, such as when a procedure call is performed, then the register window shifts position in the register file and exposes a different subset of the registers for the new section of code. These movements are generally classified as either causing a SAVE type movement where the register window moves to a previously unused position to present a clean set of hardware registers to the executing subject code, or else a RESTORE type movement which shifts the register window back toward a previously exposed position and thus reveals a set of previously used registers to the executing code to thereby restore access to the data values held in those registers. Eventually, however, the finite number of hardware registers in the register file will be exhausted, depending upon the number of procedure call levels invoked by executing the program. Here, a SPILL operation is performed whereby the data values in the registers are moved to a safe location such as in second-tier memory outside the processor. Later, a FILL operation moves those data values back into the hardware registers so that processor can continue execution of the relevant section of code.
This register window architecture is intended to allow the computing system to execute faster, especially where the processor frequently moves from one section of code to another and then returns back to the first section (i.e. performs procedure calls), by avoiding the costly and time-consuming register spill and fill operations for large parts of the computer program.
This register window architecture has been adopted by processors such as the SPARC, the AMD29000 and the Intel i960 on a large commercial scale. Hence, a large body of code has already been written to execute only on these architectures and cannot be run by any other type of processor.
Of these commercial processors, the SPARC is particularly prevalent. Further background information about the SPARC register window architecture is found, for example, in SPARC Architecture Manual, Version 8, Section 4.1, "Registers" and SPARC Architecture Manual, Version 9, Section 5.1, "Registers", published by SPARC International Inc of San Jose, Calif., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
As an example, FIG. 1 illustrates the use of register windows in a v9 SPARC architecture of the related art. The v9 SPARC architecture provides a plurality of control/status registers, and a large number of general purpose ("r") registers. The general purpose registers include eight permanently visible global registers (and a further eight global alternates), and a moveable 24-register window divided into eight "in" registers, eight "local" registers and eight "out" registers. The current window into the total register file is given by a Current Window Pointer (CWP) held in one of the control/status registers. The CWP is incremented each time a "restore" instruction is executed, and is decremented for a "save" instruction or when a trap occurs. In this example, the 24-register window partially overlaps with adjacent windows positions, such that the eight "out" registers of one window position overlap with the eight "in" registers of an adjacent window position, whilst the local registers are unique to each window position. That is, the "out" registers of window position CWP+1 are also addressable as the "in" registers of the current window CWP. Also, the "out" registers of the current window CWP are equivalent to the "in" registers of the next window CWP-1. The v9 SPARC architecture supports from a minimum of three to a maximum of thirty-two window positions, depending on the specific hardware implementation. Hence, together with the permanently visible global registers, the v9 SPARC architecture requires 64 to 528 general purpose hardware registers (8 global registers, 8 alternate globals, and 16 registers for each window position).
FIG. 2 illustrates the circular nature of the windowed register file in the example v9 SPARC architecture. The hardware registers are finite in number and in this example there are 128 windowed hardware registers corresponding to eight register window positions. FIG. 2 shows window position W0 as the current window (CWP=0). If a procedure using the current window position W0 executes a RESTORE, then window position W7 will become the current window (CWP=+1). If the procedure at position W0 instead executes a SAVE, then window position W1 becomes the current window. A window overflow trap occurs when all of the register window positions have been consumed, i.e. because those registers already contain valid data from executing previous the sections of program code and should not be overwritten. In the example v9 architecture, window overflow is detected using a CANSAVE control/status register linked to the CWP. At this point, the contents of the registers are spilled to a slower-access area of memory, such as an execution stack in the main subject memory 8, in order to allow execution to continue without overwriting valid data stored in the register file. When the program eventually RESTOREs to the point where the original register values become needed again, a fill operation fills the register values from the stack back into the hardware registers of the register file. Here, a window underflow trap prevents an invalid restore movement of the register window, with reference to a CANRESTORE control/status register.
In this example, the original program code (here called "subject code") relies on a particular type of subject hardware having a register window architecture. However, in the field of program code conversion of the present invention, the subject code is instead converted into target code and executed by a target computing system. That is, it is desired to replace an older subject computer system based on the register window architecture instead with a newer target computer system, but still have the target computer system support the register window architecture of the subject computing system.
An aim of the present invention is to provide a computing system which is adapted to support a register window architecture. Exemplary embodiments aim to adapt a computer system to support a foreign, non-native, register window architecture.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Computer system and method of adapting a computer system to support a register window architecture

