A sound-absorbing material, wherein a non-woven fabric with a mass per unit area of 150 to 800 g/m2 and a bulk density of 0.01 to 0.2 g/cm3 and a surface material with an air permeability of not more than 50 cc/cm2/sec measured according to JIS L-1096 are layered.

Sound-absorbing materials are conventionally used for, for example, electric products, building wall materials, and vehicles. Particularly, for the purpose of preventing vehicles such as cars from generating exterior acceleration noise or exterior idling noise, specifications requiring that engines and transmissions be surrounded with acoustic shields are being adopted. Generally, in the case of cars, such acoustic shields need not only to have excellent sound absorbency but also to prevent the spread of fire to a driver seat in the event that a fire breaks out in an engine room due to a traffic accident, in view of securing safety. Accordingly, from the viewpoint of fire prevention, there has been a demand for a flame-retardant sound-absorbing material excellent in not only sound absorbency but also fire safety. In addition, it is also desired that such a flame-retardant sound-absorbing material should not produce a toxic gas when burned.
In addition to having sound absorbency and flame retardancy, it is desired that sound-absorbing materials for vehicles such as cars should be made of light and recyclable materials to achieve the weight reduction of cars and to promote recycled use of sound-absorbing materials of scrap cars. This is because promotion of recycled use of various parts of scrap cars to reduce the amount of industrial waste from scrap cars as much as possible is considered important for prevention of pollution.
For these reasons described above, light and flame-retardant non-woven fabrics are receiving attention as materials satisfying the above requirements. Generally, flame-retardant non-woven fabrics are manufactured by, for example, using flame-retardant fibers such as aramid fibers and polychlal fibers as main constituent synthetic fibers of non-woven fabrics, or using synthetic fibers in which a phosphoric acid-based flame retardant or a boric acid-based flame retardant is blended, or coating or impregnating sheet-like non-woven fabrics with a binder coating solution in which a flame retardant is dispersed.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 62-43336 and 62-43337 disclose an interior material for vehicles manufactured by applying a vinyl chloride emulsion onto the surface of a non-woven fabric mat obtained by needle-punching a web comprised of 95 wt % of a polyester fiber, a polypropylene fiber, or a mixture thereof and 5 wt % of a rayon fiber, drying it to form a flame-retardant resin coating, and laminating a glass fiber mat on the resin-coated surface of the non-woven fabric mat to unite the glass fiber mat with the non-woven fabric mat. Such an interior material for vehicles is excellent in flame retardancy but poor in recyclability because the non-woven fabric mat is united with the glass fiber mat. Further, the interior material for vehicles has a problem in that there is a fear that the interior material produces dioxin when incinerated.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-59857 discloses a flame-retardant non-woven fabric manufactured by laminating non-woven web layers of a flame-retardant staple fiber on both of the surfaces of non-woven web layers of a polyester fiber in such a manner that the amount of the non-woven web layers of the flame-retardant staple fiber becomes 50 wt % or more of the total amount of a resultant non-woven fabric, and intertwining the constituent fibers with each other between adjacent web layers. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-348766 discloses a flame-retardant sheet material manufactured by needle-punching a web obtained by blending a polyester fiber with a flame-retardant rayon fiber or modacrylic fiber (that is obtained by copolymerizing acrylonitrile with a vinyl chloride-based monomer as a flame retardant) and further stitch-bonding it. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-328418 discloses a halogen-free flame-retardant non-woven fabric manufactured by binding a fiber web containing a cellulose-based fiber, a polyvinyl alcohol-based fiber, and a phosphorus-based flame-retardant polyester fiber with an acrylic resin binder. These non-woven fabrics disclosed in the above patent documents are excellent in flame retardancy but poor in sound absorbency.
As an example of a flame-retardant sound-absorbing material, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-287767 discloses a sound-absorbing material for vehicles manufactured by coating and integrally molding a mat-like sound-absorbing material, in which rock wool, a glass fiber and a polyester fiber are irregularly oriented in a mixed state and these fibers are bound together with a fibrous binder such as a low-melting point polyester fiber, and a surface material which is comprised of a polyester fiber-based non-woven fabric subjected to water-, oil-, and flame-proof treatment. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-161465 discloses a sound-absorbing material manufactured by laminating a flame-retardant polyester filament non-woven fabric as a surface material on one surface of a laminate structure comprising a meltblown non-woven fabric and a polyester non-woven fabric united by needle-punching.
In both of the above techniques, these flame-retardant sound-absorbing materials are manufactured by uniting a sound-absorbing material with a flame-retardant surface material. According to the former techniques, as described above, since the mat-like sound-absorbing material and the surface material coating the sound-absorbing material are integrally molded, it is necessary to carry out thermocompression molding at a temperature of a melting point of the fibrous binder or higher, which complicates the manufacturing process thereof. Further, in a case where the polyester fiber contains a halogen-based flame retardant, there is a fear that the sound-absorbing material produces a toxic gas when burned. On the other hand, the sound-absorbing materials according to the latter techniques have a drawback that flame retardancy is poor.


An outlet header of a heat exchanger is provided. The outlet header defines a flow-tap-off duct and includes an L-tube. The L-tube defines first and second legs. The first leg is fasteningly installed in the flow-tap-off duct such that the second leg is directed toward a cold-cold corner of the heat exchanger. The second leg is configured to capture cool air from the cold-cold corner for providing the cool air to and through the flow-tap-off duct and exterior the heat exchanger.

This invention relates, generally, to environmental-control systems (ECS) for an aircraft and, more specifically, to an air-conditioning system thereof.
In an aircraft, fuel-and-air mixtures (known as "ullage") in air space in a fuel tank of the aircraft can be, for example, flammable and, thus, dangerous. To minimize this possibility, an on-board inert-gas-generating system ("OBIGGS") can be used on the aircraft.
More specifically, the OBIGGS dilutes the ullage by reducing its content of oxygen and adds nitrogen-enriched air (NEA) to it. In particular, the OBIGGS separates the oxygen from ambient air and pumps relatively inert oxygen-impoverished NEA to the fuel tank. The OBBIGS may produce the NEA by using an air-separation module ("ASM") of the OBIGGS. The ASM operates most efficiently—in terms of permeability of the oxygen through the ASM—at an elevated temperature (usually in an optimal range of about 180° to about 210° F.).
Compressed or pressurized (high-temperature) air is used for generation of the NEA. Toward that end, the aircraft includes a typical ECS in a form of an air-conditioning machine, pack, or system mounted to an outside of a pressure vessel of the aircraft. The pressurized air usually originates from either bleeding of an engine of the aircraft ("bleed air") or another source of pressure within the aircraft. The bleed air is hotter and usually processed (cooled) by going through a heat exchanger.
More specifically, the heat exchanger is a dual air-to-air heat exchanger and includes integral primary and secondary heat exchangers that share with each other a cool-air source. The hot circuit of the primary heat exchanger is sourced by the bleed air and cooled by ambient standing air that is drawn by a fan or forced "ram" air from another cooling-air source. The primary heat exchanger provides cooled air to a remainder of the air-conditioning system through an outlet duct of the primary heat exchanger. The primary heat exchanger provides cooled air to the OBIGGS through a smaller flow-tap-off duct of an outlet header of the primary heat exchanger. A longer conduit is operatively connected to and between the tap-off duct and OBIGGS, and the cooled air flows from the heat exchanger to the OBIGGS through the longer conduit.
However, the heat exchanger may not sufficiently cool the pressurized air (i.e., within the optimal temperature range before the cooled air is vented to the OBIGGS). More specifically, while the ambient air is satisfying a flow requirement of a maximum operating condition of, say, 122° F., an upper limit of 210° F. for the cooled air to the OBIGGS may be exceeded.
In this way, a minimum temperature of the air delivered to the OBIGGS is above the optimal temperature range to run the OBIGGS efficiently. So, even though the pressurized air passes through the primary heat exchanger and the cooling air from the cooling-air source passing through the primary heat exchanger can be modulated, the temperature of the air delivered to the OBIGGS may be above 210° F.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an air-conditioning system of an aircraft that delivers air to the OBIGGS within the optimal temperature range. More specifically, it is desirable to provide a retrofit solution to the "over-temperature" condition of the air exiting the flow-tap-off duct of the outlet header of the heat exchanger and being routed to the OBIGGS.


A sensor system for attaching a sensor set-up to a vehicle, including the sensor set-up having a housing and a sensor; a connecting assembly mountable to the vehicle, the sensor set-up being fastened to the connecting assembly, the sensor set-up being adjustable by at least one degree of freedom with respect to the connecting assembly; and at least one heat pipe, which connects the sensor set-up and the connecting assembly in a thermally conductive manner.

The present invention relates to a sensor system for attaching a sensor set-up to a vehicle, and to a vehicle having this sensor system.
German Patent Application No. DE 101 60 935 A1 describes a motor vehicle cooling apparatus for electrical devices. In this context, at least one electrical device to be cooled is situated in the interior of a vehicle. The device includes a heat pipe, which connects the device thermally to the air-conditioning system of the vehicle.
German Patent Application No. DE 10 2010 064 343 A1 describes a method of cooling a module for a vehicle, as well as a corresponding cooling apparatus and a vehicle. In this context, the cooling apparatus includes a passive heat conductor and a heat sink in the region of the roof of the vehicle. The waste heat of the module is absorbed by the heat conductor and transported to the heat sink with the aid of the heat conductor.

