An improved heddle (2), on its end eyelet (7), has a spring means (14) which braces the end eyelet (7) resiliently in at least one direction on a heddle support rail 3. The spring means (14) serves to avoid play between the heddle (2) and the heddle shaft (1). This provision makes it possible to increase the operating speed of power looms.

The invention relates to a heddle of the kind that can be used in particular as a weaving heddle in power looms.
From European Patent Disclosure EP 0874930 B1, a heddle shaft is known, between whose upper and lower crossbeams heddles are fastened. The heddles are kept stationary, spaced apart and parallel to one another. On both ends, they have one end eyelet each, which wraps around a heddle-holding profile section and is thus held by positive engagement. Moreover, each heddle has an eyelet, through which a yarn passes, such as a warp yarn of a power loom. In operation, the heddle shaft is moved back and forth with the heddles in the longitudinal direction of the heddles, and very high accelerations occur. Attempts have therefore been made to firmly clamp the heddles in such a way that the end eyelets have only little play, or none, at the associated profile section. To that end, it has been proposed that an expandable element be disposed on the heddle support profile section, in the form of a hose that can be subjected to fluid and penetrates the end eyelets parallel to the heddle support profile section and clamps firmly in the expanded state.
With this provision, the end eyelets can be fixed without play on the heddle shaft. However, this requires major effort and expense. In particular, the heddle shaft must be set up for this provision, and provisions must be made for securely and tightly enclosing the actuating fluid.
The play-free fixation of the heddles on the heddle shaft opens up the possibility, even at high operating speed and thus at major accelerations of the heddle shaft, of achieving a secure, controlled mode of operation. The effort and expense this involves, as in EP 0874930 B1, however, is relatively high.
From German Patent Disclosure DE 195 48 176, a heddle for a heddle shaft is known, the shape of whose end eyelets is adapted to the heddle support rail; one end eyelet surrounds the heddle support rail without play, and the opposite end eyelet of the heddle surrounds its associated heddle support rail with a play that is adapted to the maximum sagging of the heddle support rail.
Sagging of the heddle support rails is dependent primarily on the power levels of the power looms and increases if these power levels increase. It is thus extremely difficult for the sagging, which definitively determines the play of an end eyelet of the heddle of DE 195 48 176, in advance. Very often, this play can be ascertained, if at all, only in operation of the power loom.
From German Patent Disclosure DE 10035886 and British Patent 1959, a heddle for a heddle shaft is known that has an elastic connecting means between the heddle and its end eyelet. As a result, the heddle becomes more elastic, and subsequently suspending the heddle from the heddle support rail and replacing heddles in the heddle support rail are easier. However, forces of acceleration and braking must be transmitted from the end eyelet to the heddle via the elastic connecting means.
A heddle is also known from German Patent Disclosure DE 29 35 504, with a heddle shaft and with end eyelets that each fit on one end over a respective heddle support rail. The spacing of the inner bearing faces of the end eyelets from one another is greater than the spacing of the two outer edges of the two heddle support rails, so that the heddles are seated with play on the heddle support rails. To compensate for this play, a compression spring is disposed on one end eyelet; it is braced by one end on the end eyelet and by its other end on the heddle support rail. As a result, the compression spring tenses the opposite end eyelet against the heddle support rail.
The known heddles with separate spring elements require considerable production and manufacturing effort and expense. Moreover, their assembly requires not inconsiderable effort.
With this as the point of departure, it is the object of the invention to disclose a simple provision with which the upper limit for the operating speed of a power loom, which limit originates in the heddle shaft, can be increased still further.


A downhole tool containing instruments and a pulser is landed within a string of drill pipe. The pulser has a pulser body and an orifice on a lower end. A piston slides within a bore in the body and has a signal poppet on a lower end. In an extended position, the signal poppet extends into and obstructs the orifice to reduce the flow of drilling fluid. In an open position, the signal poppet does not obstruct the orifice to increase the flow of drilling fluid. A bidirectional solenoid valve is located above the piston and has upper and lower electromagnetic coils and an axially moveable rod. The rod is movable between a closed position in an opening in the body and an open position away from the opening. The rod is moved to both positions in response to the instruments which sends signals to the coils. The mud pulser also has an on/off flow switch which is actuated by the commencement of mud circulation. Initially, the rod is in the closed position. The instruments take various measurements which are communicated through the pulser to the surface in the form of mud pulses. A mud pulse is generated when a coil is energized to move the rod to the open position. This forces the piston and signal poppet into the extended position to restrict mud flow. The rod is moved to the closed position when the other coil is energized. The signal poppet creates pulses which are detected at the surface.

Measurement while drilling (MWD) allows for the surface acquisition of downhole data during drilling, thereby reducing the need for costly and time consuming drill string tripping and logging/survey runs otherwise necessary to acquire downhole data.
In modern MWD systems, information is usually communicated to the surface with downhole pulsers. Pulsers generate surges or pulses in drilling fluid or mud which is flowing through a drill string. The pulses are coded so that they can be sensed or "read" at the surface. In one type of pulser, pulses are created by partially obstructing an orifice in the drill string through which the drilling mud is flowing with a signal poppet. The signal poppet is moved rapidly in and out of the orifice so that a pressure spike may be detected at the surface. Some pulsers require many moving parts and require significant amounts of power which quickly deplete the energy reserves of battery powered tools. An improved pulser is desirable.


A system suitable for collecting and transporting urine away from the body of a person or animal may include an assembly having a fluid impermeable casing, a fluid permeable membrane, and a fluid permeable support. A reservoir is defined by the fluid permeable support. The fluid permeable membrane can define a cavity. The casing can define an opening such that the cavity is accessible via the opening. The assembly can also include an outlet in fluidic communication with the reservoir. The assembly can be arranged such that a user's penis can be disposed through the opening with the urethral opening disposed within the cavity and such that a fluid can flow into the body from the urethral opening of the user's penis, collect in the reservoir, and flow out of the outlet.

The embodiments described herein relate generally to collecting and transporting urine away from the body of a person or animal. In various circumstances, a person or animal may have limited or impaired mobility such that typical urination processes are challenging or impossible. For example, a person may experience or have a disability that impairs mobility. A person may have restricted travel conditions such as those experienced by pilots, drivers, and workers in hazardous areas. Additionally, sometimes urine collection is needed for monitoring purposes or clinical testing.
Urinary catheters, such as a Foley catheter, can be used to address some of these circumstances, such as incontinence. Unfortunately, however, urinary catheters can be uncomfortable, painful, and can lead to complications, such as infections. Additionally, bed pans, which are receptacles used for the toileting of bedridden patients, such as those in a health care facility, are sometimes used. Bed pans, however, can be prone to discomfort, spills, and other hygiene issues.
Males who suffer the most severe consequences of urinary incontinence, such as discomfort, rashes, and sores are typically elderly and often bedbound. They also require continuous assistance to maintain hygiene. Characteristics often found in these patients: they typically lay on their back, the size of the penis often decreases with age, skin rolls containing fat tissue cause the penis to recede, often pointing upward while in a laying position, patients have difficulty reaching the penis and manipulating devices. A urine capture device should be designed with reference to these characteristics.
Available solutions are typically for use while standing up (such as cups and funnels), with a urine discharge port opposite to the distal end of the penis. Other designs such as condom-style catheters are difficult for patients to manipulate, too often they are dimensionally incompatible; and they do not stay on reliably.
Thus, there is a need for a device capable of collecting urine from a person or animal, particularly a male, comfortably and with minimal contamination of the user and/or the surrounding area.

