A system for determining an object position on a site with large machinery, particularly a mine site, a construction site, or an agricultural area, based on radio frequency time-of-flight ranging. The system is configured to determine a current position of a reference point indicative of a position of a machine on the site, to access an arrangement dataset indicative of a positional relationship between the reference point and a mounting location on the machine of at least one anchor of a point-to-point radio ranging unit, and to determine a position of the at least one anchor based on the current position of the reference point and the arrangement dataset, wherein the position of the at least one anchor is provided to a position determining unit configured for determining position information of tags based on ranging data of the point-to-point radio ranging unit.

By way of example, mine sites, e.g. a surface mine, and construction sites are generally operated by means of a large number of machinery, vehicles, and staff. Some of the machines or vehicles may be exceedingly large and heavy, wherein control of such oversized objects is difficult and dangerous, e.g. because of limited operator visibility. Thus, a person or a regular vehicle, e.g. a street legal vehicle, working in the vicinity is at risk from a movement of this oversized object.
It has been proposed to use GNSS-devices (GNSS=global navigation satellite system, such as GPS, DGPS or RTK GPS) on board of vehicles and other objects, such as cranes, to generate proximity warnings in order to reduce the risk of collisions between vehicles and/or persons. Such a system may be based on devices mounted to the objects, each device comprising a GNSS receiver, a control unit for deriving positional data using the signal of the GNSS receiver, a radio circuit for wireless exchange of the positional data with the other devices, and an output device for outputting proximity warnings, e.g. allowing the driver of a vehicle to obtain information on some of the obstacles or persons nearby. However, a GNSS system may lose accuracy, e.g. when multi-path situations occur. For example, a multi-path situation occurs when signals transmitted from GNSS satellites are reflected by local terrain, buildings, or machinery, thereby resulting in a plurality of signals being received by the GNSS receiver. Due to the plurality of signals being received, each of which may be phase shifted and/or time delayed, the GNSS receiver may not be able to accurately detect its location. Thus, if the GNSS system loses accuracy, such as due to entering a multi-path environment, the overall warning system may be severely hindered in its accuracy.
Similarly, generic tracking radars used on such sites are typically limited in range due to multiple reflections on site, wherein it may often be necessary to warn pedestrians and drivers beyond the radar range.
The deficiencies of a GNSS or radar based warning system may be overcome by using a radio based positioning system, i.e. a pseudolite type of positioning system using radio signals.
An assembly of radio frequency (RF) devices, often called "anchors" and "tags", may be distributed over several locations, which devices communicate with each other. Some of the devices may be installed on movable objects while others may be installed at fixed locations. In particular, a device may be mounted to any object that needs to be protected, e.g. a survey instrument or a person, i.e. affixed to the person in such a manner that the person will carry it without requiring the use of his/her hands. For example, the device may be affixed to a piece of clothing or equipment, such as a helmet, that the person is wearing.
For example, a radio frequency device, i.e. an anchor or tag, may comprise a radio transceiver for RF time-of-flight measurements (e.g. by two-way ranging or by time-difference-of-arrival), based on a defined measurement protocol for radio communication, e.g. the ALOHA protocol. In particular, ultra-wideband signals may be used to mitigate for multi-path effects.
However, point-to-point radio frequency ranging between, e.g., one anchor and a tag solely provides the distance but no direction to the tag. At least three anchors are required to unambiguously provide the tag position relative to the three-anchor arrangement.
Alternatively, the point-to-point radio ranging system may comprise a set of anchors which are adapted and specifically foreseen as fixed stations to be used within a multilateration measurement protocol.
For providing an accurate and reliable positioning system, e.g. for proximity warning, a multitude of anchors is required. However, many anchor-tag configurations nevertheless remain, wherein accurate triangulation may be hindered, e.g. because of the large and bulky structure of the oversized objects, and thus wherein the overall warning system may be severely hindered in its accuracy.
Furthermore, at least one reference anchor with known position is required in order that the radio ranging positioning system can provide absolute positioning information with respect to a local coordinate system of the site or with respect to a global coordinate system. Therefore, a set of anchors with fixed and known position are typically distributed over the site as reference stations. However, as the site is constantly evolving frequent repositioning of reference stations is required, particularly in order to prevent blind spots where neither a tag nor anchor required for determining the position of the tag can see a reference station.

System with global positioning and RF time-of-light ranging for supervising the safety on a site


The disclosure relates to methods for decreasing feed conversion ratios in fowl through administering isolated microorganisms to the fowl. In particular aspects, the disclosure provides methods of decreasing feed conversion ratios in fowl through administration of a Bacillus sp. to the fowl. The disclosure further relates to isolated microorganisms and compositions comprising the same.

The global population is predicted to increase to over 9 billion people by the year 2050 with a concurrent reduction in the quantity of land, water, and other natural resources available per capita. Projections indicate that the average domestic income will also increase, with the projected rise in the GDP of China and India. The desire for a diet richer in animal-source proteins rises in tandem with increasing income, thus the global livestock sector will be charged with the challenge of producing more animal products using fewer resources. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predict that 70% more food will have to be produced, yet the area of arable land available will decrease. It is clear that the food output per unit of resource input will have to increase considerably in order to support the rise in population.
Over recent decades the farm industry has seen fast growth in the meat sector, which has been underpinned by rising demand for poultry meat, which has consistently increased at about three times the rate of population growth over each of the past five decades.
Poultry meat, eggs, and components thereof are predominantly utilized in the preparation of foodstuffs in many different forms. There have been many strategies to improve poultry and egg production through nutritional modulations, hormone treatments, changes in animal management, and selective breeding; however, the need for more efficient production of edible poultry foodstuffs per animal is required.
Identifying compositions and methods for sustainably increasing poultry and egg production while balancing animal health and wellbeing have become imperative to satisfy the needs of everyday humans in an expanding population. Increasing the worldwide production of poultry by scaling up the total number of fowl on farms would not only be economically infeasible for many parts of the world, but would further result in negative environmental consequences as the poultry sector's growth and trends towards intensification and concentration have already given rise to a number of environmental concerns, led predominantly by the production of far more waste than can be managed by land disposal.
Population densities of poultry in large farms are often accompanied by an increased incidence of microbial pathogens that place the poultry yield at risk, and further place the ultimate consumer of the poultry at risk in instances of zoonotic pathogens such as those of Clostridium and Salmonella. Considering the widespread occurrence of many zoonotic pathogens, it is unlikely that poultry can be completely protected from exposure. Research has focused on investigative means of increasing resistance to colonization in poultry exposed to these pathogens.
Thus, meeting global poultry yield expectations, by simply scaling up current high-input agricultural systems—utilized in most of the developed world—is simply not feasible.
There is therefore an urgent need in the art for improved methods of increasing poultry and egg production, while also mitigating the colonization and spread of microbial pathogens.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compositions and methods of decreasing feed conversion ratios in fowl


