In the case of a connecting chain link having two connecting-link parts (1, 2) which are locked in place in the closed position by means of a bolt-shaped locking element (12) which rests in a holder (11) formed by the connecting-link parts (1, 2), the locking element (12) has, in addition to a central spring lock washer (19) which is used to secure its axial position, two further spring lock washers (23, 24) which are arranged in the region of its end and prevent tilting movements of the locking element (12) in the holder (11).

The invention relates to a connecting chain link having two connecting-link parts which are locked in place in the closed position by means of a bolt-shaped locking element, which is guided in an at least partially cylindrical holder formed by the connecting-link parts, and is secured against axial displacements by at least one locking member which is arranged in its central region and can be pressed into a slot in the holder.
A connecting chain link of the abovementioned type is disclosed in DE 43 33 261 C1. In this connecting chain link, in order to secure the axial position of the locking element use is made of two spring lock washers which are pressed, with the insertion of balls, into a slot in the holder by means of a clamping sleeve which can be driven into a central hole in the locking element. As experience has shown, the locking element of the known connecting link has a tendency to tilt in its holder, the size of the tilting movements depending on the manufacturing tolerances and on the particular operating conditions. Although these tilting movements are small, particularly with the connecting link being novel, they encourage wear of the locking element and this may have a negative effect on the service life of the connecting chain link.

RUD-Kettenfabrik Rieger & Dietz GmbH u. Co.


A navigation system includes: a traffic condition calculation unit (222) that calculates an evaluation value indicating a traffic condition of each road segment included in a target area; a guidance route determination unit (223) that determines a route in which a degree of non-congestion based on the traffic condition evaluation value of a road segment included in a route to a destination of each vehicle is the highest as a guidance route on the basis of the traffic condition evaluation value calculated by the traffic condition calculation unit and the destination of each vehicle; and a guidance route providing unit (224) that provides the guidance routes determined by the guidance route determination unit to a driver of the corresponding vehicle.

A system in which, when a server retrieves a route to a destination depending on a destination of a vehicle, the server manages current positions and destinations of respective vehicles in a centralized manner and retrieves the route of each vehicle is known (for example, see Patent Literature 1).
The server disclosed in Patent Literature 1 retrieves a route of a vehicle Y so that the same road as a road P included in a route of a vehicle X is not included in the route of the vehicle Y and transmits the retrieved route to the vehicle Y. In this way, it is possible to distribute vehicles travelling on the road P.

MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MACHINERY SYSTEMS, LTD.


Method, apparatus, system and circuitry for controlling the paper motion and accumulation at the output of a high speed impact printer or the like. The preferred embodiment includes means for providing stepped motion paper drive at the output of the printer which is synchronously controlled with respect to paper motion within the printer. This stepped motion drive is set at one stepping rate when a print bar of the impact printer is forming characters in a single line of print and this drive is periodically increased when the paper slews between lines of printed text. This novel paper drive technique operates to eliminate excessive pulling force on the paper, conserve print quality thereon, and simultaneously minimizes power consumption in the printer. The preferred embodiment of the invention also includes a new and improved paper stacking apparatus adapted for attachment to the paper feed output port of an impact printer, and a novel control system and novel implementing circuitry for providing precise stepper motor and paper drive control operative within this paper stacking apparatus for aiding in the uniform stacking fan fold paper which has been processed at high impact printing speeds. In addition, the above implementing circuitry is operative with a maximum of energy conservation, and the control system in which this circuitry is used is simultaneously operative with a minimum of power consumption.

In the past, fan fold or Z-fold paper used in impact printers was moved by conventional drive mechanisms such as tractor rollers having pins thereon and operative to move into and out of contact with mating holes at the edges of the paper. Typically, the rotational velocity of these tractor rollers was directly controlled as a function of print speed using conventional closed loop feedback control system techniques. These tractor rollers would normally drive the printed paper along a predefined paper path and through an output feed port and paper shroud into a paper collection tray or bin attached to the printer.
Whereas the above prior art approach was entirely satisfactory for certain types of impact printing applications, it has not been particularly well suited for high speed impact printers and to handle variations in paper size. And in some cases, the above prior art approach has allowed an undesirable build-up of static electrical charge on the paper to the detriment of even and uniform paper stacking and accumulation at the output paper collection tray of the printer. In addition, these prior art paper drive and accumulation systems could not always be suitably adjusted to accommodate for a variety of form thicknesses, and printers employing such paper drive and accumulation systems were sometimes difficult to load and unload. Furthermore, known prior art paper stacking devices generally operate to the detriment of dot matrix print quality.

Electrically powered paper stacking apparatus and method for impact printers and the like


An automotive wheel having an outboard face presenting an asymmetric appearance and having a permanently fixed counterbalance weight near the outer periphery of the wheel to balance the wheel. The wheel disk has an asymmetric design which tends to statically and dynamically unbalance the wheel. A relatively light counterbalance weight is permanently fixed to the wheel during manufacture of the wheel. This counterbalance weight statically and dynamically balances the overall wheel.

This invention relates in general to vehicle wheels and, in particular, to a vehicle wheel which has an outboard rice presenting an asymmetric appearance and a permanently fixed counterbalance weight near the outer periphery thereof to balance the wheel.
It is well known that vehicle wheels should be balanced, both statically and dynamically. Static balance is achieved when the center of gravity of the wheel is located in the axis of rotation of the wheel. Dynamic balance is achieved when the mass of the wheel is distributed such that no net force couple is created when the wheel is rotated about the axis of rotation. In other words, when the wheel is rotated about the axis of rotation, each portion of the mass of the wheel generates a radially directed force. When that force is opposed equally and oppositely by a second force generated by another portion of the wheel, and the lines of action of the two opposing force perpendicular to the axis of rotation pass through the same point on the axis of rotation, the wheel is dynamically balanced.
Proper static and dynamic balancing of the wheels of a vehicle is important to obtain good, safe handling and a smooth ride, and to minimize tire wear. It has therefore been standard practice to attempt to build wheels with a minimum of imbalance. After a tire is mounted on the wheel, a balance weight may be temporarily attached to the wheel to correct any imbalance created by manufacturing imperfections in the wheel and the tire. The balance weight is removed when the tire is replaced, and a new balance weight may be temporarily attached.

Asymmetric vehicle wheel with integral counterbalance


In a Computer Telephony Integration environment, to reduce the risk of inadvertent or fraudulent registration of the association of a user""s computer terminal with the wrong telephone, i.e. one other than the telephone adjacent to the computer terminal or the user""s mobile telephone, a host computer instructs the user via a screen display to call a particular extension of a CTI-enabled PABX. When a call to that extension is detected, the PABX treats the call as having been answered, and reports this to the host computer. The user is now instructed to dial a codeword, and when this is received at the PABX and reported to the host computer, the telephone is registered as associated with the computer terminal provided that the reported codeword matches the codeword provided to the user. A number of variants and refinements provide for greater security against fraudulent registration.

