In order to achieve miniaturization without degrading Q of a dielectric filter in the present invention, resonant elements has upper and lower ground electrodes. The upper ground electrode is formed of upper ground electrodes which correspond to wide portions and have no pattern formed on a portion corresponding to narrow portions, and an upper ground electrode which corresponds to the narrow portions and formed higher than the layer of the upper ground electrodes. The lower ground electrode is formed of lower ground electrodes which correspond to the wide portions and have no pattern formed on a portion corresponding to the narrow portions, and a lower ground electrode which corresponds to the narrow portions and formed lower than the layer of the ground electrodes.

A conventional dielectric filter will be described below. FIG. 21 is a plan view showing the conventional dielectric filter. FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 21.
The dielectric filter is constituted of first and second resonant elements 2 and 3 each of which is formed in the inner layer of a dielectric substrate 1 and has one open end and the other end connected to the ground, wide portions 2b and 3b which electromagnetically couple the first and second resonant elements 2 and 3 with each other and are formed on the sides of open ends 2a and 3a, narrow portions 2c and 3c formed on the side of a side electrode (a common ground terminal, i.e., the ground) 12 of the first and second resonant elements 2 and 3, bent portions 2d and 3d bent like letter L from the ends of the wide portions 2b and 3b to the side electrode 12, first and second input/output electrodes 4a and 5a formed in the upper layer of the bent portions 2d and 3d, input/output terminals 4b and 5b drawn from the input/output electrodes 4a and 5a, a capacitive electrode 11 formed in the upper layer of the wide portions 2b and 3b, an upper ground electrode 6 which is formed in the upper layer of the input/output electrodes 4a and 5a and connected to the side electrode 12, and a lower ground electrode 7 which is formed in the lower layer of the first and second resonant elements 2 and 3 and connected to the side electrode 12.
Ground patterns are formed over the upper ground electrode 6 and the lower ground electrode 7. A distance 8 between the electrode 6 and the wide portions 2b and 3b and a distance 8 between the electrode 6 and the narrow portions 2c and 3c are equal to each other. A distance 9 between the lower ground electrode 7 and the wide portions 2b and 3b and a distance 9 between the lower ground electrode 7 and the narrow portions 2c and 3c are equal to each other.
The input/output terminals 4b and 5b are drawn to the layer of the upper ground electrode 6 through inner vias 4c and 5c. Further, spaces 10a and 10b are provided between the input/output terminals 4b and 5b and the end face of the upper ground electrode 6. The spaces 10a and 10b of 150 μm or larger are necessary to prevent a short circuit on the input/output terminals 4b and 5b when the upper ground electrode 6 formed with a large pattern spreads during screen printing. The input/output terminals 4b and 5b are circular when viewed from the top. The input/output terminals 4b and 5b are about 200 μm in diameter. The dielectric filter protrudes by about 700 μm ((200 μm+150 μm)×2) in the lateral direction of FIG. 22 due to the presence of the input/output terminals 4b and 5b.
As indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 21, the narrow portions 2c and 3c of the resonant elements 2 and 3 are arranged in parallel and electromagnetically coupled to each other. Further, the capacitive electrode 11 is electromagnetically coupled to the wide portions 2b and 3b.
FIG. 23 is a replacement circuit diagram where the pattern of the dielectric filter is replaced with electric elements. In FIG. 23, reference numeral 4b denotes the input/output terminal and reference numeral 21 denotes a capacitance formed between the input/output electrode 4a and the wide portion 2b. Reference numeral 22 denotes an inductance of the narrow portion 2c and reference numeral 23 denotes a capacitance formed between the wide portion 2b and the ground electrodes 6 and 7. Similarly, reference numeral 24 denotes an inductance of the narrow portion 3c and reference numeral 25 denotes a capacitance formed between the wide portion 3b and the ground electrodes 6 and 7. Reference numeral 26 denotes a capacitance formed between the input/output electrode 5a and the wide portion 3b and reference numeral 5b denotes the input/output terminal connected to the capacitance 26. Reference numeral 27 denotes a capacitance between the wide portion 2b and the capacitive electrode 11 and reference numeral 28 denotes a capacitance between the wide portion 3b and the capacitive electrode 11. The inductances 22 and 24 are electromagnetically coupled to each other. Since the wide portions 2b and 3b are wide and short, the inductances thereof are negligible.
FIG. 24 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the replacement circuit diagram shown in FIG. 23. In FIG. 24, reference numeral 29 denotes a combined capacitance of the capacitance 27 and the capacitance 28 and reference numeral 30 denotes an inductance obtained by the electromagnetic coupling of the narrow portions 2c and 3c. The inductance 30 can be controlled by a distance 13 between the narrow portions 2c and 3c. In FIG. 24, the inductance 22 and the capacitance 23 are connected in parallel to form a parallel connection body 32. The parallel connection body 32 has one end connected to the input/output terminal 4b via the capacitance 21 and the other end connected to the ground.
Similarly, the inductance 24 and the capacitance 25 are connected in parallel to form a parallel connection body 33. The parallel connection body 33 has one end connected to the input/output terminal 5b via the capacitance 26 and the other end connected to the ground. A parallel connection body of the capacitance 29 and the inductance 30 is connected between one end of the parallel connection body 32 and one end of the parallel connection body 33, so that the parallel connection bodies entirely form a band-pass filter.
FIG. 25 is a signal pass characteristic diagram of the dielectric filter. A horizontal axis 34 represents a frequency, a vertical axis 35 represents an attenuation, and arrows represent directions that increase an attenuation. The pass band of the dielectric filter has a center frequency 36 proportionate to a factor of the square root of the product of the inductance 22 (or 24) and the capacitance 23 (or 25). According to the magnitude of the inductance 30 obtained by the electromagnetic coupling of the inductance 22 and the inductance 24, a narrow-band characteristic 37 or a wide-band characteristic 38 can be selected.
To be specific, the narrow-band characteristic 37 is obtained by increasing the distance 13 between the narrow portions 2c and 3c to have loose coupling or increasing the inductance 22 (or 24), and the wide-band characteristic 38 is obtained by reducing the distance 13 between the narrow portions 2c and 3c to have close coupling or reducing the inductance 22 (or 24). For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-142904 is known as prior art document information relating to the invention of this application.
In such a conventional dielectric filter, the upper ground electrode 6 is integrally formed over the upper layer of the input/output electrodes 4a and 5a, and the lower ground electrode 7 is integrally formed over the lower layer of the first and second resonant elements 2 and 3. That is, a distance 8 between the upper ground electrode 6 and the wide portions 2b and 3b and a distance 8 between the upper ground electrode 6 and the narrow portions 2c and 3c are equal to each other. The distance 9 between the lower ground electrode 7 and the wide portions 2b and 3b and the distance 9 between the lower ground electrode 7 and the narrow portions 2c and 3c are equal to each other.
When the areas of the wide portions 2b and 3b are reduced without changing the value of the capacitance 23 (or 25) to reduce the dielectric filter, it is necessary to reduce the distance 8 between the upper ground electrode 6 and the wide portions 2b and 3b and the distance 9 between the lower ground electrode 7 and the wide portions 2b and 3b. However, when the distance 8 between the upper ground electrode 6 and the narrow portions 2c and 3c or the distance 9 between the lower ground electrode 7 and the narrow portions 2c and 3c is reduced, Q of the inductance 22 (or 24) decreases, so that the loss of the pass band of the filter constituted of inductors, that is, an insertion loss increases and Q′ of frequency selectiveness decreases. Therefore, it is not possible to reduce the distance 8 or the distance 9 of the wide portions 2b and 3b and the narrow portions 2c and 3c which are integrally formed. Considering this restriction, it is not possible to reduce the dielectric filter without degrading its characteristics.
Further, since the upper ground electrode 6 has a relatively large pattern and conductive paste spreads during screen printing, it is necessary to make the spaces 10a and 10b larger than ordinary spaces, thereby increasing the protrusions of the input/output terminals 4b and 5b and the area of the filter.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An asphalt composition for use in road pavements is disclosed which comprises chiefly of an asphalt of natural or petroleum origin, a thermoplastic elastomer and/or a styrene-butadiene rubber and a low molecular weight polypropylene. These components are premixed or plant-mixed to form a reformed asphalt which is mixed with an aggregate to provide a paving material having increased compression strength, increased low temperature viscosity and decreased high temperature viscosity.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to asphalt compositions for use in the manufacture of pavement materials for paving traffic roads, walkways, air-port runways park lots and the like.
2. Prior Art
Conventional pavements chiefly comprised of straight asphalt have been often found defective when applied to roads susceptible to deformation or damage by heavy weight traffic, or under cold or snowy environmental conditions where tire chains or spiked tires are used. Typical solutions to this problem have been to admix an asphalt matrix with reformers such as natural rubber, SBR, butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber, or thermoplastic elastomers such as block copolymers of styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-isoprene-styrene and the like. Such reforming agents are known for their ability to reduce asphalt's thermal response, fluid deformation and frictional wear of asphalt-paved roads as well as to improve other asphalt characteristics including adhesion with aggregates and flexibility at low temperature.
There are currently used asphalt pavements containing certain open graded asphalt mixtures conducive to water penetration and drainage with a view to providing increased resistance to road slip and preventing water splash and a so-called "hydroplaning". Such pavements comprised of straight asphalt alone would be insufficient in compressive strength and water resistance, but these physical properties could be improved with use of the aforesaid reformers as is well known to one skilled in the art.
Those asphalt compositions which incorporate reforming agents tend to have high temperature viscosity considerably increased as compared to straight asphalt. It is therefore necessary to choose a relatively high temperature level for mixing reformed asphalt with aggregates in the preparation of a paving material. The working temperature at the site of construction would also have to be increased for roll-flattening the paved road surface to an extent to make the paving operation tedious and time-consuming.
So much more reformers would be required to achieve a target compressive strength of pavement for roads frequented by heavy traffic of large vehicles, or where water permeation is an important parameter. The use of increased amounts of reformers would lead to increased high temperature viscosity of reformed asphalt and hence aggravated paving operation.