Low cost apparatus and methods of detecting arc faults for better discriminating electrical events. The arc fault detection apparatus includes a current sensor, a di/dt input sense circuit, a dv/dt input sense circuit, and a processing unit. The current sensor monitors a power line current, and provides high frequency components of the power line current to the di/dt input sense circuit. The dv/dt input sense circuit monitors a power line voltage. The di/dt and dv/dt input sense circuits generate signals carrying information relating to changes in the power line current and the power line voltage, respectively. The processing unit analyzes these changes in the power line current and the power line voltage to discriminate detected electrical arcing events from nuisance loads with increased accuracy.

The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for detecting arc faults, and more specifically to low cost arc fault detection apparatus and methods.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/225,585 filed Sep. 13, 2005 entitled ARC FAULT DETECTION TECHNIQUE and assigned to the same assignee of the present invention (the '585 application) discloses an arc fault detection apparatus that has a reduced susceptibility to nuisance tripping. As disclosed in the '585 application, the arc fault detection apparatus comprises an analog front end including a current sensor, an input sense circuit, and an arcing sense circuit; a power supply; a tripping (firing) circuit; a processing unit; and, an electromechanical interface. The current sensor monitors an AC power line current input, and provides high frequency components of the AC current to the input sense circuit. Next, the input sense circuit filters and rectifies the AC signal at its input, and provides the rectified signal to the arcing sense circuit. The arcing sense circuit then provides a voltage level accumulated over a predetermined sampling period, and one or more digital signals indicative of possible electrical arcing events (i.e., di/dt events) occurring during the sampling period, to the processing unit. Next, the processing unit measures the voltage level, stores information relating to the measured voltages and the digital signals provided thereto, and processes the stored information using one or more algorithms to determine whether the signals resulted from an arc fault or a nuisance load. In the event the signals resulted from an arc fault, the processing unit activates the firing circuit to trip the electromechanical interface, thereby interrupting a power output to the load.
Although the arc fault detection apparatus disclosed in the '585 application can be successfully employed to detect and distinguish between electrical arcing and nuisance loads under a broad range of operating conditions, there is an increasing need for arc fault detection devices suitable for use in low cost applications. For example, such low cost arc fault detection devices might be employed in conjunction with cord sets for lamps or any other suitable household or industrial appliances. As described above, conventional arc fault detection apparatus typically include an analog front end configured to sense a differential input current (di/dt). However, such an analog front end is typically implemented using numerous discrete electrical and electronic components, which can significantly increase the total number of device components, the total cost of the components, and the cost of manufacturing the arc fault detection device. The increased number of discrete components included in the conventional arc fault detection apparatus can also lead to a reduction in the overall reliability of the device.
It would therefore be desirable to have low cost apparatus and methods of detecting arc faults. Such arc fault detection apparatus would include a reduced number of discrete electrical and electronic components. It would also be desirable to have low cost arc fault detection apparatus and methods that can better discriminate electrical arc faults from nuisance loads.


The input image controller reduces the frame rate of a motion image signal as a preprocessing, provides process information indicating the skipped frames and/or skipped fields to the image coder, wherein the image coder codes, by use of the MPEG 2 method, the motion image signal whose frame rate has been reduced, and outputs the data which is in conformity with the MPEG 2 method and includes overhead information on the basis of the process information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image coding device, which is capable of coding motion image signals without affecting the frame rate thereof when output at the decoding side, and also relates to a method for coding motion image signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
When digitizing motion image signals, the resulting data amount often becomes enormous, and thus in the case for storing motion image signals in a recording medium such as an optical disk, or the case for broadcasting and/or communicating these motion image signals, a coding operation is applied to those motion image signals for the purpose of reducing the total data amount thereof.
Many coding methods for motion image signals have been proposed so far, and in the case of the MPEG method (Motion Picture Experts Group) for example, which is standardized in the international level by the ISO/IEC, a hybrid coding method composed by a combination of the DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) coding and the inter-frame differential coding with MC (Motion Compensating Prediction) is employed.
In the inter-frame differential coding with the motion compensating prediction, a motion vector is calculated from a coded image and an image to be coded per blocks of a predetermined size, and the differential signal obtained from the both images and the motion vector are coded.
In the discrete cosine transform coding, the amount of data after coding (or coded amount) can be reduced by transforming an image to be coded or the above-mentioned differential signal from the spatial area to the frequency area, and quantizing the thus generated DCT coefficients in accordance with the step size in quantization in compliance with the transmission rate. This quantization step size is set to either one of preset areas (namely an integer number from 1 to 31 in the case of the MPEG method, for example), wherein if the quantization step size is made large, the total amount of coded data is greatly reduced, although the resultant image quality is deteriorated.
For example, in the digital broadcasting case, if the MPEG method is employed, the amount of coded data is normally compressed from 1/20 to 1/50. However, it is also well known that if the compression rate is to be made still higher, various noises in coding such as "block noise", "mosquito noise" and so on, which are perceptible to the human's ears, are generated, so that the resultant quality of the coded images is drastically deteriorated.
Due to these facts, in the case where higher rate of data compression is to be obtained, yet suppressing generation of the noise in coding at the same time, it has conventionally been completed out by skipping some frames in accordance with the characteristic of input motion image signals, using the motion image coding method as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 9-168155. In this case, if, for example, the H.261 method standardized by the ITU-T is employed for the coding operation, the coded data is decoded just as it is at the decoding side, and as for the image of the skipped frames, image of a frame preceding each of the excluded frames is displayed in a continued mode.
However, since the conventional image coding method is configured as explained above, in the coding system like the MPEG 2 method in which the frame rate of a motion image signal is set to a constant level when output at its decoding time, it cannot be arranged such that the coded data is decoded as it is at the decoding side, and the image of the frames preceding each of the skipped frames is displayed in succession for the image of the skipped frames. Due to this, there has been still a problem that when a coding system such as the MPEG 2 is employed in which it is prescribed such that the frame rate of a motion image signal is set to a constant level when output at its decoding time, a data compression with minimum deterioration of image quality, yet without affecting the frame rate output at the decoding side cannot be realized.
The present invention has been proposed to solve the problem aforementioned, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image coding device, which is capable of carrying out a data compression with minimum deterioration of image quality, yet without affecting the frame rate output at the decoding side by controlling in advance the frame rate of an input image signal and/or image size as a preprocess, coding thereafter the thus controlled motion image signal on the basis of the preprocess using the coding system in which it is prescribed such that the frame rate of a motion image signal is set to a constant level when output at its decoding time, and outputting the thus coded data in conformity with the used coding method. It is also another object of the present invention to provide a method of image coding device.

