A soft magnetic material used for producing a powder compact has a plurality of iron particles having a Vickers hardness HV of less than 800 and satisfying the relationship of α/β≧2.5, where α represents the specific surface area of the iron particles measured by a gas adsorption method (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method) and β represents the apparent specific surface area of the iron particles calculated from the average particle diameter measured by a laser diffraction/scattering method.

Recently, dust cores that exhibit excellent magnetic characteristics over a broad frequency range have been increasingly used instead of electromagnetic steel plates in production of solenoid valves and motors. Such dust cores and a production method thereof are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-246219 (Patent Document 1). According to the method of producing dust cores disclosed in Patent Document 1, atomized iron powder covered with a phosphate film is first mixed with a predetermined amount of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS resin) and then subjected to a pressure-forming process. The resulting compact is heated in air at 320° C. for one hour and then heated at 240° C. for another hour. The compact is then cooled to produce a dust core. The powder compact, which is obtained by pressure-forming of iron powder, may be used also as a structural material in production of mechanical components and others besides the magnetic components described above. Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-246219

Soft magnetic material and method of producing powder compact


A time diversity transmission-reception system has, on transmit side, at least one delay of a predetermined delay for providing at least a pair of delayed and undelayed data symbol sequences, at least a pair of modulators for modulating the data symbol sequences into modulated intermediate frequency signals, and at least a pair of spread spectrum signal generators employing mutually different pseudo-random code sequences for code division multiplexing. On receive side, the received signals are subjected to code division demultiplexing, demodulation, and delaying to restore at least a pair of timed demodulated signals. These signals are then subjected to adaptive matched filtering, whose outputs are combined and applied to adaptive equalization to provide diversity reception signal. The present system provides a plurality of diversity branches without employing a plurality of frequencies, planes of polarization of a carrier wave or receiving antennas. Also, principal part of the system of the present invention can be readily integrated into LSI's, contributing to the reduction of manufacturing cost.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diversity transmission-reception system, and more particularly to a time diversity transmission-reception system utilizing code division multiplexing.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Diversity reception is generally necessary for radio communication involving fading channels, and particularly for digital communication through fading multipath channels. Signal fading is classified into two, i.e., flat fading and frequency-selective fading. Flat fading occurs as the amplitude and phase variation in the propagated signal, which has been received directly rather than through fading multipath channels. In contrast, frequency-selective fading occurs as a result of propagation through fading multipath channels, each of which causes mutually independent amplitude and phase variations to the signal propagated therethrough. In frequency-selective fading, where the reception signal is obtained through combining a plurality of signals propagated through fading multipath channels, the received signals at some frequencies may have mutually opposite phases resulting in zero amplitude. This causes frequency-selective fades or notches in the frequency spectrum of the reception signal. While the effect of flat fading is limited to the level of the reception signal with the waveform thereof unaffected, the frequency-selective fading resulting from propagation through fading multipath channels causes the variation not only in reception signal level but also in its waveform.
To obviate the adverse effect of fading multipath channels, diversity techniques and adaptive equalization techniques have been conventionally utilized. Among a variety of possible combinations of these techniques, the present invention is directed to the use of time diversity combined with adaptive equalization.
Referring to FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) showing respectively in blocks the transmit and receive sides of a conventional time diversity transmission-reception system, a data signal (data symbol sequence) "a" to be transmitted is split into two and supplied, one through delay means 101 (having delay t) and the other directly, to a pair of modulators 102 for modulation into modulated intermediate frequency (IF) signals, and then to a pair of transmitters 103 of carrier wave radio frequencies (RF) f.sub.1 and f.sub.2, whose outputs are combined at a combiner 104 and transmitted through a transmitting antenna 105. As a result, the two-branch transmit signals are transmitted at radio frequencies f.sub.1 and f.sub.2 with a time spacing of t. On the receive side shown in FIG. 1(b), the RF signal received by receiving antenna 106 is applied to a branching filter 107, which splits the received RF signal into the f.sub.1 and f.sub.2 components. These frequency components are respectively supplied to a pair of receivers 108 for amplification and conversion into intermediate frequency (IF) and then to a pair of demodulators 109 for synchronous detection. The output of demodulator 109 derived from the f.sub.1 component is then supplied through delay means 110 of delay t to optimum signal selector/signal combiner 111, while the output of demodulator 109 derived from the f.sub.2 component is supplied directly to selector/combiner 111. The selector/combiner 111 may consist of a signal selector for selecting the demodulation output signal of better quality out of the two incoming demodulation output signals in response to bit error rates and/or loss of frame synchronization. Alternatively, selector/combiner 111 may be composed of a diversity signal combiner designed to combine the two incoming demodulation output signals after phase-controlling them into timed state. The signal combiner may be made of a maximal ratio combiner designed not only to control the phases of the incoming signals into timed state but also to control their amplitudes to provide squared and unsquared values thereof. The output of selector/combiner 111 is supplied to adaptive equalizer 112 for eliminating waveform distortions caused by propagation through fading multipath channels, to provide reception data signal A.
The conventional system shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) may be called a frequency diversity system because two carrier waves of radio frequencies f.sub.1 and f.sub.2 are employed. However, this conventional system cannot achieve the frequency diversity effect if the f.sub.1 -f.sub.2 correlation is high enough to make the separation therebetween inadequate. On the other hand, delay t given to the second branch transmit signal provides the time diversity effect, if delay t is set at a value longer than the fading period.
In general, the f.sub.1 -f.sub.2 correlation cannot be reduced without expanding the frequency separation therebetween, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of the more efficient use of frequencies. Therefore, the conventional system shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) depends more heavily on time diversity, with the frequency diversity used only for the purpose of providing time diversity branches. However, the use of two radio frequency carrier waves at frequencies f.sub.1 and f.sub.2 requires the use of two transmitters 103 and two receivers 108, which are generally of large scale and costly to manufacture. Furthermore, the problem of dimensions, scale and manufacturing cost of the transmitter/receiver for the conventional system becomes more serious when the number of diversity branches is increased to more than two.
Another prior art diversity transmission-reception system, which is outlined in Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. Sho 63-286027 entitled "Transmission-path diversity-transmission system" and published Nov. 22, 1988, has, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, modulator 201 for data signal, whose output is supplied to a first transmitting antenna 203 directly and also to a second transmitting antenna 204 through a delay circuit 202 having delay t. On the receive side, the reception system has one receiving antenna 205, whose output is supplied to receiver 206, where the received RF signal is converted into an IF signal for detection by detector 207. The output of detector 207 is applied to waveform equalizer 208 for code decision by decision circuit 209. The delay t introduced by delay circuit 202 is set at a value longer than one time slot assigned to each of the modulating data symbols. The transmission carrier wave transmitted from the first and second transmitting antennas is propagated through mutually independent propagation paths, and subsequently received by a single receiving antenna 205. Therefore, the propagated signal consists of a plurality of multipath waves, whose undelayed and delayed components have respectively undergone Rayleigh fading mutually independently. Waveform equalizer 208 is designed to select either the undelayed or delayed wave, while eliminating the unselected wave, thereby to realize two-branch selective diversity reception. It is also described in the above-mentioned Kokai Publication that the undelayed and delayed waves are time-adjusted and combined by maximal ratio combining.
The prior art system of FIG. 2 is based on the concurrent use of time diversity and space diversity reception systems in that it utilizes the absence of spatial correlation among propagation paths. While a space diversity reception system ordinarily requires a plurality of receiving antennas, the above-cited prior art system has two transmitting antennas and a single receiving antenna, reducing the equipment size on the receive side and curtailing the manufacturing cost. The reduction of the number of receiving antenna to one is significant for a microwave communication system, which requires large-aperture antennas and associated equipment in contrast to terrestrial mobile communication systems requiring only small-sized antennas.
In the conventional diversity reception systems outlined above, either frequency or space (propagation path) must be relied on as transmission media. Particularly, in the time diversity reception concurrently employing frequency diversity for separation and derivation of diversity branches, the expansion of required frequency bandwidth and equipment scale is unavoidable, resulting in increased manufacturing cost. Similarly, the time diversity reception accompanied by space (propagation path) diversity requires a plurality of antennas, increasing the manufacturing cost particularly when the antennas are of large aperture type. Furthermore, the increase in the number of diversity branches in the above-mentioned time diversity reception system accompanied by either frequency or space diversity makes the abovementioned problems more serious.

Time diversity transmission-reception system


A cutter instrument for precision cutting of a corrugated sheet into a precision cut square for edge crush testing is disclosed. The cutter includes a base plate and a pair of cutting blades slidably mounted to the base plate for cutting movement in a direction parallel to a first guide rail. Positioning of the corrugated sheet against the first guide rail allows the sheet to be cut into a longitudinal strip of predetermined precise width. A pair of second guide rails spaced from each other by the predetermined width allows the strip to be rotated 90.degree. and positioned between the second guide rails and respective abutting contact therewith. Movement of the cutter blades along the cutting path completes the cutting of the strip into a precise square.

