A door frame for a vehicle for ensuring aesthetic features of the vehicle, reducing the production cost, and minimizing the entire weight may be coupled with a bright molding providing for improving aesthetic features of a vehicle and a door glass run guiding open/close of a door glass. The door frame may include: one outer frame at which the bright molding is mounted; and one inner frame disposed at an internal side compared with the outer frame, coupled with the outer frame. The door glass run may be interposed and coupled between a glass run supporting portion formed at the bright molding and a glass run contact portion formed at the outer frame, and the bright molding may be directly mounted to the outer frame without an additional member.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a door frame for a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a door frame for a vehicle which is formed so as to couple with a bright molding.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a door frame for a vehicle is a window frame which is mounted to a door of a vehicle. That is, a door frame for a vehicle is a frame which is formed to surround a door glass. Further, a door glass run is mounted at a door frame for a vehicle so as to guide opening/closing of the door glass.
A door frame for a vehicle may be coupled with a bright molding. Herein, the bright molding is exposed to the outside of the vehicle and is mounted at the outside of a door frame of the vehicle. In addition, the bright molding may be manufactured by various designs for improving the aesthetic features of a vehicle.
Conventionally, it is not easy for a shape of a door frame for a vehicle to be changed according to a shape of the bright molding. In addition, additional constituent elements are required for coupling the bright molding formed in various shapes in the state of not changing a shape of a door frame for a vehicle. For example, a plastic member is disposed between a door frame for a vehicle and the bright molding such that it is possible to couple a door frame for a vehicle with the bright molding. Further, the bright molding can be coupled with a door frame for a vehicle by using a member such as a rivet.
However, engagement composition for coupling a door frame for a vehicle with the bright molding is complex and the production cost is increased if the additional constituent elements are used. In addition, weight of the door frame that the bright molding coupled therewith is increased. Meanwhile, even if the additional constituent elements are used, strong coupling of a door frame for a vehicle and the bright molding of which shapes are different from each other is limited.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.


On the basis of state change information acquired by one of sensor nodes forming a sensor network, an instruction indicative of emitting a signal is issued to another node to acquire a photographed image from a camera. An image processing device identifies the ID and actual position of the node by issuing the signal issuance instruction to the node and detecting a signal obtained from the node from the photographed image. On the basis of personal information stored in a database, the image processing device detects a not-allowed action.

The present invention relates to a sensing system using a wireless sensor network and a camera, a system for managing the entering/leaving of a place and the seating of a seat using the sensing system, and also a program for executing such systems.
For the purpose of managing the person entering or leaving of a place or detecting an abnormality, there is conventionally known a system which analyzes an image from a monitor camera installed at a predetermined position and realizes individual authentication or the like based on the image analysis. Also proposed to identify positions of a plurality of moving objects is a system which attaches a light emitting function or the like to the individual objects, analyzes images obtained by photographing the objects, and identifies IDs of the respective objects and their positions (for example, refer to JP-A-2003-115010).

Node management system and node managing program using sensing system


A monolayer membrane containing gelling polymer particles having at least one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group, and having a thickness of less than 5 μm. A composite having a porous carrier and gelling polymer particles having at least any one of a basic functional group and an acidic functional group and filling up the surface pores of the porous carrier. The invention can provide a novel material capable of efficiently separating an acid gas from a mixed gas.

Recently, global warming by carbon dioxide and steam discharged from large-scale facilities such as thermal power plants, steel works, cement factories and others and environmental pollution by hydrogen sulfide or the like have brought about problems. For preventing such climate change and environmental pollution and for realizing a low-carbon society, studies of a method of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) where an acid gas such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide or the like as well as steam discharged from such large-scale facilities is separated, recovered and placed underground or undersea are now under way. However, the energy cost for CCS by the current technology is extremely high, and significant reduction in the energy cost is desired. In particular, the process of carbon dioxide separation and recovery accounts for about 60% of the energy cost for CCS, and therefore, for reducing the energy cost for CCS, a highly-efficient and greatly energy-saving process of carbon dioxide separation and recovery is absolutely imperative. In addition, in the field of energy supply, there is employed a process of separating and recovering an acid gas such as carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulfide or steam from a natural gas having a high carbon dioxide concentration, a coal gas produced in an integrated gasification combined cycle (ATCC) or a fuel gas such as hydrogen for use in fuel cells, and efficiency enhancement and energy saving in such a process of separation and recovery of carbon dioxide or the like may be important for reducing the energy cost in the technical field.
As a method of separating carbon dioxide from exhaust gas, there is known a chemical absorption method using an aqueous amine solution or a membrane separation method.
The chemical absorption method is a method where a low-temperature absorbent liquid (aqueous amine solution) is brought into contact with an exhaust gas in an absorption tower to thereby make carbon dioxide selectively absorbed by the absorbent liquid and then the absorbent liquid is transported into a desorption tower and heated therein, thereby desorping carbon dioxide. The chemical absorption method is actually applied to treatment of exhaust gas from large-scale facilities. However, for carbon dioxide desorption, the absorbent liquid must be heated up to 130° C. or higher, which is problematic in that the necessary energy amount is large.
On the other hand, the membrane separation method is a method of separating the constituent gases in a mixed gas from each other, based on the difference in the permeation speed through a membrane between the constituent gases, and a polymer membrane or a ceramic membrane is used in the method. Through any membrane, vapor permeation is promoted by the difference in the partial pressure via the membrane so that the targeted vapor alone is made to permeate through the membrane and is thereby separated, and the advantage of the method is that any additional energy is not needed.

Monolayer, composite, gas separation material, filter, gas separation device and method for manufacturing composite

KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION


A battery adapter provides a housing having an outer shape corresponding to a pair of juxtaposed standard cylindrical type battery cells. A pair of electrical contacts are supported upon the housing to provide electrical connection to environments which would normally receive a pair of standard cylindrical type cells or combinations thereof. A long life battery having a voltage approximately double that of a standard one and a half volt battery is supported within the housing and electrical connections are provided between the terminals of the internal battery and the external terminals supported on the housing. Embodiments are shown in which the internal battery may be replaced. Embodiments which replicate either parallelly arranged or serially arranged cell combinations are shown. In an alternate embodiment, the battery adapter includes a pair of cylindrical housings having inwardly facing cavities which receive a portion of a disk-shaped battery and a pair of contact springs on opposite sides of the disk-shaped battery for mechanical and electrical connection between the adapter and the disk-shaped battery.

Through the years the majority of batteries used to provide a mobile source of electrical DC power for the virtually endless array of battery powered devices have resulted in the proliferation of batteries in certain standard size units. The most common types of commercially available batteries are those generally designated as A, AA, AAA, C, and D cells. Such standard battery cells are usually alkaline electrochemical sources or the like and produce an electrical voltage of approximately 1.5 volts per cell. In their commercially available form, such standard cells comprise a generally cylindrical elongated housing having an extending positive terminal at one end and a generally flat metallic negative terminal at the other end. To provide the variety of operating voltages for units using such basic standard cells, manufacturers typically provide battery compartments or receptors which support multiple groups of standard round cells in either series or parallel configuration.
The general operating environment for such standard battery cells may, to some extent, be divided between high power uses and low power uses. High power uses are characterized by the need to run high current apparatus such as electrical motors, heating elements and the like. Conversely, low power uses are typically found in computer type devices such as calculators, remote control units used for televisions and VCR's, smoke detectors and back-up systems or computer memories. While alkaline cells have proved satisfactory for the high power environment, they have been found less than desirable in the low power environment in that their useful life is limited. The typical alkaline cell has a life expectancy in low power or shelf life conditions of approximately one or two years at best.
A number of devices for supporting and combining such basic alkaline type cells have been provided by practitioners in the art to meet the varying needs of users. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,306 issued to Dumbser for a BATTERY ARRANGEMENT sets forth a battery arrangement used with distance and speed measuring indicators for cycles. The battery arrangement supports two batteries within a battery chamber having appropriate connections. The connections provide for battery replacement without interrupting the supply of electrical power during the battery replacement process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,742 issued to Utoh, et al. sets forth a BATTERY FITTING DEVICE USABLE FOR ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE in which a battery holder is adapted to accommodate a button shaped battery which is then insertable into a holder accommodating cavity within the appliance. The battery is firmly clamped between contact leaf springs disposed in the battery accommodating cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,522,660 issued to Bledsoe, Jr. sets forth a FOLDABLE HOLDER FOR FLASHLIGHT ELEMENTS in which an elongated generally planar support is formed of a foldable planar material such as rigid cardboard or the like. The folder includes spaced fold lines and interlocking tabs to provide a battery supporting cavity and means for supporting a light bulb. Electrical connections are made to complete a circuit between the battery and light bulb.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,076 issued to Terada sets forth a BATTERY CASING which comprises a lid closing a battery receiving chamber. The lid is directly mounted on the battery casing body thereby avoiding the use of the outer panel of the instrument which receives the battery. Electrical connections are provided to couple the appliance to the battery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,966 issued to Omori, et al. sets forth a BATTERY HOLDER MECHANISM for holding a battery in an electronic device. The battery holder has a circular arc portion extending along the circumferential direction of the battery. First and second supporting projections extend from the inner peripheral edges of the circular arc portion and support the battery from both sides. Engagement pawls resiliently lock the battery holder body within the battery receiving hole. The battery is held by projections from both sides to restrict vertical displacement of the battery.
While the foregoing described battery holding apparatus provide some benefit in certain uses, there remains a need in the art for a more convenient way of supplying long lasting battery power to environments of low power use.


