A door locking device includes a latch mechanism with which a striker is engageable or from which the striker is disengageable. A first link operates the latch mechanism in an interlocking manner with an inner door handle so as to release the striker. A second link is movable between an unlocked position where the second link is operated in an interlocking manner with the first link and a locked position where the second link is not operated in an interlocking manner with the first link and operates the latch mechanism in an interlocking manner with an outer handle by way of the first link in the unlocked position so as to release the striker. A locking lever changes over the second link between the unlocked position and the locked position.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door locking device.
Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as a door locking device mounted on a door of a vehicle, there has been known a door locking device having an override function. The override function is a function of, at the time of opening the door by operating an inner door handle mounted on the door inside a vehicle, opening the door due to an operation of the inner door handle one time even when the door locking device is in a locked state.
JP-A-2009-203738 (patent literature 1) discloses a door locking device having an override function. The door locking device includes: an engaging portion by which an inner lever connected to the inner door handle operates a locking mechanism; and a link operating portion which operates a latch mechanism. By operating the inner door handle one time, a locked state of the locking mechanism is released by operating the locking mechanism and the latch mechanism thus releasing the latch mechanism.
However, in the door locking device disclosed in patent literature 1, it is necessary to sequentially operate the locking mechanism and the latch mechanism within a range of a rotational operation of the inner door handle. Accordingly, it is necessary to make a rotational range (stroke) of the inner door handle large thus giving rise to a drawback that operability is poor (the slow operation feeling).
In the door locking device disclosed in patent literature 1, to change over the locking mechanism to an unlock state from a lock state and, thereafter, to operate the latch mechanism by operating the inner door handle, the locking mechanism and the latch mechanism are required to satisfy high part accuracy and assembly accuracy thus also giving rise to a possibility that the door locking device becomes expensive.


A method of allocating space in a frame buffer memory which is not used for storing pixels to be displayed currently including the steps of selecting a portion of the memory to be allocated for off-screen memory; determining the size of an area to be allocated; comparing the size of the area to be allocated with portions of the memory available to be allocated for off-screen memory using a memory allocation technique in which the least area considered is at least as great in either its horizontal or its vertical dimension as the greater dimension of the area to be allocated, the comparison being conducted in a pattern which consistently checks first a minimum area followed by three other minimum areas in an area having a size which is the next power of two larger in each dimension than the minimum area, then four more minimum areas in an adjacent area having a size which is the next power of two larger in each dimension than the minimum area than the minimum area in the pattern, the area selected for the second adjacent area being selected in the same pattern as are the minimum areas; continuing the pattern through areas which increase on the basis of the next power of two larger in each dimension of the last largest area, the search using the pattern used for selection in the minimum areas; and allocating the first area found of sufficient space to provide the memory area sought.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to memory allocation methods and, more particularly, to methods for allocating display memory which is not storing visible pixel data.
2. History Of The Prior Art
A typical computer system generates data which is displayed on an output display. This output display is most often a cathode ray tube which displays a number of full screen images one after another so rapidly that to the eye of the viewer the screen appears to display constant motion when a program being displayed produces such motion.
In order to produce the individual images (frames) which are displayed one after another, data is written into a frame buffer. The frame buffer stores information about each position on the display which can be illuminated (each picture element or pixel) to produce the full screen image. For example, a particular display may be capable of displaying pixels in approximately one thousand horizontal rows each having approximately one thousand pixels. All of this information is stored in the frame buffer where it can be repeatedly scanned to the display.
Typically, data is transferred from the frame buffer to the display pixel by pixel and line by line beginning at the upper left hand corner of the display and proceeding horizontally from left to right, line by line, downwardly to the lower right hand corner of the display. This process is called raster scanning. In order for the picture to appear continuous on the output display, the successive frames in the frame buffer are constantly scanned to the output display at a rate of sixty frames per second or more.
While each frame of data is being scanned to the display, any new data to appear in the next frame must be transferred to the frame buffer. New data to be displayed in a frame may be written to the portion of the frame buffer being changed at any time. In order to allow information to be both written to the frame buffer and scanned from the frame buffer to the output display simultaneously, two ported video random access memory (VRAM) is typically used for the frame buffer. Data is written to the frame buffer through one port and scanned to the display through the other.
If data is being placed in a frame buffer at the same time that information is being scanned to the display, it is possible that information being scanned to the display will come from two time displaced frames. For example, if scanning is proceeding at a faster rate than data is being written to the frame buffer and a portion of the frame buffer which is changing (being written) is scanned to the display, a portion of the display will be from what should be a first frame and a portion from what should be a succeeding frame. The display of portions of two time displaced frames simultaneously can be disconcerting where the display is rapidly changing as in real time video. It may produce images which are grossly distorted and are referred to as frame tears.
In order to eliminate frame tears, double buffered display memory may be used. Double buffering uses two complete frame buffers each of which may store one entire frame. Data is written to one frame buffer and scanned to the display from the other frame buffer. Since data is never written to a frame buffer from which data is being scanned to the display, frame tears cannot occur. Double buffering is typically used with programs which present rapidly changing data on the output display.
Not all programs need to utilize the facilities offered by double buffered display systems. Typical examples are programs which produce primarily text or limited two dimensional graphics output. When such programs are running on a computer having the facilities to accomplish double buffering and double buffering is inactive, a significant amount of especially expensive frame buffer memory is unused. Because this memory is closely associated with the output display, it is in an excellent position to be used for off-screen storage of information related to the display. For example, this memory may be used to store currently invisible information from windows which have portions that are presently covered by other windows being displayed. This memory is especially useful where a graphics accelerator is used with the display to eliminate the delays which are incurred when the usually slower central processor must update the display because it allows the graphics accelerator to manipulate data which would otherwise have to be stored in system memory and manipulated by the central processor. This is especially important where the frame buffer offers an especially large amount of excess memory such as is the case with unused double buffering space. In a particular arrangement, almost three megabytes of frame buffer memory are available for off-screen use; this offers a substantial amount of memory for information that need not be transferred back to system memory with the delay inherent to such transfers.
Of course, the excess display memory is only useful if it may be used with sufficient efficiency that the rendering of information on the display by the graphics accelerator and other system maintenance operations are not delayed. One of the necessary steps in the utilization of any memory is to allocate the different portions of that memory to the various uses to which it may be put. Because of the very great amount and rapidly changing nature of information which must be provided to operate an advanced color output display in a multitasking environment, if the allocation process is slow, then the operation of displaying information on the output display may be slowed. In an extreme case, the operation of the entire computer system may be slowed waiting for memory allocation. Prior art processes have not been fast enough to allow extra memory available in a frame buffer to be used to store off-screen data in such an environment.

Method and apparatus for allocating off-screen display memory


A device for transmitting data from a movable unit such from a domestic animal contains a conventional passive transponder unit (1) which is coupled to an antenna (3). The transponder (1) comprises means (23) for storing electrical energy comprised in electrical voltage pulses received on the antenna (3) and can by means of the stored energy transmit on the antenna (3) pulse sequences carrying information such as identification data for the device. Further, in the device a permanent electrical current source such as a lithium battery (9) is provided, which powers a processor (7). The processor (7) receives signals from a motion sensor (15) and is coupled to a transmitter (11) having an antenna (13) and can activate the transmitter (11) for transmitting radio signals having a good range, when the motion detector (15) signals an increased activity, such as for a non-milking cow during the estrus period.

Identification systems for domestic animals which comprise a passive transponder unit attached to the animal are well-known, see e.g. the patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,495. In such a system, in the transponder unit receiver circuits are provided for receiving radio waves of high frequency and for storing energy drawn from these waves. Further there are transmitter circuits for transmitting, by means of such stored energy and by radio waves, identity information which uniquely identifies the transmitting unit and thereby the domestic animal to which the transponder unit is attached.
In the patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,758 for James A. Rodrian it is that a domestic animal such as a dairy cow is provided with a transponder unit which is connected to an electronic counter register powered by a battery for storing the number of signals obtained from a motion detector or sensor. When the transponder is located within a region which is reached by radio signals from a questioning unit, the transponder unit transmits data by means of radio signals data, this data comprising information which constitutes an identification number of the domestic animal and also indicates the number of movements that the domestic animal has made. By evaluating this latter transmitted number it is possible to decide whether the cow is or is not in the estrus period.
In the European patent having the publication No. EP-B1 0 087 015, also for James A. Rodrian, a similar device is disclosed where the transponder unit instead transmits data indicating whether the number of counted movements during a predetermined time period exceeds the reference value by a predetermined amount.
A transponder unit having a motion sensor and a counter for the number of movements is also disclosed in the patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,861 for John W. Gettens et al., where the supply of electrical current instead is provided by the way that the motion sensor in the conventional way generates electrical pulses and by storing and utilizing the energy of the pulses for the transmission of information.
In the use of passive transponders having no interior own current supply, at each operation thereof energy must be provided from the outside. It is made, as has been mentioned above, usually by means of high frequency energy transferred by radio waves, the energy being stored in a capacitor in the unit. The stored energy is then used for transmitting a radio signal carrying some type of desired information. For natural reasons such high frequency energy can only be transferred over relatively restricted distances, of the magnitude of order of one or a few meters at most. When an identification system also is used for collecting data, for example for detection of the number of movements or accelerations, some type of an active or more powerful current supply must be arranged, at least for driving a clock and a register, in which the collected data are stored. Therefore, when such collecting of data is to performed, in most cases a battery is required. A battery has a limited useful lifetime, which is a distinctive disadvantage for identification units, which in the ideal case are to be attached to the animal and are to remain there and be operative for a long time period. In certain cases the motion sensor, see the mentioned patent for John W. Gettens, can itself, having no current supply from the outside, generate the pulses which are used for modifying a register or a memory.
For identification devices which are to transmit their information over long distances, it must be possible to transmit sufficiently strong radio signals and therefor a current supply of the type battery is required. It can be particularly important in the detection of estrus in cows, since they can go loosely during the non-milking period and are seldom collected to some feeding place or similar place. Such a transmission of information over long distances utilizing the energy of a battery should however be executed as seldom as possible, since in at each transmission occasion relatively much energy is consumed.


