A process for making an aerogel-electrolyte-metal composite includes contacting an aerogel with an electrolyte to form an aerogel-electrolyte composite; contacting the aerogel-electrolyte composite with a metal precursor to form an aerogel-electrolyte-precursor composite; and converting the metal precursor of the aerogel-electrolyte-precursor composite to metal crystals to form the aerogel-electrolyte-metal composite. In addition, an aerogel-electrolyte-metal composite is formed by the process, wherein the average longest dimension of the metal crystals is about 1 to about 3 nanometers, and wherein the metal crystals are about 30% to about 100% dispersed.

This disclosure generally relates to processes for making composites comprising at least one metal or metal alloy and an electrolyte associated with a support, and more specifically processes suitable for making an aerogel-electrolyte-metal composite.
Supported metals find utility in a wide range of applications, for example as electrodes and/or catalysts. Known supports include aerogels, which are porous materials that may be produced by sol-gel polycondensation reactions. Many aerogels have small inter-connected pores. The chemical composition, microstructure, and physical properties of aerogels may be controlled on the nanometer scale by adjusting the sol-gel processing conditions.
Electrodes have been made from monolithic, granular and microspherical carbon aerogels (also referred to as carbon foams). Such electrodes are used, for example, in energy storage devices such as capacitors and batteries, in fuel cells, e.g., proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, in electrocapacitive deionization devices, and the like. Fuel cells are believed to be a promising alternative to present power sources because fuel cells are able to convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy with high efficiency and low emission of pollutants. Among various types of fuel cells, PEM fuel cells are particularly attractive because they operate at low temperatures, allow immediate response to changes in the demand for power, and exhibit high efficiencies and power densities.
PEM fuel cell systems are based on a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), which includes a polymer electrolyte (the "membrane") disposed between an anode and a cathode. Hydrogen is channeled to the anode at which it forms hydrogen ions (protons) and electrons in the presence of a metal catalyst. The polymer electrolyte membrane allows only the positively charged ions to pass through it to the cathode. The electrons must travel along an external circuit to the cathode, creating an electrical current. At the cathode, the electrons and positively charged hydrogen ions combine with oxygen to form water, which flows out of the cell.
In PEM fuel cells, precious metals such as platinum are the most active catalysts. Unfortunately, platinum is expensive and electrodes are frequently limited by low platinum utilization (i.e., percentage of platinum that can be accessed by reactants for catalysis). Some applications may tolerate increased platinum concentrations to compensate for the low utilization level. However, in order for PEM fuel cells to be more commercially viable, a reduction in the cost per kilowatt (kW) is desirable. This can be achieved by minimizing the precious metal concentration and/or increasing the precious metal utilization in the electrode.
One approach uses platinum crystals supported on a high surface area carbon, such as an aerogel, rather than pure platinum black crystallites as the catalyst. As used herein, the term "crystals" includes crystalline-like structures, partially crystalline structures and agglomerations of crystals, partially crystalline structures, and/or amorphous or semi-amorphous particles. One difficulty with existing processes for making aerogels comprising metalcrystals is the inadequate control over the manner in which metalcrystals are incorporated. Frequently, composites with inconsistent metal crystal sizes, broad crystal size distributions and poor electrolyte-to-catalyst contact are formed. This has been one of the factors impeding the commercialization of aerogel supported catalysts and/or electrodes, particularly for use as a MEA in a PEM fuel cell.
There accordingly remains a need in the art for improved aerogel-metal composites, particularly carbon aerogel-metal composites, and improved processes for making such composites. It would be particularly beneficial if such composites and processes resulted in decreased metal crystal concentration and/or improved exposure of catalysts to the reactants at the electrolyte/catalyst interfacial region for improved performance and/or reduced cost of fuel cells and other devices using supported electrocatalysts.

Processes for making aerogel-electrolyte-metal composites


A sprocket box for increasing the gas mileage of a vehicle with an automatic transmission is positioned between the back of an engine block and the torque converter. The sprocket box is fed the rotational motion from the engine and doubles the rotational motion being fed into the torque converter in order to increase the fluid pressure felt within the torque converter. Thus, the sprocket box is used to increase the fuel economy of the vehicle. The rotation motion from the engine is transferred and modified by the sprocket box by using an input assembly of sprockets and a roller chain and by using an output sprocket of more sprockets and another roller chain.

There are many automotive parts on the market today that offer different performance enhancements. Most products offer increase a vehicle's horsepower, but with the sacrifice of fuel efficiency. With rising gasoline prices, fuel efficiency has become a very important factor in an automobiles performance. Older vehicles, by design, have lower fuel efficiency due to gas prices being much lower during their period of production. There is currently not much a driver can do to significantly increase the fuel efficiency of their older model vehicle. Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to introduce an apparatus that enables vehicles with automatic transmission to gain significant increases in fuel efficiency. When properly installed, the present invention may increase these vehicles' fuel efficiency by about 80% or more.

Sprocket box for increasing the gas mileage of a vehicle with an automatic transmission


A rollover protecting system for a vehicle comprising an actuator for pushing out an upper arm to an external direction of the vehicle by pivoting a pivot arm such that a tire produces a positive camber in relation to the road surface. Protruding ends are formed on a shoulder part of the tire for reducing a contact surface of the tire to the road, thereby reducing the lateral force applied to the tire and preventing an occurrence of rollover.

