A transmission device capable of cooperating with a dual-power source and a driving method therefor, the transmission device includes a planetary gear assembly that is driven by the dual-power source; the planetary gear assembly comprises a sun gear, a rotating inner gear ring, and a planetary gear that is engaged between the sun gear and the rotating inner gear ring; the dual-power source comprises an input shaft, the input shaft being connected to the sun gear. The direction of the rotational movement of the planetary gear about the input shaft depends on the linear velocity V1 of pitch circle movement of the rotating inner gear ring and the linear velocity V2 of pitch circle movement of the sun gear.

Transmissions with planetary gears have tooth surface clearance (also called backlash) which cannot be eliminated, especially when the gears frequently change the direction of movement, which results in shocks, noise, wear and other problems caused by the collision between the teeth, thereby reducing the service life of the transmission and causing inaccurate accuracy during the operation of the transmission. In some high-end products with high precision, miniaturization, large torque and frequent change of output direction, such as RV reducer at each motion joint of industrial robot structure, in order to achieve high positioning accuracy and long service life of RV Reducer, it requires very high-end material selection and high manufacturing accuracy, which will inevitably lead to the increase of manufacturing cost. However, no matter how high the machining accuracy can be achieved, it is impossible to completely eliminate the tooth surface clearance when the teeth are engaged with each other (see FIG. 3). For example, when the planetary gear frequently changes the direction of motion, the fixed inner ring gear tooth surface will be frequently impacted by two forces in different directions. Even if the fit clearance between gears is smaller, the tooth surface clearance between teeth is also frequently converted. As the gears wear, the tooth surface clearance between the teeth will accelerate to expand, which will lead to failure of RV Reducer.
In addition, as is known to all, FM motor is widely used in electric-driven vehicle at present, with high efficiency at high speed, about 94%; but low efficiency at low speed, about 70% (see FIG. 4). According to the changes of road conditions, the electric-driven vehicle need to accelerate and decelerate frequently. Every time the electric-driven vehicle run from low speed to high speed, the electric-driven vehicle consume a lot of electric energy in vain. These consumed electric energy in electric-driven vehicle turns into heat and is taken away by cooling water.
There are also frequency conversion motors for electric-driven vehicle, which are in overload operation when the vehicle starts-up or climbs with a load, the peak value of motor power can reach more than one time of the rated power. The above two problems are the key to the failure of electric-driven vehicle to reach the designed mileage.

Transmission device, electric vehicle comprising device, and method for driving device


An articulated conduit joint (8) includes first and second arms (10, 12), defining first and second passages (106), pivotally coupled by a main clutched joint (14) for movement of the arms about a joint pin (78) defining a first axis (20). The main clutched joint includes a generally open central portion (70) located between first and second end portions (72, 74). Clutch plates (82, 84) in the first end portion are alternately keyed to the first end portion and the joint pin. A compression spring (100) within the second end portion biases the joint pin along the first axis and forces the clutch plates against one another. The first and second end portions are integral with the first and second arms so that relative pivotal movement of the arms about the first axis is frictionally resisted by the clutch plates sliding against one another. One or both of the arms may include a hollow arm extension (22) housed within an arm body (16) for movement about a second axis (24) passing along the passage within the arm. Clutch plates (32, 34) are keyed to the arm extension and the arm body in an alternating fashion and are biased against one another to provide frictional resistance to rotation of the arm extension within the arm body.

Articulated conduit support arms are typically used to provide articulated support of various electrically-powered devices such as computer monitors, lamps, and illuminated magnifying lenses. Articulated conduit support arms are designed to be able to be moved and repositioned while supporting the weight of the device. The articulated conduit support arms also provide for the protection and concealment of electric cables and power lines connected to the device being supported.
Articulated support arms presently in use often require that a screw handle or wing nut be used to loosen and tighten joints for repositioning the device being supported. This is especially true when the device is relatively heavy, such as a flat-screened computer monitor. Some articulated support arms use pre-loaded clutches at the joints; these, however, are not aesthetically pleasing as they expose the clutch plates, springs, washers, and nuts, that constitute the clutch assembly, to view. Another problem with some conventional clutched joints is that they create the need to route power cords or cables around the open clutch assembly. This creates additional possibilities for damage to the cable or cord and further detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the assembly.
Ball-type joints are capable of a limited degree of universal movement when a cable or line is concealed within the joint. However, this type of joint usually requires a wing nut or hand screw type of tightener. Since the ball joint relies on its surface area for friction, the weight of many of the loads to be supported by a ball-type joint would require a large ball. Besides disturbing the aesthetic aspect, such large ball joints allow no provision for fine tuning of the amount of friction needed without external wing nuts or hand screws. Therefore, the most practical use of a ball joint is not when it is used as an offset joint but when a segment of a large spherical surface sits directly under the load, which is a common way many CRT computer monitors are presently supported.


An electronic information name of electronic information prepared by attaching a version number of the electronic information with a unique appellation of the electronic information is distributed to users of electronic information. Based on this electronic information name, accesses to the electronic information are conducted. There is further provided a table for holding the version number of the electronic information, and the version number held in the table is changed such as by a locking request, a locking release request for the electronic information. Upon an access request to the electronic information, the version number included in the electronic information name is compared with the version number held in the table, so as to judge whether or not the access to the electronic information is to be permitted, to thereby conduct an exclusive access control of the electronic information.

As a conventional exclusive access controlling technique for electronic information, there has been known one for conducting an exclusive access control by a semaphore parameter as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-127261. This technique utilizes the semaphore parameter as a flag indicating a used/unused status of electronic information, to thereby realize the exclusive access control for electronic information.
However, the exclusive access control based on only the used/unused status causes a problem in that the access to electronic information is possible at any time, insofar as the electronic information is unused. For example, in case of substantially simultaneous updating requests from two clients for electronic information on a server, it may happen that the electronic information is updated in response to the updating request from one of the clients and thereafter further updated in response to the updating request from the other client. Thus, the updating request from the one client may be perfectly nullified, resulting in deterioration of the stability and reliability of the electronic information.
To avoid such a defect, it is conceivable to conduct an exclusive access control, taking account of the version number of the electronic information. However, in the prior art, since a process for version management is needed to be conducted separately, this renders the process for the exclusive access control redundant.
The present invention has been carried out in view of the conventional problems as described above, and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a technique for realizing an exclusive access control having higher reliability with a simple constitution, by utilizing a version number of electronic information, as a part of a semaphore parameter.

Exclusive access controlling apparatus, exclusive access controlling method and recording medium recorded with exclusive access controlling program, for electronic information


A loose type battery cell detection method and apparatus controls a battery charging circuit so as to disable recharging when loose battery cells are detected. A battery contact is disposed adjacent to a battery power source. If the battery power source is loose battery cells, the battery contact operatively engages the loose battery cells such that an electrical path is created from one loose battery cell to another via the battery contact. If the battery power source is a rechargeable battery pack, no electrical path between the battery power source and the battery contact is created. A battery detection circuit monitors the battery contact for an electrical signal, such as a voltage or current level above zero. While the electrical signal is detected, the battery detection circuit directly or indirectly causes the battery recharge function of the battery charging circuit of the recharging device to be disabled.

Wireless communications devices, such as cellular telephones, are typically designed to be portable and battery powered. Frequently, but not always, such battery power is supplied through rechargeable battery packs. The rechargeable battery packs include one or more rechargeable battery cells. After being drained, these rechargeable cells may be recharged by a recharging circuit of a recharging device. Typically, such recharging circuits are included as part of the wireless communications device so that battery cells may be used and recharged without disconnecting the battery pack from the wireless communications device. Alternatively, stand alone battery pack rechargers are readily available.
Despite the prevalence of rechargeable battery packs, some wireless communications devices allow for the optional use of loose off-the-shelf battery cells such as the common AA size battery. These loose off-the-shelf battery cells are typically not rechargeable. To the contrary, attempting to recharge such loose off-the-shelf battery cells may result in undesirable leaks, fires, or explosions. Accordingly, it is desirable that the wireless communications device be able to determine whether battery power is being supplied from a rechargeable battery pack or loose off-the-shelf battery cells. If power is being supplied from loose off-the-shelf battery cells, then recharging should be disabled.

Method and apparatus for detecting loose type battery cells in a recharging device


A drainpipe comprising a concentrating flow path to concentrate flow of fluid on an inner wall of the pipe, which makes it possible to inhibit freezing of the fluid hydrodynamically without providing heat energy from outside, to thereby prevent blockage of the pipe.

In a cold region, there is a need to discharge, for example, snow accumulated on a roof in winter, to the ground efficiently via a drainpipe. In this regard, there is a problem that discharging water freezes inside the drainpipe or at an end portion on a downstream side of the drainpipe, whereby the drainpipe is blocked. If the drainpipe is blocked, the water is not discharged smoothly, whereby sometimes the water leaks indoors.
As a method of preventing freezing of discharging water inside the drainpipe, generally, a method of providing heat energy inside the drainpipe from outside, using a cord-shaped heater and the like is adopted (see Patent Document 1 for example). However, in such a method, a heater having a same height as a height of building is needed, whereby a running cost becomes large. In addition to this, a huge maintenance cost due to breakage and the like is required. Also, in a severely cold region, sometimes the drainpipe is installed indoors, whereby there is a large problem of installation space and design of the drainpipe.

