A method for maintaining a position of a hovering vehicle that incorporates a radar altimeter is described. The method includes receiving signals at the radar altimeter based on a change of horizontal direction, operating the radar altimeter to generate a Doppler frequency spectrum based on the received signals, and determining a change in vehicle direction and velocity which will reduce a width of the Doppler frequency spectrum of the received signals. A radar altimeter which generates the Doppler frequency spectrum is also described.

This invention relates generally to movements of hovering vehicles, and more specifically, to methods and systems for maintaining a position during hovering operations.
Typical helicopter and other hovering vehicle maneuvers include maintaining a hover position defined by vertical and horizontal components. Maintaining a hover position is sometimes referred to as a hover hold. One specific example of a hover hold scenario is during rescue operations. It is of great benefit to the pilot, especially during turbulent or high wind conditions, to have an automatic hover hold system wherein motion is sensed and automatically corrected to provide average zero horizontal and vertical velocities. Because motion sensing with respect to the ground typically is desired, a radar velocimeter system is typically utilized in an automatic hover hold system. Known radar velocimeter systems typically utilize at least three narrow beam directional antennas providing directional Doppler ground velocity sensing. These narrow beam antennas are rather large in size as compared to, for example, an antenna for a radar altimeter.
In addition to the radar velocimeter system, a radar altimeter is typically used to determine altitude with respect to the ground. Known radar altimeters which operate in the altitude range associated with hover hold operations utilize both transmit and receive antennas. While effective, the two separate systems (radar velocimeter and radar altimeter) are costly, and the five antennas employed by such systems utilize a great deal of the surface area of the vehicle, lessening space available for installation of other systems. In addition, weight considerations of the two separate systems are also a potential problem to be considered.

Methods and systems for maintaining a position during hovering operations


A method of assembling a wheel rotatable about a main axis and having a plurality of peripheral rollers mounted on peripheral axles aligned tangentially about the wheel and radially spaced from the main axis, each peripheral axle joined to adjacent other peripheral axles to form a continuous ring comprising the peripheral axles, the method including the steps of: molding each peripheral axle in a die having a cylindrical cycle for forming the axle shaft of the peripheral axle without longitudinal separation tines, the peripheral axles each having a receiving head portion for receiving a free end of the axle shaft of an adjacent peripheral axle; mounting a roller on each axle shaft; joining the peripheral axles together to form a continuous ring of peripheral axles; and molding a wheel body including a support structure around the continuous ring.

The following references to, and descriptions of, prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the following prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.
A type of wheel capable of multiple directional travel (while the main axis of rotation remains oriented in the same direction) has been described variously as an omniwheel and multi-directional wheel. Such wheels include a central hub rotatable about a main axis and a plurality of independently mounted rotatable rollers located about the rim of the hub. The rollers are each capable of rotation about an axis normal to and radially spaced from the main axis, whereby the wheel is capable of moving in a first direction in which the wheel rotates about the main axis or in a transverse direction in which one or more rollers contacting the ground rotate about their corresponding axes.
One such wheel has been described in International Patent Application No. PCT/AU01/01175 (publication No. WO02/24471). The multiple directional wheel described therein comprised a circular wheel frame having a plurality of circumferentially spaced peripheral axles on which were mounted a pair of parallel rings of rollers offset relative to one another. The frame included an integrally formed polyaxled ring that required the rollers to be molded over the axles and limited the range of molding techniques that could be utilized. The rollers rotated about multiple axes normal to a main axis of the wheel. The roller axes were each aligned substantially normal to lines extending radially from the main axis through the midpoint of each roller axis. The rollers were positioned to provide a large overlap (20%-35% in side view) of effective ground contacting surface between diagonally adjacent rollers.
Further improvement to such types of wheels has been described in International Patent Application No. PCT/AU2003/001002 (publication No. WO2004/014667), the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference. That disclosure described a method of construction of a frame on which was mounted a single row of rollers. The single row frames were able to be joined to like frames, in offset orientation, to form multiple rowed wheels having good ground contacting overlap between diagonally adjacent rollers. The method of forming the wheel involved each roller being mounted onto a wrap-around bush, which, in turn, was mounted to one of the multiple axles.
An object of the present invention is to ameliorate the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto.


A method is provided for forming a power semiconductor device. The method begins by providing a substrate of a second conductivity type and then forming a voltage sustaining region on the substrate. The voltage sustaining region is formed by depositing an epitaxial layer of a first conductivity type on the substrate and forming at least one terraced trench in the epitaxial layer. The terraced trench has a plurality of portions that differ in width to define at least one annular ledge therebetween. A barrier material is deposited along the walls of the trench. A dopant of a second conductivity type is implanted through the barrier material lining the annular ledge and said trench bottom and into adjacent portions of the epitaxial layer. The dopant is diffused to form at least one annular doped region in the epitaxial layer and at least one other region located below the annular doped region. A filler material is deposited in the terraced trench to substantially fill the trench, thus completing the voltage sustaining region. At least one region of the second conductivity type is formed over the voltage sustaining region to define a junction therebetween.

Semiconductor power devices such as vertical DMOS, V-groove DMOS, and trench DMOS MOSFETs, IGBTs as well as diodes and bipolar transistors are employed in applications such as automobile electrical systems, power supplies, motor drives, and other power control applications. Such devices are required to sustain high voltage in the off-state while having low on-resistance or a low voltage drop with high current density in the on-state.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical structure for an N-channel power MOSFET. An N-epitaxial silicon layer 101 formed over an N+ doped silicon substrate 102 contains p-body regions 105a and 106a, and N+ source regions 107 and 108 for two MOSFET cells in the device. P-body regions 105 and 106 may also include deep p-body regions 105b and 106b. A source-body electrode 112 extends across certain surface portions of epitaxial layer 101 to contact the source and body regions. The N-type drain for both cells is formed by the portion of N-type epitaxial layer 101 extending to the upper semiconductor surface in FIG. 1. A drain electrode is provided at the bottom of N+ doped substrate 102. An insulated gate electrode 118 comprising insulating and conducting layers, e.g., oxide and polysilicon layers, lies over the body where the channel will be formed and over drain portions of the epitaxial layer.
The on-resistance of the conventional MOSFET shown in FIG. 1 is determined largely by the drift zone resistance in epitaxial layer 101. Epitaxial layer 101 is also sometimes referred to as a voltage sustaining layer since the reverse voltage applied between the N+ doped substrate and the P+ doped deep body regions is sustained by epitaxial layer 101. The drift zone resistance is in turn determined by the doping concentration and the thickness of epitaxial layer 101. However, to increase the breakdown voltage of the device, the doping concentration of epitaxial layer 101 must be reduced while the layer thickness is increased. The curve in FIG. 2 shows the on-resistance per unit area as a function of the breakdown voltage for a conventional MOSFET. Unfortunately, as the curve shows, the on-resistance of the device increases rapidly as its breakdown voltage increases. This rapid increase in resistance presents a problem when the MOSFET is to be operated at higher voltages, particularly at voltages greater than a few hundred volts.
FIG. 3 shows a MOSFET that is designed to operate at higher voltages with a reduced on-resistance. This MOSFET is disclosed in Cezac et al., Proceedings of the ISPSD, May 2000, pp. 69-72, and Chen et al., IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 47, No. 6, June 2000, pp. 1280-1285, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. This MOSFET is similar to the conventional MOSFET shown in FIG. 1 except that it includes a series of vertically separated P-doped layers 3101, 3102, 3103, . . . 310n (so-called "floating islands"), which are located in the drift region of the voltage sustaining layer 301. The floating islands 3101, 3102, 3103, . . . 310n produce an electric field that is lower than for a structure with no floating islands. The lower electric field allows a higher dopant concentration to be used in the epitaxial layer that in part, forms the voltage sustaining layer 301. The floating islands produce a saw-shaped electric field profile, the integral of which leads to a sustained voltage obtained with a higher dopant concentration than the concentration used in conventional devices. This higher dopant concentration, in turn, produces a device having an on-resistance that is lower than that of a device without one or more layers of floating islands.
The structure shown in FIG. 3 can be fabricated with a process sequence that includes multiple epitaxial deposition steps, each followed by the introduction of the appropriate dopant. Unfortunately, epitaxial deposition steps are expensive to perform and thus a structure that uses multiple epitaxial deposition steps is expensive to manufacture.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method of fabricating a power semiconductor device such as the MOSFET structure shown in FIG. 3, which method requires a minimum number of epitaxial deposition steps so that the device can be produced less expensively.

Method for fabricating a power semiconductor device having a voltage sustaining layer with a terraced trench facilitating formation of floating islands


Programmable-gain amplifier systems are provided that are particularly suited for reducing degrading audio effects such as zipper noise. In one embodiment, these systems switchably couple an electronic potentiometer between an amplifier's inverting input terminal and interleaved tap points along a resistor that is coupled to the amplifier's output terminal. This arrangement introduces a number of fine gain steps between the gain steps that are realized with adjacent ones of the interleaved tap points to substantially reduce or eliminate zipper noise in a audio system that processes the system's output signal. The interleaved tap points facilitate efficient operation of the potentiometer during gain changes. They also permit the potentiometer to be effectively bypassed between gain changes so that distortion effects are substantially eliminated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to programmable-gain amplifiers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Audio volume controllers often generate objectionable noises due to quantized gain increments. For example, "Zipper noise" manifests itself as a succession of annoying audio clicks or pops (ergo, the term zipper noise). By their nature, analog-based systems produce analog signals that smoothly transition between different amplitude levels and do not, therefore, exhibit zipper noise. Because of the nature of digital signals/systems, a quantized gain jump can generate zipper noise.