In a four-wheel steering system for an automotive vehicle, a travel speed of the vehicle is detected to determine parameter related to the detected vehicle speed, and lateral deviation of the vehicle is further detected to determine a steering angle of rear road wheels on a basis of the detected lateral deviation of the vehicle and the determined parameter. When the detected vehicle speed becomes unreliable due to skid condition of either one of the road wheels, the steering angle of the rear road wheels is determined on a basis of the detected lateral deviation and the fixed parameter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a four-wheel steering system for an automotive vehicle, and more particularly to a four-wheel steering system in which lateral deviation of the vehicle is detected by detection of a front wheel steering angle and a yawrate or detection of lateral acceleration for determination of a desired steering angle of rear road wheels.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 63-207772 is a four-wheel steering system wherein a front wheel steering angle, a yawrate and a vehicle speed are detected to determine a desired steering angle of rear road wheels on a basis of a coefficient related to the vehicle speed and the front wheel steering angle and yawrate. The vehicle speed, however, may not be properly detected when the road wheels tend to be locked in braking operation. If the coefficient is determined by improper detection of the vehicle speed, the rear road wheels will be steered at an unwanted angle.

Four-wheel steering system for automotive vehicle


An embodiment discloses a sensor arrangement comprising disc shaped structure with a plurality of magnetic elements which are at least provided on end faces of the disc shaped structure. The sensor arrangement includes a hollow disc structure, the hollow disc structure comprising two end faces, wherein each of the two end faces of the second structure comprises a plurality of teeth spaced apart from each other, the teeth on the two end faces are arranged in opposing positions. Teeth on a respective same end face of the hollow disc structure are spaced from each other. The disc shaped structure is rotatable with respect to the hollow disc structure. A magnetic field sensor is provided to sense a magnetic field generated by the plurality magnetic elements.

Torque sensors are applied broadly in the field of engineering industry, such as for example torque sensors used in an electric power assisted steering system of an automobile. Torque sensors may be based on a resistance potentiometer, in which a conventional torque sensor is in the form of a potentiometer. A mechanical contact is established and the contact position of the potentiometer changes. Since the potentiometer and a circular ring rub are continually in contact with the fixed wall, the frequent rotation of the potentiometer and the circular ring will render abrasion, which greatly reduces the life of the sensor. At the same time, because of the frictional resistance, performance may be poor during operation of the steer device. At the same time, the sensing precision of the sensor to the torque of the steer device will also be reduced. Furthermore, as to the conventional potentiometer torque sensors, the transition process from torque to an electric signal includes a lot of intermediate links and also involves quite a great number of components, which results in high costs.
Furthermore, a grating torque sensor is known, which measures a torsion angle by the relative displacement of the grating and then converts the change of a light beam into an electric signal and outputs a corresponding torque signal after amplification and corresponding processing by a circuit. The grating torque sensor is not subject to the problem of abrasion and has a longer life and a high precision as it is non-contact, however the manufacturing costs are quite high and the grating requires a high precision. Also the manufacturing process is more complicated, thus, the grating torque sensor is seldom adopted in a general electric power assisted steering system.
A further type of torque sensor uses a magnetic detection to detect a change of the position. It would be beneficial to have a torque sensor based on magnetic field detection with a simple structure, simple manufacturing process, and high precision.


Disclosed is a video camera apparatus including a video camera for generating a video signal and a camera control unit for generating a control signal for controlling the video camera. The camera control unit includes a video signal receiver, a video/reference signal phase comparator, a phase difference signal transmitter, a video signal memory, and write and read clock signal generators. The video camera comprises a phase difference signal receiver, a synchronizing signal generator, a synchronizing signal phase controller, an image pickup device and a video signal transmitter. In this setup, the output video signal is generated under stable genlock control for radio communication between video camera and camera control unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video camera apparatus that permits exchanges of control signals and camera output signals between a video camera and a camera control unit over a radio channel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Video cameras for use by broadcasting stations are each controlled by a separately provided camera control unit (called a CCU) in diaphragm opening and other settings. The camera is also controlled by the CCU so that the signal output by the camera will be synchronized with an externally furnished reference video signal (i.e., placed under genlock control).
During a camera-based program broadcast, each participating video camera is generally connected to its camera control unit via cables such as triax. In some cases, cable-based connections are unavailable between the video camera and the CCU; these physical connections are then replaced by radio communications.
The radio communications from each video camera to the CCU involve the use of a microwave circuit. On the other hand, control commands from the CCU to each video camera are transmitted over a radio channel for voice communication.
Conventional camera control systems in which video cameras are each connected to a CCU by radio communication have some disadvantages that are not experienced with the cable-based camera-to-CCU connection. Some of these disadvantages will be discussed below.
Where a video camera and a CCU are connected by cable, CCU-initiated control commands and camera-initiated commands are transmitted bidirectionally therebetween. That is, the CCU transmits control commands to the camera over the cable. In turn, the video camera sends to the CCU over the same cable such commands as a camera status signal (defining camera diaphragm setting, etc.) and a call command by which the camera operator calls up the CCU.
Where the video camera and the CCU are connected by radio channel, the commands are transmitted unidirectionally, i.e., only from the CCU to the camera as described. It is impossible for the camera to send the camera status signal, call command or other commands to the CCU over the radio channel.
The radio channel for control command transmission is a voice communication radio channel. This means that when a genlock reference signal is sent to the camera over the radio channel, genlock control becomes very vulnerable to external disturbances. With the genlock control signal sent over the conventional voice communication radio channel, the genlock system is markedly susceptible to Doppler shifts. Furthermore, the lock range is narrow and phase jitter plentiful with the genlock system. Thus the genlock of the output video signal is much less stable with the radio-based connection between camera and CCU than with the cable-based connection therebetween.


A variable light transmission device has at least one layer of electrophoretic medium comprising charged particles. Application of a an electric field having a waveform formed by a superposition of a carrier and a modulator waveform enables the switching of the device from a closed state to an open state, wherein the open state has higher light transmission than the closed state. As a result, the device enables the selection of the desired optical state by the user.

