The present invention provides a method and system for data packet communication in wireless communication systems. One embodiment involves determining if one or more data blocks pending transmission in a current transmission opportunity period over the channel will expire before the start of another transmission opportunity period, and if a data block will expire before the start of another transmission opportunity period, then extending the current transmission opportunity period by an extension period for transmitting the expiring data block during the extension period. One or more expiring packets are transmitted during the extension period on a best-effort basis.

In many wireless communication systems, a frame structure is used for data transmission between wireless stations such as a transmitter and a receiver. For example, the IEEE 802.11 standard uses frame aggregation in a Media Access Control (MAC) layer and a physical (PHY) layer. In a typical transmitter, a MAC layer attaches a MAC header to a MAC Service Data Unit (MSDU), in order to construct a MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU). The MAC header includes information such as source addresses (SA) and a destination address (DA). The MPDU is a part of a PHY Service Data Unit (PSDU) and is transferred to a PHY layer in the transmitter to attach a PHY header thereto to construct a PHY Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) The PHY header includes parameters for determining a transmission scheme including a coding/modulation scheme. Before transmission as a packet from a transmitter to a receiver, a preamble is attached to the PPDU, wherein the preamble can include channel estimation and synchronization information.
According to the IEEE 802.11e specification, "Amendment: Medium Access Control (MAC) Quality of Service (QoS) Enhancements", (incorporated herein by reference), the QoS enabled stations (QSTAs) must maintain a transmit MSDU timer for each MSDU passed to the MAC layer. MSDU delivery ensures that the information in each MSDU is delivered between the MAC service access points.
A Management Information Base (MIB) attribute "dot11EDCATableMSDULifetime" in the MAC layer specifies the maximum amount of time allowed to transmit a MSDU for a given access category (AC). A transmit MSDU timer is started when the MSDU is passed to the MAC layer. If the value of this timer exceeds the appropriate entry in the "dot11EDCATableMSDULifetime" attribute, then the MSDU, or any remaining, undelivered fragments of that MSDU, are discarded by the source QSTA without any further attempt to complete delivery of that MSDU. Since the existing Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) scheme simply relies on the "dot11EDCATableMSDULifetime" attribute, it is possible that the MSDU is discarded after a few retries. Discarding a MSDU can negatively impact the QoS for some applications such as video.
The QSTA in a wireless station obtains a transmission opportunity (TXOP), and forms a MSDU for transmission. If the current TXOP duration expires before the MSDU is successfully transmitted, then the QSTA re-contends the communication medium (channel) because the QSTA cannot utilize the channel longer than the TXOP duration. The overhead of successfully obtaining another TXOP is significant, and is typically the sum of the following periods: Inter-Frame Space (xIFS), backoff after a collision on a shared channel, Request To Send (RTS), and Clear To Send (CTS) control frames. As a result, the MSDU can expire before it is scheduled for retransmission.
Moreover, the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol is contention based, and as such, it is difficult to predict when the QSTA will re-obtain the channel for transmission. FIG. 1 shows an example timing diagram scenario 10 wherein within a TXOP 20, a MSDU 30 is not successfully transmitted due to collision. As a result, since the QSTA cannot utilize the channel longer than the TXOP duration, the QSTA must re-contend the channel for another TXOP period.
FIG. 2 illustrates a timing diagram scenario 40 wherein the QSTA contends for the channel to obtain another TXOP 41 so that the MSDU blocks (packets) which could not be transmitted successfully in the previous TXOP 20 can be transmitted. A time period Tdelay 42 represents the delay from the last TXOP 20 until a remaining MSDU 30 can be sent. The Tdelay 42 depends on a time periods Tbusy 44, and a backoff interval 45 may be quite large. In this scenario, the remaining MSDUs expire before their transmission can be attempted again. After the QSTA re-obtains the channel, because the remaining MSDUs' transmit timers exceed the "dot11EDCATableMSDULifetime" attribute during the Tdelay period 42, the expired MSDUs are discarded. The existing ARQ scheme in the IEEE 802.11 standard does not provide further attempts at transmission of expired MSDUs in order to preserve and/or improve the quality of QoS for time-sensitive applications, negatively impacting QoS sensitive applications.

Method and system for data packet communication in wireless communication systems


The present invention relates to a dipping solution for cord fabrics and a production method thereof comprising the steps of adding acrylic resin (polymer) into water (11), adjusting pH value (12), adding epoxy to the composition (13), adding polyisocyanate to the composition (14), adding latex to the composition (15), obtaining the dipping material (16); enabling the synthetic fiber and the rubber used in cord fabric reinforced rubber materials production to be attached to each other by providing an interface between two said materials; not as hazardous as RFL for human health and also being environmental friendly.

Since the chemical structures of synthetic fibers used in the cord fabric production and the rubber are considerably different from each other, the said materials are incompatible with each other in terms of their chemical and physical structures. The synthetic fibers have high strength and low elongation whereas the rubbers contrarily are polymeric materials which have high elongation and low strength. The polar groups (amide, hydroxyl and carbonyl groups) present in the structure of the synthetic fibers are incompatible with the non-polar structures of the rubber. This incompatibility is eliminated with water-based Resorcinol-Formaldehyde-Latex (RFL) adhesive solutions which form a phase between the cord and the rubber and enable the rubber and the fiber to be attached to each other.
Main function of RFL is to serve as adhesive attaching two incompatible structures by forming phase between fiber and rubber. RF functional group within RFL is attached to the polar groups of fiber, Latex (L) group is attached to the fiber with vulcanization and the rubber-fiber composite structure is formed. The vehicle tire application amongst the most significant product examples wherein the said composite structure is used. The water based RFL adhesives are applied on cord fabric during "dipping" process which is the final step of cord fabric production. The strength of the bonds formed between the rubber and the cord is examined with adhesion tests. Adhesion is very important parameter in high tenacity cord reinforced rubber products. Because cord-rubber adhesion is a critical factor which affects the tire performance.
Formaldehyde-free dipping solutions for rubber materials reinforced with cord have been reported in various studies.
U.S. Patent document no US20120041113, an application known in the state of the art, discloses preparing a composition comprising epoxy, blocked isocyanate, epoxy curing agent and vinyl pyridine latex.
International Patent document no WO9600749, another application known in the state of the art, discloses applying dipping solutions formulated with three functional epoxy resins, styrene-butadiene-vinyl pyridine and styrene-butadiene-acrylonitrile-acrylic acid latex to the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material and adhesion strength with rubber.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,545, another application known in the state of the art, discloses the synthesis of an aramide with multiple double bonds. It is stated that the synthesized resin is applied on the aramide based cord fabric and the double bonds in aramide resin are vulcanized with the double bonds in rubber, and the amide groups provide physical adhesion to the aramide fiber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,463, another application known in the state of the art, discloses dipping non-adhesive activated PET fibers with two step process dipping. The first step dipping comprises aromatic glycidyl ester epoxy and blocked isocyanate, while the second step dipping comprises two various latex. The first latex is styrene-butadiene-vinyl pyridine copolymer, and the other one is acrylic acid-methyl methacrylate-styrene copolymer. It is stated that higher adhesion values are obtained in H-adhesion tests compared to RFL dipping solution.
U.S. Patent document no US20040249053, another application in the state of the art wherein an environmental friendly dipping material is disclosed. In that application, the maleinized polybutadiene is reacted with polyethylene glycol and become water soluble. The PET cords modified with epoxy are first dipped with this resin and then with styrene-butadiene-vinyl pyridine latex. However the stripping-adhesion strength of the rubber with PET cords dipped with this resin is lower than the fabrics with RFL.
RFL adhesive formulation has been used as adhesive material in all synthetic fiber reinforced materials for over half century because of its stable structural characteristics and low cost. However, both resorcinol and formaldehyde are the hazardous chemicals which create a great risk for human and environmental health. Therefore, their use has to be limited. Regarding this subject, feedbacks have come from international organizations and customers. It is known that the resorcinol causes itching and rash when it contacts the skin, irritates the eye and shows toxic properties in liver and cardiovascular systems.
Formaldehyde is riskier than resorcinol for human health and safety. In 2004, formaldehyde is classified as group 2A chemical (possible carcinogen in humans) by a group of scientists in International Agency for research on Cancer (IARC) of World Health Organization, and as group 1 (carcinogen for humans) for a group of scientists. In 2009, formaldehyde is included in list of chemicals causing leukemia by IARC. According to these, formaldehyde is suggested to be gene mutagen. Even low amounts of formaldehyde (1 ppm) cause eye, nose and throat irritation.
Although formaldehyde resins have advantage in terms of cost, both producers and consumers search for alternatives because of the reasons expressed above.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Dipping material for cord fabrics and a production method thereof

KORDSA GLOBAL ENDUSTRIYEL IPLIK VE KORD BEZI SANAYI VE TICARET ANONIM SIRKETI


A speaker box with improved low frequency response. Three chambers of specified proportion are provided which allow vibration of both front-cone and rear-cone sound waves projected from an internally installed low frequency speaker. Housing is provided for one or more higher frequency speakers, further providing rear covers to protect the speakers from low frequency sound wave interference. Ports are also provided for rear-cone sound wave emission.

