The present invention is an improvement in the combined fractionation steps of deethanization and C2 splitting for ethylene and ethane separation. Theoretical stages are added to the rectification section of a deethanizer above a liquid or vapor sidedraw. Polymer grade ethylene product up comprising to 30 percent of the ethylene in the deethanizer feed is obtained in an overhead stream according to the present invention. Lesser recovery at the same ethylene purity or higher recovery at lower ethylene purity are obtained varying recovery or numbers of additional stages in the rectification. An overall reduction in total cold utilities for the overhead condensers for the deethanizer and downstream C2 splitter are obtained in practicing the present invention.

The present invention relates to deethanization and ethylene/ethane splitting fractionation steps of cracked gases for olefin recovery. In order to properly appreciate the technological field of the fractionation trains used for separation of olefins from other components in cracked gas, the article "Ethylene from NGL feedstocks--Part 3 Flow Scheme Comparison" (K. Ng et al, Hydrocarbon Processing, December 1983, pp. 99-103) is referred to herein to describe the three most typical choices for the first fractionation step in the fractionation train. A front-end demethanizer, deethanizer and depropanizer are evaluated for their advantages in fractionating cracked gas from NGL feeds. The front-end deethanizer was found, under the assumptions made at the time of the article, to be the most preferable of the fractionation trains.
The article "Ethylene from NGL feedstocks--Part 4 Low Pressure C2 Splitter" (H. Z. Kister et al, Hydrocarbon Processing, January 1984) describes an optimized fractionation step required in olefins separation of cracked gas. The low pressure ethylene/ethane splitter ("C2 splitter") is preferred for the potential for heat pumping the column and therein provides an open ethylene refrigeration loop for other refrigeration needs in the fractionation train. The C2 splitter has been the focus of much study to reduce the relatively expensive utilities required for separation of ethylene and ethane, which have relatively close boiling components.
Other concepts in the prior art that relate to the present invention are described below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,735,558 describes a multiple sidedraw column crude oil fractionation column. The vapor from three sidedraws from a first column is partly condensed and is condensed and rectified in a second column. The liquid of the second column is returned to the first column for stripping.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,839 describes a distillate rectification in which the feed is partly vaporized and the vapor and liquid phases are separated three times to provide for multilevel feeds to a fractionation column. The liquid separated from the last of the partial fractionation stages is recovered as the distillate product.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,818 describes rectification of light hydrocarbons and mentions ethylene and ethane as among those. In a series of refluxed and stripped columns, the patent describes using a condensed, rectified overhead stream as feed to a next column. A stripped bottoms stream of the next column is fed to the rectification section of the first column.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,327,643 describes a two column, dual pressure fractionation method wherein the column pressures are chosen to accommodate vaporization of the condensed overhead stream of a second column acting to indirectly supply part of the condensing duty for the overhead stream of a first column. The vaporized second column vapor is recompressed and is fed to the bottom of the first column to supply reboiling duty for the first column.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,708 describes a two column method for a single deethanization using a split feed concept. The gaseous feed stream to the deethanization is split and a portion is condensed and stripped in a. stripping column. The overhead vapor from the stripping column is partially condensed and fed to the rectification section of the deethanizer column. The stripping duty of the deethanizer column and the rectification section diameter are substantially reduced by use of an upstream stripping column.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,540 describes a full fractionation train for olefin recovery from cracked gas using only low pressure rectification columns for gaseous portions of the pyrolysis furnace effluent. Liquid portions of the rectification columns are further fractionated in high pressure refluxed and stripped columns to complete the separation. Partial intercondensation by pumparounds and liquid streams from the high pressure columns provide rectification duty to the rectification columns.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,293 describes a method of feed conditioning to a demethanizer for an olefins fractionation train. The fractionation train's first separation column is the demethanizer, and the feed to it is treated in a dephlegmator to recover ethylene. Column 100 describes a pasteurizing section accommodating removal of residual hydrogen from an overhead ethylene product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,347 describes a system of multiple dephlegmations integrated into a demethanization of an olefins recovery stream. The multiple rectifications in three dephlegmators produce three liquid bottoms streams that are fed to two refluxed demethanization columns. A dephlegmated portion of the feed gas is fed to a second demethanizer column. The overhead product of a first demethanizer is also fed to the second demethanizer. The bottom product of the second demethanizer is a relatively pure stream of ethylene.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,732 describes a system similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,347, although the second demethanizer is operated at low pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,479 describes forming a product specification liquid stream of ethylene as a bottom product of a demethanator column, wherein a portion of the ethylene stream is used as an absorbing, lean liquid in an absorber column. The gas feed to the bottom of the absorber column is the gaseous portion of a partially condensed cracked gas stream comprising at least hydrogen, methane, ethylene and ethane. The absorbing-liquid ethylene and its captured components are fed to a deethylenization column, from which the overhead vapor stream is fed entirely to the demethanator column. It is an apparent disadvantage of the patent process wherein the ethylene condensed at considerable cost in utility must be vaporized in the deethylenizer and recondensed in the demethanator.
In the article "Temperature-Heat Diagrams for Complex Columns, 2. Underwood's Method for Side Strippers and Enrichers" (N. A. Carlberg et al, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., vol. 28, pp. 1379-1386, 1989), complex columns are described as having benefits and disadvantages. On page 1385, the authors state, "The question to ask is how do complex columns compare against simple column sequences in terms of utility consumption. The answer is that complex columns are more energy efficient but have larger temperature ranges than simple column sequences. Basically, complex columns are more favorable with respect to first-law effects and less favorable with respect to second-law effects. Thus, if there is an adequate temperature driving force, complex columns will be favored; if not, simple columns are more favorable from a utility point of view." A method is presented in the article for evaluating minimum reflux for complex column, i.e. those with one or more side strippers or enrichers. In the article, the operational definition of a side stripper or enricher is a device that withdraws from a column a sidestream vapor or liquid and returns to the same stage a stream comprising liquid or vapor generated in a second column. Side stripping or enriching necessarily returns to the fractionation column a portion of the withdrawn stream which has been enriched or stripped of its original components.
It will be apparent from the above that a simplified and relatively inexpensive method for reducing the combined condensation duties of a demethanizer--deethanizer--C2 splitter combination has not been previously developed. It is an object of the present invention to make such an improvement.


A system and method for enhancing fitness in an office environment includes receiving fitness goal data corresponding to a targeted fitness goal of at least one user. The user initiates a document processing request to commence processing on a networked document processing device. The user provides data identifying at least one electronic document desired for processing. Data relative to the user's location and the document processing devices is used, along with historical fitness information relative to the user and a user's fitness goal, to generate suggested document processing devices which are distanced so as to afford progress toward those goals.

Continuing advances in technology often leave people with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Tasks that once required physical activity have been eliminated, or rendered easier by innovation. By way of example, staircases have been supplemented by escalators and elevators, and walkways have been supplemented by people moving conveyors. As a result, on average, people are becoming increasingly unfit. Average body fat content, particularly in first world countries such as the United States, is creeping upward at an alarming rate. Office workers comprise some of the most sedentary workday lifestyles. Workers may spend hours behind a desk or on a computer as they draft documents, such as briefs, spreadsheets, reports, web pages or software, spend hours on phone calls, and frequently sit during extended meetings or seminars.
While technological advances have lessened physical activity, other advances have provided tools with which people can monitor their activity, calculate energy spent and track activity toward target fitness or weight loss goals. Example products include wearable health monitors, such as the FITBIT products of Fitbit, Inc., GEARWATCH products of Samsung and Garmin VIVOFIT products. Such devices may include tracking systems, using technologies such as GPS, cellular or local area network. They may also include a compass, accelerometer, temperature gauge or other hardware or software systems to facilitate health or exercise monitoring. Applications running on suitably equipped smartphones may also provide the same or similar functionality.

Fitness-based electronic document job routing to a selected location using a user'S fitness data goal


Provided is a performance management system 10 collecting management information which is used for performance management of a storage system 5 including a server 2 on which applications operate, a storage apparatus 3, and a switch 4 which couples the server 2 with the storage apparatus 3. The performance management system collects the management information from multiple resources existing on input-output paths that couple the respective applications with the storage, sets a method of collecting the management information from the resources, monitors occurrence of congestion which is attributable to input-output between the performance management system and the resources for collecting the management information, and collects the management information in accordance with the set collecting method. The collecting method is set in accordance with a processing method of using different timings to collect the management information for the respective input-output paths.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a performance management system, an information processing system, and an information collecting method in the performance management system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique for preventing congestion that may occur in a management server when the management server collects management information on an information processing system from multiple agents.
2. Related Art
In general, in performance management of a system such as a storage system provided with various resources, agents are provided for the respective resources such as a management target apparatus and software that operates on the management target apparatus; and a management apparatus (a manager) acquires information (management information) on configurations or performances of the resources from these agents, and figures out the system conditions based on the acquired management information to perform appropriate control.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2004-236030 discloses that a management server (a manager) collects management information from agents implemented in management target apparatuses by using techniques including SNMP (simple network management protocol)/MIB (management information base)/RMON (remote network monitoring), and thereby performs actions such as display of a configuration diagram, determination of a point of failure, display of events issued from the management target apparatuses, real-time monitoring of an operating state of the management target apparatuses, traffic overloads and the like, display of a graph, and monitoring of states of traffic loads and packet losses by comparison with thresholds or by other operations.
Management of loads on the management server is a key issue when the management server is configured to collect management information from multiple agents as described above. Specifically, since transmission of the management information from an agent to the management server can take place at any timing, simultaneous and intensive transmission of the management information from multiple agents may cause input/output congestion, and this may result in a processing delay, a management information loss and other failures in the management server.