This invention relates to a method of operating a variable light transmission device. Specifically, the invention relates to a driving method for switching particle-based electro-optic devices between optical states using electrical fields. Variable light transmission devices can modulate light and can be used on mirrors, windows and similar items. They can modulate the amount of light or other electromagnetic radiation passing therethrough. For example, as mentioned below, the present invention may be applied to provide windows that can modulate infrared radiation for controlling temperatures within buildings. Specifically, this invention relates to variable light transmission devices that use particle-based electrophoretic media to control light modulation. Examples of electrophoretic media that may be incorporated into various embodiments of the present invention include, for example, the electrophoretic media described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,116,466 and 7,327,511, U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos 2014/0055841, No 2017/0351155, US2011/0199671 and US Patent Application having Ser. No. 62/784,897 (filed on Dec. 26, 2019), the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
Particle-based electrophoretic displays, in which a plurality of charged particles move through a suspending fluid under the influence of an electric field, have been the subject of intense research and development for a number of years. Such displays can have attributes of good brightness and contrast, wide viewing angles, state bistability, and low power consumption when compared with liquid crystal displays.
The terms "bistable" and "bistability" are used herein in their conventional meaning in the art to refer to displays comprising display elements having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, and such that after any given element has been driven by means of an addressing pulse of finite duration, to assume either its first or second display state, after the addressing pulse has terminated, that state will persist for at least several times, for example at least four times, the minimum duration of the addressing pulse required to change the state of the display element. It is shown in published U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 2002/0180687 that some particle-based electrophoretic displays capable of gray scale are stable not only in their extreme black and white states but also in their intermediate gray states, and the same is true of some other types of electro-optic displays. This type of display is properly called "multi-stable" rather than bistable, although for convenience the term "bistable" may be used herein to cover both bistable and multi-stable displays.
As noted above, electrophoretic media require the presence of a suspending fluid. In most prior art electrophoretic media, this suspending fluid is a liquid, but electrophoretic media can be produced using gaseous suspending fluids. Such gas-based electrophoretic media appear to be susceptible to the same types of problems due to particle settling as liquid-based electrophoretic media, when the media are used in an orientation which permits such settling, for example in a sign where the medium is disposed in a vertical plane. Indeed, particle settling appears to be a more serious problem in gas-based electrophoretic media than in liquid-based ones, since the lower viscosity of gaseous suspending fluids as compared with liquid ones allows more rapid settling of the electrophoretic particles.
Numerous patents and applications assigned to or in the names of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), E Ink Corporation, E Ink California, LLC and related companies describe various technologies used in encapsulated and microcell electrophoretic and other electro-optic media. Encapsulated electrophoretic media comprise numerous small capsules, each of which itself comprises an internal phase containing electrophoretically-mobile particles in a fluid medium, and a capsule wall surrounding the internal phase. Typically, the capsules are themselves held within a polymeric binder to form a coherent layer positioned between two electrodes. In a microcell electrophoretic display, the charged particles and the fluid are not encapsulated within microcapsules but instead are retained within a plurality of cavities formed within a carrier medium, typically a polymeric film. The technologies described in these patents and applications include:
(a) Electrophoretic particles, fluids and fluid additives; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,002,728 and 7,679,814;
(b) Capsules, binders and encapsulation processes; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,922,276 and 7,411,719;
(c) Microcell structures, wall materials, and methods of forming microcells; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,072,095 and 9,279,906;
(d) Methods for filling and sealing microcells; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,144,942 and 7,715,088;
(e) Films and sub-assemblies containing electro-optic materials; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,982,178 and 7,839,564;
(f) Backplanes, adhesive layers and other auxiliary layers and methods used in displays; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,116,318 and 7,535,624;
(g) Color formation and color adjustment; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,075,502 and 7,839,564;
(h) Methods for driving displays; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,012,600 and 7,453,445;
(i) Applications of displays; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,312,784 and 8,009,348; and
(j) Non-electrophoretic displays, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,921 and U.S. Patent Applications Publication No. 2015/0277160; and applications of encapsulation and microcell technology other than displays; see for example U.S. Patent Application Publications Nos. 2015/0005720 and 2016/0012710.
Many of the aforementioned patents and applications recognize that the walls surrounding the discrete microcapsules in an encapsulated electrophoretic medium could be replaced by a continuous phase, thus producing a so-called polymer-dispersed electrophoretic display, in which the electrophoretic medium comprises a plurality of discrete droplets of an electrophoretic fluid and a continuous phase of a polymeric material, and that the discrete droplets of electrophoretic fluid within such a polymer-dispersed electrophoretic display may be regarded as capsules or microcapsules even though no discrete capsule membrane is associated with each individual droplet; see for example, the aforementioned 2002/0131147. Accordingly, for purposes of the present application, such polymer-dispersed electrophoretic media are regarded as sub-species of encapsulated electrophoretic media.
A related type of electrophoretic display is a so-called "microcell electrophoretic display". In a microcell electrophoretic display, the charged particles and the suspending fluid are not encapsulated within microcapsules but instead are retained within a plurality of cavities formed within a carrier medium, typically a polymeric film. See, for example, International Application Publication No. WO 02/01281, and published U.S. application Ser. No. 2002/0075556, both assigned to Sipix Imaging, Inc.
Although electrophoretic media are often opaque (since, for example, in many electrophoretic media, the particles substantially block transmission of visible light through the display) and operate in a reflective mode, many electrophoretic displays can be made to operate in a so-called "shutter mode" in which one display state is substantially opaque and one is light-transmissive. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,130,774 and 6,172,798, and 5,872,552; 6,144,361; 6,271,823; 6,225,971; and 6,184,856. Dielectrophoretic displays, which are similar to electrophoretic displays but rely upon variations in electric field strength, can operate in a similar mode; see U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,346. Other types of electro-optic displays may also be capable of operating in shutter mode.
An encapsulated or microcell electrophoretic display typically does not suffer from the clustering and settling failure mode of traditional electrophoretic devices and provides further advantages, such as the ability to print or coat the display on a wide variety of flexible and rigid substrates. Use of the word "printing" is intended to include all forms of printing and coating, including, but without limitation: pre-metered coatings such as patch die coating, slot or extrusion coating, slide or cascade coating, curtain coating; roll coating such as knife over roll coating, forward and reverse roll coating; gravure coating; dip coating; spray coating; meniscus coating; spin coating; brush coating; air knife coating; silk screen printing processes; electrostatic printing processes; thermal printing processes; ink jet printing processes; electrophoretic deposition; and other similar techniques. Thus, the resulting display can be flexible. Further, because the display medium can be printed (using a variety of methods), the display itself can be made inexpensively.
One potentially important market for electrophoretic media is windows with variable light transmission. As the energy performance of buildings and vehicles becomes increasingly important, electrophoretic media could be used as coatings on windows to enable the proportion of incident radiation transmitted through the windows to be electronically controlled by varying the optical state of the electrophoretic media. Effective implementation of such "variable-transmissivity" ("VT") technology in buildings is expected to provide (1) reduction of unwanted heating effects during hot weather, thus reducing the amount of energy needed for cooling, the size of air conditioning plants, and peak electricity demand; (2) increased use of natural daylight, thus reducing energy used for lighting and peak electricity demand; and (3) increased occupant comfort by increasing both thermal and visual comfort. Even greater benefits would be expected to accrue in an automobile, where the ratio of glazed surface to enclosed volume is significantly larger than in a typical building. Specifically, effective implementation of VT technology in automobiles is expected to provide not only the aforementioned benefits but also (1) increased motoring safety, (2) reduced glare, (3) enhanced mirror performance (by using an electro-optic coating on the mirror), and (4) increased ability to use heads-up displays. Other potential applications include of VT technology include privacy glass and glare-guards in electronic devices.
The present invention relates to a method of operating a variable light transmission device having particle-based electrophoretic media.

Driving methods for a variable light transmission device


A mammalian KIR 4.1 gene and gene products which are predictive of a susceptibility or predisposition to neurological disorders such as multiple epilepsy phenotypes are provided. Methods of predicting an individual's susceptibility in developing or having a neurological disorder via detection of these diagnostic markers are also provided. In addition, compositions and methods for identifying compositions for use in the treatment of neurological disorders via these genes and gene products are described.