It is a commonly known fact that speakers designed for low frequencies are particularly subject to distortion. While distortion is usually not a problem at low volumes, it is almost unavoidable at very high volumes. Various methods have been employed which attempt to reduce distortion in low-frequency speakers. These methods include separating the interior of low frequency speaker boxes into two separate chambers, as well as installing one or more ports with or without tubes extending into the interior of the speaker box.
There are a wide variety of speaker boxes on the market designed for home stereos. Many of these speaker boxes are specifically designed for improved low frequency response. Examples of such speaker boxes are U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,367 to Hook, disclosing a low frequency loud speaker, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,845 to Perrigo, disclosing a low frequency speaker enclosure.
Although these prior art have certain functional similarities to the present invention, the present invention possesses distinct advantages over the prior art which will be pointed out in more particularity in the following sections.


Systems and methods of operating a human-machine interface (HMI) with a graphical user interface (GUI). A color spectrum is displayed along with a topic. A selection of a point on the color spectrum is received, and associated in a memory with the displayed topic. A data record is stored indicating a sentiment associated with the topic. The sentiment includes an intensity level and an emotion level. The intensity level is one of multiple intensity levels that change along a first dimension of the color spectrum, and the emotion level is one of multiple emotion levels that change along a second dimension of the color spectrum.

A human-computer interface enables humans to interact with a computer. The interface can take the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays, typically on an electronic video display, visual information to the human user. The human user can make inputs to the computer and thereby translate an intended action by the human user into a machine-language command that the computer understands and can carry out. Simultaneously with a human input or responsive to a human input, additional graphical information can be displayed on the GUI. A technical challenge is conveying information in a meaningful way to the human user so that the inputs to the computer accurately reflect the information sought. For example, capturing subjective human sentiment in a machine is only as good as the quality of the information presented to the human user. If the feeling or sentiment can be captured in a way that is intuitive to the human user, the inputs entered to the computer will be more accurate and representative of the actual sentiment that the human user wants to convey. Aspects of the present disclosure address these and other technical challenges.

Graphical user interface using color spectrum to map sentiments


A patio umbrella has a pole that has an opening extending therethrough. The patio umbrella has a plurality of ribs for supporting and umbrella covering, and a runner adapted to slide along the pole and coupled to the ribs. The patio umbrella further includes a pulley system that has a first pulley member secured to a first side of the pole, a second pulley member coupled to the runner on the first side of the pole, a wheel positioned inside the opening of the pole, and a pulley rope. The pulley rope has a first end secured to the second pulley member and passes through the first and second pulley members, and then through the wheel inside the opening of the pole, to a free end that is positioned on a side of the pole that is opposite to the first side.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to outdoor and patio umbrellas, and in particular, to an improved pulley system for use with outdoor and patio umbrellas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Outdoor and patio umbrellas (hereinafter referred to collectively as patio umbrellas) have become increasingly popular in recent years as people have found new and useful applications for them. For example, patio umbrellas have traditionally been used at patios and backyards of homes to provide shade from sunlight. Patio umbrellas have also been used extensively at swimming pools and other play or recreation facilities to provide shade. Recently, hotels (and in particular, resorts) and restaurants have been major purchasers of these umbrellas.
In some locales, such as in tropical countries and resort areas where warm weather prevails for most of the year, these patio umbrellas will usually see extended usage. In addition, patio umbrellas are typically very heavy, large in size and bulky, thereby making them somewhat inconvenient to store and transport. However, patio umbrellas must carry sufficient weight and sturdiness to provide the necessary stability, otherwise they would not be appropriate for outdoor use.
For the above reasons, it is important that patio umbrellas be easy to open (i.e., deploy) and close (i.e., for storage). An important part of every patio umbrella is the pulley system. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional pulley system that is commonly used for opening and closing patio umbrellas. FIG. 1 illustrates a section of the pole 10 of the umbrella along which a lower hub or runner 12 can be slid vertically upwardly or downwardly. A first pulley member 14 is secured to the pole 10 and a second pulley member 16 is secured to the runner 12. A pulley rope 18 has a first end 20 that is tied or knotted to a shaft 22 at a top end of the second pulley member 16. The rope 18 is then extended upwardly and passed through a lower wheel 24 of the first pulley member 14, and is then pulled back down towards the second pulley member 16 and passed through a wheel 26. The rope 18 is again extended upwardly and passed through an upper wheel 28 of the first pulley member 14, and is then pulled back down towards the bottom of the pole 10, where the user can manipulate the free end 30 of the rope 18.
As shown in FIG. 1, all the elements of the pulley system are provided on one side of the pole 10. Therefore, one drawback associated with the conventional pulley system of FIG. 1 is that all the forces operating on the pulley system are exerted on the same side of the pole 10. For example, to open the umbrella, the user must pull down on the free end 30 of the rope 18 in the direction of the arrow X, which decreases the length of the rope 18 between the first and second pulley members 14 and 16. This in turn causes the second pulley member 16 to be lifted vertically along the pole 10 towards the first pulley member 14 in the direction of arrow Y, thereby causing the ribs of the umbrella to be opened. As shown in FIG. 1, the forces indicated by arrows X and Y are on the same side of the pole 10 in that all the rotating wheels are inside pulley members 14 and 16 that are secured to the same side of the pole 10. Therefore, pulling down on the free end 30 may cause the umbrella to tilt to one side when the pulley rope 18 is being pulled down to open the umbrella. As a result, it can be difficult to pull and release the rope 18 to open and close, respectively, the umbrella. This is especially troublesome if the umbrella is heavy.
Thus, there remains a need to provide a patio umbrella that overcomes the drawbacks set forth above, and which provides a pulley system that provides better balance and weight distribution in use thereof in opening and closing the umbrella.


Described herein is a deployable anchor that includes a head positionable within or entirely through an interior portion of a bone. While positioned within or entirely through the interior portion of the bone, the head is deployable to frictionally engage the bone and fixate the head relative to the bone. The anchor also includes a cable that is coupled to the head. The cable is configured to be tensioned to a measurable and adjustable tension.

Various medical procedures utilize anchors to secure damaged skeletal tissue or soft tissue. Tissues, such as bone or soft-tissue, that have been fragmented, fractured, broken, torn, pulled, stretched, or otherwise damaged need to be set and held in specific orientations to properly heal. Anchors may be useful for securing/attaching various medical instruments, such as cables, sutures, and bone fixation devices, to a bone for the purpose of fixating bone fragments in place. For example, conventional anchors are positioned in a bone and the medical instruments are coupled to the anchors. These conventional anchors are non-deployable, such that once positioned in the bone, no portion of the anchors deploy.


An electro optic display (10) provides an electrode configuration adjacent each pixel which allows a non-uniform electrical field to be applied across the pixel (22) so that the optical output varies in the direction transverse to the pixel thickness. This allows only part of the pixel to be turned ON, or for shading within the pixel, depending on the characteristics of the electro-optic material. In a preferred embodiment the row and column electrodes (14, 17) are each made up of a group of conductive tracks (12, 18) connected into groups by impedance elements (13, 19). Voltage ramps are applied across the electrodes via input electrodes 15 and 20. A multiphase drive scheme is described for ferro-electric and similar materials in which a number of different voltage ramps are applied to a row in succession, and at each phase the appropriate ramps are applied simultaneously to the column electrodes to build up the required pixel shape over a number of phases.