A projector according to an embodiment of the invention can measure the temperature of an object to be cooled accurately with a simple configuration and perform accurate cooling control. The projector includes a power-supply unit, a ballast unit having a ballast control circuit and a photocoupler, and a control unit. The power-supply unit includes a temperature detection element generating temperature information indicating the temperature inside the power-supply unit. The ballast control circuit controls a constant-current control circuit and the like based on the control information transmitted from the control unit via the photocoupler and transmits temperature data based on the temperature information to the control unit via the photocoupler. The control unit includes a projector control circuit performing cooling control on the power-supply unit based on the temperature data.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to projectors and cooling control methods.
2. Related Art
In a projector, it is necessary to perform appropriate cooling control depending on an environment in which the projector is used while suppressing noise produced by a cooling fan. For example, in JP-A-2006-145824, a method for driving an air-cooling fan by connecting a temperature detection circuit provided outside a main power supply section in a primary device and a fan drive circuit in a secondary device with a dedicated path provided between the temperature detection circuit and the fan drive circuit in a projector is proposed. Moreover, in JP-A-2008-242018, a method for controlling the rotational speed of a cooling fan by detecting the temperature inside a primary device by transmitting and receiving infrared radiation with a dedicated communication path by using an infrared emitting section provided in the primary device and an infrared receiving section provided in a secondary device is proposed. As described above, the reason why a new path, not an existing path, is provided is that a power-supply unit in the primary device and a power supply route that is insulated from the secondary device are used, which makes it difficult to transmit temperature information to the secondary device by using the power supply route.
However, in these methods, it is necessary to provide a new path and the like for connecting the primary device and the secondary device. This complicates the configuration and increases production costs. Moreover, since the inside of the housing of the projector is used as a path of wind produced by an air intake fan and an exhaust fan, when a new wired path or a new member is added, part of the path of wind is blocked, which may reduce cooling efficiency. Thus, it is preferable that addition of new members be kept to a minimum. Furthermore, since various noise sources are present in the projector, there is a possibility that the temperature data is not transmitted accurately over a wireless path using infrared radiation or the like due to noise.

Method for controlling a projector including a cooling unit insulated from a power-supply unit


Disclosed is a support post for supporting roadway signs. In one embodiment, a polymer support post is formed of a composition of high density polyethylene—HDPE—, ground rubber and ‘XLPE’/Polycure. All these materials may be sourced from recycled materials. Additionally, the support may include ultra-violet materials and flame retardant materials. In one embodiment, the ultra-violet materials and flame retardant material are included in recycled XLPE material. One or more support rods may be disposed within the polymer support post. Additionally, one or more fragility apertures may extend through the support post to allow the support post to collapse upon impact.

It is known to use signposts for the purpose of guiding users of a route along their path of travel. Such signpost provide users with the necessary information for directions, as well as, among others, information with regard to the distances covered over their route.
Such signposts also have the purpose of guiding the users with regard to the existence of services throughout the travel path, such as gas stations, restaurants, hospitals, police stations, among others. In addition, signposts have the purpose of guiding users with regard to the occurrence of geographical reference points such as state and city borders, rest area locations, historic parks and sites and educational messages of traffic safety.
Such signposts typically encompass graphic images applied to signs of different shapes, such as rectangular, supported above the ground by a support post. The planar surface of the signs can present different colors (e.g., green, red, etc.), where legends, arrows and diagrams in a different color (e.g., white, black, etc.) could be applied. Signs are also provided for highway identification having a particular shape. Likewise supplementary signs identifying services often present a blue background.
According to the current regulation in DENATRAN (Brazil), the support posts must be sized and fixed in order to withstand the load of the signpost itself and the effects of wind action acting on the sign while ensuring its correct position. The support posts must be fixed in order to keep the signs in their correct position, preventing them from being turned or displaced. For the fixation of the sign to the support post, it must be used proper fixing elements, in order to prevent its loosening of displacement, even after impacts or collusions.
Currently, the materials primarily used for production of support posts are galvanized steel and immunized wood, especially hardwood. The fact is that the hardwood was replaced by treated eucalyptus wood because of the shortage on the environment. Thus, the eucalyptus wood, according to the provisions of Law No. 97 of Oct. 20, 1965 and decree No. 58016 of Mar. 18, 1955 (Brazil), must receive treatment with water soluble protector in autoclave under vacuum and high pressure in order to receive the black color painting, as well as presenting retention and penetration rate of 6.5 kg of the protecting material per m3 of wood according to NBR 6232 (Brazil).
However, despite of eucalyptus wood having its origin from replanting, it presents a difficult process for its treatment, in addition to chemicals used, such as arsenic, Copper Chrome Arsenic or Copper Chrome Boric Acid, which can bring health concerns for postconsumer used of this wood.
Further drawback lies in the fact of support post made as of wood treated after its useful life for incineration to the formation of coal or other purposes, but without due care in relation to the chemicals that are present in a significant amount as 6.5 kg/m3. The allocation of these supports for Class I Landfill would be suggested, which is a very difficult procedure to be inspected.
On the other hand, the support posts made of steel present susceptibility to corrosion developed by the chemical or electrochemical action, which is commonly used as "rust", affecting not only the aesthetic appearance of the material, as well as the mechanical resistance and useful life.
In order to aggregate suitable resistance characteristics there are specific treatments, such as galvanizing obtained by means of application of chemicals in the support post body, such as the galvanizing process by immersion where the zincs with 98.0% of purity, contain more than 1.0% of lead and small amounts of other metals such as cadmium, iron, tin and copper, as well as the aluminum sometimes is added in small amounts, around 0.005% to increase the shine of the part and let its coating smoother.
It occurs that, during the process of galvanization process by hot immersion, two residues appear and can contaminate the bath, that is, dreg, a slurry consisting of Fe—Zn—5.0%+95% —, heavier than the molten zinc, which is concentrated in the bottom of the tank and grey or zinc oxide slag that is formed in the bath surface, referred to as "earth".
It is crucial that the parts are passivated after the galvanization, aiming to preserve them against wet storage stain. Some materials may present growth of the intermediate layers, due to the chemical composition and, therefore, dark Grey staining process. In this case, the speedy of the cooling of the material must be accelerated in a passivating bath.
Thus, it is verified that the natural resources, such as iron ore are used in the production of support posts of galvanized steel, as well as other natural sources for the obtainment of energy to cast the iron ore, in addition to charcoal, mineral coal and electrical energy, cause harm to the environment.
Another considerable drawback of current support post due to the necessary resistance to weather consists in the fact that they are deemed true fixed barriers against impacts by collision of vehicles, often causing death, which has being a cause for technological studies, aiming to find troubleshooting for this drawback. Accordingly, support posts must be structured to not be a factor causing injury or death in public roads, according to NBR15486 (Brazil). Thus, it required that the support post have a collapsible property such that, during the collision by a vehicle with the support post, the support post bends away from the colliding vehicle without breaking free and not providing abrupt deceleration of the vehicle and its passengers.
In a research conducted in specialized database, it was found documents related to supports/rebar/crosspiece obtained as of recycling material.
The document No. PI 0505428-1 is related to the polymer crosspiece, with natural fibers and structural hardware resulting from extruded or injected origin, thermoformed compound of virgin or recycled plastic mixed with natural fibers in a ratio of 1 to 70% of the composition and structured with metallic rods, giving full play to replace hardwood treated or used as "crosspiece". As the structural reinforcement, it is presented four rebar in the diameter of six to 12 mm, depending on the diameter, of the structure required from the crosspiece according to structure requirement.
The document No. PI 0704541-7 is related to the process to reuse and transform packages and toxic and contaminated materials in new products, and products obtained as of the manufacture of crosspiece, among others.
The document No. C1 0900485-8 consists of the process for obtaining railway sleepers but with the replacement of the core wood for a core made of the mixture of recycled polymer and chopped glass fiber, to be positioned in the region of fixation of tirefonds and support plates, jointly to longitudinal stiffeners rebar.
The document No. U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,790 is referred to the enhanced railway sleeper made by forming and bonding lignocellulose material in a monolithic triturated beam around a plurality of reinforcing bars, each one of which has a plurality of spaced protrusions fixing attached throughout its length, in specific positions with regard to midpoint of the loop and the rails mounted.
The document No. U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,519 refers to the elongate element, made of the supply of a plastic core substantially solid within a extrusion die, continuously, and a molten plastic within a framework causing surrounds of the molten plastic and binding for the plastic core and reinforcing bars to feed into the framework, in positions that surround the plastic core.
Upon performing an analysis of the documents, it is verified that the patents of No. PI 0505428-1, PI 0704541-7, C1 0900485-8, U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,790 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,519 use recycling materials, but differently from the material used by the applicant for the obtainment of supports for vertical signposts.