Apparatus and methods for receiving discharged urine


An online shopping system and method is provided in which a mail-order business is performed between a center and a terminal via an online communication system. An answer to a question asked by a customer is provided from minimum necessary answers to questions prepared in a database. The database is searched when the customer asks a question A, and, when an answer A to the question A is present in the database, the answer A is transmitted to the customer via the online communication system. An answer B is prepared when an answer to the question A is not present in the database. The answer B is stored in the database; and the answer B is transmitted to the customer via electronic mail.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an answering method and system for use in online shopping. In particular, the present invention relates to an answering method and system for online shopping, wherein, in the course of using an online mail-order business, a customer inquires of the center (of the online shopping system) about goods which the customer buys or wishes to buy through online shopping.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a traditional case, where goods are introduced to a customer in a traditional way, that is, through a catalog sent via traditional mail (not electronic mail) and so forth, or through other media, without using an online communication system, If the customer has a question about the introduced goods, the customer may directly call a company or the like which handles the goods and inquire thereof about the goods. In such a case, the customer tells the company the trade names, article identification numbers, and so forth, of the goods. Then, the customer may obtain an answer as to how to use the goods, a payment method when buying the goods, and so forth, from a person in the customer service division in the company.
However, in an online mail-order case, goods information is transmitted to a customer from the center (the sales company) via the online communication system. In response thereto, the customer may make an order for an article and transmit this information to the center via the online communication system. Therefore, in such a case, it is not possible to perform direct conversation between the customer and the center (the sales company). A database has been considered for explaining goods and answering possible customer's questions. However, the contents of the customer's questions may vary for each particular customer. Therefore, the database which can answer various possible questions of the customer needs to have a very large amount of data and thus may be inefficient. Further, when assuming all possible customer's questions about the goods and preparing answers thereto, it is not possible that customers actually ask all the assumed possible questions. Therefore, a database may not be an efficient way to prepare all the answers for all the assumed possible customer's questions.

Answering method and system in online shopping


An order generator for a healthcare information system and a corresponding method includes a user interface and a processor. The user interface includes an input device and a display. The input device receives input information related to format and content of an order form for a patient. The display presents the input information and output information related to the order form. The display includes an order template editor window and an order details window. The order template editor window permits a user to generate an order template responsive to receiving the input information. The order details window permits the user to generate the order form responsive to the generating the order template and responsive to receiving the input information. The processor generates the output information responsive to receiving the input information.

Modern healthcare requires the concurrent provision of services by many health-care workers to many patients. In order to accomplish this, healthcare delivery has been organized into specialized departments such as, for example, nursing, laboratory, pharmacy, and radiology departments. Each department has responsibility for accomplishing its particular, often specialized, subset of tasks. Unfortunately, this has resulted in fragmented patient care and sub-optimal healthcare operations. A single healthcare process, such as the ordering and administration of a medication, sometimes requires the participation of multiple health-care workers that may be associated with multiple departments resulting in increased opportunities for error and delay.
Clinical and healthcare information systems have been computerized to help health care workers perform individual tasks. However, most systems typically have limited capability to manage a sequence of the individual tasks involved in healthcare processes. This is particularly true when the processes require the involvement of one or more health-care workers associated with one or more departments.
Some computerized systems include workflow management systems that are designed to manage complex processes, called workflows, which include multiple individual work steps, forming a sequence and schedule of tasks, performed by one or more workers associated with one or more departments. These systems permit customized configuration of the workflows, as well as continuous monitoring and management while the workflows are in progress. Preferably, these systems support configuration of the workflows at a local level where the workers implement the workflows.
Some computerized systems also have a user interface permitting workers to input information, such as via a keyboard or a touch screen, and receive output information, such via a display or recorded format on paper or a recording medium, related to the workflows. Workers use the user interface to perform tasks such as, for example, searching and reporting results, ordering goods and services, documenting clinical and nursing care, and capturing financial or operational data.
Usually, system administrators customize order forms for goods or services (e.g., test, medication, nursing activities, etc.) for a particular healthcare system. Present computerized systems require the administrator to create an order form for each type of or specific service. Typically, an order is hard coded in an order program that requires the services and time of a skilled programmer to make changes to create the customized order forms. Hence, the process for generating the order forms is complex and time consuming which directly affects the order form installation. Further, an end user, such as a doctor, typically needs to open a separate application to update relevant clinical information, such as patient assessment information, rather than being permitted to enter the update directly from an order form, which is time consuming and sometimes confusing.
In light of these and other deficiencies, it would be desirable for computerized systems to permit system administrators themselves to create order forms efficiently, without being a skilled programmer, to streamline the process of installing order forms for a healthcare information system. Preferably, the computerized system would generate the order forms using data stored in a master file. Such data driven order forms would be created as a by-product of performing maintenance of service definitions, thereby reducing installation time. The computerized system would also permit limited changes of the order format by end users, if desired. Further, integration of relevant clinical information (assessment, patient, etc.) on the order form also provides a streamlined order entry flow. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved order generator and corresponding method that would meet these and other desirable features of a healthcare information system.

Order generation system and user interface suitable for the healthcare field


Improved word accuracy of speech recognition can be achieved by providing a scheme for automatically limiting the acceptable word sequences. Speech recognition systems consistent with the present invention include a lexicon database with words and associated lexical properties. The systems receive exemplary clauses containing permissible word combinations for speech recognition, and identify additional lexical properties for selected words in the lexicon database corresponding to words in the received exemplary clauses using lexical property tests of a grammar database. Certain lexical property tests are switchable to a disabled state. To identify the additional lexical properties, the exemplary clauses are parsed with the switchable lexical property tests disabled to produce an index of the lexical properties corresponding to the exemplary clauses. The lexicon database is updated with the identified additional lexical properties by assigning the lexical properties to the corresponding words of the lexicon database. The grammar database is compiled with the lexical property tests enabled and the lexicon database with the assigned lexical properties to produce a grammar that embodies constraints of the lexical property tests and the lexical properties.

A. Related Applications
This application is related to U.S. Ser. No. 08/235,046, entitled "Speech Interpreter With A Unified Grammar Compiler," filed Apr. 29, 1994 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,519, and incorporated herein by reference.
B. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to speech comprehension and, more particularly, to voice-activated command and control systems. The present invention facilitates the process of recognizing speech by automatically eliminating many nonsensical word sequences from consideration.
C. Description of the Related Art
Speech recognition systems generally include two main elements: a speech recognizer and an interpreter. The speech recognizer converts sound input into sequences of words. The interpreter then tries to understand the input by determining the relevant meaning of the words.
To achieve useful recognition rates, conventional speech recognition systems impose constraints other than word lists, such as by specifying a grammar that delineates allowable or acceptable word sequences or by providing statistical likelihoods for word sequences.
Programmers build the grammars by hand or with rule compilers as context-free formalisms determining the acceptable word sequences. Hand-built grammars generally provide fine control over the word sequences recognized, but their construction is difficult and painstaking, even for the relative few who are initiated in the art.
The statistical models, on the other hand, use tables of the probabilities of each word (unigram), each word pair (bigram), and each word triple (trigram). Some researchers have experimented with extending the statistical systems to include n-grams where "n" is higher than 3, but generally they only express the probabilities of adjacent words. Statistical grammars are built automatically by simply running an analysis program over an appropriate collection of the kinds of sentences that one wishes to recognize. A prime example of this technology is the ARPA-funded Wall Street Journal dictation project. In that project researchers train on the text of previously-printed articles from the Wall Street Journal and test them on text read from a later edition of the Journal. Unfortunately, the database of Wall Street Journal text used in these experiments contains approximately 44 million words, and some of the researchers using this database have indicated that their speech recognition systems would work better with a more complete training set.
In the domain of voice-activated command and control systems, one use for a speech recognition system, the utterances to be recognized do not correspond directly to any existing body of text that could be used analogously to the Wall Street Journal text's role in training the dictation recognizers. Traditional statistical modeling requires a huge database of expected utterances. Statistical models do not have any abstraction of the words, so the actual co-occurrence of words is necessary to count the relative frequency of each. This means that any word pair that does not occur in the training data would be assigned the most unlikely bigram probability.
One application for a voice-activated command and control system allows speakers to query the contents of a computerized catalog of products. Such an application requires a grammar that recognizes action words and phrases, such as "can you show me <item>?" or "what <item> do you carry?" in a spoken query, with the speaker supplying a phrase that specifies the item of interest. One over-simplified grammar of such item specification phrases would allow any basic item such as "pants" to be modified by any combination of style family, pattern style, color, size, gender, age, fabric type, fabric style, maker's name, etc. A particular sweater could thus be called "the petite women's medium pink jewel-neck cashmere fine-knit `drifter` sweater." Such an accepting grammar could perform at acceptable levels for extracting the meaning of an input word combination from a written form of the item description.
The perplexity of the grammar produced by the cross-product of all these choices is, however, so large that the word accuracy of the speech recognition becomes uselessly low when such a loosely constrained grammar is used. The speech recognition system would accept phrases that no user would ever utter, for example, "the casual cashmere diaper bag."
If a lexicon contained lexical or word entries for every modifier marked with a feature containing the set of things it could realistically modify, or a set of classes of things, then the grammar could be written to allow only the reasonable or acceptable combinations and to rule out the ridiculous ones that should be omitted. This would in turn reduce the perplexity created by loosely constrained grammars. With a grammar compiler that accepts such restrictions based on features in the lexicon, such a markup seems like a possible solution. The grammar could, for instance, record classes of basic items, noting that, for example, "chinos" and "jeans" are "tough clothing" and then only allow them to be associated with fabrics appropriate for "tough" clothes. This would block "lace chinos" but allow "silk blouse" and "denim jeans." The disadvantage of this approach is that it requires a grammar writer to figure out and record the features that determine allowable modifiers as well as a large amount of detailed work to make the annotations in the lexicon.
Although a loosely constrained grammar permits recognition of unacceptable word sequences, tighter constraints based on exactly the items in the catalog would refuse certain acceptable word sequences. Such a system would not recognize combinations of modifiers and basic items that, while reasonable to the speaker, are not specified exactly in the catalog. For example, if the catalog had "canvas jackets" and "denim jeans" but no "denim jackets," then the speech recognition system with such a restricted grammar built from only catalog item descriptions could not understand the phrase "denim jacket." Presented with those sounds, the system might produce something like the "d'women jacket" pronunciation of "the women['s] jacket," but it could not understand what the user said, i.e., interpret what the user said into a hypothetical catalog item. This would be baffling to a naive user of the system, especially since rephrasing his request to include "a jacket made of denim" would also fail.
There is therefore a need for a speaker-independent speech recognition system for a multitude of command and control applications that uses a flexible grammar to limit acceptable word sequences in a manner that improves word accuracy in the speech recognition process.

