A method for evaluating head flight characteristics in a disc drive includes accelerating a disc to an initial rotational velocity sufficient to aerodynamically support a head over the disc at a nominal flying height. A read bias current is applied to the head to generate a readback signal determined in relation to the voltage drop across the head. A thermal asperity threshold level is applied which the readback signal exceeds in response to contact between the head and the disc as the disc rotates. A head touchdown velocity is determined by decelerating the disc to decrease the flying height of the head and detecting subsequent contact between the head and the disc when the readback signal exceeds the thermal asperity threshold level. A head take off velocity is similarly determined by monitoring the head readback signal as the disc is accelerated and lifts off the disc.

This invention relates generally to the field of disc drive storage devices, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to improvements in the detection of head flight characteristics in a disc drive.
Disc drives are commonly used as the primary data storage and retrieval devices in modem computer systems. In a typical disc drive, user data are magnetically stored on one or more discs that are rotated at a constant high speed and accessed by a rotary actuator assembly having a plurality of read/write heads that fly adjacent the surfaces of the discs.
When the disc drive is deactivated, the heads are typically moved from an aerodynamically supported position over data recording portions of the discs and brought to rest onto texturized landing zone portions of the discs. More particularly, the heads are said to xe2x80x9ctouchdownxe2x80x9d onto the landing zones as the disc rotational velocity decreases to a level just insufficient to continue to aerodynamically support the heads. Once the heads are located over the landing zones, a latch secures the actuator assembly to prevent inadvertent movement of the heads out onto the data recording portions of the disc as a result of a mechanical shock to the deactivated disc drive.
Upon subsequent reinitialization of the drive, current is applied to a spindle motor to accelerate the discs to operational velocity and the heads xe2x80x9ctakeoffxe2x80x9d from the landing zones when the velocity of the discs reach a sufficient takeoff velocity just sufficient to aerodynamically support the heads. The actuator assembly is thereafter unlatched and the heads are moved out over the data recording portions for normal disc drive operation.
It is desirable for a variety of reasons to determine with some precision the respective disc velocities at which the heads take off and touchdown. Heads are typically mounted on xe2x80x9csliderxe2x80x9d assemblies which provide the requisite aerodynamic features that enable the heads to fly above the disc surfaces; hence, head take off and touchdown information is useful in evaluating the performance of various alternative slider designs. Moreover, since disc drives typically use the spindle motors as generators when power is removed from the drives and use this derived power to quickly move the heads to a latched position over the landing zones before the discs come to rest, information regarding head take off and touchdown characteristics is invaluable in configuring the deinitialization operation of new drive designs. Another area where head flight characteristics are periodically measured is during extended reliability testing where a population of drives is operated over a long period of time to observe changes in operational performance.
One prior art approach to determining head take off and touchdown information involves the use of an acoustic emissions (AE) sensor which basically comprises a tiny microphone (transducer) that is bonded to the actuator assembly near the heads. Since a great deal of audible noise is generated as the heads drag along the discs (before take off), and this noise is removed when the heads subsequently separate from the discs, the AE sensor has been used to detect this change in acoustic output and correlate this change to the rotational velocity of the discs.
While operable, this and other similar prior art approaches have suffered from various drawbacks. Insertion of an AE sensor requires that the protective housing surrounding the discs and heads be opened, both allowing for the introduction of contaminants into the housing as well as altering the mechanical configuration of the disc drive. Moreover, the bonding of the extraneous sensor to the actuator assembly, usually carried out using an adhesive, provides additional risk of contamination to the disc drive, and adversely introducing uncertainties in the observed data.
Accordingly, there is a need for improvements in the art to enable disc drive manufacturers to evaluate head flight characteristics in a noninvasive and easily implementable manner. It is to such improvements that the present invention is directed.
The present invention is directed to a method for evaluating head flight characteristics in a disc drive.
In accordance with preferred embodiments, a methodology is first presented to identify a head touchdown velocity. A disc of a disc drive is first accelerated to an initial rotational velocity sufficient to aerodynamically support a head over the disc at a nominal flying height. Next, an appropriate read bias current of selected magnitude is applied to a read element of the head to generate a readback signal determined in relation to voltage drop across the read element. A thermal asperity threshold level is also selected and applied which the readback signal exceeds in response to contact between the head and the disc as the disc rotates.
Thereafter, the head touchdown velocity is determined as a velocity just insufficient to aerodynamically support the head by decelerating the disc to decrease the flying height of the head and detecting subsequent contact between the head and the disc when the readback signal exceeds the thermal asperity threshold level.
Further, a methodology is provided to determine a head take off velocity. First, rotation of the disc is initiated while the head remains in contact with the disc. Next, appropriate read bias currents and thermal asperity threshold levels are selected and applied. The head takeoff velocity is thereafter determined as a velocity just sufficient to aerodynamically support the head by detecting lift off of the head from the disc as the readback signal falls below the thermal asperity threshold level.
With knowledge of the head take off and touchdown velocities, the distances (in disc revolutions) that the head remains in contact with the disc before take off and after touchdown can be determined.
These and various other features as well as advantages which characterize the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.

Head flight characterization using thermal asperity detection


Embodiments relate to counter-based wide fetch management. An aspect includes assigning a counter to a first memory region in a main memory that is allocated to a first application that is executed by a processor of a computer. Another aspect includes maintaining, by the counter, a count of a number of times adjacent cache lines in the cache memory that correspond to the first memory region are touched by the processor. Another aspect includes determining an update to a data fetch width indicator corresponding to the first memory region based on the counter. Another aspect includes sending a hardware notification from a counter management module to supervisory software of the computer of the update to the data fetch width indicator. Yet another aspect includes updating, by the supervisory software, the data fetch width indicator of the first memory region in the main memory based on the hardware notification.

The present invention relates generally to computer systems, and more specifically, to counter-based wide fetch management in a computer system.
In the field of computing, a cache is a small, fast memory or storage device used to store data or instructions that were accessed recently, are accessed frequently, or are likely to be accessed in the future, by a processor. Reading from or writing to a cache is typically cheaper (in terms of access time and/or resource utilization) than accessing other memory or storage devices in a computer system. Once data is fetched from main memory and stored in the cache, the data can be accessed in the cache instead of re-fetching the data from main memory, saving both time and resources. A cache is made up of units of storage referred to as cache lines having a cache line size, and each cache line has an associated cache tag that references the cache line. Data may be fetched from the main memory in units equal to the cache line size for installation in the cache.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A communication device and method for providing progressive alert indications includes a first step of storing at least one alert indication in the communication device. The alert indication can include ring tones, vibrations, and lights. A next step includes detecting an incoming call to the communication device. A next step includes generating a progression of alert indications wherein each alert indication in the progression is different from the previous alert indication. The progression can include escalating loudness, repetitions, vibrations, lighting, or provide different ring tones. A next step includes terminating the progressive alert indications upon reaching a predefined maximum number of alerts and repeating the last alert indication for all subsequent alert indications.

Communication devices, such as wireline telephones, cordless telephones, and mobile or portable radio communication devices (e.g. cellular telephones), all use alert indications of some type to notify a user that there is an incoming call. Typically, these alert indications include a ring tone or a vibration that is repeated at periodic intervals. For example, a bell tone can be sounded for one second followed by silence for one second, which is repeated until the incoming call is answered. With more advanced electronics, it is now possible for a user to provide their own recorded audible alert (e.g., music, tones, voice, etc.) that can be stored in their telephone to use as an alert indication. In each case, the same alert indication is repeated periodically until the call is answer.
A problem arises in situations where a user does not hear the first alert indication from an incoming call. For example, this can occur when someone is entering a house while the phone is ringing, or someone does not notice a vibration of a cellular phone if that phone is not actually on their person. In these cases, the user is not aware of how long the phone has been ringing and must quickly decide whether to hurry to answer the call before the caller hangs up the call or until a recoding device answers the call. This creates a stressful situation for many people. One solution to the problem, in the case of cellular phones with a vibratory alert mode, is to program the phone to vibrate first, and then use repetitive ring tones thereafter. However, this solution only really addresses the problem of whether a user can feel a vibratory alert. It does not address how a user can tell how long the phone has been ringing after the first alert since the subsequent ring tones are all the same.
What is needed is a solution that will give a user the ability to quickly detect how long a telephone has been ringing, wherein the user can decide whether to rush to answer the telephone or not. It would also be of benefit to provide this solution easily without adding significantly to the hardware or cost of the telephone.