A torque limiting coupling, in drive lines or driving agricultural machinery has a first coupling part (1) and a second coupling part (14), as well as a switching ring (19) loaded by a spring (28). Balls (30) transmit torque between the first coupling part (1) and the second coupling part (14). The balls are axially adjustable in apertures (6) of the first coupling part (1). The apertures (6) are uniformly circumferentially distributed around the axis of rotation (2). In the torque transmitting position, the apertures (6) are positioned opposite torque transmitting recesses (16) in the second coupling part (14). The balls (30) are held in recesses (16) in the engaged condition by the switching ring (19). When the torque is exceeded, the balls (30) escape out of the torque transmitting recesses (16). In the course of this process, the switching ring (19) is first displaced against the force of the loading spring (28). To ensure that the coupling is transferred only when the first coupling part (1) is associated in a certain way with the second coupling part (14), a control ball (31) is provided which cooperates with a first control recess (21) of the second coupling part (14).

The invention relates to a torque limiting coupling, especially for drives of or driving agricultural machinery. The coupling includes a first coupling part with apertures which extend parallel to an axis of rotation. The apertures are uniformly distributed on a rolling circle. A second coupling part is rotatable around the axis of rotation relative to the first coupling part. The second coupling part is axially fixed. The second coupling part has torque transmitting recesses at its end face opposed to the first exit end of the apertures. The recesses are arranged to match the arrangement of the apertures. A switching ring is rotatably arranged around the axis of rotation relative to the first coupling part. The second coupling part includes freewheeling recesses in its end face opposed to the second exit end of the apertures. The freewheeling recesses are arranged to match the arrangement of the rolling circle and the distribution of the apertures. However, in the torque transmitting position, the freewheeling apertures are held so as to be displaced in the circumferential direction relative to the apertures. Torque transmitting balls are axially adjustably received in the apertures. The balls engage the torque transmitting recesses in the torque transmitting position and the freewheeling recesses in the freewheeling position. A spring axially acts on the switching ring. The spring supports the switching ring against any adjustment away from the apertures.
DE 31 51 485 C1 describes a torque limiting coupling. To secure the two coupling parts relative to one another in the torque transmitting position, a plurality of securing pins are provided. The pins are arranged on the circumference of the first coupling part and are spring-loaded in the axial direction. The pins engage recesses of the switching ring so that the switching ring cannot change its position relative to the first coupling part. After overloading has occurred, the two coupling parts can reach a torque transmitting position relative to one another which differs from the original one. However, with some applications, such a difference can be disadvantageous. In the case of land machinery where certain parts of the machine performs different functions of the machine, the parts are adjusted to one another in such a way all movements are synchronous.
DT 25 26 212 A1 describes a torque limiting coupling which includes torque transmitting balls arranged in a cage positioned between two planar faces of two coupling parts. One part is the driving part and the other one the driven part. The surfaces of the two coupling parts positioned opposite the cage are provided with circumferentially distributed recesses. The recesses correspond to the balls held in the cage. The recesses are engaged by the balls for torque transmitting purposes if the coupling is in the connected position. A spring loads the axially adjustable coupling part. If the torque limited by the spring is exceeded, the adjustable coupling part is moved against the force of the spring. Thus, the balls are able to leave the recesses and enter other recesses of the driven coupling part. In the case of overloading, the coupling parts are supported by supporting balls which are arranged on a smaller radius than the first balls. In the connected condition, the supporting balls engage recesses in the two coupling parts. The recesses for the supporting balls are distributed in such a way that the supporting balls and the balls simultaneously engage their associated recesses. For re-connecting the coupling, the cage is deliberately rotationally adjusted by a tool. Thus, it is possible to find a position in which the supporting balls and the further balls are able to engage their associated recesses. Since there are three circumferentially distributed supporting balls with the same pitch, the supporting balls and the three balls, provided for torque transmitting purposes, are all able to engage at a rotational angle of 120.degree. of the coupling parts relative to one another.
DE 37 27 484 A1 describes an improved version of the torque limiting coupling proposed in DE 25 26 212 A1. Here, stops are provided which simplify reconnection of the coupling.
GB 21 33 093 A describes a torque limiting coupling where balls are used for torque transmitting purposes. The balls engage opposed recesses in the two coupling parts and leave the recesses against the force of a spring when one coupling part is axially adjusted. Three uniformly circumferentially distributed balls and recesses enable the balls to engage in three different circumferential positions of the two coupling parts relative to one another. The further balls arranged on the smaller rotational diameter remain in constant engagement with the second coupling part and a driving element. However, the balls enable axial adjustment of the two relative to one another. The balls are a substitute for teeth.


A method and system of determining the physical dimensions and configuration of a structure or system as a precursor to the design of modifications of the structure or system by analyzing hidden objects within the structure or system is provided. The method includes accessing the structure or system prior to the modification for preparation of the modification; scanning the structure or system with an x-ray backscatter unit; collecting data from the x-ray backscatter unit and combining and reconstructing the data into a 2-D, 2-D panoramic or 3-D data set; producing surfaces and structures of the hidden objects from the data set; and tying the surfaces and structures of the hidden objects into a pre-existing coordinate system of the structure or system creating a 3-D model.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to determining the physical dimensions and configuration of structures and/or systems as a precursor to the design of modifications to structures and/or systems, and more particularly, determining the physical dimensions and configuration of the structures and/or systems by analyzing hidden objects utilizing X-ray backscatter technology.
2. Background
There is a very large market for modification of structures and/or systems, especially military and commercial aircraft. The greatest challenge faced by modification designers is uncertainty about the geometrical configuration of a given structure and/or system, such as an aircraft. Often, the legacy data (drawings, planning, tooling) is insufficient to determine the present configuration of the product, resulting in significant costs for re-design of new systems being placed on the structure and/or system.
Conventional methods of determining configurations for modifying an aircraft have been the use of digital photographs, panoramic cameras, and line of sight reverse engineering technology. These methods have had only limited success in solving the problem due to the limited access to the aircraft. The time frame for modifications is relatively short. Currently, designers must wait until the structure and/or system can be partially disassembled before line of sight reverse engineering determination/verification of geometric configurations of hidden objects can be performed.
As a result, there is a high need for collecting geometrical definition data of hidden objects in structures and/or systems. A non line of sight reverse engineering method could significantly reduce the current engineering lead time incurred after an aircraft is interred. Therefore, what is needed is a method and system for determining the geometric configuration of the structure and/or systems for use in designing modifications, without having to remove parts of the structure before designing the modification.

System and method for determining dimensions of structures/systems for designing modifications to the structures/systems


Provided is an auxiliary battery capable of transmitting and receiving wireless power. The auxiliary battery capable of transmitting and receiving wireless power according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a battery; a wireless power transfer antenna which functions as an antenna for transmitting or receiving wireless power and is provided as a single antenna; and a circuit unit for controlling an operation of the wireless power transfer antenna, wherein the single antenna receives wireless power supplied from an external source so as to charge the battery, or wirelessly transmits power stored in the battery so as to charge a battery of the charge target.

In general, in order to charge a portable terminal such as a mobile phone, a notebook, and a personal digital assistant (PDA), the portable terminal has to receive electrical energy (or power) from an external charging device. Such a portable terminal includes a battery cell for storing supplied electrical energy and a circuit for charging and discharging (supplying electrical energy to the portable terminal) the battery cell.
An electrical connection method between a battery cell and a charging device for charging electrical energy into a battery cell may include a terminal supply method in which commercial power is received and converted into a voltage and a current corresponding to the battery cell, and electrical energy having the voltage and the current is supplied to the battery cell through a terminal of the battery cell.
Such a terminal supply method is performed using a physical cable or an electrical wire, and a port for electrically connecting the cable or the electrical wire is essentially involved.
However, since the port is externally exposed, there are risks of intrusion of foreign matters or infiltration of moisture, which causes damage to the terminal so that the service lifetime of the terminal may be shortened.
In addition, a general wired charge/discharge type auxiliary battery is inconvenient to use because the cable requires connection to the port.

