The present invention provides an apparatus and method for moving playing cards from a first group of cards into a second group of cards, wherein the second group of cards is randomly arranged or shuffled. The apparatus comprises a card receiver for receiving the first group of cards, a single stack of card-receiving compartments generally adjacent to the card receiver, the stack generally vertically movable, an elevator for moving the stack, a card-moving mechanism between the card receiver and the stack for moving cards one at a time into a selected one of the compartments, another card moving mechanism for moving cards from one of the compartments to a second card receiver and a microprocessor that controls the card-moving mechanisms and the elevator. A count of cards within specified areas of the card handling system is maintained and card handling is halted and all cards counted by adding a count of all cards not within the specified areas to the total of cards counted within the specified areas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for handling cards, including cards known as xe2x80x9cplaying cards.xe2x80x9d In particular, it relates to an electromechanical machine for continuously shuffling playing cards, whereby a dealer has a substantially continuously readily available supply of shuffled cards for dealing and where cards may be monitored for security purposes during play of the game.
2. Background of the Art
Wagering games based on the outcome of randomly generated or selected symbols are well known. Such games are widely played in gaming establishments and include card games wherein the symbols comprise familiar, common or standard playing cards. Card games such as twenty-one or blackjack, poker, poker variations, match card games and the like are excellent casino card games. Desirable attributes of casino card games are that they are exciting, that they can be learned and understood easily by players, and that they move or are played rapidly to their wager-resolving outcome.
From the perspective of players, the time the dealer must spend in shuffling diminishes the excitement of the game. From the perspective of casinos, shuffling time reduces the number of wagers placed and resolved in a given amount of time, thereby reducing revenue. Casinos would like to maximize the amount of revenue generated by a game without changing games, without making obvious changes that indicate an increased hold by the house, particularly in a popular game, and without increasing the minimum size of wagers. One approach to maximizing revenue is speeding play. It is widely known that playing time is diminished by shuffling and dealing. This approach has lead to the development of electromechanical or mechanical card shuffling devices. Such devices increase the speed of shuffling and dealing, reduce non-play time, thereby increasing the proportion of playing time to non-playing time, adding to the excitement of a game by reducing the time the dealer or house has to spend in preparing to play the game.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,367 (Howard) is an example of a batch-type shuffler. The Howard patent discloses a card mixer for randomly interleaving cards including a carriage supported ejector for ejecting a group of cards (approximately two playing decks in number) which may then be removed manually from the shuffler or dropped automatically into a chute for delivery to a typical dealing shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,411 (Breeding) discloses a machine for automatically shuffling a single deck of cards including a deck receiving zone, a carriage section for separating a deck into two deck portions, a sloped mechanism positioned between adjacent corners of the deck portions, and an apparatus for snapping the cards over the sloped mechanism to interleave the cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,954 (Erickson et al.) discloses the concept of delivering cards one at a time, into one of a number vertically stacked card shuffling compartments. The Erickson patent also discloses using a logic circuit to determine the sequence for determining the delivery location of a card, and that a card shuffler can be used to deal stacks of shuffled cards to a player. U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,140 (Huen) discloses a card dispenser which dispenses or deals cards in four discrete directions onto a playing surface, and U.S. Pat. No. 793,489 (Williams), U.S. Pat. No. 2,001,918 (Nevius), U.S. Pat. No. 2,043,343 (Warner) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,473 (Friedman et al.) disclose various card holders some of which include recesses (e.g., Friedman et al.) to facilitate removal of cards. U.S. Pat. No. 2,950,005 (MacDonald) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,670 (Cassady et al.) disclose card sorting devices which require specially marked cards, clearly undesirable for gaming and casino play.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,584,483 and 5,676,372 (Sines et al.) describe batch type shufflers which include a holder for an unshuffled stack of cards, a container for receiving shuffled cards, a plurality of channels to guide the cards from the unshuffled stack into the container for receiving shuffled cards, and an ejector mounted adjacent to the unshuffled stack for reciprocating movement along the unshuffled stack. The position of the ejector is randomly selected. The ejector propels a plurality of cards simultaneously from a number of points along the unshuffled stack, through the channels, and into the container. A shuffled stack of cards is made available to the dealer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,189 (Breeding et al.) is directed to a shuffling machine for shuffling multiple decks of cards with three magazines wherein unshuffled cards are cut then shuffled.
Aside from increasing speed and playing time, some shuffler designs have provided added protection to casinos. For example, one of the Breeding (similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,411) shufflers is capable of verifying that the total number of cards in the deck has not changed. If the wrong number of cards are counted, the dealer can call a misdeal and return bets to players.
A number of shufflers have been developed which provide a continuous supply of shuffled cards to a player. This is in contrast to batch type shuffler designs of the type described above. The continuous shuffling feature not only speeds the game, but protects casinos against players who may achieve higher than normal winnings by counting cards or attempting to detect repeated patterns in cards from deficiencies of randomization in single batch shufflers. An example of a card game in which a card counter may significantly increase the odds of winning by card counting or detecting previously occurring patterns or collections of cards is Blackjack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,712 (Lorber et al.) discloses a continuous automatic shuffling apparatus designed to intermix multiple decks of cards under the programmed control of a computer. The Lorber et al. apparatus is a carousel-type shuffler having a container, a storage device for storing shuffled playing cards, a removing device and an inserting device for intermixing the playing cards in the container, a dealing shoe and supplying means for supplying the shuffled playing cards from the storage device to the dealing shoe. The Lorber shuffler counts the number of cards in the storage device prior to assigning cards to be fed to a particular location.
The Samsel, Jr. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,969) discloses a card shuffler having a housing with two wells for receiving stacks of cards. A first extractor selects, removes and intermixes the bottommost card from each stack and delivers the intermixed cards to a storage compartment. A second extractor sequentially removes the bottommost card from the storage compartment and delivers it to a typical shoe from which the dealer may take it for presentation to the players.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,024 (Blaha) discloses a continuous shuffler having a unshuffled card receiver and a shuffled card receiver adjacent to and mounted for relative motion with respect to the unshuffled card receiver. Cards are driven from the unshuffled card receiver and are driven into the shuffled card receiver forming a continuous supply of shuffled cards. However, the Blaha shuffler requires specially adapted cards, particularly, plastic cards, and many casinos have demonstrated a reluctance to use such cards.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,453 (Stevens et al.) discloses an apparatus for automatically and continuously shuffling cards. The Stevens et al. machine includes three contiguous magazines with an elevatable platform in the center magazine only. Unshuffled cards are placed in the center magazine and the spitting rollers at the top of the magazine spit the cards randomly to the left and right magazines in a simultaneous cutting and shuffling step. The cards are moved back into the center magazine by direct lateral movement of each shuffled stack, placing one stack on top of the other to stack all cards in a shuffled stack in the center magazine. The order of the cards in each stack does not change in moving from the right and left magazines into the center magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,421 (Hoffman) discloses a continuous card-shuffling device including a card loading station with a conveyor belt. The belt moves the lowermost card in a stack onto a distribution elevator whereby a stack of cards is accumulated on the distribution elevator. Adjacent to the elevator is a vertical stack of mixing pockets. A microprocessor preprogrammed with a fixed number of distribution schedules is provided for distributing cards into a number of pockets. The microprocessor sends a sequence of signals to the elevator corresponding to heights called out in the schedule. Single cards are moved into the respective pocket at that height. The distribution schedule is either randomly selected or schedules are executed in sequence. When the cards have been through a single distribution cycle, the cards are removed a stack at a time and loaded into a second elevator. The second elevator delivers cards to an output reservoir. Thus, the Hoffman patent requires a two step shuffle, i.e., a program is required to select the order in which stacks are moved onto the second elevator. The Hoffman patent does not disclose randomly selecting a pocket for delivering each card. Nor does the patent disclose a single stage process which randomly arranges cards into a degree of randomness satisfactory to casinos and players. Although the Hoffman shuffler was commercialized, it never achieved a high degree of acceptance in the industry. Card counters could successfully count cards shuffled in the device, and it was determined that the shuffling of the cards was not sufficiently random.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,085 (Johnson) describes a continuous shuffler which includes a chamber for supporting a main stack of cards, a loading station for holding a secondary stack of cards, a stack gripping separating mechanism for separating or cutting cards in the main stack to create a space and a mechanism for moving cards from the secondary stack into the spaces created in the main stack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,082 (Greenberg) discloses a carousel type card dispenser including a rotary carousel with a plurality of card compartments around its periphery. Cards are injected into the compartments from an input hopper and ejected from the carousel into an output hopper. The rotation of the carousel is produced by a stepper motor with each step being equivalent to a compartment. In use, the carousel is rotated past n slots before stopping at the slot from which a card is to be ejected. The number n is determined in a random or near random fashion by a logic circuit. There are 216 compartments to provide for four decks and eight empty compartments when all the cards are inserted into compartments. An arrangement of card edge grasping drive wheels are used to load and unload the compartments.