Systems and methods that provide picture-in-picture timebase management are provided. In one example, a method may include the steps of sending a first video signal and a second video signal to a video decoder; sending a first audio signal to the audio decoder, the first audio signal being associated with the first video signal; locking a single timing mechanism to program clock references (PCRs) of the first audio signal; and decoding the first audio signal and the first video signal according to a timebase of the single timing mechanism.

A Personal Video Recorder (PVR) system offers consumers a hard disk or a network-based video cassette recorder (VCR) that digitally records live television (TV) programs while offering the versatility of select playback and associated special features. Live sources for a PVR system include a live digital broadcast and a live analog broadcast.
A picture-in-picture display may provide, for example, the display of two video streams on a single display device. The display may also include an audio signal corresponding to one of the two video streams. However, the coordination in the timing of the decoding and displaying of the multiple signals in multiple decoders has proven difficult, resulting in poor video or audio output. Some techniques such as dropping and repeating frames may cause poor display quality, especially with respect to audio output.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for providing picture-in-picture timebase management


An elevator hall call device inductively receives an electrical signal from an interlock wiring circuit by means of a coupling device. The elevator hall call device comprises a capacitive device which stores electrical charge based on the electrical signal received from the interlock wiring circuit by means of the coupling device. Hall call circuitry sends and receives signaling information between at least one elevator controller over the interlock wiring circuit, where the hall call circuitry is coupled to the capacitive device for receiving electrical power based on the stored electrical charge in the capacitive device.

In a complex system environment pertaining to elevators, deriving power and, in particular, trying to conserve and optimize its use is one the many issues that is of paramount importance and interest.
Another important factor to consider is the reduction of signaling and power cable wiring within elevator systems. As the complexity of power and signal wiring increases within an elevator system, so does the installation cost, the installation time, the maintenance cost, the maintenance time, and the overall fault detection overhead.
There are, however, current systems that reduce wiring complexity by utilizing hall fixture devices that operate using rf transceivers. The use of rf as a data or information carrier, therefore, provides a means for reducing wiring complexity. Although these systems purport to reduce wiring complexity, they introduce other challenges, such as, reliability concerns of the rf communication link due to interference, and the provision of electrical power to the rf transceiver devices that are interfaced to the hall fixtures. Therefore, there is a need for providing elevator hall fixtures that reduce the complexity of using discrete wiring. Particularly, there is a need for an elevator system that uses the existing elevator system's wiring infrastructure to provide not only a reliable communication link for the hall fixture devices, but to also furnish a means for providing electrical power to these devices'
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a hall fixture device that is capable of using the existing wiring infrastructure for signal communications.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hall fixture device that is capable of extracting power from various sources and resources of electrical power within the existing elevator system infrastructure.


The mobile antenna stand provides adjustments in azimuth, tilt, and elevation used to obtain a satellite signal. The stand may be placed on unlevel ground of up to 11 inches difference in terrain heights. The stand includes a compass with azimuth readings which provides known starting point for the azimuth setting. The mast is easily plumbed regardless of the terrain. The satellite dish antenna is attached to a keyed post that matches a keyed receiver on the stand so the azimuthal position of the antenna is maintained when the antenna is removed and reinstalled. A line of sight tool is provided with a post also matching the stand receiver to visually assure that view of a signal transmitting satellite by the antenna has no obstructions.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the installation of a satellite dish antenna, and more specifically to a mobile stand on which to mount an antenna.
2. Prior Art
The installation of a permanent television satellite dish antenna is generally by a professional provided by a network service provider. However mobile television users such as recreational vehicle (RV) users do not have professional installers available. Some RVs have a permanently mounted satellite antenna on the roof. These systems are expensive with GPS and other devices to help with setup but they still do not obtain a satellite signal all of the time. Some RV sites, because of the location of trees and other obstructions, leave the permanently mounted satellite antenna with an obstructed view. When the use of a permanently mounted dish antenna's view is obstructed or there is not a permanently mounted antenna, the mobile user needs to be able to deploy the satellite dish antenna at locations that have a clear view to the satellite. Thus, the mobile user becomes the installer out of necessity.
There are satellite dish antenna stands that allow you to install in these situations; however, they have limitations. One of the limitations is the need to find a level location. Some use a tri-pod stand with a bubble level but it can be somewhat difficult to perform the necessary adjustment to obtain the level status. In addition, the mast on most of these mobile stands has some flexibility resulting in a mast that is not a true 90 degrees to the base. If the base and mast are not at 90 degrees, having the base level does not result in having the mast plumb.
Most, if not all, stands and/or alignment devices have relied on adjustment capability on the satellite dish antenna itself for adjustment. To obtain the strongest azimuth setting nuts holding the antenna to its mast must be loosened, slipping the antenna left and right on the mast and then securing the nuts again. The elevation on a smaller dish antenna with a 1⅝ OD post is adjusted by loosening nuts on both sides of a bracket and holding the antenna with both hands, moving it up and down. The signal is located and the nuts are secured while attempting to maintain the adjustment position with no change to the signal strength. Because of a small amount of play in the mast one needs to hold the satellite dish antenna steady with one hand and secure the nuts locking the elevation with the other. However even minor changes in elevation results in reduced signal strength. Final adjustment in this way is frustrating and time consuming while seldom resulting in less than the strongest setting available. However due to rain fade from inclement weather between the satellite and the satellite dish antenna, the signal strength needs to be as strong as possible to have good reception.
The primary object of the antenna stand of the present invention is to provide a stand with simple, easy and quick adjustments that result in an optimum reception of a satellite signal. For the smaller satellite dishes that fit the 1⅝ inch OD post, the object is to provide adjustments in azimuth, tilt, and elevation. For newer dish antennas that fits a 2 inch and larger outer diameter (OD) post that has improved elevation and tilt gauges, the object is to provide an azimuth gauge. A further object is to provide a tool for visually assuring an unobstructed antenna view of the location in the sky of a signal transmitting satellite.


A 3-dimensional computer generated image is generated by subdividing the image into a plurality of rectangular areas. Object data for each rectangular area is loaded into a display list memory until that memory is substantially full. Image data and shading data for each picture element of each rectangular area are derived by an image synthesis processor from the object data. The image data is then stored in a local memory. Additional object data is loaded into the display list memory and replaces existing contents. Then, the stored image data and the shading data are retrieved, and additional image data and shading data are derived for each picture element by the image synthesis processor using the additional object data and the previously derived image and shading data. When there is no further object data to load to the display list memory, the shading data is provided for display for the rectangular areas by a frame buffer.

In our British Patent No. 2281682, there is described a 3-D rendering system for polygons in which each object is seen to be viewed as defined in a set of surfaces which are infinite. Each elementary area of the screen in which an image is to be displayed has a ray projected through it from a viewpoint into the 3-dimensional scene. The location of the intersection of the projected ray with each surface is then determined. From these intersections, it is then possible to determine whether any intersected surface is visible at that elementary area. The elementary area is then shaded for display in dependence on the results of the determination.
The system can be implemented in a pipeline type processor comprising a number of cells, each of which can perform an intersection calculation with a surface. Thus, a large number of surface intersections can be computed simultaneously. Each cell is loaded with a set of co-efficients defining the surface for which it is to perform the intersection test.
A further improvement is described in our UK Patent Application No. 2298111. In this, the image plane is subdivided into sub-regions or tiles such that tiles can be processed in turn. It is proposed to use a variable tile size and to project a bounding box around complex objects so that only those tiles falling within the bounding box require processing. This is done by firstly determining the distribution of objects on the visible screen in order for a suitable tile size to be selected. The surfaces which define the various objects are then stored in a list, known as the display list, thereby avoiding the need to store identical surfaces for each tile, since one object made of many surfaces could appear in a number of tiles. Object pointers which identify the objects in the display list are also stored. There is one object pointer list per tile. The tiles can then be rendered in turn using the ray casting technique described above until all objects within each tile are processed. This is a useful method because no effort needs to be made to render objects which are known not to be visible in a particular tile.
A further improvement on this is proposed in our International Patent Application No. PCT/GB99/03707, in which any tiles within the bounding box which are not required to display a particular object are discarded before rendering.
A block diagram of the type of processor used is shown in FIG. 1. This comprises a tile accelerator unit 2 which performs the tiling operations referred to above and supplies the tile information to a display list memory 4. This in turn supplies tile object data for processing to the image synthesis processor (ISP) 6 which performs the ray/surface intersection tests referred to above. This derives image data which comprises object identification and depth data. After this, the thus derived image data is supplied to a texturing and shading processor (TSP) 8 which applies texturing and shading data to surfaces which have been determined as visible and outputs image shading data to a frame store.
Most 3-D graphic systems use what is known as immediate mode rendering. This type of rendering avoids the needs to store a copy of the entire scene in the display list memory. Instead, each polygon is rendered the moment that it is presented to the rendering hardware. This has the advantage of avoiding the storage requirements of the display list memory. However, it also precludes the considerable optimisation which are possible with the type of rendering described in our British Patent No. 2281682 and improved on in our British Patent Application No. 2298111. Advantages such as deferred texturing and translucency sorting are possible using this type of architecture.
The complexity of scenes which it is necessary to render using 3-D graphic systems is increasing as hardware becomes more powerful. However, this presents a problem for display list based renderers because the display list storage requirements also increase. In the past, if the display list memory became exhausted, parts of the scene would simply not be rendered. Image corruption of this sort is no longer considered acceptable. The cost of memory, which is not falling as fast as scene complexity is rising, makes increasing the amount of memory in the system unfeasible.

