An upper stripper rubber canister apparatus has a canister body and a canister body lid. An upper end portion of the canister body includes a breech lock structure exposed within the canister body central passage. A lower end portion of the canister body lid is configured for fitting within the central passage of the canister body. The canister body lid includes a breech lock structure that is configured for allowing the canister body lid to be fixedly engaged with the canister body by inserting a lower end portion of the canister body lid into a canister body central passage and rotating the canister body lid with respect to the canister body such that at least a portion of the canister body breech lock structure become at least partially overlapped with a respective one of the canister body lid breech lock structure.

Oil, gas, water, geothermal wells and the like are typically drilled with a drill bit connected to a hollow drill string which is inserted into a well casing cemented in a well bore. A drilling head is attached to the well casing, wellhead or to associated blowout preventor equipment, for the purposes of sealing the interior of the well bore from the surface and facilitating forced circulation of drilling fluid through the well while drilling or diverting drilling fluids away from the well. Drilling fluids include, but are not limited to, water, steam, drilling muds, air, and other fluids (i.e., liquids, gases, etc).
In the forward circulation drilling technique, drilling fluid is pumped downwardly through the bore of the hollow drill string, out the bottom of the hollow drill string and then upwardly through the annulus defined by the drill string and the interior of the well casing, or well bore, and subsequently out through a side outlet above the well head. In reverse circulation, a pump impels drilling fluid through a port, down the annulus between the drill string and the well casing, or well bore, and then upwardly through the bore of the hollow drill string and out of the well.
Drilling heads typically include a stationary body, often referred to as a bowl, which carries a rotatable spindle, which is commonly referred to as a bearing assembly, rotated by a kelly apparatus or top drive unit. One or more seals or packing elements, often referred to as stripper packers or stripper rubber assemblies, is carried by the spindle to seal the periphery of the kelly or the drive tube or sections of the drill pipe, whichever may be passing through the spindle and the stripper rubber assembly, and thus confine or divert the core pressure in the well to prevent the drilling fluid from escaping between the rotating spindle and the drilling string.
As modern wells are drilled ever deeper, or into certain geological formations, very high temperatures and pressures may be encountered at the drilling head. These rigorous drilling conditions pose increased risks to rig personnel from accidental scalding, burns or contamination by steam, hot water and hot, caustic well fluids. There is a danger of serious injury to rig workers when heavy tools are used to connect a stripper rubber assembly to the drilling head. Accordingly, such a connection should be made quickly and achieve a fluid tight seal.
Rotation of respective rotating components of a rotating control head, rotating blowout preventor or other type of rotating control device is facilitated through a bearing assembly through which the drill string rotates relative to the stationary bowl or housing in which the bearing assembly is seated. Rotating control heads, rotating blowout preventors and other types of rotating control devices are generally referred to herein as well drilling heads. Typically, a rubber O-ring seal, or similar seal, is disposed between the stripper rubber assembly and the bearing assembly to improve the fluid-tight connection between the stripper rubber assembly and the bearing assembly. Pressure control is achieved by means of one or more stripper rubber assemblies connected to the bearing assembly and compressively engaged around the drill string. At least one stripper rubber assembly rotates with the drill string. A body of a stripper rubber assembly (i.e., a stripper rubber body) typically taper downward and include rubber or other resilient substrate so that the downhole pressure pushes up on the stripper rubber body, pressing the stripper rubber body against the drill string to achieve a fluid-tight seal. Stripper rubber assemblies often further include a metal insert that provide support for bolts or other attachment means and which also provide a support structure to minimize deformation of the rubber cause by down hole pressure forces acting on the stripper rubber body.
Stripper rubber assemblies are connected or adapted to equipment of the drilling head to establish and maintain a pressure control seal around the drill string (i.e., a down hole tubular). It will be understood by those skilled in the art that a variety of means are used to attach a stripper rubber assembly to associated drilling head equipment. Such attachment means include bolting from the top, bolting from the bottom, screwing the stripper rubber assembly directly onto the equipment via cooperating threaded portions on the top of the stripper rubber assembly and the bottom of the equipment, clamps and other approaches.
It will be understood that, depending on the particular equipment being used at a drilling head; a stripper rubber assembly at one well may be connected to equipment specific to that well while at another well a stripper rubber assembly is connected to different equipment. For example, at one well the stripper rubber assembly may be connected to the bearing assembly while at another well the stripper rubber assembly may be connected to an inner barrel or an accessory of the drilling head. Thus, the stripper rubber assembly is not unnecessarily limited to being connected to a particular component of a rotating control head, rotating blowout preventor or the like.
It is common practice to tighten the bolts or screws of the connection with heavy wrenches and sledge hammers. The practice of using heavy tools to tighten a bolt, for example, can result in over-tightening, to the point where the threads or the bolt head become stripped. The results of over-tightening include stripped heads, where the bolt or screw cannot be removed, or stripped threads, where the bolt or screw has no grip and the connection fails. Both results are undesirable. Even worse, vibration and other drilling stresses can cause bolts or screws to work themselves loose and fall out. If one or more falls downhole, the result can be catastrophic. The drill bit can be ruined. The entire drill string may have to tripped out, and substantial portions replaced, including the drill bit. If the well bore has been cased, the casing may be damaged and have to be repaired.
Drilling head assemblies periodically need to be disassembled to replace stripper rubber assemblies or other parts, lubricate moving elements and perform other recommended maintenance. In some circumstances, stripped or over tightened bolts or screws make it very difficult if not impossible to disengage the stripper rubber assembly from the drilling head assembly to perform recommended maintenance or parts replacement.
One prior art rotating control head configuration that is widely used rotating control heads in the oil field industry is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,181 to John R. Williams (i.e., the Williams '181 patent). The Williams '181 patent relates to drilling heads and blowout preventors for oil and gas wells and more particularly, to a rotating blowout preventor mounted on the wellhead or on primary blowout preventors bolted to the wellhead, to pressure-seal the interior of the well casing and permit forced circulation of drilling fluid through the well during drilling operations. The rotating blowout preventor of the Williams '181 patent includes a housing which is designed to receive a blowout preventor bearing assembly and a hydraulic cylinder-operated clamp mechanism for removably securing the bearing assembly in the housing and providing ready access to the components of the bearing assembly and dual stripper rubber assemblies provided in the bearing assembly. A conventional drilling string is inserted or "stabbed" through the blowout preventor bearing assembly, including the two base stripper rubber assemblies rotatably mounted in the blowout preventor bearing assembly, to seal the drilling string. The device is designed such that chilled water and/or antifreeze may be circulated through a top pressure seal packing box in the blowout preventor bearing assembly and lubricant is introduced into the top pressure seal packing box for lubricating top and bottom pressure seals, as well as stacked radial and thrust bearings.
Primary features of the rotating blowout preventor of the Williams '181 patent include the circulation of chilled water and/or antifreeze into the top seal packing box and using a hydraulically-operated clamp to secure the blowout preventor bearing assembly in the stationary housing, to both cool the pressure seals and provide access to the spaced rotating stripper rubber assemblies and internal bearing assembly components, respectively. The clamp can be-utilized to facilitate rapid assembly and disassembly of the rotating blowout preventor. Another primary feature is mounting of the dual stripper rubber assemblies in the blowout preventor bearing assembly on the fixed housing to facilitate superior sealing of the stripper rubber assemblies on the kelly or drilling string during drilling or other well operations. Still another important feature is lubrication of the respective seals and bearings and offsetting well pressure on key shaft pressure seals by introducing the lubricant under pressure into the bearing assembly top pressure seal packing box.
Objects of a rotating blowout preventor in accordance with the Williams '181 patent include a blowout preventor bearing assembly seated on a housing gasket in a fixed housing, a hydraulically-operated clamp mechanism mounted on the fixed housing and engaging the bearing assembly in mounted configuration, which housing is attached to the well casing, wellhead or primary blowout preventor, a vertical inner barrel rotatably mounted in the bearing assembly and receiving a pair of pressure-sealing stripper rubber assemblies and cooling fluid and lubricating inlet ports communicating with top pressure seals for circulating chilled water and/or antifreeze through the top seals and forcing lubricant into stacked shaft bearings and seals to exert internal pressure on the seals and especially, the lower seals.
Specific drawbacks of prior art rotating control head, rotating blowout preventor and/or the like (including a rotating blowout preventor/or rotating control head in accordance with the Williams '181 patent) include, but are not limited to, a.) relying on or using curved clamp segments that at least partially and jointly encircle the housing and bearing assembly; b.) relying on or using clamp segments that are pivotably attached to each other for allowing engagement with and disengagement from the bearing assembly; c.) relying on or using hydraulic clamp(s); d.) relying on or using a mechanical bolt-type connection to back-up a hydraulic clamp for insuring safe operation; e.) poor sealing from environmental contamination at various interface; f.) cumbersome and ineffective stripper rubber assembly attachment; g.) lack or inadequate cooling at key heat sensitive locations of the inner barrel and/or bowl; h.) lack of real-time and/or remotely monitored data acquisition functionality (e.g., via wireless/satellite uploading of data); i.) static (e.g., non-self adjusting) barrel assembly bearing preloading; and j.) cumbersome/ineffective lubrication distribution and cooling.
Therefore, a rotating control head, rotating blowout preventor and/or the like that overcomes abovementioned and other known and yet to be discovered drawbacks associated with prior art oil field drilling equipment (e.g., rotating control head, rotating blowout preventor and/or the like) would be advantageous, desirable and useful.