Auxiliary battery capable of transmitting and receiving wireless power


A method of measuring macro and micro stickies in a recycled sample containing pulp fibers is disclosed. The method includes forming a slurry of the recycled macro stickies and a liquid and using a first separation device to separate out the macro stickies and the pulp fiber while collecting the screenate. The macro stickies and the pulp fibers are then washed with additional liquid to further separate out any macro stickies while again collecting the screenate. The macro stickies are then removed from the first separation device and are measured. The method also includes agglomerating the micro stickies in the screenate to form agglomerated micro stickies. The screenate is routed through a second separation device to separate out the agglomerated micro stickies. The agglomerated micro stickies are then removed from the separation device and are measured.

In a paper recycling process, wastepaper or what is commonly referred to as recovered paper is processed to remove contaminants such as glass, pieces of metal in the form of paper clips and wire staples, wax, toner, inks, adhesives, etc. The process begins with pulping where the recovered paper is mixed with water, with or without chemicals, to produce pulp. The pulp is then processed through various mechanisms to remove contaminants of all types and sizes. For example, the pulp can be passed through one or more screens, be processed in a hydrocyclone, be subjected to various flotation devices, be washed and sometimes even bleached. Other operations can also be applied to the pulp.
Adequate removal of contaminants from the pulp is necessary prior to using the pulp on a paper machine wherein the pulp is made into a certain grade of paper or paper board. For example, the pulp can be processed into a printing grade of paper, into a writing grade of paper, into coated paper, into newsprint, into tissue, into paper towels, into liner board, into a corrugated medium, into box board or into any other known kind of paper. One class of contaminants that causes serious problems in papermaking using recycled fibers is called stickies. Stickies arise from adhesives, glues, pressure sensitive adhesives, hot melt glues, binders such as those used in ink, coatings, waxes and related materials. Stickies in pulp affect the efficient operation of a paper machine as well as the quality of the finished product. It is estimated that the annual cost expended by paper mills, in the United States alone, is well over $700 million.
Stickies are classified into various categories based upon their size, properties, origin and behavior. One commonly used classification is based primarily on the size of the stickies. In this classification, stickies are divided into either macro stickies or micro stickies. Macro stickies are those retained on a slotted or mesh screen, such as a slotted screen where each slot has a width dimension ranging from between about 0.003 inches to about 0.006 inches, or a mesh screen where the mesh size ranges from between about 100 mesh to about 200 mesh. Micro stickies are those stickies that pass through the above-identified screens.
Various methods can be used to measure the amount, size, concentration or other parameters of the macro stickies in a dry or wet pulp sample or in a slurry including pulp, water and other ingredients. In one example, a pulp sample is processed through a test device, such as a Pulmac Master Screen, manufactured by Pulmac Inc. of Quebec, Canada, where a slotted screen is used to separate macro stickies from pulp fibers, micro stickies, fines and ash. However, the Pulmac Master Screen currently is not able to measure micro stickies. There are currently several known methods for measuring micro stickies but most are either cumbersome to carry out, require an exorbitant amount of time to complete the test, require the test sample to be refrigerated for a period of time or are costly to perform. In addition, a number of these methods are not very effective in separating the macro stickies from the micro stickies thereby producing erroneous test results.
Now a method has been invented which is capable of measuring macro and micro stickies in a recycled sample containing pulp fibers or in process water containing pulp fibers. This method is less costly, more efficient and can be conducted in a matter of minutes. In addition, this method produces reliable test results for both the macro stickies and the micro stickies.

Method of measuring macro and micro stickies in a recycled sample containing pulp fibers


A vehicle steering wheel includes a steering wheel body having a hub, a separate functional unit fastened to the hub, in particular a gas bag module, and a microphone. The microphone is arranged in a lateral gap between the steering wheel body and the functional unit.

Hitherto, fixed microphones in a vehicle for a car telephone are integrated into an interior light module or are provided in the region of an instrument panel. The speech quality here is of course in need of improvement owing to the vicinity of the outer skin of the vehicle, owing to the blowing noises of the ventilation and owing to the large distance of the occupants from the microphone.
Consideration has been given to integrating the microphone into the steering wheel. These attempts have, however, not been realized hitherto, because the microphone on the one hand is to sit as close as possible on the surface of the steering wheel and on the other hand a sufficient reception sensitivity must still exist, when the driver touches the spot of the steering wheel on which the microphone is provided.


Various technologies described herein pertain to controlling automated programming for extracting data from an input document. Examples indicative of the data to extract from the input document can be received. The examples can include highlighted regions on the input document. Moreover, the input document can be a semi-structured document (e.g. a text file, a log file, a word processor document, a semi-structured spreadsheet, a webpage, a fixed-layout document, an image file, etc.). Further, an extraction program for extracting the data from the input document can be synthesized based on the examples. The extraction program can be synthesized in a domain specific language (DSL) for a type of the input document. Moreover, the extraction program can be executed on the input document to extract an instance of an output data schema.

The information technology revolution over the past few decades has resulted in various advances. Examples of such advances include digitization of massive amounts of data and widespread access to computational devices. However, while rich digital information may be accessible, it is oftentimes difficult to manipulate and analyze such data.
Information is available in various document types such as text files, log files, spreadsheets, and webpages. These documents allow their creators flexibility in storing and organizing hierarchical data by combining presentation and formatting with the underlying data model. However, such flexibility can cause difficulty when attempting to extract the underlying data for tasks such as data processing, querying, altering a presentation view, or transforming data to another storage format. The foregoing has led to development of various domain-specific technologies for data extraction. For instance, scripting languages have been designed to support string processing in text files. Moreover, spreadsheet systems allow users to write macros using an inbuilt library of string and numerical functions, or to write arbitrary scripts in various programming languages. Further, some web technologies can be used to extract data from webpages; however, such technologies rely on knowing the underlying schema of the webpages.
Conventional programmatic solutions to data extraction can be problematic for various reasons. For instance, conventional solutions are commonly domain-specific and rely upon knowledge/expertise in different technologies for different document types. Further, conventional solutions typically rely on understanding the underlying data schema including data fields that the end user is not interested in extracting and their organization (some of which may not be visible in the presentation layer as in case of webpages). Moreover, conventional solutions oftentimes require knowledge of programming. The reliance upon knowledge/expertise in different technologies for different data types and the understanding of the underlying data schema can create challenges for programmers. Moreover, the need for knowledge of programming can result in end users who lack programming skills being unable to use these conventional solutions. As a result, users oftentimes are traditionally either unable to leverage access to rich data or have to resort to manual copy-paste, which is both time consuming and error prone.

Framework for data extraction by examples


There is provided a hologram recording medium having: a recording layer at which a hologram can be recorded by illumination of writing light; and a protective layer provided on the recording layer in order to protect the recording layer, a water absorbency of the protective layer being less than or equal to 0.01%.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hologram recording medium, and in particular, to a hologram recording medium at which a hologram can be recorded by illumination of light.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a rainbow hologram is added to a plastic card, such as a credit card, for purposes such as preventing counterfeiting, determining the genuineness of the card, and the like. A large amount of rainbow holograms are reproduced from an original plate, and therefore, all are the same image hologram. In recent years, a non-contact type IC card, in which a rainbow hologram is added thereto, such as, for example, "FeliCa®" developed by Sony Corporation, has become popular. Further, IC cards carrying an optical memory have also been proposed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2000-67203).
On the other hand, the present inventors have invented a recording/playback method in which a hologram is recorded on a recording medium in which a recording layer is formed on a non-optical-quality sheet member such as paper, a plastic card, or the like, and the recorded hologram is played-back at a high S/N ratio. Further, by applying this technology, the present applicant has developed a plastic card carrying a hologram memory, in order to strengthen the ID function and security function (http://www.fujixerox.co.jp/research/category/inbt/m_photonics/docs/holoca.pdf).
A hologram memory can carry arbitrary information, which can be written-in on demand. Therefore, biometric information for authentication, such as a fingerprint or an iris or the like, and digital information such as text or a video or the like, can be held as a hologram, and use as a multi-purpose memory is also anticipated. Further, as the form of the hologram to be written, there are image holograms which can be perceived by the naked eye, and Fourier-transformed holograms which are read mechanically by the illumination of laser light or the like.
However, a hologram recording medium, which is recordable but is not yet recorded (i.e., a raw hologram card), has the problem that the raw storability thereof is poor. Generally, a recording medium, on which information is recorded by the illumination of light, has poor raw storability. For example, a recording medium, which uses a photosensitive material such as a silver halide or the like, is stored in a state in which light is blocked therefrom. In the case of a raw hologram card, a clear image cannot be obtained by recording and playback of the hologram merely by storing the raw hologram card in a state of being shielded from light.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A flat headed, reversible power ratchet of relatively small size which uses integral bosses and apertures in its housing to locate and control the movement of its yoke and driving gears on bosses integral to the housing with the driving gear mounted in a bore within the yoke, which has its pawls and pawl controls within the yoke adjacent the gear, and by utilizing a pair of linkages which pivot about the yoke and about the housing in overlapping arcs to stabilize the position of the directional controls during operations.