This invention relates to electro-optic displays.
Many computer displays have a limited physical resolutionxe2x80x94typically 70-100 dots per inch (2.76 to 3.94 dots per mm). Since the display is composed of an array of rectangular pixels, each of which is either ON or OFF, the edges of text, lines, etc. that are displayed may often have a jagged xe2x80x9cstaircasexe2x80x9d effect which is visually disturbing.
There have been several attempts to solve this problem in a variety of ways e.g. by grey scale rendering or anti-aliasing. Some display technologies such as Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Displays (TN LCDs), cathode ray tubes, etc., allow the intensity of the whole area of a pixel to be varied. In these types of display, the intensity of each pixel may be selected in proportion to the area of the pixel that should be ON. Whilst this can reduce the visually disturbing staircase effect, it can make edges in the displayed image appear blurred, especially when viewed from close to the display.
Other display technologies do not allow a range of intensities over the whole area of the pixel display, in which case a range of intensities may be simulated by rapidly turning the pixel ON and OFF, sufficiently fast so that the eye sees the average intensity. This may be used with Super Twisted Nematic (STN) LCDs. Alternatively, each pixel may be divided into sub pixels, and a varying number turned on according to the desired intensity. The display must then be viewed from such a distance that the eye cannot resolve the sub pixels, or some optical blurring introduced to average out the intensity over the whole pixel. An example of this type of technique is described in JP-A-3142260, where each pixel is effectively divided into four sub pixel slices. The image to be displayed is analysed and two-bit pixel data is added to each pixel to turn on selected sub pixel slices during a pixel sub-scanning period. This allows a range of intensities to be displayed by varying the area of the pixel that is ON, in four discrete steps. However, by its nature this system is only capable of modulating the pixel output slice-wise and in many instances this will not give good smoothing, particularly where the edge to be smoothed is nearly perpendicular to the slice direction of the pixels.
A similar technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,218, which relates principally to Ferroelectric LCDs. Here a variable width portion of a pixel is turned on by driving a potential gradient across the width of the pixel by means of metal electrodes running along the edges of resistive transparent column electrodes. To allow the complete area of the pixel to be driven, whilst preventing crosstalk (i.e. unintentionally affecting other pixels in the same row), and to avoid a wasted area of the pixel nearest the xe2x80x9creferencexe2x80x9d metal electrode, the pixel is driven in two phases, swapping the role of the two metal electrodes between xe2x80x9creferencexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cdataxe2x80x9d. This technique relies on the fact that a Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal (FLC) material stores its state and can be written to again, adding to the area that has already been turned ON, which is not true for all bistable materials. This scheme also requires a blanking pulse to clear the whole pixel before the two writing phases. U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,218 also refers to an extension of this technique in which the display has row and column transparent resistive electrodes each with metal electrodes on either side. A four field drive scheme is described in which the display is scanned four times, following a blanking pulse, to make up a frame. As before the metal electrodes swap roles between data and reference electrodes. Because alternate electrodes are set to a fixed reference this arrangement does not allow great flexibility in the creation of sub pixel shapes.
Accordingly, in one aspect, this invention provides a display comprising:
a first substrate having thereon a plurality of row electrode means,
a second substrate having thereon a plurality of column electrode means,
a layer of electro-optic material disposed between said first and said second substrate,
row drive means associated with said first substrate for applying a respective selected voltage profile across each row electrode means in a direction transverse to the thickness of said layer,
column drive means associated with said second substrate for applying a respective selected voltage profile across each column electrode means in a direction transverse to the thickness of said layer,
whereby the electrical field in each pixel in the direction transverse to the thickness of the electro-optic layer may be selected to provide a non-uniform optical output.
In a particularly preferred arrangement, each of said column electrode means and said row electrode means comprises a group of generally parallel conductive tracks.
We have found that the multiple track architecture for each of the row and column electrodes provides important and unexpected advantages when used in conjunction with drive means which apply a selected voltage profile across each of the groups of tracks making up an electrode. In this way the magnitude of the electrical field across the pixel may be varied in a direction transverse to the thickness of the electro-optic layer to provide a non-uniform optical output across the pixel. By contrast to the arrangements of U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,218, which use resistive electrodes driven by metal electrodes to either side, the multiple conductive tracks of the present invention may be driven by electrical contacts well away from the image area, thus considerably improving the aperture ratio of the display. Also, the previous arrangement of U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,218 requires accurate alignment of fine metal electrodes with each of the transparent resistive electrodes, whereas in the present invention the conductive tracks in each group may be coupled together by a resistive element in contact with the end regions of the conductive tracks to one side of the display, and an input electrode provided at each end of the resistive element. Here the accuracy of alignment of the tracks and the resistive elements is not so important as the resolution of the conductive tracks may be effectively decoupled from that of the resistive elements.
Thus, in one embodiment, the resistive elements may be formed on the first and second substrates, in electrical contact with the respective conductive tracks. Alternatively, the row and column resistive elements may be formed on separate substrates which are then placed in contact with the first and second substrates.
For both the rows and the columns, the series of resistive elements driving the groups of conductive tracks may be replaced by a single resistive element in electrical contact with a substantial proportion of, or all the conductive tracks making up the complete set of row/column electrodes, with the drive means including an input electrode means between each group of conductive tracks.
Preferably, said drive means includes means for applying an adjustable voltage across each of said resistive elements, so that the voltage profile across the group of conductive tracks is a ramp of positive, negative or zero slope. Instead of resistance coupling, the drives to the groups of tracks may be inductively or capacitively coupled.
By the above arrangements, the electrical field may be configured to generate a wide range of different non-uniform outputs of selected shape for a pixel, to turn on an arbitrary portion of the pixel, so that the required edge of the line portion of the text character etc. is maintained within the area of the pixel.
In one preferred drive scheme, each of a set of predetermined voltage profiles is applied across a row electrode means in successive phases, and the columns driven in parallel with the required voltage profiles. In this way a broad range of pixel shapes may be provided in either a single write (i.e. just one of the phases) or a multiple write where the pixel output is incrementally rendered. It will be appreciated that this drive scheme could be modified so that the multiple successive phases are applied to the columns whilst the rows are driven in parallel.
The electro-optic material may have a steep or xe2x80x9cfastxe2x80x9d electro-optic curve, i.e. where the electro-optic effect switches state abruptly at a particular threshold voltage, so that the optical output at a particular point within the pixel will vary between two generally discrete levels, dependent on whether the field strength at that point is above or below the threshold voltage. In general the boundary between ON and OFF regions in the pixel will be determined by an equi-potential line on the notional voltage surface within the pixel of magnitude corresponding to said threshold voltage. Alternatively, the electro-optic material may have a shallow or xe2x80x9cslowxe2x80x9d electro-optic curve, with the output varying continuously between ON and OFF through grey levels, so that the optical output may be shaded across the pixel, generally in accordance with the magnitude of the electrical field.
We have found that the technique of providing modulation of the voltage field in a direction transverse to the thickness of the electro-optic layer may be extended to other forms of display, again to provide a non-uniform optical output, with remarkable results.
Thus, in another aspect this invention provides a display comprising:
first and second substrate means provided to either side of a layer of electro-optic material,
the first substrate having thereon at least one electrically resistive surface,
electrode means for applying selected voltages to respective points or regions across said resistive surface, and
drive means for applying selected voltages to said electrodes to provide across a pixel an electrical field whose magnitude varies in at least one direction transverse to the thickness of the layer of electro-optic material, thereby to provide a non-uniform optical output across said pixel.
The first substrate may have an array of discrete electrically resistive surface elements each defining a pixel, with each surface element having three or more electrodes attached thereto. Thus, three or more selected voltages may be applied to spaced points or regions of said discrete resistive layer element, for example a respective voltage at each corner of a rectangular pixel. In this arrangement, each pixel effectively interpolates the four corner voltage values around the pixel and, for an electro-optic material with a steep curve, at each point within the pixel where the voltage passes the threshold value, the optical output changes.
We have also found that the ability to vary the optical output across a pixel instead of uniformly over the whole pixel means that we can provide displays which provide an effect similar to the half-tone type of process. In one arrangement the image is made up of pixels each containing a dot of controllably variable size from zero to fully filling the pixel, or even extending beyond its nominal boundary. Thus a display may comprise an electrode array of resistive electrodes with a plurality of connection points whereby an image may be created by a display of variable size dots.
The electro-optic material may comprise a liquid crystal material such as twisted nematic, supertwist nematic, polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC), or ferro-electric materials. Alternatively it may comprise other electro-optic materials or devices, such as field emissive devices.
In operation of a typical example, the image to be displayed is analysed to determine those pixels where some form of intra-pixel variation is required, for example where the pixel is lying on an edge of the image or where grey-scaling or half toning is required. For each such pixel, the display driver determines the desired boundary lines between ON and OFF, and the electrical field intensity required, and then selects suitable voltages to be applied to the pixel to generate the required variation or level of electrical field across the pixel.
Whilst the invention has been defined above, it extends to any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.


A wavelength locker for use with tunable optical devices may include an etalon, a polarization beam splitter, and a first and second detector. The etalon may be positioned to receive a first beam and may include a first birefringent crystal having a first optical axis and a second birefringent crystal having a second optical axis. The first birefringent crystal may be coupled to the second birefringent crystal such that the first optical axis and the second optical axis are orthogonal to one another.

1. Field
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to optical components. In particular, some embodiments described herein relate to wavelength lockers suitable for use with tunable lasers.
2. Related Technology
Laser frequency monitoring and locking is an essential technology in a variety of diverse applications, including telecommunications, medical devices, and optical computing. For example, optimization of a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) system requires precise control and accurate tuning of the frequencies transmitted along an optical fiber by a laser. In DWDM systems, each laser signal is tuned in frequency to a discrete channel, allowing a plurality of signals to be simultaneously transmitted in a single fiber and therefore enabling a large volume of information to be transmitted through a single fiber. Each of these lasers may be locked to a wavelength locker to ensure that it remains tuned to its proper channel, regardless of any environmental or systematic factors. The communication channels are defined on a grid with equal frequency spacing in a band at approximately 194 THz (the ITU grid).
A wavelength locker provides a calibrated reference for determining the wavelength deviation of a laser output from a desired wavelength (e.g., an ITU communications channel), which is used to tune the laser wavelength back to the desired wavelength. Thus, wavelength lockers are critical to optical communication systems because they enable more closely-spaced channels, thereby increasing the bandwidth of the system.
For optical communication systems where the communications channels must be spaced equally apart in frequency, an interferometric optical element, such as a Fabry-Perot (FP) etalon, is commonly used as the reference element of a wavelength locker. An FP etalon is composed of two partially-reflecting mirrors that are substantially parallel and separated by a gap. The wavelength locker matches the Free Spectral Range (FSR) of the etalon to the frequency spacing of the ITU grid such that the FP etalon acts as a reference to indicate where the ITU channels are located.
In some optical communication systems, gridless tuning may be desirable. Gridless tuning enables a user or operator to tune an optical source to intermediate wavelengths within the ITU grid, as well as wavelengths beyond the ITU grid and/or the wavelengths of the ITU grid itself. Gridless tuning may therefore enable a user or operator to continuously tune an optical source to any wavelength in a wavelength range that may include one or more ITU grid wavelengths and/or other wavelengths of interest. One approach to achieving gridless tuning has been the use of a specialized double etalon assembly having two resonators disposed in a side-by-side configuration such that the etalons are offset by a specified fraction of their respective FSR. However, the required difference in thickness (approximately 1 or 2 micrometers) between the two etalons can create manufacturing difficulties. Furthermore, crosstalk issues between the two etalons may arise if the etalons are not separated a sufficient distance apart from one another, and the required gap between the two etalons increases the overall size of the wavelength locker.
Another approach to achieving gridless tuning has been the use of a single etalon with a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) which can tune the optical source by adjusting the operating temperature of the optical source. Upon achieving the desired wavelength, the TEC may maintain its temperature to lock the wavelength of the optical source. However, use of temperature-controlled tuning may be inaccurate and mechanically unstable, and may require high power consumption.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Integrated birefringent gridless wavelength locker


