An information handling system status indicator assembly includes a power jack, cabling and an indicator. The status indicator assembly connects with a status port located at the rear of an information handling system component and operates to provide a visible status indication of the component on the components cable management assembly and visible from a position behind the rack.

The present invention relates generally to the field of computers and electronic devices and more particularly to electronic equipment racks and rack systems.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling system components are often stored in racks or rack systems such as Electronics Industry Association (EIA) rack standards. Often, information handling system components are stored within racks that utilize slide assemblies to allow information handling system components stored within the rack to slide out from the rack for inspection, repair, installation, removal or maintenance. Typically, cable management assemblies (CMA) are positioned behind information handling system components in the rear of a rack structure. CMAs operate to hold the cabling associated with the information handling system components and allow the information handling system component to slide forward from the rack and back into a recessed position with respect to the rack.
Information handling system components often include status indicators located both at the front and the back of an information handling system component in order to allow a user or system administrator to determine whether or not a particular information handling system is functioning properly. Unfortunately, with respect to status indicators located on the back of an information handling system component, the associated CMAs often visually block the rear status indicator. This may lead to significant problems for technicians and system administrators attempting to locate malfunctioning information handling system components. The problems are increased in large data center operations that include multiple rack systems that each contain multiple information handling system components.
Therefore a need has arisen for a system or method for facilitating visual status indication of information handling system components stored within rack systems.
In accordance with teachings of the present disclosure, a rack system with a rear status indicator assembly and a method of use thereof are described that reduces or eliminates problems associated with previous systems. In one aspect, an information handling system status indicator assembly is disclosed. The status indicator assembly is preferably used with a rack system incorporating a cable management assembly (CMA). The status indicator assembly includes a power jack, a cabling section, and an indicator. The power jack is able to interface with a rear status port of an information handling system component. The cabling section connects the power jack with the indicator and the indicator is able to indicate the status of the information handling system component. More specifically the indicator may be a light emitting diode (LED) that has a mounting tab for securing the indicator to a selected portion of the cable management assembly.
The present disclosure includes a number of important technical advantages. One important technical advantage is providing a status indicator assembly, including a cabling section and an indicator. The cabling section allows sufficient length for the indicator to be disposed on a portion of the cable management assembly to allow the status of the associated information handling system component to be visible from the back of a rack system.

Rack system with rear status indicator and method of use


A multispeed automatic transmission is provided having four planetary gear sets, a plurality of friction and synchronizer clutches and two chain drive assemblies. The transmission is arranged along two parallel axes of rotation: a first axis defined by the input shaft and a second axis defined by the output shaft. The chain drive assemblies transfer power between sprockets disposed on the two axes. Various combinations of clutches may be engaged to provide nine forward speed ratios and five reverse speed ratios.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Many current passenger car multiple speed automatic transmissions include a combination of planetary gear sets and selectively engaged clutches and brakes which provide a plurality of forward torque or gear ratios.
Whereas three and four speed automatic transmissions were once commonplace and considered suitable to provide the requisite flexibility and performance, increasingly demanding economic and performance goals as well as consumer preference continue to encourage automatic transmission research and development. One result of this effort has been an increase in the number of available forward gears or speed ratios provided by the transmission. Six, seven and eight speed automatic transmissions are increasingly available.
Because they so closely match the power and torque curves of an engine to the vehicle speed and load, such six, seven and eight speed transmissions provide significant performance enhancements and fuel economies.
Study of these transmissions configurations, however, reveals that improvements are possible. For example, each of the selectively engaged frictional couplings, i.e., the clutches and the brakes, contribute to frictional losses, referred to as spin losses, when they are not engaged. Such spin losses are the result of relative rotation between the multiple, interleaved plates or discs of such devices. Two primary factors influence spin losses: the size or torque capacity of the clutch or brake and the speed difference across the clutch or brake. Reducing such spin losses therefore provides improved transmission efficiency which is highly desirable.


The present invention relates to a polyamide resin composition comprising a polyamide resin, a modified ethylene copolymer, an amide-based dispersant and an electroconductive material,. said composition having not more than 10.sup.11 .OMEGA..multidot.cm of an intrinsic volume resistivity and not less than 30 KJ/m.sup.2 of an Izod impact strength measured according to ASTM D256.

The present invention relates to a polyamide resin composition and fuel tank caps made of the same. More particularly, it relates to a novel polyamide resin composition having excellent impact strength, electroconductivity and lightweight properties. This polyamide resin composition is useful for various articles such as fuel tank caps, hoses for solvents such as gasoline, various types of connectors, door handle parts, etc.
There are known the fuel tank caps of various structures for use in many fields of industry. FIG. 1 shows a sectional illustration of an ordinary type of cap used for the fuel tanks of automobiles.
The cap 2 shown in FIG. 1 principally comprises a resin-made closure 3 which fits on a fuel filler neck 1 which opens when feeding fuel and a resin-made shell 14 covering the upper part of the closure 3.
The closure 3 comprises a cylindrical portion 4 and a top plate 8 disposed so as to close the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion at its substantially middle position in the vertical direction and having an overflow opening 9 at the center. At the outer periphery of the lower part of the cylindrical portion 4 is formed a thread 5, to engage with the filler neck 1. At the outer periphery of the upper part of the cylindrical portion 4 is formed a flange 6 adapted to detain the resin-made shell 14 in position. Beneath the flange 6 is secured a seal ring 7.
A valve body 10 constituting a negative pressure valve is disposed on the lower side of the top plate 8 in the inside of the cylindrical portion 4. The valve body 10 is held in position by a holder plate 11 which is given an upward urge by a coiled spring 12 secured to a spring seat plate 13.
The cap 2 of the above construction is set in position as its resin-made closure 3 is fitted on the filler neck 1 disposed in its mounting hole 17 formed in a fixture 16 in a fuel lid 15 of an automobile. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 18 indicates the body of an automobile, 19 a fuel feed port, and 20 the chassis of the automobile.
The conventional fuel tank caps have no electroconductivity and are therefore incapable of discharging static electricity which may be charged on the human body or clothes every time when the cap is handled. In order to solve this static charge problem, attempts have been made to impart electroconductive properties to the caps by blending an electroconductive material such as carbon black or carbon whisker into a lightweight and high-strength polyamide resin.
These attempts still have the problem that when an electroconductive material such as carbon black necessary for imparting electroconductivity of not more than 10.sup.11 .OMEGA..multidot.cm (as volume resistivity) required for the fuel tank caps is blended in a basic polyamide resin, the melt viscosity of the resin composition increases, so that it Ls difficult to conduct its operation such as injection molding. Even if the molding operation could be performed, the molded product is deteriorated in its mechanical properties such as impact strength and hardly capable of attaining an Izod impact strength (ASTM D256) of not less than 30 KJ/m.sup.2 required for the fuel tank caps.
It is known to blend a modified polyethylene copolymer in a polyamide resin to improve impact resistance.
However, there is yet available no impact-resistant electroconductive polyamide resin composition having satisfactory impact strength while maintaining electroconductivity required for the fuel tank caps by blending an electroconductive material such as carbon black and suite d for use as material of fuel tank caps.
As a result of the present inventors' earnest studies to solve the above problem, it has been found that a resin composition comprising a polyamide resin, a modified ethylene copolymer, an amide-based dispersant and an electroconductive material, shows satisfactory impact strength and electroconductivity. The present invention has been attained on the basis of the above finding.

Polyamide resin composition and fuel tank caps made of the same


A pattern conversion method and apparatus including a storage unit for storing data representative of the contour of a pattern, a readout unit for reading the data from the storing unit; and a processing unit for processing the data read from the storage unit and representative of the contour of the pattern, wherein the processing by the processing unit comprises the steps of: parallel moving each of a plurality of segments constituting the contour of the pattern by the same distance d; solving for an intersection between the moved segments; and repeating the steps for the entire contour of the pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and system for converting a delineative pattern such as a character pattern, which are applicable to a graphic pattern which processes apparatus processing patterns in the form of vector data.
2. Related Background Art
The method of converting a character pattern in the form of vector data is excellent in that patterns can be converted with high data compressibility and at a desired magnification and reduction ratio to obtain patterns of high fidelity. With this method, a vector data format representing coordinates of a contour of a character pattern is used, e.g., a series of coordinates of successive points of the contour, a series of displacement values from a start point coordinate, or the like. Conventional magnification or reduction of a pattern, however, presents a problem: for example, in the case of magnifying a character "H" of FIG. 2(A)) it is simply magnified into a similar figure as shown in FIGS. 2(B) or 2(C).
Apart from the above problem, editing graphic patterns in various forms has recently been desired extensively. For instance, not only conventional simple magnification or reduction function, but also a visual effect such as synthesizing one or plural contours produced by widening or narrowing an original contour in the form of vector data to obtain a so-called outline character has been desired. However, such graphic data processing cannot be carried out using a computer or does not make it possible to attain the desired visual balance of patterns. Therefore, such processing has relied upon complicated and laborious processes including a photographing process.