Breech lock stripper rubber pot mounting structure and well drilling equipment comprising same


The invention relates to a method of preventing gel formation of a hydrophobic peptides by contacting the hydrophobic peptide with a counter-ion in an amount and at a molar ratio with the peptide that are sufficient to provide a fluid, milky microcrystalline aqueous suspension of the peptide without formation of a gel. The invention also relates to a fluid, milky microcrystalline aqueous suspension of a hydrophobic peptide and a counter-ion in water, wherein the peptide and counter-ion are present in amounts and at a molar ratio sufficient to form, upon mixing, the suspension without formation of a gel.

There is frequently a need to deliver biologically active peptides to animals and humans in formulations providing a sustained release of the active principle. Such formulations may be provided by incorporating the active principle in biodegradable and biocompatible polymers in form of microcapsules, microgranules or implantable rods, or alternatively using mechanical devices such as micropumps or non-biodegradable containers. If the peptide is highly soluble in aqueous media, it can be formulated as a complex with non-degradable polymers such as cellulose derivatives, or mixed with polymer solutions, which form a gel upon parenteral injection, from which the active peptide is slowly released.
All the above-mentioned formulations have drawbacks and limitations, such as the large volume of suspending fluids or the need to remove the non-degradable device. In the case of gel forming peptides, there is frequently a problem of bioavailability, which interferes with the desired sustained action of the active principle.
Some of the problems due to physico-chemical aspects of peptides have been described in article by R. Deghenghi "Antarelix" in Treatment with GnRH Analogs: Controversies and Perspectives", edited by M. Filicori and C. Flamigni, The Parthenon Publishing Group, New York and London 1996, pages 89–91. Additional problems were illustrated by J. Rivier "GnRH analogues towards the next millennium" in GnRH Analogues, edited by B. Lunenfeld, The Parthenon Publishing Group, New York and London 1999, pages 31–45 and by other workers such as M. F. Powell et al. "Parenteral Peptide Formulations: Chemical and Physical Properties of Native LHRH and Hydrophobic Analogues in Aqueous Solution" in Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 8, 1258–1263 (1991).
Accordingly, there is a need for new formulations and methods of administration that avoid these problems, and this need is addressed by the present invention.

Sustained release of microcrystalline peptide suspensions


A retainer frame for holding a standard printed circuit board or other electronic card is sized and adapted for insertion and removal in tight places. In particular, the retainer frame, together with an actuator bar, is employed in conjunction with a cabinet with guides and a stop mechanism to produce an initially horizontal insertion motion followed immediately by a vertical motion during which electrical connection is made between the card and a corresponding connector in the cabinet.

The present invention is generally directed to a frame and cabinet arrangement which permits electronic circuit boards to be inserted without the need to open a cabinet to do so. More particularly, the present invention includes a frame for holding a printed circuit board so that it may be inserted into a slot in a first, horizontal direction and, upon hitting a stop mechanism, it is then made to move at right angles to the first direction so as to directly insert an edge connector or similar connector into an appropriately corresponding mating connector. Even more particularly, the present invention provides a system and method for inserting electronic circuit boards associated with personal computers or other electronic equipment into appropriately designed and mating cabinetry without having to take any of the covers off. The present invention also includes a case or cabinet which is suitable for use with the frame and circuit board assemblies of the present invention.
The insertion and removal of electronic circuit boards in personal computers and/or other electronic equipment has, over the years, been associated with the necessity to remove the surrounding cabinetry or covers so that the board may be plugged directly into a mating socket on a mother board. This insertion and removal process, although necessary, is time consuming and unnecessary.
Other individuals have tried but failed to provide a mechanism which produces the most desirable relative motion between the cabinet and the circuit board which is to be placed in or removed from operation. In particular, it should be appreciated that the ideal motion of the circuit board with respect to the connector is one in which the board moves perpendicular relative to the plane with a connector so that, for example, card edge connectors are inserted directly without horizontal movement accompanying the contact. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,185 issued to Teagno, an insertion mechanism is provided based upon cam action. However, it is noted that this arrangement results in the contacts and the connector moving in a non-perpendicular fashion with respect to one another at the point of contact. This is undesirable in that it produces unnecessary friction and limits the nature of the connectors which may be employed. In particular, pin connections are unsuitable in this arrangement. Similarly, the design shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,385 issued to Treleaven is also undesirable in that the ultimate connection between contacts on a board and a connector is made via a rotational movement rather than via direct insertion of the (male or female) connector into its (respectively corresponding female or male) mating counterpart.
One of the major problems associated with electronic equipment which employs pluggable circuit cards is that there is an implicit requirement that there be room for insertion of one of these cards. In particular, the assumption is that the card must be inserted perpendicularly to its mating connector. It is also typically assumed that the distance that the card must be moved in the perpendicular direction is at least equal to the height of the card to be inserted. However, this assumption is overcome in the present invention which only requires a connector's the height (shortest printed circuit board direction) for interconnection. This is particularly true for circuit boards conforming to PCI, AIB, ISA, EISA or MCA Standards. While the present invention is particularly directed to electronic circuit cards conforming to one or more of these Standards, it is not limited hereto and is applicable to any electronic circuit board with a connector along the edge which is to be inserted directly into a mating connector especially when in tight spaces.

System and method for inserting circuit boards in tight spaces

International Business Machines Corporation


An optoelectronic device. The optoelectronic device comprising: a rib waveguide provided on a substrate of the device, the rib waveguide comprising a ridge portion and a slab portion; a heater, disposed within the slab portion; a thermally isolating trench, adjacent to the rib waveguide, and extending into the substrate of the device; and a thermally isolating cavity within the substrate, which is directly connected to the thermally isolating trench, and which extends across at least a part of a width of the rib waveguide between the rib waveguide and the substrate.