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,145 (Verschoor) discloses another card shuffler involving a carousel or xe2x80x9crotatable plateau.xe2x80x9d The Verschoor shuffler has a feed compartment and two card shuffling compartments which each can be placed in first and second positions by virtue of a rotatable plateau on which the shuffling compartments are mounted. In use, once the two compartments are filled, a drive roller above one of the shuffling compartments is actuated to feed cards to the other compartment or to a discharge means. An algorithm determines which card is supplied to the other compartment and which is fed to the discharge. The shuffler is continuous in the sense that each time a card is fed to the discharge means, another card is moved from the feed compartment to one of the shuffling compartments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,648 (Hollinger et al.) discloses an automatic card shuffler of the type that randomly extracts cards from two or more storage wells. The shuffler relies on a system of solenoids, wheels and belts to move cards. Cards are selected from one of the two wells on a random basis so a deck of intermixed cards from the two wells is provided in a reservoir for the dealer. The patent is principally directed to a method and apparatus for detecting malfunctions in the shuffler, which at least tends to indicate that the Hollinger et al. shuffler may have some inherent deficiencies, such as misalignments of extraction mechanisms.
The size of the buffer supply of shuffled cards in the known continuous shufflers is large, i.e., 40 or more cards in the case of the Blaha shuffler. The cards in the buffer cannot include cards returned to the shuffler from the previous hand. This undesirably gives the player some information about the next round.
Randomness is determined in part by the recurrance rate of a card previously played in the next consecutively dealt hand. The theoretical recurrence rate for known continuous shufflers is believed to be about zero percent. A completely random shuffle would yield a 13.5% recurrance rate using four decks of cards.
Although the devices disclosed in the preceding patents, particularly the Breeding machines, provide improvements in card shuffling devices, none describes a device and method for providing a continuous supply of shuffled cards with the degree of randomness and reliability required by casinos until the filing of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/060,598, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,096, issued Jul. 3, 2001. That device and method continuously shuffles and delivers cards with an improved recurrence rate and improves the acceptance of card shufflers and facilitate the casino play of card games.
The present invention provides an electromechanical card handling apparatus and method for continuously shuffling cards. The apparatus and, thus, the card handling method or process, is controlled by a programmable microprocessor and may be monitored by a plurality of sensors and limit switches. While the card handling apparatus and method of the present invention is well suited for use in the gaming environment, particularly in casinos, the apparatus and method may find use in handling or sorting sheet material generally.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus for moving playing cards from a first group of unshuffled cards into shuffled groups of cards. The apparatus comprises a card receiver for receiving the first group of cards, a single stack of card-receiving compartments generally adjacent to the card receiver, the stack generally vertically movable, an elevator for raising and lowering the stack, a card-moving mechanism between the card receiver and the stack for moving cards, one at a time, from the card receiver to a selected compartment, and a microprocessor that controls the card-moving mechanism and the elevator so that the cards are moved into a number of randomly selected compartments. Sensors act to monitor and to trigger operation of the apparatus, card moving mechanisms, and the elevator and also provide information to the microprocessor. The controlling microprocessor, including software, selects or identifies where cards will go as to the selected slot or compartment before card handling operations begin. For example, a card designated as card 1 may be directed to slot 5, a card designated as card 2 may be directed to slot 7, a card designated as card 3 may be directed to slot 3, etc.
An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a programmable card-handling machine with a display and appropriate inputs for controlling and adjusting the machine. Additionally, there may be an elevator speed adjustment and sensor to adjust and monitor the position of the elevator as cards wear or become bowed or warped. These features also provide for interchangeability of the apparatus, meaning the same apparatus can be used for many different games and in different locations thereby reducing or eliminating the number of back up machines or units required at a casino. Since it is customary in the industry to provide free backup machines, a reduction in the number of backup machines needed presents a significant cost savings. The display may include a use rate and/or card count monitor and display for determining or monitoring the usage of the machine.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides an electromechanical playing card handling apparatus for automatically and randomly generating a continuous supply of shuffled playing cards for dealing. Other advantages are a reduction of dealer shuffling time, and a reduction or elimination of security problems such as card counting, possible dealer manipulation and card tracking, thereby increasing the integrity of a game and enhancing casino security.
Yet another advantage of the card handling apparatus of the present invention is that it converts a single deck, multiple decks, any number of unshuffled cards or large or small groups of discarded or played cards into shuffled cards ready for use or reuse in playing a game. To accomplish this, the apparatus includes a number of stacked or vertically oriented card receiving compartments one above another into which cards are inserted, one at a time, so a random group of cards is formed in each compartment and until all the cards loaded into the apparatus are distributed to a compartment. Upon demand, either from the dealer or a card present sensor, or automatically, the apparatus delivers one or more groups of cards from the compartments into a dealing shoe for distribution to players by the dealer.
The present invention may include jammed card detection and recovery features, and may include recovery procedures operated and controlled by the microprocessor.
Another advantage is that the apparatus of the present invention provides for the initial top feeding or loading of an unshuffled or discarded group of cards thereby facilitating use by the dealer. The shuffled card receiving shoe portion is adapted to facilitate use by a dealer.
An additional advantage of the card handling apparatus of the present invention is that it facilitates and speeds the play of casino wagering games, particularly those games wherein multiple decks of cards are used in popular, rapidly played games (such as twenty-one or blackjack), making the games more exciting for players.
In use, the apparatus of the present invention is operated to process playing cards from an initial, unshuffled new or played group of cards into a group of shuffled or reshuffled cards available to a dealer for distribution to players. The first step of this process is the dealer placing an initial group of cards, comprising unshuffled or played cards, into the card receiver of the apparatus. The apparatus is started or starts automatically by sensing the presence of the cards and, under the control of the integral microprocessor, it transfers the initial group of cards, randomly, one at a time, into a plurality of compartments. Groups of cards in one or more compartments are delivered, upon the dealer""s demand or automatically, by the apparatus from that compartment to a card receiving shoe for the dealer to distribute to a player.
According to the present invention, the operation of the apparatus is continuous. That is, once the apparatus is turned on, any group of cards loaded into the card receiver will be entirely processed into one or more groups of random cards in the compartments. The software assigns an identity to each card and then directs each identified card to a randomly selected compartment by operating the elevator motor to position that randomly selected compartment to receive the card. The cards are unloaded in groups from the compartments, a compartment at a time, as the need for cards is sensed by the apparatus. Thus, instead of stopping play to shuffle or reshuffle cards, a dealer always has shuffled cards available for distribution to players.
The apparatus of the present invention is compact, easy to set up and program and, once programmed, can be maintained effectively and efficiently by minimally trained personnel who cannot affect the randomness of the card delivery. This means that the machines are more reliable in the field. Service costs are reduced, as are assembly and set up costs.
Another concern in continuous shufflers is the fact that there has been no ability to provide strong security evaluation in the continuous shufflers, because of the very fact that the cards are continuously being reshuffled, with cards present within and outside the shuffler. This offers an increased risk of cards being added to the deck by players or being removed and held back by the player. This is a particular concern in games where the player is allowed to contact or pick up cards during play (e.g., in certain poker-type games and certain. formats for blackjack). The present invention provides a particular system wherein the total number of cards in play at the table may be counted with minimum game interruption.
The system of the present invention, in addition to allowing a security check on the number of cards present in the collection of decks, allows additional cards, such as promotional cards or bonus cards, to be added to the regular playing cards, the total number of cards allowable in play modified to the number of regular playing cards plus additional (e.g., special) playing cards, allowing the shuffler to be modified for a special deck or deck(s) where there are fewer than normal cards (e.g., Spanish 21(copyright) blackjack game), or otherwise modified at the direction of the house. Therefore, the shuffler would not be limited to counting security for only direct multiples of conventional 52 card playing decks. The shuffler may be provided with specific selection features wherein a game may be identified to the microprocessor and the appropriate number of cards for that game shall become the default security count for the game selected.
The present invention also describes a structural improvement in the output shoe cover to prevent cards that are already within the shoe from interfering with the delivery of additional cards to the shoe.
A novel gravity feed/diverter system is described to reduce the potential for jamming and reducing the chance for multiple cards to be fed from a card feeder into selected card receiving compartments.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent and understood with reference to the following specification and to the appended drawings and claims.

