A method and apparatus for providing a preselected voltage to test or repair a semiconductor device. The apparatus includes a one-stage pump and a transfer device. The one-stage pump is adapted to access a first voltage and provide a second voltage using the first voltage. The transfer device is capable of providing the first voltage to a node using the second voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a semiconductor device, and, more particularly, to providing a preselected voltage to test or repair the semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern integrated circuit devices are comprised of millions of semiconductor devices, e.g., transistors, formed above a semiconductor substrate, such as silicon. These devices are very densely packed, i.e., there is little space between them. Similarly, electrically conductive lines/traces may also be formed in the semiconductor substrate. Generally, the lines/traces electrically connect selected semiconductor devices to form circuits capable of performing complex functions. For example, data may be stored in a semiconductor memory device by providing electrical current to a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of word lines that may be electrically coupled to one or more capacitors in the semiconductor memory. In at least some applications, a large number of lines/traces may be required, such that they, too, may be relatively densely packed.
The semiconductor memory may be a dynamic random access memory, a flash memory, and the like. The semiconductor memory typically comprises an array of memory cells, address decoding circuitry for selecting one, or a group, of the memory cells for reading or writing data, sensing circuitry for detecting the digital state of the selected memory cell or memory cells, and input/output lines to receive the sensed data and convey that information out of the semiconductor memory. In many cases, the array of memory cells will be subdivided into several sub-arrays, or subsets of the complete collection of memory cells. For example, a semiconductor memory having 16 megabits (224 bits) of storage capacity, may be divided into 64 sub-arrays, each having 256K (218) memory cells.
Although forming the selected electrical connections may enable the circuits to perform their intended functions, undesirable electrical connections may result in a variety of malfunctions, e.g., short circuit paths may be established. Thus, semiconductor devices such as the capacitors in memory cells and conducting lines such as the input/output lines may generally be electrically isolated. For example, to insure that devices, lines, and/or groups thereof that may form the semiconductor memory are properly isolated, modern semiconductor processing involves the formation of shallow trench isolations (STI) in various regions of the substrate. These shallow trench isolations are typically formed by etching a trench in the semiconductor substrate and, thereafter, filling the trench with an isolation material, e.g., an insulator, such as silicon dioxide, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride, or other like materials.
However, it may be difficult to completely isolate the devices and/or lines. For example, defects in the semiconductor substrate or in the manufacturing process may form an undesirable conducting path, sometimes referred to as a "stringer," between the devices and/or lines in the semiconductor memory that may cause the semiconductor memory to malfunction. In one embodiment, a test voltage may be applied to the word lines and/or bit lines to determine how memory cells in the semiconductor memory perform under stress. For example, stringers may be detected and/or repaired by applying the test voltage to the semiconductor memory. But the semiconductor memory may not be able to provide a voltage that is high enough to enable the stringer to be detected and/or repaired. Thus, a margin mode circuit may be used to provide the test voltage.
Traditionally, the test voltage may be applied using a tester 100 that may be located on a semiconductor memory device 105, as shown in FIG. 1. The margin mode circuit in the tester 100 may include a multi-stage pump 110, a clock generator 115, an oscillator 120, and an enable logic 125 that may be used to facilitate the transfer of an external voltage from a memory pad 130 to a semiconductor memory array 140 via a transistor 145. The multi-stage pump 110, the clock generator 115, the oscillator 120, and the enable logic 125 may be coupled to a supply voltage 160 and a low voltage 165. For example, in one embodiment, the supply voltage 160 may be equal to 3 Volts and the low voltage 165 may be equal to ground, i.e. 0 Volts.
To transfer a voltage that is larger than the supply voltage 160 from the memory pad 130 to the semiconductor memory array 140, a gate of the transistor 145 may be coupled to the multi-stage pump 110, which may provide a voltage that may be used to forward bias the transistor 145. For example, if a voltage of 10 Volts is applied to the memory pad 130, the multi-stage pump 110 may provide a voltage equal to 10 Volts plus the threshold voltage of the transistor 145. A typical threshold voltage for the transistor 145 is about 1 Volt. To provide the voltage of about 11 Volts to the transistor 145 using the supply voltage 160, the multi-stage pump 110 may use 4 or 5 multiplying stages (not shown).
The tester 100 may suffer from numerous disadvantages. For example, the multi-stage pump 110 may occupy 4 to 5 times as much area as a single stage pump. The multi-stage pump 110 may also be incapable of providing a variety of voltages. For example, a multi-stage pump 110 that is designed to supply 11 Volts may be capable of supplying voltages ranging from 0 Volts to 10 Volts from the memory pad 130 to the semiconductor memory array 140 through the transistor 145. For another example, a multi-stage pump 110 that is designed to supply 11 Volts may not be capable of supplying about 12 Volts to the transistor 145. Thus, the multi-stage pump 110 may not be useful if the semiconductor memory array 140 may preferably be tested using a larger voltage of about 12 Volts.
For another example, the multi-stage pump 110 may be driven by the clock generator 115. Because the multi-stage pump 110 includes a plurality of multiplying stages, each of which must be driven by a signal from the clock generator 115, the clock generator 115 may be undesirably large and may occupy an undesirably large area of the semiconductor memory device 105. The clock generator 115 may also require a driving signal from the oscillator 120 that may be provided in response to a signal provided by the enable logic 125.
Furthermore, when the semiconductor memory array 140 is in deep-power-down status, the current in the semiconductor memory device 105 may be very low. However, if the multi-stage pump 110, the clock generator 115, the oscillator 120, and the enable logic 125 are coupled to pad 160, which may provide the supply voltage from an external source to the semiconductor memory array 140, the noise current in these components may be much larger than the current in the semiconductor memory array 140. In that case, it may not be possible to measure the current that may be in the semiconductor memory array 140 during the deep-power-down mode.

Method and apparatus for providing a preselected voltage to test or repair a semiconductor device


