Embodiments are directed to a computer implemented method for generating a drift detector. The method includes generating, using a processor system, drift cases based at least in part on known drift set data of a computer system. The method further includes injecting, using the processor system, the drift cases into the computer system to generate a first data set. The method further includes applying, using the processor system, cleaning rules to the first data set to reduce a size of the first data set and generate a cleaned data set. The method further includes extracting one or more features of the cleaned data set. The method further includes normalizing the extracted one or more features of the cleaned data set. The method further includes training a machine learning system using the extracted and normalized one or more features of the cleaned data, wherein an output of the machine learning system comprises the drift detector.

The present disclosure relates in general to identifying the root cause of reduced performance and/or failure in computing systems and applications (e.g., computer programs). More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methodologies for efficiently and effectively detecting abnormal change (i.e., "drift") in large, complex computing systems and applications that can result in reduced system/application performance and/or system/application failure.
The terms "computer system" or "computing system" encompass virtually any hardware and software system that processes data. Computer systems range from small handheld devices to large, complex computing systems such as corporate data centers, database management systems (DBMSs) and massive server farms that offer cloud computing. A difficult task in the deployment and maintenance of large, complex computing systems/applications is ensuring that the system continues to supply the expected behavior in the presence of change.
Computer systems typically start in a desired state, wherein the expected behavior of the system is consistently provided. However, the desired state of a system changes over time due to a variety of factors, including, for example, daily execution, maintenances and updates. Change that evolves the desired state of a system is referred to herein as a normal change. On the other hand, change that does not evolve the desired state of a system is referred to herein as an abnormal change or "drift." Accordingly, a system experiences drift when it shifts from a normal or desired state, wherein the expected behavior of the system is consistently provided, to an abnormal or undesired state, wherein the expected behavior of the system is not consistently provided. Drift impacts system performance at different levels of severity, from inconsistent or decreased application/service-level functionality to complete system outages. Any reduced system performance caused by drift can result in some form of financial loss. For example, a complete system outage to a large, online commerce system can result in significant lost sales, as well as damage to the merchant's brand and reputation.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Among flocculating agents reacting in a neutral region and also leaving treated water also in neutral region, a flocculating agent is proposed, which can be used simply and may carry out effective cleaning of mud water in particular.

In prior art, manure water containing animal manure, and livestock industry system process water containing blood from animal and fish generated in meat plants, fishery plants and the like, were often subjected to cleaning treatment by using the activated sludge method or the like; however, if cleaning with a flocculating agent were possible, this would be simple and very useful.
In addition, during disasters such as storms and earthquakes, if murky mud water or the like could be cleaned simply with a flocculating agent and used as water for daily use, this would also be very useful during disasters. Thus, the cleaning treatment of suspension water by a flocculating agent is characterized by the possibility of being carried out simply even without a special installation.
In prior art, as this type of flocculating agent, known were those having as a main component, for instance, aluminum sulfate, aluminum chloride, ferric chloride and the like. However, as the treated water becomes acidic with a number of flocculating agents used in prior art, treated water cannot be released directly due to issues of contamination of the environment, or the like, requiring separately a treatment for returning to a neutral pH region.
Thus, as flocculating agents reacting at neutral to alkaline with which treated water becomes also neutral, proposed are such flocculating agents in the following:
For instance, disclosed in Patent Reference 1 is a flocculating agent containing animal bone, comprising a dissolved bone solution obtained by dissolving fired pulverized animal bone powder in sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid.
Disclosed in Patent Reference 2 is a flocculating agent comprising burnt food scrap ashes, animal bone powder and zinc dissolved by mixing with sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid, and water.
Furthermore, recently, high molecular weight flocculating agents such as polyacrylamide or copolymers thereof have become commercialized and are used commonly. However, when using this high molecular weight flocculating agent, there is the inconvenience that the pH has to be adjusted beforehand. Therefore, for instance, flocculating agents comprising a silicon solution in which silicon dioxide has been dissolved, flocculating agents with silicon dioxide and calcium hydroxide as main components, and the like, have also been proposed (refer for instance to Patent Reference 3).
[Patent Reference 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H1-274807
[Patent Reference 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H4-7004
[Patent Reference 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-104711

Abstract: A flocculating agent is proposed, which is a flocculating agent in powder form and exhibiting a pH of 5 to 9 when added to pure water, containing in a mixed state an acidic powder comprising porous particles obtained by adsorbing a metal constituent and an alkaline powder comprising porous particles obtained by adsorbing calcium phosphate.


In a specific embodiment of this invention, deposits and soot formation in a direct injection engine are reduced by passivating the injectors to within 0.1 mm of the injector nozzle. The fuel used with the inventive injectors comprises fuel-soluble additives.

Considerable work has been devoted to additives for controlling (preventing or reducing) deposit formation in the fuel induction systems of spark-ignition internal combustion and compression ignition (diesel) engines. In particular, additives to control fuel injector deposits, intake valve deposits and combustion chamber deposits is the focal point of a considerable amount of prior art. Despite these efforts, further improvements are needed and highly desired.
Many people have experienced difficulty in starting their fuel injected cars and trucks. This is especially true when the engine is hot. One possible cause is that lacquers build up in the fine orifices and the filter of the fuel injector, which restricts the flow of fuel; this is termed injector fouling. Another cause of injector fouling is when particulate contamination lodges in the injector nozzle (pintle) and prevents effective shut-off of the engine. This is known as pintle leakage. Many additives have been developed to add to the fuel to reduce these problems; however, significant improvements in injector design can also be of benefit.
Fuel injector performance is at the forefront of the DIG combustion systems as it relies heavily on fuel spray consistency to realize its advantages in fuel economy and power, and to minimize exhaust emissions. A consistent spray pattern enables more precise electronic control of the combustion event and the exhaust after-treatment system.
There are numerous references teaching gasoline compositions (fuel chemistries) for controlling injector fouling, for example, fuels containing Mannich detergents are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,231,759; 5,514,190; 5,634,951; 5,697,988; 5,725,612; and 5,876,468. However, none of these references teach the use of fuel compositions containing detergents for use in DIG or diesel engines with surface passivated injectors. These references also fail to suggest or disclose the surface texturing or passivation of the injector on the outside of the injector seat, in the vicinity of the nozzle which inhibits the formation of gum and/or coke, without adoption of special procedures and without installation of special equipment.
Little attention has, however, been given in the prior art to the role of the physical treatment of the engine components that come into contact with the fuel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,990 discloses that certain phosphate additives are combined with the fuel which decompose in the combustion chamber and form a coating, probably a phosphate coating, on the internal engine surfaces. It is suggested that this coating effectively inhibits carbon deposit formation. Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,046 the interior surface of stainless steel gas generators is passivated with sulfurous materials to overcome deposition of coke on the surfaces of the gas generator. Passivation in this reference was defined as a surface treatment of an engine component which substantially reduces coke formation.
In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide surface passivated and/or textured engine components (e.g., fuel containment articles and fuel injectors) so that deposit formation is avoided, eliminated or reduced. The disadvantages of the prior art processes and techniques include increased costs and promote uncertainty. It is a primary objective of this invention to overcome these disadvantages.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Surface passivation and the methods for the reduction of fuel thermal degradation deposits


In accordance with the present invention there is provided a new composition and method for chemically modifying chitosan, including N-substituting or N-cross-linking, under homogeneous conditions by providing neutral aqueous chitosan solutions with enhanced reactivity. The method comprises the steps of i) preparing a clear aqueous solution of chitosan, said solution comprising 0.1 to 10% by weight of a chitosan, and 0.1 to 20% by weight of at least one buffering agent having a pKa between 6.0 and 7.6, said solution having a pH ranging from 6.8 to 7.2; and ii) dissolving homogeneously at least one reagent into the solution of step a), said reagent being reactive toward amine groups of chitosan; and said reagent being at a concentration from 0.01 to 10% by weight. The chitosan in the aqueous solution is chemically modified or cross-linked by a selective substitution on the amino group of chitosan.