Programmable-gain amplifier systems to facilitate low-noise, low-distortion volume control


A unit for packing products, wherein a feed line, for supplying a strip of packing material, feeds the strip with a given movement to a cutting device for cutting the strip into a succession of sheets of packing material, and then to a feed station for feeding each sheet to a packing wheel moving with a further movement through the feed station; and wherein a compensating roller, having a compensating store, is interposed between the cutting device and the feed station.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a unit for packing groups of products, the unit comprising a packing wheel operating with a first movement; a feed station for feeding packing material in sheets to said packing wheel; a feed line operating with a second movement to feed packing material in the form of a continuous strip; a cutting device located along said feed line to cut the continuous strip into said sheets; and feed means for feeding said sheets successively to said feed station; said packing wheel comprising a number of seats, each for receiving a respective said product, and a number of gripping means, each associated with a respective said seat and travelling through said feed station with said first movement to receive a respective said sheet.
In known packing units, particularly packing units normally used in the tobacco industry for packing groups of packets of cigarettes, the continuous strip is normally fed continuously, the packing wheel is normally rotated in steps, and the feed means comprise an intermediate suction roller located immediately downstream from the cutting device, and which first receives the end of the continuous strip before it is cut, and then feeds a sheet, as soon as it is cut off, to the packing wheel.
Operation of the intermediate roller is therefore conditioned by both the feed movement of the continuous strip, and the rotation movement of the packing wheel, and should, theoretically, be controlled to rotate with a surface speed at least equal, at the continuous strip receiving point and instant by instant, to the travelling speed of the continuous strip, and at most equal, at the transfer point to the packing wheel and instant by instant, to the travelling speed of the packing wheel.
When, as is normally the case, for example, in packing units for packing groups of packets of cigarettes, the continuous strip and the packing wheel travel at different speeds, and the intermediate roller receives the continuous strip as it is transferring a sheet to the packing wheel, control of the intermediate roller, which is normally driven by a main motor of the packing unit and speed-controlled by cam systems, is obviously extremely difficult and not always satisfactory.


A method (50) for isolating a fault within an engine system (10) including an engine control module (40) and a diagnostics module (36) includes determining, by the engine control module (40), a plurality of parameters of the engine system (10), calculating a likelihood of the fault using a log-likelihood ratio analysis of data within the engine control module (40), and providing a plurality of fault determinations and the likelihood of each of the plurality of fault determinations using plurality of parameters and the diagnostics module (36) of the engine system (10).

In current engine systems, it may be difficult to determine the exact nature of what caused a fault or error in the system. For example, diagnostic systems may be designed to give a general fault or error code but may not be designed to provide more specificity regarding the component which causes the fault or the reason for the fault or error. As a result, the entire engine system may be shut down for long periods of time to properly determine the fault or error in the system. Additionally, if the fault or error is not correctly identified the first time by the user or technician, the engine system will continue to experience issues until the exact nature of the fault or error is identified and repaired or otherwise addressed.
For example, engine systems which are designed and calibrated according to regulatory emissions compliance may include system level monitoring for detecting system level faults or failures, however, the monitoring system may not be required to detect small levels or values of degradation. In this way, it may be difficult to quickly assess if there is a component level failure likely to occur because system level monitoring may merely state that a particular system, not an exact component, is the source of the failure mode. Additionally, a system level failure may be indicated when multiple components are partially degraded at approximately the same time but, because no single component has actually fully degraded or failed yet, it can be challenging for a user, external system, or technician to quickly and accurately assess the source of the system level fault and what components may be causing the fault. In this way and due to the difficulty of accurately assessing a failure of an engine system, the first repair made to an engine system to address a fault may not necessarily be the correct repair.
As such, there is a need for a system and method which improves troubleshooting for engine systems and better identifies the likelihood of the error or fault for a user, technician, or others.

Method of fault isolation for systems with existing diagnostics


A radome-reflector assembly includes a generally domed reflector having a peripheral rim and a radome assembly. The radome assembly includes: an annular ring having a front wall and a side wall: a disk that fits within the ring: and an RF-compliant absorber, wherein the rim of the reflector fits within the side wall. The radome assembly further comprises a clip that engages the rim and the ring to secure the reflector to the radome assembly.

The open end of a reflector antenna is typically enclosed by a radome coupled to the distal end of the reflector dish. The radome provides environmental protection and improves wind load characteristics of the antenna.
Precision shaping may be applied to the radome to compensate for signal trajectory and/or reflection effects resulting from an impedance discontinuity introduced into the signal path of the reflector antenna by the presence of the radome. Edge(s) of the radome attachment arrangement scatter the radio frequency (RF) signal, which can degrade the signal pattern. For example, edges and/or channel paths of the reflector dish, radome and/or interconnection hardware may diffract or enable spill-over of signal energy present in the areas, introducing undesirable backlobes into the reflector antenna signal pattern quantified as the front to back ratio (F/B) of the antenna. As such, the technique used to attach the radome to the reflector can be critical to antenna performance.


A vehicle includes a transmission having a plurality of friction elements selectively engageable to establish power flow paths within the transmission. A controller of the vehicle is programmed to, during a boost phase of a shift, command a first hydraulic boost pressure for a plurality of control loop cycles to an oncoming one of the friction elements (oncoming friction element) and subsequently command a second hydraulic boost pressure less than the first hydraulic boost pressure for only a single control loop cycle that defines an end of the boost phase to the oncoming friction element.

A clutch is a device that selectively locks two or more components for synchronized rotation. The clutch may be used to selectively lock a pair of rotating components or may be used to selectively ground a rotating component to a fixed component. One type of clutch is a hydraulic clutch that engages and disengages based on pressurized oil supplied to a piston chamber.
A common application for hydraulic clutches is in multiple step-ratio automatic transmissions. The clutches and brakes of the transmission selectively hold components of planetary gear sets to establish and disestablish power flow paths through the transmission. Hydraulic clutches can also be used within the vehicle driveline. For example, a disconnect clutch may be used to selectively couple an engine to an electric machine.

Systems and methods for controlling friction elements


A method includes obtaining real-time imaging data of at least a sub-portion of an object and a region of interest therein. The method further includes displaying the real-time imaging data as the real-time imaging is obtained. The method further includes tracking extraction of a sample from the region of interest by an extraction device based on the real-time imaging data. The method further includes identifying an extraction location for the extracted sample based on the tracking and the real-time imaging data and generating a signal indicative thereof.

An ultrasound (US) imaging system includes a transducer array that transmits an ultrasound beam into an examination field of view. As the beam traverses structure (e.g., of a sub-portion of an object or subject) in the field of view, sub-portions of the beam are attenuated, scattered, and/or reflected off the structure, with some of the reflections (echoes) traversing back towards the transducer array. The transducer array receives echoes, which are processed to generate an US image of the sub-portion of the object or subject.
US imaging has been used in a wide range of medical and non-medical applications. An example is US guided biopsy. Generally, a biopsy is a procedure in which a small sample(s) of tissue of interest (e.g., prostate, lung, breast, etc.) is removed for subsequent examination for abnormalities such as cancer cells. In one instance, the biopsy instrument includes a trigger configured to actuate a spring-loaded biopsy needle. The needle is inserted through the skin and moved to the target tissue. For the biopsy, the trigger is actuated, which causes a portion of needle that extracts the tissue sample to move into and out of the tissue at a relatively high speed, extracting a sample.
The movement of the needle during tissue extraction can be seen as a white flash under real-time imaging. To record the location of the sample, in one instance the clinician manually marks start and end locations of the biopsy sample on an image based on the trajectory of the needle from visual observation of the event during real-time imaging by the clinician. In another instance, the event occurrence is identified from the sound of the actuated trigger. Unfortunately, these approaches are susceptible to human error and inaccuracy. Thus, they are not well-suited for monitoring the same sample site over time and/or subsequently taking another sample at the same location.


Disclosed is a successively biaxially stretched film obtained by successive biaxial stretching method comprising extruding a melt of a β-crystal nucleating agent-containing polypropylene-based resin composition from a T-die, cooling the extruded resin on a chill roll, and stretching the resulting web sheet longitudinally and then transversely, wherein the longitudinally stretched sheet is made to have a degree of β-crystal orientation of less than 0.3 by the following method (I) and/or (II), optionally subjected to annealing treatment, and transversely stretched: method (I): melting the polypropylene-based resin composition containing needle crystals of a specific β-crystal nucleating agent at a temperature not lower than m.p. of the polypropylene-based resin and lower than dissolution temperature of the β-crystal nucleating agent in the polypropylene-based resin melt, and extruding the melt from the T-die at the same temperature, method (II): adjusting neck-in ratio during longitudinal stretching to 25 to 55%. The porous polypropylene film has good breakage resistance during manufacture, excellent thickness uniformity, high porosity and air-permeability, and is useful for battery separators.