There is a need for a low profile, compact, power ratchet tool adapted for use in small areas where the conventionally sized ratchets cannot provide ready access. U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,990 was issued to me for such a ratchet. My present invention represents a substantial improvement over the former in that it is more compact, has higher reversing reliability, fewer parts, greater efficiency, and is provided with a positive latching reversing control.
It is the object of this invention to provide a low profile flat head ratchet which is more compact, has higher reversing reliability in that the reversing directional controls lock into place, and has greater efficiency,


An integrated circuit generating a driving signal to a load according to an input voltage and including an impedance switching unit, a first protection unit, a first detection unit and a control unit is disclosed. The impedance switching unit takes the input voltage as the driving signal according to a control signal. The first protection unit generates a first detection signal when a current passing through the impedance switching unit is higher than a predetermined current. The first detection unit detects a voltage of the impedance switching unit to generate a detection result. The control unit controls the control signal according to the first detection signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an integrated circuit, and more particularly to an integrated circuit that is capable of measuring current, to avoid over-current or over-temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of semiconductor technology, numerous circuits are integrated into an integrated circuit (IC). Therefore, the functions and types of electronic product have increased. The size of the electronic product is not increased when functions and types of electronic product have increased. However, when the size of an electronic product is small, the components in the electronic product cannot accept a large current. When receiving a large current, the components are damaged.

Integrated circuit with protection function


A method and apparatus for processing risk-management feature factors based on user generated content (UGC), an electronic device and a storage medium are disclosed, which relates to the fields of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. An implementation includes generating a feature expression of the UGC based on the UGC; and extracting the risk-management feature factors of the UGC according to a pre-generated risk-management-feature-factor extracting model and the feature expression of the UGC. According to the technology of the present application, the risk-management feature factors of a corresponding user may be extracted based on the UGC without depending on privacy information of the user, such as personal basic attributes, or the like, such that subsequent related processing actions of risk management may be facilitated, an acquiring way and an acquiring mode of the risk-management feature factors may be enriched effectively, and richer information of the risk-management feature factors may be acquired.

Risk management (or risk control) is an essential link in modern financial institutions, and mainly means that risk managers reduce or lower the probability of risk events by various measures, so as to lower a risk cost and reduce unnecessary losses as many as possible.
At the present stage, with the rise of the Internet and big data and the development of machine learning and deep learning technologies in recent years, a risk management model for modeling the risk probability of a user with basic attribute data of the user has become a mainstream direction of the risk management field. That is, in this method, personal basic attributes of the user are used as risk-management feature factors, and whether the user is a risk user may be predicted using the trained model and the personal basic attributes of the user.
Although the modeling and prediction processes of the risk management model may be realized with the existing method, the existing method still has the following defects: the personal basic attributes of the user, such as age, sex, occupation, assets and other information, are privacy, and are required to be filled in or authorized by the user, and therefore, such data always has a low coverage rate, and particularly, related processing actions of the risk management are always unable to be performed for a new client with insufficient information. Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a technical solution in which the related processing actions of the risk management may be performed without depending on basic attribute information of the user.

Method and apparatus for processing risk-management feature factors, electronic device and storage medium

BEIJING BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A process is provided for the fatty acid esterification of propoxylated glycerin wherein fatty acids stripped from the esterifier and/or fatty acids stripped from the esterification product are scrubbed by contact with a scrubbing liquid which is maintained at a temperature above the fatty acid melting point.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fatty acid esterification of propoxylated glycerin and to improved recovery of fatty acids from various vapor streams found in the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The preparation of esters of propoxylated polyols is known. A particularly important technology relates to the preparation of food grade quality esters of propoxylated glycerin as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,983,329, 5,571,935, 5,681,939, and the like.
During the esterification reaction water is formed which must be removed in order to achieve high esterification conversion. Generally water removal is accomplished by stripping water of reaction from the esterification reactor by nitrogen stripping and/or by carrying out the reaction under vacuum conditions.
A certain amount of fatty acid is volatilized and removed with the water of reaction which causes problems in recovery procedures by virtue of the high melting point of the volatilized fatty acid. The high melting fatty acids tend to solidify on cold condensation surfaces causing severe heat transfer problems.
Similarly, the esterification reaction mixture, upon completion of the desired esterification, contains unreacted fatty acid which must be stripped from the ester. Problems are also encountered in the recovery of the stripped fatty acid due to the high fatty acid meeting point.


The present disclosure provides illumination apparatus for ophthalmic surgery comprising a light that provides planar field illumination, as well as methods of using the illumination apparatus. The illuminators of the present disclosure can be used in intraocular refractive and vitroretinal surgery to better enable visualization of anatomical structures of the eye currently difficult to view, capturing detail that would normally be obscured using conventional illumination apparatus.

In the following discussion, certain articles and methods will be described for background and introductory purposes. Nothing contained herein is to be construed as an "admission" of prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to demonstrate, where appropriate, that the articles and methods referenced herein do not constitute prior art under the applicable statutory provisions.
Ophthalmic microsurgical procedures can require precision cutting and/or removing of various body tissues of the patient's eye. For example, during a surgical procedure, a user, such as a surgeon or other medical professional, may hold an illumination apparatus in one hand and a vitrectomy probe in his or her other hand. The vitrectomy probe can be used to perform surgical maneuvers while the surgeon visualizes the patient's eye using the light provided by the illumination apparatus. The illumination apparatus may include a cannula inserted into the eye and one or more optical fibers encompassed within the center cavity of the cannula. Because illumination apparatus typically transmit wide-angle light that illuminates a volume of space within the eye, details of anatomical structures of the eye may be obscured due to contribution from scattered light in front and behind of features of interest.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved devices, systems, and methods that allow a surgeon to illuminate a patient's eye with a planar light beam or laser sheet that illuminates a planar slice or field of an anatomical feature rather than a volume of space.

Planar illuminator for ophthalmic surgery


Electrical energy is transmitted to charge the implanted medical device, and an electrical parameter (e.g., a steady-state voltage) indicating a rate at which the implanted medical device is charged by the electrical energy is detected. A threshold (e.g., by modifying a stored threshold value) at which the charge strength indicator generates a user-discernible signal is adjusted based on the detected electrical parameter.

Implantable stimulation devices are devices that generate and deliver electrical stimuli to body nerves and tissues for the therapy of various biological disorders, such as pacemakers to treat cardiac arrhythmia, defibrillators to treat cardiac fibrillation, cochlear stimulators to treat deafness, retinal stimulators to treat blindness, muscle stimulators to produce coordinated limb movement, spinal cord stimulators to treat chronic pain, cortical and deep brain stimulators to treat motor and psychological disorders, and other neural stimulators to treat urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, shoulder sublaxation, etc. The present invention may find applicability in all such applications, although the description that follows will generally focus on the use of the invention within a spinal cord stimulation system, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,227 ("the '227 patent"), issued Feb. 4, 2003 in the name of inventors Paul Meadows et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Spinal cord stimulation is a well-accepted clinical method for reducing pain of certain populations of patients. A spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system typically includes an implantable pulse generator and at least one stimulation electrode lead that carries electrodes that are arranged in a desired pattern and spacing to create an electrode array. Individual wires within the electrode lead(s) connect with each electrode in the array. The electrode lead(s) is typically implanted along the dura of the spinal cord, with the electrode lead(s) exiting the spinal column, where it can generally be coupled to one or more electrode lead extensions. The electrode lead extension(s), in turn, are typically tunneled around the torso of the patient to a subcutaneous pocket where the implantable pulse generator is implanted. Alternatively, the electrode(s) lead may be directly coupled to the implantable pulse generator. For examples of other SCS systems and other stimulation systems, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,646,940 and 3,822,708, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Of course, implantable pulse generators are active devices requiring energy for operation. Oftentimes, it is desirable to recharge an implanted pulse generator via an external charger, so that a surgical procedure to replace a power depleted implantable pulse generator can be avoided. To wirelessly convey energy between the external charger and the implanted pulse generator, the recharger typically includes an alternating current (AC) charging coil that supplies energy to a similar charging coil located in or on the implantable pulse generator. The energy received by the charging coil located on the implantable pulse generator can then be used to directly power the electronic componentry contained within the pulse generator, or can be stored in a rechargeable battery within the pulse generator, which can then be used to power the electronic componentry on-demand.
To provide efficient power transmission through tissue from the external charger to the implanted pulse generator, it is paramount that the charging coil located in or on the implantable pulse generator be spatially arranged relative to the corresponding AC coil of the external charger in a suitable manner. That is, efficient power transmission through the patient's skin from the external charger to the implantable pulse generator via inductive coupling requires constant close alignment between the two devices. To ensure that such constant close alignment is achieved, the external charger typically includes an alignment indicator that provides a visual or audible signal that can be used by the patient to reposition or reorient the external charger, thereby maintaining or optimizing the rate at which the implantable pulse generator is charged.
One known approach is to use a charge strength indicator on the external charger to indicate the extent of the charge rate. For example, a bar charge indicator can be used, such that one bar indicates a relatively low charge rate, two bars indicate a greater charge rate, three bars indicate an even greater charge rate, and so forth. One downfall of using a bar charge connection indicator is that the patient must continually looks at the indicator to ensure an optimal charge rate.
Another approach is to use a misalignment indicator on the external charger that signals to the patient with an audible misalignment tone whenever the charge rate falls below the optimal level. However, this approach currently limits the possibility of charging more deeply implanted pulse generators at lower rates without inadvertently triggering the misalignment tone. Although the alignment zone of the external charger could be expanded to prevent such inadvertent triggering of the misalignment tone, the indicator may not generate the misalignment tone when the charge rate actually is less than optimal. Thus, the patient may charge the implantable pulse generator at a sub-optimal rate without ever being warned.
An external charger that combines both a bar charge indicator and a misalignment indicator would still require the patient to monitor the bar charge indicator during charging or endure an audible tone that inappropriately signals for deeper implantable pulse generators. There, thus, remains a need for an improved method and system for indicating alignment or misalignment between an external charger and an implantable pulse generator.

