A fabrication method of a liquid crystal panel is provided. A first substrate and a liquid crystal material are heated to a first fabrication temperature and a one drop filling (ODF) process is performed to drop the heated liquid crystal material on the first substrate, wherein the first fabrication temperature is lower than 70° C. The first substrate is assembled to a second substrate through a sealant under a second fabrication temperature so that the liquid crystal material is sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate and located inside a region surrounded by the sealant, wherein the second fabrication temperature is 50° C. to 70° C. Subsequently, the sealant is solidified.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a fabrication method of a panel, and particularly to a fabrication method of a liquid crystal panel.
2. Description of Related Art
A liquid crystal display having the characteristics of small volume, light weight, low driving voltage, low power consumption, convenience in carrying, and the like is becoming a mainstreamed display device of a portable electronic device and an essential daily-used appliance in people's life. Among the known fabrication methods of the liquid crystal panel, a one drop filling (ODF) process is provided for satisfying the requirement for the mass production of the large size liquid crystal panel. Such process is achieved by filling the flowable liquid crystal material in the panel through "dropping". The amount of the liquid crystal material can be properly controlled in the ODF process to save the cost of the liquid crystal material and significantly reduce the spent time for filling the liquid crystal material. Overall, the ODF process is greatly conducive to improve the fabrication efficiency of the liquid crystal panel.

Fabrication method of a liquid crystal panel


A hose repair system including a first clamping member and a second clamping member, each clamping member including an interior surface with a concave curve along the width and a pair of longitudinal grooves formed at the intersection of the first and second clamping members. Each longitudinal groove extends from end to end of each clamping member. The system also includes at least one fastener for clamping the first and second clamping members together.

When a hydraulic hose fails, it either has to be replaced or repaired. Both repairing and replacing the hose may cause a downtime of the system. The downtime may be in a range of several hours to several days depending on the availability of the services or the replacement stock. In certain circumstances an extended downtime may be an issue.


A double containment electrical junction box is interfaced with electrical equipment in an equipment enclosure containing harmful contaminants, such as noxious gases and odors generated in a wet well containing a submersible electrical pump that pumps waste water from the well. A lower container contains electrical wiring connected to the pump, and is in gaseous communication with the well for enabling the contaminants from the well to enter the lower container. An openable upper container contains electrical junctions for the electrical wiring from the lower container. Cable and integrity seals between the containers prevents the contaminants in the lower container from reaching the upper container, to prevent migration of the contaminants away from the lower container.

This invention generally relates to an electrical junction box containing electrical wiring junctions that are isolated from a harmful electrical equipment enclosure, such as a wet well pumping system that produces contaminants and, more particularly, to a method of installing and servicing the box.
An electrical junction box is a wiring interface container that contains electrical wiring junctions or connections between wire runs from electrical equipment or outlets in an equipment enclosure, such as a home or like structure, and a main power supply provided by a local utility or a control panel. One purpose of the junction box is to conceal the electrical junctions from sight, which is more esthetically pleasing than a bunch of exposed electrical wires connected together. While it is true that the junction box presents a neater means of concealing the electrical junctions, the real value of the box is in providing a degree of protection for the wiring interface at the various junctions. The junction box can also help contain electrical sparks in the event that one of the junctions overloads for some reason, and thus limits the amount of damage that is caused by electrical sparking. The junction box may include a safety switch that allows the connections made within the box to be shut down in an emergency. An openable door on the box allows access by service personnel to the junctions.
Occasionally, system maintenance, replacements, upgrades and like service of the electrical equipment or the wiring within a particular equipment enclosure will dictate the installation of a larger or a new junction box to accommodate additional electrical junctions, or additional or larger electrical cables. In the event that the equipment enclosure contains harmful contaminants, as described below, such contaminants must be contained to prevent damage to other electrical devices and to prevent migration to occupied places.
One well-known example of a harmful equipment enclosure is a wet well pumping system for pumping waste water such as sewage, including liquid and solid waste, from community structures, such as domestic residences, office buildings, companies, industries, farms, institutions, and the like, to sewage or drainage pipes for treatment in a sewage treatment plant prior to safe, sanitary discharge. The sewage is typically collected in a wet well, which may be below or above ground. In a typical multi-story, office building application, the wet well is located below street level in the basement of the building and collects sewage from each floor, and the pumping system pumps the collected sewage back up to a street sewage pipe at a higher elevation. A typical pumping system includes one or more submersible electrical pumps in the wet well and connected to discharge pipes that extend generally upwardly from inside the well, through a cover overlying the well, and outside the well to the street sewage pipe. An electrical probe inside the well detects the level of waste water in the well to control the actuation of the pumps. Electrical wire runs are routed from the pumps and the probe inside the well to an electrical junction box located in the immediate vicinity outside the well. The junction box is, in turn, connected to a remote control panel that, in turn, is connected to a mains power supply.
Poisonous and noxious gases, odors and like contaminants can accumulate within the well and migrate to the junction box and, in turn, to the control panel, and beyond, to occupied places, such as offices, living spaces, mechanical rooms, etc., thereby exposing occupants and personnel to the noxious gases, odors, and contaminants accumulated therein. These contaminants can severely damage wiring and electrical devices, such as relays, electrical circuits, circuit breakers, terminal connections, connectors, etc.

Environmentally-isolated electrical junction box and method of installing and servicing the same


The present invention relates to a method and an article for rapidly polishing a glass workpiece surface using a structured abrasive article including cerium oxide particles dispersed in a binder. The abrasive article for rapid polishing of a glass workpiece comprising a backing and at least one polishing layer. The polishing layer comprises cerium oxide particles dispersed within a binder. The binder provides the attachment means of the at least one polishing layer to the backing. The abrasive article is capable of reducing an initial Rtm of about 0.8 .mu.m or greater on a glass test blank to a final Rtm of about 0.3 .mu.m or less in about one minute using an RPE procedure defined herein. The present invention is also directed to a method of polishing a glass workpiece using the present abrasive article.