The term epilepsy refers to a complex series of over 40 diverse disorders that affect 1-2% of the population (Engle, J. Jr. Epilepsy Research 1996 26:141-150; McNamara J. Neurosci. 1994 14(6):3413-3425; Charlier et al. Nature Genetics 1998 18(1):53-56). The International League against Epilepsy periodically revises the classifications and publishes the nomenclature used to describe reported epilepsy phenotypes (Epilepsy, Intnl League Coalition 1989 30(4):389-399). The most common seizure phenotypes observed are idiopathic or primary generalized epilepsy (PGE), in which abnormal electrical activity spreads across the entire cerebral cortex, and focal epilepsy in which abnormal electrical activity is restricted to one brain region, usually the temporal lobe (TLE). Although recent studies have successfully identified specific genetic mutations in some rare seizure phenotypes, those genetic influences that predispose humans to common epilepsy types such as TLE and PGE are complex and poorly understood. Genetic influences on epilepsy have been the subject of several recent reviews (Ferraro, T. N. and Buono, R. J. "Genetics of Epilepsy: Mouse and Human Studies" In Genetic Influences on Neural and Behavioral Functions. eds. Plaff et al. 1999 CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla.; Szepetowski, P. and Monaco, A. P. Neurogenetics 1998 1:153-163).
Family and twin studies have provided insights regarding the genetic influences on both PGE and TLE (Berkovic et al. Annals of Neurology 1998 43(4):435-45; Berkovic et al. Annals of Neurology 1996 40(2):227-235; Callenbach et al. Epilepsia 1998 39(3):331-6; Jain et al. Seizure 1998 7(2):139-43; Miller et al. Genetic Epidemiology 1998 15(1):33-49). Concordance rates in monozygotic twins for certain PGE subtypes are reported to range between 65% and 95%, while concordance rates in dizygotic twins are reported at 15-30% (Stoffel, M. and Jan, L. Y. Nature Genetics 1998 18:6-8; Miller et al. Genetic Epidemiology 1998 15(1):33-49; Jain et al. Seizure 1998 7(2):139-43). Genetic influences in TLE phenotypes were documented more than 30 years ago and, more recently, in relatively benign idiopathic forms of TLE (Berkovic et al. Annals of Neurology 1996 40(2):227-235; Neubauer et al. Neurology 1998 51(6):1608-12; Bray, P. F. and Wiser, W. C. Pediatrics 1965 36:207-211; Bray, P. F. and Wiser, W. C. N. Engl. J. Med. 1964 271:926-933). These and other studies provide strong evidence for an inherited component to common forms of PGE and TLE. Since these disorders are not inherited in a simple Mendelian fashion, it appears that they arise from multiple gene mutations interacting with environmental factors. In addition, epidemiological evidence in humans demonstrates that relatives of probands with PGE or TLE are at increased risk for susceptibility to both generalized and focal epilepsy compared to individuals in the general population (Ottman et al. Archives of Neurology 1998 55:339-344), suggesting that different forms of epilepsy may share some susceptibility loci.
Linkage studies have lead to the identification of gene mutations that cause several rare epilepsy types and have suggested the chromosomal locations of genes related to a few more common epilepsy types. Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) has been the most studied of the PGE subtypes and evidence for linkage on chromosomes 6p and 15q have been reported (Greenberg et al. Amer. K. Medical Genetics 1988 31:185-192; Liu et al. Amer. J. Hum. Genet. 1995 57:368-381). In each case linkage data have been replicated in some independent patient groups (Weissbecker et al. Am. J. Human Genetics 1991 38:32-36; Elmslie et al. Human Molecular Genetics 1997 6(8):1329-1334), but not others (Whitehouse et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 1993 53:652-662; LeHellard et al. Epilepsia 1999 40(1):117-9; Sander et al., Am. J. Med. Genetics 1999 88(2):182-7), suggesting that several loci are involved in predisposition toward JME, most likely including loci on human 6p and 15q. Linkage on chromosome 8q has been reported for common subtypes of idiopathic generalized epilepsy such as childhood absence or juvenile absence, but not replicated in all patient groups tested (Zara et al. Human Molec. Genetics 1995 4(7):1201-1207; Durner et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 1999 64(5) :1411-9; Fong et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 1998 63(4) :1117-29; Sander et al. published the largest linkage study to date on a collection of European patients and family members with generalized epilepsy including JME, CAE, and Juvenile Absence Epilepsy (JAE) (Hum. Molec. Genet. 2000 9(10):1465-1472). The results from this study provide evidence for a susceptibility locus on human chromosome 3q. This location was not previously reported in any other linkage study. Furthermore, the results did not replicate any evidence for linkage to 6P), 15q or 8q as previously reported by others (Greenberg et al. Amer. J. Med. Genet. 1988 31:85-92; Liu et al. Amer. J. Hum Genet. 1995 57:368-381; Weissbecker et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 1991 38:32-36; Elmslie et al. Hum. Molec. Genet. 1997 6(8):1329-1334). Thus the heterogeneity of the common epilepsy types continues to confound the search for seizure susceptibility factors.
Rare epilepsy types following Mendelian inheritance in families have lead to the identification of specific gene mutations that can cause seizure disorder in humans. Progressive myoclonic epilepsy (PME), a PGE subtype, shows linkage to markers on human chromosomes 6q and 21q (Serratosa et al. Hum. Molec. Genet. 1995 4(9):1657-1663; Sainz et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 1997 61(5):12-5-1209; Lehesjoki et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 1991 88(9):3696-9). PME of the Unverricht-Lundborg type was traced to a mutation in the gene encoding the protease cystatin B on 21q. PME of the Lafora type was traced to a mutation in the gene encoding a novel tyrosine phosphatase on 6q (Pennacchio et al. Science 1996 271:1731-4; Minassian et al. Nature Genetics 1998 20(2):171-4; Serratosa et al. Hum. Molec. Genet. 1999 8(2):345-52). Other PGE subtypes such as autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE) and benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) are linked to markers on human chromosomes 8q, and 20q (Lewis et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 1993 53:670-675; Wallace et al. J. Med. Genet. 1996 33(4):308-312; Leppert et al. Nature 1989 337:647-648; Phillips et al. Nature Genet. 1995 10(l):117-123). Mutations in two potassium ion channel genes (KCNQ2 and KCNQ3) have been identified as the BFNC loci on human chromosomes 8q and 20q (Biervert et al. Science 1908 279:403-406; Charlier et al. Nature Genetics 1998 18(1):53-56; Singh et al. Nature Genetics 1998 18(l):25-30); Stoffel, M. and Jan, L. Y. Nature Genetics 1998 18:6-8). In addition mutations in a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha -4 subunit (CHRNA4) on 20q have teen linked to ADWFLE (Steinlein et al. Nature Genetics 1995 11(2):201-203: Steinlein et al. Hum. Molec. Genet. 1997 6(6):943-7) and mutations in a sodium ion channel SCN1B on 19q have recently been linked to generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures (GEFS, Wallace et al. Nature Genetics 1998 19:366-70). Partial epilepsy types are associated with regions on human chromosomes 2q, 10q and 15q (Scheffer et al. Annals of Neurology 1998 44(6):890-9; Ottman et al. Nature Genetics 1995 10:50-60; Poza et al. Annals of Neurology 1999 45(2):182-8; Neubauer et al. Neurology 1998 51(6):1608-12) and linkage on Xq and 8p has been detected in rare forms of epilepsy accompanied by mental retardation (Gendrot et al. Clinical Genetics 1994 45(3):145-153; Ryan et al. Nature Genetics 1997 17:92-95: Ranta et al. Genome Res. 1996 6(5):351-360). Finally there are additional reports of linkage on 19p for a familial form of febrile seizures (Johnson et al. Hum. Molec. Genet. 1998 7(1) :63-67) and 19q for benign familial infantile convulsions (Guipponi et al. Hum. Molec. Genet. 1997 6(3):473-477).
Although linkage studies have suggested the locations of genes for the common epilepsy forms such as JME, CAE, and TLE, these forms exhibit a high degree of clinical heterogeneity and the inheritance patterns are non-Mendelian, suggesting that multiple gene influences are responsible for most common seizure phenotypes. Alternative approaches are needed to help identify genes of partial effect in these common epilepsy types and to supplement the linkage work already accomplished and in progress.
One such alternative is to analyze epilepsy candidate genes for variations and then to demonstrate association of disease with inheritance of specific gene variants. This strategy has already been shown to be useful since a variation in a kainate type glutamate receptor is reported to be inherited in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy more often than predicted by classical genetics. (Sander et al. Am. J. Med. Genet. 1997 74:416-421)
Using a mouse model for epilepsy (Ferraro et al. Mammalian Genome 1997 8:200-208) , a susceptibility gene for seizures induced by various mechanisms was localized to a small region of murine chromosome 1 (Ferraro et al. J. Neuroscience 1999 19(16):6733-6739).
A sequence variation has now been identified in the homologous human gene, KIR 4.1. Further, it has now been determined that this variation occurs more frequently in epilepsy patients compared to matched controls.

Diagnostic markers for multiple epilepsy phenotypes

Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


The thrust reverser has an external cowl and a fixed engine core cowl, defining together an annular duct through which high bypass fan air is driven rearwardly. The external cowl has a section adapted to be translated between forward and rearward positions, under control of linear actuators. The translating section includes openings fitted with doors pivotally mounted on the translating section and linked to the engine core cowl so that the translating section translating movement in a rearwardly direction causes the doors to pivot from a stowed position in which they close the openings and a deployed position in which they block the annular duct. The thrust reverser includes only two such doors, the surface area occupied by each door representing more than 30% of the peripheral surface area of the inner wall of a portion of the translating section limited by the vertical planes including the upstream end of the translating section and the pivot axis of the door, respectively.

The present invention relates to a thrust reversing system with pivoting doors, and more particularly a thrust reverser that has relatively thin external structure adapted for an aircraft with ultrahigh bypass engines.
In an ultrahigh bypass engine, the nacelle surrounding the engine must have a much larger diameter than the nacelle used in a conventional bypass engine. In addition, the ultrahigh bypass engine nacelles have a more conical shape, converging radially inwards at the aft extremity. This shape makes it difficult to adapt a conventional thrust reverser without increasing the thickness of the aft portion of the nacelle. Therefore, the thrust reverser should be installed as far forward as possible, to utilize the thicker section of the nacelle.
An object of the invention is to provide a thrust reverser of the type disclosed in EP-A1-0 281 455 but having a simpler structure.
EP-A1-0 281 455 discloses a thrust reverser having an external cowl (6) and a fixed center structure (4) (the engine core cowl), said external cowl and said engine core cowl defining together an annular duct (CA) through which high bypass fan air is driven rearwardly, said external cowl having an upstream fixed section (7) and a downstream section (8) adapted to be translated between a forward position and a rearward position, under control of a plurality of linear actuators (19), said translating section, hereafter referred to as a translating or sliding cowl, having an upstream end, a downstream end, an inner wall and an outer wall and comprising openings fitted with doors (13) pivotally mounted, around a pivot axis, on the translating cowl and linked to the engine core, so that the translating movement of the said translating cowl in a rearwardly direction causes the doors to pivot from a stowed position in which they close said openings and a deployed position in which they block said annular duct (CA) and deviate the bypass fan air outwardly forward through the openings, thus creating a reverse thrust.
In this known thrust reverser, the translating cowl is made of two half-cowls and four pivoting doors are shown, one upper door and one lower door in each half cowl. Three actuators drive each half-cowl from the stowed forward position to the deployed aft position. The upper doors are pivotally mounted on lateral (11) and upper (11a) structural beams, while the lower doors are pivotally mounted on the same lateral structural beams (11) and on lower structural beams. The structural beams (11,11a) are substantially parallel to the centerline of the thrust reverser and they form part of the translating cowl (8). Each linear actuator (19) is partially housed in one of said structural beams.