Method and system of converting delineative pattern


The present invention relates to a transceiver device for processing a medium access control (MAC) protocol used by a transceiver. The transceiver has a first antenna system for on-body communications and a second antenna system for off-body communications, the transceiver device being designed to reserve one or more data payloads for on-body communications and to allocate the first antenna system to the transceiver for the interval of time occupied by these data payloads, and/or to reserve one or more data payloads for off-body communications and to allocate the second antenna system to the transceiver for the interval of time occupied by these data payloads. An advantageous result of this is that the optimally matched antenna system is available for on-body communications and off-body communications respectively, collisions between data payloads on the radio channel being prevented within the network, and the throughput of data thus being increased and, at the same time, energy consumption being reduced for the transceiver.

Hard-wired sensors for picking up medical or physiological data such as ECGs, SpO2 and blood pressure have long been known. In more recent times, efforts have been devoted to linking sensors of this kind to one another, or to a data sink, without the use of wires or cables by means of a wireless communications network. In the world of those skilled in the art, wireless sensor networks are known by the name of body area networks (BAN). What happens in this case is that physiological data relating to a patient is picked up by a sensor and is transmitted by means of a short-range RF service to a patient monitor situated a short distance away or to a wireless network that is installed in the hospital. What is advantageous in this case is that, as a result of the use of wireless sensors, there are considerably fewer cables for the patient to support on his or her body. In the past, conventional sensors had transmitted their data to a patient monitor via respective cables. Dispensing with this large number of cables gives the patient greater freedom of movement. It is for example easily possible in this way for the patient to get up from his or her bed. However, account has to be taken in this case of the fact that the network needs to supply data to the patient information system with high reliability even in the event of the patient getting up or walking around in the hospital.
Standard IEEE 802.15.4 provides the specifications for a body area network (BAN). This standard describes in particular the physical layer and the medium access control layer of a network of this kind. Under the standard there is specified a communications link in the form of a channel that is divided into superframes. The superframes comprise a plurality of time slots. They begin with and are synchronized by a beacon dataset. The superframes can be subdivided into active and inactive parts, it then being possible for transceiver devices to switch to an energy-saving mode during the inactive part.
The above-mentioned standard describes a short range RF technique and it was developed for typical distances between the transceiver devices of between 0.2 m and 10 m.
For many applications in the field of wireless sensors, a primary consideration is low energy consumption by the transceiver devices. In this way, the present applicant for example is developing a wireless communications system for monitoring the state of health of patients with the help of a plurality of biomedical sensors. A variety of biomedical sensors are linked in to the on-body wireless network. The transceiver devices communicate with one another and with the world around them in order to pick up and transmit data on a patient's state of health. Each transceiver device includes one or more sensors and a processing unit and a communications unit. The communications unit is also referred to in the present text as a transceiver.
The supply of energy to the transceiver device of a network of this kind needs to be ensured, for a number of weeks or months, by means of batteries of as small a type as possible without the need for the batteries to be changed or recharged. The limited amount of energy stored in the battery has to be enough to cover the operation of the sensors, i.e. the picking up of measured values and the communication via the transceiver.
An object underlying the present invention is to specify an arrangement and a process of the kind detailed in the opening paragraph that, by optimizing the conditions of transmission and reception, reduce the amount of energy required to operate the transceiver both in the transmitting mode and in the receiving mode.
In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved by a device of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph by virtue of the features of claim 1. The invention comprises a transceiver device that processes a medium access control (MAC) protocol of a transceiver. The transceiver has a first antenna system for on-body communications and a further, second, antenna system for off-body communications.
The transceiver device for on-body communications is also able to reserve one or more data payloads and, at this time, to allocate the first antenna system for on-body communications to the transceiver.
Furthermore, the transceiver device is also able to reserve one or more data payloads for off-body communications and, in this interval of time, to allocate the second antenna system for off-body communications to the transceiver.
An advantageous result of this is that optimally adapted antenna systems are available for, respectively, communications close to the body and communications distant from the body. By the assigning of on-body data payloads and off-body data payloads, it is possible to reduce collisions within the network that are caused by non-optimum selection of the antenna systems.
In accordance with the invention, the match between an optimum antenna polar diagram and the rights of use to the channel advantageously produces optimized data throughput on the radio channel. Hand in hand with this there is a reduction in the stress on the patient caused by radio frequency radiation. Another advantageous result is that, because of the optimized way in which the antenna systems of the transceiver device are trained on the destination to which messages are to be transmitted, only low transmitting power is required. What is also an advantageous result is the fact that, because of the optimized granting of rights of use to users on the radio channel, the respective transceivers can be operated, at times, in the energy-saving sleep mode. A more effective use of energy is achieved in this way and this improves the battery-based endurance of the sensors.
What is meant by an antenna system is an arrangement that comprises at least one antenna. However, what may be also present in an antenna system, as well as the antenna, are devices that change the polar diagram of an antenna such for example as switches, relays, attenuators, phase shifters, etc.
The invention also covers a device as specified above in which a network coordinator provides time slots for on-body communications and time slots for off-body communications in a superframe. An advantageous result of this is that, because of the allocation of time slots, less work has to be done to administer the radio channel. The amount of protocol traffic on the radio channel thus goes down and in return the throughput of data goes up.
The invention also makes provision for a device as specified above in which synchronization of the data payloads for on-body communications and/or off-body communications is performed by means of at least one beacon payload that is generated by the network coordinator.
In one embodiment, each transceiver device on the network may request time slots for communications with on-body devices or off-body devices, as the case may be, from the network coordinator, with the network coordinator granting the network users rights of use for time slots, for transmission and reception, by means of a beacon payload. As well as this, the network coordinator may also provide, in a superframe, time slots in the form of contention access periods (CAP) or in the form of guaranteed time slots (GTS), each of these for on-body or off-body communications.
What is meant by contention access is a method of accessing a channel in which each user observes the channel as a receiver and only changes to transmitting when a quiescent pause has occurred, i.e. when a signal from another user is not having to be received onto the channel.
Similarly, what is meant by a contention access period is a period of time in which the above-mentioned method of accessing a channel is being carried out.
What is meant by the assignment of guaranteed time slots (GTS) is a method of accessing a channel in which at least one user is granted an exclusive right to use the channel for the period of time in question.
An advantageous result of this is fewer collisions when access is being sought to the radio channel, because of the guaranteed time slots. There is an increase in the throughput of data due to the granting of guaranteed rights of use for communications between individual transceivers. What is more, all the transceivers do not have to be ready to receive all the time and instead some of the receivers may be operated in the energy-saving sleep mode, the consequence of which is a considerable reduction in the energy consumption of the individual transceivers.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, a network coordinator that is arranged on-body transmits the beacon payload in parallel by means of the first and second antenna systems.
An advantageous result of this is that any device on the network is able to perform the function of network coordinator and that even devices arranged on-body make provision for optimum emission of the beacon payload.
In a further embodiment, the invention also makes provision for a converter to have the first and at least one other antenna system, with the further antenna system or systems being intended for communications links conforming to a mid range RF link standard.
An advantageous result of this is that a link with the patient's BAN can be established or continuously maintained at any time regardless of where the patient is, i.e. it does not matter whether the patient is in bed or walking round the hospital.
The invention also provides a system for wireless communications between at least one transceiver device, comprising
transceiver devices arranged on the patient's body,
transceiving units positioned off-body.
What is meant by a transceiver device is a unit that also includes, as well as a transceiving unit, other functional units such for example as a sensor unit, a display, a processor and a memory but also antennas, switches, measuring, control and regulating devices, etc. Examples of a transceiver device of this kind are a hub, a gateway, a protocol converter, a patient monitor, a sensor, etc.
What is meant by a transceiving unit is a device that generates, conducts, processes or switches radio frequency signals, such for example as a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, an antenna switch, a cable, a waveguide, a relay, an electronic circuit, etc.
The invention also provides a system as specified above in which the said system has a transceiver device according to the invention that performs the function of a converter. This converter serves to change data between a radio link standard for on-body/off-body communications to any desired other standard for radio links, and/or it serves to translate between the protocol for on-body or off-body communications and other radio services. If a short range RF link and a mid range RF system link exist simultaneously, this ensures that the BAN is linked into the system redundantly. What is advantageous in this case is that if either of the two links fails or suffers interference or disruptions, whichever is the other link is still available.
The invention also provides a system as specified above in which any transceiver device on the network is able to assume the function of network coordinator, and in which the function of network coordinator is assigned to that transceiver device on the network that is switched on first.
The invention also provides a system as specified above for exchanging data between a sensor that is arranged on a patient and a patient information center, comprising:
an off-body communications link via a patient monitor, or
an on-body communications link to a converter and the exchange of data by means of the converter over a mid range RF link made via the third antenna system. An advantageous result of this is that, because the selection of the antenna system is optimized regardless of the RF link, it is guaranteed that behavior in respect of electromagnetic environmental compatibility, energy efficiency and data throughput will be optimum no matter where the patient is.
What is more, the invention also provides a MAC protocol process in which a transceiver device divides a transmission channel into superframes that follow one another in time. The superframes comprise at least a beacon payload, a data payload for on-body communications and a data payload for off-body communications. What is meant by a MAC protocol process is the process of controlling media access in ISO-OSI layer 2. The MAC layer is the second layer from the bottom and comprises network protocols and components that regulate how a plurality of processors apportion the physical transmission medium of which they make shared use.
The beacon payload is generated by the network coordinator. The transmission range for data payloads for on-body communications is from 0 to 20 m, and preferably 0 to 2 m, an antenna system for on-body communications being used during the period of time occupied by the data payloads for on-body communications. The transmission range for data payloads for off-body communications is from 0 to 100 m, and preferably 0 to 15 m, an antenna system for off-body communications being used for this purpose.
The invention also provides a MAC protocol process as specified above in which the MAC protocol process makes provision for a transceiver device as the network coordinator, the network coordinator coordinating the on-body and off-body radio traffic by allocating time slots by means of the beacon payload.
The invention also provides a MAC protocol process as specified above in which each transceiver device divides the superframes into as many intervals of time for data payloads as desired, but preferably into 16 thereof.
In the superframe,
one or more data payloads are reserved for on-body communications, the antenna system that is assigned to the transceiver being the first one in this case, and/or
one or more data payloads are reserved for off-body communications, the antenna system that is assigned to the transceiver being the second one in this case.
An advantageous result of this is that, because of the allocation of the intervals of time and the allocation of the length of the data payloads, there is great flexibility in the selecting of data throughout, the selecting of the amount of data to be transmitted and the selecting of the time for the measurement of data.
The invention also provides a MAC protocol process as specified above in which a transceiver device serves as a protocol converter, in the form of a hub, bridge, or gateway for example, between the protocol process used in the on-body or off-body communications, as the case may be, and some other protocol process. As well as having the advantages mentioned above, the provision of a protocol converter also has that of making it possible for the most advantageous protocol process for the conversion of data to be selected on a radio service.

