In MIMO wireless communications employing LMMSE receiver, the symbols transmitted through a transmit antenna are estimated at the receiver in the presence of interference consisting of two main components: one due to the additive noise and the other due to (interfering) symbols transmitted via the remaining antennas. This has been shown to hamper the performance of a communication system resulting in incorrect symbol decisions, particularly at low SNR. IMMSE has been devised as a solution to cope with this problem; In IMMSE processing, the symbols sent via each transmit antenna are decoded iteratively. In each stage of processing, the received signal is updated by removing the contribution of symbols detected in the previous iterations. In principle, this reduces the additive interference in which the desired symbols are embedded in. Therefore, the interference level should reduce monotonically as one goes down in processing order. In a noisy environment, however, any incorrect decision made on a symbol in an iteration leaves its contribution in the updated received signal available for processing in the following iterations. Fortunately, if the level of interference is estimated and the soft bits are scaled appropriately by the estimated interference power, the performance of IMMSE receiver can be greatly improved. Preferred embodiments estimate the interference by computing the probability of error in decoding the symbols of the previous stage(s). The computation of decision error probability depends on the constellation size of transmitted symbols and introduces very little processing overhead.

The present invention relates to communication systems, and more particularly to multiple-input multiple-output wireless systems.
Wireless communication systems typically use band-limited channels with time-varying (unknown) distortion and may have multi-users (such as multiple clients in a wireless LAN). This leads to intersymbol interference and multi-user interference, and requires interference-resistant detection for systems which are interference limited. Interference-limited systems include multi-antenna systems with multi-stream or space-time coding which have spatial interference, multi-tone systems, TDMA systems having frequency selective channels with long impulse responses leading to intersymbol interference, CDMA systems with multi-user interference arising from loss of orthogonality of spreading codes, high data rate CDMA which in addition to multi-user interference also has intersymbol interference.
Interference-resistant detectors commonly invoke one of three types of equalization to combat the interference: maximum likelihood sequence estimation, (adaptive) linear filtering, and decision-feedback equalization. However, maximum likelihood sequence estimation has problems including impractically large computation complexity for systems with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas. Linear filtering equalization, such as linear zero-forcing and linear minimum square error equalization, has low computational complexity but has relatively poor performance due to excessive noise enhancement. The decision-feedback (iterative) detectors, such as iterative zero-forcing and iterative minimum mean square error, have moderate computational complexity and exhibits superior performance compared to linear receivers.
In an iterative receiver, the symbols from a transmit antenna are first detected. The contribution due to these symbols in the received signal is then removed, followed by detection of symbols from the second transmit antenna. This procedure is followed until all transmitted symbols are detected. Since the soft symbols and soft bits are estimated in the presence of noise, they have to be scaled appropriately before being fed into the Viterbi decoder for the recovery of transmitted bits.


Metal-azo dyes with excellent solubility in organic media are provided. The metal-containing dyes of the present invention have a nucleus of the formula: ##STR1## wherein the substituents have the meaning given in the description. Dye-donor sheets comprising the above-mentioned dyes are also disclosed.

Metal-azo and metal-azomethine dyes, having a single dye ligand complexed to a metal, are known in the art (see, for example, Drew, H. D. K.; Fairbairn, R. E. J. Chem. Soc. 1939, 823-35; Beech, W. F.; Drew, H. D. K. J. Chem. Soc. 1940, 608-12; Steiner, E.; Mayer, C.; Schetty, G. Helv. Chem. Acta 1976, 59, 364-76; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,012,369; 4,123,429; and 4,265,811). These 1:1 complexes are predominantly used in two applications; color photography (e.g., see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,453,107; 3,551,406; 3,544,545; 3,563,739; 3,597,200; 3,705,184; 3,752,836; 3,970,616; 4,150,018; and 4,562,139), and the dyeing of textiles (e.g., see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,878,158; 4,045,423; 4,218,367; and 4,617,382; and European Pat. No. 144776). The 1:1 complexes have a central metal ion coordinated to a dye and additional ligands (e.g., water, pyridine, ammonia, or ethanolamine).
In cases where the additional ligand is an inorganic species (e.g., water or ammonia), the physical properties are much like other coordination complexes in that they possess high melting points and poor solubility in organic media. Even when the additional ligand is a small organic molecule, such as pyridine, the physical properties of the resulting metal-azo dye complex are often not like most organic substances. A typical example is [2,2-azobis[phenolato](-2)-N,O,O,](pyridine)copper which is reported to decompose at 310.degree. C., apparently without melting. Reinvestigation of this compound using thermogravimetric analysis shows that the pyridine is in fact lost in the 100.degree.-160.degree. C. region.
Aside from the very early work of Drew et. al., melting point information is very sparse. In the Colour Index, the only melting point information on identifiable metal-azo dyes is on acid-basic complexes which generally consist of an anionic metal-azo complex and a positively charged organic dye. There have been several papers where melting temperatures are given for the unmetallized dye, but no information is given for the corresponding metal complexes.
There are also 1:1 metal-azo complexes containing 2- and 6-substituted pyridines, which form polydentate chelates that have been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,139 discloses metal-azo dye complexes containing tridentate nitrogen-containing heterocycles. These materials are used in various photographic constructions and were designed to be compatible with gelatin. In the examples, the materials were coated from either aqueous or methanolic media and it is unlikely that they would be oil soluble dyes.
A survey of all the solvent dyes identified as either metal-azo or acid-basic dye complexes in the Third Edition, and subsequent supplements, of the Colour Index reveals that very few metal-azo dyes possess significant solubility in hydrocarbon media. Of the 152 dyes identified as metal-azo dyes or acid-basic dye complexes, only sixty-six had any solubility data for hydrocarbon solvents (turpentine, white spirits and mineral oil); sixty are listed as insoluble to very slightly soluble; five are listed as slightly soluble to soluble; and only one entry is listed as very soluble.
In allowed copending U.S. application Ser. No. 7/667,658, filed Mar. 11, 1991, metal-azo dyes containing pyridines containing free-radically polymerizable groups are disclosed. In addition to demonstrating that these materials could undergo free-radical polymerization reactions under standard conditions, it was found that in some instances, those materials also had good solubility in organic solvents.
One use of organic soluble metal-azo dyes is in thermal transfer printing. The term thermal printing covers two main technology areas. In thermal transfer printing of textiles, a donor sheet is coated with a pattern of one or more dyes; contacted with the fabric to be printed; and heat is uniformly administered, sometimes with concomitant application of a vacuum. The transfer process has been much studied, and it is generally accepted that the dyes are transferred by sublimation in the vapor phase. Pertinent references include: Bent, C. J. J. Soc. Dyers Colour. 1969, 85, 606; Griffiths, J.; Jones, F. Ibid. 1977, 93, 176; Aihara J. Am. Dyest. Rep. 1975, 64, 46; Vellins, C. E. In The Chemistry of Synthetic Dyes; Venkataraman, K., Ed.; Academic Press: New York, 1978; Vol. 8, p. 191.
The other area of thermal printing is thermal imaging, where heat is applied in an image-wise fashion to a donor sheet in contact with a suitable receptor sheet to form a colored image on the receptor. In one embodiment, termed thermal mass transfer printing, as described for instance in U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,086, the donor is a colorant dispersed in a wax-containing coating. Upon the application of heat, the construction melts or is softened and a portion of the colored donor coating transfers to the receptor. Despite problems with transparency, pigments are generally the colorants of choice in order to provide sufficient light fastness of the colored image on the receptor.
Another means of thermal imaging is termed variously thermal transfer imaging or recording, or dye diffusion thermal transfer. In this case, the donor sheet comprises a dye in a binder. On image-wise application of heat, the dye, but not the binder, is transferred to the receptor sheet. A recent review has described the transfer mechanism as a "melt state" diffusion process quite distinct from the sublimation attending textile printing (Gregory, P. Chem. Brit. 1989, 25, 47). This same review emphasizes the great difficulty of developing dyes suitable for diffusive thermal transfer. With regard to the available conventional dyes, it was stated that ". . . It is significant that of the one million or so dyes available in the world, none of them were fully satisfactory . . . " Among the failings of these dyes are inadequate light and heat fastness of the image and insufficient solubility of the dyes for coating in the donor sheet. As has been noted previously, light fastness is also a problem in mass transfer imaging systems. In fact, achieving adequate light fastness is probably the single most important challenge in these constructions. In large measure this is the result of the diffusive thermal transfer dye image being a surface coating a few microns thick. The dye is thus readily susceptible to degradation by photo-oxidation. In contrast, textile fibers, which are 100 times thicker, are uniformly dyed throughout their depth, so that fade in the first few microns at the surface is of little practical importance. In consequence, it is common to find that dyes showing good light fastness in textile printing exhibit very poor photostability in the diffusive thermal imaging (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,568). There remains, therefore, a strong need for improved dyes for this latter application.
There is very little known about the use of metal-azo dyes in thermal printing art. A review on transfer printing (Datye, K. V.; Vaidya, A. A. Chemical Processing of Synthetic Fibers and Blends; John Wiley & Sons: 1984, p. 407) states: "Acid and metal-complex dyes which are commonly used for dyeing nylon are unsuitable for heat-transfer printing because these dyes have high melting points and low vapor pressures and hence, do not get vaporized and transferred below 200.degree. C. However, the recently developed Dew Print.TM. machine enables wet-transfer printing of the acid and metal-complex dyes on nylon." The wet-transfer-process dyes of the above article require the presence of water solubilizing groups such as sulfo and carboxy, and the dyes are generally charged. This process involves the dissolution of the dye in water and transfer to the substrate. Further details of this process are given in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,707.
Metal-azo dyes have been used in mass transfer printing. In Japanese Kokai Patent Application No. 62-021594, it is stated that "the ink layer is completely transferred to plain paper when the transfer recorder is peeled from plain paper"-- an indication that both the binder and the colorant are transferred. Moreover, the binders used in the practical examples are all low molecular weight (less than 2000 Daltons), except for the control which was demonstrated to not transfer efficiently. The colorants used were high melting pigments, some of which were calcium or sodium salts of azo dyes. These salts are ionic in nature and are generally not soluble in organic solvents. In a related case, Japanese Kokai No. 62-021593, the process being discussed is also mass transfer, however, the colorants were "oil soluble". Some of these oil soluble dyes were metal-azo dyes wherein the structures were not explicitly disclosed. The metal-azo dyes that could be identified were found to be negative charged 2:1 (metal:azo) complexes. The solubility characteristics of the dyes, for which structures were not available, indicate that they are probably 2:1 complexes as well.
Other embodiments of mass transfer system utilizing metal-azo dyes are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,585,688, 4,664,670, and 4,784,905. Described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,688 is a transfer medium comprised of a heat-resistive support, a colorant layer containing a binder and a coloring agent (which may be a metal-azo dye), and a transferable layer comprising a low molecular weight compound capable of containing a coloring agent and transferring an image to a paper receptor. In U.S. Pat No. 4,664,670, a thermal transfer donor construction requiring the presence of a low melting, essentially colorless, non-polymeric, organic nitrogen-containing, impregnating reagent for the printing of textiles is disclosed. A thermosensitive image transfer recording medium comprised of a support material and a thermofusible ink layer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,905. The thermofusible ink layer contains a fine porous resin structure made of a resin containing: (1) a coloring agent (which may be a metal-azo or metal-azomethine dye); and (2) a carrier material (for holding the coloring agent at normal temperatures and also for carrying the coloring agent out of the thermofusible ink layer for image formation upon application of heat), and (3) an image gradation control agent.
There are also several published patent applications (see, for example: Japanese Kokai Nos. 63-144084, 60-2398, and 59-78893) which disclose the use of metallizable azo dyes in thermal transfer donor constructions. In these cases, the donor layer comprises a binder and an azo dye that is capable of chelating to a metal. The azo dye is thermally transferred to a receptor layer which contains a metal salt which can react with the azo dye. The generation of a metal-azo dye by this method has several potential drawbacks because (1) the colors of the azo dyes and the metallized dye are different, the resultant color being dependent on the extent of metallization; (2) metallized dyes are generally much more resistant to light induced fade and therefore, if both azo dye and metallized-azo dye are present the color may change as a function of light exposure; and (3) the chelation of the azo dye to a metal often involves the generation of acid which could have a deleterious effect on image stability. This problem can be overcome by addition of buffering agents, however, this further complicates the donor or the receptor formulation.
The utility of some the materials of the present invention for thermal dye diffusion transfer is generally described in allowed co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 7/667,323, filed Mar. 11, 1991. Aside from the work in this copending application, the foregoing art does not disclose or teach the preparation and use of oil-soluble metal-azo dye complexes having ancillary ligands, free of free-radically polymerizable groups that can be conveniently prepared.