Drainpipe, method for preventing blockage of drainpipe and installation structure of drainpipe


A padlock comprises a lock body, a shackle, a block member, an elastic member, a combination locking device and a key locking device. The shackle is movable relative to the lock body between a locked position and an unlocked position, and the shackle has a first end movably installed in the lock body and a second end. The block member is movably connected to the lock body and comprises a button provided for retaining the second end of the shackle in the locked position, a supporter protruding from the button, and a base protruding from the supporter. The elastic member is installed around the button and has one end against the lock body and the other end against the supporter. The combination locking device is installed within the lock body for controlling movements of the shackle. The first end of the shackle is movable to the unlocked position when the combination locking device is unlocked. The key locking device is installed within the lock body and connected to the base of the block member for controlling movements of the shackle. The block member is movable axially, when the key locking device is operated by a key.

A conventional padlock generally includes a lock body, a locking device and a shackle so as to lock an object, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,751,830 and 6,539,761. Another conventional padlock not only includes a lock body, a dual locking device and a shackle, but also includes a block member to retain or to release the shackle, also as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,283 and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2002/0088256, 2004/0226323 and 2004/0226324. The block member of the conventional padlock is mainly arranged for the dual locking device, especially for a key locking device as so to controlling movements of the shackle. However, connections between the block member and the dual locking device are arranged to be complicated. Therefore, an improved padlock is in great demand.


In a method of fabricating a non-volatile memory device, a semiconductor substrate includes an isolation layer formed in an isolation region, a tunnel insulating layer and a first conductive layer for a floating gate formed in an active region, and a dielectric layer, a second conductive layer for a control gate, and a gate hard mask formed over the first conductive layer including the isolation layer. The second conductive layer is patterned using the gate hard mask as an etch mask. The dielectric layer is patterned so that the first conductive layer, which is exposed as the dielectric layer is etched, is also etched. The first conductive layer is patterned along a pattern of the gate hard mask. Accordingly, at the time of gate patterning, micro bridges between the floating gates can be prevented and a 2-bit failure between neighboring cells is less likely.

The present invention relates to a method of fabricating non-volatile memory devices and, more particularly, to a method of fabricating a non-volatile memory device, which can prevent the formation of micro bridges between floating gates at the time of gate patterning.
In order to form the gate of a non-volatile memory device, a tunnel insulating layer and a first polysilicon layer for a floating gate are laminated over a semiconductor substrate. A trench is formed in an isolation region while patterning the first polysilicon layer and the tunnel insulating layer through an isolation process of self-aligned shallow trench isolation (SA-STI). The trench is gap-filled with an insulating material to form an isolation layer. A dielectric layer of an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) stack structure, a second polysilicon layer for a control gate, and a hard mask are sequentially laminated over the patterned first polysilicon layer and the isolation layer. The hard mask is etched using a photoresist pattern to cross the isolation layer. The second polysilicon layer, the ONO dielectric layer, and the patterned first polysilicon layer are patterned using the etched hard mask, thus forming a gate comprised of the tunnel insulating layer, the floating gate, the dielectric layer, and the control gate.
However, in the gate formation process, the first polysilicon layer is not fully removed. Minute poly residue remains causing the formation of a micro bridge between the floating gates. In particular, micro bridges are generated near the ONO dielectric layer, which remains after the last gate etching. This phenomenon becomes increasingly problematic when the height of the remaining dielectric layer is high.
In order to solve the above problem, a target etching thickness of the ONO dielectric layer can be increased. If a target etching thickness of the dielectric layer is increased, however, an attack margin of an active region decreases. The micro bridges result in a 2-bit failure, which makes it impossible to discriminate information between neighboring cells, thereby degrading product yield.

Method of fabricating a non-volatile memory device


Reminding of the owner of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port connectible device that the same has been left connected to a USB port of a powered computer is provided by an alarm disposed on a portable base for the device activated by cessation of reception of a limited range radio frequency (RF) signal. Transmission is powered by the computer through the USB port. The portable base has an independent power source for reception/alarm circuitry preferably switched on by separation of a USB port connectible device and/or signalling attachment from the portable base and switched off by physical reunion of the same. Alarm activation while retrieving the USB port connectible device from the USB port of a computer is avoided with an alarm activation delay exceeding in duration a transmission interval minimizing the likelihood of RF signal interference between multiple proximate reminders or other signals of the same RF. An identification (ID) number carried by the RF signal and recognized by a portable base thereby associated with a particular USB port connectible device and/or signalling attachment avoids defeat of alarm activation by reception of another signal of the same RF.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to condition responsive indicating systems (340/500) with particular coupling link (340/531) including personal portable device (340/539.11) wherein said condition relates to article placement or removal (340/568.1) and said particular coupling link comprises radio (340/539.1).
2. General Background
Universal serial bus (USB) port connectible devices: functionally connectible through a USB port to a personal computer (PC) from and through which direct current (DC), typically 5 volt (5V), power is derived and operation enabled; are widely used and encompass many devices including 'flash' and hard disk memory 'drives' as well as USB interfaced devices including wireless, typically infrared (IR) as opposed to radio frequency (RF), adapters for keyboards and 'mice': i.e. input and cursor control devices.
Although USB port connectible devices were practically unknown ten years ago the superiority of serial, as opposed to parallel, buses in data transmission combined with a robust physical configuration easily connected and disconnected without damage to the electrical contacts has achieved nearly universal usage of USB ports on PCs and hence a proliferation of compatible devices.
USB port connectible devices have a connector that is nominally male in being insertable into a USB port but the electrical contacts are not comprised of pins, nor has the port sockets, each having, instead, a row of copper blades biased against each other in connection with the proper sense of the connection ensured by adjacent empty and solid longitudinal halves of a generally rectangular configuration defined by a stamped and formed metal extension on the USB port connectible device.
While USB memory drive replacement cost is typically under $50 the data stored thereon may be very valuable. Doctors, attorneys, engineers, accountants and other professionals: i.e. people holding a form of professional registration and legally responsible for competent performance of their work; must often insert a USB port connectible device, typically a memory drive, into a computer previously unknown to them at a site also unfamiliar to them. Journalists, authors, lobbyists, and other propagandists protected by the First Amendment also may inadvertently leave a USB port connectible memory drive behind functionally connected to a USB port of a computer that is not within their residence, office, or other area within their realm of control that contains extremely sensitive, if not legally liable, data thereon.
As the USB ports are found on the back of 'tower' configuration PCs typically found in workplaces, located on a visually obscure computer back panel, it is not difficult for even an extremely intelligent business executive, much less an absent minded technical type, to forget their USB port connectible device functionally connected to this type of computer or even a 'laptop' style PC where the USB port is typically on a side of the same. The owner of the USB connectible device furthermore may not, owing to a multitude of reasons including the number of PCs and sites visited on a given day, remember which PC or site the USB connectible device was most likely left.
Even if both the site and the particular PC to which the USB port connectible device was left functionally connected are recalled precisely it is not beyond possibility that a competitor or other comparatively unsympathetic person at that site might fail to admit of finding this particular item. It is also considered that at any public site such as an Internet 'cafe' an employee might regard the USB port connectible device left behind as a gift which would be ungracious to acknowledge even if this employee did, by some remote chance, associate the particular device left behind with its owner.
There are, in brief, a multitude of circumstances especially in today's extremely busy and ethically complex society, that could easily occasion failure to return an inadvertently left behind USB port connectible device including a memory drive possessing data valuable to the owner, even if to no one else, in addition to wholly understandable inability of the owner to recall where this device may have been left functionally connected to a PC particularly if that PC is routinely left 'on' or powered as is a commonplace in many workplaces and other sites private, public or non-profit.
3. Discussion of the Prior Art
Tracking location of a person or other moving object generally requires 'plural distinct sensors' (340/539.22) and is hence beyond the scope of the pertinent prior art which, while also responsive to a particular condition and using a particular coupling link (340/531), is not concerned with tracking and does not use plural distinct sensors. 'Having a particular safety function' (340/532) is extraneous to and excluded from the presently pertinent prior art because safety is not involved. The particular condition responded to with a wireless electrical communication link characterizing the pertinent prior art comprises 'article placement or removal' (340/568.1) but not with a detectable device disposed on the protected article for which reason subclasses 572.1 and 572.8: 'Specified device housing or attachment means'; are also both beyond the scope of the pertinent prior art as subclass 572.8 is subordinate to subclass 572.1: "Detectable device on protected article (e.g. 'tag')" which is emphatically not the case with the present invention; and hence devices using radio frequency identification (RFIDs) are wholly excluded from the presently pertinent prior art as is subclass 539.23: "Proximity"; as the same is subordinate to subclass 539.22: "Having plural distinct sensors"; because the present invention does not use plural sensors.
The present invention uses a radio frequency signal and an alarm to assist in reminding the owner of a USB port connectible device that the same has been left functionally connected to a PC. Since no prior art using radio frequency and an alarm is known to be specifically concerned with a USB port connectible device: i.e. 'USB device' as such are commonly known; the closest prior art is considered to use radio frequency and an alarm and to be concerned with a PC or peripheral device or concerned peripherally with a USB device and using radio frequency and an alarm or to be concerned primarily with a USB device and using an alarm or radio frequency.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,011,471 for an 'Alarm system' intended to protect a computer or other electronic device having a slot for a diskette discloses a radio receiver with decoder insertable into a disc drive "slot" with alarm activated as a result of "the code signal from the radio transmitter unit" ceasing which unit also has an on/off switch while "the receiver includes a security switch controlled to turn on/off the radio receiver unit when inserting/removing from the slot of the electronic apparatus." (Abstract)
U.S. Pat. No. 6,459,374 for an 'Anti-Theft Computer Security System', discloses "a USB connector" with a cable extending "through the housing section" "connected to a central alarm monitoring unit" intended to protect a computer. An "alarm sounds" if "the USB connector is disconnected from the computer . . . or if the cable is cut" (Abstract).
2007CN-10186141 can "monitor an article during sports": using a ZigBee transceiver which, as receiver (22) receives a data signal and transmits to a microprocessor with "buzzer (23)". A "shell (11) is mounted" with an USB interface. (Abstract)
U.S. Pat. No. 7,026,933 B2 discloses "a USB device capable of connecting to a USB port of a computer and an alarm sub-system to cause an audible alarm to be generated based on a signal generated within the USB device." (Abstract)
U.S. Pat. No. 7,362,227 B2 discloses an 'Anti-theft and security system for computers' which "includes a control device capable of connecting to an external port of the portable computer. The control device includes a wireless receiver" and is "capable of enabling and disabling a security function executed by the computer based on a wireless signal received by the wireless receiver." (Abstract)
US 2009/0015418 A1 discloses "an electronic device having a detachable part and a main unit with a communicating section. In order to prevent the electronic device from being left, (it includes) a sensor detecting a detached state of the part; a first timer measuring time" part is detached "from the main unit"; "and a warning section issues a warning . . . if the first timer detects the passage of a first time period." (Abstract)
CN201191407 (Y) discloses a "USB watchdog with remote alarm function" uses "a USB interface" for transferring telephone signal "into serial level, and the main processor, therefore, the USB watchdog with a remote alarm function can realize the remote alarm function on the base of having a watchdog function." (Abstract)
Statement of Need
While the prior art discloses use of RF and alarms using USB devices the only known reference in the pertinent prior art actually concerned with safeguarding against lost of a USB device, US 2009/0015418 A1, "issues a warning" only in response to the elapse of a predetermined period of time after detachment of an associated part.
Since the owner of a USB device typically does not use the device every time for a predetermined period of time two problems with this approach to preventing the USB device "from being left" are discerned: (1) the predetermined period of time before issuance of a warning may be longer than the period of usage, in which case the owner may have left it behind to the mercy of a competitor or other relatively unsympathetic person who may be the sole beneficiary of this 'warning'; and (2) the predetermined period of time may be shorter than the period of usage, in which case the 'warning' will only comprise an annoyance to the owner during use of the USB device.
A need is hence discerned for a means of preventing the loss of a USB device by inadvertently leaving the same functionally connected to a USB port of a computer that is both effective and not annoying during use regardless of the period of time the device is used.