This invention relates to a Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) environment wherein, for example, a user can enter a command at his computer terminal for a call to be made to a destination number.
Examples of such CTI environments are disclosed in the articles xe2x80x9cIntroduction to Computer Telephony Integrationxe2x80x9d, by A. Catchpole, G. Crook, and D. Chesterman, British Telecommunications Engineering, July 1995; xe2x80x9cComputer Telephony Integrationxe2x80x94The Meridian Norstarxe2x80x9d, by A. Catchpole, British Telecommunications Engineering, October 1995; xe2x80x9cComputer Telephony Integrationxe2x80x94The Meridian 1 PBXxe2x80x9d, by P. Johnson, A. Catchpole, and L. Booton, British Telecommunications Engineering, July 1996; xe2x80x9cCallscapexe2x80x94Computer Telephony Integration for the Small Businessxe2x80x9d, by G. Hillson, G. Hardcastle, and M. Allington, British Telecommunications Engineering, January 1997, and xe2x80x9cCall Centresxe2x80x94Doing Business by Telephonexe2x80x9d by M. Bonner, British Telecommunications Engineering, July 1994.
CTI is particularly useful in call centres, and International Application Number PCT/GB96/00727 (Publication Number WO 96/31044) in the name of BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS public limited company (BT) discloses an ACD suite in a call centre such as BT""s national telephone account management operation.
In such a call centre, if an agent wants to be connected to the number of a target customer, for example a potential customer in a telesales mode of the call centre, the agent sends a xe2x80x9cmake callxe2x80x9d command to the call control apparatus. If the agent is allowed to specify a desired number, referred to as the target number, then he will insert this into the command. Otherwise, upon receipt of a make call command that does not contain a target number, the call control apparatus will generate a suitable number using a sales program as is known in the art. The call control apparatus will then send to the switching system a command containing a target number and the number of an extension which is to be joined to the external call to the target customer. The extension and the target customer are now connected together by the switching system so that the agent may speak to the target customer. Depending upon the control program of the switching system, this is effected by any one of a number of known ways. For example, in one way the switching system makes an external call to the supplied target number, and, when the target customer answers, then makes a call to the extension, and joins the two calls when the agent answers the call to the extension, and in another way the switching system makes a single call from the extension to the target number.
If the call control apparatus has registered an association between the agent and an extension number other than the number of the telephone terminal that is associated with the computer terminal to form a workstation, as is known in the art, then the wrong agent will be connected to the target customer.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of registering the identity of a telephone terminal in association with the identity of a computer terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
providing to a user of the computer terminal, via that computer terminal, the identity of a predetermined destination terminal number;
answering a call made to that predetermined destination terminal number;
receiving at that predetermined destination terminal number the identity of a telephone terminal from which that call was made;
providing to the user, via that computer terminal, a codeword;
receiving at that predetermined destination terminal data provided by the user via that telephone terminal;
comparing the received data with the provided codeword; and
if there is a match, registering the identity of that telephone terminal in association with the identity of that computer terminal.
The secure registration in accordance with the present invention of a telephone terminal with a computer terminal brings advantages in a number of fields.
In a call centre, since the call control apparatus registers the identity of the telephone terminal that makes the call, herein referred to as a registration call, to the predetermined destination terminal number, in this particular case an extension of the switching system, it will normally be only the agent at the computer terminal who will know the codeword, e.g. from the screen display, and who will make the registration call from his chosen terminal, which may be the extension at the workstation, or it may be his mobile telephone. Therefore, unless a situation is contrived in which a registration call, using that particular codeword, is made to the predetermined extension from a terminal other than a terminal which will be normally answered by the agent, the call control apparatus will always register the correct telephone terminal identity in association with the computer terminal and the agent identity.
In a conventional office environment, a user can use his computer terminal to request an outgoing call, and a CTI controller will command a PABX serving the office to make a call from the extension registered in association with that computer terminal.
The present invention also makes receipt of incoming calls secure. For example, a remote originator can either request registration information from a user""s computer terminal, or be sent it unsolicited, and make a call to the telephone number of that registration information, i.e. the identity of the telephone terminal associated with that computer terminal. Depending upon the particular commands used in the signalling protocol, the identity of the telephone terminal may be the sole information in a message sent to the remote originator, or it may be associated with other information.
The registration information may be stored in the computer terminal, or it may be stored remote from the computer terminal, for example in a host computer associated with the computer terminal.
The step of providing the identity of a predetermined destination terminal number may be performed upon detection of a make call command made via that computer terminal.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for registering the identity of a telephone terminal in association with the identity of a computer terminal, the system comprising:
means to provide to a user of the computer terminal, via that computer terminal, the identity of a predetermined destination terminal number;
means to answer a call made to that predetermined destination terminal number;
means to receive the identity of a telephone terminal from which that call was made;
means to provide to the user, via that computer terminal, a codeword;
means to receive data provided by the user via that telephone terminal;
means to compare the received data with the provided codeword; and
means responsive to a match between the received data and the provided codeword to register the received identity of that telephone terminal in association with the identity of that computer terminal.
The means to provide the identity of a predetermined destination terminal number may be arranged such as to provide said identity of a predetermined destination terminal number upon detection of a make call command invoked by the user.
The means to provide the identity of a predetermined destination terminal number; the means to provide to the user, via that computer terminal, a codeword; the comparing means; and the registering means together may constitute a subsystem; and
the answering means; the means to receive the identity of a telephone terminal; and the means to receive data provided by the user together may constitute a separate subsystem.

System and method of registering the identity of a telephone terminal in association with the identity of a computer terminal

British Telecommunications public limited company


A medical implant includes a first member adapted to be implanted to bond and having a substantially rigid first contact surface; and a second member adapted to be implanted to bone and having a substantially rigid second contact surface which bears against the first contact surface so as to transfer load from one member to the other while allowing relative motion between the two members; At least one of the first and second contact surfaces is adapted to have resilient properties when placed under load.

This invention relates generally to medical implants, and more particularly to medical implants having wear resistant geometries and wear resistant thin films thereon.
Medical implants, such as knee, hip, and spine orthopedic replacement joints and other joints and implants have previously consisted primarily of a hard metal motion element that engages a polymer contact pad. This has usually been a high density high wear resistant polymer, for example Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), or other resilient material. The problem with this type of configuration is the polymer eventually begins to degrade due to the caustic nature of blood, the high impact load, and high load cycle. As the resilient member degrades, pieces of polymer may be liberated into the joint area, often causing accelerated wear, implant damage, and tissue inflammation and harm.
It is desirable to employ a design using a hard member on a hard member e.g. metals or ceramics), thus eliminating the polymer. Such a design is expected to have a longer service life. Extended implant life is important as it is now often required to revise or replace implants. Implant replacement is undesirable from a cost, inconvenience, patient health, and resource consumption standpoint.
Implant using two hard elements of conventional design will be, however, subject to rapid wear. First, a joint having one hard, rigid element on another will not be perfectly shaped to a nominal geometry. Such imperfections will result in points of high stress, thus causing localized wear. Furthermore, two hard elements would lack the resilient nature of a natural joint. Cartilage has a definite resilient property, absorbing shock and distributing periodic elevated loads. This in turn extends the life of a natural joint and reduces stress on neighboring support bone and tissue. If two rigid members are used, this ability to absorb the shock of an active lifestyle could be diminished. The rigid members would transmit the excessive shock to the implant to bone interface. Some cyclical load in these areas stimulates bone growth and strength; however, excessive loads or shock stress or impulse loading the bone-to-implant interface will result in localized bone mass loss, inflammation, and reduced support.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Medical Implants With Compliant Wear-Resistant Surfaces


With the present invention, the combustion method of an internal combustion engine is switched between homogeneous combustion and stratified combustion according to the operating conditions of the engine, and when purging of the fuel vapor is performed during the homogeneous combustion and purging of the fuel vapor is either reduced or prohibited during the stratified combustion, the combustion method is forcedly switched to the homogeneous combustion by the most suitable cycle during the stratified combustion, so as to perform purging of the fuel vapor. Therefore, the fuel temperature inside the fuel tank is detected, and according to the detected fuel temperature, the forced switching cycle for switching from the stratified combustion to the homogeneous combustion is set variably. Actually, the forced switching cycle is set shorter when the fuel temperature is higher.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel vapor processing apparatus and method of an internal combustion engine, and particularly to a fuel vapor processing apparatus and method where the combustion method is switched between homogeneous combustion and stratified combustion according to operating conditions of the engine.
(2) Related Art of the Invention
The conventional fuel vapor processing apparatus of an internal combustion engine for vehicles are equipped with a canister for adsorbing the fuel vapor generated in a fuel tank, and a purge control valve mounted in a purge passage extending from the canister to an intake system of the engine for controlling the purging quantity of the fuel vapor (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-42588).
On the other hand, a direct injection-spark ignition internal combustion engine where fuel is directly injected to the combustion chamber is being widely noticed recently. In this type of engine, it is common to switchingly control the combustion method in accordance with the operating conditions of the engine. The combustion method is switchingly controlled between a homogeneous combustion where fuel is injected during the intake stroke so as to diffuse the fuel in the combustion chamber to form a homogeneous mixture, and a stratified combustion where fuel is injected during the compression stroke so as to form a stratified mixture centralizing around the ignition plug (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-37236).
When the combustion method is switchingly controlled, if purging of the fuel vapor is performed during the stratified combustion in the same manner as during the homogeneous combustion, the introduction of the fuel vapor generates a very rich air-fuel ratio condition for stratified combustion, since the target air-fuel ratio during the stratified combustion is set to a very lean level. This exerts undesirable influence on the operating performance and exhaust air. Therefore, during the stratified combustion, the purging of the fuel vapor is either reduced or prohibited.
However, when the stratified combustion is continuously performed, if the purging of the fuel vapor is reduced or prohibited during the stratified combustion mode, the canister may overflow and the vapor may be discharged to the atmosphere. In order to prevent such overflow, there is a need to increase the capacity of the canister, which leads to increase of the manufacturing cost.
Therefore, during stratified combustion, the combustion method is forced to be switched temporarily to the homogeneous combustion by a predetermined cycle, so as to perform the purging of the fuel vapor. The cycle is set in accordance with the vehicle speed, which is set to be shorter as the speed increases.
However, the trend in the vehicle speed and the generation quantity of the fuel vapor may vary, and there are cases where the stratified combustion may not be switched to the homogeneous combustion by the best cycle. In some cases, the forced switching cycle is too long, which leads to overflow of the canister and discharge of the vapor to the atmosphere, or too short in other cases, which leads to deterioration of the fuel economy.
Accordingly, the present invention aims at switching the stratified combustion to the homogeneous combustion by the best cycle, so as to prevent the overflow of the canister, and at the same time, improve fuel economy.