Glass articles can be extensively found in homes, offices and factories in the form of lenses, prisms, mirrors, CRT tubes, flat display glass, vehicle, windshields, computer disc substrates, furniture glass, art glass and the like. The grinding, finishing and polishing of these types of glass objects to an optical clarity is of utmost importance. If present, defects, imperfections, and even minute scratches can inhibit the optical clarity of the glass article and can even inhibit the ability to accurately see through the glass. Thus, it is desired that the glass be essentially free of any defects, imperfections, scratches and be optically clear.
Many optical components contain some type of curve or radius associated with the glass articles. There are several different means to generate a curve/radius on a glass surface. One means is to use abrasive articles and in general, there are three main processes for such shape generation: rough grinding, fining and polishing.
Rough Grinding
The first step is to generate the desired curve or radius by rough grinding the optical component with an abrasive tool. Typically this abrasive tool includes a super-hard abrasive particle such as a diamond, tungsten carbide or cubic boron nitride. The resulting glass surface is usually of the approximate curvature required. The abrasive tool in this rough grinding process will impart course scratches into the glass surface such that the resulting glass surface is neither precise enough nor smooth enough to directly polish to an optically clear state.
Fining
The purpose of the fining step is to refine the coarse scratches generated by the rough grinding process. In general, the fining process removes the deep scratches remaining after rough grinding and provides a substantially smooth, although not polished surface. The fining process should also result in sufficient removal of the coarse scratches such that the glass surface can be polished to an optically clear surface. If the fining process does not remove all the coarse scratches, then it can be extremely difficult for the polishing step to remove these scratches to generate an optically clear surface. In the case of ophthalmic lenses, this fining process is typically done in the presence of a liquid medium such as water, with a conventional coated abrasive article, a lapping coated abrasive article or a combination of conventional coated abrasive and lapping coated abrasive articles. The conventional coated abrasive article includes a backing having a first binder layer, commonly referred to as a make coat, applied over the backing. A plurality of abrasive particles are at least partially embedded into the make coat. Over the abrasive particles/make coat is a second binder layer, commonly referred to as a size coat and this size coat reinforces the abrasive particles. A lapping coated abrasive article includes a backing having an abrasive coating bonded to the backing. This abrasive coating comprises a plurality of abrasive particles dispersed in a binder. There is at least one fining step, typically two or more fining steps, with each subsequent fining step utilizing an abrasive article that contains a smaller or finer abrasive particle size than the previous step. In the case of other glass surfaces, such as CRT tube glass, this fining is typically done with abrasive slurries. Previous attempts in using fixed abrasive articles have, in general, been unsuccessful on a wide scale commercial basis.
The first fining step usually uses abrasive particles with an average particle size of 15 to 40 micrometers depending upon the surface finish produced by the rough grinding step. The second fining step usually uses abrasive particles at least about 50% finer than the first, usually 4 to 12 micrometers. The time required for the two fining steps is usually from about one minute to two minutes per step, depending on the starting surface finish, the abrasive particle size and the desired surface finish. The surface finish of the optical component after this fining process is typically anywhere from about 0.06 to 0.13 micrometer (Ra) and/or an Rtm greater than about 0.40 to 1.4 micrometer.
The roughness of a surface is typically due to scratches or a scratch pattern, which may or may not be visible to the naked eye. A scratch pattern can be defined as a series of peaks and valleys along the surface. Rtm is a common measure of roughness used in the abrasives industry, however, the exact measuring procedure can vary with the type of equipment utilized in surface roughness evaluation. As used herein, Rtm measurements are based on procedures followed with the Rank Taylor Hobson profilometer, available under the trade designation SURTRONIC 3. Within the Rank Taylor Hobson purview, Rt is defined as the maximum peak-to-valley height within an assessment length set by the Rank Taylor Hobson instrument. Rtm is the average, measured over five consecutive assessment lengths, of the maximum peak-to-valley height in each assessment length. Rtm is measured with a profilometer probe, which is a 5 micrometer radius diamond tipped stylus and the results are recorded in micrometers (.mu.m). In general, the lower the Rtm value, the smoother the finish. A slight variation in the absolute Rtm value can, but not necessarily, occur when the measurement on the same finished glass surface is performed on different brands of commercially available profilometers.
Ra is defined as an average roughness height value of an arithmetic average of the departures of the surface roughness profile from a mean line on the surface, also measured in micrometers (.mu.m).
Polishing
The third step is the polishing step which generates the optically clear surface on the glass article. In many instances, this polishing step is done with a loose abrasive slurry. Loose abrasive slurries typically comprise a plurality of very fine abrasive particles (i.e., less than about 10 micrometers, usually less than about 5 micrometers) dispersed in a liquid medium such as water. The loose abrasive slurry may optionally contain other additives such as dispersants, lubricants, defoamers and the like. Loose abrasive slurries are usually the preferred means to generate the final polish because of the ability of the loose abrasive slurries to remove essentially all the remaining scratches to generate an optically clear surface that is essentially free of any defects, imperfections and/or minute scratches.
It is well recognized that small differences in Rtm or Ra values can have a significant impact on the clarity of the polished glass surface, i.e., a small difference in Rtm can mean the difference between an optically clear surface and a hazy surface. The input finish to final polishing (i.e., to optical clarity) can also vary widely depending upon the process. For example, starting finishes prior to polishing might have Ra values from about 0.05 to about 0.2 micrometers and Rtm values from about 1.0 to about 2.0 micrometers. Other values outside these ranges may also be encountered prior to polishing.
Polishing machinery utilized depends largely upon the application and the material being polished. For example, ophthalmic lenses may be polished utilizing polishing machines such as a Coburn 5000 or a Coburn 5056 cylinder machine or a Coburn 507 flat lapping machine, all available from Coburn Optical Industries Inc., Muskogee, Okla. These machines rely on a fixed motion, which may be orbital or a FIG. 8 type motion, of abrasive material while the lens is swept over the abrasive. Pressures of about 35 kPa (5 psi) to about 350 kPa (50 psi) might be used, however, pressures from about 70 kPa (10 psi) to about 210 kPa (30 psi) are typical. The fixed abrasive in this case could have a, so-called, daisy configuration so that the fixed abrasive pad is capable of conforming to a curved polishing arm so that there are no creases or folds in the fixed abrasive pad.
For example, EPO Publication No. 650803 to Lindholm et al. discloses a method for polishing an optical quality surface, such as an ophthalmic lens using abrasive composites, without an abrasive slurry. Essentially all abrasive particles eroded from the abrasive composites are removed from the interface between the surface to be polished and the abrasive article. Erosion of abrasive particles from the abrasive composites brings a continuous supply of new abrasive particles in the abrasive composites into engagement with the first major surface. Thus, polishing is substantially accomplished by the abrasive particles held in the binder, not the eroded abrasive particles.
CRT face panels are currently ground and finished on large rotary hemispherical lappers, utilizing various types of abrasive slurries and pads. The final polish step (i.e., to optical clarity) typically utilizes a ceria slurry on a segmented felt pad. The slurry is pumped on to the pad-glass panel interface. Industrial flat lapping of computer thin film disc wafers is accomplished much the same way by using an precision flat lap (having a diameter from 12 to 60 inches) rather than the hemispherical lap with the abrasive slurry.
Loose abrasive slurries are widely utilized in the final polishing steps of glass articles, however, many disadvantages are associated with them. These disadvantages include the inconvenience of handling the required large volume of the slurry, the required agitation to prevent settling of the abrasive particles and to assure a uniform concentration of abrasive particles at the polishing interface, and the need for additional equipment to prepare, handle, and also recover and recycle the loose abrasive slurry. Additionally, the slurry itself must be periodically analyzed to assure its quality and dispersion stability which requires additional costly man hours. Furthermore, pump heads, valves, feed lines, grinding laps, and other parts of the slurry supply equipment which contact the loose abrasive slurry eventually show undesirable wear. Further, during usage, the polishing operation is usually very untidy because the loose abrasive slurry, which is usually applied as a viscous liquid to a soft pad, splatters easily and is difficult to contain.
Understandably, attempts have been made to replace the loose abrasive slurry polishing systems with lapping coated abrasives to some degree of success. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,164 (Butzke et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,612 (Shukla et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,502 (Braun) disclose various abrasive articles and polishing processes. Other references that teach lapping coated abrasive articles include U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,703 (Kaczmarek et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,920 (Chasman et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,468 (Ravipati et al.). However, lapping coated abrasives have not commercially replaced loose abrasive slurries. In some instances the lapping coated abrasives do not completely polish the glass article so that the resulting surface is optical clear and essentially free of defects, imperfections and minute scratches. In other instances, the lapping coated abrasives require a longer time to polish the glass article, thereby it is more cost effective to use a loose abrasive slurry.
Much less technical industrial glass is polished offhand. This process typically utilizes a 7 to 12 inch diameter felt buff wheel mounted on a backstand grinder. A ceria-based slurry or compound polish are the abrasives typically used in offhand polishing. Rotational speeds are generally from about 500 to about 1500 rpm with applied pressures of about 70 kPa (10 psi) to about 420 kPa (60 psi). Additionally, random scratches in glass are also removed by offhand polishing using right angle grinders mounting 5 to 10 inch pads with ceria slurries or compounds. As explained above, slurry-based polishing methods exhibit significant disadvantages.
Further, in the past, polishing a glass workpiece has typically required operator training prior to efficient use of currently available polishing matrices, such as abrasive slurries and lapping films. Operator training is of importance because the operator's technique affects polishing matrix breakdown, which results in the liberation of abrasive particles. A slow initial breakdown time results in slower polishing rates. This phenomenon has resulted in poor consumer acceptance of a polishing method using an abrasive cerium oxide pad product from their current methods using buffing pads and ceria slurries or pastes.
Therefore, there is a need for a more user friendly, durable, and rapid method for polishing optical quality glass surfaces, which obviates the need to use an external abrasive slurry or a gel polishing techniques but instead utilizes a fixed abrasive article, thus eliminating time required to polish to optical clarity and reduce the mess generated by the polishing procedure. It is further desired by the glass industry that an abrasive article does not exhibit the disadvantages associated with a loose abrasive slurry yet it is able to effectively polish a glass surface in a reasonable time to optical clarity such that the glass surface is essentially free of imperfections, defects and scratches. Additionally, there exists a need to supply a fixed abrasive article which rapidly breaks down, resulting in faster initial polishing rates and yet has a polishing life at least equal to other polishing pad matrices.

Method and article for the production of optical quality surfaces on glass


The invention is a electromechanical locking device for a brake piston of a hydraulically actuated wheel brake. The locking device is disposed at least in some portions in the interior of a hollow-cylindrical brake piston. This interior of the brake piston is filled with hydraulic pressure fluid and in the event of brake actuation is subjected to pressure. The invention includes a filler piece and a coupling element, which reduce the pressure-fluid-filled volume of the brake piston, prevent blocking of the locking device in its terminal positions, and make it possible for the two terminal positions of the locking device to be detected and evaluated by an electronic control unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is based on an electromechanical locking device for a brake piston of a hydraulically actuated wheel brake.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One such electromechanical locking device is know for instance from German Patent Disclosure DE 10 2005 055 084 A1. The wheel brake disclosed in this reference is hydraulically actuatable. The wheel brake has a hollow-cylindrical brake piston, whose interior is filled with hydraulic pressure fluid. In the event of brake actuation, a hydraulic pressure is built up by the driver of a vehicle. A pressure force causes a displacement of the brake piston relative to a brake cylinder, in which this brake piston is movably guided. The brake piston presses a brake lining against a rotating brake body, such as a brake disk, and the magnitude of a frictional force that comes to be established between the rotating brake body and the brake lining is proportional to the brake pressure. The frictional force brakes the brake body.
In order to brake a stopped vehicle firmly on the spot in a parking situation, the known wheel brake additionally has an electromechanically actuatable locking device. This locking device includes a spindle that can be driven to execute a rotary motion by an electric drive motor and an intervening gear. The spindle in some portions protrudes into the interior of the brake piston and has a spindle nut. This spindle nut is disposed in a manner fixed against relative rotation, and as a result, a rotary motion of the spindle trips a translational motion of the spindle nut. In one of its terminal positions, the spindle nut is in contact with the brake piston and acts upon it with an axial force. With this axial force, the brake piston acts on the brake lining and presses it against the stationary brake body and thus prevents the latter from being able to execute a rotary motion.
The spindle and the spindle nut occupy a considerable portion of the internal volume of the hollow-cylindrical brake piston. Nevertheless, the remaining space inside the brake piston, which is filled with hydraulic pressure fluid, is relatively large. This has the disadvantages that a comparatively large amount of pressure fluid has to be positively displaced by the driver in order to build up brake pressure, and the response performance of such a wheel brake is therefore not fully satisfactory. In professional circles, such a response performance of a wheel brake is called indirect.
Another disadvantage is that hydraulic pressure fluid does not behave ideally incompressibly, and that therefore with increasing pressure fluid volume in the brake piston, the hydraulic elasticity of a brake circuit also increases. This elasticity is expressed as an unwanted, soft actuation of the service brake.
Moreover, the spindle nut received in a manner fixed against relative rotation is urged axially by the rotationally driven spindle, in its terminal positions, in such a way that mechanical warping can occur between the individual components. This warping makes an ensuing release of the spindle nut from its terminal positions more difficult or even impossible, so that an actuated locking device might still remain blocked, and then the vehicle cannot be moved from that spot.