Polypropylene occurs in crystal states such as α-crystals and β-crystals, and β-crystals can be produced preferentially by employing special crystallization conditions or by adding a β-crystal nucleating agent β-Crystals are known to undergo a transition into stable α-crystals when subjected to thermal and dynamic action, and recently several methods have been proposed for producing an air-permeable polypropylene film having continuous through-pores, (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications H7-118429, H9-176352, H9-255804, and H6-100720). However, the pore formation mechanism involving β-crystals is complicated, and is not yet fully understood. Consequently, these methods have failed to produce a porous film in a stable manner.
In order to obtain a porous film, all of the above publications recommends to form β-crystals in a largest possible amount in the unstretched web sheet before stretching, and then carry out stretching at an optimal temperature, wherein a K value determined by X-ray diffraction is employed as an index of the β-crystal content. A K value of 1.0 indicates a β-crystal content of 100%, and with the understanding that the higher the K value is, the easier it is to obtain a porous film with high air-permeability, it is recommended in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H9-255804, for instance, that the K value be at least 0.7, preferably 0.8 to 0.98. The recommended stretching temperature is about 50 to 100° C. during longitudinal stretching, and about 100 to 150° C. during transverse stretching.
These recommended K values are achieved relatively easily by adding a specific β-crystal nucleating agent, without having to employ special crystallization conditions. However, stretching a sheet having a high K value at the recommended temperature does not necessarily give a porous film with high permeability.
For example, the strain rate during stretching affects pore formation, and there is a strong tendency for pore formation to be impaired if the strain rate is high during transverse stretching in particular. No pores may sometimes be formed, if stretching is carried out at a transverse stretching strain rate of at least 60 times/minute (or 100%/second) which is usually used in the manufacture of an ordinary nonporous, biaxially stretched polypropylene film. The strain rate is determined as the ratio V/D (or 100V %/D) of the stretching rate V to the sample dimension D in the stretching direction, and an extremely slow strain rate of less than 10 times/minute (17%/second) (longitudinal and transverse directions) is recommended as a condition for forming pores in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H6-100720. However, decreasing the strain rate is undesirable because it leads to lower productivity.
There are also cases in which no pores are formed even if the K value is high and preferable stretching temperature and slow strain rate are employed. The mechanism by which pores are formed through β-crystals is complicated, and stable industrial manufacturing conditions had to be established, with plenty of room remaining for improvement.
Aside from the problem of pore formation, another serious problem up to now has been the breakage of a film during its manufacture. This breakage is ameliorated by utilizing β-crystals, as compared to a porous film containing a filler such as calcium carbonate, but the results are still not satisfactory, and further improvement is needed.
In recent years, porous polypropylene films have been used in a wide variety of fields depending on the characteristics thereof. Specifically, they found use in disposable diapers, feminine sanitary products and packaging materials due to their water vapor permeability, in synthetic paper and wallpaper materials due to their printing characteristics, and in filtration membrane and battery separators due to their separation characteristics.
Their use as battery separators has been especially popular because the demand for electronic devices has recently soared. Examples of the application of a porous polypropylene film containing β-crystals have been proposed in several places, such as Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2000-30683.
One of the most important properties of a battery separator is its electrical resistance. Electrical resistance is the measured value of the resistance to current flowing through a separator between a cathode and an anode, and is known to be proportional to the product of the Gurley air-permeability and the pore size ("Kagaku Kogyo" [Chemical Industry], January issue (1997) or R. W. Callahan et al., The Tenth International Seminar on Primary and Secondary Battery Technology and Application, Mar. 1-4, 1993). It is generally preferable that this electrical resistance be as low as possible, and in more specific terms, the electrical resistance per mil (25 μm) of thickness is preferably less than 30 ohm·in, more preferably less than 20 ohm·in.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2000-30683 discloses several recommended stretching conditions, including the temperature and stretch ratio during longitudinal and transverse stretching, and the total stretching range. Nevertheless, a battery separator comprising the porous film disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2000-30683 is not necessarily satisfactory in terms of thickness uniformity, and even if the recommended stretching conditions given in this publication are employed, the resulting porous film did not necessarily have the electrical resistance required of a battery separator.
Therefore, there has been a need to better understand the pore formation mechanism, and to establish an industrially optimal manufacturing method that is suited to this mechanism. In particular, the thickness uniformity of a porous film was inadequate in the past, and consequently there was unsatisfactory uniformity in film characteristics, such as air-permeability, tensile characteristics, electrical resistance and porosity, and there was variance in the manufactured film from place to place. Therefore, there is a need for the development of a porous film with superior thickness uniformity, as well as a process for producing such a film.
It is an object of the present invention to solve these problems, and in particular to provide a porous polypropylene film which has good thickness uniformity and high porosity and air-permeability, and which preferably has the electrical resistance required of a battery separator.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing process for preparing a porous polypropylene film which is resistant to breakage during manufacture, by which the film can be manufactured in a stable manner and at a high strain rate.

Successively biaxial-oriented porous polypropylene film and process for production thereof


A system is provided for establishing a wireless-based communication link between a lead locomotive and a remote locomotive. A user on the lead locomotive is prompted to input a railroad and number identifier of the remote locomotive. A link command signal is transmitted from the lead locomotive, based on a predetermined number identifier of the lead locomotive, and the inputted railroad and number identifier. A second processor on the remote locomotive respectively compares the predetermined number identifier of the lead locomotive, the inputted railroad and number identifier of the lead locomotive, with an inputted number identifier of the lead locomotive, a predetermined railroad and a predetermined number identifier of the remote locomotive. A link reply signal, is transmitted from the remote locomotive, based on the comparison performed by the second processor, to establish the communication link. Additionally, a method is provided for establishing the wireless-based communication link.

Trains are commonly used as an efficient means for hauling cargo and/or passengers over long distances. A typical train includes a plurality of non-powered rail cars and a plurality of locomotives for moving the non-powered rail cars along a track. Two or more locomotives grouped or otherwise controlled together for traction purposes are commonly referred to as a "consist." Distributed power train operation involves controlling the supply of motive power produced by a lead locomotive (or lead consist) and one or more remote locomotives (or consists) that may be spaced apart from the lead locomotive and distributed throughout the train. Each locomotive of the train may be equipped with a communication system for providing wireless communications. Braking and traction commands may be issued to the remote locomotives via a communication link responsive to an operator using the controls at the lead locomotive. The communication link may include a wireless link between the lead locomotive and the remote locomotives maintained by the communication system.
A conventional communications linking procedure is established for setting up train communications between a lead locomotive and one or more remote locomotives for distributed power operation. Each locomotive is assigned to a respective railroad and transmits signals over the communication link using a respective radio version code, based on its respective railroad. Additionally, each locomotive is assigned a respective number identifier or road number, to distinguish it from other locomotives within the respective railroad. A link command signal is transmitted from the lead locomotive, which includes the radio version code of the lead locomotive, the number identifier of the lead locomotive, and the number identifier of the remote locomotive to which the lead locomotive intends to establish a communications link. Subsequent to receiving the link command signal, the remote locomotive verifies that the radio version code within the link command signal matches its own radio version code, that the number identifier of the remote locomotive within the link command signal matches its own number identifier, and that the number identifier of the lead locomotive within the link command signal matches an expected number identifier of the lead locomotive. If these comparisons are valid, the remote locomotive transmits a link reply signal to establish the communications link.
In the conventional procedure, since the radio version code of the lead and remote locomotive must match in order to establish the communications link, the lead and remote locomotive must belong to a common railroad. However, this introduces a noticeable drawback, as it prevents lead and remote locomotives from different railroads with different version codes from establishing a distributed power communications link. A solution was proposed to address this drawback, which creates a new radio version code that encompasses the two or more railroads between which the communications link is to be established. Thus, the remote locomotive would recognize the common radio version code in the link command signal. However, this proposed solution also introduces several drawbacks, as establishing a communications link between locomotives from two or more railroads will inherently involve the possibility of a lead and a remote locomotive having duplicate number identifiers. The proposed solution does not account for potential safety hazards introduced by this scenario. For example, if a lead and remote locomotive from different railroads have the same number identifier, the proposed solution includes a safety interlock to prohibit any communication link between these locomotives, and thus reduces its application scope. Additionally, for example, if a lead locomotive attempts to link to a first remote locomotive, while a nearby second remote locomotive has the same number identifier as the first remote locomotive, both remote locomotives may establish a communication link with the lead locomotive, based on the comparison of the common number identifier in the link command signal with their respective number identifier. Thus, the second remote locomotive may unintentionally respond to command signals from the lead locomotive after the communications link has been established, such as an emergency brake application signal, even though the second remote locomotive is located on a different train than the lead locomotive.
Heretofore, when a lead locomotive attempts to establish a communications link with one or more remote locomotive(s), conventional systems have prohibited a communications link among locomotives from different railroads. Additionally, a proposed solution to permit such communications link among locomotives from different railroads poses several drawbacks and safety risks, as the communications link procedure merely considers the number identifier, and not the particular railroad to which each locomotive belongs. It would be advantageous to provide a system that introduces a communications linking procedure that permits locomotives from different railroads to establish a communication link, while reducing these noted drawbacks.