Image coding device and method of image coding


A vehicle is disclosed compi isingi a floor; a seat presenting an in-use position and a storage position; a runnet extending along a sliding direction, the tunnet being mounted to turn on the floor about an axis of rotation extending transversely to the sliding direction; and a translation-locking device having an active state and inactive state. The vehicle ftrrther comprises a rotation-locking device having an active state and an inactive state; and a control system for automatically placing the translation-locking device in its inactive state during at least a portion of the displacement of the seat between the in-use position and the storage position.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,784 discloses a vehicle including a seat and a floor presenting a housing, the seat being capable of pivoting through 180° relative to the floor between an in-use position in which the seat is ready to receive a user, and a storage position in which the seat is retracted into the housing.

Vehicle including a retractable sliding seat


A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die mounted to a substrate. A plurality of conductive pillars is formed over a semiconductor die. A plurality of conductive protrusions is formed over the conductive pillars. Bumps are formed over the conductive protrusions and conductive pillars. Alternatively, the conductive protrusions are formed over the substrate. A conductive layer is formed over the substrate. The semiconductor die is mounted to the substrate by reflowing the bumps at a temperature that is less than a melting point of the conductive pillars and conductive protrusions to metallurgically and electrically connect the bumps to the conductive layer while maintaining a fixed offset between the semiconductor die and substrate. The fixed offset between the semiconductor die and substrate is determined by a height of the conductive pillars and a height of the conductive protrusions. A mold underfill material is deposited between the semiconductor die and substrate.

Semiconductor devices are commonly found in modern electronic products. Semiconductor devices vary in the number and density of electrical components. Discrete semiconductor devices generally contain one type of electrical component, e.g., light emitting diode (LED), small signal transistor, resistor, capacitor, inductor, and power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). Integrated semiconductor devices typically contain hundreds to millions of electrical components. Examples of integrated semiconductor devices include microcontrollers, microprocessors, charged-coupled devices (CCDs), solar cells, and digital micro-mirror devices (DMDs).
Semiconductor devices perform a wide range of functions such as signal processing, high-speed calculations, transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, controlling electronic devices, transforming sunlight to electricity, and creating visual projections for television displays. Semiconductor devices are found in the fields of entertainment, communications, power conversion, networks, computers, and consumer products. Semiconductor devices are also found in military applications, aviation, automotive, industrial controllers, and office equipment.
Semiconductor devices exploit the electrical properties of semiconductor materials. The atomic structure of semiconductor material allows its electrical conductivity to be manipulated by the application of an electric field or base current or through the process of doping. Doping introduces impurities into the semiconductor material to manipulate and control the conductivity of the semiconductor device.
A semiconductor device contains active and passive electrical structures. Active structures, including bipolar and field effect transistors, control the flow of electrical current. By varying levels of doping and application of an electric field or base current, the transistor either promotes or restricts the flow of electrical current. Passive structures, including resistors, capacitors, and inductors, create a relationship between voltage and current necessary to perform a variety of electrical functions. The passive and active structures are electrically connected to form circuits, which enable the semiconductor device to perform high-speed calculations and other useful functions.
Semiconductor devices are generally manufactured using two complex manufacturing processes, i.e., front-end manufacturing, and back-end manufacturing, each involving potentially hundreds of steps. Front-end manufacturing involves the formation of a plurality of die on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. Each semiconductor die is typically identical and contains circuits formed by electrically connecting active and passive components. Back-end manufacturing involves singulating individual semiconductor die from the finished wafer and packaging the die to provide structural support and environmental isolation. The term "semiconductor die" as used herein refers to both the singular and plural form of the words, and accordingly, can refer to both a single semiconductor device and multiple semiconductor devices.
One goal of semiconductor manufacturing is to produce smaller semiconductor devices. Smaller devices typically consume less power, have higher performance, and can be produced more efficiently. In addition, smaller semiconductor devices have a smaller footprint, which is desirable for smaller end products. A smaller semiconductor die size can be achieved by improvements in the front-end process resulting in semiconductor die with smaller, higher density active and passive components. Back-end processes may result in semiconductor device packages with a smaller footprint by improvements in electrical interconnection and packaging materials.
A conventional flipchip semiconductor package, such as a flexible ball grid array (FBGA), can include a semiconductor die with conductive bumps formed over contact pads on an active surface of the die. The semiconductor die is mounted to a substrate by reflowing the bumps to establish a metallurgical and electrical connection with the substrate. However, unless precise alignment between the bumps and the bond pads is maintained, bridging defects or electrical shorts can occur between the bumps and adjacent conductive traces. In addition, the temperature and pressure during reflow is known to cause the molten bump material to flow laterally and potentially contact adjacent conductive traces, resulting in bridging defects or short circuit conditions. These defects from electrical shorts lower manufacturing yield and increase cost.
Once the semiconductor die has been mounted to the substrate, an underfill material or encapsulant can be deposited between the die and substrate. Another concern with flipchip packages is that a gap between the semiconductor die and substrate may narrow from the reflow temperature and pressure and inhibit the flow of the underfill material. Voids can form in the underfill material between the semiconductor die and substrate. The void defects from an insufficient underfill gap can also lower manufacturing yield and increase cost.
As an illustration of the above defects, FIG. 1a shows a conventional semiconductor die 10 with contact pads 12 formed over active surface 14 of the semiconductor die. An insulating layer 16 is formed over contact pads 12 and active surface 14. A portion of insulating layer 16 is removed to expose contact pads 12. An under bump metallization (UBM) layer 18 is formed over contact pads 12 and insulating layer 16. Conductive pillars 20 are formed over UBM layer 18. Bumps or caps 22 are formed over conductive pillars 20. Semiconductor die 10 is positioned over substrate 24 with bumps 22 aligned to contact pads 26 on the substrate.
In FIG. 1b, semiconductor die 10 is mounted to substrate 24 with bumps 22 metallurgically and electrically connected to contact pads 26 by a reflow or compression. A distance D1 between semiconductor die 10 and substrate 24 represents an underfill gap. During the reflow process, the underfill gap is known to narrow with elevated temperature and pressure causing the molten bump material to flow laterally and potentially contact adjacent conductive traces 28 and create a bridging defect or short circuit condition. Bridging defects are particularly prevalent in fine pitch interconnect applications.
FIGS. 1c and 1d illustrate how misalignment between bumps 22 and contact pads 26 can increase the occurrence of bridging defects. In FIG. 1c, a centerline of bump 22 is offset or misaligned from a centerline of contact pad 26 by a distance D2. As shown in FIG. 1d, bumps 22 may contact an adjacent conductive trace 28 during reflow because of misalignment D2. The bridging defects between bumps 22 and adjacent conductive traces 28 reduce manufacturing yield and increase cost.