Sensor system for attaching a sensor set-up to a vehicle


The biometric system comprises: a measurement cartridge; and a meter, equipped with the measurement cartridge, for measuring an analyte present in a sample of the measurement cartridge. The measurement cartridge comprises a reagent container, a capillary module, and a reagent rod. The reagent container receives a liquid reagent and has a top sealed with a sealing film. The capillary module comprises a capillary tube which is located on an upper side of the reagent container and collects the sample by a capillary phenomenon, and the capillary tube is introduced into the reagent container by rupturing a contact portion to the sealing film by an applied pressure.

Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1365939 relates to a cartridge and a biological sample component measuring apparatus for measuring a biological sample component and discloses a diagnostic tool capable of actively manipulating a fluid and transporting and mixing desired reagents and samples to measure the amount of microalbumine and creatinine in urine.


The invention provides compounds of the formula (I) wherein the variables are as defined in the specification. The compounds of the invention are inhibitors of metalloproteinase MMP-12 and are among other things useful for the treatment of obstructive airway diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Metalloproteinases represent a super family of proteinases (enzymes), whose numbers have increased dramatically in recent years. Based on structural and functional considerations, these enzymes have been classified into families and subfamilies N. M. Hooper, FEBS letters 354, 1-6 (1994). Examples of metalloproteinases include the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which is a family of zinc containing endopeptidases, such as the collagens (MMP-1, MMP-8, MMP-13, MMP-18), the gelatinases (MMP-2, MMP-9), the stromelysins (MMP-3, MMP-10, MMP-11), matrilysin (MMP-7, MMP-26), metalloelastase (MMP-12) enamelysin (MMP-20), the MT-MMPs (MMP-14, MMP-15, MMP-16, MMP-17, MMP-24, MMP-25).
The MMPs is a family of zinc containing endopeptidases which are capable of cleaving large biomolecules like the collagens, proteoglycans and fibronectins, a process necessary for the growth and remodelling of tissues such as embryonic development and bone formation under normal physiological conditions. Expression is upregulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines and/or growth factors. The MMP's are secreted as inactive zymogens which, upon activation, are subject to control by endogenous inhibitors, for example, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) and α-macroglobulin. Chapman, K. T. et al., J. Med. Chem. 36, 4293-4301 (1993); Beckett, R. P. et al., DDT 1, 16-26 (1996). The characterizing feature of diseases involving the enzymes appears to be a stoichiometric imbalance between active enzymes and endogenous inhibitors, leading to excessive tissue disruption, and often degradation. McCachren, S. S., Arthritis Rheum. 34, 1085-1093 (1991).
Over-expression and activation of MMPs have been linked with a wide range of diseases such as cancer, tumour metastasis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, chronic inflammatory disorders such as emphysema, cardiovascular disorders such as atherosclerosis, corneal ulceration, dental diseases such as gingivitis and periodontal disease, and neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Chirivi, R. G. S. et al., Int. J. Cancer, 58, 460-464 (1994); Zucker, S., Cancer Research, 53, 140-144 (1993). In addition, a recent study indicates that MMP-12 is required for the development of smoking-induced emphysema in mice. Science, 277, 2002 (1997). MMP-12, also known as macrophage elastase or metalloelastase, was initially cloned in the mouse by Shapiro et al., J. Biological Chemistry, 267, 4664 (1992) and in man by the same group in 1995. Structurally, the proMMP-12 consists of a pro-domain, a catalytic domain containing the zinc binding site and a C-terminal hemopexin-like domain. Recombinant human MMP-12 can be activated by autocatalysis as described below and reviewed by Shapiro et al "Macrophage Elastase" in Handbook of Proteolytic Enzymes 2004 (Eds A J Barrett et al) pp 540-544 Academic Press, San Diego.
MMP-12 is preferentially expressed in activated macrophages and its expression in monocytes can be induced by cytokines such as GM-CSF and CD-40 signalling. In addition to elastin, MMP-12 can degrade a broad spectrum of substrates, including type IV collagen, fibronectin, laminin, vitronectin, proteoglycans, chondroitin sulphate, myelin basic protein, alpha-one chymotrypsin and plasminogen. It can also activate MMP-2 and MMP-3. MMP-12 is required for macrophage mediated proteolysis and matrix invasion in mice. MMP-12 is proposed to have a direct role in the pathogenesis of aortic aneurisms and in the development of pulmonary emphysema that results from chronic inhalation of cigarette smoke, wood smoke and urban smogs.
MMP-12 has been shown to be secreted from alveolar macrophages from smokers Shapiro et al., J. Biological Chemistry, 268, 23824, (1993) as well as in foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions Matsumoto et al., Am. J. Pathol, 153, 109, (1998). A mouse model of COPD is based on challenge of mice with cigarette smoke for six months, two cigarettes a day six days a week. Wildtype mice developed pulmonary emphysema after this treatment. When MMP-12 knock-out mice were tested in this model they developed no significant emphysema, strongly indicating that MMP-12 is a key enzyme in the COPD pathogenesis. The role of MMPs such as MMP-12 in COPD (emphysema and bronchitis) is discussed in Anderson and Shinagawa, Current Opinion in Anti-inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Investigational Drugs: 29-38 (1999). It was recently discovered that smoking increases macrophage infiltration and macrophage-derived MMP-12 expression in human carotid artery plaques Kangavari (Matetzky S, Fishbein M C et al., Circulation 102, (18), 36-39 Suppl. S, Oct. 31, (2000).
Apart from the role of these potentially very destructive enzymes in pathology, the MMPs play an essential role in cell regrowth and turnover in healthy tissue. Broad spectrum inhibition of the MMPs in the clinical setting results in musculoskeletal stiffness and pain. H. S. Rasmussen and P. P. McCann, Pharmacol. Ther., 75, 69-75 (1997). This side effect and others associated with broad spectrum inhibition may be enhanced in chronic administration. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide selective MMP inhibitors.
The inhibition of such MMP-12 activities is considered to contribute to the improvement and prevention of the above discussed diseases caused by or related to the activity of MMP-12. Therefore, the development of MMP-12 inhibitors has been desired.
A number of metalloproteinase inhibitors are known and described in the literature, (see for example the reviews of MMP inhibitors by Beckett R. P. and Whittaker M., 1998, Exp. Opin. Ther. Patents, 8 (3):259-282.
Whittaker M. et al, 1999, Chemical Reviews 99 (9): 2735-2776) review a wide range of known MMP inhibitor compounds. They state that an effective MMP inhibitor requires a zinc binding group, i.e. a functional group capable of chelating the active site zinc(II) ion, at least one functional group which provides a hydrogen bond interaction with the enzyme backbone, and one or more side chain which undergo effective van der Waals interactions with the enzyme subsites. Zinc binding groups in known MMP inhibitors include carboxylic acid groups, hydroxamic acid groups, sulfhydryl groups or mercapto groups.
Despite the potent affinity of hydroxamic acid as zinc coordinator, hydroxamic acid inhibitors demonstrate a considerable degree of specificity within the MMP family: a potent inhibitor of one member of the MMP family, may have only minimal potency against another MMP family member. This exhibited specificity typically relies on the identity of the other parts of the inhibitors, e.g. the P1, P2, P3 and P4 units. Without in any way wishing to be bound by theory, or the ascription of tentative binding modes for specific variables, the notional concepts P1, P2, P3 and P4 are used herein for convenience only and have substantially their conventional meanings, as illustrated by Schechter & Berger, (1976) Biochem Biophys Res Comm 27 157-162, and denote those portions of the inhibitor believed to fill the S1, S2, S3 and S4 subsites respectively of the enzyme, where S1 is adjacent the cleavage site and S4 remote from the cleavage site.
There are several patents which disclose hydroxamate-based inhibitors of metalloproteases or analogous enzymes.
WO02/028829 describes inhibitors of peptide deformylase (PDF) useful for example in the development of new antibacterial drugs. PDF is a bacterial enzyme which shares several structural features in common with zinc metalloproteases. PDF does not cleave a peptide bond, but rather cleaves off the N-formyl group from the terminal N-formyl methionine which characterises the nascent bacterial polypeptide chain. Despite the fact that the compounds of WO02/028829 comprise a hydroxamic acid group the SAR (structure activity relationship) exhibited by these inhibitors is not helpful to the design of specific inhibitors of the endopeptidase MMP-12. An endopeptidase cleaves within a peptide chain, and therefore the protease typically recognises a number of amino acid residues around the intended cleavage site. In contrast PDF is intended to cleave a terminal group on the first amino acid of bacterial proteins of very different sequence. Accordingly the selectivity of PDF is predicated on recognition of the N-formyl.methionine terminal residue rather than the identity of the adjacent amino acids.
US 3003/0134827 discloses compounds having a hydroxyacetamide moiety linked to a broad range of cyclic amides as inhibitors of MMPs in particular MMP-3, aggrecanase and TNF-α-converting enzyme (TACE). Although hydantoin is postulated as one of many such cyclic amides, US 2003/0134827 discloses no concrete examples of compounds within the scope of this invention. As demonstrated in the following biological examples, the compounds of the invention achieve potent MMP-12 inhibition while at the same time being highly selective against the enzymes addressed in US 2003/0134827.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,063 discloses substituted hydantoin hydroxamates capable of inhibiting C-proteinase. In contrast to the compounds of the invention defined below, the compounds of U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,063 have a hydroxamic acid linked to a carbon atom of the hydantoin ring via a chain comprising, apart from the acid function, at least three atoms. By varying the length of the hydroxamic acid carrying chain and the substitution pattern of the hydantoin ring, the binding properties to the enzyme and hence the specificity of the inhibitor will be altered. The hydroxamate function of U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,063 is thus sitting on the other side of the hydantoin ring compared to the compounds of the invention defined below and is also disposed further out from the hydantoin. These kind of structural variations between the class of compounds disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,063 and inhibitors based on hydantoin hydroxamates wherein the hydroxamic acid is linked to a nitrogen atom of a hydantoin group via a one atom chain, will render the SAR exhibited by the compounds of U.S. Pat. No. 6,462,063 of no relevance to the design of specific inhibitors of MMP-12
WO02/074750 discloses a new class of compounds that act as MMP inhibitors wherein the zinc binding group of the inhibitor is constituted of a five membered ring structure such as a hydantoin group. The zinc binding ring structure is attached to one or more functional groups or side chains which are disposed at an appropriate angle and distance to recognise the characteristic sequence around the appropriate MMP12 cleavage site. The mode of binding to the enzyme of this class of zinc-binding inhibitors will thus differ substantially from that of compounds having other zinc binding groups, such as hydroxamic acid adjacent a hydantoin core, in that coordination of the hydroxamate zinc binding group will displace the hydantoin away from the structural zinc. Any further substituents opposed from the hydroxamate will also be displaced away from the structural zinc and will interact with other parts of the enzyme. Due to this different binding mode of the compounds disclosed in WO02/074750 compared to hydantoin hydroxamates, the SAR found for the P1, P2, P3 and P4 units of the compounds of WO02/074750 is not relevant to the design of new MMP inhibitors based on a hydantoin hydroxamate scaffold.
Similarly, US 2005/0171096 discloses hydantoin derivatives alleged to be inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases and TACE although no guidance as to the specificity of the inhibitors is given. The compounds of US 2005/0171096 do not bear a hydroxamic acid or conventional zinc-binding group. This suggests that that the hydantoin is the zinc binding group and hence the SAR exhibited by the P1, P2 and P3 units of these compounds is different from that of an inhibitor based on a hydantoin substituted with a hydroxamic acid carrying side chain.
As foreshadowed above, we have now discovered a particular configuration of hydroxamic hydantoins that are inhibitors of metalloproteinases and are of particular interest in selectively inhibiting MMPs such as MMP-12 and have desirable activity profiles. The compounds of this invention have beneficial potency, selectivity and/or pharmacokinetic properties.