Charger alignment indicator with adjustable threshold

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation


Existing modems and phone lines are employed to allow two or more data processing systems to communicate. The data processing systems communicate utilizing weak signals on top of existing phone line voltage levels. The signals are sufficiently small so as not to be interpreted as a receiver being lifted off hook. The weak signals may automatically adapt to changes in the phone line voltage due to a receiver be lifted off hook or an incoming call being signaled. At a sufficiently high frequency, the data processing systems may communicate while the phone lines are being simultaneously employed for conversation.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to data processing systems and in particular to providing an improved method of allowing data processing systems to communicate. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to enabling data processing systems to communicate without requiring a network adapter and using an ordinary embedded phone line in conjunction with an existing modem.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet has become a cultural fixture as a source of both information and entertainment. Many businesses are creating Internet sites as an integral part of their marketing efforts, informing consumers of the products or services offered by the business or providing other information seeking to engender brand loyalty. Many federal, state, and local government agencies are also employing Internet sites for informational purposes, particularly agencies which must interact with virtually all segments of society such as the Internal Revenue Service and secretaries of state. Operating costs may be reduced by providing informational guides and/or searchable databases of public records online.
The largest segment of the consuming public does not currently have access to these resources. Such consumers are typically either unable or unmotivated to acquire both the requisite hardware and software and the necessary computer skills for taking advantage of these resources. There is a need for low cost data processing systems which are simple to operate, allowing users without computer skills the opportunity to access the Internet. This need is being addressed, to some extent, by "WebTV" systems.
In designing a low cost, simple data processing system, however, it is necessary to presume that the target user is unsophisticated and/or inexperienced. Therefore the operation of the data processing system must be both simple and intuitive, requiring little or no technical sophistication on the part of the user. In this regard, it would be advantageous to provide users with a simple method for connecting data processing systems to share information or resources without the expense of dedicated wiring and special local area network (LAN) adapters.
Conventional data processing systems typically require dedicated LAN adapters and cabling. Establishing communications between two or more data processing systems requires a high degree of technical ability, since the LAN adapters must be installed and configured, cabling must be run within the distance tolerances of the LAN system employed, and the operating system software on each connected data processing system must be configured or augmented to establish the communications capabilities.
Users with several data processing systems may need to connect such data processing systems to share resources, including, for example, a printer. Data processing systems designed to access the Internet already have modems, but lack the LAN cards and dedicated cabling utilized by most modern network systems. Moreover, a user's residence or place of business is generally already wired for multiple phone connections using the same line. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a simple system for communicating between data processing systems using existing modems and phone wiring. It would also be desirable to make such a system as simple to implement as possible, requiring no technical knowledge on the part of the user.

International Business Machines Corporation


Two modes in the waveguide are excited by establishing the input light polarization at forty-five degrees so that the modes can be excited equally. After propagating through the waveguide, the two modes are forced into one polarization by a polarizing fiber so that they can interfere, and the resulting novel straight channel modulator is compact and does not require strict single mode operation since the interference is in the polarizing fiber, which is a very good mode filter.

The present invention relates to the field of light beam modulators.
Various types of electro-optic light beam modulators are known in the art. For example, a light beam to be modulated can be passed through a waveguide consisting of a semiconductor material or a polymer, and the intensity of the light beam can be altered by the application of an electric field to the waveguide by an electrical signal source and an electrode affixed to the waveguide. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,299 to Richard A. Soref.
In the past, straight channel light intensity modulators required an external waveplate and a bulky polarizer for the intensity modulation of light passing through the modulators. It would be desirable to eliminate both of these components by using a polarizing fiber in an electro-optic straight channel modulator configuration.

Compact straight channel fiber optic intensity modular

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


An engine cooling system is provided with a cooling circuit including a coolant pump for supplying an engine with a coolant and for circulating the coolant in the cooling circuit, and at least one heat exchanger for cooling said coolant downstream of the engine, wherein an expansion tank is connected to the cooling circuit upstream of the coolant pump. The cooling system is pressurized by a pressure regulating arrangement arranged to pressurize coolant supplied to the cooling circuit from the expansion tank during at least one predetermined operating mode of the engine and the expansion tank is closed to the ambient atmosphere during all normal engine operation modes.