Performance management system, information processing system, and information collecting method in performance management system


A system and method for pacing writes to a legacy peripheral device includes a control block configured to trap on the address of the legacy peripheral device and slows the rate that the CPU posts writes to avoid backpressure.

Incompatibility between new and existing products is a major problem in many technical disciplines, including networking and signal switching. Often new products are developed having increased performance and speed but customers have invested heavily in legacy products.
Incompatibility is a particular problem with network devices, such as routers and switches. Generally a router includes a chassis which can be rack mounted, has different types of slots into which cards and modules slide, and also contains basic components such as power supply(s) and fan(s). The modules inserted into the slots may be line cards, which are the actual printed circuit boards that handle packet data and analog signaling ingress and egress, or other types of modules.
One type of incompatibility with legacy peripheral devices occurs when the peripheral device absorbs writes at a much slower rate than the rate at which the CPU issues writes. This problem is somewhat alleviated by posted writes where the bus system provides buffers for data written by the CPU. For example, the PCI bus implements write posting in buffers located on P2P (PCI to PCI) bridges which connect PCI bus segments.
However, when the CPU rate of writing data greatly exceeds the capacity of a legacy peripheral device to accept data the write posting buffers themselves may reach their capacity and backpressure can result in system-wide problems. These problems can be difficult to detect and control when the CPU and other devices are integrated on a system-on-a-chip (SOC).
An ad hoc solution is to modify the device driver for slow legacy peripheral devices to insert wait states to match the CPU data write rate to the legacy device. However, for systems designers this solution is not viable since customers must be free to attach new devices to the network device.
The challenges in the field of providing compatibility with legacy devices continue to increase with demands for more and better techniques having greater flexibility and adaptability. Therefore, a need has arisen for a new system and method for writing to slow legacy devices.
In accordance with the present invention, a system and method for writing data to slow legacy devices without causing buffer overflow is provided that addresses disadvantages and problems associated with previously developed systems and methods.

Method and apparatus for using address traps to pace writes to peripheral devices


A multilevel security (MLS) network is disclosed. The MLS network includes untrusted nodes (UTN) capable of receiving messages en route from a source node to a destination node, each message having an unencrypted outer header, an encrypted inner header, and a data payload. UTNs route messages toward their destination as directed by the outer header. Global trusted nodes (GTN) decrypt a portion of the inner header to validate source and destination information before routing the message forward. GTNs further modify the outer header to obfuscate source and destination information from the UTNs. Local trusted nodes (LTN) serve as gateway nodes into a local network. LTNs also validate source and destination information to regulate admission to the local network. LTNs include an address manager which decrypts an additional portion of the inner header to read local address data and generates local messages for routing through the local network.

Multilevel security (MLS) refers to the ability of a communication system to handle information with different classifications (e.g., different security levels), permit access by users/applications with different security clearances, and prevent users/applications from obtaining access to information for which they lack authorization. Management of information flow for MLS systems is critical. Conventional information flow management and mediation techniques for MLS systems generally rely on high assurance custom infrastructures or trusted computing elements (e.g., high assurance separation kernels hosted on evaluated processors) to facilitate all transactions of MLS traffic flows. Trusted computing elements tend to be either low performance or high power, very complex, and high cost, which are especially true when high assurance support is required.
When operating global training or simulation systems (e.g., live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) training systems), an MLS environment is required to accommodate the various participants (which, for example, may include both U.S.-based and NATO-based players) while preserving data traffic at a sufficient speed to maintain the realism of the event. Such high-speed high-bandwidth data traffic requires open networks to operate efficiently, which in turn requires secure MLS gateways.

Information flow enforcement for IP domain in multilevel secure systems


The low temperature cracking and high temperature rutting of polymer-modified asphalt concrete pavement can be reduced. The composite includes asphalt and at least one polymer that expands at low temperature, triggered by cooling-induced tensile stress, to reduce thermal cracking. The composite includes at least one polymer that expands at high temperature, so that the composite recovers after compression induced by traffic loading at higher temperatures, thereby reducing rutting. The system reduces thermal stress, and reduces or even eliminates thermal cracking and rutting. Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are used to improve asphalt compositions so that they better resist both thermal cracking and rutting. The SMP(s) can be incorporated into the asphalt, or a portion of fine aggregates can be replaced with SMP particles or SMP fibers, or aggregate replacement and asphalt modification can be combined.

Cracking is one of the three major "distresses" of asphalt pavement: cracking, fatigue, and rutting. Cracking has been a topic of intense research for many years. One of the main challenges facing the transportation community is asphalt pavement cracking, particularly at low temperatures—including transverse cracking, reflective cracking, block cracking, and alligator cracking. Cracked pavement provides pathways for water and debris to penetrate into the asphalt layer and the layers beneath. Cracked pavement can effectively "funnel" traffic into a smaller area of pavement, which can lead to premature failure of the pavement, loss of riding comfort, increased driving time, and increased costs. Although humans have landed on the Moon and humans may even travel to the Mars in the near future, we still have not solved the problems of rutting and cracking underfoot. A principal difficulty lies in the conflicting requirements for addressing the two types of defects: rutting resistance requires an elastic, stiffer binder, while cracking resistance needs a plastic, softer binder. Unfortunately, asphalt, as a thermally susceptible material, softens at higher temperatures, which is conducive to development of ruts, and it hardens at lower temperatures, which permits crack development.
Low temperature cracking in asphalt pavement is primarily due to the large coefficient of thermal expansion of asphalt, which is on the order of 10−4/° C., and to the thermal susceptibility of asphalt, viz. asphalt becomes a brittle, elastic solid at low temperatures, while it is viscoelastic, viscoplastic, or even liquid at high temperatures. As the temperature drops a high degree of contraction, coupled with an increase in stiffness and a reduction in deformability, allows tensile stress to easily accumulate to a level that exceeds the tensile strength of asphalt or asphalt mixture, leading to low-temperature cracking. Cracking does not necessarily need a low temperature, however. Sometimes, although the temperature is not that low, i.e., even when the asphalt still possesses viscoelasticity, a sudden temperature drop—such as from a thunderstorm or hail on a hot summer afternoon—can create a large thermal gradient and thermal stress in asphalt pavement. The thermal stress cannot be fully relaxed due to the short duration of the event, leading to cracking even at higher temperatures. Thus thermal cracking can occur year-round.
Many efforts have been made to solve these problems. For example, softer asphalt has lower stiffness and thus lower thermal stress in the winter, leading to less cracking. However, softer asphalt is also more susceptible to high-temperature rutting, another type of distress that affects riding comfort and service lifetime.
Another way to improve thermal cracking resistance is to use a polymer-modified asphalt. Incorporation of polymers into asphalt can increase the stiffness at high temperature and reduce the stiffness at low temperature, i.e., reduce the thermal susceptibility. Polymers can also increase the tensile strength of a modified asphalt. Consequently, both thermal cracking and rutting problems can be ameliorated. Polymer-modified asphalts have been widely used for heavy-duty pavement applications. Many types of polymers have been used in modifying asphalt, including for example rubbers, elastomers, thermoplastic polymers, and crumb rubbers. Most of these polymers, when mixed with asphalt, go into a dispersed phase, forming a two-phase polymer-modified composite. When the polymer content is sufficiently high, a phase inversion can occur; i.e., the asphalt becomes the dispersed phase and the polymer becomes the continuous phase. Uncured resins and cross linkers can also be mixed into asphalt, for example with a compounder or an extrusion machine, and then when the resin is cured within the asphalt matrix, an interpenetrating network can form and strengthen the polymer-modified asphalt. For two-phase composites, the thermomechanical properties can be estimated by a rule-of-mixture approach. Because some polymers are more effective in improving high temperature performance, while others are more efficient in enhancing low temperature properties, more than one type of polymer can be used in modifying a particular asphalt mixture.
While approaches such as these have achieved partial success, problems still remain. The polymers typically have thermal behavior similar to that of asphalt, i.e., they expand when the temperature rises, and they contract when the temperature drops. Incorporating polymers into the asphalt widens its viscoelastic range, i.e., so that it does not behave as a liquid in the summer, nor as a brittle solid in the winter. However, the polymer-modified asphalt still contracts when the temperature drops. Thus conventional approaches to using polymers have not solved the root cause of the problem.
Besides cracking, another problem for asphalt pavements is rutting at locations such as traffic intersections, stop signs, or channelized heavy-duty roads. Rutting is a typical defect in asphalt concrete pavement due to the inherent plastic deformation of asphalt at high temperatures, particularly with channelized traffic, and at stop signs and other locations where frequent acceleration/deceleration occurs. Rutting damage not only reduces riding comfort and shortens pavement service life, but it can also cause accidents. Rutting might be reduced in asphalt concrete if one could eliminate plastic deformation, or recover from plastic deformation. Various approaches have been investigated such as using a rubber-modified asphalt as a binder. Although the enhanced elasticity helps reduce or delay rutting, over the years plastic deformation still develops due to the channelized traffic load, and permanent deformation gradually accumulates. There is an unfilled need for improved methods and compositions capable of recovering plastic deformation in asphalt; and for the ability to recover from plastic deformation in asphalt concrete.
Although cracking predominates in some asphalt pavements, while rutting predominates in others, it is common to see both types of distress in the same asphalt pavement. One reason is the conflicting approaches to overcoming the two types of defect: reduced rutting favors an elastic, stiffer binder, while reduced cracking favors a plastic, softer binder. Unfortunately, asphalt, a thermally susceptible material, softens at higher temperatures, which is conducive to rutting development, and it hardens at lower temperatures, which allows crack development. Various approaches have been tried to address these problems, such as using rubber-modified asphalt, or changing aggregate size and gradation. Because rubber adds elasticity and high temperature stiffness to the pavement, rutting can be significantly reduced. For cracking resistance, a softer binder can be effective. However, a softer binder sacrifices rutting resistance, and cracks tend to widen over time. Cracking is an even more difficult problem to address because asphalt, including rubber-modified asphalt, has a coefficient of thermal expansion an order higher than that of typical aggregate fillers, leading to low-temperature cracking, and sometimes even to high-temperature cracking. There is an unfilled need for improved asphalt compositions that can resist both thermal cracking and rutting.
T. Chung, A. Romo-Uribe, P. T. Mather. Two-way reversible shape memory in a semicrystalline network. Macromolecules, Vol. 41, pp. 184-192, (2008) disclosed studies on a two-way shape memory effect in cross-linked poly(cyclooctene). Crystallization-induced elongation was reported upon cooling, and melting-induced shrinkage on heating. The effects of the degree of cross-linking were also examined.
P. Zhang and G. Li. Structural Relaxation Behavior of Strain Hardened Shape Memory Polymer Fibers for Self-Healing Applications. Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, Vol. 51, No. 12, pp. 966-977, (2013) describes a study of certain properties of shape-memory polyurethane fibers. Structural relaxation was related to stress relaxation by an analysis of conformational entropy.
S. Hu, F. Zhou, and T. Scullion. Development, calibration, and validation of a new M-E rutting model for HMA overlay design and analysis. ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, Vol. 23, pp. 89-99, (2011) presents models for the occurrence of rutting in asphalt.
B. Huang, G. Li, and L. N. Mohammad. Analytical Modeling and Experimental Study of Tensile Strength of Asphalt Concrete Composite at Low Temperatures. Composites Part B: Engineering, Vol. 34, No. 8, pp. 705-714, (December, 2003) presents models and experimental data for the tensile strength of asphalt at low temperatures, treating hot-mix asphalt mixtures as two-phase composite materials with aggregates dispersed in an asphalt matrix. See also: G. Li, Y. Zhao, and S. S. Pang. Micromechanical Modeling of Polymer Modified Asphalt at Low Temperatures. Journal of Elastomers and Plastics, Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 283-301, (October, 2000); and G. Li, Y. Li, J. B. Metcalf, and S. S. Pang. Elastic Modulus Prediction of Asphalt Concrete. ASCE Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 236-241, (August, 1999).