Corrugated cardboard is commonly used in the manufacture of shipping cartons having a wide variety of uses. The manufacturing of corrugated cardboard and the manufacturing of the cartons themselves are both well known and form no part of the present invention. However, in the manufacture of corrugated cartons, it is customary to determine the compression strength of the corrugated carton by edge crush testing of precision cut samples that are typically of square or rectangular dimensions. Heretofore, such samples were cut by hand, such as with a razor knife or saw, or formed with a die.
Such prior art methods are not completely reliable since the cut, and the precision thereof, varies with the manual skill of the cutter. If the resulting cut is not square, i.e., the edges are not parallel or the cut edge itself is bevelled, it will then be difficult to conduct a reliable crush test.
It is accordingly one object of the invention to obtain precision cut samples of corrugated cardboard to achieve reliable edge crush testing.
Another object is to provide a cutter for obtaining single or multiple precision cut samples of cut corrugated material.
Still another object is to provide a precision cutter which is portable, safe, easy to use, and does not utilize complex cutting mechanisms.

Cutter instrument for precision cutting of rectangular shapes from a corrugated cardboard sheet


In one aspect, a current source is provided to limit noise and offset. In one embodiment, a source transistor is provided, with current sourced at the drain. A feedback network runs from the source node to the gate. The feedback network produces voltage gain by a transconductance, such as a transistor. Appropriate capacitors are also provided, and two pairs of switches are disposed to provide offset cancellation by toggling between gain and clamp modes in the switched capacitor architecture.

Current sources are known in the art. In theory, current source may be divided into several different categories. The most simple is a constant current source, which is configured to provide a fixed, time-invariant i Amperes of steady-state direct current (DC) regardless of input or output conditions. A variation is a fixed alternating current (AC) source, which provides a fixed, time-variant current for example of the form i(t)=i sin(t). Variable current sources are also known in the art, and may be usefully divided into current-controlled current sources, where i(t)=f (iref(t)); and voltage-controlled current sources, where i(t)=f(vref(t)).
Transconductors are also well known in the art. Transconductance is measured in Siemens, and is characterized by
      g    m    =            Δ                                              I        out                    Δ                                              V        in            for DC, and
      g    m    =            i      out              v      in      for small-signal AC.


An omni direction vehicle with a frame having a round surface about its perimeter with no apparatus mounted on the frame extending beyond the perimeter. Two independent drive wheels located on an axis through the center of the frame are mounted at the same distance from a central vertical axis through the frame. Each wheel is powered independently of the other and can rotate at variable speeds in either direction. The vehicle is capable of movement in any direction by rotating the axis of the drive wheels to a position which is perpendicular to the desired direction of travel. The vehicle can spin about its vertical axis such that the axis of the drive wheels can be oriented at any direction without changing the original footprint of the space that the frame occupies over the ground. Thus, the vehicle requires a zero turning radius and requires only the space it occupies to change its forward orientation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a wheeled vehicle designed to turn about a vertical axis. In particular, the invention relates to powered utility riding vehicles of the type useful for aircraft servicing operations, airport passenger vehicles, lawnmowers, warehouse utility vehicles, wheelchairs, or in any vehicle where rotation-in-place steering is advantageous.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art vehicles are known for turning with a zero turning radius, or so called "turning on the spot." U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,608 describes a vehicle with a single center mounted pivoting drive motor that is rotated about a vertical axis in order to change directions of the vehicle. The '608 vehicle is supported with three or more swivel wheels located at equal radial distances from the center wheel. The '608 outer profile is in the shape of a rectangle and has appendages that make close proximity maneuvering impossible next to another object such as a post or another vehicle. Furthermore, the '608 vehicle lacks tractive force because of the single drive wheel. Furthermore, a single drive wheel must be rotated in order to change the vehicle direction, and although the single drive wheel can be turned to direct the vehicle in any direction, it does not provide directional stability for the case where a force is exerted on the vehicle from an angle to the line of intended travel. For example, a force against the '608 vehicle at a 20° angle to the right or left of the line of travel would force the single '608 wheel to skid, causing loss of directional control.
The prior art concerning aircraft service vehicles has not fundamentally changed in the last fifty years. Conventional tow vehicles for aircraft, often called tractors, are typically configured with two axles, one in front, the other in the rear. The rear axle is fixed to the vehicle and provides motive force; two additional wheels are located at the front end of the vehicle, each being steerable and connected together to provide steering of the vehicle. Since there is a distance between the fixed rear drive wheels and the axis of the steerable wheels at the front end of the vehicle, a turning radius is required that far exceeds the space actually occupied by the vehicle itself. The longer the distance between front and rear axles, the larger the turning radius that is required to change directions of the vehicle. A large turning radius makes maneuvering around crowded airport ramp areas difficult and often dangerous. Operators are required to look over their shoulders in order to back up, and congestion is commonplace at airport and air service facilities. All the vehicles around an airport ramp share these common shortcomings. A need exists for a service vehicle that requires less square footage for its footprints as well as the space required for maneuvering so that operator safety and the safety of the aircraft are enhanced.
Mowing vehicles share common problems with those of aircraft service vehicles. Commercial mowers used to mow highways and large areas commonly use row-crop tractors to pull the mowers. Such tractors are designed to pull heavy loads such as plows in a straight line with few turns, but mowing requires maneuvering around obstacles such as post, rails, and curbs. Furthermore, mowing must be for ravines, ditches and on hillsides. Rolling over or tipping of such equipment is a common problem and safety hazard. A vehicle that requires no more room than it occupies in area for maneuvering and having a low center of gravity would be very advantageous for all commercial mowing applications.
3. Identification of Objects of the Invention.
A primary object of this invention is to provide a service vehicle that has enhanced maneuverability.
Another object of the invention is to provide a service vehicle that can turn on the spot and be of the smallest physical size relative to the space it occupies.
Another object of the invention is to provide a service vehicle which reduces the risk of accidents which result in damage or injury to equipment or operating personnel.
Another object of the invention is to provide a service vehicle having an outer perimeter that defines an outer imaginary cylinder that encloses any equipment or appendages mounted on the vehicle thereby enhancing its capability to maneuver the vehicle without hanging up on objects external to the vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a service vehicle with structures mounted thereon for materials handling or people transport.
Another object of the invention is to provide a service vehicle that can be used for towing, pushing or handling aircraft equipment.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mowing machine that can turn on the spot and maneuver easily about obstructions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a people-moving cart for use at an airport, where the cart can turn around on the spot and be of the smallest physical size relative to the space it occupies.


The present disclosure provides a foldable support, and a display device. The foldable support includes at least two metal layers, where at least one of the at least two metal layers is provided with a plurality of recessed portions at the at least one bending region; and a buffer structure located at at least one of the following positions: a position between two adjacent metal layers and a position in a plurality of the recessed portions of the at least one of the at least two metal layers.

With the diversification of flexible display products, foldable display products are favored by users due to their portability and large size expansion. Existing foldable display products are based on a flexible material, which enables the folding display product to achieve a bending effect. Flexible substrates, however, are prone to appearance defects such as creep and irregular curl in a high temperature environment, which affects the realization of the foldable display and also affects the normal display of the display products. Therefore, currently, a foldable support is usually provided on the back of a flexible display panel to support the flexible display panel.
However, current foldable supports need to be improved.

BEIJING BOE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.


A flexible coform nonwoven web that contains a matrix of meltblown fibers and an absorbent material is provided. The meltblown fibers may constitute from about 2 wt % to about 40 wt % of the coform web. The absorbent material may constitute from about 60 wt % to about 98 wt % of the coform web. The Cup Crush Energy/Thickness ratio of the nonwoven structure is desirably less than about 600. The coform web may be imparted with a three-dimensional texture by, for example, using a three-dimensional forming surface. The coform web is suitable for forming absorbent articles such as wipers and personal care absorbent products.

Coform nonwoven webs, which are composites of a matrix of meltblown fibers and an absorbent material (e.g., pulp fibers), have been used as an absorbent layer in a wide variety of applications, including absorbent articles, absorbent dry wipes, wet wipes, and mops. Coform nonwoven webs may have a textured surface formed by contacting the meltblown fibers with a foraminous surface having three-dimensional surface contours. Softness and flexibility are important characteristics of coform webs for which improvements are continuously sought.
As such, a need currently exists for a coform nonwoven web having improved softness and flexibility characteristics for use in a variety of applications.