Device and method for continuously shuffling and monitoring cards


The invention relates to a method for the production of poly(meth) acrylate particles with a particle diameter of 1-15 .mu.m, where the monomers M are polymerized according to the method of batch polymerization, with 20-50 parts by weight of monomer M in a liquid medium LM, consisting of 55-100% by weight of mineral oil, and with the addition of 0.1 to 5 parts by weight of a polymer emulsifier E and 0.05-5 parts by weight of a radical initiator.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the production of defined plastic particles based on poly(meth)acrylate, particularly plastic particles which are stable in shape, in the particle size range 1-15 .mu.m.
2. Discussion of the Background
In practice, there is an increasing demand for plastics in the form of plastic particles which are stable in shape, with a defined, uniform particle size. The particle size range of 1-50 .mu.m and especially the narrower range of 1-15 .mu.m are of particular interest. Particles of this type find applications in many different ways, for example as spacers in displays, films, etc., as surface modification agents, as carrier materials in diagnostics, etc. The main interest, however, is in the sector of the optical industry, which can achieve different light effects, particularly with particles in this size range, with an exactly adjustable refraction difference to a given light matrix.
The state of the art with regard to the production of polymethacrylate (PMMA) particles is very comprehensive. A great number of works relates to the production of polymethacrylate dispersions in organic media, for example according to Jpn. Kokai Tokyo Koho 8179,111 (=Chemical Abstracts: 95: 188086w), cross-linked particles of polyalkyl (meth)acrylates with C.sub.6-20 alkyl groups or polyvinyl esters of C.sub.7-21 fatty acids with a diameter of 5-8 .mu.m are produced according to the pouring method, in Isopar G (aliph. petroleum oil). In addition, a large number of microfine, stable acrylate dispersions in organic media, for example for coating purposes, are described in, for example JP 62-220,564=Chemical Abstracts 108: 133526w. JP 61-181,856=Chemical Abstracts 106: 34795k describes an extremely microfine dispersion which is stable for >6 months without sedimentation. A good overview of dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in non-aqueous media is offered by the article by M. A. Winnik et al., in Makromol. Chem. Macromol. Symp. 10/11, 483-501 (1987).
Winnik et al. describe the influence of the solvent quality of the organosol medium on the polymerization speed of MMA or the influence of the solvent quality on the particle size, for example.
In general, hydrocarbons with a low boiling point, such as cyclohexane, heptane all the way to dodecane are described. As emulsifiers, many different types of block copolymer systems are used.
The requirements profile for polymer particles of the stated type, with a diameter of approximately 1-15 .mu.m, has been known for a long time; however, there was no advantageous, technically-practicable production method. In German patent application P 43 27 464.1, the production of polymethyl methacrylate particles which are stable in shape is described in cyclohexane as the solvent/precipitant. In this method, very uniform particles with a diameter of 2-10 .mu.m are obtained. According to knowledge available until now, a large number of boundary conditions had to be precisely adhered to.
The teaching of the stated patent application furthermore prescribes the use of percarbonates as initiators. There continues to be an interest in getting away from the various limitations of the stated methods. However, no reduction in product quality could be accepted.
The method of the present invention opens up this possibility in an excellent manner.

Method for the production of plastic particles


A narrowing intraluminal stent is disclosed and comprises a hollow body and a flow passage therethrough, the hollow body designed for intraluminal placement and having at least one portion of an inner cross sectional dimension smaller than the cross sectional dimension of the lumen, so as to artificially narrow a passage through the body lumen. A method of artificially narrowing a passage through a body lumen using the stent is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a device and method for treating ischemic heart disease and, more particularly, to a coronary sinus stent and to surgical methods for implanting same. Specifically, the present invention involves implantation of the stent in the coronary sinus as a means of treating patients suffering from, for example, diffuse coronary artery disease, especially in cases where conventional balloon catheterization, bypass surgery and drugs are infeasible or ineffective treatment methods.
Blood arrives at the heart muscle via coronary arteries which begin as vessels with a diameter of several millimeters and branch progressively to smaller and smaller vessels in order to supply all the cells of the heart muscle. Blood arriving at the heart carries oxygen and nutrients which are exchanged for carbon dioxide and other wastes produced by cellular respiration. The carbon dioxide carrying blood leaves the heart muscle via a system of coronary veins which begin as small vessels and progressively merge into larger vessels. As in other organs, the veins are approximately parallel to the arteries, although the blood flow therein is in the opposite direction. The coronary veins terminate in a reservoir referred to as the coronary sinus, which, in turn, drains into the right atrium where it mixes with venous blood from peripheral organs. Venous blood is pumped from the right atrium into the pulmonary arteries which perfuse the lung and facilitate an exchange of gases, with carbon dioxide being replaced with oxygen.
In cases where the supply of blood flowing to the heart muscle via the coronary arteries is insufficient, oxygenation of the muscle tissue of the heart is reduced, producing a condition known as cardiac ischemia. Ischemia can result in atrophy and or necrosis of tissue. In the case of cardiac ischemia, this atrophy or necrosis reduces heart function and adversely affects the blood supply to the remainder of the body. Patients suffering from cardiac ischemia typically suffer from chest pains and difficulty in breathing. Cardiac ischemia may precipitate a heart attack in some cases.
Cardiac ischemia is most often caused by atherosclerosis or other conditions which block one or more coronary arteries. Current treatment options include balloon catheterization, bypass surgery and treatment with drugs. Balloon catheterization and bypass surgery are only feasible options if the coronary artery blockage exists in a small number of discrete locations, usually in fairly large blood vessels.
Balloon catheterization involves insertion of a catheter with an inflatable tip via a peripheral blood vessel into the affected coronary artery. The procedure is performed with the aid of a visualization (imaging) device (e.g., ultrasound, X-ray, fluoroscopy) which shows the catheter tip and the coronary artery occlusion. When the tip is in proximity to the occlusion, it is inflated, thereby widening the artery and releasing the occlusion. In cases, the balloon catheter serves for placing a stent within the artery and to extend or erect the stent to its service dimensions in a process known as stent catheterization. These procedures are often preferred by patients and doctors because it is relatively non-invasive.
Bypass surgery is an invasive procedure which involves opening the thoracic cavity and implanting a tube so as to replace or bypass an occluded portion of the coronary artery. The tube may be either artificial, or a peripheral blood vessel derived from the patient. While this method has proven efficacy, it has all of the disadvantages inherent in invasive surgery, e.g., post-surgical infection, complications with anesthesia, relatively long recovery time and high cost.
Patients with cardiac ischemia caused by blockage of many small vessels are not candidates for balloon catheterization or bypass surgery and are currently treatable only with drugs. These drugs include, for example, nitrates, β-blockers and calcium channel blockers. Unfortunately, patients treated with drugs often continue to have difficulty performing daily activities, suffer from shortness of breath and chest pains.
It has long been known that reducing the flow of blood exiting the coronary sinus can have beneficial effects on cardiac ischemia (Gross L. Blum L., Silverman G. J Exper. Med. (1937) 85:91, 1937; Robertson H. H. (1935) Am Heart. J. 10:533; Beck C. S., Leighninger D. S. (1954) Am. Heart J. 156:1226; Beck C. S., Leighninger D. S. (1955) Am. Heart J. 159:1264; Beck C. S., Leighninger D. S. (1961) Med. Tms. (NY) 89:17; Beck C. S., Leighninger D. S., Brofman B. L., Bond J. F. (1958) J. Amer. Med. Ass. 168:2110; Sandler G., Slesser B. V., Lawson C. W. (1967) Thorax 22:34). It is believed that reducing the flow of blood exiting the coronary sinus increases the blood pressure in the coronary arteries, thereby inducing the formation of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis. The prior art procedure of reducing the flow of blood exiting the coronary sinus involves placement of a narrowing ring external to the coronary sinus, so as to narrow its inner diameter and thereby restrict blood flow therethrough. This procedure, however, is an open chest (thoracic) procedure, and therefore suffers all the limitations associated with such procedures, including, but not limited to, post-surgical infection, complications with anesthesia, relatively long recovery time and high cost. However, the prior art fails to teach minimal invasive means of reducing the flow of blood exiting the coronary sinus without thoracic surgery.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a device and method for reducing the flow of blood exiting the coronary sinus without thoracic surgery as a means of treating or preventing cardiac ischemia caused by, for example, diffuse coronary artery disease.

