An ink jet array print head (101) includes four media-width linear ink jet arrays (100). Ink flows from four sets of manifolds (106) through acoustically matched inlet filters (116), inlet ports (117), inlet channels (118), pressure chamber ports (120), and ink pressure chambers (122). Ink leaves the pressure chambers through outlet ports (124) and flows through oval outlet channels (128) to orifices (108), from which ink drops (110) are ejected. The ink pressure chambers are bounded by flexible diaphragms (130) to which piezo-ceramic transducers (132) are bonded. To minimize inter-jet cross-talk caused by pressure fluctuations in the manifolds, compliant walls (150) form one wall along the entire length of each manifold. An ink feed system (200) supplies four colors of ink to the print head. Phase-change inks are melted and deposited in ink catch basins (202), funneled into ink storage reservoirs (204), and fed to the-print head through ink stack feeds (206). Manifold tapering, inlet port positioning, and an elevationally upward slope of the ink stack feeds enhances purgability of the ink feed system and the ink jet print head.

There are well-known apparatuses and methods for implementing multiple-orifice drop-on-demand ink jet print heads. In general, each ink jet of a multiple-orifice drop-on-demand ink jet array print head operates by the displacement of ink in an ink pressure chamber and the subsequent ejection of ink droplets from an associated orifice. Ink is supplied from a common ink supply manifold through an ink inlet to the ink pressure chamber. A driver mechanism is used to displace the ink in the ink pressure chamber. The driver mechanism typically includes a transducer (e.g., a piezo-ceramic material) bonded to a thin diaphragm. When a voltage is applied to the transducer, it displaces ink in the ink pressure chamber, causing the ink to flow through the inlet from the ink manifold to the ink pressure chamber and through an outlet and passageway to the orifice.
It is desirable to employ a geometry that permits the multiple orifices to be positioned in a densely packed array. Suitably arranging the manifolds, inlets, pressure chambers, and the fluidic couplings of the chambers to associated orifices is not a straightforward task, especially when compact ink jet array print heads are sought. Incorrect design choices, even in minor features, can cause nonuniform jetting performance.
Uniform jetting performance is generally accomplished by making the various features of each ink jet array channel substantially identical. Uniform jetting also depends on each channel being free of air, contaminants, and internally generated gas bubbles that can form in the print head and interfere with jetting performance. Therefore, the various features of the multiple-orifice print head must also be designed for effective purging.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,197 issued Mar. 8, 1988 for IMPULSE INK JET SYSTEM describes an ink jet array print head having two parallel rows of generally rectangular ink pressure chambers positioned with their centers aligned. Each one of a linear array of ink jet orifices is coupled to an associated ink pressure chamber. The central axis of each orifice extends normal to the plane containing the ink pressure chambers and intersects an extension portion of the ink pressure chamber. An ink manifold of substantially uniform cross-sectional area supplies ink to each of the chambers through a restrictive opening that acts to minimize acoustic cross-talk between adjacent channels of the multiple orifice array. However, such restrictions often trap bubbles and, as a consequence, require frequent purging. Also described is the effect of pressure chamber resonances on jetting uniformity and the use of dummy channels and compliant wall structures to reduce reflected wave-induced cross-talk in a 36-orifice ink jet print head.
Effective purging depends on a relatively rapid ink flow rate through the various features of an ink jet print head to sweep away bubbles and contaminants. Ink flow rate at various locations in an ink manifold depends on the number of downstream orifice channels being purged and the cross-sectional area of the manifold. The flow rate is, therefore, greater at the upstream end of the manifold than at the downstream end where only a single orifice channel is drawing ink. Consequently, the ink flow rate at the downstream end of the manifold may not be sufficient to sweep away entrapped bubbles and contaminants.
Some ink flow rate and nonuniformity problems are addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,480 issued Jan. 4, 1983 for HEAD DEVICE FOR INK JET PRINTER, which describes a multiple-orifice ink jet print head having uniform feature sizes in each orifice channel and an ink manifold having a nonuniform cross-sectional area that provides increased flow rate at its downstream end. However, the manifold is shaped such that flow stagnation regions can still entrap bubbles or contaminants. The print head further includes a serpentine ink inlet configuration that provides uniform acoustic performance among orifice channels and an ink supply manifold having ink inlets at both ends. Such a configuration provides for rapid ink flow rate in one ink inlet, through the manifold, and out the other inlet (cross-flow purging) that effectively removes contaminants or bubbles from the ink manifold but not from the various features of each orifice channel.
Printing speed and jetting uniformity are addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,930 issued Feb. 11, 1992 for DROP-ON-DEMAND INK JET PRINT HEAD, assigned to the assignee of this application, which describes a compact 96-orifice ink jet print head having acoustically uniform internal features. The print head is constructed of laminated plates that together form associated arrays of ink manifolds, diaphragms, ink pressure chambers, ink inlets, offset channels, and orifices. Particular plates also form black, yellow, magenta, and cyan ink manifolds that are distributed elevationally above and below the other internal ink jet features. In particular, the elevationally lower manifolds are connected to the upper manifolds by ink communication channels. Unfortunately, during periods of no printing, buoyant bubbles can become entrapped in an upper arch of the ink communication channel, and when printing, the rate of ink flow is insufficient to sweep the bubbles away through any of the ink supply channels of the print head. During purging, ink is caused to flow at an increased rate through the manifolds and ink supply channels, causing the bubbles to be drawn toward the downstream end of the upper manifold where they are unfortunately entrapped in a stagnation region.
Entrapped bubbles are a particularly serious problem because each bubble has a resonant frequency that acts to increase cross-talk among ink jet channels whenever an ink orifice channel ejects ink drops at a rate near the resonant frequency of the bubble. Moreover, at some ink drop ejection rates, sufficient energy is transferred to the bubble to cause it to grow and ultimately prevent the associated ink jet from operating.
Some solutions to bubble entrapment are addressed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/056,346 filed Apr. 30, 1993 for A MULTIPLE-ORIFICE DROP-ON-DEMAND INK JET PRINT HEAD HAVING IMPROVED PURGING AND JETTING PERFORMANCE, which is assigned to the assignee of this application. A 124-orifice ink jet print head is described in which the manifolds are tapered to eliminate ink flow stagnation regions. Further, the manifolds and ink supply channels are all tilted elevationally upward and include inlet channel ports distributed along the upper edges of the manifolds such that the buoyancy of bubbles causes them to float upward in the manifolds and be easily swept into an ink supply channel. Moreover, the tapering and sizing of the manifolds and other internal ink jet features minimizes cross-talk and resonance-induced jetting nonuniformities. However, even with 124 orifices, a printer employing the print head still requires two minutes to produce a color print.
A solution to the printing speed problem is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,156 issued Aug. 27, 1985 for INK-JET PRINTER, which describes an ink jet image transfer printer that employs a print media-width print head that ejects image-forming ink drops directly onto a rapidly rotating drum. The media-width print head employs a linear array of ink jet orifices that are spaced apart by 0.254 millimeter (0.1 inch) to print a 79 dots per centimeter (200 dots per inch) resolution image on the drum during 20 successive rotations thereof during which time the print head is laterally moved. After the drum receives the image, a print medium is placed in rolling contact with the drum to transfer the image from the drum to the print medium. Such transfer printing is advantageous because of relatively high-speed printing, insensitivity to print media thickness, and a simplified "straight through" paper path. However, the above-described printer cannot produce color prints nor can the print head orifice spacing support a printing resolution of 118 dots per centimeter (300 dots per inch) or greater.
Despite the numerous prior multiple-orifice ink jet print head designs, a need still exists for a manufacturable, purgable, ink jet print head that can produce multiple high-resolution, high-quality color prints per minute.