Electromechanical locking device for a brake piston


A device and a process are disclosed for driving a moving surface in a reciprocating motion in a plane, and having a magnitude A.sub.2. Two parallelograms are provided, which can be distorted in a plane perpendicular to the plane where the motion is carried out. Each of both parallelograms exhibits two parallel sides, one being common to both parallelograms and driven in a reciprocating motion having a displacement A.sub.1 =A.sub.2 /2, the other parallel side of the first parallelogram being stationary and the other parallel side of the second parallelogram being driven in a reciprocating motion having a displacement A.sub.2.

In the field of web perforation, and particularly when very high accuracy is required in positioning the perforations, it is necessary to have such reciprocating motion in a plane. Thus, the French patent application No. 9,003,697 filed Nov. 19, 1990 and entitled Device for Carrying Out an Operation on a Web according to a Given Pitch, corresponding to uncurrently filed, allowed U.S. Ser. No. 07/927,501, describes a device comprising a punch block support arm describing, in an reciprocating manner, a short portion of an arc of a circle around a stationary horizontal axis parallel to the movement axis of the web, so as to be able to cause the punches do cooperate periodically with a die provided on a die block. The punch block support arm is connected to the die block at the level of the stationary horizontal axis, the two blocks connected in this way being driven parallel to the movement axis of the web by a reciprocating movement of a generally identical period to that of the movement of the punch block support arm around the stationary axis. In these perforators, the period of the reciprocating movement can be in the order of 37 ms for a magnitude of approximately 20 mm.
For such devices, combining at the same time speed and accuracy, it is of great importance that the horizontal reciprocating movement be exactly parallel to the plane of the web and that the movement be constantly carried outin the same plane.
In the previous technique, it was known to use crank-connecting rod mechanisms, which could be of the eccentric type, to produce such reciprocating movement, the movement being guided in a same plane by means of suitable sliding mechanisms. For very high frequency reciprocating movements, these mechanisms suffered from quite fast wear, making the guiding movement increasingly inaccurate. Furthermore, such guiding mechanisms often generated jerks in the reciprocating movement. Such jerks are, of course, detrimental to the accuracy of positioning perforations on the web.

Process and device for driving a surface in a reciprocating motion in a plane


A proactive user interface, installed in (or otherwise control and/or be associated with) any type of computational device. The proactive user interface actively makes suggestions to the user, based upon prior experience with a particular user and/or various preprogrammed patterns from which the computational device could select, depending upon user behavior. These suggestions could be made by altering the appearance of at least a portion of the display, for example by changing a menu or a portion thereof; providing different menus for display; and/or altering touch screen functionality. The suggestions could also be made audibly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is of a proactive user interface, and systems and methods thereof, particularly for use with mobile information devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of mobile and portable wireless devices has expanded dramatically in recent years. Many such devices having varying functions, internal resources, and capabilities now exist, and include, but are not limited to mobile telephones, personal digital assistants, medical and laboratory instrumentation, smart cards, and set-top boxes. All such devices can be referred to are mobile information devices. The devices tend to be special purpose, limited-function devices, rather than the general-purpose personal computer. Many of these devices are connected to the Internet, and are used for a variety of applications.
One example of such a mobile information device is the cellular telephone. Cellular telephones are fast becoming ubiquitous; and the use of cellular telephones is even surpassing that of traditional PSTN (public switched telephone network) telephones or "land line" telephones. Cellular telephones themselves are becoming more sophisticated, and in fact are actually computational devices with embedded operating systems.
As cellular telephones become more sophisticated, the range of functions that they offer is also potentially becoming more extensive. However, currently available functions are typically related to extensions of functions already present in regular (land line) telephones, and/or the merging of certain functions of personal digital assistants (PDAs) with those of cellular telephones. The user interface provided with cellular telephones is similarly non-sophisticated, typically featuring a keypad for scrolling through a few simple menus. Customization, although clearly desired by customers who have spent significant amounts of money on personalized ring tones and other cellular telephone accessories, is still limited to a very few functions of the cellular telephone. Furthermore, cellular telephones currently lack any automatic personalization, for example the user interface and custom/tailored functionalities that are required for better use of the mobile information device, and/or the ability to react according to the behavior of the user.
This lack of sophistication, however, is also seen with user interfaces for personal (desk top or laptop) computers and other computational devices. These computational devices can also only be customized in very simple ways. Such customization must be performed by the user, who may not understand computer functions and/or may not feel comfortable with performing such customization tasks. Currently, computational devices do not learn patterns of user behavior and adjust their own behavior accordingly, as adaptive systems for the user interface. If the user cannot manually adjust the computer, then the user must adjust his/her behavior to accommodate the computer, rather than vice versa.
Software which is capable of learning has been developed, albeit only for specialized laboratory functions. For example, "artificial intelligence" (AI) software has been developed. The term "AI" has been given a number of definitions. "AI is the study of the computations that make it possible to perceive, reason, and act." (Artificial Intelligence A Modern Approach (second edition) by Stuart Russell, Peter Norvig (Prentice Hall, Pearson Education Inc, 2003). AI software combines several different concepts, such as perception, which provides an interface to the world in which the AI software is required to reason and act. Examples include but are not limited to, natural language processing—communicating, understanding document content and context of natural language; computer vision—perceive objects from imagery source; and sensor systems—perception of objects and features of perceived objects analyzing sensory data, etc.
Another important concept is that of the knowledge base. Knowledge representation is responsible for representing extracting and storing knowledge. This discipline also provides techniques to generalize knowledge, feature extraction and enumeration, object state construction and definitions. The implementation itself may be performed by commonly using known data structures, such as graphs, vectors, tables, etc.
Yet another important concept is that of reasoning. Automated reasoning combines the algorithms that use the knowledge representation and perception to draw new conclusions, infer questions and answers, and achieve the agent goals. The following conceptual frameworks are examples of AI reasoning: rule bases—system rules are evaluated against the knowledge base and perceived state for reasoning; search systems—the use of well known data structures for searching for an intelligent conclusion according to the perceived state, the available knowledge and goal (examples include decision trees, state graphs, minimax decision etc); classifiers—the target of the classifier reasoning system is to classify a perceived state represented as an experiment that has no classification tag. According to a pre-classified knowledge base the classifier will infer the classification of the new experiment (examples include vector distance heuristics, Support Vector Machine, Classifier Neural Network etc).
Another important concept is for learning. The target of learning is improving the potential performance of the AI reasoning system by generalization over experiences. The input of a learning algorithm will be the experiment and the output would be modifications of the knowledge base according to the results (examples include Reinforcement learning, Batch learning, Support Vector Machine etc).
Work has also been done for genetic algorithms and evolution algorithms for software. One example of such software is described in "Evolving Virtual Creatures", by Karl Sims (Computer Graphics, SIGGRAPH '94 Proceedings, July 1994, pp. 15-22). This reference described software "creatures" which could move through a three-dimensional virtual world, which is a simulated version of the actual physical world. The creatures could learn and evolve by using genetic algorithms, thereby changing their behaviors without directed external input. These genetic algorithms therefore delineated a hyperspace of potential behaviors having different "fitness" or rewards in the virtual world. The algorithms themselves were implemented by using directed graphs, which describe both the genotypes (components) of the creatures, and their behavior.
At the start of the simulation, many different creatures with different genotypes are simulated. The creatures are allowed to alter their behavior in response to different stimuli in the virtual world. At each "generation", only certain creatures are allowed to survive, either according to a relative or absolute cut-off score, with the score being determined according to the fitness of the behavior of the creatures. Mutations are permitted to occur, which may increase the fitness (and hence survivability) of the mutated creatures, or vice versa. Mutations are also performed through the directed graph, for example by randomly changing a value associated with a node, and/or adding or deleting nodes. Similarly, "mating" between creatures may result in changes to the directed graph.
The results described in the reference showed that in fact virtual creatures could change and evolve. However, the creatures could only operate within their virtual world, and had no point of reference or contact with the actual physical world, and/or with human computer operators.

