A joint for a housing for electrical components has a series of extruded panels connected edge to edge. The first edge includes a slot defined by an inner wall and an outer wall and the second edge includes a blade inserted into the slot, the blade and the flexible wall including cooperating shoulders. The blade and slot are at an angle to the outer surface where a rib engages into an outer recess to seal the outer surface at the joint. A bridging member spans the joint to prevent spreading, while locking the flexible wall and carrying internal components. The housing can form a post or a receptacle on top of the post. The bridging members connect to end plates by screws extending though the plates so as to form an internal structure for the housing. Some of the connected panels can include cooling fins forming a cooling duct.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,521,838 issued May 28, 1996 of Glenn Rosendahl is disclosed a micro processor controlled system is provided for supplying electrical power to a plurality of electrical outlets for example for use in a parking lot. A central power supply communicates with a series of outlet receptacles each arranged to supply electrical power. Each receptacle has its own micro processor controlled control unit which is arranged to control the supply of power to the receptacle. A detector unit detects the insertion of a connector plug to the receptacle and actuates a comparator which compares the instantaneous current drawn by the load with a predetermined variable maximum current and allows that current to be drawn only if it is less than the maximum. In the event that the maximum is exceeded, the load is disconnected and is only allowed to be reconnected after the connector plug is removed. A thermostat can be used to control the supply of power depending upon the outside temperature. The microprocessors can select a part only of a cycle for supplying power so that the total power drawn by the central power supply is reduced.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,642,670 issued Jan. 5, 2010, the present inventor provided additional features of an arrangement of the above type and disclosed a system for supplying electrical power to a plurality of vehicles from a central power supply through a plurality of electrical outlets includes an outlet control unit for each of the outlets and a vehicle control unit for each of the vehicles. The outlet microprocessor switches the supply of power to the outlet to communicate data to the vehicle. The vehicle microprocessor communicates data by switching a load across the power supply to provide interaction between the microprocessors to manage requirement and availability of power. The data includes whether the power plant of the vehicle is gasoline powered, diesel powered, hybrid or electric battery powered. The microprocessor of the vehicle control unit is arranged to control switches which supply power to selected loads in the vehicle and includes an interface which is arranged to connect to a Canbus communication system of the vehicle.
These arrangements require a suitable housing to locate the electrical components and to provide a support for the outlet receptacle by which the vehicle may be attached to the electrical supply. The housing should be resistant to environmental conditions and provide a suitable structure which can be readily mounted in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,432 (Patti) issued Mar. 7, 2000 discloses a modular panel for light fixtures. The modular panel includes elongated extruded panels of different shapes including a corner panel with a curved cross section and a flat side panel. The side edges of the corner panel include a pair of spaced-apart lips defining an elongated slot for accommodating a co-operating side edge of an adjacent side panel for a tongue-in-groove connection. The corner panel has evenly spaced fins along the surface to provide structural integrity as well as to scatter light passing through the panel. Multiple panels being assembled with adjacent intermediate adjoining panels forming a housing having a closed cross section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,088 (Agabekov) issued Aug. 15, 1989 discloses an elongated lighting device having a housing with a bottom, two lateral wings, a longitudinally elongated opening adapted to receive a transparent closure, and an electric supply bar mounted on the bottom in the interior of the housing, so as to be enclosed between the lateral wings and to be placed in front of the elongated opening, the electric supply bar having at least one insulating support element whereon a succeeding series of electric contact pairs is mounted and which pairs are each destined to receive the connection contacts at the ends of a current consuming element such as a tubular electric lamp. A top cover is snap fastened at side edges onto the bottom section.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,083 (Claesson) issued Jul. 9, 1991 discloses an arrangement for open profile lengths intended to permit them to be connected together to produce a channel structure which is closed around its periphery. Two profile lengths of identical execution are connected together to produce a closed channel structure, each of which has its own flange with the desired external form and a number of connecting elements projecting from a common base are so arranged, with their channel-shaped spaces facing towards one another, as to be connected together through the interaction between the flanges and connecting elements in a tongue and groove connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,653 (Marrero) issued Jul. 6, 1982 discloses a fluorescent lighting fixture having a housing which will flush mount in either a corner or on a wall or ceiling surface, there being a recessed track in the back into which mounting plates slide. The front of the housing is adapted to accept either a translucent shield for direct lighting or an opaque reflector apparatus spaced somewhat from the housing for indirect lighting. The front reflector is snap fastened in place by a center snap and two edge tongue and groove connectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,792 (Hoke) issued Nov. 5, 1985 discloses an exterior post top mounted lighting fixture with a housing formed by four extruded right-angled aluminum members interlocked together, the housing providing means for aligning an electrical assembly and the components thereof in a predetermined position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,427 (Bayamon) issued Aug. 3, 1971 discloses channel-shaped posts portions connected together by flanges interfitting with each other and joined by a plug wedge forced into the ends of the posts between the webs and flanged thereof and concealed inside. The plug wedges are designed to co-act with the webs and flanges of the posts in such manner that interlocking tongue and groove connections between the flanges of one channel-shaped post and the flanges of the other channel-shaped post so co-act with each other that the two posts form a single substantially rectangular post.


A method for the direct bonding of a first wafer having an intrinsic curvature before bonding to a second wafer having an intrinsic curvature before bonding, at least one of the two wafers including at least one series of microcomponents. The method includes bringing the two wafers into contact with each other so as to initiate the propagation of a bonding wave therebetween while imposing a predefined bonding curvature in the form of a paraboloid of revolution on one of the two wafers depending at least upon the intrinsic curvature before bonding of the wafer that includes the microcomponents, with the other wafer being free to conform to the predefined bonding curvature.