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and system for completion coalescing by a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) receiver (e.g., in a TCP/IP offload engine (TOE)). The method comprises: processing inbound TCP segments; and performing completion processing of received TCP ACKS and/or RDMA Read Requests independently of the processing of the inbound TCP segments.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) systems. More particularly, the present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for completion coalescing by a TCP receiver (e.g., in a TCP/IP offload engine (TOE)).
2. Related Art
As known in the art, TCP is a data transfer protocol that uses acknowledgement and timeout mechanisms to provide reliable services. To this extent, TCP assigns a sequence number to each byte transmitted, and expects a positive acknowledgement (ACK) from the receiving TCP. If the TCP ACK is not received within a timeout interval, the data is retransmitted. Other, more advanced retransmit schemes are also used, which allow the retransmit process to start upon reception of multiple (e.g., three) duplicated ACKS (a duplicated ACK is an ACK which does not change the left window edge of a TCP window).
The use of the acknowledgement mechanism is based on sending dedicated TCP ACK segments, or piggy-backing TCP ACK information in the TCP headers of data segments. However, processing of dedicated TCP ACK segments or piggy-backed TCP ACK information is a clear overhead to the network. One way that TCP attempts to reduce this overhead is by using a delayed TCP ACK approach. This approach allows a single TCP ACK to be sent for each two (or more) received TCP segments.
Additional TCP ACK processing overhead arises from the completion processing of each received TCP ACK segment or data segment carrying new TCP ACK information. As known in the art, such completion processing involves, for example, the reading and processing of a posted consumer request (e.g., descriptors read), to identify whether this request has been completed or not. A major problem with TCP, is that TCP does not provide a simple way to map TCP sequence numbers to consumer requests. In InfiniBand, for example, an acknowledgement segment carries not only a byte sequence number, but also a message sequence number. This allows ACK processing and completion handling to be performed without the need to gather information to perform ACK SN— to consumer request mapping. In TCP, however, an ACK does not carry such information. As such, in TCP, information must be gathered to perform ACK SN— to—consumer request mapping. One way to gather the required information involves the reading and processing of consumer requests. Therefore, performing such time consuming operations for each received TCP ACK both consumes network and processing resources and forces the logic processing of inbound TCP segments to wait for the completion processing of each received TCP ACK to finish, before processing the next TCP segment. Thus, the completion processing overhead comprises two parts: the overhead of the completion operation itself; and the coupling of inbound TCP segment processing logic with completion processing logic.
There is a need, therefore, for a method, system, and computer program product for processing inbound TCP segments (including ACKS) independently from completion processing. This allows the processing of inbound TCP segments to continue without waiting for the completion processing of each received TCP ACK to finish. Also, the delayed, separate completion processing allows the present invention to perform coalescing of ACKS (i.e., one completion operation may be performed for multiple ACKS, instead of one completion operation per ACK). The same approach may also be applied to the completion processing of RDMA Read Requests.


Methods in accordance with the invention involve patterning and etching very small dimension pillars, such as in formation of a memory array in accordance with the invention. When dimensions of pillars become very small, the photoresist pillars used to pattern them may not have sufficient mechanical strength to survive the photoresist exposure and development process. Using methods according to the present invention, these photoresist pillars are printed and developed larger than their intended final dimension, such that they have increased mechanical strength, then are shrunk to the desired dimension during a preliminary etch performed before the etch of underlying material begins.

The invention relates to a method to pattern and etch submicron pillars using photolithography and etch techniques.
In semiconductor devices it may be necessary to pattern and etch submicron pillars. An example is found in Herner et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/326,470, hereinafter the '470 application (since abandoned), herein incorporated by reference, which requires an array of pillars having submicron dimensions to be formed using conventional photolithography and etch processes. Photoresist is patterned and developed into photoresist features, which are then etched into an underlying material. Even at very small critical dimensions (CDs), photoresist lines are mechanically strong enough to survive the exposure, development, and the cleaning and drying process that follows before the etch is performed. At the same CDs, however, photoresist pillars have less mechanical strength and may topple before the etch can be performed.
There is a need, therefore, for a method to pattern and etch very small pillars using standard photolithography and etch methods.