(2,5-dioxoimidazolidin-1-yl)-N-hydroxy-acetamides as metalloproteinase inhibitors


Disclosed is a fluorinated elastomer composition which comprises a fluorinated elastomer and fibrous carbon nanostructures, wherein the fibrous carbon nanostructures include single-walled carbon nanotubes, and the fibrous carbon nanostructures are contained in an amount of 0.1 parts by mass or more and less than 5.0 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the fluorinated elastomer. Also disclosed is a shaped article formed using the fluorinated elastomer composition.

Shaped articles such as sealing members including packings, gaskets, O-rings, etc. have heretofore been used as members for preventing leakage of, for example, liquids such as oil, water and solvent. Sealing members used in environments which may experience high temperatures, such as those used in deep mining equipment for mining underground resources such as petroleum or natural gas and around shafts of rotating, reciprocating or swinging devices in various types of machines and vehicles, are required to have superior physical properties and abrasion resistance at high temperatures.
To meet this demand, PTL 1, for example, proposes a technique for obtaining a sealing member which has superior physical properties and abrasion resistance at high temperatures, wherein the sealing member is formed by cross-linking an elastomer composition obtained by blending a specific amount of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (hereinafter also referred to as "MWCNTs") having a specific average diameter with a tetrafluoropropylene-propylene copolymer.

Fluorinated elastomer composition and shaped article


A disk player with a disk select function comprises a playback unit consisted of a rotation mechanism for rotating a disk, a clamper for placing the disk on the rotation mechanism, and a pickup positioned to face the disk; a magazine having an opening positioned to direct toward the playback unit and accommodating a plurality of disks therein; and a disk feeding mechanism positioned in front of the opening of the magazine to feed a desired disk in the magazine toward the playback unit. In this disk player, an ejection mechanism for protruding the desired disk through the opening is provided in the magazine, a driven part for operating the ejection mechanism is provided on the front lateral side of the magazine in the direction of insertion thereof, and a drive mechanism engaging the driven part to drive the ejection mechanism is provided on a body of the disk player. The disk player has a minimum installation space for the mechanism to eject the disk from the magazine and facilitates replacement of the disks in the magazine, while simplifying the internal structure, reducing the size of the magazine and ejecting the disk reliably.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk player with a disk select function in which one desired disk is drawn out of a magazine accommodating a plurality of disks and placed on a playback unit to play back music or the like.
2. Related Prior Art
The so-called disk changer is known as a recent version of automotive or home audio equipment. The disk changer is arranged such that a plurality of compact disks are stored in a magazine and, after loading the magazine into the changer, the disk or the music number to be played back is instructed or programmed. In the disk changer, a desired disk in the magazine is selected in accordance with the instruction or program inputted, and is clamped in place by a rotation mechanism (turntable) and a clamper, both provided in a playback unit, for playing back the music.
The magazine to be loaded into this type disk changer is required to have a disk storage space capable of accommodating a plurality of disks, and have a function capable of ejecting or pushing out a desired one of the disks accommodated in the space through an opening. In conventional magazines for use with general disk changers, the magazine interior is divided by partition plates to form spaces for accommodating plural disks. Further, an ejector member for ejecting the disk is provided on the rear side of the magazine opposite to the direction of insertion of the disk.
Because the above conventional magazine is provided in its rear portion with the ejector member for pushing out the disk in the magazine, the disk changer is required to have a drive mechanism located behind the magazine in opposite relation to the ejector member thereof. The implementation of the drive mechanism necessitates a drive lever provided to extend from the side of the space, into which the magazine is loaded, to a position rearwardly of the magazine. Thus, the disk changer must have a large space enough to install the drive mechanism therein, which prevents a reduction in size of the disk changer.
In addition, the internal structure of the conventional magazine is complicated because of the partition plates and the ejector members both provided in the magazine. Particularly, the provision of fixed partition plates requires smaller tolerances in design values necessary for control of spacings between the partition plates and hence increases production cost. The ejector member provided in the rear portion of the magazine is restricted in its range of movement from the positional relation relative to the partition member and other components, making it very difficult to push out the disk from the opening through a dimension sufficient for allowing the disk to be drawn out.
Further, when ejecting the disk already accommodated in the conventional magazine for the purpose of replacing the disk with a new one when the magazine is not loaded into the disk changer, the disk is taken out with pushing the corresponding ejector member by a finger or the like. At this time, since the plural ejector members are arranged side by side in close relation, it is very difficult to operate the ejector members individually. Thus, in the conventional magazine the disks cannot be easily taken out from the magazine separately.

Compact disk player with a mechanism for ejecting a selected disk


The present invention provides a voltage margin testing system incorporated in an electronic system, such as, a computer system (e.g., a server), having a plurality of components for at least some of which voltage margin testing is required. A voltage margin testing of the invention can include a controller, such as a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), internal to the computer system and a digital voltage adjuster, e.g., a digital potentiometer, that is in communication with the controller. The voltage adjuster can effect generation of one or more test voltages, for example, by varying resistance in a feedback circuitry of a regulator whose output voltage is applied to system components, for application to the components in response to commands from the controller.