The present invention is directed to a vending machine comprising a cabinet with at least one support bracket fixed within the cabinet and a shelf slidingly interacting with at least one support bracket so as to move along a first direction between a first position and a second position. The cabinet may also include an auxiliary support arranged to pivot about an axis extending substantially parallel to the first direction so as to support the shelf in a tilted position, when the shelf is in the second position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vending machine for vending articles, most notably beverage containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vending machine having a cabinet with a plurality of vertically spaced shelves, and an elevator for receiving a packaged beverage from a shelf and for delivering the packaged beverage to a deliver port in a front face of the cabinet.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Various vending machines are known which dispense articles from shelves or storage bins. Conventionally, the dispensed articles fall, under the influence of gravity, away from the shelf or storage bin. A chute is typically located in the path of the falling article and directs the falling article to a discharge port located beneath the shelves or storage bins.
Such conventional vending machines do not fully utilize the interior space of the vending machine. Since gravity is used to deliver the article to the discharge port, all of the shelves or storage bins must be located above the discharge port. The space adjacent and beneath the discharge port cannot be used to store vendable articles. Therefore, the discharge port is typically located in the lower portion of the vending machine. Having the discharge port located in the lower portion of the vending machine creates an inconvenience to customers, since the customers must bend over to pick up the vended article.
Some vending machines have been designed to avoid these problems. For example, one type provides an elevator within a vending machine. The elevator delivers articles from storage areas to a discharge port which is located at a convenient height. However, this vending machine cannot be easily adjusted to vend different size products, and the shelves of the vending machine are hard to load, especially the upper shelves. Further this vending machine is relatively complicated, expensive to manufacture and requires frequent maintenance.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a vending machine which can more fully utilize the space inside the vending machine for storing vendable articles. The vending machine must deliver the vended articles to a discharge port located at a convenient height. The vending machine must be easily modifiable, so that the vending machine owner can choose to vend articles of various sizes. The vending machine must have an article storage system that allows articles to be easily loaded into any storage area of the vending machine. Further, the vending machine must be simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, and reliable in operation.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a vending machine which will more fully utilize the interior space of the vending machine, and which will vend articles, particularly beverage containers, to a discharge port located at an elevated height convenient to customers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine in which the vertical spacing between shelves within the machine can be readily adjusted, such that different size beverage containers can be accommodated on the shelves.
Yet another object of the present invention is to easy to load, such that even a top shelf of a tall vending machine (typically seventy-nine inches tall) could be loaded by an average service person without the assistance of a step stool.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vending machine which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, and reliable in operation.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a vending machine which can gently move a vended package from a storage position on a shelf to a delivery port without damaging or agitating the vended package.
These and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a vending machine comprising a cabinet; at least one support bracket fixed within said cabinet; a shelf slidingly interacting with said at least one support bracket, so that said shelf may be horizontally slid between a first position and a second position; and an auxiliary support which supports said shelf in a tilted position, when said shelf is in said second position.
These and other objects of the present invention are also fulfilled by providing a vending machine comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of support brackets fixed within said cabinet; a plurality of shelves, said plurality of shelves being vertically spaced within said cabinet, each shelf of said plurality of shelves being slidingly interactive with at least one support bracket of said plurality of support brackets, so that each shelf may be horizontally slid between a first position and a second position, wherein said plurality of support brackets are adjustably fixed within said cabinet, so that the vertical spacings between said plurality of shelves can be independently adjusted.
These and other objects of the present invention are further fulfilled by providing a method of servicing a vending machine comprising the steps of: providing a vending machine having a cabinet and a plurality of vertically spaced shelves therein; grasping one shelf of the plurality of the shelves; sliding the one shelf horizontally outward of the cabinet; and tilting the one shelf downward at an angle relative to horizontal.
Furthermore, these and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a method of servicing a vending machine comprising the steps of: providing a vending machine having a cabinet, a plurality of support brackets within the cabinet, and a plurality of vertically spaced shelves supported by the plurality of support brackets; grasping one shelf of the plurality of the shelves; sliding the one shelf horizontally outward of the cabinet; removing the one shelf from the cabinet; vertically moving the support brackets which supported the removed, one shelf; and inserting the one shelf back into the cabinet.
Furthermore, these and other objects of the present invention are also fulfilled by providing a vending machine comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of shelves vertically spaced within said cabinet; an elevator shaft disposed adjacent said plurality of shelves; a elevator arranged to move vertically within said elevator shaft; guide bars attached to said cabinet, said elevator being guided by said guide bars; and a counterweight attached to said elevator, said counterweight also being guided by said guide bars.
Furthermore, these and other objects of the present invention are further fulfilled by providing a vending machine comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of shelves vertically spaced within said cabinet; a elevator arranged to move vertically within said cabinet; and at least one solenoid attached to said elevator, said at least one solenoid being capable of physically interacting with respective portions of said plurality of shelves.
Moreover, these and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a method of operation for a vending machine comprising the steps of: providing a vending machine having a cabinet, a plurality of shelves vertically spaced within the cabinet, items disposed on the plurality of shelves, an elevator shaft adjacent the plurality of shelves, and an elevator vertically moveable in the elevator shaft, and at least one actuator attached to the elevator; vertically moving the elevator to a position near one shelf of said plurality of shelves; actuating the at least one actuator; moving the elevator in the area near the one shelf; interacting the at least one actuator with a portion of the one shelf, as the elevator moves adjacent the one shelf; and dispensing an item from the one shelf onto the elevator.
Moreover, these and other objects of the present invention are also fulfilled by providing a vending machine comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of shelves vertically spaced within said cabinet; an elevator shaft disposed adjacent said plurality of shelves; an elevator vertically moveable in said elevator shaft; and a sensor disposed on said elevator for sensing indicators.
Moreover, these and other objects of the present invention are further fulfilled by providing a vending machine comprising: a cabinet; a plurality of shelves vertically spaced within said cabinet; an elevator shaft disposed adjacent said plurality of shelves; an elevator vertically moveable in said elevator shaft; a first sensor disposed on said elevator for sensing first indicators along said elevator shaft; a second sensor disposed on said elevator for sensing a second indicator attached to one shelf of said plurality of shelves.
These and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a method of operating a vending machine comprising the steps of: providing a vending machine with a cabinet, a plurality of shelves vertically spaced within the cabinet, an elevator shaft adjacent the plurality of shelves, an elevator vertically moveable in the elevator shaft, and a delivery port located along the elevator shaft which communicates to an exterior of the vending machine; locating the elevator near a top of the elevator shaft; accepting payment from a customer of the vending machine; upon accepting payment, moving the elevator to near a midpoint of the elevator shaft; accepting an item selection from the customer of the vending machine; upon accepting the selection, moving the elevator to a shelf containing the selected item; dispensing the selected item onto the elevator; moving the elevator to the delivery port; and dispensing the selected item from the elevator to the delivery port.
These and other objects of the present invention are also fulfilled by providing a method of initializing a vending machine, comprising the steps of: providing a vending machine having a plurality of shelves, an elevator shaft, an elevator vertically moveable in the elevator shaft, a sensor attached to the elevator, and a controller in communication with the sensor; loading items onto the plurality of shelves; programming the controller; passing the elevator along an extent of the elevator shaft; sensing the shelves using the sensor; communicating sensed parameters from the sensor to the controller; and processing the parameters in the controller.
These and other objects of the present invention are further fulfilled by providing an escapement mechanism for a vending machine, said escapement mechanism comprising: a main body; a slide mounted to said main body and capable of reciprocating between a first position and a second position; an actuation extension rotatably mounted to said main body, said actuation extension including a protrusion engaging said slide, wherein said protrusion causes said slide to move relative to said main body when said actuation extension is rotated; and a first gate rotatably mounted to said main body, said first gate including a portion engaging said slide, wherein said portion locks movement of said first gate when said slide is in said first position and allows movement of said first gate when said slide is in said second position.
Furthermore, these and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a method of modifying an escapement mechanism of a vending machine, said method comprising the steps of: providing a main body, a slide reciprocally mounted to the main body, an actuation extension rotatably mounted to the main body, a first gate rotatably mounted to the main body, and a second gate rotatably mounted to the main body; providing a first guide hole and a second guide hole in the main body, and a guide pin disposed in the first guide hole which serves as an axis of rotation for the second gate; removing the guide pin from the first guide hole; moving the second gate; and inserting the guide pin in the second guide hole, the guide pin again providing the axis of rotation for the second gate.
Furthermore, these and other objects of the present invention are also fulfilled by providing a method of operating an escapement mechanism of a vending machine, said method comprising the steps of: providing a main body; a slide reciprocally mounted to said main body; an actuation extension rotatably mounted to said main body, said actuation extension including a protrusion for engaging said slide; and a first gate rotatably mounted to said main body, said first gate including a portion for engaging said slide; providing an elevator having an actuator attached thereto; locating the elevator near the main body; moving the elevator past the main body; contacting the actuator of the elevator with the actuation extension; rotating the actuation extension relative to the main body; contacting the protrusion of the actuation extension against the slide; moving the slide from a first position to a second position; releasing an engagement between the portion of the first gate and the slide; and rotating the first gate relative to the main body.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Vending machine and a shelf support assembly


A luminous false-wall device, comprising: a chassis constituted by at least one profile, the chassis comprising an upper part directed toward a panel to be covered, such as a wall or ceiling, and a lower part; a diffusing canvas fixed on the chassis and stretched on the lower part of the chassis; a light placed between the panel and the canvas configured to emit light in the direction of the canvas; wherein the chassis is provided with means of increasing the light intensity of the light.

This invention concerns a luminous false-wall device to be attached to a panel such as a wall or a ceiling. The invention thus pertains to the technical field of stretched false ceilings and false walls, behind which a light source is placed.
False-wall devices comprising a stretched canvas fixed at the base of a chassis frame, generally rectangular, which is made of an association of profiles forming each one of its sides, are known in the prior art. To this end, the canvas comprises an attachment means fixed along its periphery. For example, as described in patent FR 2,630,476, the canvas may be provided with a peripheral hook-shaped outer edge. Another attachment means consists in clips inserted in the profiles, in which the canvas may be secured by pinching. The stretched canvas may be, for example, a textile material or a synthetic polymer material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The light source illuminates the canvas, which is translucent so as the light may propagate through the canvas and lighten the room in which the luminous false-wall device is installed.
In particular, in an application of the light box type, the assembly canvas/frame is placed in an external frame provided with lateral sides, a bottom side and lighting means. In the latter case, the chassis is fixed to the external frame and the light emitted by the lighting means passes through the translucent canvas.
Whether a false ceiling, a false wall or a light box, the light intensity on the outer side of the canvas is sometimes insufficient relative to the desired effect. On the one hand, the translucent canvas generally has a transmittance in the order of 50%, meaning that 50% of the light intensity is lost. On the other hand, the source of light may be far away from the canvas, which weakens the intensity of light striking it.
Solutions consist in bringing the light source closer to the canvas, to multiply the number of light sources or to increase their power. However, the implementation of these solutions has drawbacks. Moreover, a minimal safety distance is required between the light sources and the canvas to avoid degrading it. In spite of these solutions, there remains a problem of insufficient light intensity.
On the other hand, the profiles forming the chassis generally have a rectangular cross-section, with an upper side facing the wall or ceiling and a lower side facing the canvas. The canvas covers generally the entire lower side of the profile. Thus, when the stretched canvas is observed, the lower side of the profile is visible by transparency or by the shadow they cast on the canvas, creating an unsightly shaded area on all the perimeter of the chassis.
A known solution, described in patent EP 2,494,121, consists in using profiles with a triangular cross-section, with the tip directed toward the canvas and the two others edges are directed towards the wall or ceiling. In this way, only the tip directed toward the canvas can still be visible and the light may pass along the hypotenuse. This solution improves the lighting of the canvas's perimeter, but still does not allow a homogeneous lighting to be obtained on the whole of the canvas surface. Indeed, the profile itself, even if triangular in shape, still casts a shadow on the canvas, creating a shaded area along the perimeter of canvas, with a lighting intensity lower than the rest of the canvas.