Semiconductor device and method of forming conductive protrusion over conductive pillars or bond pads as fixed offset vertical interconnect structure


A disturbance-proof device connected between two vertically spaced beams for absorbing shocks upon a disturbance, includes a flat top plate, a flat bottom plate, and a plurality of flat supporting plate connected in parallel between the flat top plate and the flat bottom plate, each flat supporting plate having a substantially V-shaped profile with its width gradually reducing from the flat top plate toward the flat bottom plate, a flat top flange welded to the flat top plate, and a round rod at its bottom side inserted in between two parallel locating blocks raised from the bottom plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disturbance-proof device for frames, and more particularly to such a disturbance-proof device designed for connection between two vertically spaced beams for absorbing shocks upon a disturbance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is inevitable that a frame will be subjected to disturbances in its serving life. Although there have been many improvements in materials and manufacturing techniques, the disturbance-proof design of a frame still remains impractical without advanced development.
The conventional disturbance resistant design of a frame adopts the concept of its material features to resist disturbances. However, damage to frames still results due to a large deformation of members in frames caused by disturbances.
Frames in certain areas where disturbances tend to occur must be specially designed so that vibration energy induced by disturbances can be absorbed or lessened and that the functions of frames can be ensured. Therefore, the present invention is developed to absorb the disturbance-induced energy and to increase the vibration resistibility of frames.

Fl. 4 No. 23-2, Wen Hua Third Road, Pei Tou


A device is provided for mounting a module carrier on a rotatable steering wheel of a motor vehicle in such a manner that the angular position of the module carrier remains constant during a rotation of the steering wheel, with a first toothed ring connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the module carrier, a lever, which is mounted on the steering wheel via a bearing section in a manner such that it can pivot to and fro between two positions, a first toothed wheel, which is mounted rotatably on a first arm of the lever and meshes with the first toothed ring in a first position of the lever, and elastic means for pressing the first toothed wheel elastically against the first toothed ring so that rotation of the steering wheel in one direction causes a rotation of the module carrier in the opposite direction. For actuating the lever, the lever has a second arm which is connected via the bearing section to the first arm of the lever.

A device of this type is used for mounting a module carrier, in particular a module carrier for an airbag module, on a steering wheel, which can be rotated about a steering axis, of a motor vehicle in such a manner that the angular position of the module carrier remains constant during a rotation of the steering wheel about the steering axis in order, for example in the event of a crash, to always ensure an optimum, reproducible positioning of an inflatable airbag which can be deployed out of the airbag module. The module carrier can also bear a display module, the displays of which can always be readily read because of the constant angular position of the module carrier in space.
A device of this type usually comprises a first toothed ring connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the module carrier, a lever, which is mounted on the steering wheel via a bearing section of the lever in a manner such that it can pivot to and fro between two positions, and a first toothed wheel, which is mounted rotatably at a distance from the bearing section on a first arm of the lever, which arm is connected to the bearing section, and meshes with the first toothed ring in a first position of the lever, with elastic means being provided which are arranged in order to press the first toothed wheel elastically against the first toothed ring. The first toothed wheel interacts here with the steering wheel in such a manner that a rotation of the steering wheel in one direction causes a rotation of the module carrier, which is connected to the first toothed ring, in the opposite direction, and therefore the angular position of the module carrier in a coordinate system fixed on the vehicle remains constant. Owing to the fact that the first toothed wheel is pressed elastically against the first toothed ring by means of the lever, a play in the above pairing of gear wheels, which play is caused by manufacturing tolerances and distortions during operation, is compensated for. A device of this type is known from DE 3435021.

Device for mounting a module carrier on the steering wheel of a motor vehicle


A method for using a bioelectrochemical system for the remediation of contaminated substrates is disclosed. The system is partially submerged into the contaminated substrates and stimulates electron transfer by microbial species in order to degrade contaminating hydrocarbons in the substrate, including vadose zone substrates. A method for the generation of electricity using bioelectrochemical reaction in contaminated substrates is also disclosed.