The present invention relates to the field of multilayer semiconductor structures or wafers produced according to the three-dimensional (3D) integration technology for transferring, onto a first wafer, called the final substrate, at least one layer formed from a second wafer, this layer corresponding to that portion of the second wafer in which elements, for example a plurality of microcomponents, have been formed, it being possible for the first wafer to be a virgin wafer or to comprise other corresponding elements.
In particular, because of the very small size and the large number of microcomponents present on a given layer, each transferred layer, that is to say each wafer comprising the layer, must be positioned on the final substrate (the first wafer alone or already having other transferred layers) with a correct precision so as to meet an alignment tolerance of around 0.3 microns with the subjacent layer. Furthermore, it may be necessary to carry out treatments on the layer after it has been transferred, for example to form other microcomponents, to expose, on the surface, microcomponents, to produce interconnects, etc., these treatments also having to be carried out very precisely with respect to the elements present in the layer.
These elements, such as microcomponents, are typically formed by the well-known technique of photolithography which consists mainly in irradiating a substrate made photosensitive (for example by applying a photoresist on the substrate) in defined zones corresponding to the locations where the microcomponents have to be formed. The irradiation of the substrate is typically carried out using a selective irradiation apparatus, commonly referred to as a "stepper", which, unlike an apparatus for overall irradiation, irradiates during an operation only part of the substrate through a mask formed from opaque and transparent zones for defining the pattern that it is desired to reproduce on the substrate. The irradiation tool or stepper repeats the irradiation operation at as many places as necessary in order to irradiate the entire surface of the substrate.
The transfer of a layer onto the final substrate involves bonding, for example by direct bonding (also called molecular adhesion), between a first wafer and a second wafer of the type described above, the second wafer then being in general thinned. During bonding, the two wafers are mechanically aligned. At least three principle types of deformation resulting in alignment defects may be observed between the two wafers, namely deformations of the offset or shift type, deformations of the rotation type and deformations of the radial type (also known as run-out deformations, corresponding to a radial expansion that increases linearly with the radius of the substrate).
In general, the stepper is capable of compensating for these types of defect using a compensating algorithm. It has been found, however, that after transfer, cases exist in which it is very difficult, if not impossible, to form supplementary microcomponents aligned with respect to the microcomponents formed before the transfer, while respecting the microcomponent technology requirements, despite the use of such compensating algorithms.
In addition to alignment defects of the shift, rotation and radial type that are described above, inhomogeneous deformations may in fact occur in the transferred layer, because it is bonded by direct bonding, and also in the first wafer.
Now, it is these inhomogeneous deformations of the wafers that then result in this misalignment phenomenon, also called "overlay", which is described in relation to FIG. 1. The overlay takes the form of defects of around 50 nm in size, these being markedly smaller than the alignment precision of the wafers at the moment of bonding.
FIG. 1 illustrates a three-dimensional structure 400 obtained by low-pressure direct bonding between a first wafer or initial substrate 410, on which a first series of microcomponents 411 to 419 have been formed by photolithography by means of a mask for defining the pattern formation zones corresponding to the microcomponents to be produced, and a second wafer or final substrate 420. The initial substrate 410 has been thinned after bonding so as to remove a portion of material present above the layer of microcomponents 411 to 419 and a second layer of microcomponents 421 to 429 has been formed on the exposed surface of the initial substrate 410.
Despite using positioning tools, however, offsets occur between certain of the microcomponents 411 to 419 on the one hand, and microcomponents 421 to 429 on the other, such as the offsets Δ11, Δ22, Δ33, Δ44  indicated in FIG. 1 (corresponding to the observed offsets between the pairs of microcomponents 411/421, 412/422, 413/423 and 414/424 respectively).
These offsets do not result from individual transformations (translations, rotations or combinations thereof) that could stem from an imprecise assembly of the substrates. These offsets result from inhomogeneous deformations that appear in the layer, coming from the initial substrate while it is being bonded to the final substrate. In fact, these deformations cause non-uniform, local displacements at certain microcomponents 411 to 419. Thus, certain microcomponents 421 to 429 formed on the exposed surface of the substrate after transfer exhibit variations in position with these microcomponents 411 to 419 that may be of the order of a few hundred nanometers, or even a micron. This misalignment or overlay phenomenon may make it impossible to use the stepper if the amplitude of the overlay after correction is still for example between 50 nm and 100 nm, depending on the application. It is therefore very difficult, if not impossible, to form supplementary microcomponents in alignment with the microcomponents formed before the transfer.
This overlay effect between the two layers of microcomponents may furthermore be a source of short circuits, distortions in the stack, or connection defects between the microcomponents of the two layers. Thus, in the case in which the transferred microcomponents are images formed from pixels and the purpose of the post-transfer processing steps is to form colour filters on each of the pixels, a loss of colouring function for certain of these pixels is observed.
Therefore, if this misalignment or overlay effect is not controlled, it thus results in a reduction in the quality and the value of the multilayer semiconductor wafers that are fabricated. The impact of this effect becomes increasingly critical because of the ever increasing requirements with respect to miniaturization of the microcomponents and the integration density per layer thereof.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improvements in this area, and such improvements are now provided by the present invention.

Direct bonding method with reduction in overlay misalignment


A signal processing technique is described which suppresses interference in spread-spectrum communications receive systems by optimizing the detection process dynamically against the current interference. This is accomplished by estimating the statistics of the interference and then using this information to derive the locally-optimum mapping to apply to the signal of interest plus interference. As the statistics of the interference change, the measured distributions and the resulting transformations also change. The adaptation is open loop so convergence problems do not arise.

The invention relates to signal processing and, more specifically, to a processor and processing methods designed to suppress interference in an input signal and, hence, to decrease degradation of a signal of interest caused by the presence of such interference.
The invention is especially applicable to spread spectrum communications signal processors or to other situations where the signal of interest is to be detected by a correlation process and the interference (a) is much stronger than the signal of interest, and (b) can be characterized by greater predictability than simple white Gaussian (random) noise.
In a single-input communications signal processor, the input signal typically is sampled and the output signal is synthesized at discrete times. At any time, the output signal is then some function of the input signal at such discrete times with the function or transformation defining the signal processing. (Herein function, transformation and mapping are used interchangeably to mean a mathematical relationship/correspondence between two sets, e.g., signal input and output. A function/transformation/mapping that is nonlinear may be termed a nonlinearity for short.)
The most common single-input signal processors for interference suppression are linear, i.e., the function determining the output can be expressed as a sum of the inputs at each sample time, multiplied by constants. Such a processor is simply a filter, and is effective at suppressing interference only if the normalized power spectrum (the power distribution by frequency of the interference is not equal to that of the signal of interest.
An additional limitation of some linear signal processors is that those that are designed to adapt to the interference environment usually do so by means of an iterative approach in which the results of the processing currently being performed are inspected and used to compute modifications to the signal processing parameters. Such iterative approaches can be slow to adapt and may adapt inappropriately under certain conditions.
Linear signal processors have been studied extensively and their properties are well known. A sampling of such processors can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,811,261 to Kobayashi et al; 4,243,935 to McCool et al; 4,207,624 to Dentino et al; 3,889,108 to Cantrell; and 3,867,712 to Harthill et al.
In some signal processors the function used to generate an output signal cannot be put into linear form. In general, such nonlinear processes are much less familiar than linear ones to those with ordinary skill in the art, and their effects are more difficult to predict. One of the best known types of nonlinearity is that having zero memory, that is, the output at time t depends only on the input at that same time. A brief description of two simple zero-memory nonlinearities will help clarify how such processing works.
The first type of nonlinearity is used in cases when the interference to be suppressed is impulsive, that is, it consists largely of isolated pulses. Examples are pulse jammers, motor vehicle ignition noise, and atmospherics.
FIG. 1a shows an input signal tainted with a pulse from such an interference source. As a specific example, the signal processor might be trying to decode a phase-keyed signal, to determine whether a data bit (FIG. 1b) or data bit 0 (FIG. 1c) was sent. The processor computes the correlation of the input signal with each of the test waveforms (data 0 and 1) and chooses the one whose correlation is the greatest. In the example shown, one can see that although the true signal of interest was the data 1 waveform, the interference, during its pulse, happens to correlate strongly with the data 0 waveform. As a result, if the interference pulse is strong enough, it will outweigh the signal of interest in the correlation sum and cause a received error.
If the interference environment is known in advance, the assumption can be made that the weak part of the waveform in FIG. 1a is the signal of interest and the strong part is the interference. To improve detection of the signal of interest, the processor could then disregard the high-level input signal samples since they are dominated by interference. This suggests using a zero-memory nonlinearity in which a cutoff threshold, A.sub.t, is set just above the maximum level of the desired signal of interest (dotted line in FIG. 1a). A.sub.x is the "envelope" amplitude of x (dashed line in FIG. 1a). When A.sub.x .gtoreq.A.sub.t the nonlinearity reduces the output to zero.
When this nonlinearity is applied to the input waveform of FIG. 1, it produces the output, FIG. 1d, which is then correlated against the data 0 and 1 waveforms, i.e., the output waveform is multiplied sample by sample by the test waveform and the resulting products are summed. Although some of the signal of interest is lost during the interference pulse, all of the interference is suppressed and the correct data decision will be made. This nonlinearity is called a "hole puncher," and is just one of many possible limiters used to reduce the impact of impulsive interference by de-emphasizing large-amplitude parts of an input waveform. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,076 to Dwyer. A frequency-domain analog is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,978 to Kurth et al.
A second zero-memory nonlinearity is that used against constant-amplitude interference. This interference has amplitude behavior that is just the opposite of impulsive interference, and suppressing it requires a very different nonlinearity. An input waveform is shown in FIG. 2a. It is dominated by an interference waveform with peak amplitude, A. A weak signal of interest, the same as in FIG. 1, is also present. The input signal of interest-plus-interference sum fluctuates, its peak amplitude, A.sub.x, surpassing A when signal of interest and interference are in phase and add constructively, and filling short of A when the signal of interest and interference are out of phase and tend to cancel. The correlation sum formed by the processor will indicate the wrong data if the interference is strong enough and out of phase with the signal of interest for a large enough fraction of the correlation period.
In the case of strong constant-amplitude interference, it is clear that when the input signal envelope is greater than A, the signal of interest is in phase with the interference and the input waveform can be used as an estimate of the signal of interest. Conversely, when the input signal envelope is less than A, the signal of interest must be out of phase with the interference and can be estimated as the negative of the input waveform. Moreover, the more the peak amplitude deviates from A, the more exactly the signal of interest must be in (or out of) phase with the interference and the better it is estimated as the input waveform (or its negative).
A reasonable nonlinearity to use against constant-amplitude interference might therefore produce an output with the same phase as that of the input, but with an amplitude proportional to the difference between A.sub.x and A. This process is sometimes called a "limiter/canceller". See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,710,723 to Pelchat et al; 4,270,223 to Marston; and 3,605,018 and 3,478,268 both to Coviello.
Note that unlike the linear processes, such as filters, and other techniques such as sine-wave cancellation (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,349,916 to Roeder; 3,949,309 to Pecar; and 4,287,475 to Eaton et al), these nonlinear processes do not depend on any particular frequency characteristics on the part of the interference. For example, a limiter/canceller can greatly improve detection of a weak phase-keyed signal of interest in the presence of a much stronger constant-amplitude phase-keyed interference source, even though the interference power is distributed in frequency exactly the same as the signal of interest and therefore cannot be suppressed by single-input filtering.
However, "hole punchers"; limiter/cancellers; and other nonlinear techniques intended for use against specific interference types do not usually implement adaptive estimates of the interference of the moment as does the invention described and claimed herein. Previous adaptive nonlinear techniques (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,792,915 to Adams et al; 4,774,682 to White; 4,530,076 to Dwyer; and 3,833,797 to Grobman et al) do not implement optimum signal detection transforms based on the full probability distribution of interference variables, and therefore do not suppress as broad a range of interference types as effectively as does the invention described and claimed herein. Further, the invention also does not need the multiple inputs found in, e.g., directional antenna combining (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,355,368 to Zeidler et al and 4,017,859 to Medwin) or reference interference subtraction (No. 4,594,695 to Garconnat et al).