A stent for assistance in draining urine from the kidney into the bladder through the ureter which may be partially or totally occluded. The stent has the capability to selectively inject a liquid, such as a dye, into the renal system. The stent is fabricated from a biocompatible tube, preferably of silicone rubber. The proximal and distal ends of the tube are preformed into a pigtail or other shape to secure in the renal and bladder cavities, respectively. The proximal and distal ends of the tube are perforated to provide for ingress and egress of the urine. During the implantation procedure, a guide wire is first advanced to provide a path for positioning the stent. The stent is advanced over the guide wire by pushing with a multiple diameter injection catheter. The smaller diameter proximal end of the injection catheter is positioned within the distal end of the stent at a predetermined fixed distance which occludes the distal perforations. The larger diameter distal portion of the injection catheter pushes against the distal end of the stent. Following positioning of the stent and injection of the fluid, if any, the injection catheter is released from frictional engagement with the distal end of the stent using a release catheter which slides over the injection catheter and pushes against the distal end of the stent. After removal of the injection catheter, the release catheter, and the guide wire, the stent assumes its preformed shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to implantable medical devices and more specifically relates to urinary injection stents.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been known for some time to treat a patient having a partially or fully occluded ureter with a stent to permit urine flow from the kidney(s) to the bladder. This occlusion may result from infection, spurious tissue growth, or inorganic deposit. An interesting, but not widely accepted, approach to the problem is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,723 issued to Finney. This technique employs an essentially solid rod with external grooves for the passage of the fluid. By far the most accepted approach is to employ an implantable stent having an interior lumen for the passage of the fluid.
One of the problems addressed in the art is associated with the length of the ureter which varies from patient to patient. U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,810 issued to Pugh, Jr. et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,716 issued to Drach; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,037 issued to Wetterman each provide a device having a stent with a length which may be adjusted by trimming at the time of manufacture or intraoperatively. U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,925 issued to Anderson, Jr. et al. suggests a stent which automatically adjusts to the length of the ureter by employing a helical shape along the body of the stent.
For most patients, the stent is implanted for a period of several weeks during which the source of the occlusion is treated. After the occlusion has been successfully abated, the stent is no longer needed and is removed from the patient. It is most desirable to remove the stent without another surgical procedure. Therefore, most present day stents employ a tether whereby the stent may be removed without more traumatic intervention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,795 issued to Mulchin shows a stent having the tether attached to the center of the stent rather than to the distal end. Removal of the stent using magnetic attraction is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,809 issued to Kuntz.
To be effective, the stent must employ means for preventing migration from the implanted position. The most accepted technique is to preform the proximal and distal ends into shapes which tend to retard migration. The three most popular shapes are the helix as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,933 issued to Norton et al; the hook as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,360 issued to Goldberg et al; and the "pigtail" as employed at the proximal end of U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,228 issued to Knapp, Jr. et al. During implantation, the preformed regions are straightened through the use of a guide wire or guide catheter. Upon removal of the guiding device, the stent tends to assume its stable shape thereby preventing migration.
The implantation procedure is normally performed by advancing the stent through the urethra and the bladder into the ureter and kidney. Various early stents had an internal central lumen with a closed proximal end, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,049 issued to Carter. The difficulty with closed end stents is that the much smaller diameter guide wire cannot be advanced into position first but requires the initial penetration to be made with the proximal tip of the much larger diameter stent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,657 issued to Densow partially addresses this difficulty by providing an open, but tapered proximal tip. This permits a small diameter guide wire to extend beyond the proximal tip of the stent whereas a larger diameter guide wire may be used to push the stent to advance it into position. This is not a complete solution, however, because it does not permit the implanting physician to advance the guide wire into position and then simply push the stent into position over it. Through the use of a complex two piece guide wire/catheter assembly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,884 issued to Goldberg permits the smaller diameter inner guide wire to be advanced slightly ahead of the stent. However, this technique does not permit completely advancing the guide wire before the stent enters the patient's body.
An approach which makes the implantation easier for the physician permits complete advancement of the guide wire before advancement of the stent. This is best accomplished by pushing the stent into position from its distal end using a guide catheter which slides easily over the guide wire. To accomplish this, however, it is desirable to have sufficient attachment at the distal end of the stent to transfer the necessary torque to ensure proper placement. U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,129 issued to Rusch uses a complex mechanism to interlock the proximal end of the push catheter and the distal end of the stent. Another equally complex approach is used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,479 issued to Roemer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,683 issued to Gregory shows a stent system which is also useful for injecting a dye or other fluid. According to this design, the distal end of the stent is flared to permit engagement by the proximal tip of a pushing catheter. Unfortunately, this produces substantial strain on the distal end of the stent and therefore, restricts the types and thicknesses of material which may be used to fabricate the stent. This abutting push design also provides undesirable handling characteristics by severely limiting torque transmission from the push catheter to the stent. The Gregory design does, however, provide for the infusion of a dye or other liquid.


A system and method are implemented for preventing regulated supply undershoot in state retained latches of a leakage controlled system, using a voltage source depending on a reference voltage that includes a decay to resolve undesirable undershoot.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to state retained latches, and more particularly to a technique for preventing regulated supply undershoot in state retained latches of a leakage controlled system, using a low drop-out regulator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) is frequently employed to reduce power consumption in state retained latches in active mode, and to reduce leakage currents in sleep mode. In sleep mode, the drain-source voltage of the retained latch transistors can be lowered to reduce the electric fields and hence reduce the leakage. The associated system/chip may however, not be completely off, and any related rudimentary logic, latch data and static random access memory (SRAM) need to retain their values. Any undershoot transient in the dynamically varied voltage therefore, may cause un-reliable state retention, and therefore is undesirable. Sense amplifier circuit techniques are known for preventing regulated supply undershoot in state retained latches of a leakage controlled system. Such techniques are disadvantageous in that they consume undesirable amounts of power, consume undesirable amounts of die are, and are often difficult to implement.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for a technique for preventing regulated supply undershoot in state retained latches of a leakage controlled system without use of sense amplifier circuits.

Method for preventing regulated supply undershoot in state retained latches of a leakage controlled system using a low drop out regulator


Method and system are provided for controlling an alternating current (AC) motor via an inverter. The method includes selecting a pulse sequencing method based on a modulation index of the inverter, and providing a voltage to the AC motor based on the pulse sequencing method. The system includes an inverter having a modulation index (Mi) and a controller coupled to the inverter. The controller selects a pulse sequencing method based on Mi and produces a signal based on the pulse sequencing method. The inverter includes a switch network producing a voltage in response to the signal, and the voltage drives the AC motor.

Electric drives, such as AC motors used in vehicle applications, are typically controlled via a voltage source inverter system. Discontinuous Pulse Width Modulation (DPWM) methods are commonly employed to control the fundamental output voltage component of three phase voltage source inverters. These three-phase voltage source inverters may in turn be used to control the phase currents of three phase AC motors. DPWM methods typically reduce inverter losses in comparison with continuous Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) methods, such as sinusoidal or space vector modulation.
DPWM methods generally differ from continuous PWM methods in that DPWM methods use a single zero vector in a given switching cycle of the three phase voltage source inverter. Additionally, in most DPWM methods, each switch of the three phase voltage source inverter is closed, or clamped, for sixty-degree (60°) segments of a switching cycle. The location of the sixty-degree (60°) clamped segment, with respect to the output voltage of the three phase voltage source inverter and the load power factor, generally determines the type of DPWM method and resulting PWM properties.
PWM techniques typically contribute a ripple current to the motor currents. In conventional voltage source inverters, the actual applied output voltage of the voltage source inverter includes an AC component resulting from the PWM action. This AC component is composed of harmonic voltages corresponding to each state of the PWM pulse sequence and may be a source of errors in the sampling instant of the motor drive. For example, inverter dead-time is typically selected to account for variations in temperature and component tolerances. As a result, the actual switching instant for the voltage source inverter is not necessarily constant and may shift in time and manifest as if the sampling instant is in error (e.g., a measurement error).
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and system for controlling an electric drive that reduces current sampling errors. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a method and system for controlling an electric drive to improve torque accuracy. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Method and system for pulse position scheduling in electric drives


An antenna controller for an antenna is configured to request and receive status information comprising power amplifier data of at least two adjustable power amplifiers. The antenna controller is configured to determine at least one target setting for the at least two adjustable power amplifiers based on the received power amplifier data, and to send the at least one target setting for the at least two adjustable power amplifiers. Hereby it is made possible for an antenna controller to set an overall target for multiple adjustable power amplifiers of the antenna. This in turn makes it possible to make the settings for the adjustable power amplifiers such that the transmission signal becomes linearized by a shared digital pre-distorter when transmitting using the multiple adjustable power amplifiers of the antenna. A Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit controller for an antenna subarray is configured to control at least one adjustable power amplifier.