An electrical energy system (1) in a hybrid car comprises an electrical motor (3), a capacitor (4) and a battery (5). The capacitor (4) is connected electrically to the electrical motor (3) and the capacitor (4) is switched in parallel with the battery (5) and the capacitor (4) has a rated voltage greater than 60V and the battery (5) has a rated voltage of less than 60V.

Hybrid cars combine two power trains that provide power in different ways for the propulsion of the vehicle. The properties of a combustion engine and an electrical motor are a particularly good fit, which is the reason why most of the hybrid cars today have such a combination. Today, parallel hybrid concepts in which the vehicle is propelled both by the combustion engine and the electrical motor are given preference over the serial hybrid concepts in which propulsion is provided basically by the electrical motor while the combustion engine generates the electrical current for loading the energy stores or directly for driving the electrical motor.
With the parallel hybrid concept there is the possibility to use at any given time, depending on the various operating states of the vehicle, the drive system that has the better efficiency at the given speed/power range. The electrical motor may be connected to the motor crankshaft in a variety of ways. For example, it may be connected via a clutch or directly to the crankshaft of the motor or may be coupled via a belt drive or gear.
The operation via the electrical motor may be limited for example to the range where little power is required and where a combustion engine is not very efficient, while higher power requirements are used to reload the electrical energy stores (which drive the electrical motor) via the combustion engine that is relatively efficient at that stage, plus via the dynamic operation of the electrical motor. In addition the combustion engine and the electrical motor may also impart motion in parallel, for example in order to increase the maximum torque of the entire power train.
Ideally the energy needed for propelling the vehicle at low speeds and low power requirements is gained from prior recuperation processes, i.e. energy recovery from the braking phases in which the required braking force of the vehicle is at least partially generated via the dynamic operation of the electrical motor in order to reload the energy stores. Because of road resistance, losses in the vehicle drive shaft and the loss-prone energy conversion chain mechanical→electrical/electrical→mechanical, when the charged energy stores are in balance only a portion of the total propulsion force can be provided over a given driving cycle by using the energy recovered in the braking processes. For these reasons alone it makes sense to use the recovered energy preferably only for the electrical motor propulsion during the operating phases, in which the combustion engine is not very efficient.
On the other hand, if the electrical motor and the combustion engine cannot be decoupled mechanically it is from an energy standpoint not advantageous to use only an electrical drive because the drag of the motor still has to be overcome, which would noticeably impair the overall efficiency of the power train. In such a case often a combined combustion engine/electrical drive is implemented, preferably with the electrical motor kicking in during operating phases with higher power requirements so that the combustion engine can continue to work in the relatively efficient ranges. However, since the energy recovered in the braking phases turns out to be in this case less because of the additional braking effect of the motor drag, less energy is available from these phases for propulsion by the electrical motor.
When designing a total system that is optimized for fuel consumption it is therefore above all necessary for the electrical motor to be able to yield, at least short-term and in dynamic operation, high electrical energy for the brake-energy recovery during braking phases. For this reason the maximum dynamic energy is a decisive criterion for the system design.
For completeness sake it should also be said that other requirements such as the cold-start capability of the combustion engine or the torque requirement for the boost operation in the range near full power must also be taken into consideration when designing the motor. However, when it comes to optimizing the overall system for the most efficient fuel consumption possible, these are initially relegated to the background. At the same time one must make sure that the electrical energy stores are able to absorb and give off the respective electrical power for the dynamic and mechanical operation.
Normally cycle-resistant batteries are used as electrical energy stores in hybrid cars. They have the advantage of relatively high volume and mass-related energy density, but they are limited in terms of the energy input and output that can be achieved. Furthermore, the life of the battery is limited by the energy throughput (i.e. absorbed and emitted energy), with the result that heavy cycling reduces the life of the battery.
Alternatively it may make sense to use other energy storage types for the energy storage system in a hybrid car. For example it is conceivable to use, instead of a battery, a capacitor store which can be stressed cyclically almost without limitation (i.e. with substantially higher cycle numbers than for batteries). So-called double-layer capacitors are preferred for use in hybrid concepts. Several of these capacitor stores must be switched in parallel in order to obtain sufficient capacity for the electrical power train at a specified voltage.
The disadvantage of a capacitor store versus a battery is above all the noticeably lower storable energy relative to volume (energy density). This means that a capacitor store may be able to provide only a relatively small energy amount in case of stress because of the limited space available in the vehicle.
The parallel use of a battery and a capacitor store combines the advantages of both energy storage systems with the result that the capacitor store handles most of the cyclical energy input and output processes and that battery use kicks in only during the rare and long-lasting electrical stress phases.
If the energy store is designed in the form of a capacitor store with switchable battery, whereby both stores can be switched in parallel at least for voltages that are below or equal to the rated voltage of the battery, most of the cyclical energy input and output processes can run via the capacitor store while the battery essentially guarantees that the combustion engine can be started when the capacitor store is empty and takes over the power network energy supply and the supply to the electrical motor in case of mechanical operation. Since the battery is only minimally cycled in this combination, a simple and inexpensive battery technology can be used, especially a battery technology based on plumbic acid technology. Alternatively a substantially smaller cycle-resistant battery on the basis of nickel metal hybrids or lithium ions may be used in parallel.
One must always also take into consideration the necessary electrical output when designing the electrical energy system of a hybrid car. At a given voltage the power must increase proportionately in case of a higher output, which in turn affects the design of the output electronics of the electrical motor and the cable profiles. One solution is to use higher voltages, reducing thereby the power and thus the output profile. Less power is also of advantage for the life of the battery. At higher voltages the electrical motor also shows a more favorable moment curve (high moment at higher speeds). However, this advantage is reduced at voltages above 60V by the measures required to protect from electric shock. This is why the voltage profile of a hybrid car represents an output-dependent compromise. Normally outputs up to about 4 kW are operated on a 12 V basis, outputs up to about 10 kW on a 48 to 60 V basis and outputs beyond 10 kW at voltages exceeding 60V.