Adaptive locally-optimum detection signal processor and processing methods


A u-MDPS (United Motor Driven Power Steering) system includes one MDPS motor, one MDPS ECU that assists steering force using power of the MDPS motor, and has a logic implementing tilting-up/down and telescopic movement, and a multi-function generator that switches a power transmission path of the MDPS motor to the steering path for assisting a steering force, the tilt path for tilting up/down a column tube, or the telescopic path for facilitating a telescopic movement of the column tube. The multi-function generator may include a motor power converting unit, a motor power transmitting unit and a tilt•telescopic motion unit. The tilt•telescopic motion unit further includes an electromagnetic clutch, which makes it possible to implement fail-safety function by switching to a lock-manual mode of one MDPS motor.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a motor driven power steering system, and more particularly, to a united type motor driven power steering system that can implement a tilt and telescopic movement, using power of an MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) motor that assists steering force.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) that is a motor driven steering system assisting steering power by using power from a motor without using hydraulic pressure is commonly used in small-size vehicles.
The MDPS is equipped with a decelerator composed of worm-shaft/worm wheel rotated by a motor to assist steering force and a motor driven column apparatus having a tilt motor and a telescopic motor to implement tilt and telescopic movement.
The MDPS motor is controlled by an MDPS ECU (Electronic Control Unit) while the tilt motor and the telescopic motor are controlled by a separate tilt•tele ECU.
FIG. 10 shows an MDPS motor, a tilt motor, a telescopic motor, and an MDPS ECU and a tilt•tele ECU which control the motors.
As shown in the figure, the MDPS includes a decelerator and an MDPS motor 200 that assist steering force on a column tube 100 covering a steering shaft 100a, a tilt motor 400 that tilts up/down a tilt mechanism, a telemotor 500 that telescopically moves a tele-mechanism, an MDPS ECU 300 that controls MDPS motor 200, and a tilt•tele ECU 600 that controls tilt motor 400 and telemotor 500.
Further, a motor/angle sensor for MDPS, a motor/angle sensor for tilt, and a motor/angle sensor for telescopic movement are included.
As described above, since the MDPS motor and the MDPS ECU are provided to assist steering force in the MDPS while the tilt motor, the telescopic motor, and a tilt•tele ECU are seperately provided, it is difficulty to make the MDPS in a package, and weight and cost are necessarily increased.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

United type motor driven power steering system


A method for automatically controlling an emotional environment in a vehicle is provided. The method includes generating reflected wave information by radiating an electromagnetic wave toward a rear seat of the vehicle and receiving a reflected wave. A degree of activity is determined based on the reflected wave information and at least one device installed within the vehicle is operated based on the degree of activity.

In general, when a person is seated on a rear seat within a vehicle, a driver of the vehicle has to directly check a state (e.g., a sleep state or a wake-up state) of the occupant on the rear seat or discern the state of the occupant through conversation, and directly determine states of a light, a speaker, an air conditioner, and the like that are appropriate for the state of the person, and directly operate control devices thereof.
Accordingly, these various factors contribute to the attention distraction of the driver, thus increasing an accident risk In particular, when the occupant on the rear seat is an infant incapable of speech, the light, the speaker, the air conditioner, and the like may be required to be operated more carefully. However, the driver may not be able to check a state of the infant through conversation, and the driver may be unable to directly check the state of the infant depending on the form of a car seat.

Vehicle and automatic control method for emotional environment thereof


A method of production and/or processing of contact elements for electrical plug connectors is provided. The contact elements are fixed to a transport strip during the production and/or processing process. This transport strip is reduced in its material thickness after at least a portion of the production and/or processing process by deformation between the fixed positions of adjacent contact elements on the strip, so that the spacing between the fixed positions of adjacent contact elements is increased.