A fastener member for molding which is a fastener tape which includes engaging elements on a top side of its substrate and also includes ridges which extend in a longitudinal direction on both edges of a back side of the substrate. The ridges project outwardly such that its outermost part is about 0.3-5 mm from the outer edge of the substrate. A process for producing a plastic molded article having the fastener members molded thereon, comprises fitting the above-mentioned fastener member in the recess of a mold such that the engaging elements on its surface are directed to the recess of the mold and the ridges of the fastener member substantially seal the gap between the fastener member and the sidewall of the recess of the mold, and injecting a resinous composition into the mold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fastener member for molding which is embedded in the surface of a cushion when an automotive seat cushion or office chair cushion is molded. The fastener member molded in the cushion is used to fix the upholstery material (such as cloth) covering the cushion.
2. Discussion of the Background
An automotive seat or office chair is usually made up of a cushion of foamed polyurethane or the like and an upholstery material covering it. According to conventional technology, the cushion has molded wires, and the upholstery is attached to the cushion by means of metal fixing members which engage the molded wires and the upholstery. This procedure is accomplished by the aid of an electric tool.
A new method utilizing insert molding has recently been proposed for the production of an automotive seat. This method involves the steps of inserting flat fastener tapes in the recesses of the mold, injecting a foaming resin into the mold, and expanding the resin such that the fastener tapes are integrally embedded in the surface of the cushion. The fastener tape has a large number of engaging elements on its top side and a large number of anchoring elements on its back side. The molded cushion, therefore, has the engaging elements bared on its surface. The cushion is finally covered with an upholstery material having elements capable of engagement with the engaging elements of the fastener tape.
The above-mentioned procedure needs a provision for preventing the foaming resin from entering the gap between the fastener tape and the recess of the mold in which it is fitted, because there is a possibility that the engaging elements are buried in the foamed resin that enters the gap.
This problem is solved by the use of a fastener member as shown in FIG. 9. The fastener member (A) is made up of a flat fastener tape (E), a steel strip (F), and a cover film (G). The flat fastener tape (E) has a large number of engaging elements (C) and anchoring elements (D) formed on both sides of its substrate. The steel strip (F), which is placed on the engaging elements (C), causes the fastener tape (E) to be attracted to the magnet (J) arranged in the recess of the mold. The cover film (G) covers the steel strip (F) and the engaging elements (C). The cover film (G) has its periphery bonded to the periphery of the flat fastener tape (E) by means of adhesion or heat sealing.
Prior to the molding operation, the fastener member (A) is fixed in position by the magnetic force exerted on the steel strip (F) by the magnet (J) arranged in the recess (K) of the mold. Subsequently, a foaming resin is injected into the mold so as to produce a cushion in which the anchoring elements are embedded. The cover film prevents the engaging elements from being buried in the foaming resin. After molding, the cover film (G) and the steel strip (F) are removed, so that the engaging elements (C) of the flat fastener are bared on the cushion.
Another fastener member of the molded-in type for the same purpose as mentioned above is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 64-9708/1989. It is a fastener tape having a groove on its entire periphery. It is fitted to the mold by the aid of the groove which is formed on the periphery of the recess in the mold, so that the fastener groove engages with the recess groove in the mold. Said prior art further discloses that the fastener tape has a flat rim outside the groove, and it seems that the fastener tape is fitted to the recess of the mold by the combination of the groove and the flat rim.
Another fastener member of molded-in type is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 3-58109/1991. It is a fastener tape having on its entire periphery a fitting member having a rectangular section. It has a disadvantage of being undesirably wide due to the fitting member. It has another disadvantage that the fitting member has to be formed separately from the flat fastener tape and then attached to the periphery of the flat fastener tape. This disadvantage leads to low productivity.
The above-mentioned method of attaching the upholstery to the cushion by the aid of molded wires and metal fixing members (so-called Hogring method) has the disadvantage of requiring a large number of metal fixing members and a great deal of labor. In addition, it poses a problem with safety and health e.g., wounds and tenosynovitis which results from using an electric tool for the metal fixing members. Another disadvantage is that the cushion after scrapping cannot be easily recycled because it contains metal parts such as wires and fixing members.
The fastener member shown in FIG. 9 has the disadvantage that it is necessary to remove the steel strip (F) and the fastener cover film (G) after molding. After removal, they are disposed of as waste. Another disadvantage is that the film (G) has to be completely removed with great care; even a small piece of film remaining on the engaging elements reduces the engaging force and aggravates the appearance. The removal of the film is troublesome and the removal of the steel strip (F) may injure the fingers.
The fastener member disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 64-9708/1989 has the disadvantage of requiring a complex construction in both the fastener tape and the mold. The former has a groove on its periphery and the latter is provided with a grooved ridge which engages with the groove of the fastener tape. In addition, the groove increases the width of the fastener but has no engaging elements. This is undesirable especially in the case of narrow fasteners.

Fastener member for molding and production of plastic molded article with fastener member molded thereon


A method for determining the best time to sample data bits of a data bit stream of a received information signal in a digital communication system includes the steps of determining the current derivative of a respective sample of the information signal, weighting the sample by a predetermined amount, determining an accumulated derivative value for the same sample number of a previous symbol of the information signal, weighting the previous accumulated derivative value by another predetermined amount, summing the two weighted values together and assigning this accumulated derivative value to the respective sample. The method further includes the step of comparing the accumulated derivative values of a predetermined number of consecutive samples to determine which sample has the greatest accumulated derivative value. The sample having the greatest accumulated derivative value substantially corresponds to the beginning of a symbol. A bit determination sampling signal is generated and is timed to have a pulse or transition which occurs one-half symbol from the occurrence of the sample having the greatest accumulated derivative value.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to digital communications, and more specifically relates to the generation of synchronization and data sampling signals from transmitted digital data signals, in particular, non-return-to-zero (NRZ) signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital communications may require three or more types of synchronization, including: 1) carrier synchronization for determining carrier phase or coherence; 2) bit synchronization for determining one bit interval from another; and 3) word or frame synchronization, which is similar to bit synchronization but used for determining one group of data, i.e., a word or frame, from another.
Bit synchronization, in particular, may be derived from a separate synchronization signal, such as a pilot clock, or from the data signal itself. In currently used digital communication systems, such as GSM (Global Standard for Mobile) communications, the latter method of generating a bit sync signal is generally employed for economic and other reasons. Bit synchronization provides the proper time for sampling data in the received information signal.
A circuit for generating a sync signal directly from an NRZ data signal is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing. An "eye pattern", as shown in FIG. 2, is generally used as an indication of the quality of the digital data received. The eye pattern is a continual, multi-swept display on an oscilloscope of each bit of the data stream. An eye pattern reveals timing errors and distortion in the received data stream. The more "open" the eye of the pattern is, the fewer errors and distortion of the data bit stream exist.
The preferred time for sampling each data bit of the bit stream is where the vertical opening of the eye is the greatest, for example, at time T in FIG. 2. The bit synchronizer of FIG. 1 generates a bit sync pulse signal synchronized to the input data stream and timed to coincide with the maximum eye opening. The data bit stream may then be sampled at the optimum time in correspondence with the bit sync pulse signal.
One of the problems with conventional bit synchronizers and methods for generating a bit sync pulse is an inherent timing inaccuracy in the occurrence of the bit sync pulse. Conventional bit synchronizers, such as the one shown in FIG. 1, generate the bit sync signal by sampling the eye pattern corresponding to the NRZ waveform close to its greatest peak-to-peak voltage or maximum vertical eye opening. At such sampling points, the slope of the NRZ waveform is minimal, with relatively small changes in amplitude, resulting in difficulty in discerning the optimum sampling time for the waveform (at the maximum eye opening).