Fuel vapor processing apparatus and method of internal combustion engine


A network interface unit includes an interface module for translating messages transmitted between one of a family of different types of service delivery units. Each type of service delivery unit provides a network service that is different than the network service provided by the other types of service delivery units in the family. The service delivery unit connected to the network interface unit processes messages received in a first format. The network interface unit thus includes a medium module configured to process data for transmission between the given medium and the service delivery unit, and the interface module. The medium module transmits messages toward the service delivery unit in a second format. The interface module is configured to receive messages transmitted between the medium module and the service delivery unit. The interface module is configured to translate messages from the second format to the first format.

Different network services, such as cable television and telephone services, traditionally have been developed for use over different types of networks. For example, telephone services traditionally has been developed around the public switched telephone network (the "PSTN"), while cable television services traditionally have been developed around the cable television network.
To provide a network service, a network access device (commonly known to as "Data Communications Equipment" or "DCE") commonly is used to connect a network device (e.g., a telephone or television) to the network. More particularly, the DCE provides network devices known as "Data Termination Equipment" ("DTE") with access to their underlying network. For additional information relating to DCEs and DTEs, see the family of standards relating to recommended standard-232 (often referred to as "RS-232"), which is a widely used standard interface approved by the Electronic Industries Alliance ("EIA") for connecting serial devices.
The above noted interrelationship between service and network type has caused the network service industry to develop network access equipment (DCEs) that provides a specific service over its corresponding traditional network only. Continuing with the above example, the provision of cable television services commonly requires use of a cable conversion box ("cable box," which is a type of DCE) that provides the direct connection to the cable network. In a manner similar to DCEs for other types of networks/services, the cable box typically includes medium interface circuitry for conforming data transmissions with the specifications required by cable networks (e.g., the well known DOCSIS standards, discussed herein), and service delivery circuitry that provides the higher level television services to a connected television (i.e., functions perceived by the user of the DTE). Among other functions, such service delivery circuitry may provide access to a selected set of television stations (e.g., based upon a user's subscription to a cable company), and channel mapping functionality that maps a cable channel to a channel on the attached television.
In recent years, however, the trend has been to provide a single service via any one of numerous different types of networks. For example, telephone services currently can be delivered via the circuit switched technology in the PSTN, or via a broadband network, such as a cable network or fiber optic network. Accordingly, a single DCE for use with the telephone services must be produced for use with each network/medium type. For example, a separate telephony DCE must be developed for use with each of cable networks, fiber optic networks, wireless networks, etc . . . . With the proliferation of network services and broadband types/uses, this requires a rather wide variety of DCEs for each service, and for each network type. Although currently necessary, this duplication is inefficient, and causes relatively high deployment costs for various network services and network types.

Modular data communication equipment system


A method for performing multi-camera capturing control of an electronic device and an associated apparatus are provided, where the method can be applied to the electronic device. The method may include the steps of: obtaining a plurality of preview images, wherein the plurality of preview images are generated by using at least one lens module of the electronic device; generating at least one distance-related index according to characteristics of the plurality of preview images; and according to the aforementioned at least one distance-related index, selectively controlling whether to allow multi-camera capturing or controlling whether to output warning information. For example, when it is detected that a specific distance-related index within the aforementioned at least one distance-related index falls within a predetermined range, a notification which indicates that a multi-camera capturing function of the electronic device is allowed to be triggered may be output, in order to guarantee the overall performance.

The present invention relates to stereo capturing, and more particularly, to a method for performing multi-camera capturing control of an electronic device, and an associated apparatus.
A conventional portable electronic device such as a conventional multifunctional mobile phone can be designed to perform stereo capturing, and therefore can be referred to as a stereo camera phone or a three dimensional (3D) camera phone. More particularly, the conventional portable electronic device may capture two images (or two video clips) to simulate the stereo vision through the two eyes of somebody (e.g. the user of the conventional portable electronic device), and then perform some operations of a conventional stereo processing method, such as image refocusing operations, according to the two images (or the two video clips). However, some problems such as side effects may occur. For example, a conventional application (or a conventional design) regarding the conventional stereo processing may require a working distance between a captured object and the conventional portable electronic device to fall within a specific range, but does not have the capability to determine when this specific range is satisfied, where the specific range may be between sixty centimeters (cm) and two meters (m). If the working distance falls outside the specific range, the correctness of the processing results of the conventional stereo processing cannot be guaranteed.
In order to solve the problems of the working distance, a conventional method is proposed in the related art. According to this conventional method, a message (e.g. the text string "Please put the captured object between 60 cm and 2 m") may be displayed first before the user starts using the conventional application. For example, when the conventional portable electronic device runs the conventional application and displays this message, it is "ready" for the user to use it, and then the user may use the conventional portable electronic device to capture images (or video clips). Afterward, the conventional portable electronic device running the conventional application typically starts the conventional stereo processing according to what is just captured, no matter whether the working distance falls within the specific range for the conventional application. As a result, the processing results of the conventional stereo processing may be incorrect. Thus, a novel method is required for improving the basic design architecture and enhancing the user experience.

Method for performing multi-camera capturing control of an electronic device, and associated apparatus


A sheet-decorating injection molding machine (10) comprises: a female mold (12) having a hollow (13) and a parting surface (14) surrounding the hollow (13); a male mold (25) disposed opposite to the female mold (12) to hold a decorative sheet (S) between the female and the male mold (12, 25) and provided with runners (27) and gates (28) through which a molten resin is injected into a cavity defined by the female mold (12) and the male mold (25). The parting surface (14) of the female mold (12) includes a substantially convex, curved surface. A sheet feed mechanism (5) comprises a driving-and-guiding mechanism including sprocket wheels (41, 42, 43, 44, 45) and a stepping geared motor (52). The sheet feed mechanism (5) reciprocates a section of endless chains (50) provided with sheet grippers (60) holding a decorative sheet (S) for one injection molding cycle between a waiting position where the sheet grippers (60) are positioned apart from the female mold (12), and a feed position where the sheet grippers (60) are located on the parting surface of the female mold (12). The decorative sheet (S) is moved so as to extend along the parting surface (14).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet-decorating injection molding machine capable of simultaneously forming a resin molding and a decorative pattern on a surface of the resin molding in a mold by injection molding. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sheet-decorating injection molding machine capable of laminating a decorative sheet printed with patterns, letters and/or the like to a surface of a resin molding formed by injection molding for decoration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various sheet-decorating injection molding methods, which simultaneously carries out forming a resin molding by injection molding and laminating a decorative sheet to a surface of the resin molding, have been proposed. Most of those known sheet-decorating injection molding methods comprises all or some of the following steps (a) to (i). These steps are performed sequentially or some of the steps are performed simultaneously or in parallel to each other (Refer to JU-B No. 3-56344 and JP-B Nos. 50-19132 and 7-41637).
(a) A sheet feeding step of feeding a decorative sheet onto the parting surface of the female mold of a mold for injection molding; PA1 (b) A sheet holding step of fixedly holding a decorative sheet on the parting surface of the female mold; PA1 (c) A sheet softening step of softening the decorative sheet by heating the decorative sheet with a heating plate or the like; PA1 (d) A sheet drawing step of drawing the decorative sheet by suction and/or pneumatic pressing so that the decorative sheet conform to a surface defining a hollow in the female mold; PA1 (e) A mold clamping step of moving the female mold toward the male mold of the mold or moving the male mold toward the female mold (the female mold is moved toward the male mold in most cases) to close and clamp the mold; PA1 (f) An injection molding step of injecting a fluidic resin (molten resin) through the male mold in to a cavity defined by the male and the female mold and solidifying the resin in the cavity; PA1 (g) A mold opening step of separating the female mold and the male mold from each other to open the mold; PA1 (h) A sheet trimming step of severing marginal portions of the decorative sheet from a portion of the decorative sheet to be attached to a molding formed by injection molding; and PA1 (i) An ejecting step of ejecting a sheet-decorated molding (product) decorated by the decorative sheet from the female or the male mold.
The simultaneous performance of the plurality of steps signifies the performance of the plurality of steps in a single process. More specifically, the decorative sheet is fixedly held between the male and the female mold in the mold clamping process (e) to carry out the sheet holding step (b) and the mold clamping step (e) simultaneously, or the decorative sheet is drawn by the heat and pressure of the molten resin in the injection molding step (f) to carry out the sheet drawing step (d) and the injection molding step (f) simultaneously.
A laminate decorative sheet or a transfer decorative sheet is used as the decorative sheet depending on the type of the product. When a laminate decorative sheet is used, the laminate decorative sheet is incorporated entirely into a molding during injection molding to form a decorative layer on the surface of the molding. When a transfer decorative sheet is used as the decorative sheet, the base sheet of the transfer decorative sheet incorporated into the surface of a molding is peeled off to leave a transfer layer on the molding to form a decorative layer.