Transciever device for on-body and off-body communications


A photocoupler apparatus comprises an output MOSFET, a series circuit of a first photoelectromotive force diode array and a diode and connected to the gate and substrate of the MOSFET, a series circuit of a second photoelectromotive force diode array and a resistor and connected between both ends of the diode, and a normally-ON drive transistor. The diode is connected in a forward bias direction to the direction of a light current generated by the first diode array. When a charge current to be supplied to the MOSFET is large, most of the light current flows through the forward-biased diode to the output MOSFET and is not influenced by the current limitation by the resistor. When the charge current decreases, the diode is reverse-biased and the gate-substrate voltage of the MOSFET is higher than a voltage generated across the first diode array. The transistor is driven by a voltage produced across the resistor and is kept at a state between ON and OFF, thus preventing charges accumulated between the gate and substrate of the MOSFET from being discharged. When then first and second diode arrays stop generating photoelectromotive force, the charges accumulated between the gate and substrate of the MOSFET are discharged through the resistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a photocoupler apparatus, and more particularly, to a photocoupler apparatus which can shorten the switching time of output contacts.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are photocoupler apparatuses which converts an optical signal from a light-emitting diode driven by an input signal into an electric signal by a photoelectromotive force diode array photocoupled to the light-emitting diode, and drives a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (hereinafter referred to as MOSFET) by this electric signal so as to acquire a contact signal. The conventional photocoupler apparatuses may be constituted as follows.
FIG. 1 illustrates a photocoupler as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,098. A light-emitting diode 14, connected to input terminals 12a and 12b, is photocoupled to a photodiode array 16 serving as a photoelectromotive force diode array. The photodiode array 16 has one end connected to the gate of a gate insulating type output MOSFET 18, and the other end connected to the substrate and source of the MOSFET 18. Output terminals 20a and 20b are respectively connected to the drain of the MOSFET 18 and the substrate and source thereof. Further, a resistor 22 having a resistive impedance is connected in parallel to the photodiode array 16.
When the thus constituted photocoupler is turned on, electric charges are accumulated in an electrostatic capacitor between the gate and substrate of the output MOSFET 18 by the photodiode array 16. When the photocoupler is turned off, the resistor 22 serves to discharge the accumulated charges. Without this resistor 22, the charges which have been accumulated in the electrostatic capacitor between the gate and substrate of the output MOSFET 18 would be discharged through the photodiode array 16. Such discharging would drastically slow down the discharging speed and significantly increase the time T.sub.off from a point when the input current flowing through the light-emitting diode 14 is cut off to a point when the output MOSFET 18 returns to an OFF status.
When a current is permitted to flow through the light-emitting diode 14 to render the output MOSFET 18 to an ON status, the presence of the resistor (resistive impedance) 22 is not preferable to permit bypassing of the current generated by the photodiode array 16. The value of the resistor 22 should be increased in order to shorten the time T.sub.on from a point where an input current is permitted to flow to the light-emitting diode 14 from the input terminals 12a and 12b until the output MOSFET 18 is rendered ON, as well as to reduce the minimum input current or operating current I.sub.FT required to render the output MOSFET 18 ON.
In order to shorten the aforementioned time T.sub.off, however, the value of the resistor 22 needs to be set small, thus presenting a trade-off between T.sub.on (I.sub.FT) and T.sub.off of the output MOSFET 18. The trade-off therefore prevents improvement of the characteristics of both T.sub.on and T.sub.off while shortening the switching time of the contacts of the output MOSFET 18 or realizing a high-speed operation.
A photocoupler shown in FIG. 2 and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,790, Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application 57-107633 and EP 0048146, is designed to shorten the contact switching time of the output MOSFET 18.
A light-emitting diode 14, connected to input terminals 12a and 12b, is photocoupled to a first photodiode array 24. The photodiode array 24 has one end connected to the gate of a gate insulating type output MOSFET 18, and the other end connected to the substrate and source of the MOSFET 18. Output terminals 20a and 20b are respectively connected to the drain of the output MOSFET 18 and the substrate and source thereof. Both ends of the photodiode array 24 are further connected to the drain and source of a normally-ON drive transistor (FET) 26, respectively. Further, a second photodiode array 28, which has the illustrated polarity and is photocoupled to the light-emitting diode 14, is connected between the gate and source of the drive transistor 26.
According to the thus constituted photocoupler, a capacitance between the gate and substrate of the drive transistor 26 is smaller than that between the gate and substrate of the output MOSFET 18. It means that the necessary light current for the second photodiode array 28 can be smaller than that for the first photodiode array 24. This can reduce the area of each diode in the second photodiode array 28 and can thus enlarge the diode-occupying area in the first photodiode array 24, thus contributing to optimization of the efficient use of the space.
However, the second photodiode array 28 is required only to drive the drive transistor 26 and inevitably increases the number of the necessary photodiode arrays, which results in an increase in the cost of the photocoupler.
A photocoupler as disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application 63-99616 has been developed as a solution to overcome the above shortcoming. As shown in FIG. 3, a light-emitting diode 14, connected to input terminals 12a and 12b, is photocoupled to a photodiode array 16. The photodiode array 16 has one end connected to the gate of a gate insulating type output MOSFET 18, and the other end connected to the substrate and source of the MOSFET 18 through a resistor 30 having a resistive impedance. Output terminals 20a and 20b are respectively connected to the drain of the output MOSFET 18 and the substrate and source thereof. A normally-ON drive transistor (FET) 26 has its drain connected to the gate of the output MOSFET 18 and its source connected between the substrate and source thereof, with its gate connected between the photodiode array 16 and the resistor 30.
According to this photocoupler, the aforementioned problem is overcome by driving the drive transistor 26 with the potential difference across the resistor 30 (resistive impedance), which occurs by a current flowing across the resistor 30. In other words, in this circuit, a voltage applied between the gate and substrate of the output MOSFET 18 is the minimum voltage produced across the resistor to drive the drive transistor 26, subtracted from the voltage across the photodiode array 16. This circuit shown in FIG. 3 differs in the following points from the one shown in FIG. 2 which employs the second photodiode array only to drive transistor 26.
If the total number of the diodes in the photodiode array of the prior art circuit shown in FIG. 3 equals the total number of the diodes in the photodiode arrays in the prior art circuit shown in FIG. 2 (i.e., the sum of the diodes in the first photodiode array 24 and those of the second photodiode array 28), the former circuit (FIG. 3) has a higher voltage applied between the gate and substrate of the output MOSFET 18. It is therefore possible to drive a MOSFET having a high threshold voltage V.sub.th, the gate-substrate voltage necessary to drive the drive transistor 26. In addition, as mentioned earlier, the gate-substrate capacitance of the drive transistor 26 is smaller than that of the output MOSFET 18.
According to the thus constituted photocoupler, however, a single photodiode array replenishes the gate-substrate capacitance of each of the drive transistor 26 and the output MOSFET 18, so that every diode constituting the photodiode array 16 should supply a large light current. In other words, since there are no separate photodiode arrays for respectively driving the output MOSFET 18 and the drive transistor 26, the photodiode array for driving the drive transistor 26 cannot be made smaller. This necessitates that the area of the photodiode array 16 be increased, thus increasing the overall space for the circuit.
In addition, as the resistor (resistive impedance) 30 is used as an impedance element, the resistive impedance limits the charge current to be supplied between the gate and substrate of the output MOSFET 18 when this current is large. This also limits shortening of the aforementioned time T.sub.on.
To prevent such undesirable limitation, the resistor 30 in FIG. 3 may be replaced with a parallel circuit of a resistor and a diode array which does not include photodiodes. In this case, a large current involved to switching on or off a transistor may flow using the diode array as bypassing means. Driving the drive transistor 26 however requires a voltage obtained from a voltage drop for at least three to six diodes. This needs an area for the diode array serving as the bypassing means and further deteriorates the effective use of the total circuit space and the circuit characteristic, thus resulting in an increase in the cost of the circuit.