Memory management for systems for generating 3-dimensional computer images


In order to calculate the traveling distance and heading of a vehicle in highly accurate fashion, a navigation system is provided with a distance sensor for outputting pulses in proportion to rotation of a wheel, a GPS receiving unit for calculating vehicle speed by GPS reception, acquisition unit for acquiring the number of pulses at the same time as GPS reception, distance correction coefficient calculating unit for calculating GPS traveling distance from the GPS-reception vehicle speed and a time difference between any two points, and calculating a distance correction coefficient from the GPS traveling distance and a pulse difference between two points, and present position calculating unit for calculating present position based upon a corrected distance correction coefficient.

This invention relates to a vehicular navigation system for calculating the traveling distance and heading of a vehicle with a high precision, sensing the present position of the vehicle and providing guidance from the sensed present position to a desired destination.
In a vehicular navigation system, a distance sensor is used to sense a number of pulses outputted in proportion to the rotation of a tire, by way of example, and distance traveled is calculated by multiplying the number of pulses by a distance per unit pulse. The angle of rotation of the vehicle is calculated using a heading sensor, the present position of the vehicle is determined from the distance traveled and the angle of rotation, and the present position of the vehicle is collated with map data and displayed on a display unit. In this case, use may also be made of a global positioning system (GPS) to determine the absolute position of the vehicle for the purpose of correcting the present position.
Tire diameter changes with aging of the tire and with a change in air pressure inside the tire. Consequently, in the above-described method of calculating traveling distance, it is required that the distance per unit pulse be corrected when the tire is replaced in order to assure accuracy in distance measurement. To this end, calculation includes multiplication by a distance correction coefficient. However, the operation for effecting the correction by the distance correction coefficient is very difficult for the user of the navigation system to perform.
In order to solve this problem, the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-209756 proposes obtaining the linear distance between two locations measured by a GPS and the linear distance between estimated positions at these two locations, and revising the distance correction coefficient in such a manner that these two linear distances will coincide.
In the method of performing the distance correction using the distance between two points, namely the present position and the immediately preceding position, by obtaining positional coordinating from a GPS as in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 5-209756, the position measured by the GPS fluctuates owing to the disposition of the satellite and the state of radio wave reception. As a result, in order to assure a certain degree of accuracy in the calculation of the distance correction coefficient, it is required that the number of samplings be increased.
However, in a case where the distance between two points is used, a fixed distance must be traveled to assure a certain degree of accuracy. This means a longer sampling interval and a smaller number of samplings. Furthermore, in a case where a filter is provided to filter out samplings having a poor reception precision for the purpose of improving accuracy, or in a case where radio waves cannot be received because the vehicle is between mountains or in the shadow of buildings, the number of samplings is reduced. This makes it necessary to take a large number of samplings over short intervals. However, shortening the sampling interval, i.e., sampling the distance between the two points, means greatly diminishing precision.
With regard to detection of heading, the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-66577 discloses a vehicular navigation system in which heading is sensed by a geomagnetic sensor for sensing geomagnetism, left-right wheel sensors for sensing a difference between the number of revolutions of the left and right front wheels of the vehicle in order to revise an error in the geomagnetic sensor which can occur when there is a disturbance in the magnetic field, and a steering sensor for applying compensation in a case where the left-right wheel sensors become inoperative at low speeds of less than 3.5 km/h. This is supplemented by estimating the heading of the vehicle using a GPS in which position is sensed by receiving radio waves from an artificial satellite. When a road nearest to the present position of the vehicle has been selected by map matching, the bearing of this road, which has been stored as map information, and the estimated heading are compared and a vehicle heading which coincides with the road bearing is decided. In a navigation system of this kind, radio waves from the GPS satellite are received and used to calculating heading. However, if the vehicle is traveling at low speed or is executing a left or right turn, a sufficient accuracy cannot be obtained with regard to determination of heading by the Doppler effect. In such case the GPS heading is not employed.
In detection of heading in the conventional navigation system, a GPS heading is employed only when the vehicle speed is greater than a predetermined value, in view of the fact that heading accuracy declines if the vehicle is traveling at low speed or is executing a left or right turn. As a consequence, correction of heading by employing the GPS heading becomes less frequent and heading accuracy declines as a result. Further, even if the vehicle speed is greater than the predetermined value, there are occasions where the accuracy of the GPS heading declines, as when the disposition of the GPS satellite or the radio wave reception is poor. If heading is corrected using the GPS heading in such case, the heading may instead be corrected to the wrong heading and heading accuracy will be diminished as a result.

Navigation system for vehicles including present position calculating means


An method of the electronic device for accessing different networks using at least two Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards includes monitoring whether the networks accessible by the at least two SIM cards include a network which satisfies a handover condition; and when detecting the network satisfying the handover condition, switching SIM card connection to one SIM card accessible to the network satisfying the handover condition among the at least two SIM cards.

As information and communication technologies grow, functions of an electronic device also advance to satisfy user's various needs. For example, a dual Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) electronic device is developed to utilize two phone numbers in the single electronic device. The dual-SIM electronic device can allow two network services at the same time using the single electronic device and be used for business and private use with separate numbers.
However, the dual-SIM electronic device cannot accurately detect a communication status of the networks accessibly by the two SIMs. For example, when the electronic device is accessing a first network using a first SIM, the user cannot determine whether or not the communication status of a second network not being used provides better communication condition. As a result, the user cannot take advantage of the dual-SIM electronic device.
In this respect, what is needed is an apparatus for automatically accessing the network of better communication condition in the dual-SIM electronic device.

Electronic device and method for changing network connection


The present invention concerns a method of controlling a wind power installation having a generator with a stator, a pole wheel with at least two rotor poles with a respective pole winding for producing a magnetic field guided in the respective rotor pole, and an air gap between the stator and the pole wheel, including the steps—controlling a respective exciter current through each pole winding,—varying at least one of the exciter currents relative to at least one further one of the exciter currents, and/or—varying at least one of the exciter currents in dependence on the position of the pole wheel in relation to the stator.

1. Technical Field
The present invention concerns a method of controlling a wind power installation. The invention further concerns a wind power installation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wind power installations are generally known and FIG. 1 shows the general structure of a wind power installation. The aerodynamic rotor is caused to rotate by wind and thereby drives an electromechanical rotor of a generator. In that respect the present invention concerns a wind power installation which uses a synchronous generator. Thus a pole wheel or motor rotor of the synchronous generator is rotated relative to a stator of the latter. Electric current is generated in the stator by the relative rotary movement of the pole wheel with respect to the stator so that kinetic energy of the wind is converted into electric energy.
Between the pole wheel and the stator there is an air gap which represents a considerable magnetic reluctance in a magnetic circuit between pole wheel and stator. That magnetic reluctance depends in particular on the thickness of the air gap and the thickness of the air gap is therefore selected to be as small as possible. The invention concerns in particular gearless wind power installations in which therefore the pole wheel is connected to the aerodynamic rotor without an interposed transmission and rotates at the same rotary speed as the aerodynamic rotor. The usual rotary speeds here are in the range of between about 5 and 15 revolutions per minutes for relatively large wind power installations having a nominal power output of more than 1 MW. The diameter of such generators in the region of the air gap—also referred to as the air gap diameter—is usually at least several meters, that is to say at least 2 or 3 m, and can reach up to 10 m in the case of installations known at the present time. The magnitude of the air gap is also slight in such large generators and is usually only a few mm.
Any eccentricities of stator and pole wheel lead to differing thicknesses of the air gap. Elasticities of the components and thus as a result in particular the pole wheel and possibly also the stator can also lead to differing thicknesses of the air gap in the peripheral direction, more specifically in particular under the influence of mass, gravitational and magnetic forces.
By virtue of a reduction in the air gap magnitude in a given region, the magnetic reluctance decreases in the region, while the magnetic flux density increases. That in turn leads to an increased radial force density and can result in an additional reduction in the air gap thickness, this also depending on the respectively relevant elasticities. That therefore affords a boosting effect.
Contact between the pole wheel and the stator is to be avoided in any case. They are therefore to be mechanically stiffened in such a way that the magnetic forces inevitably caused by production and assembly tolerances and by material elasticities can be absorbed by the carrier structure. With an increasing diameter for the generator, the material usage caused thereby increases greatly and considerably increases the mass of the generator. That gives rise to high material costs for the generator as such, and also for the components carrying the generator, in particular the machine bearer and also the azimuth bearing which supports the machine bearer including the generator to permit wind tracking.
As general state of the art attention is to be directed to DE 10 2006 056 893 A1 and to C Patsios, A Chaniotis, E Tsampouris and A Kladas; 'Particular Electromagnetic Field Computation for Permanent Magnet Generator Wind Turbine Analysis', Magnetics, IEEE Transactions on, Vol 46, No 8, pages 2751-2754, August 2010.