In general, a roll refers to a left or right (a width direction) motion in a vehicle. The roll of a vehicle, therefore, renders a vehicle to be inclined toward an outer wheel when the vehicle makes a turn. In particular, an extensive roll (e.g. a rollover) forces the vehicle to be out to a lateral side or to turn over. A rollover easily occurs when the gravitational center of the vehicle is high and a tread is short, such as with a high profile vehicle.
Conventionally, a plurality of sensors are used to detect whether the rollover will take place, and if so, the sensors regulate the vehicle speed by restricting a brake. A stabilizer is also used to support the vehicle in the direction of rollover or fluid may injected between a tire and road surface for inducing a lateral slip.


A communication network utilizing Power Over Ethernet technology including Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) that includes a multi-purpose device that operates as a current sensing resistor under normal electrical operating conditions and operates as a protection device, e.g., a fuse, under fault conditions, such as, an internal switch failure and an overload occurring simultaneously.

POE is a revolutionary technology that integrates data, voice and power over standard Ethernet infrastructure. POE is a means for supplying reliable, uninterrupted power to Internet Protocol (IP) telephones, wireless LAN access points, network cameras and other Ethernet devices, using existing, commonly used network cable infrastructure. POE technology saves time and expense related to the installation of separate power cabling, AC outlets and 'wall warts', which is a term used in the industry referring to a transformer, or power supply, that plugs into a wall outlet for converting the AC power from the outlet into DC power for an electronic device, such as a modem or a charging station for a laptop computer, etc. POE also eliminates the need for a dedicated Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for individual devices.
The power delivered over the Ethernet infrastructure is automatically activated when a compatible terminal is identified, and blocked to devices that are not POE compatible. This feature allows users to freely and safely mix both POE-compatible and non-POE-compatible devices on their network.
POE devices typically comply with the IEEE802.3af standard. The IEEE802.3af standard is presently a draft standard that will ultimately be incorporated within IEEE 802.3. The technology driving IEEE802.3af is designed in a way that does not degrade the network data communication performance or decrease the network reach. POE devices include, among other things, Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) and Powered Devices (PDs).
There are two main implementations of POE: (1) The end-span PSE—A POE enabled Ethernet switch by which power is supplied directly from the data ports; and (2) The mid-span PSE—A patch-panel like device, residing between an ordinary Ethernet switch and the terminals, often referred to as a "Power Hub", by which power is added onto the spare wires, with data uninterrupted. A PD in compliance with IEEE 802.3af receives its power from either the end-span device, i.e., over the data lines, or from a mid-span device, i.e., over the spare wires.
A portion of a PSE includes a mixed signal control section 10 and a power section 20, as shown in FIG. 1. The power section 20 typically includes a power switch 21, a protective device 22 and a current sensing device 23. The power switch can be implemented by a MOSFET, a bipolar transistor, a relay, etc. The protective device can be a fuse, an electro-mechanical circuit breaker or a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device. Lastly, the current sensing device is typically implemented by a low ohmic-value resistor.
The power switch 21 controls the amount of current supplied to the load, or PD, based on information from the current sensing device 23 or, in the case of a current sensing resistor, by measuring voltage across this resistor. The power switch 21 can also perform a protective function, for example, by first limiting the current drawn by the load and then, ultimately, disconnecting the load under abnormal conditions, such as an overload or short circuit. Additionally, in conventional POE equipment, a protective device, such as a fuse, protects the internal circuitry and wiring of the POE equipment from an overload or short circuit condition in the event of a short circuit catastrophic failure of the power switch in conjunction with an overload condition in either or both of the PD circuitry and the cabling 30 connected to the PD.
UL 60950 is a safety standard written by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a private company that drafts standards for use in certifying product safety in the U.S. and also independently tests products to verify compliance with those standards. UL 60950 is entitled "Safety of Information Technology Equipment, Including Electrical Business Equipment" and is harmonized to the international standard IEC 60950 with the same title. A European version of the UL 60950 standard also exists as EN60950, as does other international standards corresponding to various countries. All of these standards, and at least all of the related 60950 standards, are hereby incorporated by reference for all that they teach. Additionally, although the UL 60950 standard is specifically referenced throughout the remainder of this disclosure, all other related 60950 standards are equally applicable.
According to UL 60950 and the general POE standard published by the IEEE (IEEE802.3af), which is also incorporated hereby by reference for all that it teaches, POE devices must comply with the safety requirements of so-called limited power sources (LPS). These safety industry standards specify the requirements for the maximum allowable electrical current and power output from the LPS device. Specifically, the standards specify the maximum allowable output current and power measured sixty (60) seconds after the application of any non-capacitive load, including a short circuit. In regard to POE devices with an output voltage of 50V, the maximum output current with any non-capacitive load applied, measured sixty (60) seconds after application of the load, must not exceed two (2) amperes (A) current or 100 volt-amps (VA) power.
In addition to the several safety standards mentioned above, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations require that all electrical equipment used in industrial settings be approved by product safety standards. Moreover, "approved" means that the equipment has been tested and verified to generally accepted UL or American National Standards Institute (ANSI) testing standards. Thus, adherence to UL 60950 and similar standards is very important, as is providing a cost-effective design for POE equipment.