Electrical energy system in a hybrid car


A plasma display apparatus having an electrode pad including first and second electrode parts for connecting an electrode driving unit to the electrodes of the plasma display panel. The first electrode part includes a first electrode connection part and a first connector connection part connected by a first intermediate connection part, where the width of the first intermediate connection part is smaller than the width of the first electrode connection part and the width of the first connector connection part is greater than the first intermediate connection part. The second electrode part has a structure similar to the first electrode part, except the length of the first intermediate connection part is different from the length of the second intermediate connection part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display apparatus, and more particularly, to such a plasma display apparatus having an electrode pad.
2. Background of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a dismantled perspective view of a common plasma display apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 1, the common plasma display apparatus includes an upper structure and a lower structure. The lower structure has a lower substrate 9 and an address electrode 2. The upper structure includes an upper substrate 1, a scan electrode 3, a sustain electrode 4, a dielectric layer 5 and a protection layer 6. The lower structure further includes barrier ribs 7 that support between-the upper substrate 1 and the lower substrate 2, and a phosphor layer 8 coated on a surface of he barrier ribs 7. An inert gas is injected into a space between the upper structure and the lower structure, forming a discharge region.
In the common plasma display apparatus constructed above, sufficient charges are generated in the entire discharge cells on a plasma display panel by applying a ramp-up pulse to the scan electrode 3 in a set-up period. Thereafter, in the common plasma display apparatus, a ramp-down pulse is applied to the scan electrode 3 in a set-down period, erasing a predetermined amount of charges. The charge distribution of the entire discharge cells becomes uniform.
In the common plasma display apparatus, an address pulse and a scan pulse are applied to the address electrodes 2 and the scan electrode 3, respectively, in an address period, thus selecting a cell to be turned on.
Thereafter, in the common plasma display apparatus, a sustain pulse is alternately applied to the scan electrode 3 and the sustain electrode 4 in a sustain period, so that a sustain discharge is generated in the cell selected in the address period.
For this operation, a driver IC of the common plasma display apparatus applies a driving pulse to  the address electrodes 2, the scan electrode 3 and the sustain electrode 4 of the plasma display panel through an electrode pad.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an electrode pad of a conventional plasma display apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 2, the electrode pad of the conventional plasma display apparatus includes a glass substrate 111, an electrode part 110 formed on the glass substrate 111, a white-back layer 112 disposed on one side of the electrode part 110, an Anisotropic Conductive Film (ACF) 113 disposed on the other end of the electrode part 110, and a connector 114 having a connector electrode 115 corresponding to the electrode part 110. At this time, the connector 114 applies a driving pulse, which is received from an electrode driving unit (not shown), to the electrode part.
In this case, the connector 114 is a COF (Chip On Film), a TCP (Tape Carrier Package) or a FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits), which becomes the cause for raising the manufacturing cost of the plasma display apparatus. Accordingly, in order to prevent the manufacturing cost from increasing due to the connector 114, the electrode pitch becomes minute. As the electrode pitch becomes minute, electrodes frequently become short due to a migration phenomenon. The migration phenomenon is a phenomenon that an ionized electrode material moves around.
More particularly, in the case of the conventional electrode pad, shortage is frequently generated at the interface between the ACF 113 for connecting the connector 114 and the electrode part 110 due to migration. Furthermore, since the width of the existing electrode part 110 is constant, there is a high possibility that the shortage due to migration can occur in the electrode part 110 exposed between the white-back layer 112 and the ACF 113 as the electrode pitch becomes minute. In addition, as the electrode pitch becomes minute, an align tolerance of the electrode part 110 and the connector electrode 115 is reduced. Thus, the defect probability is further increased. Further, as the pitch of the electrode part 110 becomes minute, the contact property between the electrode part 110 and the connector electrode 115 is lowered.

Plasma display apparatus including electrode pad


Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing a dynamic and flexible media gateway termination identifier are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for flexibly identifying terminations within a media gateway. The method includes receiving a syntax for representing terminations of a media gateway, communicating the syntax to a network node for processing media gateway control messages, and, at the network node, processing a media gateway control message using the syntax to identify a termination of the media gateway.

One major telecommunication network evolution in recent history was the physical and functional separation of a media gateway from a media gateway controller. Typically, the media gateway (MGW) provides physical resources and services related to the bearer path of a call, while the media gateway controller (MGC) handles signaling and control functions. One MGC may control multiple MGWs. The physical and functional separation of MGW from MGC allows for the evolution of MGW or MGC technologies with minimal impact on the other. This independence of MGW and MGC from each other is made possible in part by the use of standard protocols that are used by an MGC to control one or more MGWs. The standard protocols used between an MGC and MGWs include H.248/Megaco, media gateway control protocol (MGCP), simple gateway control protocol (SGCP) and other variants, generically referred to as GCPs, or gateway control protocols. GCP messages may include commands sent from the MGC to the MGW, responses sent from the MGW to the MGC, and other messages from an MGC to an MGW and vice versa. For example, the MGW may acknowledge requests from the MGC by providing event notifications to MGC.
Another main function of MGWs is to mediate or perform conversion between different media types. For this reason, an MGW normally is equipped to accommodate the media streams of more than one network technology. For example, an MGW may be used to provide an interface between a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and a packet-based network and to convert data from one format and protocol into another. PSTN networks may use time division multiplexing (TDM), in which the caller's voice is digitized and assigned to a time slot in a frame of data traveling between nodes in the PSTN network, while packet networks may use transmission control protocol (TCP) or user-datagram protocol (UDP) in conjunction with Internet protocol (IP) to transport packets of data such as digitized voice. An MGW, for example, may accommodate TDM, IP, asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and wireless variants of the media streams. Thus, a MGW may contain a wide variety of media adapters, and each type of adapter may provide specific physical and logical resources.
Two basic constructs in a GCP are terminations and contexts. A context represents a call in a MGW, and a termination is a logical entity that is mapped to a physical resource on a MGW that sources and/or sinks media and/or control streams. One context may contain one or more terminations. Each termination may have a unique identity, referred to as a Termination ID, or TID, assigned by the MGW at the time of its creation. Two types of terminations are physical and ephemeral terminations. Typically, physical terminations, such as TDM channels, exist for as long as they are provisioned in a MGW, while ephemeral terminations, which represent ephemeral information flows, such as RTP flows, would usually exist only for the duration of their use. The physical terminations in voice calls are mapped to physical channels, such as DS0s, which are contained in a physical network trunk such as DS1/E1, DS3/E3, or OC3/STM-1, etc. Those trunks are physically connected to other network nodes. A call agent (CA) at a MGC or a softswitch knows the topologies (how the physical trunks are connected to the network) and routing (what the phones are connected to) through network provisioning of the MGW's physical termination resources into its resource database, so that the call manager/MGC can manage the physical terminations during runtime as a master. An MGW, as a slave, creates or adds a connection using one of the terminations specified by the CA/MGC, and, if requested by the CA/MGC, reports any media events associated with the termination.
The MGC is the resource manager for the physical termination in the associated MGWs, and as a result, one of the key issues for a MGC to control a MGW is how to reference the physical resources within the MGW. In other words, the way a MGC references a resource at a MGW must be understood by the MGW in order for the MGW to understand how to carry out a MGC command. The MGC and the MGW it controls must be able to unambiguously communicate with each other regarding a particular resource, such as a termination, within the MGW.
One difficulty with identifying a TID between an MGW and an MGC lies in the fact that the gateway control protocol (GCP) standards define the termination ID format very loosely. One reason that the TID format is loosely defined in a GCP standard is that the structure of physical resources of one MGW may be quite different from that of another MGW, and thus the TID formats are different as well. Thus, although GCP protocols are open standards, the loosely defined termination ID format hinders providing "Plug-and-Play" capability, because each MGW or MGC vendor may implement their own TID format. Since format of a physical termination ID can vary greatly, even among different media gateways within the same network or controlled by the same MGC, parsing termination ID and specifying a group of resources using wildcarding can be a major challenge for a MGC. This tends to be especially true in a hybrid network, where a MGC may control multiple MGWs from different vendors and a MGW may be also associated with multiple MGCs from different vendors. Thus, even if a GCP-standard-compliant MGW or MGC is added to network, significant integration is required to overcome the interoperability issue, because the MGC must understand this syntax of the additional MGW and be able to use it to specify a single termination resource or to specify a group of resources via a wildcard syntax.
Thus, there is a need for methods, systems, and computer program products for providing a dynamic and flexible media gateway termination identifier.