Efficient phase shifters are an essential building block for photonic integrated circuits in various applications. For example, optical switches and optical phase arrays often contain tens or hundreds of phase shifters. Thermo-optic phase shifters operate through the principle that a material's refractive index is dependent on temperature. The degree to which a material's refractive index varies in response to varying temperature is classified through the thermo-optic coefficient: dn/dT.
Therefore, given the relatively large number of phase shifters required, it is desirable to minimise the power consumption of the phase shifters. Thermo-optic phase shifters can be made very efficient (on the order of <1 mW for a πr-phase shift) with proper thermal isolation.
However, there is a trade-off between efficiency and speed for such phase shifters. Good thermal isolation can increase the efficiency whilst decreasing the speed significantly. Often, the speed is an important performance metric for a phase shifter.
For example, Fang, Qing et al. "Ultralow power silicon photonics thermo-optic switch with suspended arms" IEEE Photon, Technol. Letter. 23.8 (2011): 525-527 demonstrate an efficient thermo-optic heater (0.49 mW/it) with a response time of around 266 μs.
There is a need then to optimise the heater and thermal isolation design so as to meet both the needs of efficiency and speed.


The present invention provides a fastening strap for disposable absorbing articles comprising a fabric backing and a hook strap on which a plurality of hooks are formed for releasably engaging loops on a loop strap of the disposable absorbing articles, wherein the hook strap is secured directly to the fabric backing by means of fusion bonding to form patterns on the fastening strap to thereby producing a fastening strap for disposable absorbing articles in a more simple process without using any adhesive. A method for manufacturing this fastening strap and a disposable absorbing article including this fastening strap are also provided.

A hook-and-loop type fastener is a well know mechanical fastener and wildly used in disposable absorbing articles, such as diapers for babies and adults, to fasten the diaper around the waist of a wear's body. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a hook-and-loop type fastener utilized as a fastening device of a diaper 1 usually consists of two fastening straps 10 each secured to a lateral side of a first end of the diaper 1 respectively and a loop strap 20 provided on an outer face of a second end of the diaper 1. Each of the fastening strap 10 has a plurality of hooks 12 formed thereon for releasably engaging with the loops 22 formed on the loop strap 20 to fasten the diaper 1 on the wear's body. Traditional fastening strap 10, as illustrated in FIG. 2, usually includes a backing layer 14, a hook strap layer 16, and an adhesive layer 18 disposed between the backing layer 14 and the hook strap layer 16 to bond the backing layer 14 and the hook strap layer 16 together to form the fastening strap 10. The hook strap layer 16 is a plastic layer that includes a plastic substrate and a plurality of hooks 12 that is integrally formed on the substrate by means of a plastic injection process.
Because the traditional fastening strap 10 consists of three layers and the hook strap layer 16 is a plastic layer, it is too stiff for applications that suppleness of a fastening strap is a critical factor. For instance, when utilized in a diaper the fastening strap is used to keep the diaper in place about the wearer and thus has an intimate contact with the skin of the wear. Therefore, if the fastening strap does not have sufficient suppleness, the wearer of the diaper may feel uncomfortable and even may leave marks on the skin of the wearer.
Additionally, because the traditional fastening strap 10 uses an adhesive layer to bind the hook strap 16 and the backing layer 14 together, the manufacturing process is thus complicated. Moreover, because an adhesive layer 18 is used to bind the hook strap 16 and the backing layer 14 the manufacturing cost is inevitably increased and so is the sale price, and thus making the fastening strap 10 less competitive in the market.
In view of the shortcomings of traditional fastening strap described above, there exists a need for a fastening strap for a disposable absorbing article that possess a sufficient fastening strength and a sufficient suppleness.

Fastening strap for disposable absorbing articles, method for manufacturing the same and disposable absorbing articles including the same


A system for providing a controllable current to a high intensity discharge lamp is provided. The system includes a current controller that is configured to receive input power and to provide an output current waveform to the high intensity discharge lamp. This current causes a discharge of light from the lamp. The output current waveform includes an absolute value amplitude in each half cycle that is generally constant during a first portion and that which increases non-linearly from the generally constant amplitude to a peak amplitude during a second portion.

The invention relates generally to the field of electric lamps and visual projection systems, and more particularly to high intensity discharge lamps employed for use in the visual projection systems.
High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps are high-efficiency lamps that can generate large amounts of light from a relatively small source. These lamps are widely used in many applications, including highway and road lighting, lighting of large venues such as sports stadiums, floodlighting of buildings, shops, industrial buildings, and projectors, to name but a few. The term "HID lamp" is used to denote different kinds of lamps. These include mercury vapor lamps, metal halide lamps, and sodium lamps. Metal halide lamps, in particular, are widely used in areas that require a high level of brightness at relatively low cost. HID lamps differ from other lamps because their functioning environment requires operation at high temperature and high pressure over a prolonged period of time. Also, due to their usage and cost, it is desirable that these HID lamps have relatively long useful lives and produce a consistent level of brightness and color of light. Though in principle the HID lamps can operate with either an alternating current (AC) supply or a direct-current (DC) supply; in practice, however, the lamps are usually driven via an AC supply.
Typical construction of an HID lamp includes a pair of electrodes enclosed within an arc tube with a pressurized gas. Light is generated by the hot gas or "plasma," sometimes referred to as a "discharge" made by an electrical current that flows through the gas. The electrodes play a significant role in determining the amount of brightness of the light produced by the HID lamp. Electrode material is typically a refractory metal such as tungsten. The construction of the lead wire assembly includes a combination of one or more metals having a high melting point. Examples of materials used in the lead wire include tungsten, niobium, and molybdenum. During operation, current applied to the electrodes causes a decrease in resistance of the gas by creating a plasma discharge, permitting the flow of electrons across the gas medium and between the electrodes. This decrease in resistance causes the current to increase continuously. A driving circuit or ballast regulates the current and voltage applied to the electrodes.
The shortest distance of separation between the two electrodes positioned at opposite ends of the arc tube is called the arc length. This is the distance an arc jumps in the high-pressure gas medium to produce a discharge of light. The temperature of the electrode tip at the instant the arc appears increases substantially. Due to the decreasing resistance resulting from the arc, current increases and causes heating of the exposed electrode tip. This heating may, in fact, cause vaporization of the electrode tip, followed by recondensation of the electrode material, eventually forming a spike or extension at the tip. This change can result in reduced life of the HID lamp, a flicker in the emitted light (as the point of discharge changes with the tip geometry), a temporary change in the arc length, and a voltage variation across the electrodes. Flicker is primarily caused when the arc reattaches itself to the electrode at various spots. In projection systems, for example, this manifests itself as changes in intensity of light on projection systems due to occurrence of maximum intensity of light in spots not always at the focal point of lens assemblies in the projection systems. All of these effects are undesirable.
Currently existing techniques attempt to address the various effects by increasing the dimension of the electrodes at their tips. This results in a reduction in temperature of the electrode tip during arcing. However, the electrodes still undergo a change in geometry due to vapor transport of electrode material. The increased dimension of the electrode tips also lead to a less stable arc for reasons discussed earlier. Other existing solutions include control of the waveform used to drive the lamps. However, these have not fully addressed the problems or resolved the issue of flicker, useful life or control of the electrode tip geometry.
There is, therefore, a need for an improved approach to controlling an HID lamp that reduces the continuous change of electrode shape during operation of the lamp. There is a particular need for lamps of this type that exhibit reduced or little flickering of emitted light, and reduced voltage variation, with prolonged life.

High pressure discharge lamp control system and method


A method is presented of establishing communications with a Virtual Machine, VM, in a virtualized computing environment using a 3GPPcommunications network. The method includes establishing a Machine-to-Machine Equipment Platform, M2MEP, which comprises a Communications Module, CM, providing an end-point of a communication channel between the 3GPP network and the VM. A virtual Machine-to-Machine Equipment is established that comprises a VM running on the M2MEP and a downloadable Subscriber Identity Module, associated with the CM. The Subscriber Identity Module includes security data and functions for enabling access via the 3GPP network. The CM utilizes data in the Subscriber Identity Module for controlling communication over the communication channel between the VM and the 3GPP network.