Proactive user interface including emotional agent


A method including defining mappings between coordinates of interest and fake location areas. The method may further include providing an application to a terminal, and distributing the mappings to the terminal. The method may further include receiving a location update generated from the terminal, wherein the location update is based upon a fake location area, and determining location information of the terminal based upon the location update.

Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to location area updating using telecommunication signaling protocols, such as, but not limited to, Random Location Area Update (LAU) and/or Random Routing Area Update (RAU).
Description of the Related Art
Applications using technology such as Java Card, for example, can determine, through a mobile equipment—SIM (ME-SIM) interface, a visible set of base stations of a telecommunication network. Through server-side communication, these applications can provide location information on the whereabouts of the mobile equipment. Java Card refers to technology that allows Java applets to run on a SIM card. Java applets may be installed remotely to a SIM card using technology referred to as over-the-air (OTA) provisioning.
One telecommunication signaling protocol that may provide location information is Random Location Area Update (LAU). Within a Circuit Switched (CS) network, a mobile terminal may initiate LAU to refresh a location of the mobile terminal when crossing the border of two location areas. Both active and idle mobile terminals may initiate LAU.
Another telecommunication signaling protocol that may provide location information is Random Routing Area Update (RAU). RAU may be used within a packet switched (PS) network, and RAU operates in a similar manner as LAU. A mobile terminal may initiate RAU to refresh a location of the mobile terminal when crossing the border of two routing areas.
In general, signaling events communicated by the signaling protocols can be used for detecting the position of mobile terminals. Passive localization methods use signaling events without interfering with normal network operation. An example of a passive localization method is the processing of LAU or RAU events. WO 03/041031 A1 presents a solution for passive localization using LAU events.
On the other hand, active localization methods initiate message exchange with mobile terminals to obtain position information. An example of active localization is paging.
Additionally, "Tracking Vehicular Speed Variations by Warping Mobile Phone Signal Strengths" by Chandrasekaran et. al., 2011, IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications (PerCom), describes a solution to detect random locations by collecting signal strength information.

System and method for mobile localization using fake location updates


A device for connecting an electric power generator to an HVDC transmission system is provided, the device having (a) a first unit for converting an AC output voltage from the electric power generator to a DC input voltage for the HVDC transmission system, the first unit having a transformer and a full-bridge rectifier, and (b) a second unit for generating control voltages and/or control currents in the transformer and/or in the electric power generator, the second unit having a PWM full-bridge converter adapted to receive the AC output voltage from the electric power generator or an AC voltage based on said AC output voltage. Furthermore, a system and a method are provided.

With the development of large offshore wind farms for producing electric energy, transmission losses occurring along transmission lines between a wind farm and a connection to a distribution grid on land may become significant.
In such cases, HVDC (high-voltage, direct current) technology has distinct advantages in terms of low losses in comparison to the common AC (alternating current) technologies. In particular, by using a high voltage (up to e.g. 800 kV), the current flowing in the transmission lines—and thereby the resistive losses—is significantly reduced when a given amount of power is transmitted. Thus, in terms of losses, HVDC is advantageous for long distance power transmission and may be considered as being ideal for offshore wind power applications. The use of fewer number of wires for transmission also means reduction in costs.
However, in order to handle the high voltage and high power in the HVDC transmission, especially under increasingly stringent performance requirements, some sophisticated power converter systems have to be applied, which can be technically challenging and often means high cost.
In known implementations, the AC output of a grid converter of a wind turbine is connected to a step-up transformer, and then converted to HVDC through a converter. Two of the common converter topologies are line-commutated current source Thyristor converters and IGBT based voltage source converters (VSCs).
Thyristor converter systems have been the dominant technique for HVDC transmission, which can use voltages as high as 800 kV. In this converter type, the firing angle is used for control of the DC voltage and the power flow. It consumes reactive power and the AC currents contain low-frequency harmonics. Thus, phase compensation is normally used to improve the power factor, and large filters are required to reduce the current distortion.
The HVDC transmission with VSC technique has the advantages of high control bandwidth and low current harmonic distortion, and thus low requirements on the line filters. This kind of system is in fast progress, and two examples are Siemens HVDC Plus and ABB HVDC Light. Both systems employ multilevel converter techniques in order to accommodate low voltage rated power components (e.g., IGBT) and relatively low switching operations, and hence the systems tend to be relatively more technically challenging and more expensive.
There may be a need for a simple and cost-effective way of connecting an electrical power generator to an HVDC transmission system.

Device and method for connecting an electric power generator to an HVDC transmission system


A system and a method of establishing seamless remote access VPN connections are described. For establishment of a VPN connection for a user device, a cluster leader of a cluster of controllers identifies an active controller and a standby controller, based on network load of each controller of the cluster of controllers. An active VPN connection is established between the user device and the active controller and a standby VPN connection is established between the user device and the standby controller. The standby VPN connection is utilized in place of the active VPN connection during failover of the active controller. Because information of an active session is regularly shared by the active controller to the standby controller, the standby controller can seamlessly resume the active session during failover of the active controller.

Public networks, such as the internet, are widely used for exchange of information, for example mails, photos, and data files. However, the public networks are entrusted networks as the information exchanged over the public networks is visible to agencies such as the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) responsible for managing segments of the public networks or in entirety. To avoid compromising the information, Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections are used, especially by organizations, which are most concerned about privacy and safety of their information.
A VPN connection involves establishment of a point-to-point secure network communication link between two devices, also known as endpoints. Because the data exchanged over such communication link is encrypted, ISPs or other agencies don't have visibility of the data. Therefore, VPN connections are preferred in scenarios where maintaining data privacy and data security is an extreme priority. For such reasons, VPN connections are typically established for accessing resources or services of an organization.

System and method of establishing seamless remote access virtual private network connections

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


A method for forming interconnections within a column grid array is provided. The method involves casting one or more columns with at least a compliant core material that increases flexibility between an electronic component and a printed wiring board by at least a factor of two over metallic-based solder columns, and forming the one or more columns to length for interconnecting between the electronic component and the printed wiring board. The method also involves forming a conductive material for the one or more columns to provide electrical interconnection between the electronic component and the printed wiring board.

The demand for increased functionality in both consumer and industrial electronics, coupled with the trend of miniaturization, continues to place complexity and size constraints on the packaging of electronic components, specifically the number of pins available on an electronic component, e.g., an integrated circuit (IC), passive device, or semiconductor. A preferred solution has been the development of the column grid array, or CGA, which provides a type of surface-mount packaging used to conduct electrical signals from the electronic component to the printed wiring board (PWB) the electronic component is placed on. Instead of using traditional pins to connect the component to the PWB, columns of solder are affixed to the bottom of the component substrate and attached to the PWB, creating an array of columns.
A primary disadvantage of CGAs, however, is that the solder columns fatigue more rapidly than the traditional lead to pin connections do. Repeated periods of high thermal or mechanical stress followed by periods of relaxations in the interconnect area(s) eventually cause the solder joints to fracture. The fracture of a single solder joint, i.e., a single column, produces an open circuit or partial failure. Therefore, the CGA is not always a popular choice in certain fields, especially high reliability applications, which require an interconnection between the component and the PWB to be highly flexible during repeated intervals of thermal cycling. In particular, high reliability applications entail a more detailed material selection based on other properties, including exposure to extreme environments.
To overcome the effects of exposure to extreme environments in high reliability applications, the component is typically constructed of a ceramic substrate. However, use of the ceramic substrate material comes at an economic cost, particularly with an increased coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) difference between the component and the PWB. The higher CTE value means that the interconnections between the component and PWB are subject to a higher amount of fatigue. The increased fatigue decreases the overall life of the packaged assembly. Therefore, current electronic assemblies using components with ceramic substrates are constrained to a limited capacity in an effort to reduce the effects of the difference in CTE values between the component and the PWB.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, there is a need in the art for improved interconnections within a column grid array.


A channel information detector, a method of detecting channel information and a communications node is provided for general communications networks. In one embodiment, the channel information detector includes (1) an information retriever configured to extract data unit parameters from a plurality of data units progressing through a protocol stack and (2) an information analyzer, coupled to the information retriever, configured to collectively analyze the data unit parameters to deduce channel information therefrom.

A communications network typically includes a variety of communication nodes coupled by wireless or wired connections and accessed through different types of communications channels. Each of the communications nodes includes a protocol stack that processes the data transmitted and received over the communications channels. Depending on the type of communications system, the operation and configuration of the various communication nodes can differ and are often referred to by different names. For example, in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), the various communication nodes include a radio network controller (RNC), a base station (node-B) and a mobile device such as a cellular telephone. In addition, each interface between the communication nodes can be represented by a protocol stack such as the Iub interface protocol stack between the RNC and node-B within a UMTS system.
In order for the protocol stack to correctly process data received over a channel, certain information about the channel is required. Some information about the channel, such as, virtual path identification (VPI), virtual channel identification (VCI) and channel identification (CID), can be obtained directly from the received data. This information is often obtained from headers associated with the received data.
Other types of channel information needed by the protocol stack to process the received data cannot be so easily obtained. Thus, during installation, this pre-provisioned channel information is manually input to each communications node for each associated channel. Manually inputting this needed channel information is time consuming especially when there are multiple associated channels.
Additionally, the channel information has to be updated whenever there are changes to the communications node or channels associated therewith. The changes necessitating an update of the channel information can result from equipment replacement due to an upgrade, failure, etc., or the addition of communications nodes and channels as the communications network grows. Quickly updating channel information is especially desired when a communications node fails and a portion of the communications system is down. This can be even more frustrating when equipment from another manufacturer is used to replace the failed equipment.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a system and method that provides automatic update of channel information to an associated communications node. More specifically, what is needed is a system or method that allows an automatic and fast update of channel information needed by a protocol stack to process received data.