Patterning of submicron pillars in a memory array


A golf club head has a main body portion formed by investment casting of material such as stainless steel, beryllium copper, titanium, or aluminum. The face plate of the head is formed of a forged metal such as forged carbon steel, this plate being welded to the face portion of the casting to form an integral assembly therewith. The forged metal faceplate affords a more solid impact and feel to the club which provides better control.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golf clubs and more particularly to an improved face plate construction for a golf club head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The heads of golf clubs are generally formed in a one piece casting of durable materials such as stainless steel, beryllium copper, aluminum, etc. A head of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,047 issued May 3rd, 1977 to R.J. Mader. The use of face plates made of a different material than that of the main body of the club head has been used in the prior art in both irons and "wood" type drivers which are often made of cast metal. Such prior art club heads are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,140 issued Dec 20, 1988 to Yamaguchi, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,558 issued Aug. 13, 1985 to Yoneyama; U.S. Pat. No. 3,218,072 issued Nov. 16, 1965 to Burr; and British patent no. 1.227.948 issued Apr. 15, 1971 to Haines, et al. In the heads of all of these prior art patents, the face plate is of a plastic material such as a resin or a carbon fiber composite. It has been found that the use of a forged metal for the face plate of the club head results in a more solid impact and feel which provides better control. However, forged metal is not amenable to casting which mitigates against its use for forming the entire head. Also forged metal tends to have a high density which would make for a club head having excessive weight.


A compressor apparatus includes a power source (26), a shell (12; 42), an electric motor (28; 52; 100; 200) having motor windings, and a control assembly (106; 206). The electric motor (28; 52; 100; 200) is located within the shell (12; 42). The control assembly a control assembly (106; 206) provides power to the motor windings from the power source (26) in two modes. A first mode provides power to the motor windings to generate heat without producing force output with the motor (28; 52; 100; 200). A second mode provides power to the motor windings to produce force output with the motor (28; 52; 100; 200). The control assembly (106; 206) activates the first mode for a selected time period prior to activation of the second mode in order to drive out a fluid (36) to reduce a risk of a flooded compressor start.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for heating electric motors and adjacent fluids.
Electric motors, such as electric compressor motors for refrigeration units, often operate over a range of ambient temperature conditions. During relatively low ambient temperature operation, compressors often cycle on and off due to limited load demand. During the compressor off time, temperatures of fluids associated with the refrigeration unit and compressor, such as oil and refrigerant, can be very low. Such low fluid temperatures can, for instance, affect oil delivery at compressor start up and reduce compressor reliability. In addition, if the refrigeration unit shuts down for an extended period of time, typically longer than about six hours, the liquid refrigerant starts to migrate to the compressor, which is generally the most massive component in the system. The presence of refrigerant in the compressor at start-up produces what is known as a "flooded start". When the compressor starts in a flooded condition, the liquid refrigerant in the compressor causes high stress for the compressor and other components in the system and therefore reduces reliability.
It is thus desirable to heat refrigerant and oil under low ambient temperature conditions to facilitate reliable operation of a compressor. One existing solution is to use an external electrical crankcase heater to heat the refrigerant and oil by heat transfer through the compressor base and shell (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,133,429; 4,066,869; 4,755,657; and 5,062,277). However, this known solution presents a number of problems. An external element increases the number of components in the refrigeration unit. These external heaters also require proper installation using a heat sinking compound. During use, the external heater must resist moisture and corrosion during thermal cycling, which can make construction and maintenance problematic. Also, these external heaters can result in inefficient transfer of heat to refrigerant and oil in a compressor.

Integral compressor motor and refrigerant/oil heater apparatus and method


A subsea garage for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) has a body having a receptacle for the UUV, an open top providing a transit path for the UUV into and out of the receptacle and a base opposed to the open top, the base being arranged to lie on the seabed. At least one post is movable, subsea, relative to the body into a deployed position extending upwardly from the body above the open top. A lid may also be movable relative to the body between a closed position that closes the open top and an open position that allows the UUV to move along the transit path through the open top. A fixed post may extend upwardly from the body above the open top, in which case the lid may enclose the post when in the closed position and expose the post when in the open position.