Sheet-decorating injection molding machine


Removably attached leg cramp relieving and muscle massaging elements with a variable length handle. A non-pinching foot supporting loop combined with the handle permits a user to stretch a leg to alleviate leg cramps. Muscle massaging element combined with the handle permits a user to massage various areas of the body. The massage element can also be used as a foot and leg exercising and blood circulation device.

The present invention pertains to relieving muscle cramps that commonly occur during sleep and massaging leg muscles after relieving of the cramping has been effected.
Cramping during sleep is usually caused by an exaggeration of a normal muscle reflex. When a sleeping person turns the calf muscles contract and the tendons in the leg stretch. This physical activity stimulates nerve stretch receptors in the tendon and sends a message back to the spinal cord, in essence telling the calf muscles to contract. Sometimes, the muscles remain contracted and hurt. One method of trying to relieve the leg cramp or muscle spasm is to stand on the affected leg and rise up on the ball of the foot of the affected leg, thus relieving tension in the over stretched muscles. Once tension is relaxed, the pain usually subsides, although the muscles frequently feel sore for some period of time following the episode of leg cramping.
After the leg cramps have been relieved massaging of the muscles further can relax the tension and prevent recurrence of the leg cramping, for at least a period of time.
One mechanical device for aiding a person afflicted with leg cramps is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,434. A major problem with the device of the '434 patent is the fact that there is a fixed length shaft between the handle and a rigid stirrup. Both the handle and the stirrup are mounted to the fixed length shaft in the same plane, thus reducing convenience for both horizontal and vertical movement of the device in order to slip the stirrup over a persons foot and to pull back toward the knee. Since leg cramps do not always occur when a person is lying on his or her back with his or her legs straight out in front of them it would be difficult with the device of the '434 patent to get relief. Furthermore, since the stirrup of the '434 device is manufactured of tubing with a cushioned covering the materials used may have a tendency to pinch the sides of a users foot as tension is exerted by pulling on the handle.
In preparation for most physical exercise or sports activity, especially where there is extensive involvement of the legs, it is prudent and recommended to perform leg-stretching exercises in order to limber up tight muscles and to tone the muscles that are not commonly used prior to the intended physical or sports activity.
As a preliminary part of the stretching exercises, it is important to stimulate blood flow to the feet and calf muscles.
Depending on the physical condition of an individual it is possible for leg muscles, both calf and thigh, to tighten up, even before extensive exercise or physical activity is commenced.
Numerous exercise devices are available to be used by a person prior to strenuous physical activity and sports activity. These are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 209,759; 5,004,228; 5,230,679; 5,236,333; 5,292,295; 5,518,486; 5,662,562; 5,674,163; 5,725,463; 5,776,083 and 6,004,282.
In addition, International Publication WO 94/04227 discloses and claims a exercise device with a variable length handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,488 BI discloses a complex foot pedal exercising device.

Method and apparatus for relieving leg cramps and massaging muscles


An electronic ballast for a discharge lamp is capable of dimming the lamp over a wide range, yet assuring to operate the lamp efficiently with a minimum lamp power variation in compensation for a possible lamp characteristic variation. The ballast provides an unique voltage-wattage output characteristic which varies with a varying dimming ratio for reducing the lamp power as the dimming ratio decreases. The output characteristic is designed to follow a true lamp characteristic that the lamp voltage will decrease as the lamp power is reduced to a certain level. With this result, it is possible to give a wide voltage range within which the lamp power being supplied to the lamp is kept substantially constant irrespective of the lamp characteristic variation, thereby assuring to reduce the lamp power exactly as intended by the dimming ratio even in the presence of the lamp characteristic variation.

Japanese Patent Early Publication No. 6-111987 discloses a prior art electronic ballast for a high intensity discharge lamp with a dimming capability. The ballast includes a power converter which converts an input DC voltage into a lamp power for driving the lamp, a dimmer providing a dimmer command of a varying dimming ratio, and a controller which controls the power converter to reduce the lamp power as the dimming ratio decreases. A voltage monitor is included to monitor a lamp voltage across the lamp as indicative of a lamp characteristic during the dimming operation. While the lamp power is reduced to a certain level, i.e., the dimming ratio decreases from 100% down to a relatively high ratio, the controller makes a constant wattage control of varying a lamp current in accordance with the lamp voltage being monitored so as to supply a roughly constant lamp power to the lamp. As the dimming ratio decreases further, which is acknowledged by the lamp voltage exceeding a critical level, the controller switches to a constant current control of supplying a constant current only determined by the dimming ratio and not by the monitored lamp voltage in order to dim the lamp to a deeper extent without causing a lamp extinction.
The above constant wattage control during the lamp dimming is realized based upon an assumption that the lamp voltage remains substantially constant while the lamp power is reduced from a rated power to the certain level at which the lamp voltage turns to increase beyond the critical level. That is, the controller is designed to have a voltage-wattage output characteristic which gives generally quadratic function curves respectively for varying dimming ratios (a), (b), and (c), as shown in FIG. 16. These curves, which are generated in accordance with voltage-current relations determined respectively for different dimming ratios, as shown in FIG. 17, have individual apexes aligned along a fixed lamp voltage to provide an operable voltage range around the apex for each curve. The operable voltage range defines a voltage range within which a lamp characteristic curve Q1 crosses the output curves (a), (b), and (c) for operating the lamp while keeping the resulting lamp power at roughly the same level even in the presence of a possible variation in the lamp characteristic Q1. That is, when the lamp characteristic Q1 curve intersects the output curves (a), (b), (c) within the operable voltage range, only a small deviation in the lamp power is seen to assure the constant wattage control for dimming the lamp to a reduced lamp power as intended, irrespective of a possible variation in the lamp characteristic that may be caused by a lamp manufacturing process.
Although the prior art ballast teaches the constant current control for successfully dimming the lamp to a deeper extent, the above constant wattage control is not satisfactory for dimming the lamp consistently due to the fact that the lamp characteristic during the lamp dimming does actually follow a curve Q rather than Q1 as assumed in the prior art ballast. That is, the lamp voltage will decreases as the lamp power reduces from its rated power to a certain level, for example, 40% of the rated lamp power. With this result, an even slight variation in the lamp characteristic (shown for example by a curve Q2 in FIG. 16) brings about a considerable variation in the lamp power. Such considerable lamp power variation has to be avoided particularly when two or more discharge lamps are simultaneously dimmed since the lamp characteristic variation results in an appreciable lamp power difference although they are intended to be dimmed to the same level.