Method, apparatus, and product for automatic generation of lexical features for speech recognition systems


Radio communication network software downloading methods wherein terminal unique information pertaining to the downloading transaction is communicated on corresponding dedicated communication channels, for example, download initiation (300), capability exchange (320), digital signature (332) and activation and billing (360) communications, among others. Software content, or data, is transmitted (334) from the network to the plurality of terminals on a shared communication channel. In some applications, the software content includes multiple files multiplexed on the shared communication channel, wherein the content may be adjusted dynamically to optimize spectral efficiency.

The emergence of many new wireless technologies, including Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Java 2 micro-edition programs (J2ME), mobile execution environment (MexE) software, Software Definable Radio (SDR), Terminal Management, among many others, requires over-the-air downloading of terminal software to multiple terminals in wireless communication networks. It will soon be desirable to download software files as large as several Mbytes, and the trend is toward the transfer of even larger files.
The over-the-air downloading of substantial software content in wireless communication networks, however, will likely impose significant burdens on the radio frequency spectrum resources allocated to network operators. In the future, as the code size of terminal software increases, network operators may be compelled to compensate users for software download air-time, for example with free air-time minutes, which is an undesirable cost overhead for the network operators.
The various aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the following Detailed Description with the accompanying drawings, which are described below.

Software content downloading methods in radio communication networks


A button apparatus with dual elastic elements includes a base, a key top located above the base, an elevation mechanism, and a complex elastic unit. The elevation mechanism is used to execute lifting and lowering operation between the base and the key top. The complex elastic unit, positioned between the base and the key top for providing resilience to the button apparatus, further includes a lower elastic element mounted on the base and an upper elastic element mounted under the key top. When the button apparatus is operated, an S-shaped resilience pattern can be provided by the complex elastic unit to generate a two-step punch feeling back to the user. Thereby, controllability of the button apparatus can be enhanced.

The present invention relates to an elastic button apparatus and more particularly to a button apparatus that employs a complex elastic unit to generate a two-step punch for enhancing feedback capability and controllability of the button-pressing operation.
Scissors mechanisms are widely used in power mechanical structures. For instances, in heavy load applications, they are adopted in cranes or vertical elevators. In light-duty applications, the scissors mechanisms are also adopted in the button key structures of notebook computers or the like. FIG. 1 shows typically a button apparatus 1 adopted in notebook computers. The button apparatus 1 includes a base 10, a key top 11, an elevation mechanism 12 consisting of a dual-scissors mechanism for connecting the base 10 and the key top 11, and a rubber 13 located in the elevation mechanism 12 (between the two scissors mechanism). The rubber 13 is used to provide resilience for the button-pressing operation.
In conventional techniques, the button apparatus mentioned above usually have an elastic element (such as the rubber 13) to store potential energy and function as a returning mechanism. Such a type of element generally has a fixed elasticity coefficient. Hence, within the application range of the elastic element, a definite elastic relationship between the resilience and the deformation can be provided (as shown by the pattern I in FIG. 2). However, such a simple relationship between the deformation and the resilience sometimes cannot meet the requirements of actual applications. Hence, in some conventional techniques, in order to support larger loads or change the single resilience pattern, it is a common practice to couple elastic elements of different elasticity in parallel to form a relationship between the deformation and the resilience as the one shown by Pattern II in FIG. 2.
Analysis of the relationship between the deformation and the resilience shown by the pattern II in FIG. 2 indicates that a greater deformation can generate a greater loading support or a greater resilience. Though such an application is usually adopted for heavy-duty apparatus such as cranes, yet it hasn""t been found in light-duty apparatus such as the button apparatus of notebook computers.
As mentioned above, in the light-duty apparatus, the elastic mechanism of the Pattern II has not been adopted. However, in terms of control and manufacturing, the two-step resilience can provide substantial advantages for those light-duty apparatus, especially for the button apparatus of notebook computers. As the button apparatus is by nature to receive the pressing or hitting impact of users. The construction employing the pattern of two-step resilience enables users to get a better punch feeling (i.e. feedback sense). It helps users to get better control during striking operations. Moreover, from the standpoint of the users of the keyboard, they usually place their fingers on the button keys in advance. The construction employing the pattern of two-step resilience enables users to avoid the risk of xe2x80x9cfault-strikingxe2x80x9d.
Nevertheless, to make the button apparatus according to the Pattern II shown in FIG. 2 has two drawbacks. Firstly, the controllability of pressing is not desirable. Secondly, user""s fatigue resulting from hitting the button keys tends to accumulate in an accelerating manner. The poor controllability is caused by a greater force required to apply to the button key for generating a preset deformation (as shown by Pattern II in FIG. 2, in which the resilience increases as the deformation increases). Hence, the control feedback sense of pressing operations by steps is not adequate. The acceleration of user""s fatigue is caused by the greater force required in the operations (comparing Pattern I with Pattern II in FIG. 2) to reach the preset deformation. As pressing operations take place frequently (for instance, for a user to enter 60 Chinese characters per minute, with one Chinese character requiring average four strikes on the button keys, the user has to strike the keyboard 240 times a minute, or 14400 times an hour). Hence, even a small increase of operation force does affect user""s operation continuity, or even result in impact occupational injury.
Therefore, to provide an improved two-step elastic mechanism for small loading button, apparatus such as notebook computers is an important target deserved pursuing.
The primary object of the invention is to provide an elastic button apparatus that employs a complex elastic unit for enabling users to operate with two-step resilience so as to enhance feedback sense and controllability.
The elastic button apparatus of the invention includes a base, a key top, an elevation mechanism and a complex elastic unit. The key top is located above the base. The elevation mechanism is located between the base and the key top for guiding lifting and lowering operations of the key top. The complex elastic unit is located also between the key top and the base to provide resilience to the button apparatus to perform lifting and lowering operations. The complex elastic unit includes a lower elastic element located on the base and an upper elastic element located below the key top. While the elastic button apparatus is lifting or lowering, the complex elastic unit generates an S-shaped resilience pattern through the compression of the upper elastic element and the lower elastic element, in response to the decrease of the spacing between the key top and the base.
In the invention, the elevation mechanism employed in the elastic button apparatus may be a scissors mechanism.
In one embodiment of the invention, the lower elastic element may be a conical rubber with the convex side pointing upwards or a conical metal cape with the convex side pointing upwards.
In one embodiment according to the one set forth above, the upper elastic element corresponding to the lower elastic element may be a pair of repulsive magnets located on a bottom side of the key top and a top end of the lower elastic element, respectively.
In one embodiment according to the one set forth above, the upper elastic element corresponding to the lower elastic element may be a pair of repulsive magnets located on a bottom side of the key top and a bottom end of the lower elastic element, respectively.
In another embodiment according to the one set forth above, the upper elastic element may be a conical rubber with the convex side facing downwards, a conical metal cape with the convex side facing downwards, a compression spring or an elastic element of the like.
In another embodiment of the invention, the upper elastic element may be a conical rubber with the convex side facing downwards or a conical metal cape with the convex side facing downwards.
In one embodiment according to the one set forth above, the lower elastic element corresponding to the upper elastic element may be a pair of repulsive magnets located on the base and a bottom end of the upper elastic element, respectively.
In one embodiment according to the one set forth above, the lower elastic element corresponding to the upper elastic element may be a pair of repulsive magnetic elements located on the base and a top end of a bottom section of the upper elastic element, respectively.
In another embodiment according to the one set forth above, the lower elastic element may be a conical rubber with the convex side facing upwards, a conical metal cape with the convex side facing upwards, a compression spring or an elastic element of the like.
The elastic button apparatus of the invention may be adapted on keyboards or devices with like button structures. For instances, when the elastic button apparatus is directly used on a keyboard, the keyboard includes a base and a plurality of elastic button apparatus located on the base.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Button apparatus with a complex elastic unit