Chitosan is an amino-polysaccharide obtained by alkaline deacetylation of chitin, a natural polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of shellfish and insects. Chitin cannot be dissolved in water except in concentrated mineral acid aqueous solutions, during which dissolution there is a decrease in the degree of polymerization and probably removal of some acetyl groups. Such characteristics have undoubtedly limited its investigation and utilisation in many fields, in spite of the advantages claimed for chitin and its great abundance in nature. In contrast, the numerous industrial applications claimed for chitosan, are in part attributed to its good solubility in mild acidic media, via the formation of ammonium groups.
Conventionally, chitosan is dissolved in aqueous acidic media and can be maintained in solution up to a pH near 6.2 (just below its pKa of ˜6.3). Under these conditions, the reactivity of chitosan is significantly decreased, because of the predominance of non-reactive NH3+ groups compared to NH2 groups, and the latter are known as nucleophilic and therefore susceptible to react with various electrophiles due to their unshared pair of electrons. Nonetheless, a variety of chemical approaches have been employed to homogeneously modify chitosan under acidic conditions (pH<6), specifically by reacting aldehydes, acid chlorides, acid anhydrides and epoxides, and the like, with chitosan's amino groups.
To achieve chitosan modification under homogeneous conditions, prior art reports the addition of an organic co-solvent (methanol, pyridine, etc.) to the acidic chitosan solution, in order to enhance the chitosan reactivity (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,996,307 and 4,424,346) or the use of a large excess of reagent (Hirano et al., Biopolymers, 15, 1685, 1976, Kubota et al., Polymer Journal, 29, 123, 1997). However, the presence of an organic co-solvent or an excess of reagent is not desired for medical applications. In addition environmental concerns are providing strong incentive for eliminating organic solvent and reducing the use of reactive reagents. Furthermore, at low pH (below 6.2) the number of free amino groups is insufficient to allow the chitosan to undergo a reaction with some electrophilic reagents, particularly those bearing benzoimidate or epoxy groups.
All studies concerned with the N-substitution of chitosan confirm the importance of availability and activation of chitosan's free, non-ionized, amino groups. A recent patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,330) claims the N-substitution of chitosan with good yield via a high activation of chitosan's free amino groups by controlling two factors which enhance the chitosan reactivity, namely, the neutral pH and the use of an organic solvent. However, in addition to an organic solvent, the reaction was heterogeneously performed on re-precipitated chitosan due to the impossibility of maintaining chitosan in solution under neutral pH conditions, when conventional alkali solutions such as NaOH or NH4OH are used as neutralising agents.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with an alternative method to homogeneously modify or cross-link chitosan, by providing an aqueous chitosan solution, which can be maintained quite in solution in the vicinity of neutral pH, since under such conditions the number and the reactivity of free amino groups are considerably enhanced.
It would also be highly desirable to be provided with an alternative method that would allow the elimination of organic solvent and prevent the use of an excess of reagent, and would nonetheless still render possible reactions between chitosan and electrophilic functional groups, which usually require neutral pH to occur.

Composition and method to homogeneously modify or cross-link chitosan under neutral conditions


A system for dispensing a fluid product packaged in a bottle (1), may include a withdrawing member (2); a band (6) secured to the bottle (1) having two upper arms (7) arranged either side of the nozzle (3) of the member (2) which is equipped with two external lugs (9), said arms each having an interior lug (10) positioned in the axial continuation of an external lug (9) to form a housing between them; a support (13) having a dispensing orifice (14), the arms (7) being mounted with the ability to effect a translational movement in said support; a push-button (17) which is mounted with the ability to effect a radial translational movement in relation to the support (13), said push-button having two tabs (20) each having an upper bearing surface (20a) bearing against an inner lug (10) an a lower bearing surface (20b) bearing against an outer lug (9), said bearing surfaces diverging radially so that depressing the push-button (14) causes the lugs (9, 10) to part, thus actuating the withdrawing member (2) by a depressing of the nozzle (3) and a raising of the bottle (1).

In one particular application, the product is of the gel or cream type, for example for use in cosmetics or for pharmaceutical treatments. More particularly, the example dispensing system may be suitable for the application of a product such as a lip gloss or a lip care product.
Dispensing systems comprising a member for extracting a product packaged in a bottle are known, for example consisting of a pump, which has a body rigidly connected to said bottle in order to be supplied with product and a nozzle over said body. In particular, the extracting member is suitable for being actuated by means of reversible movement of the nozzle along a downward and upward axial stroke for product dispensing and intake, respectively.
Conventionally, the movement of the nozzle is actuated by a push button which is mounted on the upper end of the nozzle, said push button having a dispensing orifice connected to said nozzle and an upper axial bearing area.
The document KR-2010/001 0657 envisages a laterally mounted push button in relation to the nozzle of a pump, said push button interacting with two ribs formed on said nozzle so that a radial movement of said push button causes an engagement of said nozzle along the dispensing stroke thereof.

System for dispensing a fluid product packaged in a bottle


A system and method are provided for facilitating substantially seamless interface between individual component systems for sensor fusion, data exchange, and communication across a broad spectrum of component systems in a vehicle without implicating hardware or software upgrade within individual legacy systems and/or sensors. A universal translator is provided to interface between individual system components that exchange data in a seamless manner between legacy data formats and specific data formats advantageously employed by newly-developed, procured and installed individual component systems. One or more of an analog, digital or serial communications gateway network between one or more of vehicle control components and installed communication, navigation, surveillance and/or sensor sub-components and/or systems provides substantially seamless integration between such systems regardless of the individual data format and exchange capabilities to which the individual systems or sub-components may be designed.

This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for implementing integration, and translation of data between varying communication, navigation, surveillance and sensor systems in a vehicle.
Recent years have seen tremendous technology advances in electronic communication, navigation, surveillance and sensor systems. Many of these systems are specifically designed to be vehicle mounted and integrated. As such, an ability to provide a vehicle with advanced communication, navigation, surveillance and/or sensor integration capabilities exists.
Vehicle manufacturers attempt to keep pace with the rate of technologic advance in the areas of communication, navigation, surveillance and sensor systems. Often, however, by the time the vehicle is produced, with such these systems installed, advances have been made in one or more of the above categories that may render one or more of the "factory-installed" systems less effective than an operator of the vehicle, who is aware of the latest capabilities, may desire. Providing then new vehicles with the latest suite of electronics is a challenge.
This challenge only increases in the area of what can broadly be considered "after-market" modification. Operators of older vehicles, not desiring to replace serviceable older vehicles, may desire to have those vehicles upgraded with some measure of advanced communication, navigation, surveillance and/or sensor systems based on the inclusion of one or more components of the latest available technology.
In new vehicles, at least the delivered systems are generally integrated in a manner by which the individual system components can exchange data and possibly share common data storage capabilities and certain of the functionalities. For older vehicles, the above-described modification scheme, on the other hand, tends to result in piecemeal replacement based on a number of factors, and a resultant non-integrated system. The factors may include the age of the vehicle and a capability of the vehicle and other legacy systems to support upgrade, based on numerous considerations. Another factor may be the individual resources that the operator has to dedicate to upgrade and modification and the operator's priorities for such upgrade or modification. Soon, what was once at least a limitedly integrated system has broken down through modification and upgrade of individual components into a collection of substantially stand-alone systems directed to specific capabilities and requiring virtually autonomous operation. This occurrence may be based, for example, from individual systems having optimized data handling characteristics and data protocols that are incompatible with other installed systems.
The above-described difficulties resulting from routine and on-going vehicle upgrade are nowhere more acute than in, for example, aerial vehicles, and particularly military, commercial and general aviation aircraft. It is generally impractical to replace older airframes, particularly because they still may have significant remaining service life, based on a desire to take advantage of newer integrated avionics systems, even when upgrades in other support systems external to the vehicle in the environment within which the vehicle is intended to be operated, may have rendered obsolete one or more of the legacy avionic systems installed in the vehicle.
The practical solution is to routinely upgrade particular airframes or groups of airframes with more advanced avionics systems for communication, navigation, surveillance, and/or sensor integration, as well as aircraft operation in the form of advanced mission computers and/or operational flight programs. Every upgrade decision will be based on a series of factors prioritized by the aircraft operator, or, in instances, mandated by governmental or industry directive or certification requirement. Factors that may affect the decision to upgrade include availability and physical compatibility of the newer components, as well as generally economically-based decisions balancing a desire for a specific capability against cost.
Because these individual component systems, and advances in such systems, are developed by differing entities and produced by differing manufacturers, many of whom desire that their individual products support integration of only others of their products, the individual component systems that a particular user may desire to include in upgrade of an individual vehicle, or group of vehicles, may be incompatible with each other. Generally, this incompatibility manifests itself in an inability of legacy systems to communicate, and exchange data, with the newer systems, based often on factors such as differing data exchange protocols.
A result of the combination of the above factors is that individual updated components may be installed in a vehicle, with an eye toward upgrading one or more of the communication, navigation, surveillance and/or sensor capabilities of the vehicle, but the individual newly-procured and installed component system may be incompatible with one or more of legacy systems that are not upgraded in a commensurate manner to be, for example, compatible with the newly-installed system. In reality then, the inclusion of the newly-installed component may actually decrease the effectiveness of the overall system within which the newly-installed component system is included.
This situation becomes more extensive when, over a period of time, many individual upgrades are undertaken such that the communication/navigation/surveillance/sensor system in a vehicle becomes a set of individual components limitedly linked together in a manner that may not take full advantage of the capabilities of any of the individually newly-installed, and perhaps significantly-upgraded, component capabilities.
A solution to the integration problem is to modify individual systems and/or their embedded software, or to require modification of other dependent systems and/or sub-systems to include single translational type devices at various stages in the intercommunications pathways, and/or data communications buses, that connect the individual components of the differing system and sub-systems. In specific instances, individual interface units may be provided in order to support translation and/or integration of certain of the capabilities of the newly-installed component with the legacy systems.
Owing to limitedly-modifiable hardware configurations, to the extent that translation and integration can be provided between individual system components and/or devices, it is unrealistic, particularly across, for example, a fleet of vehicles to create and maintain individually customized single purpose interaction devices in a cost-effective manner. A necessity to provide single-purpose interfaces necessarily increases cost and/or complexity of the overall system within which the newly-installed components are intended to be employed. Coincidentally, future upgrade potential is even more detrimentally affected.
As the tension increases between the rate of technology advance in individual component systems, and a need to prolong the usable service life of an individual vehicle, the answer is not to attempt to address each translational problem associated with an individual communication or data interface between non-compatible systems with a single purpose translator or integrator.