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for voltage margin testing of various components of an electronic system, such as a computer system. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of I2C based potentiometers to enable voltage rail variation under BMC control.
Electronic systems often include a myriad of subsystems and components that require monitoring and/or testing during development, manufacturing and/or while in use in the field to ensure their proper operation within specified operating conditions. Many of these components typically exhibit subtle failures at margins or extremes of such specified operating conditions. It is thus desirable to test the components at these margins, herein referred to as margin testing, to evaluate their reliability at the extremes of operating conditions. For example, it may be desirable to test a component by varying one or more of its operating parameters, such as, temperature, applied voltage, and/or driving frequency, over a selected range to elicit, and hence evaluate, the system's response to such parameter variability. Margin testing can also ensure that a particular design can be readily adapted to evolving changes in manufacturing processes.
For example, testing a computer system's component by systematically varying a voltage applied thereto can provide valuable information about the reliability of that component over its associated voltage tolerance range, and especially at the extremes of this range. A number of systems and methods are known in the art for performing such voltage margin testing. For example, in one such traditional method, feedback resistors in a voltage regulator are replaced in order to vary an output voltage of the regulator that is applied to one or more components for which voltage margin testing is desired. This technique is not only time consuming but it is also invasive in that one ore more resistors need to be physically replaced. Such resistor replacement may, however, lead to accidental damage of the system under test (SUT) and/or unreliable test results.
In another conventional approach, a plurality of jumpers or switches are employed to modify resistor values of feedback voltage dividers utilized in voltage regulators. This approach is, however, time consuming, and it also suffers from low granularity of available voltage variations. It further requires the use of valuable board space for incorporation of jumpers and switches.
Another conventional approach provides a voltage rail, which supplies voltage to system components, with a trim input to which an analog voltage can be applied to vary the rail's voltage. This approach, however, requires external software-controlled test equipment for supplying the analog voltage with concomitant expense and time needed for procurement and setup of the test equipment.
In yet another traditional testing technique, the internal power rails in a system under test are disconnected and an external voltage source is utilized to apply power to the rails. The external voltage, and consequently the voltage of the internal rails, can then be varied for testing. Similar to the previous traditional approaches, this technique also suffers from a number of shortcomings. For example, it requires expensive external test equipment. Further, it is invasive, and hence prone to accidental damage to SUT. In addition, the obtained test result may not accurately reflect the characteristics of the SUT.
Hence, there is a need for systems and methods that allow reliably performing voltage margin testing of components of a computer system. There is also a need for such systems and methods that allow accurate voltage margin testing without a need to physically modify the system under test.


A thin film transistor (TFT) array panel is provided, which includes: a plurality of gate lines transmitting gate signals; a plurality of data lines intersecting the gate lines and transmitting data signals, each data line including first and second data line branches electrically connected to each other and spaced apart from each other; a plurality of pixel electrodes electrically connected to the gate lines and the data lines through thin film transistor and covering edges of the first or the second data line branches; a passivation layer disposed between the data lines and the pixel electrodes; and a light blocking member covering gaps between the first data line branches and the second data line branches.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor array panel and a liquid crystal display including the panel having high aperture ratio.
(b) Description of Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) generally includes an upper panel provided with a common electrode, a lower panel having thin film transistors (TFTs) and pixel electrodes, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer interposed between the panels. The pixel electrodes and the common electrode are supplied with different voltages to generate an electric field that changes the orientations of the LC molecules, thereby adjusting light transmittance to display images.
One of the important issues of the LCD is an aperture ratio. A high aperture ratio increases the luminance of the LCD and also has several other advantages. For this purpose, a pixel electrode and data lines adjacent thereto overlap each other. However, the overlap of the pixel electrode supplied with a pixel voltage and the data lines transmitting continuously varying data voltages make parasitic capacitance that may cause several defects. For example, lithography for manufacturing the LCD performs an exposure step after dividing a panel into several blocks when a lithography mask is smaller than an active area provided with the pixel electrodes. The distance between the pixel electrodes and the data lines in different blocks may be somewhat different depending on the alignment degree between the mask and the panel. This differentiates the parasitic capacitance between the pixel electrodes and the data lines block by block to cause a stitch defect.

Thin film transistor array panel and liquid crystal display including the panel


An image display apparatus includes a diaphragm (9b) arranged at a pupil position. The shape of an aperture of the diaphragm (9b) is similar to the shape of a light source image formed by an illuminating optical system at the pupil position. An area varying mechanism (90) varies the area of the aperture of the diaphragm (9b) in response to a focal length varying operation of a projection lens (9). This prevents an excessive opening from being formed around a light source image cast by the illuminating optical system, thereby preventing the deterioration of displayed images due to unwanted light that may pass through the excessive opening.

Front-projection-type image display apparatuses are gradually spreading due to widespread personal computers and digital television broadcasting.
A typical example of the front-projection-type image display apparatus is a three-panel color projector employing three spatial light modulators made of, for example, liquid crystal display elements. The three-panel color projector employs a strong light source such as a metal halide lamp to emit a white beam. The white beam is separated into three primary-color beams, which are guided to the spatial light modulators, respectively. The spatial light modulators modulate the three primary-color beams according to image signals. The modulated beams are combined into a combined beam, which is projected from a projection lens to form an image on a screen.
The image display apparatus of this type has an illuminating optical system that guides a beam from the light source and illuminates the spatial light modulators with the beam. The illuminating optical system must efficiently and uniformly illuminate the spatial light modulators with a beam of finite size emitted from the light source.
An example of the illuminating optical system is an integrator optical system. Examples of the integrator optical system include a fly-eye lens array optical system and a rod integrator optical system.
The fly-eye lens array optical system employs a fly-eye lens array that consists of a plurality of small-diameter lenses arranged in a fly-eye configuration (two-dimensional configuration), the shape of each lens being similar to the shape of an illuminated area. The fly-eye lens array receives light flux and divides the light flux into beams lens by lens. The beams are combined together to provide an efficient uniform illumination beam. This beam forms a light source image at the pupil of a projection lens.
The rod integrator optical system employs a rod integrator having an entrance face and an exit face. The shape of each of the entrance and exit faces is similar to the shape of an illuminated area. Light flux from a light source is condensed and is efficiently made incident to the entrance face of the rod integrator. The incident light flux is reflected multiple times in the rod integrator and is emitted from the exit face of the rod integrator. The emitted beam from the rod integrator is uniform over the exit face of the rod integrator and is focused under a given magnification on an illuminated area (spatial light modulator) to thereby illuminate the illuminated area efficiently and uniformly. The rod integrator optical system forms a plurality of light source images, whose number is equal to the number of reflections in the glass rod, at the pupil of a projection lens, the shape of each light source image corresponding to the shape of an opening of the glass rod.
In this way, the flay-eye lens array optical system and rod integrator optical system form each a light source image at the pupil of a projection lens.
The projection lens of the front-projection-type image display apparatus, in particular, that of the three-panel color projector must have a sufficiently long back focus and a telecentric characteristic to allow a color combining unit such as a prism to be installed on the light source side of the projection lens.
The projection lens may be a zoom lens having a variable focal length. To make the zoom projection lens compact, the lens must be configured such that a pupil position is variable according to a focal length varying operation (zooming operation). Varying the focal length of the zoom projection lens with the size of an aperture (diaphragm) of the lens being fixed results in varying the F-number of the lens.
According to the image display apparatus mentioned above, the shape of the opening of the projection lens is circular. In the illuminating optical systems mentioned above, the shape of a light source image formed at the pupil of a projection lens is not always circular. For example, the fly-eye lens array optical system forms a rectangular integrator image at the pupil of a projection lens, and the rod integrator optical system forms a rectangular rod opening image at the pupil of a projection lens.
Accordingly, the projection lens having a circular opening will have extra open sections around the light source image, to pass unwanted light through the extra open sections to deteriorate the quality of displayed images.
To avoid this problem, some related arts (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 5-303085 and 9-274253) arrange a rectangular diaphragm in the vicinity of a projection lens and another related art (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-281923) arranges a light shield having a rectangular aperture in the vicinity of a fly-eye lens array that is arranged on the light source side of a spatial light modulator. With these arrangements, the related arts provide a rectangular image from a projection lens.


A snowshoe (1) has a peripheral frame (2). A deck (4) extends across an interior of the peripheral frame and supports a binding (5) for retaining the boot of the user. The snowshoe has horizontal surfaces for supporting the snowshoe and the user on top of the snow and downward depending on traction members (3a, 3b, 50a, 50b) for engaging the snow to facilitate walking without slipping. The traction members are preferably disposed vertically and extend downward below a horizontal plane (H) of the deck. The traction members have regions of reduced height (100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d, 100e, 100f) relative to a forward portion (7a) of the traction members or the rearward portion (7c) of the traction members in a central zone (B) aligned with the region which receives and holds the user's boot (6).