A device for discharging flat objects into a receptacle, especially pieces of mail or letters at the output of a sorting machine in which the letters are routed vertically disposed in pockets and are released above the said device, wherein the device comprises:. a flat main guide surface inclined at an angle relative to the vertical plane and down which the flat object at the output of the pocket falls under gravity, PA0 a deflecting and retaining plate downstream of the main surface, and PA0 a receptacle inclined at an angle relative to the horizontal plane, PA0 the plate being movable from an initial position in which its lower edge is parallel to and close to the base of the lowermost wall of the receptacle, to an end position in which it is near to the uppermost wall of the receptacle.

More particularly, in such a sorting machine, each letter, whose destination has previously been ascertained, is disposed vertically in a pocket. The pockets are routed by a carousel and their bottoms are opened above the appropriate output station to release each letter. At this output station, the letters are stacked flat or are stacked on edge in a movable tray or in a fixed box.
Generally speaking letters are stacked flat in trays such that these output stations are particularly bulky. The trays at the output station have to have dimensions matching the largest size of letters which are handled.
By virtue of the invention, letters are stacked on edge. There is thus a significant saving of space, and for example two box output stations can take the place of one tray output station. Moreover, only the maximum length of letters which are handled has to be taken into account in determining the size of the receptacle receiving sorted letters.
The discharge device should thus receive a letter vertically and so guide it that it reaches the receptacle on its edge, where the letters should be stacked satisfactorily. The guiding should be effected correctly regardless of the rigidity of the letter, which may be a relatively flexible ordinary letter or a relatively rigid brochure, and regardless of the material of the wrapping of the letter, which may be of various kinds, in particular paper or a plastics film.

Device for discharging and stacking flat objects on edge, especially pieces of mail at the output of a sorting machine

Compagnie Generale D'Automatisme CGA-HBS


A system, method, and electronic device for compensating in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) mismatch (IQMM) are herein disclosed. The system includes an IQ mismatch compensator (IQMC) configured to compensate for IQMM between a time-domain I signal and a time-domain Q signal using filter weight coefficients, and output a compensated I signal and a compensated Q signal, a fast Fourier transformation (FFT) circuit configured to perform an FFT on the compensated I signal and the compensated Q signal to a frequency-domain compensated signal, and a coefficient updater configured to update the filter weight coefficients based on a frequency-domain observation of the frequency-domain compensated signal.

The imbalance between in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) branches of down-conversion receivers creates interference between the mirror frequencies after down-conversion to the baseband. The IQ mismatch (IQMM) caused by non-ideal characteristics of I and Q paths degrades the system performance by reducing the effective signal to interference ratio. Hence, IQ mismatch compensation (IQMC) is crucial for the design of wideband systems with quadrature down-conversion architecture.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Time-domain IQ mismatch compensator with frequency-domain observations


A website interface system for a vehicle includes a vehicle with a first camera. A remote device includes a first display and a first microphone. A vehicle website provider communicates with, and establishes a communications interface between, the vehicle and the remote device. The remote device controls a position of the first camera and the first display displays an image from the first camera. A user of the remote device uses the first microphone to communicate with an occupant of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a second microphone that the occupant uses to communicate with the user. The vehicle includes a second display and the remote device includes a second camera. The second display displays an image from the second camera. The remote device controls a loudspeaker that is located on an exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a controller that stores an image from the first camera.

Wireless communications services for vehicles are becoming increasingly popular. Service providers conventionally offer services that include mobile phone service, e-mail access, real-time driving directions, and remote door access. For example, a driver may accidentally lock a key inside of a vehicle. Some vehicle manufacturers provide an anti-lockout system that disables door locks when a key is left in an ignition of the vehicle and a driver's side door is open. However, the anti-lockout system provides no assistance when the key is left inside of the vehicle but not in the ignition.
A driver may call for roadside assistance to have the doors unlocked by a mechanic. However, the driver may have to wait a long time for roadside assistance to arrive and the service may be costly and/or risk damage to the vehicle. In one approach, a wireless communications service provider remotely unlocks the vehicle. This service typically requires the driver to have access to a telephone and also to speak to a service representative.
Some vehicle manufacturers also provide remote starting systems that allow a driver to start an engine of the vehicle while the driver is located outside of the vehicle. The driver typically starts the engine by pressing a button on a key fob that has a built-in transmitter. However, the transmitter has a limited range and the driver must be within a specified range of the vehicle for the remote starting system to work. For example, the driver may not be able to operate the remote starting system from within a building.
Even if the driver is within the specified range of the vehicle, the driver may have no indication that the remote starting system works unless the driver has visual contact with the vehicle. In one approach, vehicle manufacturers provide key fobs with increased range and and/or engine status feedback. However, these systems are very expensive.
Drivers also commonly leave vehicles unattended for extended periods of time. For example, a driver may leave a vehicle at home or in long-term parking at an airport or another location while the driver is on vacation. The driver either leaves the vehicle completely unattended or relies on other people such as employees of a parking lot to make sure that the vehicle is secure. During this time, vehicles are particularly susceptible to theft and/or damage.
In one approach for reducing theft, a wireless communications service provider locates a missing vehicle when the vehicle includes a global positioning system. However, a wireless communications service provider must typically be informed that a vehicle is missing before it attempts to locate the vehicle and it cannot detect when the vehicle is damaged.