This invention relates to subsea baskets or garages for unmanned underwater vehicles or UUVs, especially autonomous underwater vehicles or AUVs.
An AUV is an example of a UUV, another example being a remotely operated vehicle or ROV. UUVs are used widely in the subsea oil and gas industry to perform subsea inspections and interventions. They may be used wherever it is inappropriate or impossible to use divers.
Conventionally, a UUV is handled from a surface support vessel. The support vessel manages launch and recovery of the UUV, typically using a launch and recovery system (LARS). A LARS may, for example, comprise a cursor that slides into and out of the water along vertical rails fixed to the vessel.
Where the UUV is an ROV, a pilot flies the ROV during its subsea mission. Typically the pilot is based aboard the surface support vessel, to which the ROV remains tethered throughout.
Where the UUV is an AUV, the AUV flies itself automatically during its subsea mission in accordance with a predetermined program or in response to events that arise during the mission. Typically the AUV is untethered but flies itself back to a subsea garage or docking station periodically for battery charging and data transfer. This saves the complexity and delay of recovering the AUV to the surface on each occasion.
More generally, there is a trend toward permanent or indefinite subsea installation of UUVs to provide a resident capability at a subsea site. The UUV will typically have access to a subsea docking station that is connected to nearby subsea infrastructure for power and communications.
For ROVs, a tether management system (TMS) may be used as a simple subsea docking station or as a garage. For example, in WO 2001/53149, an ROV is docked to the TMS when required. In WO 2015/020529, an ROV enters a frame between missions. However as ROVs remain physically connected to the surface support vessel, there is no need for a more sophisticated garage of the kind required by AUVs.
For AUVs, the most common subsea docking solutions involve a simple docking station for battery charging as in WO 2001/21476 and US 2015/376851. Another common approach, especially when an AUV is torpedo-shaped, is a lateral-entry garage—an example of which is disclosed in WO 2000/71415.
Some suspended lateral-entry AUV garages or bases are known, for example as disclosed in WO 2014/173976. However, suspended structures are not practical for use as a permanent garage on the seabed because the entrance opening would then be at the level of the mudline, which would hinder AUV entry. In WO 2013/050411, for example, an AUV garage is mounted on a wellhead template and so has its entrance opening above the mudline.
In the Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,223, the launch and recovery function for an AUV is realised by a top-entry basket that is lowered to the seabed containing the AUV. The basket is left on the seabed to provide a subsea garage or docking station to which the AUV returns when battery charging and/or data transfer is required.
Noting that AUVs operate on the principle of autonomy, a displaceable or relocatable garage like the basket of U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,223 allows more autonomy. The basket design even allows the garage to be separated from a support vessel to create a permanent garage on the seabed. However it remains possible eventually to recover the basket to the surface, either with or without an AUV inside.
In WO 2012/156425, an AUV garage is embedded in a static structure. This is not as practical or flexible as the basket solution in U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,223 because the garage cannot be moved, which makes it impractical to recover the garage with or without the AUV. However, an advantage of embedding an AUV garage into a static structure is that it mitigates the risk of damage to the garage. Specifically, the structure provides solid frames that protect the roof of the garage against dropped objects and against fishing activity such as over-trawling, whether or not an AUV is housed inside.
It is straightforward to reinforce the roof of a lateral-entry AUV garage for protection against dropped objects and over-trawling. However, it is not straightforward to confer such protection on a top-entry AUV garage like the basket of U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,223. In this respect, automation of recognition and docking of an AUV is more efficient with than with a lateral-entry garage because the AUV can arrive from any direction and exit in any direction. Thus, a rigid upstanding structure comprising posts like that of U.S. Pat. No. 8,109,223 is used as an identifying feature by an AUV's vision systems. However, the posts are a potential snagging point for trawl fishing nets. Also, an open-topped basket tends to be vulnerable to dropped objects.
In principle, these problems could be solved by fitting a large protection structure over an entire subsea docking station or garage. However, such a solution would be complex to install, would hamper access required to raise or move the garage and would require a UUV to adapt its docking routine to suit the protection structure.
EP 2196622 describes a module for performing interventions on a subsea wellhead, the module having a supporting structure and attachment means to enable docking with a wellhead structure. Once docked, the module performs tasks on the welhead using tools stored on the module.
An apparatus for sampling and analysing fluid from a subsea well is described in GB 2460668. The apparatus includes a fluid processing device contained within a housing which can be positioned in close proximity to the wellhead for use.
CN 1132710 describes an underwater recovery and control system for an autonomous underwater robot, the system including a rescue vessel for recovery of the robot to a base ship.
In NZ 554981, an ROV is lowered to a worksite in a lateral-entry cage which remains suspended above the worksite while the ROV carries out tasks.
WO 2012/156425 describes an AUV for monitoring a subsea environment, and an underwater station in which an AUV garage is embedded to house the AUV when not in use.