A file splitting apparatus for splitting a data file recorded over a plurality of recording management regions arranged in the recording region of a recording medium, the apparatus including a management region detecting section for detecting a management region including a file splitting position, a management region recording part copying section for copying the management region recording part including the file splitting position; and a management information altering section for altering the management information of the data file to first management information for managing one of the split data files obtained by splitting the data file at the file splitting position and second management information for managing the other split data file.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a file splitting apparatus, a file splitting method and a file splitting program that can suitably be applied to a video recorder integral with a camera (to be referred to as video camera hereinafter) for picking up an image of a subject as moving image and recording the generated moving image data as data file.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known recording/reproduction apparatus are adapted to define a data recording region for recording data files and a management information recording region for recording management information necessary for managing the data files according to a File Allocation Tables (FAT) file system. Additionally, recording/reproduction apparatus are adapted to define a plurality of recording management regions (to be referred to clusters hereinafter) for the data recording region according to the FAT file system and also record a management table for managing recording/reproduction of data files by each part thereof for which management information is recorded in a cluster (to be referred to as cluster recording part hereinafter) of the data files.
With this arrangement, the recording/reproduction apparatus manages recording/reproduction of data files in the data recording region of a recording medium by mean of the management table, utilizing the FAT file system. Additionally, the recording/reproduction apparatus manages splitting of data files recorded in the data recording region of the recording medium jointly utilizing some other file system defined based on the FAT file system (see, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-5867)

File splitting apparatus, file splitting method and file splitting program


A memory cell array has memory cells, each of which has a ferroelectric capacitor and a selection transistor. A plate line is connected to one end of the ferroelectric capacitor and applied a certain plate line voltage. A sense amplifier circuit senses and amplifies voltage of the bit line. An error correction circuit corrects any error in retained data in the memory cells sensed by the sense amplifier. A plate line control circuit controls the timing for switching a potential of the plate line to a ground potential, based on absence or presence of error correction by the error correction circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor storage device, and in particular, to a semiconductor storage device with an error correction function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ferroelectric memories (FeRAMs) are semiconductor storage devices that allow non-volatile storage of data based on two different magnitudes of polarization in a ferroelectric substance, using hysteresis characteristics of ferroelectric capacitors.
Generally, conventional ferroelectric memories have memory cells that employ architecture similar to that used in DRAM, wherein paraelectric capacitors are replaced with ferroelectric capacitors and the ferroelectric capacitors are connected to selection transistors in series (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-250376). Such memory cells are arranged in a grid pattern to constitute a memory cell array. When reading data, for example, a word line (selection line) corresponding to one of the memory cells to be read is driven in such a way that the corresponding selection transistor becomes conductive, by which the memory cell is connected to the corresponding bit line.
In addition, a so-called TC parallel unit serial connection type ferroelectric memory is known that is provided with memory cell blocks having memory cells connected in series, each of which memory cells is configured by parallel connection of a selection transistor and a ferroelectric memory (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-4811). For the TC parallel unit serial connection type ferroelectric memory, each of the memory cell blocks may be connected to a respective bit line when a block selection transistor with a block selection line (selection line) connected to its gate becomes conductive.
Whether a structure similar to that used in DRAM or a structure of TC parallel unit serial connection type, the ferroelectric memories may use the following schemes: "two transistors-two cells" (2T2C) scheme that uses two memory cells to read complementary data, and "one transistor-one cell" (1T1C) scheme that uses one memory cell to read complementary data.
By way of example, provided that a structure similar to DRAM is used, in the 2T2C scheme, a word line corresponding to one of the memory cells to be read and another word line corresponding to the complementary memory cell in which the complementary data is retained are selected to connect the memory cell to the bit line and the complementary memory cell to a complementary bit line. Then, plate voltage is applied to a plate line and voltage is applied across ferroelectric capacitors that configure the memory cell and the complementary memory cell, respectively. Charges from one ferroelectric capacitor in the memory cell are read to the bit line, while those from the other ferroelectric capacitor in the complementary memory cell are read to the complementary bit line, Then, the potentials of the pair of bit lines are compared and amplified by a sense amplifier.
On the other hand, in the 1T1C scheme, a word line connected to one of the memory cells to be read is selected to connect the memory cell to a corresponding bit line. Thereafter, plate voltage is applied to a plate line connected to the memory cell and voltage is applied across a ferroelectric capacitor that configures the memory cell. As a result, while charges from the ferroelectric capacitor are read to the bit line, a reference potential is applied to complementary bit lines, which constitute a pair of bit lines, by a reference potential generation circuit. The potentials of the pair of bit lines are compared and amplified by a sense amplifier. For the TC parallel unit serial connection type, it has a similar configuration to the other two schemes, except that a memory cell block is selected by a block selection transistor and a memory cell is selected by a word line.
The read operation of ferroelectric memory is destructive read because data is read by applying voltage across a ferroelectric capacitor to cause polarization inversion. Accordingly, after a read operation, it is necessary to write the read data back to the corresponding memory cell. In the conventional ferroelectric memories, for example, write back of "0" data may be performed by maintaining potentials of a pair of bit lines amplified by a sense amplifier circuit, and then write back of "1" data may be performed by reducing the potential of the plate line to a ground potential while maintaining the amplified potentials of the pair of bit lines.
Meanwhile, the ferroelectric memories may also be provided with error correction circuits (ECC circuits) for correcting data errors in a memory cell (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-175697). When ECC circuits are provided and error detection and correction is executed, it is necessary to maintain potentials of plate lines and bit lines during execution. Consequently, it will take longer to write "0" data than to write "1" data, causing so-called "imprint" (providing shifts in hysteresis characteristics of a corresponding ferroelectric capacitor), which could lead to degraded data reliability.


A method of manufacturing an embedded passive device for a microelectronic application comprises steps of providing a substrate (110, 210, 310), nanolithographically forming a first section (121, 221, 321) of the embedded passive device over the substrate, and nanolithographically forming subsequent sections (122, 222, 322) the embedded passive device adjacent to the first section. The resulting embedded passive device may contain features less than approximately 100 nm in size.

Microelectronic circuits contain various components that produce electromagnetic radiation capable of influencing other circuit components. Switching noise, voltage droop, parasitic inductance, and similar issues can negatively affect circuit performance if left unaddressed. Accordingly, decoupling (or "bypass") capacitors have been used in microelectronic circuits to decouple one part of an electrical circuit from another so that the negative effect of circuit noise is lessened.
For example, a ceramic capacitor has pairs of electrodes separated by dielectric material. The capacitance C of the capacitor is given by the formula C=(kAn)/d, where k is the dielectric constant of the dielectric material, A is the active area of the electrodes, n is the number of layers (with at least one of the layers consisting of an electrode pair plus the separating dielectric), and d is the thickness of each layer. As may quickly be seen from the formula, one way to increase capacitance is to decrease the dielectric layer thickness. The dielectric layer thickness can be reduced to about 1 micron in current-generation multiple-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs).
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the discussion of the described embodiments of the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Similarly, if a method is described herein as comprising a series of steps, the order of such steps as presented herein is not necessarily the only order in which such steps may be performed, and certain of the stated steps may possibly be omitted and/or certain other steps not described herein may possibly be added to the method. Furthermore, the terms "comprise," "include," "have," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
The terms "left," "right," "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "over," "under," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. The term "coupled," as used herein, is defined as directly or indirectly connected in an electrical or non-electrical manner. Objects described herein as being "adjacent to" each other may be in physical contact with each other, in close proximity to each other, or in the same general region or area as each other, as appropriate for the context in which the phrase is used. Occurrences of the phrase "in one embodiment" herein do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

Nanolithographic method of manufacturing an embedded passive device for a microelectronic application, and microelectronic device containing same


A tape cartridge capable of recording and reading out large and small tape cartridges with different widths is provided. The tape cartridge comprises a pair of right and left hubs for winding a tape which is winded off from one hub and is wound around the other hub via tape guides. A passage for light injection and a passage for light ejecting of the tape end detection light are opened respectively on a side wall of a case of a main body facing a tape traveling path between the tape guide and the hub, and an optical path inverted body facing a pair of passages across the tape traveling path is arranged in the case of the main body. One of the passages for light injection and the passages for light ejecting in the large and small tape cartridges is formed at a prescribed distance from the reference surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape cartridge of a compatible type capable of recording and reading out large and small tape cartridges with different widths (thickness measurements from upper face and lower face of the tape cartridges) in common with the same tape driver.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to public that large and small tape cartridges with different widths of their body cases can be recorded and read out in common with the same tape drive in this kind of tape cartridge (refer to: JP-A-5-250841 (paragraph 0022, FIG. 1) and JP-A-7-6558 (paragraph 0020, FIG. 1)). According to the tape cartridge disclosed in JP-A-5-250841, in order to absorb a difference of the widths and the measurements of the large and small tape cartridges, a recess portion is formed on a bottom surface of the large tape cartridge and the large and small tape cartridges are mounted in the same tape drive; and in this state, the recess portion is defined as a positioning reference in the large tape cartridge and a bottom surface of the lower case is defined as a positioning reference in the small tape cartridge, and thereby, heights of the tapes of the large and small tape cartridges inside of the tape drive are maintained constant so as to share upper and lower positions of the tape traveling path.
According to the tape cartridge disclosed in JP-A-7-6558, the center of traveling of the tape inside of the tape drive is defined as a reference position, and memory elements to be arranged in the large and small tape cartridges respectively are arranged at the same distance from the reference position. In the memory element, a specification and property of the tape, and the data of setting a device upon filming or the like are recorded.
According to the present invention, an optical path inverted body such as a prism is provided inside of a case of a main body. A detected light that is irradiated from a light emitting element outside of the case of the main body into the case is inversely guided toward a light receiving element outside of the case of the main body by the optical path inverted body so as to detect an end of the tape. A tape cartridge adopting such a classification of optical detection system is known to public in JP-UM-8-7592 (page. 2, a right column lines 29 to 35, FIG. 3).
In order to perform the light detection of the end of the tape, a passage for light injection and a passage for light ejecting are opened at side walls of the case of the main body facing to the optical path inverted body. In many cases, the passage for light injection is opened at an upward part of the side wall of the case, and the passage for light ejecting is formed facing a contact surface of the upper and lower cases. Therefore, when making the large and small tape cartridges with different widths of the cases compatible, in response to the passage for light injection and the passage for light ejecting of the large and small tape cartridges, two dedicated light emitting elements and two dedicated light receiving elements are disposed on the right and left sides of the tape drive respectively, namely, four elements are disposed in total, resulting in making the inner structure of the tape drive complicated and higher cost. It is also possible to dispose the light emitting element and the light receiving element respectively on the right and left sides of the tape drive, and the upper and lower positions of the light emitting element and the light receiving element are switched respectively. In this case, however, a driving mechanism is needed and this makes the structure more complicated.