Progressive alert indications in a communication device


A surge r or network comprises a substrate layer having a first thick film resistive element, a dielectric layer covering the first thick film resistive element and a second thick film resistive element applied to the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer has a pair of vias that extend therethrough so that the first resistive element is electrically connected to the second resistive element through the vias. A pair of electrical terminals are coupled to the first resistive layer at the substrate. The first resistive element comprises a first pair of unconnected adjacent tracks that each spiral respectively inward in a serpentine pattern. Each one of the tracks has an electrical pad disposed at a first end thereof for attachment to respective ones of the pair of electrical terminals. A second end of the tracks is disposed at a center of each serpentine pattern. The second resistive element comprises a second pair of adjacent tracks that each spiral respectively outward in a serpentine pattern. Each one of the second pair of tracks are coupled to respective ones of the vias at respective ends thereof at a center of each serpentine pattern. The second pairs of tracks are joined together at a trim region disposed between the adjacent tracks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to resistor networks, and more particularly, to a multilayer thick film resistor network adapted for surge protection applications.
2. Description of Related Art
Resistors are electronic devices that oppose current flow without causing any phase shift to a propagating electrical signal. Traditionally, resistors were individually packaged using axial electrical leads that permit the resistor to be electrically connected to other circuit elements, such as to a printed circuit board. In the last several years, however, it has become increasingly common to include multiple resistors within a single package. In such packages, referred to as resistor networks, the resistors may either be isolated from each other or internally connected together or to a common terminal pin. Examples of common resistor network packaging include single in-line packages (SIP) and dual in-line packages (DIP) used for through-hole or socket mounting onto a printed circuit board, or flat-pack and leadless chip configurations used for surface mounting onto a printed circuit board. Resistor networks enable manufacturers to minimize space and routing problems, reduce manufacturing cost per installed resistive function, and increase circuit board yields and reliability by reducing component counts.
In the telecommunications industry, resistors are used to provide protection to sensitive circuitry that may be exposed to electrical surges resulting from lightning and/or commercial power system disturbances. A surge is defined as a high-energy, short-duration voltage, current or power pulse. Despite the presence of protective devices in a telephone network that limit the effects of such surges, a portion of these disturbances may be impressed on the network equipment. If a telephone network is not properly protected against surges, the consequences may include permanent damage to internal network components and temporary instability to a telephone system. For this reason, surge resistors are commonly used in telephone networks as well as within television, facsimile, computers and other data processing equipment.
A surge resistor network provides a pair of resistors that respectively limit surge current into the tip and ring telecommunication terminals. The impedance value of the resistors is selected so as to not degrade the operating signal on the protected line, but must be high enough to ensure protection. In order to satisfy accepted telecommunications industry standards, such as IEC 801-5, ANSI/IEEE C62.41 and Bellcore TR-NWT-001089, the resistors must be capable of dissipating high energy for a short period of time. It is advantageous to include the pair of resistors within a single resistor network package in order to achieve better impedance matching between the resistors for noise reduction purposes, in addition to the other advantages of resistor networks described above.
There is a continuing need throughout the electronics industry to reduce device dimensions without impacting device functionality. In this regard, most sectors of the electronics industry have witnessed rapid advancements in miniaturization, particularly in the area of integrated circuits. In contrast, surge resistor networks have not benefited to the same degree as other electronic devices from such advances in miniaturization due to the need to maintain resistor surge characteristics that depend directly on device width and trace separation. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a surge resistor network having a reduced physical size without compromising device capability.

Multilayer thick film surge resistor network


The present invention provides a screw device which takes a heavy load in one direction along the axis of the screw shaft and only a light load in the opposite direction, the screw device capable of providing ease of control of preloading.

A ball screw having balls movably deposited between a screw shaft and a nut has been in the actual use in various fields such as a positioning mechanism of a machine tool, a vehicle steering, a guide device, a motion screw and the like, since the ball screw enables reduction of a friction coefficient in rotating the screw shaft relative to the nut, as compared with a sliding contact-type screw. In the ball screw, the screw shaft has a spiral ball rolling groove formed thereon and the nut also has a ball rolling groove formed thereon. The ball rolling groove of the screw shaft and the ball rolling groove of the nut are aligned to form a path, in which a plurality of balls is arranged. In the nut, there is formed a circulation path for circulating the balls.
Meanwhile, recently in order to increase the allowable load, there is devised a roller screw using rollers as rolling elements, instead of balls, though the roller screw is not yet in the actual use. In this roller screw, the screw shaft has, instead of the ball rolling groove, a roller rolling groove formed thereon for rolling the rollers, and the nut also has a roller rolling groove formed thereon for rolling the rollers. As each of the rollers is in line contact with the roller rolling grooves, the allowable load of the roller screw can be made higher than that of the ball screw in which each ball is in point contact with the ball rolling grooves.
In use of a screw device, there is a case where the screw device bears a heavy load in one direction along the axis of the screw shaft and only as light a load as self weight in the opposite direction. For example, in an injection molding machine, when liquid (fluidized) resin is injected into a mold with any pressing device, a load of tens of tons is applied to a screw device in the axial direction. When the pressing device is pulled back, as small a load as the pressing device is only applied to the screw device. Also in a press machine, when a mold is pressed with high pressure against materials, a heavy load is applied to a screw device in the axial direction. However, when the mold is separated away from the materials, as small a load as the weight of the mold is only applied to the screw device.
When the screw device is used as one bearing a heavy load only in one direction along the axis of the screw shaft, the screw device cannot be a ball screw because in the ball screw, each ball is in point contact with the ball rolling grooves of the screw shaft and the nut and this point contact makes it difficult to increase the allowable load of the ball screw. On the other hand, the allowable load of the roller screw is allowed to be increased unlike the ball screw, and the roller screw is suitable for use as the screw device bearing a heavy load in one direction along the axis of the screw shaft.
There is known a screw device using both rollers and balls as rolling elements, in which two grooves are formed on each of the screw shaft and the nut, one groove for receiving rollers and the other groove, adjacent to the one groove, for receiving balls (see Patent document 1, paragraphs [0030]-[0033]). In this screw device, the rollers arranged in the one groove are subjected to a heavy "outward" load and the balls arranged in the other groove are subjected to a low "return" load.    [Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2004-138136

Screw device and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract: The screw device of the present invention has a screw shaft 1 with an outer surface having a ball rolling groove 1a for rolling balls 7 and a roller rolling groove 1b for rolling rollers 6 both spirally formed thereon; a ball nut 4 with an inner surface having a ball rolling groove 4a spirally formed thereon facing the ball rolling groove 1a of the screw shaft 1; a roller nut 5 with an inner surface having a roller rolling groove 5a spirally formed thereon facing the roller rolling groove 1b of the screw shaft 1; a plurality of balls 7 arranged between the screw shaft 1 and the ball nut 4; and a plurality of rollers 6 arranged between the screw shaft 1 and the roller nut 5. The ball nut 4 and the roller nut 5 are connected along an axis of the screw shaft 1.