New derivatives of N-Hydroxyalkyl-tetramethylcyclopropane carboxamide, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, methods for their preparation, and use thereof for the treatment of epilepsy, neurological, affective and psychotic disorders and for the treatment of pain and migraine.

Four major antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are used for the treatment of epilepsy (epileptic seizures and convulsions): phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital and valproic acid (VPA). However, about 25% of the patients do not respond to the current medications. Furthermore, AEDs are administered repetitively as chronic treatment and the adverse effects associated with antiepileptic therapy are of a major concern. All the established AEDs are associated with some rare but severe side effects such as teratogenicity. In addition, all the AEDs have other adverse effects that limit their use. Valproic acid itself has considerable adverse effects including fatal hepatotoxicity.
One approach to obtain improved antiepileptic agents has been to prepare the primary amide derivatives of valproic acid and its analogs. Valnoctamide (VCD) and propyl-isoproylacetamide (PID) are amide derivatives of valproic acid that have improved anticonvulsant activity when compared to VPA. These amide analogues of valproic acid have been shown to be non-teratogenic, O. Spiegelstein, M. Bialer, M. Radatz, H. Nau and B. Yagen Chirality, 11:645–650 (1999).
Amide derivatives of Tetramethylcyclopropane carboxylic acid have also been previously evaluated for their anticonvulsant activity (M. Bialer, S. Hadad, B. Kadry, A. Abdul-Hai, A. Haj-Yehia, J. Sterling, Y Herzig and B. Yagen Pharm Res. 13:284–289 (1996)). These derivatives had good anticonvulsant activity (J. Sterling, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,157, issued March. 1999) and superior brain penetration than VPA. The N-Methyl-tetramethylcyclopropane carboxamide has a wide spectrum of anticonvulsant activity and is approximately 10 times more potent than VPA in animal models of epilepsy. In addition, N-Methyl-tetramethylcyclopropane carboxamide and Tetramethylcyclopropane carboxamide were not teratogenic in mouse model of antiepileptic drug induced teratogenicity.
Based on the success of VPA and VCD in treatment of nonepileptic disorders it is expected that an amide derivative of VPA will be effective in migraine, neuropathic pain and mania (bipolar disorders).

Derivatives and pharmaceutical compositions of n-hydroxyalkyl tetramethylcyclopropane-carboxamide, having anti-epiletic, neurological, and CNS activity, and method for their preparation

Yissum Research Development Company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem


The invention relates to a spring pre-assembly for a mattress foundation unit having a wooden base, a plurality of spring units and a mattress supporting wire grid that is supported above the wooden base by the spring units. The spring pre-assembly comprises a plurality of spring units connected to a wire grid consisting of a plurality of grid wire pairs arranged orthogonally to one another. The spring units include a base portion, a pair of divergently extending leg portions and a pair of engagement portions extending in opposite directions from the distal ends of the leg portions. The engagement portions can be engaged with adjacent grid wire pairs, the resulting arrangement being such that the spring units are pre-stressed.

THIS invention relates to a spring pre-assembly for a mattress foundation unit.
A conventional mattress foundation unit, sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cbox springxe2x80x9d, generally includes a wooden base frame, spring modules and a mattress supporting wire grid that is supported above the wooden base frame by the spring modules. Whereas the spring modules are normally stapled to the wooden base frame below, various methods are used to secure the spring modules to the wire grid.
One method of securing the spring modules to the wire grid without the use of clips or welding is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,822, which is the use of downwardly extending and converging locking bars. Another method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,155 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,716, wherein the top section of the spring module is being held in place by three grid wires extending over the top section and one grid wire extending under the top section.
Often, the wire grid and spring modules are manufactured and pre-assembled by a first manufacturer before being transported to a second manufacturer. The second manufacturer will typically complete the final mattress foundation unit by connecting the pre-assembly to the wooden base frame and applying the padding and covering. The ease of assembly and stackability of the pre-assembly are important design criteria for the first manufacturer.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a spring pre-assembly for a mattress foundation unit having a rigid base, the spring pre-assembly including:
a plurality of spring units, each including a base portion, a pair of divergent, operatively upwardly extending leg portions and a pair of engagement portions extending at a generally horizontal attitude in opposite directions from operatively upper ends of the leg portions; and
an upper grid which includes a plurality of grid wire pairs arranged orthogonally to one another, each grid wire pair comprising a first grid wire and a second grid wire;
the base portions of the spring units being connectable to the rigid base and the engagement portions of the spring units being engageable with adjacent grid wire pairs of the upper grid, the arrangement being such that when the engagement portions are so engaged the spring units are pre-stressed.
Advantageously, the spring unit is formed from a single length of wire.
Ideally, each engagement portion includes two spaced apart straight wire sections, each straight wire section having a notch receiving the first grid wire and each straight wire section passing over the second grid wire, thereby to secure the engagement portion with the grid wire pair.
Preferably, each leg portion includes two spaced apart spring members. More preferably, each spring member has a U-shaped deformity therein. Most preferably, each spring member lies generally in a single plane and includes five straight wire sections extending between each engagement portion and the base portion and at least one bend between the straight wire sections.
Advantageously, the spring unit is symmetrical about an operatively vertical plane bisecting the base portion.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a spring unit for a mattress foundation unit having a wire grid, a rigid base and a plurality of spring units extending between the wire grid and the rigid base, each spring unit including:
a base portion, a pair of leg portions divergently extending from the base portion and a pair of engagement portions extending in opposite directions from the distal ends of the leg portions;
the base portion being connectable to the rigid base;
the leg portions each having a U-shaped deformity; and
the engagement portions being generally co-planar with one another and each including a notch therein.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a mattress foundation unit including:
a rigid base;
a plurality of spring units, each including a base portion, a pair of divergent, operatively upwardly extending leg portions and a pair of engagement portions extending at a generally horizontal attitude in opposite directions from operatively upper ends of the leg portions; and
an upper grid which includes a plurality of grid wire pairs arranged orthogonally to one another, each grid wire pair comprising a first grid wire and a second grid wire;
the base portions of the spring units being connectable to the rigid base and the engagement portions of the spring units being engageable with adjacent grid wire pairs of the upper grid, the arrangement being such that when the engagement portions are so engaged the spring units are pre-stressed.

Spring pre-assembly for a mattress foundation unit


A bearing for supporting rolls of paper includes a pair of identical devices, each of which is formed of two telescopically coupled elements jointly forming an axially expandable cone. The free end of a first element has a flange to be connected to a member which is capable of rotating and reciprocating movement. Between the two elements is an expansion spring which maintains them in a position of maximum extension corresponding to an inoperative position. A surface of the first element is provided with a series of channels made according to the generatrix thereof, in which slide plates which can project through openings made in the side surface of the second element. The first element has an annular expansion acting as a support for one of the openings of a cylindrical tubular core on which a sheet of paper forming the roll is wound.

This invention is directed to a bearing for supporting rolls of paper. The bearing is made up of a pair of devices which are identical to each other and which have a core housed between each other. The core is generally tubular in shape and has a circular section, on which a strip of paper is wound to thus form the roll itself.


A short electrical extension cord (10) is provided which is designed for use with large, mobile appliances (30) such as carpet shampooers or the like, in order to prevent damage to the male plug or electrical connector (34) forming a part of the appliance (30). The short extension cord (10) includes a short stretch of electrical cable (12) with a female electrical receptacle (16) and male electrical connector (18) operatively coupled to the cable stretch (12) adjacent the opposed ends thereof. In use, the male connector (18) is inserted into a stationary receptacle outlet (40), and the appliance male electrical connector (34) is inserted into female receptacle (16). In use of the appliance (30), the flexibility of cable stretch (12) assures that, in the event that an undue tension load is placed on appliance power cord (32), a separation occurs between appliance male electrical connector (34) and short extension cord female receptacle (16) prior to any damage to the male electrical connector ( 34).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with a simple yet highly effective apparatus and method for preventing damage to male electrical plugs, and particularly those forming a part of power cords of mobile appliances such as carpet cleaning devices or floor sanders. More particularly, the invention pertains to the use of a relatively short electrical extension cord presenting opposed female and male electrical connection ends; the male end of the short extension cord is inserted into a normal wall receptacle, whereas the male plug of the appliance power cord is inserted into the female end of the short electrical extension cord. In this fashion, if an undue tension loading is placed on the appliance power cord, a separation between the male plug and female end of the short extension cord occurs prior to any damage to the electrical connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Carpet shampooing devices are in the form of large, heavy, mobile cleaning appliances having an elongated (e.g., 25-100 feet) electrical power cord equipped with a male electrical connector or plug at the free end thereof. In use, an appliance of this type is plugged into a normal stationary wall receptacle, and carpet cleaning operations performed. It often occurs, however, that during the course of carpet cleaning, the appliance will be moved around corners and in other remote locations relative to the electrical receptacle. Often, the user inadvertently stretches the electrical cable to its maximum length and places an undue tension load on the power cable. This can cause the plug to be pulled at an angle relative to the electrical receptacle, thereby imposing a bending movement leading to damage of the male plug. When this occurs, it is necessary to sever the original, damaged plug from the end of the power cord, and replace it with a new plug. This is not only time-consuming, but such field-applied electrical plugs often lack the insulative integrity of the original factory-installed plug.
Professional carpet cleaners report that this problem of damage to electrical plugs is quite common, and indeed may occur several times in a given week.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved method and apparatus which prevents significant damage to the male connector plug forming a part of a mobile appliance, and particularly floor-working appliances such as carpet shampooers or floor sanders.