Embodiments of this invention relate to a method of determining the risk of driving a vehicle on a road network as a function of, for example, location, time of driving, weather, road conditions, driver ability, and traffic density. Historical information for the above is statistically analyzed to come up with a predictive model. Results can be displayed or presented to a driver while driving or otherwise or another person.

Currently navigation devices or navigation applications on a general purpose device have the ability to display real-time traffic information superimposed on a map. In addition, individual incidents such as accident or road construction can be displayed as icons on a map. This can facilitate avoiding traffic by moving to a route that has less traffic or avoiding particular incidents. There is a need to perform a similar function but to chart the overall risk of driving. However driving risk can come in a variety of forms and how to display driving risk is problematic. The driver's ability to respond to risky conditions also vary and contribute to the risk.
Real time information (while driving) is very relevant to risk. For example, if the road is icy, the likelihood of being in an accident is potentially higher.
With a dynamic risk indexing system that is continually updated and also has real-time inputs, it is further possible to compel drivers to adjust driving habits based on the real-time information and the driver's historical driving habits to reduce the risk. For example, if a particular route is known to be icy, and the course the driver is taking is being monitored, and the monitoring system further suggests an alternate non-icy route, then the driver can avoid risky conditions. Alternatively if the driver has exhibited lack of vehicle control in driving at the current speed in similar conditions, then the monitoring system can suggest that the driver slow down to a safe speed.
Real-time information can come from a variety of sources such as wireless acquired weather information and traffic reports. This information can further be statistically aggregated to produce historical weather/traffic risk information likelihood indices that are spatially and temporally indexed. Metadata associated with the historical information can then be used to cull older information and continually update the indices with the latest information. Also continuous, real time, accumulation of accident reports with root causes can be helpful to access and distribute that risk across the total driving space of some geographic region. In addition, the driving behavior of an individual driver when driving under specific conditions can be monitored and factored into the risk.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Determination and display of driving risk


A method includes, responsive to a determination that a first vehicle system to be received in a vehicle yard is longer than a length of a receiving route of the vehicle yard that is designated for receiving the first vehicle system, processing a first movement plan to generate a revised movement plan. The first movement plan governs movement of the first vehicle system and one or more second vehicle systems in a transportation network that includes the vehicle yard. The revised movement plan is generated based at least in part on a designated time restriction for the first vehicle system to travel to and be received within the vehicle yard on the receiving route. The method also includes controlling at least one of the first vehicle system or at least one of the one or more second vehicle systems based on the revised movement plan.

A transportation network for vehicles can include several interconnected main routes on which separate vehicles travel between locations. For example, a transportation network may be formed from interconnected railroad tracks with rail vehicles traveling along the tracks. The vehicles may travel according to schedules that dictate where and when the vehicles are to travel in the transportation network. The schedules may be coordinated with each other in order to arrange for certain vehicles to arrive at various locations in the transportation network at desired times and/or in a desired order.
The transportation network can include a vehicle yard, such as a rail yard that includes a relatively dense grouping of routes or locations where several vehicles can congregate. As the vehicles travel through the transportation network, one or more vehicles may travel to a vehicle yard for storage, maintenance, refueling, reordering with other vehicles, and the like. The times at which the vehicles are to travel to and enter into the vehicle yards may be dictated by the schedules of the vehicles.
But, due to unforeseen circumstances, such as damage to routes in the transportation network, unplanned maintenance to one or more vehicles, accidents, and the like, one or more vehicles may fall behind their associated schedules. Falling behind the schedules can cause the vehicles to enter into and/or leave a vehicle yard at a different time than previously scheduled. As a result, the number of vehicles in a vehicle yard may vary from a previously scheduled or planned number.
The capacity of vehicle yards to receive vehicles may vary as the numbers of vehicles in the vehicle yards change. If a vehicle is scheduled to enter into a vehicle yard at a time when the vehicle yard has insufficient capacity to enter into the yard, the vehicle may need to stop outside of the vehicle yard and wait for the capacity to increase so that the vehicle can enter into the vehicle yard. For example, a train having one or more locomotives and several cars may be unable to fit into a rail yard when other locomotives, cars, or other vehicles are in the rail yard and there is not enough room to receive the additional locomotive and cars of the train. As a result, the vehicle waiting to enter the vehicle yard may waste resources such as time, fuel, and/or operator time, and/or generate additional emissions while waiting for the capacity of the vehicle yard to increase.
Some vehicles may be longer than a receiving route (e.g., track) of a vehicle yard. For example, some trains may be longer that the longest continuous track in a rail yard. When such a train arrives at the rail yard, the train may be required to stop to be divided up into smaller groupings of the rail cars and/or locomotives in the train. The smaller groupings can then be received into the rail yard.
Dividing up the vehicles, however, can take a significant amount of time. Additionally, operation of the vehicles may be subject to legal limitations, such as time limits on how long a crew of operators can continuously work before being replaced by a new crew of operators. Switching out the crew of operators can be a significant, and at times uncontrollable, expense in the operation of the vehicles. For example, a long train that arrives at a rail yard too late for an existing crew to separate the train into smaller groupings and enter the groupings into the rail yard may be subject to more expensive local crews of operators, with the local crews of operators having payment requirements that may not be able to be controlled or anticipated in advance.

System and method for changing when a vehicle enters a vehicle yard


A foldable scooter is disclosed with two rotational connections to the steering column, and a fixing structure that maintains the frame elements fixed relative to each other and stable when riding. Once the fixing structure is disengaged, the frame elements are free to rotate relative to each other such that the scooter can be folded into a more compact dimension.

With energy independence, energy cost, and environmental concerns becoming more important every year, it is desirable to reduce the consumption of energy in every sector, including transportation, which accounts for 28 percent of energy use. Although mass transit systems are often available and can be effective at reducing cost and pollution, there are still various problems that limit consumers' willingness to travel by bus or subway instead of in their cars.
One of the most important issues affecting the widespread use of mass transit is the first mile and last mile problem. Individuals need to travel to and from the mass transit station, which is usually located some distance away from their home or workplace. To get to the bus or train station, individuals would typically need to walk or bike and spend more time or effort than they want to, or arrive there by car, often requiring a parking fee. If the individual drives or bikes from home to the station, the car or bike would typically need to be left at the station because it is not allowed on the bus or subway. The individual would still lack a way of getting from the station to the ultimate destination.
Therefore it would be desirable to have a portable personal mobility device that can take people from their homes to the station, one that is foldable and lightweight so that they can carry it with them on the mass transit vehicle, and use it again to get from the transit station to their final destination. Conventional options for bikes or seated electric scooters are generally too cumbersome and heavy to be taken onto the bus or train. While there are some lightweight options, they can take many steps to fold and unfold, which makes them less convenient for the user.
What is needed, therefore, is a small and lightweight scooter that can be easily folded and transported when not in use.


An attaching device for removably attaching various types of display objects to a hat. The attaching device has a fastener for engaging with the display object and a spring member for retaining the fastener therein and attaching to a button of the hat. The fastener is in the form of a plastic ring with a plurality of tabs projecting from a bottom rim thereof. The spring member has an upper spring portion, a lower spring portion and a joint spring portion connecting the upper and lower spring portions. The upper spring portion has an inner perimeter substantially the same as the maximum radial extent of the tabs, such that the plastic ring can be inserted therein. A plurality of protrusions is formed to extend inwardly from the inner perimeter of the upper spring portion. The protrusions are outline with a profile mating that of the tabs, such that the plastic ring can be secured interlocked with the spring member. The lower spring portion has an open end split into two parallel leaves, such that, by bending the joint spring to open the space between the upper and lower spring portions, the spring member can slide towards the button to receive the button within the space between the upper and lower spring portions.