A computer graphics system that utilizes a super-sampled sample buffer and a programmable sample-to-pixel calculation unit for refreshing the display, wherein the graphics system may adjust filtering to reduce artifacts or implement display effects. In one embodiment, the graphics system may have a graphics processor, a super-sampled sample buffer, and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit. The graphics processor renders a plurality of samples and stores them into a sample buffer. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit reads the samples from the super-sampled sample buffer and filters or convolves the samples into respective output pixels which are then provided to refresh the display. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may selectively adjust the filtering of stored samples to reduce artifacts, e.g., is operable to selectively adjust the filtering of stored samples in neighboring frames to reduce artifacts between the neighboring frames. The filter adjustment may be applied where the sample-to-pixel calculation unit generates output pixels at the same rate as the graphics processor rendering samples to the sample buffer, or at a different (e.g., higher) rate than the render rate. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit is operable to adjust filtering of stored samples to implement a display effect, such as panning, zooming, rotation, or moving scenes, among others. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may also selectively adjust the filtering of stored samples on a fractional-pixel boundary.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of computer graphics and, more particularly, to high performance graphics systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
A computer system typically relies upon its graphics system for producing visual output on the computer screen or display device. Early graphics systems were only responsible for taking what the processor produced as output and displaying it on the screen. In essence, they acted as simple translators or interfaces. Modern graphics systems, however, incorporate graphics processors with a great deal of processing power. They now act more like coprocessors rather than simple translators. This change is due to the recent increase in both the complexity and amount of data being sent to the display device. For example, modern computer displays have many more pixels, greater color depth, and are able to display more complex images with higher refresh rates than earlier models. Similarly, the images displayed are now more complex and may involve advanced techniques such as anti-aliasing and texture mapping.
As a result, without considerable processing power in the graphics system, the CPU would spend a great deal of time performing graphics calculations. This could rob the computer system of the processing power needed for performing other tasks associated with program execution and thereby dramatically reduce overall system performance. With a powerful graphics system, however, when the CPU is instructed to draw a box on the screen, the CPU is freed from having to compute the position and color of each pixel. Instead, the CPU may send a request to the video card stating xe2x80x9cdraw a box at these coordinates.xe2x80x9d The graphics system then draws the box, freeing the processor to perform other tasks.
Generally, a graphics system in a computer (also referred to as a graphics system) is a type of video adapter that contains its own processor to boost performance levels. These processors are specialized for computing graphical transformations, so they tend to achieve better results than the general-purpose CPU used by the computer system. In addition, they free up the computer""s CPU to execute other commands while the graphics system is handling graphics computations. The popularity of graphical applications, and especially multimedia applications, has made high performance graphics systems a common feature of computer systems. Most computer manufacturers now bundle a high performance graphics system with their systems.
Since graphics systems typically perform only a limited set of functions, they may be customized and therefore are far more efficient at graphics operations than the computer""s general-purpose central processor. While early graphics systems were limited to performing two-dimensional (2D) graphics, their functionality has increased to support three-dimensional (3D) wire-frame graphics, 3D solids, and now includes support for three-dimensional (3D) graphics with textures and special effects such as advanced shading, fogging, alpha-blending, and specular highlighting.
The processing power of 3D graphics systems has been improving at a breakneck pace. A few years ago, shaded images of simple objects could only be rendered at a few frames per second, while today""s systems support rendering of complex objects at 60 Hz or higher. At this rate of increase, in the not too distant future, graphics systems will literally be able to render more pixels than a single human""s visual system can perceive. While this extra performance may be useable in multiple-viewer environments, it may be wasted in more common primarily single-viewer environments. Thus, a graphics system is desired which is capable of matching the variable nature of the human resolution system (i.e., capable of putting the quality where it is needed or most perceivable).
While the number of pixels is an important factor in determining graphics system performance, another factor of equal import is the quality of the image. For example, an image with a high pixel density may still appear unrealistic if edges within the image are too sharp or jagged (also referred to as xe2x80x9caliasedxe2x80x9d). One well-known technique to overcome these problems is anti-aliasing. Anti-aliasing involves smoothing the edges of objects by shading pixels along the borders of graphical elements. More specifically, anti-aliasing entails removing higher frequency components from an image before they cause disturbing visual artifacts. For example, anti-aliasing may soften or smooth high contrast edges in an image by forcing certain pixels to intermediate values (e.g., around the silhouette of a bright object superimposed against a dark background).
Another visual effect used to increase the realism of computer images is alpha blending. Alpha blending is a technique that controls the transparency of an object, allowing realistic rendering of translucent surfaces such as water or glass. Another effect used to improve realism is fogging. Fogging obscures an object as it moves away from the viewer. Simple fogging is a special case of alpha blending in which the degree of alpha changes with distance so that the object appears to vanish into a haze as the object moves away from the viewer. This simple fogging may also be referred to as xe2x80x9cdepth cueingxe2x80x9d or atmospheric attenuation, i.e., lowering the contrast of an object so that it appears less prominent as it recedes. More complex types of fogging go beyond a simple linear function to provide more complex relationships between the level of translucence and an object""s distance from the viewer. Current state of the art software systems go even further by utilizing atmospheric models to provide low-lying fog with improved realism.
While the techniques listed above may dramatically improve the appearance of computer graphics images, they also have certain limitations. In particular, they may introduce their own aberrations and are typically limited by the density of pixels displayed on the display device.
As a result, a graphics system is desired which is capable of utilizing increased performance levels to increase not only the number of pixels rendered but also the quality of the image rendered. In addition, a graphics system is desired which is capable of utilizing increases in processing power to improve the results of graphics effects such as anti-aliasing.
Prior art graphics systems have generally fallen short of these goals. Prior art graphics systems use a conventional frame buffer for refreshing pixel/video data on the display. The frame buffer stores rows and columns of pixels that exactly correspond to respective row and column locations on the display. Prior art graphics system render 2D and/or 3D images or objects into the frame buffer in pixel form, and then read the pixels from the frame buffer during a screen refresh to refresh the display. Thus, the frame buffer stores the output pixels that are provided to the display. To reduce visual artifacts that may be created by refreshing the screen at the same time the frame buffer is being updated, most graphics systems"" frame buffers are double-buffered.
To obtain more realistic images, some prior art graphics systems have gone further by generating more than one sample per pixel. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9csamplexe2x80x9d refers to calculated color information that indicates the color, depth (z), transparency, and potentially other information, of a particular point on an object or image. For example a sample may comprise the following component values: a red value, a green value, a blue value, a z value, and an alpha value (e.g., representing the transparency of the sample). A sample may also comprise other information, e.g., a z-depth value, a blur value, an intensity value, brighter-than-bright information, and an indicator that the sample consists partially or completely of control information rather than color information (i.e., xe2x80x9csample control informationxe2x80x9d). By calculating more samples than pixels (i.e., super-sampling), a more detailed image is calculated than can be displayed on the display device. For example, a graphics system may calculate four samples for each pixel to be output to the display device. After the samples are calculated, they are then combined or filtered to form the pixels that are stored in the frame buffer and then conveyed to the display device. Using pixels formed in this manner may create a more realistic final image because overly abrupt changes in the image may be smoothed by the filtering process.
These prior art super-sampling systems typically generate a number of samples that are far greater than the number of pixel locations on the display. These prior art systems typically have rendering processors that calculate the samples and store them into a render buffer. Filtering hardware then reads the samples from the render buffer, filters the samples to create pixels, and then stores the pixels in a traditional frame buffer. The traditional frame buffer is typically double-buffered, with one side being used for refreshing the display device while the other side is updated by the filtering hardware. Once the samples have been filtered, the resulting pixels are stored in a traditional frame buffer that is used to refresh the display device. These systems, however, have generally suffered from limitations imposed by the conventional frame buffer and by the added latency caused by the render buffer and filtering. Therefore, an improved graphics system is desired which includes the benefits of pixel super-sampling while avoiding the drawbacks of the conventional frame buffer.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/251,453 titled xe2x80x9cGraphics System With Programmable Real-Time Sample Filteringxe2x80x9d discloses a computer graphics system that utilizes a super-sampled sample buffer and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit for refreshing the display. The graphics processor generates a plurality of samples and stores them into a sample buffer. The graphics processor preferably generates and stores more than one sample for at least a subset of the pixel locations on the display. Thus, the sample buffer is a super-sampled sample buffer which stores a number of samples that may be far greater than the number of pixel locations on the display. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit is configured to read the samples from the super-sampled sample buffer and filter or convolve the samples into respective output pixels, wherein the output pixels are then provided to refresh the display. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit selects one or more samples and filters them to generate an output pixel. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may operate to obtain samples and generate pixels which are provided directly to the display with no frame buffer therebetween.