Photocoupler apparatus capable of shortening switching time of output contact


An improved container for a solid cosmetic preparation is provided having a container length for containing therein a rod of cosmetic preparation mounted for axial movement back and forth through the container to either extend or retract under operator control an endmost length of the rod for being exposed through an open end of the container for dispensing therethrough. The container includes inner and outer tubular members mounted about a common longitudinal axis, the rod being mounted in the inner tubular member for the axial movement therethrough and the outer tubular member being mounted around the radially outward side of the inner tubular member. The improvement comprises the outer tubular member aditionally being movable axially with respect to the inner tubular member to enable adjustment of the container length in an axial direction to further selectively extend or retract an additional portion of the length of the rod from the opening.

Propel-repel type containers for dispensing solid cosmetics or like substances usually in the form of a rod or column such as a lipstick are well known in the art. A carrier holding the lipstick is selectively propelled or repelled longitudinally or axially along a common central axis by cooperating cam slots or grooves on relatively rotatable inner and outer tubular members by applying a swivel torque to said members about the central axis. The longitudinally projected or retracted position of the carrier is determined in accordance with the direction and extent of the relative rotation of the tubular members. Laterally extending notches on the inner tubular member cam slot defines retracted-most and projected-most positions for the lipstick at opposite limits of travel for the carrier. The container has an open end corresponding to open ends of the inner and outer tubular members through which the lipstick is exposed. A closure cap may be inserted in a telescoping manner over said tubular members at said open end and frictionally retained thereon to seal off said container. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,797,802; 2,840,229; 2,999,585; 3,083,822; 3,335,853; and 4,166,707.
In a typical application, the container is filled with a lipstick and a tip portion of the lipstick is left exposed at the open end beyond both tubular members for point of purchase display to show color, even though the carrier is in the retracted-most position. After purchase, the customer or user may wish to protect the displayed tip portion against damage or accidental smearing. However, sliding the closure cap over the open end may be difficult and messy if a substantial length of lipstick is left exposed. And if the closure cap is of a transparent material, the potential smudging of the cap during the cap insertion step may result in an unattractive and undesirable appearance.


A method and system for obtaining a consistent and integrated set of physical properties of a sample specimen of porous media, e.g., rock, in which a specimen is prepared for imaging. The specimen is imaged multiple times to yield a set of images that undergo a segmentation process to provide a digital representation of the sample specimen. The digital representation provides a view of the solid phase and pore space of the sample specimen. The digital representation may be used to determine a plurality of physical properties of the sample porous specimen, such that the sample porous specimen may remain intact throughout the method.

It is desirable for companies that drill oil and gas wells to obtain quantitative information about formations that contain hydrocarbons. This information may be useful in order to determine the amount of oil and gas in the reservoir, how much of it can be recovered, the rate of production, and ultimately whether the hydrocarbons can be developed and produced for financial gain. Quantitative rock property data can come from various measures including indirect and direct means of evaluation. Because of the different methodologies practiced through the industry to obtain quantitative rock properties, data that is generated inherently contains variables of unknown significance because multiple samples and measurement scales are used to produce the data set. The data set may include rock properties such as porosity, absolute permeability, relative permeability, and capillary pressure data, but is not limited to such properties.
Conventional indirect means for estimating rock properties exist in the art. Among other types of indirect means, almost all wells use electric logs, run in either the open hole after drilling or the casing lined well to measure certain attributes of hydrocarbon bearing formations. Several types of open hole logs may be used to measure the properties required for an effective determination. For example, a "triple combo" log measures bulk density, neutron porosity, and formation resistivity. Using known methods, those attributes may be used with mathematical correlations to derive useful parameters such as reservoir effective porosity, effective permeability, water saturation, and other properties. Additional mathematical equations may be applied to triple combo log data to estimate rock mechanical properties, such as Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and in-situ stress. These parameters, especially permeability and the rock mechanical properties, play a crucial role in making decisions about reservoir size, quality, and producibility.
However, there are typically limitations to measuring the properties in this manner. Each of the logging tools incorporates one or more sensors to measure a desired attribute and sometimes different logging tools are run simultaneously to reduce the time required for the surveys. Logging techniques do not require physical examination or direct inspection of the rock for the most part. For example, certain logging tools obtain images of the formation to measure a desired attribute of that formation. Another typical limitation is that the precise location of the measurement is only known relative to the estimated position of the logging tool at the time the measurement is made and the measurements taken are average values over some thickness of formation which can range from inches to feet. A rock property such as Formation Factor is used to determine water saturation from resistivity log measurements. In order to make those calculations, a resistivity measurement is obtained from the log in a region that is thought to contain 100% water and compared to other locations in the rock that appear to contain some amount of hydrocarbon in addition to connate water.
Direct methods are also available for measuring rock properties. A conventional direct method typically involves obtaining specimens of the rock to be evaluated and performing laboratory experiments on those specimens. One example of such an experiment is coring, a process by which intact rock specimens can be obtained from an oil and gas well. For example, a "whole core" is obtained by using a special drill bit that cuts a cylinder of rock over the interval of interest. The total cylinder can be on the order of four inches in diameter and hundreds of feet long. For handling purposes, the core may be cut into three foot lengths. From those lengths, short plugs of 1″ to 1½″ diameter are then taken for the laboratory tests. Because different laboratory tests require different sizes, shapes, and orientation of the samples relative to the original rock, several samples are typically prepared from a region of the core that appears to be similar. For example, it is useful to know both the horizontal and vertical permeabilities of a reservoir rock. To obtain these properties in the physical lab, one reservoir rock sample must be cut perpendicular to the core's axis whereas another reservoir rock sample must be cut parallel to the core's axis. Laboratory tests are then performed on the samples to yield the permeability in one direction based on the cut. However, there is no assurance that the obtained reservoir rock samples contain identical rock properties even though the samples came from the same region of the core and are visibly similar. Thus, physical laboratory analysis involved with direct methods of measuring rock properties is limited because of the scale, size, and requirement of different samples for different pieces of equipment. The results obtained from such an analysis are usually not internally consistent because the sample specimens may vary in their respective properties.
Once the sample specimen has been used to determine a property such as, for example, a horizontal or vertical permeability, that sample may not be useful for obtaining other rock properties. For example, to determine grain size distribution, yet another specimen must be obtained from the same region of the core and crushed so that a laser particle size analysis or sieve analysis can be conducted.
Similarly, as in the aforesaid example, other Special Core Analyses (SCAL) would also require their own dedicated samples that are sometimes altered or destroyed in the procedure. For example, relative permeability studies are conducted using steady state or unsteady state methods which require a flow rate to be selected for the lab test. If there is a need to determine relative permeability at a different flow rate or to change from an unsteady state to a steady state analysis, the core used for the initial analysis cannot be relied upon to be in original condition, if it is available at all. Thus, a new core sample must be used.
Similarly, capillary pressure determinations in the lab require pumping fluid into a core while monitoring pressure and flow rate. However, as in the aforementioned examples, once complete, the same core sample would not be useful for another study at a different set of flow rates and pressures.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a method for obtaining a consistent and integrated set of parameters from a sample porous media. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a methodology for obtaining rock properties from a porous media from a sample such that the sample remains intact throughout the process. In particular, sample specimens of porous media can vary considerably, and there is no guarantee that the chosen rock specimens or locations all have the identical rock properties even though they came from the same region of the core and were visibly similar. Yet, the resulting data will be used as if all the samples were identical in every way. It is a further object of the invention to provide a methodology to obtain parameters for reservoir modeling from a single sample specimen by obtaining a plurality of physical properties of the single sample specimen, such that the sample specimen remains intact throughout the process.
Other information besides rock properties is needed to fully characterize oil and gas reservoirs for evaluation and predictive purposes. There are various techniques to collect reservoir fluid samples, pressure data, and information about the volumetric extent of the reservoir. Coupled with rock property data obtained from logs and cores, calculations can be made to determine where to drill wells, how to complete them, how efficiently wells are producing, and when they are depleted. Modern petroleum engineering methods use computer simulations to analyze the large volume of data that is required to do a thorough and presumably accurate analysis. The quality of the input data is critical to achieving a result that has a high probability of being correct. It is another object of the present invention to reduce the range of uncertainty of the input data from a sample porous media to improve the accuracy of the resultant output.
There is a need, therefore, for a methodology and system for providing consistent and integrated rock properties from a porous media with high accuracy to result in improved predictability of oil, gas, or reservoir well design and fluid flow characteristics. There is a further need for obtaining rock properties from a porous media such that the sample specimen may remain intact. There is a further need for performing laboratory analysis on a sample specimen that can come to stabilization sooner in the simulator and require less history matching overall.
As presently stated, these and other limitations within the current art are solved by the present invention.