This invention relates to engine cooling systems for vehicles, such as trucks, cars or buses, as well as stationary generator units, in particular to cooling systems provided with an expansion tank closed to the ambient atmosphere.
Engine cooling systems of this type often comprise an expansion tank. The expansion tank has many functions, among them to take care of the coolant expansion caused by increased coolant temperature, and to build up pressure in the system in order to pressurize the coolant pump suction side to avoid pump cavitation. For a truck or stationary engine installation with a coolant system containing 50-70 liters the coolant may expand around 2 liters from cold start to normal working temperature.
With expansion tanks used in vehicles today, a common solution is to use a controllable valve that may be set to open at a predetermined, relatively high pressure. The valve links the expansion volume inside the expansion tank with ambient air. This means that when the coolant is heated and expands, the air in the expansion tank is compressed until the pressure reaches the higher setting of the valve. The valve opens and releases air to the ambient atmosphere until the pressure has dropped to a desired pressure. This air is saturated with coolant, which is lost to the ambient air.
GB 1049771 A describes a system closed to the ambient comprising an air big enough that a pressure release valve is unnecessary. Such systems require big air volumes or sufficiently small coolant volumes.
Pressurized coolant systems are disclosed in US 20050061264 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,175 B2, and GB 931087 A.
The system of US 20050061264 A1 continuously adds new oxygenated air to the expansion tank (and the coolant) and continuously relief air which is saturated with vapor from the coolant through the relief valve to the atmosphere in order to control the pressure. U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,175 B2 discloses that the compressor supplies compressed air to the compensating tank.
During operating conditions when the temperature of the coolant is reduced, for example due to lower engine load or the cooling fan starting to engage, the coolant volume decreases and the pressure at the pump will be lowered. This will in turn reduce the pressure of the air in the expansion tank. When this pressure drops below a lower setting of the valve the valve opens, letting ambient air into the tank. This prevents the pressure in the cooling circuit from dropping below a predetermined pressure where cavitation may occur in the coolant pump.
It is desirable to solve at least one of the above discussed problems associated with prior art coolant systems, and particularly to provide a cooling system that can be controlled to quickly build up pressure at the coolant pump suction side when starting the engine, in order to avoid cavitation in the pump.
The invention relates, according to an aspect thereof, to an engine cooling system. The invention also relates, according to another aspect thereof, to a vehicle provided with such an engine cooling system.
The invention relates, according to an aspect thereof, to an engine cooling system with a cooling circuit comprising a coolant pump for supplying an engine with a coolant and for circulating the coolant in the cooling circuit and at least one heat exchanger for cooling said coolant downstream of the engine. In the cooling circuit, the pump will supply coolant to the engine, wherein the coolant is heated. Heated coolant may pass through a thermostat which, depending on the temperature of the coolant, will direct the coolant directly back to the pump or to a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may be a radiator arranged to reduce the temperature of the coolant to a desired level. An expansion tank may be connected to the cooling circuit upstream of the coolant pump. The cooling system is pressurized by a pressure regulating means arranged to pressurize coolant supplied to the cooling circuit from the expansion tank during at least one predetermined operating mode of the engine and the expansion tank is closed to the ambient atmosphere during all normal engine operation modes. For instance, one such operating mode may be a cold start of the engine.
Pre-pressurizing the coolant supplied to the coolant pump reduces the risk of cavitation in said pump, due to a relatively low pressure in the suction conduit when the engine is started. Furthermore, by such an engine cooling system an even pressure without pressure peaks (high and low pressure) can be maintained. This is an advantage because pressure peaks may cause damage to the components of the coolant system. Introduction of ambient air into the system and loss of coolant to ambient air can be avoided, and thus oxidation of the coolant is prevented or counteracted.
According to a first embodiment, the pressure regulating means is located in the expansion tank and may be arranged to displace a volume of coolant in the expansion tank. When the pressure regulating means is pressurized, the pressure of the coolant in the expansion tank increases and the pressurized coolant will be forced into a suction conduit for the pump in the cooling circuit. The pressure regulating means may be a diaphragm or a similar suitable device arranged in the expansion tank. The system may be pressurized by increasing the volume of such a diaphragm by supplying it with compressed air or a similar suitable fluid. The system pressure is controlled by a suitable valve, such as a 3-way valve, that can either let air into the expansion tank or release it to the ambient air. The function of such a valve will be described in further detail below. The expansion tank may further contain a pressure actuated safety valve that will open to ambient air if the pressure in the tank increases above a predetermined maximum allowed pressure.
The volume of the expansion tank is preferably relatively large. A large expansion tank may contain a comparatively large diaphragm that may be used to create a desired pressurization of the coolant over a relatively large span of temperatures and coolant volumes. Also a relatively large expansion tank allows excess pressure to escape from the cooling circuit without causing an undesirably high pressure in the said tank. In a standard size tank, excess pressure spikes may cause a safety valve to open, which in turn would result in an undesired release of air and coolant to the ambient atmosphere. The volume of the expansion tank may be selected in the range 10-30%, preferably about 15%, of the total system volume. For the most common engine sizes, the volume of the expansion tank may be selected in the range 25-40 liters, depending factors such as the total cooling circuit volume and desired coolant pressure to be delivered to the suction conduit of the pump.
The pressure regulating means may be supplied with a pressurized fluid from an external source of pressure. The external source of pressure may be compressed air from a tank or compressor adjacent the engine or on a vehicle on which the engine is mounted. The source of compressed air could for example be supplied by an existing brake compressor in the vehicle or from an air compressor in a supercharged engine. Other suitable pressure sources may be pressurized hydraulic fluid from a pump on or adjacent the engine. Such a compressor or pump may be driven by the engine or a similar suitable source of power.
As the pressurized fluid is contained in a volume separated from the coolant, the fluid and the coolant are maintained in a non-contacting relationship to avoid contamination of the coolant. The fact that the cooling system is not directly connected to ambient air means that no coolant will be lost to the ambient air, and that no air that can oxidize the coolant will be introduced in the cooling system.
In a first example of the first embodiment, the expansion chamber may be located on the heat exchanger upstream of the coolant pump. For instance, if an upper section of the radiator is the highest located point of the cooling circuit, then the expansion tank may be mounted on or adjacent the upper section of said radiator. In this example, the expansion tank will also act as a deaeration chamber, wherein gas bubbles may be removed from the coolant.
In a second example of the first embodiment, the cooling system may comprise a separate deaeration chamber located at the highest point of the coolant system upstream of the coolant pump. The deaeration chamber may be mounted on the heat exchanger or radiator arranged to cool the coolant. The volume of the deaeration chamber may be relatively small and is mainly used to deaerate the system and to provide a location for filling coolant. For instance, when using an expansion tank with a volume of about 30 liters, the volume of the deaeration chamber may be in the range of 0.5 liters. However, even when using a large expansion tank with a volume around 40 liters, the volume of the deaeration chamber should preferably not exceed 5 liters. Similar to the first example, the gas may escape to the deaeration chamber through conduits connected to the thermostat and the upper tank of the radiator. A lower section of the deaeration chamber is connected to the suction conduit of the pump, in order to provide a static fill for the cooling circuit. An upper section of the deaeration chamber is in turn connected to a lower section of the expansion tank. This allows excess pressure to escape the cooling circuit by passing from the deaeration chamber into the expansion tank. Also, pressurized fluid may be forced from the expansion tank, through the deaeration chamber and into the suction conduit of the pump, in order to allow pressurization of the coolant supplied to the pump.
By providing the deaeration chamber on or adjacent the upper section of the radiator, the expansion chamber may be placed remote from the radiator. This allows the expansion tank to be placed in any suitable location on the truck, for example on the frame or chassis of a vehicle. Locating the expansion tank on the frame or chassis of the vehicle also adds to the packaging flexibility of the expansion tank. The smaller deaeration chamber can more easily be packaged on top of the cooling package, or radiator and the larger expansion tank can be placed in any suitable location. Furthermore, the larger expansion volume allows the same parts to be used on a wider range of installations.
As stated above, in connection with the first and second examples, the pressure regulating means may be connected to a source of fluid pressure via a controllable valve. The valve may be a pressure controlled valve that can be controlled by the pressure in the expansion tank. The valve may be a pressure controlled valve actuated directly by the pressure in the expansion tank, or a solenoid valve actuated on the basis of a signal from a pressure sensor in the tank.
The cooling system pressure may preferably, but not necessarily, be controlled by a pressure actuated 3-way valve. During start-up of the engine the valve may be arranged in an open position, in order to pressurize a diaphragm in the expansion tank to a predetermined pressure using a source of pressure. The valve may be maintained in a first open position as long as the pressure in the expansion tank is less than a predetermined pressure setting for the valve. When the pressure in the cooling circuit and the expansion tank reaches the set pressure for the valve, the valve will move to a closed position in order to maintain this pressure. The pressure setting for the valve may be a substantially fixed pressure or a range comprising an upper and a lower limit at which limits the valve is arranged to switch. During normal operation of the engine after start-up, the valve is controlled by the pressure in the expansion tank to maintain a predetermined pressure in the expansion tank and the cooling circuit. If a pressure spike, higher than the desired set pressure, should occur in the cooling circuit, the increased pressure may act on the valve to move it to a second open position to release pressure from the diaphragm. Should the cooling circuit experience a pressure cycling relative to the pre-set pressure for the valve, the valve may be used to counteract this condition. During each pressure drop the valve may be moved to the first open position to supply pressure to the diaphragm, while a subsequent increase in pressure may cause the valve to be moved to the second open position to release pressure from the diaphragm.
The expansion tank may also be provided with a safety valve. The safety valve may be set to release a relatively high excess pressure to the atmosphere. The valve release pressure is preferably set at a level that will maintain the cooling system in a closed state during all normal operating conditions. The valve should only open when there is a risk of damaging components in the cooling system. The safety valve is preferably, but not necessarily, a pressure controlled 2-way valve. The valve is normally maintained in a closed position, but may open at a predetermined set pressure to release excess pressure from the expansion tank.
According to a second embodiment, the pressure regulating means may be located in a supply conduit connecting the expansion tank to the cooling circuit system upstream of the coolant pump, hereinafter referred to as the main coolant pump. The cooling system may comprise a separate deaeration chamber located at the highest point of the coolant system upstream of the main coolant pump. The deaeration chamber may be mounted on the heat exchanger or radiator arranged to cool the coolant. The volume of the deaeration chamber may be relatively small and is mainly used to deaerate the system and to provide a location for filling coolant. For instance, when using an expansion tank with a volume of about 30 liters, the volume of the deaeration chamber may be in the range of 0.5 liters. However, even when using a large expansion tank with a volume around 40 liters, the volume of the deaeration chamber should preferably not exceed 5 liters. Any gas present in the coolant may escape to the deaeration chamber through conduits connected to the thermostat and the upper tank of the radiator. A lower section of the deaeration chamber is connected to the suction conduit of the pump, in order to provide a static fill for the cooling circuit. An upper section of the deaeration chamber is in turn connected to the expansion tank. In this embodiment the cooling system may comprise a deaeration chamber located upstream of the main coolant pump. The expansion tank is connected to the deaeration chamber via a conduit provided with a controllable valve. The controllable valve is preferably, but not necessarily, a pressure controlled 2-way valve. The valve can be spring loaded towards a closed position, but may open when the pressure in the main cooling circuit exceeds a predetermined set pressure to release excess pressure from the deaeration chamber to the expansion tank, in order to maintain a desired pressure in the main cooling circuit. When the engine is running a pre-pressurizing pump may be operated continuously to supply the main circuit with pressurized coolant. The pressure in the main circuit is maintained and controlled by the pressure controlled valve located between the deaeration tank and the expansion tank.
By providing the deaeration chamber on or adjacent the upper section of the radiator, the expansion chamber may be placed remote from the radiator. This allows the expansion tank to be placed in any suitable location on the truck, for example on the frame or chassis of a vehicle. Locating the expansion tank on the frame or chassis of the vehicle also adds to the packaging flexibility of the expansion tank. The smaller deaeration chamber can more easily be packaged on top of the cooling package, or radiator and the larger expansion tank can be placed in any suitable location. Furthermore, the larger expansion volume allows the same parts to be used on a wider range of installations.
As in the first embodiment above, the volume of the expansion tank is preferably relatively large. A large expansion tank may be used to allow a desired pressurization of the coolant over a relatively large span of temperatures and coolant volumes, without having to vent the tank to the ambient atmosphere during periods of relatively high pressure in the system. The volume of the expansion tank may be selected in the range 10-30% of the total volume of the cooling system. The volume of the expansion tank may be selected in the range 25-40 liters, depending factors such as the total cooling circuit volume and desired coolant pressure to be delivered to the suction conduit of the pump.
According to the second main embodiment of the invention, the pre-pressurized coolant is supplied by the pre-pressurizing coolant pump as previously described, or alternatively by any other suitable pressure regulating means, such as for example an injector device. During certain operating conditions, such as a start-up of the engine, the pump may draw coolant from the expansion tank and supply pre-pressurized coolant to the main coolant pump in the cooling circuit. This reduces the risk of cavitation in the main coolant pump, due to a relatively low pressure in the suction conduit when the engine is started.
The system pressure may be controlled by the pressure controlled valve using a signal from a pressure sensor located at a suitable position in the cooling circuit, such as immediately upstream of the main coolant pump. During start-up of the engine the pre-pressurizing coolant pump may be arranged to supply coolant from the expansion tank at a predetermined pressure to the main coolant pump. When the pressure in the cooling circuit and the expansion tank reaches the set pressure the pre-pressurizing coolant pump is continuously operated to assist the main coolant pump in maintaining a predetermined pressure in the cooling circuit. During normal operation of the engine after start-up, the pressure controlled valve is opened or closed to maintain this pressure. If a pressure spike, higher than the desired set pressure, should occur in the cooling circuit, the increased pressure may act on the controllable valve to move it to an open position. Excess pressure will then be released from the deaeration chamber to the expansion tank. Should the cooling circuit experience a pressure cycling relative to the pre-set pressure for the cooling circuit, the pre-pressurizing coolant pump and the controllable valve may be used to assist the main coolant pump in counteracting this condition. During each pressure drop the pre-pressurizing coolant pump will supply pressure to the suction conduit to counteract this condition, while a subsequent increase in pressure may cause the controllable valve to be moved to its open position to release pressure to the expansion tank.
Alternatively, the pre-pressurizing coolant pump may be operated as long as the pressure in the suction conduit is less than a predetermined pressure. When the pressure in the cooling circuit and the expansion tank reaches the set pressure the pre-pressurizing coolant pump is deactivated, where after the main coolant pump will maintain this pressure. During normal operation of the engine after start-up, the pre-pressurizing coolant pump may be controlled by a sensed pressure in the expansion tank to assist the main coolant pump in maintaining a predetermined pressure in the cooling circuit. If a pressure spike, higher than the desired set pressure, should occur in the cooling circuit, the increased pressure may act on the controllable valve to move it to an open position. Excess pressure will then be released from the deaeration chamber to the expansion tank. Should the cooling circuit experience a pressure cycling relative to the pre-set pressure for the cooling circuit, the pre-pressurizing coolant pump may be used to assist the main coolant pump in counteracting this condition. During each pressure drop the pre-pressurizing coolant pump may, if necessary, be actuated to supply pressure to the suction conduit, while a subsequent increase in pressure may cause the controllable valve to be moved to its open position to release pressure to the expansion tank.
The volume of the expansion tank is preferably relatively large. A large expansion tank may contain a comparatively large diaphragm that may be used to create a desired pressurization of the coolant over a relatively large span of temperatures and coolant volumes. Also a relatively large expansion tank allows excess pressure to escape form the cooling circuit without causing an undesirably high pressure in the said tank. In a standard size tank, excess pressure spikes may cause a safety valve to open, which in turn would result in an undesired release of air and coolant to the ambient atmosphere. The volume of the expansion tank may be selected in the range 25-40 liters, depending factors such as the total cooling circuit volume and desired coolant pressure to be delivered to the suction conduit of the pump.
The expansion tank may also be provided with a safety valve. The safety valve may be set to release a relatively high excess pressure to the atmosphere. The valve release pressure is preferably set at a level that will maintain the cooling system in a closed state during all normal operating conditions. The valve should only open when there is a risk of damaging components in the cooling system. The safety valve is preferably, but not necessarily, a pressure controlled 2-way valve. The valve is normally maintained in a closed position, but may open at a predetermined set pressure to release excess pressure from the expansion tank. An additional sensor can be located in the expansion tank for monitoring the pressure therein and/or to control a solenoid operated safety valve.
The invention further relates to a vehicle provided with a cooling system as described for the first and second embodiments above. Hence the vehicle may be provided with a pressure regulating means arranged to displace the coolant in the expansion tank, by means of a diaphragm or similar, using a source of fluid pressure via a controllable valve. The pressure source may be an air tank, an air compressor or a compressor in a supercharger located on vehicle.
Alternatively the vehicle may be provided with a pressure regulating means for maintaining a predetermined pressure in the main coolant pump, as described above. The pressure regulating means may be a controllable pump or an injector arranged to supply coolant under pressure to the main coolant pump in the cooling circuit. This arrangement may be used to prevent cavitation in the main coolant pump during certain operating conditions, such as a start-up of the engine.
The pressurized cooling systems described in the above embodiments provide a cooling system that can be controlled to quickly build up pressure at the coolant pump suction side when starting the engine, in order to avoid cavitation in the pump. The pressurized cooling systems according to the invention also provides means for maintaining an even pressure that is high enough to avoid pump cavitation during operation of the engine, even when the coolant has cooled down. The cooling systems also make it possible to avoid pressure peaks (high and low pressure) and pressure cycling that may damage the components in the coolant system. It is also desirable to avoid introducing ambient air into the system, which air may oxidize the coolant (ageing of coolant), and to avoid loosing coolant to ambient air. The invention will therefore have a positive effect on the life time of the components in the coolant system and of the coolant and the efficiency of the coolant pump. Examples of additional advantages with the solutions according to the invention are that coolant top off intervals should be less frequent since there is no continuous loss of coolant, which is also beneficial for the environment. Since the expansion tank has a larger expansion volume which is less sensitive to small leaks. With the expansion tank mounted on the chassis, the tank is easier to service and facilitates reading of the coolant level.