Systems and methods for communication, navigation, surveillance and sensor system integration in a vehicle


A connector having a frame with an upper arm and a lower arm cantilevered from a center section to form a channel adapted to receive a section of a structural steel member. The frame has a conductor receiving area to receive a conductor therein. The conductor receiving area is located so that when the upper arm and the lower arm are compressed to grip the section of the structural steel member received in the channel, the conductor located in the conductor receiving area is crimped to the frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector and, more particularly, to a connector for crimping a conductor to a structural member.
2. Prior Art
Compression connectors are generally well known in the art. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,164 which describes a compression ground connector for connecting one or more taps from a single connector to an installation requiring grounding. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,423 which shows a grounding connector capable of being clamped to a tapered metallic flange of an I-beam.

Connector for connecting a conductor to a structural member


Apparatus for extruding a food product substance and for cutting the extrudate from a die of an extrusion head of the extruder into pieces has a rotary shaft and a knife which is affixed to the shaft and which has two blades, each blade having a cutting edge, wherein the two blades are offset one from another so that one blade extends from the axis of shaft rotation for a distance from the shaft rotation axis for a distance greater than that of the other blade and wherein the shaft and blades and the blade cutting edges are configured and positioned with reference to the extrusion head and wherein each die is positioned so that upon exit of extrudate from each die and upon rotation of the shaft, one blade cutting edge cuts and incises a part of the extrudate substance and the other blade cuts the extrudate substance to obtain a cut piece so that the cutting by the two blades provides a cut piece having an incised part.

The invention relates to apparatus for cutting an extrudate at the exit of dies of a baking/extrusion system with a rotary cutter wherein a shaft supports a plurality of cutting edges.
It is already known to arrange a cutting apparatus at the exit of an extrusion apparatus, in particular in the field of animal food, in order to obtain dry food pieces having the shape given by the extrusion die. Japanese Patent Document 86 280 260, in the name of KK Ooyama Foods Machinery, relates to an apparatus which is for manufacturing pet food and includes, at the exit of the extrusion die, two rotary knives supported by a shaft whose axis is parallel to the axis of the extruder, one of the knives making it possible to make an incision in the product, and the second allowing the product to be cut fully. The drawback of this apparatus is that the axis of the knife is offset with respect to the axis of the extruder, the result of which is that the blades of the knife rotate through air over a large part of their rotation circumference, which may raise problems of safety (fairing) and adjustment of the blades because the centrifugal force is great. Furthermore, this cutting apparatus can only be used with a single product exit die.

Apparatus for cutting extruded food products to provide surface effects


A wireless communication system including at least one IEEE 802 multi-stack wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and a plurality of technologically diversified access networks, such as IEEE 802.X networks and Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) networks, that are concurrently deployed. Both the multi-stack WTRU and the technologically-diversified networks include a media independent handover (MIH) function. The WTRU is configured to read MIH information transmitted from one of the IEEE 802.X networks, trigger 3GPP authentication and authorization procedures based on the MIH information, obtain a local Internet protocol (IP) address, establish a tunnel to a packet data gateway (PDG) in a 3GPP core network, construct a care of address (CoA) and register the CoA with a home agent of the WTRU, whereby data destined for the WTRU is routed via the home agent through a new tunnel established between the home agent and a foreign agent based on the CoA.

Different types of wireless communication systems have been developed to provide different types of services. Some examples of the wireless communication systems include wireless local area network (WLAN), wireless wide area network (WWAN) and cellular networks such as universal mobile telecommunication systems (UMTS). Each of these systems have been developed and tailored to provide specific applications.
With the pervasive adoption of wireless communication networks in enterprise, residential and public domains, continuous connectivity can be supported as the users of such networks move from one network to the other. With the emerging "always-on" life style, wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs), (i.e., mobile stations (MS)), are required to support multiple heterogeneous networks. Thus, a seamless handover between these networks is desired.

Wireless communication method and system for implementing media independent handover between technologically diversified access networks


A belt drive of an electrical machine has a belt pulley arranged on a driving end of a machine shaft, a coupling connecting the drive pulley with the machine shaft, the coupling having at least one elastic coupling part provided between a driving side and a driven side of the coupling, a mounting part having a bearing pin and mountable on a machine aggregate which is connected with the electrical machine, a drive belt connecting the mounting part with the machine aggregate, and an inner bearing. The belt pulley in order to take up belt pull forces, is mounted through the inner bearing on the bearing pin of the mounting part which is mountable on the machine aggregate through the drive belt.

The present invention relates to a belt drive for an electrical machine, which is for example a three-phase generator for a motor vehicle.
In particular it relates to a belt dive in which a belt pulley is arranged on a drive end of a machine shaft and connected with the latter through a coupling.
Belt drives for electrical machines of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. One of such belt drives for a three-phase generators for a motor vehicle id disclosed for example in the German document DE 30 30 701 A1. In this belt drive the belt pulley together with a drive-side coupling part of a friction coupling is supported on the drive shaft of the generator. The driven coupling part is fixed on the drive shaft. With the above described solution the generator with the belt pulley and the wedge belt must be exactly oriented relative to one another during the mounting. The movements of the generator during the operation lead to increased wear of the wedge belt or the belt pulley and eventually to their destruction.
For obtaining a noise dampening in motor vehicles, it becomes increasingly known to mount the generator on the housing block of the internal combustion engine through an elastic bearing. This for example uncouples the magnetic noise of the three-phase generator in lower three-phase region from the motor block. In this construction it is necessary to prevent inclination of the generator toward the drive side under the action of the pulling of the belt pulley due to the elastic mounting of the generator.


In order to solve the problem that since a loop filter constant suitable for asynchronous state cannot be selected in the conventional phase frequency synchronism circuit, it takes a long time to synchronize the input data and the clock signal from the asynchronous state, the present invention is to propose a phase frequency synchronism circuit including a phase comparator for generating a voltage according to the phase difference of the clock signal to the input signal, a frequency comparator for deciding if the frequency of the clock signal is higher or lower than the transmission rate of the input signal and generating a binary signal, a synchronous identifying unit for deciding if the input signal and the clock signal are synchronized in their phases and frequencies, a first switch that receives the output from the phase comparator and is closed and opened when the synchronous identifying unit decides that they are synchronized and not synchronized, respectively, a second switch that receives the output from the frequency comparator and is opened and closed when the synchronous identifying unit decides that they are synchronized and not synchronized, respectively, a loop filter that receives the outputs from the first and second switches, and a voltage controlled oscillator that oscillates on the basis of the output from the loop filter.