Method for determining the best time to sample an information signal

Uniden San Diego Research and Development Center, Inc.


A color data signal (DATA) and the control signal (CTL) are supplied from a central processor to a display controller, and an address conversion parameter included in the control signal (CTL) is stored in a control register 5. In accordance with the address conversion parameter, display address generating means 6 performs address conversion to generate a display address, and in accordance with the display address, the color data signal (DATA) is stored in a primary storage means 7. Thereafter, an image signal is outputted via image signal outputting means 8 to a display panel. This makes it possible to provide the display controller which can reduce a mounting area and power consumption and reduce the load of a processing on the central processor which performs a processing for editing image data.

Display devices of various electronic apparatuses, which include devices such as a liquid crystal display device, have been sophisticated from year to year. For example, as display performance of the display device, high gradation display has been required. Moreover, contents displayed on the display device have been required to be not only a still picture but also a motion picture. With such a sophisticated display device, information that is necessary for displaying is increasing.
A system for displaying includes devices such as a central processor, a display control device, and a display device. The central processor processes a variety of information, the display control device carries out display control for the display device in accordance with display data supplied from the central processor, and the display device carries out an actual display. In such a system, as information increases along with a sophistication of the display device as described above, load of image processing on the central processor increases.
In this regard, in order to reduce the load on the central processor, there is a growing tendency that a system is built up so that the display control device has a function of image processing, which was originally a function of the central processor. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. 2000-89748 (Tokukai 2000-89748, published on Mar. 31, 2000) discloses a display system that a display control device carries out image processing for displaying an image of a portrait mode in a landscape mode. Here, the portrait mode is the mode that a longitudinal length of the image is greater than its lateral length. The landscape mode is the mode that the lateral length of the image is greater than the longitudinal length. This display system is described as follows.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the arrangement of the above display system. As shown in FIG. 13, the display system includes a central processor 51, a liquid crystal controller 52 as a display control device, a display panel 53 as a display device. Further, the liquid crystal controller 52 is provided with an address converting section 54, a primary storage section 55, and a control section 56. Note that, it is assumed in this display system that the display panel is a liquid crystal display panel.
From the central processor 51 to the liquid crystal controller 52, outputted are a color data signal (DATA) of each pixel of with respect to an image to be displayed, a display address data signal (AD) corresponding to an address of each pixel in the display panel 53, and a control signal (CTL) representing rotation information of the image to be displayed. Among these signals, the display address data signal (AD) and the control signal (CTL) are inputted to the address converting section 54. The color data signal (DATA) is inputted to the primary storage section 55.
The display address data signal (AD) is an address signal which has a X-Y dimensional coordinate. Also, the control signal (CTL) is a signal representing, for example, such information that the image of the portrait mode is rotated by 90° to display it in the landscape mode. In accordance with the rotation information indicated by the control signal (CTL), the address converting section 54, to which these signals are inputted, converts a two dimensional address data of each pixel of the display address data signal (AD) on a one-by-one basis. Further, the address converting section 54 sends the converted address data to the primary storage section 55.
In the primary storage section 55, a process is performed for writing the color data signal (DATA) sent from the central processor 51 into the corresponding address in a memory, in accordance with the address data converted in the address converting section 54. Then, in accordance with control operation of the control section 56, data, which is stored in the primary storage section 55, of the address corresponding to each pixel of the display panel 53 is read out and outputted as an image signal (IMG) to the display panel 53. The display panel 53 drives each pixel in the liquid crystal display device in accordance with the inputted image signal (IMG) to perform display of the intended image.
In the display system shown in FIG. 13, the display address data signal (AD) is sent from the central processor 51 to the liquid crystal controller 52. As described above, the display address data signal (AD) is the address signal which has a X-Y dimensional coordinate. For example, when the display panel 53 has 120×160 of resolution, an address signal corresponding to one pixel has data totaling 15 bit, including 7 bit of X-coordinate and 8 bit of Y-coordinate.
Methods for sending such an address signal are considered to be a serial transmission and a parallel transmission. The serial transmission is a method of transmitting the above 15-bit address signal in a sequence over a single line. The parallel transmission is a method of transmitting the 15-bit address signal simultaneously over a plurality of signal lines, for example, fifteen signal lines, allocating one bit of the address signal to one signal line. In case of the serial transmission, the number of signal lines required is only one. However, in some cases of the serial transmission, for example, in case where a large amount of data must be transmitted at a high speed in displaying a motion picture, a clock frequency must be extremely increased. However, it is difficult to realize the increase in the clock frequency. Instead, the parallel transmission is therefore adopted. However, in this case, an address bus with a width of plural bits must be provided between the central processor 51 and the liquid crystal controller 52.
When the address bus with a width of plural bits is provided, both of the central processor 51 and the liquid crystal controller 52 are required to be provided with a plurality of terminals corresponding to the bits. Such a provision of the plurality of terminals causes the increase in the area of a component for the terminals. In case where a display system is applied to the apparatuses that reduction in size is required, such as portable apparatuses, increase in a mounting area is a crucial drawback.
Further, in the address bus which transmits the display address data signal (AD), each time the address signal corresponding to each pixel is transmitted, the electric potential of the signal line is switched at a high speed. Power consumption by parasitic capacitance of signal wiring of which the address bus is composed, which is not negligible, causes increase in power consumption of the whole display system. Especially, in case of application of the display system to portable apparatuses, power consumption is required to be as low as possible.
Also, as described above, the electric potential in the address bus can be switched at a high speed, so that a problem of EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) arises.
Moreover, in the above display system, the address data corresponding to each pixel is generated by the central processor 51. That is, although an address conversion processing for rotation of the image is carried out by the liquid crystal controller 52, generation of the address data must be carried out by the central processor 51. Therefore, in case where a high speed processing such as display of a motion picture is required, load of processing on the central processor 51 becomes relatively large.
The present invention is accomplished to solve the above problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a display controller which can reduce a mounting area and power consumption and reduce the load of a processing on the central processor which performs a processing for editing image data, a display control method, and an image display system.

Display controller, display control method, and image display device


Various enhancements are made to using smart cards that are associated with (or to be associated with) a household. In one embodiment, data that is expected to be of value to a user (e.g., electronic money) is attached to that user's smart card(s), thereby providing an incentive for the user to keep his or her smart card(s) secure. In another embodiment, the smart cards are used for parental control (e.g., by restricting the children's access to one or more of the smart cards). In yet another embodiment, smart cards are used to enhance user privacy by maintaining user-specific information on the smart cards (which can be de-coupled from the computing device whenever the user desires). In another embodiment, the boundaries of a network of computing devices are defined by multiple smart cards—any computing device to which a smart card is coupled is part of the network.

Personal computers are encroaching upon the area occupied by more traditional home entertainment systems. Rendering of audio and/or video content, such as movies, on personal computers is becoming increasingly popular. For example, personal computers can be equipped with DVD (digital versatile disk) drives that allow the computer to render movies from DVDs. By way of another example, personal computers can be equipped with television tuner expansion cards or other components that allow television signals to be received (e.g., via antenna or cable) by the computer for rendering. This encroachment is expected to continue, resulting in the replacement of traditional separate entertainment system components (e.g., VCR, DVD player, etc.) with a personal computer.
The creators of audio and/or video content, however, are very concerned with the security of personal computers. Traditional entertainment system components are "closed" boxes (they cannot be easily opened and components accessed, removed, modified, replaced, etc. while leaving the components operable) and thus relatively secure. Personal computers, in contrast, are "open" boxes—a portion of the housing can be removed and components (e.g., expansion cards) can be removed and replaced, new components can be installed, components (e.g., buses) can be accessed, etc. This creates a significant security risk for the content creators, because even though the personal computer designer/manufacturer may design the components of the computer to not perform any unauthorized tasks (e.g., inappropriate copying of descrambled content), there is often nothing preventing a malicious user from adding an additional expansion card (e.g., coupled to a bus of the computer) that does perform unauthorized tasks (e.g., copies the descrambled content from the bus for unauthorized distribution). In order for the content manufacturers to trust the security of open systems such as personal computers, a way to ensure the security of such content needs to be provided.
However, an additional factor that needs to be accounted for is the user response to any such security mechanisms. While most users understand, and accept, that they are not supposed to make unauthorized copies of content (e.g., copy movies for their friends, copy movies to the Internet, etc.), most users also do not want to be limited in their own enjoyment of movies and other premium content. For example, when people purchase a movie they may want to be able to watch it on different televisions in their house at different times, or take it to a friend's house and watch it there. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a way to ensure the security of such content while at the same time not significantly interfering with a user's ability to enjoy the content he or she legitimately acquires.
The invention described below addresses these disadvantages, enhancing smart card usage for associating media content with households.