Smart rutting and cracking resistant asphalt pavement incorporating shape memory polymers

Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College


An overvoltage output protector is electrically connected to a constant-voltage switching power supply which includes a switching transistor converting a DC voltage obtained by smoothing an AC voltage supplied from an AC power source into a cyclic pulse signal. In the overvoltage output protector, an overvoltage monitor whether a potential of the cyclic pulse signal is a predetermined value or more. A deactivator turns off the switching transistor in a case where the overvoltage monitor judges that the potential of the cyclic pulse signal is the predetermined value or more.

The present invention relates to a constant-voltage switching power supply provided with an overvoltage output protecting circuit, and relates to and an electronic apparatus provided with an overvoltage protecting circuit.
A constant-voltage switching power supply rarely generates unnecessary power as heat from a transistor since a switching transistor therein only repeats the ON-OFF switching operation. The constant-voltage switching power supply uses a compact and small-loss high-frequency transformer. Thus the constant-voltage switching power supply is advantageous in that the power loss of the entire circuit can be made small. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a related-art constant-voltage switching power supply.
A smoother 1 comprising a rectifier bridge DB1 and a capacitor C11 smoothes the AC voltage supplied from an AC power source Vin to convert the AC voltage to a DC voltage. The DC voltage is switched by a switching transistor (field-effect transistor) Q1 and converted to a high-frequency pulse. The high-frequency pulse is transformed by a high-frequency transformer T1 then converted to a DC voltage again by a high-frequency rectifier 2 and outputted across a Vout terminal and a GND terminal. In a case where there is a variation in the output voltage, the voltage comparator/detector 3 detects a variation in the voltage and notifies that to a duty ratio controller 4 via a photocoupler PC1. The duty ratio controller 4 changes the ON-OFF interval of the switching transistor Q1 to control the duty ratio of the high-frequency pulse. The average voltage of the high-frequency pulse becomes the DC output voltage and the output voltage is controlled by the duty ratio. Control of the duty ratio of the high-frequency pulse is made so that, when the DC output voltage is higher, the ON duty will be smaller and when the DC output voltage is lower, the ON duty will be greater.
In the related-art constant-voltage switching power supply of this configuration; an AC voltage supplied from the AC power source Vin is converted to a DC voltage by the smoother 1, and the DC voltage causes a current to flow through an activation resistor R1, thus elevating the gate voltage of the switching transistor Q1. This turns on the switching transistor Q1 and generates a voltage on a first primary coil of the high-frequency transformer T1 and a phase-inverted voltage corresponding to the number of turns on a second primary coil P2. The voltage generated in the second primary coil applies a positive feedback on the gate of the switching transistor Q1 via a capacitor C1 and a resistor R2. The base of the transistor Q2 is charged by a coupler current of a photocoupler PC1 which feeds back a variation in the DC output voltage and a current flowing through a Zener diode ZD1.
When a current flows through the first primary coil P1, a current attempts to flow through the secondary wiring S1 of the high-frequency transformer T1. The diode D1 blocks the current so that the corresponding energy is stored in the high-frequency transformer T1. When the base voltage of the transistor Q1 reaches the ON voltage, the switching transistor Q1 turns off, causing the energy to be transmitted from the secondary wiring S1. On the second primary coil P2 is applied a reverse bias thus causing the base of the transistor Q2 to be discharged. When all the energy stored in the high-frequency transformer T1 is generated from the secondary wiring S1, the switching transistor Q1 starts to turn on again with a counterelectromotive force.
A high-frequency pulse is generated by repeating the above operation. Then the transistor Q2 is ON-OFF controlled by the coupler current of the photocoupler PC1 which feeds back a variation in the DC output voltage. This causes ON-OFF control of the transistor Q1, which controls the duty ratio of the high-frequency pulse. Thus a voltage specified by a Zener diode ZD2 is stably outputted at the DC output terminal Vout.
An overvoltage detector 26 detects whether the DC output voltage defined by a Zener diode ZD3 is overvoltage, and transmits the overvoltage thus detected to a switching transistor deactivator 5 through a photocoupler PC2. In the overvoltage detector 26, when the DC output voltage becomes an overvoltage, the photocoupler PC2 in the overvoltage detector 26 is turned ON to operate the switching transistor deactivator 5 by the coupler current of the photocoupler PC2 in the switching transistor deactivator 5. The switching transistor deactivator 5 turns OFF the switching transistor Q1, thereby stopping the switching operation of the switching transistor Q1.
Accordingly, when the photocoupler PC1 of the voltage comparator/detector 3 breaks down so that constant-voltage control is disabled and the DC output voltage is abnormally raised to be an overvoltage, for example, the overvoltage detector 26 can detect an overvoltage to stop the operation of the constant-voltage switching power supply, thereby preventing heat from being generated by the overvoltage.
However, the voltage comparator/detector 3 and the overvoltage detector 26 have such circuit configurations as to depend on the photocouplers provided across the primary and secondary sides of the high-frequency transformer T1. For this reason, when some abnormality is occurred on the secondary side of the high-frequency transformer T1 by the breakdown of a load connected to the secondary side of the high-frequency transformer T1, there is an anxiety that both the photocoupler PC1 and the photocoupler PC2 might break down. Consequently, there is an anxiety that neither the duty ratio controller 4 nor the switching transistor deactivator 5 on the primary side of the high-frequency transformer T1 might function and the control of the switching transistor Q1 might be perfectly disabled to cause the DC output voltage to be the overvoltage.
For another related art, an overvoltage protecting circuit is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-256474A. The overvoltage protecting circuit relates to a self-excitation type switching power source and has an object to protect a load from an abnormal rise in an output voltage which is caused by the breakdown of a power supply. The overvoltage protecting circuit is provided with: an ON period limiter for limiting the ON period of a switching transistor; a negative rectifier for taking a negative voltage from the feedback coil of a switching transformer; and a detector for detecting whether the output voltage of the negative rectifier is a predetermined value or less. The overvoltage protecting circuit is so configured that the output voltage of the negative rectifier is also dropped proportionally when the output voltage is raised, and a detection signal is transmitted from the detector to the ON period limiter in a case where the output voltage becomes the predetermined value or less, so that the ON period of the switching transistor is thus limited. Also in this overvoltage protecting circuit, the overvoltage problem as explained the above might be occurred.
In a general electronic apparatus comprising a power supply device such as a constant-voltage switching power supply or an electronic apparatus having such a structure that a power supply device is not provided therein but a power is supplied from an external power supply device such as an AC adapter, an overcorrent might flow to a part of circuits to damage them and a part of the circuits might generate heat to have a high temperature when an abnormality occurs on the power supply device and a much higher voltage than a rated voltage is applied to the circuits in the electronic apparatus.
For this reason, a general power supply device is provided with an output overvoltage protecting circuit for preventing an output voltage from becoming an overvoltage. On the other hand, there is also an anxiety that an overvoltage might be generated in a part of the circuits in the electronic apparatus by the abnormality occurred on the circuits in the electronic apparatus even if the power supply device is normally operated. Also in such a case, similarly, there is an anxiety that an overcorrent might flow to a part of the circuits to damage them and a part of the circuits might generate heat to have a high temperature. In the general electronic apparatus, therefore, an overvoltage protecting circuit for preventing the voltage of the circuit in the electronic apparatus from being a predetermined value or more is provided separately from the output overvoltage protecting circuit of the power supply device.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-5576A discloses an overvoltage protecting circuit for clamping the voltage of a circuit in an electronic apparatus by a Zener diode to prevent an overcorrent from flowing to a part of the circuits in the electronic apparatus, thereby preventing the circuits from being broken and preventing heat generation from being caused in the circuits in the electronic apparatus.
In such a configuration, since a power is continuously supplied from a power supply device, an overvoltage is clamped by the Zener diode so that a large current might continuously flow to the Zener diode to generate heat. In the case where a larger current than a rated current flows to the Zener diode, the Zener diode is broken down. In many cases, the breakdown of the Zener diode caused by such an overcurrent brings a short-circuit breakdown, that is, a short-circuited state. Consequently, an output overcurrent is detected on the power supply device side so that the power supply device is stopped and both the power supply device and the electronic apparatus are protected from an overvoltage.
However, in the case where the Zener diode causes an open breakdown, there is an anxiety that the voltage in the electronic apparatus cannot be clamped to generate an overvoltage so that an overcorrent might flow to a part of the circuits. Therefore, the circuits might be broken down, and at the same time, a part of the circuits might generate heat to have a high temperature.
Moreover, many of general electronic apparatuses have such a structure that a DC voltage supplied from a power supply device is converted depending on each of circuits in the electronic apparatus by a voltage output circuit such as a DC-DC converter. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No 2003-72057A discloses a circuit for ON/OFF controlling the output voltage of a DC-DC converter. In such a configuration, the output voltage of a voltage output circuit such as a DC-DC converter is OFF controlled to prevent an overcorrent from flowing to a part of the circuits in the electronic apparatus, thereby preventing the circuit from being broken and preventing heat generation from being caused in the circuits in the electronic apparatus.
However, since the power is continuously supplied from the power supply device also after the overvoltage is detected in the electronic apparatus in the same manner as explained the above, in the case where an abnormality is occurred in the voltage output circuit such as a DC-DC converter, there is an anxiety that an overcorrent might flow to a part of the circuits and the circuits might be thereby broken, and at the same time, a part of the circuits might generate heat to have a high temperature.