Thrust reverser for high bypass fan engine

Societe de Construction des Avions Hurel-Dubois


A three-bar moldable warp knitted fabric having a satin-like technical back suitable for use in forming seamless molded breast cups for women's brassieres is produced on a Raschel warp knitting machine by knitting satin-effect yarns on the machine's bottom bar in coursewise extended underlaps producing the satin-like technical back of the fabric, knitting high elongation-high shrinkage monofilament POY draw-warped polyester yarns on the machine's middle bar to form a stabilized fabric ground structure, and inlaying elastic yarns with the machine's top bar to impart a compacted stitch density to the fabric when relaxed. When placed over a heated molding surface of a breast cup mold, the ground yarns shrink sufficiently and become heat set to collapse the fabric into a permanent shape conforming to the molding surface, the elastic yarns maintaining sufficient stitch density in the molded fabric to retain a uniform satin-like surface effect at the fabric's technical back.

The present invention relates generally to warp knitted fabrics and the manufacture of apparel from such fabrics. More particularly, the present invention relates to a warp knitted fabric characterized by the ability to be molded and heat set into a permanent shape and to a method for forming a seamless molded fabric portion, e.g., a breast cup for a woman's brassiere, utilizing such fabric.
As is well-known, textile fabrics are manufactured in flat planar sheet form which accordingly must be cut into various shapes to be sewn together in order to fashion garments into appropriate shapes to fit the human anatomy. Such has traditionally been true particularly of specialty garments intended to be close-fitting, such as women's brassieres.
While cut-and-sewn brassieres have proven to perform quite satisfactorily in retaining their shape over extended numbers of wearings and washings, the sewn seams in such brassieres, particularly in the breast cups, are nevertheless undesirable in that the seams tend to be visible through some clothing and also detract from the comfort of the brassieres.
Accordingly, the textile garment industry has sought for some time to produce women's brassieres with seamless breast cups without sacrificing the desirable shape-retention characteristics of traditional cut-and-sewn brassieres. To do so, most development effort in the field has been directed toward creating textile fabrics which can be permanently molded through heat setting into various breast cup sizes and shapes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,310 describes the historical progression of such moldable fabrics and discloses a warp knitted polyester fabric specifically designed to overcome the deficiencies of prior art molded fabrics. While the fabric described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,310 and other similar moldable fabrics have achieved a reasonable degree of commercial success to the point that currently brassieres with seamless breast cups represent approximately 38% of all brassiere sales in the United States, no moldable fabric has yet been developed which will closely simulate the woven satin fabrics which have long been the fabric of choice in cut-and-sewn brassieres.

Moldable warp knitted fabric and method of forming a seamless molded fabric portion therefrom


A semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor substrate having a main surface, at least a first dielectric layer on the main surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first OS FET device and a second OS FET device disposed on the first dielectric layer, at least a second dielectric layer covering the first dielectric layer, the first OS FET device, and the second OS FET device, a first MIM capacitor on the second dielectric layer and electrically coupled to the first OS FET device, and a second MIM capacitor on the second dielectric layer and electrically coupled to the second OS FET device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory device having integrated dynamic oxide semiconductor random access memory (hereinafter DOSRAM) and non-volatile oxide semiconductor random access memory (hereinafter NOSRAM). A method of making such semiconductor memory device is also disclosed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Semiconductor memory is an electronic data storage device, often used as computer memory, implemented on a semiconductor-based integrated circuit. It is made in many different types and technologies. Semiconductor memory has the property of random access, which means that it takes the same amount of time to access any memory location, so data can be efficiently accessed in any random order.
One type of memory is dynamic random access memory (DRAM). DRAM is dynamically accessible. In DRAM, memory is stored for a short period of time, typically less than a second, and accordingly DRAM requires periodic refreshing. DRAM loses memory when power is off or fails, and accordingly is volatile. DRAM may be accessed and altered quickly.
Another type of memory is static random access memory (SRAM). SRAM may be accessible faster than DRAM, may store memory permanently as long as power is present, and thus may not require refreshing like DRAM. SRAM, like DRAM, loses memory when power is off, and accordingly is also volatile.
While DRAM traditionally utilizes unit cells containing a transistor and a capacitor, SRAM unit cells comprise six transistors, and therefore the cell size for SRAM is much larger than that for DRAM. In high-performance electronic systems, SRAM may be used for instruction storage, while DRAM is used for working memory and short-term data storage.
Still another type of memory is nonvolatile memory (NVM). NVM is memory that stores data without refreshing, and accordingly memory suitable for storing data for substantial lengths of time (for instance, 10 years) in the absence of power.
Both DRAM and NVM offer advantageous and disadvantages. DRAM is fast, but the volatility of DRAM leads to data loss once power is turned off, and the refreshing of DRAM consumes power. NVM is stable in the absence of power, but tends to be slower to program than DRAM. Also, NVM often utilizes higher programming voltages than DRAM, which lowers the endurance of NVM relative to DRAM.
It is desirable to provide a semiconductor memory device and a fabrication method thereof, which are able to integrate high-density DRAM and low-leakage NVM embedded in one chip.

Semiconductor memory device having integrated DOSRAM and NOSRAM


A hybrid diode-less power converter topology of the present invention converts power from an AC power source to a variable load with high efficiency. The power converter includes a non-symmetrical arrangement of rectifying switches for rectifying an input AC voltage and shaping switches for shaping an input AC current. The shaping switches are operated in Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM) based on an input AC current. Operation of each of the rectifying switches and shaping switches are further controlled wherein a commutation time for the shaping switches is associated with a first voltage rise and fall time (e.g., less than 10 ns), and a commutation time for the rectifying switches is associated with a second voltage rise and fall time (e.g., at least 100 ns), wherein the first voltage rise and fall time is less than the second voltage rise and fall time by a factor of nine or more.

This invention relates generally to the field of electrical power conversion, and more particularly to high efficiency rectifier solutions.
A totem pole rectifier is a known bridge-less circuit used to rectify an AC line input voltage. It is understood as a solution with potential for highest achievable efficiency (>99%). Conventional versions of totem-pole rectifier circuits include those shown on FIG. 1 to FIG. 3.
An important feature of the totem pole rectifying circuit is that it is not only a bridge-less (BL) solution, but also possibly a diode-less solution. As such, it can incorporate no forward voltage drop devices, which means it can provide very high efficiency at light load conditions. Another important advantage is its compactness because the number of components is low when compared with most other bridge-less circuits. This feature is even more remarkable if CCM (Continuous Conduction Mode) method would be used to control switches to provide high power handling capability. However, there are several limitations which make this solution relatively difficult to implement, and as a result it has not been widely adopted and used.
A first possible implementation of this topology is represented in FIG. 1. It consists of two rectifying diodes 1 and 2 and a shaping branch with MOSFETs 3 and 4 which are operated so that a current through smoothing inductor 101 is shaped to follow a predefined reference. Because diodes 1 and 2 are forward-drop featured devices, this circuit is not a true diode-less solution and does not provide significant advantages when compared with other BL circuits.
Another implementation is represented on FIG. 2. This true diode-less topology includes two rectifying MOSFETs 5 and 6 and two shaping MOSFETs 7 and 8. While this solution benefits from the diode-less character of the circuit, it does, however, feature a significant disadvantage. Slow body diodes of MOSFETs 7 and 8 significantly deteriorate the potential of the circuit in CCM by excessive reverse recovery current that induces high switching losses and may decrease the MOSFETs reliability when CCM control method is used. This effect can be slightly enhanced by using MOSFETs with fast body diode, but with current state-of-the-art devices this does not achieve a significant improvement in efficiency over other conventional BL solutions.
To overcome this problem, there are three basic possibilities known from the prior art.
A first option is to control the shaping switches 7 and 8 with BCM (Boundary Conduction Mode), e.g., at the border of DCM (Discontinuous Conduction Mode) where current through a smoothing inductor 9 periodically falls to zero at the end of switching period, and at this instant the next switching cycle is initiated. An optimized version of this method implements a valley switching technique and hence further decreases capacitive turn-on losses. This method significantly decreases reverse recovery current of body diodes inherently contained in Silicon MOSFETs 7 and 8.
A second option is an extension of the BCM method described in above, where current through smoothing inductor 9 is forced to go negative to achieve ZVS switching for shaping switches 7 and 8 in the entire range of load 11 and the input AC voltage 21.
A third option is to use IGBTs 10-13 instead of MOSFETs as represented in FIG. 3. This solution provides (and requires) the possibility to equip the switching devices with anti-parallel ultra-fast diodes 14-17 because IGBTs inherently do not contain them, and hence it reduces reverse recovery losses.
Each of the three above-mentioned solutions suffer from other problems, however.
Power Density:
When a converter according to FIG. 2 is controlled at the boundary of DCM (BCM), the power handling capability is lower than its CCM controlled counterparts due to the fact that current in the smoothing choke 9 is periodically forced to fall to zero, and hence a high level of power density is difficult to achieve. Power handling in the case of BCM controlled converters can be increased by adding more phases to obtain an interleaved two or more phase converter. This method increases the power handling but still does not provide a very compact solution. In addition, obtaining the proper phase shift between two or more phases for each instantaneous input AC voltage within a half-period and for each load condition is not a trivial task because of varying switching frequency within the input AC voltage cycle. One possible way to handle this is disclosed in Ziegler et al. "Digital Phase Adjustment for Multiphase Power Converters", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0218792, filed Feb. 10, 2012.
Circulating Energy:
When a converter according to FIG. 2 is controlled at the boundary of DCM (BCM), a circulating energy is present in the circuit due to the oscillation between the choke 9 and output capacitance Coss of the MOSFETs 7 and 8. If CoolMOS devices are used with significant Coss=f(Vds) functional dependency, reverse current flowing through choke 9 required to achieve valley or ZVS switching has a quasi-triangular shape and is characterized with high peak amplitude. This increases conduction losses and decreases efficiency at light loads even though a ZVS technique recycles energy stored in output capacitance Coss of switches 7 and 8. Typical waveforms recorded on the totem pole converter according to FIG. 2 and controlled by BCM are represented on FIG. 4. These waveforms correspond to a valley switching technique during frequency limit mode where negative current is obtained only by natural oscillation between inductor 9 and the Coss capacitance of MOSFETs 7 and 8. The amplitude of the oscillation current is about 1 A. Taking into account a targeted 99% efficiency, the power loss associated with this negative current and related circulating energy is high.
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD):
Another consequence of the larger negative current peak flowing through choke 9 that exists during valley switching, and is even larger in the case full ZVS behavior is targeted, is significant deterioration of input current THD when a standard constant on-time method is used within BCM control method. Typical waveforms recorded on the totem pole converter according to FIG. 2 and controlled by BCM are represented on FIG. 5. Negative peak current flowing through choke 9 is increased when the input AC voltage 10 approaches zero. This is directly given by a small positive di/dt and a large negative di/dt of the input current because the slope of current rise/fall is given by a voltage applied on the smoothing choke. In general, to enhance THD, the on-time of the shaping switches 7 and 8 must be varied as a function of the input AC voltage 10 and a load 11, as modeled on FIG. 6.
This functional dependency is given purely by parasitic circuit elements, namely Coss nonlinearity of shaping FETs 7 and 8 and the inductance of the choke 9. It is derived analytically by solving the non-linear system of parametric differential equations given by the strong non-linearity Coss=Coss(Vds) where the parameters are immediate input AC voltage 10 and the load 11. An alternative method based on HW interaction between a control machine and a power stage is disclosed in Ziegler et al. "Input Current Shaping for Transition and Discontinuous Mode Power Converter", U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0212276, filed Feb. 10, 2012, describing a method and apparatus to handle deteriorated THD. The method is normally required to be running on a FPGA or ASIC to process the algorithm for the proper on-time generation.
Driving Power:
Driving energy consumption is also not negligible since two shaping MOSFETs need to be driven. Taking into account a targeted >99% efficiency, this part of permanent losses plays an important role in the loss budget and consequently shifts the efficiency curve down.
IGBT:
A circuit according to FIG. 3 offers in contrast high power handling due to CCM capability. However, the bipolar character of IGBT Ic vs. Vice output characteristics with typical forward-drop voltage and significant dynamic "tail current" losses cannot offer better efficiency as compared with a ZVS/valley controlled converter according to FIG. 2. This is especially valid for converters with 400V class DC bus voltage where 600V devices are normally considered.
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC):
The rectifying switches 5-6 are commutated each time the zero crossing of the input AC voltage 10 is detected. Typically, the DC bus rails have a parasitic or intended (by means of Y2 capacitors) capacitance 18 referred to a common ground 19. In this case, the commutation of the rectifying switches 5 and 6 causes a common mode (CM) voltage with an amplitude of DC bus voltage (present on capacitor 20) seen on input terminals 21. This rectangular CM voltage features low fundamental frequency equal to frequency of the input AC voltage 10, high amplitude and wide frequency spectrum. Because of that, total EM behavior of the converter is deteriorated.
What is need then are a method and apparatus to effectively overcome above mentioned disadvantages.