Electronic ballast for a high intensity discharge lamp


A relocating apparatus having a pivot connector for removably pivotally connecting the apparatus to a mast of a sailing vessel. The relocating apparatus also includes a telescoping sleeve assembly which supports a cable which can be connected to a load such as a dinghy. The cable is retracted about a drum which is rotated by a winch handle inserted in the relocating apparatus causing the dinghy to be raised. The relocating apparatus is swung about the pivot connecter to place the dinghy into position near a deck edge of the vessel. The telescoping sleeve assembly is then retracted or extended as desired by inserting the winch handle in a second socket and rotating the winch handle in the desired direction. After the dinghy has been located above the desired position, the cable is extended by inserting the winch handle in the proper socket and rotating the handle.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for moving a load from one location to another; and, more particularly, to apparatus for use aboard watercraft to: (i) raise a load, such as a small boat or dinghy; (ii) move the load to a new selected location; and (iii), lower the load at the new selected location.
2. Background Art
It is commonly known that various types of devices such as cranes and derricks are available for lifting heavy loads and transferring these loads to other locations where the loads may be deposited. Typically, these cranes are large heavy devices, often machine powered, which require large areas in which to operate and which are cumbersome to move to different job locations.
In the shipping industry, larger ships are equipped with cranes to load and off-load cargo. Smaller ships and boats not equipped with these cranes, must depend upon dock mounted cranes to accomplish heavy loading and unloading operations. Often, however, these dock mounted cranes are unavailable, particularly at smaller moorages, so that the heavy loading and unloading must be done manually.
A number of boats, however, utilize a crane-like device called a davit to raise and lower a dinghy or lifeboat between the boat and the water. The davits usually are two curved upright members which project over the side of the boat for suspending the dinghy over the water, and which allow the dinghy to be hoisted into and out of the water. The davits are typically immobile except for downwardly extending cables which are retracted and extended to raise and lower the dinghy. These davits are typically immobile except for downwardly extending cables which are retracted and extended to raise and lower the dinghy. These davits are sometimes found on some larger pleasure power boats, typically extending over the stern of the boats. Normally when a dinghy is supported by davits, the davit arms extend over the side a short distance so that the dinghy may clear the side of the boat when being raised or lowered. However, often two people are necessary to operate such devices since one person is required to operate the mechanism for raising and lowering the dinghy, while a second person must stabilize the dinghy from impacting the side of the boat during gusty winds or if the raising/lowering of the dinghy imparts a sideways motion to the dinghy.
Some power boats typically support the dinghy on a transom extending rearwardly from the stern near the water line in a manner that the dinghy is hoisted by pulling a line attached to a gunwhale of the dinghy so the dinghy may be pulled upwardly on its side to rest athwartships on the transom.
In pleasure sailing vessels, the dinghy normally is towed behind the vessel. It is undesirable to support the dinghy at the stern of the sailing vessel because the weight of the dinghy adversely affects the vessel's sailing qualities. In addition, the dinghy can fill with sea water caused by large waves coming over the deck of the sailboat making the sailboat further stern heavy and possibly unseaworthy. Therefore, a preferable location for stowing a dinghy on a sailing vessel is at a forward location along the vessel's centerline so that: (i) the trim of the sailing vessel is not adversely affected; and (ii), the dinghy is forward of waves which typically impact the deck of the sailboat at an aft location. However, when stowing the dinghy forward along the vessel's centerline, problems are often encountered since such dinghies are difficult to manipulate as they are moved between a first location resting on the sailing vessel near the centerline, and a second location outboard of the deck edge, where they can be readily lowered into the water. Davits are unsuitable for accomplishing this type of operation.
Various conventional apparatus and methods have been disclosed for raising and lowering loads from a boat or ship. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,640,400--Becraft, there is disclosed a method for retrieving a submerged hose connected to a marker buoy to bring such hose aboard ship. The method utilizes a first cable to raise the marker buoy above the deck of the ship, and then a second cable to raise a section of chain attached to the marker buoy, in a manner such that the marker buoy is lowered onto the deck of the ship, and the first cable is then removed from the marker buoy and attached to another succeeding section of chain. The second cable lowers the first section of chain to the deck, then is removed from the first section of chain, and is reattached to a third section of chain to raise the third section above the deck. This process continues until the end of the chain attached to the submerged hose together with the submerged hose are retrieved.
An apparatus for engaging a torpedo floating in the water is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,585 by Olson, including a plurality of poles having cables which form open nooses which are threaded around the torpedo and then tightened around the outer surface thereof so that the torpedo can be manipulated in the water. The open nooses include a fixed loop for attaching a crane hook so that the torpedo can be hoisted out of the water and onto the deck of the ship. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,196,518 to Boudreau, a davit for hoisting a load to and from the deck of a boat is disclosed wherein the davit includes a carriage assembly mounted within a fore and aft track, and a first elongated member pivotally connected to the carriage for movement to an upright position to support a cable for hoisting the load, and a second elongated member pivotally connected to the carriage and having an end sleeve slidably engaged to the first elongated member for supporting the member in the upright position.
Snelling, U.S. Pat. No. 1,125,197 discloses apparatus for lifting boats from the well of a ship, including a boom for supporting cables which are attached to the boat and which are wound about a motor driven drum to raise and lower the boats from the well.
In Sawman, U.S. Pat. No. 1,094,750 a boat davit is disclosed including an elongated boom pivotally connected to upstanding flanges to support the boom between raised and lowered positions. The boat davit also includes an actuating arm threadably engaged to an elongated worm gear for longitudinal movement along the worm gear. The actuating arm is also pivotally connected to a base so that rotation of the worm gear by a crank causes the actuating arm to move longitudinally along the worm gear causing the boom to move between the lowered and raised positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 550,343--Greener, discloses a boom, slidably and rotatably connected to the mast of a sailing ship, and having a hook at an outboard end thereof for engaging a bridle supporting a lifeboat so that when the boom is lowered by block and tackle, the boat may be lowered over the side of the ship and into the water.


Hard disk servo data is recorded on a stamper master or a hard disk with a timing offset that converts the arc described by the servo data writer's rotary actuator into the arc described by the disk drive's rotary actuator.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to field of disk drives and more particularly to methods for writing servo tracks on magnetic hard disks.
2. Description of Related Art
Hard disk drives provide prerecorded tracking servo data on the data recording surfaces of their magnetic hard disks. This servo data typically comprises servo bursts spaced evenly along tracks. Data is recorded between the servo bursts. In most cases, servo bursts are approximately radially aligned, describing a small arc from the disk's ID to its OD. This radial alignment makes them look like arced spokes of the wheel. They form an arc when the servo data is written by a rotary actuator that describes an arc as it traverses between a disk's ID and its OD.
FIG. 1 illustrates a disk 10 having a number of servo data spokes 12. While there are eight illustrated in the figure, a disk drive disk will typically have hundreds of such servo data spokes spaced at even angles around disk. The number of such servo data spokes depends upon the track density. As a general rule, the greater the number of spokes, the higher the track density that can be employed in the disk drive. In many disk drives today, the servo data takes up approximately 11 percent of the total disk drive recording surface.
The servo data bursts may be written onto a disk's surface using a variety of techniques. The most common method is to write the servo onto the disk using the disk drive's own magnetic head controlled typically by an externally introduced picker that grasps the drive's rotary actuator pivot arm upon which the read/write head is mounted. An external mechanism incrementally moves the arm while other circuits command the disk drive to write the servo bursts.
Another common servo-writing method comprises writing servo bursts outside the disk drive on a so-called servo writer. In one form, the disks are already assembled onto the disk drive spindle but prior to the disk drive spindle/disk combination, also known as a hub/disk assembly ("HDA"), being assembled into the disk drive itself. In a second form, the disks are written on a separate spindle altogether and are later assembled onto the disk drive's spindle. This latter technique permits a large number of disks to be the mounted on the same servo writer. This technique reduces costs.
Another emerging technique is to imprint servo patterns on a disk using a so-called stamper. The stamper itself is mastered using a fixed e-beam directed to a turntable mounted on the end of a rotary actuator pivot arm. The turntable is rotated while arm pivots.
However, when a servo pattern is written outside the disc drive using a rotary actuator or pivot arm of some type, it introduces a problem that the actuator pivot arms of the servo writers are typically of a different length and arrangement than the actuator pivot arms of a disk drive. This causes the servo data to be written in a radial pattern or arc that is different from the arc described by the disk drive's rotary actuator pivot arm. This in turn introduces problems in a disk drive's servo system.
When the servo is written by the disk drive's own actuator, the arc that the servo data spokes describe has the same radius of curvature as the disk drive's actuator pivot arm. This is important from a drive's performance. When a drive performs a seek, it is preferred to have the servo data bursts in the next track(s) at a precisely known offset either from index or from the radial location of the servo bursts on the track from which the seek is taken. This enables for example so-called "just in time" seeking where the actuator is controlled so that it arrives in the destination track just in time to read the servo burst of the target track. If the servo burst has a timing offset, either "just in time" seeking would not be possible, or the calculations would have to include the timing offset. The latter alternative would increase the complexity of the "just in time" seeking algorithms and may require a table look up to determine the offsets, track by track. In either case, having random offsets in the servo data degrades servo performance and is undesirable.
It is therefore desirable to permit servo data to be written onto a disk drive using a servo data writer or stamper while reducing or eliminating the problems caused by the differences between the radius of curvature of a servo data writer's rotary actuators and the radius of curvature of the disk drive's rotary actuator.