Subsea garages for unmanned underwater vehicles


Disclosed is a sterilizable facial cleaning instrument, which comprises a main apparatus, and a driving motor, a first control board and a rechargeable battery that are provided in the main apparatus, and further comprises an apparatus seat provided with a sterilization cavity, wherein an ultraviolet germicidal lamp is provided in the sterilization cavity; the main apparatus is detachably provided at the apparatus seat and at least a part of a brush head is positioned in the sterilization cavity, so that bristles positioned in the sterilization cavity can be sterilized by ultraviolet irradiation. The sterilizable facial cleaning instrument provided by the present invention can sterilize and disinfect the brush head completely when the main apparatus is combined with the separable designed apparatus seat, thereby ensuring the health and safety of users.

The facial cleaning instrument is also called as a face washing brush, which mainly uses an electric machine to drive the brush head or uses the ultrasonic principle to vibrate the fine bristles on the face washing brush, thus achieving high-efficiency and non-irritating cleaning and massage effects, which can help facial cleanser to form uniform foam of high-density, clean a face thoroughly, and achieve the effects of beauty and health care. At present, general facial cleaning instruments adopt rechargeable structures. Taking motor drive as an example, a facial cleaning instrument usually includes a main apparatus, and a driving motor, a control board and a rechargeable battery that are provided in the main apparatus. The main apparatus is provided with a charging interface that is electrically connected to the control board to charge the rechargeable battery. The output end of the driving motor is connected with a brush head on which bristles are provided. In operation, firstly a face can be wetted with clean water, or further cooperating with facial cleanser, and uniform foam of high-density is formed due to bristles vibrated by the facial cleaning instrument, cleaning the face thoroughly. However, the bristles on the current brush head are prone to breed bacteria. Although silica gel brush head can alleviate this problem to some extent, it cannot be avoided thoroughly. The brush head still needs to be disinfected regularly, which is very inconvenient to use.

GUANGDONG BAISHENGTU TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD.


The heat exchanger has a zig-zagged liquid-flowing passage and an overflowed-liquid escaping conduit. When an excessive amount of cooling water is supplied to the heat exchanger, a part of cooling water flows into the overflowed-liquid escaping conduit through a dam formed between the liquid-flowing passage and the escaping conduit. The heat exchanger is formed by assembling a plurality of heat exchanging partition plates formed by molding. The heat exchanging partition plates have the same shape and the same dimensions, and they are easily engageable with and detachable from each other.

An indirect contact type heat exchanger for a cooling tower is widely used as a closed type heat exchanger or such a type of heat exchangers that it is mounted on a packing material consisting of a large number of corrugated plates in a parallel arrangement to prevent generation of whitish smoke or mist. An example of the inner structure of the heat exchanger is shown in FIGS. 24 to 26 in which air passages for feeding air in the horizontal direction are separated by metallic plates or synthetic resin plates from liquid-flowing passages for feeding liquid in the vertical direction so that the two kinds of passages are arranged alternately. Heat-exchanging efficiency is increased by reducing the space of the liquid-flowing passages as much as possible. In each of the liquid-flowing passages, there are formed a number of deflectors projecting from the partition plates in the liquid-flowing passages to reduce a flow speed of the liquid to thereby further increase heat-exchanging efficiency.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 100370/1976 discloses a heat exchanger for cooling tower which comprises a plurality of thin, flat liquid-flowing passages arranged vertically and in parallel to each other and a plurality of thin, flat air-flowing passages extending vertically which are alternately interposed between the adjacent liquid-flowing passages, wherein each of the liquid-flowing passages is separated from each of the air-flowing passages by a heat exchanging partition plate made of a synthetic resin so that the liquid and air are fed in the passages in a non-contact state. Both walls for forming of each of the air-flowing passages are formed by an inverse U-shaped member. The adjacent inverse U-shaped members are connected to each other by means of ribs projecting from the side walls so that a liquid-flowing passage is formed between the connected inverse U-shaped members.
The heat exchanger disclosed in the above-mentioned publication is mounted on a cooling tower by hanging a plurality of the inverse U-shaped members above the packing material held in the cooling tower by means of a horizontal supporting beam as shown in FIG. 27, or it is mounted on a cooling tower by hanging a plurality of vertically arranged heat exchangers inside the packing material which is disposed at an outer air inlet port of the cooling tower as shown in FIG. 28. This arrangement of the heat exchangers is to prevent generation of whitish smoke or mist in the winter season.
In the conventional heat exchangers, however, there is such a disadvantage that, when it is used for a long time, dust or microorganisms deposit on the wall surface of the liquid-flowing passages which are generally narrow and are curved in order to reduce the falling speed of the liquid flowing by the action of gravity. As a result, the optimum flow rate of liquid can not be obtained, and there often causes flooding of the liquid at the liquid supplying side of the heat exchanger. This results in not only wetting the heat exchanger but also reduction of an amount of a refrigerant circulated in the heat exchanger.
In a case that the heat exchanger is used for a cooling tower by disposing it above the packing material to disperse the liquid discharged from the heat exchanger onto the packing material, the quantity of the dispersed liquid (water) becomes short to thereby invite the shortage of liquid circulating in the cooling tower.
In such a type of cooling tower that a plurality of the heat exchangers are supported by hanging them in a multi-stage at the inside of the packing material which is disposed at the outer air inlet port of the cooling tower (FIG. 28), the shortage of the liquid in the cooling tower results in the generation of whitish smoke or mist.