The invention relates in general to hat accessories, and more particularly, to an attaching device allowing various types of display or ornamental object to be removably attached to a button found on conventional hats/caps.
In order to make the hats more visually appealing for various reasons such as displaying promotions and comedic effect, many hats, especially baseball-style caps, typically include a central button at their apex. The central button provides convenient means of attaching various accessories to the hat.
Many products have been designed to attach accessories to the button on top of a hat or a cap. For instances, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,970, Knutson discloses a display object attached to a spring. By rotation and pressing the spring against the hat button, one or more of the spring coils advances past the button and restores its original dimension underneath the button. As such, interference between the button and the bottom coils of the spring secures the device to the hat.
Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,546, Stazo discloses a device with a thin-walled bottom member that includes a hole with slits or slots radially extending therefrom. The slits or slots allow the portion of the bottom member surrounding the hole to deform when pushing the button into the hole. Such deformation allows the button to advance past the bottom member, and then the bottom member returns to its original shape. Thus, interference between the bottom member and the button secures the device to the hat. Both the Knutson and Stazo patents disclose objects that can be removably attached to the button of a hat/cap due to interference between the button and the patented device itself. However, as both Knutson and Stazo require members that locally flex in order to achieve an interference fit, repeated attachment and removal of the device, that is, repeated flexure can eventually lead to failure of the devices. For instance, since the same coil spring of the Knutson device must cyclically flex during attachment and removal, repeatedly attaching and detaching the device can cause the coil to permanently deform to an extent that the diameter of the coil is larger than the diameter of the button. Likewise, repeated attachment and detachment of the Stazo device can eventually fracture the portion of the bottom member. In both cases, a secure interference fit between the respective devices is compromised.
Therefore, there exists a substantially need in the art for a hat/cap accessory that can be easily and repeatedly attached to and removed from a button of the cap by more reliable attaching/detaching mechanism.


A tyre with a concave mark provided on a surface of a sidewall portion. A bottom surface of the concave mark is divided into a shadow area and a remaining main area. The shadow area is an area along a shadow wall portion that is in the shadow of a wall portion of the concave mark when light is shed to the concave mark from a direction. The shadow area has a plurality of minute protrusions.

On the surface of the sidewall portion of the tyre, marks that are characters, symbols, and the like for representing the manufacturer name, brand name, size of the tyre, and the like are formed. Conventionally, such a mark is formed in a convex shape so as to protrude from the surface of the sidewall portion in order to improve its legibility. However, the convex mark has a large air resistance, therefore, it has an adverse effect on fuel efficiency.
Therefore, in Patent Document 1 below, it has been proposed to form the mark in a concave shape lower than the surface of the sidewall portion.


Disclosed is an optical module comprising, an optical waveguide on the upper side of a substrate; a cutout with at least two slant surfaces, passing at least the core of the optical waveguide; and a film-filter above the cutout. Constructions of bi-directional multi-wavelength optical transmitter-receiver assembly using the optical module as a unit element are also provided in variety on a planar substrate. According to this invention, a bi-directional multi-wavelength transmitter-receiver, which is compact, reliable, excellent in the optical performance and simple in the alignments between the composing elements, can be produced.

Bi-directional optical communication transmits and receives simultaneously optical signals in both directions of a single optical fiber. In each direction, the optical wavelength in use is different, which provides two independent path of communication even if the path is single. Consequently, at the end of an optical fiber, the optical signal of outgoing is to be coupled into the reverse path of incoming signal and two conversions of signals, one from electrical to optical for transmission and the other from optical to electrical for reception, take place. More general form of bi-directional optical communication uses more wavelengths than the two wavelengths in each direction. The wavelengths in each direction then need to be splitted or combined at the termination of optical fiber; and the signals of each optical wavelength is to be converted either from electrical to optical or from optical to electrical.
An example of such a bi-directional device is a BiDi (bi-directional; simply written as BiDi) diplexer for use in the FTTH (Fiber-to-the-Home) network of optical communication, which uses 1.31 μm wavelength for transmission from each subscriber to the central office (upstream signal) and 1.55 μm wavelength for reception at each subscriber (downstream signal) in the network. Here, the 'diplexer' implies two wavelength device. Therefore, the termination of optical fiber at the subscriber is to be connected by the optical device of 1.31 μm transmission together with 1.55 μm reception into a single optical fiber to the central office.
On the other hand, an extra wavelength, in addition to the two wavelength of the diplexer, is used to send a signal such as CATV (Cable TV) to each subscriber, which is referred to a BiDi-triplexer or, simply, a triplexer. In this case, downstream digital signal uses 1.49 μm wavelength; upstream digital signal uses 131 μm wavelength; and downstream analog signal uses 1.55 μm wavelength. Furthermore, the fourth wavelength of 1.61 μm for further expansion is considered by some service providers.
As the number of wavelength channel in use increases in this manner, the number of optical components in use increases and the optical alignments in the assembly of the components becomes a critical issue in the production of device. For example, the core of a common optical fiber is about 10 μm and the tolerance of less than a micron in the optical alignment is necessary in the procedure of optical alignment fixing an optical fiber and the optical devices in use (transmitter or receiver; normally laser diode or photodiode).
In case of BiDi triplexer, for example, the optical alignment using the former technology has about 50 freedoms to fix in the alignment; and consequently one assembly of the device takes more than 10 minutes resulting in a serious bottleneck of production.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of a conventional BiDi-triplexer using former optical-filter technology. Such procedure is illustrated in the "Development of 3 TO-Triplexer Optical Sub-Assembly" (Photonics Conference 2004, paper number T1A2, Optical Society of Korea, Jungwan Park, et. al., Samsung Electronics).
Referring to FIG. 1, BiDi triplexer is composed of three TO-CAN's (Transistor Outline Can; 21, 22, 23) of one laser-diode and two photodiodes and four optical thin film filters 26,27,28,29. Transmitter TO-CAN 23 is pre-assembled with laser diode 23c, lens 23a, and monitor photodiode 23b; and receiver TO-CAN's 21,22 are pre-assembled each with photodiodes 21b,22b and lenses 21a,22a. The lenses 21a,22a,23a in front of each TO-CAN 21,22,23 and the lens 24 terminating the optical fiber 25 ensure collimated passage of light beam between these components 21,22,23,25.
Explaining the operation of the device, the receiving signals of 1.55 μm and 1.49 μm wavelength coming from the optical fiber 25 are divided by the film-filter 26,27,28,29 in free space, then reaching the receiver photodiodes 21,22. The transmitting signal of 1.31 μm wavelength coming from the laser diode 23 passes through the two consecutive filters 28,26 then reaching the optical fiber 25. In front of two photo-diodes 21,22, the blocking filter of 1.55 μm or 1.49 μm wavelength 27,29 which cuts off the other wavelength than the one of the corresponding photodiode is arranged.
The triplexer using the conventional technology introduces heavy task in the optical alignment. To solve the problem, a method of using a planar optical waveguide instead of using many individual components was introduced. According to this method, the optical alignments between components can be minimized; and components such as film-filters, transmitter, and receivers, can be assembled on a single chip. This method reduces significantly the number of freedom to fix in the optical alignment because optical waveguide can connect signals between the constituent components.
FIG. 2 shows the structure of triplexer using a conventional technology of optical waveguide, which is released in Japan laid-open JP 1998142459, ('Waveguide type optical module', Kyocera corp). Referring to the FIG. 2, the light signal launched through the input port 14 from the optical fiber 1 passes through the optical waveguide 18 entering the film-filters 7,8 in the groove 9, where the signals combine or split the wavelengths by passing or reflecting according to the wavelengths. The signal of 1.3 μm wavelength coming from the optical transmitter 5 is reflected by the film-filter 8 reaching the optical fiber 1. The signals of 1.49 μm and 1.55 μm wavelength come in from the optical fiber 1. The 1.49 μm signal passes two consecutive film-filters 7,8 reaching the receiver photodiode 4; and the 1.55 μm signal is reflected by the film-filters 7 reaching the optical fiber 2. In the termination of the optical fiber 2, a receiver photodiode may be attached.
In the structure of the triplexer, fragile film-filter 7,8 with the thickness of 0.1˜0.01 mm is to be prepared together with the matching groove 9 for insertion of the filter 7,8; and a delicate procedure of film insertion into the groove 9 is to be performed. Such an optical filter 7,8 is usually prepared by a coating on a glass substrate, followed by separating it from the substrate then cutting it into appropriate size. Such procedure is to be repeated one by one. This involves still a significant problem in production even though there is some improvement compared to the former methods of using the filter in free space as in the FIG. 1.
While the patent "OPTICAL COMPONENT FOR FREE-SPACE OPTICAL PROPAGATION BETWEEN WAVEGUIDES" (U.S. Pat. No. 7,031,575 B2, Xponent Photonics Inc.) also releases a module similar to the method in the FIG. 2, but this method still involves similar problem of inserting thin films into grooves encountered previously in the production of the devices.