Compensation for non-linearity in the servo writing process by program pattern delay


A method of producing a heat recoverable plastic article such as a tube by deforming the article from a heat-stable configuration to a heat-unstable configuration. The heat-unstable configuration will return to the heat-stable configuration when the article is heated to above the heat recovery temperature. The article is heated such that the article is at a temperature no lower than the heat recovery temperature during the deforming step by lossy particles dispersed in the article or in a tool used in the deforming step. The lossy particles allow auto-regulated heating of the article since the particles cannot be heated beyond their Curie transition temperature when subjected to an alternating magnetic field. These particles are preferably ferrites. Alternatively, the tool can include a braided mesh tubing of a ferromagnetic alloy wire. The article is cooled in the heat-unstable configuration to a temperature below the heat recovery temperature while preventing the article from returning to the heat-stable configuration. The tool can be a mandrel, expandable tube or caterpillar.

Generally, heat-recoverable, or heat-shrinkable, articles are composed of cross-linked polymers. When such materials are exposed to heat at or in excess of their crystalline transition temperatures they may be expanded and cooled in that expanded configuration to create a heat recoverable article. In the alternative, if the article was previously stretched and cooled, it is rendered dimensionally heat-unstable and upon exposure to heat at or in excess of the crystalline transition temperature, the material recovers to its dimensionally heat-stable configuration, i.e. the unstretched configuration. As is readily appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, there are many such materials, polymeric or not, exhibiting a large range of crystalline transition temperatures which are selected to suit a particular purpose based upon the physical characteristics of both the material and its crystalline temperature.
The prior art relating to the expansion of heat-recoverable articles deals only with the expansion of heat recoverable articles that are not temperature auto-regulated or self-heating. Whether the article is a flat sheet, a tube, or other shape, the article is first heated, then stretched and then cooled while still in tension so that the article retains the stretched shape until it is heated sufficiently to cause it to recover to its relaxed shape.
In the prior art the recoverable material is placed typically in a hot glycerin bath to soften it prior to stretching it. For small pieces or short lengths of tubes the stretching process is generally performed manually with the operator manually placing the article into and removing it from the glycerin bath. Once the recoverable article is up to temperature, the stretching process is performed by placing the article in a stretching jig or by pushing a mandrel into the tube, and then cooling the article below the crystalline temperature while the stretching mechanism is still in place. The stretching operation can either be begun with the article still in the glycerin bath or immediately after it has been removed from the bath. If the stretching is performed after the article is removed from the bath, the stretching may be uneven since the article may cool unevenly due to remaining drops of hot glycerin on or in the article when it is removed from the bath. Additionally, the article may also be stretched in a direction other than the direction or directions opposite to the direction or directions in which the recovery is desired upon reheating, i.e. the length of a tube into which a mandrel is inserted may have its length increased which will result in an unpredictable reduction in its length when recovery is initiated.
Additional problems occur due to non-uniform heating of the mass of the recoverable material in the heat-recoverable article. Thus, in heat-recoverable articles in which the heat-recoverable material is of an even thickness or even mass distribution, the problem has been to obtain uniform or even heating of the heat-recoverable material to assure uniform recovery. In other articles wherein the thickness or mass of the heat-recoverable material differs in various parts of the heat-recoverable article, the problem has been to obtain appropriate heat distribution and sufficient heating in each of the various areas of different thickness or different mass in order to achieve sufficient recovery of the higher mass areas without overheating the areas of lower mass.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,253,618 ("Cook") discloses that a heat-shrinkable tube of elastic memory material reinforced with braided fibers exhibits an undesirable change in length when the diameter of the tube is reduced by shrinkage. Cook points out that an increase in length upon shrinkage should be kept to a minimum in the case of splices for electric cables due to the limited space available for such axial extension. To minimize such axial extension, Cook provides a tubular shape with reinforcement on an inner surface, an outer surface or as an internal reinforcement. The reinforcement comprises two knitted layers, one being a left-hand stitch and the other being a right-hand stitch to offset the twisting tendency of each layer. The reinforced tube is heated, expanded and cooled to provide an elastic memory material. To provide maximum radial and minimal axial dimensional change, the angle between the axis of the knit and axis of the tube should be 15.degree. to 19.degree.. The heating is performed by passing the reinforced tube through a tank containing a heating liquid such as glycerine at 295.degree. F. and the expanding is performed by applying pressure such as a 5 psi pressure differential to the interior of the tube. The knitted reinforcement prevents the tube from shrinking axially more than 10% during the expansion or during heat shrinkage of the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,372 ("Cook") discloses several methods of manufacturing heat-recoverable thermoplastic materials. According to one method, a considerable amount of built-in stress is imparted during fabrication and the material is quenched to hold the molecules in the stressed condition. In the case of cross-linked polyethylene, the material is heated above the crystalline melting temperature so the material behaves as an elastomer, the material is deformed while in the elastomeric state and the temperature of the material is reduced to cause crystallization which maintains the cross-linked polymer in its deformed condition. Another method involves heating and applying an external force to deform a heat recoverable elastomeric article into a desired heat-recoverable configuration, quenching the deformed article and then releasing the external force. The elastomeric article can be an uncured elastomer in which a normally solid, heat-flowable material such as a thermoplastic or non-elastic resinous material is incorporated. Alternatively, the elastomeric article can be a plasticized thermoplastic material such as a plasticized polyvinyl chloride. After the elastomeric article is formed, it is vulcanized or cross-linked. The heating is at a temperature at which the thermoplastic or resinous material loses the major portion of its strength. The elastomeric article can be a heat-shrinkable tubing or a heat-expandable tubing. To produce the heat shrinkable tubing, tubing is heated in a hot glycerine bath and a heated mandrel is used to expand the tubing after which the tubing is cooled in water while over the mandrel. To produce a T-shaped 3-finger splice for use in a cable harness, a hollow T-finger shaped article is molded, the article is immersed in glycerine at 150.degree. C., the finger orifice is mechanically expanded to a desired dimension and the article is cooled in water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,534 ("Nyberg") discloses a process of preparing a composite tube wherein a heat-recoverable tube adhesively bonded to an inner or outer elastomeric tube is heated and expanded on a mandrel, cooled and the mandrel is withdrawn. Alternatively, the heat-shrinkable tube is heated and expanded on a heated mandrel and the inner surface of an elastomeric tube is bonded to the heat-shrinkable tube either before or after cooling the heat-shrinkable tube. The elastomeric tube can be an inner layer which includes conductive particles such as carbon black or metal particles.

Method for producing heat-recoverable articles and apparatus for expanding/shrinking articles


A new methodology for the measurement of the S-parameters of a high impedance probe allows obtaining a full two port S-parameter set for the high impedance probe. The measured probe S-parameters are then used for characterization of probes. An alternative method characterizes half of the fixture and termination as a one-port network and expanding it into a two-port error box. The two-port error box is then cascaded with the probe input.

