Systems and methods are provided for controlling deceleration fuel shut off (DFSO) in response to an external object or location, such as a target vehicle. In one example, a method may include, while operating an engine in DFSO, determining a rate of change of a range to the target vehicle, and commanding an exit from the DFSO based on the range rate of change. By exiting the DFSO based on the range rate of change, torque lash experienced by a driver may be correspondingly reduced as compared to exiting the DFSO based upon, for example, one or more powertrain operating conditions.

Deceleration fuel shut off (DFSO) is a fuel-saving feature of some vehicles having internal combustion engines. Specifically, DFSO may improve fuel economy by deactivating one or more fuel injectors during vehicle deceleration. Typically, DFSO control is enabled based on various powertrain operating conditions, such as engine load or engine speed. Methods for controlling DFSO in this way may be implemented in a memory of a controller included in the vehicle. As such, during DFSO, the controller may be configured to respond to threshold adjustments in the engine load or the engine speed, for example, by exiting DFSO. Since such DFSO control methods are responsive to changes in one or more of the powertrain operating conditions having occurred, a corresponding delay may result, which may be experienced by the operator as torque lash. In some examples, DFSO may exit soon after initiating, and resulting torque lash may be misinterpreted by the operator as a bad transmission shift.
Other attempts to address torque lash include predicting pedal actuation, or lack thereof (e.g., coasting), and directly adjusting driveline torque based on the predicted pedal use. One example approach is shown by Cunningham et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 10,322,725. Therein, brake pedal actuation is predicted based on detected driver foot motion in a footwell region of a vehicle cab. Alternatively, a traffic sensor may be used to predict the brake pedal actuation (e.g., by indicating that a driver intends to brake, coast, etc., based on detected traffic). Driveline torque may then be actively adjusted in response to the predicted braking or coasting, resulting in a gentler torque transition and reduced torque lash.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with applying such methods and systems to DFSO control. As one example, adjusting driveline torque to reduce torque lash may still be subject to torque delay resulting from exiting DFSO immediately prior to, or simultaneously with, such torque adjustment. As another example, movement of the driver foot may provide little early warning for a DFSO control method in addition to that already provided by receipt of a torque request itself (e.g., upon the accelerator pedal soon after being depressed by the driver foot in motion). As such, predictions based on driver movement alone may be insufficient to resolve torque delay resulting from DFSO exit.
Accordingly, the inventors herein have provided systems and methods to at least partly address the above issues. One example includes a method including, while operating an engine in DFSO, determining a rate of change of a range to a target vehicle, and commanding an exit from the DFSO based on the range rate of change. In this way, the DFSO may be exited in advance of any direct input received by the driver (e.g., pedal actuation) or any indication from the driver of such direct input (e.g., driver movement). For example, by determining the rate of change of the range to the target vehicle, accelerator pedal actuation or brake pedal actuation may be predicted. Thus, the DFSO may be exited in anticipation of receiving a corresponding positive torque request or braking request (e.g., negative torque request), thereby reducing a likelihood and/or severity of torque lash as compared to exiting DFSO in a manner not based on distance to a target vehicle (such as in response to one or more DFSO exit conditions).
As a further example, the torque request may be predicted based on a change in speed limit provided by an altered speed zone detected ahead of the vehicle. Engine operating conditions may then be adjusted to mitigate torque lash based on the predicted torque request. For example, if the engine is currently operating in DFSO, an exit from the DFSO may then be advanced prior to when acceleration is next expected, and torque delay (and therefore torque lash) may be correspondingly reduced at a time of actual acceleration.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Systems and methods for controlling deceleration fuel shut off in response to detection of an external object or location


A glass cullet separator utilizes a multi-element optical sensor to detect when an opaque particle in a group primarily composed of transparent particles moving along a plane passes a first line lying in that plane, and the particular location of the particle along the first line. A signal from the optical sensor is fed to a microprocessor. After a delay equal to the time it takes for a particle to pass between the first line and a second line, which is parallel to and separated from the first line, the microprocessor causes a valve to open and emit a jet of high velocity air from a nozzle aimed toward the plane along the second line. The jet of air blows the opaque particle out of the plane where it is captured and separated from the remainder of the particles. A plurality of nozzles are located in a manifold which extends across the extent of the second line. The manifold also supports the valves and fluid conduits that interconnect the valves and the nozzles.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing foreign objects from glass, and for separating glass into clear and colored pieces prior to recycling.
When glass is collected for recycling, foreign material, such as rocks, sticks, ceramics and other material, needs to be separated from the glass or the recycled glass will be contaminated. In addition, clear glass and colored glass must be separated from one another prior to recycling. Heretofore, this removal of foreign material and separation has been done by hand which is time-consuming and expensive.
The subject invention overcomes the foregoing problem by providing an apparatus which passes the unsorted material in a discrete array along a defined plane. An optical sensing device senses when an opaque particle passes through a first line defined in the plane and where the particle is located along the first line. A series of nozzles, which emit a jet of high velocity fluid, are located adjacent to the plane with the nozzles arranged along a second line that is parallel to and offset from the first line in the direction the particles are moving. An actuator is activated by the sensing device to cause fluid to be emitted from one of the nozzles when an opaque particle sensed by the sensing device passes through the second line and blow that particle out of the plane. A chute located behind the plane captures the particles blown out of the plane and separates them from the remainder of the particles.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the optical sensor is a source of high intensity light that is located on one side of the plane, and a multi-element machine vision camera that is located on the other side of the plane. The machine vision camera has a plurality of light-sensitive diodes that are aimed toward the light. The diodes generate an electrical signal and the strength of the signal of each diode varies proportional to the intensity of the light that reaches the diode. The signal from the diode is fed through a microprocessor, which causes the fluid to be emitted from the proper nozzle at the proper time to blow the opaque particle sensed by the diode out of the plane.
In the preferred embodiment, each nozzle is supplied fluid through one or more electrically operated valves. After sensing a reduced signal from one of the diodes, the microprocessor waits a predetermined time so that the particle drops between the first line and the second line, and then opens the valve associated with the nozzle that is most closely aligned with that diode. The nozzles are carried in a manifold, which also carries the valves and the conduits that interconnect the valves with the nozzles. The manifold can either be formed from a solid block or from a series of single nozzle-containing elements which are bolted together.
An optical filter can be placed between the particles and the camera if it is desired to sort pieces of colored glass from clear glass. The colored glass can be separated by using a filter that absorbs the wavelength of light emitted through the colored glass so that the glass particles appear opaque to the camera.
Accordingly, it is a principal objective of the subject invention to provide an apparatus which optically senses and removes opaque particles from a group of primarily transparent particles.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which utilizes by a machine vision camera and high intensity source of light which shines through the particles toward the camera to sense the opaque particles.
It is a still further object of the subject invention to provide such an apparatus which uses a jet of high velocity fluid to remove the opaque particles from the plane.
It is yet a further object of the subject invention to provide such an apparatus in which there are a plurality of nozzles through which the jet of fluid can be emitted.
It is a still further object of the subject invention to provide such an apparatus in which fluid is fed to the nozzles through remotely controlled valves.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide such an apparatus in which a microprocessor is used to open the appropriate valve at the proper time upon receiving a signal from the camera, so that a jet of fluid strikes a particular particle sensed by the camera.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Glass cullet separator and method of using same


A system usable with a pipe laying vessel, includes a support frame, such as a deck frame of the vessel, and a loader arm which is movable between a loading position and an upright position. The loader arm is provided with a pipe section manipulation system. A first clamping member is provided having a substantially fixed position with respect to the support frame. The first clamping member is operable between a clamped position for supporting the weight of the pipeline, and a released position for allowing the pipeline to be lowered. A second clamping member is movable between an upper position and a lower position. The second clamping member is operable between a clamped position for supporting the weight of the pipeline during movement from the upper position to the lower position, and a released position for moving the second clamping member from the lower position to the upper position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system usable with a pipe laying vessel, comprising:                a support frame, such as a deck frame of the vessel,        a loader arm which is pivotable between a loading position and a laying position, which loader arm is provided with a pipe section manipulation system,        a first clamping member having a substantially fixed position with respect to the support frame, which first clamping member is operable between a clamped position for supporting the weight of a pipeline extending into the sea, and a released position for allowing the pipeline to be lowered with respect to the first clamping member,        a second clamping member being movable between an upper position and a lower position, which second clamping member is operable between a clamped position for supporting the weight of the pipeline during movement from the upper position to the lower position, and a released position for moving the second clamping member from the lower position to the upper position.
2. Description of the Related Art
A J-lay pipe laying vessel is known. The vessel has a J-lay tower and a loader arm that is pivotable with respect to the J-lay tower between a loading position and an upright position. In its loading position a pipe section is loaded from a pipe storage onto the loader arm, after which it pivots to the upright position adjacent to the J-lay tower. The J-lay tower comprises a system for manipulating the orientation of the pipe section. Thus, the pipe section is brought into alignment with a pipeline extending into the sea. The J-lay tower also has a fixed clamp and a moving clamp that can be operated according to the hand-over-hand principle by intermittently holding the pipeline by the fixed clamp and the moving clamp, respectively. The known J-lay tower is often relatively heavy and not suitable to easily retrofit existing vessels with J-lay equipment.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,910,848 and 6,213,686 disclose a system for laying a pipeline from a floating vessel onto the sea floor. This system comprises a J-lay tower with a pipeline extending below the J-lay tower around a bend and onto the sea floor. The J-lay tower has a mast, a working table and a travelling table. The working table and all parts attached to the working table including the mast can be gimballed. The travelling table has a clamp section for clamping the pipeline and can be moved between an upper and lower position. An erector is connected to the working table by a hinge. A new pipe section is loaded on the erector, which is provided with clamps for securing the pipe section to the erector. Then, the erector is pulled up to the mast of the J-lay tower by a cable. The mast of the J-lay tower is provided with a centralizer and a straightener. The centralizer is used to align the lower end of the new pipe section with the top of the pipeline for welding. The straightener can push the centre of the new pipe section while the upper and lower ends are restrained by the travelling table and the centralizer, respectively. Thus, this system comprises a J-lay tower and pivotable erector for loading pipe sections up to the mast of the J-lay tower. Transferring a pipe section from the erector to the J-lay tower is relatively complex.