Optical module and fabrication method of the same


An integrated generation control system includes at least one integrated control module, a rectification module, a communication module, a rectifier, a permanent magnet alternator, a generator, a maintenance module, a local control unit and a battery. The integrated control module includes an automatic voltage regulator, a power system stabilizer and an extensive gate controller. The rectification module is connected to the integrated control module. The communication module is arranged between the integrated control module and the rectification module. The rectifier is connected to the integrated control module and the rectification module. The permanent magnet alternator is connected to the rectifier. The generator is connected to the integrated control module.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated generation control system and, more particularly, to an integrated generation control system for enhancing the dynamic stability of a generation system or the stability of the output from generators operated in parallel.
2. Related Prior Art
An automatic voltage regulator ("AVR") is used to control an excitation system of a synchronous generator. The excitation system is used as a DC power supply for the field windings of the synchronous generator. Within the operative capacity of the synchronous generator, the filed currents of the field windings are used to control the voltage output from the synchronous generator and the ineffective power flow. However, the damping torque of the synchronous generator is inevitably reduced by the AVR in operation. Hence, it is necessary to provide a stabilizer to provide an additional control signal to produce a positive damping torque to compensate the reduction of the damping torque for the use of the AVR. To increase the quick responses and transient changes of the voltage output from the synchronous generator, the gain is increased in the AVR. In operation, the stabilizer adjusts the transfer function of the synchronous generator and moves the limits of the transfer function to control the root locus of the synchronous generator in the half plane and expedite the attenuation of the power oscillation. Hence, there would not be any unstable oscillation and the stability of the synchronous generator is increased whatever the transient changes or responses might be.
The excitation system may be a DC, AC or static one. The stabilizer may be operated in a two-mode input model, one-mode input model or multi-band model.
A conventional analog AVR is equipped with a control card that is a single element without a backup structure. In the analog AVR, the signal is transferred by wires and processed by analog elements such as amplifiers, adders, subtracters and/or comparators. The inevitable aging of any of the analog elements would cause precision drift and the precision of the transfer of the signal would be reduced. It is difficult to correct such errors and maintain the analog AVR.
A digital AVR measures and converts an analog signal to digital signal and transfers the digital signal to a microprocessor that executes calculation on the digital signal in accordance with an algorithm. The result from the calculation may be released in a digital form or released after it is converted to an analog form. The digital AVR needs a more complicated circuit than the analog AVR. However, regarding the transfer of the signal, the digital AVR is more precise and less vulnerable to the aging than the analog AVR because the digital AVR is equipped with a checking mechanism based on check codes.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY RESEARCH ATOMIC ENERGY COUNCIL, Executive Yuan, R.O.C.


The invention is generally directed to the field of fluid pressure operated devices such as air springs and fluid dampers and more specifically directed to the field of such devices having externally mounted structures. In particular, one of the mounting elements, such as a mounting hole for mounting the device between sprung and un-spring masses can be reoriented relative to the device and its externally mounted structures. Therefore, the reorientation of the mounting element may be achieved: using ordinary maintenance techniques and tools, without accessing the inside of the device and especially the fluid contained within the device, and/or without changing the length of the device.

As previously mentioned, the current invention is generally directed to the field of fluid pressure operated devices, such as gas springs or fluid dampers and more specifically directed to the field of fluid pressure operated devices having externally mounted structures such as fluid reservoirs, filling tubes, or external bypass tubes. An example of such a device in the form of a fluid damper is manufactured by Fox Factory, Inc., assignee of the current application, and sold under the following product names: Bypass 2.0, Bypass 2.5, Bypass 3.0, Bypass 3.5, and Bypass 4.3. These fluid dampers may include such externally mounted structures as an externally mounted fluid reservoir and/or at least one external bypass tube. By using external bypass tubes, bypass channels and bypass cylinders, such as described in assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,092 (Marking) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,895 (Marking), are no longer necessary while still providing a damper with position sensitive damping.
However, in general, unless the positioning of the external structures relative to the fluid pressure operated device's mounting elements is custom to every possible application or installation, it is possible that in mass-manufactured fluid pressure operated devices, the externally mounted structures, which typically are in fixed or permanent positions relative to the working cylinder, can sometimes be in a position that conflicts with vehicle structures, such as fenders. This may actually wind up prohibiting the use of the mass-manufactured fluid pressure operated device on that vehicle or require re-machining of components of the fluid pressure operated device. Both of these situations are undesirable.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,332 (Marzocchi) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,740 (Marzocchi) (hereinafter "the Marzocchi patents"), this problem was identified and a solution making the external component (i.e. compensator) movable relative to the damper cylinder is described. See also, Racerunner 2″ Piggyback Shock (www.swayaway.com).
Swayaway has another design in which allows the shock body to rotate 360° for ease of installation and eliminates the need for left and right specific shocks. See 2.5″ 3 Tube Piggyback Bypass Shock (www.swayaway.com).
Additionally, in GB 1,060,247 (Price) (GB '247), the same problem was identified in an air spring device. GB '247 proposes that the position of the cylinder may be adjustably maintained relative to a support platform using a double-threaded turnbuckle arrangement which has one end screwed into the lower end of the cylinder and the other end screwed into a terminal fitting forming a part of lower ball joint fixture. Adjustment may be made by turning a knurled sleeve and further movement prevented by setscrews. This design faces potential problems. In particular, threads are relied upon and threads may lock-up and bind once oil and grime starts to fill their grooves. Furthermore, threads cause the length of the working cylinder to change when the cylinder is adjusted. This may, in some instances, adversely affect device mounting or performance. Finally, GB '247 does not appear to be infinitely adjustable since adjustment is limited to thread length and pitch.
Accordingly, there is room for improvement within the art of fluid operated devices such as air springs and fluid dampers.

Fluid pressure operated device with adjustable positioning of mounting elements relative to externally mounted structures


A wrought age-hardenable nickel-chromium-cobalt based alloy suitable for use in high temperature gas turbine transition ducts possessing a combination of three specific key properties, namely resistance to strain age cracking, good thermal stability, and good creep-rupture strength contains in weight percent 17 to 22 chromium, 8 to 15 cobalt, 4.0 to 9.1 molybdenum, up to 7 tungsten, 1.39 to 1.65 aluminum, 1.50 to 2.30 titanium, up to 0.80 niobium, 0.01 to 0.2 carbon, up to 0.01 boron, up to 3 iron, up to 1.5 tantalum and less than 0.02 zirconium, with a balance of nickel and impurities. Certain alloying elements must be present in amounts according to two equations here disclosed.