A system and method that monitor the rate of a voltage drop of fuel cells in a fuel cell stack to determine whether the voltage drop is a result of cathode reactant starvation or anode reactant starvation. The method looks at a falling voltage of a fuel cell to determine whether the rate of the fall in voltage indicates that hydrogen starvation of the anode of the fuel cell is occurring. The method also looks at the actual voltage of the fuel cell that is falling to determine whether it is a below a predetermined minimum voltage threshold also indicating that hydrogen starvation of the anode of the fuel cell is occurring. If hydrogen starvation is occurring, the method performs power limiting of the fuel cell stack either based on the rate or the voltage level.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system and method for determining whether the drop in voltage of a low performing fuel cell in a fuel cell stack is the result of anode reactant starvation and, more particularly, to a system and method for determining whether the drop in voltage of a low performing fuel cell in a fuel cell stack is the result of anode starvation by comparing the rate of the voltage drop to a predetermined threshold.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Hydrogen is a very attractive fuel because it is clean and can be used to efficiently produce electricity in a fuel cell. A hydrogen fuel cell is an electro-chemical device that includes an anode and a cathode with an electrolyte therebetween. The anode receives hydrogen gas and the cathode receives oxygen or air. The hydrogen gas is dissociated in the anode to generate free protons and electrons. The protons pass through the electrolyte to the cathode. The protons react with the oxygen and the electrons in the cathode to generate water. The electrons from the anode cannot pass through the electrolyte, and thus are directed through a load to perform work before being sent to the cathode.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are a popular fuel cell for vehicles. The PEMFC generally includes a solid polymer electrolyte proton conducting membrane, such as a perfluorosulfonic acid membrane. The anode and cathode typically include finely divided catalytic particles, usually platinum (Pt), supported on carbon particles and mixed with an ionomer. The catalytic mixture is deposited on opposing sides of the membrane. The combination of the anode catalytic mixture, the cathode catalytic mixture and the membrane define a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). MEAs are relatively expensive to manufacture and require certain conditions for effective operation.
Several fuel cells are typically combined in a fuel cell stack by serial coupling to generate the desired power. For example, a typical fuel cell stack for a vehicle may have two hundred or more stacked fuel cells. The fuel cell stack receives a cathode input reactant gas, typically a flow of air forced through the stack by a compressor. Not all of the oxygen is consumed by the stack and some of the air is output as a cathode exhaust gas that may include water as a stack by-product. The fuel cell stack also receives an anode hydrogen reactant gas that flows into the anode side of the stack. The stack also includes flow channels through which a cooling fluid flows.
The fuel cell stack includes a series of bipolar plates positioned between the several MEAs in the stack, where the bipolar plates and the MEAs are positioned between the two end plates. The bipolar plates include an anode side and a cathode side for adjacent fuel cells in the stack. Anode gas flow channels are provided on the anode side of the bipolar plates that allow the anode reactant gas to flow to the respective MEA. Cathode gas flow channels are provided on the cathode side of the bipolar plates that allow the cathode reactant gas to flow to the respective MEA. One end plate includes anode gas flow channels, and the other end plate includes cathode gas flow channels. The bipolar plates and end plates are made of a conductive material, such as stainless steel or a conductive composite. The end plates conduct the electricity generated by the fuel cells out of the stack. The bipolar plates also include flow channels through which a cooling fluid flows.
As a fuel cell stack ages, the performance of the individual cells in the stack degrade differently as a result of various factors. In addition, there are various stack operating conditions that cause the cells to operate differently. There are also various causes of low performing cells, such as cell flooding, loss of catalyst, etc., some temporary and some permanent, some requiring maintenance, and some requiring stack replacement to exchange the low performing cells. For example, if one cell is starved of reactants, especially hydrogen, the voltage for that cell will drop and undesirable side reactions could occur. It is known in the art that a low performing cell can be the result of loss of either or both anode reactants or cathode reactants to the cell, such as, for example, ice buildup in the reactant flow channels. As used herein, anode reactant starvation refers to a lesser amount of hydrogen reaching the cell than is necessary to sustain the drawn current and cathode reactant starvation means a lesser amount of oxygen reaching the fuel cell than is necessary to sustain the drawn current.
Although the fuel cells are electrically coupled in series, the voltage of each cell when a load is coupled across the stack decreases differently where those cells that are low performing have lower voltages. Because all of the fuel cells are electrically coupled in series, if one fuel cell in the stack fails, then the entire stack will fail. Further, since the cells are electrically coupled in series, each cell must produce the full stack current. Thus, it is necessary to separately monitor the voltages of the fuel cells in a stack to ensure that the voltages of the cells do not drop below a predetermined threshold voltage to prevent cell voltage polarity reversal, possibly causing permanent damage to the cell.
Cell voltage monitors or stack health monitors are used to measure the voltage of the fuel cells in the stack to look for behavior in the cells indicative of problems with the stack. The cell voltage monitor generally includes an electrical connection to each bipolar plate, or some number of bipolar plates, in the stack and end plates of the stack to measure a voltage potential between the positive and negative sides of each cell.
If the minimum cell voltage falls below some predetermined minimum cell voltage threshold indicating something is wrong with the cell, such as 300 mV, the system control will likely take some action in an attempt to prevent the minimum cell voltage from falling farther, which could damage the cell. Various remedial actions can be taken, such as providing a more favorable stack humidification, increasing the stack stoichiometry, etc. However, the main remedial action usually taken in response to a significantly low performing cell is to power limit or current limit the stack to prevent significant current draw from the stack. However, power limiting the stack has obvious drawbacks for vehicle operation and driver satisfaction.
It is desirable to limit the amount of catalyst provided on the electrodes in a fuel cell stack because of cost. Because less catalyst is required for the anode side reaction, the anode and cathode electrodes will typically have a different catalyst loading, where the anode catalyst loading, i.e., amount of platinum, is less than the cathode catalyst loading, which results in a different electrode double layer capacitance between the electrodes. The difference in the double layer capacitances causes a different voltage in response to changes in stack current resulting in the cathode voltage falling more slowly than the anode voltage. Typical values for the anode electrode double layer capacitance is in the range of about 1-5 F/cell and for the cathode electrode double layer capacitance is in the range of about 10-40 F/cell. This means that when the cell is totally starved of reactants at a given stack current density, the cathode electrode will change its voltage much slower than the anode electrode.
It is known in the art that a low performing cell as a result of cathode reactant starvation does not harm the stack, but a low performing cell as a result of anode reactant starvation does damage the electrode catalyst resulting in cell damage. If a particular fuel cell is not receiving enough oxygen for the reaction, hydrogen pumping occurs where hydrogen from the anode side is drawn to the cathode side through the cell membrane. However, this reaction does not cause any damage to the cathode electrode. Anode starvation causes a reaction on the anode side that corrodes the carbon support in the catalyst layer of the electrode causing the potential of that electrode to go high relative to the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE), but in an opposite direction than the stack voltage, which can result in a negative cell voltage. Since there is typically less catalyst to lose on the anode and the corrosion effect is a linear one with current density, the loss of catalyst as a result of carbon support damage has a more dramatic impact on the anode side.
The above described phenomenon can be described in more detail as follows. Because electrodes can be starved but still be fed a portion of the stoichiometric reactants, some of the current will be carried by their normal fuel cell reactions, namely, for the anode H2→2H++2e− and for the cathode 2H++2e−+½O2→H2O. If the cathode is starved of oxygen, eventually a non-damaging hydrogen pump would be created, where 2H++2e−→H2. If the anode is starved of hydrogen, the current will eventually be taken up by non-damaging oxygen evolution and damaging corrosion of the anode carbon support. The ratio of the two is determined by the anode catalyst and electrode composition and the potential of the electrode, where for the anode ½C+H2O→2H+2e−+½CO2 or H2O→½O2+2H++2e−.