Described herein are methods for accessing a block-based storage device having a memory-mapped interface and a block interface. In one embodiment, an apparatus (e.g., block-based storage device) includes a storage array to store data and a memory-mapped interface that is coupled to the storage array. The memory-mapped interface includes memory-mapped memory space. The memory-mapped interface receives direct access requests from a host to directly access memory-mapped files. The apparatus also includes a block interface that is coupled to the storage array. The block interface receives block requests from a storage driver to access the storage array.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of accessing a block-based storage device with a memory-mapped interface and a block-based interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices may require high speed access to non-volatile memory contained within these devices. Prior approaches access memory either using block access to a block storage device or memory-mapped access to a memory device. A conventional memory-mapped approach includes initiating a system call with a user program to memory-map an open file. If an underlying storage device has a memory-mapped interface, then the OS requests a physical address for address range(s) from the storage driver. The driver implements a direct access method to perform any setup operations to obtain a physical address for the given range. Then, the OS processes and updates page tables which may cause faults to read/write requests to the memory-mapped region. The OS returns a virtual address of the memory-mapped region. The user program is now able to read/write to the memory-mapped region.
If the underlying storage device is not memory-mappable, then the OS optionally caches select pages from the file into RAM and the process proceeds to the process page table operation. After the memory-mapped access setup is complete, a user program can initiate a read/write request to memory. If a requested page is mapped, then a processor resumes execution of the user program and determines if the page is located in RAM. If so, a memory controller completes the request directly to/from RAM and transfers data to the processor. If not, then the memory controller requests data from a memory-mapped capable I/O device and this device transfers data to the processor.
A memory-mapped device is generally simpler for the user application to interface with, and typically results in lower latency per request than a block-based storage device. However, the total bandwidth of a memory-mapped device will generally be lower due to reduced parallelism in comparison to a block device.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Block-based storage device with a memory-mapped interface


Some embodiments of the invention provide a method that defines several menu items having a particular order. The method provides a display area for displaying a portion of the menu items in the particular order. The method provides a selection window in the display area for indicating that a menu item is presently selectable. The display area is also for receiving input to (i) scroll the menu items through the selection window in the particular order and (ii) select a particular menu item when the particular menu item is displayed in the selection window. In some embodiments, the display area is a linear display area, while in some embodiments it is a semi-circular display area or other shape.

User interfaces of computer applications often provide numerous commands or user interface tools for a user to choose from. For instance, many applications include drop-down menus. Such menus often include lists of commands. There are standard commands such as opening a file, printing a document, saving a document, etc., as well as more application-specific commands such as inserting a page break (for a word-processing application), formatting cells (for a spreadsheet application), etc.
Many applications also include toolbars or tool palettes. For instance, many computing applications have one or more rows of toolbars at the top of their user interface. The toolbars include various types of tools. Drawing applications have drawing tools, video editing applications have video-editing tools, etc. Some applications also have floating tool palettes. For instance, some video-editing applications include a floating trim tool palette that allows a user to select between various different trim tools for video-editing.
Such toolbars, tool palettes and drop-down menus can take up valuable real estate in the graphical user interface. Furthermore, the number of items in such menus and toolbars is limited by screen space. For example, a user does not want a floating tool palette that takes up too much of the screen. As more options are added to a tool palette, the tool palette must get larger or the size of the options must get smaller. Just as the tool palettes can only increase in size to a certain point, the size of the options can only decrease to a certain point before they become indistinguishable. As such, a need exists for ways to display toolbars or menus that do not take up significant amounts of screen space while keeping the options at a visually recognizable size.


For the purposes of better cooling and improving the starting conditions of a direct current arc furnace, there is provided a hearth electrode which comprises at least one metal bar passing through the hearth wall and which is cooled by at least one cooling duct which extends along the metal bar to the inner end thereof and opens into the interior of the furnace.

The invention relates to a direct current arc furnace or direct current resistance smelting furnace It also relates to a hearth electrode for insertion into the hearth wall of a furnace and an electrode block having such a hearth electrode. Finally the invention also concerns a method of operating such a furnace.
DE-A1-31 06 741 discloses a contact electrode arrangement for electric arc or resistance smelting furnaces, having a base plate which is arranged outside the furnace brick lining structure and to which the outer ends of a plurality of bar-shaped electrodes are conductively connected, wherein the remaining part of the electrode extends into the furnace brick lining structure and is in contact with the molten bath in the furnace hearth. The base plate is disposed at a spacing beneath the furnace bottom. Provided between the base plate and the furnace bottom is an intermediate space into which can flow a fluid for cooling the electrode neck portions, the outside of the furnace and the base plate.
EP-B1-0 219 650 discloses a similar contact electrode arrangement which is in the form of an inter! changeable structural unit.
EP-A1-0 12 4 490 discloses a bottom electrode for a direct current arc furnace, which in the form of an electrically conducting prefabricated structural unit is connected to the metal bath and which rests by way of a layer of electrically conductive granular material on a connecting plate which has a downwardly extending fluid-cooled projection. The interchangeable electrically conducting structural unit which is in contact with the molten bath includes a plurality of metal bars, as current conductors. Also disposed therein are one or more porous bodies for the introduction of a gas, the function of which is to prevent overheating phenomena, by virtue of an increased bath movement. In addition, the structural unit is cooled by the gas which is passed through the porous bricks.
The object of the present invention is to improve the cooling of the electrodes in a direct current are furnace or resistance smelting furnace in order thereby to be able to increase the current loading of the electrodes and thus the output and capacity of the furnace. The invention also seeks to provide an electrode for a direct current arc furnace which permits an improvement in the firing conditions and stabilisation of the arc plasma. The invention also seeks to provide that, after the formation of a molten bath, bath movement for better distribution of the heat in the bath and a desired metallurgical treatment can be carried out with the cooling fluid for cooling the electrodes.
Finally, an object of the invention is to provide a hearth electrode which is distinguished by an increased cooling action and thus a higher current load-carrying capability.
In addition the invention seeks to provide an electrode block having such a hearth electrode, which block can be fitted into the hearth wall of a smelting furnace.
Finally, the invention seeks to provide a method of operating a furnace of the specified kind, which improves firing of the arc in the initial phase of the smelting procedure and promotes the formation of a stable arc plasma for rapid melting of the solid charge.

D.C. furnace with a hearth electrode, hearth electrode and electrode block, as well as process for operating said furnace


Wind driven apparatus for an aerial power generation system include driven elements and controls. The driven elements are configured and shaped to provide maximum force from both lift and drag during the downwind phase of operation and minimum force during the upwind phase. The driven elements have a sail portion with a leading edge and a trailing edge. The controls change the driven elements between high force configurations for downwind operation and low force configurations for upwind operation, adjust the pitch and azimuth angles of the driven elements, and control the camber.