A virtual machine is a software implementation of a computer that executes programs in the same way as a physical machine, and is hosted (i.e. as a guest) by physical computing equipment that may be unseen by and unknown to the user or provider of the VM software. Cloud computing is a concept that provides for the delivery of computer services including computation resources, software, data access, and storage services without requiring end-user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of the computing machines that deliver the services. The services are provided to computers and other devices over a network such as the Internet. From the user's viewpoint, the services can be considered as being provided by one or more VMs.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines certain characteristics of cloud computing, including:                Elastic;        On-demand;        Broad network access (i.e. you should be able to access the cloud through any technology (Cellular, fixed broadband, etc);        Resource pooling;        Measure service ("the cloud" should be able to measure the consumption of resources, such as disk space, CPU/cycles, etc—for making charging possible).
Note that, in accordance with these general definitions, cloud computing does not necessarily imply the use of virtual machines, or a virtualization platform. However, for the purposes of the current disclosure it should be assumed that references to a cloud or to cloud computing do imply a virtualized computing environment unless indicated otherwise.
For the purposes of this discussion, the term "user" is intended to refer to any entity (individual, company, organisation, etc.) that operates or uses equipment, such as a mobile telephone or other mobile device, or a pc, laptop or other computing device, that is enabled to access a 3G or 4G network (including machine-to-machine, M2M, devices). A "subscriber" is an entity that has entered an agreement with a mobile network operator (MNO) for the provision of services—more particularly (unless stated otherwise) a subscriber referred to below is an entity that has entered an agreement for services to be provided from a VM on the subscriber's behalf. The "owner" of a VM is the entity that provides the VM software, and which may or may not be the same as the subscriber.
Mobile telecommunications network operators at present do not have an established way to manage the provision of cloud computing resources to subscribers, and in particular how to make use of the 3G and 4G technologies and standards defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as the Evolved Packet System (EPS) networks, and those that relate to the Systems Architecture Evolution (SAE) and Long-Term Evolution (LTE). These are referred to hereafter as 3GPP networks.
3GPP subscriber credentials are stored on Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICCs or Subscriber Identification Module, SIM, cards) and are used for identifying the subscriber whose card is in 3GPP device and for establishing and securing communication between the device and the 3GPP network. The installed infrastructure for 3GPP subscriber management and the standardized technology used for it are key resources of the 3GPP operators. Increasingly, the operators are becoming bit-pipe providers for third party services, which does not provide a business model that has a high added-value potential. Instead, the operators would prefer to be involved providing services. The installed identity management system is one thing that can be used for providing new services in the form of Identity and Access Management (IAM) and security for various services. Virtualized computing does require federated identity management, for the virtual machines (VMs), and thus presents an opportunity for the network operators.
The key resources of the operators include the customer base (i.e. the potential subscribers) and the identity management for the customers, as well as the installed infrastructure. The business is based on standardized 3GPP mechanisms for charging, Quality of Service (QoS), security, roaming, interoperability, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) etc. However, similar kinds of standards have not been established for cloud computing technologies. This makes it difficult for operators to integrate their key resources with cloud platforms in order to benefit from the cloud-computing paradigm and enter into new business fields. In summary, the problem is how to enable operators to benefit from their existing key resources with cloud computing. This can be broken down into three key areas:                How to utilize operators' existing EPS (e.g. 3GPP/Long Term Evolution (LTE)) infrastructures in a virtualized computing environment;        How to seamlessly integrate virtualized services running in a data-center with an EPS (e.g. 3GPP/LTE) infrastructure;        How to bind virtual machines running in a cloud with an EPS (e.g. 3GPP/LTE) network in a secure way.
Some further background is presented below on the concept of the MCIM, as well as features of virtualized computing platforms.
MCIM is a recent concept studied by the 3GPP (see 3GPP TR 33.812, "Feasibility study on the security aspects of remote provisioning and change of subscription for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) equipment", version 9.2.0, 2010-06-22). The solution, which is targeted at M2M communication scenarios, replaces the UICC card with a software based Universal Subscriber Identification Module (USIM) that can be downloaded into the device. The object is to provide a mechanism by which devices can download their network credentials from the device's selected home operator (SHO)—i.e. the operator with whom the owner of the device has established a Service Level Agreement (SLA). The current scope of MCIM is for use with sensor-like devices that the owner usually does not have physical access to and needs to manage remotely.
The commonly agreed operating procedure is currently:    1 The owner of the device enters a SLA with a mobile network operator, to be referred to hereafter as the Selected Home Operator (SHO), and registers his/her device.    2 The Discovery and Registration Function (DRF) handling the mobile device (i.e. providing preliminary credentials to the device) is informed of the Selected Home Operator (SHO) of the device and stores this mapping.    3 The mobile device is powered on and scans for available mobile networks to try to connect to a 3GPP Visited Network Operator (VNO)/Initial Connectivity Function (ICF). The preliminary credentials stored in the machine to Machine Equipment (M2ME) are used for connecting to the network and they point to the DRF of the current home network of the device.    4 The DRF informs the M2ME about the SHO registered to it and redirects the device to the SHO/MCIM Download and Provisioning Function (DPF) operated by the SHO.    5 Next, the mobile device connects to the SHO/DRF, and downloads the proper credentials that enable the device to start using the SHO subscription as per the service agreement between the owner of the device and the mobile network operator.
Note that the term MCIM as used hereafter is intended to refer to any software based solution for providing the subscriber identification information normally found on a UICC card, and should not be considered as necessarily limited to what is specified in 3GPP TR 33.812.
Virtualized Computing provides an abstraction of a potentially unlimited amount of networking, computing and storage resources for clients. The abstraction is achieved by virtualization of the infrastructure, platform and software in data centers. There are many solutions available for providing the virtualization platform for virtual machines, for example Xen, discussed further below. In these systems multiple virtual machines can be run on one physical machine. The abstraction of unlimited and dynamically allocated resources is called a cloud platform or just a cloud. The virtual machines are run in isolated run-time environments (in Xen terminology, domUs) while the control mechanism of the virtualization platform runs in a specific run-time environment, or management domain (called dom0).
At the infrastructure level, the virtualization is implemented by means of a Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), otherwise referred to as a hypervisor. A hypervisor employs hardware virtualization techniques that allow multiple operating systems, termed guests, to run concurrently on a host computer. Xen is a well-known and widely used example of a hypervisor. Xen systems are arranged in a conceptual layered structure, as depicted schematically in FIG. 1, with the Xen hypervisor 100 as the lowest and most privileged layer residing on the hardware 102. In the layer above this are one or more guest operating systems 104, 106, 108, which the hypervisor 100 schedules across the physical CPUs of the computer machines in the data centre. The first guest operating system 104, called in Xen terminology "domain 0" (dom0), boots automatically when the hypervisor 100 boots and receives special management privileges as well as direct access to all physical hardware. Thus, dom0 can be considered as a virtual management domain. The system administrator can log in to dom0 in order to manage the other guest operating systems 106, 108, called "domain U" (domU) in Xen terminology. (See "What is Xen Hypervisor?" http://xen.org/files/Marketing/WhatisXen.pdf, as archived on web.archive.org on 22.07.2011). Any references to these Xen terms in the description below or accompanying drawings should not be considered as being limited only to a Xen system, and should be considered as equivalent to the general definition of these terms as explained above.
A virtual switch (vSwitch) 110 is implemented in software and integrated with the hypervisor 100. Open vSwitch (OVS—see http://openvswitch.org/ as archived on web.archive.org on 02.02.2011) is an example of a popular software switch that allows network configuration between virtual machines using OpenFlow (see http://www.openflow.org/ as archived on web.archive.org on 13.05.2011). In addition, the hypervisor implements one or more virtual Network Interface Cards (vNICs) 112, 114 with each guest operating system (domU) 106, 108.
A cloud operating system (Cloud OS) manages the hypervisors, domain guests (VMs), virtual switches and other resources in the data-centres and is responsible for the orchestration of the resources in a data-centre. Typically, a Cloud OS consists of multiple server instances that manage the resources (network, storage, computing). The management domain (dom0) is a part of the Cloud OS that manages the resources on one hypervisor. OpenStack is one well-known Cloud OS (see http://www.openstack.org/ as archived on web.archive.org on 23.07.2011).
Note also that the term MNO indicates the network operator of the network to which the device is connected. This may be the SHO, or it might be another network operated by a Visited Network Operator (VNO) which then communicates with the SHO.