Channel information detector, a method of detecting channel information and a communications node incorporating the detector or method


A digital signal reproducing apparatus has the clock signal generating device 24 having: a frequency setting device 12 for setting a desired frequency on the basis of the predetermined linear velocity and a radius position of a pickup 1; a first frequency difference signal generating device 242 for generating a binary signal E corresponding to a difference between the desired frequency fsd and the frequency fs of the sample clock signal A to be used for reproducing a reproduction digital signal; a second frequency difference signal generating device 243 for generating a pulse signal L corresponding to a difference between the frequency based on the reproduction digital signal and the frequency fs of the sample clock signal A; a phase difference signal generating device 244 for generating a pulse signal Y corresponding to a difference between the phase based on the reading signal read from the disc and the phase of the sample clock signal A; and a synchronizing device 24 for synchronizing the frequency fs and phase of the sample clock signal A with the frequency of the reading signal on the basis of the binary signal E, the pulse signal L and the pulse signal Y.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a digital signal reproducing apparatus for reproducing a digital signal recorded on an optical disc, and especially relates to the digital signal reproducing apparatus having a clock signal generating circuit for generating a clock signal which is synchronized with reproduction timing of the digital signal recorded on the optical disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10 is a simplified block diagram showing a construction of a CD (Compact Disc) player, which is one example of the digital signal reproducing apparatus.
In FIG. 10, CD 30, which is one example of an optical disc, is rotated in rotation velocity according to a predetermined linear velocity by a spindle motor 2. The spindle motor 2 is driven on the basis of a rotation control signal supplied from a spindle servo circuit 9. A pickup 1 irradiates a light beam to the CD 30, and accepts a reflected light which is reflected in the CD 30 and is interfered in a row of pits formed on the CD 30. Further, the pickup 1 is generates a reading signal corresponding to quantity of acceptance of the reflected light. A head amplifier 4 amplifies the generated reading signal with a suitable amplification factor, and supplies this amplified reading signal to an equalizer 5, which is one example of a waveform equalizing circuit.
The equalizer 5 has a frequency characteristic to emphasize a predetermined high frequency band in the amplified reading signal. Further, the equalizer 5 compensates a waveform of the amplified reading signal by this frequency characteristic, and supplies this compensated reading signal to comparator 6. Namely, the equalizer 5 forcibly makes the amplitude of the high frequency component in the reading signal higher in order to compensate a lack (decrease) of the amplitude the high frequency component in this signal.
The comparator 6 compares the level of the reading signal compensated its waveform by the equalizer 5 with a predetermined reference voltage, and generates a binary signal corresponding to the result of this comparison.
A clock generation circuit 7 is constructed by the so called PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit having: a phase comparison circuit 701 for comparing the phase of the binary signal supplied from the comparator 6 with that of a sample clock signal supplied from a VCO (Voltage Control Oscillator) 703, which is one example of a voltage control oscillator, and for outputting a phase error signal; an LPF (Low Pass Filter) 702 for restricting a frequency band of the phase error signal; and the VCO 703 for generating a clock signal according to the phase error signal outputted from the LPF 702. This clock generation circuit 7 generates the sample clock signal whose phase is synchronized with that of the edge of the binary signal.
A sampling circuit 8 samples the above mentioned binary signal at the timing corresponding to the sample clock signal, and sequentially outputs this sampled data as a reproduction digital signal.
On the other hand, this CD player further has a position detecting circuit 10 and a frequency detecting circuit 11. The position detecting circuit 10, for example, optically or mechanically reads a scale (graduation which indicates the radius position of the disc) disposed on a slider base on which a slider to move the pickup 1 in the radius direction of the disc is mounted, and outputs a position detecting signal to be used for recognizing the position of pickup 1 in the radius direction of the disc. The frequency detecting circuit 11 detects the rotation velocity (rotation frequency) of the spindle motor 2 which gives the rotation to the CD 30, and outputs a frequency detecting signal. Further, each of the detection signals outputted the position detecting circuit 10 and the frequency detecting circuit 11 is respectively supplied to a CPU 12.
The CPU 12 controls the access operation to move the pickup 1 at the determined reproduction radius position on the basis of the supplied the position detecting signal, and gives an instruction to the spindle servo circuit 9 in order to set the rotation velocity of the CD 30 at the reproduction radius position. Here, on the CD 30, information are recorded by CLV (Constant Linear Velocity). Hereinbelow, it is referred to as "CLV disc".
As mentioned above, in this CD player, firstly, the pickup 1 is moved at the determined reproduction radius position, and the spindle motor 2 i.e., CD 30 is rotated in the predetermined rotation velocity on the basis of the constant linear velocity. Then, the reading signal is read from the CD 30, and then, the binary signal is generated on the basis of the reading signal, and further, the sample clock signal synchronized with the edge of the binary signal is generated, and the reproduction digital signal is generated by sampling the binary signal at the timing corresponding to the sample clock signal, thereafter, this reproduction digital signal is outputted.
Here, when the reproduction digital signal is generated on the basis of the binary signal, the frequency of the sample clock signal must be sufficiently stable or be fixed. Therefore, in the above mentioned CD player, the reproduction digital signal is generated in the condition that the CD 30 i.e., the spindle motor 2 is sufficiently rotating in accordance with the predetermined rotation velocity on the basis of the constant linear velocity.
However, the weight of the disc affects the spindle motor 2 as load, for example, when the rotation velocity of the disc is changed. Therefore, response speed of the spindle motor 2 is generally bad (slow) because of inertia force of the load. Thus, in the CD player for reproducing the CLV disc, the time period when the pickup 1 is moved to the determined reproduction radius position from a different position and the operation to read the record information from the disc is started, i.e., the access time period, is long. Namely, the time period when the rotation velocity of the spindle motor 2 changes to and reaches the predetermined rotation velocity at the reproduction radius position is long. On the other hand, if the torque of the spindle motor 2 is increased, its response speed is fast. However, if the torque is increased, large electric current need to be applied to the spindle motor 2, the spindle servo circuit 9, etc, so that the temperature in the apparatus (CD player) rise because of heat generated by the applied electric current. Therefore, a cooling device, a cooling system, etc need to be added to the CD player, so that the size of the apparatus (CD player) becomes large. Especially, in case of a reproducing apparatus for reproducing a CD-ROM on which computer software is recorded, which is another example of the digital signal reproducing apparatus, since this reproducing apparatus is generally disposed in the housing of computer, the size of this reproducing apparatus is restricted. Therefore, it is undesirable that the size of this apparatus becomes large.
In order to solve the aforementioned problem and undesirability, it is to be desired that the operation to read the record information from the disc can be started when the access operation is finished, i.e., when the operation that the pickup 1 is moved as far as the determined reproduction radius position is finished. That is to say, it is to be desired that the operation to read the record information from the disc can be started without waiting for the time period when the rotation velocity of the spindle motor 2 reaches the predetermined rotation velocity at the reproduction radius position. In order to satisfy this desire, it is require that even if the rotation velocity of the spindle motor 2 i. e., CD 30 dose not become the predetermined rotation velocity by the constant linear velocity, the clock signal generating circuit 7 generates the sample clock signal whose frequency and phase are synchronized with those of the edge of the binary signal on the basis of the reading signal read from the CD 30 at the reproduction radius position in order to reproduce data (in order to output this reproduction digital signal).


The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that mechanically removes liquid and debris from a brushroll and stores the mechanically-removed liquid and debris onboard the apparatus in a first collection area. The surface cleaning apparatus also collects further liquid and debris from the brushroll by a source of suction including a vacuum motor or a pump and stores the collected liquid and debris onboard the apparatus in a second collection area.