Breakaway extension cord for preventing electrical plug damage


A PLL circuit comprises a circuit which issues an alarm when fluctuation of the potential of a DC power source connected to the PLL circuit exceeds a predefined range. A first potential generation circuit generates a first potential higher than a steady-state potential of the DC power source. A second potential generation circuit generates a second potential lower than the steady-state potential of the DC power source. A first comparator circuit compares a local maximum potential of the DC power source with the first potential. A second comparator circuit compares a local minimum potential of the DC power source with the second potential. A supply circuit supplies a drive voltage to an alarm issuer, in a case where the local maximum potential is higher than the first potential, and/or the local minimum potential is lower than the second potential, based on the comparison results.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Phase Locked Loop circuit (PLL circuit).
2. Description of the Related Art
In some cases, the phase of a signal output from a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit cannot be locked to a predetermined phase. One cause of this problem is that the electric potential (or voltage) of a direct-current power source (DC power source) for driving the PLL circuit fluctuates.
If the phase of the signal output from the PLL circuit cannot be fixed, the phase of a signal output from, for example, a clock driver employing the PLL circuit cannot be fixed, either. Since the above problem causes such malfunction of a device employing the PLL circuit, a technique for solving the above problem caused in the PLL circuit has been requested.
In Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. S57-59425, a technique for preventing an alarm indicating circuit from malfunctioning, in a case where a voltage of a power source for the alarm indicating circuit suddenly changes, is disclosed. This technique prevents a signal for issuing an alarm from being supplied to the alarm indicating circuit, in a case where the voltage of the power source suddenly changes. Thus, the alarm indicating circuit does not work because no signal is supplied thereto, in the case where the voltage of the power source suddenly changes.
As described, since the alarm indicating circuit does not work in the case where the power source voltage suddenly changes according to the technique disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. S57-59425, the sudden change of the power source voltage (or electric potential) cannot be notified. Therefore, the above problem caused in the PLL circuit cannot be solved by the technique disclosed in this publication.
In Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. S61-822, a circuit for issuing an alarm in a case where any fluctuation of a voltage of an alternating-current power source is detected, is disclosed. This circuit comprises a circuit for holding the peak of an alternating-current voltage, and a circuit for indicating an alarm in a case where the peak voltage is out of a predefined range. The circuit for indicating an alarm includes a micro processor.
The circuit disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. S61-822 can hold the peak of the alternating-current voltage, but cannot detect fluctuation of a voltage that is caused wherever other than at the peak. Therefore, it is inappropriate to use the circuit disclosed in this publication, for detecting fluctuation of an electric potential of, for example, a DC power source connected to the PLL circuit.
And since the circuit disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. S61-822 employs a micro processor as described above, the circuit becomes complicated, and costs too much.
The contents of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. S57-59425 and Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. S61-822 are incorporated herein by reference.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simply-structured and low-costing phase locked loop circuit which gives an alarm in a case where fluctuation of a potential of a direct-current power source is caused.
To accomplish the above object, a phase locked loop circuit of the present invention generates a second signal having a predetermined frequency and a predetermined phase based on a first signal supplied thereto, and comprises an alarm circuit which gives an alarm in a case where fluctuation of a potential of a direct-current power source which is connected to the phase locked loop circuit exceeds a predefined range.
According to this invention, a simply-structured and low-costing phase locked loop circuit which gives an alarm in a case where fluctuation of a potential of a direct-current power source is caused, can be provided.
The alarm circuit may comprise:
an alarm issuer which issues an alarm, by being supplied with a drive voltage; and
a voltage supply circuit which supplies the drive voltage to the alarm issuer in a case where the fluctuation exceeds the predefined range.
The voltage supply circuit may comprise:
an alarm power source which supplies the drive voltage; and
a control circuit which controls supply of the drive voltage from the alarm power source to the alarm issuer.
The control circuit may comprise:
a first potential generation circuit which generates a first potential which is higher than a steady-state potential of the direct-current power source;
a second potential generation circuit which generates a second potential which is lower than the steady-state potential of the direct-current power source;
a first comparator circuit which extracts a local maximum potential of a fluctuating potential of the direct-current power source, and compares the extracted local maximum potential with the first potential;
a second comparator circuit which extracts a local minimum potential of the fluctuating potential of the direct-current power source, and compares the extracted local minimum potential with the second potential; and
a supply circuit which supplies the drive voltage to the alarm issuer based on a comparison result obtained by the first comparator circuit and a comparison result obtained by the second comparator circuit.
The supply circuit may supply the drive voltage to the alarm issuer, in a case where the local maximum potential is higher than the first potential, and/or the local minimum potential is lower than the second potential.
The first potential and the second potential may respectively be set, so that a range between the first potential and the second potential is defined within a range in which the phase locked loop circuit can lock a phase of the second signal to the predetermined phase.
The alarm issuer may comprise a light emitting diode, and issues an alarm by turning on the light emitting diode.

PLL circuit including a DC power source alarm


A fluid-operated spring brake actuator has a funnel-shaped pressure plate which reduces the volume of fluid necessary to compress the spring and release the brake thereby providing a faster response time upon actuation of the brake.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to fluid-operated brake actuators for vehicles and more particularly to service and spring brake actuators combined in tandem and having an improved spring brake pressure plate.
2. State of the Prior Art
An air brake system for a vehicle such as a bus, truck or the like typically includes a brake shoe and drum assembly which is actuated by means of an actuator assembly operated by the selective application of a fluid such as compressed air. Conventional air brake actuators have both a service brake actuator for actuating the brakes under normal driving conditions by the application of compressed air and an emergency or spring brake actuator for actuating the brakes when the compressed air is released. The emergency brake actuator includes a strong compression spring which forces application of the brake when air is released. This actuator is often referred to as the spring brake. Typically, the spring brake actuator is disposed in tandem with the service brake actuator.
The service brake actuator is typically divided into two chambers by a diaphragm. Depressing the brake pedal during normal driving operation introduces into one of the chambers of the service brake actuator compressed air which, acting against the diaphragm, causes a service brake push rod in the opposite chamber to be extended and the brakes to be applied with an application force proportional to the air pressure in the service brake actuator.
In tandem actuator assemblies, a spring brake push rod typically extends from a chamber in the spring brake portion, through an aperture in a wall separating the spring brake actuator from the service brake actuator, and into a chamber in the service brake portion. Because at least one of the adjoining chambers is usually pressurized, a seal is provided at the aperture around the push rod comprising one or more O-rings positioned in annular channels in the wall around the aperture.
The spring brake actuator is typically divided into two chambers, a lower chamber and an upper chamber, separated by a rubber diaphragm and pressure plate, with the spring in the upper chamber acting between an end wall of the spring brake housing and a pressure plate. When full pressure is applied to the lower chamber, air pressure acting against the diaphragm and pressure plate compresses the spring. In many applications, the spring brake actuator rod is held in a retracted position by a relatively small return spring. In some actuators, the spring brake actuator rod is integral with the pressure plate and held in a retracted position by the air pressure. In both designs, the spring brake actuator rod thus does not affect the normal operation of the brake.
In the event of a loss of air pressure or an intentional exhaustion of air from the spring brake actuator, the brake will be mechanically activated by the force of the strong compression spring acting on the spring brake actuator rod which, in turn, acts upon the service brake push rod to apply the brakes. Thus, the spring brake portion serves both as a parking brake and an emergency brake.
The volume of air in the lower chamber of the spring brake actuator is related to the response time of the spring brake. The response of the spring brake is the time it takes the spring to force the spring brake push rod the necessary distance to activate the brakes after air pressure to the lower chamber is lost. For a given air pressure, the greater the volume of the lower chamber, the longer the response time for the application of the spring brake, after the air is released. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the volume of air in the lower chamber of the spring brake to decrease the time for the application of the spring brake after the air is released. However, the volume of the lower chamber cannot be reduced by merely reducing the size of the spring brake actuator because the spring must be of sufficient size to stop the vehicle and the spring must travel a sufficient distance so the complementary travel of the push rod is sufficient to actuate the brake.

Fluid-operated spring brake atuator with funnel-shaped pressure plate


Methods, systems, and computer-program products for routing items to resources are disclosed. Potential matches between items and resources are generated and scored according to one or more match-factor criterion. An initial assignment of potential matches is made to a Match Tracker Set, and a Set of Global conflicts is created representing resources that are not matched by the members of the initial Match Tracker set. One or more augmented versions of the Match Tracker Set are created to resolve conflicts between the Match Tracker Set and the Global Conflicts Set. Items are routed to the resources based on the matches listed in an augmented version of the Match Tracker Set.

