A method for sampling an analogue radiofrequency signal comprising reception of the analogue radiofrequency signal, sending of the received signal on two analogue channels, each channel performing a first signal sampling operation, including a filtering step eliminating signal frequencies that could fold on the useful signal during sampling such that the sampled signal represents a filtered version of the received signal, wherein the sampling frequency is taken to be equal to the frequency of the signal carrier divided by a factor Ndiv1+½, Ndiv1 being an integer number, to bring the useful signal to half of the sampling frequency after sampling.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the radiofrequency reception field in general. More precisely, the invention relates to a method of sampling an analog radiofrequency signal and a device using this method. One particular example application of this invention is the mobile radiocommunication field that typically uses several communication channels within an allocated frequency band, for example radiocommunication systems according to the GSM (Global System Mobile) standard that use a 25 MHz frequency band centered on the 947.5 MHz frequency.
This invention more particularly relates to reception of information which, in such systems, needs be done by extracting only the frequencies of the channel considered to be received, called the useful channel, from the entire frequency band.
The useful channel is recovered by using filtering techniques at the receiver end to eliminate all frequencies located outside the useful channel frequency band, and techniques for converting analog RF signals into digital data streams for digital signal processing.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In a context of reducing costs of reception systems, there are at least two strategic points; firstly the increase in the degree of integration in order to make a maximum number of elements on silicon to limit the number of external elements, and secondly the possibility of making the entire reception system using CMOS technology with minimum options. Since the CMOS technology is typically the technology used for digital processing, using the same technology to perform analog functions in the reception system means that a single circuit can be used for all digital and analog functions, thus reducing costs.
The state of the art proposes radiofrequency reception systems with frequency conversion with a low intermediate frequency (called "close to zero") with a so-called "low-IF" architecture, and direct conversion systems with zero intermediate frequency, called "zero-IF", consisting of transposing the radio signal directly into a base band.
However, when it is required to respect the constraints mentioned above in order to reduce manufacturing costs, each of these architectures, namely the "low-IF" or "zero-IF" introduces distinct problems.
FIG. 1 shows a classical "low-IF" architecture for a radiofrequency signal reception device. This architecture results in interfacing analog radio modules with a digital processing system operating at a relatively low intermediate frequency, close to zero. Information is then processed at this intermediate frequency, so that low pass filters can be used for processing the signal, since pass-band filters are hard to make on a circuit.
More precisely with reference to FIG. 1, the radiofrequency signals received from an antenna 1 pass through a filter 2, that has the function of rejecting frequencies outside the reception band of the system considered. The filter 2 is followed by a low noise amplifier (LNA) 3 to enhance the signal. The output from the amplifier 3 is sent on two channels, namely the I and Q channels respectively each including a mixer 4, 5 for converting the frequency to a low intermediate frequency. To achieve this, the mixer 4 receives a frequency corresponding to the sum of the intermediate frequency and the signal carrier frequency on its second input connected to a local oscillator 6, in the first channel. The effect is to bring the signal to the intermediate frequency. The frequency of the local oscillator is chosen to obtain a low non-zero intermediate frequency. In the second channel, the signal is multiplied at the mixer 5 by the same frequency, and is then phase shifted by 90 [deg.] such that the corresponding outputs of the mixers 4, 5 are in phase and in phase quadrature.
This signal duplication between the I and the Q channels avoids the loss of information that would otherwise occur during aliasing of the image on the signal when the signal is brought to the intermediate frequency and thus eliminates the need for the presence of a band cutoff filter in high frequencies to eliminate the image frequency which is difficult to achieve.
Each mixer 4, 5 is followed by a low pass filter (LPF) 7, 8 respectively to eliminate channels adjacent to the channel that is to be received and parasite frequencies due to aliasing. When a signal being sampled at a sampling frequency Fech includes frequency components with a frequency of more than Fech/2, these frequency components are folded thus possibly submerging the useful signal (phenomenon called "aliasing" in the literature).
Therefore, to avoid the aliasing phenomenon, the passband of the signal to be processed has to be limited to half of the sampling frequency, so as to respect the sampling theorem.
The signal can thus be sampled in 9, 10 without worrying about aliasing and the signal can then be digitized, for example using sigma-delta type analog-digital converters 11, 12 (ADC).
One disadvantage of this architecture is in the production of low-pass filters. Active filtering is used to avoid signal attenuation. The production of amplifiers necessary to make these filters is complex and requires the use of expensive technological options such as double oxide or high density capacitances. Thus in integrated circuits, it is usually not possible to integrate such a filter on the same circuit as the circuit containing the sampling circuit and the digital circuitry, without increasing manufacturing costs.
Also, due to this complexity, technology migrations providing the means of tending to a greater integration density of circuits will be difficult to apply for such an architecture since the size of filters cannot be reduced in the same way as transistors.
Direct conversion architectures, called zero-IF architectures, can limit the disadvantages related to the image frequencies phenomenon. Although zero-IF architectures introduce the same image frequency and IQ channels problem, the difference is that the image frequency is the negative part of the signal that folds onto the positive part. Therefore the power of the image frequency is limited, unlike low-IF in which the image is one of the adjacent channels with a much higher power than the signal.
In the direct conversion system, a frequency corresponding to the central frequency of the reception channel considered, namely the carrier frequency output by the local oscillator, is received on the second input of each of the two mixers 4, 5. Therefore the local oscillator outputs the same frequency (approximately) as the frequency to be received. Therefore mixer outputs 4 and 5 output the signal received in baseband directly provided that the frequency of the local oscillator is chosen such that the intermediate direct conversion frequency is zero.
However, noise at 1/f is a major problem for these architectures, in particular, when the integrated RF circuits of the reception system are made using CMOS technology. The low frequency noise, called noise at l/f, that characterises these transistors is superposed on the converted signal, such that any signal that is too close to zero is submerged. Therefore the use of CMOS technology in the reception system means that the signal cannot be brought to base band before it has been digitized. Therefore the zero-IF architecture cannot be used.
Therefore, a new architecture has been proposed by the Texas Instruments Company for a Bluetooth type receiver based on a new radiofrequency sampling technique, to eliminate active filtering in FIG. 1. This technique is presented in an article entitled "Direct RF Sampling Mixer With Recursive Filtering In Charge Domain" by Khurram Muhammad and Robert Staszewski, presented at the ISCAS 2004 conference held in May 2004. The reader could also usefully refer to documents in US patents 2003/0083852 and 2003/0083033 for further information about the sampling and filtering techniques described below. A multifrequency reception device based on this sampling technique is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2. Elements in common with the elements in FIG. 1 are marked with the same references. The principle is to transfer sampling 9, 10 in each channel I and Q into the reception system, as close as possible to the antenna. However, the difficulty to be taken into account lies in the aliasing phenomenon due to sampling.
Therefore a filter, called the anti-alias filter, is necessary to take account of this phenomenon. Advantageously, in the solution proposed by the company mentioned above, simple passive filters with switched capacitances may be used, thus replacing active filtering that is difficult to use in traditional architectures described in FIG. 1. Therefore, the function of this type of filter with references 13 and 14 in FIG. 2 for each I and Q channel respectively, is to filter all alias frequencies of the signal before they submerge the signal during sampling. Once the signal has been sampled, it still needs to be filtered to eliminate channels adjacent to the channel to be received, this operation being done by blocks 15 and 16, and it still needs to be undersampled such that the frequency of the analog-digital converter is acceptable.
More precisely, considering an example according to a time representation, consider a signal with frequency fc and a signal with frequency f=fc+n·fs, where fs is the sampling frequency, it can be observed that the two signals have exactly the same value at an interval having a value Ts (sampling period). Thus, when the signal is sampled, the acquired samples cannot be used to find the original signal since solutions with the same frequency are superposed, and in particular the frequency fc cannot be distinguished from frequency fc+fech, frequency fc+2fech, etc. In other words, all frequencies are folded on themselves at the sampling frequency.
However, this aliasing phenomenon has the advantage of reducing the frequency of the signal to be digitized. The highest usable frequency is equal to half of the sampling frequency. Thus, it is impossible to have a useful signal with a frequency more than half the sampling frequency. Sampling of the signal introduces the same spectrum offset by k times fs, in other words at fs, 2fs, etc., in addition to the signal spectrum.
Therefore, the constraint is to provide an anti-alias filter with the role of destroying all parasite frequencies at fc+fs or fc−fs, fc+2s or fc−2fs, fc+3fs or fc−3fs, etc., prior to sampling.
Therefore, the anti-alias filter must be centered on the carrier with its zeros spaced at the sampling frequency. In the solution recommended by Texas Instruments, the anti-alias filter is centered on the zero frequency and has a transfer function A as shown in FIG. 3, describing the cardinal sine function. Therefore it is essential to bring the signal into the baseband before filtering it, so as to use the entire power of the anti-alias filter.
The anti-alias filter shown in FIG. 3 passes through zero, in other words there is no signal attenuation, and the filter includes zeros at every multiple of fs, such that frequencies located at these precise locations of the filter spectrum are cut off. These frequencies are the alias frequencies that are to be eliminated.
The anti-alias filter transfer function is explained as described with reference to FIG. 4, which shows a sampler mixer circuit performing the filtering and sampling functions of blocks 13, 9 and 15, and 14, 10 and 16 respectively as shown in FIG. 2. Each I and Q channel includes such a circuit. The anti-alias filter function is actually included into the sampling operation. Thus, the filter operation filters the received analog signal such that the signal sampled at a given sampling frequency represents a filtered version of the analog signal from which parasite frequencies have been removed.
This is done by firstly converting the RF analog signal into current iRF using the LNA amplifier that is designed to output in current. The current is then sent to either the positive side VIF+ or the negative side V1F− of the circuit, taking account of the pseudo-differential structure that is represented. An LO+, LO− mixer on each side is present to bring the useful signal to zero, multiplying it by the carrier frequency. After the mixer, the current is then integrated into a sampling capacitor reset to zero for each sample. More precisely, a first signal sample is obtained bypassing the current iRF in the first capacitor CR during the sampling period chosen from 0 to Ts. This is done by making the MOS switch SA conducting from 0 to Ts. This is equivalent to integrating the signal over the sampling period after having multiplied it by the carrier frequency. A second signal sample is then obtained by integrating the current in a second capacitor CR during the period from Ts to 2Ts, with the MOS switch SAZ being made conducting from Ts to 2Ts and so on. By integrating the signal over such a time window corresponding to the sampling period, a time convolution is reconstructed. In frequency, this is equivalent to multiplying the signal with a cardinal sine (which is the Fourrier transform of the time window). The transfer function thus produced corresponds to the anti-alias filter in FIG. 3. The filter spectrum made is a cardinal sine centered on zero frequency.
Once the signal has been sampled, it needs to be filtered and possibly undersampled such that the converter frequency is acceptable.
A low pass type filter to eliminate channels adjacent to the useful channel that is to be received is thus made using the capacitor CH in the circuit in FIG. 4 called the memory capacitance, which is charged by the current iRF and that is not intended to be reset to zero. To do the filtering, each acquired sample is averaged with this capacitance CH, one after the other. Thus in a first step, the amplifier outputting in current outputs into the capacitance CR, and in a second step the capacitance CR is averaged with the capacitance CH, which is never reset to zero and therefore keeps the memory of the signal. The spectrum of the filter B is then obtained as shown in FIG. 3 in dashed lines, in which it can be seen that all frequencies around the required signal are filtered. Curve C then represents the combination of these two filter operations: anti-alias filtering and filtering of adjacent channels.
A final filtering operation acting as an anti-alias filter for additional undersampling may also be used. The first sampling is made at a fairly high frequency that is not adapted to the working frequency of the converter. To divide the sampling frequency by N, the last N capacitances CR representative of the last N acquired signal samples, are averaged among themselves. The result is the transfer function as shown in FIG. 5. This filter does not make any attenuation at zero frequency at which the signal is located and includes zeros at all multiples of fs/N, in other words frequencies that could fold on the useful band. In this way, no parasite frequency submerges the signal during sampling.
All operations described above are controlled by clock signals generated by circuits not shown.
All filters presented with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 are passive filters with switched capacitances, which can therefore be easily made using CMOS technology and can therefore be easily integrated.
As we have already seen, use of CMOS technology introduces the problem of noise at 1/f. Consequently, this noise makes it impossible to bring the signal into the base band. As the distance from the zero frequency decreases, the noise due to MOSs increases. Therefore an intermediate frequency has to be used to offset the useful band from zero, according to the low-IF principle. Thus, in the application chosen by Texas Instruments for a Bluetooth receiver, the signal is firstly brought to a low intermediate frequency, and is then sampled and cleaned by the filters presented above.
However, by choosing an intermediate frequency not equal to zero, the useful signal is completely offset from the spectrum of the filters presented in FIGS. 3 and 5, which are centered on zero. Since these filters are fairly aggressive, as soon as the signal moves away from the peak centered at zero as shown in FIG. 3, it will be significantly attenuated and deformed by filtering. Furthermore, the anti-alias filter will no longer have its zeros at the right location since the intermediate frequency of the signal has been offset. Therefore the signal is significantly modified by filtering and the alias frequencies are cut off less. Therefore, the proposed filters should be offset to match the intermediate frequency. However, filtering would no longer be symmetric. The result would then be imaginary filters in which the I and Q channels would have to be mixed before the filters could be used, which introduces serious problems when it is required to make digital corrections for bad matching of the channels.
Therefore, when making the Bluetooth receiver, a compromise had to be found between a sufficient offset of the useful signal frequency to avoid the noise at 1/f and the filtering power. Such a compromise will be difficult to find, for example for adaptation of such a receiver to the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) Standard or the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) standard. In these systems, parasite frequencies and adjacent channels are more powerful, so that more pronounced filtering is necessary. A signal offset from the filter would then be excessively modified. Therefore, the use of this architecture is limited for standards stricter than Bluetooth.
Another problem of this architecture is the image frequency. When the signal is brought directly to zero-IF, the image is exactly symmetric with the signal, which means that the negative part submerges the positive part. The information can then easily be found by combining use of the two channels I and Q. In the case of the "low-IF", when the signal is brought around an intermediate frequency, the signal is submerged by the adjacent channels. It is then more difficult to eliminate the image frequency and to find the required information using the I and Q channels. According to the standard, as the intermediate frequency increases, the image frequency moves further from the useful band and its power increases. Since matching of the I and Q channel is dependent on the power of the image to be eliminated, matching needs to be very good, particularly when the intermediate frequency is high.