The present invention generally relates to an optical transmission system, and particularly to a phase synchronism circuit for use in optical fiber transmission.
In the optical transmission system, a photodetector photoelectrically converts a received optical signal to an electrical signal. The NRZ coded binary data produced after this converted electrical signal is equalized, amplified and digitized has small jitter when the received optical level is large, but increases the jitter as the received optical level decreases. When no optical signal is detected, noise output is produced which corresponds to infinite jitter. In addition, a pulse width distortion is caused in this data by optical transmission and receiving circuits.
FIG. 1 shows the construction of a related phase frequency synchronism circuit that generates from such data signal a clock signal synchronized with that data. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a phase comparator 10 that generates a pulse voltage of a peak value or pulse width corresponding to the phase difference between the input data and the clock signal. A frequency comparator 20 produces the difference of the frequency of the clock signal to the transmission rate of the input data. When the input data and the clock signal are synchronized to within a predetermined phase difference, no frequency difference is produced. The output from the phase comparator 10 and the output from the frequency comparator 20 are supplied through an overlap unit 80 to a loop filter 40. A VCO (voltage controlled oscillator, hereinafter referred to as VCO) 50 generates the clock signal with the oscillation frequency changed on the basis of the output from the loop filter 40, and feeds it back in order that the input data and the clock signal can be synchronized with each other. The phase frequency synchronism circuit of this construction is described in, for example, "TP10.3:A 8 Gb/s Si Bipolar Phase and Frequency Detector IC for Clock Extraction", 1992 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, p. 162, and JP-A-6-216766.
A storaging apparatus using disks has vibration of about 1% of the data rate because of irregular rotation of disks. As compared with the data signal from the optical receiver, the data signal from the filing apparatus has small jitter and pulse width distortion. FIG. 2 shows the construction of a related phase frequency synchronism circuit that generates from the data signal a clock signal synchronized with that data. Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a first phase comparator 10-1 that generates a pulse voltage of a pulse with corresponding to the phase difference between the input data and the clock signal. A rate (frequency) comparator 600 compares the input data and the clock signal to detect if the clock signal exceeds a specified limit of the mark length of the data, and produces the decision output of if the bit rate (frequency) of the clock is higher or lower than that of the data.
A second phase comparator 10-2 generates a pulse voltage of a pulse width corresponding to the leading or lagging phase difference between the input data and the clock signal. The second phase comparator 10-2 receives the input data, the clock signal and the output from the rate comparator 600 and generates the pulse voltage of the pulse width corresponding to either leading or lagging phase difference between the input data and the clock signal according to the output from the rate comparator 600. A synchronous identifying unit 30 compares the input data and the clock signal to detect if the clock signal exceeds a specified limit of the mark length of the data, thus deciding if the input data and the clock signal are synchronized. A switch 1 is provided between the output of the first phase comparator 10-1 and a first loop filter 40-1 and operated to close or open when the synchronous identifying unit 30 decides that those signals are synchronized or not synchronized, respectively. A switch 2 is placed between the output of the second phase comparator 10-2 and a second loop filter 40-2 and operated to open or close when the synchronous identifying unit 30 decides that those signals are synchronized or not synchronized, respectively. The outputs from the first and second loop filters 40-1, 40-2 are supplied through an adder 90 to the VCO 50. The VCO 50 produces the clock signal with its oscillation frequency changed in accordance with the output from the adder 90, and feeds it back in order that the input data and the clock signal can be synchronized. The phase frequency synchronism circuit of this construction is described in JP-A-9-284269.
In the phase frequency synchronism circuit shown in FIG. 1, the loop filter constant is determined by the characteristic of the loop of the phase comparator 10, loop filter 40 and VCO 50 when the input data and the clock signal are synchronized. A loop of the frequency comparator 20, loop filter 40 and VCO 50 is used when the input data and the clock are not synchronized. Since the loop filter constant for the asynchronous state cannot be selected, there is a problem that it takes a long time to reach the synchronous state from the asynchronous that.
Let us consider that in the phase frequency synchronism circuit shown in FIG. 2, the frequencies of the input data and clock signal become close to each other from the asynchronous state in which the switches 1 and 2 are respectively opened and closed, resulting in the generation of a "synchronous" deciding signal from the synchronous identifying unit 30. The generation of the "synchronous" deciding signal means that the output from the adder 90, or the sum of the output from the first loop filter 40-1 and the output from the second loop filter 40-2 approaches a predetermined value relative to the oscillation frequency of the VCO 50. It is supposed from this situation that there is a voltage level difference between the output from the first phase comparator 10-1 and the output from the first loop filter 40-1. When the switches 1 and 2 are closed and opened, respectively, there is a possibility that the output from the adder 90 suddenly changes due to the voltage level difference between the output of the first phase comparator 10-1 and the output of the first loop filter 40-1, making the phase frequency synchronism circuit unstable. Therefore, although the phase frequency synchronism circuit of FIG. 2 having the two loop filters is able to separately set the frequency pull-in characteristic and phase pull-in characteristic, it may become unstable when switching is made from the frequency pull-in mode to the phase pull-in mode.
In addition, let us consider that the phase frequency synchronism circuit of FIG. 1 receives binary data with large jitter resulting from equalizing, amplifying and digitizing a faint optical signal. Even when the synchronism circuit shown in FIG. 1 achieves that the input data and the clock signal are synchronous in their phases, the input jitter may instantaneously exceed a certain phase difference to cause the frequency comparator 10 to be operative so that the clock jitter increases in an instant. In the phase frequency synchronism circuit of FIG. 2, when the input jitter instantaneously exceeds a predetermined phase difference, the synchronous identifying unit 30 may decide by mistake that the input data and the clock signal are asynchronous by mistake. As a result, switching is made from the phase synchronous mode to the frequency synchronous mode so that the clock jitter increases. If a phase frequency synchronism circuit having a characteristic to increase jitter in the clock signal is used in the optical receiver, the error rate may suddenly increase.
In addition, when the input data is generally NRZ coded and has pulse width distortion, a phase comparator that generates a voltage of a peak value or pulse width corresponding to the phase difference of the clock signal relative to both leading and trailing edges of the input data will randomly generate a pulse voltage of the different peak values or pulse widths. In the phase comparator mode loop structure formed of a phase comparator, filter and VCO, when a pulse voltage of two different peak values or pulse widths is produced randomly, the random component of the phase comparator output within the loop band causes the clock jitter to increase. In the loop structure formed of a frequency comparator, filter and VCO, when the phase comparator randomly generates a pulse voltage of two different peak values or pulse widths, the intervals at which the frequency comparing decision is made are not integral multiples as wide as the input data width, resulting in low precision with which the frequency comparing decision is made. When the frequency synchronizing mode cannot make frequency pull-in operation up to the frequency to which the phase synchronizing mode can make pull-in operation, the phase frequency synchronism circuit may make erroneous synchronization operation.

Phase frequency synchronism circuitry and optical receiver


Methods and apparatus are disclosed for sharing, by a first User Equipment, interception-assistance information relating to an uplink signal transmitted by the first User Equipment. The interception-assistance information may be used to assist a second User Equipment to intercept the uplink signal and measure at least one characteristic of it. Calculation-assistance information may be used to assist in the calculation of a position or time, based on the measured characteristic.

Known cellular positioning systems can be divided into two types:
In a downlink measurement system, the device (UE) makes measurements of the time of arrival of the downlink signals from the base stations (BSs), and the measurements are then processed in the device to find the position of the UE, or the measurements are passed up to a positioning engine in the network to find the position of the UE, Systems in which the device does the calculations are known as Mobile-Station-based (MS-based) systems. Those in which the measurements are forwarded to a positioning engine at a remote server are called MS-assisted systems.
A second kind of system uses uplink measurements by the network. In such uplink systems, a number of base stations (BSs) receive and measure the time of arrival of the uplink signals from the UE, and then these are processed to find the location of the UE.
It is common for a UE to be able to receive the downlink signals of multiple BSs, because the downlink signal can be transmitted with higher power. A disadvantage of downlink-measurement systems is that they require the UE to make the measurements. Uplink-measurement systems avoid the need for the UE to make measurements, but they require that the UE's uplink signal can be received by several BSs or additional measurement units in the network infrastructure. This may not be practical in some environments, because the uplink signal is lower power and may be too weak to be received at distant BSs (that is, at BSs other than the BS that is serving the UE).

Intercepting an uplink signal to assist in timing or positioning calculations


A system for converting fluid flow into electricity. The system has an arm assembly with four floats that rotate around a center float. The floats on the arm assembly are all provided with impellers that turn one half revolution for every one revolution of the arm assembly. This slow rotation maintains the impellers at the optimal angle to convert the flow of the water current into rotational motion of the arm assembly, regardless of the orientation of the arm assembly. The arm assembly is coupled to an electric generator provided on the center float that converts torque generated by the arm assembly into electric power that may either be stored on an on-board battery or transmitted by wire for use elsewhere.

Green energy has become a global phenomenon, with countries funding, and consumers demanding, renewable energy production methods that generate less carbon than fossil fuels, such as oil, coal, and the like, and that emit fewer undesirable byproducts, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc. It is known in the art to provide renewable energy systems that harvest energy from wind and sun. One drawback is that these systems cannot generate energy in the absence of wind and sun. It is known to produce energy from water flow. One drawback of such prior art systems is that they often required a portion of the waterway to be permanently ceded to the system, to the exclusion of other desirable uses of the waterway. It would therefore be desirable to provide a readily removable system for generating energy from a waterway.
When exploring the wilderness it is often desirable to bring a system for generating electricity. As noted above, while portable solar and wind-generated systems are known to produce electricity, they are dependent on the sun shining and/or the wind blowing. It is known to provide propeller-driven portable water-powered electric generators, but for shallower waterways, these systems require multiple smaller generators strung across the waterway. It would be desirable to use a single generator to capture power across a shallow stream or river. While it is known to provide larger propeller-driven portable water-powered electric generators, these systems often require deep water. It would therefore be desirable to provide a portable system for generating energy from a shallow low-flow waterway.
Although portable water-powered electric generators are known, such prior art systems are heavy, costly, fragile, and/or expensive to maintain. It would therefore be desirable to provide a light reasonably priced, sturdy, easily repaired and maintained system for generating energy from a waterway.


A computing device executes a virtual machine that provides a service to a client. The computing device monitors one or more conditions associated with at least one of the virtual machine or the client. The computing device receives a data packet from the client, wherein the data packet is addressed to the virtual machine. The computing device determines, based on the one or more conditions, whether to route the data packet from the client through a virtual appliance before sending the data packet to the virtual machine.

Traditional network appliances are hardware computing devices that are configured to perform a specific task or tasks on data packets that they receive. These network devices may be configured to intercept messages sent between two computing devices, and to operate on those messages before sending them on. Examples of such network appliances include a firewall, a wide area network (WAN) optimizer, and so forth.
A single network may use multiple network appliances. To enable such operation of multiple network appliances, these network appliances are traditionally arranged in a chain, in which a first network appliance is configured to send messages to a second network appliance after operating on the messages, the second network appliance is configured to send the messages to a third network appliance after operating on the messages and so on. To modify such a chain of network appliances, an administrator traditionally manually reconfigures one or more of the network appliances in the chain.