An improved sport and utility rack bracket particularly for use with pickup trucks. The bracket is a cantilevered assembly mounted on a side rail defining a portion of the cargo area of a pickup truck. The bracket has a rack attached thereto. The free end of the bracket, i.e., the cantilevered portion of the bracket, is parallel to or at some angle to the horizontal plane of the truck bed, transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

This invention relates to sport and utility racks, and in particular to a cantilevered sport and utility rack bracket for use in conjunction with a pickup truck.
Prior art rack systems for automobiles and pickup trucks follow two basic principles of construction. Racks constructed according to the first principle are mounted on the roof of the vehicle. Racks constructed according to the second principle are mounted/secured at both ends of the rack. A variation of the second principle includes those rack systems designed for trucks that connect to the top of a truck bed at all four corners and sometimes extend over the cab.
In the case of pickup trucks, prior art sport and utility rack systems are especially limited. A pickup truck cab roof does not have a sufficiently long axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the truck in which to attach a roof sport and utility rack system, such as a ski rack. The alternative option is to attach it to support members in the interior cargo area, i.e., generally positioned on the cargo bed. This limits the amount of "cargo" which can be carried in the truck along with the skis.

Cantilevered sport and utility rack bracket


An apparatus and method for providing information to a vehicle operator or occupant, which includes a receiver, for receiving a request for information from a vehicle operator or occupant, a processing device, for processing the request for information, and a transmitter, for transmitting the requested information to the vehicle operator or occupant. The information includes video information regarding one of a traffic condition and a road condition.

Each day millions of individuals rely on using their vehicles as the means by which to get from one location to another. As the number of drivers and vehicles on the road increase, so to have traffic and congestion on roads, at bridges, at toll booths, at tunnels, at parking lots and on, or at, other thoroughfares and/or locations.
In today's age, the importance of getting from one location to another can be paramount. As we, as a society, become more productive and move deeper into the information age, it is more and more important for individuals to have an awareness and information pertaining to the locales in which they are driving or traveling, the destinations to which they are headed, as well as the roadways, bridges, toll booths and tunnels which they must travel or use along the way. In today's information age, vehicle operators could greatly benefit from an apparatus and method which could provide a vehicle operator and/or occupant with information regarding the traffic and/or conditions of roadways, highways, brides, toll booths, tunnels, parking lots, etc.

Vehicle operator and/or occupant information apparatus and method


A method for communicating between a sender and a receiver a set of dependencies among a set of media streams in a data network. The method comprises the step of creating a payload data packet having a header and a set of stream descriptors, where the header has a required stream field. Each stream descriptor is uniquely associated with a media stream belonging to the set of media streams and has a connection field to provide a network address for its associated media stream. Each stream descriptor that is associated with a media stream having a dependency also has a dependency field. The method also comprises the steps of creating a control data packet having the payload data packet as a payload; setting the required stream field to a value indicative of a required set of media streams, the required set of media streams being a subset of the set of media streams; and setting the dependency fields to indicate the set of relationships.

For purposes of this description, unless otherwise stated or implied from context, the following definitions are made. By media stream we mean data consisting of one media type. Examples are video or audio data. For simplicity, the adjective "media" is sometimes left out when it is clear from context. By media presentation (or multimedia presentation), we mean a combination of one or more media streams where the different media streams have a rendering relationship during playback. By elementary stream type, we mean a media stream consisting of data which can be rendered in the absence of any other media. The base layer of a layered video stream is an elementary stream type, while enhancement layers which depend upon the base layer are not elementary types. By coupled stream type, we mean a media stream consisting of data which cannot be rendered in the absence of other specific media streams. A common type of coupling may be due to hierarchical encoding in which enhancement layers require either the base layer or other enhancement layers. Another example of a coupled stream type may be a media stream which describes transforms to be performed on some other elementary stream type.
A common protocol for the transmission of media streams is the real time Transport (RTP) protocol. See Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) RFC 1889. Currently, the relationships among a set of media streams comprising most media presentations are static. For example, a presentation will often consist of a single video stream and an associated audio track for the entire duration of the media presentation. For static media presentations, the Session Description Protocol (SDP) serves to statically describe the relationships among a set of media streams comprising a static media presentation. See IETF Internet Draft, "draft-ietf-mmusic-sdp.04.txt".
It is anticipated that there will be greater demand in the future for dynamic media presentations. For a dynamic media presentation, the set of media streams and their dependencies comprising the presentation will change during the time duration of the presentation. For example, where a media presentation may start as a single video stream and an associated audio stream, it may later change to multiple layers of video streams to enable client scalability, or additional audio streams may be added to the presentation at a client's request to provide higher fidelity.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a method of communication (or association) to dynamically describe the relationships (or dependencies) among the components comprising a media presentation, thereby allowing the composition of a media presentation to be varied in response to information that becomes available as the presentation progresses. Furthermore, it would be advantageous that any such method for describing a dynamic media presentation be orthogonal to the actual type of information each media stream contains. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide a method of communication (or association) whereby some components of a presentation are dynamically specified as required and others are dynamically specified as optional. Such a dynamic description would allow, for instance, all clients to receive a base level audio stream and a base level video stream so as to render the core of a presentation, while allowing additional optional components to be received by those clients that have the processing or bandwidth capability to utilize them. Such dynamic descriptions of media stream associations are not provided by SDP.

Communication of dynamic dependencies along media streams


The method uses the photoelectric sensitivity of the diode junctions. It consists, in order to test a specific diode belonging to a group of diodes connected in parallel, in illuminating the junction of a diode in question with light belonging to the range of photoelectric sensitivity of the said junction, in connecting the group of diodes to the terminals of an electrical load and in noting the appearance, at the terminals of the said load, of a photocurrent denoting correct operation of the diode in question. When the group of diodes forms part of an assembly within which it is connected in series with other groups of diodes, the diode under test is illuminated by intermittent light while at least one diode of each of the other groups is illuminated continuously and while an attempt is made to detect an intermittent photocurrent passing through a load to the terminals of which the assembly is connected. In the figure can be seen a test device which comprises an array (1) of electroluminescent diodes and a photocurrent detector (2) which are driven by a computer (3).

Series-parallel assemblies of diodes, such as that represented in FIG. 1, are encountered especially in certain UHF antenna steering lenses used to produce electronic scanning in space. These lenses comprise a juxtaposition of phase-shift channels each enclosing, between two metal plates parallel to the direction of propagation of the beam, a stack of elongated strips which are arranged parallel to the wave front of the beam and which are each constituted by a printed circuit card supporting a network of conducting wires arranged in a ladder with rungs parallel to the direction of the electric field. The rungs are divided into two pieces linked by diodes which make it possible, on demand, to render them continuous or interrupted from the electrical point of view. This modifies their impedances and, consequently, the phase shift which the incident UHF wave undergoes. The various phase-shift combinations which it is possible to make the UHF wave undergo in its passage through the phase-shift channels make it possible to deflect the UHF beam, on demand, in various directions in order to produce scanning in space.
In order to prevent the short-circuiting of one diode disturbing the operation of all the other diodes of a strip, the interconnecting wires arranged along the uprights of the ladder are divided up. This leads to a distribution of the diodes into several groups within which they are connected in parallel in the same direction, the groups being themselves connected together in series in the same direction.
For more details on these strips and their assemblies of diodes within a UHF antenna steering lens, reference may be had to the French Patent FR-A-2,469,808.
In order to test the correct operation of the diodes of a strip, it is possible to supply the whole of the assembly from a chopping current generator and to check the presence of the current in each diode by moving the strip under a current measuring probe. However, at the UHF wavelengths envisaged, the short lengths of the connecting wires of the diodes which constitute the rungs of the ladder do not make for easy distinction between the currents flowing in the diodes and those flowing in the interconnecting wires constituting the rungs of the ladder.
Furthermore, the duration of the test is relatively long by reason of the time necessary for moving the strip and causing the diodes to come one by one under the current measuring probe.
The solution which consists in using as many current measuring probes as diodes, is unacceptable by reason of the high cost price of a current measuring probe.