Constant-voltage switching power supply provided with overvoltage output protecting circuit, and electronic apparatus provided with overvoltage protecting circuit


A locking unit for the locking of the movement of a piston. An electromagnet is provided the armature, respectively the armature bar, of which acts on an operating element. The operating element co-operates with a catching element in such a way that the catching element blocks in a locking position the movement of the piston, respectively the catching element unlocks in an unlocking position the movement of the piston. Catching element and operating element co-operate surface-to-surface.

Locking units described above are used in particular with the parking brakes in automatic transmissions.
A vehicle with manual gear shifting can be secured against unintended movement during standstill when the engine has been turned off by engaging a gear. With automatic transmissions, however, this is not possible because there is no frictional connection with the driven wheels when the engine has been turned off. Therefore automatic transmissions have a mechanic locking of the transmission driven shaft which has to be activated in the park position, that means it has to be set, and it prevents the car from moving.
The locking unit there acts together with the hydraulic circle of the automatic transmission. When the parking brake is set it is usually provided that the piston is unlocked. In the drive position, that is when the parking brake is not set, the piston impinged with pressure is locked. Usually there the piston rod of the piston acts on a catch which engages or does not engage according to the position of the parking brake into the driving lane.
The locking units used for that have balls as operating elements which are movably supported radial to the armature bar and because of the movements of the armature bar during driving are pressed outward in order to engage with a catching element and thus lock the movement of the piston.
In the currentless condition (usually in the park position) the unlocking position of the piston is achieved by means of a spring which moves the armature bar against the otherwise prevailing holding force of the electromagnet in such a way that the balls can recede radial to the inside and thus the movement of the piston is no longer blocked. The arrangement there is such that the unlocking position (park position) is passively safe, that means in the currentless condition the movement of the piston is not blocked, the piston is unlocked.
In the example shown here according to the state of the art the meshed park position corresponds with the unlocked piston, the out-of-gear park position corresponds with the locked piston. In the sense of the invention, however, it is also possible to reverse this connection, that means to use an unlocked piston when the parking brake is out-of-gear and vice versa.
The use of the balls as operating elements, however, leads to some disadvantages. The balls run in oil which, for example, is in contact on the pressure side on the piston. Therefore it cannot be excluded completely that, for example, rubbed-of parts of the gear or other soiling (for example chips) are being deposited into the locking region and thus obstruct the movement of the balls. If, however, the movement of the balls is not secured the function of the locking unit altogether is not guaranteed. Therefore the arrangement according to the state of the art is susceptible to soiling.
Furthermore a ball has only point-to-point contact to its surrounding surfaces. That means that the locking forces act only on small surfaces and the corresponding pressure stress is enormous. In the state of the art this is compensated by accordingly especially hardened parts, however, these parts are correspondingly expensive to manufacture.


A wire winding device for electrical components has a transmission member, a wire feeding member, a wire winding member, a spool feeding member, and a driving member. Spools are respectively inserted into the wire winding member via the spool feeding member and rotated by the driving member. Wires are moved into the wire winding member via the wire feeding member and inserted into the spool. Hence, the wire can be encircled the spool automatically.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire winding device for electric components, and more particularly to a wire winding device for winding wires around spools for waves filtering coils.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wave filtering coils are usually used for electrical cards. Each wave filtering coil comprises a loop and a wire encircled the loop. The wire is manually encircled on the periphery of the loop. However, the loop has a small volume, such that to reel the wire onto the loop manually is time-consuming.
Therefore, the invention provides a wire winding device for electrical components to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

Wire winding device for electrical components


An ultra low power super-regenerative receiver is provided. The ultra low power super-regenerative receiver includes a bit synchronizer configured to use a value sampled from a signal output from a super-regenerative oscillator to estimate a pulse-level position having a maximum amplitude value in a single period of a received symbol, a frame synchronizer configured to combine a plurality of pulse-level positions determined based on the estimated pulse-level position, and detect a predetermined bit sequence using the plurality of pulse-level positions combined, the frame synchronizer being configured to perform frame synchronization, and a data detector configured to detect data using the plurality of pulse-level positions determined after the frame synchronization is completed.

1. Field
The following description relates to an ultra low power super-regenerative receiver and method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
With a rapid development and commercialization of wireless networking technology, a sensor network has been extending rapidly. Standardization of technology has been actively conducted based on IEEE. Examples of technologies that have been standardized include Bluetooth, IEEE 802.15.4, ZigBee, and the like.
A wireless sensor network may be used in various environments such as home security, medical fields, mobile health care, monitoring of a chemical and biological abnormality, diagnosis of a mechanical abnormality and malfunction, monitoring of an environment, sensing of information associated with a disaster, intelligent distribution management, real time security, remote monitoring, and the like.
The size of a sensor, in various wireless sensor networks and local area networks, may be relatively small. In order to operate a large number of sensors over a relatively long time period, the sensors need to require low power and have a low complexity.
For example, a wireless body area network (WBAN) in which sensors are installed in a human body, may need to meet rigorous standards of low power and low complexity in order to perform wireless communication with a neighboring mobile device and with another sensor in the human body.
To meet rigorous standards of low power and low complexity, an ultra-low power radio frequency (RF) structure may be used instead of a relatively high powered RF structure. However, the usage of an ultra-low power analog circuit may entail overall performance degradation in a system.
Accordingly, continued research on a technology to improve system performance while a sensor using the ultra-low power analog circuit is installed in a wireless sensor network or a local area network may be desired.

Ultra low power super-regenerative receiver and method thereof


Pipe Props Rotary Wing of the present invention is a propeller driven propulsion engine in a pipe profile with props or propellers rotating in part as rotary wings around their shafts; the props and shafts are oriented lengthwise along the pipe; and the props in rotations propel directional air transversely through and across the pipe to generate variable directional thrusts and lifts in directions also transverse to the pipe. Pipe Props Rotary Wing is a variable thrusts and lifts propeller driven propulsion engine to unify all propeller driven propulsion engines for all propeller driven aircrafts, including: propeller aircrafts, rotary wing aircrafts or helicopters, and tilt rotor aircrafts. Pipe Props Rotary Wing in a pipe profile, with props rotating in part as rotary wings, is suitable as fixed wings replacements for propeller aircrafts and tilt rotor aircrafts. Been adapted from Omni M-VAWT or Omni Multi Axes-Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with modifications, Pipe Props rotary Wing as propeller driven propulsion engines are unified also with some vertical axis wind turbines.