The invention relates to a method for the production and/or processing of parts in follow-on composite tools and in particular of contact elements such as contact pins, contact springs and the like for electronic plugs in which the parts are fixed on a transport strip during the production and/or processing process and are forwarded and manipulated in common via the transport strip within a respective process step by the respective tool and/or forwarded and manipulated in common from process step to process step. It is usual in the production of contact springs for electrical plug connectors to leave the springs in usually integral connection with a transport strip during the production process, that is, during their conversion to the required form by stamping, embossing and bending, during the subsequent electroplating, and also during transportation to customers, packaging operations, etc., the detaching or separation of the parts from the transport strip first taking place, as a rule, at the customer. Transport strips also find application during the production of so-called free-dropping parts, which are detached and separated from the transport strip just before delivery to the customer.
The pitch of the transport strip, that is, the spacing between the mid-axes of adjacent parts to be processed, is admittedly not directly standardized; however, transport strips with well-defined pitches are used as a rule, so that these can be handled without problems by the customer. Usual pitches are, for example, 2.54 mm and multiples thereof. Also to be considered besides the pitch is that two adjacent parts must have a specific minimum spacing (for example, half to one and a half sheet metal thicknesses) for manufacturing reasons. This minimum spacing also affects production costs, on the other hand: since a greater spacing of course means more material which has to be rejected as waste after the parts have been stamped out. Since, apart from this, the costs of electroplating, which an electro-plating plant charges to its customers, are calculated in particular on the length of the material to be electroplated and thus on the running length of the transport strip, the costs are greaterxe2x80x94for an equal surface of materialxe2x80x94the greater the spacing between two parts, and thus, in other words, the more is counted for electroplating not in fact carried out of the free spaces between two adjacent parts.
The present invention has as its object to make the process for the production and/or processing of parts in follow-on composite tools more economical with respect to material used and electroplating costs.
This object is attained according to the invention in that the transport strip is reduced in its material thickness by deformation at least in the region between the positions of two adjacent parts on the transport strip, so that the spacing between two adjacent parts is increased.
The advantage results from this that the parts to be processed are arranged as close together as possible on the transport strip, in order thereby to reduce the length of the transport strip and thereby in particular to be able to reduce the material costs and electroplating costs. Since however the parts have to have a specific minimum spacing and a specific pitch during further processing or when being delivered to a customer, after electroplating the transport strip can be brought by deformation, such as rolling, embossing and the like, to the required (predetermined by the customer) spacing or length measurement. In other words, the spacings between two parts are appropriately kept as small as possible, for reduction of the material and electroplating costs, and are brought to the required spacing measurement after at least a portion of the production and/or processing process, and in particular only after electroplating, in that the transport strip is extended in its length by embossing, rolling or similar deformations.
The material thicknesses of the transport strip can be considerably reduced by such deformation, and correspondingly the spacing between the setting positions of adjacent parts can be markedly increased (in exemplary cases, by about twenty percent). Thus a correspondingly clear saving is obtained, relating to the material costs due to the reduced use weight of the stamping material, and with respect to the electroplating costs, which are calculated based on the running length of the transport strip.
In connection with this, it is particularly desirable that by the deformation, not only is the parts spacing increased, but also the pitch of the transport strip is thereby increased by a specific amount, corresponding to the customer""s requirements, in order to be able to further process the parts together with the transport strip. This pitch after deformation is appropriately, e.g., 2.54 mm or multiples thereof
Since the deformation of the transport strip is also performed with a view to reducing the electroplating costs, it is recommended to perform the deformation directly or indirectly after the process step of electroplating. Likewise it is however also possible for the deformation to first follow at the end of the production and/or processing process, before delivery to the customer.
The present invention extends, not only to the process for the production and/or processing of parts in follow-on composite tools, but also to the process product, namely a transport strip with parts for electrical plug connectors and the like for the handling of plural parts in common during their production and/or processing process, wherein the transport strip is formed of a metal strip on which the parts are fixed in the region of setting positions, in particular by one-piece shaping and or by joining together, and from which the parts stand out laterally. According to the invention, the transport strip is reduced in its material thickness at least in the region between the fixed positions, and the longitudinal distance between the fixed positions of adjacent parts is increased, enabling these advantages to be attained. Also the transport strip itself according to the invention likewise develops the further advantages mentioned hereinabove regarding the production and/or processing process. Accordingly, further advantageous embodiments of the transport strip provide that the deformation takes place after at least a portion of the production and/or processing process of the parts, so that adjacent parts have the smaller spacing during the process steps before deformation. Additionally, the transport strip can have a longitudinal spacing between adjacent contact elements that is increased by order of magnitude of 20 percent by the deformation. Additionally, the spacing defined as a pitch between the mid-axes of adjacent parts can be increased to a fixed measurement, and in particular to 2.54 mm or a multiple thereof.
Finally, the concept of the invention may also be used for saving material, when the strip material from which the transport strip and possibly the parts formed thereon are produced has sections with a reduced material thickness at least in the region functioning as the transport strip. These sections, which appropriately extend over the whole width of the transport strip and likewise can be produced by deformation such as embossing, rolling and the like, reduce the volume and use weight of the strip material in a region which is unimportant for the end product. This xe2x80x9cunimportantxe2x80x9d region is of course particularly the region of the transport strip, but theoretically also that width region of the strip material from which the parts are later stamped out can be embodied with reduced material thickness, but this would only be in sections which are situated outside the parts and which form discarded waste material when the parts are stamped out.

Method for production and/or processing of plug parts in follow-on composite tools


A system and method for producing a controlled blend of two or more fluids. Thermally-induced permeation through a permeable tube is used to mix a first fluid from outside the tube with a second fluid flowing through the tube. Mixture ratios may be controlled by adjusting the temperature of the first fluid or by adjusting the pressure drop through the permeable tube. The combination of a back pressure control valve and a differential regulator is used to control the output pressure of the blended fluid. The combination of the back pressure control valve and differential regulator provides superior flow control of the second dry gas. A valve manifold system may be used to mix multiple fluids, and to adjust the volume of blended fluid produced, and to further modify the mixture ratio.

Many applications in science and industry require an apparatus that creates a controlled amount of a fluid introduced into another fluid. For instance, some material corrosion testing applications require such an apparatus to determine the reaction of a material over time upon exposure to a controlled corrosive vapor-gas mixture. Tests are typically performed using a higher vapor concentration of the vapor-gas mixture, in an effort to decrease the duration of the test. Data are then extrapolated to model the material's reaction over time. However, because the results are extrapolated, any error caused by an imprecisely controlled vapor-gas mixture will be magnified. Thus, an apparatus that creates a controlled testing environment with a gas having a precise flow rate and a precisely controlled vapor-gas mixture is critical to ensure the accuracy of these types of tests.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,951—"Method and apparatus for providing a precise amount of gas at a precise humidity," Hallman, Jr., et al., disclosed a system for controlling the percentage of a fluid mixed with another fluid. However, the system disclosed therein is affected by changes in pressure or flow rate that occur in the process application to which the system is connected. Such variations affect the mixture percentage. What is needed, therefore, is an improved system that is less sensitive to changes in process pressures and flow rates.

Controlled differential pressure system for an enhanced fluid blending apparatus

Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, LLC


A computer system uses data about delivery of particular content to users via multiple technology platforms. For example, the computer system may track delivery of particular content to an audience via television in order to enable the same or similar content to be delivered to the same or similar audience via a digital medium (e.g., the web), and vice versa. The computer enables the provider of the content (e.g., advertisement) to benefit from exposure data in one medium or technology platform—namely television or digital—when targeting content at viewers in the other medium or technology platform.

Companies often provide content to users via multiple technology platforms, such as via television and digital media. For example, advertisers often run advertising campaigns via both television and digital media (e.g., the World Wide Web). For example, an advertiser might run a particular advertising campaign via both television and web-based advertising. Currently, however, advertisers cannot easily track and target the viewers who have been exposed to a particular advertisement or advertisement campaign across both television and digital media. Instead, advertisers must gather such advertisement exposure data separately for both television and digital media, and then combine and analyze such data as needed to draw conclusions about the viewers who have been exposed to an advertisement campaign across both television and digital media.

Computer system and method for targeting content to users via multiple technology platforms


A binder having an observation window characterized by a bubble structure. The window is constructed inside an aperture which is die cut into a support board. Transparent cover sheets are depressed into the aperture and heat-sealed together along a relatively narrow track adjacent the edge of the panel aperture. A bubble is defined by an air pocket formed interiorly of the sealing boundary.

This invention relates to a binder having an observation window which students, and particularly those of a younger age, will find to be useful and attractive. Young students purchase or create a purchasing demand for large quantities of school-related products which meet utilitarian needs while being appealing to the eye. Moreover, the demands of such customers have spurred a creative response resulting in a flood of new school-related products, particularly in the field of binders and portfolios. These products provide the youthful customer with an opportunity to make an identity statement by carrying school papers in a distinctive product of his or her choosing. Examples of such products are disclosed in a series of patents and patent applications assigned to the assignee hereof. They include: Wyant U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,791 which discloses a portfolio having a decorative woven fabric cover sheet, Spence U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,724 which relates to a binder with a pencil pocket and Moor U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,798 which discloses a binder having a decoratively perforated interior pocket, Wyant U.S. patent application Ser. No. 357,917 filed May 30, 1989 showing a portfolio with a mirrorized cover, Wyant U.S. patent application Ser. No. 379,306 disclosing a portfolio having a cover provided with a plurality of decoratively arranged window mounts for personal photographs and Moor, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 356,152 filed May 24, 1989 disclosing a binder having decoratively die-cut support panels covered by thermoplastic sheets which are heat-sealed into the die-cut portions to create a three-dimensional effect.