Power converter with non-symmetrical totem pole rectifier and current-shaping branch circuits


A nozzle for dispensing fluid including a nozzle body having a fluid path through which fluid to be dispensed is configured to flow. The nozzle includes a main fluid valve positioned in the fluid path to control the flow of fluid therethrough, and a secondary fluid valve positioned in the fluid path to control the flow of fluid therethrough. The secondary fluid valve includes a secondary valve body and a secondary valve seat, the secondary valve body being movable between a closed position, wherein the secondary valve body sealingly engages the secondary valve seat, and an open position wherein the secondary valve body is spaced away from the secondary valve seat. The nozzle further includes an actuator operatively coupled to the main and secondary fluid valves. The actuator and main and secondary fluid valves are configured such that initial actuation of the actuator opens only the secondary fluid valve and not the main fluid valve. The secondary fluid valve is configured to provide an orifice, that is spaced away from the secondary valve seat and through which fluid is flowable, and the size of the orifice varies with respect to the position of the secondary fluid valve.

At a typical refueling station or other refueling system, fuel is pumped from a storage tank to a vehicle fuel tank via a fuel dispenser. A nozzle is positioned at the end of the fuel dispenser and may carry out multiple functions, including: 1) safe and efficient dispensing of fluid; 2) recovery of vapor from inside the vehicle tank that are exhausted or forced out of the vehicle during refueling; 3) providing automatic shut-off such that the flow of fuel is terminated when the vehicle tank is sufficiently full; 4) enabling accurate dispensing of small amounts of fluid; 5) preventing improper operation of the dispenser; 6) providing a low profile nozzle; 7) enabling the nozzle to be temporarily held in the open/dispensing position for ease of operation; 8) providing a nozzle that is durable, inexpensive, ergonomic and easy to use; 9) enabling the display of advertising and/or other indicia; and 10) providing a nozzle that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.


A knock-down table comprises a top frame and attachable legs. The top frame comprises a horizontal surface with a lip about its perimeter, and walls depending downward from the underside of the top frame. An interchangeable table top is placed on the top frame within the confines of the lip. Each downward depending walls has a cutout at each top end corner to form a channel at each underside corner of the top frame. Extending downward from the top frame and in close proximity to each channel is a bolt assembly and a locator pin.. A plurality of tapered, flanged legs that are roughly L-shaped in cross section are secured to each corner of the top frame by the bolt assemblies. The flanged legs are tapered so that the wider portions of the tapered legs each are proximate to the top frame and extend partially over the downward depending walls when assembled. Located at the top end of the flanged legs are plates, each having a slot and a guide hole therethrough. The plates extend through the channels in the downward depending walls. The slots of the plates engage the bolt assemblies, and are secured by tightening nuts thereon. The locator pins fit within guide holes in the plates of the flanged legs.. Removable shelves are placed between the flanged legs by using at each corner an extension depending downward to engage the cleat in the respective flanged leg by passing through an aperture in the cleat.. Versatility of the knock-down table is apparent from the fact that the interchangeable table tops can be complex works of art, including, for example, ornamental features such as scrolls and intricate inlaid wooden sections.