Method for obtaining consistent and integrated physical properties of porous media


An object of the present invention is to provide a negative electrode for a secondary battery which has large capacity and restrains a rise in resistance inside the battery and reduction in capacity even after cycles and the secondary battery using the same. A first active material layer 2a comprising members occluding and releasing Li onto a collector 1a is formed and a second active material layer 3a as an alloy layer containing metal forming alloy with lithium or lithium and metal not-forming alloy with lithium is formed thereon. The secondary battery is constituted using the negative electrode.

Due to wide use of mobile terminals such as cellular phones, laptop personal computers and the like, the importance of batteries as a power source has gained recognition. These batteries are required to be compact, lightweight, and large-capacity, and further required capability hard to deteriorate despite repeated charge and discharge.
From a viewpoint of high-energy density and lightweight, lithium metal is sometimes used for a negative electrode, but in this case, phenomena of deposition of capillary crystal (dendrite) on lithium surface or of peeling of this dendrite from a collector occur in association with progress of the charge and discharge cycles. As a result, the dendrite penetrates a separator to cause short circuit inside, whereby there have been problems that life of a battery shortens and that cycle property deteriorates.
Thus, carbon material free from the above-mentioned problems is used for practical batteries. A representative example is the carbon material of graphite base, however, the amount of lithium ion that the material can occlude is restricted by an amount insertable between layers of graphite, therefore it is difficult to excess 372 mAh/g of the specific capacity. A method using an oxide capable of occluding lithium ion more than graphite and being large in the specific capacity has been developed.
For instance, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-12036 proposes a method that metal fine particles are added and dispersed in melted oxide particles to enhance the electron conductivity, thereby effectively using lithium ion occluding site.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H10-334889 also discloses a negative electrode in which carbon particles supporting two or more kinds of metals including metals such as Ag and Sn that forms alloy with lithium and metals such as Cu that do not form alloy with lithium are made into a mass of the above-mentioned particles with use of a bonding agent and the mass is used as a negative electrode active material.
In the above-mentioned prior art, however, it is difficult to obtain sufficient capacity.
For instance, in an art described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H10-334889, a negative electrode with a configuration in which a plurality of metals are supported on carbon particles has been problems that the initial discharge capacity is lower than a capacity expected from used material and further a capacity is remarkably reduced after the charge and discharge cycles. These problems will be described below.
The above-mentioned reduction in the initial discharge capacity is considered to result from peeling of the bound portion among particles and damage on an electrode active material layer in an initial charge and discharge process. Material such as Sn that is large in an amount of lithium occlusion has a large charge and discharge capacity, but variation in volume in association with charge and discharge is large. Therefore, when carbon particles supporting such a material is bound to configure a negative electrode, it is considered that in the initial charge and discharge process, a part of the bound portion among particles is damaged, whereby a rise in internal resistance and a reduction in capacity occur.
On the other hand, the reduction in capacity after the charge and discharge cycles is inferred to be caused by not only damage on the bound portion among the particles in association with the above-mentioned variation in volume, but also microscopic inhomogeneity in an electric field occurred in the negative electrode. When metal particles and the like is mixed in the carbon particles, nonuniformity in distribution usually arises due to difference and so on in properties of the powder. Carbon particles and metal particles have different resistivity and specific capacity respectively, therefore the microscopic inhomogeneity in distribution of the electric field occurs. Thus, since the variation in volume in the charge and discharge process is localized, the configuration of the negative electrode is broken down, consequently the reduction in capacity occurs.

Secondary battery-use negative electrode and secondary battery using it


A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for managing stateless processes is disclosed. In some embodiments, a file system view request is sent to a process manager. A check is then made to ensure that a connection to the requested file system is available. A stateless process to interact with the file system is created and a stateless process to display the file system is also created. A plurality of operational requests to interact with the file system is sent to the process manager. For each operational request, a check is made to ensure that the request is valid. The valid requests are then performed. In some embodiments, software components are removed from the file system. In some embodiments, software components are added to the file system.

Modern data systems typically include many types of computers. In order to maximize use of physical computing resources, many of these data systems include virtualized machines. A single machine may potentially be turned into, for example, 10 virtual machines.
To ensure no loss of data on each of the virtual machines, each of the virtual machines will tend to require its own backup on a backup server. Users requiring access to these backups may initiate multiple requests to connect to the same backup.
By initiating multiple connections to a particular backup, users may potentially create inconsistent operational requests. For example, a user may attempt to restore the contents on backup "B16" to virtual machine "V16." The restore process might be lengthy and that same user may attempt to initiate a new connection an hour later to the same backup "B16" in order to modify or delete a single file. Because this additional request has been made during the processing of the restore request, one or both of these request operations may now fail.
Also, users may leave one or more connections to the backup open for an indeterminate amount of time. The process used to display the file system structure present on the backup may be a resource intensive process and can negatively impact performance of the operating system if it runs longer than necessary.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for managing stateless processes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


In a pulp or papermaking machine a doctor blade assembly including two doctor blades used in association with a machine roll for scraping material from the same wherein one blade is supported by a standard support member and the other blade is supported by gussets coupled to the support member with the second blade being a spaced distance from the first blade.

Pulp or papermaking machines, utilize machine rolls. Such machine rolls are used during various aspects of the process in, for example, the press, forming, drying or calendering sections. The operation of machine rolls requires a device to remove contaminants which form on the roll surface and/or to pull off the sheet from them. A traditional method of achieving this is through the use of a mechanical device commonly referred to as a doctor or doctor blade. The failure to remove the contaminants or the sheet effectively can have a catastrophic effect on the quality of the product being produced.
The doctor blade is typically fastened to a structural beam which is adjustably supported across the papermaking machine on which a blade holder and replaceable blade is provided. The doctor blade comes in direct contact with the roll surface so as to scrape off any contaminants from the roll surface including the whole pulp or paper web sheet or parts thereof. In certain applications the material is very difficult to remove. In this regard a second doctor blade in addition to the first may be desireable to provide an added scraping factor. This allows for the roll surface to be scraped twice as much as it rotates. In addition, the space defined by the two blades provides a safe location to apply a cleaning fluid on the roll surface without contaminating or disturbing the pulp or paper web nearby.
Heretofore the means of providing two blades on the same machine roll is typically that illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 1 there is shown a machine roll 1 having two separate and independent standard doctor blade devices 2 and 3. This arrangement is quite desireable since the doctor blades may be independently adjusted with respect to the roll. Furthermore, if there is sufficient space in between the two devices each would be able to scrape the contaminants, sheet or web from the roll and deflect it away, down to a broke pit or to a safe location outside the process. In addition, such a design permits easy access for cleaning and maintenance of the blades, the blade holders and support structure. However, while such an arrangement has certain desirable features, it also has a significant drawback, that being in existing papermaking machines or in the design of new machines there simply is not enough room to install a complete and independent second doctor blade unit.
Another method of incorporating a second doctor blade on the same pulp or paper machine is shown in FIG. 2. Again a standard machine roll 4 is illustrated. To save space, a second blade 7 and blade holder 8 is added trailing the first blade 5 and blade holder 6 all of which is supported by a single solid structure 9 which may be of conventional construction. The problems with this design are many. The scrapings removed by the second blade fall back and accumulate on the support structure 9 in the closed space created in between the blades. During the operation of the machine, this area can not be cleaned and will eventually not only impede the effective operation of the blades but also it is possible that the high speed web will become stuck between the two blades and force the structure to bend away from the machine roll causing immediate damage to it.
Accordingly, there exists a need to provide for a doctor blade arrangement utilizing two doctor blades which has the advantages of the foregoing arrangements yet avoids their disadvantages.

Doctoring device for papermaking machine


A low-cost system for increasing the electricity generation of flat panel photovoltaic (PV) farms in which sunlight redirecting elements are positioned in offset spaces provided between adjacent panel assemblies and serve to redirect otherwise unused sunlight onto solar cells disposed on one of the panel assemblies. The redirecting elements are located in a prismatic volume bounded at its upper end by an inclined upper plane that extends across the offset space separating adjacent PV panel assemblies. The redirecting elements are either mounted to at least one of the PV panel assemblies, or placed on the ground between the assemblies. Each redirecting element includes multiple reflecting and/or refracting surfaces that utilize a disclosed microoptical arrangement (e.g., focus and steer or reorient and scatter) to distribute the redirected sunlight in a substantially homogenous (uniform) distribution on the solar cells.