Employing sense resistor as safety fuse in limited power source applications


A power generation plant has two internal combustion engines (ICE) coupled in a compound configuration to operate electrical generators. A first ICE is a piston/cylinder engine producing high temperature and high pressure exhaust. The exhaust is coupled to the combustion air inlet of the second ICE, which is a gas turbine engine. A heat exchanger transfers heat from the exhaust of the first ICE to a bottoming cycle for additional power generation, also reducing the temperature at the turbine engine combustor. The second ICE (the gas turbine) is operated without an intake compressor, relying instead on the high pressure of the first ICE exhaust. The drive shaft of the gas turbine (or an associated generator/motor or a common shaft) operates a multi-stage turbo-compressor at the combustion air intake of the first ICE for improving engine power output without sapping exhaust energy as with a turbocharger.

Internal combustion engines can be classified into two major categories based on the heat addition portion of their respective thermodynamic cycles: "constant volume" and "constant pressure" heat addition engines (cycles). For example, see Gülen, S. C., 2013, "Constant Volume Combustion: The Ultimate Gas Turbine Cycle," Gas Turbine World, November/December 2013, pp. 20-27. Either process is an idealized conceptualization of the actual fuel-air combustion that takes place inside the actual engine. In particular,                Constant volume heat addition is closely approximated by the combustion of a fuel-air mixture within the cylinders of a reciprocating or piston engine, e.g., a car or truck engine.        Constant pressure heat addition is closely approximated by the combustion of a fuel-air mixture inside the combustor of a gas turbine.
Thermodynamic cycle analysis, whether using the idealized air-standard approach or "real fluid or gas" approach, demonstrates the superiority of constant volume heat addition or combustion process in terms of cycle thermal efficiency. See also, Gülen, S. C., 2010, "Gas Turbine with Constant Volume Heat Addition," ESDA2010-24817, Proceedings of the ASME 2010 10th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, Jul. 12-14, 2010, Istanbul, Turkey. A reason for that, in layman's terms, is that constant volume combustion is a confined chemical explosion, with simultaneous increase of temperature and pressure of the working fluid. Other things being equal, this leads to better thermal efficiency because part of the compression is achieved within the heat addition part of the cycle and, for the same amount of heat addition, leads to higher net cycle power output (less compression work).
In terms of practical applications, these advantages are inherent efficiencies of modern gas fired reciprocating engine gen-sets (e.g., Wärtsila's 18V50SG) that are nearly 50% efficient (compared to around 40% for modern heavy-duty industrial gas turbines or 45% for smaller aeroderivative units with high cycle pressure ratios).
Efforts to exploit constant volume combustion (CVC) in the context of gas turbines goes back to Holzwarth's explosion turbine in the early years of the 20th century. The intermittent nature of CVC combustion within a confined space (similar to the "explosion" of fuel in an engine cylinder in the space between the piston and cylinder head), is contrary to the continuous flow nature of turbine combustion generally, characterized by combustion in an "open system" as part of a steady-state steady-flow (SSSF) process. As a result, CVC has dropped off the evolutionary trajectory of gas turbine technology for land-based electric power generation.
Similar ideas have persisted with respect to aircraft propulsion. A specific version of quasi CVC in this context is known as "pulse detonation combustion". The engine comprising the pulse detonation combustor is known as a "pulse detonation engine" (PDE), discussed in Gülen, supra. As the name suggests, the concept involves creation of a detonation wave within a semi-closed tube filled with a fuel-air mixture. The resulting wave simultaneously compresses and heats the mixture, which is discharged into an axial turbine. The same dichotomy mentioned above, namely a "steady flow open system" versus an "intermittent flow closed system," results in mechanical design difficulties, which so far have prevented the transition of PDE or similar CVC concepts into viable commercial products.
While CVC has not been commercialized as an integral part of a gas turbine engine (or cycle), the two types of internal combustion processes and respective engines (piston and turbine) have been tried in a "compound" system with some success. Early examples of "turbocompound" engines are Allison's V-1710-127(E27) and the Napier Nomad aircraft engine. Development of Allison's engine began in 1943 to power the Bell P-63H airplane. Both the engine and the airplane were built, but they were never flown due to the end of the war and the introduction of jet engines. The engine was rated at 3090 bhp at 3200 rpm and 28,000 feet, with a manifold pressure of 100 inHgA (˜50 psia) and an impressive specific fuel consumption rate of 0.365 lb/bhp-hr.