Method of sampling an analogue radiofrequency signal


The method and structure for providing surface designs to electroluminescent (EL) lamps involves two essential steps. First, a layer of transflective material is introduced to the EL lamp comprising a transparent substrate and front and back electrodes sandwiching an electroluminescent layer and an insulating layer. The layer of transflective material reflects incident ambient light and transmits light emitted by an energized electroluminescent layer. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the layer of transflective material replaces the front electrode of the EL lamp. Second, a predetermined surface design is provided to the transparent substrate to enhance diffusion and fringing of both the reflected incident ambient light and the light emitted by the energized electroluminescent layer. This enhanced diffusion and fringing leads to a visually appealing appearance.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing electroluminescent lamps having surface designs and to lamps produced by this method.
As is well known in the art (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,718 issued on Sep. 13, 1994 and assigned to the present assignee), electroluminescent (EL) lamps are generally constructed as laminated or layered structures. FIG. 1 illustrates a side elevational view in cross section of an archetypal, prior art EL lamp 10. The drawing is not to scale, and the layers are greatly enlarged for purposes of illustration, it being understood that some of the layers referred to herein are quite thin. Furthermore, the bottom layer in the drawing is in actuality the face of the EL lamp 10 (the drawing shows the EL lamp 10 upside-down because this is how the different layers are deposited). The EL lamp 10 comprises a transparent substrate 11 having deposited thereon a first conductive layer 12. Note that the transparent substrate 11 serves as the face of the EL lamp 10. Commercially, the substrate 11 with the conductive layer 12 already on it is available in the form of Mylar.TM. (a registered trademark of E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co.) having an indium tin oxide (ITO) coating. On the first conductive layer 12, which may also be referred to as the front electrode, an electroluminescent layer 13 is deposited by silk screening or another suitable process. The electroluminescent layer 13, as known, comprises electroluminescent particles such as ZnS:Cu which are thoroughly mixed in a polymerizable resin, with the resin being subsequently polymerized. On the electroluminescent layer 13, an insulating layer 14 is deposited. The insulating layer 14 may be composed of barium titanate or other appropriate dielectrics, preferably having light reflective qualities. Finally, a second conductive layer 15, which may also be referred to as the back electrode, is deposited on the insulating layer 14. The second conductive layer 15 also preferably has light reflective qualities. The insulating layer 14 serves to maintain an electrical separation between the first and second conductive layers 12, 15.
Generally, the front electrode 12 is highly transparent to permit as much of the light emitted by an energized electroluminescent layer 13 to reach the face 11 of the EL lamp 10 as possible. As is known, the electroluminescent layer 13 is energized by application of an electrical potential between the front and back electrodes 12, 15. The problem with utilizing a highly transparent front electrode in an EL lamp is the dull, visually unappealing appearance whenever the electroluminescent layer is not energized. This is because no means are provided to adequately reflect the incident ambient light entering the face of the EL lamp. Without adequate reflection of the incident ambient light, the resin/electroluminescent particles mixture comprising the electroluminescent layer 13 appears dull and unappealing when not energized. Thus, it is one object of the present invention to provide an improved EL lamp which can adequately reflect incident ambient light, and the method of making the same.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved EL lamp which can adequately reflect incident ambient light and also transmit light emitted by the electroluminescent layer, and the method of making the same.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved EL lamp, the face of which has a predetermined configuration, and the method of making the same.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved EL lamp having lacquer of predetermined color applied to its face, and the method of making the same.
EL lamps have been modified to provide a lighted timepiece dial, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,964 issued on Oct. 4, 1988 to Alessio et al. and assigned to the present assignee. Thus, still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved EL lamp, serving as an EL dial, having horological markings on its face, and the method of making the same.