Compositions are provided that include a plurality of small molecules selected from the group consisting of an amide, urea or acetone having a molecular weight less than 300 g/mol; and dNTPs and a polymerase in a buffer suitable for use as an amplification buffer. Methods of use of the compositions are also described for reducing non-template DNA amplification.

DNA amplification is frequently used in DNA diagnostic tests and sequencing protocols. Both require a low background of non-specific amplification. Unfortunately, amplification methods that utilize primers appear to give rise to false positive signals of non-template DNA that affect the quality of the results. These positive signals can be detected in control samples with non-template DNA or no DNA. Without wishing to be limited by theory, it is believed that false positives predominantly result from transient primer secondary structure formation and primer dimers.
Improvements in amplification signal and amplification specificity have not removed the adverse effects of background signal for isothermal amplification reactions. Chakrabati, et al., Nucleic Acids Research, 29:2377-2381 (2001), described enhancement of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using single low molecular weight amide additives, in particular, 0.5% to 7.5% formamide, N-hydroxyethylpyrrolidone or 2-pyrroliidone. Isobutyramide or N-methylacetamide were found to be less desirable as PCR amplification enhancers.

Compositions and methods for reducing background DNA amplification


A tetrahedron-shaped airport wind direction and velocity indicator being triangular in cross-section with first and second sides sloping downward from a top edge, such sides coming to a point at the front of the device with the device adapted to point into the wind. The device has illuminable numerical indicia for displaying wind speed on its first and second sides and illuminable side edges for night time viewing of the device from above with the direction of the device indicating wind direction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention resides in the area of airport wind direction and velocity indicators and more particularly relates to a tetrahedron-shaped wind detector visually displaying wind velocity thereon for pilots of aircraft to view such readings from the sky.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many small airports which lack control towers to provide wind direction and wind speed information to pilots wishing to land their aircraft. Some of these small airports use wind socks which are made of cloth or plastic and which are blown in the direction of the oncoming wind. When a pilot views such wind sock from above the landing strip, he can tell the direction of the wind at the level of the runway. Of course, at night such wind socks are not easily visible. Some airfields provide landing lights which can be activated by a radio signal directed to them from small aircraft so that the landing field will become illuminated at night.
The problems of landing aircraft at small airfields have been appreciated by the prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,973 to Jackson for an Airport Landing Indicator Apparatus which discloses an apparatus for indicating wind direction and wind velocity by means of illuminated arrows at both ends of a runway with a lighted sequence to indicate air speed.

Airport wind direction and velocity indicator


The gas turbine engine rotor assembly includes a rotor disc with a plurality of sealing tabs projecting radially out from a peripheral surface of the rotor disc in the rear end portion thereof. A said sealing tab is disposed at a tip portion of a fixing member of the disc, formed between pairs of blade root slots, adjacent a trailing edge of the rotor disc. The sealing tabs help to reduce the leakage of secondary air out the back of a blade pocket defined between adjacent blades mounted on the rotor disc.

Gas turbine engine rotors, used in compressor or turbines, usually include circumferentially spaced blades extending radially outwardly from a rotor disc and mounted thereto. During use, at least the blades of such rotors are disposed within an air passage and typically face an upstream flow, such as pressurized air and/or hot combustion gases, that may infiltrate interstitial spaces between attached components of the rotors. Secondary air at a lower temperature may also infiltrate these interstitial spaces between attached components of the rotors. The presence of such colder secondary air may have a positive impact on the performance and/or durability of the rotor discs, seals and/or blades of rotors. However, secondary air ingested in such interstitial spaces may leak out therefrom through air leakage paths formed at a disc/blade interface at the downstream side of the rotor. Such air leakage paths may thus limit the performance and/or durability of rotor discs, seals and/or blades of such rotors.


It is determined whether a print job to be output on a color laser-printing device is to have reduced color toner usage. In response to determining that the print job is to have reduced color toner usage, the print job is adjusted so that the print job consumes less color toner when output on the color laser-printing device, by color-desaturating the print job.

Traditionally laser-printing devices, such as laser printers, formed images on media in black-and-white and grayscale only. Color printing was thus accomplished using inkjet-printing devices, such as inkjet printers, or using other color printing devices. More recently, however, laser-printing devices have become available that form images on media in full color, and which are relatively inexpensively priced. As a result, many users are now migrating from black-and-white laser-printing devices to color laser-printing devices, so that one printing device can accommodate all their printing needs.
However, many users have discovered that color laser-printing devices can be expensive to maintain. In particular, whereas a black-and-white laser-printing device needs only a single, black toner cartridge, a color laser-printing device typically needs four toner cartridges: a black toner cartridge, as well as cyan, magenta, and yellow toner cartridges. (Alternatively, a color laser-printing device may use a toner cartridge employing all three colors, and optionally black.) These toner cartridges of different colors can be expensive to purchase. Therefore, some users have opted to minimize the use of color when forming images on media. However, current color laser-printing devices typically do not have the ability to easily minimize the usage of color toner when forming images on media.

Adjustment of print job to reduce color toner usage

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A powertrain control ECU sets a target driving force, and controls an internal combustion engine and a transmission of a vehicle. A first processor of the powertrain control ECU includes a driving force adjustment portion, a filter, a mode-switch, an environmental information-obtaining device, and a steering sensor. The driving force adjustment portion sets the target driving force based on at least one of instructions from a driver and from a second processor. The filter corrects the target driving force to suppress vibration on a spring of the vehicle. The mode-switch sets the running mode. The environmental information-obtaining device obtains information on the environment around the vehicle. The steering angle sensor determines the running condition. A correction amount, by which the filter corrects the target driving force, is adjusted according to the running mode, the environment, and the running condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vehicle control apparatus that mainly controls a powertrain device of a vehicle, and a method of suppressing vibration of a vehicle, which reduces vibration on a spring of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2004-168148 describes a vehicle control apparatus for suppressing vibration of a vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus uses, as an instruction, a physical quantity corresponding to at least one of accelerator pedal operation, steering operation, and brake operation performed by a driver, and controls at least one of an engine and a brake according to the instruction. To suppress vehicle vibration, the vehicle control apparatus uses a movement model relating to vibration to correct the instruction input by the driver. That is, at least one of vertical vibration and/or torsional vibration caused by road surface reaction, which is applied to tires, vibration under a spring of a suspension, and vibration on the spring of the suspension, which is applied to a vehicle body itself.
However, in a conventional vehicle control apparatus, only a single movement model is used to correct the instruction input by the driver. Therefore, in a vehicle where the running characteristic can be changed according to the intention of the driver or the like, a conventional vehicle control apparatus may not be able to adequately suppress the vehicle vibration. Also, in the case where the instruction input by the driver is corrected using the single movement model as described above, the vehicle vibration may not be effectively suppressed if the environment around the vehicle or the running condition of the vehicle changes.

Vehicle control apparatus and method of suppressing vibration of vehicle


A measurement sampling facility takes snapshots of the central processing unit (CPU) on which it is executing at specified sampling intervals to collect data relating to tasks executing on the CPU. The collected data is stored in a buffer, and at selected times, an interrupt is provided to remove data from the buffer to enable reuse thereof. The interrupt is not taken after each sample, but in sufficient time to remove the data and minimize data loss.