It would be desirable to use this improved graphics architecture to provide further improved display capabilities, including reduced artifacts, such as when the render rate differs from the pixel generation rate, as well as improved display effects, such as panning, zooming and the like, including 2D panning and zooming as well as 3D movement, e.g., position and rotation changes, around a camera""s first nodal point.
The present invention comprises a computer graphics system that utilizes a super-sampled sample buffer and a programmable sample-to-pixel calculation unit for refreshing the display, wherein the graphics system may adjust sample filtering to reduce artifacts or implement display effects. In one embodiment, the graphics system may have a graphics processor, a super-sampled sample buffer, and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit. The graphics processor generates a plurality of samples and stores them into a sample buffer. The graphics processor preferably generates and stores more than one sample for at least a subset of the pixel locations on the display. Thus, the sample buffer is a super-sampled sample buffer which stores a number of samples that, in some embodiments, may be far greater than the number of pixel locations on the display. In other embodiments, the total number of samples may be closer to, equal to, or even less than the total number of pixel locations on the display device, but the samples may be more densely positioned in certain areas and less densely positioned in other areas.
The sample-to-pixel calculation unit is configured to read the samples from the super-sampled sample buffer and filter or convolve the samples into respective output pixels, wherein the output pixels are then provided to refresh the display. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit selects one or more samples and filters them to generate an output pixel. Note the number of samples selected and/or filtered by the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may be one or, in the preferred embodiment, greater than one.
The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may access the samples from the super-sampled sample buffer, perform a filtering operation, and then provide the resulting output pixels directly to the display, preferably in real-time. The graphics system may operate without a conventional frame buffer, i.e., the graphics system may not utilize a conventional frame buffer which stores the actual pixel values that are being refreshed on the display. Note some displays may have internal frame buffers, but these are considered an integral part of the display device, not the graphics system. Thus, the sample-to-pixel calculation units may calculate each pixel for each screen refresh on a real time basis or on an on-the-fly basis.
In one embodiment, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit is operable to adjust the filtering of stored samples to reduce or adjust artifacts, e.g., is operable to selectively adjust the filtering of stored samples in neighboring frames to reduce artifacts between the neighboring frames. For example, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may select and filter a first set of stored samples to generate first output pixels for display using a first filter, and may later select and filter a second set of stored samples to generate second output pixels for display using a second filter different than the first filter. In one embodiment, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may selectively adjust the filtering of stored samples in neighboring frames by simulation of various screen effects or display effects, such as panning, zooming and the like, including 2D panning and zooming as well as 3D movement, e.g., position and rotation changes, around a camera""s first nodal point, for reduced artifacts.
The sample-to-pixel calculation unit preferably selectively adjusts center locations (centers) in the sample buffer where the filter (e.g., a convolution filter) is applied during filtering of stored samples to reduce artifacts. The center locations where the convolution filter is applied correspond to the centers of the output pixels being generated. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit includes address generator logic for generating addresses corresponding to the center locations, wherein the convolution filter is applied to these center locations in generating output pixels for display. The address generator logic is programmable to generate addresses at selected sub-pixel positions corresponding to the desired centers. In the preferred embodiment, the beginning sub-pixel position address generated by the address generator logic is programmable, and the pixel step size may remain constant. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit is operable to selectively adjust the center locations where the filter is applied in one or more of the x or y direction, and may adjust the center locations of the filter by a sub-pixel distance. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may utilize a convolution filter in filtering the samples, or other types of filters.
In this embodiment, the sample buffer may store samples corresponding to an area greater then a viewable area of the display, and one or more samples from outside the (previously) viewable area of the display may be used in generation of output pixels according to the adjusted convolution centers. The graphics system may also be operable to selectively adjust video timing to compensate for the adjustment of the center locations of the convolution filter during filtering of stored samples.
The present invention may be applied where the sample-to-pixel calculation unit generates output pixels at the same rate as the graphics processor rendering samples to the sample buffer. For example, if a current set of stored samples is determined to be similar or identical to a previous set of stored samples that were previously used in generating output pixels in a previous frame, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may selectively adjust the filtering of the current set of stored samples in a current frame to reduce artifacts. Thus, if a set of stored samples has been previously used in generating first output pixels in a prior frame, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may selectively adjust the filtering of a similar set (or the same set) of stored samples to generate different pixels in a subsequent frame to reduce artifacts. Thus, in situations where the camera""s nodal point remains substantially fixed between neighboring frames, the present invention operates to effectively subtly vary the camera""s nodal point to remove any artifacts that may appear between neighboring frames.
The present invention also comprises a graphics system as described above, wherein the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may operate at a different (e.g., higher) rate than the render rate. For example, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may generate output pixels at a different rate than the graphics processor rendering samples to the sample buffer, e.g., the graphics processor is operable to render the plurality of samples to the sample buffer at a first rate, and the sample-to-pixel calculation unit is operable to generate output pixels at a second greater rate. This allows the convolve pipeline in the sample-to-pixel calculation unit to operate on-the-fly independent of the render rate. In this system, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit is operable to selectively adjust the filtering of stored samples between neighboring frames as described above to reduce artifacts. Thus, where a first set of stored samples is determined to have been previously used in generating output pixels in a prior frame, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit is operable to selectively adjust the filtering of the first set of stored samples in a current (or subsequent) frame to reduce artifacts. Thus, the samples may be created once, and then convolved two or more times with different filters to remove artifacts, until the graphics processor renders new samples into the sample buffer.
In another embodiment, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit is operable to adjust filtering of stored samples to implement a display effect. More particularly, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit is operable to selectively adjust the filtering of stored samples in neighboring frames to implement a display effect between the neighboring frames. The display effect may comprise panning, zooming, rotation, or moving scenes, among others, including 2D panning and zooming as well as 3D movement, e.g., position and rotation changes, around a camera""s first nodal point.
In this embodiment, the sample buffer may store samples corresponding to an area greater then a viewable area of the display, and one or more samples from outside the (previously) viewable area of the display may be used to implement the display effect. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may adjust filtering by adjusting one or more of the positions (centers) of pixels, the radius of the filter, and the pitch between pixels. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit may adjust filtering of stored samples to implement the display effect on a fractional-pixel boundary. For example, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may selectively adjust the filtering of stored samples in neighboring frames to effect panning or zooming between the neighboring frames on a fractional-pixel boundary.
One benefit of this invention is smoother panning or zooming when the samples are being rendered at a lesser rate than the convolve. For example, assume a situation where the camera is panning in a certain direction, or zooming in or out, and the samples are being rendered at half the rate of the convolve. In this instance, two convolve operations may be performed on the same data, and then a jump to the next pan position occurs in the next rendered frame. According to the present invention, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit may operate to adjust the convolution centers (e.g., move 10.5 pixels to the right) in the second convolution cycle to effect the pan operation, even though new data corresponding to the pan has not yet been rendered. Thus, if a display effect is desired, and if a first set of stored samples has been previously used in generating output pixels in a prior frame, the sample-to-pixel calculation unit is operable to selectively adjust the filtering of the first set of stored samples in a subsequent frame to implement the display effect in the subsequent frame.
A software program embodied on a computer medium and a method for operating a graphics subsystem are also contemplated. In one embodiment, the method comprises first calculating a plurality of sample locations, and then generating a sample for each sample pixel location. The samples may then be stored (e.g., into the super-sampled sample buffer). The sample locations may be specified according to any number of positioning or spacing schemes. The stored samples may then be selected and filtered to form output pixels, which are provided in real time directly to the display, preferably without being stored in a traditional frame buffer. The generation of output pixels may include selectively adjusting the filtering of stored samples to reduce artifacts or to generate display effects. The generation of output pixels may also operate at the same or a different rate than the render rate.