PV farms are power stations that utilize large numbers of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert sunlight into electricity on a commercial scale. Many such PV farms having power production in the range of 40 MW to 60 MW have already been built, mainly in Europe and the United States, and PV farms having capacities of up to 1 GW or more are being proposed. As the amount of power generated by such PV farms increases, it will become more and more desirable to utilize technologies that increase each PV farm's output by even a few percent.
FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate portions of a typical fixed-tilt PV farm 50, which represents one PV farm type that is currently being used for commercial solar power generation. Fixed-tilt PV farms are characterized by having flat-panel solar PV modules that are maintained in a fixed position that is inclined (tilted) relative to the ground in order to maximize the capture of sunlight. FIG. 12 is a top perspective view showing three exemplary PV panel assemblies 60-1, 60-2 and 60-3, where each panel assembly 60-1, 60-2 and 60-3 includes an associated group of solar cell panels 65-11 to 65-16, 65-21 to 65-26 and 65-31 to 65-36 that are arranged in a lengthwise direction L in a desired "fixed-tilt" arrangement. Each of the solar cell panels 65-11 to 65-16, 65-21 to 65-26 and 65-31 to 65-36 includes multiple flat panel solar cells 80 that are maintained in a flat (planar) arrangement by a suitable panel structure (e.g., a plate of glass to which solar cells 80 are attached). Panel assemblies 60-1, 60-2 and 60-3 are spaced at a predetermined offset spacing (pitch) P for reasons described below, and are maintained in the desired "fixed-tilt" arrangement by a corresponding support structure 70-1, 70-2 and 70-3. In the present example, each support structure (e.g., support structure 70-3) includes a base 71 that serves to support a panel support structure 72 at an inclined angle θ relative to substantially level ground G, where panel support structure 72 supports panels 65-31 to 65-36. For descriptive purposes, panel support structure 72 includes an upper (horizontal) edge 73, a lower edge 74, and opposing left and right side edges 75 and 76, although outer edges of panels 65-31 to 65-36 may define these structure edges in some embodiments. Solar cells 80 are thus supported by and maintained in a planar array by a corresponding panel support structure 72 such that solar cells 80 are disposed over substantially all of the available surface of each frame 72 (i.e., the area bounded by upper edge 73, lower edge 74 and side edges 75 and 76). On each panel assembly 60-1, 60-2 and 60-3, solar cells 80 are electrically series-connected according to known techniques.
FIG. 13 is a simplified side elevation view showing PV panels 60-1 and 60-2 of PV farm 50, showing situations at noon time of various days for simplicity. The tilt angle θ is selected according to the latitude of the installation, to optimize the total amount of sunlight intercepted during the year. Typical tilt angle values are in the range of 0.7 to 1.0 times the latitude at which the PV farm is installed. As mentioned above, most fixed-tilt PV farms are and will be installed in the mid term future in latitudes between 25 and 60 degrees away from the equator, since this coincides with geographical regions of good insulation providing power availability and strong economic activity creating power demand. This observation allows to limit the analysis and design to this range of latitudes, thereby simplifying the task at hand. At these latitudes, the sunlight beams SLE are directed at a predictable angle at the vernal and autumnal equinox, and varies around this direction as shown between sunlight beams SLWS having a relatively shallow angle −Δ (=23.5 degrees) at the winter solstice, and sunlight beams SLSS having a relatively steep angle +Δ at the summer solstice. Note that the active surface R formed by solar cells 80 of each panel (e.g., panel 60-1) defines a planar surface A. By knowing the incident angle of sunlight during the course of a year, fixed inclined angle θ can be selected to maximize the total amount of solar radiation captured by solar cells 80 during the course of a year. For example, as indicated in FIG. 13, inclined angle θ of PV panel 60-2 may be set such that sunlight beams SLE are normal to the active surface of solar cells 80A (i.e., such that solar cells 80A are optimally positioned to convert received sunlight during the equinox periods) in order to maximize the solar radiation captured during a twelve month period.
FIG. 13 also illustrates the required offset spacing (pitch) P for PV farms constructed at a given latitude. As mentioned above, solar cells 80 of each PV panel 60-1 and 60-2 are series-connected, and therefore it is important for maximum total power generation by each panel that each solar cell 80 produces a substantially equal amount of power. In order for this to occur, each solar cell 80 must receive the same amount of sunlight, and shading of any of the solar cells must be avoided. In particular, as indicated in FIG. 13, at the winter solstice, sunlight beams SLWS must pass over upper edge 74-1 of solar panel 60-1 without casting a shadow on the lowermost solar cells 80A of panel 60-2. To achieve this homogenous illumination of all solar cells, solar panels 60-1 and 60-2 must be separated by offset spacing P.
Depending on latitude and exact solar farm layout, a yearly aggregate of between approximately 30 and 80 percent more sunlight is available within the footprint of a standard fixed-tilt PV farm than is actually intercepted by the photovoltaic panels. This is due to the conservative offset spacing P typically employed with electrically series-connected modules, which pose a strong requirement for homogenous illumination (i.e., as explained above, each solar cell 80 must receive substantially the same amount of light in order to maintain optical power generation). The extra sunlight would normally be absorbed unused in the space between the panels. For example, as indicated in FIG. 13, summer solstice sunlight beams SLSS1, SLSS2 and SLSS3 are indicated as passing directly onto ground G between panels 60-1 and 60-2, which illustrates a large amount of sunlight is not received by solar cells 80 during summer in order to provide homogenous illumination during winter.
What is needed is a low-cost system for increasing the electricity generation efficiency of flat panel PV farms. Making use of the unused "wasted" sunlight is very valuable because PV cells have a very linear current versus irradiance response around their design point. What is also needed is a passive sunlight redirecting element for use in such a system that distributes redirected sunlight in a substantially uniform manner.

Stationary sunlight redirecting system for increasing the efficiency of fixed-tilt PV farm


A magnetic encoder for detecting for example movement of a continuous pipe, wire line, pipe joints, rod, etc. into a well includes a wheel in the contaminated environment of the well with a permanent magnet mounted on the wheel such that the magnet moves past a sensing location each time the wheel rotates to provide a count representative of the rotation of the wheel and thus if the forwarding distance of the tubing. A sensor responsive to presence of a field generated by the presence of the magnet is mounted in a cylinder defining a separate environment for the sensor inside the cylinder with a stainless steel end dividing wall separating the wheel from the sensor with a ferro-magnetic pin extending through the dividing wall such that the presence of the magnet at the sensing location causes actuation of the sensor.

Many patents disclose magnetic encoders, in many cases related to automobile ABS systems, In all of these cases the sensors must be protected from the environment. Generally the sensors are separated from the wheel by a sheet of a plastics material.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,708 (Abe) issued Jun. 12, 2007 discloses a magnetic encoder using a stainless steel sheet and a resin laminated layer to provide water resistance.

Magnetic encoder with separation of sensor from the environment


A bar clamp includes a handgrip; a fixed jaw carrier; a slide bar comprising two opposite wing members; a moveable jaw carrier and comprising a transverse channel, a trough extending from center of the channel to one end of the channel, a bottom recess, and two opposite stop members in the recess wherein the slide bar passes the channel with the wing members being stopped by the trough in a locked position; and a U-shaped spring-actuated lock assembly in the recess and comprising inverted U-shaped opposite first and second lock members being engaged with the wing members in the locked position, and first and second projections between the lock members and a bottom of the lock assembly and being engaged with the stop members in the locked position. Pushing the locking assembly until being stopped will disengage the lock members from the wing members.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to bar clamps and more particularly to an improved lock mechanism for a bar clamp.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical lock mechanism for a bar clamp is shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B. The slide bar comprises a slide bar 10 of rectangular longitudinal section including a through hole 11 of circular section, a housing with a moveable jaw carrier 12 integrally formed therewith, the moveable jaw carrier 12 having a channel 121 therethrough; a knob shaped slide member 20 including a rod 21 secured to an inner surface, the slide member 20 being slidably retained in a recess on one surface of the moveable jaw carrier 12 with the rod 21 also slidably disposed in the recess and the through hole 11; and a push button 30 including a shaft 31 extending from an inner surface, and a helical spring 32 put on the shaft 31, the push button 30 slidably retained in a recess on the other opposite surface of the moveable jaw carrier 12. The shaft 31, the through hole 11, and the rod 21 are aligned.
In a locked position, the rod 21 is partially disposed in the through hole 11 to lock the moveable jaw carrier 12 (see FIG. 2A). For unlocking the moveable jaw carrier 12, a user may push the push button 30 to cause the shaft 31 to push the rod 21 with the spring 32 being compressed until the rod 21 completely leaves the through hole 11 (see FIG. 2B).
However, the rod 21 may enter or leave the through hole 11 without force being exerted upon the slide member 20 after a period of time of use. This is because the sliding nature of the slide member 20 and wear. As a result, the desired reliable locking function is compromised. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.