Developed in the UK in 1950s, the Nomad comprised a 12-cylinder two-stroke diesel engine in two six-cylinder blocks, also serving as a gas generator for a gas turbine. Both the diesel engine and the gas turbine contributed shaft power to a propeller, via a complicated gear arrangement. Nomad was considered the most efficient internal combustion engine flown, with less than 0.35 lb/bhp-hr in flight delivering about 3,000 bhp.
Despite the fuel efficiency offered by turbocompound engines, the aircraft industry bypassed them in favor of rapidly emerging gas turbines. Many factors played into the shift in the aviation industry, including weight/thrust ratio, cost, reliability, operational speed, fuel costs, etc. The technology is applied to land-based propulsion. For example, turbocompound diesel engines power some Scania (formerly Saab) trucks.
A turbocompound engine should not be confused with a "turbocharged" engine. A turbocharger is fundamentally different. In a turbocharged engine, exhaust gas coupled through a turbine operates a compressor unit to compress combustion air before it enters the engine cylinders. The turbocharger is merely an accessory for the piston engine, used to increase the working fluid mass for increased shaft power from the piston engine. In the turbocompound arrangement, a gas turbine is an "equal partner" with its reciprocating/piston counterpart. Both the piston engine and the turbine contribute to total shaft power generation.
A turbocompound gas turbine combined cycle concept has been proposed by Tsuji, T., 2005, "Cycle Optimization and High Performance Analysis of Engine-Gas Turbine Combined Cycles," GT2005-68352, ASME Turbo Expo 2005, Reno-Tahoe, Nev., USA, Jun. 6-9, 2005; and Tsuji, T., 2007, "Performance Analysis on Gas Engine-Gas Turbine Combined Cycle Integrated with Regenerative Gas Turbine," GT2007-27198, ASME Turbo Expo 2007, Montreal, Canada, May 14-17, 2007. The concept is named alternatively as an Engine Turbo-Compound System (ETCS), or as an Engine Reheat Gas Turbine (ERGT)
The ETCS/ERGT concept involves gas turbine exhaust gas heat recovery via a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) for additional power generation in a steam turbine (ST). As such, it is a combined cycle system. In particular, ETCS is a true turbocompound concept where the two distinct internal combustion engines are separate entities in their own right as shown in FIG. 1 (labeled prior art).
Briefly, the ETCS system shown in FIG. 1 comprises a modified gas turbine gen-set GT and a modified gas engine gen-set GE. As to the modified gas turbine: Suction air is supplied at inlet 1 to compressor C. A portion of the compressed air from the discharge 2 of compressor C is sent to the gas engine GE after first being cooled in a heat exchanger (HX). Gas engine GE is a gas-fired reciprocating (piston-cylinder) engine in the gen-set with generator GEN2. Exhaust gas from gas engine GE is piped at exhaust 4 back to the gen-set including gas turbine GT, namely through a combustor (CB) inlet after having been mixed with compressed air bypassing the GE.
The modified gas engine GE does not have a turbocharger as an inlet accessory, but part of the air from outlet 2 of compressor C is coupled to the inlet 3 of gas engine GE, providing an intake charging function. Another result of intake charging to gas engine GE is that the exhaust gas at 4, coupled to the inlet 5 of turbine T in the gas turbine gen-set GT, is at a pressure high enough to satisfy the turbine (T) requirements.
The Tsuji ETCS is an integrated system, and might possibly be produced by combining and modifying "off-the-shelf" GT and a GE units to include various additional piping, heat exchangers, generators and other elements so as to interact as desired. The Tsuji ERGT is more an explanation of a conceptual model to address the thermodynamics underlying the ETCS system. These disclosures are characterized by double combustion as shown in FIG. 1, first in the gas engine cylinders (note fuel flow f2) and then in the combustor CB of the gas turbine (fuel flow f1), namely a "reheat" concept implicit in the ETCS. The reported ETCS performance is summarized in the following Table 1, which compares expected performance of ETCS configurations of substantially different sizes:
TABLE 1ETCS PERFORMANCE (Tsuji, T.)ETCS (1)ETCS (2)Type and Number6 MW-Class GT × 1150 MW-Class GT × lof Gas Turbine and(TIT 1150° C.)(TIT 1350° C.)Gas EngineGas Engine × 2Gas Engine × 2(900° C. Exhaust)(900° C. Exhaust)Power OutputGas Turbine6,700 kW160,400 kWGas Engine11,500 kW 200,100 kWSteam Turbine4,000 kW 99,100 kWETCS22,200 kW 459,600 kWThermal Efficiency (Gross, LHV Base)ETCS49.8% LHV 56.7% LHV