Tables shipped in assembled form are bulky and hard to handle, and also limit the capacity of shipping containers and trucks. These factors add to the handling costs of such tables. Further, assembling a table in the factory necessarily adds assembly costs, which are passed on to the consumer in the form of an increased table cost. A solution to the problems of shipping space and factory assembly expenses is to ship tables in unassembled or "knock-down" form.
Another important concern of table construction is the ease of assembly and disassembly. The current construction of certain tables with intricate moldings and contoured shapes render these tables difficult to assemble. Furthermore, some of these tables cannot be fully disassembled due to their design. This leads to an excessive amount of manufacturing time and costs, and also leads to excessive shipping volume being taken up by the fully assembled table. Proposed solutions have included tables designed with complex assemblies for pivotal or collapsible legs, as well as systems with removable table tops to permit tables to be folded into flattened shapes. These assemblies and systems, while convenient and relatively compact for shipment, have added dramatically to the cost of the tables due to the complexity of manufacturing and assembling. Thus, there remains a need to provide the user with an inexpensive and versatile table that is easy to assemble and disassemble.
Another concern of manufacturers is the versatility of knock-down furniture. For instance, many manufacturers employ interior designers when designing their tables and table components so as to design tables that meet the consumer's needs and tastes, including a range of decorative styles. In this regard, manufacturers are clearly concerned with the user's likes and dislikes. To this end, it is also useful to have simple and inexpensive tables that have interchangeable Components, e.g., decorative table tops, as well as the capability of easy disassembly, especially for those users who have a range of needs and/or tastes applicable to one table. By way of example, a user may need a table for outdoor use, and as such, require a rugged and durable table top. Alternatively, the user may want to bring the same table inside, at which time a more formal or more decorative table top is desired. Any such table tops should be easily removable and interchangeable.
Manufacturers of knock-down tables are also concerned with the easy assembly and disassembly of a table, including the capability of compact storage. Disassembly includes the ability to fully dismantle all components of the table, including the legs, shelves, and table top. It is also highly desirable to facilitate disassembly by designing a simple table construction, such as pop-in pieces, which do not utilize bolts or other mechanical means.
Several inventors have attempted to devise methods for the construction of tables to facilitate easy assembly and disassembly. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,310,904 to J. E. Bales discloses a gas welding table consisting of four legs, wherein each leg has an extension-like flange having a vertical and a horizontal portion. Placed on the horizontal portion of the extension-like flange is a shelf having an inwardly extending flange and a plurality of ridges for storage purposes. A plurality of side panels are attached via a bolt assembly to the upper portion of the legs. Each side panel is provided with an outstanding horizontally and upstanding flange. Center reinforcement strips are also provided, and are disposed parallel to opposed pairs of side panels for additional support. The top of the table consists of noninterchangeable firebricks that lie on the legs and center reinforcement strips. Though designed for user assembly, this table is not designed for easy assembly and disassembly. Further, the table is not a consumer item, is very complex, and does not lend itself to varying uses, such as a variety of recreational uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,660,501 to C. P. Molla describes a combination table leg and table top retainer. Specifically, this invention relates to a detachable leg structure, wherein the leg members consist of upward extending end portions which protrude above the upper surface of the table frame to engage peripheral edges of a table top. The leg members are formed from a single strip of metal and are secured to a frame. The frame comprises four sides, each side having depending peripheral and horizontal walls. The horizontal walls are cut at a 45 degree angle to meet the horizontal walls of the adjacent side of the frame.
Another table construction is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,903,312 to C. J. Lawless (the "'312 patent"). The '312 patent discloses a reversible table top construction, wherein leg assemblies are secured to a support frame at their upper ends. The support frame comprises an upwardly extending peripheral flange conforming to the shape of the table top. The table top includes a rectangular table top having a top, a bottom, and edges. The edges of the table top have bore portions which have magnets anchored therein, and are aligned with apertured portions of the upwardly extending peripheral flanges. Ferrous material retaining pins extend through the apertured portions of the upwardly extending peripheral flange, and the bored portions of the panel have the magnets disposed therein. The retaining pins maintain the position of the table top within the support frame. This invention provides a novel method of leg attachment.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,730 to Borichevsky discloses a table with a releasable top for outdoor use. This invention provides a table with a plurality of U-shaped leg frames, each having a recess therein. The U-shaped leg frames are permanently attached to one another, thereby forming the frame of the table. The recess consists of a downwardly directed bottom wall and an upwardly directed top wall, wherein the top wall has a lip which overhangs the recess. The two walls are disposed in angular relationship to each other. The table top fits into the recess of the U-shaped leg frames. When in place, the table top is located below the plane of the top surfaces of the leg frames, and is held in place by the overhanging lips of the recess.
All of the above references use fastening mechanisms and complex assemblies that do not necessarily allow for easy manufacture, assembly, and disassembly in a manner that would lend itself to consumer uses. Further, the above references do not afford the user with a table that has interchangeable parts, and that is capable of being fully dismantled into its constituent components for compact shipping and storage. Additionally, these above tables do not cater to varying consumer uses, such as for outdoor and indoor activity.
What is needed to meet the needs of consumers for occasional tables and the construction thereof is a durable table that allows for easy manufacture and subsequent assembly, interchangeability of table parts, and the advantage of being able to be fully dismantled for shipping and storage. Such a table would include several table tops of varying designs that can be interchanged by the user, yet be easy to assemble and disassemble. The table would be constructed so that all constituent components are securely fixed to one another utilizing a simple design fashioned for easy assembly and disassembly. The construction of the table would also include at least one removable shelf disposed between the legs (or other places as the user desires) that would further add to the stability and strength of the table. The shelf would have fixed downward leg extensions that would attach to apertures on the table frame. The downward leg extensions would add to the stability and strength of the table by providing a common mechanism that fastens all the legs to a common component. The downward leg extensions would also facilitate the easy assembly of the table, wherein the downward leg extensions also would act as alignment pins for the proper placement and alignment of the shelf with respect to the flanged legs and top frame.


A position sensor and method include a magnetic component, a first magneto-resistive sensor disposed in proximity to the magnet/coil; and a second magneto-resistive sensor disposed in proximity to the magnetic component and the first magneto-resistive sensor. The first magneto-resistive sensor and second magneto-resistive sensor are configured to sense changes in a stray magnetic field created by the magnetic component in accordance with a relative positional change between the magnetic component and the first and second magneto-resistive sensors.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to position sensing, and more particularly to a system, device and method for sub-nanometer resolution position sensing which employs magneto-resistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Position sensing with sub-nanometer resolution and high bandwidth in moving structures like piezo-scanners, flexure stages and Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based micro-scanners is important for closed-loop controlled operation to ensure positioning accuracy at very high speeds. Such moving stages are employed in scanning probe microscopes, nano-lithography tools, nanoscale data storage devices and experimental (probe-based) nano-fabrication tools.
Currently available position sensors based on optics, capacitors and inductive coils (for example, linear variable displacement transducers (LVDTs)), although accurate and fast, do not scale down (with respect to the dimension of the sensor) to micro-scales for use in micro-structures or in large-scale point-wise position sensing of macro-structures. Thermo-electric and piezo-resistive position sensors, on the other hand, easily scale down to micro-scale, but suffer from low bandwidth.

Magneto-resistance based nano-scale position sensor

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and device for determining the presence of a rate limiting mechanism arranged between a sending and a receiving data communication node in a data transfer path of a communication network is presented. The method includes determining time difference values for probe packets in a train of probe packets sent from the sending node and received in the receiving node after having traversed the data transfer path during real-time operation of the data transfer path. The method further includes determining the presence of a rate limiting mechanism in the data transfer path upon detecting that an increase in the time difference value between received probe packets in the train of probe packets exceeds a threshold criterion. Other methods and devices for determining the absence of a rate limiting mechanism and corresponding computer program products are further disclosed.

The capability of estimating available capacity, end-to-end, over a data transfer path of a data communication system comprising a data network is useful in several contexts, including network monitoring and server selection. Passive estimation of available capacity of a data transfer path, such as estimation of bandwidth of an end-to-end data transfer path is possible in principle, provided all network nodes in the data transfer path can be accessed. However, this is typically not possible, and estimation of available end-to-end capacity of the data transfer path, is typically done by active probing of the data transfer path. The available capacity such as bandwidth can be estimated by injecting data probe packets into the data transfer path, and then analyzing the observed effects of cross traffic on the probe packets. This kind of active measurement requires access to sender and receiver hosts, typically data network nodes, only, and does not require access to any intermediate nodes in the data transfer path between the sender and receiver nodes.
In the art, methods such as BART ("Bandwidth Available in Real Time") and TOPP ("Trains of Packet Pairs") have been developed for estimating capacity in a network. These methods comprise the sending of a sequence of packets, also known as a probe train, from a transmitting node to a receiving node. The probe train is sent at a specific rate depending on packet size and time interval between the packets in the train. If the send rate of the train is greater than the available path capacity (APC) of the network path, there will be a transient congestion at a bottleneck link. Due to the congestion, the probe-train packets will be buffered in the node just before the bottleneck link which will spread out the packets in time. The probe train will therefore be received by the receiving node at a lower rate than the send rate. See the document "Probing-Based Approaches to Bandwidth Measurements and Network Path Emulation" by Bob Melander, PhD Thesis, Uppsala University, 2003, for a description of TOPP and European Patent 1952579 for a further description of the BART method.
Further, the IETF IP Performance Metrics (IPPM) working group has defined two IP active measurement protocols: One-Way Active Measurement Protocol (OWAMP), RFC 4656, and Two-Way Active Measurement Protocol (TWAMP), RFC5357. OWAMP is designed for measuring one-way packet delay and one-way packet loss between two hosts. TWAMP is based on OWAMP. TWAMP is designed for measuring one-way and two-way (round-trip) packet delay and packet loss between two hosts.
In many networks, Quality of Service, QoS, mechanisms are included. Recent studies have shown that available capacity measurement methods may produce erroneous estimates in networks where QoS mechanisms are deployed, see e.g. "Available Bandwidth Measurements in QoS Environments" by Mark Bechtel and Paraskevi Thanoglou, Master Thesis, KTH, 2010.
Examples of such QoS mechanisms are rate limiting mechanisms such as a traffic shaper and a traffic policer, and these are often implemented as a token bucket, A token bucket is an algorithm used in packet switched computer networks and telecommunications networks to check that data transmissions conform to defined limits on bandwidth and burstiness (a measure of the unevenness or variations in the traffic flow). The token bucket algorithm is based on an analogy of a fixed capacity bucket into which tokens, normally representing a unit of bytes or a single packet of predetermined size, are added at a fixed rate. When a packet is to be checked for conformance to the defined limits, the bucket is inspected to see if it contains sufficient tokens at that time. If so, the appropriate number of tokens, e.g. equivalent to the length of the packet in bytes, are removed ("cashed in"), and the packet is passed, e.g., for transmission. If there are insufficient tokens in the bucket the packet does not conform and the contents of the bucket are not changed. Non-conformant packets can be treated in various ways:                They may be dropped.                    They may be enqueued for subsequent transmission when sufficient tokens have accumulated in the bucket.            They may be transmitted, but marked as being non-conformant, possibly to be dropped subsequently if the network is overloaded.
A conforming flow can thus contain traffic with an average rate up to the rate at which tokens are added to the bucket, and have a burstiness determined by the depth of the bucket, This burstiness may be expressed in terms of either a jitter tolerance, i.e. how much sooner a packet might conform (e.g. arrive or be transmitted) than would be expected from the limit on the average rate, or a burst tolerance or maximum burst size, i.e. how much more than the average level of traffic might conform in some finite period.
Thus, in short, if a token bucket or any other rate limiting mechanism is provided in a network, this may have a serious effect on available capacity measurements.