This invention was inspired out of the de-embed probe research project that needed a calibrated method to measure the s-parameters of a high impedance probe. Since the inputs to such a probe are its pointed tips and its output is, for example, an SMA (SubMiniature version A) or a BMA (Blind Mate A) connector, it is not possible to use standard vector network analyzer calibration kits. Thus, a special fixture and algorithm method are needed in order to perform the required measurements. Heretofore, probe manufacturers, such as Tektronix, Inc., only measured the response of probes by use of a test fixture terminated in a 50 ohm impedance. However, this method does not incorporate error correction to remove the fixture effects and the measurement errors. What is needed is an apparatus and a method that overcomes these limitations.
The only published articles in the prior art on the subject of measuring s-parameters of a high impedance probe, of which the subject inventors are aware, were published by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). For example, "Wideband Frequency-Domain Characterization of High-Impedance Probes," (U. Arz, H. C. Reader, P. Kabos, and D. F. Williams), 58th ARFTG Conference Digest, pp. 117-124, Nov. 29-30, 2001, reports an investigation of broadband microwave properties of high-impedance probes designed for on-wafer waveform measurements. The report shows that the standard two-tier characterization method fails, and introduces two new methods of characterization.
Also, "Calibrated waveform measurement with high-impedance probes," (P. Kabos, H. C. Reader, U. Arz, and D. F. Williams), IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory and Tech., vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 530-535, February 2003 is a report describing the development of an on-wafer waveform calibration technique that combines a frequency-domain mismatch correction to account for the effects of the probe on the measurement with an oscilloscope calibration. The authors state that the mismatch correction is general and can be applied to any type of microwave probe, including scanning and internal-node probes for noninvasive integrated-circuit tests. The authors also state that, for the commercial high-impedance probe we used, their calibration approach allows accurate on-wafer waveform reconstruction for a variety of probe ground configurations.
The above-described NIST calibrations use probe substitution at the end of a transmission line. The substituted probe must have the same footprint as the original RF probe or additional errors will be introduced. The subject inventors note that transmission line end effects are yet another source of error.
"Measuring the invasiveness of high-impedance probes," (U. Arz, P. Kabos, and D. F. Williams), 7th IEEE Workshop on Signal Propagation on Interconnects., Siena, Italy, May 11-14, 2003, reports the use of on-wafer measurements to characterize the invasiveness of high-impedance probes over a broad frequency range. The authors state that a two-port representation characterizing the invasiveness of the probe can also be determined from a calculation of the probe's load impedance, which is derived from a separate characterization of the high-impedance probe.
The above-described paper uses an indirect approach to quantify probe loading at point on a transmission line using multiple 2-port measurements to construct a Probe Invasiveness Error box. This error box is a 2-port model that is inserted into the transmission line model to account for the probe loading. The paper establishes that a probe's input impedance corresponds to the 2-port invasiveness model inserted into a transmission line but no probe transfer response characteristics are determined.
NIST has developed a frequency-domain method of characterizing high impedance probes suitable for performing noninvasive on-wafer waveform and signal-integrity measurements. In this regard, "Calibrating On-Wafer Probes to the Probe Tips," (D. F. Williams and R. B. Marks), 40th ARFTG Conference Digest, pp. 136-143, December 1992 states that conventional ANA calibrations are founded upon the assumption that only a single mode exists at the calibration reference plane, both during calibration and measurement. On-wafer probe tip calibrations clearly violate this assumption due to the discontinuity at the probe/wafer contact. This prior art reference describes moving the reference plane of a TRL calibration to the end of the transmission line to calibrate at the probe tip. The subject inventors note that these probes are Microwave-type RF probes, not normally used in oscilloscope probing. The physical construction of this type of probe causes problems when trying to probe in the middle of a transmission line. They are normally used to probe at the end of a line. There have problems with end effects when moving the reference plane to the end of a line and calibrating. The field is not the same as in the center of a transmission line where it is uniform TEM.
"Multiport investigation of the coupling of high-impedance probes" (P. Kabos, U. Arz, and D. F. Williams), IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, vol. 14, no. 11, pp. 510-512, November 2004, describes an on-wafer measurement technique that combines two-port and three-port frequency-domain mismatch corrections in order to characterize the influence of a high-impedance probe on a device under test. The procedure quantifies the probe's loading of the circuit, and the coupling between the probe and the device.
"LRM Probe-Tip Calibrations with Imperfect Resistors and Lossy Lines," (D. F. Williams and R. B. Marks), 42nd ARFTG Conference Digest, pp. 32-36, December 1993, received a "Best Paper Award". This prior art reference states that the line-reflect-match calibration is extended, without significant loss of measurement accuracy, to accommodate imperfect match standards and lossy lines typical of monolithic microwave integrated circuits. The authors characterized the match and line standards using an additional line standard of moderate length.
They stated that their new method provided a practical means of obtaining accurate, wideband calibrations with compact standard sets.
In, "LRM Probe-Tip Calibrations using Nonideal Standards" (Dylan F. Williams, Senior Member, IEEE and Roger B. Marks, Senior Member, IEEE), the authors state that the line-reflect-match calibration is enhanced to accommodate imperfect match standards and lossy lines typical of monolithic microwave integrated circuits. They further stated that they characterized the match and line standards using an additional line standard of moderate length. They claimed that their new method provided a practical means of obtaining accurate, wideband calibrations with compact standard sets, and that without that enhancement, calibration errors due to imperfections in typical standards could be severe.
None of the above-mentioned prior art references recognize the need to duplicate a typical probing environment in which there are no probe pads or transmission line end effects to be compensated.

Calibrated S-parameter measurements of a high impedance probe


A method of regulating the Wobbe number of a multi-composition gas fuel supplied to one or more combustors of a gas turbine comprising: (a) providing a control system for regulating fuel and air flow to the one or more combustors; and (b) reforming a fraction of the gas fuel upstream of the one or more combustors to form hydrogen and carbon monoxide to be supplied to the one or more combustors with a remaining fraction of the fuel; wherein the fraction of fuel reformed is adjusted to maintain the Wobbe number of the fuel supplied to the one or more combustors within a predetermined range.

This invention relates generally to gas turbine engine combustion systems, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for controlling the operation of the combustion systems.
Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor section, a combustor section, and at least one turbine section. The compressor discharge air is channeled into the combustor where fuel is injected, mixed and burned. The combustion gases are then channeled to the turbine which extracts energy from the combustion gases.
Gas turbine engine combustion systems must operate over a wide range of flow, pressure temperature and fuel/air ratio operating conditions. Controlling combustor performance is required to achieve and maintain satisfactory overall gas turbine engine operation and to achieve acceptable emissions levels, the main concern being NOx and CO levels.
One class of gas turbine combustors achieve low NOx emissions levels by employing lean premixed combustion wherein the fuel and an excess of air that is required to burn all the fuel are mixed prior to combustion to control and limit thermal NOx production. This class of combustors, often referred to as Dry Low NOx (DLN) combustors are usually limited by pressure oscillations known as "dynamics" in regards to their ability to accommodate different fuels. This is due to the change in pressure ratio of the injection system that results from changes in the volumetric fuel flow required. This constraint is captured by the Modified Wobbe Index; i.e., the combustion system will have a design Wobbe number for optimum dynamics. The Modified Wobbe Index (MWI) is proportional to the lower heating value in units of BTU/scf and inversely proportional to the square root of the product of the specific gravity of the fuel relative to air and the fuel temperature in degrees Rankine.
This problem as so far been addressed by restricting changes in Wobbe number or by adjusting the fuel temperature to recenter the Wobbe number of a given fuel. Fuel split changes to the combustor (e.g., retuning) are also possible, but they may impact emissions.
Such systems often require multiple independently controlled fuel injection points or fuel nozzles in each of one or more substantially parallel and identical combustors to allow gas turbine operation from start-up through full load. Furthermore, such DLN combustion systems often function well only over a relatively narrow range of fuel injector pressure ratios. The pressure ratio is a function of fuel flow rate, fuel passage flow area and gas turbine cycle pressures before and after the fuel nozzles. Such pressure ratio limits are managed by selection of the correct fuel nozzle passage areas and regulation of the fuel flows to the several fuel nozzle groups. The correct fuel nozzle passage areas are based on the actual fuel properties which are nominally assumed to be contact.
Historically, pipeline natural gas composition in general, and specifically its Modified Wobbe Index, have varied only slightly. Fuel nozzle gas areas are sized for a limited range of fuel MWI, typically less than about plus or minus five percent of the design value, and for a gas turbine with Dry Low NOx combustion systems with multiple fuel injection points, the gas turbine combustion system is set up with fuel distribution schedules such that the fuel splits among the various injection points vary with machine operating conditions. For some DLN combustion systems, if fuel properties change by a value of more than about plus or minus two percent in MWI, it is necessary to make fuel schedule adjustments while monitoring both emissions and combustion dynamics levels. Such fuel schedule adjustment is called "tuning", a process that requires technicians to set up special instrumentation, and that may take a day or longer to accomplish. Furthermore, when the fuel supplied to a specific gas turbine installation is from more than one source (with different compositions and resulting MWI), it has been necessary to "retune" the fuel split schedules (and, prior to the invention disclosed herein) repeat for every fuel supply switch. Furthermore, any blend of the two or more fuels is the equivalent of another fuel composition and as a result, a variable blend of the fuels that exceeds the MWI range of the combustor design could not be tolerated prior to this invention without operational adjustments to the gas turbine and/or gas turbine combustor (e.g. variable fuel temperature). Gas turbine engine efficiency can be improved by employing an available source of heat such as low energy steam or water to preheat the fuel gas entering the gas turbine combustor. For gas turbines employing heated gas, load up time may depend on the time required to generate hot water in the initially cool heat recovery steam generator to heat the fuel gas to a minimum required level. Until the fuel gas reaches the required temperature and consequently the required MWI, some combustor designs are unable to operate in the low NOx combustion mode. If the minimum acceptable gas temperature level can be reduced, which corresponds to raising the maximum permissible MWI value, gas turbine operations are improved and total emissions reduced by shortened load up times.
Operation outside of the design MWI range can for some of DLN combustion system designs result in combustion dynamics levels (noise due to oscillatory combustion process) that are large enough to shorten the maintenance intervals or even cause hardware damage and forced outages. It is desirable therefore to permit a larger variation in gas fuel composition, temperature and resulting MWI, while maintaining low emissions and combustion dynamics levels within predetermined limits.