Soil contamination by petroleum hydrocarbon compounds continues to be a common occurrence, with such contamination occurring both naturally and from, for example, storage tanks. Unfortunately, the cleanup of such contamination is both costly and can be potentially hazardous to those performing the cleanup. Typically, unless the contamination exposes immediate harm to human and ecological health, remediation methods that result in the least land alteration are usually preferred.
In situ bioremediation is often a cost-effective and non-intrusive method for treating petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils and has been utilized for decades. To enhance in situ bioremediation, typical measures include bioaugmentation with certain microbial species and stimulating indigenous microorganisms by injecting amendments that have been depleted in the contaminated matrices. For complete biodegradation of organic contaminants, the availability of terminal electron acceptors (e.g., O2, NO3—, SO42−) is usually important. For example, to enhance aerobic degradation of contaminants, air is usually sparged to replenish O2 that is depleted. Unfortunately, the addition of oxygen releasing compounds or alternative electron acceptors can be energy and cost intensive.
Compared with external electron acceptor supplement, bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs), have recently been studied as alternatives to enhance biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. For example, electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) on the anode of an MFC can catalyze the oxidization of organic electron donors such as hydrocarbon and extracellularly transfer electrons to the anode. Electrons are then transferred through an external circuit to a cathode, where typically O2 is reduced to H2O.
Attention for the application of BES for remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater, and sediment has increased in industry. However, the performance of presently known systems is limited by distances from the electrode and/or low water content in the soil and/or medium to be remediated. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for BESs that can maximize the radius of influence (ROI) from the electrode(s), effectively operate in vadose zone conditions, generate at least enough power in order to make the monitoring of the system self-sufficient, and/or use cost-effective materials for their construction.
The present application provides new technology that will greatly improve groundwater and soil remediation efficiency and reduce costs over a range of different moisture levels and soil compositions, as well as provide effective remediation for a variety of contaminant types.
One aspect of the present application relates to a method for the remediation of a substrate comprising at least one contaminant. The method comprises: contacting a substrate comprising at least one contaminant with a bioelectrochemical system comprising: at least one BES column comprising a central tube having one end open to the an oxygen-containing gaseous environment and a perforated opposite end configured for submersion into substrate; a cathode layer external to said central tube configured for encasing at least a portion of the perforated portion of said central tube; a separator layer external to said cathode layer, wherein said separator layer isolates said cathode layer from substrate; an anode layer external to said separator layer, wherein said separator layer isolates said anode layer from said cathode layer; a containment layer external to said anode layer; and an electrical current interface functionally connecting said anode layer to said cathode layer. The system is then operated to reduce the amount of the at least one contaminant in said substrate.
Another aspect of the present application relates to a method for the generation of electricity via bioelectrochemical reaction. The method comprises contacting a substrate comprising at least one contaminant with a bioelectrochemical system comprising: at least one BES column comprising a central tube having one end open to the an oxygen-containing gaseous environment and a perforated opposite end configured for submersion into substrate; a cathode layer external to said central tube configured for encasing at least a portion of the perforated portion of said central tube; a separator layer external to said cathode layer, wherein said separator layer isolates said cathode layer from substrate; an anode layer external to said separator layer, wherein said separator layer isolates said anode layer from said cathode layer; a containment layer external to said anode layer; and an electrical current interface functionally connecting said anode layer to said cathode layer. The system is then operated to generate electricity.

Bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil


Keyboard keys are outfitted with alignment features whose configuration, placement and geometry on a key serve to allow the key to automatically self-locate when the key returns from a pressed down, accessed, position, to its home, resting, position. In this manner, keyboards can be designed with keys with minimal keycap gaps that reduce the perceptible variance in the keycap spacing to be ascetically pleasing with minimal manufacturing costs.

Inherent in the manufacturing of massed produced keycaps, also referred to herein as keys, for keyboards is individual keycap imperfections; i.e., not every key is created precisely the same as every other key. To attempt to hide these manufacturing imperfections from consumers, typical keyboards have relatively large keycap gaps, e.g., two and a half to three mm (2.5-3 mm), with a not insignificant keycap wall sloping angle. With such large keycap gaps and sloping wall design the typical keycap placement tolerance on a keyboard of plus or minus three-tenths millimeters (+/−0.3 mm) is not necessarily detrimental to the use of the keyboard. However, when these keycaps are positioned on a keyboard the large keycap gaps, sloping wall design and various inherent key imperfections can result in a keyboard that looks cheap and sloppy, e.g., key rows are crooked because the imperfections in the keycaps result in misalignment, the gaps between keys are perceptively different, etc. For example, the current keyboard tolerance of plus or minus three-tenths millimeters (+/−0.3 mm) can account for greater than an eighty percent (80%) variance in keycap gaps on a keyboard which is negatively perceptible to consumers.
Ultimately these issues can translate into buyer and user dissatisfaction with a company's keyboards.
Moreover, as keyboard companies attempt to create more aesthetically pleasing keyboards with cleaner, crisper lines the keycap gaps become tighter, i.e., smaller, which can actually serve to highlight keycap imperfections and result in an even more sloppy keyboard look. Thus, companies have been known to spend time, resources and money to attempt to reduce keycap manufacturing imperfections with a resultant attempted crisper keyboard look.
Thus it is desirable to develop a keyboard and keycap design that enables keys to self-align themselves in their home, resting, position to reduce the perceptible variance in keycap spacing and result in a cleaner, crisper, keyboard look. It is further desirable to create a universal keycap design that can be easily implemented. It is also advantageous to implement a keycap design that will continue to optimize keyboard manufacturing costs.


Methods, compounds, and kits are provided for derivatizing organometallic halide compounds. The methods include reacting an organometallic halide with a reagent to produce an analyte having desired properties. In a preferred form, the analyte has properties that render it more susceptible to chemical analysis in relation to its respective organometallic halide. The compounds include the analyte product of the derivatization reaction. The kits include a reagent and, preferably, some or all of the tools that may be used to perform the derivatization reaction.