The present invention relates to snowshoes. It is particularly directed to a snowshoe with notably improved ease in walking in the snowshoes, as well as reduced slipping over a wide variety of types of snow.
Snowshoes are a mode of transportation that has been known for many years. They have been used for several centuries by Scandinavian populations for mobility in snow. Previously, snowshoes have been used for utilitarian or military purposes to permit civilians or alpine troops to travel on snow for the activities necessitated by daily life. Currently, snowshoes are more commonly used by athletes for outings and hiking and even for competition. But, athletes, even who practice for pleasure, are more and more exacting about the equipment that they use. It is true that the currently sold products are not completely satisfactory.
Also, the snowshoes must combine the criteria of traction and floatation all while preserving maximum comfort for their users. Besides, depending on which of various types of snow is encountered, the floatation, traction, and other characteristics of the snowshoe needed for an agreeable outing can prove different. Likewise, according to which of the various terrains are encountered, the general form of the snowshoe best adapted to it can be equally different. Accordingly, each snowshoe is generally configured for selected snow conditions and terrain conditions and often performs less well under other conditions.
The requirement of traction is a major criteria for snow shoes. The snowshoes of the prior art have shortcomings. On certain types of snow, they fail to grip, notably in the longitudinal and traverse directions.
The present application seeks to remedy these shortcomings, simply, inexpensively, and effectively. One open object of the present snowshoes is to improve traction on one and all kinds of snow and to increase the ease of walking for the user.
According to a principle characteristic, the present snowshoes include a peripheral frame surrounding an interior deck or lacings on which a binding is disposed for retaining the boot of the user. The snowshoe is provided with longitudinal traction members depending vertically below a horizontal plane of the deck. It is characterized in that a portion of at least one of the longitudinal traction members is reduced in height in a central zone situated longitudinally to the region occupied by the boot of the user. The height is reduced in comparison to the portion before and the portion after the aforesaid central zone.
According to another characteristic of the snowshoe, it includes two longitudinal traction members disposed laterally and forming the peripheral frame. That is, the lateral edges of the frame each shrink in height in the central zone, respectively.
According to a complementary characteristic, the reduced height of the lateral edges of the peripheral frame are disposed symmetrically in comparison to a central, longitudinal plane of the snowshoe.
Then again, according to a preferred embodiment of the present snowshoe, it includes at least one longitudinal traction member depending from the deck inward from the edge of the peripheral frame. The interior traction member has a least one reduced height region in its central zone.
According to a preferred embodiment of the snowshoe, each interior traction member is symmetric relative to the central longitudinal plane and has two regions of reduced height separated by a region of enlarged or full height.
According to one complementary characteristic of the present snowshoe, the reduced height portions of the interior longitudinal traction members are offset longitudinally relative to the position of the reduced height portions of the lateral frame traction members.
According to an alternate embodiment of the present snowshoe, the position of the enlarged height portions of the interior traction members is offset longitudinally toward the front of the snowshoe relative to the reduced height portions of the lateral traction members.
According to a complementary characteristic of the present snowshoe, the reduction in height is attained in a varying manor longitudinally relative to a horizontal plane of the deck. The lower edge surface of the longitudinal traction members varies along linear slopes and/or curved segments.
According to another characteristic of the present snowshoe, a ratio between the height of the reduced height portion and a maximum height of the traction member, measured to the front or the rear is between 0.1 and 0.9.

Snowshoe for use on a range of terrains and snow conditions


A frequency-dividing circuit arrangement is disclosed that includes a divider chain having a plurality of frequency divider stages. The frequency dividers can be changed over between the division ratios 2 and 3. At least that frequency divider that is arranged on the output side of the divider chain has an additional through-switching input that makes it possible to switch through the input signal to the output of the divider stage without influencing the delay-time effects of the divider stage. The advantages of a cascaded 2/3 divider chain, such as a high cut-off frequency, a simple design and the ability to arbitrarily expand, are thus achieved without accepting a lower limit of the range of possible division values.

Frequency synthesizers are usually provided, for example, in transmitters and receivers for wireless data transmission in order to generate radio-frequency carrier and local oscillator signals. These frequency synthesizers are normally implemented using phase locked loops.
In modern mobile radio, phase locked loops of this type are frequently subject to the requirement that they can cover a large frequency range and at the same time have a small channel separation of, for example, 200 kilohertz.
A frequency divider, which converts the signal frequency provided by an oscillator into a lower signal frequency that is compared with a reference frequency, is normally provided in the feedback path of a phase locked loop for the purpose of channel preselection.
Depending on the application, the frequency dividers which can be used in PLL synthesizers are integer frequency dividers or else those which, on average, divide by fractions.
In the case of so-called dual-modulus frequency dividers, it is possible to change over between two division ratios, one of which has been incremented by the number 1 with respect to the other. Such frequency dividers are also referred to as N/N+1 dividers. Periodically changing over between the two division ratios of the frequency divider results, on average, in the desired, non-integer division ratio.
Dual-modulus frequency dividers of this type can be used to combine the advantages of a high frequency resolution and a short stabilization time.
Frequency dividers of this type are generally also referred to as multimodulus frequency dividers. In this case, provision may be made of a multiplicity of division ratios between which it is possible to change over, for example from 128 to 255.
Since the power consumption in mobile radios such as, for example, mobile telephones or other wireless applications is to be continually reduced as data transmission rates increase, there are a multiplicity of different approaches to designing suitable programmable frequency dividers.
The document N. Foroudi et al. "CMOS High-Speed Dual-Modulus Frequency Divider for RF Frequency Synthesis", IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 30, No. 2, February 1995 specifies a programmable divider that uses a dual-modulus prescaler. In this case, the frequency divider can be changed over between the division ratios 3 and 4 in the first frequency divider stage. A: 4 frequency divider is connected downstream as a second stage. Overall, the result is a division ratio of 16 or 15 since the division ratio ":3" is only switched on in one of four successive states of the frequency divider.
However, the architecture which has been described and applies to the frequency divider has the disadvantage that it is not possible to achieve a constant delay between the n-th input edge and the divider output edge (triggered as a result) for all values of n.
The document C. S. Vaucher et al. "A Family of Low-Power Truly Modular Programmable Dividers in Standard 0.35-μm CMOS Technology", IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 35, No. 7, July 2000 describes a divider architecture that is formed from a multiplicity of :2/:3 frequency divider stages.
Given a number of n divider stages, the range of possible frequency division values m is limited to 2n≦m≦2n+1−1 in the implementation described. The smallest division ratio that can be set is also disadvantageously relatively large, particularly in the case of desired high division ratios.
The document J. Craninckx et al. "A Fully Integrated CMOS DCS-1800 Frequency Synthesizer", IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 33, No. 12, December 1998 specifies another possible way of designing a programmable frequency divider. In this case, the frequency is actually divided by changing over the signal phases using a prescaler. In this case, the phases are preselected as a function of the desired division ratio. As with the two other approaches explained, the fact that the range of division values which can be set overall undesirably has a lower limit also applies to this approach.

Frequency-dividing circuit arrangement and phase locked loop employing such circuit arrangement


A fan controlling system and method is applicable to an electronic device with a fan for adjusting a temperature of the electronic device. The fan controlling system includes a plurality of temperature sensors installed in different regions inside of the electronic device for sensing temperatures around the regions, a mapping table for mapping a plurality of temperature ranges onto a plurality of rotation speeds, and a processing module for comparing the temperatures sensed by the temperature sensors and controlling the fan to rotate according to one of the rotation speeds onto which the mapping table maps one of the temperature ranges within which a highest one of the sensed temperatures is. Therefore, the fan can operate stably and does not generate a loud noise even when its rotation speed is changing, and has a longer lifespan.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fan controlling system and method, and more particularly, to a fan controlling system and method for linearly adjusting a rotation speed of a fan.
2. Description of Related Art
With the rapid development of computer technologies, computers are becoming one of the most important electronic devices in daily lives. Since modern computers have better efficiency and can manage more complicated tasks, a central processing unit (CPU) in a computer has to be able to operate in a high operating speed. However, the CPU, if operating in the high operating speed, generates too much heat. The heat crashes the computer occasionally, or even brings nonrecoverable damages on hardware components in the computer permanently. Therefore, heat dissipating systems are becoming one of the most popular research fields in the art.
One of the most common heat dissipating systems is a combination of a fan and a plurality of heat dissipating plates. Such the combination has a simple structure, and has a variety of advantages, such as low cost, highly reliable performance, and adopting mature technologies. In order to dissipate the heat efficiently, the fan has to rotate at a high rotation speed occasionally. However, the fan, when rotating at too high a rotation speed, generates a loud noise. Moreover, the fan, if rotating at the high rotation speed all the time, is easily to have a breakdown.
A first fan controlling system of the prior art is brought to the market to solve the above problems. The first fan controlling system comprises a temperature sensor, and is applicable to an electronic device (i.e. a computer host or a desktop computer) having a fan capable of rotating at two rotation speeds, i.e. a low rotation speed and a high rotation speed. Please refer to FIG. 1, which shows a first relation between temperature and time of the first fan controlling system. As shown in FIG. 1, a first temperature curve 10 represents a temperature of the electronic device. Heat generated by the CPU changes the temperature. When the temperature exceeds a temperature threshold Ct, the fan is controlled to rotate at the high rotation speed, or the fan is controller to rotate at the low rotation speed, as shown by a rotation speed curve 12 in FIG. 1. One drawback of the first fan controlling system is that the fan has to change to rotate from high rotation speed to low rotation speed and vice versa frequently if the temperature fluctuates around the temperature threshold all the time. Such an scenario shortens the lifespan of the fan.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which shows a second relation between temperature and time of a second fan controlling system according to the prior art. In addition to the temperature threshold Ct, another temperature threshold Ct1, which differs form the temperature threshold Ct by a small temperature difference Δt, is added to the second relation. When the temperature exceeds the temperature threshold Ct (an upper bound), the fan is controlled to rotate at the high rotation speed. When the temperature is still lower than the temperature threshold Ct1 (a lower bound), the fan is controlled to rotate at the low rotation speed. When the temperature is within the temperature thresholds Ct and Ct1, the rotation speed of the fan is not changed, so as to stabilize the operation of the fan. However, the second fan controlling system still suffers the drawback of the first fan controlling system. For instance, the fan still has to change to rotate from high rotation speed to low rotation speed and vice versa frequently if the temperature fluctuates around the temperature thresholds Ct and Ct1 all the time (i.e. a second temperature curve 20 fluctuates around the temperature threshold Ct1, the fan has a rotation speed 220 changing abruptly). Such a scenario still shortens the lifespan of the fan.
Therefore, it is becoming one of the urgent errands in the art to present a fan controlling system and method to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art. Such the fan controlling system and method controls the fan to rotate without the influence of temperature fluctuation and reduces a noise made by the operating fan, and prolongs the lifespan of the fan.