A shaft cover support for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The shaft cover support not only provides enhanced support to a shaft cover of the gas turbine engine, but also includes a cooling fluid chamber for passing fluids from a rotor air cooling supply conduit to an inner ring cooling manifold. Furthermore, the shaft cover support may include a cooling shield supply extending from the cooling fluid chamber between the radially outward inlet and the radially inward outlet on the radially extending region and in fluid communication with the cooling fluid chamber for providing cooling fluids to a transition section. The shaft cover support may also provide additional stiffness and reduce interference of the flow from the compressor. In addition, the shaft cover support accommodates a transition section extending between compressor and turbine sections of the gas turbine engine.

Typically, gas turbine engines include a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for mixing the compressed air with fuel and igniting the mixture, and a turbine blade assembly for producing power. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical gas turbine engine includes a shaft cover 2 that is supported in place downstream from a compressor section 3 and upstream from a turbine section 4. The shaft cover 2 surrounds the shaft extending from the compressor section 3 to the turbine section 4. The shaft cover is typically supported in place with twelve shaft cover support struts 5 extending from the outer case to the shaft cover 2. The struts 5 are solid and provide structural support only. The struts 5 support the shaft cover 2 but also create an impediment to the compressor air flow.
The gas turbine engine also includes a plurality of rotor air cooling pipes 6 that extend radially inward through the compressor air flowpath. The position of the rotor air cooling pipes 6 creates additional obstructions in the compressor air flowpath. As such, the rotor air cooling pipes 6 further reduce the effectiveness of the compressor air flow and the turbine engine.

Structural cooling fluid tube for supporting a turbine component and supplying cooling fluid to transition section


Sensors in a network each have a geographical location and they each periodically broadcast this information to all the sensors in the network. Each receiving sensors then builds a list of sensors (neighbor list) that are closest to that sensor by computing the distance between itself and the other sensors. This list can then be used along with a decision algorithm to decide whether that sensor should act or perform a command when it receives a message from other sensors. In one embodiment, a sensor can use the neighbor list to command a specific other sensor(s) to perform a specific function.

Many applications of distributed sensor networks require a spatial understanding of where the sensors are located. This geographical location information is necessary so that the system can make decisions to observe a phenomenon at a particular location or observe a phenomenon at a number of locations. For example, if one sensor in a network observes a local phenomenon it may be desirable for other nearby sensors to also observe the same phenomenon. Since it usually would not make sense for all sensors in the network to observe the phenomenon, attempts to control such observation under central control are difficult to achieve.
One structure for achieving this result is for a central controller to keep track of all sensor geographical locations and "instruct" one or more sensors in a desired location to make a measurement, observe a phenomenon, perform an action or a combination thereof. This consumes transmission bandwidth as well as processor time and often is not practical. For example, in prior systems a manual determination is made as to the location of all sensors in a network. Then a "neighbor" list is constructed and distributed to all sensors. In addition to being cumbersome, this approach is prone to errors arising from transmission difficulties as well as from using "stale" data.

System and method for autonomous interaction among neighboring sensors in a network of sensors


Each equal cost path is assigned a path ID created by concatenating an ordered set of link IDs which form the path through the network. The link IDs are created from the node IDs on either set of the link. The link IDs are sorted from lowest to highest to facilitate ranking of the paths. The low and high ranked paths are selected from this ranked list as the first set of diverse paths through the network. Each of the link IDs on each of the paths is then renamed, for example by inverting either all of the high node IDs or low node IDs. After re-naming the links, new path IDs are created by concatenating an ordered set of renamed link IDs. The paths are then re-ranked and the low and high re-ranked paths are selected from this re-ranked list as the second set of diverse paths.