Dynamic routing through virtual appliances


An integrated multicelled thyristor includes a plurality of main thyristor cells and a plurality of edge thyristor cells. The main thyristor cells comprise source cells located in the center or innermost portion of an integrated thyristor and the edge cells are located at the periphery. In order to insure that all thyristor cells turn off uniformly, current exporting means is provided from the source cells to the edge cells to reduce current hole crowding in the peripheral cells. The anodes of all cells are electrically connected and the cathodes of all main cells are electrically connected. However, the cathodes of the edge cells are electrically connected to one or more source cells by the current exporting means. The unit cell of the multicelled device preferably comprises a BRT, but can comprise other well known thyristor structures where turn-off is limited by hole-current crowding.

The development of semiconductor switching technology for high power applications in motor drive circuits, appliance controls and lighting ballasts, for example, began with the bipolar junction transistor. As the technology matured, bipolar devices became capable of handling very large current densities in the range of 200-300 A/cm.sup.2, with blocking voltages of 600 V.
Despite the attractive power ratings achieved by bipolar transistors, there exist several fundamental drawbacks to the suitability of bipolar transistors for all high power applications. First of all, bipolar transistors are current controlled devices. Accordingly, a large control current into the base, typically one fifth to one tenth of the collector current, is required to maintain the device in an operating mode. Even larger base currents, however, are required for high speed forced turn-off. These characteristics make the base drive circuitry complex and expensive. The bipolar transistor is also vulnerable to breakdown if a high current and high voltage are simultaneously applied to the device, as commonly required in inductive power circuit applications, for example. Furthermore, it is difficult to parallel connect these devices since current diversion to a single device occurs at high temperatures, making emitter ballasting schemes necessary.
The power MOSFET was developed to address this base drive problem. In a power MOSFET, a bias voltage for turn-on and turn-off control is applied to a gate electrode. The gate electrode is separated from the device's active area by an intervening insulator, typically silicon dioxide. Because the gate is insulated from the active area, little if any gate current is required in either the on-state or off-state. The gate current is also kept small during switching because the gate forms a capacitor with the device's active area. Thus, only charging and discharging current ("displacement current") is required. The high input impedance of the gate, caused by the insulator, is a primary feature of the power MOSFET. Moreover, because of the minimal current demands on the gate, the gate drive circuitry and devices can be easily implemented on a single chip. As compared to bipolar technology, the simple gate control provides for a large reduction in cost and a significant improvement in reliability.
These benefits are offset, however, by the high on-resistance of the MOSFET's active region, which arises from the absence of minority carrier injection. Indeed, the drift region of the power MOSFET represents a high series resistance during current conduction. As a result, the device's operating forward current density is limited to relatively low values, typically in the range of 10 A/cm.sup.2, for a 600 V device, as compared to 200-300 A/cm.sup.2 for the bipolar transistor.
On the basis of these features of power bipolar transistors and MOSFET devices, it is apparent that hybrid devices embodying a combination of bipolar current conduction with MOS-controlled current flow would provide significant advantages over single technologies such as bipolar or MOSFET alone. Thus, in the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), disclosed in an article by coinventor B. J. Baliga, M. S. Adler, R. P. Love, P. V. Gray and N. Zommer, entitled "The Insulated Gate Transistor: A New Three Terminal MOS Controlled Bipolar Power Device," IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, ED-31, pp. 821-828 (1984), on-state losses were shown to be greatly reduced when compared to power MOSFETs. This was caused by the conductivity modulation of the IGBT's drift region during the on-state.
Although gate-controlled bipolar transistors, such as the IGBT, represent an improvement over using bipolar or MOSFET devices alone, even lower conduction losses can be expected by using a thyristor. This is because thyristors offer a higher degree of conductivity modulation and a lower forward voltage drop when turned on. Consequently, the investigation of thyristors is of great interest so long as adequate methods for providing forced gate turn-off can also be developed. As will be understood by one skilled in the art, a thyristor in its simplest form comprises a four-layer P1-N1-P2-N2 device with three P-N junctions in series: J1, J2, and J3, respectively. The four layers correspond to the anode (P1), the first base region (N1), the second base or P-base region (P2) and the cathode (N2), respectively. In the forward blocking state, the anode is biased positive with respect to the cathode and junctions J1 and J3 are forward biased and J2 is reversed-biased. Most of the forward voltage drop occurs across the central junction J2. In the forward conducting state, all three junctions are forward biased and the voltage drop across the device is very low and approximately equal to the voltage drop across a single forward biased P-N junction.
An inherent limitation to the use of thyristors for high current applications is sustained latch-up, however, arising from the coupled P1-N1-P2 and N1-P2-N2 bipolar transistors which make up the four layers of the thyristor. This is because sustained thyristor latch-up can result in catastrophic device failure if the latched-up current is not otherwise sufficiently controlled by external circuitry or by reversing the anode potential. Sustained latch-up can occur, for example, when the summation of the current gains for the thyristor's regeneratively coupled P1-N1-P2 and wide base P1-N2-P2 transistors exceeds unity. An alternative to providing external circuitry or reversing the anode potential to obtain turn-off, however, is to use a MOS-gate for controlling turn-on and turn-off.
Several methods for obtaining MOS-gate control over thyristor action, including the parasitic latch-up mechanism, exist. For example, in the MOS-controlled thyristor (MCT), turn-off is provided by shorting the emitter-base junction of the N-P-N transistor to thereby produce a reduction in gain. This raises the holding current of the thyristor to above the operating current. Accordingly, an MCT structure has been reported which utilizes an P-channel MOSFET integrated into the P-base region of a thyristor with a N.sup.- drift region. This device is described in an article by V. A. K. Temple, entitled "The MOS Controlled Thyristor," published in IEDM Technology Digest, Abstract 10.7, pp. 282-285, (1984). However, the maximum controllable current density, which is a direct measure of a device's ability to turn-off, is limited by the MOSFET inversion-layer channel resistance and other resistances in the base region. Because of the lower mobility for holes in silicon, MCT's built from N-type high-voltage drift layers exhibit poor current turn-off characteristics.
Other examples of MOS-gated thyristors include the depletion-mode thyristor (DMT), which overcame many of the drawbacks associated with the MCT. In the DMT, a depletion mode MOSFET is placed in series with the base of the P-N-P transistor. Accordingly, once the thyristor is turned-on, current flow can be shut off by application of a negative gate bias. Thin eliminates the base drive by pinching off the base current to the P-N-P transistor and shuts off the device. Both the MCT and DMT exhibit low forward drop and high on-state current densities.
In another device, described in an article entitled "The MOS-Gated Emitter Switched Thyristor, " by coinventor Baliga, published in IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 75-77, February, 1990, turn-on is achieved by forcing the thyristor current to flow through an N-channel MOSFET and floating emitter integrated within the P-base region. This article is hereby incorporated herein by reference. As will be understood by one skilled in the art, the length of the floating N.sup.+ emitter region controls the holding and triggering current for the device. Turn-off of the emitter switched device (EST) is accomplished by reducing the gate voltage on the MOSFET to below the threshold voltage. This cuts off the floating N.sup.+ region from the cathode and shuts-off the device.
Unfortunately, the integration of a MOSFET in the P-base region causes a parasitic thyristor to be formed. If this thyristor turns-on, the EST can no longer be turned off by reducing the MOSFET gate voltage to zero. Turn-on of the parasitic thyristor is initiated by the onset of electron injection from the N.sup.+ emitter of the parasitic thyristor when forward biased, and is dictated by the resistance of the P-base under the N.sup.+ emitter region. Accordingly, the likelihood that parasitic latch-up will occur can be reduced if the P-base resistance is lowered by making the length of the N.sup.+ emitter region small and by using a P.sup.+ diffusion to reduce the sheet resistance of the P-base.
More recently, a base resistance controlled thyristor (BRT) was described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,300, to Baliga, and an article entitled "A New MOS-Gated Power Thyristor Structure with Turn-Off Achieved by Controlling the Base Resistance," by coinventors M. Nandakumar and B. J. Baliga, and M. Shekar, S. Tandon, and A. Reisman, IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 12, No. 5, pp. 227-229, (1991), both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. The principle of operation involves modulation of the lateral P-base resistance of the thyristor using MOS gate control. Operational BRTs with 600-volt forward blocking capability, such as the one shown in FIG. 1 in three dimensions, have been developed. FIG. 1 is a reproduction of FIG. 1 from the aforesaid Nandakumar, et al. article. The BRT can be turned-off by application of a negative bias to a diverting means to thereby reduce the resistance of the P-base by providing a parallel path for current flow to the cathode. The reduction in P-base resistance results in an increase in the device's holding current to above the operational current level and shuts-off the device.
It will be understood by one skilled in the art that for high current applications, multiple discrete thyristors can be connected in parallel and operated with single MOS-gate control. Moreover, in place of using discrete thyristors, multiple thyristor cells can be integrated by replicating unit thyristor cells across a semiconductor substrate. Accordingly, the current carrying capability of an integrated thyristor can be scaled upward in proportion to the number of cells on a semiconductor substrate.
Because it is expected that each of the thyristor cells performs identically regardless of their location on the semiconductor substrate, the maximum controllable current density should be the same for each cell. This value is of considerable importance since it provides the maximum turn-off current density for a cell. However, experimental results by the inventors have confirmed that as the multicelled thyristor is scaled upwards, the maximum controllable current does not scale proportionately as expected. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an integrated multicelled switching device capable of being proportionally scaled to higher currents without a decrease in the maximum controllable current density per unit cell.