A vehicle headlamp includes a light source configured to emit light, a reflector configured to reflect the light, a projection lens through which the light is projected, and a lens holder holding the projection lens. The projection lens has a positioning portion, and the lens holder is formed with a jig insertion hole at a location corresponding to the positioning portion in a direction around an optical axis of the projection lens such that the positioning portion is visible through the jig insertion hole. When mounting the projection lens to the lens holder, a positioning jig is inserted through the jig insertion hole and is engaged with the positioning portion to position the projection lens in the direction around the optical axis of the projection lens.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle headlamp and a projection lens mounting method.
2. Related Art
Related art vehicle headlamps have a lamp housing and a lamp unit arranged inside the lamp housing.
The lamp unit may include a light source, a projection lens configured to forwardly project light emitted by the light source, a reflector configured to reflect the light toward the projection lens, and a lens holder holding the projection lens.
A related art vehicle headlamp is configured to irradiate a long range high beam area, a short range low beam area, and also an overhead sign area above the low beam area to improve visibility of overhead road signs (see, e.g., JP 2008-135247A).
Range and illuminance of the overhead sign area to be irradiated are defined by light distribution regulations.
To form a light distribution pattern for the overhead sign area, for example, a lens portion having a specific profile is provided as a light regulating portion at a lower portion of the projection lens.

Vehicle headlamp and projection lens mounting method


To suppress vehicle shock upon acceleration or deceleration, an upper guard value (KGUARD) for throttle rate of change is calculated based on parameters indicative of engine and torque transmission operating conditions. A target throttle sensor voltage change (DVVTA) is calculated based on accelerator depression and compared with the upper guard value KGUARD. If DVTTA>KGUARD, the final target throttle sensor voltage for the present cycle is determined by adding the upper guard value KGUARD to the previously calculated final throttle sensor voltage. If DVVTA.ltoreq.KGUARD, the target throttle sensor voltage VTTA is used as the final target throttle sensor voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronically-controlled throttle system which controls throttle opening angle electrically by driving a throttle valve by a motor or the like based on accelerator depression or the like.
2. Related Art
When throttle opening angle changes rapidly for vehicle acceleration or deceleration, engine torque changes greatly in a short time causing shock to a vehicle and uncomfortableness to vehicle passengers. JP-A 3-78542 and JPA-4-203251 disclose an electronic throttle control system for a vehicle which suppresses shock to a vehicle (vehicle shock) upon vehicle acceleration or deceleration. This system estimates required torque from accelerator depression and an engine rotation speed and filters the estimated torque by a filtering model matched to the vehicle to attenuate, by a predetermined attenuation rate, specified frequency components which are likely to cause vehicle shock. This filtering corrects the estimated torque in a direction to suppress vehicle shock. The system controls throttle opening angle in accordance with a target throttle opening angle calculated based on the corrected torque, thus suppressing vehicle shock at the time of rapid acceleration or deceleration.
This electronic throttle control system, however, calculates target throttle opening angle from corrected torque after estimating engine torque and correcting it by filtering estimated torque by the filtering model matched to the vehicle. Therefore, it not only makes complicated the control logic from the torque estimation to the target throttle opening angle calculation but also necessitates determination of matching constants for the filtering model varying from vehicle to vehicle. Determining such a complicated control logic and vehicle-specific filtering model requires an enormous amount of system development work, resulting in a longer development period and higher development cost.


Disclosed is a mobile communication terminal including: a user information storage unit for storing user information having a terminal identifier for identifying an arbitrary communication terminal, and a user identifier for identifying the user of the communication terminal associated with each other; an identifier storage unit for storing, at the time of beginning of a call with the other party of the call, a first identifier for identifying the communication terminal of the other party of the call; a terminal identifier determination unit for determining whether the first terminal identifier and a second terminal identifier are associated with the same user identifier, with reference to the user information, upon receipt of a call-out signal including the second terminal identifier during the call with the communication terminal of the other party; and a call controller for handing over the call to a communication terminal indicated by the second terminal identifier when the terminal identifier determination unit determines that the first and second terminal identifiers are associated with the same user identifier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal configured to switch a call path to another, and to a call handover method.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been heretofore proposed a technique that allows a mobile telephone terminal to stably communicate with a fixed-line telephone terminal by connecting the mobile telephone terminal to the fixed-line telephone terminal through a wire. This technique also allows a destination of the charge for such a call to be selected when an appropriate pin number is inputted to the mobile telephone terminal.
Furthermore, through advances in a short-range wireless communication technology such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), a communication service called, fixed mobile convergence (FMC) has been attracting attention. In this communication service, a mobile telephone terminal is wirelessly connected to a fixed-line telephone terminal and then is used as a cordless handset in the house.
According to the FMC, a mobile telephone terminal performs communications using a mobile telephone terminal network when the mobile telephone terminal is located outside the house, and performs communications using a fixed-line telephone network when the mobile telephone terminal is located in the house. Since the mobile telephone terminal performs communications using the fixed-line telephone network when the mobile telephone terminal is located in the house, the costs of the call can be reduced or the communication speed can be increased.
Here, a switching (hereinafter, termed as a "call handover") from a mobile telephone network to a fixed-line telephone network while retailing a call without disconnection is required in a case where a user moves to the inside of the house from the outside of the house during a call being made using a mobile telephone network. In order to achieve such a call handover, however, the aforementioned FMC needs constructing a dedicated system in a communication network. Moreover, in the FMC, the mobile telephone terminal and the fixed-line telephone terminal need to use the same telephone company and the same telephone number. For this reason, when an existing communication network is used, it is difficult to perform a call handover between a mobile telephone network and a fixed-line telephone network while retaining a call without disconnection.

Mobile communication terminal and call handover method


An aggregate MRC well includes a plurality of maximum reservoir contact (MRC) wells, a plurality of independently operated flow control or completion units installed in each of the plurality of MRC wells, a plurality of pressure regimes corresponding to the plurality of MRC wells, and a single production string connecting each of the plurality of MRC wells. The method includes providing a plurality of maximum reservoir contact (MRC) wells forming an aggregate MRC well, providing a plurality of independently operated flow control valves in each of the plurality of MRC wells, providing a plurality of pressure regimes corresponding to the plurality of MRC wells, and providing a single production string connecting each of the plurality of MRC wells.

Hydrocarbon fluids such as oil and natural gas are obtained from a subterranean geologic formation or reservoir, by drilling a well that penetrates the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. Once a wellbore is drilled, various forms of well completion components may be installed to control and enhance the efficiency of producing various fluids from the reservoir.
In the recovery of hydrocarbons from the subterranean formations having hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs, wellbores are drilled with multiple highly deviated or horizontal portions that extend through separate hydrocarbon-bearing production zones. Such "multilateral wells" include branches or laterals from a mother-bore that extend into the separate hydrocarbon-bearing production zones. Multilateral wells have increased in importance during the past decade and may be used for hydrocarbon production from "tight" reservoirs.
As result of the increasing use of multilateral wells, multilateral well modeling and performance prediction techniques have become increasingly important for a variety of purposes. Such techniques are used by production engineers to determine the wellhead pressures and inflow control valve (ICV) settings to achieve specific production flowrates. Multilateral well modeling and performance prediction may be particularly challenging due to the interplay between branches or laterals and pressure drop behaviors.

Aggregate multi-lateral maximum reservoir contact well and system for producing multiple reservoirs through a single production string


An announcement thread addressing format which comprises a first sub-part concatenated with a second sub-part is described. The first sub-part is preferably the address of the party which generates the addressing identifier, whereas the second sub-part may be random data. An announcer apparatus may then use these address formats by including only those parts of an announcement thread address which render the address unique within the particular index message in which it is to be included, but not necessarily globally unique.