An apparatus is adapted to separate target materials from other materials in a flow containing the target materials and other materials. A dielectrophoretic trap is adapted to receive the target materials and the other materials. At least one electrode system is provided in the trap. The electrode system has a three-dimensional configuration. The electrode system includes a first electrode and a second electrode that are shaped and positioned relative to each such that application of an electrical voltage to the first electrode and the second electrode creates a dielectrophoretic force and said dielectrophoretic force does not reach zero between the first electrode and the second electrode.

1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to separator methods and apparatus and more particularly to dielectrophoretic separator methods and apparatus.
2. State of Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,200 for an apparatus for separating by dielectrophoresis by Pethig et al, patented Sep. 29, 1998, provides the following description: xe2x80x9cThe invention relates to a separator, which is particularly useful for separating cellular matter. The separator utilizes the phenomenon known as dielectrophoresis (DEP). A DEP force effects a particle suspended in a medium. The particle experiences a force in an alternating electric field. The force is proportional to, amongst other things, the electrical properties of the supporting medium and the particle and the frequency of the electric field. The separator, of the present invention, comprises a chamber (10) and a plurality of electrodes (12) disposed in the chamber (10). An electric field established across electrodes subjects some of the particles to a stronger force than others such that they are confined within the chamber. Particles which are not confined are removed from the chamber by the supporting medium which is preferably urged through the chamber. Valves (101 and 202) are provided on exhausts of the chamber. The invention is able to separate two different particles continuously.xe2x80x9d
U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,630 for a method and apparatus for fractionation using conventional dielectrophoresis and field flow fractionation, by Becker et al, patented Nov. 30, 1999, provides the following description: xe2x80x9cThe present disclosure is directed to a novel apparatus and novel methods for the separation, characterization, and manipulation of matter. In particular, the invention combines the use of frequency-dependent dielectric and conductive properties of particulate matter and solubilized matter with the properties of the suspending and transporting medium to discriminate and separate such matter. The apparatus includes a chamber having at least one electrode element and at least one inlet and one output port into which cells are introduced and removed from the chamber. Matter carried through the chamber in a fluid stream is then displaced within the fluid by a dielectrophoretic (DEP) force caused by the energized electrode. Following displacement within the fluid, matter travels through the chamber at velocities according to the velocity profile of the chamber. After the matter has transited through the chamber, it exits at the opposite end of the chamber at a characteristic position. Methods according to the invention involve using the apparatus for discriminating and separating matter for research, diagnosis of a condition, and therapeutic purposes. Examples of such methods may include separation of mixtures of cells, such as cancer cells from normal cells, separation of parasitized erythrocytes from normal erythrocytes, separation of nucleic acids, and others.xe2x80x9d
U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,192 for a method and apparatus for manipulation using spiral electrodes, by Becker et al, patented Jan. 12, 1999, provides the following description: xe2x80x9cthe present disclosure is directed to a novel apparatus and novel methods for the separation, characterization, and manipulation of matter. In particular, the invention combines the use of frequency-dependent dielectric and conductive properties of particulate matter and solubilized matter with the properties of a suspending medium to discriminate and separate such matter. The apparatus includes a chamber having at least one spiral electrode element. Matter is separated in the chamber by a dielectrophoretic (DEP) force caused by the energized electrode or electrodes.xe2x80x9d
The present invention provides a dielectrophoretic trap adapted to separate target materials from other materials in a flow containing the target materials and other materials. The dielectrophoretic trap is adapted to be placed in series to the flow and/or in parallel to the flow with direct current and/or alternating voltage or combinations of direct current and alternating voltage. An electrode system including a first electrode and a second electrode is provided in the dielectrophoretic trap. When an electrical voltage is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode a dielectrophoretic force is created between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode are shaped and positioned relative to each other so that that the areas where said dielectrophoretic force zeros between said first electrode and said second electrode is a minimum.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating specific embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description and by practice of the invention.