Enhancing smart card usage for associating media content with households


A housing of a tape drive is adapted for sideways loading of a cartridge. The cartridge is loaded such that three reference points defining a fixed plane within the housing engages the cartridge in a fixed orientation with respect to a head within the drive. The cartridge is canted after the cartridge is engaged at a first one of the three reference points so as to fixedly engage the cartridge at each of the three reference points.

The present invention generally relates to digital magnetic tape drives and more particularly concerns the loading of a tape cartridge in a tape drive in accordance with ANSI/ECMA standards.
It is important in high capacity products, such as magnetic tape cartridges, that when the cartridge is loaded sideways into the tape drive that it be fixed in position. The fixed positioning provides the basis for accuracy and stability of the position of the magnetic head relative to the magnetic tape.
Prior art end-loading drives are known in which the magnetic head and tape drive motor are shifted into engagement after the cartridge is loaded in order to actuate the drive. This shifting is required since normal end-loading does not permit engagement of the components with the tape cartridge. This requires expensive and complex support mechanisms to provide accuracy for the engagement of the head and the motor with respect to the tape cartridge.

Three point reference system for a cartridge in a tape drive


A system may time-shift the distribution high-definition (HD) audio. The system can obtain an audio stream from a specified audio source, transcode the audio stream into an HD audio stream, and store the HD audio stream in a memory. The system may later forward the stored HD audio stream to a destination device, which can be a communication device linked to the system through a local telephone network or a remote communication device. The system can also store HD audio when a local communication device receives an incoming call request that interrupts a current HD audio distribution process. The system may resume distribution of the HD audio after processing the incoming call request from a point when the distribution was interrupted.

Advances in electronics and communication technologies can result in communication networks capable of communicating data at ever-increasing speeds. Consumers may be able to send and receive data across multitudes of sources at higher reliability and communication rates. Technology can continue to advance and communication networks grow in size, frequency of use and capability. Data can be being communicated with greater efficiency, reliability and quality.

Time-shifting distribution of high definition audio data


In a peripheral driver circuit of a liquid crystal electro-optical device is comprised of a shift register circuit arranged by a plurality of registers, and a circuit for supplying power to each register. When an input signal is entered into an nth register, a supply of power to at least a portion of registers other than the nth register is stopped. The shift register circuit is constructed of a P-channel type TFT and a resistor. The circuit for supplying the power controls the supply of power to the shift register by using the output of the shift register circuit. This circuit for supplying the power is arranged by a P-channel type TFT and a resistor. The consumption power of the circuit for supplying the power is equal to and lower than that of the shift register circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a peripheral driver circuit of a liquid crystal electro-optical device, more specifically, to a peripheral driver circuit of a liquid crystal electro-optical device operated under low power consumption.
2. Description of the Related Art
The liquid crystal electro-optical device of FIG. 29, is well known in the field, and is constructed of a pixel matrix portion 2901, a signal line driver circuit 2902, and a scanning line driver circuit 2903.
In the pixel matrix portion 2901, a scanning line 2904 and a signal line 2905 are arranged in a matrix form. More specifically, in an active matrix type, a pixel thin film transistor (TFT) 2906 is arranged on a cross point, the gate electrode of the pixel TFT 2906 is connected to the scanning line 2904, the source electrode thereof is connected to the signal line 2905, and the drain electrode thereof is connected to the pixel electrode. In general, since a liquid crystal capacitor 2907 defined between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode cannot obtain a large capacitance value, a retaining capacitor 2908 for retaining electric charges is arranged adjacent to the pixel electrode.
When a voltage exceeding a threshold voltage of a pixel TFT is applied to a scanning line, thereby turning on the pixel TFT, a drain electrode of the pixel TFT and a source electrode thereof are brought into a short-circuit condition. Then, the voltage on the signal line is applied to a pixel electrode so that a liquid crystal capacitor and a retaining capacitor are charged. When the pixel TFT is turned off, the drain electrode is under open state, and then the electric charges stored in the liquid crystal capacitor and the retaining capacitor are held until the pixel TFT is subsequently turned on.
The signal line driver circuit 2902 is constructed of a shift register circuit 2909, a buffet circuit 2910, and a sampling circuit 2911. In the shift register circuit 2909, the input signal synchronized with a video signal is input into a terminal 2912, and is sequentially shifted in response to a clock pulse. The output of the shift register circuit 2909 is input via the inverter type buffer circuit 2910 to the sampling circuit 2911.
The sampling circuit 2911 is constructed of an analog switch 2913 and a retaining capacitor 2914. The analog switch 2913 is turned on/off by the buffer circuit 2910. Under the on state, a video signal line 2915 is short-circuited with the retaining capacitor 2914, so that electric charges are stored in the retaining capacitor 2914. The signal line 2905 is connected to the retaining capacitor 2914 to transfer the sampled video signal to the respective pixels.
The scanning line driver circuit 2903 is arranged by a shift register 2916 and the NAND circuit inverter type buffer 2917, and sequentially drives the scanning lines by inputting therein the input signal synchronized with the vertical sync (synchronization) signal and the clock synchronized with the horizontal sync signal.
As the shift register circuit, there are certain possibility that either a clocked inverter 3001 of FIG. 30A or a transmission gate 3002 of FIG. 30B may be employed.
In FIG. 31, there is shown such a case that the clocked inverter structured shift register of FIG. 30A is realized by a CMOS circuit.
As a peripheral driver circuit of a liquid crystal electro-optical device, when a shift register is constructed by using a CMOS circuit on a transparent substrate on which a pixel matrix is formed, there are the following characteristic drawbacks. That is, since a P-channel type TFT and an N-channel type TFT are manufactured, a total number of manufacturing steps is increased. A characteristic of a P-channel type TFT cannot be easily made coincident with that of an N-channel type TFT. An N-channel type TFT may be readily deteriorated. To the contrary, a shift register circuit with a P-channel type TFT and a register in FIG. 32 does not include the above problems caused by the shift register by using the CMOS circuit.
In the shift register circuit using the P-channel type TFT and the register, as shown in FIG. 32, when a P-channel type TFT 3201 is turned on, a power source 3202 is short-circuited via a register 3204 to a ground 3203, so that a through current may flow and thus power consumption would be increased. When the resistance value of the register 3204 is increased so as not to cause the current flow, the discharge operation cannot be easily performed, and a charge from the power source voltage to the ground voltage is delayed. That is, since the frequency characteristic is deteriorated, it is difficult to increase the resistance value. Such high power consumption would surely cause a serious problem when the liquid crystal electro-optical device is utilized in various electronic devices such as portable information devices.
The conventional liquid crystal electro-optical device of FIG. 33 includes a pixel matrix portion 3301, a signal line driver circuit 3302, and a scanning line driver circuit 3303. In the pixel matrix portion 3301, the scanning line 3304 and the signal line 3305 are arranged in a matrix form. In particular, in an active matrix type, a pixel TFT 3306 is arranged at a cross portion, the gate electrode of a pixel TFT 3306 is connected to the scanning line 3304, the source electrode thereof is connected to the signal line 3305, and the drain electrode thereof is connected to the pixel electrode.
When a voltage exceeding the threshold voltage of the pixel TFT is applied to the scanning line, the pixel TFT is turned on. In this state, the drain electrode of the pixel TFT and the source electrode thereof are brought into the short-circuit state, and the voltage on the signal line is applied to the pixel electrode, so that electric charges are stored into the liquid crystal capacitor. When the pixel TFT is turned off, the drain electrode is under open state, and the electric charges stored in the liquid crystal capacitor are held until the pixel TFT is subsequently turned on.
The liquid crystal capacitor 3307 defined between the pixel electrode and the counter electrode cannot have a large value. As a consequence, the electric charges cannot be held by the liquid crystal capacitor 3307 until the pixel TFT is turned on in the next cycle, so that the voltage applied to the liquid crystal is changed, thereby varying gradation. Therefore, the retaining capacitor 3308 for retaining the electric charges is arranged near the pixel electrode. Accordingly, when the pixel TFT is turned on, both the liquid crystal capacitor and the retaining capacitor are charged.
The signal line driver circuit is constructed of a shift register circuit 3401, a buffer circuit 3402, and a sampling circuit 3403 as shown in FIG. 34. In the shift register circuit, the input signal synchronized with the video signal is input and is sequentially shifted in response to the clock pulse. The output of the shift register circuit is input via the inverter type buffer circuit to the sampling circuit.
The sampling circuit includes an analog switch 3404 and an retaining capacitor 3405. The analog switch is turned on/off by the buffer circuit to sample the video signal. The sampled signal is held as the electric charges in the retaining capacitor. The signal line is connected to the retaining capacitor, and the sampled video signal is transferred via this signal line to the respective pixels.
As the signal line driver circuit, a decoder circuit may be utilized instead of the shift register circuit. When the respective pixels and the addresses are combined in one-to-one correspondence and then the video signal is written into the pixel, the corresponding address is input into the signal line driver circuit, and one of these signal lines is selected by the decoder circuit. On the selected signal line, the video signal is sampled by the decode signal and then is held as the electric charge in the retaining capacitor.
Further, as the signal line driver circuit, a decoder circuit and a counter circuit may be used. The clock pulse is counted by the counter circuit, and the output of the counter circuit is used as the address signal. In response to the address signal, the signal line is selected by the decoder circuit to write the sampled video signal into the pixel.
FIG. 35 shows a case that the decoder circuit is used in the signal line driver circuit. Address signal inputs 3501 are selected by a NAND gate 3502, and the output of the NAND gate 3502 is used as the input of an analog switch 3503. The video signal is sampled by the analog switch and the sampled video signal is stored as electric charges in the retaining capacitor 3504. Another case where a decoder circuit and a counter circuit are employed in a signal line driver circuit is shown in FIG. 36. The clock pulse input 3601 is counted by a counter circuit 3602. The output of the counter circuit is selected as the address signal by a NAND gate 3603, and the output of the NAND gate 3603 is input into the analog switch 3604. The video signal is sampled by the analog switch and the sampled video signal is held as electric charges into a retaining capacitor 3605.
In FIG. 37, the scanning line driver circuit is constructed of a shift register 3701 and a NAND circuit inverter type buffer 3702. Both the input signal synchronized with the vertical sync signal and the clock synchronized with the horizontal sync signal are input into the scanning line driver circuit to sequentially drive the scanning line. Also, in this scanning line driver circuit, either a decoder circuit, or a combination of a decoder circuit and a counter circuit may be used instead of the shift register.
As a peripheral driver circuit of a liquid crystal electro-optical device, when a shift register is constructed by using a CMOS circuit on a transparent substrate on which a pixel matrix is fabricated, there are the below-mentioned characteristic drawbacks. That is, since a P-channel type TFT and an N-channel type TFT are manufactured, a total number of manufacturing steps is increased. A characteristic of a P-channel type TFT cannot be easily made coincident with that of an N-channel type TFT. To the contrary, a peripheral circuit using either a P-channel type one conductivity mode TFT, or an N-channel type one conductivity mode TFT with a register does not include the above-described problems as explained in the above-explained peripheral circuit by using the CMOS circuit.
There is shown another circuit that a P-channel type TFT and a resister are used. In FIGS. 38A to 38C, there are a NAND circuit (gate), a NOR circuit, and an inverter circuit as a basic circuit, which may constitute a JK-flip-flop of FIG. 39 and further a 4-bit counter circuit of FIG. 40. The counter circuit produces the respective output signal of a ripple carry 4005, counter bit outputs and inverted outputs 4006 in response to the respective input signals of a power supply (power source) 4001, a clear 4002, a clock 4003 and an enable 4004.
In the case that the peripheral driver circuit using the P-channel type TFT and the resister is manufactured on the transparent substrate on which the pixel matrix has been fabricated, in the circuit of FIG. 38, when the P-channel type TFT is turned on, the power source is short-circuited via the resister to the ground, so that a through current may flow and thus power consumption would be increased. When the resistance value of the resister is increased so as not to cause the current flow, the discharge operation cannot be easily performed, and a change from the power source voltage to the ground voltage is delayed. That is, since the frequency characteristic is deteriorated, it is difficult to increase the resistance value. Such high power consumption may surely cause a serious problem when the liquid crystal electro-optical device is used in various electronic devices such as portable information devices.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Peripheral drive circuit of liquid crystal electro-optical device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