Several different types of apparatus are known for cleaning a surface, such as a floor. One category of cleaning apparatus includes a recovery system that extracts liquid and debris (which may include dirt, dust, soil, hair, stains, and other debris) from the surface, and often have a delivery system that delivers cleaning fluid to a surface to be cleaned. Such cleaning apparatus can be configured as upright cleaners, portable or handheld cleaners, unattended or spot cleaners, or autonomous cleaners, i.e. wet cleaning robots.
The recovery system typically includes a recovery tank, a nozzle adjacent the surface to be cleaned and in fluid communication with the recovery tank through a working air conduit, and a source of suction in fluid communication with the working air conduit to draw liquid and debris from the surface to be cleaned and through the nozzle and the working air conduit to the recovery tank. The delivery system typically includes one or more fluid supply tanks for storing a supply of cleaning fluid, a fluid distributor for applying the cleaning fluid to the surface to be cleaned, and a fluid supply conduit for delivering the cleaning fluid from the fluid supply tank to the fluid distributor. Often, an agitator such as a brushroll is provided for agitating the surface to be cleaned.
Recovering liquid and debris by suction requires a powerful vacuum motor. Electrical power can be provided by a source of mains electricity or by a battery pack. Cordless or battery-powered cleaning apparatus are generally considered a convenience by many consumers, but often require providing less power to cleaning, and can perform less well overall than their corded counterparts, or else have short runtimes. For autonomous cleaners or cleaning robots that use battery-power for autonomous movement, the power dedicated to cleaning is even more drastically reduced, and do not perform well.

Surface cleaning apparatus with two-stage collection


A fluid level detection apparatus including a support member; first and second end blocks which are slidably engageable with the support member and which each have a passageway; a seal borne by each of the end blocks and disposed in each of the passageways, and a transparent tube telescopingly received in the respective passageways, and defining a fluid passageway or chamber; the present invention disposed in fluid flowing relation relative to an object of interest.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fluid level detection apparatus which is operable to measure the amount of fluid present in an object of interest, such as a tank, machine, or other article of manufacture, and more specifically, to an apparatus which may be manufactured or otherwise fabricated as a kit, and which can be assembled at a remote location for use on particular machines or in manufacturing processes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with numerous examples of prior art fluid level detecting apparatuses which are operable to provide a means whereby an operator may visually detect or otherwise verify the fluid levels in an object of interest, such as manufacturing machinery; fluid holding tanks; or other similar assemblies. For example, in certain industrial processes, it is important that particular fluids, such as lubricants, hydraulic fluids, or other fluid components of a manufacturing process be retained in tanks which are disposed in fluid flowing relation relative to a device utilizing same, or other manufacturing process. Such fluid level detecting devices have in the past typically included a transparent tube which is connected in fluid flowing relation relative to the fluid holding tank, and which further is oriented in a fashion which provides a quick and convenient means by which an operator may visually verify the level of the fluid present.
While the prior art devices have operated with some degree of success, they have been unsatisfactory in several important respects. For example, and in some industrial applications, the fluid level detecting devices must have an exceeding long length dimension due to the size of the tanks involved. Further, and in view of the fluids held in the tank, only certain materials could be utilized in the fabrication of the transparent tube. For example, if the materials were exceeding acidic, or otherwise had undesirable characteristics, glass tubes were frequently employed as opposed to utilizing synthetic, polymeric-based materials. As would be expected, as the tube length increases, the likelihood that such tubes could conceivably be damaged or rendered totally inoperable by accident, or otherwise, increase significantly. Therefore, in order to utilize such long transparent tubes, these same tubes are frequently encased in hardened protective shells or channels, thereby providing an increased level of protection.
It should be understood that these protective measures such as providing hardened shells, guards and other similar assemblies significantly increases the cost of these prior art assemblies. Furthermore, to sealingly secure the tube with the source of fluid to be measured, manufacturers have often utilized compression seals which are disposed endwardly of the transparent tube and which are held in place thereafter by a support assembly which presses or otherwise holds the respective seals against the end of the tube. While this method of sealing has operated with some degree of success, it is less than ideal because the force exerted by the support assembly is directed substantially along the longitudinal axis of the tube. In those instances where the tube is manufactured from glass, this method of sealing the tube is unsatisfactory inasmuch as the force may cause the tube to distort over time.
In addition to the foregoing, many of the prior art devices, which are illustrated in the drawings are cumbersome and otherwise complex in their overall design, thereby rendering them expensive, relatively speaking, to manufacture and maintain. Additionally, the prior art is devoid of a fluid level detection apparatus which provides various alternative means for measuring the temperature of the fluid being monitored, and which further can be assembled at a remote location, or otherwise adapted onsite, to fit various machines, tanks, or other assemblies having diverse physical characteristics.
Therefore, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have a fluid level detection apparatus which is particularly well-suited for measuring the fluid level in an object of interest; which can be manufactured in an inexpensive, compact kit configuration; is operable to provide a means for accurately determining the fluid level in the object of interest; and which minimizes, to the extent possible, the deficiencies identified in the prior art.


A truck bed rack includes a first side panel and a second side panel coupleable to a truck bed. A first upper bar, a second upper bar, and a third upper bar may be coupled to a top, inside surface of the first side panel and the second side panel. A first lower bar and a second lower bar may be coupled to a lower, inside surface of the first side panel and the second panel. The upper and lower bars may be adjusted to expose the entire truck bed to receive any type of cargo. The first and second side panels may couple to the truck bed and be self-supporting. The first and second side panels may include support brackets and support members.

Cross bars and roof racks have been used for many years to help individuals carry ladders and other long loads, secure shifting cargo, and help carry bulky items. Truck bed racks, which are installed over the bed of a pickup truck, are a derivation of a roof rack. Truck bed racks have many benefits when compared to typical roof racks and cross bars. One of the many benefits of the truck bed rack is that the platforms may be higher than the bed surface, leaving a lot of space for cargo inside of the bed. Truck bed racks have been used for years to increase a truck's carrying capacity and to assist in carrying certain types of gear. For example, some truck bed racks are raised higher than the cab of the truck to carry kayaks, canoes, and in some situations, to secure a tent.
Even with improvements in the industry to truck bed racks, there are still many downsides. For example, the truck bed racks found on the market, especially for off-road vehicles, are often constructed in a manner that severely limits the use of the truck bed. Some of the limits come from non-adjustable cross bars that take up space and prohibit a user from placing large loads inside of the truck bed. Further, many truck bed racks have anchored poles that make it difficult to get cargo in and out of the truck bed. Other truck bed racks have solid roofs or other members that prevent items from being transported in the truck bed.
Therefore, there is a need for a truck bed rack that is adjustable, so as to receive any type of cargo, and that does not interfere with the cargo space available. The present invention seeks to solve these and other problems.


The invention provides a golf ball with a ball surface having a plurality of non-circular dimples thereon, wherein mutually neighboring dimples have contour lines therebetween which are arranged so as to be substantially parallel and are separated by an interval of 0.05 to 1.0 mm, land areas defined by the substantially parallel contour lines have an outer surface which forms the outermost peripheral face of the ball, and the non-circular dimples have a non-circular shape with inside angles that are curved. This arrangement endows the ball with a distinctive, aesthetically pleasing appearance on account of the dimple pattern composed largely of non-circular dimples. Moreover, even though numerous non-circular dimples are arranged on the surface of the ball, the high surface coverage and air resistance-lowering effect enable the distance traveled by the ball to be increased.

The present invention relates to a golf ball on the surface of which many of the dimples formed are of non-circular shape, which golf ball has an excellent flight performance.
For a golf ball which has been hit to travel a long distance, it is important that the ball itself have a high rebound and that air resistance during flight be reduced by dimples arranged on the surface of the ball. A variety of methods for arranging dimples uniformly and to the highest possible density on the surface of the ball have been proposed in order to reduce the air resistance.
Here, the commonly employed dimple shape is a recess that is circular as seen from directly above. Because such circular dimples are used, attempts to arrange circular dimples to a high density, such as by making the width of the land between two neighboring circular dimples as close to zero as possible, result in the formation of triangular or quadrangular lands of a given size in areas surrounded by three or four of the arranged dimples. At the same time, it is essential to arrange the dimples as uniformly as possible on the spherical surface of the ball. Hence, a certain degree of compromise concerning the density in the arrangement of circular dimples has been necessary.
It is in such a context that, to arrange the dimples on a golf ball uniformly and to a high density, from two to ten types of dimples of differing diameter are disposed in such a way as to give the spherical surface of the ball the appearance of a regular octahedron or a regular icosahedron.
However, so long as circular dimples are used, the practical upper limit in the dimple surface coverage, defined as the ratio of the sum of the individual dimple surface areas to the total surface area of the spherical surface, is about 75% (that is, the surface coverage represented by the composite surface area of the lands is about 25%).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,615 describes a golf ball in which the land surface area has been reduced by providing, unlike the aforementioned dimples, projections (lattice members) that extend in a lattice over the smooth spherical surface and divide the surface into small hexagonal regions.
However, the small hexagonal regions demarcated by the lattice members are spherical surfaces having centers which coincide with the center of the ball and, because they are not dimples, are disadvantageous in terms of their air resistance-lowering effect.
In this connection, the present applicant has disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,309 (corresponding Japanese application: JP-A 2005-319292) a golf ball having formed thereon, between mutually neighboring non-circular dimples, numerous narrow-width edge elements that serve as portions of the dimple edges, thereby increasing the dimple coverage on the surface of the ball and enhancing the air resistance-lowering effect.
However, in these existing golf balls, the presence of acutely or obtusely angled corners in the non-circular dimples having, for example, a polygonal shape as seen from above increases frictional resistance with air, resulting in a less than satisfactory improvement in the distance traveled by the ball.
Moreover, the present applicant has disclosed the dimples described in JP-A 2006-95281. Yet, in addition to an increase in the distance of travel, there is also a need for good moldability and practical improvements in the dimples.