As fossil fuels become depleted and more expensive, the need for cost competitive methods and apparatus for harnessing renewable energy sources increases. The wind was long used for powering sailing ships and windmills, but the advent of steam engines or turbines, internal combustion engines, and gas turbines provided cheaper, more convenient energy sources. Less expensive and more efficient apparatus and methods for utilizing wind power would now be beneficial.
Windmills (or wind turbines) are currently being used to generate electricity and to drive pumps, however the cost to generate electricity with a windmill is still more expensive than the cost of electricity generated from some fossil fuels. Windmills have a high capital cost relative to power generated. Wind speed, in general, is higher and more consistent with increasing altitude. There is potential to generate significant power with airborne or aerial apparatus at altitudes above the heights reasonably reachable by ground-based windmills.
The challenge with wind power generation is to convert the linear power of the wind to rotary motion to drive an electrical generator or a pump. One known approach to aerial wind power generation is a tethered, aerial windmill. Such aerial windmills can be supported by lighter than air aircraft, such as a blimp, or by lift from airfoil wing structures. These aerial windmills are relatively heavy and require long, heavy electrical cables to transmit the generated power to ground level.
A second known approach to aerial wind power generation is a wind powered element, such as a kite, blimp or airfoil, that is connected to a tow line. The tow line wraps around a reel on the shaft of a ground level power generation device. As the wind powered element is pulled by the wind, the distance from the wind powered element to the shaft increases and the tow line rotates the reel and shaft to generate power. The angle of attack or the shape of the wind powered element is changeable so that the wind powered element can be reeled back towards the ground level power generation device with little power use.
A third known approach to aerial wind power generation is an endless chain of spaced kites linked to the shaft of a ground level power generation device. The kites follow an ascending path and a descending path. The kites are adjustable to provide higher lift while on the ascending path.

Wind drive apparatus for an aerial wind power generation system


The present invention relates to a lighting device including a plurality of light source units U including at least LEDs 16 and light guide plates 18. The light source units U are arranged in one direction such that gaps S are provided between the adjacent light guide plates 18. Each light guide plate 18 has a first light exit surface 36A. The light guide plate 18 receives light from the LED 16. Light L1 exits from the first light exit surface 36A. A diffuser 15b that receives the light L1 from the first light exit surface 36A is disposed so as to face the first light exit surface 36A. Reflection sheets 24 that reflect light are disposed on an opposite side from the diffuser 15b so as to cover the gaps S. Each light guide plate 18 has a second light exit surface 36B in an edge portion that faces the gap S on the opposite side from the diffuser 15b. The second light exit surface 36B is formed such that light L2 exits therethrough, reflects off the reflection sheet 24 and travels to the diffuser 15b via the gap S.

A lighting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as a lighting device used in a display device of a television receiver. The lighting device includes light emitting components and light guide members. Each light emitting component emits rays of light substantially parallel to a display surface of the liquid crystal panel. The rays of light enter the guide members and exit from light exit surfaces of the light guide members. The rays of light that exit from the light exit surfaces travel to an optical member disposed on an opposite side of the liquid crystal panel from the display surface. The optical member includes a diffuser configured to diffuse incident light. As a result, uniform in-plane brightness distribution on the display surface of the liquid crystal panel is achieved.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2006-108045

Lighting device, display device and television receiver


A child-resistant closure prevents a toddler or other young child from unscrewing the top off from a beverage container, such as a milk bottle or covered sipping cup, and spilling its contents on furniture or other inappropriate locations. The child-resistant closure prevents ugly staining of clothes or furniture by difficult to wash beverages, such as grape juice. The child-resistant closure for a beverage container includes an inner screw cap which is threadably mountable on the beverage container, such as the milk bottle with a nipple or the sipping cup. An outer operating ring cap is mounted on the inner cap. The outer operating ring cap has a circumferential retaining rim on a lower end thereof to retain the inner cap within the outer cap.

The present invention relates to a child resistant cap for baby bottles and toddler sipping cups.
A common innocent nuisance caused by toddlers or young children is when they unscrew the nipple caps from their baby bottles or the tops from their closed sipping cups, thereby spilling the beverage contents. The spilled milk causes unpleasant odors to accumulate on clothes and furniture. In addition, juices, such as grape juice, stain easily and are difficult to remove.
Unfortunately, most baby bottles and sipping cups can be loosened and screwed by even a small child""s manipulation. Moreover, most are loosened initially, to let air in to facilitate sucking of the beverage through the nipple.
Child resistant caps are known, but mainly in the medicine container field to prevent access to the potentially harmful contents therein.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,202 of Shamis describes a child""s drinking cup that has a forced-upward cap that needs a latch to be disengaged to be unscrewed off
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,473 of Morris recognizes a child resistant closure for a medicine container where the cap is freely rotatable and spins, unless downward pressure is applied to unscrew the cap. U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,752 of Meyer describes that a cap which is also freely rotatable unless downward pressure is applied.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 364,316 of Humphrey describes a covered sipping cup in general. U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,712 of Libit, U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,983 of Pauls, U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,691 of Burke U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,031 of Lohrman U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,599 of Seddon, U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,237 of Lindsey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,702 of Fogil, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,127 of Barriac and U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,445 of Dobbs all describe locking caps which use locking tabs that must be disengaged by force before the caps can be opened.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,496 of Rudell, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,066 of Snider, U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,987 of Solland and U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,342 of Chomik describe children""s drinking cups with various types of locking caps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,563 of Cirami describes a cigarette lighter with a cap that moves rotationally and downward to operate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,965 of King describes a medicine cap ring which requires rotation and downward pressure to open.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,413 of Nagel describes a toothpaste tube that has a cup that needs downward pressure to rotate and unthread.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,917 of Hoffman and U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,550 of Dejonge describe caps with latches that must be moved to unscrew the cups.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,817 of Wiles, U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,181 of Seidler and U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,690 of Birrell all require downward pressure to open the caps.
However, these caps of the prior art do not describe a convenient screw-off type of cap, with a sanitary cover, for a child""s beverage container, such as a nippled bottle or sipping cup, that can only be opened by adult manipulation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a child resistant cap for baby bottles and toddler sipping cups.
It is also an object of the present invention to prevent toddlers or young children from unscrewing the nipple caps from their baby bottles or the tops from their closed sipping cups, thereby spilling the beverage contents.
It is yet another object of the present invention to prevent unpleasant odors and difficult to remove stains from accumulating on clothes and furniture.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a tightenable closure for a cap for a child""s beverage container.
It is further an object of the present invention to permit free rotation of an outer operating ring cap in the screw-off direction about an inner screw cap, without substantial user compressive force.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a user-removable sanitary protection cap which is removably mounted upon a child-proof beverage container cup at a sufficient height and volume therewithin to accommodate a mounted-in-place baby bottle nipple in a sanitary position therein.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an aftermarket childproof beverage container cap which can be easily designed to mate with standard threads used by a number of manufacturers of popular brands of baby bottles.
It is additionally an object of the present invention to provide a childproof beverage container cap which has a significant frictional counter-torque that is generated proportional to the downward force exerted thereon.
It is yet another object of the present invention to improve over the disadvantages of the prior art.
In keeping with these objects and others which may become apparent, the present invention includes a child-resistant closure that prevents a toddler or other young child from unscrewing the top off from a beverage container, such as a nippled milk bottle or a covered sipping cup, and spilling its contents on furniture or other inappropriate locations. The childproof beverage container cap prevents ugly staining of clothes or furniture by difficult to wash beverages, such as grape juice.
Structurally, the child-resistant closure for the beverage container includes an inner screw cap which is threadably mountable on the beverage container, such as the milk bottle with a nipple, or upon the sipping cup. An outer operating ring cap is mounted on the inner cap. The outer operating ring cap has a circumferential retaining rim on a lower end thereof to retain the inner cap within the outer cap.
For tightened closure of the outer operating ring cap with the inner cap, the outer operating ring cap has a plurality of downwardly-projecting nibs disposed on an inside top surface thereof.
The inner screw cap has a circumferential engagement ring on an upper surface thereof, wherein the engagement ring of this inner screw cap has a top surface and a plurality of radially disposed ramped notches therein. These ramped notches each respectively have a depressed floor, a vertical boundary wall running between the depressed floor and the top surface on one side of the notch, and a ramp running between the floor and the top surface on another side of the notch.
The downwardly extending nibs of the outer operating ring cap engage the ramped notches of the inner screw cap in a ratchet fashion, to permit tightening of the inner screw cap when these nibs engage the vertical boundary wall of the inner screw cap, as the outer operating ring cap rotates in the screw-on direction. These nibs also to permit free rotation of the outer operating ring cap in the screw-off direction about the inner screw cap, when the nibs engage the ramp, without substantial user compressive force, such as when small child tries to manually rotate the cap.
In contrast to a child""s efforts to twist the cap, when the nibs engage the ramps, they permit effective screw-off torque contact between the nibs of the outer operating ring cap and the ramps of the inner screw cap, but only if there is sufficient adult-user compressive force being applied to the outer operating ring cap, while the cap is turned in the screw-off direction.
This simultaneous compressive force and screw-off turning effects the screw-off loosening of the inner screw cap from its threaded engagement on a beverage container, such as a milk bottle with a nipple or a covered sipping cup.
The circumferential retaining rim of the outer operating ring grasps the inner screw cap, upon this adultuser application of upward force, while the adult turns the cap in the screw-off direction subsequent to screw-off loosening of the inner screw cap. This grasping of the loosened inner screw cap by the retaining rim provides for relatively effortless and convenient adult-user unscrewing of the inner screw cap, for re-filling the beverages container, such as the nippled milk bottle or covered sipping cup.
The present invention therefore provides a method of preventing a child from opening a beverage container, and spilling the contents therefrom. In operation, the adult user first fills a child""s drinking container with a beverage and screws on the aforementioned child resistant closure cap. The adult removes this closure, when the child has finished with the beverage, by applying compressive force to the closure and by applying torque in the screw-off direction to the closure, while applying this compressive force to loosen the threaded mounting of the inner screw cap to the beverage container.
When the adult user ceases the compressive force, the adult user applies an upward pulling force to the outer operating ring cap and resumes applying of torque in the screw-off direction, while maintaining an upward pulling force so as to maintain circumferential retaining rim in a grasping contact with the inner screw cap, until the inner screw cap has been completely unscrewed from the beverage container to which it had been mounted.
The child resistant closure is threadably mounted on beverage containers such as standard-thread baby bottles, wherein the inner screw cap has a central aperture to accept a baby bottle nipple mounted therethrough.
The child-resistant closure may also cover a child""s sipping cup, wherein inner screw cap is threadably mountable on the sipping cup.
Optionally, the child resistant closure may also be closed by a user-removable sanitary protection cap, which is removably mounted by a suitable mount on the outer operating ring cap. This sanitary cap has sufficient height and volume therewithin to accommodate the mounted-in-place baby bottle nipple in a sanitary protection therein.
The child resistant closure may also be a user-removable sanitary protection cap, removably mounted by the suitable mount on the outer operating ring cap, wherein the sanitary cap has sufficient height and volume therewithin, to accommodate the drinking-spout on the sipping cup.
The removable sanitary protection cap of the child resistant closure is mounted by mated fluted surfaces which are located both on an underside of the sanitary protection cap and on the surface of the outer operating ring cap, at the points of contact therebetween. This permits the sanitary protection cap to transmit torque bi-directionally to the outer operating ring cap upon the baby bottle or upon the sipping cup.
As a result, both the nippled baby bottle and the child""s sipping cup are conveniently closed so that a toddler or small child cannot remove the cap and spill the contents therefrom.