Organic solvent-soluble metal-azo and metal-azomethine dyes

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a developer carrier, a bias applying section, a leakage detecting section, and a bias controlling section. The developer carrier carries developer in the form of a layer of magnetized filaments to supply toner to the image carrier. The bias applying section applies to the developer carrier a development bias including a direct current voltage VmagDC and an alternating current voltage VmagAC superposed on each other. The leakage detecting section causes a discharge between the image carrier and the developer carrier and detects a leakage voltage when the discharge occurs. The leakage detecting section performs the leakage voltage detection in a blank region of the image carrier bearing no electrostatic latent image. The bias controlling section determines an alternating current voltage VmagAC according to a detected leakage voltage, and a frequency of the alternating current voltage VmagAC according to the voltage VmagAC.

The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus employing a developing method of supplying developer from a developer carrier carrying a layer of magnetized filaments to an image carrier carrying an electrostatic latent image.
In an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic method, such as a copier, printer or facsimile machine, developer is supplied from a developing roller to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum to develop the electrostatic latent image, thereby forming a toner image on the photosensitive drum. A development bias is applied to the developing roller. In some cases, the development bias includes an alternating current voltage and a direct current voltage that are superposed on each other. In order to set an appropriate development bias in such a case, there is known a technology of detecting a leakage voltage between the photosensitive drum and the developing roller.

Image forming apparatus with function of setting appropriate development bias


Polymeric compositions containing spiroorthocarbonate groups and another functional group which reacts with hydroxyl groups are readily crosslinked on contact with water. These compositions are useful as sealants, coatings and encapsulants.

The crosslinking (curing) of polymers is an important commercial activity, useful, for example, in elastomers, in coatings, and in thermoset materials such as are used for electronics. Controlling when and under what conditions crosslinking takes place is usually critical since once a polymer is crosslinked it is usually not "workable", that is it may not be reshaped. In some applications, such as coatings and electronic applications it may be desirable or even mandatory that no lower molecular weight compounds be volatilized during or after the crosslinking of the polymers, so as not to contaminate sensitive equipment such as electronics, and/or to pollute the environment, as in the case of coatings.
Numerous ways have been found to avoid the production of volatile compounds during curing. For example the reaction of epoxy groups with other groups such as hydroxyl groups may accomplish this result, but it is sometimes difficult to control after the ingredients are mixed and/or higher temperatures are required. To avoid these types of problems, especially in coatings which often must be cured under conditions close to ambient conditions and which often must be stable for long periods before curing, other solutions have been found, such as the use of spiroorthoesters, see for instance World Patent Application 9731073. However new and/or improved methods of crosslinking polymers are always of interest.
For coatings, basecoat-clearcoat systems have found wide acceptance in the past decade as automotive finishes. Continuing effort has been directed to such coating systems to improve the overall appearance, the clarity of the topcoat, and the resistance to deterioration. Further effort has been directed to the development of coating compositions having low volatile organic content (VOC). A continuing need exists for coating formulations which provide outstanding performance characteristics after application, and particularly mar-resistance and resistance to environmental etching. Heretofore, mar-resistant coatings were attained by softening the coating, which depreciates other performance characteristics. The instant invention helps overcome this problem.
In repairing damage, such as dents to auto bodies, the original coating in and around the damaged area is typically sanded or ground out by mechanical means. Some times the original coating is stripped off from a portion or off the entire auto body to expose the bare metal underneath. After repairing the damage, the repaired surface is coated, preferably with low VOC coating compositions, typically in portable or permanent low cost painting enclosures vented to atmosphere to remove the organic solvents from the freshly applied paint coatings in environmentally safe manner. Typically, the drying and curing of the freshly applied paint takes place within these enclosures. Furthermore, the foregoing drying and curing steps take place within the enclosure to also prevent the wet paint from collecting dirt in the air or other contaminants.
As these paint enclosures take up significant floor space of typical small auto body paint repair shops, these shops prefer to dry and cure these paints as fast as possible. More expensive enclosures are frequently provided with heat sources, such as conventional heat lamps located inside the enclosure to cure the freshly applied paint at accelerated rates. Therefore, to provide more cost effective utilization of shop floor space and to minimize fire hazards resulting from wet coatings from solvent based coating compositions, there exists a continuing need for low VOC fast curing coating formulations which cure under ambient conditions while still providing outstanding performance characteristics, particularly overcoming mar problems and resistance to environmental etching.
Spiroorthocarbonates have been used in a variety of crosslinkable polymeric systems, usually helping to crosslink the system by cationic polymerization of the spiroorthocarbonate groups and sometimes (co)polymerizing other groups such as epoxides, see for instance World Patent Application 0040280, U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,108, and C. Pan, et al., Polym. Int., Vol. 49, p. 74–80 (2000). None of these references describe the crosslinking of spiroorthocarbonate containing compositions via hydrolysis of the spiroorthocarbonate groups.