Turbo-compound reheat combined cycle power generation


A method and apparatus are disclosed for bypassing a first RF broadband amplifier in a CATV network so as to permit substitution of a second broadband amplifier for the first amplifier to permit repair, replacement and/or analysis of the bypassed first RF amplifier. A switching circuit is employed to rapidly substitute the second amplifier for the first amplifier and to reinsert the repaired of replaced first amplifier in the CATV network following maintenance thereof. Bypassing of the first amplifier and utilization of the second amplifier in its stead allows maintenance to be performed on the first amplifier without disruption of service to the portion of the network downstream of the first amplifier.

Broadband systems such as CATV systems are employed widely throughout this country and around the world. Such systems typically employ large numbers of RF amplifiers for signal distribution. Typical broadband amplifiers, such as CATV amplifiers, are contained within a housing or chassis which have an input jack, an input test jack for monitoring a replica of the signal presented to the input of the broadband amplifier, an exit jack and an exit test jack for monitoring a replica of the signal appearing at the output of the broadband amplifier. The input jack is typically coupled to the input of the broadband amplifier and the output of the broadband amplifier is typically connected to the exit jack. Where multiple amplifiers are contained within one housing, the above described jacks are replicated.
It will be appreciated that decoupling or removal of an amplifier which is disposed in a serial path within a broadband network will prevent the distribution of the signal downstream of the respective amplifier. Accordingly, when maintenance is being performed, and an amplifier is being replaced or repaired in a broadband network, service to all downstream subscribers or users is disadvantageously interrupted. To minimize disruption of service to subscribers or system users, amplifiers are often replaced or repaired in the middle of the night when the fewest subscribers are using the system. The failure of an amplifier necessarily requires immediate attention. A s broadband systems increasingly become used for telephone and other data services, in addition to television service, there will exist an increasing need to be able to maintain the operation of the CATV network during maintenance and to be able to freely service broadband amplifiers disposed throughout the CATV network with minimal disruption to subscribers downstream of the affected amplifier(s). Such is also desirable in a CATV network as the disruption of service poses an annoyance to subscribers.

RF broadband amplifier bypass method and apparatus


The present invention stacks integrated circuits into modules that conserve board surface area. In a precursor assembly devised as a component for a stacked circuit module in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more stiffeners are disposed at least partially between a flex circuit and an integrated circuit. In a two-high stacked circuit module devised in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an integrated circuit is stacked above a precursor assembly. The two integrated circuits are connected with the flex circuit of the precursor assembly. The present invention may be employed to advantage in numerous configurations and combinations of integrated circuits in modules.

A variety of techniques are used to stack packaged integrated circuits. Some methods require special packages, while other techniques stack packages configured to allow stand-alone deployment in an operating environment.
"Chip scale packaging" or CSP refers generally to packages that provide connection to an integrated circuit through a set of contacts (often embodied as "bumps" or "balls") arrayed across a major surface of the package. Instead of leads emergent from a peripheral side of the package as in "leaded" packages, in a CSP, contacts are placed on a major surface and typically emerge from the planar bottom surface of the package. The absence of "leads" on package sides renders most stacking techniques devised for leaded packages inapplicable for CSP stacking.
CSP has enabled reductions in size and weight parameters for many applications. CSP is a broad category including a variety of packages from near chip scale to die-sized packages such as the die sized ball grid array (DSBGA). To meet the continuing demands for cost and form factor reductions concurrent with increasing capabilities and capacities, technologies that aggregate plural integrated circuit dies in a package been developed. The techniques and technology for stacking plural integrated circuit dies within a single package, however, are not generally applicable for stacking packages that are configured to allow stand-alone deployment in an operating environment.
There are several known techniques for stacking integrated circuit packages articulated in chip scale technology. A variety of previous techniques for stacking CSPs typically present complex structural arrangements and thermal or high frequency performance issues. For example, thermal performance is a characteristic of importance in CSP stacks. With increasing operating frequencies of most systems, high frequency performance issues are also increasingly important. Further, many stacking techniques result in modules that exhibit profiles taller than may be preferred for particular applications.
Staktek Group L.P., the assignee of the present invention, has developed a variety of stacked module designs that employ a form standard or mandrel that can provide thermal and/or construction advantages while providing a standard form that may allow use of a flexible circuit design with a variety of CSP types and body sizes. The mandrel or form standard stack designs come in a variety of shapes and sizes and materials. Some form standards extend beyond the perimeter edge or the extent of the CSP body and thus provide a form about which the flex circuitry transits. Some other form standards are substantially planar and have a lateral extent smaller than the lateral extent of an adjacent CSP. Although form standards provide numerous benefits in stacked module designs, the use of form standards may add various cost and complexity issues to the design and manufacturing issues inherent with stacked modules.
Stacked module design and assembly techniques and systems that provide a thermally efficient, reliable structure that perform well at higher frequencies but do not add excessive height to the stack that can be manufactured at reasonable cost with readily understood and managed materials and methods are provided.


An ink set includes a white ink jet pigment ink and a non-white ink jet pigment ink containing a diene copolymer.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ink set and an image forming method.
2. Related Art
Various techniques are applied to recording methods for forming images on a recording medium, such as paper, according to image data signals. In ink jet techniques of such techniques, images can be formed directly on a recording medium by ejecting an ink only onto desired image portions, using an inexpensive apparatus. Accordingly, ink jet techniques can efficiently use inks and reduce running costs. In addition, little noise is produced when the ink jet technique is used, and the ink jet technique is thus advantageous as a recording method.
In recent years, approaches using an ink jet technique have been attempted for forming glossy images having high water fastness and rub fastness on the surface of a recording medium by ejecting an ink onto a recording medium.
For example, JP-A-2010-120990 discloses a technique for printing on plain paper using an ink jet recording ink containing 40.0 parts by weight of carbon black pigment dispersion (pigment content: 20%), 5.5 parts by weight of glycerol, 16.5 parts by weight of 1,3-butanediol, 2.0 parts by weight of 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol, 2.5 parts by weight of fluorochemical surfactant (solid content: 40%), 10.0 parts by weight of self-emulsifying polyurethane resin emulsion (solid content: 30%), 6.0 parts by weight of carboxy-modified methylmethacrylate-butadiene copolymer resin (MBR, solid resin content: 50%), and 17.0 parts by weight of distilled water (paragraph 0030, Example 1).
JP-A-2001-106951 (paragraphs 0042 to 0044, and 0052) discloses a technique for printing on plain paper using an ink jet aqueous pigment ink prepared by adjusting a mixture of materials to 1000 g with ion exchanged water, the materials including 167 g of yellow pigment dispersion (average particle size of the pigment, 75 nm), 71.4 g of latex (Nipol SX 1503 produced by Zeon Corporation, average particle size: 60 nm, content: 3% by weight), 200 g of ethylene glycol, 120 g of diethylene glycol, 4 g of wetting agent (Olfine 1010 produced by Nissin Chemical Industry), and 2 g of preservative (Proxel GXL produced by Zeneca).
However, images formed with the black or yellow ink of the above-cited patent documents on plain paper by an ink jet recording method may crack or stain and thus be nonuniform, and may be poor in color developability.