An NMR probe which has a multi-element switching mechanism. The NMR probe has a rotary tuner block, a contact unit, a rotationally driving unit for rotating the rotary tuner block. The rotary tuner block has an NMR probe body, a rotary body, and plural pairs of tuning elements disposed on the surface of the rotary body. This rotary body is rotatably held in the NMR probe body and made of a nonmagnetic material. A sample coil is mounted in the NMR probe body. The contact unit selectively brings the pairs of tuning elements into contact with both ends of the sample coil or with lead wires brought out from both ends of the sample coil. The pairs of tuning elements are selectively connected with the sample coil by rotation of the rotary tuner block.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an NMR probe using a variable tuning frequency and, more particularly, to an NMR probe equipped with a built-in disk-like tuner block having tuning elements (such as inductors, capacitors, and other elements forming a resonant circuit) on its both faces.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 shows main portions of a conventional NMR spectrometer. This NMR spectrometer is used for multiple resonance applications and is generally indicated by reference numeral 200. When a measurement is performed using this NMR instrument 200, a sample tube 1 holding a sample 30 therein is set within a static magnetic field produced by a magnet 2 whose magnetic field distortion has been corrected by a room-temperature shim set 3 that is under control of a magnetic field corrector 6. RF pulses having a frequency corresponding to the intensity of the static field are applied to the sample 30, thus inducing a nuclear magnetic resonance.
In this experiment, the RF pulses are applied to the sample 30 within the sample tube 1 from the multiple-resonance NMR probe 4. In particular, pulsed signals from an oscillator 14 are selected from plural frequency bands (in the illustrated example, there are 3 bands) according to a nuclide within the sample 30 that is to be observed. The signals are amplified by power amplifiers 13, 15, and 16, respectively, which correspond to frequencies f1, f2, and f3, respectively. The outputs from the power amplifiers 13, 15, and 16 are supplied to the multiple-resonance NMR probe 4 via a duplexer 9 that switches the line between input and output. Thus, the RF pulses are applied to the sample 30.
The sample 30 produces an NMR signal having a resonance frequency intrinsic to the nuclide because of an NMR phenomenon. The NMR signal is picked up by the multiple-resonance NMR probe 4.
Where it is necessary to investigate the sample 30 at a given temperature, the temperature of the vicinities of the sample tube 1 within the multiple-resonance NMR probe 4 is controllably varied by a temperature-varying device 5 that is under control of a computer 7.
The NMR signal picked up by the multiple-resonance NMR probe 4 is fed to an amplifier 10 via the duplexer 9 and amplified. The signal is then converted into an audio frequency by a demodulator 11. The audio frequency is converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter (ADC) 12.
The digital signal is accepted into the computer 7 in this way. The computer 7 analyzes the signal and thus analyzes the sample 30. The results of the analysis are displayed on a display device 8. Consequently, the structure of the substance is investigated by the multiple-resonance NMR spectrometer.
FIG. 2A shows an RF resonant circuit incorporated in NMR probes. This prior-art example is an example of an unbalanced resonant circuit. This resonant circuit has a tuning capacitive element C1 for tuning, a variable capacitor that is an auxiliary tuning variable capacitive element for tuning, and a variable capacitor that is a tuning variable capacitive element for matching. To avoid interference between the tuning matching portion and the sample coil portion, the sample coil portion is electromagnetically shielded from the tuning matching portion by a conductive support that is at ground potential. Two lead wires are brought out from the sample coil portion via two small holes formed in the support. One of the lead wires is connected with a conductive frame, which surrounds the NMR probe and is at ground potential. Since this resonant circuit is an unbalanced circuit, the amplitude of the RF magnetic field maximizes at the upper end of the sample coil and decreases down to zero at the lower end of the sample coil.
The prior-art example of FIG. 2B is an example of balanced resonant circuit. The resonant circuit has tuning capacitive elements C1 and C2 for tuning, a variable capacitor that is an auxiliary tuning variable capacitive element for tuning, and a variable capacitor that is a variable capacitive element for matching. To avoid interference between the tuning matching portion and the sample coil portion, the sample coil portion is electromagnetically shielded from the tuning matching portion by a conductive support that is at ground potential. Two lead wires are brought out from the sample coil portion via two small holes formed in the support. One of the lead wires is connected with the tuning matching circuit. The other lead wire is connected with a conductive frame at ground potential, the frame surrounding the NMR probe via the tuning capacitive element C2. Because the resonant circuit is a balanced circuit, the amplitude of the RF magnetic field maximizes at the upper and lower ends of the sample coil and becomes null at the center of the sample coil.
When the tuning range of this RF resonant circuit is extended, the capacitive element C1 or C2 is removed and replaced with another element, such as a capacitive element, having a different capacitance or an inductive element (such as a coil). This replacement is performed by inserting or withdrawing a stick, or a shaft, having an element attached to its front end (see Japanese Utility-Model Laid-Open No. H2-45477 and Japanese Utility-Model Laid-Open No. H3-10282) instead of by soldering.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show devices each of which is equipped with multiple elements to automate the insertion and withdrawal described above. The device of the type shown in FIG. 3 is applied to an unbalanced resonant circuit, such as prior-art as shown in FIG. 2A. This device is used to replace the tuning capacitive element C1 by another element. The replacing element is disposed on a disk mounted on a rotary shaft. The element C1 is replaced by another element by rotating the disk. This shifts the resonance frequency of the unbalanced resonant circuit, such as prior-art shown in FIG. 2A, thus widening the tuning range (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H3-223686).
On the other hand, the device of the type shown in FIG. 4 is applied to a balanced resonant circuit, such as prior-art example 2 of FIG. 2B. This device is used to replace the pair of tuning capacitive elements C1 and C2 by other elements. A replacing pair of elements is disposed on a rectangular slider that is mounted on a rail. The pair of the elements C1 and C2 is replaced by another element pair by causing the slider to slide. This shifts the resonance frequency of the balanced resonant circuit, such as prior-art shown in FIG. 2B, extending the tuning range.
These elements are sufficiently spaced from each other to prevent electric discharging between the elements.
One problem with the multi-element switched NMR probe as described above is that it cannot be applied to a balanced resonant circuit because elements are replaced one by one, for example, in the case of the structure of FIG. 3, though the probe can be applied to an unbalanced resonant circuit. Furthermore, the disk plane is perpendicular to the static magnetic field and so eddy currents are produced within the disk plane during rotation. The resulting local magnetic fields adversely affect the NMR lock. Therefore, when the disk is rotating, limitations occur. That is, the loop of the NMR lock cannot be closed. No measurements can be made. The resolution cannot be altered. As a result, improvement of the throughput of high-speed processing tends to be hindered.
On the other hand, in the case of the structure of FIG. 4, parasitic inductance is induced in the longitudinal direction and so, in this system, the resonance frequency of the switching mechanism itself can be increased only up to about 100 MHz. In a high magnetic field NMR spectrometer of the order of hundreds of MHz, the performance suffers from fatal degradation. In high magnetic field NMR spectroscopy, the resonance frequency of 1H nucleus has today reached a value corresponding to 920 MHz. There is a difference of more than 600 MHz when viewed from lower magnetic field NMR spectroscopy corresponding to 300 MHz. Incidentally, the resonance frequency of 31P nucleus corresponds to 243 MHz in a 600 MHz NMR spectrometer. Where the slider method is implemented, a limitation has been already reached. This leads to deterioration of the performance.
When the slider method is implemented, elements are made to slide on the rail. Therefore, the resistive component of the conductor corresponding to the contact resistance and the total length of the line is increased extremely. This gives rise to a decrease in the Q value of the circuit. That is, the resistance value is hundreds of mΩ to orders of Ω. A Q value of the order of hundreds is inevitably produced. Furthermore, parasitic inductance of from more than ten nH to tens of nH is produced. This produces parasitic resonance interfering with the circuitry for nuclides in the HF region (such as 1H and 19F) that is natural to an NMR detector. Consequently, the performance on the HF side is seriously affected adversely.
More specifically, parasitic inductance of 10 nH and stray capacitance of 4 pF together produce parasitic resonance of about 800 MHz. Parasitic inductance of 10 nH and stray capacitance of 10 pF together produce parasitic resonance of about 500 MHz. Parasitic inductance of 30 nH and stray capacitance of 10 pF together produce parasitic resonance of about 300 MHz. Unwanted signals produced by such parasitic resonances must be eliminated as ghost signals. If such ghost signals increase in number, the operator cannot help neglecting the effects on nuclides other than the main nuclides.
Besides, there are other problems. (i) The slider unavoidably uses a synthetic resin, increasing the background signal. (ii) When each element is made to slide on the rail, electromagnetic noises are produced. (iii) Since the rail is long, wavelength resonance tends to be produced. Incidentally, a quarter wavelength resonance at 800 MHz occurs at about 90 mm. (iv) Electromagnetic radiation from under the NMR detector is promoted.