System and method for establishing a wireless-based communication link between a pair of locomotives


Low water siloxane macromonomer are disclosed. This macromonomer can be copolymerized with unsaturated silicone containing monomers to prepare polymeric materials useful as biomedical devices. These macromonomers are particularly suited for soft contact lens applications.

The present invention generally relates to polymeric silicone compositions useful as a contact lens material.
Polymeric silicone materials have been used in a variety of biomedical applications, including, for example, in contact lenses and intraocular lenses. Such materials can generally be subdivided into hydrogels and non-hydrogels (the latter referred to herein as "low water" materials). Silicone hydrogels constitute crosslinked polymeric systems that can absorb and retain water in an equilibrium state and generally have a water content greater than about 5 weight percent and more commonly between about 10 to about 80 weight percent. Such materials are usually prepared by polymerizing a mixture containing at least one silicone-containing monomer and at least one hydrophilic monomer. Either the silicone-containing monomer or the hydrophilic monomer may function as a crosslinking agent (a crosslinker being defined as a monomer having multiple polymerizable functionalities) or a separate crosslinker may be employed.
Low water silicone materials may include rigid materials, useful for rigid gas permeable contact lenses, or flexible materials useful for soft contact lenses. Like their hydrogel counterparts, such low water silicone materials may be based on the same class of silicone-containing monomeric units; however, unlike silicone hydrogels, "low water" silicone materials do not include appreciable amounts of hydrophilic monomers and/or internal wetting agents (i.e. typically less than 5 to 10 weight percent). As such, low water silicone materials, as their name suggest, do not absorb or retain appreciable amounts of water, e.g. less than about 5 weight percent, and more typically less than about 1 or 2 weight percent.
It is important that low water silicone compositions, especially for soft contact lens applications, have desirable oxygen permeability, modulus (Young's modulus of elasticity) and elastic recovery. This is particularly important in the formation of soft contact lenses, as the modulus and elastic recovery of the lens material can have a significant impact upon lens "comfort." Lenses possessing high modulus often have a perceived stiffniess; lenses with too high elastic recovery can exhibit a "suction cup" effect on the eye.
One class of silicone monomers commonly used in silicone-containing contact lens materials are bulky polysiloxanylalkyl methacrylates, e.g. methacryloxypropyl tris (trimethylsiloxy) silane (commonly referred to as "TRIS"). Since these "bulky" monomers contain a large amount of silicon per molecule, they are useful for increasing oxygen permeability of materials, a desirable property for contact lens and other biomedical device applications. However, although TRIS is known to reduce the modulus of some silicone hydrogels, i.e. polyurethane-polysiloxane hydrogel compositions, (see for example; Lai, Yu Chin, The Role of Bulky Polysiloxanylalkyl Methacrylates in Polyurethane-polysiloxane Hydrogels, Proceedings of the American Chemical Society Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering, Vol. 72, pg. 118-119, (1995)), the use of TRIS monomeric units within "low water" silicone compositions generally increases the modulus of the resulting material. As such, TRIS monomeric units are not generally helpful in reducing the modulus of low water silicone materials.
In summary, low water silicone materials are sought for soft contact lens or intraocular lens applications which possess relatively low modulus, e.g. below 300 g/mm.sup.2 and preferably from 20 g/mm.sup.2 to about 150 g/mm.sup.2, and with a suitable elastic recovery rate. Furthermore, for such applications, the materials must be optically clear, manufacturable (e.g., capable of being molded or machined), have acceptable oxygen permeability, biocompatibility and resist deposit formation. Low water materials are desired which can be easily synthesized, purified, and analyzed.

Silicone-containing macromonomers and low water materials


The present invention is concerned with a process for preparing a dispersion comprising a continuous fat phase and a dispersed gelled aqueous phase, wherein a water-continuous composition, containing at least 1% gelatin by weight of water, is cooled from above the gel setting temperature of the water-continuous composition to below said gel setting temperature and subjected to such conditions of shear that the water-continuous composition is converted into small gelled aqueous beads, after which a fat-continuous dispersion is formed while maintaining the temperature at below the gel melting temperature. Another aspect of the present invention is a dispersion comprising less than 23% by weight of a continuous fat phase and a dispersed gelled aqueous phase containing gelatin at a concentration of 1 to 7 times its critical concentration and optionally a combination of one or more gelling agents other than gelatin at a concentration below their critical concentration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with a dispersion comprising a continuous fat phase and a dispersed gelled aqueous phase,, and a process for preparing such dispersion. In particular the present invention relates to the preparation of a water-in-oil dispersion of extremely low fat content, such as for instance a spread containing from 5 to 27 wt. % fat and a dispersed gelled aqueous phase.
2. Description of Related Art
In European patent application No. 0 237 120 spreads comprising less than 35 wt. % fat and a gel-forming aqueous phase having a relatively high viscosity are described. These spreads are prepared by admixing the aqueous phase and fat phase at a temperature of 60.degree. or 70.degree. C. and further processing the emulsion so obtained through two cooled C-units or alternatively through a sequence of two cooled A-units followed by a high shear mixer. European patent application No. 0 237 120 furthermore describes very low fat spreads containing substantial amounts of gelatin.
Gelatin is a gelling agent that gels very slowly. Accordingly, when gelatin is used in conventional processes for the preparation of spreads containing a gelling aqueous phase, a gelatin gel-structure is only formed after a fat-continuous emulsion has been obtained. In such processes during the in-line processing of the water-continuous gelatin-containing composition, the aqueous phase therefore has not yet developed a gel structure.
We have found now that stable water-in-oil dispersions having very advantageous properties can be prepared by cooling a gelatin-containing water-continuous composition to a temperature below the gel setting temperature for a sufficiently long period of time to allow the formation of a gel structure, subjecting said water-continuous composition to shear so as to convert it into small gelled aqueous beads and forming a fat-continuous dispersion.

Water-in-oil dispersion and process for preparing such dispersion

Van Den Bergh Foods Co., Division of Conopco Inc


A method and system for processing informational items originating from a plurality of information sources into a derived document for topical analysis thereof. Informational items are collated from a one of the sources in accordance with a predetermined plurality of relevant attributes and a key property value of common to select ones of the relevant attributes. Informational items are then grouped from the plurality of sources associated with the key common property value to form a document, wherein the informational items therein are marked on the informational source thereof. The document is then analyzed for topical identification.

Any entity that involves interpersonal communications can have a useful need for the storage and analysis of such communications. Businesses regularly log such communications as a conventional business process. Such communications will typically comprise information items such as logs, notes and events from ordinary business and software processing. More particularly, for web transactions and web based activity, such items will comprise of web logs, customer service representative notes, phone call logs, and event logs. Such informational items and contact logs when analyzed can be helpful in generating useful information about the topics or participants to the communications. Prior known methods for such analysis will typically group the informational items into logical groups, i.e., website visits or call center phone calls, and then analyze and act on the groupings rather than on the individual logs themselves. Such groupings make sense when the information content in any single log item is small for conventional and regular document analysis techniques. The subject embodiments provide improved methods and systems for enabling the application of models to informational data from multiple disparate sources for improved logical groupings thereof into analyzable documents.
A particular problem with conventional automated record keeping systems which generate business and software processes logs, notes and key events for maintaining ordinary records for business or legal purposes, is that at the level of a single log the information content is too low to yield useful analysis with common document topical analysis techniques. Known document analysis techniques, such as latent dirichlet allocation (LDA) often operate on documents with larger information content. While LDA clusters on large information sets, it does not inherently provide ways to consider groupings of transactional information with low information content. To take advantage of such analytical techniques, the logs, notes and key events from available data sources need to be grouped into meaningful categories as applicable to a business, organization or workflow. The power and flexibility of LDA is further enhanced after establishing such logical groupings and norms to label these logical groupings.
A particular problem addressed by the subject embodiments is that known systems establish logical groupings for document analysis are based upon forming silos of information from particular information sources. For example, phone call information is treated differently from webserver traffic even though there are techniques and needs to view them in conjunction, for example, as logical information groupings from call and web logs. The clustering of information solely based upon one source, or some other defined silo, restricts the usefulness of the results when analysis techniques such as LDA are applied to the information groupings.

Multi-source contextual information item grouping for document analysis


An acylamino acid compound is described which can be used in food preparations to generate a savory tingling sensation without burning effect.

Research on the molecular mechanisms underlying pungent sensations revealed the existence of two cation channels, TRPV1 (transient receptor potential V1) and TRPA1 (transient receptor potential A1) that are expressed in the somatosensory fibers innervating the oral cavity. TRPV1 is the receptor for heat and burning sensations such as capsaicin, the hot molecule in red hot chili peppers. TRPA1 responds to cold and pungent compounds such as allyl isothiocyanate (mustard oil) and cinnamaldehyde (cinnamon). At moderated concentrations, TRPA1 agonists exhibit a pleasant tingling sensation.
Capsaicin causes a burning sensation when it comes in contact with mucous membranes. Thus, it is commonly used in food products to give them added spice or pungency.
However, food products containing red chili peppers are frequently not accepted by the consumer as being too hot providing a very unpleasant mouth feeling. In particular, both the tingling and burning effect are considered to be very unsavory affecting the consumption of the food product.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to accommodate the needs of consumers which want to enjoy a spicy food without the interfering effect of burning sensations.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a spicy food product which can be consumed without any side-effect such as burning sensations in the oral cavity.