Method and an apparatus for determining the presence of a rate limiting mechanism in a network


A method and an equipment implementing the method that allow a logical channel, to which a received burst relates, to be identified with certainty also in demanding operational circumstances. A logical channel relating to a time slot is identified by applying channel decoding. The identification can be a primary identification or a confirming identification taking place after a primary identifier the time slot comprises, preferably a bit map, has been interpreted. If identification based on channel decoding contradicts identification based on the bit map, a receiver can be arranged to indicate logical channel information on the basis of the channel decoding, for instance by changing the bit map, when selected criteria are met, to a bit map conforming to the logical channel identified on the basis of the channel decoding. The invention significantly improves the performance of a receiver of a mobile communications system because a considerable part of misinterpretations relating to the logical channel are avoided.

The invention relates to mobile communications systems and particularly to a method and equipment for identifying a logical channel in a radio frame part which may comprise information of one or more logical channels, channel decoding of the information being possible by means of channel decoding methods relating to the different logical channels.
In digital radio systems a physical channel provides a link at the interface between a subscriber terminal and a network. A physical channel substantially comprises a frame part of a selected multiple access technique, the frame part being allocated to data transmission between a particular subscriber terminal and the network. A physical channel can therefore comprise for instance one or more TDMA frame time slots arranged at a specific frequency range, or frame parts separated by means of a CDMA frame code.
Physical channels are utilized by means of various multiplexing techniques whereby logical channels are created on a physical link. The term logical channel refers to a logical data transmission bus between two or more parties, the bus being mapped on an interface between a protocol and a radio system. A mobile communications system or a part thereof can therefore comprise different types of logical channels. Logical channels are typically divided into traffic channels (TCH), which comprise different kinds of traffic relaying channels, and control channels (CCH), which comprise e.g. broadcast control channels, common control channels and dedicated control channels. Speech and circuit-switched data are transferred over the radio interface substantially on traffic channels and signalling and packet data on control channels.
As a rule, a logical channel associated with a received signal can be concluded from the used multiplexing technique, but this does not always apply. A number of mobile communications systems allow signalling, for example, to be also transferred on traffic channels when necessary, a burst to be transmitted then preferably comprising information indicating whether transmission of traffic data or signalling is concerned. This procedure will be hereinafter referred to as stealing.
In the TETRA (TErrestrial, Trunked RAdio) digital mobile communications system a physical channel is substantially comprised of one time slot of a TDMA frame comprising four time slots, the time slot corresponding to one burst transferred over a radio path. A normal uplink or downlink time slot typically comprises two blocks, with a bit map called a training sequence between them. A training sequence is used for indicating features relating to transmission timing and distortion, which are typically important in demodulation, to a receiver.
In the TETRA system two normal 22-bit training sequences differing from one another are defined, the training sequences being used for indicating whether the burst blocks comprise one or two logical channels. The above described stealing from a traffic channel is also indicated by using a training sequence. When a burst comprises a training sequence 1 (TS1), stealing is interpreted not to be in use, and the burst comprises entirely traffic channel data. When a burst comprises a training sequence 2 (TS2), the time slot into which the burst is mapped is interpreted to be either totally or partly stolen for signalling purposes.
In circumstances where reception is subject to fading and noise, it has proved to be most difficult to distinguish training sequences, and thus logical channels relating to a time slot, from one another. If a training sequence TS1 is by mistake interpreted as a training sequence TR2, the receiver concludes that a signalling message is concerned, which causes traffic channel blocks to be lost and decreases data transmission capacity. If a training sequence TS2 is by mistake interpreted as a training sequence TR1, the receiver interprets that traffic channel data is concerned, the transmitted signalling being thereby lost. The possibility that a logical channel can be misinterpreted in this way is most disadvantageous for the operation of the system. Errors in interpretations are particularly problematic in channels in which bit error ratio should be very small to support efficient channel coding.

Method and equipment for identifying a logical channel


A sanitizing agent for maintaining a biocidal effective bacteria count in a body of water comprising a metal ion donor for donating a metal ion and a compound containing a hydantoin ring with the combination of the compound containing the hydantoin ring with the metal ion donor enhancing the effectiveness of the sanitizing agent to enable the sanitizing agent to maintain a biocidal effective bacteria count in the body of water.

The concept of treating water with of metallic ions to kill bacteria in a body of water is known in the art. Metallic ions such as copper, zinc or silver ion are an effective bactericide for a body of water including recreational water, which can be defined as water that is not intended for consumption/drinking purposes and may include but are not limited to water in swimming pools, spas, jetted tubs, hot tubs or the like. Metallic ions are oftentimes a preferred sanitizing material because they are generally easier and safer to use than other known bactericides or algaecides. A further advantage of using a metal ion such as silver ion as a bactericide is that silver ion minimizes the need for pH adjustment of the body of water. However, if the concentration of metallic ions such as silver ions in a body of water is too low the ability to kill microorganisms is reduced or lost. On the other hand if the concentration of metallic ions such as silver ions is too high it can be harmful to those who use the body of water. Thus when silver ion is used as a disinfectant in a body of water one generally want to maintain the concentration of the silver ion in an effective range to kill microorganisms.
The concept of introducing biocidal metals into a body of water to generate biocidal metal ions, such as silver ions, to sanitize the body of water is known in the art. The use of these ions to purify the body of water results in decreased need for chlorination. An example of a method of introducing biocidal metal ions into water involves the use of sacrificial electrodes containing metals corresponding to the desired ions, including alloys of silver and copper, and electrolytically dissolving the metals into the water. Other methods of introducing biocidal metal ions into water include contacting the water with substrates that have been coated or impregnated with pure or alloyed metal, soluble metal salts, or some combination thereof.
Traditionally, the sources of metallic ions used to kill bacteria in recreational water have been limited to metallic ion donors that are readily soluble in the recreational water in order to maintain an effective concentration of the biocides in the body of water. Silver chloride (AgCl), for example, has been a commonly used bactericide for releasing silver ions into the body of water to effectively kill microorganisms. Sodium bromide has also been known to be used with silver chloride to provide an additional and alternative water disinfection system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A connectors-integrated directional coupler is provided. The directional coupler includes a housing having a body, an input connector integrally extended from one end of the body, and an output connector integrally extended from the other end of the body. A main line connects the input connector to the output connector for delivering a signal. A coupling line induces the signal from the main line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a directional coupler for monitoring a signal exchanged in a wireless communication system and, in particular, to a directional coupler having input and output connectors integrated therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a directional coupler is designed to be used in a base station to detect a signal induced into a coupling line installed in the vicinity of a main line and extracts a signal source for examination and control purposes in a wireless communication system.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional directional coupler 100, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the directional coupler 100 taken along line A-A′ illustrated in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the directional coupler 100 comprises a rectangular housing 110, an input connector 120 connected to one end of the housing 110, an output connector 130 connected to the other end of the housing 110, a main line 151 connecting the input connector 120 to the output connector 130 for delivering a signal, a coupling line 153 installed in parallel with the main line 151, and coupling terminals 141 and 143 at both ends of the coupling line 153. One of the coupling terminals 141 and 143 is grounded through a terminating resistor (not shown).
The components of the directional coupler 100 are fixed to the housing 110 to firmly tighten the connections between the coupling line 153, the coupling terminals 141 and 143, and the terminating resistor. Each of the input and output connectors 120 and 130 is provided with a flange 121 or 131 by which it is engaged with the housing 110. The main line 15 and the coupling line 153 are spaced from each other by a distance determined according to a system-required coupling value.
In operation, the input connector 120 transfers the signal received therein to the output connector 130 via the main line 150, while a part of the signal is induced to the coupling line 153.
The above conventional directional coupler is assembled by combining a separate housing, input connector, and output connector. Therefore, the manufacturing process is complicated, lengthy, and costly. Moreover, although the input and output connectors are coaxial, the housing is not. As such, a discontinuation occurs in the process of transmitting a signal from the circular coaxial input connector to the circular coaxial output connector through the rectangular housing, thus yielding a poor impedance matching and deteriorated directivity.

Directional coupler integrated with connectors


An order-picking method includes autonomously routing a plurality of mobile robotic units in an order fulfillment facility and picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic units in the order fulfillment facility. A material-handling robotic unit that is adapted for use in an order fulfillment facility includes an autonomous mobile vehicle base and a plurality of article receptacles positioned on the base. A visual indicator associated with the receptacle facilitates picking articles to or putting articles from the robotic unit.

The present invention is directed to a method of order picking and an apparatus for use with such method. The invention can be used for e-commerce, mail order or phone-in order fulfillment or for split-case picking in a distribution warehouse, or the like.
Picking of items in a warehouse is typically a labor-intensive activity. A number of pickers are provided instructions, using visual displays, voice commands, or the like, that directs the pickers to retrieve a certain number of items from a particular location at a picking shelf or bin. The pickers pick the items to receptacles which are then conveyed to order assembly stations, such as a put-station where individual orders are collected and packaged by yet more persons. Also, replenishment of the items stocked at the picking facility requires facilities to convey the goods from a decant area where the goods are received in larger containers, such as cases and/or pallets.