Integrated multicelled semiconductor switching device for high current applications

North Carolina State University at Raleigh


A method for measuring the head-disk clearance between a slider and a disk includes measuring a first resistance with a first bias applied to an embedded contact sensor of the slider, measuring a second resistance with a second bias applied to the embedded contact sensor of the slider, and determining the head-disk clearance based at least in part on a difference between the first resistance and the second resistance. A system includes a disk drive, a slider comprising an embedded contact sensor, and circuitry to apply at least two bias voltages to the embedded contact sensor, measure at least two resistances of the embedded contact sensor based on the application of the at least two bias voltages, and to determine the head-disk clearance based at least in part on a difference between the at least two resistances.

As time progresses, there is an ever-increasing demand for data storage. As businesses increasingly turn to paper free environments and computer intensive business practices, there is increased usage of electronic storage. With consumers showing an increased interest in digital photography, digital music and movies, and other digital entertainment, there is increased demand for electronic storage. Moreover, with the advent of cloud-based computing and remote storage, both businesses and consumers are turning to large-scale storage systems that provide remote access to data.
With the increasing demand for electronic storage, there is a corresponding increase in demand for higher density magnetic storage devices, such as hard disk drives. Hard disk drives conventionally include read/write transducers that reside within a slider. The slider flies over a recording medium or disk. Lower clearance between the read/write transducers and the recording media permits higher storage density recording media.
However, if the slider contacts the storage media, such contact can cause damage within storage media or to the slider. Further, the surface of the recording media or the amount of lubricant over the storage media can fluctuate with position along the surface of the storage media. Such fluctuations can lead to changes in the parameters associated with accurate data storage or can poorly influence the slider, leading to damage.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

Systems and methods for clearance monitoring in storage media


An illuminated ruler including a light transmissive bar having opposed ends. An opaque film bearing printed indicia in the form of ruled markings is affixed to the bottom of the light transmissive bar. A light-emitting diode is embedded within the light transmissive bar for illuminating the ruled markings. A battery is carried atop one end of the bar and is connected to the light-emitting diode for energizing and illuminating the light-emitting diode.

Measuring a fish caught at night from a small boat has never been easy. The fish itself is slippery and mobile, often requiring two hands to hold. The boat may also be moving, pitching and rolling with the surf. Under such circumstances, it can be nearly impossible to steady a flashlight or lamp adjacent a ruler to get an accurate measurement of the length of the fish. Deciding whether to keep or release a fish caught under such conditions can be a matter of guesswork. Of course, keeping an undersized fish is something that a fisherman does at his own peril, risking: the loss of his fishing license, the confiscation of his fishing gear, and, perhaps, a large fine.


An introducer is shown and described which includes a number of unique and useful features designed to improve the process of obtaining access to a bodily cavity for the purpose of performing minimally invasive surgical procedures, particularly laparoscopic procedures. These features include, among others, a sharpened cannula distal end, in order to assist entry of the introducer through the tissue barrier into the bodily cavity, a substantially transparent support disk so that visual access to the insertion site is maintained at all times, a septum seal designed to sealingly receive instruments having a cross-sectional dimension of 2.2 mm or less, an improved anchoring device which is simply and manually actuated and is of an advantageous three-slit design, and a simple, side-mounted gas insufflation port, usable at all times during the procedure and adapted for connection to gas tubing fitted with a pinch clamp for easy control of the gas flow.

This invention relates generally to surgical access introducers, and more particularly to access introducers for performing minimally invasive surgical procedures such as endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures.
Trocars or introducers having a cannula for use as a conduit for endoscopic or laparoscopic instruments in the performance of surgical procedures within bodily cavities such as the abdomen are well known in the art. However, the prior art devices heretofore available have a number of deficiencies. First, known devices are adapted to be used with 5 mm, 10 mm, or 12 mm instruments, but none to date have been adapted for instruments as small as 2.2 mm or less in cross-section. Furthermore, most prior art devices typically have complex, semi or fully automatic anchoring devices for retaining the introducer in position within the bodily cavity. These devices may comprise inflatable balloons or mushroom hinges, and typically employ spring biased mechanisms which react to either a manual or automatic triggering stimulus to deploy the anchoring device. Such devices are complex and expensive to manufacture.
An additional problem inherent in prior art introducer devices which employ associated anchoring mechanisms is that the cannula requires a thicker wall structure in order to support the anchoring mechanism and associated forces which are generated through the anchoring process. These thicker wall structures result in the requirement of additional forces on the part of the physician to insert the introducer. Introducer devices are typically inserted into the desired bodily cavity using an entry device, such as a Veress needle or other type of puncturing implement, which has a sharp needle for insertion into the tissue barrier surrounding the bodily cavity. The Veress needle is placed through the lumen of the introducer device so that its needle end extends distally past the distal end of the introducer in order to initiate the insertion procedure. However, since the needle end of the Veress needle is substantially narrower than the cross-sectional area of the introducer, particularly with the thickened cannula walls necessary to support the anchoring device, a substantial insertion force is required to insert the introducer device through the incision created by the Veress needle, and tearing of the tissue surrounding the insertion site often occurs.
Yet another problem encountered in prior art introducer devices concerns the routine implementation of a relatively large support disk, which is designed to slide axially along the exterior surface of the introducer cannula after insertion into the bodily cavity, until it rests against the outside surface of the tissue barrier, at the insertion site, in order to provide support for the introducer and associated surgical instruments during the ensuing surgical procedure and to prevent inadvertent extension of the access cannula into the bodily cavity. Unfortunately, it is often desirable to visually access the insertion site during the surgical procedure, in order to ascertain whether the site is torn or bleeding, or whether there is excessive leakage of fluids from the bodily cavity, and the support disk obscures this visual access.

Small diameter introducer for laparoscopic instruments


A method and structure for automatically producing bridging inferences that join two related input sentences, by applying a lexicon and ontology data structure to a first input sentence to produce first input tagged sentences, applying the lexicon and ontology data structure to a second input sentence to produce second input tagged sentences, matching each first input tagged sentence to first rules, generating first inferred tagged sentences from the first rules, matching the first inferred tagged sentences to second rules, generating second inferred tagged sentences from the second rules, matching the second inferred tagged sentences to third rules, generating third inferred tagged sentences from the third rules, and so on, until a final inferred tagged sentence matches any second input tagged sentence. For each final inferred tagged sentence matching a second input tagged sentence, a bridging inference path is produced as output comprising a first input tagged sentence, a first inferred tagged sentence, a second inferred tagged sentence, a third inferred tagged sentence, and so on, and a final inferred tagged sentence. The first inferred tagged sentence in the briding inference path is the particular first inferred tagged sentence that resulted from application of a first rule to the first input tagged sentence. For the second through the last inferred tagged sentences in the bridging inference path, each inferred tagged sentence in the bridging inference path is the particular inferred tagged sentence that resulted from application of a rule to the previous inferred tagged sentence in the bridging inference path.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to natural language processing, commonsense reasoning, and knowledge representation. In particular, the invention relates to the representation of commonsense knowledge and processing mechanisms for the generation of bridging and predictive inferences from natural language text.
2. Description of the Related Art
People are most comfortable communicating in a natural language such as English, yet natural language is notoriously ambiguous and thus difficult for computers to understand. FAUSTUS (Norvig, 1987) is computer program implementing a unified approach to natural language inference. The program uses marker passing to perform six general types of inferences. The algorithm consists of translating input text into a semantic network representation (nodes and links), performing marker passing starting from the nodes of the input network, when a marker collision occurs, suggesting inferences based on the paths taken by the markers, and evaluating the suggested inferences. (e.g., see, Norvig, Peter (1987). Unified theory of inference for text understanding (Report No. UCB/CSD 87/339). Berkeley, Calif.: University of California, Computer Science Division).
Extended WordNet (XWN) (Harabagiu & Moldovan, 1998) is a commonsense knowledge base being constructed by parsing the English glosses (definitions) provided with WordNet, an online lexical database, into directed acyclic graphs. A sample graph is: refrigerator—GLOSSY→appliance←LOCATION—store—OBJECT→food which was parsed out of the gloss for refrigerator: "an appliance where food is stored." (e.g. see, Harabagiu, Sanda M., & Moldovan, Dan I. (1998). Knowledge processing on an extended WordNet. In Fellbaum, Christiane (Ed.), WordNet: An electronic lexical database (pp. 379–405). Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. http://www.seas.smu.edu/˜sanda/papers/wnb1.ps.gz).
The Open Mind Common Sense project (Singh, 2002) is building a database of English sentences that describe commonsense knowledge. The sentences are entered by contributors via the Internet. A sample of such sentence contributions is: "One type of book is a calendar book."; "One of the things you do when you plan a vacation is get out the map."; "The ice age was long ago."; "A writer writes for a living."; "Something that might happen as a consequence of having a heart attack is vice Presidency."; "A machinist can machine parts."; and "Walking is for relaxation." (e.g., see, Singh, Push (2002). The public acquisition of commonsense knowledge. In Proceedings of the AAAI Spring Symposium on Acquiring (and Using) Linguistic (and World) Knowledge for Information Access. Palo Alto, Calif.: American Association for Artificial Intelligence.)
In FAUSTUS, knowledge is represented in a verbose semantic network whose nodes represent concepts. Knowledge is open-ended and coded in an expressive representation language that "encourages a proliferation of concepts" (Norvig, 1987, p. 73). Thus, the problems with FAUSTUS are that knowledge entry is time consuming and that knowledge entry must be performed by knowledge representation experts.
XWN is a knowledge base designed around WordNet glosses. It is a knowledge base of ways of expanding or rewriting concepts. As a result, XWN has significant limitations in what it can represent. XWN does not support representations of plans (Harabagiu & Moldovan, 1998, p. 399), which are essential for natural language understanding and XWN does not support representation of causal rules, which are also essential for natural language understanding. For example, it is difficult to represent as an XWN graph the fact that pouring water on a fire causes the fire to go out. An attempt might be:                pour—OBJECT→water—DESTINATION→fire—CAUSED→fire—ATTRIBUTED→extinguished
However, this fails to capture the fact that both fires are the same. (Furthermore, CAUSE and DESTINATION are not relations derived from the WordNet glosses.) The fire nodes cannot be merged, because the graph would then assert that pouring water on an extinguished fire causes the extinguished fire.
Since Open Mind Common Sense is a collection of English sentences describing commonsense knowledge, the database is potentially relevant to many natural language understanding tasks. The first problem with Open Mind Common Sense is that the sentences are ambiguous as to part of speech and word sense. For example with the sentence "People can pay bills." it is not specified whether bills is a noun or a verb, and bills is ambiguous as to whether it refers to statutes, invoices, banknotes, beaks, sending an invoice, and so on. The second problem is that the Open Mind Common Sense sentences are ambiguous as to coreference. For example with the sentence "A garbage truck picks up garbage and hauls it to the dump." it is ambiguous as to whether it refers to garbage truck or garbage. The third problem is that the same type of rule can be expressed in many ways in English, so generation of inferences using English sentences is a difficult problem.