A voltage interpolation circuit for a digital-to-analog converter comprises a differential amplifier with composite input devices, each of which is composed of multiple active subtransistors. Interpolation is effected between a first voltage and a second voltage by selectively connecting the gates of the active subtransistors in one of the composite devices to either the first voltage or the second voltage. Each active subtransistor operates in conjunction with a voltage-controlled degeneration subtransistor to form a functional subtransistor pair. Using the nonlinear conductance characteristic of MOS devices operated in the triode region, the transconductance of each functional subtransistor pair is modulated in such a way as to be made relatively insensitive to changes in effective gate-to-source voltage V.sub.GS ', so that the interpolation circuit produces equally sized interpolated voltage steps at an analog output.

This invention relates to digital-to-analog converters, and more particularly, to improved interpolation circuits for use in digital-to-analog converters.
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,245 shows a digital-to-analog converter that uses an interpolation circuit to provide an accurate analog output voltage in response to a digital control word. The digital-to-analog converter in the '245 patent divides the digital control word into two parts. The most significant subword controls the selection of a pair of voltages (V.sub.1 and V.sub.2), which bracket the desired output voltage. The least significant subword controls a bank of switches connected to an interpolation circuit that interpolates between V.sub.1 and V.sub.2 to generate the desired output voltage.
The interpolation circuit has a differential transconductance stage with inputs formed from composite transistors. Each composite transistor has a number of subtransistors. The switches selectively connect the gates of the subtransistors to either V.sub.1 or V.sub.2. The analog output voltage is increased by a given step size whenever one of the gates is switched from V.sub.1 to V.sub.2, where V.sub.2 is larger than V.sub.1. Whenever one of the gates is switched from V.sub.2 to V.sub.1, the output decreases by the same step size.
Although the interpolation circuit of the '245 patent is generally satisfactory, the interpolation voltage steps produced by that circuit are not always of precisely equal size, which can lead to error. The source of the variation in step size is the variation in transconductance of the subtransistors which occurs when some of the subtransistor gates are connected to V.sub.1 while others are connected to V.sub.2. As the subtransistor gates of some of the subtransistors are switched from V.sub.1 to V.sub.2, the gate-to-source voltages (V.sub.GS) of the unswitched subtransistors increase. This causes an increase in drain current and causes the transconductances of the unswitched subtransistors to increase. As a result of the increased transconductances of the unswitched subtransistors, when the gates of the unswitched subtransistors are subsequently switched from V.sub.1 to V.sub.2, the interpolation voltage step size is larger than it was when previous subtransistors were switched.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved voltage interpolation circuit for a digital-to-analog converter.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a voltage interpolation circuit that generates voltage interpolation steps of substantially equal size.

Interpolation circuit for digital-to-analog converter