Device and method for treating ischemic heart disease


A tuning circuit (202) uses a precision current reference (Iref) along with an analog-to-digital converter (218) to produce a digital output (228) to represent variations of internal resistance values. The precision current reference (Iref) is fed to an internal tuning resistor (R210) in order to provide an analog voltage signal to the analog-to-digital converter (218). The analog voltage signal changes in accordance with the variations in the tuning resistor value over process and temperature. The digital output (228) controls programmable capacitor arrays (C220, C222) which are included in the tuning circuit (202) as well as in an active RC filter (208) whose bandwidth is controlled by the programmable capacitor arrays (C220, C222) and internal resistors (R212, R214, R216).

Analog signal processing systems frequently employ active analog filters constructed of operational amplifiers (op-amps), resistors, and capacitors. For inexpensive mixed signal integrated circuit (IC) processes such as digital complimentary-symmetry metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), large value integrated resistors typically have a poor manufacturing tolerance (approximately 25%) and a relatively high temperature coefficient of approximately 5000 parts per million per degree Celsius (5000 ppm/.degree.C.).
Referring now to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a prior art integrated active resistance-capacitance (RC) filter 100 known as a second order Saylen-Keye active RC low pass filter. Resistors R102, R104, R106 and capacitors C108. C110 control the -3 dB bandwidth of the filter 100, and these resistors are typically integrated on chip as resistor arrays under microprocessor control. These resistor arrays exhibit the problems associated with having the poor manufacturing tolerances, and the -3 dB bandwidth can vary by nearly a full order of magnitude. For active RC filters of this complexity, it is impractical to use external precision resistors as a substitute for the internal diffused resistance. Further disadvantages associated with using theses resistor arrays include the amount of die space required and the relatively high cost of the analog process. Filter circuits, such as the Saylen-Keye filter 100, often require manual tuning, usually in the form of programming, of the resistor arrays at the factory level in order to compensate for variations in the process characteristics. This further drives up the cost and time involved in producing these circuits.
Hence, what is needed is an improved circuit and method of tuning an analog integrated circuit, such as the active RC filter 100, such that the circuit remains impervious to variations in process and temperature and relieves the burden of manual tuning.


An exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus includes a compressor for compressing air, a combustion chamber for burning fuel and compression air exhausted from the compressor, a gas turbine driven by exhaust gas from the combustion chamber, a recirculation path for recirculating a part of the exhaust gas to an intake of the compressor, a recirculation amount control unit for adjusting the amount of exhaust gas to be returned to the intake of the compressor corresponding to a change in load of the gas turbine, and a spray unit for introducing liquid droplets into the interior of the compressor in which mixing gas, consisting of gas turbine exhaust gas passing through the recirculation path and air, flows so as to vaporize the introduced liquid droplets appearing to flow in the compressor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gas turbine apparatus, and more particularly to a exhaust gas recirculating type combined cycle plant wherein exhaust gas is recirculated to an air intake side of a compressor.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Unexamined patent Application No. Hei 7-34900 discloses an exhaust gas recirculating type combined plant wherein a part of exhaust gas from a gas turbine is returned to an air intake of a compressor so as to raise a compressor air intake temperature so that a combustion temperature at the time of partial loading or gas turbine exhaust gas temperature is prevented form dropping thereby preventing a drop in cycle heat efficiency at the time of the partial loading.
Further, according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho56-141040, before recirculated combustion gas enters a compressor, water is sprayed so that it is vaporized. A cooling unit is provided on a compression air path out of the compressor and by supplying coolant medium, heat is recovered so that a rate of heat recovery from exhaust gas is improved.
However, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 7-34900 does not disclose anything about widening a range in which high efficiency partial load operation is enabled by stabilized recirculation of exhaust gas. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. Sho 56-141040 does not mention anything about a partial load operation.
The combined cycle plant has such a feature that there exists an atmospheric temperature maximizing its plant efficiency and the plant efficiency drops at other temperatures than the atmospheric temperature.
An object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus having a wide partial load operation range allowing high efficiency operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus capable of obtaining a desired output efficiently even when the external temperature changes.
To solve the aforementioned problem, the first invention provides an exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus comprising: a compressor for compressing air; a combustion chamber for burning compression air exhausted from the compressor and fuel, a gas turbine driven by gas turbine exhaust gas from the combustion chamber; a recirculation path for recirculating a part of the gas turbine exhaust gas to an intake of the compressor a recirculation amount control unit for adjusting an amount of gas turbine exhaust gas to be returned to the intake of the compressor corresponding to a change in load of the gas turbine; and a spray unit for introducing liquid droplets into an interior of the compressor in which mixing gas comprising gas turbine exhaust gas passing through the recirculation path and air flows so as to vaporize the introduced liquid droplet during a flow in the compressor.
As a result, air is compressed in the compressor, the compressed air and fuel are burned in the combustion chamber, the gas turbine is driven with gas turbine exhaust gas from the combustion chamber, a part of the gas turbine exhaust gas is recirculated to the intake of the compressor through the recirculation path, the amount of the gas turbine exhaust gas to be returned to the intake of the compressor is adjusted corresponding to a change in the load of the gas turbine, and spraying liquid droplets from the spray unit so as to introduce the liquid droplets into the compressor in which mixing gas comprising gas turbine exhaust gas passing through said recirculation path and air flows so that the introduced liquid droplets are vaporized during a flow in the compressor.
Because of vaporizing the liquid droplets in the compressor, a rise of the compressor exit temperature is suppressed so that the temperature of the mixing gas entering the compressor is raised, the recirculation amount can be increased and further the heat efficiency in the compressor can be improved. As a result, the partial load operation range in which the compressor can be operated efficiently can be widened.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gas turbine exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus comprises: a compressor for compressing air; a combustion chamber for burning compression air exhausted from the compressor and fuel; a gas turbine driven by gas turbine exhaust gas from the combustion chamber; a recirculation path for recirculating a part of the gas turbine exhaust gas to an intake of the compressor; a recirculation amount control unit for adjusting an amount of gas turbine exhaust gas to be returned to the intake of the compressor corresponding to a change in load of the gas turbine; and a spray unit for spraying liquid droplets over air supplied to the compressor and gas turbine exhaust gas passing through said recirculation path so as to introduce the liquid droplets into the compressor in which the air and the gas turbine exhaust gas flow so that the introduced liquid droplets are vaporized during a flow in said compressor. As a result, in addition to the aforementioned matter, it is possible to vaporize the liquid droplets at a relative upstream in the compressor so that the temperature in the compressor can he continuously changed.
While suppressing a rise of the compressor exit temperature by vaporizing the liquid droplets in the compressor, the temperature of the mixing gas entering the compressor can be raised, resulting in the increase of the recirculation amount. Further, the improvement of the heat efficiency in the compressor allows the partial load operation range allowing a high efficiency operation of the compressor to be widened.
The second invention provides an exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus comprising: a compressor for compressing air; a combustion chamber for burning compression air exhausted from the compressor and fuel; a gas turbine driven by gas turbine exhaust gas from the combustion chamber; a recirculation path for recirculating a part of the gas turbine exhaust gas to an intake of the compressor; a recirculation amount control unit for adjusting an amount of gas turbine exhaust gas to be returned to the intake of the compressor corresponding to a change in load of the gas turbine; a spray unit for introducing liquid droplets into an interior of the compressor in which mixing gas comprising gas turbine exhaust gas passing through the recirculation path and air flows so as to vaporize the introduced liquid droplet during a flow in said compressor; and a spray amount control unit for controlling a spray amount of the liquid droplets corresponding to the recirculation amount.
While suppressing a rise of the compressor exit temperature by vaporizing the liquid droplets in the compressor, the temperature of the mixing gas entering the compressor can be raised, resulting in the increase of the recirculation amount. Further, because the heat efficiency in the compressor can be improved, the partial load operation range allowing a high efficiency operation of the compressor can be widened.
The compressor intake temperature and exit temperature change are depended on the recirculation amount, and thereby the spray amount can be appropriately adjusted.
As a result, by spraying the liquid droplets to intake air introduced into the compressor on demand by means of a simple apparatus suitable for actual purpose so that the introduced liquid droplets are vaporized in the compressor, the widening of the partial load operation range and improvement of the efficiency of the combined cycle plant can be achieved.
The third invention provides an exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus comprising: a compressor for compressing air; a combustion chamber for burning compression air exhausted from the compressor and fuel; a gas turbine driven by gas turbine exhaust gas from the combustion chamber; a recirculation path for recirculating a part of the gas turbine exhaust gas to an intake of the compressor; a spray unit for introducing liquid droplets into an interior of the compressor in which mixing gas comprising gas turbine exhaust gas passing through the recirculation path and air flows so as to vaporize the introduced liquid droplet during a flow in the compressor; a temperature detector for detecting a temperature of air supplied to the compressor; and a control unit for controlling so that in the case of a first temperature region in which the detected temperature is set, the recirculation is executed and spray of droplets from the spray unit is stopped, in the case of a second temperature region which is higher than the first temperature region, the recirculation is executed and the spray of droplets from the spray unit is executed and in the case of a third temperature region which is higher than the second temperature region, the recirculation is stopped and the spray of droplets from the spray unit is executed.
This will easily provide a desired load efficiently regardless of the change of external temperature.
An exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus is preferred to comprise a control unit for controlling a spray amount of droplet from said spray unit depending on a humidity of air supplied to the compressor.
In place of the third invention""s control unit, the fourth invention provides an exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus comprising; a control unit for controlling operation so that in the case of a first temperature region in which the detected temperature is set, the recirculation is executed and spray of droplets from the spray unit is stopped, in the case of a second temperature region which is higher than the first temperature region, the recirculation is stopped and the spray of droplets from the spray unit is stopped and in the case of a third temperature region which is higher than the second temperature region, said recirculation is stopped and the spray of droplets from the spray unit is executed.
This will easily provide a desired output efficiently regardless of the change of the external temperature.
An exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus is preferred to comprise a control unit for controlling a spray amount of droplet from said spray unit depending on a humidity of air supplied to the compressor.
An exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a control unit for controlling a spray amount of droplet from said spray unit depending on a humidity of air supplied to the compressor.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided an exhaust gas recirculation type gas turbine apparatus comprising: a compressor for compressing air; a gas turbine chamber for burning compression air exhausted from the compressor and funnel; a gas turbine driven by gas turbine exhaust gas from the gas turbine chamber; a recirculation path for recirculating a part of the gas turbine exhaust gas to an intake of the compressor; and a carbon dioxide gas removing unit installed in a flow path of gas turbine exhaust gas for reducing the concentration of carbon dioxide gas in the gas turbine exhaust gas discharged after air containing the recirculated exhaust gas is introduced to the gas turbine chamber.
As a result, carbon dioxide (e.g., CO2) can be removed effectively while achieving a high efficiency operation. Further, the size of the carbon dioxide removing unit can be reduced. Because the pressure loss of the gas turbine exhaust path can be reduced by the miniaturization, the efficiency drop during the gas turbine operation can be suppressed thereby contributing to the high efficiency operation.
The carbon dioxide gas removing measure can be disposed between a diverging portion of the recirculation path of the gas turbine exhaust gas path and an emitting portion for emitting the gas turbine exhaust gas. As a result, the gas turbine exhaust gas containing high concentration carbon dioxide gas can be removed, so that the carbon dioxide gas removing efficiency can be maintained at a high level in addition to the aforementioned effect. Further, because the pressure loss can be further reduced, the high efficiency operation is enhanced.
Alternatively, the carbon dioxide gas removing measure can be disposed between the gas turbine of the gas turbine exhaust gas path and the diverging portion of the recirculation path. As a result, a large amount of the gas turbine exhaust gas can be supplied so that the carbon dioxide gas removing efficiency can be maintained at a high level in addition to the aforementioned effect.
Moreover, the carbon dioxide gas removing measure can be disposed on the recirculation path. As a result, the carbon dioxide gas removing unit can be installed easily. Further, the maintenance work for this unit is facilitated. Further, the pressure loss at a discharge portion of exhaust gas to the air can be reduced, the efficiency drop of the gas turbine can be further suppressed.