Virtual machine management using a downloadable subscriber identity module


A method and apparatus for generating a flag simultaneously with production of an operation result by an operational unit. The flag is generated based on data input to the operational unit, and the flag indicates the presence or absence of a condition in the operation result produced by the operational unit.

Arithmetic and logic operations in Digital Signal Processing and Processor hardware are typically performed in operational units between periods of a clock supplied to the hardware. Operational units typically receive input data at the beginning of a clock period, perform one or more operations, and have until the end of the clock period, or in other instances a multiple of a clock period, to produce an operation result. Examples of operations performed by operational units include arithmetic operations of multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction on an operand or operandi present in the input data to produce an operation result. Also, operational units may perform shifting operations on input data to normalize an operand, multiply or divide an operand by a power of two, or to logically manipulate bits contained in the input data. Flags may monitor a single bit or all of the bits of the operation result, and usually must be generated prior to the end of the clock period in which the operation result was produced. Because flags indicate conditions present in an operation result, logic for generating flags has been interposed between the operation result and the ultimate destination of the flag. However, waiting for the operation result prior to beginning to generate flag values stretches out the delay of operations which must be captured within one or more clock periods. This is particularly true when flag values depend on all bits of the operation result, therefore necessitating several stages of logic to produce a flag value. Generating flags after the operation result in a digital signal processor or a processor, may require extending the clock period, which is equivalent to reducing the clock frequency. Thus, performance and the speed of digital signal processor or processor as a whole may be adversely impacted by the necessity of accommodating long delays in operational units to generate flags.

Method for generating barrel shifter result flags directly from input data


A switchable, dual channel frequency converter is provided. The converter includes a semiconductor body having formed as a monolithic microwave integrated circuit: a pair of input signal channels; a pair of output signal channels; and, a mixer and multiplexer means, disposed between the pair of input signal channels and the pair of output signal channels, for converting the frequency of signals fed to the pair of input signal channels to a different frequency and for directing the frequency converted signals to the pair of output signal channels selectively in accordance with a control signal. The mixer and multiplexer means includes: a pair of mixers coupled to the pair of input signal channels and a common local oscillator signal; and a multiplexer network. The mixers covert the radio frequency of the signals in the pair of input signal channels into a corresponding pair of intermediate frequency signal channels. The multiplexer network includes a pair of input ports fed by the pair of intermediate frequency signal channels and a pair of output ports which feed the pair of output signal channels. A control signal is fed to the multiplexer network. The power transfer of the intermediate frequency signals through the multiplexer network to the output signal channels is substantially the same (i.e., less than 0.5 db difference) independent of the state of the control signal.

This invention relates generally to radio frequency (RF) signal frequency down converters and more particularly to dual channel RF signal frequency converters.
As is known in the art it is generally required to convert received radio frequency (RF) signals into intermediate frequency signals. In some applications, as for example direct broadcast satellite systems, in order to increase the number of signal channels within a prescribed bandwidth, information in pairs of channels share a common frequency band. The information in pairs of channels is transmitted as a composite RF signal having the common frequency band. The information in one of the pair of channels is transmitted with one type of polarization, say horizontal polarization, while the information in the other one of the pair of channels is transmitted with a different type of polarization, say vertical polarization. Thus, the number of channels within the prescribed frequency band is doubled.
It follows then, that a receiving system must, in addition to down converting the RF frequency of the received RF composite signal to an intermediate frequency, direct one polarized signal to one receiver channel and the other polarized signal to the other receiver channel.

Radio frequency signal frequency converter


The present invention includes an apparatus and method for continuous and point level liquid level detection in a closed container or pipe having an inaccessible interior volume such that it is difficult to retrofit these tanks with a level gauge that operates within the storage volume. The invention is based on a frequency domain analysis of the combined storage tank/fluid or pipe/fluid response to localized ultrasonic energy, and can be implemented using several excitation and signal analysis procedures, taking advantage of the transmission properties of the vessel wall in the vicinity of one of its longitudinal thickness resonances. Thus, significantly lower peak excitation voltages are required than with pulse-echo ultrasonic techniques.

There is a continuing need for monitoring levels of liquids stored in closed containers in a noninvasive manner and without regard to the type of liquid being stored. Existing acoustical methods for level determination rely on a localized pressure disturbance generated using a transducer, and propagated through the storage material. The disturbance is reflected from the surface of the liquid and received near to the original transduction point. The period between transmission and reception is measured and the liquid level determined by the equation:
                              Level          =                                    c                                                                                Δ                                                                                t                        2                          ,                            (        1        )            where c is the propagation speed of a sound wave in the liquid and Δt is the amount of time elapsed between the generation and reception of the sound disturbance. The factor of two is a result of the sound disturbance traversing the liquid column twice: transmitter to reflector, and reflector to receiver. Pulse-echo, pitch-catch, and tone-burst methods of acoustic ranging are included in such measurements.
U.S. Patents for acoustic level detection in the time domain include: U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,532 for "Device For Measuring A Fill Level Of A Liquid In A Container." which issued to Dieter Keller on Aug. 6, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 5,99,407 for "Multi-Frequency Ultrasonic Liquid Level Gauging System," which issued to Martin Hewitt on Dec. 7, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,997 for "Pulse Echo Distance Measurement," which issued to Roger Fell on Mar. 2, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,943, Gazis for "Method For Calibration In Level Measurement," which issued to Helmut Schmidt on Oct. 27, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,705 for "Ultrasonic Liquid Level Gauge For Tanks Subject To Movement And Vibration," which issued to Denos Constantinos Gazis et al. on Aug. 11, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,248 for "Liquid Level Sensor," which issued to Richard Hunter Brown on Dec. 16, 1997, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,376 for "Ultrasonic Fuel Gauging System Using State machine Control," which issued to Christian L. Trudeau on Mar. 21, 1995.
A Frequency Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) process using pseudo-frequency domain level detection is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,534 for "Procedure For measuring The Level Of A Liquid In A Tank According To The Radar Principle," which issued to Ronald van der Pol on Sep. 01, 1998. This technique is used in radar range-finding, and the liquid level is determined by observing reflections from the liquid surface of ultrasonic signals generated outside of the liquid.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,041 for "Noninvasive Method For Determining Liquid Level And Density Inside Of A Container," which issued to Dipen N. Sinha on Apr. 25, 2000, flexural acoustic waves are generated in the shell of a container holding the liquid and the phase difference between the detected flexural wave propagated through the shell from that of the originally generated wave is measured a chosen distance from the location of the generated wave. The generation and detection means are moved over the outer surface of the vessel, and a change in the phase difference indicates that a liquid/vapor interface has been crossed, thereby identifying the liquid level. In another embodiment, continuous liquid level measurements were made using an apparatus where one transducer was disposed near the top of the container, and a second transducer was disposed near to the bottom thereof. The time of flight of a tone burst transmitted from one transducer and received by the other was found to change linearly with liquid level since the sound speed of the wall flexural mode depends on whether the wall is in contact with a liquid. The liquid level was obtained by calibrating the time of propagation of the flexural wave as a function of the amount of wall exposed to the liquid.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,407 for "Noninvasive Identification Of Fluids By Swept-Frequency Acoustic Interferometry," which issued to Dipen N. Sinha on Jun. 16, 1998, a method for noninvasive identification and monitoring of chemicals in sealed containers is described, where direct access to the chemical is not possible. External transducers are used to introduce a standing-wave ultrasonic vibrational pattern into the fluid over a range of frequencies. Liquid characteristics are determined from the peak spacing in the interference pattern, the peak attenuation, the peak width, and the frequency dependence of the peak width.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for noninvasively determining the liquid level for a variety of stored liquids.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for determining the level of liquids stored in a variety of containers.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method for noninvasively determining the liquid level for flammable stored liquids.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.