In wireless systems for transmitting radio Frequency (RF) signals, linearization techniques are generally used in order to reduce distortion from power amplification in transmission of the RF signals. Several principles for linearization are known and have been tried for wireless applications. One of the most common is digital predistortion (DPD). In DPD, the nonlinear transfer function of a power amplifier (PA) is compensated for by applying an inverse to the PA transfer function through a digital signal processor. Over a certain dynamic range, the result is a composite linear transfer function in the analog signal domain at the RF output of the amplifier. This is illustrated in FIG. 1.
In e.g. the development of 5G mobile communications, base stations with directive antennas that use beam forming to direct the energy towards specific users are used. To facilitate rapid redirection of beams to be able to follow users in motion, active electrically scanned array (AESA) antennas have come into use. There are several variants of AESA, such as fully digital beamforming antennas (DBF), analogue beamforming (ABF) antennas, and antennas with combined analogue and digital beamforming which are often referred to as hybrid beam forming (HBF).
The HBF array is a combination of both DBF and ABF technologies and is considered as a balanced cost and performance compromise for milli-meter (mm)-wave applications. Such an array has multiple subarrays, where one separate data stream, though a Digital-Analogue Converter (DAC), feeds each subarray which uses multiple RF Transmit/Receive Modules (TRMs) for amplification and analogue beamforming. Precoding of the signal in the digital domain is used to increase the beamforming capacity and resolution.
Predistortion is widely used for compensating the inherent nonlinearities of PAs in wireless systems. While it is most common to have digital predistortion (DPD), analogue predistortion (APD) is an alternative. In all conventional systems with single input and single output (SISO), one predistortion functionality (DPD or APD) per PA is needed.
There is a need for an improved antenna and for devices to control an antenna, so that linearization can be more efficiently applied to array antennas.

Antenna controller for antenna with linearized power amplifiers


Embodiments of the present invention relate to fiber optic hydra cable assemblies and components thereof. In an embodiment, the present invention is a fiber optic cable transition which includes a front housing having a front opening, a rear opening, and an internal wall positioned inside of the front housing. The fiber optic cable transition also includes a front boot having a distal end, a proximal end, and a flange, the front boot being positioned at least partially inside the front housing such that the flange abuts the internal wall. The fiber optic cable transition also includes a rear housing having a distal end and a proximal end, where the rear opening of the front housing is joined to the proximal end of the rear housing.

In fiber optic networking, it is sometimes advantageous to bundle multiple optical fibers together into a single cable. This is often done to save space since the diameter of the actual fiber (the core and the cladding) is typically considerably smaller than the shielding (buffer and jacket) used to protect said fiber. As a result, it is possible to bundle together relatively large numbers of fibers (e.g., 12, 24, 36, 48, etc.), shielding the entire bundle and avoiding shielding each fiber individually. Such multi-fiber cables can take on many forms, including rounded cables and fiber ribbons.
While the multi-fiber cables may be terminated to a multi-fiber connector (e.g., an MPO connector) not all electronic equipment is designed to accept such multi-fiber connectors. Furthermore, there may be instances where a multi-fiber bundle may be carrying signals directed to or from multiple pieces of equipment. Consequently, this creates a need to breakout (also referred to as "furcate") individual or a series of individual optical fibers from a multi-fiber cable so that those fibers can be directed to the necessary equipment.
One way of achieving the desired breakout has been to employ a cable transition structure in various applications. However, in using such cable transitions, it is necessary to take into account potential concerns such as the maximum bend radius of the fibers, the stress which the fibers may undergo as a result of the breakout, and how the environmental conditions may impact the fiber's performance. These and other inherent challenges associated with fiber optic communication continue to create the need for improved breakout harness designs.

Hydra cable assembly and components thereof


The present disclosure provides an image processing method. The method includes: detecting at least one first feature object of an image to be processed, to obtain a name and position of each first feature object in the image; according to the name and position of the first feature object, and a preset strategy for loading a dynamic effect, selecting, from the at least one first feature object, a feature object to which a dynamic effect is to be loaded, as a second feature object; and according to the preset strategy for loading a dynamic effect, rendering the second feature object with an Augmented Reality (AR) dynamic effect, and obtaining an image with the AR dynamic effect. The present disclosure further provides an image processing apparatus, a device and a computer readable storage medium.

An image, as a conventional medium type, is applied in a very wide range. As compared with text, an image is more vivid, provides more visual experience and can be wide spread. However, as compared with a rich media such as video and animation, an image is characterized in that:
(1) the image is stationary, expresses little information, and cannot exhibit continuously-changing content due to being displayed in a limited dimension, for example, it cannot exhibit a bowl of steaming noodle or a long-haired fair lady;
(2) the image is obtained with a relatively lower cost and an ordinary device, and occupies a low bandwidth.
Therefore, currently the image is still a main medium for spreading information to the public, and is still prevailing. However, the limited displaying dimension is the largest drawback of the image, failing to satisfy users' requirements for information with high richness. How to improve the displaying dimension of an image to enhance the richness thereof with maintaining the low cost of the image is a technical problem urgently to be solved.

Image processing method and apparatus based on augmented reality, and computer readable storage medium

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to planar integration of an optical system. The optical system is an integration of a crossover switching network having several optical elements such as mirrors, lenses, beam splitters etc., spatially separated on a single wafer using an acute-angle prism array disposed on the surface of a substrate in which the optical elements are integrated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a planar integration of a free-space optical system, more particularly, to a method of integrating a crossover switching network having several optical elements such as mirrors, lenses, beam splitters etc. spatially on a single wafer with an acute angle prism array.
2. Background Art
In a conventional crossover network of an optical system, individual optical parts such as mirrors, lenses, beam splitters and prisms are spaced apart, as shown in FIG. 1(A). According to such an arrangement of the optical parts, the size of the optical system is be increased due to the spatial arrangement of the parts.
Furthermore, it is difficult to manufacture the optical parts in such as optical system with an alignment accuracy of equal to less than 1 .mu.m.
Also, once the optical system has been constructed, it is difficult to keep the system with the foregoing alignment.
An optical crossover interconnection capable of being used practically in a switching network requires a small sized optical system having an alignment accuracy of equal to or less than 1 .mu.m.

Planar integrated crossover optical system

Electronics & Telecommunications Research Institute


A semiconductor structure is disclosed where the topography of the semiconductor substrate is improved by forming a two-tiered via. The two-tiered structure has a top portion and a bottom portion. PECVD-oxide is disposed in the top portion on top of a blanket metal layer formed in the bottom portion. The oxide layer in the top portions is planarized to a level such that all such structures are planar with respect to each other. In other words, the leveled surface thereover offers a uniformly flat depth-of-field which in turn makes possible the use of submicron opto-lithographic tools for the ultra high density integrated circuit chips. At a later process step, a tungsten via plug replaces the PECVD-oxide in the top portion, thus resulting in a two-tiered structure comprising a portion of the metal blanket metal in the bottom portion and the tungsten via-plug in the top portion. As a further improvement for the required flatness for submicron technologies, it is shown that silicon nitride may be introduced at a judiciously chosen process step so as to minimize the propagation of surface irregularities from one layer to another through minimizing the so-called microloading effect. The presence of silicon nitride along with another conformal oxide layer lining the two-tiered structure also serve the purposes of eliminating, what are called, the "exploding vias".