Exhaust gas recirculation type combined plant


Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a flow of coolant through a coolant system including a rear axle heat exchanger. In one example, a method may include flowing coolant through the coolant system while an engine is not operating. In another example, a method may include increasing a flow of coolant to the rear axle heat exchanger while the engine is not operating when a rear axle oil temperature exceeds a threshold temperature.

An engine system, such as an engine system of a vehicle, may include one or more heat exchangers fluidly coupled to one or more coolant systems. While an engine of the engine system is in an operational mode, a temperature of components within the engine system may increase. Coolant flowing through the coolant loops may absorb thermal energy from the engine and other components of the engine system, and may transfer the thermal energy to the heat exchangers in order to reduce the temperature of the engine and other components. When the engine is adjusted from an operational mode to a non-operational mode, a flow rate of coolant within the coolant systems may be reduced, resulting in an accumulation of coolant at the heat exchangers and within coolant lines of the coolant systems. Residual thermal energy from the heat exchangers and components of the engine system may then increase the temperature of the accumulated coolant above a boiling temperature of the coolant and cause the coolant to boil, which may result in coolant leaking from the coolant systems and/or degradation of the heat exchangers.
To address the problem of residual thermal energy within the engine system, an example method is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,827, wherein an electric water pump is mounted in an engine compartment and is driven by a drive component after the engine is stopped in order to reduce a likelihood of coolant temperature increasing above the boiling temperature.
However, the inventors herein have recognized potential issues with such systems, including an absence of a method to prevent boiling of coolant in coolant systems outside of the engine compartment, such as a cooling system of a rear axle of a vehicle. Additionally, while such systems may reduce a likelihood of coolant boiling, thermal energy from the coolant is dissipated by the coolant system, thereby wasting energy that may be of use to the engine system during an engine cold-start. For example, a powertrain in a conventional rear wheel drive vehicle includes a rear axle or differential system that may include axle members and gear sets, transmitting power from a drive shaft to the axle members to propel the vehicle. The rear axle gear sets may be lubricated by lubricating oil to ensure smooth operation of the rear axle differential. Viscosity and other fluid properties of the lubrication oil are a function of temperature and affect the efficiency and performance of the rear axle system and thus the vehicle. The rear axle lubricating oil may be less viscous with increasing temperature and may be more viscous with decreasing temperature. For example, at engine cold start the lubricating oil may be cold and hence, more viscous than desired. Conversely, for example, at high engine load the rear axle lubricating oil may be over-heated and may be less viscous than desired. To minimize friction loss and to reduce wear of the rear axle gears, which may result in reduced fuel efficiency, it is desirable to monitor the rear axle lubrication oil temperature and to maintain the lubrication oil temperature within a specified temperature range for optimal lubrication of the rear axle gears while the engine is operating. It is also desirable to increase the rear axle lubrication oil temperature quickly during an engine cold-start in order to bring the rear axle lubrication oil temperature into the specified temperature range.
In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a method comprising: flowing coolant through a coolant system while an engine is not operating, while adjusting a flow rate of the coolant through a rear axle heat exchanger (RAHX) in response to a rear axle oil temperature. In this way, coolant flows through the rear axle heat exchanger of the coolant system while the engine is not operating in order to reduce a likelihood of the coolant boiling.
As one example, the coolant system includes the rear axle heat exchanger, an exhaust gas heat exchanger, and a thermal storage vessel. While the engine is not operating, a flow rate of coolant through the exhaust gas heat exchanger is adjusted in response to an exhaust gas heat exchanger fluid outlet temperature, and a flow rate of coolant through the thermal storage vessel adjusted in response to a temperature of the thermal storage vessel. In this way, the likelihood of the coolant boiling is decreased by transferring thermal energy away from at least one of the rear axle heat exchanger or the exhaust gas heat exchanger and into the coolant. The temperature of the coolant is thereby increased, and the coolant may flow through the thermal storage vessel in order to transfer the thermal energy from the coolant to the thermal storage vessel, thereby storing the thermal energy within the thermal storage vessel. The stored thermal energy may be retained for later use, such as during an engine cold-start, in order to warm the rear axle lubrication oil to minimize friction loss and reduce wear of the rear axle gears.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Method of flowing coolant through exhaust heat recovery system after engine shutoff


A pixel array, a display driving method, a display driving device and a display device are described. The pixel array comprises a plurality of columns of subpixel groups. Each column of subpixel group comprises M×N subpixels, where N is the number of colors of subpixels, and M is an integer equal or greater than 3. Directions in which subpixels of the subpixel groups in odd columns and subpixels of the subpixel groups in even columns are twisted respectively being opposite in a column direction. The pixel array is suitable for application of Pentile technologies under 2D/3D display mode.