This invention relates, in general, to facilitating processing within a processing environment, and in particular, to efficiently collecting data relating to execution of tasks within the processing environment to enhance processing thereof.
Improved system performance and reduced errors are high priority goals of many processing environments. In an effort to achieve these goals, diagnostic and tuning tools are employed. One such tool is a sampling facility that gathers data relating to processing that occurs within a processing environment.
Specifically, a sampling facility is used to periodically take a snapshot of a central processing unit executing within the environment and to record state information associated with the central processing unit. This information is used for debugging and/or to improve system performance.
Today, at each sampling time, the data is collected, stored in a register, and an interrupt is provided to the control program. Upon interruption, the control program reads out the sample data, resets the register and resumes the operation. This interruption at each sampling interval creates significant system overhead, and in some real-time environments, may even distort the measured data. This overhead problem causes users to limit the amount of sample data to be collected, and thus, limit the practical use of the sampling facility.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A portable water filtration device includes a liquid-tight filter container and a filtration device mounted in the liquid-tight container. The filtration device includes an inlet opening extending through one of the walls and a first filtration device in liquid transfer connection with the inlet opening operative to receive and filter liquid flowing therethrough. A second filtration device is operative to receive liquid from the first filtration device and further filter the liquid flowing therethrough. The first and second filtration devices are selected from the group including ultraviolet, activated carbon and reverse osmosis filters, and an outlet opening extending through one of the walls then receives the treated water and releases the water from the filtration device. Finally, the liquid-tight filter container is operative to prevent liquid from entering the interior volume thereof thereby preventing contamination of the filtration device from accidental incursion of contaminants.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to filtration devices for water and, more particularly, to a portable water filtration device which includes a liquid-tight filter container having side walls, a base wall, a top opening and a lid for covering and sealing the top opening and a filtration device mounted within the liquid-tight container, the filtration device including an inlet opening which is connectable to a water source to be filtered, a first filtration device in liquid transfer connection with the inlet opening, a second filtration device in liquid transfer connection with the outlet of the first filtration device, the first and second filtration devices being selected from a group including ultraviolet, activated carbon and reverse osmosis water filters, an outlet opening in liquid transfer connection with the outlet of the second filtration device, the inlet and outlet openings being interchangeable such that water to be filtered may enter through either the inlet or outlet opening with water flow through the device proceeding in either direction, a battery device operative to supply power to one of the first and second filtration devices and a solar panel connectable to the battery device for recharging the battery device for use thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Obtaining potable water is generally not a pressing concern for those of us fortunate enough to have been born in or raised in industrialized nations such as the United States, the nations of Europe and other such well-to-do nations. We generally take for granted the ability to turn the faucet on and drink water directly from the tap no matter where we are in those countries and thus do not concern ourselves with the fact that much of the fresh water available on the earth's surface is not acceptable for drinking without applying some kind of treatment or filtration process. However, in many developing third-world countries, it is not always so easy to obtain water for drinking. In general, water in these countries must be treated and/or purified by the drinker of the water prior to its becoming potable. Various chemical and mechanical contrivances has been designed to prepare and/or filter the water, but each of these devices have inherent disadvantages, usually relating to the volume of water which can be prepared and the ease by which the filtration or water preparation unit can be transferred to the location where it is needed.
These problems become even greater in magnitude during natural disasters and in the immediate aftermath thereof. For example, in the December 2004 tsunamis which traveled throughout the Indian Ocean basin, many of the developing and/or third-world countries in the area were severely impacted by the enormous waves. One of the major difficulties encountered after the tsunamis occurred was obtaining potable water for the millions of survivors, as the vast majority of available water sources had been contaminated by bacteria, minerals or other such contaminants. The individuals hardest hit in the tsunami disaster were unable to obtain potable water, which led to the deaths of countless other persons who could have been saved had access to potable water been provided. There is therefore a need for a portable water filtration device which may be quickly and easily transported to a location where it is needed and also which is capable of providing a substantial amount of potable water to enable a large number of persons to obtain potable water from the filtration device.
Several examples are found in the prior art which attempt to address and solve this problem, including such devices as Selig, U.S. Pat. No. 2,253,251, Wismeth, U.S. Pat. No. 6,861,652 and Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,411. Each of these prior art devices, however, include inherent disadvantages which do not permit their use in a situation where ease of portability and rapid filtration of substantial quantities of water is required. For example, Wismeth discloses a tank which disinfects aqueous media through use of a UV source, but only cleans a small quantity of drinking water at one time, thus rendering it useless for providing water to a large number of individuals. Selig and Lin, on the other hand, disclose filtration devices which will sterilize a larger quantity of water but which are not designed for transportability and thus cannot be quickly and easily transported to a location where the filtration of water is needed. There is therefore a need for an easily portable water filtration device which is also capable of filtering relatively large quantities of water to provide to a number of individuals needing the purified water.
Therefore an object of the present invention is to provide an improved portable water filtration device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved portable water filtration device which includes a liquid-tight filter container and a filtration device mounted within the liquid-tight filter container which includes at least two filters selected from the group including UV filters, activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters, depending upon the filtration needs of the user of the present invention.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved portable water filtration device which is relatively light in weight thus permitting it to be easily transported and carried to locations where water filtration is needed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide and improved portable water filtration device which includes a battery unit connectable to an AC power source or to a solar panel or the like for charging the battery in order to power the UV filter and/or external pumping device to drive water into and through the portable water filtration device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide and improved portable water filtration device which does not include a pumping device built into the device to reduce weight and decrease the possibility of breakdowns of the elements of the unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide and improved portable water filtration device which is usable with water flow through the device in either direction therethrough, i.e. the inlet and outlet openings are interchangeable for use.
Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide and improved portable water filtration device which is relatively simple and durable in design and construction and is safe, efficient and economical in use.


A reclining mechanism (1, 1a) for an item of furniture comprising a pair of linkage units (2, 2a), each having a first arm (21, 21a) and a second arm (22, 22a) adapted to be secured to, respectively a stationary (40) and a reclining (41) part an item of furniture (4) adapted for moving the reclining part between upright and reclined positions. The first and the second arms are pivotally connected to each other at their first ends (23, 23a; 24, 24a) and ratchet arrangement (26, 27, 28) is provided between the first and the second arms which allows the second arm to rotate in one direction while preventing its rotation in the opposite direction. The linkage units are spaced apart from each other and are connected by a pivot bar (30) connected at its ends to the ratchet arrangement of each linkage unit and actuatable by a lever (31) for overriding the rotation preventing action of the ratchet mechanism to allow the second arm to rotate freely.

It is known to provide upholstered furniture with recliner linkage for moving armrests or a backrest with respect to a seat between upright and reclined positions. Typical disadvantages of existing mechanisms include cumbersome construction and/or the presence of a gap or gaps between the seat and the reclined armrest or backrest.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantages and to provide a reclining mechanism which is relatively simple in construction, easy to manufacture and convenient in use.

Reclining mechanism for an item of furniture


A torque converter including an impeller clutch with a first portion connected to a cover for the torque converter and a second portion connected to an impeller; and a lever element in contact with the clutch and displaceable to multiply a first force applied to the lever element for operation of the clutch. In some aspects, the converter includes an impeller piston plate engaged with the lever element and displaceable to apply the force to the lever element. In some aspects, the torque converter includes a torus and a charge chamber for the impeller clutch, a second force is associated with a hydraulic pressure to prevent cavitation in the torus, a third force is required to operate the impeller clutch to transmit a desired torque across the impeller clutch, and the multiplied force is at least equal to a sum of the second force and a third forces.