Infant and toddler drinking containers with child resistant caps


Disclosed is a method for determining properties of hydrocarbonaceous samples including a component prepared from: 1) the thermo-catalytic conversion of biomass, or 2) the pyrolytic conversion of biomass with subsequent upgrading. The determination of the property(ies) is by use of a near-infrared spectra based correlation.

With the rising costs and environmental concerns associated with fossil fuels, renewable energy sources have become increasingly important, and in particular, the production of renewable transportation fuels from the conversion of biomass feedstocks. Many different processes have been, and are being, explored for the conversion of biomass to biofuels and/or specialty chemicals. Some of the existing biomass conversion processes include, for example, combustion, gasification, liquefaction, enzymatic conversion, and thermo-catalytic or pyrolytic conversion. Upgraded pyrolytic or upgraded thermo-catalytic bio-oils are of current focus as blendstocks for transportation fuels. The quality of such bio-oils and fractions, as reflected from their measured properties, are critical with regard to eventual blending with conventional fuels. Such properties for the bio-oil or upgraded bio-oil can include viscosity, total acid number (TAN), density, wt % oxygen measured on a dry basis, wt % water, wt % carbon, wt % hydrogen. Fractions from such bio-oil or upgraded bio-oil can include at least some of the properties listed above, and can further include Motor Octane Number, Research Octane Number, and cetane number. These properties are typically measured using standardized analytical techniques, which can be expensive to run. In addition, such tests are typically time consuming, generally taking 30 minutes or more to complete. Due to this delay in acquiring analytical results, it would be extremely difficult to use such standardized analytical techniques to either: 1) control a bio-oil production process (including upgrading) or 2) control a blending process wherein fractions of such bio-oil are blended with conventional fuels.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved and efficient method for determining properties of either: 1) a bio-oil produced from a thermo-catalytic or pyrolytic conversion of biomass or 2) a fuel blended from a conventional fuel and a fraction of such bio-oil.

Use of NIR spectra for property prediction of bio-oils and fractions thereof


A lens holder for holding a vitrectomy lens during a surgical procedure may include a support ring sized and shaped to receive a portion of the vitrectomy lens to provide visualization of a surgical site in an eye of the patient. The support ring may be configured to rest upon the eye of the patient during a surgical treatment procedure performed on the eye. The lens holder may also include a transparent, flexible membrane disposed along a bottom plane of the support ring and configured to conform to a surface feature on the eye. It may also include an overflow trough to control contact of a wetting agent with the eye.

When performing vitreoretinal surgeries, surgeons use surgical microscopes to perceive tissue in the eye. In some cases, the surgical microscopes are aligned with a contact lens placed directly on the eye. Viscoelastic is often used between the cornea and the contact lens to eliminate any air gap between the two that would otherwise be present due to imperfect matching of the lens curvature to the cornea. The viscoelastic may have a similar refractive index as the lens and cornea to prevent reflections from occurring at their surfaces however the viscoelastic also acts as a lubricant and the lens may easily slide from atop the cornea due to gravity.
One conventional approach for reducing movement of the contact lens due to the force of gravity includes suturing a lens holder to the eye and inserting the lens. Another approach includes attaching the lens to an access cannula implanted in the eye during the surgical procedure. While these approaches reduce the chance of the contact lens displacing along the cornea during the surgical procedure, these approaches also eliminate the opportunity to adjust the lens during the surgical procedure.
Another conventional approach for reducing movement of the contact lens includes using an assistant to manually hold the lens in place during the surgery. This type of approach however is cumbersome and the assistant must have very steady hands for good results.
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods holding a lens to an eye during a vitreoretinal surgical procedure.


The present invention involves a construction sheet material installation tool used to assist a worker to install sheets of material that would ordinarily require more than one worker. The tool includes a screw that has its non-threaded end embedded into a base, and the threaded portion of the screw extends outwardly perpendicular from the top surface of the base. The base has at least one side ledge that extends downwardly from the top surface at an obtuse angle. The top surface and side ledge of the base are all widened as to provide support to common construction sheet material without damaging the same. It is used by partially screwing into the overhead surface on which the construction sheet material will be installed to leave a gap. One end of the construction sheet is lifted to engage the side ledge of the device. The construction sheet material is then pushed upward from its opposite end into the gap and securely held in place by the invention, until the sheet material can be permanently installed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward a construction sheet material installation tool, and more particularly to such tools that enable a single user to hold larger or overweight sheets of construction material in place, either overhead or vertically, until the user can permanently secure the materials into position.
2. Prior Art Statement
During construction projects, many simple activities require the efforts of more than one person, simply because the materials used are too large or heavy to be directed by one person. The most common of these situations occur when sheets of construction material (such as sheetrock or plywood) are being placed either overhead on ceilings or vertically on walls. However, many times there is only one person available for the job, and over the years many devices have been developed to assist a single person in handling these large sheets of construction material. The most common type devices used are ground based supports. These supports are either single member supports or mechanical lifts that hold the construction materials. In either case, the ground base supports are expensive, cumbersome, hard to operate by one person and often obstruct the worker. As an alternative to the ground base supports, devices have been developed that attach directly to the overhead or vertical surface and hold the construction material in place. This prior art for such devices is as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,403 to Paul C. Anderson shows an overhead sheet installation support tool. This device, like the current invention, screws into the surface on which the sheet material will be attached, and supports the edges of the sheet until it is secured. This device, however, includes a set of manually adjustable support members in addition to the screw. The support members add greatly to the cost and the effort needed to manufacture the device and it requires a substantial amount of time to adjust the support members adequately. Additionally, the device lacks present invention widened edge(s) that support the construction sheet material as it is being pushed into place. The widened edges prevent the construction sheet material from being damaged under its own weight as it engages the device or rests upon its top surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,459 also to Paul C. Anderson describes a further improved overhead sheet installation support tool. This device has two pivotally adjustable members in addition to the attachment screw. These adjustable members require a high manufacturing cost and require a difficult and time consuming adjustment each time the device is used. Additionally, this device lacks both a straight side ledge or a widened support for its top surface or side ledge. Both the lack of a widened support and a straight side ledge can cause damage to the construction sheet material as it is placed into, or held by, this device.
Thus, the prior art does teach the use of screw based construction sheet installation support tools but the prior art does not teach or suggest such devices that have widened side ledge(s), a minimization of parts and cost, and a simplicity of manufacturability and use that is shown by the invention developed herein.