Polymeric crosslinkable compositions containing spiroorthocarbonates


A portable electronic device (22) includes a receiver (21), an antenna (25) attached to the receiver, an antenna circuit board (24) electrically connected with the antenna, and a container (26). The receiver has a resonance cavity (2113) defined therein. The antenna circuit board is fixed to the receiver and is used for obturating the resonance cavity. The container is used for receiving the antenna circuit board and the receiver therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to portable electronic device, specifically to a portable electronic device having a receiver and an antenna formed therein.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of wireless communication and information processing technologies, portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), are now in widespread use. These portable electronic devices enable consumers to enjoy high technology services, almost anytime and anywhere.
Such portable electronic device generally includes a receiver and an antenna formed therein. The receiver is used for converting electric signals into useful information. A given receiver defines a resonance cavity therein covered by a board in order to increase intensification and prolongation of sound. The antenna is attached to the receiver and electrically connected with an antenna circuit board for receiving and/or transmitting signals. However, such portable electronic device has a relative complicated structure and a relative large volume.
Therefore, a new portable electronic device is desired in order to overcome the above-described problems.

Portable electronic device with receiver and antenna


A method and apparatus for efficiently posting entries to a queue within the data processing system. Entries are posted by first processor with the entries being handled by second processor in the data processing system. The interrupt state associated with the queue is checked by the first processor. If the interrupt state is clear, then the entry is posted to the queue. This interrupt state is cleared only when all entries have been cleared from the queue by the second processor. In this manner, an efficient posting of entries to the queue may be accomplished.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the processing of data and in particular to a multi-processor data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and process for posting events or tasks to a shared queue in a multi-processor data processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multi-processor architectures employ shared queues for one processor to post events or tasks to another processor to perform. Queues are data structures used to organize sets of data blocks in memory by means of pointers associated with each data block in the queue. Each queue typically includes a number of elements in which each element is a unit of the queue. Queues are employed to control reusable hardware and software resources of a data processing system, including queues themselves, which are themselves system resources. For example, each element of a queue may represent a different waiting request for an input/output (I/O) device in a data processing system. Queues may be classified into several general types according to the relative locations in the queue. Contiguous queues are queues with elements physically located next to each other while linear chained queues are queues with elements physically disbursed anywhere in main or virtual storage. Hierarchical chained queues are queues that speed up queue operation by using hierarchical searching. Typically, queues may be either singly linked or doubly linked with singly linked queues having pointers that reference the addresses of other elements within the queue. Each element within a singly linked queue contains a pointer to the next element within the queue. In doubly linked queues, each element has a pointer to the next and previous elements in the queue.
These queues allow multiple tasks to be posted asynchronously to the second processor acting on the queue. The posting processor must insure that the queue is not full before posting an additional task to the queue. This condition is usually checked by either reading the current queue entry to make sure that it is empty or computing available entries using multiple queue pointers. In either case, these processes can require significant instructions, especially for embedded processing environments in which resources are more scarce than in main or central processing units. The significant instructions generally translate into increased processing time, slowing the response of the processor determining whether the current queue entry is empty. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improvement with an apparatus for reducing the processing overhead for multiple processor or embedded processor architectures in posting events or tasks to a queue.

System for fast posting to shared queues in multi-processor environments utilizing interrupt state checking


Recovery and conversion of geothermal energy from geologically stable, hot, dry rock is disclosed. Deep boreholes are drilled to form a system of feed and return conduits in the non-porous formation. Fluid is passed through the conduits where heat energy is transferred to the moving fluid. The return conduit brings the hot fluid to an energy conversion station located underground where the thermal energy is converted into electrical energy. Power from the generator and warm water are supplied to the community for use. To form the deep boreholes, a series of large diameter boreholes is drilled, and the rig is moved down at intervals until the environment becomes intolerable. At that depth, a final borehole is drilled to reach the optimum temperature level. The system of this invention taps an unlimited source of energy in this country and accomplishes this in a manner that is both cost efficient and environmentally friendly.

The potential for generating energy using the heat energy found within the earth, sometimes called "heat mining," has been the subject of much investigation over many years. If they can be tapped efficiently, our geothermal resources represent a practically inexhaustible source of non-fossil fuel.
Prior attempts to exploit geothermal energy have encountered various problems. Most of the problems could have been anticipated from the nature of the unstable rocks where the projects have been located. Some have attempted to recover geothermal energy from locations where unusually high temperatures are found relatively close to the surface. These geologically active areas typically are characterized by earthquakes, faulting, or igneous flows of molten material. It is these conditions which foretell an unsatisfactory outcome. Unstable geologic formations, where recent tectonic activity has taken place, normally are very fractured and highly mineralized with polluting formation fluids. Fractured formations release hydrogen sulfide and other undesirable gases, which should not be released into the atmosphere and which generate an unpleasant odor for miles around the site. Steam produced from water passing through these fractured formations may be highly mineralized and corrosive on turbines and generators.
In a conventional coal or gas fired electrical generator, the water is first heated to high pressure hot water, or steam at atmospheric pressure. A large portion of the energy from the coal or gas used to heat the water is lost as exhaust up the smoke stack. Water is heated to form thermal energy that is converted to mechanical energy, which drives a generator to form electrical energy. The big losses of energy occur when the cold water becomes high pressure steam. In conventional generator systems, more than half the energy is being wasted. Consequently, the maximum efficiency of traditional coal fired generators usually is less than 40 percent.
Thus, in spite of the efforts to date, there remains a need for a geothermal energy recovery and conversion system and method that is energy efficient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly. Coal is the most cost effective system of electrical generation in use today, but it produces a high degree of pollution. The emissions into the atmosphere, via the smokestack, are many including residual radioactive material carried in the coal. With present generating plants costing in the 750 million dollar range, the present invention provides a viable option for energy production.

System and method for recovering geothermal energy and for converting recovered geothermal energy into useful power

The Board of Regents for the University of Oklahoma


A management system for determining causal relationships among system entities may include a causal relationship detector configured to receive events from a computing environment having a plurality of entities, and detect causal relationships among the plurality of entities, during runtime of the computing environment, based on the events, and a rules converter configured to convert one or more of the causal relationships into at least one behavioral rule. The at least one behavioral rule may indicate a causal relationship between at least two entities of the plurality of entities.

A management system may include functionalities that are designed to monitor and track relationships, in the forms of models, among logical and physical resources of a computing environment. These relationship models may provide a priori knowledge of how resources within the computing environment are interconnected. The management system may use these relationship models to reduce management activities, and simplify troubleshooting procedures, when errors occur. For example, a relationship model may provide information regarding the connectivity of a set of devices to the rest of the infrastructure via a switch, and information regarding the effect on the devices when the switch is rendered inoperable, e.g., all devices connected to the switch create alarms. The management system may use this relationship information to suppress the noise (e.g., the multiple alarms created by all of the affected devices) and to provide information that indicates that the switch is inoperable.
However, in today's large, dynamic and (often) cloud-based environment, the inter-entity relationship/interaction model becomes expensive and difficult to maintain and it is also frequently difficult or impossible to anticipate all possible dependencies that might arise. Conventional management systems may only provide basic management functionalities with minimal aid of machine intelligence, in the form of static rules, e.g., previously known static relationships. Because infrastructures are poised to grow exponentially, administrators' inability to effectively manage them becomes more amplified.

Behavioral rules discovery for intelligent computing environment administration


A temperature control system is provided for efficiently controlling the temperature of an optical transmitter such as a laser diode. The temperature control system of the present invention reduces power consumption and achieves a higher efficiency by employing a voltage controller and a high-efficiency DC-DC step-down converter between the TEC controller, which drives the thermoelectric cooler, and the microcontroller, which governs the optical transmitter operation. The voltage controller converts an analog voltage command signal into a current-based command signal, which is then sent to the DC-DC step-down converter. The DC-DC converter produces a stepped-down voltage which it supplies to the TEC controller. The TEC controller receives the stepped-down voltage input from the DC-DC converter and outputs a corresponding current signal to the thermoelectric cooler. Because the current signal output by the TEC controller is proportional to the voltage signal it receives from the DC-DC converter, the current signal is reduced in magnitude. Upon receiving the current drive pulses, the thermoelectric cooler operates to stabilize the temperature of the laser diode.