Data communication networks may include various computers, servers, nodes, routers, switches, bridges, hubs, proxies, and other network devices coupled together and configured to pass data to one another. These devices will be referred to herein as "network elements." Data is communicated through the data communication network by passing protocol data units, such as data frames, packets, cells, or segments, between the network elements by utilizing one or more communication links. A particular protocol data unit may be handled by multiple network elements and cross multiple communication links as it travels between its source and its destination over the network.
The various network elements on the communication network communicate with each other using predefined sets of rules, referred to herein as protocols. Different protocols are used to govern different aspects of the communication, such as how signals should be formed for transmission between network elements, various aspects of what the protocol data units should look like, how packets should be handled or routed through the network by the network elements, and how information associated with routing information should be exchanged between the network elements. Networks that use different protocols operate differently and are considered to be different types of communication networks. A given communication network may use multiple protocols at different network layers to enable network elements to communicate with each other across the network.
In packet-forwarding communications networks, a node can learn about the topology of the network and can decide, on the basis of the knowledge it acquires of the topology, how it will route traffic to each of the other network nodes. Frequently, the main basis for selecting a path is path cost, which can be specified in terms of a number of hops between nodes, or by some other metric such as bandwidth of links connecting nodes, or both. Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS) are widely used link-state protocols which establish shortest paths based on each node's advertisements of path cost.
Various shortest path algorithms can be used to determine if a given node is on the shortest path between a given pair of bridges. An all-pairs shortest path algorithm such as Floyd's algorithm or Dijkstra's single-source shortest path algorithm can be implemented by the nodes to compute the shortest path between pairs of nodes. It should be understood that any other suitable shortest path algorithm could also be utilized. The link metric used by the shortest path algorithm can be static or dynamically modified to take into account traffic engineering information. For example, the link metric can include a measure of cost such as capacity, speed, usage and availability.
There are situations where multiple equal cost paths exist through a network between a given pair of nodes. ISIS and OSPF use a simplistic uni-directional tie-breaking process to select between these multiple equal-cost paths, or just spread traffic across the equal-cost paths. The spreading algorithms are not specified and can vary from router to router. Alternatively, each router may make a local selection of a single path, but without consideration of consistency with the selection made by other routers. Consequently, in either case, the reverse direction of a flow is not guaranteed to use the path used by the forward direction. This is sufficient for unicast forwarding where every device will have a full forwarding table for all destinations and promiscuously accepts packets to all destinations on all interfaces. However, this does not work well in other situations such as multicast routing, when consistent decisions must be made, and when bi-directional symmetry is required to enable the actual forwarding paths in a stable network to exhibit connection oriented properties.
Multicast routing protocols such as Multicast Open Shortest Path First (MOSPF) depend on each router in a network constructing the same shortest path tree. For this reason, MOSPF implements a tie-breaking scheme based on link type, LAN vs. point-to-point, and router identifier, to ensure that identical trees are produced. However, basing the tie-breaking decision on the parent with the largest identifier implies that the paths used by the reverse flows may not be the same as the paths used by the forward flows.
There is a requirement in some emerging protocols, such as Provider Link State Bridging (PLSB) which is being defined by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as proposed standard 802.1aq, to preserve bi-directional congruency of forwarding across the network for both unicast and multicast traffic, such that traffic will use a common path in both forward and reverse flow directions. Accordingly, it is important that nodes consistently arrive at the same decision when tie-breaking between equal-cost paths and that the tie breaking process be independent of which node is the root for a given computation. Furthermore, it is desirable that a node can perform the tie-breaking with a minimum amount of processing effort.
Generally, any tie-breaking algorithm should be complete, which means that it must always be able to choose between two paths. Additionally, the tie-breaking algorithm should be commutative associative, symmetric, and local. These properties are set forth below in Table I:
TABLE IRequirementDescriptionCompleteThe tie-breaking algorithm mustalways be able to choose betweentwo pathsCommutativetiebreak(a, b) = tiebreak(b, a)Associativetiebreak(a, tiebreak(b, c)) =tiebreak(tiebreak(a, b), c)Symmetrictiebreak(reverse(a), reverse(b)) =reverse(tiebreak(a, b))Localtiebreak(concat(a, c), concat(b, c)) =concat(tiebreak(a, b), c)
The essence of a tie-breaking algorithm is to always 'work'. No matter what set of paths the algorithm is presented with, the algorithm should always be able to choose one and only one path. First and foremost, the tie-breaking algorithm should therefore be complete. For consistent tie-breaking, the algorithm must produce the same results regardless of the order in which equal-cost paths are discovered and tie-breaking is performed. That is, the tie-breaking algorithm should be commutative and associative. The requirement that tie-breaking between three paths must produce the same results regardless of the order in which pairs of paths are considered is not as obvious and yet it is absolutely necessary for consistent results as equal-cost paths are discovered in a different orders depending on the direction of the computation through the network. The tie-breaking algorithm must also be symmetric, the tie-breaking algorithm must produce the same result regardless of the direction of the path: the shortest path between two nodes A and B must be the reverse of the shortest path between B and A.
Finally, locality is a very important property of shortest paths that is exploited by routing systems. The locality property simply says that: a sub-path of a shortest path is also a shortest path. This seemingly trivial property of shortest paths has an important application in packet networks that use destination-based forwarding. In these networks, the forwarding decision at intermediate nodes along a path is based solely on the destination address of the packet, not its source address. Consequently, in order to generate its forwarding information, a node needs only compute the shortest path from itself to all the other nodes and the amount of forwarding information produced grows linearly, not quadratically, with the number of nodes in the network. In order to enable destination-based forwarding, the tie-breaking algorithm must therefore preserve the locality property of shortest paths: a sub-path of the shortest path selected by the tie-breaking algorithm must be the shortest path selected by the tie-breaking algorithm.
Considerations of computational efficiency put another seemingly different requirement on the tie-breaking algorithm: the algorithm should be able to make a tie-breaking decision as soon as equal-cost paths are discovered. For example, if an intermediate node I is connected by two equal-cost paths, p and q, to node A and by another pair of equal-cost paths, r and s, to node B, there are therefore four equal-cost paths between nodes A and B, all going through node I: p+r, p+s, q+r, q+s.
The equal-cost sub-paths between A and I (p and q) will be discovered first when computing a path between nodes A and B. To avoid having to carry forward knowledge of these two paths, the tie-breaking algorithm should be able to choose between them as soon as the existence of the second equal-cost shortest sub-path is discovered. The tie-breaking decisions made at intermediate nodes will ultimately affect the outcome of the computation. By eliminating one of the two sub-paths, p and q, between nodes A and I, the algorithm removes two of the four shortest paths between nodes A and B from further consideration. Similarly, in the reverse direction, the tie-breaking algorithm will choose between sub-paths r and s (between nodes B and I) before making a final determination on the path between A and I. These local decisions must be consistent with one another and, in particular, the choice between two equal-cost paths should remain the same if the paths are extended to a subsequent node in the network.
It turns out that the symmetry and locality conditions are both necessary and sufficient to guarantee that the tie-breaking algorithm will make consistent local decisions, a fact that can be exploited to produce very efficient implementations of the single-source shortest path algorithm in the presence of multiple equal-cost shortest paths.
The list of requirements set out in Table 1 is not intended to be exhaustive, and there are other properties of shortest paths that could have been included in Table 1. For example, if a link which is not part of a shortest path is removed from the graph, the shortest path selection should not be affected. Likewise, the tie-breaking algorithm's selection between multiple equal-cost paths should not be affected if a link which is not part of the selected path is removed from the graph representing the network, even if this link is part of some of the equal-cost paths that were rejected by the algorithm.
Many networking technologies are able to exploit a plurality of paths such that they are not confined to a single shortest path between any two points in the network. This can be in the form of connectionless networks whereby the choice of next hop into a plurality of paths can be arbitrary at every hop, and has no symmetry requirement, or can be strictly connection oriented where the assignment to an end to end path is confined to the ingress point to the network. Ethernet and in particular the emerging 802.1aq standard being an example where there is a requirement for both symmetry and connection oriented behavior, and the dataplane can support a plurality of paths between any two points in the network. Ethernet achieves this by being able to logically partition the filtering database by VLAN such that a unique path may exist per VLAN. The challenge is to effectively exploit the available connectivity by instantiating connectivity variations in each VLAN and maximizing the diversity of the path set such that a minimum number of path variations fully exploits the network. The ratio of path variations required to exploit the network vs. the number of possible unique paths that actually exist is called the dilation ratio, the desirable goal being to minimize this ratio as it minimizes the amount of state and computation associated with fully exploiting the network.
Many techniques have been tried to increase the path diversity where multiple equal cost paths exist between a pair of nodes while explicitly seeking to maintain the properties outlined in table 1 above. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0168768 provides one technique, and extensions to this have been attempted as well. For example, algorithmic manipulation of node IDs has been found to work, but does not increase the amount of path diversity significantly. For example, link utilization for an 8×4 fully meshed node array ranged from 63% to 67% using node ID manipulation. Additionally, where there are fewer than four paths, attempting to rank four unique paths on a set of node IDs breaks down such that the second highest path ends up being equal to the lowest, or the second lowest instead of exploring overlapping permutations. Further, the size of the node identifier and whether the node ID space is sparse or dense has little effect.
Another technique that has been tried is to distribute paths on the basis of maximizing load diversity. This technique has been found not to work, because it does not produce an acyclic planar graph, by which is meant that it requires more than one path to a given node in a single shortest path tree. Additionally, this technique requires advance knowledge of future computational results as the network is traversed further from the computing node. In essence, there is nothing to join the gap when working from either end into the middle of the network.
Yet another technique that has been tried is to select specific well known rankings (lowest, highest, next lowest, next highest . . . ). This works for two paths (high/low) but breaks down when it is extended to selection of larger numbers of paths. This technique fails because the intermediate nodes cannot anticipate how the ranked set of paths they generate fare when combined with other nodes' ranked sets at the next hop, and so the locality property is lost. As a consequence, the fragments of the shortest path ranked by the parent will be discontiguous with the path expected by the child. Further, there is no guarantee that path rankings other than low and high at the children nodes will produce an acyclic tree. Additionally, selecting the second highest, second lowest, etc., produces dependencies, since a failure of the highest path or lowest path will affect all paths ranked off that path. And finally, even postulating such an algorithm could be made to work, it would lose the property of being able to resolve portions of the shortest path as identified, all state needing to be carried forward as the Dijkstra computation progressed, significantly impacting the performance of the algorithm. As a result, the low and high rankings are the only reliable rankings that may be selected from a set of ranked paths. Thus, simply selecting additional rankings cannot be used to increase the path diversity when selecting more than two paths.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0168768 discloses one tie breaking process, the content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Although the process described in this application works well, it would still be advantageous to provide another way to get good path distribution in the presence of multiple paths, to enable traffic to be spread across the available paths. Additionally, the distribution should preferably be an a feature of normal operation, and not require complicated network design, and minimize any explicit configuration by a network administrator.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for selecting between multiple equal cost paths