Graphics system having a super-sampled sample buffer with generation of output pixels using selective adjustment of filtering for reduced artifacts


The present invention provides a sintered magnet having superior residual magnetic flux density and coercive force. The sintered magnet of the present invention comprises a group of R-T-B based rare earth magnet crystal particles 2 having a core 4 and a shell 6 covering the core 4, the mass ratio of a heavy rare earth element in the shell 6 is higher than the mass ratio of a heavy rare earth element in the core 4, and the thickest part of the shell 6 in the crystal particles 2 faces a grain boundary triple junction 1. A lattice defect 3 is formed between the core 4 and the shell 6.

R-T-B based rare earth magnets containing a rare earth element R, a transition metal element T such as Fe or Co and boron B have superior magnetic properties. Numerous studies have conventionally been carried out in order to improve the residual magnetic flux density (Br) and coercive force (HcJ) of R-T-B based rare earth magnets (see, the following Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2). R-T-B based rare earth magnets are hereinafter sometimes referred to as "R-T-B based magnet".

Sintered magnet, motor, automobile, and method for producing sintered magnet


A target tubular member with flange, such as a bumper stay, has a flange having an outer diameter larger than the diameter of an axial section and is formed by electromagnetic forming without excessive expansion. The tubular member with flange includes an axial member made of a tubular aluminum alloy extrudate and a flange member joined to an end of the axial member. The axial member has an end flange being integrated at its end and having an area smaller than that of the flange member. The flange member has a hole, and a cylindrical hole flange at the edge of the hole. The axial member fits in the hole of the flange member, the end flange is in intimate contact with the flange member, and the outer periphery of a small-diameter portion of the axial member is in intimate contact with the inner periphery of the hole flange. The hole flange is held between the end flange and a protrusion. The tubular member with flange may be produced by inserting an untreated pipe into the hole of the flange member and expanding the untreated pipe by electromagnetic forming.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to axial members with flange having an axial section made of an aluminum alloy material and a mounting flange arranged at the end of the axial section, to connection members and to production methods of these members.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bumpers arranged at the front end (front) and the rear end (rear) of bodies of automobiles such as passenger cars and trucks have bumper reinforcements as reinforcing members inside thereof. Such a bumper reinforcement is generally a member which is hollow in cross section and includes a front wall and a rear wall pointing substantially perpendicular to a loading direction, and a horizontal wall connecting these walls. The bumper reinforcement is supported by a pair of bumper stays from the rear, and the respective bumper stays are fixed at their rear end to the front end of the side member (front or rear).
Aluminum bumper stays are roughly classified as bumper stays to be vertically crushed, and those to be horizontally crushed. With reference to FIG. 79(a), such a bumper stay to be vertically crushed includes an axial section 1 and sheet mounting flanges 2 and 3. The sheet mounting flanges 2 and 3 serve to mount a bumper reinforcement 4 and a side member 5 and are weld to the front and rear ends of a hollow extrudate constituting the axial section 1. This type of bumper stay has an extrusion axial direction pointing to a cross direction of a car body in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bumper reinforcement 4. With reference to FIG. 79(b), a bumper stay to be horizontally crushed includes an extrudate 6 and has an extrusion axial direction pointing to the vertical direction of a car body in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bumper reinforcement 4. The extrudate 6 integrally has mounting flanges 7 and 8 at the front and rear ends thereof. Examples of bumper stays to be horizontally crushed can be seen typically in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 08-91154, JP-A No. 2000-318552 and JP-A No. 2001-294106.
Bumper stays to be vertically crushed generally have a high production cost, since the constitutional three parts are integrated by welding. In addition, if a mounting section at the end of such bumper stays is inclined rearward with respect to a width direction of a car as shown in FIG. 79(a), the axial extrudate must be cut obliquely. This invites a decreased yield, an increased cutting cost and an increased welding cost. Bumper stays to be horizontally crushed are low in their production cost and can be easily produced even if the mounting section at the end of the bumper reinforcement is inclined or curved with respect to a width direction of a car. However, these bumper stays have a lower energy absorption per unit weight and lower effects in weight reduction than the bumper stays to be vertically crushed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2004-42066 describes a technique for forming mounting flanges 12 and 13 at both ends of an axial section 11 by electromagnetic forming, which axial section 11 is made of an aluminum alloy extrudate (tube), as shown in FIG. 79(c).
This article is produced in the following manner as shown in FIG. 80. Initially, an aluminum extrudate is cut to a predetermined length to form an untreated pipe 14, a mould 15 including plural mould parts is allowed to surround the untreated pipe 14 while the ends of the untreated pipe 14 are protruded from end faces (molding faces) 16 and 17 of the mould 15. An electromagnetic forming coil 18 is inserted into the untreated pipe 14, and an electric energy (charge) accumulated at a high voltage in the coil is instantaneously discharged to thereby produce the article. In the electromagnetic forming process, the electromagnetic forming coil 18 generates a strong magnetic field in a very short time as a result of application of electric energy, a work (article to be processed) placed in the magnetic field receives strong expansive force and/or contractive force by the action of a repulsive force of the magnetic field (the Lorentz force in accordance with the Fleming's left-hand rule) and is plastically deformed at high speed to thereby mold the work to a predetermined shape. In the illustrated example, the untreated pipe 14 in a region inside the end faces 16 and 17 expands outward in a radial direction by the action of the strong expansive force, is pressed to the inner face of a through hole 19. The untreated pipe 14 in a region outside the end faces 16 and 17 spreads and strikes against the end faces 16 and 17.
The electromagnetic forming can be applied even to the case where the work must be processed into a complicated shape, since the work is deformed at high speed. In addition, this technique enables a shape with good precision, since the work is pressed to the molding face of the mould to form a predetermined shape. Accordingly, flanges having various shapes corresponding to the shapes of the mounting faces can be obtained by allowing end faces (molding faces) 16 and 17 of the mould 15 to have appropriate corresponding shapes. Examples of possible flanges are a flange having a plane perpendicular to the axial direction (flange 13), as well as a flange having a plane oblique to the vertical plane to the axial direction (flange 12), and a flange having a curved face.
The electromagnetic forming itself has been known, as described typically in JP-A No. 58-4601, JP-A No. 06-312226, JP-A No. 07-116751, JP-A No. 2002-86228, and Search Report of Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, No. 150, "Plastic Working Using Magnetoelectric Force" (March 1990, published by the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, MITI, Japan)
In the conventional bumper stays to be vertically crushed, the three constitutional parts are weld at an intersection of the axial section and the flanges at which a load upon collision is most applied. Thus, they exhibit decreased properties of the materials, which may invite unexpectable decrease in energy absorption, in addition to the above-mentioned disadvantages.
This problem is solved by allowing both ends of a tubular aluminum alloy extrudate to expand typically by electromagnetic forming and thereby forming flanges integrally with the axial section. In this case, however, deformation of the flanges due to tensile force to a circumferential direction increases with approaching to the outside, which invites reduction in thickness and, in turn, invites cracking. This problem becomes more serious when the flanges have larger diameters as compared with the diameter of the axial section made of an aluminum alloy extrudate.
The cracking problem is specifically serious in the case of an aluminum alloy extrudate having a fiber structure. Such a fiber structure mainly includes grain boundaries in parallel with the extrusion direction, and molding force for expansion applied typically by electromagnetic forming acts in such a direction to break or tear the grain boundaries. In addition, an article having a fiber structure less elongates in a direction perpendicular to the extrusion direction. As is well known, an aluminum alloy extrudate having a fiber structure exhibits excellent crush properties in an axial direction and is highly useful as a bumper stay. However, such an aluminum alloy extrudate exhibits lower moldability in an expansion direction than an article including an equiaxial crystal, invites cracking specifically in the case where flanges are formed at ends thereof and thereby the flanges cannot significantly have sufficient sizes to be connected with a bumper reinforcement and a side member.
FIG. 81 illustrates the state where a flange 12 (and also a flange 13) formed by electromagnetic forming has a decreasing thickness toward the outside. As is illustrated in FIG. 81, the flange 12 has a varying thickness in a radial direction and a front 12a of the flange 12 is not flat even if an end face (molding face) 16 of a mould 15 is a flat plane. When the resulting flange 12 is fixed, for example, to a rear wall 4a of a bumper reinforcement 4, there is a gap G between the flange 12 and the rear wall 4a of the bumper reinforcement 4, as illustrated in FIG. 82. The gap G invites distortion of the flange 12 upon fixation with bolt and nut or by riveting, and invites a space between the fixed flange 12 and the rear wall 4a of the bumper reinforcement 7. This is also true for the case where the flange 13 is fixed to the tip of a side member. This problem becomes more serious when the flanges have larger outer diameters as compared with the diameter of the axial section made of an aluminum alloy extrudate.

Axial member with flange, connection member and production methods thereof


A method and apparatus for improving contact between a liquid and a reactant gas by moving the liquid in a serpentine path that moves horizontally and vertically through individual chambers or stations in an elongated tank or reactor and introducing a reactant gas into the liquid in one or more of the stations or chambers as the liquid moves through the tank or reactor.

The present invention pertains to continuous reactor processes and in particular the use of such reactors to effect reaction between a liquid and a reactant gas.
In the manufacture of precipitated calcium carbonate it is conventional to use a batch reactor, a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) or a pipe-line-type plug flow (PF) reactor to contact a liquid slurry of water and calcium hydroxide with carbon dioxide in order to synthesize precipitated calcium carbonate having particular characteristics.
Continuous stirred tank reactors rely upon a mechanical agitator and the introduction of the reactant gas directly into the liquid to achieve the desired reaction. The continuous stirred tank reactor is operated at predetermined temperatures, pressures and agitation rates in accord with the product being produced by the contact of a liquid with a reactant gas. Continuous stirred tank reactors are generally limited in size. In order to achieve increased system throughput or economics of scale, multiple reactors must be employed.
The plug flow reactor is generally a long tubular shape reactor filled with the liquid which is generally moving in a straight line direction into which the reactant gas is introduced. Plug flow reactors are generally expensive since they require a long pipe line and the use of a high purity gases in certain applications. Two reasons for using high purity gas are, to avoid slugging and to enable the use of smaller size pipe.
Numerous techniques have been used to produce precipitated calcium carbonate having a controlled particle size for use in various applications and in particular the treatment of papers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,538,802 discloses and claims a continuous process for producing precipitated calcium carbonate having a desired particle size range using a two-stage dual carbonator system. [Patentees give details of other reactors that were available at the time, i.e. prior to 1951.]
U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,926 discloses and claims a continuous process for producing precipitated calcium carbonate using an elongated reactor having dual screw type conveyors to move the slurry from the entry end to a discharge end of the reactor. Paddles and longitudinal blades are used to move the materials through the reactor in what patentees describe as a flow pattern "likened it to a rock and curve-bound stream wherein the stream flow is basically in one direction although the obstacles and curves create back flows, eddys and swirls which slow the rate of flow while keeping the entire stream in a constant state of agitation." Patentees also described the action as that of a "mechanically fluidized bed." The reactor is enclosed and carbon dioxide is introduced through the bottom of the reactor in what is called the carbonation zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,894 discloses and claims a multi-step, multi-vessel process for preparing precipitated calcium carbonate having less that a 0.1 μm particle size. Various processing parameters are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,160 discloses and claims using a stirred tank reactor for preparing various precipitated calcium carbonate products. The Patent discloses control of various parameters, e.g. pH, composition of the slurry, temperature, reacting gas purity, and the use of inhibitors to achieve the desired particle shape.
Other types of reactors which show varying types of flow to introduce a gaseous reactant into a slurry are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,000,953; 2,704,206; 3,045,984; 3,417,967; 3,856,270; 4,313,680; and 4,514,095. All of the foregoing reactors use complex mechanisms to provide a motion or direction change to a slurry moving through the reactor to enhance gas-liquid contact.
There is a need to provide for both improved processes for gas liquid contacting and improved apparatus that can be fabricated easily and economically to carry out such processes.

Method and apparatus for continuous gas liquid reactions


An automatic driving vehicle includes a touch panel that displays various buttons. An operator can input a drive control instruction in relation to the automatic driving vehicle, with the buttons displayed on the touch panel. In addition to the touch panel, the automatic driving vehicle includes a mechanical door switch for opening and closing an automatic door and a mechanical ramp switch for extending and retracting an automatic ramp, both being disposed spaced apart from the touch panel.