The plant for packaging cans or other disposable drink containers by use of a heat-shrinkable film which includes a support frame; at least two feed lines for cans, with respective buffer zones, and including sensors for sensing passage of an individual can; a device feeding the cans recumbent and aligned into the at least two lines; a device feeding at least one heat-shrinkable film web associated with a device for wrapping the film web over the cans of each line; a welding and cutting unit with a longitudinal welder on each line and at least one welder oriented transverse to both of the lines; a heat-shrinking tunnel common to the various lines; and a package expulsion zone.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a plant for packaging cans or other disposable drink containers, by means of heat-shrinkable film.
2. Discussion of the Background
It has already been proposed to package cans or other disposable drink containers by means of heat-shrinkable film, for example in Italian utility model application FI95U 000089 of 15.9.199, but without succeeding in defining a plant suitable for this packaging because of a series of constructional problems.
In this respect, to form such packages the plant must offer a high production rate while being of relatively small overall size. Moreover, because of the purpose for which it is intended, the plant must be of low installation and operating cost, because otherwise this additional packaging of the can or similar container would increase its purchase price to an unacceptable extent.

Plant for packaging cans or other disposable drink containers, by means of heat-shrinkable film


In a method for reducing a mechanical stress of a component of a drive train of a motor vehicle with at least two wheels, of which at least one wheel is a drive wheel, wherein the motor vehicle has an anti-lock braking system and an electric machine which is coupled to the drive wheel, wherein each wheel of the motor vehicle has a dedicated friction brake, the anti-lock braking system operates individually on each friction brake. During activation of the anti-lock braking system, mechanical stress of an articulated shaft connecting the electric machine and the coupled drive wheel is determined, and the electric machine coupled to the drive wheel is controlled so as to counteract the mechanical stress. A motor vehicle making use of the method si also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method for reducing mechanical stress on at least one component of the drive train of a motor vehicle having at least two wheels, of which at least one wheel is a drive wheel, wherein the motor vehicle has an anti-lock braking system and at least one electric machine which for driving precisely one drive wheel the motor vehicle is coupled to this drive wheel, and wherein a respective friction brake is associated at least two wheels of the motor vehicle. The present invention further relates to a motor vehicle with at least two wheels, of which at least one is a drive wheel, including a first friction brake associated with the first wheel and a second friction brake associated with the second wheel, and an anti-lock braking system which is configured to act individually on the friction brakes for each of the wheels of the motor vehicle.
Conventional friction brakes are commonly used as an actuator for an anti-lock braking system (ABS). Here, the ABS is able to generate, in addition to the braking torque requirements for the friction brake, also a torque request for the drive unit, for example the internal combustion engine. This interface to the drive unit is often referenced with the term engine braking control (CEB). The CEB is designed to selectively reduce the drag torque of the drive unit, which acts on the vehicle as an additional braking torque. In some situations, the ABS may even request from the drive unit a driving torque during a braking operation in order to, for example, quickly reduce the brake slip of the tire. The CEB may, of course, only affect the axles connected to the drive unit, i.e. the driven axles. In addition, the CEB may only affect all the wheels connected to the drive unit simultaneously. The effectiveness of the CEB is strongly dependent on the dynamics and control accuracy of the drive unit. In internal combustion engines, both the dynamics and the control accuracy are severely limited by the properties of thermodynamic processes.
For vehicles with electric drive on one or more axles, the ABS usually a similar or identical structure as for conventionally driven vehicles, i.e. vehicles propelled by an internal combustion engine. With electrical drive machines, an actuator is available to the CEB, which is significantly superior to the internal combustion engine with respect to dynamics and control accuracy.
In this context, DE 10 2005 033 354 A1 should be mentioned which, however, applies only to vehicles with a drive topology wherein an electric machine operates on two wheels. This requires a differential between the two drive wheels. The control method proposed in this document is based on the average of the two wheel rotation speeds. This document addresses in particular the damping of the vibrations in the part of the drive train located between the differential and the one electric machine.
DE 102 23 990 B4 discloses a method which relates to the allocation of the total braking torque to a regenerative brake and a friction brake. In particular, a method is described herein addresses the special situation of an imminent or active ABS control to be carried out exclusively with the friction brake. For this special situation, methods are described how an upcoming ABS control can be detected and how the torque of the regenerative brake can be reduced, wherein at the same time the torque of the friction brake is increased accordingly so as to eliminate unwanted changes in the vehicle deceleration.
Significantly more damage was clearly detected in the drive train of conventional motor vehicles where an electric machine is provided for driving exactly one drive wheel and is correspondingly coupled to this drive wheel, than in motor vehicles using a conventional internal combustion engine. The damaged components therefore must be designed with greater dimensions, resulting in an undesirable increase in cost.