A transceiver module includes a bi-directional amplifier having a pair of symmetric signal paths for amplification of both transmit and receive signals is described. The amplifier is a bi-directional amplifier and includes a pair of symmetric signal paths. The amplifier is disposed between a pair of r.f. switches to provide a pair of signal paths between two terminals of the module. A phase shifter is coupled between on of the terminals of the module and one of the r.f. switches, wherein the second terminal of the module is coupled directly to the other one of the pair of switches.

This invention relates generally to antenna systems and more particularly to phased array antenna systems.
As is known in the art, an array antenna includes a plurality of individually radiating elements. Each of such elements are typically independently controlled to radiate a electromagnetic signal having a selected relative phase relationship to the other ones of the microwave signals. The relative phase of each of the microwave signals, therefore, is controlled to obtain a desired radiation pattern. The pattern obtained is the result of the combined action of all the individual transceiver and radiating elements. Several techniques exist for providing the desired control of the individual radiating elements to achieve the desired radiation pattern. In general, a phase shifter is disposed to provide the selected phase shift characteristic. Generally, in more sophisticated phased array radar systems, the phase shifter is included as part of a transceiver circuit or module. A transceiver circuit or module has the capability of providing a transmit and a receive path in which the phase of the module can be controlled.
Several techniques exist for providing so-called transceiver modules. In general, the transceiver module includes a low noise amplifier for the receive mode, a power amplifier for the transmit mode, and a pair of single pole double-throw switches. Branch ports of each of the switches are coupled to an input and an output of each one of the amplifiers. This arrangement is then coupled to a reciprocal phase shifter. Thus such a transceiver includes a pair of amplifiers, each disposed in one of the pair of signal paths which are both coupled to a reciprocal phase shifter. Although useful for many applications, this transceiver architecture is not desirable for jamming monopulse radars because of the large differences in insertion phase which exist between the distinct signal paths, particularly due to the separate transmit and receive amplifiers.
An alternative arrangement is to provide a common signal path through which both transmit and receive signals pass through a phase shifter and amplifier. Although this architecture provides a common signal path for both transmit and receive signals obviating the problem of insertion phase, this advantage is achieved at the cost of two additional transmit receive switches. One of these transmit receive switches is connected in series between the signal path and the antenna element. Accordingly, the output signal from the amplifier during transmit will always be attenuated by the presence of two series switches, thus causing a relatively poor efficiency for the transceiver module. In some applications this is tolerable but in other applications it is undesirable.
A further problem with each of these techniques is that it is most desirable to provide a transceiver module architecture on a single monolithic microwave integrated circuit. The general trend in microwave technology particularly as it relates to phased array elements is to form these circuits on a single integrated circuit using monolithic microwave integrated circuit techniques. Thus, any architecture which increases the number of components provides a concomitant reduction in the ability to successfully integrate the transmit/receive function as a single integrated circuit with acceptable yields and cost.

Transceiver modules for phased array antenna


Methods and systems are provided that can include iconization and later play of video content items, such as advertisements. During presentation of an online video, video advertisements may be presented. Upon user selection, during or after presentation of a particular video advertisement, the advertisement may cease to be presented, but an icon may be displayed that represents the video advertisement. The icon may be displayed in an area adjacent to the online video display area, which area may include multiple icons. Later, upon user selection of the icon, the video advertisement may be played, or may continue playing, utilizing local storage of the video advertisement. This, in turn, may provide, for example, efficient, convenient user access to the video advertisement, leading to enhanced advertisement performance with minimal intrusive impact on the user experience as a whole.

Video content, including online videos, as well as video content items, such as, for example, video advertisements, continue to increase in use and importance. It is often desired, for example, that video content items or video advertisements be, among other things, high-performance, yet with minimal intrusiveness or negative impact on user experience as a whole.
While the invention is described with reference to the above drawings, the drawings are intended to be illustrative, and the invention contemplates other embodiments within the spirit of the invention.


The present disclosure relates to a method for determining fill level of a substance in a container using a measuring device working according to the travel time principle. The measuring device transmits signals to the fill substance and, based on signal fractions reflected back in the container, ascertains an echo curve. The echo curve is transmitted to a superordinate control unit, and an envelope curve enveloping the echo curve is created and transmitted to the superordinate control unit. The echo curve and envelope curve are evaluated by the superordinate control unit. A wanted echo signal of the echo curve and envelope curve is identified. During the determining of the fill level the fill substance and the container are subjected to a current process. Based on information concerning the current process, plausibility of the wanted echo signal is checked and the evaluation is dynamically adapted to the current process.

In the case of fill level measuring devices working according to the travel time principle, fill level is ascertained by registering and evaluating a so-called echo curve. Each measured value of the echo curve corresponds to the amplitude of an echo signal reflected on a surface at a certain distance. The transmitter is, for example, an antenna apparatus, via which microwaves are transmitted.
The travel time measuring method is essentially divided into two methods of ascertainment: In the case of time difference measurement, the time, which a broadband wave signal pulse requires for a traveled path, is ascertained. In the case of frequency difference measurement (FMCW—Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave) a continuous microwave is transmitted, which is frequency modulated periodically and linearly. The frequency of a received echo signal has, consequently, compared with the frequency transmitted at the time of receipt a frequency difference, which depends on the travel time of the echo signal. The frequency difference between transmitted signal and received signal, which can be won by mixing the two signals and evaluating the Fourier spectrum of the mixed signal, corresponds, thus, to the distance of the reflecting area from the antenna. Furthermore, the amplitudes correspond to the spectral lines of the frequency spectrum won by Fourier transformation. The disclosure below is equally applicable to either method of ascertainment.
Other travel time-fill level measuring devices are known, which work, instead of with microwaves or other electromagnetic waves, with ultrasonic waves. Travel time-fill level measuring devices are manufactured and sold by the applicant in a number of different embodiments.
The echo curve includes, in such case, typically an echo signal, which corresponds to the reflection of the transmitted signal on the surface of the fill substance; such being referred to as the wanted echo signal. The echo curve includes, however, also other echo signals referred to as disturbance echo signals. Disturbance echo signals can arise, for example, from reflections of the transmitted signal on objects used in the container, from multipath propagation and from multimode propagation, from foam- and accretion formations of the fill substance and/or from turbulent fill substance surfaces.
The evaluation of an echo curve includes, consequently, firstly, a detection of a number of echo signals of the echo curve and a subsequent identification of disturbance echo signals and the wanted echo signal.
Fill level is then calculated from the travel time of the wanted echo signal. In given cases, there occurs, before the identification of the wanted echo signal and the disturbance echo signals, the creation of an envelope curve enveloping the echo curve and/or a smoothing of the envelope curve; used for this, for example, can be the smoothing procedure described in DE 10 2014 119 589 A1. In the creating of the envelope curve and/or the smoothing, frequently, various freely selectable parameters are used, for example, in an algorithm.
A challenge in travel time-based fill level measurement is reliable identification of the wanted echo signal. Known in the state of the art for this are a number of methods, which can have various problems.
Known, for example, are dynamic methods referred to as "echo tracking" for identification of the wanted echo signal. In such case, the fill level measuring device is told once the current fill level. The fill level measuring device can then identify, based on this predetermined fill level, the associated echo signal as the wanted echo signal and follow such by a suitable algorithm. An example of this is described in European patent EP 1695043 B1. Such an echo tracking has the disadvantage that the echo signal must be tracked without interruption; such is e.g. in the case of a maintenance related interruption not always possible. Additionally, problems can occur, in case during operation the wanted echo signal lies in the region of a disturbance echo signal. This means that the travel time of a disturbance echo signal is the same as the travel time of the wanted echo signal, whereby the case can occur that subsequently incorrectly the disturbance echo is the tracked signal instead of the wanted echo signal.
For overcoming these problems, a method is described in European patent EP 1 573 278 B1, in the case of which following a first start-up of the fill level measuring device a table is created and used subsequently for fill level measurement. The patent supplementally describes performing plausibility checks based on historical data. If it is detected that an incorrect echo signal has been considered as the wanted echo signal, the method is modified, in order subsequently to follow the right echo signal.
DE 10 2013 103 532 A1 discloses another table based method. This delivers reliable measurement results, even when the measurement conditions at the location of use of the fill level measuring device change. In this known method, plausibility checks are performed based on historical and current echo signals, in order to remove historical and/or current echo signals from the table, when they prove not to be plausible.
A further example of an improved echo tracking is described in disclosure document DE 10 2006 062 606 A1. In such case, the echo tracking is combined with a static echo search algorithm, for example, using a masking curve for removing the disturbance echo signals.
Exactly as in the case of the envelope curve creating and/or smoothing, also in all such dynamic and/or static methods for identification of wanted echo signal and disturbance echo signals, freely selectable parameters are used, for example, in an algorithm.
Depending on application, different parameters are used. These are usually selected upon start-up. For this, disclosure document DE 102 609 59 A1 describes storing different parameter sets for different applications in a memory. An evaluation unit of the measurement device serves to select a parameter set, which is used in a following measuring. In this way, the fill level measuring device is, in principle, usable in different applications.
However, also situations can exist, in which it is desired to effect such an adapting of the evaluation, such as e.g. the selection of freely selectable parameters, dynamically, i.e. during measurement operation. Such is the case, for example, when the fill substance and/or the container are/is subjected to certain processes of the process plant, which have/has an influence on the echo curve. A currently transpiring process can influence the fill substance and/or the container in such a manner that a changed evaluating of the echo curve, such as an adapted choosing of the freely selectable parameters, is necessary.
Furthermore, it can happen that the currently running process means that the ascertained fill level changes in an essentially known measure or at least in a known direction. An example of this is described in disclosure document DE 103 252 67 A1. In the therein described method, supplementally to the fill level measurement, the filling- or emptying rate is registered and used for the fill level measurement. For this, e.g. a supplemental flow measuring device or the pump power of a pump and the like is used. In such case, the knowledge concerning the currently running process is suited for checking the plausibility of the wanted echo signal and/or for excluding certain disturbance echo signals in advance.
In all these cases, it is, consequently, in principle, desirable, with knowledge of the current process, to perform an adapting of the evaluation and/or an additional plausibility analysis. In the state of the art, the evaluation of the echo curve occurs in the fill level measuring device, while, in contrast, the process control is often run from a superordinate control unit.
In this way, knowledge concerning the current process lies, firstly, only in the superordinate control unit. If information present in the superordinate control unit concerning a currently running process should be taken into consideration by the fill level measuring device, a transfer and a subsequent further processing in the fill level measuring device must take place.
This, however, introduces additional limitations, for example, relative to the design of a control/evaluation unit, such as, for instance, a microcontroller, for the fill level measuring device, or relative to the energy required by the fill level measuring device. Especially, the maximum energy suppliable to the fill level measuring device is in many cases limited due to safety-relevant standards, for example, when the fill level measuring device is used in explosion endangered areas.