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to semiconductors, and more specifically to a method of improving metal lithography techniques and via-plug filling. The method employs planarization and etch-back at judiciously chosen process steps prior to interlevel metal depositions. At the same time, the integrity of the via-plugs is improved by depositing thick, high quality oxide in the deep pocket regions. Use of silicon nitride along with the oxide also reduces the microloading effect.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Further advances in submicron integrated circuit technology demand well defined wafer topography and extremely flat surfaces. The depth-of-field limitations of submicron optical-lithography tools require surfaces to be planar within .+-.0.5 micrometers (.mu.m) as stated in a chapter on "The Need for Planarity," in the book "SILICON PROCESSING for the VLSI Era," by S. Wolf, et al, published by Lattice Press, Sunset Beach, Calif., p. 65. Thus, if surface conditions are such that the nonplanar irregularities--sometimes in the form of steps--on a wafer layer are larger than 0.5 .mu.m, then a flattening or planarization of those surfaces is required.
As is well known in the art of semiconductor fabrication in general, integrated circuits are built on a silicon substrate which is polished and very flat initially. Then isolated active-device regions are created within the single-crystal structure, a process which is benign to causing any surface irregularities, per se. All the subsequent processes, however--such as the opening up of holes to contact the devices, interconnecting the devices by means of metal conductors, and the insulation of those conductors from each other both laterally in a layer (intra-layer), or vertically between levels (inter-level)--until the completion of the total integrated circuit chip, all contribute, in some way or another, to different types of surface irregularities. In prior art, the effects-mechanical, electrical or both--of such irregularities on neighboring components could be minimized by simply spacing out the intra-layer components themselves, or by covering them thickly enough so as to diminish their influence between components in different levels of the semiconductor structure. However, with the advent of submicron technology, space is premium, and therefore, other solutions must be found. Furthermore, as devices themselves become smaller, and as they are packed together ever so closely, some of the other second or third order effects that could be hidden in prior art, now have come forward. For example, a flattening or planarizing process of an interlevel insulator effects the integrity of the interstitial metal that connects one level to another. On the other hand, the process of minimizing the irregularities of a metal layer effects the integrity of the surrounding insulating material. Solutions to these cross-effects are discussed in this invention. Most importantly, a submicron methodology for improving lithographic topography in depositing metal layers is presented.
There are examples, in the prior art, where either one or other planarization method is applied to either the metal layers or the interlevel insulators to solve a particular problem relevant to each, respectively. In this invention, the disclosed solution for one resolves a problem in the other, as well, thusly: specifically, a planarization process comprising of specific materials and procedures is introduced prior to the next level of metallization such that the surface onto which the metal is to be deposited later is flat, smooth, i.e., free of nonplanarities. In the absence of such surface irregularities, then, the imaging surface is ready to accept masks with submicron sized features and is able to accommodate the very small depth of focus of the optical steppers used to pattern the circuits on the wafer. Before the metal is deposited to form the intricate circuitry, first the connections from the level below to the next level must be formed by opening holes in the intervening layer of insulator, or the dielectric, and then filled with metal. The holes in the dielectric are called "vias". The proper way of filling these vias, as a function of the metal and dielectrics used, is one of the concerns of the workers in the field. As will be seen in this invention, the particular, and integrated way of surface planarization disclosed here also alleviates one of the serious via filling problems, namely, "exploding vias."
Vias in the dielectric explode when they are exposed to processing temperatures. This is caused by the expansion and release of gasses (outgassing), from the dielectric through the walls of the vias at the time of the metal deposition into the vias. The phenomenon of exploding vias is particularly observed when the dielectric spin-on-glass (SOG) is integrated with the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of tungsten (W), or CVD-W. According to S. Wolf in his book "Silicon Processing for the VLSI Era" published by Lattice Press , Sunset Beach , Calif., p 236, the source of the gasses has been found to be primarily moisture that remains within the SOG due to insufficient curing or that has been reabsorbed during the wet process steps performed following spin-on and curing of the SOG film (e.g., during resist removal after the via etch or during pre-metal-deposition cleaning steps.) An additional source for these detrimental gasses is the chemical reduction of tungsten hexafluoride (WF.sub.6) by silicon, hydrogen or silane which yield vapors of the type silicon fluoride (SiF.sub.4), hydrogen fluoride (HF), and SiF.sub.4, respectively. The silane reduction process is preferred. However, when used alone, both the CVD-W process and the use of SOG compare favorably with other approaches. SOG has good shelf life, a simple cure cycle, excellent thermal stability, low stress and good crack resistance, spin-on uniformity, good adhesion and an appropriate film-thickens range. CVD-W exhibits excellent resistance to electromigration effects, hillock formation, and humidity induced corrosion, and other characteristics which readily lend themselves to very high circuit packing densities. Hence, when combined, an integrated SOG/CVD-W process would result in added advantages. The following is a comparative description of prior art and the disclosed method where the latter, by a judiciously chosen process step, integrates SOG with CVD-W resulting in improved metal lithography techniques and via-plug filling.
The alphanumerically designated FIGS. 1(A)-9(A) and 1(B)-9(B) show, respectively, a series of steps involved in depositing various layers on a semiconductor substrate by utilizing prior art and the method of this invention. Altogether, nine figures are shown, and it will be evident in the ensuing discussion that the number of the figures also correspond to the step number of the process depicted in that particular figure, while the alpha-suffix (A) refers to prior art, and (B) to the present invention. To begin, a silicon wafer is provided up to the first level of metal. That is, the various components such as the drain-gate-source have been implanted , isolated, and covered with a dielectric material prior to metallization. In both cases, the first level dielectric is a boron and phosphorous doped BP-ETOS film. Undoped films are deposited by the decomposition of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). The first metal, which is aluminum copper, AlCu, as shown in the figures, is then deposited by well-known techniques which are not described in detail here in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.
In FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B), the deposition of the first metal is designated as the first step of a series of nine process steps thereafter. All of the steps are applicable to both the prior art and the present invention; with one exception, however; Step 2 of FIG. 2(A), which is introduced in this invention is lacking in the prior art, as seen in comparing FIG. 2(A) with FIG. 2(B). This Step 2 consists of a planarization process judiciously introduced at this juncture so as to shape in the flatness of the substrate at early stages of the semiconductor structure. It will be appreciated that this step could in fact be introduced still earlier at the time of the poly-metal deposition in forming the local interconnects for the source-gate-drain regions. Nevertheless, the positive effects of planarization even at this stage is clearly demonstrated after the next step of metal photo/etch as seen in FIG. 3(B). In the absence of Step 2, and, therefore, at Step 3, the tops of the etched metal in the prior art, FIG. 3(A), are formed at different depths because of the unevenness of the blanket metal in the first place. This then creates different depths of foci for the next level of metal, which is a problem for the optical exposure tools. The net result is then a reduced resolution capability for the optical system which in turn presents a major limiting factor in the processing of submicron feature sized integrated circuits. In the present invention, prior to photo metal/etch in Step 3 of FIG. 3(B), a judicious planarizing is performed to avoid the problem of unevenness and hence optical aberrations in the photolithographic process.
To be able to appreciate the benefits of Step 2, it is well to review briefly the elements of Step 3, namely, that of the photo-metal-etch step in FIG. 3. The patterns that define the circuits on each metal layer in a semiconductor structure are created by lithographic process. That is, layers of photoresist materials are first spin-coated onto the surface to be patterned. Next, the resist layer is selectively exposed through a mask (or recticle in step-and-repeat projection systems) to a form of radiation, such as ultraviolet light, electrons, or x-rays. The mask contains clear and opaque features that define the pattern to be created in the photoresist layer. The patterns in the resist are formed when the photoresist undergoes the subsequent "development" step. The areas of resist remaining after development protect the substrate regions which they cover. Locations from which resist has been removed is then subjected to subtractive etching process in this case, (or additive, in other cases) that transfer the pattern onto the underlying surface.
For the precise transfer of the circuit patterns onto the underlying metal surface to occur, first the transfer of patterns from the mask to the photoresist must be of high resolution. This requires that the depth of focus over an imaging surface be uniform. Though the spin-coated photoresist provides a relatively flat imaging surface for that purpose, it still does not provide the flatness that is now required for resolving submicron-sized features. That is provided with the planarization process of Step 2 in FIG. 2(B) that is disclosed in this invention. Furthermore, it will be observed that when the pattern is finally etched into the metal, the tops of the patterned metal will be formed at elevations where the metal thickness has reached. In the subsequent semiconductor processes, this unevenness in elevation will propagate upwards to upper layers, exacerbating the problem of optical resolution mentioned above. In Step 2 of FIG. 2(B) of this invention, the tops of the metal will be "built-up" and planarized so as to provide the desired flatness for the microlithography that is required in today's submicron technology.
In the critical Step 2 of FIG. 2(B), an initial layer of PECVD-oxide is first deposited using conventional plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition techniques. This is to provide an intervening layer between the next spin-on-glass (SOG) layer and the metal, because frequent adhesion failures are observed when SOG is in contact with metal. After being spun on, the liquid SOG is baked to drive off the solvent, and any water that evolves from the film due to the polymerization process. The next process in this planarization step is to etch-back the SOG such that no SOG remains over locations at which vias will be etched. At this point, the surface is micro-planarized, and is ready to accept the appropriate mask for the micro-lithographic process that was described for Step 3 above. After Step 3, a dual layer structure is obtained as shown in FIG. 3(B). Comparing the structures of the prior art with that of the present invention after Step 3, it is now clear that the tops of the latter structure are at the same level. This provides the basis for building up further levels of metallization which are flat, planar and suitable for submicron photolithographic processes. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the same planarization described in Step 2 of FIG. 2(B) can be applied at any level of metallization in the processing of semiconductor wafers.
In Steps 4 through 9 (FIGS. 4-9), the integrity of the interconnecting vias is sought. In prior art as shown in FIG. 4(A), PECVD-oxide is deposited over the patterned first level metal, a Step 4. Then, immediately, in Step 5 of FIG. 5(A), SOG is spun over and cured in the conventional way. In Step 6 of FIG. 6(A), the SOG may be partially etched back so that it remains only in the troughs between the metal lines, or not etched back at all so that SOG remains permanently as a continuous thin film between the two layers of PECVD-oxide. The next layer of PECVD-oxide is deposited in Step 7 of FIG. 7(A), and serves as the interlevel dielectric between the two metal layers. Step 8 of FIG. 8(A) is a repeat of Step 3 where mask/photo/etch processes are carried out. The holes so formed in Step 8 are then filled with tungsten to form via-plug interconnections between the first metal layer and the next which is deposited over the plugs as the last process in Step 9 of FIG. 9(A). It is in Step 8 that the vias explode, which this invention teaches how to prevent by judiciously introducing still another process in Step 4.
In Step 4 of FIG. 4(B), the present invention proposes to coat the two-tiered (metal and PECVD-oxide) or dual layer of Step 3 with a thin layer of silicon nitride (SiN). The rest of the Steps 5 through 9 in FIGS. 5 through 9 are the same as described for the prior art above. However, the addition of the SiN layer in Step 4 helps to solve the problem of exploding vias in the following way:
In Step 5 of FIG. 5(B), during baking and plasma ashing of the SOG film, water is evolved from the film due to polymerization of the silanol [SIOH] groups as seen in the reaction
Si--CH.sub.3 +O(plasma)CO.sub.2 +H.sub.2 O+Si--OH PA1 2WF.sub.6 (vapor)+3SiH.sub.4 (vapor)2W(solid)+3SiF.sub.4 (vapor)+6H.sub.2 (vapor)
The loss of considerable mass together with material shrinkage creates a tensile stress in the film although the addition of the organic methyl group CH.sub.3 somewhat resists the concomitant cracking. Should these cracks be unchecked, further outgassing will result from the SOG during Step 6 when CVD-W (tungsten) is deposited in the holes. In the prior art, two detrimental effects are observed. In the silane reduction of the tungsten hexafluoride (WF.sub.6), namely,
the outgassing from the SOG lessens the diffusion of WF.sub.6, thereby causing uneven tungsten coverage in the sidewalls of the hole. The second major problem is the "exploding vias" caused by the expansion and release of gasses in the SOG. In the present invention, both of these problems are avoided by passivating the SOG in the sidewalls by depositing SiN in Step 4 of FIG. 4(B) before Step 5 of FIG. 5(B).
An additional advantage of SiN is that its presence in Step 6 of FIG. 6(B) during SOG etch-back reduces microloading. Briefly, when the etch rate is dependent upon the amount of etchable surface exposed to the etchant, the phenomenon is called a "loading effect." When the etch rate is also sensitive to the pattern density on the wafer surface, as is observed in etching spin-on-glass, it is known as the "micro-loading effect." Loading effects are global and are most commonly encountered in dry-etch processes where they can occur in variety of different conditions. For example, the etch rate can be dependent upon the number of wafers present in an etching chamber. Microloading, on the other hand, is local in the sense that it is affected by the continuously changing etchable area even during the etching process itself. In this invention, the presence of silicon nitride under the SOG layer helps reduce microloading. This is because when the nitride film is etched during the SOG etchback, there is no oxygen released to enhance the etch rate of the SOG film. Consequently, silicon nitride under the SOG layer helps to reduce the microloading effect.
Hence an integrated process is disclosed where the desirable properties of SOG (good planarization) and CVD-W (good deposition) are utilized to yield improved metal lithography and via-plug integrity while the undesirable properties such as outgassing from the SOG are kept under control by judicious choice of process Steps.