Method for reducing mechanical stress on at least one component of the drive train of a motor vehicle, and corresponding motor vehicle


A golf club grip has a double-layer structure comprising an inner layer and an outer layer aminated on the outer surface of the inner layer. One of the inner and outer layers is made of a first material, while the other layer is made of a second material. The first material has an elasticity which is higher than that of the second material so that the first material is more readily elastically deformable than the second material, while the second material has a viscoelasticity which is higher than that of the first material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to improvements in the golf club grip.
2. Description of Related Art
In playing golf, if the golf club grip is gripped with an excessive force, the ball can not fly over a large distance, and also it is difficult to accurately control the flying direction of the ball. In order to prevent the grip from being gripped with an excessive force, it is important to enhance the sense felt from the grip by the player, particularly the sense of fitness and sense of firmness when the grip is gripped. The term "sense of fitness" means a sense of touching the grip with the player's hands fitted therewith, and the term "sense of firmness" means a sense that the grip is gripped stably and reliably particularly when swinging the club. If either of these senses are lacking, the player is liable to grip the grip with an excessive gripping force due to a sense of instability.
It is thus desirable to construct the golf club grip so as to obtain both the sense of fitness and sense of firmness. With the prior art grip, however, it has been difficult to meet these demands at the same time.
For example, in a rubber grip the sense of fitness may be enhanced by using a rubber material having a low rubber hardness. To decrease the rubber hardness of the grip, however, causes the sense of firmness to be deteriorated. Contrarily, to increase the rubber hardness of the grip causes the sense of firmness to be increased. In this case, however, the sense of fitness will be deteriorated. Accordingly, in the prior art grip both the sense of fitness and sense of firmness can not be enhanced at the same time, that is, if it is intended to enhance either sense, the other sense is deteriorated.
Further, when swinging a golf club, the grip experiences a force tending to bring about its bending deformation, a force tending to bring about its torsional deformation with respect to its longitudinal axis and a tensile force tending to elongate it by pulling it in the direction of centrifugal force of the club. However, if the grip is actually greatly deformed by these forces, the player will tend to grip the grip with an excessive force due to the sense of instability. Therefore, the material of the grip should be selected to suppress the deformation of the grip as noted above as much as possible. With the prior art grip, however, it has been difficult to suppress the bending deformation, torsional deformation and elongative deformation at the same time.


An Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) that includes optical elements located and oriented to form a non-planer, image-rotating ring cavity. To provide a high quality well shaped output beam, the OPO comprises a plurality of reflecting surfaces, designed to rotate the resonating beam by 90 degrees for each round trip in the cavity. Preferred embodiments include a first non-linear crystals and a similar second non-linear crystal mounted side-by-side on a single rotating stage. To minimize the adverse effects of walk-off, reflecting unit is positioned to cause the output of the first crystal to be reflected into the second crystal. The two crystals are aligned so as to cause walk-off in the first of the two crystals to be cancelled by opposite walk-off in the second crystal.

Optical Parametric Oscillators
An Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) is a device employing one or more non-linear crystals which when pumped by a laser beam defining a pump wavelength, can generate coherent light at two different and longer wavelengths. The operation of an OPO typically requires a very high light intensity in the pump beam which is generally supplied by a very short pulse laser. In the OPO at least one non-linear crystal (such as BaB204, LiB305, LiNb03, KTiOP04 and others) is placed in an optical resonator. When the pump laser beam is directed to propagate through the crystal, a pair of beams (referred to as the signal beam and the idler beam) is produced. Energy of the photons in the beams is conserved so:
      1          λ      p        =            1              λ        s              +          1              λ        i            where λp refers to the wavelength of the pump beam, λs refers to the wavelength of the signal beam and λi refers to the wavelength of the idler beam. Typically the shorter wavelength beam is referred to as the signal beam and the longer wavelength beam is referred to as the idler beam. The generation of the parametric beams (the idler and the signal) in a single path through the crystal(s) is inefficient and only a small fraction of the pump beam is converted. In order to construct an efficient and useful device the crystal(s) are typically placed inside a resonator that is designed to oscillate one or both of the parametric beams inside the cavity, such that it (or they) are amplified in successive passes through the crystal(s). The oscillator components of the OPO are typically comprised of optical elements designed to provide the required feedback for efficient conversion. The principles of OPO are well known and described in many publications on lasers and non-linear optics (for example, A. Yariv, Quantum Electronics, 3rd edition, p. 411. John Wiley & Sons, New York). In many of these OPO's the wavelengths of the signal beam and therefore the idler beam can be tuned over a wide spectral range by varying the orientation of the crystal with respect to the laser beam, by changing the crystal's temperature, or by applying a variable voltage across the crystal. Various tuning ranges can be achieved by properly selecting the laser, the non-linear crystal, and the optical components.
Optical parametric oscillators (OPO's) have been recognized as critical devices for a wide range of applications. In the early stages they were used primarily for research applications and as the designs of these devices have improved they have been incorporated in instruments that are used in commercial applications, (e.g., medical Imaging and hyper-spectral Imaging). The transition from research to commercial applications present more stringent design constrains, and critical demands such as high reliability, high damage threshold, robust and compact designs. Although there have been significant advances in the design of OPO devices since they were first invented, a device that will meet all of these criteria is still needed.