Propeller driven propulsion engines are currently very different for three major classes of propeller driven aircrafts, and they are: propeller aircrafts, rotary wing aircrafts or helicopters, and tilt rotor aircrafts. Pipe Props Rotary Wing of the present invention is a propeller driven propulsion engine in a pipe profile, with props or propellers rotating and propelling directional air for variable directional thrusts and lifts, and offers a unified propeller driven propulsion engines for all propeller driven aircrafts. Pipe Props Rotary Wing in a pipe profile, with props rotating in part as rotary wings, is suitable also as fixed wings replacements for propeller aircrafts and tilt rotor aircrafts. Been adapted from Omni M-VAWT or Omni Multi Axes-Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with modifications, Pipe Props rotary Wing as propeller driven propulsion engines are also unified some vertical axis wind turbines.


The present invention includes proteins, nucleic acids and methods of making and using an activatable interleukin-2 (aIL2) comprising an Interleukin-2 (aIL2) fusion protein comprising: an Interleukin-2 (IL2) wild-type or mutein; a first cleavable linker; an interleukin-2 receptor binding region (IL2RB), and a half-life extender, such as an antibody Fc region, wherein cleavage of the cleavable linker releases the IL2 from the interleukin-2 receptor beta binding region.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with interleukin-2 (IL2).
One such patent is international publication WO 2016/022671 A1, entitled, Interleukin-2/Interleukin-2 Receptor Alpha Fusion Proteins And Methods Of Use, and which is said to teach increasing activity of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and/or increasing immune tolerance in low dose IL2 based therapies; increasing immune response and memory in higher dose therapies; increasing IL2 availability when compared to recombinant IL2 through competitive interaction between IL2 with cells that express IL2R; and/or increasing persistent IL2 stimulation of IL2R bearing lymphocytes in vivo.
Another such patent is U.S. Pat. No. 8,734,774 B2, entitled, "Protease activated cytokines", which uses mouse IL2/PSAcs/linker/IL2Ralpha fusion protein and human IL2/PSAcs/linker/scFv (anti-human IL2) to reduce toxicity for the potential cancer therapy.
Yet other patent applications include international publications WO 2020/057646 A1 and WO 2020/057645 (CN2018101108649A), entitled "Novel Interleukin 2 And Use Thereof", that teach an IL2 mutant protein has a reduced IL-2a receptor binding capability and/or an improved IL2Rβ receptor binding capability. The fusion protein contains IL2 mutant protein, an immunoconjugate and a Fc peptide. These applications also teach an immunoconjugate that brings the IL2 mutant protein to the tumor site, and a Fc peptide increases the stability of IL2 mutant protein, and mutations in IL2 mutant protein abolished protein glycosylation, and subsequently reduced its binding to IL2Ra.
Finally, Charych, et al., in an article entitled "NKTR-214, an Engineered Cytokine with Biased IL2 Receptor Binding, Increased Tumor Exposure, and Marked Efficacy in Mouse Tumor Models" Clin Cancer Res. 2016 Feb. 1; 22(3):680-90. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-15-1631, teaches preferential activation of IL2 receptor beta over receptor alpha using the location of PEG molecules to achieve such preferential activation.
What is needed are novel fusion proteins that overcome the problems in the prior art by eliminating targeting of normal tissues and enhancing the activity at the tumor target site, while also ensuring favorable properties of a biologic drugs such as increased half-life and ease of formulation and manufacturability.

Activatable IL2 composition and methods of use


A flange driver for a cardan joint with a spider comprised of two pins mutually offset by 90.degree. and two essentially same-design yoke halves. Each yoke half includes a base and a bearing part with a bore contained in it. Both yoke halves abutt along an interface which is essentially perpendicular to the axis of a first spider pin supported by the yoke. Both yoke halves feature a system for torque transmission from the shaft adjoining the joint to the flange driver and to the spider or in reverse order. Both yoke halves of the flange driver are joined to each other positively. Each yoke half features on its interface a toothing directed toward the respective complementary interface. The flank lines of the toothing or a plurality of tangents to the flank lines, projected in a common plane with the yoke axis, extend at an angle greater than 0.degree. to smaller than 180.degree. relative to the yoke axis.

The invention concerns a flange driver intended for the U-joint of a cardan shaft and comprised of two mutually complementary yoke halves.
Embodiments of split flange drivers are previously known, for instance from the German G 93 15717.7 and EP 0 206 026. Cardan yokes of split design enable the construction of integral and dimensionally stable bearing eyes which, the same as in an undivided yoke, remain an integral part of the adjoining yoke arm by way of which the force is transmitted to the bearing eye. In this way there occurs no interruption of the flow of force at the specifically most stressed point of the yoke. Arranged in the plane of symmetry between the eyes of the yoke, the parting point is situated in the area of lowest stress, which has no effect whatsoever on the transmission of force. These arrangements offer the advantage of a sound bedding of the bearing in the eye, of a very easy assembly and an increased load capacity of the bearing. At the same time, split yokes offer considerable advantages in their manufacture, processing, shipping and storage.
In detail, there are various engineering options for torque transmission known, to achieve the transmission of force between the input and output shafts. The yoke halves styled as described in EP 0 206 026 feature each a flange which on its side away from the spider axis possesses positive-locking elements, so that a positive connection is established with the driven shaft or the shaft being driven. Additionally there are releasable connections provided between the flange and the respective shaft, for example by means of antifatigue-shaft bolts.
The interfaces of the yoke halves are arranged here essentially mutually parallel and feature opposed keyways in the center area. Keys of square shape are inserted in these keyways. They serve primarily to prevent the yoke halves from shifting mutually parallel to the axis of the spider pin mounted in the yoke. Avoiding a relative motion of the yoke halves perpendicularly to the spider pin axis, i.e., in the direction of the yoke axis, is not feasible with this solution; neither can the yoke halves be prestressed relative to each other. The result, especially in reverse operation, is a lift-off of individual areas of the yoke halves under the effect of the peripheral force. The lift-off also causes a relative motion of the positive-locking elements onto the recesses in the adjoining shaft, which--in turn--leads to the creation of voids which allow the accumulation of moisture and seepage water. The result are corrosion phenomena, which are promoted yet by the micromotion of the yoke halves.
In the styling described in G 93 15 717.7, the two yoke halves are joined by means of a positive-locking joint and feature, common to both yoke halves, a system for torque transmission from the shaft adjoining the cardan joint to the flange driver and spider, respectively also in reverse order. The embodiments proposed in G 93 15 717.7 for a positive-locking joint are, in part, very manufacturing- and assembly-intensive.
Therefore, the problem underlying the invention is to further advance a flange driver of the initially named kind to the effect that the cited drawbacks will be avoided while maintaining a favorable design of the flange driver for accommodating the bearing and achieving maximally high bearing forces, the same as in the unpublished G 93 15 717.7, and that a low-cost manufacture with effective utilization of existing capacities and an easy assembly are accomplished. A further essential problem consists in achieving at low cost an optimum seal so as to avoid fretting corrosion and other corrosion phenomena closely associated with the problem, which, in turn, favors a long service life of the flange drivers.

Method for manufacturing a split flange driver for a cardan joint


A method for improving efficiency and reducing emissions of an internal combustion engine. Variable displacement engine capabilities are achieved by disabling engine valves during load changes and constant load operations. Active cylinders may be operated at minimum BSFC by intermittently disabling other cylinders to provide the desired net torque. Disabling is begun by early closing of the intake valve to provide a vacuum at BDC which will result in no net gas flow across the piston rings, and minimum loss of compression energy in the disabled cylinder; this saving in engine friction losses is significant with multiple disablements.

This invention describes a method for increasing the efficiency and reducing the undesirable emissions of an internal combustion engine. While the general principles and teachings hereinafter disclosed are applicable to all combustion engines, the invention is hereinafter described in detail in connection with its application to a reciprocating, fuel injected, spark ignited, multi-cylinder engine.
As used herein, the term "engine" refers to a device which converts heat energy, released by the combustion of a fuel, into mechanical energy in a rotating output shaft of the engine. Also, the term "disabled cylinder" is defined as having the intake and exhaust valves of a cylinder disabled so that they remain closed while the crankshaft is rotating. These valves may be poppet valves driven by a camshaft common to such engines or any other valves which admit or discharge a gaseous mixture to or from the cylinder. Also, the term "brake specific fuel consumption" (BSFC) is defined as the amount of fuel consumed to produce a given power at the engine drive shaft.
In the United States, the law requires that many types of vehicles must be tested over a specified driving cycle (CVS test) while the fuel consumed and the exhaust emissions generated are measured. This driving cycle has many periods of acceleration, deceleration and idle, with few periods of steady speed, and is intended to reflect typical urban vehicle usage. During deceleration and idle operation it is difficult to control emissions in typical internal combustion engines--particularly throttled engines--because of the low manifold pressures at these times. Also, when the accelerator pedal is released, fuel continues to be consumed even though no energy is required from the engine. The emissions measured during this test must be less than those specified by law at the time of manufacture, and the fuel consumed is used in the determination of the vehicle manufacturer's corporate average fuel economy (CAFE).