Acylamino acid compounds and food preparations containing same


A holding apparatus (40) for spectrum measurement of optical elements includes a fixed board (11) having a first through hole (111), and a receiving board (12) having a plurality of receiving holes (120) with different sizes configured for holding different optical elements. The receiving board is coupled to the fixed board and rotatable relative to the fixed board about a first axis. The receiving holes are centered on a first imaginary circle which is centered on the first axis. A distance between a center of the first through hole and the axis is equal to a radius of the first imaginary circle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spectrometers and spectrum analysis, and particularly, to a holding apparatus for holding and positioning samples for spectrum analysis.
2. Description of Related Art
Spectrometers are used in analyzing optical performance of optical elements, such as filters and film coated lenses. In spectrum analysis, a light beam is passed through an optical element, and the spectrum of the light beam transmitted through the optical element indicates the optical performance of the optical element.
Generally, a holding apparatus utilized for spectrum analysis can only hold one optical element.
Therefore, what is needed is a holding apparatus which can hold as many optical elements as possible to increase efficiency of spectrum measurement.

Holding apparatus for spectrum measurement


Phase change memory devices and methods for fabricating the same. An exemplary phase change memory device includes a conductive element formed in a dielectric layer. A phase change material layer is formed in the dielectric layer. A conductive layer extends in the dielectric layer to respectively electrically connect the phase change layer and a sidewall of the conductive element.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a memory device and more particularly to a phase change memory (PCM) device and a method for fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Phase change memory devices are non-volatile, highly readable, highly programmable, and require a lower driving voltage/current. Current phase change memory device topics of interest include increasing cell density and reducing current density.
Phase change material in a phase change memory device has at least two solid phases, a crystalline state and an amorphous state. Transformation between these two phases can be achieved by changing the temperature of the phase change material. The phase change material exhibits different electrical characteristics depending on state. For example, in an amorphous state, the material exhibits a higher resistivity than in a crystalline state. Such phase change material may switch between numerous electrically detectable conditions of varying resistivity on a nanosecond time scale with the input of pico joules of energy. Chalcogenide material is a popular and widely used phase change material in modern phase change memory technology.
Since phase transformation of the phase change material is reversible, a bit status of a memory device can be distinguished by differences in resistivity of the phase change material in a PCM device in a crystalline state and an amorphous state.
FIG. 1 is a cross section view of a conventional phase change memory (PCM) cell. As shown in FIG. 1, an isolation structure 13 is located at a predetermined region of a semiconductor substrate 11 to thereby define an active region. A source region 17s and a drain region 17d are disposed apart in the active region. A gate 15, functioning as a word line, is disposed across the active region between the source region 17s and the drain region 17d. The gate 15, the source region 17s and the drain region 17d form an transistor. The semiconductor substrate 11 having the transistor thereon is covered with an insulating layer 19. An interconnection line 21 is disposed over the first insulating layer 19. The interconnection line 21 is electrically connected to the drain region 17d through a contact hole penetrating the first insulating layer 19. Another insulating layer 23 covers the interconnection line 21. A heating plug 25 is disposed in the insulating layers 19 and 23, electrically connecting the source region 17s. A patterned phase change material layer 27 and a top electrode 29 are sequentially stacked over the insulating layer 23, wherein a bottom surface of the phase change material layer pattern 27 is in contact with the heating plug 25. Another insulating layer 31 is disposed on the insulating layer 23. A bit line 33 is located on the insulating layer 31 and is in contact with the top electrode 29.
In a write mode, the transistor is turned on and a large current flows through the heating plug 25, thus heating up an interface between the phase change material layer pattern 27 and the heating plug 25, thereby transforming a portion 27a of the phase change material layer 27 into either the amorphous state or the crystalline state depending on the length of time and amount of current that flows through the heating plug 25.
One problem found with conventional phase change transistor as shown in FIG. 1 is the relatively large amount of current required to successfully change the state of the phase change material during a write operation. One solution to increasing current density is to reduce a diameter D of the heating plug 25. There is still a limitation in the amount of reduction possible to the diameter D of the heating plug 25 because a photolithographic process determines the minimum diameter D. It is difficult to consistently produce a smaller diameter heating plug 25 due to limitations in the present photolithographic process.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


There is provided a recording apparatus which can effectively execute compression processing regardless of the mixdown level, and which can thereby carry out the mastering process easily. A DSP mixes down audio signals assigned to a plurality of tracks into a stereo audio signal. When performing the mastering process, the DSP uses a peak value detected during the mixdown to adjust a threshold value for the compression processing, and carries out the compression processing using the adjusted threshold value. Subsequently, the DSP performs normalization processing so as to produce a master data, and records the master data in a recorder.

A multi-track recorder for recording audio signals on a plurality of tracks is conventionally known. By means of a multi-track recorder, it is possible to record, for example, a rhythm guitar part on track 1 and a lead guitar part on track 2 using electric guitars, and to further record a vocal part on track 3 using an integrated microphone, and then mix down these parts to generate and record a stereo signal.
JP 2011-530843 A includes disclosure concerning an automatic mastering function of a multi-channel sound system. JP 2011-530843 A describes adjusting channel faders to a uniform value, limiting at least two channels to a uniform output level, limiting each of the other channels to a decibel output level value lower than the uniform output level value of the two channels, and further adjusting a parameter value of at least one of the channel fader, threshold, release, and output level, to thereby carry out further compression and/or limiting of the encoded channels.
In a multi-track recorder, mixdown is normally performed at as high a level as possible without generating distortion, and subsequently a mastering process is performed to complete recording. The mastering process includes executing sound quality correction (equalizer processing), processing for increasing sound pressure (compression processing), and processing for adjusting to a designated level (normalization). Without a certain degree of knowledge and experience, it is difficult for one to obtain desired results from the mastering process. In particular, in the compression processing for increasing sound pressure, threshold and ratio adjustments are relatively difficult. For this reason, there has been proposed a configuration in which several presets are provided for each type of music and a user selects a desired preset from among these presets. However, such a configuration is disadvantageous in that presets may not be effective when the mixdown is not carried out at an appropriate recording level.
FIGS. 5A and 5B schematically show compression processing in the mastering process. FIG. 5A illustrates compression (compressor) processing performed when the mixdown is carried out at an appropriate level. In the figures, 0 dBFS is the target level that serves as a reference, and TH is the threshold value for the compression processing. Compression processing is processing in which parts of a signal having a level exceeding the threshold value are compressed by a predetermined ratio while other parts of the signal having a level at or below the threshold value are maintained. Accordingly, when the mixdown is carried out at an appropriate level and the level reaches the threshold value TH as shown in FIG. 5A, the compression processing is meaningful.
On the other hand, FIG. 5B illustrates compression processing performed when the mixdown is carried out at an inappropriate level that is too low. Although decreasing of the mixdown level can be effective in consideration of preventing distortion due to an overly high level, when the level is too low, the level does not reach the threshold value TH such that compression is not executed at all, rendering the compression processing meaningless. This situation can occur similarly when presets are provided. When the mixdown level is lower than the threshold value TH of a selected preset, the compression processing does not function substantially.

Recording apparatus with mastering function


A method and an apparatus for regulating a volumetric fuel flow regulate a fuel flow delivered by a feed pump to a high-pressure pump of an injection system as a function of a volumetric fuel discharged from a high-pressure reservoir through a high-pressure regulating valve. The regulation is effected through the use of a pressure regulating valve or a volumetric flow regulating valve.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for regulating a volumetric fuel flow delivered by a feed pump to a high-pressure pump connected to a high-pressure reservoir. The invention also relates to an apparatus for regulating the volumetric fuel flow delivered by a feed pump to a high-pressure pump.
Regulating a volumetric fuel flow in an inflow to a high-pressure pump, which pumps fuel into a high-pressure reservoir of a common rail injection system of an internal combustion engine, requires optimized adaptation, since on one hand it must be assured that the high-pressure pump is supplied with enough fuel to suit the engine operating conditions, and on the other hand, the high-pressure pump should nevertheless not pump excess fuel into the high-pressure reservoir, since the excess fuel is returned to the engine tank through a high-pressure valve and thus causes warming of the fuel in the tank. In addition, fuel is highly compressed unnecessarily by the high-pressure pump as a result, which represents an unnecessary power loss.
Published European Patent Application 0 299 337 A2 describes a method and an apparatus for regulating the volumetric fuel flow that is supplied by a feed pump to a high-pressure pump. A regulatable throttle that is triggered by a control unit is disposed between the feed pump and the high-pressure pump. An arithmetic unit monitors the fuel pressure in the high-pressure reservoir and controls the regulatable throttle in accordance with the fuel demand of the engine and the fuel pressure in the high-pressure reservoir.
Regulating the fuel pressure in the high-pressure reservoir is relatively complicated. In that method both the fuel pressure and the expected consumption by the engine must be ascertained and an opening cross section of the regulatable throttle must be calculated by the arithmetic unit from those variables.