Method of manufacturing electroluminescent lamps having surface designs and lamps produced thereby


An EMR-absorbing anechoic chamber absorber (22, 42) uses a block of honeycomb material with a lossy material, such as carbon, applied to the sheets (4) of material from which the honeycomb is made to create wedges (36) or pyramids (44) of lossy material. Preferably, the lossy material is applied to the sheets of material in a repeating wedge-shaped pattern (16) to create the wedges of lossy material within the solid rectangular block of honeycomb material. Parallel, wedge-shaped grooves (43) are formed in the block of honeycomb material to create the pyramids of lossy material. If the lossy material is applied to the entire sheet, a set of parallel, wedge-shaped grooves are formed in the block of honeycomb material to create wedges of lossy material; two sets of parallel, wedge-shaped grooves are formed at 90.degree. angles to one another to create pyramids of lossy material.

Anechoic chambers typically have their interior surfaces covered with wedge-shaped and pyramid-shaped blocks of polyurethane foam injected with carbon. Carbon acts as a lossy material absorbing electromagnetic radiation (EMR). These foam blocks are typically 6 feet (1.8 m) tall when testing in certain frequency ranges, such as 200 MHz to 500 MHz and up. The wedge-shaped blocks are used along the side walls, ceiling and floor while pyramid-shaped blocks are used at either end of the room, that is, behind the radiation source and behind the target. Pyramid-shaped blocks are used whenever radiation is expected to strike the surface generally straight on. Therefore the pyramid-shaped blocks are also used along the side walls near each end of the chamber.
Conventional foam absorbers, in particular the pyramid-shaped absorbers, are quite heavy, can sag (reducing their effectiveness and requiring replacement) and take up a substantial amount of space. The large size of the foam wedges and pyramids forces the use of a great deal of absorber material and a large room to create only a modest size chamber. The weight of the foam absorbers mandates that the walls and ceiling be made quite strong, thus increasing the cost of construction.


Condensation sensor systems and methods are described herein. Methods for forming a condensation sensor can include depositing a III-nitride on a substrate via sputtering, and implementing conductive contacts on the deposited III-nitride via a shadow mask.

Condensation sensors can be utilized in a number of applications. For example, condensation sensors can be utilized in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Condensation sensors can be utilized to determine a likely-hood of excessive condensation (e.g., indoor rain, etc.). In some systems the excessive condensation can cause damage to objects and/or equipment. Condensation sensors can be used to preempt excessive condensation by alerting a user that excessive condensation is likely to occur.


An antenna apparatus which has an antenna element (102) being mounted on a portable radio for receiving electric power from a feeding point (103) in the portable radio and matching in a predetermined frequency band and a matching circuit (104) for matching the impedance of the antenna element (102) and the internal impedance of the radio circuit (105). The matching circuit (104) has a match characteristic to conjugately match the internal impedance of the radio circuit (105) and the input impedance of the matching circuit (104).

This invention relates to an antenna mainly mounted on a portable radio apparatus and in particular to an antenna apparatus capable of providing a good radiation characteristic even in a state in which a portable radio is brought close to a human body.
In recent years, a compact, lightweight, and slim radio has been required as a radio apparatus for business use mainly operated in a VHF (very high frequency) band, and a small-sized portable radio apparatus as compared with the wavelength has been used. A normal mode helical antenna (NHA, hereinafter) of a quarter wavelength monopole antenna shape is generally available as a portable radio antenna for business use in a related art, and a small-sized antenna system excellent in portability kept out of the way of the user at the carrying time is provided.
FIG. 10 shows a portable radio apparatus. An NHA 20 wound in helical is electrically connected at one end to a radio apparatus main unit 21, where by a compact and lightweight antenna system is provided. Generally, the NHA 20 is designed so that the electric length becomes a quarter wavelength to match a radio circuit, and is matched to any desired resonance frequency in a free space. If the electric length of the NHA 20 does not become a quarter wavelength, the NHA 20 is designed so as to provide sufficient radiation performance in the free space by inserting a matching circuit between the NHA 20 and a radio circuit for matching.
However, if the NHA 20 shown in FIG. 10 is brought close to a human body for use, it receives the effect of the human body medium having a high dielectric constant and the radiation performance is largely degraded; this is a problem. Unlike a portable telephone, as shown in FIG. 11, a portable radio for business use is always fixed to a belt of the user so that it does not stand in the way of the radio user who works. In this state, the user communicates through a microphone and an earphone connected to the radio apparatus main unit. In this case, the NHA mounted on the radio apparatus main unit is brought extremely close to the belly of the human body and thus the antenna characteristic is strongly affected by the human body.
Hitherto, the effect of the positional relationship between the human body and the antenna on the antenna characteristic has been examined in various manners, and it is made clear that as the antenna is brought close to the human body, the gain is lowered. As the antenna is brought close to the human body, the input impedance of the antenna changes and does not match that of a circuit and a loss is caused by reflection. Further, a part of electromagnetic wave radiated from the antenna is absorbed in the antenna itself or the human body, causing a loss.
Conventionally, the radiation characteristic of the antenna has been based on the result considering only some electromagnetic waves radiated from the antenna and thus the loss caused by the impedance mismatch and the loss caused by absorbing the electromagnetic waves in the antenna or the human body has not been considered. However, the percentage occupied by the losses may be large depending on the frequency band and the antenna type.
As for an NHA reduced to 0.1 wavelength or less put to use in a 150-MHz band particularly, for example, like an antenna mounted on a portable radio for business use, the input impedance of the NHA in the proximity of the antenna changes sharply and thus a correct evaluation needs to be performed on the loss caused by the impedance mismatch. Further, such an NHA, which is small-sized, has small radiation resistance and therefore it is also necessary to consider the losses of high-frequency resistance of the metal line forming the antenna and a matching circuit.
As described above, to examine the radiation characteristic of the antenna, the percentage occupied by lost power in radiated electromagnetic waves varies depending on the antenna type as well as the frequency band and the lost power composition ratio also varies. Therefore, to improve the radiation characteristic of the antenna and design an antenna apparatus having a high gain, the factor of occurrence of lost power needs to be considered to minimize the lost power.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a high-gain antenna apparatus with a power loss minimized considering the occurrence factor of lost power.
According to a first aspect of the invention, an antenna apparatus in a portable radio apparatus comprises an antenna element mounted which receives electric power from a radio circuit in the portable radio apparatus and matching in a predetermined frequency band, and a matching circuit which matches impedance of the antenna element and internal impedance of the radio circuit, wherein the matching circuit has a match characteristic to conjugately match the internal impedance of the radio circuit and input impedance of the matching circuit.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the antenna apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention further comprises a match characteristic controller for varying the match characteristic of the matching circuit in response to change in the impedance of the antenna element.
According to a third aspect of the invention, an antenna apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the match characteristic controller varies load of the matching circuit in response to change in the impedance of the antenna element to selectively adapt to at least the impedance of the antenna element when the antenna element is brought close to a human body with a sufficiently small spacing relative to the wavelength of the predetermined frequency band and the impedance of the antenna element when the antenna element is in a free space.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, an antenna apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, wherein the match characteristic controller varies capacitance load of the matching circuit in response to change in the impedance of the antenna element.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, an antenna apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the matching circuit includes a first matching circuit having a match characteristic to conjugately match the internal impedance of the radio circuit and the input impedance of the matching circuit when the portable radio is brought close to a human body with a sufficiently small spacing relative to the wavelength of the predetermined frequency band.
According to a sixth aspect of an antenna apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the invention, wherein the matching circuit further includes a second matching circuit having a match characteristic to conjugately match the internal impedance of the radio circuit and the input impedance of the matching circuit in a free space, and a selector which selects the first matching circuit or the second matching circuit in response to change in the impedance of the antenna element.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, an antenna apparatus according to second aspect of the invention further comprises a mismatch detector which monitors electric power supplied to the antenna element and reflected because of a mismatch and detecting change in the impedance of the antenna element, wherein the match characteristic controller is controlled in response to the detection result of the mismatch detector.
According to an eighth aspect of the invention, an antenna apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the invention further comprises a mismatch detector which monitors electric power supplied to the antenna element and reflected because of a mismatch and detecting change in the impedance of the antenna element, wherein the selector is controlled in selection in response to the detection result of the mismatch detector.
According to the first aspect of the invention, the internal impedance of the radio circuit and the input impedance of the matching circuit are conjugately matched to each other, whereby the mismatch loss caused by the impedance mismatch of the antenna element can be decreased.
According to the second aspect of the invention, the match characteristic control means can vary the match characteristic of the matching circuit in response to change in the impedance of the antenna element, so that the match characteristic can be changed in response to the use state of the portable radio installing the antenna apparatus.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the match characteristic control means can switch the load of the matching circuit, whereby a plurality of match characteristics including the match characteristic corresponding to the impedance of the antenna element when the antenna element is brought close to a human body and the match characteristic corresponding to the impedance of the antenna element when the antenna element is in a free space can be selectively adapted in response to change in the impedance of the antenna element.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the capacitance load of the matching circuit is varied continuously in response to change in the impedance of the antenna element, whereby the match characteristic can be continuously adapted in response to change in the impedance of the antenna element.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the match characteristic of the matching circuit is set so that the internal impedance of the radio circuit and the input impedance of the matching circuit conjugately match each other in a state in which the antenna element is brought close to a human body, whereby the mismatch loss caused by the impedance mismatch of the antenna element can be decreased in a state in which the portable radio is carried for use.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the first matching circuit set so that the internal impedance of the radio circuit and the input impedance of the matching circuit conjugately match each other when the antenna is brought close to a human body and the second matching circuit set so that the internal impedance of the radio circuit and the input impedance of the matching circuit conjugately match each other in a free space are selectively switched in response to change in the impedance of the antenna element, whereby the mismatch loss caused by the impedance mismatch of the antenna element can be decreased both when the antenna is brought close to a human body and when the antenna is in a free space.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, an impedance mismatch of the antenna element is detected and the match characteristic control means can be controlled based on the detection result for varying the match characteristic.
According to the eighth aspect of the invention, an impedance mismatch of the antenna element is detected and the selection means is controlled in selection based on the detection result for varying the match characteristic.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A roll stand arrangement for rolling wire with a finishing block arranged following the last stand of the intermediate group of a wire rolling mill and composed of fixedly connected roll stands with grooved rolls, and a skin pass block arranged following and having the same configuration as the finishing block, wherein the roll stands of the skin pass block have an oval/oval groove sequence and a subsequent round groove sequence. The sequence of grooves in the roll stands of the skin pass block is composed of two, three, four or more oval/oval successive grooves and, directly following these oval/oval successive grooves, one or two round successive grooves.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roll stand arrangement for rolling wire with a finishing block arranged following the last stand of the intermediate group of a wire rolling mill and composed of fixedly connected roll stands with grooved rolls, and a skin pass block arranged following and having the same configuration as the finishing block, wherein the roll stands of the skin pass block have an oval/oval groove sequence and a subsequent round groove sequence.
2. Description of the Related Art
Roll stand arrangements of this type have the purpose, in addition to achieving a relatively substantial reduction of the wire strand leaving the finishing block by means of the oval/oval groove sequence, to achieve by means of the round groove sequence a high dimensional accuracy of the wire strand leaving the skin pass block. In order to achieve this object, it had to be ensured that the fine grain structure of the rolled strand achieved with the significant reduction and the correspondingly high rolling temperature using the alternating oval/oval groove sequence of the finishing block, was maintained during the passes through the skin pass block, and that especially no grain growth which would have destroyed this fine grain structure could take place during the passes of the wire strand in the final sizing rolling phase through the round/round groove sequence with corresponding low reduction.
In order to meet this object, EP 512 735 B1 suggests a skin pass block whose groove sequence, in addition to an oval groove at the entry side, is composed of a sequence of two or more round grooves. Since the tendency of the wire strand to rotate between the round grooves cannot be counteracted by appropriate guide elements, the stands of this embodiment must be arranged very closely one behind the other; another even more important reason for this close arrangement is that a temperature drop which would negatively influence the fine grain structure achieved in the preceding rolling steps must be prevented.
In addition to the difficulties occurring in connection with the control of the rates of rotation of the roll stands with round groove rolls in order to maintain the necessary temperature with the slight reduction, the necessary close arrangement of the roll stands in the skin pass block makes it difficult to mount normal larger roll stands, as they are used, for example, in the finishing block, and also makes it difficult to mount flexible wire guide means, particularly roller guide means. The close arrangement of the roll stands results in additional difficulties if each roll stand is to be driven directly through an independent controllable individual drive. Because of the narrow space available, it is usually also not possible to exchange individual roll stands against roll stands with larger dimensions for using correspondingly larger roll diameters. Consequently, the roll stand arrangements of this type are not very flexible with respect to the controllable reductions as well as with respect to the range of wire diameters which can be rolled.