Integrated two-tiered via-plug to improve metal lithography # 4

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A thermal imaging camera may include an electronic compass that can be calibrated after assembly of the thermal imaging camera. The electronic compass may include a magnetic sensor configured to sense three orthogonal components of a magnetic field. In some examples, the camera includes a processor configured to receive a plurality of measurements from the magnetic sensor as a physical orientation of the magnetic sensor is changed in a three-dimensional space. The processor may generate a plurality of data points from the plurality of measurements and control a display so as to display a simulated three-dimensional plot of the data points. The processor may control the display so the display updates in substantially real-time as new data points are generated by changing the physical orientation of the magnetic sensor.

Thermal imaging cameras are used in a variety of situations. For example, thermal imaging cameras are often used during building inspections to thermally inspect the walls and surfaces of the building. Thermal inspections can detect hot spots, colds spots, or other areas of thermal waste. Thermal inspections can also help detect moisture or overheating machinery or electrical equipment in the building. With knowledge of the thermal profile of a building, an operator can quickly and efficiently take corrective action.
Depending on the configuration of the camera, the thermal imaging camera may include a compass that helps orient the user during operation of the camera. The compass may provide a heading that is displayed by the camera during use. The heading provided by the compass may also be recorded when capturing a thermal image. An operator may use the heading at a later date to capture a thermal image of the same scene from substantially the same orientation. The operator can then compare the subsequently captured thermal image to the original thermal image to monitor thermal changes in the scene over time.
In applications where a thermal imaging camera includes a compass, it may be useful to calibrate the compass occasionally to reduce or eliminate any imprecision or inaccuracies in the heading provided by the compass. Such inaccuracies may be caused by interference sources, such as magnetic interference caused circuitry or hardware, or inaccuracies caused by time, temperature, and the like.

Thermal imaging camera with compass calibration


In an aspect of the invention, an apparatus for providing chilling in a localized area comprises a chiller compartment and an independent cooling source thermally coupled to the chiller compartment by a thermally conductive interface. The cooling source provides a separate controllable temperature to the chiller compartment, which is adapted to be removably positioned in a selected temperature controlled environment. In another aspect a refrigerator comprises a freezer unit, a fresh food unit and a chiller compartment adapted to be removably positioned in either the freezer unit or the fresh food unit as a secondary chilling compartment. In another aspect a method of chilling comprises cooling a modular chiller compartment using an independent cooling source, chiller compartment being removably positioned within a temperature controlled environment and the cooling source and the chiller compartment being thermally coupled.

The present invention relates generally to refrigeration systems and methods, and more specifically to providing a modular or localized chiller compartment that is removable in selectable environments.
Refrigerators are among the most conventionally known appliances for cooling food items. Features providing convenience are important for consumers of refrigerators. For example, for ice making, today's customers demand ice delivered conveniently, at a location within the refrigerator preferable for them, while keeping the chilling time as minimal as possible. Thus, having the ability to make ice in a more convenient and faster way would be a big convenience. However, known attempts for making ice in a compartment separate from the main freezer unit of a refrigerator, such as portable refrigeration units, enjoy limited success due to their heavy weight and large size.
Various technology factors and customer preferences dictate positioning of functional units such as ice storage units, fresh food units in the refrigerator. For example, in Bottom Mount Freezer (BMF) type refrigerators, having freezer units below fresh food units is a customer preference, since cold stored foods are less frequently used as compared to foods stored in fresh food units. However, a problem arises for accessing ice, which may be frequently required, but is made in the freezer unit. Thus it is inconvenient to access ice frequently in a bottom mount freezer, since the freezer unit is located at the lowest level in the BMF type refrigerators. Accordingly, customer preference requires ice to be dispensed at a suitable height, much above the freezer unit. Contemporary attempts at providing ice at a preferred height include methods that require transporting ice from the freezer unit to the fresh food unit. Such methods are cumbersome to implement and add a lot of unnecessary equipment, adding to the cost and complexity of the whole system Such and other solutions have been tried with limited success, and in general it is desirable to have simpler methods and systems for providing ice at a convenient location in a refrigerator. Similarly, for other known models of refrigerators, such as Side-by-Side and Top Mount Freezer type refrigerators, there may a customer preference to have a separate chiller unit for additional ice-making capability, and accordingly there exists a need for such an additional ice making method and system.
In general, it is desirable to have independent systems and methods for making ice that are simple to use and position in a convenient location of the existing refrigerators or generally can be placed in any environment. Thus, it will be advantageous and convenient to have modular methods and systems for making ice anywhere that are also capable of making ice in a suitable environment.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Provided are methods of making compounds having an inhibitory effect on sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter SGLT. The invention also provides synthetic intermediates useful for preparing such compounds.