Method and apparatus for regulating a volumetric fuel flow between a feed pump and a high-pressure pump


A liquid crystal display device in which three cholesteric liquid crystal layers of selective reflection type are laminated, comprises: a first liquid crystal layer arranged on a device observation side selectively reflecting blue; a second liquid crystal layer arranged next to the first liquid crystal layer selectively reflecting green; a third liquid crystal layer arranged next to the second liquid crystal layer selectively reflecting red; and a green cut filter layer arranged between the green liquid crystal layer and the red liquid crystal layer selectively absorbing a light ray of a wavelength of 600 nm or less.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more specifically, to a liquid crystal display device in which three cholesteric liquid crystal display layers of selective reflection type are laminated.
Recently, the technical field of electronic paper that can maintain a display without a power supply and can be electrically rewritten has been rapidly developed. Electronic paper is aimed at realizing extremely low power consumption, capable of memory display even if the power supply is turned off, a reflective display gentle on the eye and which does not tire ones eyes, and a flexible, thin display device like paper. Applications for use in electronic books, electronic newspapers, electronic posters, etc., are being developed. As display systems, an electrophoresis system in which charged particles are moved in air or liquid, a twist ball system in which charged particles classified by two colors are rotated, and a bistable cholesteric liquid crystal system of a selective reflection-type that utilizes the interference reflection of a liquid crystal layer are being developed.
Among these various systems, the cholesteric liquid crystal system is overwhelmingly advantageous in producing a color display. In systems other than the cholesteric liquid crystal system, color filters classified by three colors need to be arranged for each pixel, and therefore, the brightness is ⅓ at the maximum, which corresponds to three divisions, and which are not practical. In the cholesteric liquid crystal system, colors are reflected by the interference of liquid crystals, and therefore, a color display can be produced just by lamination, and there is an advantage in that a brightness of nearly 50% or more can be obtained. A color display device that uses the cholesteric liquid crystal system is described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-116461.
FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are diagrams explaining the principle of a display using cholesteric liquid crystals. As shown schematically, the panel has a configuration in which a liquid crystal layer 1 is sandwiched and held between transparent substrates 3 and 4. Substrate 3 is a substrate on the device observation side. On the surface outside substrate 4, a black light absorbing layer 5 is provided. The cholesteric liquid crystal has two stable states: one state in which layers are in parallel to the substrate surface; and another state in which layers are in the vertical direction. The two states can be switched electrically and are characterized by bistability by which the two states can be maintained without the supply of power.
As shown in FIG. 1A, when a high voltage is applied to an electrode (not shown) provided on substrates 3 and 4, the screw axes of liquid crystal molecules 2 linked spirally are oriented in the direction vertical to substrates 3 and 4 and a state is brought about in which layers are parallel to the substrate surface. This state is called a planar state. In the planar state, an interference reflection phenomenon occurs in accordance with the pitch of the layer, exhibiting a specific color and a reflective display is produced. This is a light state (reflective state). As shown in FIG. 1B, when low voltage is applied to the electrode provided on substrates 3 and 4, a state is brought about in which the screw axes of liquid crystal molecules 2 linked spirally are oriented in the direction parallel to substrates 3 and 4. This state is called a focal conic state. In the focal conic state, interference reflection does not occur, and therefore, light incident to the device is transmitted and absorbed by light absorbing layer 5 of substrate 4. This is a dark state (transmitting state). In the reflective state, the light that is not reflected is just transmitted through the liquid crystal layer, and it is therefore, possible to synthesize a reflective color by arranging liquid crystal layers that reflect different colors in the lower layer.
Because of interference reflection, the light reflected in the light state differs depending on the wavelength. Because of this, it is possible to obtain panels of reflected light from which exhibit red (R), green (G), and blue (B) by setting the screw pitch of the liquid crystal.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a color cholesteric liquid crystal display apparatus that has a color enabled display by laminating three panels. As shown schematically, in the order from the observation side, a blue (B) panel 10B, a green (G) panel 10G, and a red (R) panel 10R are laminated and thus a liquid crystal display device 9 is configured. A drive circuit 11 is connected to the electrode of each panel via flexible cables 12B, 12G, 12R. By applying voltage to the electrode of each panel from drive circuit 11, it is possible to bring a cell corresponding to the electrode of each panel into a light state and dark state and thus an image can be displayed. Each panel comprises a matrix electrode and can produce a dot matrix display.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a sectional view of liquid crystal display device 9 in FIG. 2. The electrode is not shown schematically. Each of panels 10B, 10G, 10R has a configuration in which each of liquid crystal layers 1B, 1G, 1R is sandwiched and held between transparent substrates 3 and 4 and the liquid crystal layer is sealed by a seal 6. Panels 10B, 10B, 10R are arranged in the order from the device observation side and panels 10B, 10G are bonded by a first adhesive layer 7 and panels 10G, 10R are bonded by a second adhesive layer 8. On the surface outside the substrate on the opposite side of the device observation side of panel 10R, black light absorbing layer 5 is provided. In the following explanation, panel 10B on the device observation side is referred to as a first (blue) panel and its liquid crystal layer 1B as a first (blue) liquid crystal layer, panel 10G next to the first panel is referred to as a second (green) panel and its liquid crystal layer 1G as a second (green) liquid crystal layer, and panel 10R next to the second panel is referred to as a third (red) panel and its liquid crystal layer 1R as a third (red) liquid crystal layer.
If first panel 10B is brought into a light (reflective) state and second and third panels 10G, 10R are brought into a dark (transmitting) state, a blue display is produced. Similarly, if second panel 10G is brought into a light (reflective) state and first and third panels 10B, 10R are brought into a dark (transmitting) state, a green display is produced, and if third panel 10R is brought into a light (reflective) state and first and second panels 10B, 10R are brought into a dark (transmitting) state, a red display is produced. Further, if first and second panels 10B, 10G are brought into the light (reflective) state and third panel 10R is brought into the dark (transmitting) state, a cyan display is produced, if second and third panels 10G, 10R are brought into the light (reflective) state and first panel 10B is brought into the dark (transmitting) state, a yellow display is produced, and if first and third panels 10B, 10R are brought into the light (reflective) state and second panel 10G is brought into the dark (transmitting) state, a magenta display is produced. If all of first to third panels 10B, 10G, 10R are brought into the light (reflective) state, a white display is produced and if all of first to third panels 10B, 10G, 10R are brought into the dark (transmitting) state, a black display is produced.
The selective reflection system of a cholesteric liquid crystal of lamination type has a problem of color purity of a red display. FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining the phenomenon of the drop in color purity due to the shift of the reflection wavelength band. The principle of the selective reflection of a cholesteric liquid crystal of lamination type is the interference reflection of a cholesteric liquid crystal in a multilayer state and the reflection wavelength band shifts depending on the angle of incident light to a liquid crystal display device from outside. With the increasing angle from the vertical incidence, the reflection wavelength band shifts toward the shorter wavelength side. Because the display device of reflection type uses light of the environment illumination, such as an electric lamp on site, light with a variety of angles enters the display device. Because of this, as shown in FIG. 4, in liquid crystal panel 10R set to a red display, the green on the shorter wavelength side is mixed in the display color. If green with high visual sensitivity mixes with red even slightly, the purity of red drops and red with a high purity cannot be displayed. Conventionally, coloring matter that absorbs green is mixed in third liquid crystal 1R of third red panel 10R so that green is not reflected in the panel structure in FIG. 3. Because this coloring matter absorbs and eliminates green which would produce noise, the purity of red is enhanced. However, if coloring matter is mixed in a liquid crystal, there arises a problem, such as deterioration of a liquid crystal, a rise in drive voltage, etc.

Liquid crystal display device having particular green cut filter layer and blue cut filter layer


A three-way clamp includes a first clamp shell and a second clamp shell capable of being connected to or detached from each other. Each of the first clamp shell and the second clamp shell includes three engaging portions. The engaging portion includes an accommodating cavity. The two clamp shells are respectively provided with an engaging claw and an engaging groove. A connector prefabricated component including the clamp includes a connecting pipe fixed in the clamp body, wherein the accommodating cavity is provided with a sealing component for sleeving pipe opening. During construction, a straight pipe to be connected is inserted into the sealing component. Then the clamp body is tightened, and the sealing component tightly presses on a pipe body of the straight pipe to achieve sealing.