Disclosed is a jewelry holder 10 for organizing earrings 27, necklaces 30, bracelets 31, and other items of jewelry. The jewelry holder 10 has a flexible mesh sheet 11 with a plurality of apertures 12. The jewelry holder 10 is hung from a clothes hanger 13 or other suitable rod by a pair of mounting strips 14. Fabric segments 20 support jewelry such as clip-on earrings, and lower support straps 23 accommodate other items of jewelry such as necklaces and bracelets. Also disclosed is a method for displaying and organizing jewelry.

Jewelry is typically stored in a jewelry box or in a drawer. As a result, the jewelry may become tangled, and particular items of jewelry may be difficult to locate. Additionally, these storage methods make it difficult for jewelry owners to evaluate their options when selecting or itemizing jewelry.
Prior attempts to organize jewelry have been numerous but inadequate. Currently available jewelry holders include a rigid plastic member having holes to accommodate pierced earrings, and rigid plastic members having U-shaped slots to hold necklaces. Additionally, jewelry holders having a series of pouches are commercially available, however, it is difficult for the jewelry owner to clearly see the contents of each pouch, even when the pouch is made of a clear plastic material. The pouches are particularly unsuitable for small or dainty jewelry, such as small earrings. These items become "lost" in the relatively large pouch and are difficult if not impossible to see. Furthermore, certain jewelry can become tangled within the pouch.
The difficulties with prior jewelry holders are that they are unable to accommodate all different types of jewelry, and they are unable to display the jewelry in such a manner so that the jewelry owner can see everything. Being able to clearly view several items of jewelry is important, so that the jewelry owner does not overlook an item in the jewelry collection, and so that the different items of jewelry may be coordinated depending upon the particular outfit worn, or the jewelry owner's preference on that particular day.
The present invention addresses these and other problems associated with currently available jewelry containers.