A level shifter includes: a voltage dividing unit receiving a first voltage and an input voltage, and generating a middle voltage between the first voltage and the input voltage; first and second voltage compensating units connected to the voltage dividing unit and connected between the first voltage and a second voltage, for compensating a voltage variation of the voltage dividing unit; and an output unit receiving an output from the voltage dividing unit and generating an output voltage.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a level shifter and a display device including the same.
(b) Description of Related Art
Recently, flat panel display devices such as organic light emitting diode ("OLED") display devices, plasma display panel ("PDP") devices, and liquid crystal display ("LCD") devices have been widely developed.
The PDP devices display characters or images using plasma generated by a gas-discharge. The OLED display devices display characters or images by applying an electric field to specific light-emitting organics or high molecule materials. The LCD devices display images by applying an electric field to a liquid crystal layer disposed between two panels and regulating the strength of the electric field to adjust a transmittance of light passing through the liquid crystal layer.
Among the flat panel display devices, as examples, the LCD and the OLED devices each includes a panel assembly provided with pixels including switching elements and display signal lines. The LCD and OLED device also include a gate driver providing a gate signal for gate lines of the display signal lines to turn on/off the switching elements, a data driver that provides a data signal for data lines of the display signal lines to apply a data voltage to the pixel via the turned-on switching elements, and a signal controller controlling the above-described elements, and further includes a level shifter amplifying a predetermined logic signal from the signal controller or an external device to provide an amplified signal to the gate and the data drivers.
The level shifter includes a plurality of transistors, which may be comprised of amorphous silicon. The transistors are sensitive to variation of characteristics including, but not limited to, a threshold voltage. This variation makes it hard to manufacture the level shifter including the transistors. Additionally, when the absolute value of the threshold voltage becomes too large, the transistors will not turned on and may cause a malfunction.

Level shifter and display device including the same


A metal halide arc discharge lamp (10) having a lamp envelope (12) and an arc tube (14) mounted within the envelope; a shroud (20) surrounding the arc tube (14); electrical lead-ins (26, 28) for supplying electrical energy to the arc tube (14); and a chemical fill within the arc tube to produce light when an arc is formed within the arc tube; the improvement comprising: the shroud (20) having a given thickness T and a given inside diameter ID having a relationship such that T is less than 2 mm and ID/T is less than 22.

Metal halide arc discharge lamps are frequently employed in commercial usage because of their high luminous efficacy and long life. A typical metal halide arc discharge lamp includes a quartz or fused silica arc tube that is hermetically sealed within a borosilicate glass outer envelope. The arc tube, itself hermetically sealed, has tungsten electrodes sealed into opposite ends and contains a fill material including mercury, metal halide additives and a rare gas to facilitate starting. In some cases, particularly in high wattage lamps, the outer envelope is filled with nitrogen or another inert gas at less than atmospheric pressure. In other cases, particularly in low wattage lamps, the outer envelope is evacuated.
It has been found desirable to provide metal halide arc discharge lamps with a shroud that comprises a generally cylindrical, light-transmissive member, such as quartz, that is able to withstand high operating temperatures. The arc tube and the shroud are coaxially mounted within the lamp envelope with the arc tube located within the shroud. Preferably, the shroud is a tube that is open at both ends. In other cases, the shroud is open on one end and has a domed configuration on the other end. Shrouds for metal halide arc discharge lamps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,396 issued Feb. 12, 1985 to Fohl et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,989 issued Apr. 8, 1986 to Fohl et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,517 to Keeffe et al., issued Dec. 19, 1989. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,274 issued Jul. 28, 1981 to Bechard et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,706 to Parrott et al. teaches that containment can be enhanced if the OD of the arc tube is less than 3 mm from the ID of the shroud.
The shroud has several beneficial effects on lamp operation. In lamps with a gas-filled outer envelope, the shroud reduces convective heat losses from the arc tube and thereby improves the luminous output and the color temperature of the lamp. In lamps with an evacuated outer envelope, the shroud helps to equalize the temperature of the arc tube. Finally, the shroud improves the safety of the lamp by acting as a containment device in the event that the arc tube shatters; however, it has been discovered that, upon a non-passive failure of an arc tube, the shards therefrom can fracture the shroud and the shards from the shroud may be the culprit that has the capability of fracturing the outer envelope, the actual condition that the shroud was supposed to prevent.


An underwater detection apparatus is provided, which may include a transmission transducer, a reception transducer, and processing circuitry. The transmission transducer may transmit a transmission wave in an underwater transmission space. The reception transducer may include a plurality of reception elements, each reception element generating a reception signal based on a reflection wave comprising a reflection of the transmission wave on an underwater target. The processing circuitry may perform beamforming in each of a plurality of reception spaces based on the reception signals, generate a 3D image data of the target based on the beamforming performed in each reception space, and extract a contour of the target detected in at least one of the reception spaces, and generate a contour image data to be displayed along with the 3D image data on a display unit.

An underwater detection apparatus (sonar) which transmits underwater an ultrasonic beam as a transmission wave to scan a three-dimensional area, and generates data for displaying underwater information in the scanned area as a three-dimensional image based on the received reflection wave is known.
This underwater detection apparatus generates, as the underwater information, data of the three-dimensional image of underwater target objects, such as schools of fish, and based on this data, displays on a display unit the target object by the three-dimensional image.
According to the underwater detection apparatus, the target objects, such as the underwater schools of fish, are displayed on the display unit by the three-dimensional image. However, when the target objects are displayed on the display unit by the three-dimensional image, the three-dimensional image of the target objects is displayed so as to be projected to a two-dimensional screen of the display unit. For this reason, it tends to be difficult for a user to distinguish the target objects one from another individually in the three-dimensional image.

Underwater detection apparatus and underwater detection method


A battery pack is loaded and unloaded to and from a battery mounting portion while sliding one surface thereof in the battery mounting portion. The one surface is provided with a pair of insertion guide grooves extending along the sliding direction and spaced from each other in the sliding direction. Each of the insertion guide grooves has an end portion fronting on a side surface of a battery main body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery pack which is formed so that it can be attached to and detached from an electronic apparatus and in which battery cells for supplying driving electric power to the apparatus main body is contained.
2. Description of the Related Art
As portable electronic apparatuses such as digital still cameras and camcorders, there have widely been used those which are provided with a battery mounting portion such that a battery pack loaded with battery cells is attached thereto and detached therefrom by the user himself. At the time of using such an apparatus, a previously charged battery pack is attached to the battery mounting portion, and, when the battery has run down, the battery is replaced with a separately charged spare battery pack, whereby the apparatus can be used for a long time.
Each of this kind of battery packs is provided with terminal portions corresponding to electrode terminals disposed on the battery mounting portion side, and is attached to the battery mounting portion in such a manner that the terminal portions are mated to the electrode terminals. Here, in business-use camcorders and the like, the battery capacity required is higher and the battery pack is hence larger in size and weight, since the use time is longer and the use frequency is higher, as compared with private-use camcorders and the like. In the business-use camcorders and the like, therefore, if chattering is present between the battery pack and the battery mounting portion to which the battery pack is mounted, the loads exerted on the battery pack and the battery mounting portion due to vibrations on the apparatus main body side during use would be high.
On the other hand, in the case where a recess shape for contriving engagement with a protrusion shape projectingly provided at the battery mounting portion is formed in a large size in a mount surface, for mounting to the battery mounting portion, of the battery pack in order to prevent the chattering, the identification label adhering region of the mount surface would be narrowed, and the size of the circuit board disposed on the inner surface side of the mount surface and an electronic part mounting region would be limited.


Acyloxyalkyl carbamate prodrugs of trans-4-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, methods of making prodrugs of trans-4-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexane-carboxylic acid, and methods of using prodrugs of trans-4-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid and pharmaceutical compositions thereof to treat or prevent various diseases or disorders are disclosed. Acyloxyalkyl carbamate prodrugs of trans-4-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid and pharmaceutical compositions thereof suitable for oral and topical administration and for administration using sustained release dosage forms are also disclosed.