Inferencing using disambiguated natural language rules

International Business Machines Corporation


An apparatus comprising a plurality of ports, and a processor coupled to the ports and configured to receive a plurality of video frames from any of the ports, wherein the video frames comprise an object and a background, and wherein the video frames comprise a plurality of color pixels for the object and the background, receive a plurality of depth frames from any of the ports, wherein the depth frames comprise the object and the background, and wherein the depth frames comprise an indication of an object depth relative to a background depth, and encode the video frames using the indication of the object depth relative to the background depth.

Typically, video involves displaying a sequence of still images or frames in relatively quick succession, thereby causing a viewer to perceive motion. Each frame may comprise a plurality of pixels, each of which may represent a single reference point in the frame. The amount of data needed to depict even a short video segment may be substantial, resulting in difficulties when the data is communicated across a network with limited bandwidth capacity. Video may therefore be compressed via video compression hardware or software on a device that is the source of the video. The compression may be part of an encoding process prior to the video stream being communicated across the network, which decreases the quantity of data needed to communicate the video. Encoding may refer to a process of converting source data into symbols. Video may then be decompressed via video decompression hardware or software on a device that is the receiver of the video as part of a decoding process. Decoding may refer to a process of converting symbols back into source data. Improved compression and decompression techniques may increase compression ratios and thus reduce the amount of data necessary to communicate video without substantially reducing video quality. In addition, improved compression and decompression techniques may improve video quality.

Using depth information to assist motion compensation-based video coding


A resin composition is provided which composition comprises 100 parts by weight of (A) polyarylene sulfide, and 0.01 to 5.0 parts by weight of (B) a product compound of an element selected from the group consisting of group IIA and group IIB of the periodic table, wherein said product compound has such alkalinity that a mixture of said product compound with a 20-fold weight of ultrapure water of grade A4 specified in the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) K0557 has a pH of from 10.0 to 12.0. The composition is particularly suited to be used for an optical instrument part such as an object lens driving unit and the like.

The invention relates to a polyarylene sulfide resin composition and an optical instrument part therefrom.
Recently, a thermoplastic resin having a high resistance to heat and chemicals is desired for a material for electric or electronic parts, automobile parts or chemical apparatus parts. Polyarylene sulfide (hereinafter, abbreviated as PAS), e.g., polyphenylene sulfide (hereinafter, abbreviated as PPS), attracts attention in recent years, to meet this requirement. However, PAS has a drawback that it tends to evolve corrosive gas such as HCl, SO2, H2S, at a high temperature, particularly in a molten state in an oxygen atmosphere, so that it causes to rust a mold and insert part adjoining to PAS. Another drawback is that a lot of gum adheres to an injection mold.
To solve the drawback regarding the corrosive gas, many methods have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application (JPA) Laid-Open S59-209644 and JPA Laid-Open S60-1241 disclose a method where an inorganic gas scavenger is added to PAS. JPA Laid-Open S60-115658 discloses a method where a corrosive acidic gas evolving from PAS is neutralized by adding a low molecular weight polyamine compound to PAS.
However, the corrosive acidic gas cannot be removed sufficiently by these methods and, accordingly, the formation of rusts caused by the corrosive gas evolving from PAS cannot be prevented for a long time. Further, short-term quick corrosion as well as long-term corrosion of metal adjoining to PAS cannot be solved.
To solve the problem, JPA Laid-Open H6-322271 discloses a PAS resin composition characterized in that it comprises 100 parts by weight of PAS, 0.5 to 10 parts by weight of at least one inorganic filler selected from the group consisting of hydrotalcite compounds and Mg/Al oxides solid solutions, and 0.05 to 3 parts by weight of di(cyclohexyl)ammonium nitrite. However, the composition is still insufficient to reduce corrosive gas and prevent the generation of gum.
JPA Laid-Open S62-167355 describes a method where sodium aluminate is added to PAS to thereby reduce the corrosive gas. However, the generation of the gum cannot be prevented sufficiently by the method.
It is known to use PAS for optical parts such as an object lens driving unit. In JPA Laid-Open H10-143891, a composition of PPS and 20 to 60% of PTFE is used to improve hysteresis and to enhance dimensional precision of a bearing for an object lens driving unit. JPA Laid-Open S62-223822 describes a monolithic PPS lens-holding plate and a monolithic PPS bearing part for a lens holder of an object lens driving unit. The aforesaid plate and part molded from PPS do not have a satisfactory dimensional precision and discoloration caused by gas yellowing is not prevented sufficiently.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a polyarylene sulfide resin composition which evolves a significantly reduced amount of the corrosive gas at a high temperature, particularly in a molten state in an oxygen atmosphere whereby discoloration due to gas yellowing is little, and further, the amount of gum evolved from the composition is also small, and still further the dimensional precision is extremely good, that is a dimensional reproducibility in a repetitive molding is excellent. Thus, the present composition is particularly suited to be used for an optical instrument part such as an object lens driving unit.
The present invention is (1) a resin composition comprising 100 parts by weight of (A)polyarylene sulfide, and 0.01 to 5.0 parts by weight of (B) a product compound of an element selected from the group consisting of group IIA and group IIB of the periodic table, wherein said product compound has such alkalinity that a mixture of said product compound with a 20-fold weight of ultrapure water of grade A4 specified in the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) K0557 has a pH of from 10.0 to 12.0.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are as follows.
(2) The composition described in (1) above, wherein the product compound (B) has a BET specific surface area of 10 m2/g or larger.
(3) The composition described in (1) above, wherein the product compound (B) has a BET specific surface area of 14 m2/g or larger.
(4) The composition described in (1) above, wherein the product compound (B) has a BET specific surface area of 20 m2/g or larger.
(5) The composition described in any one of from (1) to (4) above, wherein the product compound (B) is contained in an amount of from 0.05 to 4.0 parts by weight.
(6) The composition described in anyone of from (1) to (5) above, wherein the product compound (B) has the pH of from 10.5 to 11.5.
(7) The composition described in any one of from (1) to (6) above, wherein the product compound (B) is a magnesium compound or a zinc compound.
(8) The composition described in (7) above , wherein the magnesium compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, magnesium hydroxide and magnesium silicate.
(9) The composition described in (7) above wherein the zinc compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of basic zinc acetate, zinc phosphate, zinc acetate, and basic zinc chloride.
(10) The composition described in any one of from (1) to (9) above, wherein (C) an inorganic filler is further comprised in an amount of from 0 to 250 parts by weight.
(11) The composition described in any one of from (1) to (9) above, wherein (C)an inorganic filler is further comprised in an amount of from 0 to 200 parts by weight.
(12) A part of an optical instrument, made of the resin composition described in any one of from (1) to (11) above.
(13) A part of an object lens driving unit, made of the resin composition described in any one of from (1) to (11) above.
(14) The part of an object lens driving unit described in (13) above, wherein the part is a lens holder, a holding vessel, or a housing body.

Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Incorporated


A computer system identifies a request to place a workload in a hypervisor-based host. The computer system identifies a security level of the workload. The computer system identifies a security level of a storage device associated with the hypervisor-based host. If the security level of the workload corresponds to the security level of the storage device, the computer system grants the request to place the workload in the hypervisor-based host. If the security level of the workload does not correspond to the security level of the storage device, the computer system denies the request to place the workload in the hypervisor-based host.

Dynamic server and datacenter technology, such as infrastructure virtualization, helps businesses to reduce operating expenses, improve uptime and connectivity, and scale resources rapidly. Many organizations use virtualization techniques to create an internal, private cloud that spreads among computing, storage, and networking resources within an IT infrastructure. Other organizations may use a public Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud that may accommodate multiple cloud tenants, such as competitors that subscribe to the same public IaaS cloud. Data within private or public clouds might be sensitive and organizations might wish to isolate workloads and storage devices from unauthorized parties.

Methods and systems for secure storage segmentation based on security context in a virtual environment


Systems and methods for controlling liquid flow to the liquid supply of a beverage forming apparatus. The liquid supply may include two valves positioned in series for controlling a flow of a liquid into the liquid supply. Pressures upstream, between and/or downstream of the valves may be detected and used to determine if one or both of the valves leak when closed.

Beverage forming systems that use a liquid, such as water, to form a beverage are well known. Systems that use a valve to control a liquid supply are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,442 discloses a beverage brewing apparatus with a valve to control the supply of water to a heating tank.

Multi-valve liquid flow control for liquid supply


The present invention describes an adjustable connection assembly. The adjustable connection assembly has a first connector, a second connector and a signals cable. The first connector has a first isolation main body and a plurality of first terminals, and the first terminals are positioned at the first isolation main body. The second connector has a second isolation main body and a plurality of second terminals, and the second terminals are positioned at the second isolation main body. The signal cable is positioned between the first connector and the second connector. Besides, the signal cable includes a plurality of conductive wires, and both ends of the conductive wires are electrically connected with the first connector and the second connector, respectively. The signal cable is helical-shaped, flexible and retractable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable connection assembly, and in particular to an adjustable connector with good adaptability.
2. Description of Related Art
When conventional signal cables are electrically connected to electronic devices, a plug positioned at one end of the conventional signal cable is plugged into a corresponding connector. Thus, the electronic devices are electrically connected to the cable signals because the plug and the corresponding connector are electrically connected. However, if the type of the plug of the conventional signal cable is different from that of the electronic device, then there is a need for a converter. The conventional converter cannot be adjustable (change in length or angle), so it is rather difficult to connect corresponding plugs and connectors. It is inconvenient and lacks adaptability.


A ventilator (10) that pressurizes gas from a body of gas to provide a flow of gas to an airway of a subject (14) such that the gas flow mechanically facilitates the respiration of the subject (14). In order to enhance the comfort of the subject (14) during ventilation by the ventilator (10), the ventilator (10) enables the subject (14) to make unsupervised adjustments to one or more of the properties of the gas flow, within predetermined limits.

The present invention relates to ventilators, and, more specifically, to a ventilator that enables a patient to control, within predetermined limits, one or more properties of the gas flow provided to the patient by a ventilator.
Ventilators that provide a flow of gas to an airway of a subject are known. Generally, a ventilator generates the gas flow with one or more properties that mechanically facilitate the respiration of the subject. Under some circumstances, ventilation may be uncomfortable for the subject. In order to enhance the comfort of the subject while ventilation is taking place, one or more properties of the flow of gas must be fine-tuned by a caregiver, with feedback from the subject. Typically, subjects are not given control over the properties of the gas flow generated by the ventilator because improper adjustment of the properties of the gas flow presents various risks to the health and/or safety of the subject.

Patient control of ventilation properties


A fence rail and post construction is described wherein a metal tubular fence rail has one end thereof extending through an opening formed in one side of the post. A rail retainer is selectively removably secured to the fence rail outwardly of the post with the retainer engaging the post to limit longitudinal movement of the fence rail with respect to the post.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fence rail and post assembly and more particularly to an assembly wherein the fence rails and posts are comprised of a tubular metal material. More particularly, the invention relates to a means of connecting the fence rails to the post or posts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of fences have been used to enclose land, mark boundaries, keep in animals, ensure privacy, or add a decorative touch to homes. In farm areas, fences protect valuable crops from destruction by roaming animals. Perhaps the earliest type of fences which were utilized were stone fences created by simply piling stones one on top of another. Wire is also used in many ways to make fences. For example, types of wire fences which have been used are barbed wire, wire mesh and electrified fences. Brush or deadwood formed the earliest type of fences which were simply brush and tree limbs cleared from the land and piled up to make an obstacle. Perhaps one of the most popular fences presently in use is the post and rail fence assembly wherein posts are placed at intervals and which support horizontal rails. A recent trend has been to utilize PVC posts and rails. The same, although decorative, sometimes lack the strength to resist forces imposed thereon by animals or the like. In an effort to provide stronger post and rail fences, metal tubular rails have been welded to metal posts. Such construction, although extremely strong, is quite costly and is labor-intensive. Further, once the rails have been welded to the posts, it is difficult to replace or repair the fences.
A fence rail and post assembly is described and includes a hollow tubular metal post having its lower end positioned in the ground and which has first, second, third, and fourth side walls. Depending upon the fence layout and the position of the post in that layout, at least one side thereof will have at least one, and normally two or three, openings formed therein which are adapted to receive one end of a metal tubular fence rail. A rail retainer is selectively removably secured to the fence rail outwardly of the post and which is maintained in position by a screw extending therethrough into the fence rail. The rail retainer has a shoulder provided thereon which engages the exterior surface of the post adjacent the opening and has a hook at its inner end which engages the interior surface of the side wall in which the opening is formed. The rail retainer permits longitudinal movement of the fence rail with respect to the post. The rail retainers may be positioned on top of the rails for convenience of installation, or positioned on the bottom of the rails for aesthetic purposes.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved fence rail and post assembly.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved metal fence rail and post assembly.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a fence rail and post assembly wherein the end of the fence rail is maintained in the post by means of a rail retainer which limits longitudinal movement of the fence rail with respect to the post.
A further object of the invention is to provide a metal fence rail and post assembly which is extremely strong and which is easily assembled.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.


A rotor assembly may include first rotor half, a first spring supported with the first rotor half, a second rotor half, and a second spring supported within the second rotor half, wherein the first rotor half and the second rotor half are adjoined to enclose the first and second springs. A coiled section of each spring may surround a rotor center pin. A contact arm positioned between the springs may include a non-circular opening. A method for assembling such a rotor assembly is further described.

The present disclosure relates generally to a contact assembly, and particularly to a rotor assembly for a contact assembly.
Contact pairs are commonly arranged upon one movable rotary contact arm. When an overcurrent condition exists, electromagnetic forces cause the rotary contact arm to separate from fixed contacts against the closing force of one or more contact springs.
The rotary contact arm is typically connected to the contact springs via pivotal links. During quiescent operation, the contact springs provide a force to the rotary contact arm via the links in a direction as to drive the rotary contact arm into the fixed contacts. Upon short circuit condition, for example, current levels at or above the "withstand level" of the interrupter, the electromagnetic forces generated between the fixed contacts and the rotary contact arm causes the rotary contact arm to rotate away from the fixed contacts. If the overcurrent level reaches or exceeds the "let-through level", the spring force passes a point commonly referred to as the "overcenter" position and the rotational direction of the contact spring force changes, i.e., the contact springs provide a force to the rotary contact arm via the links in a direction as to drive the rotary contact arm apart from the fixed contacts.
The rotary assemblies of prior systems use compression springs to provide the spring force. Compression springs are coiled helical springs that resist a compressive force applied axially. Such rotary assemblies are designed such that assembly time is high, and does not meet top-down assembly criteria. Furthermore, these systems require complex assembly jigs and fixtures.

Split rotor system and method with springs


A propulsion system and a method of operating the propulsion system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes powering an auxiliary fan with a gas turbine engine, the auxiliary fan along an auxiliary axis and the gas turbine engine along an engine axis, the auxiliary axis parallel to the engine axis.

The present disclosure relates to gas turbine engines, and more particularly to a three-spool variable cycle gas turbine engine with an auxiliary fan.
Low observable aircraft tend toward tail-less flying-wing designs which provide an effective balance of aero-performance, payload integration and survivability. Such aircraft also typically embed the engines within the vehicle planform. Since the planform is relatively thin, especially in a "cranked kite" type vehicle toward the wing tips, the volume available to embed the engines may be less than adequate. This may result in bulges or other structures to bury the engines but may otherwise reduce optimal shaping.