Method for determining and/or monitoring the fill level


Disclosed is a direct drive wind turbine including a plurality of blades connected to a hub, a generator including a stator and a rotor, the stator being fixed on a nacelle of the wind turbine and a rotation sensor having a static element and a moving element. The hub is directly connected to the rotor of the generator. The static element of the rotation sensor is mounted on a stationary element of the wind turbine, in particular the stator, at a distance from the rotation axis of the hub, and the moving element of the rotation sensor is mounted on the rotor of the generator at a distance from the rotation axis of the hub.

The wind turbine comprises a tower on which a nacelle is mounted by a yaw turning system. The nacelle supports a hub to which the blades are connected. In a conventional wind turbine the hub turns a main shaft which in turn drives a gear of a gearbox connected to a generator. In such wind turbines, the hub and main shaft rotate with a comparably low speed, whereas the generator rotates with a comparably high speed in order to achieve the network frequency, i.e. 50 Hz or 60 Hz, as required by the power networks to which the wind turbine is connected.
In order to reduce the production and maintenance costs associated with an additional gearbox, direct drive wind turbines are being introduced into wind parks. The principle of operation of a direct-drive wind turbine is disclosed in EP 2 157 314 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference, and in "Windkraftanlagen", Robert Gasch and Jochen Dreher, E W S., 6th edition 2010, Vieweg+Täubner.
In a direct drive wind turbine, the generator rotates with the speed of the rotor, since the rotor is directly structurally coupled to the hub, without any gearbox. For control of the wind turbine it is essential to keep the speed of the hub within an acceptable range. Therefore, the rotational speed of the hub must be monitored closely. To this end, a direct-drive wind turbine generally comprises a rotation sensor for monitoring the rotational velocity of the hub.
In a state of the art direct drive wind turbine described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,567 B1, the rotation sensor is suspended between the hub and the stator of the generator. Since there is no shaft in such a wind turbine, the rotation sensor is mounted on supports to keep the rotation sensor in place. Because the rotation sensor is large and is suspended in the cavity of the stator, access to components such as the hub is partially blocked, so that maintenance is made more difficult and time-consuming. For example, parts of the rotation sensor may first have to be dismantled in order to gain access to a cavity of the hub. Furthermore, this type of rotation sensor can only provide a low resolution of measurement, and also results in inaccuracies owing to movement between the hub and the stator. In order to accurately measure the rotational speed of the hub to be able to control the wind turbine, a minimum resolution of at least 300 steps or samples per revolution of the hub is necessary.

Rotation sensor arrangement within a wind turbine generator


An apparatus and method for a Time Alignment (TA) operation used by an Envelope Tracking (ET) Radio Frequency (RF) Power Amplifier (PA) that amplifies RF signals are provided. The ET RF PA has an input signal including complex, reference, and feedback signals. The apparatus includes a fast convolution unit for receiving the reference signal and the feedback signal, fore extracting respective envelopes of the reference signal and the feedback signal, for generating a cross-covariance vector for the reference signal envelope and the feedback signal envelope, a delay estimation unit for receiving the cross-covariance vector from the fast convolution unit, for determining peak values of the cross-covariance vector, for performing a fine time delay estimation, and for generating time delay settings according to the fine time delay estimation, and delay filters respectively delaying a timing of the reference signal and the feedback signal according to the generated time delay settings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for time alignment of an Envelope Tracking (ET) Radio Frequency (RF) Power Amplifier (PA). More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for a time alignment operation used by a ET RF PA that amplifies RF signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the use of mobile communications using wireless communication networks has become widespread, thus, increasing a demand for faster, higher bandwidth, and more efficient wireless communication networks. The wireless communication networks communicate using RF signals propagated in the wireless communication networks that may be divided into communication cells. The communication cells, providing wireless communication to mobile devices located in respective coverage areas of the communication cells, may include Base Stations (BSs) that include RF transmitters and Digital Signal Processing (DSP) units. The RF transmitters include power amplifiers in order to amplify the RF signals propagated in the communication cells in order to perform wireless communication between the BSs and the mobile devices located in the respective coverage areas. The DSP units provide processing of the RF signals that are to be transmitted by the RF transmitters according to algorithms of the DSP units.
Time Alignment (TA) algorithms which are suitable for the ET RF PA, are DSP algorithms that can be implemented via software so as to run or be executed on specialized processors such as a DSP-Central Processing Unit (CPU). Alternatively, the TA algorithms may be implemented via hardware so as to run or be executed on purpose-built hardware processors such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Furthermore, the TA algorithms may be implemented via a combination of software and hardware. TA algorithms present considerable challenges towards achieving a cost-effective DSP implementation. The TA algorithms are based on cross-correlation/cross-covariance techniques, and thus, the TA algorithms present a high computational complexity require large amounts of silicon resources of FPGAs or large amounts of computation time of the DSP-CPU.
The TA algorithms are computed in order to perform the TA operation, and a critical parameter of the TA algorithms is a time resolution of the TA computation. The time resolution of the TA computation may be of an order or magnitude that is 20 times a sampling rate of the system. In order to achieve optimal ET performance in the ET-PA, a time mismatch sensitivity should be in a range of 200 picoseconds to 400 picoseconds. However, such a range for the time mismatch sensitivity requires a high time resolution. Furthermore, the high time resolution for the TA computation uses a cross-correlation function performed with high accuracy in order to determine an accurate peak location. Because the computational accuracy is proportional to a signal length captured by the DSP system, wherein the signal length is N samples long, the TA computation will involve the processing of large data arrays stored in memory.
The processing of the large data arrays resulting from the high time resolution makes the implementation of the TA algorithm impractical. Accordingly, many implementations of the TA algorithms rely upon incremental adjustments that use multiple measurements of the RF signal in conjunction with an iterative process. Beside the iterative process, other implementation of the TA algorithm may use an off-line technique, wherein the estimation is performed during a calibration step occurring before real time operations using the cross-correlation function. However, in the off-line technique, consideration is not given to temperature variations during the real time operation. In addition, if any variant from the off-line technique is suitable for on-line operation, it requires processing the cross-correlation estimation two times, which substantially increases computation time.
In order to satisfy the growing demand for wireless communications and wireless services, highly linear multi-carrier RF and/or microwave transmitters having high power efficiency and increasingly sophisticated circuit topologies are being developed. These topologies combine an efficient distortion compensation technique, such as Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD), with high efficiency power amplification techniques, such as Envelope Elimination and Restoration (EER), Envelope Tracking (ET), Doherty power amplification, switching mode families, or other similar amplification techniques, and the TA algorithms play important role in all of the above noted distortion compensation techniques and the power amplification techniques.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of high efficiency signal amplification according to the related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, the illustrated process of high-efficiency signal amplification may be suitable for EER and ET amplifier systems. The ET amplifier system 101 uses an envelope path 102, which includes a DC power supply 103 capable of delivering modulation power throughout the bias of a conventional Class AB Power Amplifier (PA). During the amplification process, a complex signal is sent through a forward path 104, while a corresponding envelope waveform is simultaneously sent through the envelope path 102 to drive the PA bias. A feedback path 105 is used to monitor the PA performance and to capture a batch of data output from the PA in order to perform DPD modeling and TA.
As shown in FIG. 1, the ET amplifier system also includes a DSP environment containing a DSP-Central Processing Unit (DSP-CPU) 106 to process both the DPD modeling and TA estimation, a DPD processor 107 for nonlinear distortion cancellation, and four TA units for time mismatch cancellation. The four TA blocks include an envelope fractional delay 108, a forward coarse delay 109, a feedback fractional delay 110, and a reference coarse delay 111. In addition, the ET amplifier includes a digital envelope detector 112 cascaded with an envelope modulator in the envelope path, an up-converter 113 followed by a RF-PA 114 in the forward path, and a down converter 115 in the feedback path. A signal processing block 116, which is disposed at the input of the ET amplifier system 101 so as to be before the DPD block 107 performs filtering, interpolation and Crest Factor Reduction functions.
The PA using ET performs with better power efficiency than PAs of the related art and/or PAs using other related art power amplification techniques. However, an Adjacent Channel Leakage Ratio (ACLR) at the output of the PA using ET is highly sensitive to a delay mismatch between the envelope path and the forward path to the PA. To mitigate a time mismatch resulting from the delay mismatch, the ET system may use a delay control for the envelope and forward paths. It should be noted that the time mismatch between a reference signal and a feedback signal does not have a direct impact on ET performance. However, the time mismatch between the reference signal and the feedback signal does have an effect on the DPD modeling for the DPD model located in the DPD block of the PA using ET. A time mismatch included in the modeling process affects the characteristic of the distortion generated by the DPD model which is used to cancel distortion from the PA nonlinearity.
The computation time of the TA algorithm is a critical parameter for an on-line technique for computing the TA algorithm. Accordingly, a program speed for a program running the algorithm depends on how the digital hardware, such as the DSP processor, processes the data. A typical DSP processor includes a high-speed on-chip memory to allow for quick access to stored data, such as the data arrays for signal processing. However, when the data arrays to be used by the TA algorithm are too large for the on-chip memory, the data arrays need to be constantly moved from being stored in the on-chip memory to being stored in an off-chip external memory. The data arrays used for a highly accurate cross-correlation method having a large number of samples may be too large to store on the on-chip memory, and thus may be subject to being constantly moved from the on-chip memory to the off-chip memory during a DSP operation. As a result, a program flow is slowed such that the computation time is increased. The slow program flow and increased computation time has a direct impact on the ET performance when parameter adaptation of the TA algorithm or data array is performed.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and method for implementing an algorithm that employs a low number of samples in the TA computation in order to allow use of a high-speed on-chip memory, wherein the small size of data does not produce a performance penalty producing poor results for the TA computation. In addition, it is desirable to have an algorithm that could efficiently extract data objects, representative of the time mismatch information, from large data structures stored in the external memory. It is also desirable to have an algorithm that quickly responds to temperature or other physical variations.