Selectively reacting to the minimum cell voltage drop rate in a fuel cell system


The present invention provides an ink cartridge including a cartridge body defining an air vent at an upper section thereof and an ink discharge port detachably assembled to a lower section of the cartridge body. The cartridge body and/or the ink discharge port can be replaced separately when they are damaged and, thus, there is no need to replace the ink cartridge as whole.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to consumables of printers, and more particularly, relates to an ink cartridge.
2. Description of Related Art
Ink cartridge is an important consumable for use in printers. An ink cartridge typically includes a cartridge body defining an air vent at an upper section thereof and an ink discharge port securely fixed to a lower section of the cartridge body.
When the cartridge body or the ink discharge port is damaged due to abrasion, the ink cartridge has to be replaced as a whole, which will inevitably lead to considerable wastefulness and serious pollution. Even though the ink cartridge can be repeatedly filled with ink after the ink is used up, the ink cartridge still has to be replaced as a whole when the cartridge body or the ink discharge port is damaged.


Modular fluidic microchips, systems integrating such microchips, and associated preparative and analytical methods are presented.

Microfluidics consist of using microchannels instead of test tubes or microplates to carry out analyses and reactions. These microchannels or microcircuits are fabricated into silicon, quartz, glass, ceramics or plastic. The size of these channels is on the order of micrometers, while the reaction volumes are on the order of nanoliters or microliters. The principle of a microfluidic device is to guide reaction media containing reagents and samples through zones which correspond to the different steps of the protocol. The integration into a single system of reactors, sample treatment, separation, and miniature detection systems into these microfluidic systems allows the automation of complex protocols. These "laboratories on chips" have made it possible to obtain results which are efficient in terms of reaction speed, in terms of product economy, and in terms of miniaturization, which allows the development of portable devices. Complex protocols have been integrated and automated, including biochemical or molecular biology protocols which often require extensive manipulation. These manipulations include mixing reagents and samples, controlling the reaction temperature, carrying out thermal cycling, sample clean up, separation by electrophoresis, and detection of reaction products.
Wolley et al. (Anal. Chem. 68: 4081-4086 (1996)) discloses the integration of a PCR microreactor, a capillary electrophoresis system and a detector in a single device. The PCR reaction, separation of PCR products by electrophoresis, and detection of PCR products are carried out automatically. This device does not, however, integrate the mixing of reagents, and it does not allow large scale protocols to be performed.
A device or substrate allowing integration of the steps of reagent mixing and enzymatic reaction has been described by Hadd et al. (Anal. Chem. 69:3407-3412, (1997)). This device provides a microcircuit of channels and reservoirs etched into a glass substrate. The moving and mixing of the fluids takes place by electrokinetics.
Microfluidic systems for the integration of protocols and of analyses have been described in international patent application WO 98/45481. One of the difficulties in implementing these devices resides in the movement of the fluids. The fluids are generally moved by electroosmosis or by electrokinetics, which requires a network of electrodes and fluid continuity. Other systems use micropumps and microvalves which are integrated in the microfluidic substrate. In the majority of cases the reactions are carried out while stationary in a microreactor and then the fluids are thus moved from one reactor to another at each step of the protocol. These systems which integrate electrodes, microvalves or micropumps are very costly and their complexity does not allow large scale applications for simultaneously treating a very large number of samples. One of the major difficulties is the distribution, mixing and transport of a very large number of products in parallel or in series.
Thus, there exists a need for devices which allow for manipulation of samples or the performance of complex protocols in which the samples are transported from one location to another using methods other than that is known in the art, and that are simple, reliable and at a low cost. There is also a need to develop a device comprising a microfluidic substrate allowing the manipulation of a large number of fluids and/or allowing a large number of complex protocols, particularly protocols involving temperature treatment, to be carried out at a low cost.

Integrated system with modular microfluidic components


Methods are provided for forming/inserting a magnet in a rotor. One method includes coating a plurality of magnetizable particles with a non-metallic material, inserting the coated particles in a rotor, and magnetizing the coated particles. Another method includes inserting a plurality of magnetizable particles into a rotor, submersing the rotor in motor varnish to coat the particles with motor varnish, and magnetizing the particles. Yet another method includes inserting a plurality of magnetizable particles in a rotor, inserting a non-metallic material into the rotor, mixing the particles and non-metallic material to form a mixture, curing the mixture to coat each particle with non-metallic material, and magnetizing the particles. Still another method includes mixing a plurality of magnetizable particles with a non-metallic material, curing the non-metallic material to coat each particle with non-metallic material, inserting the coated particles in a rotor, and magnetizing the coated particles.

Electric motors are commonly utilized to power electric devices within a vehicle (e.g., an automobile). FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a prior art electric motor 100 including an axle 140 around which a rotor 110 rotates, and also including brushes 154 and 158 connected to a power source 160 to provide power to rotor 110.
Generally, rotor 110 is surrounded by a field magnet 120 having a "north pole" 124 and a "south pole" 128 on opposite sides of rotor 110. Furthermore, rotor 110 typically includes a magnetic orientation (i.e., north pole and south pole) that changes at a pre-determined position when power is supplied to brushes 154 and 158. In this example, rotor 110 includes a magnetic orientation that changes as rotor 110 rotates such that a "north pole" is always above a horizontal position 130. The changing "north pole" of rotor 110 is attracted to south pole 128 and repelled by north pole 124, which in this example, results in a clockwise rotation around axle 140.
To create the magnetic properties of rotor 110, magnets are commonly bonded to the surface of rotor 110. However, it has been demonstrated that it is desirable to include one or more magnets embedded within a rotor. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods for forming one or more magnets within a rotor. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.


A low friction tape adhesively connected to a movable vehicle door glass for isolating the door glass from a rubber glass run channel and providing a low friction surface for slidably engaging the glass run channel to prohibit glass chatter and noise created by the sliding engagement of the door glass within the glass run channel. The glass run channel is housed within a stationary frame portion of the vehicle door and is utilized to support and guide the door glass as well as seal the door glass to the vehicle door. Separate segments of the low friction tape are applied to the vertical edges and the periphery of the sides of the door glass to prohibit direct contact of the door glass and the glass run channel. Due to the curvature of the door glass, the low friction tape must be applied in several separate segments so that wrinkling of the low friction tape is avoided when applying the tape segments to the door glass. The opposite ends of each tape segment are tapered inward from the vertical edges of the door glass towards each other on both the front side and the back side of the door glass so that the ends of the tape segments do not peel back upon the door glass slidably engaging the glass run channel.

Generally, vehicle doors typically have a frame portion by which to guide and support a movable vehicle door glass. The frame portion provides a housing having a substantially U-shaped cross section that houses a similarly shaped rubber glass run channel. The glass run channel provides a channel for slidably engaging the movable vehicle door glass and guiding the door glass as it is moved between a raised position and a lowered position. The glass run channel further provides a proper seal against the door glass.
It has been observed that an audible chatter may occur upon the movable vehicle door glass being moved between the raised position and the lowered position, especially when moisture is present. Various factors are thought to combine and enhance the creation of the audible chatter. One such factor is the variance in friction between the rubber glass run channel and the surface of the door glass as the door glass moves within the glass run channel. The friction variation may be caused by waves and flat spots in the surface of the door glass which create a suction against the rubber glass run channel, especially when moisture exists between the door glass and the glass run channel. The glass chatter is enhanced with an increase in the door glass to rubber glass run channel contact ratio.
Other variables may also enhance the glass chatter and noise created by the movable vehicle door glass slidably engaging the rubber glass run channel, such as an electrically powered door glass that provides constant speed by which the door glass is moved between the raised position and the lowered position. Also, the use of certain door glass regulator mechanisms, such as single arm regulators, provide less stability than other door glass regulator systems, such as cross arm regulators, and therefore are more prone to glass chatter and noise due to the increased freedom of the door glass to move.

Low friction tape for movable vehicle glass


A transformer or inductor bobbin (2) having pins (24) of a rectangular cross-section with complementarily profiled ends (24A, 24B), of which one (24A) is tapered and the other (24B) has a recess (24E). The rectangular cross-section allows the pins to offer greater resistance to bending in the direction of their cross-section's greater dimension (for pulling winding wire from the pins), while offering easier bending in the direction of their cross-section's greater dimension (for clinching to a printed circuit board). The use of pins having complementary profiles at their opposite ends allows the pins to be separated simply and efficiently from a length of material with no material wastage, and the provision of a taper at one end of a pin and a recess at the other end allows easy insertion of the tapered end into a pre-formed printed circuit board hole while the recessed end provides for collection of scraped material during pin insertion into an undersized hole (22) in the bobbin. The undersized hole (22) is open at its top, allowing "out-gassing" of otherwise trapped air during soldering.

In a typical transformer or inductor a non-conductive body supports an electrical winding, and conductive pins are embedded in the body. The pins are connected to the winding, and at one of their ends the pins extend from the body to form external connection terminals (e.g., for insertion in and soldering to a printed circuit board).
The pins are typically inserted in the bobbin body by forcing them into undersized pre-formed holes, and the winding is typically connected to a pin by the winding wire being wound around the pin and then pulled laterally away from the pin so as to tension the wire to the point at which it breaks. In order to withstand such an operation, the pin must be sufficiently wide so as not to bend significantly as the wire is pulled away. Conversely, the pins must typically be sufficiently pliable to allow the ends extending from the bobbin body to be bent after insertion into a printed circuit board to ensure retention. Pins which are typically made of material having a symmetrical cross-section (e.g., round or square wire) cannot accommodate the conflicting requirements of being large enough to accommodate the wire-pulling stress, but pliable enough to allow the pins to be bent for retention after insertion.
Stamped terminals having an asymmetrical cross-section may be used to resolve these conflicting requirements, but such stamped terminals typically cost between five and ten times as much as such pins.