In conventional liquid crystal display device or organic light emitting diode display device, each pixel renders colors by mixing light with several subpixels. For example, each pixel may consist of a red subpixel, a green subpixel, and a blue subpixel. To improve a visual effect, increasingly high requirements have been posed to resolutions of display devices, which entails subpixels to become smaller and smaller in size. However, size of subpixels cannot be reduced infinitely due to process limitations. Given a certain size of subpixel, a display device of Pentile mode has been proposed in the art to improve the display effect.
In a display device of Pentile mode, a single pixel may consists of only two subpixels of "red-green" or "blue-green". During actual image displaying, a pixel in the display device of Pentile mode may "borrow" another color from its adjacent pixels to render three primary colors. Therefore, in a display device of Pentile mode, partial subpixels are "shared", which reduces the number of subpixels, achieves an effect of simulating a high resolution under a low resolution, and achieves a higher resolution than an actual resolution in terms of visual effect.
Naked eye 3D mode is a kind of 3D display mode suitable for display devices of large sizes, which distinguishes between information entering a viewer's left eye and information entering the viewer's right eye (comprising a first view and a second view) by setting gratings so that the viewer may experience 3D effects. However, because the naked eye 3D mode has a light barrier grating design, PPI (Pixel per inch) will be significantly reduced, sometimes by half, during being observed, which degrades 3D visual effects. How to increase visual resolutions of a naked eye 3D display device has become a problem to be solved in the art.

Pixel array, display driving method, display driving device and display device

BEIJING BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD


A visual diagnostic system is disclosed. The visual diagnostic system has a sensor located onboard a machine to generate a signal indicative of a status of a machine component, and a user interface associated with the machine to receive input from and provide information to a user. The visual diagnostic system also has a controller in communication with the sensor and the user interface. The controller is configured display on the user interface a model containing the machine component in response to the signal.

Machines such as, for example, passenger vehicles, trains, marine vessels, construction equipment, excavating machines, etc., include many components that are susceptible to wear and breakdown resulting from everyday use. Such machines have been provided with onboard controllers to detect abnormal operating conditions and warn the machine operator or owner of the conditions. For example, the onboard controller may cause a "check engine" light to become illuminated in response to the detected abnormal conditions.
Although alerted to the abnormal conditions, the machine owner is not ordinarily provided with enough information to diagnose and remedy the problem alone, and must take the machine to a service center where the abnormal conditions can be addressed by a service professional. Because an appointment must be made, and the particular service center selected by the machine owner may be unable to immediately acquire the parts needed for repair, addressing such abnormal conditions may result in significant machine downtime, even for a relatively minor issue. In a case where the machine is used in an industry such as, for example, excavation, construction, farming, transportation, etc., such downtime can result in significant economic losses and missed deadlines.
One system that attempts to minimize machine downtime is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,023,332 (the '332 patent) issued to Saito et al., on Apr. 4, 2006. The '332 patent discloses an on-vehicle breakdown-warning report system, in which an abnormal operating condition is automatically detected. Information about the abnormal operating condition is sent to an off-board server computer where it is analyzed. Based on the analysis, the server computer determines the one or two best service companies that can perform the maintenance that will probably be necessary to repair the vehicle. The service companies are then provided to the vehicle operator for selection.
Although the system of the '332 patent may help reduce down time and resources spent in connection with identifying and locating an appropriate service company, it may be limited. Specifically, the operator must still bring his vehicle to the service company before appropriate replacement parts can be ordered. Therefore, in circumstances where the repair is relatively simple and/or the operator has the knowledge and means to replace the part on his own, the downtime reduced by usage of the system of the '332 patent may be minimal.
The disclosed visual diagnostic subscription service is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.

Visual diagnostic system and subscription service


An ink jet recording method comprises using inks of two or more colors including yellow and forming a mixed color portion containing yellow on a recording medium by use of a plurality of inks with different dye concentrations for at least one color, wherein the yellow ink is attached onto the recording medium always prior to attachment of other inks thereonto.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ink jet recording method for forming a full color image by use of two or more recording liquids (inks) with different colors including yellow, and more particularly to an ink jet recording method capable of forming a full color image having a broad color reproduction range and an abundant gradation characteristic and having good image stability, and also suitable for high speed recording.
2. Related Background Art
The ink jet recording method is a recording method in which recording is performed by generating small droplets of ink according to various ink discharging systems such as (1) the electrostatic attracting system by high voltage application, (2) the system in which mechanical vibration or displacement is applied to the ink by use of a piezoelectric element, (3) the system in which ink is momentarily foamed by heating and its pressure upon foaming is utilized, etc., and attaching such droplets onto a recording medium such as paper, etc.
The full-color recording is effected by subjecting the three colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C), or four colors with black (K) added thereto to subtractive mixing of colors. Namely, full-color recording is effected by discharging the three colored inks or four colored inks with black (K) added thereto from nozzles used exclusively for the respective colors of the recording head while the respective amounts of the colored inks to be discharged are being controlled, and by allowing the respective inks to be mixed and absorbed by each picture element of the recording material.
For instance, in a conventional printer in which cylindrical piezoelectric elements are used in a printer head of an ink jet system, the gradations of density can be expressed by ink dot diameter modulation method in which the diameter of the dots to be printed on the recording sheet is modulated.
Meanwhile, since the ratio of change between a maximum dot and a minimum dot is not very large, there are cases where areas lack a sufficient density to output a natural color image. Accordingly, a low-density ink and a high-density ink both of the same color are prepared for each color, and the high- and low-density inks are selectively used by changing over the heads in accordance with the high- and low-density areas, thereby securing areas having necessary densities, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,551,736, 4,533,920, 4,533,923 and 4,695,846. A method employing such high- and low-density inks for each color is hereinafter referred to as an ink density variation method.
However, when the formation of an image is carried out according to such an ink density variation method or an ink dot diameter modulation method, there occurs the phenomenon that particularly a skin color portion (a mixed color portion comprising yellow, magenta and cyan, i.e., highlight area) becomes yellow with the lapse of time.
This phenomenon, different from discoloration and fading phenomenon over a long time which is considered to occur owing to dyes contained in an ink, is a change in tone with the lapse of time in a short time scale. This phenomenon results in disintegration of the initial balance of an image and becomes a bar with respect to obtaining a full color image of high quality.
In addition, at a middle area, an image with clear tone and high contrast has not been obtained.

Ink jet recording method with improved tone by recording yellow first


A design for an inverting delay component of an oscillator is disclosed, which enables the oscillator to be more tolerant of parameter variations. This increased parameter variation tolerance allows the KVCO of the oscillator to vary less between the worst case scenario (where the components of the oscillator meet minimum specifications) and the best case scenario (where the components meet the maximum specifications). This in turn means that the worst case KVCO value will be significantly smaller than in the prior art. By using a significantly smaller KVCO value, the jitter experienced at the output of the oscillator will be substantially reduced. Thus, this design enables a low-jitter oscillator to be realized.

Many of today's electronic devices (e.g. cell phones, computers, personal digital assistants (PDA's), etc.) require high frequency clock signals in order to operate. Usually, these clock signals are generated using phase locked loops (PLL's).
A typical PLL comprises a phase detector, a loop filter, a charge pump, and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). While all of the components perform vital functions, it is really the VCO that is at the heart of the PLL because it is the VCO that provides the output high frequency signals, and it is the VCO that enables the frequencies of the output signals to be adjusted based upon a control voltage signal.
In designing a PLL, one of the starting points is the selection of an output frequency/control voltage value for the VCO. This value, referred to herein as KVCO, specifies how much the output frequency of the VCO will change given a change in control voltage. A sample KVCO plot is shown in FIG. 1, wherein the control voltage is shown along the X axis and the output frequency is shown along the Y axis. The KVCO value is given by the slope of the plot. Since the plot in FIG. 1 is a straight line, the KVCO value is a constant. In practice, the KVCO will most likely vary with the control voltage and hence, would not be a constant. Nonetheless, to simplify the design process, a constant KVCO value is used as an approximation. After the KVCO value is selected, it is used to determine the parameters of the other PLL components. In this manner, the PLL is designed around the VCO.
The KVCO value that is selected for a PLL depends upon the particular VCO that is to be used. For the particular VCO, there will be a variety of KVCO values that can be selected. This variety results not from any defect in the design of the VCO, but rather from the processing variations that are encountered in fabricating the VCO.
More specifically, a VCO comprises a plurality of components (e.g. transistors). These components are manufactured by some fabrication process. Ideally, the fabrication process should produce identical components (components with the same parameters) each and every time. In practice, however, this is not possible. As a result, there will be some variation in the parameters of the components used to make up the VCO. Some of the components will have parameters that barely meet minimum specifications, while other components will meet or exceed the maximum specifications, while other components will fall somewhere in between. Because of these processing variations, the KVCO values exhibited by different VCO's will differ, even if the VCO's are all of the identical design. This means that in selecting a KVCO value, a PLL designer has to select a value that all of the VCO's will be able to minimally achieve, which typically means that the designer has to choose the worst case KVCO value.
FIG. 2 shows some sample KVCO plots for a VCO, to illustrate the various possible KVCO values that can be exhibited by different VCO's of the same design. In FIG. 2, the KVCO1 plot shows the KVCO value for the worst case scenario (where the components of the VCO meet minimum specifications), the KVCO3 plot shows the KVCO value for the best case scenario (where the components meet the maximum specifications), and the KVCO2 plot shows the KVCO value for the typical case. As can be seen, the worst case scenario plot KVCO1 has the steepest slope. As noted above, a PLL designer typically has to select the worst case scenario to ensure that the PLL will work for all of the different VCO's of the same design. This, in turn, means that the designer has to choose the highest KVCO value (the plot KVCO1 with the steepest slope).
Using such a high KVCO value is problematic in many implementations, however. To elaborate, the KVCO value indicates how much the output frequency of the VCO will change given a change in control voltage. With a large KVCO value, even a small change in control voltage will cause a significant change in output frequency. This in turn means that if the control voltage has any noise components, those noise components will cause significant fluctuations (referred to herein as "jitter") in the output frequency. This jitter is highly undesirable as it can cause some devices to operate improperly. Thus, using a large KVCO value in the design of a PLL has significant drawbacks.