There is often a need to match objects from one group to objects of another group for a variety of purposes. For example, in many customer-service call centers, there is a need to match calling customers with representatives who can answer customer questions or resolve customer complaints. Another example is matching lecturers to lecture topics or lectures venues. Often, there is a desire to incorporate one or more criteria in the matching process in order to seek the best overall matching of customers to representatives, or lecturers to topics, but the task is too difficult when a large number of objects are involved.

Method and systems for routing items to resources


A non-linear video edit system has first, second and third play modes which are selectable at time of playing a video for an edit. In the first play mode (EP TRIM), it plays a first cut scene (scene A) before an edit point and plays a second cut scene (scene B) after the edit point according to a play list. In the second play mode (PREV TRIM), it successively plays the first cut scene (scene A) before and after the edit point. In the third play mode (NEXT TRIM), it successively plays the second cut scene (scene B) before and after the edit point. These play modes allows to change the play speed in an arbitrary direction by a dial, and to switch the play mode with one touch of the corresponding three buttons with aligning current positions.

The videocassette recorder (VCR) has been used as a video edit system for a long time. The VCR uses a magnetic tape of sequential access as a recording medium so that in order to play a scene soon after it has been after recorded, it is necessary to wait for the tape to rewind. This prevents quick response. The sequential access and the slow record and play speeds also prevent the quick edit of the already recorded video.
On the other hand, as video compression and decompression technologies have developed, a non-linear video edit system using a recording medium that features fast and random access, such as a magnetic disk, or hard disk drive, has recently begun to be used.
The non-linear video edit system has an edit function called a time line which provides a cut edit by quickly cutting out and combining arbitrary scenes of the video data that has previously been digitized and stored into the disk from external VCRs or video lines. In this process, the cutting out of scenes does not process copies of the video data, but acquires address information identifying the scenes, that is, the start and end position information that points to the locations of the scenes within the video data on the hard disk drive. In the play of the edit result, the non-linear video edit system refers to the scene ID information for reading the corresponding video data contents from the disk to play it. Such video data of the cut scenes, sequentially aligned on the time line, is called a package. This is a very smart and easy way to carry out a cut edit on the video data that has been previously stored into the disk.
In the cut edit, it may be necessary to change the start position (IN point) or the end position (OUT point) of a scene in the package once already created. In this case, since the scene in the package has been cut from a longer original scene, the real video data of the longer original scene is stored in the disk. Therefore, the modification, such as extension of the out edges of the scene is realized by just changing the values in the play list.
The time line play according to the play list provides easy confirmation of the transition from a cut scene to another cut scene. But when an edit point, the border or boundary between one scene and the following scene, is moved, it is impossible for the time line play to confirm the new border regions of the respective scenes before executing the edit, and requires complicated operations to do it.
Therefore, what is desired is to provide a non-linear video edit system that uses such a random accessible recorder, and can provides a useful operation when an edit point is moved.
What is further desired is to provide a non-linear video edit system that can easily provide a view of the outside margins of a cut scene in the time line edit.


An audio type signal is encoded. The signal is first divided into bands. For each band, a yardstick signal element is selected. Its magnitude is quantized using a first level of accuracy. This magnitude is used for various purposes, including assigning bits to the different bands, and for establishing reconstruction levels within a band. The magnitude of non yardstick signal elements is quantized with less accuracy than are the yardstick signal elements. The encoded signal is also decoded. Apparatus for both encoding and decoding are also disclosed. The location of the yardstick element within its band may also be recorded and encoded, and used for efficiently allocating bits to non-yardstick signal elements.