Wobbe control and enhanced operability through in-line fuel reforming


This invention comprises a method for mechanically mixing inorganic phosphors that have long-duration afterglow with soda-lime-silica glasses. The phosphor-glass compositions produced having no significant reduction in phosphorescence. Such compositions may be used to form glass artifacts of arbitrary physical dimensions, thus allowing for a wide variety of phosphorescent commercial glass products to be manufactured.

Luminescence is photon emission initiated by energy forms other than thermal agitation. Phosphorescence denotes luminescence of long-duration. The ability of a phosphorescent solid to emit photons upon excitation is dependent upon the arrangement and population of the electronic energy levels of its constituent molecules. Electrons situated in metastable states migrate to higher energy levels under excitation, and emit photons upon their return to the lower levels. The requisite electronic arrangement is achieved by incorporation of a foreign ion, or inorganic activator in a host crystal, and the combination is termed a luminescent center.
Chemical interaction between a luminescent center and another chemical entity may adversely affect the desired electronic arrangement, causing decreased luminescence. Iron, cobalt, potassium, and arsenic are such entities, and are thereby called poisons. The synergistic electronic band configuration between host and activator is also disturbed by physical treatment such as grinding and excessive heating. At present, inventions comprising phosphor-glass compositions generally involve manufacturing processes for glass films not more than 5 mills in thickness. Said films are deposited on a substrate to form screens which are used in the manufacture of cathode-ray tubes, electro luminescent devices, fluorescent lighting, luminous markers, dials and indicators, and radiation detection and measurement instruments.
Crystalline luminescent ceramic materials, where the phosphor crystals are formed in situ from glasses, can be used to form luminescent artifacts of arbitrary physical dimensions. However, the luminescence produced by such a material is of short duration. Such materials are primarily applied in thin films for photo and electroleminescent devices. Heretofore, serious difficulties have been encountered in the process of incorporating phosphors into a glass matrix because the phosphors cannot readily withstand the high temperatures of the molten or softened glass, and are deleteriously affected or destroyed by the excessive heat even in a relatively short time. As a result, glass products containing phosphors show a substantial loss in light output efficiency.
Fusion of a phosphor-glass frit mixture at lower temperatures is not desirable due to air becoming trapped in the mixture as fusion takes place. This results in many of the phosphor particles failing to become completely encapsulated by the glass. The structural properties of such a fused mix are rather poor.

Method for producing phosphorescent glass artifacts


A method of electro-photographic printing includes applying a background voltage to a photo imaging plate using a charge roller that moves relative to the photo imaging plate, and varying the applied background voltage as the roller moves relative to the photo imaging plate, wherein the background voltage is varied in a region of the photo imaging plate where no ink is to be transferred.

Electro-photographic printers comprise a photo imaging plate and a charge roller. A background voltage is applied to the photo imaging plate by passing the charge roller across its surface. A light source, such as a laser is shone on selected areas of the photo imaging plate to substantially discharge the selected areas and create a latent electrostatic image on a charged background. When an electrostatic ink is applied to the photo imaging plate, the potential differences between the background, the image areas and the electrostatic ink are such that the electrostatic ink is drawn to the image areas of the photo imaging plate. Thus an impression of the image areas can be printed by transferring the electrostatic ink from the photo imaging plate to a print media.
This method of printing is prevalent, for example, in industrial printers capable of printing several large sheets of paper, such as B2 sized paper, per second.


A pickup unit for an agricultural harvesting machine includes a frame; a pickup roll carried by the frame; and a feed assist roll carried by the frame and positioned adjacent to the pickup roll. The feed assist roll has a plurality of radially outwardly extending cleats spaced apart around a periphery thereof, and a plurality of extension plates. Each extension plate is removably attached to and extends a corresponding cleat.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an agricultural harvesting machine, and, more particularly, to pickup units used on such harvesting machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Agricultural harvesting machines, such as balers, are used to consolidate and package crop material so as to facilitate the storage and handling of the crop material for later use. In the case of hay, a mower-conditioner is typically used to cut and condition the crop material for windrow drying in the sun. In the case of straw, an agricultural combine discharges non-grain crop material from the rear of the combine defining the straw (such as wheat or oat straw) which is to be picked up by the baler. The cut crop material is typically raked and dried, and a baler, such as a large square baler or round baler, straddles the windrows and travels along the windrows to pick up the crop material and form it into bales.
On a large square baler, a pickup unit at the front of the baler gathers the cut and windrowed crop material from the ground. The pickup unit includes a pickup roll, and optionally may include other components such as side shields, stub augers, wind guard, etc.
A packer unit is used to move the crop material from the pickup unit to a duct or pre-compression chamber. The packer unit forms a wad of crop within the pre-compression chamber which is then transferred to a main bale chamber. (for purposes of discussion, the charge of crop material within the pre-compression chamber will be termed a "wad", and the charge of crop material after being compressed within the main bale chamber will be termed a "flake"). Typically such a packer unit includes packer tines or forks to move the crop material from the pickup unit into the pre-compression chamber. Instead of a packer unit it is also known to use a rotor cutter unit which chops the crop material into smaller pieces.
A stuffer unit transfers the wad of crop material in charges from the pre-compression chamber to the main bale chamber. Typically such a stuffer unit includes sniffer forks which are used to move the wad of crop material from the pre-compression chamber to the main bale chamber, in sequence with the reciprocating action of a plunger within the main bale chamber.
In the main bale chamber, the plunger compresses the wad of crop material into flakes to form a bale and, at the same time, gradually advances the bale toward the outlet of the bale chamber. When enough flakes have been added and the bale reaches a full (or other predetermined) size, a number of knotters are actuated which wrap and tie twine, cord or the like around the bale while it is still in the main bale chamber. The twine is cut and the formed baled is ejected out the back of the baler as a new bale is formed.
With a large square baler as described above, it is also known to use a feed assist roll which is positioned above and slightly rearward from the pickup roll. Such a feed assist roll is effective at moving heavy crop material into the packing unit. However, with large volume windrows throughput through and blockage in front of the pickup unit can still be an issue.
What is needed in the art is a pickup unit for an agricultural harvesting machine such as a baler, a forage harvester, a cotton harvester, etc., which can handle normal throughput for most operating conditions, but is also easily configured to handle high throughput for some operating conditions.

Pickup unit for an agricultural harvesting machine having removable extension plates


Concepts and examples pertaining to efficient coding switching and modem resource utilization in wireless communication systems are described. A processor of a modem of a user equipment (UE), configured with at least a first-capacity decoder and at least a second-capacity decoder, receives a common virtual carrier (CVC), a dedicated virtual carrier (DVC), or both. The CVC contains common information shared by multiple UEs, control information for the UE, and/or data information related to first data destined for the UE. The DVC contains control information for the UE, the first data, or a combination thereof. The first-capacity decoder decodes data of a small size up to a low data rate. The second-capacity decoder decodes data of a large size up to a high data rate. The processor determines whether to decode the first data using the first-capacity decoder or the second-capacity decoder based on the data information in the CVC.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims listed below and are not admitted as prior art by inclusion in this section.
In a Long-Term Evolution (LTE)-based wireless communication system, a user equipment (UE) typically performs tasks such as paging monitoring, system information (SI) acquisition, small data reception (e.g., browsing, voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) and the like), and control-channel-only reception. The above-listed tasks can be done with a very compact set of modem computation and memory resources. However, most of modem resources, designed to support a much higher data rate, still need to be enabled to accomplish the above-listed tasks. For example, tasks such as paging monitoring, SI acquisition and small data reception require the enabling of high-throughput multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) detector and turbo decoder to demodulate and decode the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). For control-channel-only reception, the PDSCH data path still needs to be on standby since the PDSCH availability cannot be known in advance.

Efficient coding switching and modem resource utilization in wireless communication systems