A waveguide (100, 101) such as optical fiber is to receive a primary light in a longitudinal (propagation) direction. The fiber has formed therein scattering structures (105, 106, 107) that re-direct the propagating primary light out of the waveguide, for instance in a transverse direction. A photo-luminescent layer (103) absorbs the re-directed primary light to thereby emit secondary wavelength converted light having a different wavelength than and broader bandwidth than the primary light, resulting in white illumination light, being the secondary light combined with any unabsorbed primary light. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

In a basic fiber illumination system, a light source injects light into an optical fiber and the fiber then serves to transport the injected light to a remote, desired location. At the remote location, the fiber is exposed, typically at its end surface, so that the light can escape and illuminate the remote region that is outside and near the end surface of the fiber. More recently, a fiber-based illumination system has been suggested that has multiple regions each with a different index of refraction, and this can be used to allegedly deflect the propagating light out a side of the fiber along its length. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,837 to Wang, et al. A 360 degree or omnidirectional deflection pattern has also been suggested, through the use of combined changes in the ratio of index of refraction between the core and the cladding, and absorption and scattering coefficients in the fiber. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,714,711 to Lieberman, et al. A subsequent effort has suggested the use of a blazed diffraction grating in the core of the fiber, for diffracting the light out of the fiber, and a convex lens structure outside of the fiber is to receive the diffracted light and establish a linear illumination field. See U.S. Pat. No. 7,437,035 to Carver, et al. However, the efficacy of such techniques in efficiently producing illumination light having broadband visible content (also referred to here as white light) while ensuring its uniformity along the length of the fiber is not apparent.

Waveguide apparatus for illumination systems


A liquid-cooled projector incorporating cooling a component that to be cooled by a cooling liquid, and moreover, can constantly maintain the temperature of the component to be cooled at a prescribed temperature or below. A liquid-cooling jacket for cooling either one or both of the optical modulation element and cold mirror, which are the components that are to be cooled, one or a plurality of radiators, one or a plurality of reserve tanks, and one or a plurality of circulation pumps are connected together by piping. The components that are to be cooled are maintained at or below the prescribed temperature by circulating the cooling liquid through the system, which can further be separated at any position by couplers. By collecting the air that is generated in the cooling system in the reserve tank, idle running of the circulation pump can be prevented, and the effect of expansion and shrinkage in the volume of the cooling liquid can be mitigated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projector that incorporates a mechanism for a component that is to be cooled by a coolant.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cooling the heat-generating parts within a projector is crucial for extending the life of constituent components and improving the reliability of the projector. In particular, the optical modulation element and cold mirror must be cooled to below a prescribed temperature. For this purpose, a method has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-77883 in which a heat sink having heat-radiation fins is directly attached to the optical modulation element and this heat sink is then air-cooled by means of an air-cooling fan. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-77585 discloses a configuration in which a Peltier element is interposed between optical elements and thin heat sink is then air-cooled by means of an air-cooling fan. The cold mirror is also air-cooled by arranging a heat sink on the rear surface to absorb infrared rays and then cooling this heat sink by means of an air-cooling fan. However, the demand for higher luminance in recent years has resulted in the use of lamps with higher power, and this has resulted in the generation of even more heat in the optical modulation element and cold mirror. This change has necessitated larger air-cooling fans for air-cooled designs, with the attendant disadvantage of increased noise. Alternatively, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H11-282361 discloses an image display device in which cooling is realized by providing a circulator and then circulating a cooling medium through a cooling container that is formed as a single unit with a heat generator such as a reflector.
As described above, the necessity for a larger air-cooling fan when air-cooling is used in a high-luminance projector and the problem of the attendant increase in noise is a common problem. On the other hand, the cooling method that employs a cooling medium that is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H11-282361 does not disclose any countermeasures for the changes in the expansion in the volume of the cooling liquid that are caused by temperature changes along the circulation route.


A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may detect another WTRU over bluetooth. The WTRU may send to the another WTRU a message to transfer selected media. The WTRU may transfer the selected media to the another WTRU over WiFi.

In current communications, functionality that allows the transfer of data (such as files or digital media) between devices in both fixed and wireless environments is commonplace. Currently, data transfers may be performed using applications such as electronic mail, or multimedia message services (MMS) with the data being transmitted from one device to another through suitable technologies, for example, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). As the sophistication of user interfaces supporting data transfers has developed (for example, the emergence of touch screen and multi-touch technology), the user experience has been simplified considerably. These advances in user interface technology may be seen in devices such as the Apple® iPhone® and iPod Touch®.
Despite these advances, however, file transfers may still be a cumbersome, multi-step task requiring adaptation between multiple implementations. For example, many technologies involve a fragmented approach to access and manipulation of files such as attachments. These hurdles inhibit the more regular use of file transfer schemes in spontaneous situations. A simplified and more intuitive approach to data transfer between devices is therefore required.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed is a shift power transmission apparatus for readily suppressing or avoiding size increase thereof. The apparatus includes an input shaft (22) receiving engine drive force, a hydraulic continuously variable transmission (30) driven by the input shaft (22), a planetary power transmission section (40) combining drive force from the input shaft (22) and output from the hydraulic continuously variable transmission (30) for outputting the combined drive force, and an output rotary member (24) outputting power to a travel apparatus. The planetary power transmission section (40) and the output rotary member (24) are arranged on a side of the hydraulic continuously variable transmission (30) associated with an engine-coupled side of the input shaft (22). The drive force is inputted to the planetary power transmission section (40) from a portion between the engine-coupled side and the hydraulic continuously variable transmission-coupled side of the input shaft (22).