Vehicle website audio/video communication link


A connector for being attached to a power-supply unit including a switching element and for mating with a mating connector of a wire harness, the connector including a connecting terminal including an end portion connected to an output terminal in a casing of the power-supply unit, a housing fixed to the casing and enclosing at least a portion of the connecting terminal, a current sensor enclosed in the housing so as to detect a magnetic field generated by an electric current flowing through the connecting terminal, and a signal line for transmitting an output signal of the current sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector to be provided on a power-supply unit having switching elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some of conventional power-supply units, such as inverter device, having switching elements are provided with a sensor for detecting an output electric current. In an inverter device disclosed in JP-A-2010-239811, plural current sensors are housed in a case of the device and a motor is feedback-controlled according to current values detected by the plural current sensors.
Meanwhile, a connectorized cable has been proposed, which allows a current sensor to be provided separately from an inverter device and thus the inverter device to be downsized. A connectorized cable disclosed in JP-A-2013-105714 has a connector having bus bars to be connected to output terminals of an inverter device, plural cables connected to the inverter device via the connector and plural current sensors for detecting currents flowing through the plural cables, and the plural current sensors are arranged in the connector. Output signals of the current sensors are output to the inverter device via a harness.
Furthermore, one of known connection structures to connect an inverter device to a wire harness is disclosed in JP-A-2012-212679. In the structure disclosed in JP-A-2012-212679, a male connector is provided on the inverter device and a female connector of the wire harness is fitted to the male connector. The mating type connection structure allows the wire harness to be easily attached to or detached from the inverter device.

Connector for power-supply unit with a signal line


A method for tracking a location of a transmitter with a computer system, the computer system coupled to a vector database includes the steps of determining the location of the transmitter, displaying a rasterized representation of a geographic area on a display, in response to the location of the transmitter, determining an icon associated with the transmitter, displaying the icon on the rasterized representation on the display, in response to the location of the transmitter, and outputting vector data in response to the location of the transmitter.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for fleet management. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for graphically tracking the location and status of mobile transmitter units.
In the fleet management business, knowledge of the status and location of a fleet of vehicles, carrying mobile transmitter units, is a powerful tool for a fleet manager and fleet drivers. By quickly being able to determine the location of the fleet, the fleet manager is able to make informed and efficient time critical decisions, and fleet drivers are able to efficiently determine their position.
Various navigational systems, including the LORAN system, the Global Positioning System (GPS), and others, have been used to determine the locations of vehicles in the fleet, typically in terms of longitude and latitude. By installing mobile navigational systems and mobile transmitter units into such vehicles, fleet drivers are able to determine their position within a geographic area and the fleet manager is able to receive updated positions of fleet vehicles.
Typical fleet management systems have required the fleet manager to "manage" information between multiple computers and display screens. For example, on a first computer, fleet management software provides the fleet manager with information regarding types of vehicles in the fleet, cargo, drivers, and jobs assigned to the vehicles, the job schedule etc. Next, on a second computer, mapping software provides the fleet manager with a graphic representation illustrating the geographic position of the fleet vehicles. Such a scenario is sufficient for the fleet manager if minor changes, modifications, etc. are needed for the fleet throughout the day, however this is not the typical case. In a more typical situation, the fleet manager has to contend with scheduling changes due to broken-down vehicles, traffic jams, rush jobs, cancellations, etc. Because of these changes, the fleet manager must constantly refer back-and-forth between screens in order to dynamically manage the fleet, for example re-assigning jobs, re-routing vehicles, adding jobs, etc.
FIG. 1 illustrates one of the first fleet management systems that provided enhanced graphical displays to the fleet manager. FIG. 1 includes a fleet management system 10 including a mobile position block 20, a display system 30, and a fleet mobile data suite 40. Display system 30 includes a raster database 50, a raster utility library 60, a vector database 70, a vector utility library 80, a mobile information data process (MID) 90, a Fleet Process 100, and a display 110.
In operation, positional information is first obtained from fleet mobile data suite 40. Typically fleet mobile data suite 40 includes a plurality of fleet vehicles, each including a navigational system, described above, in addition to a radio transceiver for sending (and receiving) data to mobile position block 20. In response to the data, mobile position block 20 processes the data, identifies the vehicles corresponding to the data, and passes the data to display system 30.
Upon receipt of the data from mobile position block 20, MID process 90 uses vector utility library 80 to access vector data from vector database 70. Fleet process 100 receives the data from mobile position block 20 and uses raster utility library 60 to retrieve an image of a map from raster database 50. Fleet process 100 also receives the data from MID process 90, and then displays the map and the vector information of display 110.
FIG. 2 illustrates a typical output display produced by one embodiment of the system in FIG. 1. The image 130 is typically displayed on a raster-scan display screen and can include a map portion 140 and a vector data portion 150. Map portion 140 includes an image of a geographical area, typically from the raster database or alternatively the vector database, and includes a number of icons 160 representing vehicle location. Vector data portion 150 includes data from the vector data base including present street location of the vehicle, closest-cross section streets, destination information, etc. As illustrated, vector data portion 150 also includes information regarding the operator, type of vehicle, status, etc. of vehicle in text form.
Map portion 140 and vector data portion 150 may be simultaneously displayed, may be alternatively displayed, may be displayed in different computer windows on the display, etc. Further information regarding the system in FIG. 1 can be found in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/443,062, filed May 17, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,122, issued Jun. 3, 1997 described above.
Further improvements to fleet management apparatus and methods providing enhanced graphical feedback of the status of a fleet, to a fleet manager and to fleet drivers will enhance efficiency.


A motor control having mechanical switching and pressure reponsive components for connecting and intercepting a circuit between an A.C. source and an A.C. motor in response to pressure changes in a pressure system. The control includes a microcomputer chip and components that detect a voltage across the motor and a current through the motor and provide signals indicative of the level of the motor voltage and current. The control in response to the signals determines the power factor of the current and in response to the detected signals protects the motor from operating malfunctions when the voltage is too high or low, the current is too high or too low, the time of operation of the motor is too long or too short and in response to the character of the malfunction provides a visual coded lamp indication of the cause of the malfunction.

Fluid pressure responsive swithches are well known and have long been used to control the energization of electric motors driving submersible pumps that deliver fluids under pressure from a well to a receiving tank during periods when the fluid pressure within the tank is lower than a preset pressure. An example of a control of this type is disclosed in an exprired U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,741,678, 3,340,372. While controls incorporating features of these patents are presently extensively used, in certain pumping installations pump motors may be unprotected against damage which results when the recovery rate of the well from which the fluid is pumped is less than the rate at which the fluid is removed from the well. A pressure switch as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,480 is intended to prevent motor damage under low water pumping conditions by permitting the motor to be energized as long as the well conditions permit the pump to maintain the fluid pressure of the system within a preset pressure range. The switch operates to prevent pump motor operation when the fluid level in the well is below the level which will permit the pump to maintain the desired system pressure. A further improvement in pressure switches for submersible pump motors appears in a U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,308, which discloses an arrangement for providing an indicating light in a cover of a fluid pressure switch. Pressure switches of the type included in the '308 patent are particularly suited for use in pumping systems where it is desirable to visually indicate periods when the pump motor is energized.

Mechanically operated pressure switch having solid state components


Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to a wireless network interface supporting directional antenna diversity. Directional diversity, in one embodiment, makes use of antennas with higher gain and non-overlapping patterns to provide communication over a greater area and select the best antenna to receive signals transmitting wireless frames or packets. Certain embodiments optimize wireless network systems using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) signals where spatial diversity protection provided by spatially-separated, omni-directional antennas is not required. In other embodiments, use and selection of directional antennas allows for sectorization resulting in performance gains such as extended coverage areas, noise reduction, enhanced efficiency, and increased throughput.