Oscillator with improved parameters variation tolerance


An accelerated life testing device and method including an accelerated life testing method for a test piece within a test chamber, the method including: establishing a first atmosphere within the test chamber; changing the first atmosphere to a second atmosphere to form a deposition layer on the test piece; changing the second atmosphere to the first atmosphere to remove the deposition layer from the test piece; and repeating the changing the first atmosphere to the second atmosphere and the changing the second atmosphere to the first atmosphere to form an oxidation layer on the test piece.

Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) is a qualitative test method used to accelerate and identify failures in products, such as medical devices. The products are tested to failure to find failure modes and to identify the root causes of product and sub-system failures. Once failure modes and causes are identified, the product design can be improved to prevent or reduce the identified failures. The improved product design can then be retested to confirm that the identified failures are reduced. The HALT process results in rugged designs and high reliability products.
The HALT process can apply any stimulus to a product under test that can accelerate failure in the product, providing an indication of failures likely to occur in the field. One stimulus is temperature stress, which can be used in electronics testing to identify failures due to marginal components, poor timing margins, and poorly mounted heat sinks. Another stimulus is vibration, which can be used in mechanical and electronics testing to identify failures due to poor solder joints, loose hardware, and contact and wear between adjacent parts. Other stimuli used to accelerate failure can include general humidity, over-voltage, and over-current.
Unfortunately, present HALT processes are not able to provide a stimulus which accelerates oxidation in the product under test. Oxidation in the field normally occurs over a number of years, so failures in products in the field are too late to contribute to improved product design. The inability to accelerate oxidation during HALT processes prevents product design improvements from determining how oxidation affects the function of the device and identifying areas on which to focus design efforts. This, in turn, prevents achievement of highest product quality, product reliability, and patient safety.
It would be desirable to have an accelerated life testing device and method that would overcome the above disadvantages.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Accelerated life testing device and method


A headlight for a low beam and a high beam in a vehicle has a reflector, a light source, an adjusting device operative for displacing the light source relative to the reflector between a position for a low beam and a position for a high beam, the adjusting device including holding means which produce a holding force for fixing the light source in one of the two positions.

The present invention relates to a headlight in particular for providing a high beam and a low beam in a vehicle, which has a reflector, a light source, and an adjusting device for adjusting the light source relative to the reflector between a position for the low beam and a position for the high beam.
Such a headlight is disclosed for example in the German patent document DE 44 35 507 A1. In this reference the light source is movable in direction of the optical axis of the reflector and also vertically to the optical axis of the reflector. For performing the movement oriented vertically to the optical axis, the light source is turnable about an axis arranged perpendicular to the optical axis of the headlight. An electric motor is connected with the light source at a distance from the axis and turns the light source about the axis. For converting the rotary movement of the electric motor into the turning movement of the light source, it is proposed in this reference to use a thread, a transmission, a coulisse guide or a cam disk, etc. With the corresponding control of the electric motor the light source is moved to the position for the low beam or to the position for the high beam.

Headlight for low beam and high beam of a vehicle


Described herein are devices and techniques for suppressing parasitic modes in planar waveguide amplifier structures. One or more of the side and end facets of a planar waveguide amplifier are angled with respect to a fast axis defined in a transverse plane perpendicular to a core region. A relationship between glancing in-plane angles of incidence and threshold bevel angles θT can be used to select side bevel angles θS to suppress parasitics by redirecting amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from the core. It is possible to select the one or more bevel angles θS to be great enough to substantially redirect all but ballistic photons of any guided modes, effectively narrowing a numerical aperture of the planar waveguide amplifier along a slow axis, defined in a transverse plane perpendicular to the fast axis. Beneficially, such improvements can be realized for three part waveguide structures (e.g., cladding-core-cladding), with substantially smooth edge facets.