According to the present invention, a display medium layer is sandwiched between a TFT substrate and a counter substrate. In the display medium layer, resin walls are respectively formed in regions other than those where a plurality of segmented electrodes are formed, and liquid crystal portions are respectively formed in regions between the respective resin walls, corresponding to those where the segmented electrodes are formed. Disclination lines are formed on the interfaces between the resin walls and the liquid crystal regions. In a liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal regions are radially oriented and at least one liquid crystal domain is formed in each liquid crystal region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and a method for producing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device having a display medium with a structure in which liquid crystal regions are partitioned by a polymeric material and a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As display devices utilizing an electro-optic effect, liquid crystal display devices using nematic liquid crystals have conventionally been used. Examples of such liquid crystal display devices include a twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal display device and a super-twisted nematic (STN) liquid crystal display device. Liquid crystal display devices using ferroelectric liquid crystal have also been proposed. These liquid crystal display devices include a pair of glass substrates, nematic liquid crystal or smectic liquid crystal provided between the substrates, and two polarizing plates sandwiching the substrates.
Furthermore, as the display devices utilizing an electro-optic effect, liquid crystal display devices utilizing a light scattering phenomenon of liquid crystal, instead of using the polarizing plates, have been known. Such liquid crystal display devices use a dynamic scattering (DS) mode and a phase change (PC) mode.
In recent years, liquid crystal display devices requiring no alignment treatment have been proposed. Such a liquid crystal display device electrically regulates a transparent state and an opaque state by using the birefringence of a liquid crystal. More specifically, in such a liquid crystal display device, the refractive index of liquid crystal molecules with respect to ordinary light is matched with the refractive index of a supporting medium which supports the liquid crystal. Thus, liquid crystal molecules are oriented under the application of a voltage and hence a transparent state is displayed; whereas the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is disturbed under the application of no voltage and hence a light scattering state is displayed. Japanese National Publication No. 61-502128 discloses a specific method: liquid crystal and photopolymerizable or thermosetting resin are mixed and resin is cured to deposit liquid crystal, whereby liquid crystal droplets are formed in the resin.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 4-338923 and 4-212928 disclose a liquid crystal display device using polarizing plates with improved viewing angle characteristics, i.e., a polymer dispersed liquid crystal device sandwiched with polarizing plates disposed so that the respective polarizing directions cross at right angles (hereinafter, referred to as crossed polarizing plates). These conventional liquid crystal display devices have improved viewing angle characteristics. However, the use of scattering of light for the elimination of polarization makes the brightness of the device 1/2 that of a TN liquid crystal display device. Thus, these conventional devices have not found a wide range of use.
Furthermore, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 5-27242 discloses a method for improving viewing angle characteristics by disturbing the orientation of liquid crystal molecules with walls or projections of a polymer to form random domains. However, according to this method, liquid crystal domains are formed at random, a polymeric material enters a pixel portion, and a plurality of disclination lines formed at random between the liquid crystal domains are not eliminated even under the application of a voltage. For these reasons, the conventional liquid crystal display devices have the disadvantage of low contrast, light transmittance under the application of no voltage is low, that is, the black level is not satisfactory under the application of a voltage.
Accordingly, the conventional liquid crystal display devices using polarizing plates have poor viewing angle characteristics and hence are unsuitable for use as a liquid crystal display device for a wide viewing angle. For example, a TN liquid crystal display device undergoes alignment treatment so that liquid crystal molecules rise in the same direction under the application of a voltage. That is to say, the TN liquid crystal display device has a structure in which liquid crystal molecules have an initial orientation of 90.degree. twist and rise in one direction at a certain angle, i.e., a pretilt angle. This makes the liquid crystal molecules tilt in the same direction in the case where a gray scale display is conducted to allow the liquid crystal molecules to rise, as shown in FIGS. 51(a) to 51(c). Because of this, as shown in FIG. 51(b), when the liquid crystal molecules are viewed from directions A and B, apparent refractive indices become different. This also makes the difference in contrast between directions A and B large, and in some cases, results in an abnormal display such as a change in hue and the reversal of black and white colors.
As described above, the conventional liquid crystal display devices have the disadvantage of poor viewing angle characteristics.
Another method for producing a liquid crystal display device using polarizing plates has been proposed. According to this method, first, a mixture containing liquid crystal and a photopolymerizable material is provided between a pair of substrates. Then, light is irradiated to the mixture to a predetermined pattern through a photomask. At this time, the liquid crystal is phase-separated from the polymeric material in a regular manner. As shown in FIGS. 52(a) to 52(c), when a voltage is applied to the device thus produced, liquid crystal molecules interact with the polymer and consequently, the liquid crystal molecules rise along walls in each direction. Because of this, apparent refractive indices become nearly the same in directions A and B in FIG. 52(b), improving viewing angle characteristics.
For improving the viewing angle characteristics most effectively, liquid crystal molecules in each pixel should be oriented so as to be symmetric with respect to an axis. However, the axisymmetric orientation requires walls, pillars, or the like of a polymer in the middle of the pixels. This leads to problems during practical use, such as the reduction of liquid crystal regions and decreased light transmittance under the application of no voltage. Furthermore, in this case, disclination lines between the liquid crystal domains cannot be controlled, which makes it impossible to eliminate the disclination lines even under the application of voltage. As a result, the display quality is degraded. Alternatively, the decrease in contrast due to difficulties in eliminating disclination lines degrades the display quality.

Liquid crystal display device and method for producing the same


A locking groove extending in the horizontal direction is formed approximately at the center of a front surface of a cartridge. A power switch is turned on/off in response to an operation of a slide switch. When the power switch is turned on by the slide switch, a lock plate rotates in response to the operation of the slide switch. At this time, a projecting portion provided on one side of the lock plate is fit in the locking groove. Consequently, simultaneously with the turning on/off the power, the cartridge is locked so as not to be ejected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a TV game machine and, more specifically, to a TV game machine to which a cartridge storing a game program can be freely attached and detached, and which executes a game program by reading the game program from the attached cartridge.
2. Description of the Background Art
A TV game machine executing prescribed game by reading a game program from an attached cartridge (for example TV game machines produced and sold by the assignee of the present application commercially available as the "family computer" and the "Nintendo Entertainment System") have been well known. In such a TV game machine, various games can be played by changing cartridges.
When a cartridge is ejected from the TV game machine in an undesired manner in the middle of the game, reading of the game program from the cartridge becomes impossible. This prevents game play, and it may cause the machine to malfunction. Therefore, a locking mechanism for preventing ejection of the attached cartridge has been proposed.
A TV game machine having a cartridge locking mechanism is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 2-49595 (known under the commercial name of "MEGA DRIVE" owned by SEGA Enterprises).
The cartridge locking mechanism disclosed in this Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 2-49595 is adapted to lock a cartridge by inserting a pawl portion of an arm member operating in relation to the operation of a power switch to a horizontal notch formed on one side portion of the cartridge.
However, in the above described locking mechanism of the cartridge, only one side portion of the cartridge is engaged. Therefore, when a cartridge is pulled diagonally upward, the cartridge is likely to be pulled out. The cartridge is pulled by one hand. If one tries to pull out the cartridge forcefully with the cartridge being locked, the force is concentrated at the pawl portion of the arm member, which is small. Therefore, the pawl portion or the arm member may be damaged. A TV game machine having an ejecting mechanism enabling vertical ejection of the cartridge utilizing the function of fulcrum, in order to prevent possible damage connecting portions if the cartridge were pulled out diagonally has been known. If the ejecting mechanism is provided in such a TV game machine, by the function of fulcrum, a larger force is applied to the pawl portion or the arm member compared with manual ejection Therefore, the pawl portion and the like tends to be damaged easily.
In addition, when the cartridge is inserted after turning on the power, the TV game machine is likely to be damaged. Therefore, a locking mechanism for preventing insertion of the cartridge after power has been turned on has been desired.


Systems and methods for cooling electrical components of an electrical submersible pump in a subterranean well are disclosed. Cooling fluid is delivered from a location proximate ground surface through a conduit to a submerged electrical pump motor in a subterranean well to cool the submerged electrical pump motor.

Electrical submersible pumps (ESP) are used in the geothermal, oil and gas and water wells for producing fluids from the subterranean well. Traditionally, subterranean wells are completed in porous formations having naturally high permeability and which contain water, oil, natural gas, heated water, brine and/or steam in relative close proximity to the surface of the earth. Geothermal wells are also completed in low permeability formations that contain little to no geothermal fluid. For these low permeability formations, the permeability of the formation is engineered or enhanced through stimulation methods such as pumping of cold water to generate fractures within the formation. This creates or enhances a geothermal reservoir in the high temperature formation to enable development of an Engineered or Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS). Currently, ESP systems are not suitable for most high temperature applications, especially geothermal applications. ESP systems are susceptible to pump cavitation due to boiling in high temperature wells producing water and/or brine above 100° C. Electrical motors in ESP systems are tested at temperatures of up to 2200° C. at low flow rates while high volume ESPs are designed to withstand temperatures up to 200° C. The temperature of the earth grows hotter with increasing depth, and geothermal systems can have well temperatures ranging from 150° C. to greater than 300° C. Advanced methods for recovering heavy oil may involve the use of steam to mobilize or heat oil and water produced from the reservoir having a temperature above 200° C. ESP systems used to recover oil with hot water in these steam flood wells are exposed to temperatures above design limits of current ESPs.
Line shaft pumps have been used in the petroleum, mine dewatering and geothermal industry for high temperature applications. Line shaft pump arrangements include a pump positioned in the subterranean well at depth calculated to allow for draw down, gas breakout, boiling of the fluid in the well and frictional pressure drop in the well. The pump is driven by a pump motor positioned at the surface which turns the shaft connected to the pump in the well. Line shaft pumps cannot be set at deep depths, because the long line shaft flexes too much causing vibration, stress on the bearings and excessive wear in the pump bowls. Currently, due to these problems, line shaft pumps cannot be set at depths greater than about 2000 ft. Subterranean wells including high temperature and EGS wells require pumps; to be set at depths greater than 2,000 feet. Therefore, line shaft, pumps are not suitable for many high temperature and deep well applications.
The present application is directed to systems and methods for cooling electrical submersible pumps and components thereof.

Method and cooling system for electric submersible pumps/motors for use in geothermal wells


A shielded electrical connector comprises an insulating terminal housing formed of a base member and a cover member. The housing has a front mating face, a rear wire-connecting face and a terminal supporting platform extending between the two faces. Four electrical terminals are mounted on the terminal supporting platform with contact portions disposed in the area of the mating face and wire-connecting portions disposed in the area of the wire-connecting face. Each contact portion includes a resilient contact tongue spaced from the platform and having a free end extending away from the mating face. Each contact tongue is matable against a corresponding contact tongue of the complementary connector to urge the contact tongues toward the respective platforms from which they are supported. An electrical shunting device is fixedly mounted in the housing and disposed adjacent to the contact tongues in the area of the free ends thereof. The shunting device engages preselected contact tongues when the connector is in an unmated condition and is spaced from the contact tongues when the connector is in a mated condition. The shunting device comprises an insulative, substantially planar surface having four conductive contact pads arranged thereon facing the terminals. Each contact pad is oriented adjacent a respective one of the contact tongues such that contact between each pad and its respective, adjacent contact tongue is made in substantially the same relative position on all contact tongues.