The sodium-dependent ("active") glucose cotransporters (SGLTs), including SGLT1 (found predominantly in the intestinal brush border) and SGLT2 (localized in the renal proximal tubule), have been significantly evaluated. In particular, SGLT2 has been found to be responsible for the majority of glucose reuptake by the kidneys. Inhibition of renal SGLT is now considered a useful approach to treating hyperglycemia by increasing the amount of glucose excreted in the urine (Arakawa K, et al., Br J Pharmacol 132:578-86, 2001; Oku A, et al., Diabetes 48:1794-1800, 1999). The potential of this therapeutic approach is further supported by recent findings that mutations in the SGLT2 gene occur in cases of familial renal glucosuria, an apparently benign syndrome characterized by urinary glucose excretion in the presence of normal serum glucose levels and the absence of general renal dysfunction or other disease (Santer R, et al., J Am Soc Nephrol 14:2873-82, 2003). Therefore, compounds which inhibit SGLT, particularly SGLT2, are promising candidates for use as antidiabetic drugs (reviewed in Washburn W N, Expert Opin Ther Patents 19:1485-99, 2009). In addition, since cancer cells show increased glucose uptake in comparison to their normal counterparts, SGLT inhibition has been proposed as a method for treating cancer by starving cancer cells. For example, studies suggest that SGLT2 plays a role in glucose uptake in metastatic lesions of lung cancer (Ishikawa N, et al., Jpn J Cancer Res 92:874-9, 2001). Thus, SGLT2 inhibitors may also be useful as anticancer agents.
In addition to pharmaceutical activity, a further consideration for the successful development of a medicament is the parameters which are connected with the physical nature of the active substance itself. Some of these parameters are stability of the active substance under various environmental conditions, stability of the active substance during production of the pharmaceutical formulation and the stability of the active substance in the final medicament compositions. In order to provide the necessary stability, the pharmaceutically active substance used in the medicament should be as pure as possible, leading to its stability in long-term storage under various environmental conditions.
The compounds prepared according to the present invention have been prepared previously according to the methods described in WO2001/027128, US2004/0230045, US2005/0124555, US2006/0122126, US2007/0238866, US2007/0275907, US2008/0242596, US2008/0132563, US2008/0318874, WO2008/034859, US2009/0030006, US2009/0030198, US2009/0118201, US2009/0156516, US2010/0056618, US2010/0063141 and WO2010/147430. The aim of the present invention is to provide improved methods for the preparation of such compounds.

Process for the preparation of benzylbenzene SGLT2 inhibitors


A method and concomitant computer software and system for buffering data and transmitting the buffered data after an event occurs comprising storing data into a continuous loop buffer and transmitting data from the loop buffer to an end location after an event trigger.

Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to the field of sensory recording and transmission. More particularly, a system, apparatus and method whereby sensor data is buffered and then stored or transmitted following a triggering signal.
Description of Related Art
Recent developments in image sensors and mobile recording technology have resulted in a proliferation of sensors and recording systems. For the purpose of this claim, sensory can be thought of, but is not limited to, video, audio or a combination thereof. To capture rare sensory events, such systems must capture the sensor data prior to the event. Therefore, applications either capture more data than necessary through constant recording, or rare events are missed because a capture session was not initiated.
The overarching goal of sensory recording is to capture events that are relevant to the system user. Many such events are missed by recording devices because the most relevant events occur infrequently and unpredictably. For example, the average professional soccer game produces less than one goal for each 30 minutes of play. To capture that soccer goal, a video recording must be started before the goal is scored. Continuously recording devices will capture those rare events, but generate large amounts of data that must be stored and sorted to identify events of interest. In the soccer example, for a viewer who only cares about watching the goals, there would be nearly 30 minutes of game 'noise' for each goal 'signal.' The invention addresses this problem by creating an always-running loop buffer of sensory data that can be accessed after an event of interest occurs, but does not generate excess amounts of data.

System, apparatus and method for creating, storing and transmitting sensory data triggered by an event


The presently disclosed subject matter provides populations of stem cells that are purified from bone marrow, peripheral blood, and/or other sources. Also provided are methods of using the stem cells for treating tissue and/or organ damage in a subject.

The use of stem cells and stem cell derivatives has gained increased interest in medical research, particularly in the area of providing reagents for treating tissue damage either as a result of genetic defects, injuries, and/or disease processes. Ideally, cells that are capable of differentiating into the affected cell types could be transplanted into a subject in need thereof, where they would interact with the organ microenvironment and supply the necessary cell types to repair the injury.
Considerable effort has been expended to isolate stem cells from a number of different tissues for use in regenerative medicine. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,397 to Tsukamoto et al. discloses the isolation and growth of human hematopoietic stem cells that are reported to be capable of differentiating into lymphoid, erythroid, and myelomonocytic lineages. U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,396 to Bruder et al. discloses methods for lineage-directed differentiation of isolated human mesenchymal stem cells under the influence of appropriate growth and/or differentiation factors. The derived cells can then be introduced into a host for mesenchymal tissue regeneration or repair.
One area of intense interest relates to the use of embryonic stem (ES) cells, which have been shown in mice to have the potential to differentiate into 5 all the different cell types of the animal. Mouse ES cells are derived from cells of the inner cell mass of early mouse embryos at the blastocyst stage, and other pluripotent and/or totipotent cells have been isolated from germinal tissue (e.g., primordial germ cells; PGCs). The ability of these pluripotent and/or totipotent stem cells to proliferate in vitro in an undifferentiated state, retain a 10 normal karyotype, and retain the potential to differentiate to derivatives of all three embryonic germ layers (endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm) makes these cells attractive as potential sources of cells for use in regenerative therapies in post-natal subjects.
The development of human ES (hES) cells has not been as successful as the advances that have been made with mouse ES cells. Thomson et al. reported pluripotent stem cells from lower primates (U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,780; Thomson et al. (1995) 92 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 7844-7848), and from humans (Thomson et al. (1998) 282 Science 1145-1 147). Gearhart et al. generated human embryonic germ (hEG) cell lines from fetal gonadal tissue (Shamblott et al. (1998) 95 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 13726-1 3731; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,622). Both hES and hEG cells have the desirable characteristics of pluripotent stem cells in that they are capable of being propagated in vitro without differentiating, they generally maintain a normal karyotype, and they remain capable of differentiating into a number of different cell types. Clonally derived human embryonic stem cell lines maintain pluripotency and proliferative potential for prolonged periods in culture (Amit et al. (2000) 227 Dev Biol271-278).
One significant challenge to the use of ES cells or other pluripotent cells for regenerative therapy in a subject is to control the growth and differentiation of the cells into the particular cell type required for treatment of a subject. There have been several reports of the effect of growth factors on the differentiation of ES cells. For example, Schuldiner et al. report the effects of eight growth factors on the differentiation of cells into different cell types from hES cells (see Schuldiner et al. (2000) 97 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 11307-11312). As disclosed therein, after initiating differentiation through embryoid body-like formation, the cells were cultured in the presence of bFGF, TGFPI, activin-A, BMP-4, HGF, EGF, PNGF, or retinoic acid. Each growth factor had a unique effect on the differentiation pathway, but none of the growth factors directed differentiation exclusively to one cell type.
Ideally, it would be beneficial to be able to isolate and purify stem and/or precursor cells from a subject that could be purified and/or manipulated in vitro before being reintroduced into the subject for treatment purposes. The use of a subject's own cells would obviate the need to employ adjunct immunosuppressive therapy, thereby maintaining the competency of the subject's immune system. However, the current strategies for isolating ES cell lines, particularly hES cell lines, preclude isolating the cells from a subject and reintroducing them into the same subject.
Thus, the search for other stem cell types from adult animals continues. For example, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are one such cell type. MSCs have been shown to have the potential to differentiate into several lineages including bone (Haynesworth et al. (1992) 13 Bone 81-88), cartilage (Mackay et al. (1998) 4 Tissue Eng 41 5-28; Yoo et al. (1998) 80 J Bone Joint Surg Am 745-57), adipose tissue (Pittenger et al. (2000) 251 Curr Top Microbiol Immunol-11), tendon (Young et al. (1998) 16 J Orthop Res 406-13), muscle, and stroma (Caplan et al. (2001) 7 Trends Mol Med 259-64).
Another population of cells, multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs), has also been purified from bone marrow (BM; Reyes et al. (2001) 98 Blood 25 261 5-2625; Reyes & Vetfaillie (2001) 938 Ann NY Acad Sci 231-235). These cells have been shown to be capable of expansion in vitro for more than 100 population doublings without telomere shortening or the development of karyotypic abnormalities. MAPCs have also been shown to be able to differentiate under defined culture conditions into various mesenchymal cell 30 types (e.g., osteoblasts, chondroblasts, adipocytes, and skeletal myoblasts), endothelium, neuroectoderm cells, and more recently, into hepatocytes (Schwartz et al. (2000) 109 J Clin Invest 1291-1302).
Additionally, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been reported to be able to differentiate into numerous cell types. BM hematopoietic stem cells have been reported to be able to 'transdifferentiate' into cells that express early heart (Orlic et al. (2003) 7 Pediatr Transplant 86-88; Makino et al. (1999) 103 J Clin Invest 697-705), skeletal muscle (Labarge & Blau (2002) 111 Cell 589-601; Corti et al. (2002) 277 Exp Cell Res 74-85), neural (Sanchez-Ramos (2002) 69 Neurosci Res 880-893), liver (Petersen et al. (1999) 284 Science 1 168-1 170), or pancreatic cell (Lanus et al. (2003) 111 J Clin Invest 843-850; Lee & Stoffel (2003) 111 J Clin Invest 799-801) markers. In vivo experiments in humans also demonstrated that transplantation of CD34+ peripheral blood (PB) stem cells led to the appearance of donor-derived hepatocytes (Korbling et al. (2002) 346 N Engl J Med 738-746), epithelial cells (Korbling et al. (2002) 346 N Engl J Med 738-746), and neurons (Hao et al. (2003) 12 J Hematother Stem Cell Res 23-32). Additionally, human BM-derived cells have been shown to contribute to the regeneration of infarcted myocardium (Stamm et al., (2003) 361 Lancet 45-46).
These reports have been interpreted as evidence for the existence of the phenomenon of transdifferentiation or plasticity of adult stem cells. However, the concept of transdifferentiation of adult tissue-specific stem cells is currently a topic of extensive disagreement within the scientific and medical communities (see e.g., Lemischka (2002) 30 Exp Hematol 848-852; Holden & Vogel (2002) 296 Science 21 26-21 29). Studies attempting to reproduce results suggesting transdifferentiation with neural stem cells have been unsuccessful (Castro et al. (2002) 297 Science 1299). It has also been shown that the hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) found in muscle tissue originate in the BM 25 (McKinney-Freeman et al. (2002) 99 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1341-1 346; Geiger et al. 100 Blood 721-723; Kawada & Ogawa (2001) 98 Blood 2008-2013). Additionally, studies with chimeric animals involving the transplantation of single HPCs into lethally irradiated mice demonstrated that transdifferentiation and/or plasticity of circulating HPSC and/or their progeny, if it occurs at all, is an extremely rare event (Wagers et al. (2002) 297 Science 2256-2259).
Thus, there continues to be a need for new approaches to generate populations of transplantable cells suitable for a variety of applications, including but not limited to treating injury and/or disease of various organs and/or tissues.