The operation of connecting two pipes using connectors during pipeline construction usually includes aligning openings of the two pipes to be connected, and then connecting the two pipes by mounting a special connector. At present, there are many such connectors. For example, a clamp type pipe connector disclosed in a patent having an application number of CN201748094U is a connector of this type.
Due to a large number of openings to be connected in this connection mode, for example, a specific connecting point needs to be linked to multiple pairs of openings (such as using a three-way pipe or a four-way pipe for connection) at the same time; for another example, a certain connecting point needs to accomplish the turning of the pipeline (e.g. using an elbow for connection). Each pair of openings to be connected needs to employ a special connector. It is required to complete the alignment and connection of the openings to be connected; dismounting and mounting of the connectors on site. The operation is complicated, the installation error is large, and an operator with high skill is required. The above operations must be individually performed on each pair of openings to be connected, and the operating efficiency is low.
There are also some quick mount connectors such as a snap-fit quick connector disclosed in the patent having an application number of CN207539492U. However, the connector is designed in such a manner that the connecting components are integrated into an interior of a connector main body, thus the connector has a complicated structure and a high manufacturing cost. Moreover, the connector main body cannot employ standard components, thus having a poor generality and interchangeability.
In summary, there obviously exist some inconvenience and deficiency during the practical use of the prior art, thus it is imperative to improve upon the prior art.

Three-way clamp and connector prefabricated component including clamp


The present invention provides a method for altering mammalian central and peripheral physiological and pathological functioning which is mediated by serotonin binding to the 5-HT.sub.7 receptor. Specifically, the invention provides a method for antagonizing serotonin binding to the 5-HT.sub.7 receptor.

Serotonin mediated regulatory effects are pervasive throughout mammalian peripheral and central physiological functioning. These effects are mediated through binding of serotonin to multiple serotonin receptors at various locations in the mammalian body. Serotonin receptors in the mammalian body comprise different serotonin receptor subtypes. Serotonin binding to different receptor subtypes can cause different and often times inimical effects. Hence, in addition to the amount of serotonin released and the physiological/pathological status of a receptor, the clinical result of serotonin mediation is also affected by serotonin binding to more than one receptor subtype.
Presently, there are known to be at least 14 mammalian serotonin receptor subtypes. Recently researchers identified a novel serotonin receptor subtype designated as the "5-HT.sub.7 " receptor. mRNA for this receptor has been shown to exist in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), kidney, vasculature, and various regions of the gastrointestinal tract. A homologous 5-HT.sub.7 receptor has also been identified in the canine coronary artery. The presence of this unique receptor in the CNS and various peripheral smooth muscle tissues, provides the possibility for new therapeutic and diagnostic modalities through agonism and antagonism of the 5-HT.sub.7 receptor.
Some compounds which bind to the 5-HT.sub.7 receptor are well known in the art. In fact, binding studies of various known agonist and antagonist compounds were used to characterize the 5-HT.sub.7 receptor. See Yong Shen et al., "Molecular Cloning and Expression of a 5-Hydroxytryptamine.sub.7 Serotonin Receptor Subtype" The J. of Biol. Chem., 264(24):18200-18204 (Aug. 24, 1993) hereinafter "Shen"!; Timothy W. Lovenberg et al., "A Novel Adenylyl Cyclase-Activating Serotonin Receptor (5-HT.sub.7) Implicated in the Regulation of Mammalian Circadian Rhythms", Neuron, 11:449-48 (Sept. 1993) hereinafter "Lovenberg"!; Jonathan A. Bard et al., "Cloning of a Novel Human Serotonin Receptor (5-HT.sub.7) Positively Linked to Adenylate Cyclase", The J. of Biol. Chem., 268(31):23422-426 (Nov. 5, 1993) hereinafter "Bard"!. Furthermore, the homology of the mammalian 5-HT.sub.7 receptor was determined by comparison of the binding affinity of various known serotonin agonist and antagonist compounds to the 5-HT.sub.7 receptor in the human, rat, and canine.
In addition to compounds which are known to bind to the 5-HT.sub.7 receptor, the use of ergoline compounds to block non-5-HT.sub.7 receptors is known in the art. However, ergoline compounds which provide selective high affinity binding to the 5-HT.sub.7 receptor to cause the central and peripheral physiological effects disclosed herein have not been described previously.

Method for using ergoline compounds to effect physiological and pathological functions at the 5-HT.sub.7 receptor


A liquid ring pump having a channel including a first opening which opens into a first bucket formed by rotor blades. The first opening is located along an arcuate path between a closing edge of an inlet port and a leading edge of a discharge port The inlet port and discharge port are in a port plate of the liquid ring pump. The channel has a second opening which opens into a second bucket formed by rotor blades The second opening is on an arcuate path between a closing edge of the discharge port and a leading edge of the inlet port. A fluid pathway interconnects the first and second openings. At least a portion of the liquid ring pump forming the channel is disposed in a circumferential cylindrical cavity, wherein the cavity is formed from a plurality of axially extending rotor blade ends.

Liquid ring pumps are well known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,808, Schultze, discloses such a liquid ring pump. The pump is conically ported (conical liquid ring pump) and has one or two stages. The pump includes a housing; a rotor assembly within the housing; a shaft extending into the housing on which the rotor assembly is fixedly mounted; and a motor assembly coupled to the shaft. During operation, the housing is partially filled with operating liquid so that when the rotor is rotating, the rotor blades engage the operating or pumping liquid and cause it to form an eccentric ring that diverges and converges in the radial direction relative to the shaft. Where the liquid is diverging from the shaft, the resulting reduced pressure in the spaces between adjacent rotor blades of the rotor assembly (buckets) constitutes a gas intake zone. Where the liquid is converging towards the shaft, the resulting increased pressure in the spaces between adjacent rotor blades (buckets) constitutes a gas compression zone. A cone shaped member is mated within a cone shaped bore of the rotor assembly. The cone shaped member is ported to allow gas that would otherwise be carried over from the compression zone, to bypass the intake zone and re-enter the compression zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,190, Brown discloses a water ring rotary air compressor. The compressor includes a housing; a rotor assembly disposed within the housing; a motively powered shaft extending into the housing and fixedly coupled to the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly utilizes a pumping liquid and creates an eccentric ring in a manner similar to U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,808. A port plate or head has a circumferential extension extending into a cylindrical bore of the rotor assembly. A port sleeve is disposed and press fit around the cylindrical extension. The sleeve includes a circumferential groove and a plurality of longitudinally extending slots. The sleeve reduces cavitation.

Liquid ring pump with gas scavenge device


A method for recommending music that includes identifying a granularity of a plurality of genres based on a request for music similarity, wherein the request identifies a user, training a genre classifier based on the granularity to obtain a trained genre classifier, calculating a first profile by the trained genre classifier, wherein the first profile that includes, for each of the plurality of genres, the likelihood that a music selection associated with a user is in the genre, calculating a second profile by the trained genre classifier, wherein the second profile that includes, for each of the plurality of genres, the likelihood that an unknown music selection is in the genre, obtaining a first similarity score between the first profile and a second profile, and recommending the unknown music selection to the user based on the first similarity score.

One of the beneficiaries of technology is the arts. Specifically, the advancement of technology with respect to the Internet and portable digital players has allowed a virtually endless supply of music to be readily available. Virtually instantaneously, a person has access to selections of music from across the world. Moreover, using a computer, a user may purchase music, listen via the Internet to music, download music, store music on a portable device, and generate a playlist.
While performing any of the above actions to acquire and listen to music, a user may want to expand their music collection. Specifically, the user may want to listen to different selections of music that the user has not previously heard. However, with the vast expanse of available music, identifying the new music may be challenging.
When a user wants to listen to new music, the user may rely on recommendations. For example, the user may consult a friend who has similar taste in music to the user. The friend may recommend an artist or a specific music selection. Alternatively, a distributor who maintains statistical data on music purchased or played may make a recommendation to the user based on previous purchasers of the music selection of a user. The recommendation from the distributor is typically achieved in accordance with a voting system.

Method and system for recommending music


The present disclosure provides isolated Interferonα nucleic acids and polypeptides. The disclosure also provides antibodies which specifically recognize the subject Interferonα polypeptides, expression vectors containing the subject nucleic acids, and host cells expressing the subject polypeptides. In addition, methods of treatment using Interferonα are provided.

Interferons (IFNs) are a well known family of cytokines secreted by a large variety of eukaryotic cells upon exposure to various stimuli. The interferons have been classified by their chemical and biological characteristics into four groups: IFN-α. (leukocytes), IFN-β (fibroblasts), IFN-γ (lymphocytes), and IFN-ω (leukocytes). IFN-α and β are known as Type I interferons: IFN-γ is known as a Type-II or immune interferon. The IFNs exhibit anti-viral, immunoregulatory, and antiproliferative activity. The clinical potential of interferons has been recognized.
Human leulcocyte interferon was first discovered and prepared in the form of very crude fractions by Isaacs and Lindenmann. Efforts to purify and characterize the material have led to the preparation of relatively homogeneous leukocyte interferons derived from normal or leukemic (chronic myelogenous leukemia or "CML") donor leukocytes. These interferons are a family of proteins characterized by a potent ability to confer a virus-resistant state in their target cells. In addition, interferon can inhibit cell proliferation, modulate immune responses and alter expression of proteins. These properties have prompted the clinical use of leukocyte interferon as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of viral infections and malignancies.
During the past several decades a large number of human and animal interferons have been produced, identified, purified and cloned. Several of the interferon preparations have been prepared for clinical trial in both crude form, for some of the original interferon preparations, as well as in purified form. Several individual recombinant interferon-α species have been cloned and expressed. The proteins have then been purified by various procedures and formulated for clinical use in a variety of formulations. Most of the interferons in clinical use that have been approved by various regulatory agencies throughout the world are mixtures or individual species of human α interferon (Hu-IFN-α). In some countries Hu-IFN-β and γ have also been approved for clinical trial and in some cases approved for therapeutic use. The major thesis underlying clinical use of these interferons was that they were natural molecules produced by normal individuals. Indeed, the specific thesis was that all the interferons prepared for clinical use, be they natural-or recombinant-generated products, represented interferons that were produced naturally by normal people. This is true for a large number of interferons as well as specific growth factors, lymphokines, cytokines, hormones, clotting factors and other proteins that have been produced.