A rotating electric machine according to embodiments is a rotating electric machine including a rotor including a first core and being capable of rotating around a rotating shaft; and a stator disposed to face the rotor in the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the first core including a first pressed powder material having a plurality of first flaky magnetic metal particles and a first intercalated phase, the first flaky magnetic metal particles having an average thickness of from 10 nm to 100 μm, each first flaky magnetic metal particle having a first flat surface and a first magnetic metal phase including at least one first element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, the average value of the ratio of the average length in the first flat surface with respect to the average thickness being from 5 to 10,000, the first intercalated phase existing between the first flaky magnetic metal particles and including at least one second element selected from the group consisting of oxygen (O), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and fluorine (F), wherein in the first pressed powder material, the first flat surfaces are oriented approximately in parallel with a first principal plane of the first pressed powder material and have the difference in magnetic permeability on the basis of direction within the first principal plane, and the first principal plane of the first pressed powder material is disposed to be approximately perpendicular to the radial direction of the rotating electric machine.

Rotating electric machines that are applicable to industrial equipment, vehicles, home electric appliances, and the like are heretofore known. These rotating electric machines usually comprise a core in which a plurality of silicon steel sheets are laminated in the axial direction, and which is configured such that magnetic flux flows along the steel sheet surfaces. On the other hand, in order to realize size reduction, torque increase, speed increase, efficiency increase, and the like, rotating electric machines having a structure in which the passage of magnetic flux (magnetic path) is three-dimensionally arranged have been proposed. Examples of rotating electric machines of this type include axial gap type machines and transverse flux type machines.
However, pressed powder materials used therein have inferior characteristics in view of saturation magnetization, magnetic permeability, losses, strength, toughness, and the like as compared to silicon steel sheets, and therefore, it is preferable to compensate for these shortcomings by devising the designs and production methods.


A method of the present invention for manufacturing a small-sized motor relates to cutting or grinding of a shaft end portion of a rotor into a noncircular shape over a predetermined length for establishing a mechanical coupling with a device to be driven. The cutting or grinding work is performed after a laminated core 7, a winding 6, a commutator 5, and a thrust bush 8 are assembled on a shaft 11 to thereby assemble the rotor. Alternatively, a process of cutting or grinding the shaft end portion into a noncircular shape is performed after a casing 1, an end bell 4 to be fitted to an opening portion of the casing 1, and a rotor are assembled into a small-sized motor. Thus, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a small-sized motor in which a shaft has a D cut formed thereon, enables determination of whether or not the D cut is to be formed on the shaft, at a later stage of a motor assembly process, to thereby eliminating the need to control the stock of shafts bearing the D cut, does not involve the need to orient shafts in the same direction in preparation for press-fitting of laminated cores of rotors to the corresponding shafts, and can prevent generation of scrapings when a thrust bush is press-fitted to a shaft.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a small-sized motor in which an end portion of a shaft of a rotor is machined into a noncircular shape.
A small-sized motor is used in various fields in order to, for example, adjust an angle of or to retract a motor-driven mirror of a car, or to drive a mechanism of a toy. In such an application, in order to establish mechanical coupling between a small-sized motor and a gear, for example, of a device to be driven, the following techniques have been used conventionally. That is, an end portion of a round shaft of the small-sized motor is machined into a noncircular shape (for example, a D shape), while a center hole of the gear for receiving the shaft is formed in a shape (for example, a D shape) corresponding to the noncircular shape of the shaft end, thereby establishing relative-rotation-prevention means. Alternatively, an inner bore of a cylindrical body for receiving the noncircular shaft end portion is formed in a circular shape, while, for example, a screw is screwed into the body from outside and perpendicular to the shaft such that an end of the screw is pressed against the noncircular portion (a flat portion of the D shape) of the shaft end, thereby establishing relative-rotation-prevention means. Conventionally, an end portion of a shaft of a small-sized motor is ground or cut into a noncircular shape before the shaft is assembled in the motor.
FIG. 5 shows a conventional shaft before assembly having a D cut 12 formed thereon so as to prevent relative rotation. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 11 denotes a shaft, and reference numeral 16 denotes an edge portion of the D cut 12. Herein, the term xe2x80x9cD cutxe2x80x9d refers to grinding or cutting of an end portion of a round shaft into a noncircular shape, typically, a D shape.
According to a conventional practice for forming a D cut on a shaft before assembly through grinding or cutting, about 100 shafts, for example, are fixedly arranged in a rest jig and are ground by use of a rotating grinding wheel. However, this prior art involves the following drawbacks.
About 100 shafts are typically ground simultaneously in order to form a D cut thereon. Therefore, grinding shafts in a smaller lot in order to fulfill an order results in a higher machining cost.
The amount of production of motors equipped with a shaft bearing a D cut must be grasped at the stage of manufacturing shafts. If customer demand should vary, the stock of shafts might increase beyond a scheduled level.
When a laminated core is to be fitted to a shaft bearing a D cut, the laminated core is press-fitted to the shaft from an end opposite the D cut (a shaft end not bearing the D cut) in order to avoid the edge portion 16 of the D cut scraping a bore wall portion of the laminated core. Therefore, shafts to be fed to a press-fitting machine for press-fitting laminated cores to the corresponding shafts must be oriented such that shaft ends on which the D cut is formed face the same direction.
When a thrust bush produced from brass is press-fitted to a shaft in order to axially position a rotor, the edge portion 16 of the D cut 12 scrapes a bore wall portion of the thrust bush, and scrapings adhere to the edge portion 16.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a small-sized motor in which a D cut is formed on a shaft, which method enables determination of whether or not the D cut is to be formed on the shaft, at a later stage of a motor assembly process, thereby requiring no need to control the stock of shafts bearing the D cut.
Another object of the present invention is to eliminate the need to orient shafts in the same direction in preparation for press-fitting of laminated cores of rotors to the corresponding shafts.
Still another object of the present invention is to prevent generation of scrapings when a thrust bush is press-fitted to a shaft.
A method of the present invention for manufacturing a small-sized motor comprises a step of cutting or grinding a shaft end portion of a rotor into a noncircular shape over a predetermined length for establishing a mechanical coupling with a device to be driven, and is characterized in that the cutting or grinding work is performed after a laminated core 7, a winding 6, a commutator 5, and a strap bush 8 are assembled on a shaft 11 to thereby assemble a rotor.
A method of the present invention for manufacturing a small-sized motor is characterized in that a shaft end portion of a rotor is cut or ground into a noncircular shape for establishing a mechanical coupling with a device to be driven, after a casing 1, an end bell to be fitted to an opening of the casing 1, and a rotor are assembled into the small-sized motor.
Thus, the present invention does not involve stock control of shafts bearing a D cut, need to orient the shafts such that their D-cut ends face the same direction when laminated cores of rotors are to be press-fitted to the corresponding shafts, or generation of scrapings when thrust bushes are press-fitted to the corresponding shafts.
The shaft end portion can be cut by combined use of a punch 14 and a die 13 having a hole formed therein for receiving the shaft end portion.
The punch 14 to be used in combination with the die 13 may be stepless or may have a plurality of steps and can cut the shaft end portion in a single stroke.

Method for manufacturing small-sized motor


A spindle motor control method and apparatus for spindle motor control are provided for use in a direct access storage device. A plurality of operational modes of the direct access storage device are detected. The operational modes of the direct access storage device include start-up and idle operational modes and predetermined critical operational modes that include reading of data and reading of servo information. A pulse width modulation (PWM) mode control for applying driving current to the spindle motor is provided responsive to detecting a start-up or an idle operational mode. A linear mode control for applying driving current to the spindle motor is provided responsive to detecting one of the predetermined critical operational modes. During operation of the disk file, a small percentage of the overall file power-on time is spent performing critical file operations so that substantial power savings are achieved by the PWM mode control. Also since the integrity of the data transferred is critical, the error rate reduction that results by operating in the linear mode during the critical file operations is advantageous.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct access storage device (DASD) of the type that includes a spindle motor, and more particularly to improved spindle motor control method and apparatus for a direct access storage device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disk drive units incorporating stacked, commonly rotated rigid magnetic disks are used for storage of data in magnetic form on the disk surfaces. Typically the disks are mounted in parallel for simultaneous rotation on and by an integrated spindle and motor assembly. Transducer heads driven in a path toward and away from the drive axis write data to the disks and read data from the disks. Data is recorded in data information tracks arrayed on the surfaces of the disks.
Typically a brushless, direct current (DC), spindle motor is used in disk drives. Two methods for spindle motor control include a linear drive method and a pulse width modulation (PWM) drive method. The PWM drive method has been used to limit the high power dissipation, particularly that occurs at start-up. The linear drive method is the most popular because of its relatively low electrical noise characteristics.
A commercially available driver device part number L6232 manufactured and sold by SGS-Thompson Microelectronics for use in brushless DC motor applications and particularly for use with disk drive applications includes circuitry to perform PWM and linear motor speed control. The spindle driver is described for use to limit the high power dissipation that occurs during spindle start-up through the use of the PWM mode and then to switch to linear motor control during operation at the normal operating spindle speed.
Examples of other known motor control systems are provided by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,485,337; 4,783,774 and 4,970,610.
U S. Pat. No. 4,485,337 discloses a motor speed control circuit for a disk drive that uses servo data retrieved from a servo disk to regulate the motor speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,774 discloses a control system for an optical information reproducing apparatus including a circuit for modulating a servo control signal to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for driving a disc rotation drive motor or the like with a relatively low power consumption.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,610 discloses a spindle motor start routine for a disk drive that supersedes the spindle motor primary control when a stuck condition exists. This control includes a starting reaction torque amplification routine for separating transducer heads that adhere to the disk surface when the disks are not rotated. With the spindle motor starting reaction torque amplification control algorithm, a microprocessor controller attempts to start the spindle motor with a series of increasing duty cycle values of a pulse width modulation signal that is proportional to spindle drive current.
While the prior art motor control systems provide generally effective operation, it is desirable to provide an improved apparatus and method for spindle motor control that reduces the power consumption while providing low electrical noise characteristics.