A wireless Local Area Network is a wireless communication system with radios having relatively high throughput and short coverage ranges. Many wireless LANs are based on iterations of the IEEE 802.11 standard. Radio signals passing between a transmitter and a receiver in an indoor environment are reflected from many surfaces of objects in that environment. This results in the radio signal following many different paths between the transmitter and receiver. This phenomenon is called "multipath."
When the coherence bandwidth of the RF channel is on the same order as the signal bandwidth of the signal, multipath in a radio system using most narrow-band or spread spectrum communication techniques results in interference at the receiver that must be addressed. This interference is a result of the radio receiver performing a vector addition of all the signals received from all of the various paths they follow between the transmitter and receiver. This vector addition can result in a very weak resultant signal (destructive interference) or a strong resultant signal (constructive interference).
Whether the resultant signal detected at the receiver is affected by destructive or constructive interference is a function of the relative positions of the transmitter, receiver, and all other objects that reflect the radio signal along paths between the transmitter and receiver. Because the spatial relationship between all these objects is the determining factor in the result of the vector addition of the received signals, moving the transmitter or receiver by a small amount (on the order of a wave length) will have a significant effect on the resultant signal.
For modulation methods based on modulating a single carrier, spatial diversity takes advantage of this characteristic (i.e., that moving one antenna a small distance can have a great effect on the resultant received signal), by separating two or more antennae by a wavelength or more and sampling the received signal at each antenna, before choosing one of the antennae to be used for reception. This spatial diversity technique uses antennae with patterns (coverage areas) that are typically similar and overlapping. If the patterns did not overlap, the effect of using the antennae for spatial diversity would be reduced. Recently, techniques other than single carrier modulation have been used for radio WLAN communication. Specifically, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) has been utilized. OFDM is a broad-band communication mechanism that addresses the multipath issue in the design of the modulated signal itself. Therefore, spatial diversity has diminished utility with this type of radio signal.
Despite the use of OFDM, the need remains for further optimizing signal reception between transmitters and receivers. For example, a need in the art exists for increasing the coverage area of the radios associated with access points to enable reductions in the number of access points required to adequately implement a wireless network environment. A need also exists for maintaining user performance, network efficiency, and data throughput under increased user load in a wireless network environment. Embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill these needs.

Non-overlapping antenna pattern diversity in wireless network environments


An apparatus for collecting blood clots, plaque, and other debris in arteries or veins, said apparatus comprising: a filter assembly having a chamber with a paddle assembly and a porous floor disposed therein; and tubes for coupling said filter assembly to an artery and to a vein.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for collecting blood clots, pieces of plaque and other material that may be accidentally dislodged during interventional procedures in the human vasculature such as arterial and venous angioplasty and stent placement. The invention utilizes a chamber that collects the blood from one sheath or catheter through an aspirating force where the blood can be filtered with removal of thromboembolic debris. The blood can then be recirculated back into the bloodstream through a second access.
2. Background Information
It is common practice today to open occluded (i.e. blocked) or stenotic (i.e. narrowed) blood vessels by inserting a guidewire and then a catheter carrying a balloon shaped distal end and inflating the balloon, which exerts radial force, to press the stenosis outward against the wall of the vessel. This procedure is called balloon angioplasty. Frequently, an implantable metallic stent will be used additionally to provide greater radial strength and longer-term patency.
In order to help deliver the balloon catheters and the stent devices, special guiding catheters or sheaths are used. These guide catheters or sheaths are placed away (or upstream) from the targeted lesion. A guidewire will be advanced past the lesion, allowing the subsequent balloon catheters and stents to be advanced through the guiding catheter or sheath to the target lesion.
During balloon angioplasty and stent placement of the stenotic lesion, there is the risk of dislodging fragments of plaque, thrombus (blood clots) or other material. If the lesion involves arterial circulation, then the particles could flow into smaller vessels in the brain, other organs or extremities resulting in disastrous complications. Likewise, if the lesions involve the venous circulation, then the thromboemboli could flow into the heart and lung possibly resulting in the demise of the patient.
It is the primary purpose of the present invention to provide such a protection. The device can be easily and remotely attached to catheters and sheaths ends. By initiating the device, slow and continuous aspiration will started. Blood will be drawn from the one vessel, filtered and then recirculated into the other vessel. This will allow effective trapping and removal of thromboembolic material.
The device could be attached to the proximal end of special guiding catheters that have a soft occluding balloon used to occlude flow into the vessel. Distal protection could also be provided by the insertion of a small balloon catheter in important branch vessels or past the lesion. Likewise, it can be attached to regular sheath or guiding catheter and provide needed aspiration during key parts of the case.
Benefits of the current invention include low speed rotating paddles or wheels which minimize trauma to individual blood cells which otherwise leads to hemolysis and potential problems such as rhabdomyolysis. Also, since it is a closed loop, there will be little if any blood loss.
The invention will have tremendous benefit in such procedures as carotid artery angioplasty and stent placement, where the incoming loop is attached to the guiding catheter or sheath in the artery and the outgoing system is attached to the venous sheath.
The invention will also have benefit in any procedure with the risk of thromboembolic debris such as other peripheral interventions as well as venous cases.

Method and apparatus for medical device for aspiration of thromboemobolic debris


A support stand device for a rebar bender featuring a base with a rebar bender mount; three leg mounts disposed in the base in a symmetrical configuration, three legs removably engagable in the leg mounts; securing means for securing the legs in the respective leg mounts; spike shafts disposed near the bottom ends of each leg; a spike slidably disposed in each spike shaft, the spikes can slide between at least a down position wherein the spike is extended downwardly toward and optionally into a ground surface and an up position wherein the spike is pulled upwardly in the spike shaft and out of the ground surface; securing means for securing the spikes in a position; and striking blocks disposed on the top end of each spike.

Rebar is a type of bar used to reinforce concrete. Manipulating (e.g., bending) of rebar can be physically difficult and requires a rebar bending device. The present invention features a support stand device for a rebar bender, allowing the rebar bender to be stabilized and secured. The support stand device of the present invention also allows for increased portability of rebar benders. The present invention is not limited to use with rebar benders.
Any feature or combination of features described herein are included within the scope of the present invention provided that the features included in any such combination are not mutually inconsistent as will be apparent from the context, this specification, and the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art. Additional advantages and aspects of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description and claims.


A communications system for an alarm panel including: an alarm panel adaptor in operable communication with the alarm panel generating analog alarm signals; a first powerline communications device in operable communication with a the alarm panel adaptor converting the analog alarm signals to powerline alarm signals; a second powerline communications device receiving the powerline alarm signals over an electrical grid and converting the powerline alarm signals to internet protocol alarm signals; and a broadband connection in operable communication with the second powerline communications device for transmitting the internet protocol alarm signals to a remote central control station.

The security monitoring and alarm industry is well established in their practices of monitoring buildings in residential, commercial and industrial settings. They use wireline and wireless systems in which a plurality of sensors, cameras and audio monitors communicate over bi-directional links to an alarm panel, which itself communicates to a remote central control station, or monitoring service, via a wireless or wireline channel. The sensors, cameras and audio monitors are deployed in specific regions called zones that they monitor. There may be a one to many relationship between the cameras or audio monitors and the sensors. These sensors come in many varieties, such as motion, vibration, smoke or heat detectors. The wireline link is typically twisted pair copper wire or coaxial cable; the wireless link is in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz range. The alarm panel communicates with a remote central control station using methods such as wireless and cellular links, traditional Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
For both professional and private security systems the exclusive use of wireless networks and PSTN have limitations. In the case of wireless networks the user may be out of range of the serviceable area, but chances are there would still be Internet or PSTN access. Using the PSTN may result in expensive long distance charges if the call placed by the security system is out of the local toll area. Routing the call across the Internet backbone can save significantly on the cost of the call. When the security system notifies a monitoring service, the use of the PSTN for alarm delivery has a significant infrastructure cost associated with it. If the call center for a monitoring service is servicing a large client base, there will be excessive infrastructure cost associated with renting high-speed digital PSTN connections, like T1/E1 or T3/E3. Further costs include a PBX, wiring, BIX wiring cabinet and from time to time restructuring costs. A call center enabled to receive IP communications can significantly reduce this cost by employing IP phones, an Ethernet hub, a single LAN and high-speed Internet connections. As an example, a single 640 kbps DSL or Cable modem connection can theoretically handle up to 10 simultaneous VoIP calls on a single twisted pair wire. In fact, it is common to find DSL and Cable modems that have a down stream data rate of between 6-7 Mbps. This translates into a single modem at a call center handling up to 100 VoIP calls.
In current systems a new alarm panel capable of communication across a broadband connection is required because existing alarm panels have been designed for analog communications. While the saving for the monitoring service in switching to IP is great, the cost of installing new alarm panels at monitored sites is prohibitive.