Bobbin for an electrical winding and method of manufacture


A pipe coupling for joining together the ends of two adjacent pipes includes a housing for receiving the ends of the two adjacent pipes, and a locking arrangement which includes an annular chamber, and a plurality of grippers radially moveable towards the central axis of the housing from an inoperative condition to an operative condition. Each gripper includes a gripping formation for operatively gripping a pipe inserted into a bore of the housing, and a locking formation for operatively engaging a corresponding locking formation on the housing so as to axially lock the gripper to the housing. Each locking arrangement also includes a locking ring for locking the grippers to the housing so that axial displacement of the locking ring under fluid pressure within the annular chamber causes radial displacement of the grippers into the operative condition.

This invention relates to a pipe coupling. More specifically, the invention relates to a coupling which is designed to join together two adjacent pipes for conveying fluid under pressure.
Various different types of pipe couplings are known. Many of the known types of couplings include bolts or other similar fasteners which have to be installed in a particular manner or sequence, and this tends to complicate the installation of these couplings. In practice, users often fail to comply fully with the correct installation procedure with the result that these couplings are not always installed with maximum effectiveness. Furthermore, conventional pipe couplings often allow for movement of adjacent pipes within the coupling, i.e. they are not end restraining, and this can lead to weeping at the joint over time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative pipe coupling which is relatively easy to install, which does not include any bolts or other similar fasteners, and which is fully end restraining.


A woven tape for use as a trimming of a brassiere is disclosed as including a body portion provided with a number of openings along its warpwise centerline. An advantage in the use of a woven tape according to this invention as a trimming of a brassiere is that its position relative to the bra body can be adjustable, thus allowing choices to a user, and offering both enhanced convenience and aesthetic appearance.

Woven tapes are extensively used in the textile industry and other aspects of daily life. It is particularly widely used in the garment industry. For example, existing bras need narrow elastic woven tapes for the trimming of the bra body or for the shoulder straps for fixing the bra.
In general, there are two ways to connect the shoulder straps with the bra body. One of the methods is to integrate the straps with the bra body by direct sewing. The position of the shoulder straps of this kind of bra is fixed and cannot be detached. This will frequently bring inconvenience to a user wearing a thin-strap vest or a bare top. Another method is to use a movable device, in that the bra body is equipped with shackles and the shoulder straps are sewed with "9"-shaped hooks, so that the shoulder straps can be detached from or hooked on to the bra body according to different needs in use. This kind of bra is commonly called a dual-purpose brassiere.
Although this kind of dual-purpose bra solves, to a certain extent, the problem of the exposure of the shoulder straps when wearing a thin-strap vest or a bare top, it is obviously inconvenient to users of different body shapes or different wearing needs, because the user can only choose between detaching or attaching the shoulder straps, but it is impossible for her to adjust the positions where the shoulder straps are attached to the bra body as she pleases according to the current need. In addition, the shackles are left on the bra body of the dual-purpose bra after the straps are detached, which affects the appearance of the bra. At present, there is no woven tape which can satisfactorily solve the above mentioned problem by allowing a user, when using wearing a bra incorporating such a woven tape, to adjust the positions where the shoulder straps are engaged with the bra body.


A light source device that radiates excitation light or emitted light by the excitation light, includes: an excitation light source that radiates the excitation light; a fluorescent wheel that includes a phosphor, which emits light in a predetermined wavelength range on reception of the excitation light, in a circumferential direction; a driving device that rotates the fluorescent wheel; and a shielding member that is arranged around the excitation light source and the fluorescent wheel and shields the excitation light and the emitted light, wherein an opening through which outside air is introduced is provided at a part of the shielding member.

An image displayed by a projector such as a projecting device is easily influenced by external light, so that high illuminance is necessary to achieve display of good quality. For projection with high illuminance, a light amount of a light source is required to be large, so that a light source for which excitation light with high energy density such as laser light and a phosphor are combined comes into use.
However, there is a case where desired fluorescence emission intensity (brightness) is not able to be obtained only by causing the phosphor to emit light with use of the excitation light with high energy density such as laser light by an optical device or a projector. This is because, when temperature of the phosphor becomes high, a phenomenon called temperature quenching is caused, and because the temperature is more likely to become high when excitation light with high density is radiated to the phosphor than when excitation light with low density is radiated.
PTL 1 discloses a technique of a phosphor wheel device that includes a phosphor wheel which includes a disk-shaped base plate and a phosphor disposed on one surface of the base plate in a circumferential direction, a motor which rotationally drives the phosphor wheel, and a plurality of blades which are fixed to the other surface of the base plate so as to be integrally rotated with the phosphor wheel and each of which extends in a radial direction of the phosphor wheel from a rotation axis of the motor.


An arithmetic processing apparatus includes a plurality of processors, each of the processors having an arithmetic unit and a cache memory. The processor includes an instruction port that holds a plurality of instructions accessing data of the cache memory, a first determination unit that validates a first flag when receiving an invalidation request for data in the cache memory, a cache index of a target address and a way ID of the received request match with a cache index of a designated address and a way ID of the load instruction, a second determination unit that validates a second flag when target data is transmitted due to a cache miss, and an instruction re-execution determination unit that instructs re-execution of an instruction subsequent to the load instruction when both the first flag and the second flag are validated at the time of completion of an instruction in the instruction port.

In a processor serving as an arithmetic processing apparatus, which is currently commonly used, an out-of-order process is employed in order to maintain the consistency at a degree higher than that in the related art to run an instruction. The out-of-order process refers to a process of executing, while reading of data for a preceding instruction is delayed due to a cache miss or the like, reading of data for a subsequent instruction, and then executing reading of the data for the preceding instruction.
However, if this process is performed, there may be a case in which the latest data is read in the reading executed by the subsequent instruction and old data is read in the reading executed by the preceding instruction, and thus may result in the violation of total store ordering (TSO).
Here, the TSO indicates that a reading result of data correctly reflects a data writing order and secures consistency of an execution order. The TSO is one of memory ordering rules which specifies the constraints in replacement of an order of data to be actually written in a memory with respect to an order of instructions accessing the memory. The TSO rule includes the following three. A load instruction may not be processed so as to bypass a preceding load instruction; a store instruction may not be processed so as to bypass a preceding load instruction and a preceding store instruction; and an atomic load/store instruction may not be processed so as to bypass a preceding load instruction and a preceding store instruction.
That is to say, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a load instruction (load) may be processed so as to bypass a preceding store instruction (store) but in the other patterns it is inhibited from bypassing an instruction. However, in a case where target data of a load instruction is included in target data of a preceding store instruction, the corresponding load instruction loads the data of the store instruction.
Here, a processor (a CPU or a CPU-CORE) which processes memory access out of order enables a load instruction to return data to an instruction control unit before a preceding load instruction is executed. As illustrated in FIG. 2, in an arithmetic processing apparatus including an instruction control unit 100, and a primary cache control unit 200 which accesses a cache memory in response to a memory access request from the instruction control unit 100, the subsequent process is performed. For example, in a case where cache miss occurs in relation to target data of a preceding load instruction (load-A) and cache hit occurs in relation to target data of a subsequent load instruction (load-B), the primary cache control unit 200 returns the data of the subsequent load instruction (load-B) to the instruction control unit 100 so as to bypass the preceding load instruction (load-A).
However, actual instruction execution is performed according to an order of instructions. Therefore, when TSO between a load instruction and a store instruction is kept, even if load data is read out of order, it seems that TSO can be kept in software of an arithmetic processing apparatus with a single processor configuration. However, when another process invalidates target data of a subsequent load instruction in response to a store instruction in an arithmetic processing apparatus with a multi-processor configuration, there are cases where TSO violation between load instructions is found in software. In other words, there are cases where read data of the preceding load instruction become new data after execution of the store instruction regardless of read data of the subsequent load instruction being old data before execution of the store instruction and thus bypassing inhibition between load instructions of TSO is violated.
In order to avoid this, a subsequent load instruction may be re-executed in a case where there is a possibility that TSO may be violated. That is to say, when there is a subsequent load instruction which bypasses a preceding load instruction and returns data, the target data is invalidated such that another processor uses target data of the subsequent load instruction, and thus a processor of interest stores the target data being invalidated. In addition, when the preceding load instruction makes data read, the instruction control unit 100 may be notified that there is a possibility that TSO may be violated, and instructions after the next instruction (the subsequent load instruction) may be re-executed.
However, if whether or not there is a possibility of TSO violation is determined based on whether or not there is an invalidation request, there are cases where it is determined that there is a possibility of TSO violation even though TSO is not inherently violated. If this determination is performed, an instruction re-execution process is unnecessarily performed, which is thus a factor of considerably reducing a performance.
Japanese Patent No. 4180569, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 2011-134205 and 6-214875 are examples of the related art.