Test method and device for diodes with exposed junction assembled in parallel


A method for identifying an appropriate public safety answering point for a mobile unit includes establishing communication between a telematics service provider and the mobile unit. Mobile unit data is received at the telematics service provider. The data includes at least the speed of the mobile unit. The telematics service provider, upon recognition and analysis of the data, predicts a position of the mobile unit during a planned conversation with a public safety answering point. An appropriate public safety answering point is identified based on the predicted position of the mobile unit. Communication with the identified public safety answering point is established from the telematics service provider.

Some vehicle communication systems allow drivers to contact a particular service provider in the event of an emergency. The service provider may be able to determine the location of the driver, and then contact a public safety answering point (PSAP) that is located within the boundary that the vehicle is located in. To assist the service provider, a database of public safety answering geographic boundaries and the phone numbers may be accessed.
One potential problem with such a system is that a service provider may have difficulty determining which PSAP to contact if the vehicle is moving from one appropriate PSAP to another appropriate PSAP. Generally, an appropriate PSAP is a PSAP having jurisdiction to respond to an emergency event.
As such, it would be desirable to provide an improved system for identifying appropriate public safety answering points for an en route vehicle.

Method for identifying appropriate public safety answering points


An apparatus for illuminating a specimen (1), preferably in confocal fluorescence scanning microscopy is disclosed. Two illumination beam paths (2, 4) are combined with a beam splitter (6) in order to simplify alignment and reduce the optical components in the illumination beam path. The at least one optical component (7) is arranged at least in one of the illumination beam paths (2, 4) and modifies the light; and that the optical properties of the component (7) can be influenced or modified in such a way that the illumination pattern of the illumination beam path (2, 4) in the specimen region changes shape.

This invention claims priority of a German patent application DE 100 12 462.3 filed Mar. 15, 2000 which is incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention concerns an apparatus for illuminating a specimen. Furthermore the invention refers to a confocal fluorescence scanning microscope, having one illumination beam path of one light source and at least one further illumination beam path of a further light source, the illumination beam paths being at least partially superimposable on one another.
Apparatuses of the generic type are known, in particular in the context of confocal fluorescence scanning microscopy, from WO 95 21 393. In this apparatus, in order to increase the lateral resolution a specimen point is illuminated with an exciting light beam, as a result of which the fluorescent molecules, thereby acted upon by exciting light, are brought into an excited state. The specimen point is furthermore illuminated with a stimulating light beam of suitable wavelength, as a result of which fluorescent molecules that are in the excited state can be brought back into the ground state by the process of stimulated emission. The exciting light beam and the stimulating light beam are, in this context, arranged in such a way that their intensity distributions or illumination patterns partially overlap one another in the specimen region. The fluorescent molecules lying in the overlap region are brought into the ground state by stimulated emission immediately after excitation by the exciting light beam, so that fluorescent light is detected only from the fluorescent molecules that are located in the illumination pattern of the exciting beam but not in the illumination pattern of the stimulating beam or in the overlap region of the two illumination patterns. The stimulated emitted light and reflected stimulating light are filtered out of the detection beam path of the scanning microscope by way of optical filters, so that only fluorescent light from the region of the illumination pattern of the exciting beam, minus the overlap region of the two illumination patterns, is detected. This reduction makes it possible to shrink the specimen region contributing to the fluorescent emission to a size below the limits of diffraction-limited imaging, and thus represents an improvement in resolution.
In the known generic apparatuses, alignment of the exciting and stimulating light beams is problematic, since the two light beams must be arranged with respect to one another in a spatially well-defined fashion. The individual optical components are positioned manually or in motorized fashion for this purpose, which entails a great deal of design outlay especially with regard to long-term stability. Longitudinal expansion of the entire optical arrangement due to changes in temperature must also be compensated for. Depending on the shape of the stimulating light beam illumination pattern that is to be produced, it may be necessary to use several optical components; this disadvantageously increases the number of degrees of alignment freedom.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to configure and develop an apparatus for illuminating a specimen in which alignment is simplified and the number of optical components for each stimulation beam path can be reduced.
The above object is achieved by an apparatus for illuminating a specimen having one light source defining an illumination beam path, at least one further light source defining a further illumination beam path wherein the illumination beam paths being at least partially superimposable on one another and at least one optical component being arranged at least in one of the illumination beam paths for modifying the light, wherein the optical component has properties which are influenced or modified in such a way that a defined illumination pattern of the illumination beam path in the specimen region changes shape.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a confocal fluorescence scanning microscope for illuminating a specimen in which alignment is simplified and the number of optical components for each stimulation beam path can be reduced.
The object is achieved by a confocal fluorescence scanning microscope, having one light source defining an illumination beam path, at least one further light source defining a further illumination beam path wherein the illumination beam paths being at least partially superimposable on one another, at least one optical component being arranged at least in one of the illumination beam paths for modifying the light, wherein the optical component has properties which are influenced or modified in such a way that a defined illumination pattern of the illumination beam path in the region of a specimen changes shape, and an objective for imaging at least one of the illumination beam paths on the specimen.
What has been recognized firstly according to the present invention is that alignment of the optical component can be simplified by the fact that the optical component can be influenced or modified in terms of its optical property. When the optical property of the component is modified, the component modifies the light of the corresponding illumination beam path and thus the illumination pattern in the specimen region. As a result, the illumination pattern of that illumination beam path can be modified, relative to that of another illumination beam path, in terms of its shape and/or its three-dimensional position, so that the illumination beam paths can be aligned with respect to one another.
Advantageously, and in a fashion comparable to alignment, it is possible by way of the modification of the optical property of the component to compensate for a temperature drift of the device, so that well-defined and optimum illumination and detection conditions exist at all times. Ideally, the use of a component whose optical property is modifiable makes it possible to dispense with a physically complex alignment and drift compensation apparatus, thereby (in particularly advantageous fashion) simplifying the optical beam path and moreover reducing manufacturing costs.
The optical component whose optical property is modifiable also makes it possible, by corresponding influence on or modification of the beam, to achieve the same effect as with several individual optical components, so that the number of optical components can be reduced.
An optical component is preferably arranged in the further illumination beam path. The latter accordingly acts only on the further illumination beam path, so that the shape of the illumination pattern of the further illumination beam path in the specimen region is thereby modified. The further illumination beam path could, in this context, be used as a stimulating light beam.
An optical component could also be arranged in the illumination beam path and/or in the detection beam path. The shape of the illumination pattern of the illumination beam path in the specimen region, and the shape of the detection pattern of the specimen region detectable by the detector, are thereby modified. A combined arrangement of several optical components in the illumination beam path and detection beam path is also conceivable. This would make it possible, for example with an optical component arranged in the further illumination beam path, for the illumination pattern of the further illumination beam path in the specimen region to be asymmetrical in shape, and, as a result of the placement of a further optical component in the illumination beam path, for the illumination pattern of the illumination beam path in the specimen region to be made mirror-symmetrical to the further illumination pattern. This procedure could be used to scan the specimen with an anisotropic or hexagonal pixel pattern.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the optical component is arranged in a Fourier plane conjugated with the focal plane of the objective. As a result, with a corresponding configuration of the optical component according to the principles of Fourier optics, all spatial frequencies can be acted upon identically or differently.
In a concrete embodiment, the optical component modifies the phase of the light. Alternatively, the amplitude or the polarization of the light could be modified. A combination of modification of the phase, amplitude, or polarization of the light by the optical component is also conceivable.
The optical component could be embodied as a transilluminating or reflecting component in the beam path associated with it.
For modification of the optical property of the component, the latter is embodied as an adaptive optic. It can act on the entire light beam in the same manner, or locally differently.
Concretely, the optical component could be embodied as a liquid crystal device (LCD). By appropriate activation of the LCD element it is possible, pixel by pixel, to delay the phase of the incident light and/or to reduce the amplitude of the incident light. Since each individual pixel in an LCD element can be directly controlled, this arrangement is, in particularly advantageous fashion, very flexible, and also allows the optical properties of the component to be modified during operation.
In a further embodiment, the optical component is embodied as a color LCD. This is highly advantageous especially when the color LCD element is arranged in a beam path in which light of different wavelengths is proceeding. By setting the color LCD element appropriately, the latter can act, pixel by pixel and in chromatically selective fashion, on light of one or several wavelengths.
In very general terms, the optical component could be embodied as a micromechanical system. In particular, the optical component could be embodied as a digital micromirror (DMD) or as a grating light valve (GLV). These optical components also can be activated pixel by pixel, so that individual regions of the corresponding beam path can be reflected out or influenced. Alternatively, a deformable mirror could be used as the optical component. Individual regions of the deformable mirror can be modified in terms of their surface shape, so that the illumination or detection pattern of the corresponding beam path changes shape.
In particularly advantageous fashion, the modification of the optical properties of the optical component can be synchronized with definable events. For example, the optical component could be synchronized with the intensity modulation or pulse train of the light source. Synchronization of the scanning device of the scanning microscope with the optical component could advantageously serve to compensate for chromatic transverse or longitudinal errors of the optical system used in the scanning microscope which can exhibit a lateral or axial dependence on the particular illumination point. In order to optimize signal yield, synchronization of the detector device with the modification of the optical property of the component can also be provided.
The optical component can act on the entire beam path or on a portion of the beam path. Preferably the optical component is dimensioned in such a way that it is larger than the cross section of the beam path interacting with it, so that the optical component acts on the entire illumination beam path. Alternatively, however, the opposite case would be conceivable, namely that the cross section of the beam path is larger than the dimension of the optical component.
With the aid of the optical component, the illumination pattern of the illumination beam path and/or of the further illumination beam path can be shaped in defined fashion. In particular, a toroidal illumination pattern of the further illumination beam path might be extremely advantageous in order to increase the lateral resolution, if the torus is located in the focal plane of the objective and is arranged symmetrically with respect to the illumination pattern of the illumination beam path. Stimulated emission by the fluorescent molecules excited in the overlap region of the two illumination patterns can thereby be excited, so that with suitable detection, only fluorescent light from the region of the illumination pattern minus the overlap region is detectable. In addition, an optical component arranged in the illumination beam path could shape the illumination pattern in such a way that the latter has substantially the shape of a barrel, parallelepiped, cube, or sphere. Ultimately the shape of the particular illumination pattern needs to be adapted to the boundary conditions of the application, for example with the goal of maximum resolution with a maximum signal-to-noise ratio.
In very particularly advantageous fashion, the illumination pattern of the further illumination beam path is complementary in configuration to the illumination pattern of the illumination beam path, so that an increase in resolution in all spatial directions is possible.
An illumination pattern that is isotropic in all spatial directions is highly advantageous in particular for quantitative analysis, since the specimen images obtained in this fashion have identical resolution, and thus an equidistant pixel size, in all spatial directions.
To maximize the signal-to-noise ratio, provision is made for the illumination pattern to be configured in such a way that it has at least largely a homogeneous intensity distribution. As a result, the fluorescent molecules that are acted upon by the light of the illumination pattern are excited to fluoresce with identical intensity, and the fluorescent molecules whose stimulated emission is excited by the further illumination pattern are brought into the ground state with the same transition probability. For this purpose, provision is made for the intensity distribution of the illumination pattern to fall off sharply at the edge, thus resulting in the sharpest possible transition between the region to be measured and the region to be stimulated.