Systems and devices for broadband communication with an alarm panel

AT&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc.


An article of footwear includes a sole structure including a polymeric bladder element enclosing a fluid-filled interior cavity. The bladder element has a surface with a groove that extends generally parallel with a transverse edge from a lateral side to a medial side, and has a reduced thickness at the groove. A first length along a longitudinal midline of the bladder element from a longitudinal extremity of the bladder element to the groove corresponds with a first footwear size, and a second length along the longitudinal midline of the bladder element from the longitudinal extremity to the transverse edge corresponds with a second footwear size larger than the first footwear size. The sole structure is used in a method of manufacturing an article of footwear.

To ensure a proper fit, footwear is typically offered in a range of sizes with relatively small increments between sizes. The footwear typically includes an upper, and a sole structure underlying the upper. Both the sole structure and the upper are manufactured according to a specific size. The need for separate tooling for each size increases production costs. The logistics and floor space required for producing and stocking different sizes of these subcomponents of the article of footwear can increase production costs.

Article of footwear and method of manufacturing an article of footwear


A power supply apparatus driving and controlling motor generators (MG1, MG2) includes a battery (10) generating an input voltage (Vb), a converter (110) converting the input voltage into a motor operating voltage (Vm) according to a voltage command value (Vmr), a smoothing capacitor (120) holding the motor operating voltage, inverters (131, 132) receiving the motor operating voltage and driving and controlling the motor generators (MG1, MG2) according to a torque command value (Tref), and a control unit (15) generating the voltage command value and the torque command value. When the motor generators (MG1, MG2) operate in the power running mode, the control unit (15) operates to make the torque command value smaller than an original required torque as necessary so as to allow the sum of electric power (Pm) consumed by the motors and an amount of change (Pc) in stored electric power of the smoothing capacitor (120) caused as the motor operating voltage increases not to exceed an output electric power limiting value (Pcvlm) of the converter (110).

Hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles including, in a drive apparatus thereof, an electric motor which transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy have recently been of great interest as environment-friendly vehicles. The hybrid electric vehicles are now partially commercialized. Some types of hybrid electric vehicles employ a structure having a power supply apparatus driving and controlling a motor, the apparatus being provided with the ability of converting the level of a DC voltage input thereto for allowing a voltage applied for driving the motor (hereinafter referred to as "motor operating voltage") to be adjustable according to operating conditions (e.g. number of revolutions, torque) of the motor, in order to highly efficiently drive the motor. In particular, the power supply apparatus is provided with a voltage step-up ability to make the motor operating voltage higher than the input DC voltage. Thus, a battery serving as a DC voltage source is reduced in size and the increased voltage allows the power loss to reduce, making it possible to improve efficiency of the motor.
For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-244801 discloses a structure of driving and controlling an AC (alternating current) electric motor for driving wheels. In this structure, a DC voltage from a battery comprised of secondary cells is increased by means of a voltage step-up converter to generate a motor operating voltage, and the motor operating voltage is converted into an AC voltage by means of an inverter. With this structure, the voltage step-up ratio of the voltage step-up converter is set according to conditions of the motor and thus the motor can be operated highly efficiently.
For the aforementioned structure, however, a smoothing capacitor for stabilizing the motor operating voltage has to be provided on the output side of the converter which converts the level of the input voltage, as taught in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-244801. Thus, when the motor operating voltage is changed according to operating conditions of the motor, the voltage held by the smoothing capacitor changes to cause stored electric power (P=C·V2/2) thereof to change.
Accordingly, when the motor operates under power running mode to convert electrical energy supplied thereto into mechanical energy (hereinafter referred to as "power running mode") and an instruction to increase the motor operating voltage is issued according to increase in number of revolutions and torque of the motor, the stored electric power of the smoothing capacitor is accordingly increased. In the process of the increase in stored electric power of the smoothing capacitor, the converter supplies not only electric power to be consumed by the motor but also the electric power corresponding to the increase in stored electric power of the smoothing capacitor. Consequently, a situation where the converter outputs excessive electric power could be caused.
In particular, when the battery serving as the input voltage source has its power supply ability higher than the capacity of a switching device that constitutes the converter and thus the output electric power of the converter is limited by the capacity (electric current capacity) of the switching device, the switching device could be broken under the aforementioned situation, resulting in a failure in hardware.
On the contrary, when the motor operates under regenerative braking control to convert mechanical braking energy into electrical energy (hereinafter referred to as "regenerative mode") and thereby supply the regenerative electric power from the motor to the battery and the motor operating voltage is decreased according to decreases in number of revolutions and torque of the motor, the regenerative electric power from the motor as well as electric power corresponding to the decrease in stored electric power of the smoothing capacitor are provided to the converter. Consequently, electric current passing through the switching device constituting the converter increases and the aforementioned situation could also be caused.

Power supply apparatus, motor drive control method using the same and motor vehicle having the same mounted thereon