Publish-Subscribe technologies are known in the art which allow users to monitor for information and the like by listening to known information channels. In our earlier published International patent application No. WO01/99348 we describe a publish-subscribe architecture we term the Generic Announcement Protocol ("GAP"), wherein messages relating to a defined subject are transmitted over communications channels which are listened to by listener applications. That is, GAP, and publish-subscribe technologies more generally, allow users to create channels that relate to a 'subject', which we generalise here to a 'sequence of object versions', which we will term a 'thread'. Usually current approaches such as TIBCO TIBnet or Talarian SmartSockets (see http://www.talarian.com/industry/middleware/whitepaper.pdf) use hierarchical naming trees to identify channels. The hierarchical naming approach does at least ensure each identifier is unique across all the contexts in which any of the object versions may appear, which is an important requirement. But there is also a problem in that the technology must also manage change of how people name subjects (e.g. company names change). With hierarchical naming, a change at any level in the hierarchy is disastrous for all system lower in the hierarchy, because they are usually widely distributed.
A further problem with current approaches is that the name hierarchy also defines the authority to create new names. With current solutions, each enterprise has created its own top for its own hierarchy. However, the way these naming hierarchies have been designed makes them difficult to extend upwards, rather than downwards, leading to difficulty distributing naming hierarchies effectively across enterprise boundaries. Thus current systems are practically limited to deployment within one enterprise. Although pairs of enterprises can work out ways to share a hierarchy and manage new subject creation, this is not scalable to many, changing, arbitrary relationships between enterprises. It only works well if each merger was planned from the start. Also current approaches are designed so that new channels are created by system administrators for an enterprise, not just any user within the enterprise. Because many low-level relationships can exist between enterprises, channel creation is not efficient to control from one department in each enterprise, leading to frustration when what should be purely administrative steps are used as an opportunity to exert political/commercial controls. Current approaches also do not cope well where each enterprise has many relationships with other enterprise system, each of which is regularly changing.
However, if hierarchies are not to be used, we then encounter a new problem that if anyone is to be able to create a channel identifier; they must be assured that it is unique, and preferably with no prior configuration or registration requirements.
Additionally, within indexed announcement schemes such as GAP (referenced previously), there is frequently the problem that channel identifiers are repeated many times within index messages, thus contributing to possible large index messages, and hence reduced bandwidth efficiency.
The invention is intended to address at least some of the above problems.

British Telecommunications public limited company


A mark retaining structure of a micro-differential pressure gauge includes a mark member attached to the edge of the micro-differential pressure gauge for indicating the critical value. The mark member includes an engaging portion, an extension board and a hook to engage with a recess and a circular flange of the micro-differential pressure gauge. The present invention provides a positioning function.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mark retaining structure of a micro-differential pressure gauge, in particular to a mark attachment structure for a pointer gauge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional gauge, such as a micro-differential pressure gauge or a pressure gauge, includes a pointer therein. The pointer is rotated according to the pressure. In conjunction with a numeral scale plate in the gauge, the user can read the value. In general, the gauge is set with a security value. For the user to know whether or not the pointer is in the range of safety, the gauge is provided with a safety mark. The inventor of the present application has an idea that the retaining way should be simplified for a convenient operation and the positioning effect should be improved. Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention has devoted himself based on his many years of practical experiences to solve this problem.

Mark retaining structure of a micro-differential pressure gauge


A power data connection for a vehicle and one or more electronic devices is provided. The power data connection comprises a data communication connector and a terminal. The data communication connector includes a case ground and is adapted to enable data communication to and from the vehicle. The terminal is supported by the case ground and operable to supply electrical power from the vehicle to the electronic devices simultaneously with the data communication connector enabling data communication to and from the vehicle.

1. Technical Field
The embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a power and data communication connection in a vehicle.
2. Background Art
A number of vehicles produced today include a power point connection for providing power to any number of electrical devices brought into a vehicle by a user. Such devices may include a cell phone, portable DVD player, personal laptops, compact disc players, etc. The power point connection comprises a power point plug and receptacle positioned in the instrument panel of the vehicle or other interior portion of the vehicle. The power point connection is coupled to a power supply in the vehicle. In the past, these power point connections were used to heat cigarette lighters when automakers provided such lighters in vehicles. Conventional power point connections are large and consume a large amount of surface area on the instrument panel or other portion in the interior of the vehicle. For example, the power point connection may consume 30 mm to 40 mm of space on the dash panel or on other interior trim pieces to allow for customer usage. Conventional power point connections are limited to providing power for charging and powering up the electrical devices brought into the vehicle by the user.
With the advent of data communication protocols and the use of such communication with any number of electrical devices, automakers today may be compelled to provide an architecture that supports a data communication protocol while continuing to provide an ample amount of power needed to charge and operate the electronic devices. Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocols have become prevalent on a number of consumer electronic devices. Such devices may include laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, MP3 players, mouses, keyboards, cell phones, printers, fax machines, etc. While the use of USB has become prevalent, the USB protocol is limited in the amount of power that can be provided to any one or more electronic devices via a USB connector. Due to such limitations, the USB connector cannot be used to power and/or charge a number of the electronic devices generally coupled to a vehicle through the power point connection.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a combined power data connection for supporting data communication between electronic devices coupled to a vehicle and for providing higher power requirements in order to charge and power the electronic devices. It would also be desirable to reduce the size of the power point connection to preserve space on the instrument panel and/or other trim pieces which support power point connections used in vehicles today.


A combined rapid acting-long acting insulin formulation has been developed in which the pH of the rapid acting insulin is adjusted so that the long acting glargine remains soluble when they are mixed together. In the preferred embodiment, this injectable basal bolus insulin is administered before breakfast, provides adequate bolus insulin levels to cover the meal, does not produce hypoglycemia after the meal and provides adequate basal insulin for 24 hours. Lunch and dinner can be covered by two bolus injections of a fast acting, or a rapid acting or a very rapid acting insulin. As a result, a patient using intensive insulin therapy should only inject three, rather than four, times a day.

The present invention generally relates to formulations combining rapid acting and long acting insulin formulations.
Intensive insulin therapy for diabetes involves providing a basal insulin, ideally present at a uniform level in the blood over a 24 hour period and a bolus or meal time (prandial) insulin to cover the added carbohydrate load from digestion concomitant with each meal.
In 1936, Hans Christian Hagedorn and B. Norman Jensen discovered that the effects of injected insulin could be prolonged by the addition of protamine obtained from the "milt" or semen of river trout. The insulin was added to the protamine and the solution was brought to pH 7 for injection. In 1946, Nordisk Company was able to form crystals of protamine and insulin and marketed it in 1950 as NPH, (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn, "NPH") insulin. NPH insulin has the advantage that it can be mixed with an insulin that has a faster onset to compliment its longer lasting action. Eventually all animal insulins were replaced by human recombinant insulin.
Until very recently, and in many places today, basal insulin is usually provided by the administration of two daily doses of NPH insulin, separated by 12 hours. A patient eating three meals a day and using NPH insulin as the basal insulin requires five injections per day, one with each of three meals and two NPH insulin injections, one in the morning and the other at bedtime. To reduce the number of injections the patient must take, the morning dose of NPH insulin has been combined with a short acting insulin, (recombinant human insulin) or a rapid acting insulin analog, such as lispro. A typical combination is a 70% NPH to 30% rapid acting insulin analog mixture. As a result, the patient can reduce the number of injections from five per day to four per day. See, for example, Garber, Drugs 66(1):31-49 (2006).
More recently insulin glargine, (trade name LANTUS®) a "very long-acting" insulin analog has become available. It starts to lower blood glucose about one hour after injection and keeps working evenly for 24 hours. J. Rosenstock and colleagues found that patients who took insulin glargine had a much lower risk of low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) than the patients who took NPH insulin.
Glargine cannot be mixed with other short or rapid acting insulins because the mixture causes glargine to precipitate prior to injection and administration of a precipitated insulin makes it virtually impossible to administer a known and reliable dose. The manufacturer of glargine warns users against mixing glargine with any other insulin.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide insulin formulations that can be used to reduce the number of daily injections to three.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a basal-bolus insulin formulation.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stable insulin formulation having immediate and long term release characteristics.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Rapid acting and long acting insulin combination formulations