Conventionally, automatic driving vehicles adapted to automatic driving have been known. Automatic driving means that drive control including, for example, vehicle speed control or steering control is at least partially executed by a computer.
Conventionally, some automatic driving vehicles include a touch panel for giving a drive control instruction in relation to the automatic driving vehicle. For example, International Laid-Open Publication 2015/141308 discloses an automatic driving vehicle that includes a touch panel that enables designation of a running direction (going straight or turning right or left) of the automatic driving vehicle.
Here, an automatic driving vehicle may be used as a bus-type vehicle in which an operator who operates the automatic driving vehicle and many unspecified occupants ride. In such a case, the operator executes an opening/closing operation of an automatic door for occupants to get on or off the vehicle, or an extension/retraction operation of an automatic ramp (for example, a ramp for use by an occupant in a wheelchair to get on or off the vehicle) provided to the automatic driving vehicle.
In the case where a touch panel is provided to the automatic driving vehicle, an opening/closing instruction in relation to the automatic door or an extension/retraction instruction in relation to the automatic ramp can be inputted via the touch panel. Specifically, a door button via which to input an opening/closing instruction in relation to the automatic door or a ramp button via which to input an extension/retraction instruction in relation to the automatic ramp is displayed on the touch panel, so that the operator can operate these buttons to open/close the automatic door or to extend/retract the automatic ramp.
In general, however, the touch panel already displays a plurality of buttons for inputting various drive control instructions in relation to the automatic driving vehicle. If the door button or the ramp button is displayed on the touch panel, the operator may possibly operate the door button or the ramp button erroneously. As erroneous operation as to the opening/closing operation of the automatic door or the extension/retraction operation of the automatic ramp may threaten the safety of occupants in particular, such an erroneous operation in particular needs to be avoided.
An erroneous operation in opening/closing of the automatic door or extension/retraction of the automatic ramp includes, for example, an erroneous operation of opening/closing the automatic door or an erroneous operation of extending/retracting the automatic ramp by the operator when intending to input a drive control instruction to the automatic driving vehicle, and an erroneous input of a drive control instruction to the automatic driving vehicle by the operator when intending to open/close the automatic door or to extend/retract the automatic ramp.
An object of an operation device of an automatic driving vehicle disclosed in this specification is to prevent erroneous operation by an operator as to opening/closing of an automatic door or extension/retraction of an automatic ramp of an automatic driving vehicle having a touch panel that enables input of a drive control instruction to the automatic driving vehicle.

Operation device of automatic driving vehicle


The present invention relates to a method for forming a nanocomposite having a core-shell structure, the method comprising the steps of: forming a core comprising a first fluorophore capable of aggregation induced emission, and depositing a second fluorophore capable of aggregation caused quenching onto the surface of the core to form a shell at least partially surrounding the core. The present invention also relates to a nanocomposite obtained by said method, and a method of altering the fluorescence of said nanocomposite. The nanocomposite may exhibit dual emission colours and opposite aggregation fluorescent behaviours.

Fluorophores are useful due to a variety of important applications such as bioimaging, smart sensing, security inks, dye sensitized solar cells, and light-emitting diodes (LED). Conventional fluorophores are either organic-based materials, for example organic dyes, fluorescent proteins, and aggregation induced emission dyes, or inorganic-based materials, for example semiconductor quantum dots and upconversion nanoparticles. However, both organic-based and inorganic-based materials have their own intrinsic limitations. For example, organic-based fluorophores often have poor photostability. Moreover, the fluorescence of more than 90% of free amine group required to form the pletely quenched upon aggregation due to a phenomenon known as aggregation caused quenching (ACQ).
In addition to the above, for some applications, it is desirable to be able to induce a colour change in the fluorophore. The most common process for inducing a colour change between two individual fluorophores is called Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), whereby the emission of a donor fluorophore is used to excite an acceptor fluorophore. However, the realizations of fluorescence colour change via FRET must meet certain strict requirements. In particular, the distance and energy level between the donor and acceptor fluorophores must be optimal within a very narrow window. This restricts the availability of matching fluorophores for practical applications.
There is therefore a need to provide a nanocomposite and a method for preparing the same that overcomes or at least ameliorates, one or more of the disadvantages described above.

AGENCY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH


A vehicle bond filler formulation is provided that includes a part A having curable resin and a monomer reactive diluent. A part B storage-separate, cure initiator package contains a free-radical cure initiator. At least one color changing dye adapted to change color upon mixing the part A and the part B and within ±5 minutes of cure of the curable resin to a sandable condition is present in either the part A or a separate part C, a guide coat colorant, or a combination thereof. A process of for repairing a vehicle body is also provided that includes mixing a part A containing the at least one color changing dye with the part B to form an internal guide coat mixture applied to a substrate of the vehicle body in need of repair. The mixture cures causing the color changing dye to the terminal change color within ±5 minutes of cure of the curable resin to a sandable condition.

Free radical curable resins have been used in varied applications, such as in polyester vehicle body filler compositions and glass reinforced polyester vehicle body filler compositions used in the automotive body repair field. A common problem encountered in working with such free radical curable resin vehicle body filler compositions is their poor adhesion to various substrates used to form vehicle body panels and other vehicle parts. Another common problem encountered in working with such vehicle body filler compositions is the time-consuming process required to detect low spots or other imperfections on a vehicle body during the filler sanding process.
In the case of hot dipped galvanized substrates, the poor adhesion problem in vehicle body filler compositions presents itself when determining when a cured composition has hardened (or synonymously referred to in the field and herein as having "dried") to an extent needed to allow for sanding of the cured filler composition. While premature attempts to sand a cured partially-hardened composition lead to displacement of curing filler material from a desired location that often requires reapplication of uncured filler composition, waiting too long to assure complete cure to hardness slows repair throughput and can allow for moisture absorption that can negatively affect the longevity of a subsequently applied paint coating through mechanisms such as paint blistering. Furthermore, premature attempts to sand a cured partially-hardened composition result in poor featheredge and clogging of sandpaper. Determining the appropriate time to sand a recently cured filler composition within the desired window of hardness is further complicated by differential rates of cure as a function of variables that illustratively include ambient temperature, quality of polymerization initiator mixing, thickness of the curing composition, and spatial inhomogeneities in cure conditions.
Conventional techniques to control the temporal window for sanding have included the use of heat lamps to speed cure and erring on the side of excess delay. Unfortunately, such lamps are expensive to purchase and operate and still rely on a level of subjective judgment as to when the desired window of sandable hardness has been achieved. At present, dry to sand time is typically determined by a technician who is frequently touching the repair surface and evaluating softness and tackiness of the repair mixture. It is subjective and cumbersome as the composition may stick to the technician's fingers, especially at early stages of cure. As noted above, this may result in displacement of curing filler material from a desired located that often requires reapplication of uncured filler composition, causing the repair process to become more inefficient and time-consuming.
Regarding the detection of low spots or other imperfections during the filler sanding process, conventional techniques generally require a separate step which involves the application of a separate commercial guide coat product on the surface of the repair. This separately added commercial guide coat reveals the presence of any low spots or other imperfections, indicating that further sanding is necessary to remove these low spots or other imperfections. Unfortunately, this added step requiring separate application of commercial guide coat results in a less efficient repair process and a longer repair time.
Thus, there exists a need for a free radical curable filler composition that is capable of providing a colorimetric change when a filler composition is amenable to sanding. There also exists a need to detect colorimetrically when a filler composition has been sanded to the point of complete removal of low spots or other imperfections on a vehicle body.

Filler composition indicating readiness to sand


Provided are compounds of Formula I:

RNA viruses comprising the Flaviviridae family include at least three distinguishable genera including pestiviruses, flaviviruses, and hepaciviruses (Calisher, et al., J. Gen. Virol., 1993, 70, 37-43). While pestiviruses cause many economically important animal diseases such as bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), classical swine fever virus (CSFV, hog cholera) and border disease of sheep (BDV), their importance in human disease is less well characterized (Moennig, V., et al., Adv. Vir. Res. 1992, 48, 53-98). Flaviviruses are responsible for important human diseases such as dengue fever and yellow fever while hepaciviruses cause hepatitis C virus infections in humans. Other important viral infections caused by the Flaviviridae family include West Nile virus (WNV) Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), tick-borne encephalitis virus, Junjin virus, Murray Valley encephalitis, St Louis enchaplitis, Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus and Zika virus.
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide (Boyer, N. et al. J Hepatol. 32:98-112, 2000) so a significant focus of current antiviral research is directed toward the development of improved methods of treatment of chronic HCV infections in humans (Di Besceglie, A. M. and Bacon, B. R., Scientific American, October: 80-85, (1999); Gordon, C. P., et al., J. Med. Chem. 2005, 48, 1-20; Maradpour, D., et al., Nat. Rev. Micro. 2007, 5(6), 453-463). A number of HCV treatments are reviewed by Dymock et al. in Antiviral Chemistry & Chemotherapy, 11:2; 79-95 (2000). Virologic cures of patients with chronic HCV infection are difficult to achieve because of the prodigious amount of daily virus production in chronically infected patients and the high spontaneous mutability of HCV virus (Neumann, et al., Science 1998, 282, 103-7; Fukimoto, et al., Hepatology, 1996, 24, 1351-4; Domingo, et al., Gene 1985, 40, 1-8; Martell, et al., J. Virol. 1992, 66, 3225-9.
Currently, there are primarily two antiviral compounds, ribavirin, a nucleoside analog, and interferon-alpha (α) (IFN), that are used for the treatment of chronic HCV infections in humans. Ribavirin alone is not effective in reducing viral RNA levels, has significant toxicity, and is known to induce anemia. The combination of IFN and ribavirin has been reported to be effective in the management of chronic hepatitis C (Scott, L. J., et al. Drugs 2002, 62, 507-556) but less than half the patients given this treatment show a persistent benefit. Therefore, there is a need to develop more effective anti-HCV therapies.
The macrocycle sanglifehrin and derivatives are immunomodulatory and bind peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPIase) cyclophilins in a unique manner (WO 97/02285; WO 98/07743; J. Am. Chem. Soc 2003, 125, 3849-3859; J. Org. Chem. 2000, 65, 9255-9260; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 1999, 38, 2443-2446). The cyclophilins are peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases (PPIase) that regulate protein folding in vivo and inhibit hepatitis C virus (Lin et al., WO2006/138507). However, none of the sanglifehrins or their derivatives has become available for human anti-viral therapy. Therefore, there is a continuing need to develop macrocyclic sanglifehrins with anti-Flaviviridae virus activity and particularly anti-HCV activity.