Three dimensional separation trap based on dielectrophoresis and use thereof

The Regents of the University of California


A battery terminal having a pair of contact tulips that mate with a device terminal in a mating direction. The first of the pair of contact tulips mates with the device terminal in a first contact plane and the second of the pair of contact tulips mates with the device terminal in a second contact plane. The first contact plane is generally parallel to the contact plane. Both the first and the second contact planes are generally perpendicular to the mating direction. The resistance between the first tulip and the device terminal is approximately half the resistance between the second tulip and the device terminal.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a battery pack 10 typically includes a housing 12. The housing 12 includes an interface for mating to a device, such as a power tool that receives power from the battery pack or a battery charger that provides power to the battery pack. The interface may include a set of rails and grooves for aligning with the device. The housing 12 also includes a set of openings 14. The exemplary housing 12 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes eight openings 14. The housing 12 may include more or less openings, as mandated by the electrical features of the interface. The openings 14 allow for access to a set of battery terminals positioned inside the housing. The terminals are configured to mate with corresponding terminals 18 of the device. The device includes a terminal block 20 that holds the set of device terminals 18 fixed relative to each other. The terminals may transmit power signals (relatively high current) to or from a set of battery cells in the housing 12 or data signals (relatively low current) to or from a printed circuit board inside the housing 12 or alternatively, both power signals and data signals.
FIGS. 2-4 illustrate a conventional battery terminal 100. The battery terminal 100 includes a first side 102 and a second side 104. Each side of the battery terminal 100 is bifurcated. The first side 102 includes an upper leg 102a and a lower leg 102b. The second side 104 includes an upper leg 104a and a lower leg 104b. The upper legs 102a, 104a form a first tulip 106a. The lower legs 102b, 104b form a second tulip 106b. The tulips 106a, 106b of each of the upper legs 102a, 104a and the lower legs 102b, 104b abut at a plane of contact 108. The battery pack 10 also includes a terminal block 16 that holds the set of terminals 100 fixed relative to each other.
As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the device terminals 18 are inserted through the battery pack openings 14 and engage and mate with the battery terminals 100, the tulips 106a, 106b of each of the upper legs 102a, 104a and the lower legs 102b, 104b contact the device terminals 18 at the plane of contact 108.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the first side upper and lower legs 102a, 102b and the second side upper and lower legs 104a, 104b of the battery terminal 100 have a height of A. As such, when the battery terminal 100 mates with the device terminal 18 there is a maximum contact area of A times the thickness of the plane of contact (PTh) times four (4) (one for each of the first and second upper legs 102a, 104a at the first tulip 106a and one for each of the first and second lower legs 102b, 104b at the second tulip 106b R1, R2, R3, R4). As such, resistance R is relative to A×PTh×4.
When transmitting power (or data) signals (current) through the battery terminals 100 and the device terminals 18, in order to reduce losses due to heating, it is desirable to decrease the resistance through the circuit. As is well known, contact resistance varies inversely to contact area. And as there are four (4) equal contact areas (R1, R2, R3, R4), between the battery terminal and the device terminal and each area has an equivalent resistance of R ohms, the total equivalent resistance between the battery terminal and the device terminal can be calculated as:Req=[1/R1+1/R2+1/R3+1/R4]−1=R/4;   (EQ. 1)
where R1 is the resistance between the first side upper leg 102a of the battery terminal 100 and the device terminal 18, R2 is the resistance between the first side lower leg 102b of the battery terminal 100 and the device terminal 18, R3 is the resistance between the second side upper leg 104a of the battery terminal 100 and the device terminal 18, and R4 is the resistance between the second side lower leg 104b of the battery terminal 100 and the device terminal 18.
FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate this feature.
One drawback of this design is illustrated in FIG. 3. If the device terminal is positioned offset from its intended position, the contact area between the battery terminal and the device terminal will be reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,708 discloses another bifurcated terminal design. This design places a first contact area of a first leg of the bifurcated terminal in front of a second contact area of a second leg of the bifurcated terminal. The first and second contact areas of the bifurcated terminal are aligned in a mating direction with a mating pin. Each of the first and second contact areas have a width approximately equal to a width of the mating pin. As such, the second contact area only provides a contact area equivalent to the first contact area. As such, the equivalent resistance of this configuration only provides half the resistance of a single contact area. This is very similar to the terminal arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 2-4.