The present invention relates to a shielded electrical connector and, more particularly, to a hermaphroditic electrical connector for mating with a complementary hermaphroditic electrical connector. More specifically, the invention relates to an electrical connector of this type which incorporates means for shunting alternate electrical contacts when the connector is unmated with another connector.
With the ever increasing use of data communications equipment, there is a growing need for electrical connectors for terminating electrical cables and for connecting data equipment, or components thereof, to each other. Electrical connectors of the type used for data communications equipment are disclosed, for example, in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,778 and 4,501,459 (reissued as U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,760). These connectors comprise an insulating terminal housing formed of a base member and a cover member and having a front mating face for connection to a complementary connector and a rear wire-connecting face for connection to an electrical cable. A parallel row of four electrical terminals is mounted on a terminal supporting platform that extends between the front and rear faces of the housing. These terminals are configured at one end to mechanically and electrically connect to an insulated wire and configured at the other end to contact another, like terminal, for example of a complementary electrical connector. Each terminal comprises a resilient contact tongue spaced from the terminal supporting platform and having a free end extending away from the mating face. Each contact tongue is matable against a corresponding contact tongue of the complementary connector to urge the contact tongues toward the respective platforms from which they are supported.
The aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,778 and 4,501,459 also teach the provision of means for shunting alternate electrical contacts when the connector is unmated with another, complementary connector. This shunting, or interconnection of the open contacts prevents spurious electrical signals, such as may occur by misconnection or from static electricity, from harming the attached computer equipment.
The shunting is effected by two "shunting bars" which bridge the electrical contact terminals to be shunted. One shunting bar connects the first and third contacts together while the other shunting bar connects the second and fourth contacts together. When the connector is mated with another, complementary connector, the electrical contact tongues are forced away from the shunting bars, thus breaking the shunt circuits.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,836, discloses a similar connector arrangement wherein the shunting bars are replaced by shunting wires which have a "C" shaped configuration. The shunting bars and the shunting wires are arranged in parallel, side by side, perpendicular to the contact terminals. As a result of this tandem arrangement, one shunting bar or wire contacts two of the contact tongues at a different, relative location than the other. In particular, the contact points of two of the contact tongues are nearer the tongues' free ends than the other. Since the tongues contact the respective shunting bars or wires at an angle, two of the contact tongues are depressed to a greater extent by the shunting bars or wires than the other two contact tongues. Over a long period of use, the resilient characteristics of two contact terminals vary with respect to the other two so that, over time, the connector becomes less reliable.
An additional problem with the known arrangements for shunting the contacts is the minimal contact area provided by the shunting bars or shunting wires. The bars and wires make essentially a point contact with the contact tongues so that the resistance at the point of contact is unnecessarily high.
Finally, the assembly of the known connectors by the user is unnecessarily complicated. Such connectors are normally furnished as a "bag of parts" which require knowledge and skill to assemble in the field. For example, the connector disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,459, mentioned above, requires that the two shunting bars be separately mounted into the housing before the housing is assembled together and closed by the cover. Similarly, in the case of the connector disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,836, mentioned above, the U-shaped shunting wires must be inserted in a holding block, and this block must then be attached to the contact holder which, in turn, is inserted in the housing. Particularly since the connector parts are small and easily dropped or lost in the field, such assembly is less than satisfactory.

Shielded electrical connector with contact shunting arrangement


A system for duplicating a master part includes a gauge for measuring changes in the dimension therein of a master part to be duplicated and for providing control signals representative of changes from a predetermined dimension. The control signals are applied to a control circuit for controlling an adjustable tool block associated with a machine tool for machining a workpiece in response to the control signals from the gauge to assure that the workpiece dimension conforms to that of the master part.

The present invention relates to machine tool controls and particularly to a control circuit for permitting duplication of identical parts.
In the machining industry, it is frequently desirable to reproduce an existing part even though the part itself may be out of tolerance from the prescribed engineering drawings. Thus, for example, in the bearing art where the bore of a bearing is, for example, two inches in diameter but the part itself which is used in a system has a tolerance of, for example, ten thousandths of an inch and may, in fact, be out of tolerance or vary within the tolerance, it is frequently desired in order to replace the bearing or to provide a bearing with equal performance standards, to substantially identically manufacture additional bearings from the master part. In the past, this had to be done manually by gauging the bearing bore, recording such information manually, and manually adjusting the machine tool as a new bearing is manufactured to reproduce the original part. Such a process is difficult, time consuming, costly, and prone to machining errors.
The present invention provides an automatic control system for reproduction of master parts without requiring continuous monitoring by an operator and assures that the replacement part (i.e., the workpiece) is substantially identical to the master part.

Gauging and tool control system for production of identical parts


Systems and methods for providing personal radar, object presence detection, and object localization are provided. Multiple devices that perform high-resolution ranging can be operated to perform radar in an area, detect objects and motion of objects in the area, and generate a virtual steerable antenna.

1. The Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for detecting objects and/or the motion of objects. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to personal radar, object presence detection, and object localization.
2. The Relevant Technology
There are many methods on how one can detect objects and/or the motion of an object. Most devices use time of flight from echo, chirp, frequency modulation (FM), or Doppler radar for the detection or to detect the motion of objects. Many use steerable antennas or phase array antennas to detect those objects. Yet others use simple measurements of the received signal strength (RSS) to detect movements within an area. These types of systems are often costly, power hungry, expensive, and/or inaccurate or not sufficiently accurate.


In order to improve a bone screw with a shaft defining a longitudinal axis and with a head which can be brought into engagement with a bone screw receiving means of a bone plate for the releasable connection of the bone screw to the bone plate, wherein a securing element for securing a connection between the bone screw and the bone plate is provided, wherein the bone screw can be brought from a position of engagement, in which the bone screw is held on the bone plate, into a release position, in which the bone screw can be released from the bone plate, wherein the securing element can be brought from a non-securing position, in which the bone screw can be brought into the release position, into a securing position for securing the connection between the bone screw and the bone plate, in which the bone screw takes up the position of engagement, such that a bone plate can be fixed to bone parts more easily and more securely it is suggested that the securing element be supported on the bone screw so as to be movable.

The present invention relates to a bone screw with a shaft defining a longitudinal axis and with a head which can be brought into engagement with a bone screw receiving means of a bone plate for the releasable connection of the bone screw to the bone plate, wherein a securing element is provided for securing a connection between the bone screw and the bone plate, wherein the bone screw can be brought from a position of engagement, in which the bone screw is held on the bone plate, into a release position, in which the bone screw can be released from the bone plate, wherein the securing element can be brought from a non-securing position, in which the bone screw can be brought into the release position, into a securing position for securing the connection between the bone screw and the bone plate, in which the bone screw takes up the position of engagement.
Bone screws of the type described at the outset are used in surgery to fix bone plates to bone parts of a human or animal body. The advantage of these screws is the fact that the position of engagement can be locked and so the bone plate cannot become disconnected from the bone screw or screws when stressed. Locking elements are known, for example, which are arranged on the bone plate and are pushed over the head of the bone screw already screwed in. This has the disadvantage that a securing element must be provided at every opening in the bone plate. If, however, not all the bone screw receiving means of the bone plate are required, the securing elements arranged at the bone screw receiving means which are not used are also, strictly speaking, superfluous. In addition, it must be ensured prior to the insertion of the bone plate that all the securing elements are in the non-securing position. If this is not the case, all the securing elements must be transferred from the securing position into the non-securing position during the operation which increases the operation time unnecessarily.