Several methods are known for analyzing chemical compounds, including mass spectrometry (MS), gas or liquid chromatography (GC or LC), and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR). Each of these methods requires the user to introduce a chemical compound to the apparatus used to perform the chemical analysis. The following is a brief description of these apparatus and methods, which description is not intended to be comprehensive, or to limit in any way the application of the compounds and methods described herein. A more detailed description of these analytical methods may be obtained from the contemporary scientific literature. Moreover, those skilled in the analytical chemistry arts will be familiar with these methods and the apparatus used to perform these methods.
For example, mass spectrometry involves the analysis of ionized analytes in a gas phase using an ion source, a mass analyzer that measures the mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio of the ionized analytes, and a detector that registers the number of ions at each m/z value. The MS apparatus may also be coupled to a separation apparatus to improve the ability to analyze complex mixtures. Further, MS instrument combinations can be made to enhance sensitivity and selectivity. Regarding ion source, electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) are two commonly used techniques to ionize the chemical compounds for analysis. ESI ionizes the analytes from a solution and, depending on the ionization method, may result in either negatively or positively charged ions. MALDI desorbs and ionizes the sample using a "matrix" that encourages desorption and ionization when exposed to light energy.
There are several types of mass analyzers, including ion trap, time-of-flight (TOF), quadrupole (Qq) magnetic sector, and Fourier transform ion clyclotron (FT-MS) analyzers, each varying in analysis characteristics. These analyzers may be run separately or assembled in tandem to maximize sensitivity and strengths of MS analysis. For example, MALDI is usually coupled to a TOF analyzer, but may also be coupled to quadrupole ion-trap and to combined TOF instruments or FT-MS. For example, in TOF-TOF, two TOF sections are separated by a collision cell. In the hybrid quadrupole TOF apparatus, the collision cell is placed between a quadrupole mass filter and a TOF analyzer. These examples illustrate how "tandem" mass spectrometry apparatus may be assembled from intact MS apparatus or selected components of the instruments. The design of the tandem MS instrument allows versatility and increased sensitivity depending on the goal of the analysis and the chemical composition of the analyte.
Chromatography involves separation of molecules based on differences in their structure and/or composition. In general, chromatography involves moving a sample of the materials to be separated over a stationary support. The molecules in the sample will have different interactions with the stationary support leading to separation of similar molecules. Test molecules which display tighter interactions with the support will tend to move more slowly through the support than those molecules with weaker interactions. In this way, different types of molecules can be separated from each other as they move over the support material.
Chromatographic separations can be carried out using a variety of supports, including immobilized silica on glass plates (thin layer chromatography), volatile gases (gas chromatography), paper (paper chromatography), and liquids which may incorporate hydrophilic, insoluble molecules (liquid chromatography).
A gas chromatograph includes three major components: an analytical column that physically separates the components of the mixture, a detector that senses the individual component after separation, and an injector that introduces the gas sample and carries the sample to the analytical column by carrier gas.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a physical phenomenon involving the interaction of atomic nuclei placed in an external magnetic field with an applied electromagnetic field oscillating at a particular frequency. Magnetic conditions within the material are measured by monitoring the radiation absorbed and emitted by the atomic nuclei. NMR is used as a spectroscopy technique to obtain physical, chemical, and electronic properties of molecules.
In NMR, the sample to be tested is placed in a static external magnetic field. An antenna (usually a coil-shaped inductor with the sample inside) is used to irradiate the sample with radio waves. At certain frequencies, atomic nuclei within the sample will absorb the radiation and enter an excited state. After a time, the nuclei will re-emit the radiation, which can be detected by the antenna. Finally, a measurement is taken of how much radiation is re-emitted, and when. Only nuclei with non-zero magnetic moment can undergo NMR.
Highly reactive materials, such as organometallic halides, present several problems when attempts are made to perform MS, chromatographic, NMR, or other chemical analyses on them. In particular, these materials are highly reactive to many of the tools currently employed in chemical analysis. For example, many organometallic halides will react rapidly with rubber, glass, and other oxides upon injection into a gas chromatograph, or when used in glass capillaries used in electrospray mass spectrometry, resulting in erroneous analysis results when the instrumental data output is examined.
In addition, many of the organometallic halides will readily hydrolyze when they are placed in an aqueous buffer media, which may be used in electrospray MS, thereby leading to flawed measurement results. These materials may also be difficult to ionize, also leading to difficulties when they are being analyzed using electrospray MS.
One class of organometallic halides—organochloro silanes—is used extensively for surface coatings, to add lubricity, and for other purposes. Organochloro silanes are used, for example, to create hydrophobic coatings for analytical instruments, such as protein arrays, DNA arrays, and gas and liquid chromatograph columns. They are also used as protective coatings on windshields, and as lubricants on magnetic media such as disk drives. For many of these applications, it is useful to perform some chemical analysis, such as MS, LC or GC, or NMR, prior to forming the coatings in order to confirm the identity of the organochloro silane being used.
Therefore, there exists a need for methods and compounds that are useful to facilitate the analysis of organometallic halides by mass spectrometry, gas or liquid chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, and other methods that require the use of equipment with which the organometallic halides might react.


An apparatus for treating a mat of mineral fibers moving along a plane and a run direction, by detection and elimination of localized defects, includes a first transport member, a second transport member positioned after the first transport member in the run direction and separated therefrom in the run direction by a treatment zone, a device for detecting localized defects in the mat of mineral fibers, upstream of the treatment zone in the run direction, and in the treatment zone, a device for eliminating defects suitable for eliminating, in-line, a defect detected by the detection device by eliminating the portion of mat containing it.