1. Technology Field
The present invention generally relates to optical modules including optical transmitters. In particular, the present invention relates to a control system for a thermoelectric cooler included in communications modules having optical transmitters such that power consumption of the TEC and module is efficiently controlled.
2. The Related Technology
Computing and networking technology have transformed our world. As the amount of information communicated over networks has increased, high-speed transmission has become ever more critical. Many high-speed data transmission networks rely on optical modules such as optical transceivers and similar devices for facilitating transmission and reception of digital data embodied in the form of optical signals over optical fibers. Optical networks are thus found in a wide variety of high-speed applications ranging from as modest as a small Local Area Network (LAN) to as grandiose as the backbone of the Internet.
Typically, data transmission in such networks is implemented by way of an optical transmitter (also referred to as an electro-optic transducer), such as a laser or Light Emitting Diode (LED). The electro-optic transducer emits light when current is passed there through, the intensity of the emitted light being a function of the current magnitude through the transducer. Data reception is generally implemented by way of an optical receiver (also referred to as an optoelectronic transducer), an example of which is a photodiode. The optoelectronic transducer receives light and generates a current, the magnitude of the generated current being a function of the intensity of the received light.
Various other components are also employed by the optical transceiver to aid in the control of the optical transmit and receive components, as well as the processing of various data and other signals. For example, such optical transceivers typically include an electro-optic transducer driver (e.g., referred to as a "laser driver" when used to drive a laser signal) configured to control the operation of the optical transmitter in response to various control inputs. The optical transceiver also generally includes an amplifier (e.g., often referred to as a "post-amplifier") configured to perform various operations with respect to certain parameters of a data signal received by the optical receiver. A controller circuit (hereinafter referred to the "controller") controls the operation of the laser driver and post amplifier.
Performance characteristics of an optical transmitter and receiver may vary in response to changes in operational conditions like temperature and voltage. Particularly, changes in temperature may affect the output wavelength of an LED or laser diode; i.e., as the laser temperature varies, a corresponding shift in wavelength of the optical signal simultaneously occurs. One way of controlling temperature of an LED or laser diode, and thereby stabilizing the wavelength of the optical signal, is by using a thermoelectric cooler (TEC).
Generally, a TEC is a device where current flow through the device will heat one side of the device while cooling the other side of the device. The side that is heated and the side that is cooled are controlled by the direction of the current flow. Thus, current flow in one direction will heat a first side while the same first side will be cooled when the current flow is reversed. Thus, by varying the current direction, a TEC connected to a laser or photodiode may be used to either heat or cool the laser or LED to maintain a constant operating temperature.
It is also desirable that the transceiver minimize power use. This is especially true in optical transceivers because various standards and multi source agreements (MSAs) dictate the amount of total power that may be consumed by an optical transceiver. However, TECs contribute to the overall power consumption of the optical transceiver module. Where applications or vendors require or desire relatively lower module power consumption, a need exists in the art for optical transmitter TEC systems that efficiently manage power usage so as to prevent undesired or excessive power requirements while effectively stabilizing the temperature of the laser.

High efficiency thermoelectric cooler control system


A liquid ejection head including: a support member, a plurality of printing element boards arranged linearly on the support member, an electric wiring member fixed to the support member, and configured to transmit an electrical signal necessary to eject a liquid to the plurality of printing element boards, a plurality of conductive members arranged in an arranging direction of the plurality of printing element boards, and configured to electrically connect the plurality of printing element boards to the electric wiring member, and a thermosetting sealing member extending in the arranging direction and covering the conductive members, connecting points of the printing element boards with the conductive members, and connecting points of the electric wiring member with the conductive members, wherein the sealing member is divided at, at least one place in the arranging direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a liquid ejection head that ejects a liquid, a method for manufacturing a liquid ejection head, and a liquid ejecting apparatus provided with a liquid ejection head. More particularly, the present invention relates to a configuration of a sealing member in a liquid ejection head in which a plurality of printing element boards are arranged linearly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printing element board provided with a large number of printing elements, such as heating resistance elements and piezoelectric elements, is used in a liquid ejection head, such as an inkjet recording head. The greater the number of the printing elements provided in the printing element board and the longer the recording width of the printing element board, the higher the recording speed becomes. To record at a higher speed, a linear head in which a plurality of printing element boards are arranged linearly in a length corresponding to a width direction of a recording medium is receiving attention. For example, the linear head has a plurality of recording modules each having a printing element board and a support member, and a plurality of recording modules are arranged linearly in the width direction of the recording medium. PCT Japanese Translation Patent Publication No. 2010-521343 discloses a linear head in which a plurality of printing element boards are arranged linearly on a common support member. Since a common support member is used, the size of the linear head may be reduced. A plurality of printing element boards are arranged linearly in the direction parallel to the long sides. An electric wiring member for transmitting an electrical signal necessary for the ejection of a liquid to the printing element board is disposed so as to face one long side of each printing element board.
Generally, in the liquid ejection head, the printing element board and the electric wiring member are connected electrically by a conductive member, such as a wire and a lead. The conductive member is protected by a sealing member to prevent disconnection due to a short circuit caused by an ejected liquid and due to contact with the recording medium. In the liquid ejection head disclosed in PCT Japanese Translation Patent Publication No. 2010-521343, the conductive member is disposed along the long side of the printing element board. Therefore, a linear sealing member is provided continuously along the long sides of the plurality of printing element boards.
If a thermosetting sealing member is used, the liquid ejection head is heated during the manufacture to cure the sealing member. The support member, the printing element boards, and the sealing member expand when heated, are mutually fixed or restrained in a thermally expanded state. In the liquid ejection head, the coefficient of linear expansion of the sealing member is generally larger than the coefficient of linear expansion of the support member or the coefficient of linear expansion of the printing element board. Therefore, when the liquid ejection head is made to restore to a normal temperature after the sealing member is cured, the sealing member applies compressive force to the support member and the printing element boards. For this reason, the support member and the printing element boards may be bent and positions of the ejection ports on the printing element board may, therefore, be shifted, which may decrease recording quality. Further, flow paths, for example, of the printing element boards may be deformed and damaged.

Liquid ejection head, method for manufacturing liquid ejection head, and liquid ejecting apparatus


An energy retrieving device includes a first rectifier circuit, a direct current (DC) link circuit, a second rectifier circuit, an energy retrieving unit, a motor controller, and a micro control unit (MCU). The MCU includes an energy retrieving control module, to control the energy retrieving unit to work according to control of a processing module. The processing module detects whether a motor deceleration signal is generated by the motor, and controls the energy retrieving control module to make the energy retrieving unit retrieve power when the motor deceleration signal is generated by the motor.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to energy retrieving devices, and more particularly to an energy retrieving device for retrieving energy from a motor.
2. Description of Related Art
During motor driving, a large drive current for acceleration is caused to flow in motor acceleration period, and a regenerative current is generated in deceleration period. However, the regenerative current generated in deceleration period is thermally consumed by a regenerative resistor, resulting in wasted energy. For example, when a motor of a computer numerical control (CNC) device is driven by a motor driving apparatus, the motor is accelerated via a large drive current. However, when the motor is decelerated, a regenerative current is generated and then the regenerative current is thermally consumed by a regenerative resistor, which is wasted.
What is needed is to provide an energy retrieving device for retrieving energy from the motor that can overcome the above-described limitations.


A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk having a plurality of servo tracks, wherein each servo track comprises a plurality of servo sectors and each servo sector comprises a track address. A read signal from the head representing a first track address in one of the servo sectors is processed in order to generate a detected track address which is compared to a first target track address to obtain a first track address error. A correction metric is generated representing a likelihood that the first track address error was caused by a detection error, and if the correction metric exceeds a threshold, the detected track address is corrected in response to the first track address error, and the write operation is continued. If the correction metric does not exceed the threshold, the write operation is aborted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives for computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk drive correcting a track address during a write operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disk drives for computer systems typically comprise a disk rotated by a spindle motor with a head actuated over the disk in order to access data recorded in concentric tracks. The head is coupled to a distal end of an actuator arm which is rotated about a pivot by a voice coil motor (VCM) in order to seek the head to a target track, and then maintain the head over the track (tracking) while performing read or write operations. The position information for servoing the head comes from servo sectors recorded at periodic intervals around the circumference of the tracks. The servo sectors typically comprise coarse position information in the form of a digital track address, and fine position information in the form of servo bursts recorded at precise offsets relative to the centerline of each track.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art format of a disk 2 comprising a plurality of concentric tracks 4 having embedded servo sectors 60-6N. Each servo sector (e.g., servo sector 64) comprises a preamble 8 for synchronizing gain control and timing recovery, a sync mark 10 for synchronizing to a data field 12 comprising the coarse head positioning information (such as a digital track address), and servo bursts 14 which provide fine head positioning information. If during a write operation the track address detected from the read signal does not match the track address of the target track, the write operation is typically aborted so that data is not written on the wrong track. After aborting the write operation, the control circuitry will typically "slip" a revolution and attempt to re-execute the write operation.
In some cases, during a write operation the head may actually be over the correct target track but the wrong track address is detected from the read signal due to a detection error (due, for example, to an insufficient signal to noise ratio) rather than from the head being over the wrong track. Aborting the write operation in these cases decreases the throughput of the disk drive due to the latency caused by slipping revolutions and re-executing the write operations.
There is, therefore, a need to increase the throughput of a disk drive by reducing the number of aborted write operations.

Disk drive correcting track address during a write operation


The present disclosure a leak-proof lost-circulation control water-based drilling fluid composition and preparation method and use thereof.