Audio signals are ubiquitous. They are transmitted as radio signals and as part of television signals. Other signals, such as speech, share pertinent characteristics with audio signals, such as the importance of spectral domain representations. For many applications, it is beneficial to store and transmit audio type data encoded in a digital form, rather than in an analogue form. Such encoded data is stored on various types of digital media, including compact audio discs, digital audio tape, magnetic disks, computer memory, both random access (RAM) and read only (ROM), just to name a few.
It is beneficial to minimize the amount of digital data required to adequately characterize an audio-type analogue signal. Minimizing the amount of data results in minimizing the amount of physical storage media that is required, thus reducing the cost and increasing the convenience of whatever hardware is used in conjunction with the data. Minimizing the amount of data required to characterize a given temporal portion of an audio signal also permits faster transmission of a digital representation of the audio signal over any given communication channel. This also results in a cost saving, since compressed data representing the same temporal portion of an audio signal can be sent more quickly, relative to uncompressed data, or can be sent over a communications channel having a narrower bandwidth, both of which consequences are typically less costly.
The principles of digital audio signal processing are well known and set forth in a number of sources, including Watkinson, John, The Art of Digital Audio., Focal Press, London (1988). An analogue audio signal x(t) is shown schematically in FIG. 1. The horizontal axis represents time. The amplitude of the signal at a time t is shown on the vertical axis. The scale of the time axis is in milliseconds, so approximately two thousandths of a second of audio signal is represented schematically in FIG. 1. A basic first step in the storage or transmission of the analogue audio signal as a digital signal is to sample the signal into discrete signal elements, which will be further processed.
Sampling the signal x(t) is shown schematically in FIG. 2. The signal x(t) is evaluated at many discrete moments in time, for example at a rate of 48 kHz. By sampling, it is meant that the amplitude of the signal x(t) is noted and recorded forty-eight thousand times per second. Thus, for a period of one msec (1.times.10.sup.-3 sec.), the signal x(t) will be sampled forty-eight times. The result is a temporal series x(n) of amplitudes, as shown in FIG. 2, with gaps between the amplitudes for the portions of the analogue audio signal x(t) which were not measured. If the sampling rate is high enough relative to the time-wise variations in the analogue signal, then the magnitudes of the sampled values will generally follow the shape of the analogue signal. As shown in FIG. 2, the sampled values follow signal x(t) rather well.
The outline of a general method of digital signal processing is shown schematically in FIG. 4a. The initial step of obtaining the audio signal is shown at 99 and the step of sampling is indicated at 102. Once the signal has been sampled, it is typically transformed from the time domain, the domain of FIGS. 1 and 2, to another domain that facilitates analysis. Typically, a signal in time can be written as a sum of a number of simple harmonic functions of time, such as cos.omega.t and sin.omega.t, for each of the various harmonic frequencies of .omega.. The expression of a time varying signal as a series of harmonic functions is treated generally in Feynman, R., Leighton, R., and Sands, M., The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Mass. (1963) Vol. 1, .sctn.50, which is incorporated herein by reference. Various transformation methods (sometimes referred to as "sub-band" methods) exist and are well known. Baylon, David and Lim, Jae, "Transform/Subband Analysis and Synthesis of Signals," pp. 540-544, 2ssPA90, Gold Coast, Australia, Aug. 27-31 (1990). One such method is the Time-Domain Aliasing Cancellation method ("TDAC"). Another such transformation is known as the Discrete Cosine Transform ("DCT"). The transformation is achieved by applying a transformation function to the original signal. An example of a DCT transformation is: ##EQU1## where k is the frequency variable and N is typically the number of samples in the window.
The transformation produces a set of amplitude coefficients of a variable other than time, typically frequency. The coefficients can be both real valued or they can be complex valued. (If X(k)is complex valued, then the present invention can be applied to the real and imaginary parts of X(k) separately, or the magnitude and phase parts of X(k) separately, for example. For purposes of discussion, it will be assumed, however, that X(k) is real valued.) A typical plot of a portion of the signal x(n) transformed to X(k) is shown schematically in FIG. 3. If the inverse of the transform operation is applied to the transformed signal X(k), then the original sampled signal x(n) will be produced.
The transform is taken by applying the transformation function to a timewise slice of the sampled analogue signal x(n). The slice (known as a "frame") is selected by applying a window at 104 to x(n). Various windowing methods are appropriate. The windows may be applied sequentially, or, more typically, there is an overlap. The window must be consistent with the transform method, in a typical case, the TDAC method. As shown in FIG. 2, a window w.sub.1 (n) is applied to x(n), and encompasses forty-eight samples, covering a duration of one msec (1.times.10.sup.-3 sec). (Forty-eight samples have been shown for illustration purposes only. In a typical application, many more samples than forty-eight are included in a window.) The window w.sub.2 (n) is applied to the following msec. The windows are typically overlapped, but non-overlapping windows are shown for illustration purposes only. Transformation of signals from one domain to another, for example from time to frequency, is discussed in many basic texts, including: Oppenheim, A. V., and Schafer, R. W., Digital Signal Processing, Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Prentice Hall (1975); Rabiner, L. R., Gold, B., Theory and Application of Digital Signal Processing, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice Hall, (1975), both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Application of the transformation, indicated at 106 of FIG. 4a, to the window of the sampled signal x(n) results in a set of coefficients for a range of discrete frequencies. Each coefficient of the transformed signal frame represents the amplitude of a component of the transformed signal at the indicated frequency. The number of frequency components is typically the same for each frame. Of course, the amplitudes of components of corresponding frequencies will differ from segment to segment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the signal X(k) is a plurality of amplitudes at discrete frequencies. This signal is referred to herein as a "spectrum" of the original signal. According to known methods, the next step is to encode the amplitudes for each of the frequencies according to some binary code, and to transmit or store the coded amplitudes.
An important task in coding signals is to allocate the fixed number of available bits to the specification of the amplitudes of the coefficients. The number of bits assigned to a coefficient, or any other signal element, is referred to herein as the "allocated number of bits" of that coefficient or signal element. This step is shown in relation to the other steps at 107 of FIG. 4a. Generally, for each frame, a fixed number of bits, N, is available. N is determined from considerations such as: the bandwidth of the communication channel over which the data will be transmitted; or the capacity of storage media; or the amount of error correction needed. As mentioned above, each frame generates the same number, C, of coefficients (even though the amplitude of some of the coefficients may be zero).
Thus, a simple method of allocating the N available bits is to distribute them evenly among the C coefficients, so that each coefficient can be specified by ##EQU2## bits. (For discussion purposes, it is assumed that ##EQU3## is an integer.) Thus, considering the transformed signal X(k) as shown in FIG. 3, the coefficient 32, having an amplitude of approximately one hundred, would be represented by a code word having the same number of bits ##EQU4## as would the coefficient 34, which has a much smaller amplitude, of only about ten. According to most methods of encoding, more bits are required to specify or encode a number within a larger range than are required to specify a number within a smaller range, assuming that both are specified to the same precision. For instance, to encode integers between zero and one hundred with perfect accuracy using a simple binary code, seven bits are required, while four bits are required to specify integers between zero and ten. Thus, if seven bits were allocated to each of the coefficients in the signal, then three bits would be wasted for every coefficient that could have been specified using only four bits. Where only a limited number of bits are available to allocate among many coefficients, it is important to conserve, rather than to waste bits. The waste of bits can be reduced if the range of the values is known accurately.
There are various known methods for allocating the number of bits to each coefficient. However, all such known methods result in either a significant waste of bits, or a significant sacrifice in the precision of quantizing the coefficient values. One such method is described in a paper entitled "High-Quality Audio Transform Coding at 128 Kbits/s", Davidson, G., Fielder, L., and Antill, M., of Dolby Laboratories, Inc., ICASSP, pp 1117-1120, April 3-6, Albuquerque, N.Mex. (1990) (referred to herein as the "Dolby paper") which is incorporated herein by reference.
According to this method, the transform coefficients are grouped to form bands, with the widths of the bands determined by critical band analysis. Transform coefficients within one band are converted to a band block floating-point representation (exponent and mantissa). The exponents provide an estimate of the log-spectral envelope of the audio frame under examination, and are transmitted as side information to the decoder.
The log-spectral envelope is used by a dynamic bit allocation routine, which derives step-size information for an adaptive coefficient quantizer. Each frame is allocated the same number of bits, N. The dynamic bit allocation routine uses only the exponent of the peak spectral amplitude in each band to increase quantizer resolution for psychoacoustically relevant bands. Each band's mantissa is quantized to a bit resolution defined by the sum of a coarse, fixed-bit component and a fine, dynamically-allocated component. The fixed bit component is typically established without regard to the particular frame, but rather with regard to the type of signal and the portion of the frame in question. For instance, lower frequency bands may generally receive more bits as a result of the fixed bit component. The dynamically allocated component is based on the peak exponent for the band. The log-spectral estimate data is multiplexed with the fixed and adaptive mantissa bits for transmission to the decoder.
Thus the method makes a gross analysis of the maximum amplitude of a coefficient within a band of the signal, and uses this gross estimation to allocate the number of bits to that band. The gross estimate tells only the integral part of the power of 2 of the coefficient. For instance, if the coefficient is seven, the gross estimate determines that the maximum coefficient in the band is between 2.sup.2 and 2.sup.3 (four and eight), or, if it is twenty-five, that it is between 2.sup.4 and 2.sup.5 (sixteen and thirty-two). The gross estimate (which is an inaccurate estimate) causes two problems: the bit allocation is not accurate; the bits that are allocated are not used efficiently, since the range of values for any given coefficient is not known accurately. In the above procedure, each coefficient in a band is specified to the, same level of accuracy as other coefficients in the band. Further, information regarding the maximum amplitude coefficients in the bands are encoded in two stages: first the exponents are encoded and transmitted as side information; second, the mantissa is transmitted along with the mantissae for the other coefficients.
In addition to determining how many bits to allocate to each coefficient for encoding that coefficient's amplitude, an encoding method must also divide the entire amplitude range into a number of amplitude divisions shown at 108 in FIG. 4a, and to allocate a code to each division, at 109. The number of bits in the code is equal to the number of bits allocated for each coefficient. The divisions are typically referred to as "quantization levels," because the actual amplitudes are quantized into the available levels, or "reconstruction levels" after coding, transmission or storage and decoding. For instance, if three bits are available for each coefficient, then 2.sup.3 or eight reconstruction levels can be identified.
FIG. 5 shows a simple scheme for allocating a three bit code word for each of the eight regions of amplitude between 0 and 100. The code word 000 is assigned to all coefficients whose transformed amplitude, as shown in FIG. 3, is between 0 and 12.5. Thus, all coefficients between 0 and 12.5 are quantized at the same value, typically the middle value of 6.25. The codeword 001 is assigned to all coefficients between 12.5 and 25.0, all of which are quantized to the value of 18.75. Similarly, the codeword 100 is assigned to all coefficients between 50.0 and 62.5, all of which are quantized to the value of 56.25. Rather than assigning uniform length codewords to the coefficients, with uniform quantization levels, it is also known to assign variable length codewords to encode each coefficient, and to apply non-uniform quantization levels to the coded coefficients.
It is also useful to determine a masking level. The masking level relates to human perception of acoustic signals. For a given acoustic signal, It is possible to calculate approximately the level of signal distortion (for example, quantization noise) that will not be heard or perceived, because of the signal. This is useful in various applications. For example, some signal distortion can be tolerated without the human listener noticing it. The masking level can thus be used in allocating the available bits to different coefficients.
The entire basic process of digitizing an audio signal, and synthesizing an audio signal from the encoded digital data is shown schematically in FIG. 4a and the basic apparatus is shown schematically in FIG. 4b. An audio signal, such as music, speech, traffic noise, etc., is obtained at 99 by a known device, such as a microphone. The audio signal x(t) is sampled 102, as described above and as shown in FIG. 2. The sampled signal x(n) is windowed 104 and transformed 106. After transformation (which may be a subband representation), the bits are allocated 107 among the coefficients, and the amplitudes of the coefficients are quantized 108, by assigning each to a reconstruction level and these quantized points are coded 109 by binary codewords. At this point, the data is transmitted 112 either along a communication channel or to a storage device.
The preceding steps, 102, 104, 106, 107, 108, 109, and 112 take place in hardware that is generally referred to as the "transmitter," as shown at 150 in FIG. 4b. The transmitter typically includes a signal coder (also referred to as an encoder) 156 and may include other elements that further prepare the encoded signal for transmission over a channel 160. However, all of the steps mentioned above generally take place in the coder, which may itself include multiple components.
Eventually, the data is received by a receiver 164 at the other end of the data channel 160, or is retrieved from the memory device. As is well known, the receiver includes a decoder 166 that is able to reverse the coding process of the signal coder 156 with reasonable precision. The receiver typically also includes other elements, not shown, to reverse the effect of the additional elements of the transmitter that prepare the encoded signal for transmission over channel 160. The signal decoder 166 is equipped with a codeword table, which correlates the codewords to the reconstruction levels. The data is decoded 114 from binary into the quantized reconstruction amplitude values. An inverse transform is applied 116 to each set of quantized amplitude values, resulting in a signal that is similar to a frame of x(n), i.e. it is in the time domain, and it is made up of a discrete number of values, for each inverse transformed result. However, the signal will not be exactly the same as the corresponding frame of x(n), because of the quantization into reconstruction levels and the specific representation used. The difference between the original value and the value of the reconstruction level can not typically be recovered. A stream of inverse transformed frames are combined 118, and an audio signal is reproduced 120, using known apparatus, such as a D/A convertor and an audio speaker.

Method and apparatus for encoding decoding and compression of audio-type data


This invention provides an overlock sewing machine with a threading mechanism that is both easier and more efficient to use. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the overlock sewing machine has a vertically movable needle (6, 106), a looper carriage (18, 118) connected to a rotating shaft, and a looper (11, 111) on the end of the looper carriage. The looper extends laterally over the looper carriage and has a thread-receiving eye (11a, 111a). The looper and the needle cooperate to form a chain stitch. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, a thread-guiding member (25, 125) next to the looper pivots with the looper to guide a thread LT through the thread-receiving eye. A movable lever (30, 130) pivots with or relative to the looper. A thread-delivering member (39, 139) mounted on the movable lever that can be set in two positions: a first position corresponding to a first position of the thread-receiving eye, and a second position corresponding to the thread-guiding member. In the second position, the thread passes through the thread-guiding member.