Apparatus for illuminating a specimen and confocal fluorescence scanning microscope


An unauthorized user prevention device and method prevents unauthorized users from operating a devices such as firearms or other types of weapons, and can also prevent access as an anti-theft device for vehicles and doors to buildings. A users initially grips a handle containing pressure sensors, and a pressure signature profile is stored that is based on hand position of the user""s handgrip on the particular device as indicated by a change in pressure, pressure as a function of position on the particular device; and pressure as a function of time. A comparator compiles the pressure signature profile and compares it with profiles is storage to determined whether a match exists. Upon finding a match, a control unit releases an interlocking unit to enable the user to operate the device because he/she is authorized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relations to unauthorized user prevention devices and methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to an identification device and method to prevent the discharge of a weapon by anyone other than an owner and/or registered user.
2. Description of the Related Art
All too often there are tragic news reports of people who are gravely injured or killed by gunshots fired by a person who is not the owner or an authorized user of the firearm. Some of these tragedies are accidental, such as when a child finds a parent""s firearm and accidentally discharges it at his/herself or at friends. Other tragedies concern firearms, which are taken during burglaries, which are subsequently, used in future robberies and/or homicides. On more than one occasion, a perpetrator has been known to wrestle the gun from an officer""s holster and use it against the officer.
Regardless of the specific cause, it is evident that many of these incidents could be avoided if the firearm were only fireable by the owner or other authorized user of the gun. In fact, there is in fact a current effort by citizens and lawmakers to require the inclusion of trigger locks on handguns.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,819 to Mayhak discloses a system for sensing the grip pattern of the hand of a potential user of a firearm and permits the firing thereof if it senses a particular grip pattern of an authorized user which it has been programmed to recognize. The system includes grip pattern sensing means on the handgrip of the firearm, a simulated neural network memory capable of recognizing a particular grip pattern and a microprocessor for accessing the neural network to inquire whether it recognizes the grip pattern being sensed by the sensing means. The microprocessor also controls means for permitting and preventing actuation of the firing mechanism of the firearm to allow the firearm to be discharged only when the grip pattern sensed by the sensing means is that of the authorized user which the simulated neural network memory has been programmed to recognize.
According to the ""819 patent, xe2x80x9ca simulated neural network does not possess a memory in the sense that a computer has a memory. Instead, the training of a pattern recognition neural network involves repeatedly subjecting its input neurons to signals corresponding to the pattern, including variations thereof. This establishes interconnections between the input neurons, the hidden neurons and the output neuron, so that, eventually, when the trained network is subjected to a pattern signal the output is either xe2x80x9cyesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cnoxe2x80x9d that it is or is not the pattern it has been trained to recognize. A trained neural network will exhibit a particular pattern of interconnections between neurons therein and the pattern of connection strengths between neurons is equivalent to memory for that networkxe2x80x9d (col. 3 lines 34-48 of the ""819 patent).
Furthermore, according to the ""819 disclosure, xe2x80x9cArtificial neural networks mimic behavior of the brain in that they can be taught to recognize and distinguish between different patterns and shapes. Once the neural network has been trained to recognize a particular pattern, it can do so even though it later is presented with small variations or incomplete information about that pattern. The neural network is thus ideally suited for recognizing a particular handgrip pattern impressed on sensing means 23 even though the authorized user may place his hand in a slightly different location or apply slightly different pressures with each grip. The neural network can be trained to take such variations into account and still distinguish the grip pattern for which it is programmed from grip patterns created by others who are not authorized to use the firearmxe2x80x9d (from col. 3 lines 11-26 of the ""819 patent).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,179 discloses a xe2x80x9csafety mechanism for a firearm consisting of a specialized scanning mechanism built into the firearm""s trigger. The scanner is programmed to read the unique fingerprints of a given individual. The device is also capable of holding the programmed print information for more than one person, so that multiple people would he able to use the firearm. However, usage is limited to only those persons whose handprints have been prestored in the scanner. The scanner mechanism is connected to the firearm""s safety lock. The safety is prevented from being released without proper authorization from the scanner. When a person grips the weapon and places his finger on the trigger, the pressure of the finger on the trigger activates the scanner, and the scanner reads the fingerprint to determine if the scanned fingerprint matches one of the pre-stored fingerprint images. If the individual is an authorized user, the scanner transmits a signal to the safety, releasing this device and activating the firearm for usexe2x80x9d (from abstract of the ""179 patent).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,479 to Wong discloses a firearm training system, xe2x80x9cwhich allows the measurement and display as a function of time of the hand grip force pattern applied to the grip of a firearm by a weapon hand of a shooter. This permits the detection of variations in the individual handgrip forces in the pattern during firing of the weapon. This firearm training system preferably also provides for the detection and display as a function of time of the position of the firearm trigger. The system includes separate force transducers for the side and front-to-back grip forces applied to the side surfaces and one of the front and back surfaces of the grip respectively as well as a trigger position sensor. A relative value of the hand grip forces detected by the transducers and a relative trigger position detected by the sensor are graphically displayed by the system as a function of time.
Wong discloses a method of training a shooter by determining the grip pattern of the shooter""s weapon hand on a firearm by detecting a front-to-back grip force and a side grip force applied by the weapon hand and graphically displaying as a function of time a relative value of the front-to-back and side grip forces respectively. Thus, the system provides for a more effective training of a shooter, which substantially translates into cost savings in terms of training time and ammunition, especially since the firearm training system and method may effectively be used under both dry and live fire conditionsxe2x80x9d (See abstract of the ""479 patent). The time period disclosed by Wong is relatively fixed, for example, 100 ms snapshot for each user training with the weapon. Wong provides feedback so that a shooter can see a xe2x80x9ccorrectxe2x80x9d way to hold the weapon and pull the trigger, as opposed to xe2x80x9cincorrectxe2x80x9d grips that could impair accuracy. Thus, Wong teaches a shooter how to conform to a predetermined method of holding and firing a weapon.
The present invention is directed to a weapon discharge protection system. This system comprises a safety feature that prohibits a firearm, such as a handgun, from being fired by anyone other than its owner or other authorized person. In one embodiment, pressure sensors are arranged within the handgrip of the firearm. When one attempts to fire the firearm, he or she exerts a unique pressure signature profile on the handgrip. That is, each person exerts a pressure signature profile that is comprised of (1) the position of the hand on the gun handle; (2) pressure as a function of position on the gun handle; and (3) pressure as a function of time. Pressure signature profiles are sufficiently distinctive as a means for differentiating the owner or other authorized person, whose pressure signature profile is stored in memory, from the remainder of the population-at-large. This signature profile is most differentiating during the half of a second just prior to the trigger pull, as the user prepares to fire the weapon. Initial data show that no more than 1% of the population-at-large possess a given pressure profile. In other words, there is a very low probability that a person who is not the owner or authorized user of a gun would be permitted to fire the gun because he or she matched the stored pressure signature profile.
In one embodiment, quartz crystals, arranged along the surface of the handle, are used as the pressure sensors. Quartz crystals are an attractive option because they are relatively inexpensive and commercially available. When biased these crystals, which are used in timepieces, oscillate at a fixed frequency, and pressure applied to the crystals result in repeatable, precise changes in this oscillation frequency. Sensor elements, such as quartz crystals offer long-term stability, high rigidity, and good strength, and provide a wide measurement range over a wide range of temperatures.
The electrical signals from the quartz crystals, which correspond to the pressure signature profile, or other sensor material, is inputted to a processing unit, such as a microprocessor. The signal could be the electrical signal generated by the pressure signature profile of the lawful owner or user, inputted to the processing unit for the first time. In this case, by entering a sequence of commands, the signal will be stored within the processing unit as the pressure signature profile of the owner or authorized user. On the other hand, the signal generated by the pressure signature profile could be that of a person who is attempting to fire the firearm, in which case the electrical signal outputted from the crystals to the processing unit is compared to the signal stored as pressure signature profile of the owner or authorized user. If the signal matches the signal stored as pressure signal profile, then the processing unit activates a mechanism that allows the owner or authorized user to fire the firearm. If the signal outputted from the crystals does not match the signal stored on the pressure signal profile, then the processing unit does not activate the mechanism, so that the firearm cannot be fired.
According to a first aspect of the invention, an unauthorized user prevention apparatus for preventing unauthorized users from operating a particular device comprises
an interlocking unit for deactivating the particular device;
a plurality of pressure sensors for sensing a user""s handgrip on the particular device;
a comparator unit for comparing a pressure signature profile compiled from an output from said pressure sensors with at least one pressure signature profile in storage, wherein the at least one pressure signature comprises:
1) hand position of the user""s handgrip on the particular device as indicated by a change in pressure on at least one of the plurality of the pressure sensors;
2) pressure as a function of position on the particular device; and
3) pressure as a function of time;
a control unit/cpu for receiving an output from the comparator unit indicating that the signature profile compiled by the comparator unit matches said at least one pressure signature profile in storage,
wherein the control unit/cpu releases the interlocking unit upon receipt of a signal from the comparator that the pressure signature profile of the user""s handgrip on the particular device matches at least one pressure signature profile in storage.
In an embodiment, the particular device comprises a firearm, the interlocking unit comprises one of a latch unit and a push button safety unit; and the pressure sensors are arranged at least in a handle of the firearm.
The latch unit may comprises a solenoid, a latch, and a spring that biases the latch.
The latch unit can be arranged substantially inside the firearm, or on an exterior of the firearm. The latch can be biased to hold an existing safety of the firearm in a locked position.
In addition, latch unit may also unlock the existing safety of the firearm when the control unit/cpu releases the latch unit from the biased locked position.
In another aspect of the invention, the push button safety unit blocks movement of the safety button to release a trigger lock.
The pressure sensors can be adjacent an exterior surface of the particular device, and particularly arranged adjacent an exterior surface of a handle of the firearm.
In another aspect of the present invention, the sensors can be embedded in a cover which is arranged on at least a portion of an exterior surface of the particular device, such as a firearm.
There may be sensors additionally embedded in the trigger of the firearm. A fingerprint detection system of the prior art could be used in conjunction with the present invention as well.
According to another aspect of the invention, the sensors comprise a piezoelectric material, or they can be acoustic resonators.
The sensors may also comprise one of pressure strain gauges and micro-machined pressure sensors (MEMS).
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the particular device is a vehicle;
the interlocking unit comprises one of an ignition cut-off and a fuel cut-off unit; and
the sensors are arranged in a passenger compartment of the vehicle. For example, the sensors can be arranged to detect a user""s handgrip on a steering wheel, a dashboard, a gearshift knob, and/or a door handle.
In addition, the sensors can be embedded in a cover arranged on the steering wheel.
In yet another aspect of the present invention,
the particular device is a door handle;
the sensors are arranged to detect a user""s handgrip on the door handle; and
the interlocking unit releases a door lock when the pressure signature profile of a user""s handgrip matches a profile in storage.
In all of the above, comparator unit may count a number of attempts for authorization and disables the particular device after a predetermined threshold of successive non-matching pressure signature profiles have been compared.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the comparator unit counts a number of attempts for authorization and activates an alarm system after a predetermined threshold of successive non-matching pressure signature profiles have been compared.
A system for generating a pressure signature profile and comparing the pressure signature profile to a further pressure signature profile, which system can be used as a component of a handgun safety lock, the system comprises
a pressure actuated generator of electrical signals produced in response to applied pressure, applied pressure as a function of area, and applied pressure as a function of time;
a processing unit electrically connected to the generator,
the processing unit having a processor for developing a pressure signature profile from the electrical signals; storage for storing at least one pressure signature profile; and
a comparator for comparing the stored pressure signature profile to a further pressure signature profile.
Finally, a method for generating a pressure signature profile and comparing the pressure signature profile to a further pressure signature profile comprises the steps of:
(a) storing an authorized user""s pressure signature profile in a storage area;
(b) sensing the pressure of a user""s handgrip by pressure sensors and providing pressure to a comparator;
(c) compiling a pressure signature profile by the comparator based on the pressure sensed in step (b) with regard to: 1) positions of the sensors reporting a change in pressure, 2) an amount of change in pressure detected, and 3) pressure as a function of time;
(d) comparing the pressure signature profile compiled in step (c) with the pressure signature profile stored in step (a) to determine whether there is a matching profile;
(e) enabling access to a device if the comparison in step (d) matches to indicate a user is authorized.
Step (d) of the above method may include (i) maintaining a count of successive non-matching pressure signature profiles, and (ii) disabling the device if a number of successive non-matching reaches a predetermined threshold.
Step (b) of the above method may include (i) generating electrical signals from a source that generates electrical signals in response to applied pressure, applied pressure as a function of area, and applied pressure as a function of time.
Step (b) of the above method may also include sensing the pressure signature profile of a user""s handgrip on a handle of a firearm, a vehicle, or a door handle.