Lost circulation has persistently been an extremely troublesome technical problem in the process of drilling oil and gas wells in oil fields, and has severely restrained the progress of oil field exploration and development, an improper disposal of lost circulation will lead to accidents such as collapse of the borehole wall, sticking of drilling tool, overflow and blowout, or abandonment of a borehole, resulting in the environmental pollution, and in a serious circumstance, it may endanger personal safety and cause enormous economic loss and very abominable social impact.
Sand shale has the characteristics of strong water sensitivity and developed fractures, there is not filling in the fractures, and crisscrossing of the fractures, such that the mechanical strength of rock bodies is greatly weakened, together with the mechanical impact and friction shock caused by drill bits and other drilling tools during the process of drilling operations, and washing of the drilling fluid with a high flow rate, the lost circulation of oil wells is prone to occur. Moreover, during the conventional over-balanced drilling operation, the closed fractures are turned into the open fractures, the wellbore drilling fluid seeps through micro-fractures and pores to the formation under the influence of a pressure gradient, the decreased friction between the fractures and dissolving of filling in the fracture reduce the strength, the pore and fracture pressure of the formation increases, which in turn leads to an increase in the collapse pressure of the formation and accelerates the lost circulation of drilling fluid.
In sand shale, the plugging particles in the drilling fluid fail to effectively plug the fractures of formation may be one of the important causes of lost circulation.
Therefore, adjusting the properties of the drilling fluid, controlling the solid particles in the drilling fluid, plugging the fractures and pores in the lost circulation formation by reasonably utilizing the leak-proof lost-circulation control materials, and developing the leak-proof lost-circulation control drilling fluids suitable for drilling the sandstone formation are vital for improving the drilling efficiency and constructing the borehole rapidly and safely.

Leak-proof lost-circulation control water-based drilling fluid composition and preparation method and use thereof


A method and ultra-compact system has been developed for illuminating and detecting the surface topography of an object such as the finger of an individual. The system is capable of producing high-contrast images which can be electronically transmitted in real-time, or stored using electronic or photographic recording devices. Light traveling within a light transmitting substrate is redirected by a slanted-fringe light diffractive grating preferably embodied within a volume hologram. The volume hologram, either of the reflection or transmission type, is attached to the light transmitting substrate, and functions to diffract light striking thereupon and illuminate an object having topographical surface structure. After being spatially and intensity modulated in accordance with topographical details of the illuminated object, the modulated light passes back through the light transmitting substrate and the volume hologram, onto an image detection array, for subsequent analysis. Each of the disclosed embodiments has a compact geometry suitable for use in diverse object identification applications.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing and detecting an image of a topographic surface, such as a fingerprint, for optical viewing or storage in a recording medium such as photographic film, a hologram, or computer storage means. Such topographic images may be analyzed or compared with previously recorded topographic data. Such methods and apparatus are used, for example, for personal identification in the criminology and access control fields.
2. Description of the Related Art
Examination of the fingerprints or other biometric features of an individual is a well known technique to establish a person's identity. In the past, fingerprints were recorded by applying ink to the finger and then rolling the finger on a piece of paper. Agencies then maintained these originals, or photocopies or photographs of the originals. Later comparison of these archives with a live or latent fingerprint could prove to be quite tedious and time consuming. More recently, methods have arisen to create fingerprint images which can be captured directly electronically for storage and/or analysis by a computer, or photographically for storage on film.
Many methods have been proposed for optical detection of fingerprints and other topographic biometric features such as footprints and palmprints. Most of these methods utilize optical systems which typically incorporate a prism or beamsplitting apparatus, and operate on the principle of frustrated total internal reflection. Such systems are necessarily bulky, cannot detect certain skin detail information, such as valley or pore detail, or require expensive optical components. In addition some prior art systems suffer from distortion, poor signal to noise ratio, aberrations, lack of contrast, and/or lack of resolution of finger detail information.
There are many patents which describe optical systems which use prisms to produce illuminating light. In such systems, one side of a prism is illuminated with light, while a subject's finger is pressed against another surface of the prism, usually its hypotenuse. A fingerprint image is formed by frustrated total internal reflection where the finger meets the prism. Light passing out of the prism containing the fingerprint image is then captured by an image detection system. Examples of prism-based finger print detection systems can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,414 to Myer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,498 to L. Becker and U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,128 to Z. Weinberger, et al.
A number of prior art systems have been developed, which illuminate the finger directly without using the principle of total internal reflection. U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,802 to Y. Fujimoto, et al. describes several finger print detection systems which do not use the principle of frustrated total internal reflection. As disclosed therein, one such system uses a light guiding plate having a through hole, so that the finger is in air, and light traveling through the light guide exits the light guide near the hole to illuminate the finger. The finger image is captured by a detection system directly opposite the finger. In another system disclosed in this U.S. Patent, a light guiding substrate is not used, and instead, a pair of linear light sources, such as fluorescent tubes, are placed near the `belly` of the finger to be imaged, and detection system images the finger directly. This embodiment suffers from bulkiness and direct lamp light reaching the image detector, thus reducing the signal to noise ratio of images produced using this system. In other embodiments, the finger is illuminated directly via light emerging from the light guiding plate. However, in such systems, the light strikes the finger at an angle, limiting uniformity of illumination and contrast.
Various fingerprint detector systems have been developed, using image comparison and illumination scanning techniques. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,571 describes a system which floods the surface of the finger with light. The light reflected from the finger is passed through a transparency of a previously recorded fingerprint, for direct comparison. The systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,200,701; 3,864,042; and 4,003,656 scan a light beam across a finger and detect light therefrom in order to produce an output signal for constructing a fingerprint image.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,300 to H. Ruell describes a system for forming a latent topographic relief of a finger pattern. This system uses a deformable polymer which is illuminated through its edge, while a finger is pressed thereupon. The deformation of the polymer, due to finger pressure, frustrates total internal reflection of the light, thereby redirecting the illuminating light at the points of frustration to the output face of the substrate.
Various methods have been proposed utilizing holograms as part of the fingerprint illumination and detection system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,427 describes a fingerprint recognition device which uses collimated laser light to illuminate a finger through a tetragonal prism. A hologram is used to shift the axis of the fingerprint image to a second optical axis, so that an objective lens can then project the fingerprint image to a CCD camera.
The paper entitled "Real-time fingerprint sensor using a hologram", Applied Optics, Vol. 31, No. 11, p.1794ff, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,186 entitled `Uneven Surface Date Detection Apparatus`, each describe a system which uses laser light to illuminate a finger directly using a light guiding substrate. The scattered light reflected from the finger travels through the light guiding substrate and is permitted to exit therefrom through a plain grating-type hologram attached to the substrate. A lens aligned with the plain guiding-type hologram then forms an image of the fingerprint which is subsequently detected by a CCD camera or other detector. U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,186 also discloses a system which uses a hologram to direct the light to the finger. However, in this prior art system, the image travels by total internal reflection towards a hologram which directs the image towards an image detection system located along a different optical axis from the finger. As the input light path to the finger and the output light path to the detection system are necessarily along different optical axes, this prior art system is likely to suffer from (i) loss of information due to imperfections in the waveguide-type light guiding substrate, and/or (ii) damage to the image information (e.g. addition of noise, distortions or aberrations) due to propagation of light rays through the waveguide and/or the light extracting hologram. In addition, the geometry of this prior art system limits its ability to be extremely compact.
Other prior art systems make use of holograms, but for different purposes. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,228, a fingerprint is compared against a fingerprint which is stored on a hologram.
Thus, there is a great need in the art for an improved method and apparatus for producing high-contrast images of the surface topography of objects, such as finger and foot surfaces, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and methodologies.

Device for forming and detecting fingerprint images with valley and ridge structure


In a preferred embodiment, there is provided a compact rotatable electrical device for attachment to a mounting panel of an electrical apparatus. The mounting panel has inner and outer surfaces and defines an interior space of the apparatus, with the inner surface adjacent the interior space. The device includes: a control body having a control shaft extending upwardly from the distal end thereof, the proximal end of the control shaft being connected to operative elements within the control body; and apparatus for attachment of the proximal end of the control body to the mounting panel through an opening defined therethrough such that the control body, when so attached, will be disposed substantially outside the interior space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to rotatable electrical devices, such as switches, variable capacitors, and potentiometers, and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a novel compact rotatable electrical device that reduces the volume occupied by conventional such devices in an electrical apparatus.
2. Background Art
Rotatable electrical devices are well known and include rotating switches, variable capacitors, potentiometers, and the like. In one application, such devices may be attached to an external surface of a radio. Typically, the device includes a stationary main control body disposed within the radio and connected to circuitry in the radio. Fixedly attached to and extending from the main control body is a hollow, externally threaded, cylindrical mounting bushing which extends through a hole defined in the external surface. A jamnut threaded on the mounting bushing is tightened against the outside of the external surface and secures the mounting bushing and main control body in place. Extending through the mounting bushing from the operative elements within the control body is a control shaft at the distal end of which external to the mounting surface is attached a knob.
A substantial disadvantage of the above conventional arrangement is that, with the requirement for some electrical apparatus, such as handheld radios, to become smaller and smaller, rotatable devices of the type noted above consume an increasingly greater percentage of the available volume within the apparatus.
A further disadvantage of the conventional construction of such devices is that the knobs thereof are frequently secured in place by means of set screws which can be loosened by vibration.
Another disadvantage of the conventional construction of such devices is that the hollow mounting bushing is a point of weakness and such bushings frequently break.
An additional disadvantage of the conventional construction of such devices is that the control shaft thereof is relatively long which presents a long lever arm and another point of weakness.
In some applications, protective ears have been provided on the mounting surface to protect the devices from breaking. These protective ears can consume valuable control panel space and hinder operation, in addition to representing additional manufacturing cost.
Yet another disadvantage of the conventional construction of such devices is that the jamnut is easily accessible from the outside surface of the panel and, thus, the apparatus is subject to tampering by removal of the jamnut.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a rotatable electrical device which is compact and occupies substantially less volume in an electrical apparatus than do conventional rotatable electrical devices.
It is further object of the invention to provide such a device that is strong.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a device that is easily and economically constructed.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a device that has a relatively short control shaft.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide such a device that is relatively tamperproof.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.