Arithmetic processing apparatus, and cache memory control device and cache memory control method


A downhole electric power generator is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including an inlet channel formed in a bore of a downhole tool string component for conveying a moving downhole fluid and a turbine coupled to the inlet channel to receive the downhole fluid. The turbine converts the energy of the moving downhole fluid into rotational energy where it is stored using a flywheel. The flywheel may then be coupled to an electrical generator to convert the rotational energy to electrical energy. In certain embodiments, a continuously variable transmission may be inserted between the turbine and the flywheel. The entire generator may, in certain embodiments, be designed small enough to reside in the wall of a downhole tool.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric power generators and more particularly to electric power generators for use in a downhole drilling environment.
2. Background
The ability to access and transmit data along a drill string has been a goal of the oil and gas industry for more than half a century. As exploration and drilling technology has improved, this goal has become more important to the industry. For example, to take advantage of various advances in downhole tools and techniques, it would be highly beneficial to transmit real-time data such as temperature, pressure, inclination, salinity, and the like to the surface where it can be analyzed and used beneficially. Nevertheless, because of the complexity, expense, and unreliability of many proposed or attempted downhole transmission systems, these systems have failed to achieve significant commercial use or acceptance.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,670,880 as well as numerous other related patents and pending patent applications, the present inventors have disclosed a "downhole transmission system" that overcomes many of the problems and limitations of prior art systems. In this downhole transmission system, data is transmitted in real time along a drill string using network hardware integrated directly into the drill string. This network hardware enables high-speed communication between surface equipment, such as analysis, diagnostic, and control equipment, and downhole equipment, such as tools and sensors located along the drill string.
With the installation of network and other related hardware comes the need for an efficient and reliable power source to operate this hardware. Such a power source must be able to provide reliable power in the extreme conditions of a downhole environment. Although batteries provide one option, the use of batteries is hindered by their inherently finite life and the need for frequent replacement and/or recharging. This may be problematic in downhole drilling application where access to these batteries may require tripping and disassembly of the drill string. Battery function may also be impaired by the extreme temperatures, pressures, or other conditions downhole.
In addition, various electrical generators have also been disclosed for generating electrical power in a downhole environment. These generators, however, create additional problems that limit their usefulness downhole. Specifically, some of these generators obstruct the central borehole of the drill string. This undesirably inhibits the flow of drilling fluid and obstructs the passage of wireline tools or other equipment through the central bore. Moreover, many downhole generators are designed for implementation in production wells rather than in downhole drilling strings. Some of these generators may also be complex and have substantial mass, making them costly to implement and maintain and/or difficult to replace or repair. In other cases, these generators may be ill-equipped for operation in the extreme temperatures, pressures, and corrosive conditions downhole.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved and robust electrical generator for use in a downhole environment. Ideally, such a generator would generate electricity without obstructing the central borehole of a drill string. Further needed is a generator that is more compact and efficient than previously disclosed downhole generators.


A method for operating a Base Station (BS) in a wireless communication system capable of supporting a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) communication is provided. The method includes receiving at least one response message from at least one Mobile Station (MS) that has received a request message from a first MS and determining whether to allow the first MS to performs the P2P communication with a second MS based on the at least one response message.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for establishing a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) connection in a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for adaptive P2P communication selection in consideration of a wireless environment between Mobile Stations (MSs).
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wireless communication system, whenever first and second Mobile Stations (MSs) desire to communicate with each other, the first or transmitting MS must make a call to the second or receiving MS through a wireless communication network regardless of the distance between the transmitting and receiving MSs. That is, a connection with the receiving MS is established via a Base Station (BS), a mobile switching center, or the like, constituting the wireless communication system, regardless of the distance between the transmitting MS and the receiving MS. However, if the distance between the transmitting MS and the receiving MS is very close, direct communication can be more reasonable. Direct communication, that is, communication that is not established via the BS, is referred to as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) communication. Various services can be provided through the P2P communication, such as, transmission of a massive file, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video conference, etc. Also, the P2P communication can provide the same service quality as that conventionally provided via the BS.
The MSs conventionally use a different frequency band for general P2P communication than a frequency band allocated to the wireless communication system. To process the additional frequency band, a separate Radio Frequency (RF) transmitting/receiving apparatus is used. For example, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) communication, Bluetooth communication, etc., are used in the P2P communication. Alternatively, when the P2P communication and the wireless communication use the same frequency band, bandwidth efficiency can be improved by flexibly adjusting each transmission band through effective resource management so long as interference is prevented. One project that is researching such P2P communication is the Wireless world Initiative NEw Radio (WINNER) system in Europe.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a P2P communication environment in a wireless communication system.
Referring to FIG. 1, a plurality of MSs 102, 104 and 106 are located in a service coverage area of a BS 100, and the MS_y 108 is located in a service coverage area of another BS 110. The MSs 102 to 108 can communicate with receiving MSs via the corresponding BSs 100 and 110. Although an additional P2P communication module is not included, wireless resources of the mobile communication system can be reused to perform P2P communication between the MSs.
In the wireless communication system of FIG. 1, when the MS_1 102 desires to communicate with the MS_2 104, the MS_1 102 determines whether the connection will be established in a P2P communication mode or a wireless communication mode. For example, when the MS_1 102 detects that the receiving MS (i.e., the MS_2 104) is located close to the MS_1 102, the MS_1 102 can request the BS 100 to establish a P2P connection with the MS_2 104. Alternatively, the MS_1 102 may attempt direct P2P communication with the MS_2 104 not via the BS 100. In addition, although the MS_1 102 does not detect the location of the receiving MS (i.e., the MS_2 104), the MS_1 102 can perform P2P communication by gathering information of the MS_2 104. However, if the MS_1 102 is located in the service coverage area of the BS 100 and desires P2P communication with the MS_y 108 whose location is not detected, the MS_1 102 cannot perform P2P communication with the MS_y 108 because the MS_1 102 cannot gather information of the MS_y 108 due to a distance between the MS_1 102 and the MS_y 108. In such a case, in order to communicate with the MS_y 108 (or the MS_x 106), it is preferable that the MS_1 102 establishes a BS-assisted connection instead of establishing the P2P connection.
To perform communication, the MS_1 102 must select either the P2P communication mode or the wireless communication mode by considering a wireless environment and a distance from the receiving MS, which is difficult in practice. Even if the selection of a communication mode is achieved by the MS_1 102 in consideration of the wireless environment and the distance from the receiving MS, there is no guarantee that the selected communication mode is effective in terms of resource utilization.
As described above, when an MS attempts a call connection with another MS in a wireless communication system, there is no method of adaptively selecting a communication mode between BS-assisted communication (i.e., wireless communication) and P2P communication among MSs by considering effective utilization of overall resources from the viewpoint of a BS.

Method and apparatus for adaptive peer to peer communication selection in wireless communication system


The invention provides a method and apparatus for directing a radiation beam (504, 606) in a desired direction. There is provided a movable member (10) supported for movement by a fixed member (40) and the movable member has an optical element, e.g a flat mirror (30) fixedly attached thereto. In one embodiment the mirror scans a radiation beam incident thereon in one plane. In a second embodiment, the radiation beam is scanned in two mutually perpendicular planes. A magnetic element (50) having a north and a south magnetic pole is fixedly attached to the movable member (10). A magnetically permeable stator element (70) that is stationary with respect to the movable member (10) and the magnetic element (50) is placed in the field of the magnetic element such that the stator element and said magnetic element mutually generate a magnetic traction force between them. A current coil (60) is wound around a portion of the stator element (70) and a current driver (400) is provided for driving a current in the current coil (60). The current induces an electromagnetic force in the stator element (70) and the electromagnetic force acts on the magnetic element (50) for controlling movement of the optical element (30) with respect to the fixed element (40). A radiation beam source (502) may be directed onto the movable mirror surface (30) and scanned by the movement of the mirror to direct the radiation beam in a desired propagation direction. Alternately, a radiation source (604) may be attached to the movable member (10) and pointed in a desired direction.