To meet the demand for increased operating efficiency, gas turbine engine designers would like to employ higher and higher operating temperatures. However, the ability to increase operating temperatures is often limited by material properties. One application with such a limitation is gas turbine transition ducts. Transition ducts are often welded components made of sheet or thin plate material and thus need to be weldable as well as wroughtable. Often gamma-prime strengthened alloys are used in transition ducts due to their high-strength at elevated temperatures. However, current commercially available wrought gamma-prime strengthened alloys either do not have the strength or stability to be used at the very high temperatures demanded by advanced gas turbine design concepts, or can present difficulties during fabrication. In particular, one such fabrication difficulty is the susceptibility of many wrought gamma-prime strengthened alloys to strain age cracking. The problem of strain age cracking will be described in more detail later in this document. Another potential fabrication difficulty is hot cracking, a problem which may occur during welding, particularly in alloys which contain a certain amount of zirconium.
Wrought gamma-prime strengthened alloys are often based on the nickel-chromium-cobalt system, although other base systems are also used. These alloys will typically have aluminum and titanium additions which are responsible for the formation of the gamma-prime phase, Ni3(Al,Ti). Other gamma-prime forming elements, such as niobium and/or tantalum, can also be employed. An age-hardening heat treatment is used to develop the gamma-prime phase into the alloy microstructure. This heat treatment is normally given to the alloy when it is in the annealed condition. The presence of gamma-prime phase leads to a considerable strengthening of the alloy over a broad temperature range. Other elemental additions may include molybdenum or tungsten for solid solution strengthening, carbon for carbide formation, and boron for improved high temperature ductility.
Strain age cracking is a problem which limits the weldability of many gamma-prime strengthened alloys. This phenomenon typically occurs when a welded part is subjected to a high temperature for the first time after the welding operation. Often this is during the post-weld annealing treatment given to most welded gamma-prime alloy fabrications. The cracking occurs as a result of the formation of the gamma-prime phase during the heat up to the annealing temperature. The formation of the strengthening gamma-prime phase in conjunction with the low ductility many of these alloys possess at intermediate temperatures, as well as the mechanical restraint typically imposed by the welding operation will often lead to cracking. The problem of strain age cracking can limit alloys to be used up to only a certain thickness since greater material thickness leads to greater mechanical restraint.
Several types of tests to evaluate the susceptibility of an alloy to strain age cracking have been developed. These include the circular patch test, the restrained plate test, and various dynamic thermal-mechanical tests. One test which can be used to evaluate the susceptibility of an alloy to strain age cracking is the controlled heating rate tensile (CHRT) test developed in the 1960's. Recent testing at Haynes International has found the CHRT test to successfully rank the susceptibility of several commercial alloys in an order consistent with field experience. In the CHRT test, a sheet tensile sample is heated from a low temperature up to the test temperature at a constant rate (a rate of 25° F. to 30° F. per minute was used in the tests run at Haynes International). Once reaching the test temperature the sample is pulled to fracture at a constant engineering strain rate. The test sample starts in the annealed (not age-hardened) condition, so that the gamma-prime phase is precipitating during the heat-up stage as would be the case in a welded component being subjected to a post-weld heat treatment. The percent elongation to fracture in the test sample is taken as a measure of susceptibility to strain age cracking (lower elongation values suggesting greater susceptibility to strain age cracking). The elongation in the CHRT is a function of test temperature and normally will exhibit a minimum at a particular temperature. The temperature at which this occurs is around 1500° F. for many wrought gamma-prime strengthened alloys.
Good strength and thermal stability at the high temperatures demanded by advanced gas turbine concepts are two properties lacking in many current commercially available wrought gamma-prime strengthened alloys. High temperature strength has long been evaluated with the use of creep-rupture tests, where samples are isothermally subjected to a constant load until the sample fractures. The time to fracture, or rupture life, is then used as a measure of the alloy strength at that temperature. Thermal stability is a measure of whether the alloy microstructure remains relatively unaffected during a thermal exposure. Many high-temperature alloys can form brittle intermetallic or carbide phases during thermal exposure. The presence of these phases can dramatically reduce the room-temperature ductility of the material. This loss of ductility can be effectively measured using a standard tensile test.
Many wrought gamma-prime strengthened alloys are available in sheet form today in today's marketplace. The Rene-41 or R-41 alloy (U.S. Pat. No. 2,945,758) was developed by General Electric in the 1950's for use in turbine engines. It has excellent creep strength, but is limited by poor thermal stability and resistance to strain age cracking. A similar General Electric alloy, M-252 alloy (U.S. Pat. No. 2,747,993), was also developed in the 1950's. Although currently available only in bar form, the composition would easily lend itself to sheet manufacture. The M-252 alloy has good creep strength and resistance to strain age cracking, but like R-41 alloy is limited by poor thermal stability. The Pratt & Whitney developed alloy known commercially as WASPALOY alloy (apparently having no U.S. patent coverage) is another gamma-prime strengthened alloy intended for use in turbine engines and available in sheet form. However, this alloy has marginal creep strength above 1500° F., marginal thermal stability, and has fairly poor resistance to strain age cracking. The alloy commercially known as 263 alloy (U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,165) was developed in the late 1950's and introduced in 1960 by Rolls-Royce Limited. This alloy has excellent thermal stability and resistance to strain age cracking, but has very poor creep strength at temperatures greater than 1500° F. The PK-33 alloy (U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,213) was developed by the International Nickel Company and introduced in 1961. This alloy has good thermal stability and creep strength, but is limited by a poor resistance to strain age cracking. As suggested by these examples, no currently commercially available alloys possess the unique combination of three key properties: good creep strength and good thermal stability in the 1600° F. to 1700° F. temperature range, as well as good resistance to strain age cracking.
British Patent Publication GB 1 029 609 discloses an alloy adapted for use in the manufacture of gas turbine engines. However, the claimed compositional range of the British patent includes compositions which would be expected to fail at least one of the three gas turbine transition key properties described above based on the relationships taught by the present invention. Furthermore, the publication does not teach how to control the composition to meet these desired properties. Finally, no example alloys from that publication fall within the preferred ranges of the present invention.
Japanese Published Patent Application JP 01129942 discloses a nickel-based alloy said to have excellent hot workability. This publication teaches that zirconium improves the hot workability of the alloy and should be present in an amount of from 0.02% to 0.1%. But, such levels of zirconium are likely to produce hot cracking problems during welding of the alloy. This patent application also teaches that W is necessary for high temperature toughness, while I have found that W is not necessary for the key desired properties in a gas turbine transition duct, but may be present as a partial substitute for Mo according to a specified relationship. Moreover, the claimed compositional range of JP01129942 contains alloys which would be expected to fail one or more of the key properties for gas turbine transition ducts based on the relationships taught by the present invention. Finally, no example alloys from that publication fall within the preferred ranges of the present invention.
Japanese Published Patent Application JP 06172900 discloses a nickel-chromium-cobalt-molybdenum alloy containing from 8% to 12% molybdenum. However, this patent (issued in the 1990's) appears to claim compositions of much earlier patented alloys such as R-41 and M-252 alloys (described previously in this publication). The reference fails to recognize that molybdenum levels above 9.1% can lead to lower thermal stability and lower creep strength in this type of alloy. The claimed compositional range of this Japanese reference includes compositions which I have shown do not meet at least one of the key properties described above. Furthermore, the publication does not teach how to control the composition to meet these desired properties. Finally, no example alloys from that publication fall within the preferred ranges of the present invention.
Consequently, there is a need for an alloy which has a combination of good creep strength, good stability in the 1600° F. to 1700° F. temperature range, good resistance to strain age cracking and which can be welded without encountering hot cracking problems.

Ni-Cr-Co alloy for advanced gas turbine engines


Adsorption of CO2 from flue gas streams using temperature swing adsorption. The resulting CO2 rich stream is compressed for sequestration into a subterranean formation and at least a portion of the heat of compression is used in the desorption step of the temperature swing adsorption process.

Gas separation is important in various industries, particularly in the production of fuels, chemicals, petrochemicals and specialty products. A gas separation can be accomplished by a variety of methods that, assisted by heat, solids, or other means, generally exploits the differences in physical and/or chemical properties of the components to be separated. For example, gas separation can be achieved by partial liquefaction or by utilizing a solid adsorbent material that preferentially retains or adsorbs a more readily adsorbed component relative to a less readily adsorbed component of the gas mixture, or by several other gas separation techniques known in the industry. One such commercially practiced gas separation process is thermal swing adsorption ("TSA"). TSA has been an important technique for purifying gases ever since Joseph Priestley separated oxygen from air using solar heat on mercuric oxide. Temperature-swing adsorption is a process wherein a bed of adsorbent is used to selectively adsorb one or more species from a process stream, wherein the adsorbent bed is regenerated in a proceeding step by raising the temperature of the bed, thereby releasing the selectively adsorbed species.
TSA processes, when operated under certain conditions, allow a selective component or components in a gas mixture to be preferentially adsorbed within the pore structure of porous adsorbent materials relative to a second component or components in the gas mixture. The total amount adsorbed of each component in the material (i.e., the adsorption capacity), and the selectivity of the adsorption for a specific component over another component, may often be improved by operating the adsorption step of the process under specific pressure and temperature conditions since both pressure and temperature influence the adsorption loading of the components to a different extent. Species are desorbed because adsorption isotherms are strongly influenced by temperature. Thus, very high purities can be obtained by adsorbing at low temperature (where adsorption is strong) with the release of a strongly held specie being possible by means of high temperatures for desorption. Also, compared to pressure swing adsorption, TSA can be operated in the saturation regime of the isotherm, a significant advantage for capacity and range of utility with zeolitic adsorbents. In TSA processes, heat for the desorption step may be supplied directly by the adsorbent by flowing a hot desorbent gas through the bed, or indirectly through a heating coil, electrical heat source, or heat exchanger which is in intimate contact with the adsorbent.
Various methods of supplying heat to the adsorbent for regeneration have been proposed. These include microwave energy (U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,641), installation of electrical heaters inside the packed adsorbent bed of the adsorber (U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,611) and direct application of electric current to the adsorber for electrodesorption (U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,652). U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,962 discloses a dryer comprised of a shell and tube type adsorber heat exchangers wherein the internal tube surface is coated with fine water adsorbent particles. The dryer can be used in a rapid thermal swing adsorption cycle process. The adsorbent is indirectly heated or cooled by flowing hot or cold feed gas to the separation process through the shell side passage of the heat exchanger. The feed gas acts first as a cold shell side gas in a first absorber heat exchanger then is heated to act as a hot shell side gas in a second absorber heat exchanger undergoing regeneration, and then passes through the tube side of the first absorber heat exchanger where it is dried. Part of the dried gas is used as a purge gas for the tube side of the second absorber heat exchanger. Interchanging the functions of the two adsorber heat exchangers periodically reverses the cycle. The interchange may take place at intervals of from thirty seconds to three minutes. Many of the TSA processes have cycle times significantly longer than this, often as long as 12 hours.
TSA, as practiced, has several disadvantages. For example, in directly heated TSA processes, a hot fluid is typically flowed through the adsorption bed to raise the adsorbent temperature. The greater the temperature rise, the more fluid is needed. The desorbed impurities thus end up dispersed in a large volume of heating fluid, and the large amount of heat that is used to raise the adsorbent temperature is often not recoverable. In some cases, the heat is not recovered because many directly heated TSA systems are operated with long adsorption times (days) and much shorter regeneration times. Finally, the occasional and gradual regeneration gives rise to concentration and flow variations in downstream equipment that can be difficult to manage in an otherwise steady state process plant. In indirectly heated TSA systems, the heat can be supplied with a heat exchanger avoiding dilution of the product with a heated purge gas. However, heat management and the cyclic nature of indirectly heated TSA processes often presents difficulties.
In addition to gas species separations, TSA cycles have been used to thermochemically compress gases. Several heat pump and refrigeration cycles employ a thermochemical compression step (e.g., see Sywulka, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,156).
While various swing adsorption methods have been commercially practiced over the years there still remains a need in the art for improved swing adsorption methods, particularly when separating CO2 from flue gas and for more efficient use of heat generated in the process.