A pair of flanges are mounted on a spool of a photographic film cassette so as to come into contact with end faces or outermost convolution of a film roll wound on the spool, so that a film leader can be advanced out of the cassette shell by rotating the spool in an unwinding direction. The flanges are formed from a polyphenylene ether group resin composition, which is composed by mixing styrene group resin with polyphenylene ether resin in a weight ratio from 60:40 to 10:90, and mixing 6 to 19 parts by weight of elastomer per 100 parts by weight of said mixture of styrene group resin and polyphenylene ether resin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographic film cassette with a flanged spool about which a filmstrip is coiled, and in particular to a film cassette capable of automatically advancing a non-protruding film leader to the outside of the cassette shell responsive to unwinding rotation of the spool. More specifically, the present invention relates to a photographic film cassette in which flanges of the spool have optimum elasticity, durability and film advancing power.
2. Background Art
Recently, film cassettes have been proposed which can be operated to automatically advance a film leader out of the cassette shell by rotating the film spool in the unwinding direction, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,306 and 4,832,275 and EP 0406815 A2. The film leader is non-protruding, i.e. it is located entirely within the cassette shell unless the film cassette is loaded in a camera, film inspector or the like. Therefore, this type of film cassette is convenient and safer to handle both for the user and for photofinisher.
Major elements of the leader-advancing type film cassette such as the cassette shell, the spool, the flanges are formed by resin molding.
The flanges are provided for tightly and neatly winding the filmstrip in a roll on the spool and preventing loosening of the film roll. For example, the flanges are formed as discs having circumferential lips. The respective lips cover lateral sides of the outermost convolution of the film roll to confine it in the radial direction while the flanges confine the film roll in the axial direction.
A separating claw and constraining ribs are formed inside the cassette shell. The separating claw is adapted to peel the film leader, i.e., the end of the outermost convolution of the film roll in the vicinity of a film passage mouth. The constraining ribs constrain the flanges toward the film roll so as to keep the flanges in contact with end faces of the film roll. The constraining ribs opposing to each other in the vicinity of the film passage mouth are spaced from each other a distance to allow the flange, to release the confinement of the film roll so the filmstrip may be unwound and advanced out of the cassette shell after the film leader is peeled by the separating claw.
The above-described members of the film cassette are conventionally formed from high impact polystyrene (HIPS) resin or high density polyethylene resin because of their superior moldability. However, the above-mentioned materials are insufficient for use in practice. Especially for the flanges, because of rubbing against the constraining ribs and the edges of the filmstrip while the spool rotates, the above-mentioned materials are too weak. The flange would quickly be worn out by friction and produce resin particles. The resin particles travel on the filmstrip and damage the camera, the photographic properties of the filmstrip, or images on the filmstrip.
The friction of the flanges and the amount of particles generated are dependent upon distances between the constraining ribs of opposite sides, especially those disposed in the vicinity of the film passage mouth. The distances between the opposing ribs also have influence on film advancing power and durability of the flanges. If the distance is too large, the flanges cannot securely hold or confine the film roll enough to smoothly advance the filmstrip. If the distances are too small, the friction becomes too large and the durability is lowered.
For reliable advance of the filmstrip to the outside, it is desirable to curve the filmstrip in a portion which is guided to the film passage mouth, in the lateral direction of the filmstrip. For this purpose, the lips of the flanges push the lateral edges of the filmstrip toward each other. If the flanges are too soft, the filmstrip will not curve sufficiently. If the flanges are too hard, the filmstrip will curve so much that the filmstrip interferes with the film passage mouth, a film guide surface of the camera, or the like. Also, the friction between the flanges and the filmstrip will increase so much that lowers the durability of the flanges and causes remarkable noise.
Also the flexibility of the filmstrip has influence on film advancing power and durability of the flanges. The film flexibility depends upon the base material, the thickness, the type of the photosensitive emulsion layer, and so forth. Also, the film flexibility varies depending upon the ambient temperature and humidity.
Thermoplastic deformation of the flanges is another problem. In order to make the flanges elastic, the thickness of the flanges should be small. Also for the compactness of the film cassette, thin flanges are desirable. However, the film unit can be left in high temperature circumstances, for example, in a car staying outdoor in summer where the ambient temperature may reach 80.degree. C. The flange made of the above-mentioned material would be thermally deformed in that case.
To solve the above problems, a film cassette has been proposed by the present Applicant, wherein as a material of the flanges, styrene-synthetic rubber copolymer is mixed with modified polyphenylene at a mixture ratio from 3:7 to 8:2.
Indeed this material can improve the durability of the flanges to a certain extent, but the durability is insufficient in view of the expected service conditions of the leader-advancing type film cassette where the filmstrip will be repeatedly withdrawn from and wound into the cassette shell, for example, for exposure, development, inspection, and printing.


An enhanced wavelength-converting structure is disclosed. The enhanced wavelength-converting structure includes a substrate, a wavelength-converting layer arranged next to the substrate, and a wavelength-selective reflecting layer arranged next to the wavelength-converting layer. The wavelength-converting layer converts the first light into the second light. A part of the second light radiating backward to the light source is further reflected toward the substrate by the wavelength-selective reflecting layer to form the enhanced second light by combining with another part of the second light radiating toward the substrate.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-layer structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to an enhanced wavelength-converting structure.
2. Description of Related Art
A wavelength-converting structure has been used for converting a first light into a second light. The wavelength-converting structure may include a substrate and a wavelength-converting material. An adhesive can combine the substrate and the wavelength-converting material. The wavelength-inverting structure can be utilized in a light-emitting diode (LED), such as a phosphor based LED. The wavelength-converting structure can merely convert the first light in to the second light. However, a part of the second light would emit to the substrate, but another part of the second light would emit backward to the light source. The part of the second light emitting backward to the light source would be utilized efficiently and be wasted. For the forgoing reasons, the present invention provides an enhanced wavelength converting structure with a wavelength-selective reflecting layer to improve light emitting efficiency.


In a shared bus where communications are managed by a master device, direct slave device to slave device (S2S) communications is implemented. A first slave device wanting to communicate with a second slave device may make a S2S communication request to the master device. The request may include a requested number of words that the first slave device wishes to send over the shared bus. The master device may have a current word limit which may vary based upon operating parameters. The master device may deny the request if the requested number of words is greater than the current word limit or if it does not support S2S communications. Denial of the request may also be for other reasons, like activity over the shared bus. If the master device grants the request, the slave device may send the requested number of words to another slave device over the shared bus.

I2C (also referred to as I2C) is a multi-master serial single-ended control data bus used for attaching low-speed peripherals to a motherboard, embedded system, cellphone, or other electronic devices. The I2C control data bus includes a clock (SCL) and data (SDA) lines with 7-bit addressing. The control data bus has two roles for nodes: master and slave. A master node is a node that generates the clock and initiates communication with slave nodes. A slave node is a node that receives the clock and responds when addressed by the master. The I2C control data bus is a multi-master control data bus which means any number of master nodes can be present. Additionally, master and slave roles may be changed between messages. I2C defines basic types of messages, each of which begins with a START and ends with a STOP.
In this context of a camera implementation, unidirectional transmissions may be used to capture an image from a sensor and transmit such image data to memory in a baseband processor, while control data may be exchanged between the baseband processor and the sensor as well as other peripheral devices. In one example, a Camera Control Interface (CCI) protocol may be used for such control data between the baseband processor and the image sensor (and/or one or more slave nodes). In one example, the CCI protocol may be implemented over an I2C serial control data bus between the image sensor and the baseband processor.
Master devices control access to the control data bus. While some slave devices may have the capability of switching to a master mode of operation, other slave devices cannot operate in the master mode. One major distinction between a slave-only slave device versus a master-capable slave device is the ability to receive (e.g., handle) interrupts on an interrupt request line (IRQ). The slave-only slave devices can cause/send interrupts but cannot handle such interrupts. Therefore, because interrupt handling is extremely important, heretofore slave devices cannot communicate directly with other slave devices. Accordingly, it would be desirable to enable slave device to slave device communications over a shared data bus controlled by a master device.

Camera control interface slave device to slave device communication


An optical wavelength multiplex transmission system including repeaters is disclosed, in which a deviation (.DELTA.(S/N)) of S/N ratios of optical wavelength components of a multiplex optical signal at an optical receiver unit becomes zero. In this system, the optical receiver unit is provided with an optical S/N ratio equalizing filter having such a loss characteristics that the optical S/N ratios of respective optical wavelength components of an optical receiving signal at the optical receiver unit becomes substantially same.