FIG. 1 illustrates a general block diagram showing the relationship of the engine 7, torque converter 10, transmission 8, and differential/axle assembly 9 in a typical vehicle. It is well known that a torque converter is used to transmit torque from an engine to a transmission of a motor vehicle.
The three main components of the torque converter are the pump 37, turbine 38, and stator 39. The torque converter becomes a sealed chamber when the pump is welded to cover 11. The cover is connected to flexplate 41 which is, in turn, bolted to crankshaft 42 of engine 7. The cover can be connected to the flexplate using lugs or studs welded to the cover. The welded connection between the pump and cover transmits engine torque to the pump. Therefore, the pump always rotates at engine speed. The function of the pump is to use this rotational motion to propel the fluid radially outward and axially towards the turbine. Therefore, the pump is a centrifugal pump propelling fluid from a small radial inlet to a large radial outlet, increasing the energy in the fluid. Pressure to engage transmission clutches and the torque converter clutch is supplied by an additional pump in the transmission that is driven by the pump hub.
In torque converter 10 a fluid circuit is created by the pump (sometimes called an impeller), the turbine, and the stator (sometimes called a reactor). The fluid circuit allows the engine to continue rotating when the vehicle is stopped, and accelerate the vehicle when desired by a driver. The torque converter supplements engine torque through torque ratio, similar to a gear reduction. Torque ratio is the ratio of output torque to input torque. Torque ratio is highest at low or no turbine rotational speed (also called stall). Stall torque ratios are typically within a range of 1.8-2.2. This means that the output torque of the torque converter is 1.8-2.2 times greater than the input torque. Output speed, however, is much lower than input speed, because the turbine is connected to the output and it is not rotating, but the input is rotating at engine speed.
Turbine 38 uses the fluid energy it receives from pump 37 to propel the vehicle. Turbine shell 22 is connected to turbine hub 19. Turbine hub 19 uses a spline connection to transmit turbine torque to transmission input shaft 43. The input shaft is connected to the wheels of the vehicle through gears and shafts in transmission 8 and axle differential 9. The force of the fluid impacting the turbine blades is output from the turbine as torque. Axial thrust bearings 31 support the components from axial forces imparted by the fluid. When output torque is sufficient to overcome the inertia of the vehicle at rest, the vehicle begins to move.
After the fluid energy is converted to torque by the turbine, there is still some energy left in the fluid. The fluid exiting from small radial outlet 44 would ordinarily enter the pump in such a manner as to oppose the rotation of the pump. Stator 39 is used to redirect the fluid to help accelerate the pump, thereby increasing torque ratio. Stator 39 is connected to stator shaft 45 through one-way clutch 46. The stator shaft is connected to transmission housing 47 and does not rotate. One-way clutch 46 prevents stator 39 from rotating at low speed ratios (where the pump is spinning faster than the turbine). Fluid entering stator 39 from turbine outlet 44 is turned by stator blades 48 to enter pump 37 in the direction of rotation.
The blade inlet and exit angles, the pump and turbine shell shapes, and the overall diameter of the torque converter influence its performance. Design parameters include the torque ratio, efficiency, and ability of the torque converter to absorb engine torque without allowing the engine to "run away." This occurs if the torque converter is too small and the pump can't slow the engine.
At low speed ratios, the torque converter works well to allow the engine to rotate while the vehicle is stationary, and to supplement engine torque for increased performance. At speed ratios less than 1, the torque converter is less than 100% efficient. The torque ratio of the torque converter gradually reduces from a high of about 1.8 to 2.2, to a torque ratio of about 1 as the turbine rotational speed approaches the pump rotational speed. The speed ratio when the torque ratio reaches 1 is called the coupling point. At this point, the fluid entering the stator no longer needs redirected, and the one way clutch in the stator allows it to rotate in the same direction as the pump and turbine. Because the stator is not redirecting the fluid, torque output from the torque converter is the same as torque input. The entire fluid circuit will rotate as a unit.
Peak torque converter efficiency is limited to 92-93% based on losses in the fluid. Therefore torque converter clutch 49 is employed to mechanically connect the torque converter input to the output, improving efficiency to 100%. Clutch piston plate 17 is hydraulically applied when commanded by the transmission controller. Piston plate 17 is sealed to turbine hub 19 at its inner diameter by o-ring 18 and to cover 11 at its outer diameter by friction material ring 51. These seals create a pressure chamber and force piston plate 17 into engagement with cover 11. This mechanical connection bypasses the torque converter fluid circuit.
The mechanical connection of torque converter clutch 49 transmits many more engine torsional fluctuations to the drivetrain. As the drivetrain is basically a spring-mass system, torsional fluctuations from the engine can excite natural frequencies of the system. A damper is employed to shift the drivetrain natural frequencies out of the driving range. The damper includes springs 15 in series with engine 7 and transmission 8 to lower the effective spring rate of the system, thereby lowering the natural frequency.
Torque converter clutch 49 generally comprises four components: piston plate 17, cover plates 12 and 16, springs 15, and flange 13. Cover plates 12 and 16 transmit torque from piston plate 17 to compression springs 15. Cover plate wings 52 are formed around springs 15 for axial retention. Torque from piston plate 17 is transmitted to cover plates 12 and 16 through a riveted connection. Cover plates 12 and 16 impart torque to compression springs 15 by contact with an edge of a spring window. Both cover plates work in combination to support the spring on both sides of the spring center axis. Spring force is transmitted to flange 13 by contact with a flange spring window edge. Sometimes the flange also has a rotational tab or slot which engages a portion of the cover plate to prevent over-compression of the springs during high torque events. Torque from flange 13 is transmitted to turbine hub 19 and into transmission input shaft 43.
Energy absorption can be accomplished through friction, sometimes called hysteresis, if desired. Hysteresis includes friction from windup and unwinding of the damper plates, so it is twice the actual friction torque. The hysteresis package generally consists of diaphragm (or Belleville) spring 14 which is placed between flange 13 and one of cover plates 16 to urge flange 13 into contact with the other cover plate 12. By controlling the amount of force exerted by diaphragm spring 14, the amount of friction torque can also be controlled. Typical hysteresis values are in the range of 10-30 Nm.
For torque converters with some clutch configurations, oil flows through the torus, absorbs heat to cool the torus, and passes through openings in the friction material for the impeller clutch. Unfortunately, the heated oil can undesirably raise the temperature of the friction material. Further, for torque converters with some clutch configurations, the torus is typically in fluid communication with the release pressure chamber for the clutch. Unfortunately, the torus and the release chamber have conflicting requirements. It is desirable to maintain high pressure in the torus to prevent cavitation and to enable proper cooling flow, while at the same time, it is desirable to maintain pressure as low as possible in the release chamber to minimize the pressure needed to engage the clutch.
Therefore, there is a long-felt need in a torque converter to avoid adding heat to friction material through oil flow and to resolve the conflicting requirements for pressure in a clutch release chamber and the torus.

Multi function torque converter with lever spring and method for controlling hydraulic pressure and flow


As shown in one preferred embodiment, a two-blade vice-type nail clipper comprising a thin safety-cover-guard with ergonomic upward angle and wrap-around safety edges, that is permanently mounted just below said nail clipper's lower cutting blade and that follows or mirrors the shape of said nail clipper's lower cutting surface, including wrapping around the sharp sides, corners and edges of said lower cutting surface, so as to provide an industry advancing level of nail cutting safety with minimal invasiveness.

The present invention relates to the general field of nail clippers, primarily in the area of nail clipper safety and more specifically, in the field of reducing cuts, injuries and stress commonly experienced and associated with current un-safe nail clippers during the nail cutting process.
Despite numerous attempts over the past century, the nail clipper industry has failed to offer consumers en masse a safe and commercially accepted solution for the style of nail clippers preferred by consumers en masse, the common two-surface vice-type nail clipper as depicted in the preferred embodiment described herein. Tens of millions of children, seniors in need of care, mentally & physically handicapped individuals of all ages who cannot care for themselves, parents, home-care workers, those with medical conditions such as diabetes, as well as the entire nail salon industry would benefit from the novel remedies offered by the present invention. Inventor states that proper weight be given to the fact that after one hundred and forty years of failed safety attempts, the common two-blade vice-style nail clipper most commonly preferred by consumers en masse still offers no safety solution, to this day, and that the present invention provides a remedy not previously known not only for consumers en masse, but for the nail clipper industry as well. The present invention brings the common nail clipper into the twenty first century.
Previous nail clipper safety attempts offered by the nail clipper industry have resulted in nail clippers that are cumbersome, inefficient, not practical or desirable to use, unrecognizable, frightful looking or in still other ways, found to be unpopular or unacceptable by consumers en masse. These previous failed attempts have resulted in the common two-blade vice-style nail clipper being just as dangerous today as it was one hundred and forty years ago. There has been no prior proposed remedy that has either earned the trust of consumers en masse, or that has advanced the common two-blade vice-style nail clipper into the twenty first century. More importantly, this means children, seniors, handicapped people and nail salon customers are still being injured, and stress is still common for those who have to cut the nails of another person. Because no innovative and popular safety solution to this problem exists, a remedy is needed by the industry and by the public, and is now offered by the present invention.
Sharp corners and edges: The nail clipper industry does not offer consumers a remedy that addresses and solves the problems created by a nail clipper's sharp corners and edges, focusing instead on the front cutting blades or surfaces only, which only addresses part of the reason nail clippers cause cuts and injuries. By not solving the problem of those injuries caused by a nail clipper's sharp corners and edges especially when cutting nails at difficult angles, and by not offering direct protection from said sharp corners and edges, previous safety devices fail to deliver the level of safety offered by the present invention.
Advanced means to pry up nail and simultaneously have said nail in cutting position: The common two-blade vice-style nail clipper preferred by consumers en masse offers no way to perform this function. A unique feature of the present invention occurs when a difficult, diseased, injured or torn nail needs to be pried upward in order to be cut with a nail clipper. With the present invention, the safety-cover-guard pries up the nail, and while holding the nail in that position, the nail clipper's blades are automatically already in perfect position to cut that area of the nail. This is a unique feature of said safety-cover-guard not known before.
Background conclusion: The present invention in its preferred embodiment offers consumers en masse an ergonomic, intuitive and novel remedy not previously available. The need for the remedy offered by the present invention is long standing. Inventor states the present invention, based on its unique design and small footprint could become the industry standard for all nail clippers going forward. The nail clipper industry has left consumers en masse with no safety protection at all for their preferred two-blade vice-type nail clipper, despite one hundred and forty years of failed attempts. The present invention is a unique and novel safety remedy for a century-old problem.