This invention relates to an overlock sewing machine with a threading mechanism for easily threading a looper.
A conventional under-looper extends horizontally under a sewing machine bed. A needle plate located right above the under-looper, and components located around the under-looper, obstruct and complicate the threading of the under-looper.
To facilitate the threading operation, a looper is proposed in Japan Published Unexamined Utility Model application No. S59-188078.A movable arm, at the tip of which is a thread guide, is mounted on a looper carriage. First, the arm is inclined under the sewing machine bed, then the thread guide is threaded. When the arm is raised, thread is delivered from the yarn guide to the looper.
An overlock sewing machine is proposed in Japan Published Unexamined Utility Model application No. S61-77964.A rotatable lever, at the tip of which is a looper, is connected to or disconnected from a looper carriage by using a knob. When the looper is threaded, the rotatable lever should be detached from the looper carriage using the knob, and the rotatable lever should be turned until the looper emerges from an opening of a sewing machine frame.
However, in these prior-art machines, the looper must be threaded below the sewing machine bed. An operator must look into the sewing machine bed, and thread the looper, which is located near the bottom of the sewing machine. If the operator forgets to raise the arm and starts the sewing machine, the thread would slacken and a neat stitch could not be formed.
In the latter prior art, Japan Published Unexamined Utility Model application No. S61-77964,the threading operation is complicated. For example, the rotatable lever must be turned aside, and the position of the rotatable lever must be adjusted by loosening and tightening the knob.

Overlock sewing machine with a threading mechanism for easily threading a looper


An apparatus for exerting a drag force on a main gear within an assembly such as a fishing reel includes bearing means subject to selective amounts compressive force. Adjustable compressing means imposes compressive force on the bearing means, which force is translated into drag force on the main gear by linkage means between the bearing means and the main gear means. The bearing means may include a plurality of bearings mounted in a race, and may include a plurality of such races. The linkage means may include a plurality of washers selectively engaged with the main gear or with a sleeve about which the bearing means is mounted. Wear-resistant material may be operably disposed between two or more of the main gear, the plurality of washers, and the one or more bearing means.

This invention relates to an apparatus for exerting a drag force on a main gear and, more particularly, to an assembly such as a fishing reel which incorporates such an apparatus. The apparatus of my invention utilizes bearings under compressive force to aid in producing the drag force.
In the fishing reel industry, it is known to provide a drag mechanism on a reel. A representative example of such prior art reel and drag mechanisms is included in an exploded view in the Penn.TM. Reels Parts and Price List for Model 114-114H-114L-115L. Typically, reel assemblies include handles which may be rotated in only one direction. That rotation winds the fishing line onto a spool member. A spring actuated dog or ratchet engages a gear that is operably connected to the handle to ensure that the handle rotates the reel in only that one direction. To east the line, a clutch is provided to disengage the spool member so that it can rotate independently of the handle.
Drag mechanisms are useful in such fishing reel assemblies for several purposes. Among other things, drag mechanisms can be set to "give" at a selected tension in the fishing line. This helps ensure that when a fish is hooked and fighting the fisherman or there is otherwise a selected amount of tension in the line, the spool will turn and permit the line to feed from the spool instead of breaking. In addition, during such times, the drag mechanism ensures that the feeding of the line is against some selected amount of frictional force, so that a running fish will tend to become tired after some amount of pulling on (and even running with) the line.
Conventional drag mechanisms utilize a bridge or frame member associated with the spool member (onto which the fishing line is wound), and a post member mounted on the frame member. Many of the operative components of the drag mechanism are coaxial with respect to the longitudinal axis of the post member. For example, a sleeve member is rotatably mounted coaxially on the post member, a main gear is rotatably coaxially mounted on the sleeve member, and the handle is coaxially threaded into the end of the sleeve member.
In addition, to slippably link the rotation of the handle to cause rotation of the spool, a linkage is provided. Typically, this linkage includes keying the sleeve member 116, prior art FIGS. 1-3 (by providing one or more flat portions 117 on the outer surface), keying the interior of the main gear 118 (by providing one or more channels 119 therein), and coaxially mounting one or more keyed and cared washers 134 and 152 on the sleeve member. The keyed washers 134 are correspondingly shaped to engage the keyed sleeve member 116 and the cared washers 152 include ears 153 which correspondingly engage the channels 119 in the interior of the main gear 118. The keyed washers 134 thereby rotate with the bridge sleeve member 116, and the cared washers 152 rotate with the main gear 118.
An adjustable wheel 128, prior art FIG. 1, is coaxially threaded on the outside of the sleeve 116 so that it can be tightened to exert a compressing force on the stack of washers. If the compressing force is sufficiently small or non-existent, the washers spin freely with respect to each other and the main gear can rotate independently of the sleeve. In this condition, rotating the handle causes the sleeve and its keyed washers to rotate, but there is relatively no engagement between the keyed washers and the cared washers, so the main gear (and the spool engaged therewith) are not correspondingly rotated.
If the adjustable wheel is sufficiently tightened, however, the various washers are compressed against each other. The compression causes a frictional force between the washers, and so long as that frictional force is not overcome by tension on the fishing line, the washers remained "engaged" with adjacent washers and transmit the rotation of the handle and sleeve to the main gear and spool. The amount of frictional force is proportional to the amount of compressive force exerted by the adjustable wheel mechanism. In other words, the greater the compressive force, the greater the frictional force acting between the washers, and the greater the tension on the fishing line must be to overcome that frictional force and permit the spool to turn more freely and the fish to "run".
Thus, the adjustable wheel must be tightened sufficiently so that, when a fisherman rotates the handle, the spool turns and the fishing line is wound onto it. It must be sufficiently loose, however, that tension on the line will overcome the friction between the washers before overcoming the strength of the line (overcoming the strength of the line typically results in the line breaking and the fish getting away). The adjustable means commonly permits adjustment of this frictional force at virtually any time, including while a fish is on the line. Thus, the amount of drag force on the line can be adjusted according to the size, strength, and energy of the fish at any given time, as well as according to the strength of the fishing line being used.
Thus, when the frictional force is overcome, the washers spin beside each other. This spinning under sometimes substantial friction causes wear to occur to the contacting surfaces. Rather than have the washers and/or the main gear wear each other during such spinning, prior art fishing reel assemblies commonly place between the washers washer-shaped discs 146, prior art FIG. 1. Common brands of these discs are HT-100.RTM. (HT-100 is a registered trademark of PENN.TM.) or SUPER SMOOTHIES.TM. . These materials are relatively tough and therefore last for a not insubstantial amount of time before needing to be replaced.
Despite their usefulness, the prior art fishing reels of the type just described have numerous shortcomings. Among other things, the initial slippage of the main gear from the sleeve (via the washers and the HT-100.RTM. discs 146) can be rather abrupt and sudden instead of more smooth and gradual. Such abrupt and sudden slippage (such as when a fish "hits" the line) can cause unnecessary damage or breakage to the fishing line and/or unnecessary wear on the entire fishing reel assembly and the fisherman. This transition across the drag threshold can be rather jerky, and repeated jerking of this type can overstress the fishing line (the jerks act as cyclic loading on the line, prematurely stretching, hardening, and tiring the line and leading to its eventual breakage).
In addition, in prior art devices, the HT-100.RTM. discs 146 need to be replaced at relatively frequent intervals of usage, due to the aforedescribed frictional wear.
Also, the range of drag force achievable from a given configuration of washers and HT-100.RTM. discs 146 is relatively limited. When fishermen want more drag than they can get with hand-tightening a prior art assembly, they sometimes resort to using tools to twist the adjustable wheel past hand-tight. This can damage the threads and other components of the assemblies, and even cause them to fail. Although increases in drag force can be achieved by adding additional washers and HT-100.RTM. discs, a common limit of drag force achievable with prior art fishing reels is 26-28 pounds.