A high efficiency laser diode that has a narrow beam divergence in a direction perpendicular with respect to the substrate, and a low threshold current.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to laser diodes, and more particularly to laser diodes having a narrow beam divergence and improved coupling efficiency with an optical system comprised of optical fibers, lenses and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years optical communication technology and optical information processing are playing major roles in various fields. Digital optical communication using optical fibers has made possible large increases in data communication densities, and optical disks and laser printers have produced a considerable expansion of the range of optical information processing applications. The progress of optical communications and optical information processing technology owes much to advances made in the laser diodes used as light sources. The small size and high efficiency that are features of laser diodes have brought these devices into widespread use, for example as light sources for compact disk systems, video disk systems and optical communication networks. In a laser diode the lasing action is generated by the injection of carriers into the P-N junction constituting the active layer. Recent advances in semiconductor technology such as MBE (molecular beam epitaxy) and MOCVD (metal-organic chemical vapor deposition) that make it possible to form epitaxial layers as thin as 1 nm or less, have led to the realization of laser diodes that use quantum well active layers less than 20 nm thick, with higher levels of efficiency and lower drive current requirements (see W. T. Tsang in "Semiconductors and Semimetals," vol. 24, pp 397, Ed. R. Dingle, Academic Press, San Diego (1987)).
Compared to gas lasers or ordinary solidstate lasers, the major feature of laser diodes is their small size and high efficiency. However, when incorporated into an actual system the laser beam has to be coupled with some form of optical system. Viewed from the system side the problem concerns the overall characteristics of the laser diode, including the coupling characteristics relative to the optical system. In general it is difficult to achieve high coupling efficiency owing to the beam having a wide beam divergence of 30 degrees or more and, rather than being isotropic, having a spatial asymmetry of 1:2 to 1:3 or more. Especially in recent years, when used as excitation sources for optical fiber amplifiers in communication systems or to excite solid-state lasers, high optical-coupling efficiency into a small region is becoming increasingly important. Also, in such applications as these in which high output power is required, a low coupling efficiency has to be offset by raising the optical output power of the laser diode accordingly, which lowers the reliability of the laser diode and, therefore, the reliability of the whole system.
The structure of prior laser diodes is a multilayer arrangement of semiconductor material formed by epitaxially growing the operating layers, including an optical waveguide layer structure, on a substrate. Such a structure results in a large variation in the index of refraction along a direction perpendicular to the substrate which, with the different layers, produces a strong optical confinement effect, so that when the light spot diameter is 1 .mu.m or less, diffraction gives rise to a large beam divergence angle of 20 to 30 degrees or more. In contrast, in a direction parallel to the substrate, in nearly all cases other than buried structures, the optical confinement is the result of the equivalent of changes in the index of refraction based on the differences in propagation constant produced by changes in the thickness of the layers, and as such the confinement effect is weak. Moreover, the waveguide structure is fabricated mainly using a photolithographic fabrication process that produces a waveguide width in the order of 2 to 5 .mu.m, and as a result the spot diameter increases to about the same size and, also, the weak diffraction causes a narrowing of the beam divergence angle to around 10 degrees or less. (See L. Figueroa in "Handbook of Microwave and Optical Components," vol. 3, Optical Components, pp 246-252, edited by K. Chang, Wiley-Interscience Publications, New York (1990)).
In order to improve the coupling efficiency between the diode and the optical system, first it is important to reduce the beam divergence along the direction perpendicular to the substrate. Generally this is done by reducing the thickness of the layers adjacent to the active region that have a high index of refraction, causing the light to penetrate into the low-refractive-index cladding regions around the beam and increasing the diameter of the light spot. However, the result of this is that the quantity of photons confined in the active layer is reduced by the amount by which the beam size is increased, thereby reducing the confinement factor and increasing the threshold current needed for oscillation to take place. In particular, in the case of quantum well active layer decrease in the confinement factor caused by the rapid saturation of the gain that accompanies an increase in injection carriers produces a considerable increase in the threshold current. While there is a method of compensating for this gain saturation by optimizing the number of quantum wells at around two or three, the threshold current increases with the increase in the number of quantum wells.
To overcome the drawbacks of the laser diodes described above, a laser diode has been proposed in which the cladding is a multilayer structure having a periodic refractive index differential (see M. C. Wu, et al., Applied Physics Letters, vol. 59, page 1046 (1991)). This PINSCH (for Periodic Index Separate Confinement Heterostructure) laser uses the same principle as a .lambda./4 shift DFB laser to prevent high-order mode oscillation from taking place even when there is an increase in beam diameter in the perpendicular direction. However, the drawback of this structure is that fabricating each of the layers making up the periodic index cladding structure requires highprecision control of layer composition and thickness, and in addition there has to be a gradual change in layer composition at the interfaces between layers in order to suppress increases in electrical resistance that can give rise to energy barriers in the multilayer structure. Another method involves reducing beam divergence by the addition to the waveguide region of layers having a lower refractive index (see T. M. Cockerill et al., Applied Physics Letters, vol. 59, page 2694 (1991)).
However, tests on beam divergence in the perpendicular direction produced a full-width at half maximum of 27 degrees and a threshold current density of 309 A/cm.sup.2 (with a resonator length of 780 .mu.m), inferior to an ordinary quantum well laser beam divergence angle of 35 degrees and threshold current density of 200 A/cm.sup.2. With this method, also, as the width of the diffracted far-field image pattern is reduced by raising the base of the optical waveguide mode, the intensity of the light confined in the cladding layers decays slowly, so that unless the cladding layers are quite thick, 2 or 3 .mu.m or more, the result, with the further absorption of the light by the buffer and cap layers beyond the cladding layers, is a large coupling loss. Moreover, the deep etching that has to be used when the active layer is overlaid with thick layers makes it difficult to fabricate lasers with graded-index and other types of waveguide structures.


An internal voltage generator when activated, generates an internal voltage to be supplied to an internal circuit. Operating the internal voltage generator consumes a predetermined amount of the power. In response to a control signal from the exterior, an entry circuit inactivates the internal voltage generator. When the internal voltage generator is inactivated, the internal voltage is not generated, thereby reducing the power consumption. By the control signal from the exterior, therefore, a chip can easily enter a low power consumption mode. The internal voltage generator is exemplified by a booster for generating the boost voltage of a word line connected with memory cells, a substrate voltage generator for generating a substrate voltage, or a precharging voltage generator for generating the precharging voltage of bit lines to be connected with the memory cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device having a low power consumption mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the cellular phone has been given not only a function to have a vocal communication but also a function to transmit character-string data or image data. Moreover, the cellular phone has been expected in the future to become a kind of information terminal (for example, a portable type personal computer) as the internet services are diversified. Thus, the information volume of data to be handled by the cellular phone has been drastically increasing. Conventionally, the cellular phone has employed as its work memory SRAMs having a memory capacity of about 4 Mbit. The work memory is a memory for retaining the necessary data during the operation of the cellular phone. It is obvious that the memory capacity of the work memory will be short in the future.
On the other hand, the transmission speed of the cellular phone has been heightening. The smaller the cellular phone becomes, the smaller the battery to be mounted becomes. Therefore, the work memory to be employed in the cellular phone is required to have a high speed, low power consumption and a large capacity. In the cellular phone serious price competitions, it is necessary to make the costs for parts as low as possible. Therefore, the work memory has to be at low price.
The conventional SRAMs as employed in the work memory are higher per bit in cost than DRAMs. The production number of SRAMs is smaller than that of the DRAMs so that it is difficult to lower its price. Moreover, there have never been developed SRAMs having a large memory capacity (for example, 64 Mbit).
In this situation, it has been considered to replace the SRAMs by flash memories and DRAMs in the work memory of the cellular phone.
The flash memory has a power consumption as low as several μW during a standby state but requires several μs to several tens μs for writing data. When the flash memory is employed as the work memory of the cellular phone, therefore, it is difficult to transmit/receive massive data at high speed. The flash memory performs the write operation at the unit of a sector so that it is not suitable for rewriting bit by bit image data such as the data of a moving image.
On the contrary, the DRAMs can execute both the read operation and the write operation within several tens ns and can process the data of the moving image easily. The power consumption during the standby state is higher than that of the flash memories. In the present DRAMs, the power consumption in the standby state is about 1 mW during a self-refresh mode for retaining written data and about 300 μW during a standby mode not required for retaining written data.
If the power consumption during the standby mode could be reduced to that of the flash memories, the DRAMs could be employed as the work memory of the cellular phone, but such circuit technology has never been proposed.
The power consumption of the DRAMs can be reduced to zero by stopping the power supply to the DRAMs. However, since the address terminals, the data terminals and the like of the DRAMs are connected with the terminals of other electronic parts through the wiring patterns on a circuit board, it is required to drastically change the system of the cellular phone (the pattern change of the circuit board, re-layout and so on) for the termination of the power supply to the DRAMs.
Besides, there has not been proposed a technology which realizes exit from the standby mode without the malfunction of an internal circuit after the power supply is terminated to stop the operation of the internal circuit during the standby mode.
Where the internal voltage to be used in the internal circuit is generated inside of the device, it has to be quickly returned to a predetermined voltage when a release is made from a standby mode (a low power consumption mode). However, this technique has never been proposed.

Semiconductor memory device, and method of controlling the same


A flexible telescoping antenna is constructed of plastic tubular sections telescoping between an end section and a compact antenna. Conducting inserts are provided within the tubular sections and enable electrical contact at any extraction interval of the antenna. The antenna utilizing plastic telescoping sections allows maximum mechanical deflection and thereby resists breakage while providing optimum electrical performance.

The present invention relates to mobile phones and like communication devices and, in particular, to a flexible telescoping antenna for such devices and a method of manufacturing the same.
With mobile communication devices and the like, a large antenna improves radiation performance. Many hand-held transceivers incorporate retracting antennas wherein increased performance can be obtained by extending the antenna to its maximum elongation. In this regard, when the increased performance is not required, the antenna may be retracted into a stowed position that occupies less volume.
Typically, retractable antennas consist of two primary types: a telescoping series of metallic, concentric cylinders that are reducible into the largest cylinder, and a simple rod that retracts into the housing of the transceiver. With respect to a simple rod retractable antenna, size constraints of the telecommunications equipment mechanical housing often prohibit the use of a simple retractable antenna. Conventionally, telescoping antennas are rigid metallic cylinders that are prone to permanent bending. Once bent, the cylinders lose their concentricity, and the process of retracting the antenna becomes increasingly difficult and often results in breakage. Furthermore, since telescoping antenna designs retract into a base metallic cylinder, electrical performance is severely degraded in the stowed position. If the extended length of the antenna is a minimum resonant length, the shorter stowed position will be non-resonant and therefore less efficient for radiation.

Flexible telescoping antenna and method of constructing the same