There is disclosed a method and apparatus for transmitting a message to at least one group of users selected from a population of the users. The method comprises the steps of assigning to each member of the one group a common characteristic or indication, collecting from each member of the population an address to which the message may be sent, selecting the common characteristic of a group of message recipients and determining therefrom the users of a particular group or groups based upon the selected common characteristic, whereby messages may be quickly and efficiently sent to all of the users of the selected group(s).

Since Sep. 11, 2001, the need to warn people of threatened property damage and personal injury from a variety of natural and man-made potential disasters has been seen as a high priority need. Typical threatened disasters include natural disasters from weather, such as tornados, hurricanes, mud slides, floods and wind shear, as well as man made disasters, such as those resulting from terrorist attacks, fire, radiation leakage, toxic chemical leakage or bomb threats. Ordinarily, the earlier people and communities are alerted to such threats so that they can make preparations for protecting themselves from them, the less the property damage or personal injury resulting from these threatened disasters.
It is estimated by the partnership for Public Warning that nearly a thousand people involved in the September 11 attack could have escaped the second tower in time to save their lives, had they been able to receive accurate information about what was going on. When the first plane hit, it blew out the electricity, phone lines, and cellular towers. This meant the occupants had no sources of information, relying instead on the inaccurate instructions of the building superintendent, who told everyone to remain at their desks.
Further, the Emergency Alert System (EAS) was not activated that day (for no known reason). But even if it did activate, it would have done nothing to help people most in peril, since they had no access to radio and TV, the only mediums the EAS is authorized to use.
What was needed was a ubiquitous mobile system that could be used in the absence of power and phone lines, to reach people in high risk areas, with government sanctioned information about the emergency, customized per location, and specific, ongoing instructions for post event safety.
There are already in place and operational a variety of prior art systems for warning or alerting people to disaster threats. These most prominently include the public media, such as radio and television news and weather broadcasts and the weather radio system operated by the National Weather Service. These systems, however, are subject to deficiencies because they require radio transmissions broadcast from transmitters located in the region of the disaster, and require that individuals have their radio or television equipment turned on, operating and being observed by the individuals. Persons who are not operating such equipment do not receive an alert, unless they are fortunate enough to have someone nearby who has received the alert and who is aware of their presence and goes to the effort to give them a personal warning.
Additionally, there are siren warning systems to alert members of the public who are in danger of a threatened disaster. These systems are also subject to deficiencies because some areas are not equipped with such siren warning systems and the sirens can be difficult or impossible to hear when there is ambient noise, such as from construction or traffic or a heavy storm or when the sirens are simply too far off to be heard.
There are also a variety of additional warning systems, mostly radio operated, which require specialized equipment. Very few people purchase such equipment and therefore these systems are not effective in providing sufficient warning to large numbers of people.
The infrastructure of the United States and many other countries currently includes a national telephone system which provides a communication system which is widely distributed and provides the most personal route to connection to the greatest number of people.
However, the present warning systems suffer a number of deficiencies. First, they do not have the capability of automatically sending a message to a particular group of message recipients. In emergency situations, it is important to be able to warn or to alert those who are in immediate danger and/or those recipients who are police or firefighters and who would respond to such emergencies. Further, it is important for those in authority and who are authorized to respond quickly to such emergencies, be alerted first. Others, for example those who are in harms way, must also be alerted though at a latter time. Thus, it would be important to have an effective warning system with the ability to prioritize the messages that are broadcast; for example, it would be desirable to send a first set of messages to certain users, e.g., officers in a fire department or the police, before sending a set of messages to those in the area, which is threatened by the emergency.
Still further, it is appreciated that each group of users may require a different message. In such a case, the broadcast alerting system would need to send different, customized messages to each of these groups of people, e.g., a first message to the police and another, different message to those residing in the region where the emergency has occurred.