Tranexamic acid (1) (trans-4-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, Cyklokapron®):
is an antifibrinolytic agent that reversibly blocks lysine binding sites on plasminogen and plasmin, and acts to prevent proteolytic degradation of fibrin clots which form in the normal physiologic process of hemostasis. Both plasminogen and plasmin are activators of fibrinolysis and active clot-lysing agents. Tranexamic acid thus helps to stabilize fibrin clots, which in turn maintains coagulation and helps to control bleeding.
Tranexamic acid is used clinically to control excess bleeding, for example, heavy bleeding associated with cardiac surgery, upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, blood loss in patients with advanced cancer (both acute hemorrhagic events and low-volume chronic bleeding), excessive bleeding that occurs during dental procedures in hemophiliacs, and for heavy bleeding during menstruation, i.e., menorrhagia (see Wellington and Wagstaff, Drugs, 2003, 63, 1417-1433; Dunn and Goa, Drugs, 1999, 57, 1005-1032; Pereira and Phan, The Oncologist, 2004, 9, 561-570).
The importance of the plasminogen/plasmin proteolytic cascade in epidermal biology and pathophysiology is also well appreciated (Kramer et al., Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seylar, 1995, 3, 131-141). Disruption of the stratum corneum by mechanical or chemical injury induces epidermal proteolytic activity. Topical treatment of human or rodent skin with tranexamic acid significantly accelerates barrier recovery and greatly decreases epidermal hyperplasia, suggesting a role for plasmin inhibitory compounds in promoting epidermal wound healing (Denda et al., J. Invest. Dermatol., 1997, 109, 84-90; Kitamura et al., J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 1995, 29, 133-145). Exposure of human skin to ultraviolet radiation causes erythema and pigmentation, with pigmentation resulting from increased melanin production. A role for plasmin in contributing to increased production of arachidonic acid and prostaglandin metabolites in skin following U.V. exposure has also been demonstrated. Topical application of tranexamic acid prevents U.V.—induced pigmentation in vivo through dose-dependent reduction in prostaglandin production (Maeda and Naganuma, J. Photochem. Photobiol. B, 1998, 47, 136-141; Manosroi et al., J. Cosmet. Sci., 2002, 53, 375-386; Suetsugu et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,914).
The plasminogen activation system is also a predominant protease pathway responsible for extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Cancer dissemination and metastasis is synonymous with invasive cell migration, a process in which the ECM plays the dual role of the substratum on which the cells move as well as the physical obstacle that the cells have to surpass. To degrade the physical obstacle that the ECM poses in the direction of migration, cells use proteolytic enzymes such as plasminogen and plasmin capable of hydrolyzing the ECM components (Stonelake et al., Br. J. Cancer, 1997, 75, 951-959; Dunbar et al., Expert Opin, Investig. Drugs, 2000, 9, 2085-2092; Sidenius and Blasi, Cancer Metastasis Rev., 2003, 22, 205-222). Plasmin inhibitory compounds such as tranexamic acid, therefore, show utility as anti-metastatic agents either alone or in combination with cytotoxic anticancer agents (Tsutsumi and Konishi, Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho, 2002114673).
Menorrhagia is defined as blood loss >80 mL, per menstrual cycle and affects many women and represents a significant health problem. Prevalence rates are believed to be similar across the Western world, and in the U.K. at least one in 20 women aged between 34 and 49 years will consult their general practitioners because of menstrual disorders. Menorrhagia accounts for 60% of primary-care consultations for menstrual problems and 12% of all gynecology referrals (Peto et al., Fam. Pract., 1993, 10, 207-211; McPherson and Andersson, eds., Women's problems in general practice, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983, pp 21-41; Bradlow et al., Patterns of referral, Oxford: Oxford Health Services Research Unit, 1992). While various pathological mechanisms may contribute to the cause of menorrhagia, approximately 50% of women with heavy menstrual blood loss have no underlying anatomical or endocrinological abnormality. In such women fibrinolytic activity in utero is higher than in women with normal menstrual blood loss, with this increased fibrinolysis resulting from elevated levels of endometrium-derived plasmin and plasminogen activators (Gleeson, Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 1994, 171, 178-183; Dockeray et al., Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol., 1987, 24, 309-318).
Despite the availability of clinically effective antifibrinolytic agents such as tranexamic acid (which has been shown to reduce menstrual blood loss by ˜50%), approximately 60% of women with menorrhagia undergo hysterectomy within 5 years of referral to a gynecologist (Coulter et al., Br. J Obstet. Gynaecol., 1991, 98, 789-796). Women suffering from menorrhagia are typically treated orally with tranexamic acid concurrently with menstruation (4-7 days). Doses of 500-1500 mg tranexamic acid tablets administered three or four times daily are typical. Intravenous dosage formulations are also available for use as a continuous infusion in the surgical setting. The requirement for frequent daily oral administration results from the suboptimal pharmacokinetic properties of tranexamic acid, which includes modest oral bioavailability (˜30%) and a rapid terminal elimination half-life of ˜2 hours.
Sustained released oral dosage formulations are a conventional solution to the problem of rapid systemic drug clearance, as is well known in the art (See, e.g., "Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences," Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, 19th Edition, 1995). Osmotic delivery systems are also recognized methods for sustained drug delivery (see e.g., Verma et al., Drug Dev. Ind. Pharm., 2000, 26, 695-708). Successful application of these technologies depends on the drug of interest having an effective level of absorption from the large intestine (also referred to herein as the colon), where the dosage form spends a majority of its time during its passage through the gastrointestinal tract. Tranexamic acid is poorly absorbed following rectal administration in humans (Almer et al., J. Clin. Pharm., 1992, 32, 49-54), consistent with limited permeability of the drug across the colonic mucosa. Development of an oral controlled release formulation for tranexamic acid should considerably improve the convenience, efficacy and side effect profile of tranexamic acid therapy. However, the rapid passage of conventional dosage forms through the proximal absorptive region of the small intestine has thus far prevented the successful application of sustained release technologies to this drug. Heasley et al. have described delayed release oral formulations of tranexamic acid based on the use of enteric polymer coatings that are designed to retard the dissolution of the drug by 1-2 hours until the dosage form has passed from the stomach to the small intestine (U.S. Patent Application No. 2005/002825). Such formulations are said to reduce the adverse gastrointestinal reactions that may accompany oral tranexamic acid therapy (including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia and cramping). However these formulations would not be expected to substantially alter the elimination half-life of the drug, and hence overcome the requirement for frequent daily dosing.
There is a significant need for new prodrugs of tranexamic acid that are well absorbed in the large intestine and hence suitable for oral sustained release formulations, thus improving the convenience, efficacy and side effect profile of antifibrinolytic therapy. Moreover, since the zwitterionic character of tranexamic acid limits the permeability of the compound across the epidermal barrier, there is also a need for more lipophilic prodrug derivatives of tranexamic acid which would provide for more effective topical administration in the treatment of skin disorders such as wound healing, epidermal hyperplasia, skin roughening, unwanted skin pigmentation, etc.
One solution to the incomplete gastrointestinal absorption of tranexamic acid is through design of prodrug derivatives (see Svahn et al., J. Med Chem., 1986, 29, 448-453; Svahn et al., European Patent No. 0 079 872 B 1; Svahn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,867; Jonsson, International Publication No. WO94/15904; Svahn et al., Arzneim-Forsch., 1988, 38, 735-738; Edlund et al., Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol., 1995, 102, 913-917). The prodrug 1-(ethoxycarbonyl)oxyethyl trans-4-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexanecarboxylate (i.e., Kabi 2161) showed markedly improved oral bioavailability of tranexamic acid in human patients, and was effective in reducing menstrual blood loss in women suffering from idiopathic menorrhagia.

Acyloxyalkyl carbamate prodrugs of tranexamic acid, methods of synthesis and use