Apparatus and method for time alignment of an envelope tracking power amplifier


A patchable biosensor includes a substrate extending in a longitudinal direction and being stretchable for being patched to a surface of a living body and an electronic component disposed on a one-side surface in a thickness direction of the substrate and extending in the longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction of the electronic component crosses the longitudinal direction of the substrate.

Conventionally, a biocompatible polymer board that is capable of being patched to the skin of a person or the like has been known.
For example, a biocompatible polymer board including a polymer layer that extends in a longitudinal direction and has flexibility and a module for data acquisition that is fixed to a one-side surface thereof has been proposed (ref: for example, Patent Document 1).


Described herein are apparatuses, methods, and systems associated with a memory circuit in a three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC). A control circuit of the memory circuit may include logic transistors in a logic layer of the 3D IC. The control circuit may further include one or more interconnects (e.g., local or global interconnects) and/or other devices in one or more front-side metal layers of the 3D IC. The memory circuit may further include a memory array in back-side metal layers of the 3D IC. The memory array may be formed in the back-side metal layers that are closest to the logic layer. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that is included on the same integrated circuit (IC) die as logic circuitry (e.g., logic transistors, such as a processor) is referred to as embedded DRAM (eDRAM). eDRAM circuits include an array of eDRAM cells and a control circuit (e.g., for performing memory operations, such as read and/or write operations). In some integrated circuits, a portion or all of the individual eDRAM cells are included in metal layers of the integrated circuit above the logic transistors.

Embedded memory in three-dimensional integrated circuit


Clinical management of human cancer is dependent on the accurate monitoring of residual and recurrent tumors. We have developed a method, called personalized analysis of rearranged ends (PARE), which can identify translocations in solid tumors. Analysis of four colorectal and two breast cancers revealed an average of nine rearranged sequences (range 4 to 15) per tumor. Polymerase chain reaction with primers spanning the breakpoints were able to detect mutant DNA molecules present at levels lower than 0.001% and readily identified mutated circulating DNA in patient plasma samples. This approach provides an exquisitely sensitive and broadly applicable approach for the development of personalized biomarkers to enhance the clinical management of cancer patients.

A nearly universal feature of human cancer is the widespread rearrangement of chromosomes as a result of chromosomal instability (1). Such structural alterations begin to occur at the earliest stages of tumorigenesis and persist throughout tumor development. The consequences of chromosomal instability can include copy number alterations (duplications, amplifications and deletions), inversions, insertions, and translocations (2). Historically, the ability to detect such alterations has been limited by the resolution of genetic analyses. However, a number of more recent approaches including high density oligonucleotide arrays and high throughput sequencing have allowed detection of changes at much higher resolution (3-15).
Tumor-specific (somatic) chromosomal rearrangements have the potential to serve as highly sensitive biomarkers for tumor detection. Such alterations are not present in normal cells and should be exquisitely specific. Rearrangement-associated biomarkers therefore offer a reliable measure that would be useful for monitoring tumor response to specific therapies, detecting residual disease after surgery, and for long-term clinical management. Recurrent somatic structural alterations, such as those involving the BCR-ABL oncogene (the target of the Philadelphia chromosome translocation), immunoglobulin (Ig) genes, T cell receptor (TCR) genes, and the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) gene, have been shown to be useful as diagnostic markers in certain hematopoietic malignancies (16-20). However, recurrent structural alterations do not generally occur in most solid tumors. There is a continuing need in the art to develop tools for diagnosing and monitoring cancers.


Systems and methods are provided for on-demand delivery of a payload by an unmanned vehicle. An unmanned vehicle may comprise a chamber configured to house a payload and adjust a payload state. The payload state may be adjusted based on detection of a tampering event. An unmanned vehicle may also comprise an authentication system configured to allow access to the payload.

Consumers desire instant, on-demand access to their money, banking services, and important documents. In some situations, vendors may demand cash payment from consumers, but a consumer may not have any cash on hand. A consumer may then have to search for an automated teller machine (ATM) near their location, and may be forced to pay ATM fees if they use an ATM that is not associated with their banking institution. Furthermore, once a consumer finds an ATM, there is a risk that ATM lines are long or that the ATM is not functioning. Additionally, ATMs pose security risks due to so called ATM skimming, where thieves use hidden electronics to steal personal information stored on a credit or debit card at an ATM. Other security risks include an increased likelihood of individuals viewing your personal information while you use an ATM.
Consumers also may misplace their credit or debit card, have their credit or debit card stolen, or be subjected to account fraud. In such instances, a consumer's banking institution may send the consumer a replacement credit or debit card through the postal service, or the consumer may travel to a local banking location to receive a replacement card. But these actions are time consuming, and prevent the consumer from easily accessing money. Furthermore, delivery of replacement credit and debit cards poses an increased cost and security risk because human delivery may be required.
Consumers may also require fast delivery of important documents and financial instruments. For example, a consumer may need to sign a contract before a deadline, or need a cashier's check to make a payment. But delivery of contracts and other important documents can be time consuming and expensive because human delivery may be required, and may also have security risks.
Furthermore, delivery systems may have security concerns that may not adequately prevent fraud. For example, a hand signature may be required for hand delivery of important documents, but such hand signatures are prone to forgery.
In view of the shortcomings of current systems and methods for providing access to money, banking services, and important documents, an on-demand, quick, secure, and convenient mechanism for providing access to money, banking services, and important documents is desired.


Disclosed is an irrigation system. The irrigation system includes a manual pump and refill. The manual pump can provide pressurized liquid through a tube at an outlet.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
During selected procedures, it may be selected to provide a liquid to a specific location. Generally, fluid may be delivered through a tube that may be powered by a pump. Further, the tube may include suction portions to withdraw/remove material and/or irrigation liquid from a site. Selected systems include a Hydrodebrider® pressurized sinus irrigation system sold by Medtronic, Inc. and systems such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009/0270796 and 2011/0009699 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,790,301 and 8,206,349. Such systems are disclosed to include a vacuum source and a control to control a vacuum and irrigation.