A fluid containment system including a vessel for containing a fluid that is discharged from the vessel in use or operation of the system. A pressure monitoring assembly including a strain-responsive sensor is disposed on an exterior wall surface of the vessel, to sense dynamic strain on the wall surface of such vessel that is incident to discharge of fluid from the vessel, and to responsively output a pressure-indicative response. Such arrangement is particularly useful in application to fluid storage and dispensing vessels containing interiorly disposed pressure regulator assemblies and holding liquefied gases or compressed gases, e.g., for use in semiconductor manufacturing operations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ex-situ monitoring of pressure in a closed vessel containing fluid, and in a preferred aspect to ex-situ monitoring of pressure in a fluid storage and dispensing system from which a gas or liquid can be dispensed for use in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wide variety of industrial processes and applications, there is a need for a reliable source of process fluid(s).
For example, a safe, reliable and efficient fluid supply source is desirable in the fields of semiconductor manufacturing, ion implantation, manufacture of flat panel displays, medical intervention and therapy, water treatment systems, emergency breathing systems, welding operations, space-based delivery of liquids and gases, among others.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,027 issued Jul. 18, 2000 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,816 issued Aug. 15, 2000, both in the names of Luping Wang and Glenn M. Tom, describe a fluid storage and gas dispensing system including a storage and dispensing vessel for holding a fluid, such as for example a pressurized liquid whose vapor constitutes the fluid to be dispensed, or alternatively a compressed gas. The vessel includes an outlet port that is coupled to a dispensing assembly. The dispensing assembly may be of various forms, e.g., including a valve head comprising a dispensing valve and an outlet for selective discharge of gas from the vessel.
In the Wang et al. system, a fluid pressure regulator is associated with the outlet port and is positioned upstream of dispensed gas flow control means such as the aforementioned dispensing valve. The fluid pressure regulator is preferably at least partially interiorly disposed in the vessel, and most preferably is fully interiorly disposed therein, to minimize the possibility of impact and environmental exposure in use, as well as to permit a single weld or seam to be employed at the outlet port, to seal the vessel.
The regulator is a control device that is set at a predetermined pressure level, to dispense gas from the cylinder at such pressure level. In one embodiment of the aforementioned fluid storage and dispensing systems, a set point regulator is utilized and is pre-set at a single set point prior to its installation in the vessel. The pressure level set point may be superatmospheric, subatmospheric or atmospheric pressure, depending on the dispensing conditions, and the mode of gas discharge from the vessel. The vessel may optionally contain a physical adsorbent material having a sorptive affinity for the fluid contained in the vessel.
Such xe2x80x9cregulator in a bottlexe2x80x9d designs, including arrangements employing a double-stage (or multi-stage) fluid pressure regulator, optionally with a particulate filter assembly, provide an effective means and method for storage and dispensing of liquids and gases that are contained in the vessel at elevated pressure, e.g., at a pressure of from about 50 psig to about 5000 psig. The set pressure regulator is readily disposed in the interior volume of the storage and dispensing vessel, and effectively utilized to regulate the pressure and flow rate of discharged gas deriving from the contained fluid, in the fluid dispensing operation.
The regulator set point pressure is typically below 50 psig. Since the vessel is sealed in use, there is an inability to precisely measure the fluid remaining in the vessel as the dispensing operation proceeds.
Accordingly, while the xe2x80x9cregulator in a bottlexe2x80x9d fluid storage and dispensing system provides a safe and effective means for supplying fluids of widely varying type in industrial process applications, it would be desirable to provide a means and method of measuring internal pressure of the fluid in the storage and dispensing vessel.
Such internal pressure measurement would permit ready determination of the vessel""s fluid content and the approach to exhaustion of the vessel, but the fixed set point of the regulator in the vessel port prevents internal fluid pressure in the vessel from being directly measured exteriorly of the vessel. Although a pressure sensor or transducer element could be disposed in the interior volume of the vessel, in order to be functional, such element would have to be coupled to exterior monitoring means. This in turn requires a feedthrough in the valve head of the vessel, which requires leak-tight sealing and creates an additional leak path as a potential failure mode of the vessel.
In the absence of any means or method to determine internal pressure of the fluid in the sealed vessel of the fluid storage and dispensing system, there is corresponding concern on the part of the user that the vessel may be underfilled or overfilled for a given fluid-consuming operation.
There is also the possibility that the user will prematurely remove the fluid storage and dispensing vessel from the process facility before its full capacity is exhausted, in an effort to avoid xe2x80x9crunning dry,xe2x80x9d thereby underutilizing the fluid and wasting the fluid residuum in the vessel. In the case of many high-cost chemical reagents, such as those used in semiconductor fabrication, such underutilization results in a severe economic penalty that may very markedly affect the profitability of the industrial operation in which the dispensed fluid is being used.
In addition, if change-out of the fluid storage and dispensing vessels occurs only when the vessels are completely exhausted of the original fluid charge, without a reliable system for monitoring the internal pressure and hence the amount of fluid in the vessel, then significant loss of process equipment uptime may occur, as the vessels in the process system run dry. The system then must be idled to permit the change-out of the exhausted vessel. This non-monitored condition of the vessels is particularly problematic where a number of fluid supply vessels are employed to simultaneously supply different gases to a gas-consuming process unit. Such disruption of the gas supply incident to unexpectedly premature exhaustion of the fluid in the containment vessel can have significant negative impact on the efficiency and profitability of the overall process facility in which the fluid storage and dispensing system is employed.
It would be a significant advance in the art to provide a means and method of non-invasively monitoring the internal pressure of a sealed vessel containing fluid, which is amenable to use with fluid storage and dispensing systems of the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,089,027 and 6,101,816.
The present invention relates to a system for non-invasively monitoring the internal pressure of a closed vessel containing fluid, e.g., in a storage and dispensing system including a sealed fluid-containing vessel for supplying fluid useful in the manufacture of semiconductor products.
In one aspect, the present invention relates to a fluid containment system, comprising:
a vessel constructed and arranged to retain a fluid therein and to discharge fluid from the vessel in use or operation of the system;
such vessel including a vessel wall with an interior surface in contact with fluid contained in the vessel, and an exterior surface; and
a pressure monitor including a strain-responsive sensor disposed on the exterior surface and outputting a pressure-indicative response as fluid is discharged from the vessel, wherein pressure of the fluid in the vessel correspondingly changes with such discharge.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the outputted pressure-indicative response is strain (or deformation) in the vessel wall of said fluid-containing vessel. Pressure of the fluid contained by the vessel applies stress on the vessel wall of the vessel and subsequently causes strain/deformation in the vessel wall.
The resulting strain/deformation of the vessel wall in accordance with the invention is detected by a sensing device, such as an electrical resistance strain gauge, a piezoelectric element, a strain-sensitive calorimetric element, or a strain-sensitive matrix that contains latent strain-mediated chemical reactants.
A preferred strain-detection device useful in the practice of the present invention is an electrical resistance strain gauge assembly, which comprises one or more strain-measuring grids. The strain-measuring grid is subject to the same or proportional degree of strain/deformation as the vessel wall. The electrical resistance change in the strain-measuring measuring grid thereby enables monitoring of the strain and deformation, and correlative outputting of a signal indicative of pressure in the vessel.
In a specific preferred embodiment of the present invention, a Wheatstone bridge circuit is configured for accurately detecting and measuring electrical resistance change of the above-described strain-measuring grid. The Wheatstone bridge circuit incorporates the strain-measuring grid and achieves a balance of voltage in the circuit. Whenever the electrical resistance of the strain-measuring grid changes due to strain, even to a very small degree, the balance of the circuit is upset, and a resulting voltage difference scaled to the associated strain can be measured.
Such Wheatstone bridge circuit can be variously configured in any suitable manner. For example, the Wheatstone bridge circuit can be of a type incorporating a single strain-measuring grid and three standard non-measuring resistors; alternatively, it can incorporate two strain-measuring grids in adjacent bridge arms and two standard non-measuring resistors. In a preferred configuration, the Wheatstone bridge device comprises a xe2x80x9cfull bridge-configuration,xe2x80x9d wherein all four resistors of such Wheatstone bridge circuit are active strain-measuring grids. Additionally, multiple (redundant) sensor configurations, including but not limited to thermistor and amplifier componentry, may be employed to improve sensitivity, accuracy and reliability.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a fluid storage and dispensing apparatus, comprising:
a fluid storage and dispensing vessel enclosing an interior volume for holding a fluid, wherein the vessel includes a fluid discharge port for discharging fluid from the vessel;
a pressure regulating element in the interior volume of the fluid storage and dispensing vessel, arranged to flow fluid therethrough to the fluid discharge port at a set pressure for dispensing thereof; and
a pressure monitor including a strain-responsive sensor disposed on an exterior surface of the vessel and outputting a pressure-indicative response as fluid is discharged from the vessel, wherein pressure of the fluid in the vessel correspondingly changes with such discharge.
Yet another aspect of the invention relates to a method of monitoring pressure of a fluid in a vessel during use or operation involving discharge of fluid from the vessel, such method comprising:
sensing strain on a wall of the vessel; and
generating an output indicative of pressure of the fluid in the vessel correlative to the sensed strain of said vessel.
A still further aspect of the invention relates to a method of fluid management, comprising:
confining a fluid in a fluid storage and dispensing vessel including a vessel wall enclosing an interior volume for holding the fluid, wherein the vessel includes a fluid discharge port for discharging fluid from the vessel, and a pressure regulating element in the interior volume of the fluid storage and dispensing vessel, arranged to flow fluid therethrough to the fluid discharge port at a set pressure for dispensing thereof;
sensing strain of such vessel wall that is indicative of pressure of the fluid in the vessel; and
generating an output indicative of pressure of the fluid in the vessel correlative to the sensed strain of such vessel wall.
Other aspects, features and embodiments in the invention will be more fully apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.

Fluid storage and dispensing system featuring ex-situ strain gauge pressure monitoring assembly


A technique for mapping a biometric credential of a user to a data value such as a key or password. A database stores multiple entries of biometric templates and associated data values for different users. One of the entries is a match for a particular user, and the remaining entries are randomly selected. The number of entries is reasonably large to provide a desired degree of randomness for a given entry, but smaller than a key space of the data values. Based on an input of a biometric sample of the user, a best match is selected from the entries of biometric templates, and the associated data value is used to authenticate the user. Two- or three-factor authentication can be provided. Additional factors can include a password provided by the user and a key which is encrypted by the data value of the matching entry.

Biometric credentials are commonly uses to control access to a computing resource such as a file, a web page or a database, or other type of resource. Examples of biometrics include: face geometry, fingerprint, palm print, hand and finger geometry, key stroke dynamics, hand vein pattern, iris visual texture, retinal scan pattern, signature, voice print, infrared facial and hand vein thermograms, odor, DNA, gait and ear shape. Biometrics can be used to authenticate a person who attempts to access a computing resource by answering the question: Am I who I claim I am? A biometric represents "something a person is," and can be used to authenticate a person's identity together with "something the person possesses" (e.g., a computing device, ATM card, smart card, key fob with password) or "something the person knows" (e.g., a memorized password or personal identification number (PIN)).