Uses and isolation of stem cells from bone marrow

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.


To extract a bushing from a housing, a number of cylindrical engaging elements are inserted in the bore of the bushing. The elements are clipped together by clips and have a lip which bears on the bushing end surface. An extractor head pushes on the elements to force the bushing from the housing.

The present invention relates to an extractor for bearings, bushings, sleeves, liners, and the like.
Many methods of extracting bearings, bushings, sleeves, liners and the like (hereinafter referred to generally as bushings) which are an interference fit in a housing often result in damage to the bushing and/or the housing.
Using a simple drift to drive out the bushing will score the housing and deform the end of the bushing. It also requires access to both ends of the housing.
Various pulling methods have been proposed.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,214,362 and 4,369,569 describe a tube puller in which an extractor cam forces gripping surfaces against the bushing inside wall, damaging the bushing and also risking distortion of the housing wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,342 describes an extractor which can be operated from one end of the housing. A cam is inserted through the bushing, followed by a collet. The collet has a number of legs and these are urged outwards by the cam to a predetermined diameter as the cam is withdrawn. Lips on the legs engage the distal end of the bushing so that the cam, collet and bushing are withdrawn together. Accurate sizing of the collet and cam ensure that there is no distortion of the bushing and no scoring of the housing surface, avoiding any need to repair or dress the housing and allowing re-use of the bushing when appropriate. However, the collets are expensive to manufacture, and the collet/cam assembly must be tailored to a particular bushing internal diameter.
GB-A-2370527, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes an extractor system in which an engaging device, for engaging the end of the bushing prior to extraction, comprises a plurality of separately formed engaging elements which are mechanically coupled together such as by clips or by a key on one element engaging a keyway on another element. This provides an elegant mechanism for producing engaging devices to match bushings of different diameter. However, the handling of small parts can be a drawback in some workshops.


A sample of powder granules flowing through an online conveyor is removed periodically and fed to a supply hopper where a predetermined amount of granules are stored. A small portion of the granules are removed from the supply hopper and continuously fed to the upper surface of a rotary table to form a single layer thereon. The sample on the table is optically sensed to detect foreign particles. The foreign particles are removed and subsequently the good particles are removed and passed to a weighing hopper. The ratio of good product after sensing and the sample in the hopper is calculated to determine the relative amount of foreign particles flowing in the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for inspecting powder granules and more particularly to a powder granule inspection apparatus that samples powder granules (such as powders, pellets, granules and so on) that flow through an online conveyor tube so as to automatically conduct inspection for foreign particles contained therein and to remove the foreign particles, and that is arranged to shorten the time from the sampling of powder granules to the inspection thereof as much as possible so that the inspection results become available within a short period of time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a known apparatus, a certain amount of the sampled powder granules is accumulated in a hopper, from which a small amount of the powder granules is removed and supplied to the top of a rotating table. The moving powder granules are picked up by a photosensing device and the size and number of foreign particles therein are detected. The ratio of the foreign particles relative to the amount of powder or granule in the hopper is then determined relative to a predetermined standard. In this case, the certain amount of powder granules was set at relatively large amount (such as about 500 grams).
However, this prior art apparatus does not conduct the inspection during the time that the certain amount of powder granules is being accumulated in the hopper. Therefore a long period of time is required from the time inspection is initiated until it is completed. This causes a delay in the availability of the inspection result so that when powder granules flowing through an online conveyor contain excessive amount of foreign particles it will only be possible to detect the foreign particles after a large amount of such powder granules have entered the production line and their removal would be inconvenient.


The present invention discloses a method of registering and activation of PKI functionalities in SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards by preprinting a number of sealed envelopes each containing an activation code hidden when unopened and a reference number or code visibly printed on the envelope. The reference number or code and the associated activation code of each envelope are stored in a table in a security server being integrated in or connected to the PKI. The user is provided one of the sealed envelopes together with an application form. The user is requested to fill in the reference code or number on the application form together with personal data, and this is transferred to the PKI and the security server. When the registration is approved by the PKI, approval information is transmitted to the user, requesting him to enter the activation code in his terminal. Simultaneously, the activation code associated with the reference code or number in the table and a Smart Card identity corresponding to the Smart Card of the user, are provided to an Activation Module in the PKI. Upon entering of the activation code in the terminal, the activation code together with the Smart Card identity is transmitted from the terminal to the Activation Module. Upon receipt of the activation code and the Smart Card identity, the Activation Module determines if the received activation code and Smart Card identity match those previously provided by the security server, and if so, the Activation Module executes the necessary procedure for enabling the PKI part of the Smart Card.

To realize the full potential of communication networks, there has to exist a standardized system so that the users can engage in electronic transactions with the same degree of trust as associated with paper-based transactions.
For this reason, PKI has been developed as the primary platform for global commerce and communications. PKI insures that sensitive electronic communications are private and protected from tampering. PKI is used for digital signatures, authentication and encryption.
PKI is based on the use of cryptography, which means scrambling of information by a mathematical formula and a virtual key, so that only an authorized party using a related key can decode it. A PKI uses pairs of cryptographic keys provided by a trusted third party known as a Certification Authority (CA). Central to the workings of a PKI, a CA issues digital certificates that identify the holder's identity. A CA maintains accessible directories of valid certificates, and a list of certificates it has revoked.
Traditionally, PKI functionalities have been used by data terminals with the certificate and keys stored in an external Smart Card. However, as cellular phones merge to data terminals, there will be a need for PKI functions also in the phones. The certificate and keys will then normally be stored in the subscriber card, e.g. in the SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card as for GSM phones.
For the PKI system to be trusted, there has to exist a secure routine when registering new users by issuing digital certificates. One has to be 100% sure that the one requesting digital certificates is who he or she claims to be. This is normally done in that the user in person shows up at an office, e.g. at a post office, fills in a form and identifies himself by a trusted identification like a passport. When the counter clerk at the post office has verified the identification information, the data form is transmitted electronically to a CA. The CA controls and whitewashes the data and issues a PKI card, either in the form of a SIM card or a Smart Card, together with an activation code. The PKI card and the activation code are now sent by registered mail to the user. Again, the user personally has to appear in the post office and identify himself by, e.g., his passport, for being allowed to receive the mail.
This two-time appearance at an office has turned out to be a problem for the spreading of PKI, simply because people seem to have a resistance against making use of new technology with high entrance thresholds meaning that great initial efforts have to be made. Also, the process is naturally time consuming, and at least one week will lapse from the certificate is ordered to the user has got access to PKI functions.
From the issuer of digital certificates point of view, the costs of the issuing process are relatively high, especially because of the execution and sending of the registered mail.
Thus, there is a need for simplifying the issuing process for the benefit for both the issuer and the user.

Method for registering and enabling PKI functionalities