Unauthorized user prevention device and method


Pulses of electromagnetic radiation having predetermined spacing between pulses can be generated by coupling amplitude modulated carrier radiation into an appropriate nonlinear transmission medium that has anomalous dispersion in some spectral region. The amplitude modulation is to be such that the amplitude has peaks with the predetermined spacing, and the carrier wavelength is to be in the anomalous dispersion region of the medium. Interaction between the medium and the radiation then results in contraction of the width of the amplitude peaks, which can result in formation of narrow pulses. A preferred transmission medium is monomode fiberguide, e.g., silica-based single mode optical fiber. In addition to the method for producing a sequence of pulses, a communication system using the inventive method is disclosed. Furthermore, a communication system comprising Raman amplification of the signal is disclosed.

Pulses of electromagnetic radiation, typically in the visible or infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum, find many uses in science and technology. For instance, almost all existing or planned optical communication systems are of the digital type and thus employ pulses of electromagnetic radiation. Other applications of such pulses are, inter alia, in optical radar, optical ranging, optoacoustic spectroscopy, and reaction rate studies.
The prior art knows many techniques for forming optical pulses, such as rotating chopper discs, pulsed lasers, diodes, or flash lamps. However, most older prior art techniques cannot conveniently and inexpensively produce a train of very short pulses, with pulse width of the order of one nanosecond or less.
Recently some methods have been developed that are capable of producing exceedingly short pulses, in the picosecond, and even femtosecond, range. These include pulse compression methods, (see, e.g., C. V. Shank et al, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 40(9), pp. 761-763) and the solution laser method (L. F. Mollenauer et al, Optics Letters, Vol. 9, pp. 13-15). Such ultrashort pulses are of great scientific interest, since they permit previously unattainable time resolution in a number of scientific experiments. In addition to their scientific usefulness, such short pulses potentially may be useful in very high bit rate optical communication systems.
Such communication systems, which, it is believed, may be able to operate at bit rates of hundreds of gigabits/second, and even as high as a terabit/second, are based on the use of shape-preserving optical pulses, also referred to as optical solitons. See, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,543, issued Jan. 11, 1983 to A. Hasegawa; U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,516, issued Sept. 27, 1983 to A. Hasegawa; and Y. Kodama and A. Hasegawa, Optics Letters, Vol. 8(6), pp. 342-344 (1983). The above patents are co-assigned with this.
Such systems, in order to approach the high data transmission rate of which they are capable, require means that can produce narrow optical pulses at a very high rate. This application discloses a relatively simple and inexpensive method for producing such pulses.
As will be discussed below in detail, the inventive method utilizes the modulational instability of continuous wave (cw) radiation in an appropriate optical medium. This instability has previously been used to produce tunable coherent infrared and far infrared electromagnetic radiation. See, U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,017, issued Mar. 10, 1981, to A. Hasegawa, co-assigned with this, and A. Hasegawa and W. F. Brinkman, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, Vol. QE-16(7), pp. 694-697. The prior art method comprises injection of unmodulated cw radiation, the carrier, into single mode optical fiber, the carrier wavelength chosen to lie within the regime of anomalous dispersion of the fiber core material. Due to the combined effect of the anomalous dispersion and the nonlinear Kerr effect, side bands of the carrier are produced; in other words, amplitude modulation of the injected unmodulated carrier wave results. Rectification of the modulated carrier yields an output signal of a frequency proportional to the square root of the power in the carrier wave.