An electric field paper stabilizing system for an electrographic plotter, printer, or the like includes a continuous transport belt for passing a recording medium in substantially a complete revolution past a writing head. The belt is conductive or has a conductive surface conformably coated with a minimally thin dielectric material of high dielectric strength and permittivity. A recording medium such as electrostatic writing paper has a conductive surface adjacent the dielectric coating on the conductive transport belt. Electrode means are provided in the dielectric coating for holding the paper at ground potential. A differential potential is applied between the back side of the paper and the conductive transport belt whereby the paper and belt function as parallel conductive plates of a capacitor. The electric field developed between the conductive paper and the belt provides a strong hold down force which immovably registers the paper to the belt. Because the entire back side of the paper is conductive and held at ground potential, the conductive side of the paper acts as a ground plane, preventing the strong electric field from interfering with other electric fields from the writing nibs which may be applied to the writing surface of the paper.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to electrographic writing systems and in particular to a device for generating an electric field of maximized intensity between a conductive transport belt and a recording medium supported thereon to thereby provide a simplified means for adhering and stabilizing a recording medium on a transport belt in a multipass, raster line printer, plotter or the like. The electric field paper stabilizing system according to the present invention employs a continuous, conductive transport belt having a changing radius of curvature for supporting a recording medium in substantially a complete revolution past a writing head and toner assembly. The transport belt and recording medium act as parallel conductive plates of a capacitor which are separated by a thin dielectric coating provided on the paper holding surface of the transport belt.
In an electrographic writing system such as an electrostatic plotter or printer, it is crucial to stabilize the paper with an extreme degree of precision with respect to a writing head and toner assembly so that the paper can be plotted on multiple writing passes. It is also necessary to keep a recording medium such as dielectric paper immovably stabilized during plotting operations in order to obtain high resolution and an improved degree of color to color registration.
Prior art methods for holding a sheet of paper to a transport belt in a plotter, printer or the like often teach the application of a vacuum to a recording medium by a vacuum plenum or vacuum generating means disposed on the underside of a porous or perforated belt. Examples of such prior art methods are shown in Gablin, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,579 or Goel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,894.
These methods have notable disadvantages. Because vacuum is applied to the paper only when the porous belt is positioned directly over a vacuum plenum, once the belt moves off the plenum the paper cannot be stabilized on the belt because the vacuum instantly escapes through the perforations or pores in the belt. The foregoing methods are inapplicable in a high speed plotter in which paper must be adhered to a continuous belt which makes multiple passes past a writing head because these methods of paper stabilization are unable to hold paper on a continuous transport belt as the belt moves over rollers.
The typical prior art vacuum hold down system is also mechanically extremely complex. Such a vacuum system requires a vacuum plenum or other means of producing a vacuum, vacuum pumps, vacuum hoses and flexible seals which must travel with the belt in order to achieve a continuous application of the vacuum to the recording medium. It is difficult to completely stabilize a recording medium on a transport belt in a plotter or printer to the need for a flexible, moving vacuum seal or other means for continually applying the vacuum to the underside of the paper as it travels on the belt. Because such flexible vacuum seals are continuously moving, they are subject to constant wear and are particularly susceptible to leaks, especially when the belt must travel at high speed.
Some prior art methods apply a vacuum to a recording medium by means of vacuum channels on a rotating belt. The vacuum is applied to the channels by hoses or a vacuum plenum which must rotate with the belt. It would be desirable to eliminate vacuum pumps, traveling vacuum hoses and flexible vacuum seals which are susceptible to leaking and which add undue mechanical complexity to a plotter or printer incorporating a moving belt.
Paper stabilizing systems are known which use electrostatic attraction for holding the paper to a plotting surface. U.S. Pat. No. 3,571,678 is an example of a prior art paper stabilizing apparatus for a flat bed pen plotter, recording drum or other supporting structure having a uniform surface. This prior art device includes a base comprising an insulating sheet. The insulating sheet has a thin metallic layer on its lower side which is adhesively supported on the supporting structure. The metallic layer forms an electrode. A semiconductor layer is disposed on the upper side of the insulating sheet. The top surface of the semiconductor layer further supports a conductive pattern comprising strips of conductive material such as metallic foil, sheet metal or even conductive paint. A rectangular edge frame of sheet metal is superimposed above the conductive pattern for applying a uniform voltage to all portions of the conductive pattern. A voltage potential is applied between the lower metallic layer and the frame. Paper disposed above the frame and conductive pattern is held on to the conductive pattern by electrostatic attraction. This method is somewhat complex and requires a semiconductor layer in order to discharge any frictional charge which may be generated due to friction as the paper is moved from the holding device. The semiconductor layer was also thought to be necessary in order to prevent any frictional charge from interfering with or impeding the paper attracting action.
The foregoing prior art method for using electrostatic attraction to hold paper to a rigid drum or bed is not believed adaptable to a modern high speed plotting system utilizing a continuous transport belt. Moreover, it would not be obvious to use such a system in an electrostatic plotter because the generated electrostatic field for holding the paper would interfere with the electrostatic writing field developed from the writing nibs. Therefore, what is needed is a simplified paper stabilizing system characterized by high reliability which would not be subject to loss of registration. Such a paper stabilizing system should be adaptable for stabilizing a recording medium in a high speed, high resolution electrostatic plotter. Such a system should desirably eliminate the mechanical complexity and unreliability of flexible, moving vacuum seals and vacuum hoses of prior art vacuum paper hold down systems.
The paper stabilizing system should be capable of stabilizing a recording medium against even minute dimensional and positional changes due to temperature and humidity. It is preferable that such a paper stabilizing system be incorporated in a plotter having a continuous transport belt configurable as an ellipsoid with a changing radius of curvature for passing the recording medium a complete revolution past a writing head and toning assembly on multiple writing passes. Such a system would maximize plotting speed and at the same time, maximize the surface area of the recording medium capable of being written upon while maintaining a highly compact plotter size.

Electric field paper stabilizing system for an electrographic plotter, printer or the like


Apparatus and a method for handling discard of a service data unit in universal mobile telecommunications system user equipment. Strategies for the radio resource control entity to handle discard of a service data unit by the radio link control entity are presented.

1. Technical Field
This application relates to UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) in general, and to an apparatus and method for operating a communications device in a mobile communications network.
2. Description of the Related Art
The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In a typical cellular radio system, mobile user equipment (UE) communicates via a radio access radio network (RAN) to one or more core networks. User equipment (UE) comprises various types of equipment such as mobile telephones (also known as cellular or cell phones), lap tops with wireless communication capability, personal digital assistants (PDAs) etc. These may be portable, hand held, pocket sized, installed in a vehicle etc and communicate voice and/or data signals with the radio access network.
The radio access network covers a geographical area divided into a plurality of cell areas. Each cell area is served by at least one base station, which may be referred to as a Node B. Each cell is identified by a unique identifier which is broadcast in the cell. The base stations communicate at radio frequencies over an air interface with the UEs within range of the base station. Several base stations may be connected to a radio network controller (RNC) which controls various activities of the base stations. The radio network controllers are typically connected to a core network.
UMTS is a third generation public land mobile telecommunication system. Various standardization bodies are known to publish and set standards for UMTS, each in their respective areas of competence. For instance, the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) has been known to publish and set standards for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) based UMTS, and the 3GPP2 (Third Generation Partnership Project 2) has been known to publish and set standards for CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) based UMTS. Within the scope of a particular standardization body, specific partners publish and set standards in their respective areas.
Reference is also directed to 3GPP TSG—Services and System Aspects "Vocabulary for 3GPP Specifications (Release 1999)" 3GPP TS 21.905 v3.2.0 which defines terminology used in this document.
Consider a wireless mobile device, generally referred to as user equipment (UE), that complies with the 3GPP specifications for the UMTS protocol. The 3GPP 25.331 specification, v.3.15.0, referred to herein as the 25.331 specification, addresses the subject of UMTS RRC (Radio Resource Control) protocol requirements between the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and the UE. The 3GPP 25.322 specification, v3.15.0, referred to herein as the 25.322 specification, addresses the subject of UMTS RLC (Radio Link Control) protocol requirements between the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) and the UE.
In accordance with clause 9.7.3 of the 25.322 specification, the RLC layer of the 3G UMTS stack may, in certain circumstances, discard an SDU (Service Data Unit). There are thus proposed strategies for handling the discard of an SDU. A number of such strategies are detailed below.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of an apparatus and method for operating a communications device in a mobile communications network.
The same reference numerals are used in different figures to denote similar elements.

Apparatus and method for operating a communications device in a mobile communications network