Temperature swing adsorption of CO2 from flue gas utilizing heat from compression

ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company


An extensible exercise golf club including a golf club shaft comprising a plurality of telescopic interlocking shaft lengths which function to extend from a collapsed position to a fully extended position as a result of the force generated by the swinging action of the golf club and automatically return to the collapsed position by the force of vacuum generated within the shaft as the shaft sections are telescopically extended.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an extensible exercise golf club for training golfers and more particularly, to an exercise golf club which includes a plurality of telescopic interlocking tubular shaft lengths containing a vacuum space disposed therein for causing the telescoped shaft lengths to extend from a collapsed position to a fully extended position and then to collapse from the extended position to a fully collapsed position as a result of the force generated by the vacuum space. Thus, beginning golfers can learn to swing a golf club very easily with very little effort, thus effectively reducing the training period.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several types of collapsible golf clubs are known in the art. For example, such golf clubs include those which possess adjustable shaft lengths; means for varying the grip of golf clubs axially collapsible shafts, and the like. However, such collapsible golf clubs suffer from many problems. For example, it is difficult for a beginning golfer to timely hit a golf ball using such golf clubs and to properly control the power transferred from the legs of the golfer to a golf club head. Such golf clubs are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,107,983 to Hamilton, U.S. Pat. No. 2,214,079 to Horton, U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,887 to Blake, U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,370 to Steiner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,102,726 to Barrett, U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,170 to Warnock, U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,646 to Wheeler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,660 to Kategian, U.S. Pat. No. 3,539,185 to Andis, U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,019 to Palotsee, U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,092 to Arkin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,231 to Moore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,473 to Laursen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,747 to Mazzocco et al.
In order to avoid such problems, U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,661, issued to the present inventor, describes an extensible exercise golf club including a golf club shaft comprising a plurality of telescopic tubular members which telescopically fit into each other for slidably extending from a telescopically collapsed position to a telescopically extended position. Channel and rail members are disposed alternately on the inner and outer surfaces of adjacent telescopic tubular members, whereby the rail member of one tubular member engages the channel member of an adjacent tubular member for interlocking the adjacent telescopic tubular members together. Thus, upon swinging the golf club, the club shaft member of the golf club is guided by the engagement of the rail members within the channel members whereby the twisting of adjacent shaft members is effectively prevented.
However, this extensible exercise golf club is complicated in structure and expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, in order to collapse the extended telescopic tubular shaft members, the golfer has to utilize force to push the tubular shaft members, which takes time in its operation. Sometimes, if the channel and rail members become broken, the extensible exercise golf club cannot be used and thus it becomes uneconomical.


A method for equipping a film material with at least one electrically conductive conductor structure, wherein a dispersion containing metallic nanoparticles in the form of a conductor structure is applied to a thermostable transfer material and the metallic nanoparticles are sintered to form an electrically conductive conductor structure. The electrically conductive conductor structure of sintered metallic nanoparticles is then transferred from the thermostable transfer material to the non-thermostable film material. A method for producing a laminate material using the film material using at least one electrically conductive conductor structure, and to the corresponding film material and laminate material are described.

A. Field of the Invention
The subject matter of the present invention is a method for equipping a foil material with at least one electrically conductive conductor structure, a method for manufacturing a laminate material which has at least two layers made of foil material and at least one electrically conductive conductor structure between the layers made of foil material, as well as foil materials manufactured by means of the method according to the invention and laminate materials having at least one electrically conductive conductor structure. Subject matter of the present invention are also products manufactured with the foil material and laminate material of the invention, such as for example security documents with electrically conductive security features, and such as electronic circuit units having IC-chip and coil for applications such as contactless data carriers in the form of flat material, as well as foil circuit elements which can be formed as a card body of a chip card or can be integrated in a chip card or in any other flat material.
B. Related Art
The contactless data transmission is increasingly gaining in importance, for example for the purposes of checking and controlling goods, for marking goods of the most different kind in order to avoid forgery or theft, and in particular also for electronic ID documents. The data carrier here typically is an IC-chip with antenna. The chip consists of a plurality of electronic components, and the antenna is an electrically conductive layer, typically in the form of a coil. The stored information can be read-out and displayed for example on a display or cause certain mechanical reactions, for example releasing or blocking the access to a certain region of a building. It is desirable to keep the contactless circuit units as small and in particular as flat as possible so that they can be attached in the form of labels to the surface of objects or integrated as inlets in the layer construction of a card, for example of an ID document, or of any other flat object.
Such a circuit unit is known for example from EP 0 756 244 A2. The disclosed circuit unit comprises at least one insulating carrier substrate on which there is located a conducting, flat coil, and an integrated circuit whose connection points are conductively connected with the coil ends directly or via contacts or are capacitively coupled thereto. On the insulating carrier material there are applied coil layers alternately to insulating layers, wherein each insulating layer has at least one passage through which the adjacent coil layers are conductively interconnected, or wherein the adjacent coil layers are capacitively coupled, so that the individual coil layers yield a coil. The coil layers are preferably printed on with a conductive lacquer or are sprayed on using a corresponding mask or are etched out of a conducting coating located on the carrier material. Other known manufacturing methods are, for example, applying the coil in the form of an electrically conductive coating through a hot stamping method to the carrier material, or punching out the coil of a metal foil or an electrically conductive coated plastic foil and applying it to the carrier material.
A preferred method for manufacturing coil layers and other conductor structures is an etch-free screen printing method, wherein a printing paste with a conducting material is printed on. After the printing, the carrier material is subjected to a heat treatment, in order to remove volatile components of the printing paste.
It is also often desired to activate or to deactivate, i.e. to switch on and off, electronic functional elements, such as chip modules. For this purpose, foil switching elements or foil push-buttons are known. For manufacturing a foil switching element, several foil layers, between which a switching contact is to be established, are put one on top of the other and glued to each other. Here, between two electrically conductive switching foils (contact foils) there is arranged a perforated and electrically insulating intermediate foil, which serves as a spacer and prevents the contact foils from touching each other in the resting state of the foil switching element. The intermediate foil thus effects that the foil switching element is open in the resting state. Through the exertion of pressure on at least one of the two contact foils in the region of the perforation of the intermediate foil, the contact foil is deformed and an electrical contact is established between the two contact foils. If no more pressure is exerted, the contact foil takes on again its original form, as a result of its elasticity. Thereby, the electrical contact between the two contact foils is interrupted. The foil switching element therefore closes the conductor circuit only during the exertion of a pressure on at least one of the two contact foils and opens it upon decrease of the pressure.
The contact between the switching foils of the "switch" and the connection of the switch to the functional elements is established through electrically conductive conductor structures. These structures can be produced in the same way as the above-mentioned flat coils, the production by printing technology being preferred.
Particularly preferably, for the manufacturing of the conductor structures, such as conductor paths, conductive areas and contact areas, pastes with metallic particles are employed, for example silver conductive pastes having silver particles, which are printed on the foils. Here, the problem arises that circuit units and foil switching elements, which are suitable for the integration into chip cards or for foil keyboards or other flat objects, normally consist of plastic foils, that is, the conductor structures must be formed on plastic foils, whereby the foils, moreover, often are thin with thicknesses in the range of about 50 μm to 300 μm. Such plastic foils, however, at higher temperatures are susceptible to distorting, curling and in the worst case shrinking. This property restricts the possibilities of producing flat conductor structures on plastic foils. Structures printed on by means of conductive pastes having metallic particles can only be dried at moderate temperatures, in the case of the usual carrier foils, such as for example PVC and amorphous PVC, at a maximum of 50° C.; polycarbonate, biaxially oriented polyester and paper are suitable for temperatures of about 100° C. The same applies to paper-based materials, as they are employed for security papers and value documents, for example for banknotes. Such value documents often have security features, the check criterion of which is the electrical conductivity. Mostly, it is desired to incorporate the security features in inconspicuous fashion. Manufacturing narrow, flat, inconspicuous conductor structures on or in substrates that are not temperature-resistant, as they are employed for value documents, however, is practically impossible.
At temperatures applicable to usual plastic foils and paper-based foils, there cannot take place a sintering of the metal particles forming the conductor structures. The result is a poor electrical conductivity in comparison to solid metallic conductor structures and a high metal consumption, in order to achieve an acceptable conductivity. Since the conductor structures are manufactured preferably with precious metals, such as silver, a high metal consumption simultaneously causes high costs. Furthermore, relatively high conductor structure thicknesses are required. Nevertheless, the achieved electrical conductivities still need to be improved. With silver conductive pastes there can be achieved values of at best about 1/10 of the conductivity of solid silver, typically much less, about 1/20 of the conductivity of solid silver.
Therefore, there is a need of an improved method for producing electrical conductor structures on foil materials, in particular for producing electrical conductor structures for electronic circuit units and other elements having electrically conductive conductor structures, which elements are integratable in flat materials, such as chip cards.