Interferons, uses and compositions related thereto


A memory device comprises a memory array, a status register coupled with the memory array, and a security register coupled with the memory array and the status register. The memory array contains a number of memory blocks configured to have independent access control. The status register includes at least one protection bit indicative of a write-protection status of at least one corresponding block of the memory blocks that corresponds to the protection bit. The security register includes at least one register-protection bit. The register-protection bit is programmable to a memory-protection state for preventing a state change of at least the protection bit of the status register. The register-protection bit is configured to remain in the memory-protection state until the resetting of the memory device.

Nonvolatile memories use a variety of memory cell designs. Examples of nonvolatile memories include read only memory, flash memory, etc. A nonvolatile memory device may be accessed by a central processor unit (CPU) or other devices or processors for various purposes during the operation of a computer system. The term "access" includes read, write, erase and rewrite execution commands to the nonvolatile memory device. Nonvolatile memories can retain the stored information without being erased even in the absence of power supply. In other words, once electrically programmed, the nonvolatile memory may retain the stored data until it is electrically erased. In addition, data stored in the nonvolatile memory may be changed at any time when the power supply is resumed. One of the many applications for nonvolatile memories include serving as storage media in digital cameras, music players, cellular phones, etc. and serving as system memories in computing systems, personal digital assistants (PDAs), phones, etc.
Without limiting the scope of invention, the use of a nonvolatile memory as a BIOS memory in a computing system is illustrated below. In order for a computer system to operate properly, its operating system needs to be properly configured to communicate with the computer system's hardware devices. Basic Input Output System (BIOS) codes or other boot codes are typically the codes used for such configuration. To retain the codes without the need of power supply, the BIOS codes are typically stored in a nonvolatile memory device on the motherboard of a computer system.
As illustrative examples, a BIOS memory may have various sizes and configurations, such as 16 Megabits (MB) or 32 MB. A BIOS memory may include a set of contiguous memory blocks. Depending on its applications and design, a typical memory block granularity or unit may be 64 KB. And a 16 MB BIOS memory may therefore have 32 memory blocks. BIOS memories may be used to store many types of information, such as critical boot codes, peripheral "plug and play" data, unique serial number of a computer system, etc. If information stored in BIOS memory is improperly altered or overwritten, the computer system may not function properly. Therefore, there may be a need for protecting data in a BIOS memory or other nonvolatile memory devices to ensure the data is protected from improper alteration or deletion.


A transflective liquid crystal display device in which a transmissive area to transmit light to a pixel area and a reflective area as well as a thin film transistor are arranged on an insulating substrate, includes an TFT array substrate having plural gate wirings each provided with a gate electrode and a storage capacitive wiring provided with a storage capacitive electrode made of a first conductive film, plural source wirings each provided with a source electrode and a drain electrode made of a second conductive film, a reflecting pixel electrode extending from the drain electrode, and a transmissive pixel electrode formed through a second insulating film, and an opposite substrate arranged oppositely to the TFT array substrate. The source wirings and the reflecting pixel electrode are arranged apart from each other by a predetermined interval, and a contrast preventing electrode is formed over the interval on the second insulating film.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid crystal display device of an active matrix type which is employed as a display device for images and characters such an office automation (OA) device, and more particularly to a transflective liquid crystal display device having a transmissive area which transmits light to a pixel area and a reflecting pixel electrode which reflects ambient light, and a method for manufacturing the transflective display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Each of the pixels of a TFT (thin film transistor) array substrate which is employed for a conventional general transflective liquid crystal display device is provided with a transmissive area for transmitting light from a backlight provided behind a display face and a reflective area for reflecting ambient light incident on a liquid crystal layer.
In such a TFT array substrate for the transflective liquid display, a structure and a manufacturing method for simplifying a manufacturing process has been proposed in such a manner that a reflecting pixel electrode constituting the reflective area, a source wiring provided with a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed on the same layer (for example, see JP-A-2004-110299, pages 3 to 7, FIGS. 1 and 2).
In a transflective liquid crystal display device disclosed in JP-A-2004-110299 described below, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of its publication, where a source wiring 63 and a reflecting pixel electrode 65 are formed on the same layer, in order to prevent the loss due to short-circuiting between the source wiring 63 and the reflecting pixel electrode 65, they must be formed with the interval therebetween being held. On the lowermost layer over this interval, a storage capacitive electrode and a storage capacitive wiring 24 are formed. Therefore, an opposite electrode (not shown) formed on an opposite substrate opposite to the TFT array substrate is opposite to the storage capacitive electrode and storage capacitive wiring 24.
However, in the structure of the TFT array substrate disclosed in JP-A-2004-110299, since the storage capacitive electrode and storage capacitive wiring 24 are at the same potential as the opposite electrode, an electric field is not applied to the liquid layer existing over the interval held. Thus, the light which is incident from the display face to reflect from the storage capacitive electrode and storage capacitive wiring 24 between the source wiring 63 and reflecting pixel electrode 65 cannot be restricted. This led to a problem of reducing reflecting contrast.

Transflective liquid crystal display device and method for manufacturing the same


A method and system for communicating state information from a transponder to a reader. The transponder outputs linearly polarized RF signals having either a first polarization, such as horizontal, or a second polarization, such as vertical. The polarization is selected so as to indicate a first state or a second state. The reader detects whether received RF signals have the first polarization or the second polarization, and thereby determines the state of the transponder. In some embodiments, the reader may include two linearly polarized antennas, one with the first polarization and one with the second polarization, for receiving the RF signals from the transponder and determining the polarization of the received RF signals. The system may be implemented within an electronic toll collection system, wherein the transponders are affixed to the interior of vehicle windshields using a rotatable mounting mechanism having two selectable positions.

Electronic toll collection systems conduct toll transactions electronically using RF communications between a vehicle-mounted transponder (a "tag") and a stationary toll plaza transceiver (a "reader"). An example of an electronic toll collection system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,661,352 issued Dec. 9, 2003 to Tiernay et al., and owned in common with the present application. The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 6,661,352 are hereby incorporated by reference.
In a typical electronic toll collection (ETC) system, the reader broadcasts a polling or trigger RF signal. A transponder on a vehicle passing through the broadcast area or zone detects the polling or trigger signal and responds with its own RF signal. The transponder responds by sending a response signal containing information stored in memory in the transponder, such as the transponder ID number. The reader receives the response signal and may conduct an electronic toll transaction, such as by debiting a user account associated with the transponder ID number. The reader may then broadcast a programming RF signal to the transponder. The programming signal provides the transponder with updated information for storage in its memory. It may, for example, provide the transponder with a new account balance.
There are a number of pre-defined communication protocols for reader-transponder communications in an ETC system. They include various public TDMA protocols, the State of California Code of Regulation (CAL-TRAN) Title 21 (T21) protocol, and proprietary protocols. An example of the latter may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,846 to Brockelsby et al. Various pre-defined protocols are discussed in US Pub. No. US2001/0050922, published Dec. 13, 2001 and owned in common with the present application.
In some circumstances, it may be desirable to communicate additional state information from the transponder to the reader. In existing systems, this may be difficult because there are thousands of existing transponders deployed within the marketplace. These existing transponders may not be easily changed or modified. Accordingly, it would be preferable to provide for a method and system of communicating state information that would not require changes to the existing transponders.

Method of enabling two-state operation of electronic toll collection system


A travel bag pulling handle is provided having two angular position control devices respectively mounted on bottom ends of two inner tubes. The inner tubes can be set in a vertical position and an oblique position when the inner tubes have been retracted from respective sleeves inside the travel bag.

FIG. 1 shows a wheeled travel bag equipped with a pulling handle. The pulling handle comprises a fixed mounting rod 2 fixedly mounted on the travel bag, a ball knob 6 raised from the top end of the fixed mounting rod 2, and a drag rod 1 having a ball socket 5 at one end coupled to the ball knob 6 (see FIG. 1A). The ball knob 6 and the ball socket 5 form a universal joint by which the drag rod 1 can be turned in different directions relative to the fixed mounting rod 2 (see FIG. 1B). This structure of carrying handle is still not satisfactory in function. Because the drag rod 1 is coupled to the fixed mounting rod 2 by a universal joint, the drag rod 1 cannot be firmly retained at the desired angle. When pushing the travel bag on the ground, applied force cannot be positively transmitted through the drag rod 1 to the travel bag through the fixed mounting rod 2, and the travel bag may be forced to move out of course, or to fall to the ground.