A system for determining the concentration of an analyte in at least one body fluid in body tissue comprises an infrared light source, a body tissue interface, a detector, and a central processing unit. The body tissue interface is adapted to contact body tissue and to deliver light from the infrared light source to the contacted body tissue. The detector is adapted to receive spectral information corresponding to infrared light transmitted through the portion of body tissue being analyzed and to convert the received spectral information into an electrical signal indicative of the received spectral information. The central processing unit is adapted to compare the electrical signal to an algorithm built upon correlation with the analyte in body fluid, the algorithm adapted to convert the received spectral information into the concentration of the analyte in at least one body fluid.

Those who have irregular blood glucose concentration levels are medically required to regularly self-monitor their blood glucose concentration level. An irregular blood glucose level can be brought on by a variety of reasons including illness such as diabetes. The purpose of monitoring the blood glucose concentration level is to determine the blood glucose concentration level and then to take corrective action, based upon whether the level is too high or too low, to bring the level back within a normal range. The failure to take corrective action can have serious implications. When blood glucose levels drop too low—a condition known as hypoglycemia—a person can become nervous, shaky, and confused. That person's judgment may become impaired and that person may eventually pass out. A person can also become very ill if their blood glucose level becomes too high—a condition known as hyperglycemia. Both conditions, hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, are potentially life-threatening emergencies.
Common methods for monitoring a person's blood glucose level are invasive in nature. Typically, in order to check the blood glucose level, a drop of blood is obtained from the fingertip using a lancing device. The blood drop is produced on the fingertip and the blood is harvested using the test sensor. The test sensor, which is inserted into a testing unit, is brought into contact with the blood drop. The test sensor draws the blood to the inside of the test unit which then determines the concentration of glucose in the blood.
One problem associated with this type of analysis is that there is a certain amount of pain associated with the lancing of a finger tip. Diabetics must regularly self-test themselves several times per day. Each test requires a separate lancing, each of which involves an instance of pain for the user. Further, each lancing creates a laceration in the users skin which take time to heal and are susceptible to infection just like any other wound.
Other techniques for analyzing a person's blood glucose level are noninvasive in nature. Commonly, such techniques interpret the spectral information associated with light that has been transmitted through or reflected from a person's skin. An advantage of this type of noninvasive analysis is that there is no associated pain or laceration of the skin. However, thus far, such techniques have proven unreliable because many techniques fail to recognize the many issues which impact the analysis. For example, many noninvasive reflectance and transmission based systems do not account for the fact the obtained spectral data contain glucose information from the portion of body tissue being analyzed as a whole, and is not limited to blood glucose. Other techniques do not account for irregularities in the spectral signal of the analyte due to instrumental drift, temperature changes in the tissue under analysis, spectral characteristics of the tissue that change due to pressure changes, etc. that can occur during the analysis or between analysis. These irregularities can impact the quality of the calibration model or the algorithms that used to determine the analyte concentrations from the non-invasively collected spectral data. The spectral data that has these irregularities can not be used by the algorithms to determine the analyte concentrations.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a reliable noninvasive system for the determination of analytes in body fluids.

Method for building an algorithm for converting spectral information


A multi-aperture interferometric optical system collects light propagating from a source of light and develops overlapping diffraction patterns on an optical detector that produces output signals for processing to automatically focus the optical system and form an image corresponding to the diffraction patterns. A preferred embodiment of the invention is a large aperture orbiting, earth-watching ring interferometric optical system configured such that there is no macro-structure pointing. Four mirror-ring structures direct incoming light to a multi-spectral primary optical detector that acquires light-pattern information to focus the optical system and derive an image.

The theoretical advantages of placing telescopes above the distorting atmosphere have been well known and practically pursued for about four or more decades. Briefly stated, these advantages include sharper images and accessibility to a broader range of wavelengths. The Hubble Space Telescope and NASA's upcoming NGST (Next Generation Space Telescope) are particularly well known examples of spaceborne telescopes. Remote sensing satellites beginning with Landsat and Spot, and more recently systems launched and operated by Space Imaging, Digital Globe, and Orbimage, represent earth-pointing examples of telescopes, known to skilled persons as "large aperture cameras." There are, likewise, but slightly less well known, similar advantages to placing optical interferometers into space. Examples of such systems include NASA's SIM (Space Interferometry System) and SIRTF (Space Infrared Telescope Facility).
In many respects, telescopes and optical interferometers are designed with the same result in mind, namely, to measure the optical energy distribution of a spatial "scene" or of some "object." Telescopes do so by forming a single image of an object or a scene, whereas optical interferometers explicitly measure the amplitude and phase of specific spatial frequencies of an object or a scene. Both devices can do so across a range of bands in the spectral dimension. By post-processing images derived from telescopes, one can readily obtain interferometer-like spatial frequency measurements; and by post-processing data from an optical interferometer, one can readily obtain telescope-like images, especially if a complete set of spatial frequencies has been measured.
A form of telescope implemented with non-full apertures was introduced and practically pursued before, but achieved popularity during, the 1980s. Such telescopes are referred to as "sparse array," "phased array," or "multi-aperture" telescopes. The basic notion of sparse array telescope design is to "coherently combine" several smaller telescopes, or sub-apertures, to achieve the resolving capabilities of a much larger telescope. An example of a multi-aperture imaging system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,591 for Multi-Aperture Imaging System. The premise underlying the operation of sparse array telescopes is that the spatial autocorrelation function of any given mirror configuration containing no drop-out points ("nulls" in spatial frequency space) achieves telescopic "imaging" or "full-coverage spatial frequency" optical interferometry in the absence of monolithic (or pseudo-monolithic, segmented) mirrors. Such a mirror configuration reduces cost and complexity. The accepted cost of implementing this relatively inexpensive approach is a reduction in light gathering capability, hence resulting in higher effective f/numbers and longer exposure times. The intended result is that much larger telescopes could be contemplated and built, thereby increasing the resolution of state of the art systems within acceptable cost budgets dictated by public security concerns and scientific endeavor priorities.
The cost virtues of sparse array telescopes have been and are now duly extolled and elucidated. At the same time, a number of various specific designs that attend to the unique design challenges presented by very large, space-based structures have been presented and sometimes implemented, at least in simulations. Noteworthy among these challenges is the need to position many optical mirrors to accuracies initially approaching and usually much finer than the wavelengths of visible light. This challenge has been referred to as "phasing" or what most people would call "maintaining focus." Moreover, the long-established optical interferometric principle of pointing only the sub-apertures (i.e., not the whole structure) and allowing delay lines to maintain coherence is a clear design requirement for most, if not all, realistic approaches to 10-meter and larger outside-aperture class systems. In addition to the generic and given requirements for a sparse array telescope, various provisions have been envisioned, built, and tested in structures that are to be initially compactly stowed in a given structure for launch and later deployed into an operational configuration.
All of the foregoing basic requirements were well described in the 1980s, and a wide variety of specific design implementations approaching these requirements have ensued. With only a few exceptions, which tend to be classic optical interferometers in character, the sheer cost and complexity of actually building, testing, launching, and operating sparse array telescopes have, to date, permitted production of no known operational system. It has generally been found that actual structural implementation of these conceptual designs is far more difficult than simply describing the now well-understood theoretical requirements that the work of the 1980s and 1990s outlined.