[1] A shift power transmission apparatus is provided with an input shaft that receives engine drive force, a hydraulic continuously variable transmission that is driven by the input shaft, a planetary power transmission section that combines drive force from the input shaft and output from the hydraulic continuously variable transmission and outputs the combined drive force, and an output rotary member that outputs power to a travel apparatus.
Patent Document 1 describes a conventional example of a shift power transmission apparatus. The shift power transmission apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a pump shaft that passes through a hydraulic pump in a continuously variable shift section (hydraulic continuously variable transmission), and is configured such that drive force from the engine is inputted to the pump shaft on one side protruding from the continuously variable transmission, drive force from the pump shaft is transmitted from the other side of the pump shaft protruding from the continuously variable shift section to a compound planetary power transmission section, the continuously variable shift section is driven by the engine drive force, and the engine drive force and the output from the continuously variable shift section are combined by the compound planetary power transmission section.
[2] On the other hand, in a shift power transmission apparatus described in Patent Document 2, a power transmission system for transmitting output from the engine to front/rear wheels is provided with a hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus (hydraulic continuously variable transmission), a planetary gear mechanism (planetary power transmission section), and two hydraulic clutches. When an HST (Hydraulic Static Transmission) mode drive train (HST mode power transmission) is configured by one of the two hydraulic clutches being connected, output from the engine is transmitted to front/back wheels after being subjected to speed change by the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus. When an HMT (Hydraulic Mechanical Transmission) mode drive train (HMT mode power transmission) is configured the other one of the two hydraulic clutches being connected, output from the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus is inputted to the planetary gear apparatus, the planetary gear apparatus combines output from the engine with output from the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus and outputs the combined drive force, and the combined drive force is transmitted to front/rear wheels.
Also, in the shift power transmission apparatus described in aforementioned Patent Document 1, a power transmission system that transmits output from the engine to a front wheel differential mechanism and a rear wheel differential mechanism is provided with a continuously variable shift section (hydraulic continuously variable transmission), a planetary power transmission section, and a forward/reverse switching apparatus. Output from the engine is inputted to the continuously variable shift section and the planetary power transmission section, and a planetary gear apparatus combines the output from the engine with output from the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus. The combined drive force outputted by the planetary gear apparatus is inputted to the forward/reverse switching apparatus and converted into forward drive force and reverse drive force, which is then transmitted to the front wheel differential mechanism and the rear wheel differential mechanism.
[3] There is a travel power transmission apparatus that includes a shift power transmission device. The shift power transmission device has a hydrostatic continuously variable shift section that operates so as to receive drive force from an engine and subject it to speed change, the speed-changed drive force to be output being subjected to speed change along an HST shift line, and a planetary power transmission section that operates so as to receive and combine the drive force from the engine and the speed-changed drive force from the continuously variable shift section, the combined drive force to be output being subjected to speed change along an HMT shift line by the speed change performed by the continuously variable shift section. The shift power transmission device is provided with a clutch mechanism that can be switched between an HST setting state, which is for setting HST power transmission in which the speed-changed drive force output from the continuously variable shift section is outputted to a travel apparatus, and an HMT setting state, which is for setting HMT power transmission in which the combined drive force output from the planetary power transmission section is outputted to the travel apparatus. The travel power transmission apparatus also includes a shift control module for, based on a shift instruction from a shift operation device, controlling shifting of a hydraulic pump included in the continuously variable shift section, and also controlling switching of the clutch mechanism.
In an agricultural apparatus for example, there are cases where there are repeated switches between forward and reverse, such as the case of changing direction at the end of a work line. The above-described travel power transmission apparatus has output characteristics such as those shown in FIG. 33, and is configured such that when operations for shifting forward and reverse via the neutral state of the continuously variable shift section are performed, the output speed changes to the forward side and the reverse side along the HST shift line, and thus it is possible to switch the apparatus between forward and reverse by merely performing a simple shift operation that does not require a special operation for forward/reverse switching.
In this type of travel power transmission apparatus described in aforementioned Patent Document 2, the power transmission system for transmitting output from the engine to the front/rear wheels is provided with a hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus, a planetary gear mechanism, and two hydraulic clutches. An HST mode drive train is configured by performing connection switching with respect to the two hydraulic clutches, and in this mode, drive force output from a motor output shaft in the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus is transmitted to the front/rear wheels without being transmitted to the planetary gear mechanism. Also, an HMT mode drive train is configured by performing connection switching with respect to the two hydraulic clutches, and in this mode, drive force output from the motor output shaft in the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus is transmitted to the planetary gear mechanism, the planetary gear mechanism combines drive force from the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus with drive force from the engine, and the combined drive force output from the planetary gear mechanism is transmitted to the front/rear wheels.
[4] There is a travel power transmission apparatus that includes a shift power transmission device. The shift power transmission device has a hydrostatic continuously variable shift section that operates so as to receive drive force from an engine and subject it to speed change, the speed-changed drive force to be output being subjected to speed change along an HST shift line, and a planetary power transmission section that operates so as to receive and combine the drive force from the engine and the speed-changed drive force from the continuously variable shift section, the combined drive force to be output being subjected to speed change along an HMT shift line by the speed change performed by the continuously variable shift section. The shift power transmission device is provided with a clutch mechanism that can be switched between an HST setting state, which is for setting HST power transmission in which the speed-changed drive force output from the continuously variable shift section is outputted to a travel apparatus, and an HMT setting state, which is for setting HMT power transmission in which the combined drive force output from the planetary power transmission section is outputted to the travel apparatus. The travel power transmission apparatus also includes a shift control module for, based on a shift instruction from a shift operation device, controlling shifting of a hydraulic pump included in the continuously variable shift section, and also controlling switching of the clutch mechanism.
In an agricultural apparatus for example, there are cases where there are repeated switches between forward and reverse, such as the case of changing direction at the end of a work line. The above-described travel power transmission apparatus has output characteristics such as those shown in FIG. 50, and is configured such that when operations for shifting forward and reverse via the neutral state of the continuously variable shift section are performed, the output speed changes to the forward side and the reverse side along the HST shift line, and thus it is possible to switch the apparatus between forward and reverse by merely performing a simple shift operation that does not require a special operation for forward/reverse switching.
In this type of conventional travel power transmission apparatus described in aforementioned Patent Document 2, the power transmission system for transmitting output from the engine to the front/rear wheels is provided with a hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus, a planetary gear mechanism, and two hydraulic clutches. An HST mode drive train is configured by performing connection switching with respect to the two hydraulic clutches, and in this mode, drive force output from a motor output shaft in the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus is transmitted to the front/rear wheels without being transmitted to the planetary gear mechanism. Also, an HMT mode drive train is configured by performing connection switching with respect to the two hydraulic clutches, and in this mode, drive force output from the motor output shaft in the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus is transmitted to the planetary gear mechanism, the planetary gear mechanism combines drive force from the hydraulic continuously variable shift apparatus with drive force from the engine, and the combined drive force output from the planetary gear mechanism is transmitted to the front/rear wheels.
Also, conventionally there is a apparatus that, as shown in Patent Document 3 for example, includes an actuator that controls the swash plate of a hydraulic motor included in a continuously variable shift apparatus, and is configured such that the actuator operates according to an instruction operation performed by a switching switch, thus switching the hydraulic motor between two stages, namely high-speed and low-speed.

Shift power transmission apparatus and travel power transmission device


A method for producing an olefin stream is provided based on conversion of an initial natural gas stream into a synthesis gas. The resulting synthesis gas is enriched with CO2 previously separated from the natural gas stream. The synthesis gas is then used to form a methanol composition, which can then be used as feedstock for a methanol-to-olefin conversion reaction.

Methanol is one potential raw material that can be used for industrial oxygenate-to-olefin conversion reactions. Industrial scale production of olefins requires an abundant source of methanol or another oxygenate to provide the feedstock. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,444,712 B1 and 6,486,219 B1 to Janda, disclose a method for producing olefins from methanol by way of using natural gas to make the methanol. The method includes converting the methane component of the natural gas to synthesis gas (syngas) using a steam reformer and a partial oxidation reformer. The syngas from each reformer is combined and sent to a methanol synthesis reactor. The combined syngas stream to the methanol synthesis reactor desirably has a syngas number of from about 1.4 to 2.6. The methanol product is then used as a feed in a methanol to olefin production process.
Gas reserves typically include other compounds, such as CO2, that are separated from the natural gas prior to use. In some conventional processes, this CO2 is considered a waste product that is vented to the atmosphere or otherwise disposed of. Other processes have attempted to use CO2 as a source of carbon for other reactions. U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,794 describes a process where CO2 separated from a natural gas stream is added with the natural gas stream into a reformer for producing synthesis gas. The synthesis gas is then fed into a reactor for conducting a Fischer-Tropsch reaction to create heavy hydrocarbons. Published application WO98/36038 describes a method for converting natural gas into methanol in a conversion plant where CO2 recovered from the natural gas is recycled to the inlet stream of the conversion plant.
What is needed is a method for increasing or optimizing the efficiency of methanol production for use as feedstock for a methanol-to-olefin conversion process. The method should allow for improvement in the amount of methanol produced while minimizing the amount of cost required for additional equipment or raw materials. What is also needed is a method for reducing or eliminating the need to dispose of CO2 found in gas reserves. The method should be environmentally friendly, leading to minimal or no release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The method should also allow the CO2 to be processed while adding a minimum of additional equipment.