A fuel cell system including a housing defining an anode chamber and a cathode chamber and including a catalyst, a protonically conductive but electronically non-conductive membrane positioned between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber, a mixing chamber, a fuel chamber in fluid communication with the mixing chamber, and a first conduit having a first end connected to the anode chamber and a second end connected to the mixing chamber. The first conduit directs a fuel-water solution from the mixing chamber to the anode chamber. The system also includes a second conduit having a first end connected to the anode chamber and a second end connected to the mixing chamber, where the second conduit directs effluent from the anode chamber to the mixing chamber. A coalescing surface provided with at least one of said conduits collects effluent gas produced by said fuel cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to methods and apparatuses for separating gases from fluids in a fuel cell system and using gas to drive the transport of fluids within a fuel cell, and more particularly, to methods and apparatuses for separating carbon dioxide gas from an effluent flow in a direct methanol fuel cell system and using it to move fluids within the fuel cell system.
2. Background of the Prior Art
In recent years, fuel cells, which react hydrogen (extracted from a hydrogen carbonaceous fuel) with air or oxygen have been the subject of intensified development because of their ability to generate electric power from fuel without combustion. Fuel cell systems provide benefits of being able to produce electricity for as long as an appropriate fuel is supplied, low operating costs, and emitting only low levels of carbon dioxide, water and other byproducts of the reaction. Fuel cell systems may be divided into xe2x80x9creformer-basedxe2x80x9d fuel cell systems, which require some fuel processing to extract hydrogen from the fuel before introducing it into the fuel cell, and xe2x80x9cdirect oxidationxe2x80x9d fuel cell systems where the fuel is introduced into the fuel cell without processing. Adaptation of reformer-based fuel cell systems for use with small applications, such as personal electronic devices, has been difficult, due to the technical difficulties associated with reforming a carbonaceous fuel in a simple and cost-effective manner on a small scale. Hydrogen gas is not well suited to use in small fuel cell systems because its storage requires the use of high pressure vessels, metal adsorption matrices and/or cryogenic liquefaction of hydrogen gas to achieve useful energy densities.
A more convenient source of hydrogen is provided by carbonaceous liquid fuels such as methanol (and to a lesser extent ethanol, propanol, butane, and other hydrocarbons sources). Methanol has relatively weak chemical bonds that can be broken to free electrons to drive an electrical load. One way to convert the chemical energy in methanol to electricity is by using a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC).
A direct methanol fuel cell system consists of a fuel cell, a fuel source, fluid and air management systems, a pump or mixing chamber, and other ancillary systems required for operation. The electricity-generating reactions occur within the fuel cell. The balance of plant components support the fuel cell by providing reactants to the cell, removing byproducts of the reactions, and otherwise facilitating the operation of the direct methanol fuel cell as it supplies power to the electrical load. It is common practice to connect multiple fuel cells in series, frequently in a xe2x80x9cstackxe2x80x9d configuration or in a planar system in order to meet the specifications of a given application. Although the present invention is described with reference to a direct methanol fuel cell system (DFMC system), it is understood, however, that the present invention may be suited for use with other direct oxidation fuel cells using other fuels.
In a DMFC system, methanol (typically in an aqueous solution) is supplied to the anode chamber of the fuel cell, which is separated from the cathode chamber of the fuel cell by a protonically-conductive (but electronically non-conductive) membrane (PCM). Catalysts which are present on the anode and cathode faces of the PCM, or which are otherwise present at the membrane surface) enable oxidation of the aqueous methanol fuel at the anode face of the PCM, separating the hydrogen protons and electrons from methanol and water molecules. Upon the closing of a circuit, the protons pass through the PCM, and the electrons are conducted through an electrical load, thus providing electrical power. The protons and electrons recombine with oxygen (preferably supplied by ambient air) on the cathode face of the PCM, forming water.
As a result of these reactions, DMFC systems produce only, water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as byproducts of the reaction
The overall processes of a DMFC are as follows:
Anode: CH3OH+H2Oxe2x86x92CO2+6H++6exe2x88x92
Cathode: 3/2O2+6exe2x88x92+6H+xe2x86x923H2O
Overall: CH3OH+3/2O2xe2x86x92CO2+2H2O
Anodically generated CO2 is evolved in gaseous form and must be separated from the effluent solution and vented or captured for use within the system. If the CO2 is not vented, as is the case in a closed system, the CO2 pressure within the system will rise. If the pressure allowed to rise unchecked, the flow of the fuel mixture may be interrupted, or may cause a component or the system to fail.
As shown in FIG. 1, which illustrates one embodiment of a DMFC system, a direct methanol fuel cell system 2 includes a housing 4 defining an anode chamber 6 and a cathode chamber 8, a protonically conductive but electronically non-conductive membrane 10 (Protonically Conductive Membrane or PCM) and catalysts (not shown), a mixing chamber or pump 12, and a fuel source 14. Catalysts may be positioned anywhere within the anode and cathode chambers where they will come into contact with the fuel and water mixture, but are preferably is applied to both faces of the Protonically Conductive Membrane.
A gas separator device 16 is placed inline with a conduit that directs effluent from the anode chamber 6 to the mixing chamber. Similarly, water collector 18 is placed inline with a second conduit that directs effluent from the cathode chamber to the mixing chamber.
In gas separator 16, entering effluent contains both unused fuel solution (methanol and water), and CO2. The gas separator removes the CO2, and passes the unused fuel solution back to the mixing chamber using either passive management or a pump to induce said transport.
In water collector 18, water from entering cathodic effluent is collected and recirculated back to the pump or mixing chamber using either passive management, or a pump to induce said recirculation.
FIG. 2 illustrates another prior art fuel system, in which a gas permeable membrane is integrated into a chamber of the fuel cell. Accordingly, as CO2 builds up in the system, it is separated from liquid effluent by passing through the membrane.
In order to commercialize DMFC systems for use in small electronic devices, it is advantageous to remove as much CO2 as is possible from the anodic effluent solution in a simple, compact and cost effective manner. It is of further benefit to capture and utilize the carbon dioxide for use in the DMFC system to minimize parasitic power losses associated with actively managing and driving the fluidic components of the fuel cell system.
The present invention provides unique methods and apparatuses for transport of fluids in a DMFC system. In the present invention, gas from the effluent flow is allowed to collect on a coalescing surface. Upon reaching a predetermined volume, the product gas of the reaction shears a portion of liquid from the effluent. The released volume of the product gas transports the sheared liquid volume to a predetermined location where the gas is vented to the ambient environment, or directed to perform work within the DMFC. The sheared liquid volume may, for instance, be returned to the inlet flow of the DMFC, accordingly providing a self pumping action.
Accordingly, in one aspect of the present invention, a coalescing surface for inclusion into an element of a fuel cell system includes a vaulted wall having a domed shape.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a coalescing chamber for a fuel cell system includes a substantially closed container having an inlet for receiving effluent produced in a fuel cell and a coalescing surface comprising a wall having a domed shape.
In another aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell system includes a housing defining an anode chamber and a cathode chamber and including a catalyst, a protonically conductive but electronically non-conductive membrane positioned between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber, a mixing pump, a fuel chamber in fluid communication with the mixing pump, a first conduit having a first end connected to the anode chamber and a second end connected to the mixing pump, where the first conduit directs a fuel-water solution from the mixing pump to the anode chamber. The system also includes a second conduit having a first end connected to the anode chamber and a second end connected to the mixing pump, the second conduit directs effluent from the anode chamber to the mixing pump. A coalescing surface provided in the system collects effluent gas from the effluent received from one of the anode chamber and the cathode chamber.
The above identified aspects may be used in a method for separating gas from effluent produced in a chamber of a fuel cell system and includes passing effluent produced in the fuel cell adjacent the coalescing surface, and collecting gas from the effluent adjacent the coalescing surface.

Methods and apparatuses for a self-regulating gas displacement pump for a fuel cell system


A network device may detect, from an application associated with a user space of the network device, a request to configure a firewall provided by a kernel of the network device with a rule. The network device may intercept the request to configure the firewall before the firewall is configured with the rule. The network device, based on intercepting the request to configure the firewall, may analyze the rule to determine whether the rule modifies a critical functionality of the firewall. The network device may reject the request to configure the firewall based on determining that the rule modifies the critical functionality of the firewall.

A firewall framework (e.g., a Netfilter framework) may be provided by a kernel (e.g., a Linux kernel) to permit various networking-related operations for packet filtering, network address translation, and port translation. The firewall framework provides the functionality for directing packets through a network. The firewall framework may represent a set of hooks inside the kernel that allows specific kernel modules to register callback functions with a networking stack of the kernel. Those functions, usually applied to the traffic in the form of filtering and modification rules, are called for every packet that traverses the respective hook within the networking stack.