Establishing and maintaining focus in segmented-optic telescopes


A multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire having a low aspect ratio and a relatively high critical current density, and being suitable for a stranded wire. In order to produce such a wire, a tape-shaped, multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire prepared by the powder-in-tube process is cut along its length. The resulting multifilamentary oxide superconducting wires have a width smaller than that of the tape-shaped wire. The resulting wires typically have an aspect ratio of one to two. The filaments of the resulting wires are in the shape of a ribbon extending in the longitudinal direction, and arranged substantially parallel to each other and in layers. The filaments have an aspect ratio greater than two. The filaments inside include a filament having a portion substantially not covered with the stabilizer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multifilamentary oxide superconducting wires and methods of producing the same and stranded oxide superconducting wires formed of the multifilamentary wires that are twined together and methods of producing the same, and particularly to multifilamentary oxide superconducting wires having a relatively high critical current density (Jc) while having a relatively low aspect ratio and methods of producing the same and stranded wires formed of such multifilamentary wires and methods of producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire produced by a xe2x80x9cpowder-in-tubexe2x80x9d process is expected to be applied to superconducting cables, superconducting equipment and the like with liquid-nitrogen cooling. In particular, a tape-shaped multifilamentary superconducting wire having a copper oxide covered with a stabilizing metal is overcoming challenges such as providing a viable critical current density, a viable length, a viable mass-production technique and the like. Typically, a tape-shaped multifilamentary wire is prepared in the powder-in-tube process by packing raw material powder for oxide superconductor in a silver pipe, drawing the same to prepare a monofilamentary wire, inserting a large number of monofilamentary wires into a silver pipe (to prepare a multifilamentary structure), drawing and rolling the multifilamentary structure, and heat-treating the multifilamentary structure to sinter it.
Because of the crystallographic property of the oxide superconductor material, it is advantageous for high Jc that the superconducting filament is shaped flat having a high aspect ratio. Such a flat filament is typically obtained by pressing or rolling. As such, a wire of high Jc is provided in the form of a tape having a relatively high aspect ratio. For example, a typical tape-shaped wire has an aspect ratio of approximately 20, having a width of approximately 4 mm and a thickness of approximately 0.2 mm.
A tape-shaped wire, however, shows anisotropic properties in the direction of the magnetic field applied thereto and readily causes an ac loss in a fluctuating magnetic field. If a cable conductor is formed of a set of the tape-shaped wires, unevenness in impedance between the wires can disadvantageously cause a current drift and the like so that the conductor can have a significant ac loss. In general, the problems of current drift and ac loss can rather be overcome by a stranded structure. It is difficult, however, to form a stranded wire by assembling a large number of tape-shaped wires.
In contrast, round wires having a round cross section are suitable for forming a stranded wire. For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 4-262308 discloses a round wire with metal, silver or silver alloy and a cylindrical oxide superconductor alternately, concentrically stacked, as seen in cross section. The publication discloses that a multiannular structure having the metal and the oxide superconductor alternately stacked is provide, so that the distance between the interfaces of the oxide superconductor and the metal can be reduced, more specifically, the adjacent interfaces can be not more than 100 xcexcm distant from each other, to provide a c-axis orientation. However, this wire""s Jc is a value smaller by one digit than the tape-shaped wire and is not a practically applicable level.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-266726 discloses a method of producing an oxide superconducting wire round in cross section with a critical current density hardly depending on the direction of the magnetic field applied. More specifically, the method includes the step of packing a powdery oxide superconductor in a space formed between a metal tube and a metal core inserted therein, the step of performing plastic working on the tube, and the step of sintering the obtained wire. This method provides a superconducting wire having a structure with a cylindrical, oxide superconducting layer between the metal core and the metal tube. This method would not be suitable for producing a wire having a large number of superconducting filaments suitable for coils or the like.
Another example of attempting to enhance the critical current density of a round superconducting wire is disclosed in Cryogenics (1992) Vol. 32, No. 11, 940-948. As regards the round wire disclosed in this literature, 55 monofilamentary rods rectangular in cross section are arranged concentrically in three layers in a silver tube. In the report, the critical current of the obtained wire has not been measured. The wire disclosed in the literature, however, would not have a high Jc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,085 discloses a multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire round in cross section, wherein a plurality of flat, oxide superconducting filaments are arranged in a stabilizer with their widths oriented radially. Thus, in the cross section of the wire, the filaments have their widths oriented circumferentially. In general, this wire would hardly provide higher Jc, because such a process of the wire that performs plastic working in the direction of the widths of the filaments would not enhance a c-axis orientation that can provide a high Jc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,938 discloses a multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire having a low aspect ratio in cross section. This wire has an oxide superconducting crystal whose c-axis is oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wire. In this wire, the filament has an aspect ratio typically equal to that of the wire. This low aspect ratio wire is obtained by performing plastic working on a multifilamentary precursor tape and heat-treating it. In this technique, the step of processing a high aspect ratio tape into a low aspect ratio wire would not provide a high Jc. Thus this technique would hardly provide a high Jc wire comparable to the tape-shaped wire.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 9-259660 and 11-39963 disclose a multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire and a method of producing the same according to the powder-in-tube process. The improved method disclosed in the publications includes the steps of: packing an oxide superconductor or raw material powder therefor in a tube formed of a stabilizing material; performing plastic working on the tube with the powder packed therein to obtain a tape-shaped wire; packing a plurality of such tape-shaped wires in a tube formed of a stabilizing material; performing plastic working on the tube with the tape-shaped wires packed therein to obtain a wire having a substantially round cross section or a substantially equilaterally polygonal cross section having at least six angles; and heat-treating the wire to produce a sintered body of the oxide superconductor, wherein the powder portion of the tape-shaped wire to be packed in the tube is in the shape of a ribbon having an aspect ratio of 4 to 40 and the wire thermally treated has oxide superconducting filaments each having a thickness in a range from 5 xcexcm to 50 xcexcm. In this method, sufficiently compressed tape-shaped wires can be packed in a tube in an appropriate arrangement to enhance the crystal orientation of the oxide superconducting for a high Jc. However, a higher Jc is also desired over this technique.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-68727 (filed on Aug. 19, 1992) discloses a production method including the steps of: providing an oxide superconducting film on an abraded, long substrate; and cutting the substrate to obtain a plurality of superconducting wires. According to this method, the substrate is cut so as to produce a superconducting wire having a lower aspect ratio than the substrate. In this method, however, it is difficult to obtain a multifilamentary wire.
Conventionally there is also a technique, as shown in FIG. 1, stacking and bonding a plurality of tape-shaped, oxide superconducting wires 1 together to provide a block 2. In each tape-shaped wire 1, oxide superconducting filaments are completely covered with a stabilizing material. Block 2 has a lower aspect ratio than tape-shaped wire 1. Block 2 thus obtained, however, has relatively large width and thickness so that it is bulky and unsuitable as a strand for use in producing a stranded wire. Furthermore, block 2 can contain an excessive amount of the stabilizer to provide a Jc per the cross section area of the wire (i.e., overall Jc) reduced.
D. C. Larbalestier et al., Physica C 221 (1994) 299-303 and G. Grasso et al., Physica C 241 (1995) 45-52 disclose that a relatively short, monofilamentary oxide superconducting tape is cut to provide a plurality of pieces thereof for the measurement of the Jc profile in the oxide super conductor. These reports show an interesting result with respect to a monofilament""s Jc profile or variation. However, these reports only relate to Jc measurement and they never suggests any information useful in processing a multifilamentary wire.
One object of the present invention is to provide a multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire having a relatively high Jc and being suitable for a stranded wire and a method of producing the same.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a low aspect ratio, multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire having a relatively high Jc and a method of producing the same.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire suitable for a solenoid coil and a method of producing the same.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a stranded oxide superconducting wire having a relatively high Jc and a method of producing the same.
The present invention is directed to a method of producing a multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire, which includes the step of making a cut or cuts in a tape-shaped multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire prepared by a powder-in-tube process, along the longitudinal direction thereof, so that a plurality of multifilamentary oxide superconducting wires smaller in width than the tape-shaped wire are obtained from the tape-shaped wire.
Furthermore the present invention is directed a method of producing a stranded oxide superconducting wire, which includes the steps of: making a cut or cuts in a tape-shaped multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire prepared by a powder-in-tube process, along the longitudinal direction thereof, so that a plurality of multifilamentary oxide superconducting wires smaller in width than the tape-shaped wire are obtained from the tape-shaped wire; and twining a required number of the multifilamentary oxide superconducting wires obtained.
In the present method, preferably, the tape-shaped wire to be cut has an aspect ratio of at least ten. The obtained multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire smaller in width preferably has an aspect ratio of one to two. In the present method the oxide is typically a bismuth-based oxide.
The present invention is also directed to a multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire. The multifilamentary wire is obtained by the method defined above. The multifilamentary wire includes a stabilizer and a plurality of filaments made of an oxide superconductor in contact with the stabilizer, wherein its aspect ratio is one to two, the plurality of filaments are in the shape of a ribbon extending in the longitudinal direction of the multifilamentary wire, the plurality of filaments are arranged substantially parallel to each other and arranged in layers, the plurality of filaments have an aspect ratio greater than that of the multifilamentary wire, and the plurality of filaments include a filament having a portion substantially not covered with the stabilizer.
In the present multifilamentary wire, preferably, the filaments have an aspect ratio greater than two, more preferably have an aspect ratio of at least ten. In the present multifilamentary wire the oxide superconductor is typically a bismuth-based oxide superconductor.
Furthermore the present invention is directed to a stranded oxide superconducting wire which is composed of a plurality of the multifilamentary oxide superconducting wires defined above that are twined into the stranded wire. Each strand constituting the stranded wire has properties of the multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire defined above.