In one form a lateral MOSFET includes an active gate positioned laterally between a source region and a drain region, the drain region extending from an upper surface of a monocrystalline semiconductor body to a bottom surface of the monocrystalline semiconductor body, and a non-active gate positioned above the drain region. In another form the lateral MOSFET includes a gate positioned laterally between a source region and a drain region, the drain region extending from an upper surface of a monocrystalline semiconductor body to a bottom surface of the monocrystalline semiconductor body, the source region and the drain region being of a first conductivity type, a heavy body region of a second conductivity type in contact with and below the source region, and the drain region comprising a lightly doped drain (LDD) region proximate an edge of the gate and a sinker extending from the upper surface of the monocrystalline body to the bottom surface of the monocrystalline semiconductor body.

There exists a number of U.S. patents directed to lateral MOSFETs with a substrate drain connection including U.S. Pat. No. 6,600,182 issued to Rumennik on Jul. 29, 2003, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,282,765 issued to Xu et al. on Oct. 16, 2007, both of which make reference to additional patents related to lateral MOSFETs with a substrate drain connection. Also, Ng, Jacky C. W., A Novel Planar Power MOSFET With Laterally Uniform Body and Ion-Implanted JFET Region, IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 29, No. 4, April 2008, pp. 375-377, describes a lateral MOSFET with a substrate drain connection. For these devices which are designed for use in high frequency power applications, a number of transistor characteristics, such as gate-to-drain capacitance and Rdson, are important and therefore affect the sales of such devices.

Lateral MOSFET with substrate drain connection


A frame assembly comprised of a pair of frame halves each having an axially extending attachment rib is temporarily secured for storage and transport by detachably clipping the attachment ribs together. The frame halves are disengaged, rotated, and lockingly clipped together for final installation.

The present invention relates to a frame assembly, such as a window frame assembly, including clip(s) for temporarily securing the frames of the assembly for storage and transport and for locking the frames of the assembly upon installation.
Fixed frame window assemblies such as so-called door lights are typically manufactured at a manufacturing facility and then shipped for ultimate installation at another location. Referring to FIG. 1, a typical fixed frame window assembly 10 includes an insulated glass panel 12 and a pair of frame halves 14, 16 that sandwich the glass panel and support it in a corresponding opening defined e.g., through a door or wall. The glass panel is typically comprised of a pair of transparent panes sealed to a spacer frame.
It is desirable to secure the frame halves to capture the glass panel therebetween during transportation to protect the glass panel from damage, and to ensure that the delivered unit is complete. At the time of installation, screws 20 are threaded through aligned bosses 22, 24 of the frame halves to mount the frame assembly to the door with the glass panel captured therebetween.
Although the frame halves can be secured for transport using the mounting screws 20, such a process would be labor intensive, requiring additional man hours to secure the frame halves with screws for transport and to detach the frame halves for assembly to the door or other structure. Also, the conventional screw boss assembly of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 has the disadvantage that the final product has visible screw heads which may need to be capped for aesthetic reasons and which, even if capped, may detract from the aesthetics of the final product.


An air data computer senses acceleration and rotational rate of an aircraft with an inertial sensor assembly of the air data computer. The air data computer determines first attitude information of the aircraft based on the acceleration and rotational rate sensed with the inertial sensor assembly. The air data computer receives second attitude information of the aircraft from a source external to the air data computer, and determines attitude correction values based on the first attitude information and the second attitude information. The air data computer applies the attitude correction values to the first attitude information to produce error-corrected attitude information that is output from the air data computer.

This disclosure relates generally to air data systems, and more particularly to air data systems that utilize inertial sensors to produce aircraft attitude information.
Modern aircraft often incorporate air data systems that calculate air data outputs based on measured parameters collected from various sensors positioned about the aircraft. For instance, many air data systems utilize air data probes that measure pneumatic pressure of airflow about the aircraft exterior to generate aircraft air data outputs, such as angle of attack, calibrated airspeed, Mach number, altitude, altitude rate (i.e., aircraft vertical speed), or other air data parameters. Such air data parameters are then output to consuming systems, such as aircraft flight management systems, flight control systems, stall protection systems, and other consuming systems that utilize the air data parameters for operational control of the aircraft.
Often, aircraft also include an attitude reference system (ARS) that provides attitude information in the form of aircraft pitch and roll angles. The ARS typically includes an inertial measurement unit that senses current acceleration forces experienced by the IMU as well as changes in rotational position. Outputs of the IMU are often integrated over time by the ARS to arrive at an orientation (i.e., attitude) of the aircraft. However, such integration techniques can compound sensor errors over time. Some sensor errors, such as those due to temperature, can be considered deterministic in nature, and therefore compensated for in the integration techniques via pre-defined compensation factors. Other errors, such as turn-on to turn-on biases and scale factor errors can be unpredictable or stochastic in nature, thereby preventing use of such pre-defined correction factors for effective error compensation operations.


Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). The HEMT generally includes a gallium nitride (GaN) layer and an aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) layer disposed above the GaN layer. The HEMT also includes a source electrode, a gate electrode, and a drain electrode disposed above the AlGaN layer. The HEMT further includes n-doped protuberance(s) disposed above the AlGaN layer and disposed between at least one of: the gate electrode and the drain electrode; or the source electrode and the gate electrode. Each of the n-doped protuberances is separated from the gate electrode, the drain electrode, and the source electrode.

High electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are important components of devices used for high power, high data rate, and other similar applications. For example, HEMTs can be found in many high performance radio frequency front-end (RFFE) devices, power electronic chips, millimeter wave (mmW) circuits, etc. HEMTs are generally field-effect transistors (FETs) that use a junction between two materials with different bandgaps as the channel instead of a doped region (e.g., as is typically the case with a metal-oxide-semiconductor FET (MOSFET)).
Today, HEMTs are generally built with gallium nitride (GaN)-based materials, e.g., to support high power and high data rate applications. Compared to silicon (Si) and other group III-V materials, GaN typically has a higher bandgap, higher electron peak velocity, higher breakdown electric field, etc., making GaN suitable for such high power and high data rate applications.

High power performance gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor with ledges and field plates


A virtualized computing system includes a plurality of hosts, each of which is configured with a virtualization software for supporting execution of virtual machines therein. A method of managing a configuration of a system service in the virtualized computing system includes: upon receiving an application program interface (API) call to operate on a configuration object for a system service that is backed by a configuration schema of the system service, updating a database in accordance with the configuration schema to update or store the configuration of the system service. The system service executes with a configuration that is a combination of a default configuration that is defined in a default configuration schema of the system service and the configuration stored in the database.

A typical software stack for configuration management of a system includes an API (Application Programming Interface) layer, which provides an endpoint to configure and monitor the system, a business logic layer, which contains the API implementation, and a persistence layer, which persists any configuration or state change in the system onto a disk. In this system, it is not possible to figure out all of the configuration tasks performed by the end user while the system is live, especially after a long period of time has passed since boot-up of the system, because the configuration actions are not being persisted. Rather, the resulting state of those actions is persisted. As such, the system can only report the current state of the configuration, and it would not be possible to revert back to a certain configuration state. In fact, it is difficult to even revert back to the initial default configuration state.
The inability to figure out the configuration tasks performed by the user is even a bigger issue when the system must be managed at scale, because the complexity of managing the system grows with number of configurations that must be set and monitored. As a result, only ad hoc solutions, which provide configuration and compliance support for a limited set of configurations, are available in large-scale systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Generating and preserving default configurations of a system


Polyimide precursor solutions comprise an organic liquid and the reaction product of an aromatic dianhydride and an aromatic diaminobenzoxazole capped, on at least one terminal end, with a bifunctional chain extender. The bifunctional chain extender has one functional group reactive with the amine of the aromatic diaminobenzoxazole or the anhydride of the aromatic dianhydride and another functional group which does not form amic acid linkages, but which is capable of further reaction to increase the molecular weight of the polyimide precursor under conditions other than those used to react the aromatic diamine and aromatic dianhydride to form the polyimide precursor. These polyimide precursors can be converted into polyimidebenzoxazole polymers.