A dielectric waveguide is a physical structure configured to confine electromagnetic radiation transversely so as to guide the radiation in a preferred direction. As shown in FIG. 1C, this preferred direction is referred to as the optical axis 114.
A particular class of such waveguides is characterized as planar waveguide amplifiers. Such planar waveguide amplifiers include at least three stacked layers of materials (e.g., cladding-core-cladding), with at least one layer (e.g., core) having a different refractive index than other adjacent layers. The cladding layers may or may not be equal in size or material with the only requirement that their respective refractive indexes are smaller than the core index. One or more of the layers could for example be air. In operation, electromagnetic radiation is confined substantially within a core region of such a planar waveguide by total internal reflection (TIR), as can be realized by providing a middle layer having a refractive index that is larger than the refractive indexes of the surrounding layers or regions. The surrounding regions of such structures can be referred to as a cladding with respect to the core.
An example of a planar waveguide 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1A, having a rectangular planar core layer 102 sandwiched between upper and lower rectangular planar cladding layers 104a, 104b. Propagating waveguide modes in such structures 100 can be excited by injecting electromagnetic radiation into the core layer 102 from an edge of the device. In rectangular configurations, the core 102 represents a rectangular guiding plane bounded by two opposing end facets 106a, 106b (generally 106) spaced apart along a longitudinal axis (e.g., an optical axis 114) and two opposing side facets 108a, 108b (generally 108) spaced apart along a transverse axis, such that the side facets 108 are parallel to the longitudinal axis. Electromagnetic energy (e.g., a signal) directed along the longitudinal axis, generally enters and exits such a rectangular planar waveguide slab through the end facets 106.
Ideally, only signal beams would propagate within the core layer 102 and those beams would propagate along a trajectory parallel to the optical axis 114. However, both signal beams and fluorescence beams typically propagate within the core layer 102 and there are typically many beams of each type which do not propagate parallel to the optical axis 114. The angles of various signal and/or fluorescence beams relative to the optical axis 114 and/or planar core layer are referred to as beam angles (α as shown in FIG. 1C). In-plane beam angles (i.e., parallel to the planar core layer 102 but angled relative to the optical axis are generally expressed as α. Out-of-plane beam angles (i.e., parallel to the optical axis 114 but angled relative to the planar core layer 102) are generally expressed as γ. The angles of various signal and/or fluorescence beams relative to the side and/or cladding layers are referred to as angles of incidence ( α as shown in FIG. 1C). In-plane and out of plane angles of incidence are generally expressed as α and γ respectively.
Advantageously, such dielectric waveguide devices can be configured as amplifiers, exhibiting high-gain, high-power and high-energy capabilities. For example, planar waveguide amplifiers include a so called gain medium in the guiding layer. The gain medium is configured to provide amplification to injected electromagnetic radiation, for example, through a process generally known as stimulated emission. A pump source provides energy to the gain medium, urging electrons or molecules of the gain medium into an excited state. Interaction of injected electromagnetic radiation (i.e., signal photons) with the excited (i.e., pumped) gain medium results in the generation of photons through transitions of electrons or molecules from the excited energy state to a lower energy state. Thus, electromagnetic energy injected into one end of such a rectangular planar waveguide amplifier will travel along the core region, being amplified along the way by the generation of additional photons through stimulated emission.
The signal gain achievable in such devices depends at least in part on the available population of excited electrons or molecules. Unfortunately, in a pumped gain medium some photons are emitted spontaneously (referred to as fluorescence), independent of the signal field. A schematic example of a guided fluorescence photon 112 is shown in FIG. 1B. Spontaneously emitted fluorescence photons can occur at random locations within the gain medium, having random directions and random polarizations. Such fluorescence photons traveling within a pumped gain medium can give rise to further unwanted photons through stimulated emission (e.g., amplified spontaneous emission, or ASE) and are generally referred to as "parasitic" or "parasitic modes." It should be appreciated that stimulated photons take on the same phase, frequency, polarization and direction characteristics as the stimulating photons, regardless of whether the stimulating photons are signal photons or fluorescent photons. Accordingly, such parasitic modes (e.g., ASE) reduce the number of excited electrons or molecules available for amplifying the signal, thereby reducing the achievable gain for any given pumping power.
There are two classes of fluorescence photons, (1) photons which are emitted under shallow angles relative to the waveguide plane such that they remain confined/guided by the waveguide, and (2) photons which are emitted under large enough angles relative to the waveguide plane, such that they can reach the cladding directly. Guided fluorescence photons are particularly damaging. In their worst form, they can form in-plane TIR (TIR=Total internal Reflection) loops (e.g., the loop contains reflections from the two side facets 108 and two end facets 106). Less severe, but still damaging to the performance of a planar waveguide amplifier are guided fluorescence photons which travel from end-facet to end-facet of the waveguide and possibly reflecting off the long sides while doing so.
Typically, gain in a pumped gain medium is limited at low pump power by the fluorescence lifetime of the excited state and, at higher powers, by parasitic modes. Among these parasitic modes are modes which reflect off the sides of the amplifier structure (reflective modes) and those where the light propagates directly from end-facet to end-facet (ballistic modes). Of the reflective modes, it is the modes where all reflections occur under total internal reflection (TIR) conditions which are particularly damaging to amplifier performance.
It is possible for amplified spontaneous emission originating near an end facet and travelling through the full length of the amplifier to ultimately limit the gain achievable at a given pump power. As shown in FIG. 2, a spontaneously emitted photon 212 in a waveguide amplifier 200 can give rise to parasitic modes in the form of total internal reflection (TIR) loops. In the illustrative example, a photon 212 is generated within a core region 202 of a planar rectangular waveguide amplifier 200. The photon 212 is directed generally along a ray 213, which in the illustrative example is guided through the core 202. Such guided photons 212 propagate through the core 202 until they encounter one of the side facets 208a, 208b or end facets 206a, 206b. In the illustrative example, the photon 212 encounters the right side facet 208b at an in-plane (i.e., within the plane of the core 202) angle of incidence α. In at least some instances (e.g., if α is larger than a threshold angle of incidence for a core-air interface), the photon 212 is fully reflected back into the core 202. The threshold angle of incidence for the core-air interface can be determined as
            α      _        =          asin                    (                              n            air                                n            core                          )              ,wherein ncore is the refractive index of c is the planar core layer 202 and nair is the refractive index of air.
In the illustrative example, the photon 212 traverses a width of the core 202 and encounters the left side facet 208a at substantially the same in-plane angle of incidence α, because both side facets are parallel and aligned with a longitudinal axis. The process may repeat until the photon ultimately encounters one of the end facets 206a, 206b at an in-plane complementary angle of incidence α=90− α, resulting from the rectangular geometry of the waveguide amplifier 200. In at least some instances, the photon 212 is once again, reflected back into the core 202 at the end facet-air interface, as shown. In such circumstances, the photon 212 is effectively trapped within the rectangular waveguide amplifier 200 in a TIR loop. TIR loops can be supported when α, exceeds the critical angle for TIR. For example for rectangular YAG in air, this occurs for 33.3 deg< α<56.7 deg, or in general φ1≦ α≦φ2. For rectangular waveguides made from some material or combination of materials, TIR loops exist when the threshold angle φ1 for the material interface is less than 45°. If TIR loops are allowed by the prevailing materials, and since the direction and orientation of spontaneously emitted photons 212 occur randomly, it is unavoidable that some fluorescence photons 212 will be trapped in TIR loops.
Thus, photons 212 of a TIR loop are effectively trapped within the gain medium of the core 202, making endless passes through the core 202. When the core 202 is configured to provide gain, each trip through the core 202 stimulates additional photons through the process of stimulated emission as described above. In such scenarios, the stimulated photons have the same direction and thus, further contribute to further growth of the power in the TIR loop, thereby continuously reducing the available signal amplification power.
One approach for reducing non-guided ASE in waveguide amplifiers is to provide a large cladding volume relative to the core 202. The cladding can be used to draw fluorescence photons out of the gain region, thereby reducing amplified spontaneous emission.
An example of one such device, which may be referred to as a five-part device, is shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B. In addition to the upper and lower claddings 104a, 104b described above, the planar waveguide amplifier 100 includes left and right side claddings 110a, 110b (generally 110). Each side cladding 110 can be adjoined to a respective one of the side facets 108. As shown in the cross section of FIG. 1B, a spontaneously emitted photon 112 occurring within a central region of the core 102, can be guided through the core 102 until it encounters one of the side facets 108, upon which it may exit the core 102 and enter the side cladding 110. Thus, such guided fluorescence can be effectively "drained away" from the planar waveguide core through the side claddings 110. Unfortunately, the addition of such side claddings 110 substantially adds to complexity and associated fabrication costs because side claddings must generally be added by additional process steps, after the planar waveguide itself has been fabricated.
Other attempts at reducing ASE without requiring side claddings 110 involve providing a diffuse finish along the side facets 108. Such a diffuse finish allows at least a fraction of ASE photons impingent upon the side facet 108 to exit the core 102. Unfortunately, the diffuse finish does not discriminate between ASE photons and signal or pump photons. Thus, using diffuse finishes is a less desirable option because it reduces the amplifier efficiency that would otherwise be achievable with polished facets.

Suppression of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) within laser planar waveguide devices


A mechanism is provided for de-serializing a representation of a source object of a source software component written in a source language into a target software component written in a target language. A representation of the source object is received and a determination is made of a set of candidate types among a plurality of available types that are in the target language for the target software component, each candidate type being compatible with the representation of the source type. A set of match metrics is calculated, each one for a corresponding candidate type, where the match metric being indicative of a difference in information content between the candidate type and the representation of the source object. One of the candidate types is selected according to the match metrics and a mapping of the representation of the source object onto a target object of the selected candidate type is created.

The solution according to one or more embodiments of the present invention relates to the data processing field. More specifically, this solution relates to the de-serialization of objects based on differences in information content.
Exchange of data among different software components is a commonplace activity in modern data processing systems. For this purpose, serialization/de-serialization techniques (also known as deflating/inflating techniques) may be used.
Particularly, a source object to be provided from a source software component to a target software component is serialized by converting it into a corresponding representation that may be passed to the target software component. The representation of the source object is then de-serialized by creating a target object in the target software component that maps it (i.e., it is semantically equivalent to the source object). Typically, the representation of the source object is in a format that is independent of the actual implementation of both the source object and the target object; in this way, it is possible to exchange data among heterogeneous software components (especially in data processing systems with distributed architecture) in a reliable manner.
In this context, however, a problem arises when the source software component and the target software component are written in different programming languages that do not support the same types of objects (for example, classes with fields of different types in object-oriented programming languages). Indeed, in this case it may be possible that no type of the target software component perfectly matches the representation of the source object. Therefore, it is quite difficult (if not impossible) to de-serialize the representation of the source object into the corresponding target object automatically.
A typical example is the exchange of objects between a Rich Internet Application (RIA) written in the JavaScript language and a web service written in the Java language, which objects may be represented in the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format (trademarks); the Java language has a richer set of types than the JavaScript language has, so that it may be not possible to de-serialize a JSON representation of a JavaScript object into a Java object perfectly mapping it.
In order to tackle this problem, a custom converter is usually added to the target software component; the converter comprises code specifically written for handling the de-serialization of the representations of the source objects into corresponding target objects—for example, as described in US-A-2010/0083277 (the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference) for de-serializing incoming request messages in a SOA framework into Java objects.
However, this increases the development cost of the target software component. Moreover, the maintenance of the converter is quite difficult, since it requires working on two layers to maintain the converter in the target software component synchronized with the source software component. This process is time-consuming (thereby further increasing the development cost of the target software component) and prone to errors (thereby adversely affecting the quality of the target software component). The problem is particular acute when the source objects have a complex structure (for example, a list of items of different types, a list of nested lists, and the like).
Alternatively, US-A-2011/0321010 (the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference) mentions the possibility of using a new format, which allows specifying the type of each source object and its fields. However, the use of this format would require a corresponding parser that is not described in the cited document (and it does not have any reference implementation). Moreover, metadata modeling each source object would be required both in the definitions of the source objects (in the new format) and in the target software component; this involves the replication of information with detrimental effects on its maintenance. At the end, the possibility mentioned in the cited document would require the learning of a new language (different from the ones commonly known at the moment).

De-serialization of objects based on difference in information content

International Business Machines Corporation