Nail clipper with thin angled wrap-around cover-guard


A method and apparatus for providing an alternative power source for a graphics card are disclosed. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes the steps of laying a set of gold fingers on a printed circuit board according to an industrial standard bus interface, positioning a wire in a middle layer of the printed circuit board, attaching a first end of the wire to a specific gold finger, and attaching the alternative power source to a second end of the wire, wherein the second end of the wire is an electroplated contact protruded external to the printed circuit board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an adapter card supporting Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express bus interface, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for providing an alternative power source to a graphics card.
2. Description of the Related Art
Unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this first portion are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A computer system typically includes a dedicated graphics subsystem, such as a graphics card, to render graphics images for the computer system. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI-E) has been adopted by the industry as the standard bus interface for connecting the graphics card and the motherboard of the computer system.
A typical graphics card 100 includes at least a processing unit, memory unit, and traces on a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB generally includes multiple layers with the traces (not shown) running through at least the top and bottom layers. The traces are made of connecting materials and are connected to the various components to facilitate signal transmission and power supply. The traces are also connected to gold-plated terminals of a card-edge connector (also referred to as "gold fingers.") To illustrate, FIG. 1A is a simplified schematic diagram showing the conventional graphics card 100 with the PCI-E interface and with a set of gold fingers 110. The gold fingers 110 are divided into a first portion 102 and a second portion 104. Here, the gold fingers in the first portion 102 are primarily responsible for carrying data signals, and the gold fingers in the second portion 104 are primarily responsible for supplying power to the entire graphics card 100. Generally, the graphics card 100 is powered up by connecting a power supply to a dummy pad (not shown). In particular, the dummy pad is connected to the second portion 104 through a wire, so that the electric charges from the power supply flow through the second portion 104. The electric charges are then directed to the first portion 102 from the second portion 104.
One existing solution is to connect the first portion 102 to the second portion 104 using a wire. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a conventional gold finger layout and wire connections. Here, each of the first portion 102 and the second portion 104 includes shortened gold fingers 118 and 120, respectively. For the first portion 102, the shortened gold finger 118 resides on a top layer 112 of a PCB. For the second portion 104, the shortened gold finger 120 resides on a bottom layer 116 of the same PCB. The shortened gold fingers serve two purposes. One is to provide a fool-proof design, which ensures the proper insertion of the graphics card into a slot, so that connection is secured. The other is to supply power to the graphics card. Both of the shortened gold fingers 118 and 120 are connected to through holes 124 and 126, respectively. The through holes 124 and 126 are cylindrically shaped and with electroplated medium, which is capable of transmitting electrical signals such as power signals. An external power source is connected to a dummy pad 130, which is connected to the shortened gold finger 120 from the second portion 104 on the bottom layer 116. To relay power signal from the second portion 104 to the first portion 102, a wire 128 is used. The wire 128 connects the shortened gold finger 118 of the first portion 102 to the shortened gold finger 120 of the second portion 104. The wire 128 is positioned in a middle layer 114 of the PCB. As shown in FIG. 1B, the wire 128 is connected to the shortened gold finger 120 on the bottom layer 116 via the through hole 126 and is also connected to the shortened gold finger 118 on the top layer 112 via the through hole 124. Positioning the wire 128 in a different layer, as opposed to either on the top layer 112 or the bottom layer 116, helps to reduce signal interferences caused by running the wire 128 across the PCB. However, the problem of signal interferences still can not be removed completely, especially if the strength of the signal traveling on the wire 128 is increased. With signal interferences, the overall quality of the signal transmission, especially at high speed, still suffers.
FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram showing the structure of another conventional gold finger layout and wire connections. Here, a wire 160 is positioned on a top layer 150 of a PCB. A shortened gold finger 154 is positioned on one end of a set of gold fingers 152, which are also positioned on the same top layer 150. The wire 160 is connected from the shortened gold finger 154 on the top layer 150 to a dummy pad 158. The dummy pad 158 generally is positioned close to the location of the shortened gold finger 154 and as discussed above, is often connected to a power supply. In between the shortened gold finger 154 and the dummy pad 158 is a last gold finger 156.
The illustrated configuration has a notable shortcoming. Since the wire 160 is positioned on the top layer 150, a trace 162 connecting to the last gold finger 156, which is also positioned on the same top layer 150, necessarily intersects with the wire 160 connecting between the shortened gold finger 154 and the dummy pad 158. Such an intersection creates an impermissible short circuit. To avoid the short circuit, the last gold finger 156 is in effect rendered useless (i.e., cannot be connected to a trace) but still occupies precious space on the PCB.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed is a method and apparatus capable of providing an alternative power source while maintaining the current gold finger layout, and address at least the problems set forth above.

Method and apparatus for providing an alternative power source for a graphics card


A tape reel device includes a cartridge case (20) rotatably accommodating a spool (22b) around which an ink ribbon (22a) is wound, and a braking means (3) for providing back tension to the ink ribbon (22a) unwound from the spool (22b). The braking means (3) includes a sliding contact member (35) in sliding contact with end surface of the rotating spool (22b), a coil spring (36) urging the sliding contact member (35) in shaft direction of the spool (22b), and a rotation restriction means (37) for restricting rotation of the sliding contact member (35). The rotation restriction means (37) includes an engaging portion protruded from the cartridge case (20) to be inserted into the sliding contact member (35), and an to-be-engaged portion (44) which is protruded from inner circumference of the sliding contact member (35) and with which the engaging portion engages in rotation direction of the spool (22b).

Conventionally, a tape reel device including a spool which is pivotally supported by an upper case and a lower case and around which an ink ribbon is wound and a braking means which is inserted into a hollow portion of the spool from an upper end of the spool is known (see PTL 1). The braking means urges downward a sliding contact member which includes a flange portion at the upper end thereof and which is formed in a cylindrical shape having a bottom by using a coil spring accommodated inside the inner circumference thereof, so that the braking means puts a brake on rotation of the spool by pressing the sliding contact member onto the spool. A tongue-shaped piece extended downward from the upper case engages with a to-be-engaged portion provided at an eccentric position on the bottom portion of the sliding contact member to prevent the sliding contact member from rotating along with the spool. In this way, back tension is provided to a fed ink ribbon.

Tape reel device and tape cartridge including the same


The present invention is directed to affinity chromatography devices that separate a targeted protein or antibody from an aqueous mixture containing the targeted protein or antibody. The chromatography device may contain a stacked membrane assembly or a wound membrane assembly. The membrane assemblies include at least one polymer membrane that contains therein inorganic particles. The polymer membrane and/or the inorganic particles have an affinity ligand bonded thereto. The affinity ligand may be a protein, an antibody, or a polysaccharide that reversibly binds to the targeted protein or antibody. The chromatography device may be repeatedly used and may be cleaned with a caustic solution between uses. The chromatography devices may have a dynamic binding capacity (DBC) of at least 30 mg/ml (or 0.07 micromol/ml) at 10% breakthrough at a residence time of 20 seconds or less.

Chromatographic methods generally are used to separate and/or purify molecules of interest such as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysacchandes from a mixture. Affinity chromatography specifically involves passing the mixture over a matrix having a ligand specific (i.e. a specific binding partner) for the molecule of interest bound to it. Upon contacting the ligand, the molecule of interest is bound to the matrix and is therefore retained from the mixture. Affinity chromatography provides certain advantages over other types of chromatography. For example, affinity chromatography provides a purification method that can isolate a target protein from a mixture of the target protein and other biomolecules in a single step in high yield.
Despite the advantages of current affinity chromatography devices, there exists a need in the art for a chromatography device that can be used at shorter residence times than conventional devices while providing the same binding capacity or better binding capacities than current offerings and that is re-useable.


A repeater bipolar violation in-service detection system is provided for in-service detection of a bipolar violation in a smart repeater, and includes a repeater bipolar violation in-service detection controller and a repeater bipolar violation in-service detection reporting unit. The repeater bipolar violation in-service detection controller provides a repeater bipolar violation in-service detection control signal containing a control request for information about an in-service detection of a bipolar violation in a smart repeater, and responds to a repeater bipolar violation in-service detection reporting unit signal containing information about the in-service detection of the bipolar violation in the smart repeater. The repeater bipolar violation in-service detection reporting unit responds to the repeater bipolar violation in-service detection control signal from the repeater bipolar violation in-service detection controller, for providing the repeater bipolar violation in-service detection reporting unit signal to the repeater bipolar violation in-service detection controller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for monitoring repeaters in a span line; and more particularly, to a system for in-service monitoring of repeater bipolar violations for a T1 span line.
2. Description of the Prior Art
T1 spans have been known in the art for more than 20 years and typically connect together two remote communication points. A T1 span has span lines connected by regenerative repeaters that are each normally spaced about every mile or so in the T1 span. The regenerative repeaters perform various function to a T1 span signal being transmitted over the T1 span, including equalization, clock recovery, pulse detection, and regenerative transmission. One problem in the art is that the regenerative repeaters break down at remote locations along the T1 span causing data errors.
Current T1 spans use smart or intelligent regenerative repeaters that are well known in the art, such as the Txport STARS (span test and restoral system). The smart regenerative repeaters have built-in detection circuits, for providing continuous performance monitoring to each node in the span, as described in Telephony, Jun. 15, 1992. The built-in detection circuit may include a bipolar violation detection circuit. However, one major disadvantage of the known T1 spans is that the central office which monitors the T1 span does not receive automatic error detection information from the smart or intelligent regenerative repeaters.
Another major disadvantage of the known T1 spans is that service technicians have to query each repeater to evaluate error detection information in the built-in detection circuits in order to perform fault isolation, which is costly and time-consuming.
Still another major disadvantage of the known T1 spans is that error detection information cannot be obtained while the T1 span is in-service, except for spans using an Extended Super Frame (ESF) datalink. Thus, in order to isolate a fault in a repeater along the T1 span, the T1 span must be taken out of service. Out-of-service fault isolation and maintenance is very expensive because the customer dictates when the T1 span can be worked on and the cost in man/hours escalates if the work needs to be done at night during low traffic hours.

Repeater bipolar violation in-service detection system