Transfer method for manufacturing conductor structures by means of nano-inks


A hybrid DC motor controller is provided for driving a DC motor. A switch is connected in series with the DC motor, and a capacitor is coupled in parallel with the DC motor and the switch. The speed of the DC motor is controlled by the capacitor voltage and the duty cycle of a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal supplied to the switch. The hybrid controller combines a motor speed control loop with a PWM optimization loop. The motor speed control loop generates a PWM signal in response to the speed of the DC motor and conducts that PWM signal to the switch to control the DC motor. The PWM optimization loop includes a controller that is responsive to the PWM signal and an AC voltage signal. This controller compares the PWM signal with a PWM signal setpoint, and drives the PWM signal toward the PWM signal setpoint by adjusting the capacitor voltage in response to the comparison between the PWM signal and the PWM signal setpoint. The speed of the DC motor changes in response to the adjusted capacitor voltage, and the motor speed control loop changes the PWM signal in response to the changed motor speed. These adjustments have the cumulative effect of driving the PWM signal toward the PWM signal setpoint. The controller included in the PWM optimization loop controls a rectifier for selectively supplying a rectified voltage to the capacitor.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional DC chopper motor drive. A full-wave bridge rectifier 11 receives an AC line voltage and constantly provides a rectified DC voltage to charge one or more capacitors 12. Coupled in parallel with capacitors 12 are motor M and switch 13. Motor M is coupled in series with switch 13, which may be a solid-state device such as a MOSFET or IGBT. The state of switch 13 controls whether current flows through motor M, and the state of switch 13 is in turn controlled by a signal from a motor speed control loop 14. When switch 13 is closed, power flows from capacitors 12 to the armature of DC motor M. The speed of DC motor M is determined largely by the voltage across capacitors 12 and the duty cycle of the signal supplied to switch 13.
The motor speed control loop 14 controls switch 13 with a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal, which determines the state of switch 13 and the operation of motor M. Typically, the shaft of motor M may be configured to transmit a pulse train whose frequency indicates the speed at which the shaft is rotating. Other suitable approaches may utilize motor speed feedback means such as an analog tachometer or an encoder. The motor speed control loop 14 may function by receiving a desired motor speed, synthesizing a pulse frequency corresponding to that desired motor speed, determining the current motor speed by analyzing the frequency of the pulse train from the motor shaft, and adjusting the PWM signal so that the actual motor speed approaches the desired motor speed.
Typically, the voltage on the capacitors 12 is unregulated, that is, the voltage is not externally controlled to be within a certain range. Thus, in FIG. 1, the voltage on capacitors 12 is determined largely by the magnitude of the AC line voltage. The motor speed control loop 14 can adjust the speed of the motor M only by adjusting the PWM signal. Should the capacitor voltage fluctuate for some reason, such as load variations, the motor speed control loop can react only by adjusting the PWM signal. For example, should the AC line voltage increase, the speed of DC motor M will also increase in response. The motor speed control loop 14 can compensate only by reducing the duty cycle of the PWM signal. Conversely, should the AC line voltage decrease, motor speed control loop 14 can compensate only by increasing the duty cycle of the PWM signal.
The PWM signal is a variable that is calculated and adjusted based upon several parameters, which include the capacitor voltage, the characteristics of the motor, and the operating load point of the motor. The characteristics of the motor and the operating load point of the motor are generally application-defined, and are constants in the control problem. Because the capacitor voltage is unregulated, the turndown of the motor controller is limited by the resolution of the PWM signal, the size of the motor compared to the capacity of the controller, and the line voltage.
The motor drive in FIG. 1 can suffer from limited turndown in certain situations. For example, if motor speed control loop 14 has already defined a high PWM duty cycle for a reason such as low capacitor voltage, and motor M receives a heavy load, then motor speed control loop 14 may not have enough operating range remaining to allow adjustment of the PWM signal to meet this heavy load. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a DC chopper motor controller having turndown that is not limited solely by the resolution of the PWM signal, the size of the motor compared to the capacity of the controller, and the line voltage. There exists a further need for a DC chopper motor controller that provides high turndown characteristics by keeping the PWM duty in the approximate middle of its range, thus allowing motor speed control loop 14 full flexibility in moving the PWM duty cycle to either extreme.

High-turndown DC motor controller and method


The present invention relates to a method of reducing equalizer complexity in communication systems, which also provides for reduced power dissipation. The method consists of reducing the number of channel responses expected by the equalizer by averaging sub-groups of all of the possible the channel responses chosen in a particular way.

Bandwidth constrained or narrowly filtered communication systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,155,530 to Alic, incorporated herein by this reference.
Communication systems, and in particular those relying on bandwidth constrained equalized transport principles need to incorporate equalizers in order to mitigate either deterministic and stationary, or time varying channel impairments in order to attain a desired level of performance. As a matter of fact, the complexity of the equalizer is directly related to the length of the channel response to a single input symbol (sometimes referred to as the channel spread), resulting from the impairments. In consequence, an extended channel response may result in undesirably and even prohibitively complex solutions fail to meet the industry needs since they result in overly intricate, and, thus, highly power hungry outcomes. Currently there are a number of solutions for equalization in communication systems affected by intersymbol interference. Some of these solutions attempt to mitigate channel induced impairments acting on the known (or estimated) channel spread. However, these solutions fail to meet the needs of the industry because they transform into complex equalization structures for a given amount of intersymbol interference length. Consequences of the underlying high complexity are an increased power dissipation of the equalizer and the communication system as a whole, increased latency, and challenging implementation. Other solutions attempt to use less complex equalization structures. However, these solutions are similarly unable to meet the needs of the industry because of the inappropriate performance associated with the latter equalizers.
Low complexity equalization is a critical practical concern in communication systems realization. The said property translates to lower receiver and system overall power dissipation, lower latency and complexity. Consequently, there currently exists a clear need in the industry for a reduced complexity equalizers, in particular related to bandwidth constrained equalized transport systems. It would, thus, be desirable to have a composition (i.e. an equalizer) that is capable of providing a superior mitigation of the intersymbol interference, and, thus, performance of communication systems, while maintaining a lower complexity, and low power dissipation which/that can be used to both user and system-provider benefit. Furthermore, it would also be desirable to have a composition that operates with low latency. Still further, it would be desirable to have a compound with good performance and a low complexity. Therefore, there currently exists a need in the industry for a composition that performs adequate equalization of the channel response, while maintaining low complexity of the underlying equalizer structure.

Method for reducing equalizer complexity in communication links


There is described a hoisting system and method of lifting that make use of a particular fibre rope. The fibre rope includes a plurality of magnets that are embedded within the fibre rope and spaced apart along the rope with a known axial distance between the magnets. The system may include a fibre rope hoisting speed sensor, and                a magnetic field sensor that can sense the presence of the magnetic field of the embedded magnets. Using the sensors, the hoisting speed of the rope may be determined by: measuring the time between the passing of consecutive magnets by using the magnetic field sensor; calculating the distance between consecutive magnets using the hoisting speed sensor and the measured time between the passing of the consecutive magnets; and comparing the calculated distance between the magnets with an original, predefined distance between the magnets.

Offshore lifting cranes and their related equipment are getting increasingly larger and heavier in order to keep up with the requirements for lifting continually heavier loads, often in increasingly deep waters. Lifting cranes for deep water operations need winch drums suitable for storing several thousand meters of wire rope, often in the order of 3000 meters or more, thus requiring large, heavy winch drums with equally large footprints. For hoisting loads in deep water operations it is often desirable to use fibre ropes due to their reduced weight compared to traditional steel wire ropes.
A challenge related to the use of fibre ropes is the difficulty of measuring the wear of the fibre ropes, and in particular to predict the lifetime of the fibre ropes. In practice, the difficulty of the predicting the wear has led to requirements of higher safety factors compared to when working with wire ropes made from steel. Currently, the industry standard requires a safety factor between 5 and 6 when working with fibre ropes, implying the need for large diameter ropes and correspondingly large and heavy equipment for handling the fibre ropes. One of the reasons why it is hard to predict the lifetime of fibre ropes is their very sensitive dependency on temperature, resulting from internal friction between the rope fibres, friction between the rope and the sheaves that it runs over during hoisting operations as well as the ambient temperature. In particular when used in heave compensation mode, where the same portion of the fibre rope undergoes numerous bending cycles under load during a period of time that can endure a few days, the wear might become excessive. In contrast to steel, the fibres may undergo an irreversible recrystallization process already at temperatures in the order of 60° C.
Hoisting systems are known that use thermocouples to measure the temperature of wire ropes. The thermocouples have been shown to be difficult to install and hold in operation, including to pass over sheaves in the hoisting system. In addition, thermocouples embedded inside fibre ropes have been shown to influence premature failure of the ropes and thus the need for an even higher safety factor. Also, thermocouples repeatedly passing over sheaves in heave compensation mode have been shown to fail prematurely.

Fibre rope and hoisting system including such a fibre rope