Multifilamentary oxide superconducting wire and method of producing the same, and stranded oxide superconducting wire and method of producing the same


A lamp unit of a vehicle lamp includes a projection lens arranged on an optical axis extending in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, a light-emitting element arranged so as to face upward behind a rear focal point of the projection lens and in the vicinity of the optical axis, and a reflector arranged so as to cover the light-emitting element from above and to reflect the light from the light-emitting element forward toward the optical axis. The light-emitting element has a plurality of light-emitting chips arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in a vehicle width direction. A mirror member is provided between the reflector and the projection lens. The mirror member includes an upward reflecting surface that upward reflects a portion of the reflected light from the reflector. A diffusing and reflecting portion that diffuses and reflects the reflected light from the reflector is formed in the upward reflecting surface so as to bridge over the optical axis in the vehicle width direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp, and particularly, relates to a projector-type lamp unit that uses a light-emitting element as a light source.
2. Related Art
In recent years, even in vehicle headlamps, lamp units that use a light-emitting element, such as a light-emitting diode, as a light source have been adopted.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a so-called projector-type lamp unit including a projection lens arranged on an optical axis extending in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, a light-emitting element arranged so as to face upward behind a rear focal point of the projection lens and in the vicinity of the optical axis, and a reflector arranged so as to cover the light-emitting element from above and to reflect the light from the light-emitting element forward toward the optical axis.
In such a case, in the lamp unit disclosed in Patent Document 1, a mirror member that has an upward reflecting surface that upward reflects a portion of the reflected light from the reflector is provided between the reflector and the projection lens, and a light-emitting element that has a plurality of light-emitting chips arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction is used as the above light-emitting element.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2006-335328
In the projector-type lamp unit provided with a mirror member as disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, the utilization efficiency of the light from the light-emitting element can be enhanced, and thereby the brightness of a light distribution pattern can be formed sufficiently.
However, in the projector type lamp unit, a light source image formed on the rear focal plane of the projection lens is projected onto a virtual vertical screen ahead of the lamp as an inverted image. Thus, when a light-emitting element having a plurality of light-emitting chips arranged so as to be adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction is used as the light source, a light source image formed by the reflected light from a central reflection region close to and just above the optical axis in the reflector has a gap between the light-emitting chips. Because of this, there is a problem in that the gap may be projected as a longitudinally striped dark portion, and thereby light distribution unevenness may be caused in a light distribution pattern.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A device for discharging milk and/or milk froth, including a pump to convey milk from a container, a flow-heater, and an output for discharging milk, embodied cooperating with each other such that milk conveyed via the pump and heated via the flow-heater can be discharged from the output. At least one steam generator is provided cooperating with the flow-heater such that downstream in reference to the flow-heater and upstream in reference to the output, steam can be fed to the milk for an additional heating step. An air valve to create milk froth is provided, and the air valve is openable to introduce air upstream in reference to the flow-heater.

The invention relates to a device for discharging milk as well as a method for heating milk.
Devices to discharge milk are known, which comprise a pump for conveying milk from a container, a flow-heater, and an output for discharging milk. Via the output the milk can be discharged into a container, for example a cup. Conveying milk via a pump and heating it in a flow-heater to discharge it in an output represents a simple and inexpensively designed method for discharging warm milk.
Such devices are particularly used in devices for generating liquid foods, particularly in automatic coffee makers, since here frequently mixed drinks are requested, which comprise for example warm milk and/or milk froth as one of its components.
Particularly in automatic coffee makers frequently devices as the ones described above are integrated or connected as an attachment of such coffee makers or at least connected to a joint output to discharge of milk, on the one side, and coffee, on the other side.
In particular when using a device for discharging warm milk in the food industry high requirements are set to hygiene and cleaning options. In particular, no milk residue may remain in the device over an extended period of time.


The present invention is associated with a recording medium in which, to a data part constituted by frames obtained by attaching a synchronous signal to the data divided by a predetermined data length, data having a preamble part and a postamble part attached with at least one synchronous signal having a pattern different from that of the synchronous signal attached to the data part are recorded, a reproducing apparatus for reproducing this recording medium, and a recording apparatus for recording data to this recording medium.

The present invention relates generally to a recording medium on which data are recorded and reproduced in a predetermined signal format, a reproducing apparatus for reproducing the data recorded to the above-mentioned recording medium, and a recording apparatus for recording data to the above-mentioned recording medium in the predetermined signal format.
In conventional optical disk apparatuses, synchronous patterns are inserted in continuous data and, with reference to these synchronous patterns, the loss of synchronization of clock is corrected to properly reproduce the data. Further, with conventional optical disk apparatuses, plural types of synchronous patterns smaller in number than the number of frames forming one sector are used in combination, thereby effectively evading the increase in the redundancy caused by the synchronous patterns and, at the same time, allowing the identification of each frame on the basis of a result of the reproduction of these synchronous patterns.
However, the above-mentioned optical disk apparatuses present a problem that, as the speed of reading data from an optical disk increases, a synchronous pattern detection error occurs.

Recording medium, reproducing apparatus, and recording apparatus


Provided are an electrical fuse, a semiconductor device having the same, and a method of programming and reading the electrical fuse. The electrical fuse includes first and second anodes disposed apart from each other. A cathode is interposed between the first and second anodes. A first fuse link couples the first anode to the cathode, and a second fuse link couples the second anode to the cathode.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrical fuse and, more particularly, to an electrical fuse, a semiconductor device having the same, and a method of programming and reading the electrical fuse.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Semiconductor memory devices (chips) disposed on a semiconductor substrate are electrically tested before an assembly process. As a result, the semiconductor chips are classified as either defective or good. When a malfunction occurs in at least one defective cell of the defective chips, the defective cell is replaced by a redundant cell in a repair process. In order to allow the redundant cell to use an address of the defective cell in write and read modes, predetermined fuses are blown (for example, programmed) using the repair process. It may be confirmed whether the fuses are blown or not by sensing the resistance with the application of a voltage to both ends of each of the fuses on which the repair process is performed.
The fuses may be a laser fuse, which is blown using laser, or an electrical fuse, which is blown by applying a voltage.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional electrical fuse.
Referring to FIG. 1, the electrical fuse is disposed on a semiconductor substrate 10. The electrical fuse includes a cathode 12 and an anode 14, which are spaced apart from each other, and a fuse link 16, which combines the cathode 12 with the anode 14. For example, the cathode 12 and the anode 14 are coupled in series by the fuse link 16. The cathode 12 has a larger area than the anode 14. Contact plugs 18 are disposed on the anode 14 to contact interconnections (not shown), and contact plugs 20 are disposed on the cathode 12 to contact interconnections (not shown).
A program voltage higher than a threshold voltage is applied to the cathode 12 and the anode 14 such that the electrical fuse is blown. Generally, a negative voltage is applied to the cathode 12, while a positive voltage is applied to the anode 14. Thus, electrical migration EM and thermal migrations TM1 and TM2 occur between the cathode 12 and the anode 14. Particularly, current crowding occurs at a boundary region A between the cathode 12 and the fuse link 16. The electrical migration occurs from the cathode 12 toward the anode 14.
FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the distribution of thermal migration that occurs by the application of a program voltage to the conventional electrical fuse shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, when a program voltage is applied to the conventional electrical fuse, first thermal migration TM1 occurs from the center M/2 of the fuse link 16 toward the anode 14, while second thermal migration TM2 occurs from the center M/2 of the fuse link 16 toward the cathode 12. The first thermal migration TM1 occurs in the same direction as the electrical migration EM. However, the second thermal migration TM2 occurs in an opposite direction to the electrical migration EM. Thus, the second thermal migration TM2 prevents the electrical fuse from being programmed (or blown). As a result, the reliability of the repair process deteriorates.

Electrical fuse, semiconductor device having the same, and method of programming and reading the electrical fuse


A low power method for determining whether a cargo destined for air transport is in a flying state having the steps of: providing a housing for attachment to a cargo the housing having: an accelerometer for detecting a linear acceleration, a gyroscope for detecting an angular rate, a controller measuring a linear acceleration with the accelerometer, measuring an angular rate with the gyroscope, providing the measured linear acceleration and angular rate to the controller, and generating a flight status output signal indicating whether the housing is in a flying state as a function of the linear acceleration signal and angular rate signal.

Aircraft flight status detectors are generally known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,791,455 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Autonomous Detection of a Given Location or Situation" is directed to system for detecting the presence of operational aircraft through detecting the presence of a predetermined signal, the arrival at a given location, and a change in air pressure.

Real-time aircraft status detection system and method