Spindle control method and apparatus for disk drive

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for self-compensating a method includes the steps of rotating the patterned element relative to the read heads, the rotation about the axis to a plurality of first angles covering a range of at least 360 degrees; obtaining, at each of the plurality of first angles, first angular readings for the m measure read heads and for the reference read head; calculating a first array for each of the m measure read heads, each first array including, for each of the plurality of first angles, a difference in the first angular readings of the measure read head and the first angular reading of the reference read head; calculating, for each of the m measure read heads, at least one first spectral component based at least in part on the first array; calculating, for each of the m measure read heads, at least one second spectral component, the second spectral component based, at least in part, on the at least one first spectral component and on estimates of the second angles of the m measure read heads; and recording, for each of the m measure read heads, the at least one second spectral component.

The present disclosure relates generally to an angle measuring device and specifically to a device known as an angular encoder (or rotary encoder).
The angular encoder may be constructed in different ways. One type of angular encoder comprises a glass disk, one or more read heads, and processing electronics. The one or more read heads send light to the disk. This light is either transmitted through or reflected off the disk to optical detectors, which are also a part of the read heads. The glass disk contains a pattern, which may be as simple as a collection of lines directed radially outward from the disk center. As the disk rotates, the pattern of light changes on the read head. This changing light pattern is evaluated by the processing electronics to find the angle of rotation of the glass disk relative to the read heads. In most cases, the glass disk is attached to the rotating member, which might be an axle, and the read heads are attached to the frame within which the axle rotates.
A second type of angular encoder places the pattern on a ring rather than a disk. The one or more read heads send light to the ring, where it strikes the pattern reflecting back to the detectors in the read head. The changing pattern of light on the detector is evaluated by the processing electronics to find the angle of rotation of the ring relative to the read heads. In most cases, the ring is attached to the rotating member, which might be an axle, and the read heads are attached to the frame within which the axle rotates.
The disk and rings described above may be generally classified as patterned elements in that each holds a pattern, which may be a pattern of marks, for example, that are read by read heads, as described below. The patterned elements are designed to cooperate with read heads, described below, and the cooperation may involve optical, magnetic, mechanical, or other types of interaction between the patterned element and the read heads.
The read head is a device that reads a signal reflected by or transmitted through an encoder disk, ring, or similar structure. The most common types of read heads generate and respond to optical signals. A read head is constructed in such a way as to be able to distinguish between two directions of rotation of the disk or ring (for example, forward and backward). The most common method of providing the sense of direction is to obtain quadrature electrical signals, which are signals separated in phase by ninety degrees, from the obtained signal. Quadrature signals are also useful because they improve the accuracy of the encoder readings. There may be several read heads for each encoder disk or ring, and each of these read heads may produce quadrature electrical signals.
An angular encoder may be absolute or incremental. An absolute encoder provides the information to determine the present angle in an absolute sense—that is, without having a history of previous angle measurements. An incremental encoder, on the other hand, requires knowledge of previous encoder readings to determine the present reading. Ordinarily an incremental encoder contains a structure on the disk or ring that produces an optical signal that is transformed by the read head into an index pulse. The index pulse serves to provide a reference position, ordinarily accurate to within one line on the encoder disk or ring. At the start of a measurement session, an instrument containing an incremental encoder may begin by carrying out a procedure to determine the location of the index pulse. Generally the read head determines the position of the index pulse to a fraction of the spacing between two lines on the encoder disk or ring. Thereafter, a read head may count the number of lines that have passed it in either the forward and backward directions. From knowledge of the angle between encoder disk lines, it determines the present angle.
The accuracy with which angular encoders can measure varies widely. For inexpensive encoders, the angles may be measured in fractions of a degree. In contrast, other encoders are accurate to a fraction of an arc second. Highly accurate encoders are important to the class of devices that includes laser trackers, total stations, laser scanners, and theodolites. Accuracies required for such devices are often on the order of one microradian, or 0.2 arc seconds.
In most cases, the largest errors associated with angular encoders repeat for every 360 degree rotation of the encoder disk or ring. Additional errors, ordinarily smaller, may be associated with rotation of the bearings upon which the encoder disk or ring rotates. Such bearing errors typically repeat every 720 degrees, as is known in the art.
In this document, the dominant errors affecting the angular encoders are assumed to have a period of 360 degrees, although the method described herein can be easily extended without a reformulation of the mathematics to apply to the encoder-bearing system having a periodicity of 720 degrees or any multiple of 360 degrees. For the remainder of this document, it will be assumed that the errors have a period of 360 degrees so that they may be decomposed into spectral (Fourier) components having periods equal to 360°/n, where n=1, 2, 3, . . . In the case of an angular encoder using a glass disk and a single read head, the largest error is usually the first order (n=1) error that occurs once every 360 degrees. The main cause of this error is miscentering of the laser disk. An effective way to remove this first-order error is to use two read heads spaced 180 degrees apart rather than a single read head. By averaging the readings of the two read heads, the first-order angular error is eliminated. In fact, averaging the readings of two read heads eliminates errors of order 1, 3, 5, . . . (all orders except for those that are multiples of two).
For the case of an encoder that contains a glass disk, second order errors may be caused by tilt of the encoder disk relative to the read heads or by ellipticity (non-circularity) of the pattern of marks on the disk. These errors can be removed by using three or more symmetrically placed read heads. The readings from each of the read heads are averaged to find the encoder angle. In general, some number m of read heads can remove all Fourier error modes except for m and its harmonics. So two read heads cannot remove errors of orders n=2, 4, 6, . . . . Three read heads cannot remove errors of orders n=3, 6, 9, . . . .
To get the highest accuracy from reasonably priced encoders, some manufacturers who incorporate encoders in their products carry out a procedure called compensation (sometimes referred to as "calibration") in which parameters or maps are found that enable correction of errors in software or firmware. The most common type of compensation involves placing a highly accurate reference encoder on one end of the axle. Readings are taken at the same time for the reference encoder and the encoder under test. The difference in the recorded values of these two encoders is used to create a map or a function to correct encoder errors.
However, mapping has limitations. First, there are inevitably errors in coupling two encoder systems together and even a very accurate reference encoder will lose accuracy when temporarily coupled to an external axle. Second, as explained above, static mapping parameters cannot correct for changes caused by temperature shifts or mechanical shocks. Third, because mapping is not model based, there is no mechanism for removing any errors that arise in the mapping process itself. In addition, mapping is a time-consuming procedure that adds cost to the manufacturer's product and reduces profit.
Another potential problem faced by encoder users is degradation in encoder performance, either as a result of changing environmental conditions or as a result of damage to the encoder assembly itself. It would be highly advantageous to be able to (1) detect degradation in encoder performance and (2) correct degradation in encoder performance without returning the instrument to the factory for re-compensation.
A method for self compensation of angular encoders is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,825,367 ('367) to Nakamura et al. The method involves using a linear array, such as a CCD sensor, to read the lines on an encoder disk at two locations. The disk is rotated through a number of angular steps over 360 degrees. By analyzing the difference in the readings at the two encoder positions, errors in the encoder assembly may be determined. However, a serious deficiency with this method is encountered in devices that must work in industrial environments that may have wide temperature swings. Large temperature variations (for example, from −15 to +50 degrees Celsius) may cause large errors in an angular encoder containing a single read head or, as in the '367 patent, a single linear array. Such variations occur, for example, as a result of the differential thermal expansion of materials such as epoxy applied non-uniformly in bonding the encoder disk to the mechanical shaft on which it rotates. Such large errors may be automatically removed by placing two read heads 180 degrees apart and then averaging the readings of the read heads. The method of patent '367 is unable to provide the very important automatic correction of encoder errors with changes in temperature. Further discussion of the effect of temperature is given hereinafter with respect to FIGS. 16, 17.
There is a need for an encoder apparatus and a compensation procedure that (1) enables higher accuracy than previously possible, (2) provides this high accuracy without mapping with an external reference encoder, (3) detects degradation in encoder performance during field use, (4) improves encoder performance in the field by carrying out a self-compensation procedure, and (5) provides automatic correction of low order encoder errors over temperature. In addition, in some cases, it may also be desirable to make use of data obtained from mapping to an external reference encoder if this mapping data is processed in a special way to improve encoder accuracy even further.