The present invention relates to polyimide precursors, to a method for converting these precursors into higher molecular weight polyamic acids and/or polyimidebenzoxazole ("PIBO") polymers, and to films and coatings of PIBO.
In the preparation of polyimidebenzoxazole, a dianhydride and diaminobenzoxazole are first reacted to form a polyamic acid. The polyamic acid is then converted to PIBO by closing the amic acid linkages to form imide rings. In general, the polyamic acids are prepared as a solution in an organic solvent such as N,N'-dimethylacetamide or the like. Heretofore, only a limited number of dianhydride/diaminobenzoxazole combinations have been disclosed as being useful for producing PIBO.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,409 to Preston broadly teaches reacting two symmetrical monomers to produce an essentially linear heterocyclic polymer having at least two different heterocyclic linkages. Polyamic acids can be prepared by selecting monomers from an otherwise long list of monomers (e.g. 2,2'-p-phenylene bis(5-aminobenzoxazole) and pyromellitic dianhydride). See also, the articles "Fibers from Ordered Benzheterocycle-Imide Copolymers," Appl. Poly. Sym., No. 9, pp. 145-158 (1969) and "New High-Temperature Polymers, VIII. Ordered Benzoxazole- and Benzothiazole-Imide Copolymers," J. Poly. Sci., Part A-1 (1969), 7(1), pp. 283-296.
"Azole Analogs of Polypyromellitimides,"Vysokomol. soed., Vol. (A) XIII, No. 11, 1971, pp. 2565-2570, discloses synthesis of azole containing analogs of poly-[N,N'-(p,p'-phenoxyphenylene)pyro-mellitimide]. A PIBO prepared from 2,6-di(p, p'-aminophenoxyphenyl)benzo[1,2-d:5,4-d']bisoxazole and pyromellitic dianhydride is described.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,873 to Mukai et al., discloses an aromatic heterocyclic polyimide comprising substantially equimolar amounts of a specific aromatic, trans-benzobisoxazole or trans-benzobisthiazole diamine such as 2,6-(4,4'-diaminodiphenyl)benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d']bisoxazole and a specific aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydride such as pyromellitic dianhydride. These polyamic acid precursors are prepared in an amide solvent and converted to PIBO. Similar PIBO polymers prepared from a polyamic acid solution are taught in Japanese Pat. Appl. No. 2-41819 to Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation and in "Novel Aromatic Heterocyclic Polyimide (PIBT) Having Ultra-High Modulus of Elasticity" by Seiichi Nozawa, Kagaku to Kogyo, 44(7), 1154 (1991).
"Synthesis and Mechanical Properties of Novel Polyimide Containing Heterocycles" by Nozawa, Taytama, Kimura and Mukai presented at the 22nd International SAMPE Technical Conference (held Nov. 6-8, 1990), teaches synthesis of one type of trans-PIBT or trans-PIBO using a polyamic acid precursor of 4,4'-diamino-phenylenebenzobisthiazole and pyromellitic dianhydride. Japanese Patent Application No. 41-42458 (Patent KOHO No. 45-8435) to Taoka Senryo Seizo K. K. teaches the synthesis of PIBO from a polyamic acid with the polyamic acid being prepared from an aromatic diamine containing a single benzoxazole ring such as 5-amino-2-(4-aminophenyl)benzoxazole and an aromatic tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride using thermal ring-closure techniques.
While some of the described PIBO polymers have been formed into fibers and films, they do not generally have sufficient physical and/or chemical properties (such as tensile modulus, tensile strength, elongation-to-break and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)) to make them generally useful in applications such as for the electronics industry.
In addition, polyamic acids used in preparing PIBO polymers can form highly viscous solutions at relatively low solids content. For example, solutions of polyamic acid containing as little as 7 weight percent of a high molecular weight polyamic acid can exhibit a viscosity of 100,000 centipoise (cps) or more. For various applications such as casting of films using conventional techniques, these high viscosities can be acceptable; for other applications such as spin-casting of coatings, lower viscosities are required or desired.
European Patent Publication No. 0 355 927 to Asahi discloses a photopolymerizable polyimide precursor comprising a specific polyamic acid ester, polyamic amide or polyamic acid salt structure derived from a tetracarboxylic acid compound, a specific diamine compound and an alcohol such as 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate or an epoxy compound such as glycidyl methacrylate. Each of the polymer repeat units of the described polymer contains a pendant organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms. The reference also suggests that when a group such as --C.tbd.N or --C.tbd.CH or a maleic anhydride residue is introduced into the precursor as a terminal group, the molecular weight of the ultimate polyimide produced by heat-curing can be increased. The polymers form a composition photopolymerizable with a photopolymerization initiator. The resulting PIBO polymer can be used to coat substrates for subsequent use in photolithography. Films produced from these cross-linked polymers exhibit relatively low tensile strengths and tensile modulus.
In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, it remains desirable to prepare polyimide precursor solutions from which PIBO polymers having a desired combination of chemical and physical properties can be prepared, including, when desired, a polyimide precursor solution having a higher solids content at acceptable viscosities for film forming applications, e.g., spin-casting. In addition, it remains desirable to convert these PIBO polymers into useful films and coatings.

Polyamic acid precursors and methods for preparing higher molecular weight polyamic acids and polyimidebenzoxazole


A method for measuring the masses of objects in any gravity environment, including microgravity or zero gravity. An object is placed on or attached to a platform or holder having a motor for rotating the platform. The object is rotated at an angular velocity and its centrifugal force is measured. Values representing the centrifugal force, the angular velocity, the tare mass of the platform, as well as a radial distance, are used to calculate the mass of the object. Three different variations of the method use different radial distance values.

In terms of classical physics, "mass" is a measure of inertia, i.e., it is a measure of the opposition that a body offers to any attempts at changing its state of motion. The greater the mass of a body, the lower its acceleration under the action of an applied force. On Earth, the mass of a body can be determined by measuring its weight, where weight is the gravitational force acting on the body. If the acceleration due to Earth's gravity, a, and the weight, F, are known, the mass, m, can be determined from Newton's second law of motion, which in equation form is F=ma.
A problem with conventional methods of obtaining mass by measuring weight for some conditions is that they require gravity, that is, a condition of not being "weightless". In environments where the acceleration of gravity is apparently zero, such as in a spacecraft orbiting Earth, where it is zero, such as deep in intergalactic space, or where it is not the standard value, such as on the moon, some means for measuring mass other than the typical, conventional methods of measuring weight on Earth must be used. In classical physics, mass is defined such that a given body has a value that remains constant under all of the conditions described above.
Equipment is in use today for measuring mass under microgravity conditions, such as during space travel. One type of such equipment is a simple spring-mass system, wherein the object whose mass is to be measured is oscillated. The relationship between the mass of the object and the period of oscillation is used to obtain the mass value, using the principle that for a spring-mass oscillating system, the square of the period is related to the mass and the spring constant of the spring. A second type of such equipment imparts angular motion to a fluid by a rotary impeller in a housing. The rotation of the fluid creates centrifugal forces and fluid pressures. The centrifugal pressure is measured with a pressure transducer and converted to a mass value.
A third type of instrument to measure mass is through utilizing principles of angular simple harmonic motion. The object whose mass is to be measured is placed on a platform having torque restoring means. The platform is rotated from an equilibrium position and released, such that it undergoes angular simple harmonic motion. The period of oscillation is measured and used to calculate the mass of the object on the platform.
A problem with existing systems for measuring mass under microgravity conditions is that they require calibration using a large number of known masses over the measurement range. For example, reasonable approximations can be obtained with the spring-mass system if it is assumed to be a single degree of freedom oscillator and an ideal linear relationship exists between the square of the period of oscillation and the mass of the object. However, over even small mass ranges of the equipment, that relationship varies from the ideal sufficiently that errors prevent achieving consistently high accuracy. So, the variations from the ideal can be reduced by an increase of the number of calibration masses.
Similar problems exist for the rotary impeller system in that there are variations about the expected linear relationship between mass and pressure. Therefore, the rotary impeller system requires calibration for a set of masses over closely spaced intervals. In addition, calibration over the full mass range is required for accurate results. Recalibration is also required under some conditions. This consumes time, promotes errors, and requires availability of calibration masses. Budgeting of time and weight are important considerations for spaceflight missions.
The rotary impeller system also has the disadvantage of not being adaptable to measuring items other than liquids. It particularly is not well suited for measuring the masses of solid items, especially if they are large.
Also, the physical sizes of these types of systems for use in microgravity are large. Obviously, that is a negative factor for many situations where mass must be measured. One spring-mass system designed to operate in microgravity also requires significant additional equipment for it to be able to operate in a gravity environment as on Earth. Operation on Earth is very desirable for checkout, testing, and verification purposes.
The rotary impeller system is complex to operate and requires lengthy time interactions by the operator. The cycle time to perform a mass measurement is long. The equipment has difficulty removing all of a sample after a measurement, which will cause an error for the following sample measurement. It also has reduced accuracy for smaller samples. It has poor maintainability, repairability, and reliability.
The angular simple harmonic motion system has not received significant development and has not been tested or operated under microgravity conditions. This increases the risks of improper and inadequate operation.


Recent advancements in LNA oligonucleotides include the use of amine linkers to link an LNA antisense oligonucleotide to a conjugate group. For example please see WO2014/I18267. The present invention originates from the identification of a problem when de-protecting LNA oligonucleotides which comprise an aliphatic amine group and DMF protected LNA G nucleoside, which results in the production of a +28 Da impurity. This problem is solved by using acyl protection groups on the exocyclic nitrogen of the LNA-G residue, rather than the standard DMF protection group.

Recent advancements in LNA oligonucleotides include the use of amine linkers to link an LNA antisense oligonucleotide to a conjugate group. For example please see WO2014/118267. The present invention originates from the identification of a problem when de-protecting LNA oligonucleotides which comprise an aliphatic amine group and DMF protected LNA G nucleoside, which results in the production of a +28 Da impurity. This problem is solved by using acyl protection groups on the exocyclic nitrogen of the LNA-G residue, rather than the standard DMF protection group.