In fiber-optic communications there is a need for optical switching of light signals from fiber to fiber for path provisioning (creating data routes) at Optical Network Nodes (ONNs). These connections are intersections of major pipelines between Network Access Stations near the user networks. Long haul use patterns are fairly regular hence connections at ONNs are relatively constant and persist for minutes to hours. The industry is developing a solution based on the free space optical cross connect switch (OCX) to facilitate the ONN switching function.
With the development of digital wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), the number of channels needed for optical switching can become very large. For example, 6 fibers carrying 160 wavelengths each results in 960 switchable light paths; hence OCX arrays of 1000 by 1000 ports can be needed. The micro mirror actuator systems of prior art designs include movable mirror elements that are typically rotated through a small angle in one or two planes by pairs of electronic actuators. The actuator may be mounted on a surface underlying the mirror and directly below unattached portions of the mirror. When a current or voltage is delivered to the actuator the unattached edge of the mirror is drawn toward the actuator by an electrical force moving the unattached portion of the mirror towards the underlying surface. Such devices usually use active closed loop electronic drivers that are always in an "on" state in order to hold the unattached mirror edge in a particular position. These devices require continuous consumption of power, to maintain the position. With each actuator dissipating just a fraction of a watt, the system load can total hundreds of watts of power for large actuator counts. This power generates heat that must be cooled and the total power load must be backed up in case of disruption, with battery and generator systems causing additional complexity and cost.
Prior art MEMs constructions have multiple deficiencies. FIG. 1 depicts a typical MEMs construction in which a gimbaled mirror assembly 1000 includes a movable mirror 1002 suspended on fine gimbaled structures or thin hinges 1004 and 1006 for rotation about a Y axis and suspended on fine gimbaled structure or thin hinges 1008 and 1010 for rotation about a X axis. The MEMs gimbaled mirror 1000 is mounted to an actuator layer 1012, shown cut away, which includes actuator elements for attracting a free edge of the mirror toward the actuator layer 1012.
In FIG. 1A, an actuating force applied to the mirror 1002 from the actuating surface 1012, near a point A, draws a free edge of the mirror toward the actuator surface 1012 in the direction of the arrow shown at A. The mirror 1002 pivots about the Y-axis at the gimbals 1004 and 1006 such that the mirror at point B is raised with respect to the actuator surface 1012 as shown by the arrow at B. In the other axis, an actuator on the actuator surface 1012 near a point C draws another free end of the mirror in the direction of the arrow shown at C. The mirror 1002 pivots about the X-axis at the gimbals 1008 and 1010 such that the mirror at point D is raised with respect to the actuator surface 1012 as shown by the arrow at D. Single axis devices are also known for providing tilt about a single axis only. The actuator devices may employ electro-static, electromagnetic piezo-electric and mechanical actuator forces.
The gimbaled mirror assembly 1000 may be formed of a silicon or poly-silicon structure deposited or otherwise formed onto the actuator layer. In order to provide a reflective surface on the mirror 1002, a Metal Oxide Chemical Vapor Deposition comprising a coating of e.g. aluminum, silver, gold or another reflective material coats the surface 1002. The reflectivity of such layers is usually limited to about 96 to 98%. One example of a prior art MEMs device like the one shown in FIG. 1A has been described by Lucent Technologies and may have a mirror diameter in the range of about 100-500 um (0.025-0.127 in.).
FIG. 1B depicts a plurality of optical switching mirror assemblies 1000. One commercially available example provides a 64 by 64 MEMS optical switch module having an operating temperature range of 5 to 70 degrees Centigrade, listed mirror switching time of 20 ms, with a power dissipation consumption of 15 watts. Insertion loss is 6 dB max (e.g. 75% losses); optical return loss is 30 dB, and cross channel isolation is 50 dB. Optical power transmission is limited to 31 milliwatts per port. In the particular example of FIG. 1B, each device 1000 is centered with respect to rows 1014 and columns 1016. Such an arrangement provides a poor packing density for each device leaving a low mirror area to total area ratio. Optical switching system, arrays of as few as two mirrors up to as many as 1024, or more, separate mirror elements may be required to be operating in an optical network switching hub.
One problem with the device shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B is that the mirror is surrounded mainly by air and lacks any conductive path to remove heat. This is one reason that conventional MEMS mirror devices are limited to low power, e.g. only 31 mw in the above example. Since the reflective surface of each mirror is typically limited to about 96 to 98% reflectivity, 2 to 4% of the light energy reaching the mirror may be absorbed by the mirror substrate or scattered, thereby heating the mirror substrate and the surrounding elements.
MEMS mirrors are also thin and subject to surface distortion caused by thermal stress such as may result from the heat absorbed by the substrate and by the always-on actuators. Other surface distorting factors include mechanical forces developed during actuation and release of actuation and even sagging due to the MEMs mirror low stiffness. Vibration and shock loads may also lead to transient mirror surface distortion. Mirror surface distortions may cause beam distortions, e.g. wave front aberration, scattering and optical power fluctuations, possibly resulting in increasing optical losses, signal errors and channel cross talk. A mirror system of the highest attainable reflectivity, of the highest obtainable surface flatness or accuracy of surface figure and of the highest possible stiffness and with less optical energy absorption and or better heat dissipation capability would be beneficial and could be used to reflect much higher beam powers than are now reflected by MEMS systems.
Reflective coatings in excess of 99.5 percent are realizable using multi-layer optical coatings under good process conditions. Such coatings are typically coated onto optical surfaces such as glass and metal and would be advantageous on optical switching mirrors to reduce scatter and absorption. However, these coatings have heretofore not been applied to conventional MEMs or other micro mechanical mirrors because the mirror structure is either too delicate for the coating environments or the mirror material is not compatible with accepting such coatings. Higher reflectivity coatings could reduce absorption in the mirror substrate. Mirror surfaces with a flatness of ½- 1/10 wave at the wavelength of the reflected light are routinely provided using conventional metal and glass mirror substrates by polishing. However, these polishing techniques have heretofore not been applied to conventional MEMS devices because the mirror structure is too small, too delicate, and not stiff enough or because the mirror material is not compatible with the polishing techniques.
Furthermore, to eliminate the actuator hold power required to hold a mirror stationary in prior art mirror actuators, a capability to latch or hold a mirror in a selected position without the need for electrical power would be most desirable in the optical switching field to further reduce power consumption and heat dissipation in the region of the mirror. Mirror actuating systems with a non-power consuming latch mode are not known for use with conventional mirror actuator devices. In large arrays in particular, it becomes important that the beam steering elements do not themselves place limits on the packing density of the physical parts so that a smaller overall unit size is achievable. Unit size and especially a high ratio of mirror surface area to total surface is important for closest packing arrangements in higher density arrays.
It is also desirable in optical switching systems to provide the lowest possible switch movement, settle and latch time for moving a mirror to a new position.
In other areas, the prior art teaches a diversity of beam steering or scanning devices used for single, dual and even three axes scanning of a radiation beam. FIG. 2 depicts a dual axis scanning device having first and second rotating mirrors 1018, 1020 mounted on first and second rotation elements usually comprising a limited rotation motors or galvanometers 1022, 1024. Each limited rotation motor 1022, 1024 is controlled by a servo or other style microprocessor controlled controller 1026 to rotate the mirrors through a desired angular range of just a few degrees up to 45 degrees or more. A radiation source 1028 and a source controller 1030 provide a radiation beam 1032 for directing onto a two-dimensional plane area 1034. A lens 1036 may be provided to focus the beam 1032 in the plane 1034. Each mirror 1018 and 1020 is individually controlled in its rotation angle to direct the radiation beam 1032 to any desired point in the plane 1034. In this example, rotation of the mirror 1018 scans the beam along the X-axis of the plane 1034 and rotation of the mirror 1020 scans the beam along the Y-axis of the plane 1043. Such a system as is depicted in FIG. 2 is capable of deflecting very high power optical beams without damage and provides very accurate beam placement capability. One drawback of the system is that it has heretofore been difficult to miniaturize.
Readers may find the following to provide further useful context for understanding the present invention. Yagi et al's U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,302 discloses a light deflection device in the form of a reflective or refractive surface supported on a hemisphere or half-ball member, which is supported by its hemispherical surface on a dielectric liquid layer within a conforming socket or cavity of a base member. The ball has positive and negative chargeable regions made of different materials, so that turning torque is applied to the ball by the electrostatic force from an electric field in the dielectric liquid created by electrodes distributed around the cavity in the base member, to which a suitable voltage is applied. The electrostatic turning torque alters the tilt or angular position of the hemispherical member axis relative to the base member, until a position of equilibrium corresponding to the applied voltage is reached. A variation contemplates a magnetic film on the ball, and an electromagnet on the base member, where rotation is controlled by magnetic force between the film and the electromagnet. Friction in some cases and lack of any turning torque in other cases is said to hold the ball stationary in the cavity after the electric field is extinguished. An array of such elements is also shown. One drawback of the invention by Yagi et al. is the need immerse the hemispherical elements within the dielectric liquid layer.
Sakata et al's U.S. Pat. No. 6,201,644 B1, of which Yagi is a co-inventor, describes a light deflection device and optical switching array, using a spherical body or half-ball and cavity similar in general appearance to Yagi's, with similar driving mechanisms for tilting the ball and with the same dielectric liquid layer.
Donelan's U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,260 illustrates a refracting optical scanner based on a hemispherical and a cylindrical shaped element with a mating conforming socket or cavity of a base member. A planar surface of the hemispherical or cylindrical is adjustable for relative tilt of a planar optical surface with respect to the base. A very small air bearing function facilitates relative sliding movement on the spherical interface between the components. A mechanical gimbal mechanism, offset from the nominal plane of the optical components by a four-point pushrod linkage arrangement, permits control of the tilt angle between the two optical components, affecting control of the beam deflection angle. This invention does not provide an easily controllable actuation force especially for small angles.
Swain et al's U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,627 illustrates a hemispherical element with a mating conforming socket or cavity of a base member. A planar surface of the hemispherical element is adjustable for relative tilt of a planar optical surface with respect to the base for refracting a beam passing through the hemispherical element. As in Donelan, a fluid filled gap separates the hemispherical element from the base. Piezoelectric actuators about the perimeter of the device provide for relative tilting of one component to the other. As in Donelan it is a drawback that a fluid seal is required and that the beam passes through the fluid.
In summary, there remains room in the art for a compact optical beam steering or deflecting device or design that provides for a high mirror rigidity and a high degree of mirror flatness or surface figure accuracy such as are currently obtainable by conventional optical forming techniques using conventional optical materials. There is also a need for a steering mirror capable of steering higher beam powers with improved heat dissipation and with the highest obtainable reflectivity to avoid beam absorption. There is a further need for a highly reflective mirror, which is coatable, with know high reflectivity coatings by conventional processes. Moreover, in optical switching applications there is a need for a mirror latching capability for maintaining a mirror in a fixed position for relatively long time periods without consuming electrical power. Moreover, it would be a benefit if each mirror in an optical switch was know to be unmoved after a power interruption