A desired value of reactive power flow between a to-be-controlled power system and an adjoining power system is determined according to measured values of the reactive power flow and an effective power flow and desired voltage values of the to-be-controlled power system and of the adjoining power system. Thereafter, a required value of a reactive power of the to-be-controlled power system is calculated according to the desired value of the reactive power flow, the measured values of the reactive power flow and the effective power flow, and the desired voltage value and a measured voltage value in the to-be-controlled power system. Thereafter, a control apparatus having an electric capacity near to the required value of the reactive power is selected from control apparatus arranged in the to-be-controlled power system to make the selected control apparatus adjust a voltage of the to-be-controlled power system. Therefore, cooperation of the to-be-controlled power system with the adjoining power system can be performed by collecting locally-existing-information, and a voltage fluctuation and/or a reactive power fluctuation in the to-be-controlled power system can be immediately suppressed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power system control apparatus and a power system control method in which voltage and reactive power in a power system are adjusted to desired values by operating a control apparatus of the power system.
2. Description of Related Art
As is disclosed in pages 1200-1201 of lectures of a National Conference of Japanese Electrotechnical Committee held in 1987, in a conventional power system control method, a voltage of a first substation corresponding to one power system and a reactive power flow transmitted through a bank are measured, and phase modifying equipment (for example, a transformer tap, a condenser, a reactor and the like) arranged in the first substation is controlled according to measured values.
Accordingly, in cases where the first substation is isolated from another substation, a voltage fluctuation in the first substation can be suppressed according to the conventional power system control method by controlling the phase modifying equipment.
However, in cases where the first substation is connected with a second substation, because a voltage fluctuation of the second substation adjacent to the first substation is not considered, there is a drawback that voltages of the first and second substations adjacent to each other become unstable.
Also, to prevent hunting in a control operation repeatedly performed in the phase modifying equipment by suppressing voltage fluctuations occurring in substations (or power systems) adjacent to each other, a method for controlling all apparatus of the power systems adjacent to each other by collecting all information of the power systems as one package is disclosed in pages 1115-1120, Vol. B117-8, theses in Japanese Electrotechnical Committee. However, in this method, the amount of data included in the information is too large to be processed, so it is difficult to increase control precision of the apparatus because it is required to identify the power systems, and a control time period for the apparatus is undesirably lengthened.

Power system control apparatus and power system control method


Debris removing screen basket and overflow apparatus embodiments for use in a storm collection sewer. The device has two embodiments, each including a central panel with foldable wings in each side of the central panel. During initial assembly, the wings are folded up around the central panel for insertion through a manhole cover. Each wing can have an optional extension panel that slidable attached to each wing by bolts/screws and nuts through longitudinal slots. In the first embodiment, the wings, extension panels and the central panel form a single type panel that is inclined at a variable angle so as to suit various floor conditions at a particular location. In the first embodiment the panel and wings have a front edge that sits on the inlet drain floor and a top edge touching an upper ridge of the basket. The inclined variable angle can be between approximately 35 and 75 degrees but preferably at approximately 52 degrees, with the top edges leaning in the direction of the outlet pipe from the storm collection sewer. Both wings and and extension panels have angled deflector top portions while the central panel does not have a deflection portion. A screen mesh basket is supported behind the central panel by hooks. Storm water and debris entering the street grate area fill up the area in front of the wings, extension panels and central panel. The rising water when reaching the height of the deflector portions is forced over the top ridge of the central panel and into the basket. In the second embodiment the central panel and the wings form a ramp chute which angle down from street level into the basket itself. In the second embodiment, overflowing water can run around the sides of the filled basket. Filled baskets in both embodiments are removable by a single worker while the remaining structure is left undisturbed.

Storm water runoff generally causes numerous problems to existing roadways. For example, the storm water can be of a great flow capacity that is variable in volume. Furthermore, the storm water runoff usually includes different types of debris such as but not limited to branches, twigs leaves, garbage, refuse and the like. The debris can themselves cause much problems down a storm sewer such as clogging up existing drain lines and the polluting of local waterways with the refuse and garbage.
Existing storm water drain collection sewers generally have grated and/or recessed inlets placed in a roadway's pavement and/or in the curb areas. The storm water is then conveyed through a storm sewer piping to an outfall in an existing drainage way, lake, stream, river, ocean and the like. Presently, no economically viable solution exists to remove the natural or manmade refuse, trash and the like, that inherently flows into the storm sewers. The natural and manmade refuse, trash and the like become pollutants in the water bodies in which they are later discharged. These pollutants can ruin the aesthetic appearance and are harmful to the natural plants and wildlife in rivers, streams, lakes and oceans where the discharged pollutants eventually settle. Typical ways for communities to keep the storm drain collection sewers clean and passable is through expensive maintenance programs that would generally includes sending out crews of several workers on a continuous basis to the drain sites.
Numerous types of flexible bag shaped filters have been proposed to solve the problem of preventing debris from entering storm water collection sewers. However, these bag filters when full are difficult and costly to remove and replace. Further, the material composition of the bag filters have a limited short lifespan. Furthermore, the bag filters restrict all storm water to run directly through the filter bag itself and thus when clogged with debris do not have the capability to allow the storm water to run around the bag. When clogged, the main flow of water into the drain sewers can be obstructed by the clogged bags and cause flooding damage to surrounding areas. Examples of the bag filters include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,268,390 to Cunningham; 4,419,232 to Arntyr; 4,793,728 to Ellis; and 5,372,714 to Logue, Jr.
Other techniques have also been proposed to help catch storm water debris. U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,619 to Murfae et at. describes a filter assembly for storm water sewers. However, the Murfae et al. device requires a "forklift" to use and is limited to being applied above existing curbs in FIG. 3, or must be placed upstream from existing sewer lines in FIG. 5. The Murfae et al. device is not practical because of it's weight limitations and elaborate and its expensive construction requirements of digging up and constructing additional basins in which to use the device.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,232,587 to Hegemier et al.; 5,284,580 to Shyh; and 5,297,367 to Sainz each describe using inlet filter type baskets for storm water sewers. However, each of these devices still can cause flooding to surrounding areas when the grated openings in the baskets become clogged. Also, none of these devices and those of the previously discussed prior art would be adaptable to various sized storm water collection sewers.
Thus, the need exists for a solution to the above presented problems.

Removable storm water screen and overflow device


An air conditioning apparatus has, a first domed door comprising a first pivot and a first sealing surface, and a second domed door comprising a second pivot and a second sealing surface, wherein, said second pivot is positioned different from said second pivot. With the above structure, the radial gap between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface is varied when at least one of the two domed doors is moved. Accordingly, the air conditioning apparatus described above does not have to set the constant small radial gap or constant wide radial gap for the sake of reducing unintentional air leaking or preventing said friction.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. In referring to the drawings, FIG. 23 depicts a cross-sectional perspective view of a mode selecting device 110. The mode selecting device 110 is a part of heating ventilating air conditioning unit (HVAC unit). The HVAC unit composes an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle. FIG. 24 depicts a cross-sectional perspective and exploded view of said mode selecting device 110 depicted in FIG. 23.
The mode selecting device 110 has air conditioning case 111, inner domed door 112 and outer domed door 113. The air conditioning case 111 is provided with face opening 114, defroster opening 115, and foot opening (not shown). The air, having passed through the HVAC unit, will blow into the passenger compartment of the vehicle via said openings. The inner domed door 112 and the outer domed door 113 each have a pivot axis and a sealing surface. The position of the pivot axis of inner domed door 112 is the same position of the pivot axis of the outer domed door 113.
The inner domed door 112 and the outer domed door 113 can move separately to close the openings by means of an actuator (not shown). The mode selecting device 110 provides for a plurality of air distribution modes of the HVAC unit by adjusting the positions of the two domed doors 112, 113.
Although the above mode selecting device 110 has proven satisfactory for its intended purpose, there is still need for more improvement. For example, to reduce unintentional air leaking from the radial gap between the two sealing surfaces, it is preferable to set the radial gap as small as possible. However, setting the radial gap small may cause friction between the two domed doors 112, 113. Such friction makes noise and vibration.


A non-interactive screen sharing session executing within a computing device can be identified. The device can be communicatively linked to different computing devices of the screen sharing session. The contents of the remote screen buffer can be analyzed to determine a graphical representation of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) within the contents prior to presenting the contents of the buffer within the device. A visible information item can be extracted and a non-visible reference can be established from the representation. An area surrounding the representation including a position and dimensions of the representation within the contents can be determined. The representation of the URL can be replaced with an interactive element in real-time. The element can include the visible and non-visible reference. The contents of the buffer can be presented within an interface associated with the session of the device, responsive to the replacing.

The present invention relates to the field of collaborative computing and, more particularly, to dynamically enabling an interactive element within a non-interactive view of a screen sharing session.
Applications such as instant messaging applications and productivity applications can allow users to easily collaborate to perform important tasks. Many times, these applications include collaborative features such as screen sharing and Web conferencing. These features can offer a high degree of collaboration when users interact with other users via a shared screen. Common features of these applications often include a non-interactive mode which permits participants to observe a shared screen without granting access to the shared screen. For example, slideshows are frequently used within Web conferences to quickly communicate complex ideas with a large group of participants. The functionality allows a user to safely and easily share visual content of a computer screen at a particular time. As such, these applications provide an easy way to share complex information between users.
Frequently, however, participants desire to interact with portions of the slideshow which include interactive content (e.g., Uniform Resource Locator). For example, when a URL is presented within a slideshow, participants must manually copy the URL into a Web browser to view the content associated with the URL. That is, participants view a non-interactive image of the interactive content. These current manual approaches are time consuming and error prone. As such, collaborative applications limit the participant capability to interact with valuable information which can lead to significant frustration and a decreased participant experience.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Dynamically enabling an interactive element within a non-interactive view of a screen sharing session

International Business Machines Corporation