Macrocyclic inhibitors of flaviviridae viruses

Abstract: Provided are compounds of Formula I:

Abstract: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and esters thereof. The compounds, compositions, and methods provided are useful for the treatment of virus infections, particularly hepatitis C infections.


An educational amusement device imitates a canal, such as the Panama Canal. The device includes a base having a first water impermeable pan therein. An imitation terrain structure includes three dimensional forms extending upward from a top edge of the pan, and at least one further water impermeable pan therein. The first pan and the further pan are respectively connected to at least one connecting conduit lock to vary water depth between the first pan and the further pan, such as a fluid volume regulating one lock gate openable from a lowered closed position to a raised open position. The connecting conduit lock is in fluid flow communication between the first pan and the further pan. The base includes a bottom floor and a plurality of interconnected upwardly extending walls. One of the walls is a vertically extending transparent proximal wall providing a visual viewing image of respective interiors of the first pan, the further pan and the connecting conduit lock.

The prior art does relate to water containing play toys that permit some interaction. Miller et al. U.S. Pat. No. D 186,778 shows a design for an oval shaped water trough on legs apparently for the use of playing with toy boats. Wolfe U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,949 describes a knock-down toy waterway for playground use. Small children can ride in small boats along this artificial waterway. Poehlman, U.S. Pat. No. 1,014,975 teaches a hydrostatic toy which models mountainous terrain bisected by a canal with locks permitting toy ships to be raised from the level of one ocean into the long central area and then lowered through the locks to the other ocean. This invention of Poehlman bears several of the features of the Panama Canal and permits children to add and withdraw water from the canal locks by raising or lowering hidden tanks connected to the locks via a flexible hose. Lock gates are also opened and closed by the user.
The prior art does not provide a Panama Canal model which clearly indicates the water levels in different parts of the model. Also lacking is a competitive aspect which transforms the model into a game.


A connection device for pulling an aircraft. The connection device includes first and second connection portions, a connection rod and a rod retaining portion. The first and second connection portions have first and second guide spaces into which the connection arm is inserted. First and second arm receiving portions are pushed to rotate from a standby state by the connection arm inserted into the first or second guide space, and are connected by a link member. When the first arm receiving portion rotates from the standby state, the rod retaining portion rotates together with the first arm receiving portions, and enables the connection rod to pass through the second hole so that the connection rod is connected to the connection arm inserted into the first guide space or the second guide space.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a connection device for connecting pulling bodies to each other, and a pulling drive vehicle or a pulling carriage, on which the connection device is provided.
In various pulling operations, such as the pulling of an aircraft at an airport, the pulling of a carriage in a manufacturing line or the like, one pulling body and another pulling body are connected to each other. As a result, the another pulling body is pulled by the one pulling body.
The pulling bodies connected to each other in the above pulling operations are connected together by, for example, the following construction. The construction has one pulling body equipped with a connection device and the other pulling body equipped with a connection arm extending toward the connection device. The connection device has a connection portion into which the connection arm of the other pulling body is inserted, and a connection rod connecting the connection portion with the connection arm. The connection portion of the connection device and the connection arm are respectively equipped with a hole. The connection portion of the connection device and the connection arm are connected to each other by the connection arm. A connection device of this type is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-189064.
In the conventional connection device described above, the height allowing the insertion of the connection arm into the connection portion is restricted. Thus, when the height of the connection arm is changed in accordance with various conditions, it may be difficult to connect the two pulling bodies. Thus, there is a need for a connection device capable of securely connecting two pulling bodies even when the height of a connection arm extending from one pulling body toward the other pulling body is changed.

Connection devices and pulling drive vehicles or pulling carriages with the connection device


A solar radiation collector system includes a curved rim, a collector assembly including a plurality of solar radiation transducer elements passing through the plane of and connected to the curved rim, and a plurality of relatively small diameter tension members connected in distributed manner between the curved rim and the collector assembly and forming a stiff, lightweight, bicycle wheel-type tension-compression support structure. The support structure is rotatably supported from the ground in a manner to allow for three dimensionally stable support and rotation of at least ninety degrees with respect to the ground. Rotation of the bicycle wheel-type tension-compression support structure provides for a desired primary tracking motion to adjust for the apparent motion of the sun, and movement of the transducer elements provides for a second dimension adjustment for the apparent motion of the sun.