The present invention relates to an optical wavelength multiplex transmission system using repeaters and, particularly, to a transmission system in which a plurality of wavelength-multiplexed signal lights are transmitted through an optical transmission line having a plurality of optical amplifying repeaters.
The optical wavelength multiplex transmission system using the repeaters includes basically an optical transmitter unit, an optical receiver unit and an optical transmission line connecting the optical transmitter unit to the optical receiver unit. The optical transmitter unit includes a first to n-th light sources, a first to n-th optical modulators corresponding to the respective first to n-th light sources, a first to n-th optical amplifiers, an optical coupler for multiplexing optical signals from the respective optical amplifiers and a boosting optical amplifier, where n is an integer larger than 1. The optical receiver unit includes a light distributer, a band-pass filter and an optical receiver for receiving the respective signal lights. The optical transmission line includes usually a plurality of optical amplifying repeaters.
In the optical transmission unit, the light sources emit optical signals having different first to n-th wavelengths, respectively. These optical signals are supplied to the respective optical modulators. Modulated optical signals from the optical modulators are amplified by the optical amplifiers, respectively, wavelength-multiplexed by the optical coupler and supplied to the boosting optical amplifier. The boosting optical amplifier amplifies the wavelength-multiplexed optical signal and a resultant optical wavelength multiplex signal is transmitted from the optical transmitter unit as an optical transmitting signal, relayed by the plurality of the optical amplifying repeaters of the optical transmission line and supplied to the optical receiver unit.
The optical receiver unit receives the optical transmitting signal as an optical receiving signal, the optical distributor branches the optical receiving signal to a first to n-th optical signals. The branched optical signals are supplied to the optical band-pass filters, respectively. Each of the optical band-pass filters allows only one of the optical signals which has a predetermined wavelength assigned thereto to pass through. The optical signals passed through the band-pass filters are supplied to the first to n-th optical receivers, respectively.
In the optical wavelength multiplex transmission system which uses the repeaters and has the construction as mentioned above, optical S/N ratios of the transmitting optical signal depend upon signal levels of optical wavelength components of the optical signal after transmission and optical noise, that is, amplified spontaneous emission (referred to as "ASE", hereinafter) generated in the optical amplifying repeaters in the transmission line. However, because of the gain-wavelength characteristics of the optical amplifying repeater, the larger the attenuation of optical wavelength component of the wavelength multiplexed optical signal is the remoter the wavelength thereof from a center wavelength of the multiplexed optical signal. As a result, there is a large deviation of optical S/N ratio produced between the optical wavelength components of the optical receiving signal after transmission. When there is such large deviation of optical S/N ratio between the respective optical wavelength components, the optical receiver unit can not receive the multiplexed optical transmission signal exactly.
An example of a method for removing such deviation of optical S/N ratio, that is, equalizing the optical S/N ratios, is disclosed in, for example, Neal S. Bergano, et al., "40 Gb/s WDM Transmission of Eight 5 Gb/s Data Channels Over Transoceanic Distances using the Conventional NRZ Modulation Format", OFC'95 Post Dead Line, PD19-1 to PD19-5, Feb. 24, 1995. According to the disclosed method, after an optical transmission line having a plurality of optical repeaters is built, optical spectrum is measured at a receiving end of the optical transmission line. On the basis of a result of the measurement, signal levels of optical wavelength components of the respectively transmitting optical signals are regulated in an optical transmitter unit to equalize optical S/N ratios of the optical wavelength components of the receiving optical signal. This procedures are repeated until the optical S/N ratios of the wavelength components of the receiving optical signal becomes exactly the same.
However, the above mentioned conventional equalizing method has some problems. A first one of the problems is that, after the optical transmission line is built, it is necessary to regulate the levels of the transmitting optical signals in the optical transmitter unit by communicating between the opposite ends of the transmission line, which is very troublesome. A second problem is that, since a regulation range of the optical levels of the respective wavelength components of the optical signal in the optical transmitter unit is known only after the construction of the transmission line, it is necessary to preliminarily prepare a very wide regulation range of optical signal level in the optical transmitter unit.

Optical wavelength multiplex transmission system using repeaters


The invention relates to a valve (1), comprising a valve housing (4) and a closing body (3) arranged in the valve housing (4) in such a way that the closing body can be moved longitudinally, wherein at least one inlet channel (5) and at least one outlet channel (6) are arranged in the valve housing (4). The closing body (3) interacts with a valve seat (8) formed on the valve housing (4) by means of the longitudinal motion of the closing body and thereby opens and closes at least one hydraulic connection between the at least one inlet channel (5) and the at least one outlet channel (6). The closing body (3) can be driven by means of a metal-bellows/piston unit (2), wherein the metal-bellows/piston unit (2) has a variable-length metal bellows (20) and a variable-volume working chamber (23) and wherein the metal bellows (20) bounds the working chamber (23) in a sealing manner.

The invention relates to a valve having a metal-bellows/cylinder unit, wherein the metal-bellows/cylinder unit drives the valve. The valve according to the invention can be used, for example, in a waste heat recovery system of an internal combustion engine.
Valves are known in many different embodiments from the prior art.
A known valve comprises a valve housing and a closing body arranged in a longitudinally moveable manner in the valve housing. At least one inlet channel and at least one outlet channel are arranged in the valve housing. The closing body interacts by means of its longitudinal movement with a valve seat formed on the valve housing and thereby opens and closes at least one hydraulic connection between the at least one inlet channel and the at least one outlet channel. A valve of this type is known, for example, as a control valve for a fuel injector from laid-open application DE 102011004640 A1.
Furthermore, it is known from laid-open application DE 102013114769 A1 that valves of this type can be used in a waste heat recovery system for an internal combustion engine as inlet or outlet valves for an expansion machine arranged in the waste heat recovery system.
The publication document DE112012004058 A1 furthermore discloses an electromagnetically activatable valve which is arranged as a bypass valve in a waste heat recovery system.
Owing to the modes of action of the known valves, on and off positions can be activated rapidly and robustly, but intermediate positions, such as, for example, throttle positions, can no longer be activated rapidly and robustly.

Valve having a metal-bellows/piston unit


A processor having a pipeline architecture is comprised of a plurality of replaceable circuit units and includes a snapshot circuit associated with each replaceable circuit unit. Each snapshot circuit has a snapshot register for storing the signals at test points in its associated replaceable circuit unit in response to either an immediate snapshot command or a delayed snapshot command being executed by a processor. A command-under-test passing through the processor results in the signals at the test points. The delayed snapshot command delays the storing of the signals by the snapshot register so that by preceding the command-under-test by a delayed snapshot command, the signals at test points in the execute stage of the processor are stored during the execution of the command-under-test.

The present invention relates to diagnosing faults in a data processing system, and more particularly, to diagnosing faults in a processor having a so-called "pipeline architecture".
In a typical data processing system, there are a significant number of electronic components and electrical interconnections between such components. It is not unusual for faults or defects to exist in at least some of the components and interconnections. Such defects affect the reliability of any processing being accomplished in the system.
There are known in the art many ways to alleviate the problems which might be caused by faults or defects. For example, strict quality assurance measures are often followed in trying to eliminate as many defective parts as is possible prior to the assembly of the system. Even so, some faults will not manifest themselves until after the system is assembled and operated. Frequently, a defect is discoverable only after the assembled system has been exercised by a test program.
Accordingly, significant efforts are often made to diagnose and correct faults or defects which may exist subsequent to the assembly of a data processing system. Generally, a test program or set of data is used in a trial run on the system and the resulting test data generated by the system is evaluated and compared, for example, with test data which is known to be good.
In a typical system, a diagnosis of the system for faults is reliable only if every line for carrying data between components in the system is checked. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,131, issued to Andrew T. Ling, there is shown diagnostic circuitry for connection to a data processing system. The circuitry includes counters and a selection matrix for causing each test point in the data processing system to be connected to a snap or snapshot register so that when a program is run in the system, the resulting test data or signals at each test point can be stored in the snap register.
With the prevalent use of microprogramming in state-of-the-art data processing systems, it is preferable that diagnosing be accomplished by the use of diagnostic firmware or microprogramming subroutines to properly enable the snapshot registers which store the signals at selected test points. With the also prevalent use of processors having a pipeline architecture, it is also preferable that the diagnostic firmware be useable in a pipeline architecture.
One difficulty in using diagnostic firmware in a pipeline architecture is that the individual firmware commands or microinstructions that cause the "snapshot" must reach and be executed in the execute stage within the processor of the system at the exact point in time at which a snapshot is to be taken. However, if it is desired to store signals resulting from some command-under-test being processed within the system, and the desired point of time at which such signals are to be stored is the time at which the command-under-test is in the execute stage of the processor, there can be no snapshot since it is physically impossible for both the command-under-test and the snapshot command to both be in the execute stage at the same time.

Method and apparatus for diagnosing faults in a processor having a pipeline architecture


A container is suspended from the bolt that connects the handle of a crutch to the crutch side rails.

The invention is related to crutch attachments, and more particularly to a container which depends from the bolt that is mounted on the pre-existing holes in the crutch side rails and supports the crutch handle.
Crutch users frequently desire a convenient container for carrying a variety of articles, because conventional purses and other containers, normally carried by the user, cannot be employed because it is necessary for him to use his hands in manipulating the crutches.


A method for selecting a fluid pressure of a fluid supplied to a plurality of terminal units in a climate control system includes adjusting the fluid pressure over a range over fluid pressures; determining a terminal unit efficiency for each terminal unit over the range of fluid pressures; determining a range of combined terminal unit efficiencies over the range of fluid pressures; identifying a range of bottom terminal unit efficiencies over the range of fluid pressures; and selecting a selected fluid pressure at which (i) a combined terminal unit efficiency is within a first threshold of a combined terminal unit efficiency limit and/or (ii) a bottom terminal unit efficiency is within a second threshold of a bottom terminal unit efficiency limit.

Embodiments relate generally to climate control systems, and more particularly to fluid pressure calibration in a climate control system.
Existing climate control systems circulate a fluid to a number of terminal units to condition air supplied to spaces associated with the terminal units. When the climate control system is commissioned, a fluid pressure is selected so that the terminal units receive sufficient fluid to meet the demands of the spaces. Existing commissioning processes lead to conservatively high fluid pressures. This ensures that the behavior of any terminal unit is never compromised, but on the other hand excessive energy is used to produce that excessive pressure. This also implies unnecessary wear and tear on the fluid loop components (in particular pumps used to circulate the fluid).

Fluid pressure calibration in climate control system