In some examples, a computer system may receive medical records for a plurality of patients. The system may generate a plurality of data representations based on the medical records for the individual patients, each data representation representing at least a therapy performed and a quantified disability status of the individual patient. The system may select a subset of the data representations for which an improvement in the quantified disability status exceeds a threshold. Further, the system may receive patient information for a first patient and may generate a first data representation from the patient information. The system may compare the first data representation with the data representations in the subset to determine at least one therapy predicted to provide an improvement in the current quantified disability of the first patient. The system may send information related to the at least one therapy to a computing device.

Patients with debilitating illnesses and disabilities, such as stroke, brain disease and injuries, spinal cord injuries, certain cancers, heart disease, kidney disease, and so forth, may require several types of therapy for progressing toward a recovery. Examples of such therapies may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, specific training, and the like. However, as several different types of therapy may be required, determining the proper combination and frequencies of the therapies, and subsequently implementing the therapies may not always be performed optimally, which may delay or inhibit recovery for individual patients. In addition, historical medical information such as therapy and recovery records may vary as time passes. Accordingly, the combination of therapies most likely to be successful may change based on the changes in the patients and the historical information. Therefore, it may be difficult for medical personnel, hospitals, or other recovery sites to improve their performance for maximizing recovery of their patients.

Controlling devices to achieve medical outcomes


Provided are human binding molecules that specifically bind to a host cell protein and have virus neutralizing activity, nucleic acid molecules encoding such human binding molecules, compositions comprising the human binding molecules, and methods of identifying or producing the human binding molecules. The human binding molecules can be used in the diagnosis, prophylaxis and/or treatment of viral infections.

Several viruses assemble their core proteins and genomic material in the cytoplasm of a host cell and exit the cell by budding from the plasma membrane. Studies of these viruses, e.g., HIV-1 viruses, have shown that in addition to proteins encoded by the virus, host cell proteins can be found in viruses. While some of these proteins may be taken into the viruses simply because of their proximity to the viral assembly and budding sites, other host cell proteins are likely to be included in viruses as a result of their interaction with viral proteins during assembly and release. Additionally, some host cell proteins may be incorporated to provide a function for the virus during the infection process. Host cell proteins have been found on the surface or the interior of the viruses. Despite their detection on or in viruses, the role and function of host cell proteins in the viral assembly process is poorly understood and still highly speculative.
A variety of agents are presently used to combat viral infection. These agents include anti-viral compounds, compounds suitable for active immunization such as vaccines and compounds suitable for passive immunization such as neutralizing immunoglobulins. The latter group is often focused on neutralizing immunoglobulins that act through specific binding to viral proteins or cell surface receptors involved in viral entry. Due to their binding specificity, such immunoglobulins are however only suitable in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of specific viral diseases and are not broadly applicable in the treatment of viral diseases.
Neutralization of viruses has been described for immunoglobulins directed against virus-incorporated host cell-derived proteins. For instance, HIV-1 has been shown to incorporate the host cell derived protein Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and an antibody against ICAM-1 has been shown to neutralize ICAM-1 expressing HIV-1 virions (see Rizzuto and Sodroski, 1997). Disadvantageously, ICAM-1 is also localized on the surface of uninfected host cells, so protection and/or treatment of a viral infection with the immunoglobulin against ICAM-1 may, due to interaction of the immunoglobulin with uninfected host cells, result in serious and unwanted side effects. A further disadvantage of the anti-ICAM-1 immunoglobulin is that its neutralizing activity is, similar to the viral protein-specific and cell surface receptor-specific immunoglobulins, virus (HIV-1) specific.

Host cell specific binding molecules capable of neutralizing viruses and uses thereof