A driver system for driving a plurality of LED includes a control module having an input for receiving operating data, and at least one driver module for driving at least one of the LED. The driver module includes a hysteretical converter for generating a current to power the LED, and a controller electrically connected to the hysteretical converter for controlling the hysteretical converter.

It is known to drive a plurality of LED's by means of a bus structure such as a DMX bus structure. Thereto, each LED or groups of LED's are each driven by a driver, each driver being provided with a DMX bus interface via which it is connected to the DMX bus. A master is provided that controls the DMX bus and communicates data, such as setpoint (i.e. setpoint) data, error data, diagnostic information, etc between the master and drivers. Thereby, a modular configuration is created that allows expansion by additional drivers, while allowing to control all drivers (almost) simultaneously via the bus.
In such a configuration, each driver comprises a DMX controller, e.g. a DMX control chip, and a circuit to generate a supply current for the LED's, commonly a converter such as a switched mode converter which may comprise a variety of components such as a switched mode converter control chip, an inductance, a switch such as a power transistor, a reverse diode and possibly a current sense resistor to provide a feedback to the switched mode converter chip.
The above mentioned electrical components required for driving each LED or group of LED's results in a quite significant cost and a driver having a relatively large physical size, which may, in larger configurations where many LED's and many drivers are used, have a significant impact on a total cost and a total physical size.
It is desirable to provide a driver configuration that may have the potential to be more effective in terms of physical size and/or cost.

Driver system for driving a plurality of LED's


A switching arrangement for switching off an electric current with a high slew rate, especially a short-circuit current, includes a main line with a first SCR-arrangement including at least a first SCR and a first reverse conducting diode arranged in parallel to the first SCR, and a first bypass line connected to the main line and arranged in a parallel way to the first SCR-arrangement. The first bypass line includes a second SCR-arrangement comprising at least a second SCR arranged in the same polarity as the first reverse conducting diode. The first bypass line further includes at least one capacitor and a DC-voltage source connected to the capacitor for pre-charging the capacitor.

Modern circuit breakers comprise today more and more often semiconductor switching arrangements for switching off electric currents even under fault conditions, especially short circuits. Such circuit breakers could be hybrid arrangements, for example described in WO 2015/028634 A1 by the applicant, or solid state circuit breakers. Hybrid circuit breakers use semiconductor elements only for switching operations. The current does not pass semiconductors in standard on-operation. An advantage of this design is the low resistance of these breakers and the low voltage drop and so losses. A drawback is a need for an ultra-fast mechanic switch in the main line, this mechanical switch causes delay, anyway.
Solid state circuit breakers do not need an ultra-fast mechanic switch in the main line. However, a typical problem of solid state circuit breakers is the resistance in usual operation, caused by at least one switching semiconductor arranged in the main line. The current has to pass this semiconductor. The resistance causes a significant voltage drop and so heating of the circuit breaker. The heat has to be dissipated. Frequent thermal rippling also lowers the lifetime of semiconductor elements.


A wire electric discharge machine capable of taper machining with an improved accuracy. A reference wire correction amount d set in advance is determined to be a proper value for a wire-diameter correction amount for a speed control plane, and adjustment amounts for adjusting the reference wire correction amount for the upper and lower surfaces of a workpiece are determined to be proportional to (1-Lu/Lm) and (1-Ll/Lm), respectively, where Lu, Lm and Ll are machining distances at the upper surface, speed control plane and lower surface, respectively. As a proportionality coefficient, a reference adjustment amount e is set in advance. Using adjustment amounts e(1-Lu/Lm) and e(1-Ll/Lm), wire-diameter correction amounts for the workpiece upper and lower surfaces are determined to be d+e(1-Lu/Lm) and d+e(1-Ll/Lm). When a workpiece setting table and upper and lower wire guides are driven, axes are controlled so that a wire electrode follows, on the workpiece upper and lower surfaces, paths shifted by the wire-diameter amounts, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire electric discharge machine, and more specifically to a wire electric discharge machine having a taper machining function for machining a workpiece between a first plane and a second plane such that a machining shape on the first plane and a machining shape on the second plane are different.
2. Description of Related Art
Taper machining with a wire electric discharge machine is known. Normally, machining with a wire electric discharge machine is carried out with a workpiece set on an upward-facing workpiece setting surface. As a result of taper machining, the workpiece has non-congruent shapes at an upper surface and at a lower surface. FIG. 1 schematically shows such taper machining with cross-sectional planes parallel to the direction of an arrow. As understood from FIG. 1, regarding a movement in each block of a machining program, generally, the movement distance (machining distance) Lu at the upper surface of the workpiece and the movement distance (machining distance) L1 at the lower surface are different. This means that the relative speed between the wire electrode and the workpiece, or in other words, the machining speed is different on the workpiece upper surface and on the workpiece lower surface. In electric discharge machining, when the relative speed between the wire electrode and the workpiece is lower, the number of times that the electric discharge is produced is larger, so that a greater electric discharge gap is produced.
In this situation, control on the relative speed between the wire electrode and the workpiece is performed by setting an intermediate plane located midway between the upper and lower surfaces of the workpiece and parallel to the upper and lower surfaces, and controlling the relative speed between the wire electrode and the workpiece at this intermediate plane by commands fed according to the program. In this specification, this intermediate plane will be called "speed control plane". In taper machining, the machining distance Lm on the speed control plane is greater than the machining distance Lu at the upper surface and smaller than the machining distance L1 at the lower surface. Also the relative speed between the wire electrode and the workpiece on the speed control plane is a value intermediate between the value at the upper surface and the value at the lower surface.
The electric discharge gap itself exists no matter whether it is taper machining or not. Normally, the electric discharge gap is estimated as an amount to be added to a difference between the position of the wire and the position of the machining plane coming from the fact that the wire has a finite diameter. Generally, the correction to deal with the deviation comprised of both is called "wire-diameter correction". In other words, the "wire-diameter correction" intends to rectify a deviation of the "actual machining path" from the "machining path designated by the machining program", estimated as "wire diameter+electric discharge gap".
In the prior art, wire-diameter correction in taper machining was performed by setting a wire-diameter correction amount suited for the speed control plane and using it as a wire-diameter correction amount common to the workpiece upper and lower surfaces. However, for the reason described above, the actual electric discharge gap in taper machining is different on the workpiece upper surface and on the workpiece lower surface. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2 which is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, at the face where the machining speed is relatively low (in this instance, the upper surface), excessive machining (producing an over-cut) occurs, while at the face where the machining speed is relatively high (in this instance, the lower surface), deficient machining (leaving an uncut part) occurs. There is found no known publication describing a technique for easily solving such problem in taper machining.


For the comparatively simple and precise correction of an X-ray image (RB) recorded by a digital X-ray detector (3) with comparatively little calibration, at least one gain image (G0,G1,G2) is selected from a plurality of stored gain images (G) for linking to the X-ray image (R) based on at least one parameter (Pi) characterizing the recording conditions of the X-ray image (RB), whereby the gain images (G) are stored such that they differ at least in respect of one parameter (Pi) used for the selection and whereby the selection of the at least one gain image (G0,G1,G2) is made based on the distance (d) between the parameter configuration (g0,g1,g2) of the gain image (G0,G1,G2) and the parameter configuration (p) of the X-ray image (RB) in a parameter space (35) set by the parameters (Pi).

Most of the imaging examination methods used in medical technology have been based on X-ray recordings for many years now. In recent years digital recording technologies have increasingly become established in place of conventional radiography based on photographic film. These technologies have the significant advantage that time-consuming film development is no longer required. Images tend instead to be produced by means of electronic image processing. The image is therefore available directly after recording. Digital X-ray recording technologies also offer the advantage of better image quality, possibilities for post-processing the images electronically and the option of dynamic examination, i.e. the recording of moving X-ray images.
The digital X-ray recording technologies used include so-called image-intensifier camera systems, based on television or CCD cameras, storage film systems with integrated or external readout units, systems with a converter film optically linked to CCD cameras or CMOS chips, selenium-based detectors with electrostatic readout systems and solid-state detectors with active readout arrays with direct or indirect X-ray radiation conversion.
Solid-state detectors in particular have been under development for digital X-ray imaging for several years now. Such a detector is based on an active readout array, e.g. of amorphous silicon (a-Si), behind an X-ray converter layer or scintillator layer, e.g. of cesium iodide (CsI). The incident X-ray radiation is first converted to visible light in the scintillator layer. The readout array is divided into a plurality of sensor surfaces in the form of photodiodes which in turn convert said light to electric charge and store it with local resolution. In the case of a so-called direction-conversion solid-state detector an active readout array of active silicon is also used. However this is arranged behind a converter layer, e.g. of selenium, in which the incident X-ray radiation is converted directly to electric charge. This charge is then in turn stored in a sensor surface of the readout array. For the technical background to a solid-state detector, also referred to as a surface image detector, see also M. Spahn et al., "Flachbilddetektoren in der Röntgendiagnostik" (Surface image detectors in X-ray diagnostics), Der Radiologe 43 (2003), pages 340 to 350.

Method of correcting an X-ray image recorded by a digital X-ray detector and calibrating an X-ray detector