Briefly, a typical prior art concentrating solar collector system comprises a concentrator having a suitable reflective surface which may be formed from a plurality of individual mirrors, a receiver for receiving or absorbing the concentrated solar radiation, and associated support structures. The solar collector system is also provided with suitable primary and secondary tracking means so that the mirrors can be made to follow the apparent movement of the sun on a daily as well as on a seasonal basis. A point-focusing solar collector system is arranged and constructed so that the sun's rays falling on the reflective surface are focused into the receiver to be utilized in any well known manner, such as for example to heat a suitable circulating fluid which can be used to power an engine or be transported elsewhere for various uses, applied directly to photovoltaic or other suitable direct energy conversion devices, applied to a solar reactor for a variety of chemical processes, and the like. The receiver can be arranged to move with the concentrator or be fixed with respect to the moving concentrator assembly.
The prior art is replete with a multitude of different designs of solar collector systems and support and tracking structures. Although ring and wheel type members have been employed in a variety of ways in the prior art, many of such prior art systems are not practicable and of those that are, all have been complex, heavy and expensive and none have been entirely satisfactory in meeting the commercial requirements of the marketplace.
German Patent No. DE-34188-879-A-1 (Mayr) is one of many examples of solar collector systems which utilize an integral arcuate ring or rings to provide for the secondary tracking motion, which rings are in turn mounted on a turntable which provides the primary tracking motion. Although the ring usually includes tension members to stabilize the ring, such ring is employed to provide for the secondary tracking motion and not the primary tracking motion. Moreover, in such system the weight is not carded by the rim but rather by hubs in a gimbal mount arrangement. In addition to carrying the weight, the hubs in the Mayr structure must also transmit the forces needed to balance the cumulative forces imparted by all the tension members. These forces, in turn, must then be externally accommodated in the turntable structure and gimbal mount which requires that they be quite heavy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,231 (Sayre) employs a plurality of mirrors in a rectangular array which is diametrically mounted within a pair of circular rims which extend perpendicular to the mirror array. The rims are rotated to adjust the elevational orientation of the mirror assembly and are in turn mounted for rotation on a turntable to adjust the azimuth orientation of the mirror assembly.
Although turntables used in such prior art structures provide for distributed support to foundations, these approaches are limited to modest sizes. Turntables which do not use spokes are limited to small sizes (concentrators under 50 square meters) because of the weight of the ring required to transmit the wind forces involved in larger concentrators. Turntables which do use spokes (typically supporting concentrators under 200 square meters) are also limited by the need to prevent uplift. If uplift is prevented at the hub, very large forces are involved unless the length of the moment arm (the radius of the ring) is also made large and expensive. To prevent uplift through the connections between the turntable ring and the foundations requires elaborate mechanisms which both capture the specially shaped ring under all conditions and also allow its rotation. Because these supports interface with the circular frame in only one plane, transmitting both radial and axial loads associated with wind and gravity forces requires that they employ a plurality of supports (which for equatorial mounts in the tropics become very long and expensive) and a very substantial and expensive circular ring. In addition, these prior art approaches require complicated and expensive connections in order to accommodate the concentrated forces at any orientation and at the same time minimize the backlash without binding. An inopportune gust of wind when the concentrator is facing the horizon, for example, can pry such prior art devices off their foundation piers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,949 (Butler), describes a centerless drive tracking arrangement which utilizes a drive ring to support a dish solar concentrator, which concentrator may be either fixed or pivotally mounted within the drive ring. The tracking system of the foregoing Butler patent uses a centerless drive for elevation tracking combined with centerless drive or pivoted azimuth tracking. The various rings of the various Butler configurations are independent from each other. The shape and strength of the ring used for orienting the collector system in the primary direction does not contribute to the shape and strength of the ring which supports the concentrator. This requires the expense of redundant materials. The rings used for the primary tracking motion rely simply on the strength of the rings to maintain their shape. Transmitting the forces of the wind on the concentrator to the ground results in substantial deflections which vary as a function of attitude, since these forces are carried through stress concentration regions both at the points which support the concentrator and at the interfaces with the foundations. These simple rings or hoops do not transmit either radial or axial loads without distortion unless they are made extraordinarily heavy or the concentrator area is kept small. Because the support structure moves within the primary ring, the optical effects of these structural deflections of the independent structures are cumulative.
The present invention employs one or more curved rim members in combination with other components arranged to form an open structure in a tension-compression mode which produces a very strong, stiff and lightweight tension-compression main support and tracking structure which is stable in all orientations. For example, in one embodiment the main tension-compression support structure is arranged and constructed in a bicycle wheel type tension-compression rim-spoke configuration. To the best of Applicants' knowledge none of the prior art systems and structures, including those which employ ring or wheel type members have employed such rings or wheels as in the present invention, wherein the curved rim member is arranged in combination with suitable structural means and tension members to produce a very strong and light-weight main support structure in a tension-compression mode, which can also provide for primary horizon to horizon tracking motion. The main primary tracking support structure of this invention, in addition to being very strong and light-weight, is capable of supporting large heavy loads and distributing both axial and radial loads directly to the ground through all orientations of the main support structure, and is much less expensive to manufacture and install than any other prior art structures or systems of which Applicants are aware.
Most heliostats, solar furnaces, and point-focus solar collector systems utilize a concentrator consisting of either a single monolithic reflector or one made of a static Fresnel array of mirrors. These systems follow the apparent daily and seasonal movement of the sun by moving on two axes. The reflector of both a heliostat and a solar furnace reflects sunlight to a stationary focal region. In a point focus solar collector system, the receiver moves along with the reflector. A simple prior art approach for supporting such concentrators has been the use of a single pedestal which accommodates the two drives. The cost of transmitting gravity and wind forces of the active structure through the drives and into the foundation has limited this approach to concentrators of about 100 square meters.
Point-focusing dish solar concentrators provide the highest possible optical and operating performance, high temperature capability (1500 degrees Centigrade and above), minimum land use, and a high degree of modularity (power plant sizes from kilowatts to hundreds of megawatts). Accordingly, such dish concentrator systems are very versatile and are adaptable to many near term markets for solar thermal applications, particularly electric power generation in remote and community-scale installations, as well as, providing industrial process heat, including producing high value chemicals, renewable fuels (hydrogen), and destroying toxic wastes.
It has long been recognized that the concentrator of a point-focusing solar collector system accounts for a relatively large part of the total solar collector system cost. In order to gain better economy of scale, the concentrator should be large. For a number of years the Assignee of this invention, Power Kinetics, Inc. of Troy, N.Y., has designed and built many solar collector systems which follow the daily apparent movement of the sun on one axis and adjust the angle of the mirrors of the concentrator to accommodate the other required axis of motion to adjust for the seasonal variation of the solar position. Such solar collector systems utilized large concentrators employing a plurality of dynamic Fresnel reflector elements placed with each one aimed so rays coming from the sun are reflected to the receiver. The receiver could be arranged to move with the concentrator assembly, or be fixed with respect to the moving concentrator assembly. In the foregoing arrangement mirrors or other suitable reflective elements are attached to a mirror support assembly, which mirror support assembly is arranged and constructed to rotate about an axis so as to accommodate declination (or elevation) excursions of the sun. Multiple rows of such mirror support assemblies are aligned on a frame that is arranged to track the sun in Right Ascension (where the tracking axis is the polar axis), or azimuth (where the tracking axis is vertical), or other appropriate axis. For example, although not shown in any patents of which Applicants are aware, Power Kinetics, Inc., has in the past number of years designed and built many such solar collector systems which consist of dynamic Fresnel reflectors that have the focus/receiving means fixed to and move with the concentrator and wherein tracking mounts have ranged from altitude/azimuth and modified altitude/azimuth (tilted track) to the large (300 square meter) polar axis solar collector systems, such as illustrated in FIG. 1.
Although such prior art dynamic Fresnel type concentrator solar collector systems have operated entirely satisfactorily with respect to the ability to concentrate and collect solar energy, they have remained too expensive to manufacture and erect to be entirely acceptable for many promising near term commercial applications. For example, such systems require large piers to support the large concentrator, involve many foundations for both support piers and guy cables, usually require heavy equipment, such as cranes, for installation at the site and, where the receiver is large and heavy, such as for example in the case where the receiver is a large boiler or an engine, it is difficult even with the use of heavy and expensive structural members to achieve the desired rigid support for such receiver as the concentrator is moved to track the daily apparent movement of the sun. To prevent distortion, the concentrator frame must be made very strong and rugged which requires the use of heavy and expensive structural members. Very high performance components are required for the Right Ascension drive to handle the large forces without excessive lost motion. To prevent damage from typhoons or hurricanes when not in operation a separate stow locking system is required. Further, since the structure is suspended between two piers, all forces must be transmitted through the shafts and bearing connections at both ends of the central structural beam, and the concentrator assembly must be rigid enough at any attitude to accommodate dynamic wind gusts from any direction without inordinate distortion. Maintaining accurate tracking in windy regions is difficult.
It is also well known, that equatorial mounted, polar tracking solar collector systems are desirable since they have the advantage of a constant tracking rate at the earth's rotational speed (15 degrees per hour) and a slow seasonal movement about the declination axis (a maximum of 0.0163 degrees per hour at the equinoxes and zero at the solstices). Prior to the present invention, however, the advantage of this simple tracking has been offset by several disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that the mass of the concentrator must be supported on a tilted axis resulting in high thrust loading and moments which have required heavy and expensive supporting structures. Another is that the weight of the receiver distorts the concentrator frame to an increasing degree as the collector rotates east or west from the noon position in which the receiver is directly above the axis of rotation. Still further, with such prior art solar collector systems, it is difficult to design an accurate, low power, and inexpensive tracking mechanism, and one where the receiver and associated hardware can be easily lowered for maintenance. In addition, in many arrangements a plurality of rotatable unions or flexible connections are required between the receiver and the ground which further contributes to the cost.
Accordingly, there remains a continuing need to provide improved solar collector systems which are less expensive to manufacture and install, as well as the need for less expensive and lightweight tracking structures for such systems which can accommodate large concentrators while providing for rigidity, accurate tracking using a minimum of power, and be capable of withstanding or avoiding damage from the effects of severe weather and environmental conditions, including high winds, hail, ice, snow, and the like.
To be commercially acceptable for a wide range of commercial applications a solar radiation collector system should:
be economical to manufacture and install; PA1 employ a support structure which is simple, strong, lightweight, and capable of supporting large concentrators, and also heavy receivers when required; PA1 be able to withstand extreme weather conditions, including severe winds, hail, ice, snow, and the like; PA1 provide accurate tracking with low power requirements; PA1 be easily modified to place the center of gravity on the axis of rotation for a variety of applications;
The present invention provides a new and improved tracking approach which allows a tracking solar collector system to achieve all of the foregoing desiderata, and overcomes one or more of the other problems and disadvantages of the known prior art systems.

Lightweight, distributed force, two-axis tracking, solar radiation collector structures


In the control method and apparatus of a direct injection gasoline engine, as for the uniform charge combustion mode performing only the intake stroke injection and the stratified charge combustion mode performing only the compression stroke injection, the injection timing is determined by referring to the injection timing map set for each mode. On the other hand, in the double injection mode performing the intake stroke injection and the compression stroke injection, the injection timing map for the intake stroke injection and the injection timing map for the compression stroke injection are both equipped, and the injection timing in the intake stroke injection is determined by the fuel quantity being injected by the intake stroke, and the injection timing in the compression stroke injection is determined by the fuel quantity being injected by the compression stroke.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control method and a control apparatus of a direct injection gasoline engine, and more specifically, to a control technique of the injection timing and ignition timing in a direct injection gasoline engine comprising a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel into a cylinder.
(2) Related Art of the Invention
Conventionally, a direct injection gasoline engine comprising a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel into a cylinder is known comprising a stratified charge combustion mode for performing a stratified charge combustion by carrying out fuel injection only in a compression stroke, a uniform charge combustion mode for performing a uniform charge combustion by carrying out fuel injection only in an intake stroke, and a double injection mode for performing a fuel injection in the intake stroke and a fuel injection in the compression stroke during one cycle, wherein either one of the stratified charge combustion mode or the uniform charge combustion mode is selected in correspondence to the driving condition, and on the other hand, the double injection mode is carried out during the switching time between the stratified charge combustion mode and the uniform charge combustion mode (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.5-071383).
Obviously, the requested injection timing differs between the stratified charge combustion mode and the uniform charge combustion mode, and the appropriate ignition timing also differs. Therefore, in the prior art, the injection timing was set for each of the combustion modes, and the ignition timing was set with different properties for each of the combustion modes.
When the intake stroke injection was performed in the double injection mode, it was controlled according to the injection timing and the ignition timing of the uniform charge combustion mode, and when the compression stroke injection was performed in the double injection mode, it was controlled according to the injection timing and the ignition timing of the stratified charge combustion mode.
However, experiments showed that it was not always possible to gain a high combustion stability with the conventional structure where the injection timing and the ignition timing according to the uniform charge combustion mode or the stratified charge combustion mode were utilized as it is for the injection timing and the ignition timing of the double injection mode.

Control method and control apparatus of direct injection gasoline engine