Generation of pulses of electromagnetic radiation by use of the induced modulational instability


A device for admixing a liquid into flowable dry materials has a housing with a mixing chamber having an inner wall with an impact area and an exit opening at a bottom end of the mixing chamber. Dry material is supplied from above into the mixing chamber and falls downwardly toward the impact area in front of the inner wall of the mixing chamber and exits through the exit opening. A nozzle generates a pressurized high-speed jet of a liquid impacting on the inner wall of the mixing chamber in the impact area and wetting the dry material with the liquid as the jet passes through the dry material and impacts against the inner wall. An opening inside the housing is provided for supplying liquid and pasty additives, wherein the opening is directed toward an area of the mixing chamber between the nozzle and the impact area.

The invention relates to a device and a method for admixing liquids into flowable dry bulk material, in particular, flour for producing dough for baking, wherein in a mixing chamber that is positioned slantedly, in particular vertically, dry materials supplied from above and failing downwardly toward an impact area in front of an inner wall of the mixing chamber are wetted by a liquid in the form of a pressurized high-speed jet from at least one nozzle with impact against the inner wall and fall to an exit opening positioned below.
New developments in particular in the area of preparing dough for baking have shown that the admixture of liquid into dry materials, for example, the admixture of water into flour when preparing dough for baking, can be accelerated, shortened and also reduced machine-technologically in that the individual components are no longer mixed with mechanical mixing tools and homogenized as a dough but that mixing, blending, and kneading processes can be shortened significantly by a hydro-mechanical action of the liquid onto the dry material in that a high-pressure liquid jet (or several thereof) is continuously introduced onto a layer of the dry material that passes through an impact area in front of an inner wall of the mixing container. Such a device is disclosed in DE 20 2004 018 807 U1. A cylindrical mixing container having a centrally arranged rotating mixing nozzle is disclosed whose liquid jet is oriented at a slant downwardly onto an inner mixing chamber wall and acts in an impact area on the dry material failing down in front of the inner wall of the mixing chamber.
In connection with admixture it is important that the nozzle is supplied only with a suitable liquid that prevents soiling or plugging. On the other hand, an excellent and uniform distribution and flowability of the dry material are important for its supply. Also, the material flow of the materials after liquid and dry material have been combined is often prone to disturbances. However, in many cases it is required that not only liquids suitable for distribution by nozzles and flowable dry materials are to be mixed. In particular, there are liquid or paste-like additives that can neither be added via nozzles nor by a supply device designed for dry material. Introduction of such materials is realized in DE 20 2004 018 807 U1 from the exterior through the inner wall of the mixing chamber, for which purpose in particular slot-shaped wall openings in the mixing chamber and annular distributors are provided.

Device and method for admixing liquids into flowable bulk material


A hole gauge arrangement is used for determining the distance of a vehicle fixture hole from a datum plane established with respect to the vehicle. The hole gauge arrangement includes a set rod with a die wheel having bores corresponding to the various sizes of fixture holes and also includes a measurement rod. By reference to a table, the desired distance from the datum plane to the fixture hole is established on the set rod and the measurement rod matched to the distance of the set rod and the hole diameter. The measurement rod is then transferred to support structure mounted in the datum plane and the distance difference, if any, between the measurement rod tip and the fixture hole is noted as an indication of dislocation.

The frame and body of a vehicle is constructed with respect to precise geometric relationships as determined by the manufacturer in order that the vehicle have proper driving and road holding properties, as well as accurate exterior design measurement locations. In the manufacture of the vehicle, various sections and beams ultimately comprising the vehicle body and frame are positioned on fixtures or jigs and then the part is welded together to form a unitary structure. Parts are located with respect to the jig or fixture by fixture holes, which are round holes or sockets drilled in the frame so that studs extending upwardly from the fixture or jig extend into the hole. After formation of the body, these holes are often drilled and tapped to form bolt holes for mounting other body parts, such as suspension components, engine carriages and the like.
The jig or fixture is established with respect to an imaginary horizontal reference plane, or datum plane, which extends beneath the vehicle and from which upward dimensions of each fixture point are derived. Further, the fixture points are located longitudinally of the vehicle by establishing one or more zero points along the length of the vehicle. The vehicle fixture holes are also located laterally by establishing a vehicle center line and measuring outwardly. Through measurements originating at the vehicle center line, longitudinal line and datum plane, the location of each point on the vehicle can be established in X, Y and Z coordinate relationship.
The above procedure refers to the process of laying out the vehicle structure when the vehicle is manufactured. By means of a reverse process, the vehicle can be checked in a repair shop to determine if the vehicle body and frame parts are still in their proper relationship or whether there has been dislocation due to various causes, mostly collision and accidents, or even due to out of tolerance manufacturing. Through various procedures, the vehicle body and frame can be checked to blue print specifications.
The process of checking a vehicle to specifications involves referring to a vehicle frame and body book which contains tables or charts showing each vehicle by year and model, identifying critical body and frame measurement points, which normally correspond to fixture holes and joint locations, and applying those measurements to the vehicle to determine the presence of dislocation.
There are various means by which a repairman may recreate, in part or in whole, the reference capabilities of the original fixture or jig on which the car was formed. One such proper method is through the use of the Kansas Jack Laser Alignment System as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,330,945 and in Kansas Jack Patent Application Ser. No. 764,678, co-pending herewith. Other such systems are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,918 from Continental.
Of critical importance is the re-establishment of the vehicle datum plane, which is an imaginary plane extending under the vehicle and from which all vertical measurements are derived. The vehicle frame and body book indicates the dimensions of the vehicle frame and body parts from the datum plane and by reference to those parts which appear to be undamaged, the datum plane is re-established.
After the datum plane is re-established, the lateral and longitudinal (X and Y) dimensions are re-established by reference to the vehicle frame and body book and by positioning a support structure in the datum plane at the correct X and Y location, such as shown in Patent Application Ser. No. 764,678 filed 8/12/85. The next step is to measure the Z axis dimension, or the vertical height from the datum plane to the fixture hole. Again, that dimension is provided in the vehicle frame and body book. One such method of indicating that dimension is through the use of a laser projector such as shown in Patent Application Ser. No. 764,678 or more crudely by rulers or measuring tapes. The area is often too restricted by other various frame and body parts to permit optical scanning, and hand held measurement bars often do not provide sufficient exactness. Moreover, it is preferable to leave rods in place which extend from the datum plane to the fixture hole, for this arrangement enables the repairman to detect at a glance whether there has been any shift between the established datum plane and the vehicle frame and body after commencing repair procedures. Normally, these repair procedures involve exerting pulls or pushes on various parts of the vehicle through hydraulic or pneumatic rams, and the vehicle may be moved about significantly during the repair process. If the pointers extending from the fixture holes to the datum plane stay in position during this process, it assures the repairman that the datum plane system remains properly positioned with respect to the vehicle frame and body and that the reference remains true.


A method of thermoplastic coating composite structures includes heating a tool. A thermoplastic layer is deposited onto the heated tool by thermal spraying a thermoplastic on the heated tool. Composite material is applied onto the thermoplastic layer. The thermoplastic layer and the composite material are then cured.

Composite structures are desirable in many industries for many applications. The aerospace industry, for example, uses composite structures extensively because, among other desirable attributes, composites have high strength-to-weight ratios. Because of the ever increasing use of composite structures throughout industry, manufacturers are continually searching for better and more economical ways of fabricating composite structures.
Composite structures applied to the exterior of ships and aircraft can experience significant degradation and damage due to their exposure to erosion and environmental attack. In this regard, such structures are constantly subjected to oxidation, moisture, fouling, salt-spray, UV radiation, chemicals, and high and low temperatures, among other things, that can cause such structures to experience significant degradation and damage over time. As a consequence, such structural components are often constantly repaired or replaced to prevent the possibility that a given vessel or aircraft will be damaged permanently, if not destroyed.
To attempt to prevent the damage caused by fatigue and environmental exposure on such composite components, a variety of coating agents and methods of applying the same to such components have been developed to improve their durability. Thermal spraying is one method for applying thermoplastic polymers to a surface. Thermal spraying comprises insertion of feed stock particles, typically of a polymer-like material, into a high-energy heat source that propels the particles, while in a liquid or semi-liquid state, onto the surface of the component sought to be protected. Once propelled onto the surface sought to be protected, the particles fuse together and form a coating on the surface.
High performance thermoplastics offer the potential of a higher wear resistant and lower permeability barrier material as compared to conventional coatings. Thermoplastic coatings on a variety of substrates have been demonstrated using thermal spray techniques. However, when a high melt temperature, high performance thermoplastic such as liquid crystal polymer (LCP) is thermally sprayed on a composite with moderate temperature resistance, out-gassing of moisture and volatiles from the composite substrate can occur which can degrade the structural morphology of the coating. One solution to this problem, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,405 issued to Clarke et al., involves thermally spraying a thermoplastic such as LCP on a metal mold, commonly referred to as a tool. While the coating is still on the tool, a prepreg or wet lay-up of the composite is applied directly on the thermoplastic-coated tool. The composite/coating/tool assembly is then oven/autoclave cured, and, when curing is completed, the thermoplastic-coated composite structure is removed from the tool.

Thermoplastic coating for composite structures