Methanol feed for producing olefin streams


An approach is provided to notify an addressee of postal mail. The approach is performed by reading an enhanced mail barcode affixed to the postal mail. The enhanced mail barcode identifies a contents of the postal mail. The approach further retrieves an electronic contact address that corresponds to the addressee of the postal mail. Finally, the approach transmits an electronic notification, such as an email, text message, voice message, etc. to the retrieved electronic contact address that corresponds to the addressee.

Intelligent Mail (IM) is a 65-bar code used on mail delivered by the United States postal service. "INTELLIGENT MAIL®," "IM®," and "IMB®" are registered trademarks of the United States Postal Service. IM includes the following components: barcode identifier, service/mailing type identifier, mailer ID, sequence number and delivery point postal code (e.g., ZIP code, etc.). One reason mailers implement IMB barcodes is to qualify for automation prices offered by the postal service. The Intelligent Mail barcode is a height-modulated barcode that encodes up to 31 decimal digits of mail-piece data into 65 vertical bars. The code is made up of four distinct symbols. Each bar contains the central "tracker" portion, and may contain an ascender, descender, neither, or both (a "full bar"). The 65 bars represent 130 bits (or 39.13 decimal digits), grouped as ten 13-bit characters. Each character has 2, 5, 8, or 11 of its 13 bits set to one. The Hamming distance between characters is at least 2. Consequently, single-bit errors in a character can be detected (adding or deleting one bit results in an invalid character). The characters are interleaved throughout the symbol. The Postal Service's IM carries a data payload of 31 digits representing elements including a barcode identifier, a service type identifier, a mailer identifier, a sequence number, and a delivery point ZIP code.

Notification system based on intelligent mail barcodes

International Business Machines Corporation


Apparatus and methods related to using machine learning to determine depth maps for dual pixel images of objects are provided. A computing device can receive a dual pixel image of at least a foreground object. The dual pixel image can include a plurality of dual pixels. A dual pixel of the plurality of dual pixels can include a left-side pixel and a right-side pixel that both represent light incident on a single dual pixel element used to capture the dual pixel image. The computing device can be used to train a machine learning system to determine a depth map associated with the dual pixel image. The computing device can provide the trained machine learning system.

Many modern computing devices, including mobile phones, personal computers, and tablets, include image capture devices, such as still and/or video cameras. The image capture devices can capture images, such as images that include people, animals, landscapes, and/or objects.
Some image capture devices and/or computing devices can correct or otherwise modify captured images. For example, some image capture devices can provide "red-eye" correction that removes artifacts such as red-appearing eyes of people and animals that may be present in images captured using bright lights, such as flash lighting. After a captured image has been corrected, the corrected image can be saved, displayed, transmitted, printed to paper, and/or otherwise utilized.


A knock detection device for an internal combustion engine make provisions to prevent erroneous decisions from being made due to a steplike signal change at the time of mask removal or to an overlap between an LC resonance generation period and a knock occurrence period in high engine rpm conditions. A low-frequency component is removed from an ion current signal by an HPF, and the resulting flat signal is supplied to a mask circuit, thereby reducing the amount of discontinuity occurring at the time of mask removal and suppressing noise in an output signal of a BPF to a level that does not affect knock detection. Further, by setting the gate period in a peak-hold circuit slightly delayed with respect to the mask removal timing, noise associated with the mask removal is completely eliminated. As mask signals used to specify the mask period, in addition to a mask signal for removing the mask when a predetermined crankshaft angle is reached, a second signal is provided for removing the mask when a prescribed time required for LC resonance noise to settle down has elapsed from the end of spark discharge, and the mask is removed only when both of the mask signals are deactivated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a knock detection device for an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to a device for detecting engine knock based on an ion current inside an combustion chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a gasoline engine, the air/fuel mixture in the vicinity of a spark plug is ignited by the spark produced at the spark plug, and gasoline combustion takes place with the ignited flame propagating throughout the entire air/fuel mixture. One abnormal combustion phenomenon that can occur at this time is knocking. Knocking is a condition in which unburned gases self-ignite before the flame front arrives, by an abnormally rapid rise in pressure during the flame propagation. When knock occurs, combustion gases oscillate, allowing heat to propagate more freely, and in some cases, engine damage may result. Knocking is closely related to ignition timing; as the ignition timing is advanced, maximum combustion pressure increases, increasing the tendency to knock.
On the other hand, it is desirable to increase the compression ratio in order to increase thermal efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. To achieve this, it is practiced, as part of ignition timing control, to advance the ignition timing up to the limit where knock is about to occur while detecting the occurrence of knock. Previously, in this kind of knock detection method, it was common practice to detect knock-induced vibrations using a vibration sensor attached to the cylinder block or like part, but in recent years, a knock detection method has been proposed that utilizes the change that occurs in an ion current inside a cylinder when knock occurs.
More specifically, when a spark is produced at the spark plug and air/fuel mixture burns in the combustion chamber, the air/fuel mixture is ionized. When a voltage is applied to the spark plug while the mixture is in the ionized state, an ion current flows. The occurrence of knock can be detected by detecting and analyzing this ion current. Usually, when knock occurs, an oscillating component of 6 kHz to 7 kHz appears in the ion current. The knock detection device based on the ion current extracts this frequency component peculiar to knock by means of a filter, and judges the knocking condition based on the magnitude of that component.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 4-136485 discloses a device in which a capacitor as an ion current generating source is charged to a given voltage by the secondary current that flows when the primary current of the ignition coil is shut off, and an ion current that flows, after a spark discharge, through a closed circuit consisting of the capacitor, the secondary winding of the ignition coil, the spark plug, and a current detecting resistor is measured. In such a device, since the secondary winding of the ignition coil (the secondary coil) is located in the ion current flow path, an LC resonant circuit is formed by its inductance L and the stray capacitance C associated with the coil and the spark plug. As a result, when an LC resonance current flows through the ion current path, the resonance current causes noise. To avoid such noise, the above prior art proposes that an ion current signal be masked during periods other than the period in which knock-induced oscillations appear.
However, when the ion current signal is masked during periods other than the period in which knock-induced oscillations appear, as in the above prior art, the ion current signal to which the masking has been applied will have a waveform that abruptly and discontinuously changes at the instant the mask is removed. Since such a steplike signal change has frequency components over a wide frequency range, some of the frequency components are passed unattenuated through a band-pass filter provided at a subsequent stage as a knock frequency component detection filter, and these frequency components cause noise. If such noise exists, an erroneous decision is made that knock has occurred when actually knock has not occurred.
The following problem also occurs. The period in which knock-induced oscillations appear depends on crankshaft angular position and corresponds, for example, to the position from 15.degree. to 60.degree. CA ATDC (crankshaft angle after top dead center). In a high engine rpm range, the time interval between the end of spark discharge and the start of knocking becomes short. On the other hand, the period in which LC resonance noise appears is substantially constant regardless of engine rpm, that is, a fixed period after the end of spark discharge. Therefore, at high engine rpm, the LC resonance noise period may overlap into the knock oscillation period. In that case also, an erroneous decision is made that knock has occurred when actually knock has not occurred.

Knock detection device for an internal combustion engine avoiding erroneous knock detection