The present description relates to the manufacture of products made of mineral wool, in particular based on rock wool or glass wool. More particularly, the present document relates to the treatment of localized defects which may in particular be present within fiber mats obtained during or at the end of a process for manufacturing products intended for example for acoustic and/or thermal insulation.
Insulation products based on mineral wool currently marketed typically consist of panels, boards, rolls or products of tubular or other shape obtained from a mat or felt of mineral fibers, such as glass fibers or rock fibers, consolidated by an organic or mineral binder, or by a mechanical technique such as needlepunching. They may also be in the form of loose wool flakes, obtained from a mat or a blanket of mineral fibers collected without provision of binder, then reduced into small-sized fibrous clusters by a technique known as nodulizing.
The process for manufacturing these fiber mats is well known and typically comprises the series of the following steps:                the melting of the mineral material,        the conversion into fibers, by a so-called rotary fiberizing technique using rotational fiberizing members, or by a technique of attenuation by high-velocity gas jets,        optionally the spraying onto the fibers of a liquid intended for binding or sizing of the fibers,        the accumulation of the fibers on a receiving surface in the form of a thicker or thinner layer referred to as a blanket or mat,        thermal, mechanical or thermomechanical treatments or molding of the blanket or mat in order to give it cohesion or on the contrary to reduce it to fragments,        a final preparation of the resulting products.
Thus, for example in the case of rock wool, the manufacturing process typically comprises the series of the following steps:                the melting of the rock generally in a furnace or a cupola furnace at a temperature of the order of 1500° C.,        the fiberizing, i.e. the obtaining of rock fibers by pouring the molten material into an external centrifugation device known for this purpose, equipped with a series of horizontal-axis rotors,        the spraying of a binding compound comprising a generally thermosetting binder in aqueous solution onto the newly formed fibers,        the receiving of the fibers impregnated with the binder in the form of a blanket of bound fibers, on a receiving belt,        optionally a cross-lapping that superimposes several layers of said blanket of fibers,        a firing in a drying oven or a furnace at a temperature and for a duration sufficient to enable the curing and the crosslinking of the binder and the elimination of the residual water,        a cutting of the fiber mats, in the longitudinal direction (in order for example to avoid uneven edges), transverse direction and optionally in the thickness direction (splitting), generally using a saw or a guillotine, so as to obtain blocks that will then be able to be arranged as boards or in a roll,        optionally the packaging of the boards or rolls thus obtained, for example the wrapping thereof by a plastic film, then        the storage of the boards.
The glass wool production process breaks down in a similar manner except that a mixture of glass batch materials is melted in a furnace and an internal centrifugation device is used for the fiberizing, which comprises one or more fiberizing members referred to as a fiberizing spinner or disk, rotating about a vertical axis and comprising a peripheral annular wall pierced with orifices through which the molten material is ejected in the form of filaments which are then attenuated by high-velocity gas jets.
Within the context of the production process as has just been described, certain defects may appear, linked to the variation of certain parameters of the process or to the malfunction of certain devices.
Two categories of localized defects, i.e. defects present only at certain very localized points of the felt, are described below by way of example:
1) defects of the "hot spot" type, which correspond to zones of high rock or glass density. Such defects arise from the fiberizing process. They may result from instabilities or accumulations of unfiberized material. They may also be in the form of solid inclusions such as pieces of glass that have overflowed from the spinner in the case of glass wool, or even metal pieces resulting from the wear of a fiberizing member, or else batch stones, or pieces of coke originating from the cupola furnace in the case of rock wool. They are characterized by very localized clusters inside the fibrous mat. These clusters may either cool rapidly within the felt and thus to give rise to extremely dense and hard zones on which the cutting devices (saw, guillotine) may then break or crack, or cool much more slowly due to the thermal inertia of the hot mass held in an insulating mat, which may in extreme cases result in the whole of the product catching fire, for example in storage areas or when being transported by truck;
2) defects of the "wet spot" type, which appear at locations where, during the fiberizing step, a cluster of higher density of water and/or of resin (binder) forms. During the drying step, the hot air passing through the mat then has a tendency to skirt round this point of higher density, at which a high humidity therefore remains. These wet spots may then generate esthetic defects during use. Insulation of walls via the outside comprising an insulation panel covered with a rendering could thus exhibit undesirable marks of brown color, after implementation, at the wet spots of the panel.
Patent application WO 2007/128942 describes a method for detecting localized defects of the aforementioned type in a mat of mineral fibers bound by a binder, at the outlet of the manufacturing process, in other words at the outlet of the crosslinking drying oven. According to this method, the detection device may be coupled to means for regulating at least one parameter chosen from the group consisting of the composition of the binder, the suction force, the crosslinking temperature of the fibers, the residence time in the crosslinking means. According to one variant, the detection device may also be coupled to means for regulating a member positioned downstream of the analysis device, said member being configured to isolate and/or downgrade the areas of the mat that include the defects or to very precisely mark said areas, for example with a view to a subsequent sorting or cutting.
This method does not however make it possible to discharge the defects and a fortiori sufficiently upstream of the manufacturing process. Consequently, the amount of material to be scrapped in the case of detecting defects remains high.

Apparatus for treating a mineral fiber mat by detecting and removing localised defects, and corresponding method


An architecture for an integrated circuit with in-circuit programming includes a microcontroller on an integrated circuit and one or more banks of non-volatile memory which store instructions, including an in-circuit programming (ICP) set of instructions. Using a control program stored on the device, the device interactively establishes an in-circuit programming exchange with a device external to the integrated circuit and uses data obtained in the exchange to update software for the microcontroller. Portions of the ICP code which are likely to change between different application environments are stored in reprogrammable flash memory cells. Other portions of the ICP code, which are not likely to change between different application environments, are stored in space-efficient mask ROM memory cells. In this way, the ICP system can be flexibly adapted to different application environments, while conserving on silicon area occupied the ICP system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuits having a non-volatile memory for storing sequences of instructions for execution by a microcontroller on the integrated circuit, and more particularly to techniques for accomplishing in-circuit programming to update and modify stored sequences of instructions.
2. Related Art
Integrated circuit microcontrollers have been developed which include arrays of non-volatile memory on the integrated circuit for storing sequences of instructions to be executed by the microcontroller. The sequences of instructions are stored in read-only memory (ROM), which must be programmed during manufacturing of the device, and cannot be updated. In an alternative approach, the instructions are stored in an EPROM array. However, these devices require special hardware to program the EPROM array before the device is placed in the circuit. In yet other systems, EEPROM memory is used for storing instructions. EEPROM has the advantage that it can be programmed much more quickly than EPROM, and can be modified on the fly. In yet another approach, flash memory is used to store instructions, which allows for higher density and higher speed reprogramming of the non-volatile memory. When a device combines a reprogrammable non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM or flash memory with a microcontroller, the device can be reprogrammed while it is in a circuit, allowing in-circuit programming based on interactive algorithms.
The ability to interactively download instruction sets and data to a remote device can be very valuable in a network environment. For example, a company can service a customer's equipment without requiring the customer to bring the equipment to a service center. Rather, the company can execute diagnostic functions using the in-circuit programming capability of the customer's equipment across a communication channel such as the Internet or telephone lines. In this way, software fixes can be downloaded to the customer's equipment, and the equipment can be reenabled with corrected or updated code.
Example prior devices which include this capability include the AT89S8252 microcontroller, manufactured by Atmel of San Jose, Calif., and the P89CE558 single chip microcontroller, manufactured by Philips Semiconductors of Eindhoven, The Netherlands. According to the architecture of the Philips P89CE558 microcontroller, mask ROM is utilized for the in-circuit programming (ICP) set of instructions, which are used by the microcontroller to update flash memory on the chip. Thus, the Philips microcontroller requires a dedicated mask ROM module to store fixed ICP code for each individual environment. In order to adapt the ICP code for a particular environment, the environment must be known before manufacturing of the device is complete so that the mask ROM can be properly coded. Furthermore, the ICP communication channel is fixed to a serial RS232 port in the Philips microcontroller. This limits the use of the microcontroller to a relatively narrow range of applications, and makes it difficult to utilize the ICP function in a dynamic communication environment, where the serial port may not match well with the communication channel across which the updated software is provided.
According to the architecture of the Atmel AT89S8252 microcontroller, a dedicated serial peripheral interface (SPI) port on the chip is used for the updating of flash memory. This SPI port has the disadvantage that it is implemented with inflexible program logic; modification of the in-circuit programming technique cannot be accomplished because of the inflexibility of the SPI port. The Atmel chip has further disadvantages; complicated hardware must be added to the chip for handshaking with the ICP initiator and emulating the erase/program/verify wave forms for the flash memory; the SPI bus is not always the best choice for diverse system applications; extra system logic is required to modify the original reset circuits, which are used by the in-circuit programming algorithms; and complex SPI driver and receiver logic must be attached to the chip.
What is needed is an architecture for in-circuit programming which maintains flexibility in the in-circuit programming process while minimizing the amount of silicon real estate occupied by the flash memory used to implement the in-circuit programming functions.