Apparatus and method for broadcasting messages to selected group(s) of users


A method for continuously manufacturing a composite sandwich structure by pultrusion through a pultrusion die comprises arranging fiber reinforcement materials on the surface of a preformed foam core, applying liquid resin to the reinforcement materials on the surface of the foam core, heating the surface region of the foam core to a temperature of at least 100.degree. C. to convert water in the foam core to steam, thereby causing water vapor pressure expansion of the foam, and using the expansion of the foam core to subject the liquid resin to increased pressure.

One of the current methods used to make fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) articles is the pultrusion process. The pultrusion process coats or saturates continuous glass fibers or other reinforcement materials and pulls them through a die to form a continuously molded linear part. The glass fibers or other fiber reinforcement within the pultruded FRP material provide good durability, strength and surface properties required of a structural panel. After molding, the part can be sawed off or cut to desired lengths to produce discrete FRP articles. The resins typically used in pultrusion are polyester resins, although other resins such as phenolic, epoxy, or vinylester resins can be used.
The pultrusion processes can be used to make lineal members having varied cross sections. For example, pultrusion can be used to produce vinyl window lineals having complex cross sectional shapes. Another use of pultrusion is to form building panels or structural panels for use in the construction industry. Such panels are often used in transportation facilities, such as airport passageways and subway tunnels.
Some pultrusion products are used for building materials in settings where they are exposed to human beings. Preferably, these products are made from materials which reduce smoke generation in the event of a fire. Such building materials would have an important property of low smoke generation. Phenolic resin is known to have superior properties in reducing smoke generation in fire situations.
In some cases, it is desirable to make a sandwich structural panel having a pultruded FRP exterior and a core material which provides insulation, structural and other properties. A sandwich panel is a combination of thin, high-strength facings on each side of a much thicker, lightweight core material. To that end, some manufacturers of structural panels have taken a hollow pultruded FRP panel and filled the panel with a foamable mixture to create a foam-filled or foam core structural panel having an FRP pultruded skin. Typically, such a foaming process involves a urethane foam.
One of the inherent problems with a post-pultrusion foaming process is that the bond between the foam and the FRP skin is inherently weak, and the entire panel lacks sufficient integrity and strength for most composite building material requirements. A crucial element of a successful sandwich panel is a tough bond between the facing and the core.
Attempts to pultrude an FRP skin onto a preformed foam core board have been largely ineffective. Such attempts have usually employed a polyester resin, which does not have low smoke generation characteristics. One of the major problems of such attempts has been the friability of the foam material when subjected to the pressure of the pultrusion process. Without a significant amount of pressure, the FRP skin will not bond to the foam material. However, the significant pressure required for good bonding of the FRP skin to the foam tends to fracture and otherwise degrade the foam core. Further, the urethane foam materials heretofore used do not provide very good smoke properties during a fire.
Most previous attempts to make FRP skin/foam core sandwich panels were batch processes rather than continuous flow-through pultrusion processes. As a result of the batch-oriented nature of the processes, quality control during large-scale production tended to be very difficult. Such structural panels tended to display significant variations in their mechanical, electrical and surface properties, both from one production run to the next and even within the same production run.
In view of the deficiencies of existing methods for making composite sandwich structural panels, there is a need for a method which can consistently make good quality insulated FRP construction panels having low smoke-generating properties.


A system and a method to provide a visual landscape of a server-centric application framework (SCAF) with multiple tiers, multiple components, component interactions, and performance monitoring and analysis. The system and method includes a multi-tiered visual display of component interactions, tuning, monitoring, and analyzing of custom-developed application server components, and alert system for production grade performance monitoring. The system is comprised of a native agent, which interfaces with the an appropriate SCAF machine running the SCAF application server. The agent gathers and sends data transactionally to an enterprise data collector that persists the data and authenticates users/permissions to view the data. The displayed data may include component links, interactions, response times, transaction time degradations, general object performance metrics, and hardware/process performance data. Further, a data-mining system allows access to reporting and analysis tools that aid in delivering optimization recommendations to administrator and developers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer systems and software and more particularly to the performance management and performance monitoring of server-centric application framework servers and components.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Many organizations are migrating their legacy systems to server-centric application frameworks (SCAF), such as Sun Microsystems Java 2 enterprise environment (namely, J2EE application servers) and Microsoft .NET. While SCAF's such as the J2EE specification provide the capabilities for monitoring components at an individual level via Java Management Extensions (JMX), the specification and product vendors have fallen short on delivering real-time global views of internal application server performance. Production systems are monitored via individual component levels, external response time components, or merely CPU utilization of the physical machine/hardware.
Graphical visualizations provide an easy to read and quickly interpreted snapshot of data. However, conventional products only deal with data display and/or graphing of individual calls (method calls) and application server resources. Inexperienced viewers are challenged at interpreting the data. Moreover, as experienced technical developers focus on product enhancements and business requirements, many organizations are not prepared to handle the performance load of production systems.
Additionally, as developers focus on meeting incoming business requirements, systems administrators are left with the responsibility of ensuring performance metrics and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Due to the lack of technical programming knowledge, these individuals are ill equipped to solve the performance issues.
Therefore, there is a need to have a near real-time visual display of all SCAF component performance data as well as interactions between the SCAF components in a manner that is easy to use and information rich. In addition, there is a need for automated analysis tools of immature and un-optimized procedure calls.

Visual landscape for multi-tiered application environment component interactions


An air conditioner for vehicles has a housing and has an evaporator and a heat exchanger which, viewed in the air flow direction, are successively arranged in the housing at a distance from one another and enclose a housing section between one another whose bottom is approximately V-shaped. A warm air flap is swivellably arranged in the housing section for controlling the air supply to the heat exchanger. For achieving a very good air approach flow to the heat exchanger in all swivelling positions of the warm air flap and a sufficiently good water precipitation from the moisture-laden air flow, the arrangement of the swivel axis extending at a parallel distance from the forward and the rearward transverse flap edge is such that, in one swivelling end position of the warm air flap, the rearward flap edge rests on the bottom and the forward flap edge rests on the front edge of the heat exchanger, and, in the other swivelling end position, the rearward flap edge is swivelled in front of the air passage surface of the heat exchanger and the forward flap edge is situated approximately in a horizontal plane extending through the swivel axis.