Method and apparatus for beam deflection


An expandable pontoon boat that is retractable into a retracted configuration for trailering and expandable to provide additional passenger room. The expandable pontoon boat includes an interlock switch to prevent the expandable pontoon boat from being expanded when out of the water and includes center, left and right passenger hull shells supported on an expandable pontoon assembly.

Pontoon boats are typically adapted as party boats for carrying a larger number of passengers than a conventional power boat. Because pontoon boats have a large passenger area, they are typically wide and difficult to trailer to and from boating locations. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have a pontoon boat that was retractable into a retracted configuration for trailering and expandable once in the water to provide additional passenger room.


Book information describing a plurality of books is analyzed to identify the plurality of books described in the book information and create book records for the respective ones of identified books. A given book record contains fields describing attributes of a respective one of the plurality of books derived from the book information. The book records are clustered into a plurality of clusters based on the values of the fields of the book records. One or more clusters are analyzed to identify a name of a book series based on the book records therein. The book records in a cluster may further be placed in buckets representing individual books in the series and, in turn, the buckets are described based on the book information therein and organized based their description. The identified series name, bucket descriptions and organization thereof may be stored in a repository and presented to users.

1. Field of Art
The present invention generally relates to the field of searching for content and more specifically to organizing information about related content items.
2. Background Information
Many people use online search engines to search the Internet for information about content such as books, audio recordings, movies and television (TV) shows. There is typically a wide breadth of information about this sort of content on the Internet. In fact, there is so much information that people have difficulty parsing the search results returned by a search engine.
For example, if a person searches for information about a popular book that is part of a series, the search engine might return results associated with multiple different ones of the books in the series. The results might not be organized in a way that reflects the existence of the series which, in turn, makes hard for the person to digest the search results. As a result, the person may not be able to locate searched-for information in the search results.


The present invention provides glucose sensitive insulin derivatives comprising a macrocycle, a glucose mimetic and human insulin or an analogue thereof, and their pharmaceutical use. Furthermore, the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such glucose sensitive insulin derivatives, and to the use of such compounds for the treatment or prevention of medical conditions relating to diabetes.

Glucose is the most important component in human energy homeostasis, and uncontrolled blood glucose is the hallmark of diabetes. The major objective of diabetes treatment is to adjust blood glucose levels towards normal values, and insulin is the most effective drug for this purpose. Glucose adjustment using insulin is however a difficult balance between hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia. Even with modern blood glucose monitors, hypoglycaemia is commonly occurring, and various glucose-sensitive insulin delivery systems have been engineered in attempts to improve the situation, both in form of mechanical systems (pumps/sensors) or molecular delivery systems. It would therefore be advantageous to equip diabetes-related peptide and protein drugs with a glucose-regulated bioactivity, e.g. a weaker glucose-lowering activity of insulin at low blood glucose values.
Glucose-sensitive insulin bioactivity can be achieved by equipping insulin with a glucose-binding element plus a binding partner that binds the glucose-binding element in competition with blood glucose, and thus controls insulin folding in equilibria between active and inactive states (WO2016149222, WO2010107520). When the glucose binding element on the insulin derivative binds the binding partner on the same insulin, the insulin attains an inactive or weakly active conformation. As glucose levels increase, the binding partner on the insulin derivative is displaced from the glucose binder, and the conformation of insulin changes to an active state.
Such systems must incorporate a glucose binder in some form. This has led to attempts to de novo design of small molecule glucose binders. It is however a very difficult task to bind glucose with reasonable affinity and selectivity in water since the structural differences from other carbohydrates is very subtle.

Glucose sensitive insulins and uses thereof


The invention provides a device for extraction of a defined sample volume from a larger sample volume. The device includes a body having a reference surface and a measuring cavity extending from a part of the reference surface into the body, thereby forming at least one opening plane substantially uniform with the reference surface, the body being adapted for reception of an excess sample volume at the cavity and elimination of sample above the reference surface to leave in the cavity a measured sample volume having the defined volume. An information carrier is applied to or arranged for distribution with the device, having direct or indirect volume information about the defined volume established for the cavity. The invention also relates to a method for determining the volume of such a cavity, to a set of at least two such devices, to a method for dilution of at least two liquid samples by the use of at least two such devices, to an analytic instrument, to a method for operating such an instrument, to a system including the device and the instrument, and to a method for operating the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for extraction of a partially defined sample volume from a larger liquid sample volume, to methods for determining the volume of at least one cavity of a device, to a set of at least two devices for dilution of liquid samples to the same or different defined degrees, to an analytic instrument for operative connection to a sample measuring and diluting device having at least one measuring cavity, and to a system having a sample measuring and diluting device and an analytical instrument.
2. Description of Related Art
In one type of blood testing, a system comprising a blood cell counting apparatus/analytical instrument provided with a blood sample volume defining device, preferably in the form of a disposable cassette, is used. To be able to count the blood cells in an accurate and repeatable way it is of crucial importance to define an accurate volume of a blood sample. The accurately defined volume of blood sample is normally diluted by an accurately defined volume of a diluent or a lysing agent, in order to obtain a dilution ratio of typically 1:100 to 1:80000. When counting white blood cells is concerned the dilution ratio is typically 1:400 and when counting red blood cells is concerned the dilution ratio is typically 1:40000, in the latter case the dilution often taking place in two steps. Thus, it is obvious that variations in sample volumes and dilution liquid volumes must be minimized such that a correct degree of dilution and counting of blood cells always can be guaranteed.
Apparently, obtaining the same sample volumes are a critical step in the dilution procedure, since the volumes concerned are extremely small compared to the corresponding diluent volumes. To be able to obtain an accurate dilution ratio of a blood sample it is of crucial importance that the cavity in which the blood sample is contained is filled in a very precise and accurate and repeatable way, and that the variations regarding the volume between different cavities having the same nominal volume are made as little as possible.
The Swedish patent application No. 0303157-2 describes a method and a device for defining a small volume of a larger liquid sample. The device includes a first body and a second body. In a surface thereof, the first body has at least one cavity having said defined volume, and the second body includes an edge relatively slidable along said surface and over the cavity thereby separating an excessive volume of sample from said surface, leaving a defined volume within the cavity.
By the non-published Swedish patent application No. 0500784-4 a sample volume defining device is known which comprises a sledge and a framework, movable relative to each other. The device forms a part of a disposable support, preferably in the form of a cassette, and the framework is formed integrally with said support. The support comprises at least two chambers, one of which is filled with an accurately defined volume of diluent or lysing agent for dilution of a liquid sample, preferably a blood sample, and the other is empty and thus used for achieving the dilution and mixing of the liquid sample. At least one accurately defined cavity is made in the sledge. The components of the device are preferably made by injection moulding.
Although all due care is take when said at least one cavity is made in the first body/sledge, which in the description below is called a sampling body/body, its volume will on one hand differ from sampling body to sampling body made by the same moulding tools as the tools wear, and so forth, and on the other hand from moulding tools to moulding tools. By knowing this volume variation between different cavities made in different sampling bodies, it is thus possible to even further improve the accuracy of the blood analyses when performing blood cell counting.

Device for extraction of a partially defined sample volume from a larger volume