In-circuit programming architecture with ROM and flash memory


A method and apparatus are disclosed to identify the operations/processes performed by one or more virtual machines. In one example method of operation, the system may perform identifying processes currently operating in an operating system and recording process information corresponding to each of the processes in a memory. The method may also include determining a priority for each of the processes currently operating in the operating system and incrementing a current priority of at least one of the processes.

Currently, traditional enterprise networks may include various nodes that contribute to an overall business process. The network nodes may include both physical and virtual machines. Enterprise networks may include virtual machines and physical hosts, which are required to provide an allocation of resources. Physical hosts do not have information associated with an underlining guest's ability to perform tasks and/or processes associated with their use in a business environment. A greater understanding of the guest's ability to perform their intended task(s) may be derived by monitoring and processing data available through the host's and guest's APIs. By monitoring the data associated with the APIs it is possible to apply processes that will yield an ideal resource allocation for one or more virtual machines.

Dynamic configuration of virtual machines


A swing-away hitch mounted equipment carrier that is movable between collapsed and extended positions has a rectangular insert that is sized and shaped to be received in a trailer hitch receiver affixed to a vehicle. A fixed arm is attached to the insert. A first swing arm is pivotally connected to the fixed arm and a second swing arm is pivotally connected to the first swing arm. A vertical member having an equipment carrier affixed on an upper end is pivotally connected at a lower end to the second swing arm. The vertical member is constrained for rotational movement about its longitudinal axis, the equipment carrier rotating with the vertical member. A first control member is provided for controlling the pivoting movement of the first and second swing arms as the swing-away hitch mounted equipment carrier is moved between the collapsed and extended positions. A second control member is provided for controlling the rotational movement of the vertical member and the equipment carrier as the swing-away hitch mounted equipment carrier is moved between the collapsed and extended positions.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to hitch mounted equipment carriers that are configured to be attached to motor vehicles, and, more particularly, the invention is directed toward a swing-away hitch mounted equipment carrier with a pair of pivotally mounted swing arms, a vertical member rotatably connected to one of the swing arms and an equipment carrier mounted on the vertical member. Control members are provided for controlling the pivoting movement of the swing arms and the rotational movement of the equipment carrier as the hitch mounted equipment carrier is moved from a closed position to an opened position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of hitch mounted equipment carriers that are configured to be mounted to motor vehicles by means of trailer hitch receivers are available in the prior art. Examples of hitch mounted equipment carriers that are attachable to trailer hitch receivers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,664,717; 5,845,832; 5,454,496; 6,123,498; 6,386,410 and 6,644,525.
Typically, pivoting hitch mounted equipment carriers have a rectangular base tube that is received in a trailer hitch receiver which is attached to a passenger vehicle. One end of a fixed arm is attached to the base tube and one end of a swing arm is pivotally connected to a free end of the fixed arm. A vertical upright member is attached to a free end of the swing arm. The vertical upright member is fixed against rotational movement relative to the swing arm. An equipment carrier, for example, a bicycle carrier, is mounted on the top of the vertical upright member. The bicycle carrier, which is configured to carry one or more bicycles, is fixed against rotational movement relative to the vertical upright member. Therefore, there was no way to rotate the bicycles relative to the swing arm. These hitch mounted equipment carriers have a relatively long swing arm in order to provide adequate clearance so that the bicycles mounted thereon do not interfere with the opening of the vehicle's rear door when the hitch mounted equipment carrier is opened. Accordingly, pivoting hitch mounted equipment carriers of this type have been met with varying degrees of success because they are cumbersome to use.
The vertical upright member of the pivoting hitch mounted equipment carriers shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,717 is rotatably mounted to the swing arm and the carrying member is fixed to the vertical upright member. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,498, the vertical upright member is fixed to the swing arm and the carrying member is rotatably mounted to the vertical upright member. In each of these pivoting hitch mounted equipment carriers, the carrying member is free to rotate relative to the swing arm. Accordingly, a user can manually rotate the bicycles through an arc of ninety degrees relative to the back of the vehicle as the user moves the hitch mounted equipment carrier from its closed position to its opened position. Pivoting hitch mounted equipment carriers of this type have been met with varying degrees of success because there is nothing to control the movement of the bicycles through this ninety-degree arc as the hitch mounted equipment carrier is being opened, and the bicycles can swing into the user's vehicle.
Other prior art hitch mountable equipment carriers suffer from the limitation that it is difficult to securely fasten the bicycles to the hitch mounted equipment carrier because of the unwanted movement of the carrying member as the bicycles are placed and secured thereon.
A further disadvantage of prior art hitch mounted equipment carriers is that the center of gravity is not centered at the hitch receiver when the carriers are being installed on vehicles. These carriers have long metal arms that extend to one side, the arms being approximately half the width of the vehicle or greater. Prior art hitch mounted equipment carriers are heavy and weigh about fifty to sixty pounds. It is to be noted that most of this weight is concentrated in the long metal arms. Prior art hitch mounted equipment carriers with a displaced center of gravity and weight of approximately fifty to sixty pounds are cumbersome and difficult to install on vehicles.
A need has arisen for an improved, pivoting hitch mounted equipment carrier that does not suffer from aforementioned limitations and disadvantages.

Swing-away hitch mounted equipment carrier