Critical firewall functionality management


A system for heap leach mining comprises supply and header pipes for conducting leaching solution alongside a bed or "heap" of crushed metal-laden ore deposited on an impervious pad. A series of spaced tubes are connected to the supply header pipes to extend transversely thereof, over the pad, to receive the leaching solution therefrom. A plurality of emitters are connected in spaced relationship along each of the tubes for emitting the leaching solution at a controlled and substantially uniform rate over the pad and into the ore bed. The tubes and emitters can be positioned either on an upper surface of the ore bed or buried beneath such surface, at a predetermined depth. The system and method of this invention provide numerous advantages over conventional surface spraying systems and methods, including substantial cost savings thereover.

Hydrometallurgy is the art of recovering metals from ores by first effecting solution of the metals in the form of a salt, separating the solution from the impoverished solid, then decomposing the metallic salt in such a way as to cause precipitation of the metal in a state of comparative purity. The leaching solution or lixiviant for reclaiming gold and silver from a bed of low-grade ore generally constitutes aqueous solutions of sodium cyanide mixed with oxygen (air) to convert the noble metal (M) to soluble NaM(CN).sub.2, from which M can be recovered either by precipitation with zinc dust or aluminum powder, carbon absorption, or by electrowinning. Sulfuric acid or sulfuric acid-ferric sulfate is the principle practical copper mineral lixiviant.
The term "heap," as used in the art of hydrometallurgy, means a bed of run-of-mine or granular low-grade ore that has been suitably spread over a prepared surface or "pad" that will ensure solution recovery. The pad is formed as an impervious base, such as by sheets of plastic film (e.g., polyethylene), asphalt and/or compacted clay. The ore is normally heaped onto each impervious pad to a depth of ten to thirty feet, after the ore has been pre-crushed to sufficiently small size to enable the leaching solution to reach the metallic-mineral particles contained in the ore. Gold and silver ores, for example, are run-of-mine or more commonly crushed to 40-200 mesh size with recovery increasing with the increased fineness of the crushed ore. The pad is usually sloped with the pregnant solution recovered for subsequent processing by perforated drain pipes or channels positioned on the impervious base, at the "toe" of the pad.
Lixiviation is the process effecting contact between the ore and the leaching solution. The process is normally accomplished by circulating the solution through the stationary ore mass, commonly known as "percolation." The rate of percolation will depend on a number of factors, such as the particle size of the ore, the depth of the pad, the strength of the leaching solution (e.g., one to four pounds of sodium cyanide per ton of water for recovering gold) and the quantity of leaching solution distributed over the bed of crushed ore per unit area.
Conventional percolation systems for heap leach mining normally include sprayers mounted above the bed of crushed ore which function to spray the leaching solution onto the ore in a non-uniform and uncontrolled manner. The leaching solution is thus prone to rapid evaporation and degradation by its exposure to ultra-violet rays, requiring constant monitoring and replenishing of the leaching solution with added water and/or sodium cyanide. Evaporation is further increased by exposure of the leaching solution to wind friction when it is sprayed through the air.
Surface spraying also induces ice build-up over the pad in freezing weather which in many instances requires complete operation shut-down or a risk of wash-out or blow-out, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the heap leach mining arts. As an alternative to shutting down the operation, the leaching solution and/or the ore itself may be heated, but at substantial cost. The aforementioned wind factor may give rise to an unsafe working environment for the operating and maintenance personnel and also tends to contaminate the surrounding environment (air, ground water, soil) with the highly toxic leaching solution.
Further disadvantages of conventional surface spraying techniques include the formation of surface ponding and run-off, giving rise to serious channeling problems and potential for blow-outs. Ice melt-downs, ponding and other adverse effects, resulting from uneven solution distribution common to surface spraying, will result in pad channeling. The fines washed-down by solution channels form hard pans that eventually divert and internally erode the ore bed and pad. Should these conditions persist, pad blow-out will oftentimes result.
The sprayers used for surface spraying also require constant repair to unplug their spraying heads. Conventional systems of this type are also unusable when the pad is situated over uneven terrain, due to the above-mentioned channeling and pad blow-put problems.

Controlled percolation system and method for heap leach mining


One embodiment is directed towards an RF receiver for receiving a pulse-position modulated signal transmitted with a 1090 MHz ADS-B transmitter, wherein the pulse-position modulated signal is preceded by a preamble of 4 pulses that conform to an ADS-B protocol. The receiver can filter a digital sample stream with a filter matched to pulses in an earlier half of an expected preamble sequence to produce a first matched filter output sample stream. The receiver can also filter the digital sample stream with a filter matched to a pulses in a latter half of the expected preamble sequence to produce a second matched filter output sample stream. The receiver can determine that a sequence of pulses match the expected preamble sequence based on when the first matched filter output sample stream and the second matched filter output sample stream are above a minimum trigger level at the same time.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is an international aviation system recently defined and implemented where aircraft use GPS information to determine their position and broadcast it in short (112 bit) bursts of 120 microseconds duration transmitted at nominal 1 second intervals. The frequency used to transmit the messages, 1090 MHz, is the same frequency used by aircraft transponders to respond to interrogations from ground based surveillance radars or interrogations from airborne collision avoidance systems (TCAS/ACAS). The ADS-B transmissions may be monitored by other aircraft equipped with ADS-B IN receivers or by ground stations within up to 100 NM range to acquire, track, and display the location of other aircraft.

Parallel-frequency partially-coherent reception of pulse-position modulated ADS-B messages


The present invention discloses an anti-ringing switching regulator, comprising a variable resistor, a transistor, and an inductor electrically connected to a common node, in which the variable resistor is electrically connected with an input voltage, the transistor is electrically connected to ground, and the inductor is electrically connected to an output terminal, whereby the input voltage is converted and transmitted to the output terminal according to the resistance variation of the variable resistor and the switching of the transistor.

Typical switching regulators include buck converter, boost converter, buck-boost converter and inverter converter FIG. 1 shows a conventional buck converter, which includes two transistor switches Q1 and Q2 respectively controlled by an up-gate control signal UG and a low-gate control signal LG. The switching of the transistors Q1 and Q2 controls the current amount and direction on the inductor L, so that power is transmitted to the output terminal OUT. The up-gate control signal UG and low-gate control signal LG for example can be PWM (pulse width modulated) or PFM (pulse frequency modulated) signals generated by methods well known to those skilled in this art, according to a feedback signal FB obtained from the output terminal OUT. FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively show a boost type switching regulator 2 and an inverter type switching regulator 3.
Referring to FIG. 1 in conjunction with FIG. 4, for better power conversion efficiency, U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,258 proposes a concept as shown in FIG. 4, in which the transistors Q1 and Q2 are properly controlled so that the Q2 is turned OFF when the direction of the inductor current is about to change from positive to negative. Thus, there is no power loss from the output terminal OUT. As shown in the figure, there is a time period T wherein the transistors Q1 and Q2 are both OFF, which is called the "sleep mode".
However, this prior art has its drawback. When the transistors Q1 and Q2 are both OFF, entering the sleep mode, the actual waveforms of the current IL flowing on the inductor L and the voltage at the node VPH are not ideal. As shown in FIG. 5, when the transistors Q1 and Q2 are both OFF, the current IL and the voltage VPH present ringing waveforms.
In view of the foregoing drawback, the present invention proposes a switching regulator with reduced switching ringing, and a method for controlling the switching regulator to reduce ringing.

Anti-ringing switching regulator and control method therefor


A DC offset cancellation circuit is provided. The DC offset cancellation circuit includes a first operational amplifier and a feedback gain circuit. The first operational amplifier includes a first input transconductance stage, a second input transconductance stage and an output stage. An input terminal of the first input transconductance stage receives an input signal of the first operational amplifier through a first input terminal of the first operational amplifier. An output terminal of the output stage outputs an output signal of the first operational amplifier through an output terminal of the first operational amplifier. An input terminal of the feedback gain circuit is coupled to the output terminal of the first operational amplifier, and an output terminal of the feedback gain circuit is coupled to the input terminal of the second transconductance stage through a second input terminal of the first operational amplifier.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an electronic circuit. Particularly, the invention relates to a direct current (DC) offset cancellation circuit.
2. Related Art
In an operational amplifier of a communication apparatus, when an input signal of a previous stage has a direct current (DC) offset error due to temperature or component mismatch, the error is also amplifier by a gain of the operational amplifier, and such phenomenon probably results in a fact that the operational amplifier enters a saturation mode and cannot achieve a best result. A commonly used method for cancelling the DC offset is to feed back a signal output from an output terminal of the operational amplifier to an input terminal of the operational amplifier, so as to achieve an effect of cancelling the DC offset. However, in the aforementioned method for cancelling the DC offset, since the feedback signal is directly added to the input signal of the operational amplifier, noise in the feedback circuit is also transmitted to the input terminal of the operational amplifier, and a noise figure at the input terminal of the operational amplifier is greatly increased, which increases an interference degree on signal. In order to cancel the DC offset and suppress the noise increase, some other methods have to be used, for example, to decrease an input resistance or increase an input transconductance of the operational amplifier. On the other hand, the above methods for reducing the noises may further increase a design area or power consumption of a chip.