This application claims the priority of German Patent Application No. 197 34 145.4, filed Aug. 7, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to an air conditioner for vehicles having a housing, an evaporator and a heat exchanger which, viewed in the air flow direction, are successively arranged at a distance from one another in the housing and are aligned such that the air passage surfaces of the evaporator and the heat exchanger are situated approximately at a right angle with respect to one another. A housing section, which exists between the evaporator and the heat exchanger and whose bottom is constructed to be descending approximately in a V-shape from the lower edge of the evaporator and ascending to the rear edge of the heat exchanger, has a warm air flap which is arranged in the housing section to be swivellable about a swivel axis between two swivelling end positions and completely blocks the air flow to the heat exchanger in one swivelling end position and opens it up maximally in the other swivelling end position.
In the case of a known air conditioner of the above-mentioned type, such as in European Patent Document EP 0 419 707 B1, the warm air flap is fixed with its swivel axis on the V-shaped bottom of the housing section, specifically in its ascending area. In its blocking position, with its flap edge aligned in parallel to the swivel axis, the warm air flap rests against the edge of the heat exchanger which is in the front viewed in the air flow direction, such that the air passage surface of the heat exchanger is completely shut off. In its release position, the warm air flap rests against the bottom of the housing section. The warm air flap is restrictedly coupled with a cold air flap which is arranged in a bypass, which bypasses the heat exchanger, from the evaporator to a mixing space situated behind the heat exchanger. The warm air flap can take up any intermediate position between its two swivelling end positions. When the warm air flap is fully opened, an air guiding duct is formed between the heat exchanger and the ascending area of the bottom of the housing section, in which air guiding duct the air flow leaving the evaporator is guided to the heat exchanger.
It is an object of the invention to improve an air conditioner of the above-mentioned type such that, on the one hand, a very good air approach flow to the heat exchanger is ensured in all swivel positions of the warm air flap and, on the other hand, a sufficiently good water precipitation is achieved from the air flow which is moisture-laden after flowing through the evaporator.
This and other objects are achieved according to the present invention by an air conditioner for vehicles having a housing, an evaporator and a heat exchanger which, viewed in the air flow direction, are successively arranged at a distance from one another in the housing and are aligned such that the air passage surfaces of the evaporator and the heat exchanger are situated approximately at a right angle with respect to one another. A housing section, which exists between the evaporator and the heat exchanger and whose bottom is constructed to be descending approximately in a V-shape from the lower edge of the evaporator and ascending to the rear edge of the heat exchanger, has a warm air flap which is arranged in the housing section to be swivellable about a swivel axis between two swivelling end positions and completely blocks the air flow to the heat exchanger in one swivelling end position and opens it up maximally in the other swivelling end position. The swivel axis extends at a parallel distance from the flap edge which, viewed in the air flow direction, is in the front and in the rear, and its arrangement in the housing section is such that, in the blocking position of the warm air flap, the rearward flap edge rests against the bottom of the housing section in its ascending area, and the forward flap edge rests against the front edge of the heat exchanger. In the release position of the warm air flap, the rearward flap edge is swivelled in front of the air passage opening of the heat exchanger and the forward flap edge is situated in or close to a horizontal plane extending through the swivel axis.
The air conditioner according to the invention has the advantage that, as a result of the construction and the arrangement of the warm air flap according to the invention, the air, which, when the warm air flap is swivelled out of its blocking position, flows from the evaporator to the heat exchanger, is divided in each swivelling position of the warm air flap into two partial air flows, of which one flows along on the top side of the heat exchanger, and the other is guided in a flow duct formed between the warm air flap and the bottom of the housing section and leads to the heat exchanger. As a result, the warm air flap achieves an air guiding function which improves the approach flow to the heat exchanger. In addition, from the air flows which are restrictedly guided along the warm air flap and the bottom of the housing section, significantly more moisture and water droplets are precipitated in the boundary layer area along the warm air flap and the bottom than from an air flow flowing freely to the heat exchanger. The water droplets which in this case precipitate on the warm air flap and on the bottom are directed to the lowest point of the V-shaped bottom. As a result, the warm air flap also achieves a water separating function such that only already largely dehumidified air flows through the heat exchanger.
Expedient embodiments of the air conditioner according to the invention with advantageous further developments and improvements of the invention are described herein.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a water drainage groove is constructed on the surface of the warm air flap facing the evaporator. The water drainage groove extends in parallel to the swivel axis and, viewed in the air flow direction, in front of the swivel axis and leads out freely at the two longitudinal lateral edges of the warm air flap. In this case, the groove bottom of the water drainage groove is constructed to be descending toward both longitudinal lateral edges of the warm air flap, which can be achieved by a slightly convex curvature of the warm air flap in the direction of its swivel axis symmetrically to the center line. By means of this water drainage groove, the water film forming on the top side of the warm air flap by the water droplets precipitating there is discharged very rapidly and removed from the air flow so that there is no danger that the precipitating water droplets are, in turn, entrained by the air flow.
This effect will still be improved if, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, longitudinal grooves, which extend transversely to the water drainage groove, are constructed on the surface of the flap part of the warm air flap situated in front of the swivel axis in the air flow direction, which longitudinal grooves lead out into the water drainage groove. In addition, these longitudinal grooves may lead out freely at the forward flap edge.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


Bus bar or power connector connections that are reliable and provide a reduced connection impedance. One example may provide a reliable connection by providing a spring plate. The spring plate may be arranged to hold a bus bar or other power conductor to a printed circuit board. The spring plate may further include an opening for a fastener, where the fastener is used to secure the bus bar to the printed circuit board. In this way, the spring plate may secure the bus bar to the printed circuit board in the event that the fastener is loosened or missing, thereby increasing the reliability of the bus bar connection. Further, the spring plate may provide an additional current path, thereby reducing the impedance of the bus bar connection.

Electronic devices, such as portable computing devices, tablets, desktops, and all-in-one computers, cell phones, smart phones, and media phones, storage devices, portable media players, navigation systems, monitors and other devices, have become ubiquitous in recent years. These devices typically include circuitry such as processors, input and output circuits, memories, and others. These circuits are typically powered by voltage supplies. These voltage supplies may be a positive supply and ground, a positive supply and a negative supply, a ground and a negative supply, or some combination thereof.
The circuits in these electronic devices may be located on one or more printed circuit boards. These printed circuit boards may include main-logic boards, motherboards, daughter boards, or other types of boards. To power these circuits, the power supplies may be connected to the boards on which the circuits are located.
These power supplies may be routed via wires or cables from a printed circuit board to a connector, battery, or other appropriate connection. In situations where large currents are conveyed, a wide power conductor, which may be referred to as a bus bar (sometime written as bus bar) may be used.
Conventional bus bar connections may be unreliable. That is, conventional connections between bus bars and printed circuit boards may become loose with time due to movement of the device. For example, dropping a device or taking it for a ride in a car may cause a connection between a bus bar and a printed circuit board to work itself loose.
This loosening of a connection between a bus bar and a printed circuit board may cause functionality problems. Also, this loosening may cause an increase in impedance, which may waste power, cause heating, and again reduce functionality. Further, conventional bus bar connections may have excess impedance, which again may waste power, cause heating, and reduce functionality.
Thus, what is needed are bus bar or power connector connections that are reliable and provide a reduced connection impedance.

Spring plate for attaching bus bar to a printed circuit board


Aerosol cans, more particularly, aluminum aerosol cans made from disks of aluminum coil feedstock, are provided. A method for necking aerosol cans of a series 3000 aluminum alloy is also provided. The method prevents the cans from sticking in the necking dies and produces a can with a uniquely shaped profile. The aluminum aerosol cans that are produced have the attributes of strength and quality, while being produced at a cost that is competitive with steel aerosol cans.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to aerosol cans and, more particularly, to aerosol cans constructed of aluminum.
2. Description of the Background
Traditionally, beverage cans begin as disks of aluminum coil feedstock that are processed into the shape of a beverage can. The sides of these cans are approximately 0.13 mm thick. Generally, the body of a beverage can, excluding the top, is one piece.
In contrast, aerosol cans are traditionally made one of two ways. First, they can be made from three pieces of steel, a top piece, a bottom piece, and a cylindrical sidewall having a weld seem running the length of the sidewall. These three pieces are assembled to form the can. Aerosol cans may also be made from a process known as impact extrusion. In an impact extrusion process, a hydraulic ram punches an aluminum slug to begin forming the can. The sides of the can are thinned to approximately 0.40 mm through an ironing process that lengthens the walls of the can. The rough edges of the wall are trimmed and the can is passed through a series of necking dies to form the top of the can. Although aerosol cans made of steel are less expensive than aerosol cans made by an impact extrusion process, steel cans are aesthetically much less desirable than aerosol cans made with an impact extrusion process.
For a variety of reasons, aluminum aerosol cans are significantly more expensive to produce than aluminum beverage cans. First, more aluminum is used in an aerosol can than in a beverage can. Second, the production of aluminum cans by impact extrusion is limited by the maximum speed of the hydraulic ram of the press. Theoretically, the maximum speed of the ram is 200 strokes/minute. Practically, the speed is 180 slugs/minute. Beverage cans are made at a rate of 2,400 cans/minute.
One problem facing the aerosol can industry is producing an aluminum aerosol can that performs as well or better than traditional aerosol cans but is economically competitive with the cost of producing steel aerosol cans and aluminum beverage cans. Another problem is producing an aerosol can that has the printing and design quality demanded by designers of high-end products. Traditional beverage cans are limited in the clarity of printing and design that can be imprinted on the cans. Beverage cans are also limited in the number of colors that can be used in can designs. Thus, a need exits for an aluminum aerosol can that has the attributes of strength and quality, while being produced at a cost that is competitive with steel aerosol cans.
Producing aluminum cans of a series 3000 aluminum alloy coil feedstock solves some of these problems. Series 3000 aluminum alloy coil feedstock can be shaped into a can using a reverse draw and ironing process, which is significantly faster and more cost effective than impact extrusion, aluminum can production. Additionally, series 3000 aluminum alloy is less expensive, more cost effective, and allows for better quality printing and graphics than the use of pure aluminum.
Unfortunately, certain obstacles arise in necking a series 3000 aluminum alloy can. Series 3000 aluminum alloy is a harder material than pure aluminum. Therefore, cans made from series 3000 aluminum alloy are stiffer and have more memory. This is advantageous because the cans are more dent resistant, but it poses problems in necking the cans by traditional means because the cans stick in traditional necking dies and jam traditional necking machines. The solution to these obstacles is embodied in the method of the present invention.

Method of producing aluminum container from coil feedstock