Non-planer, image rotating optical parametric oscillator


The present application relates to methods and uses of CB2 target agent local anesthetics such as beta-caryophyllene for treatment of interstitial cystitis in a subject, optionally together with the administration or use of an additional agent for treating interstitial cystitis such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or methylsulfonylmethane (MSM).

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the urinary bladder in the absence of an infection. The symptoms of IC include pelvic pain, a persistent urge to void and urinary frequency. The prevalence and incidence of IC tends to be higher in women than men, for example, the female-to-male ratio has been reported to be 5:1.1 IC is recognized as a disease which may cause profound negative effects on patients' quality of life. However, to date, despite decades of basic science research, no definite pathophysiology has been identified and standard treatment options are still lacking.
Current treatments for interstitial cystitis are most commonly oral medications or bladder instillations. The most commonly used oral therapies, such as pentosan polysulfate (PPS) and tricyclic antidepressants, have been found to be beneficial in relieving some symptoms in a proportion of patients with IC, but not all patients gain therapeutic benefit from these approaches2. For example, one study revealed that the effect of PPS treatment was limited to only a quarter of patients.3 Another study that trialed PPS and tricyclic anti-depressant treatments along with other adjuvant treatments for more than a year, found the symptoms of IC remained unchanged or had relapsed.4
Intravesical therapies have provided some relief to patients where the pharmacological agent is delivered directly into the bladder. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is one such pharmacological agent commonly used for IC instillations5 and is FDA approved. DMSO has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects, and ability to stabilize mast cells.2 Unfortunately, despite some initial relief, symptom relapse in IC is common. For example, DMSO treatment has a high failure rate in patients with severe IC.6 Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM; other names include dimethyl sulfone, methyl sulfone, sulfonylbismethane, organic sulfur, crystalline dimethyl sulfoxide and DMSO2) has also been reported in clinical case studies for IC and was reported to be an effective treatment for 4 out of 6 patients suffering from IC.7 Methylsulfonylmethane has been designated GRAS by the FDA
The endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in a variety of physiological processes including but not limited to metabolism, pain-sensation, neurotransmission and inflammation.8 The ECS is made up of cannabinoid receptors (both cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptors), endogenous cannabinoids (EC; such as N-arachidonoylethanolamine or anandamide (AEA) and 2 arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)), and endocannabinoid metabolizing enzymes8(a). CB1 receptors are expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and non-neural peripheral tissues.9 CB2 receptors are highly localized to immune cells with limited distribution reported for selected CNS areas and some peripheral tissues, such as intestine and bladder.10 In addition to activation by endogenous ligands, cannabinoid receptors are the target for phytocannabinoids and derivatives. To-date, several synthetic ligands have been developed that selectively bind to CB1 or CB2 receptors.11
The role of the ECS in modulating the immune response has been actively studied by researchers for more than twenty years.12 However, only a few studies have focused on the functional role of cannabinoid receptors in relation to the urinary bladder. For example, therapeutic effects of cannabinoids (oral synthetic Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) or cannabis extract containing Δ9-THC and cannabidiol (CBD) as the main cannabinoids) on bladder control in multiple sclerosis patients were reported with findings from the CAMS study.13 There is also evidence of the presence of the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 in bladders of various species, including rodents, monkeys and humans.14 Another study investigated the effect of the synthetic cannabinoid receptor ligand GP1a (a selective CB2 agonist) as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of cystitis-induced inflammation of bladder.15 Systemic administration of the endocannabinoid, AEA, or the fatty acid ethanolamine, N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), attenuated local nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced bladder hyper-reflexia and reduction of micturition threshold in rats.16 The effect of AEA was blocked by antagonism of CB1 and CB2 receptors, indicating that the action of the endocannabinoid, AEA, was mediated by both CB1 and CB2, whereas the effect of PEA was largely due to CB2. An older study also reported on the cannabinoid receptor-mediated effect of PEA in turpentine induced bladder hyper-reflexia.17 Tambaro et al. have investigated the use of an orthosteric cannabinoid ligand (JWH015) in a model of LPS-induced IC.18 There have been a few other studies examining the involvement of CB2 receptors in immune responses in experimental cystitis19.
Beta-caryophyllene (Beta-C) is a natural dietary sesquiterpenoid that acts as an agonist at CB2 receptors and is found in abundant concentrations in many food plants, such as oregano and cinnamon, as well as in cannabis. Beta-C has been shown to exert analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in mouse models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain20, and additionally also exhibits dose-dependent local anesthetic actions comparable to procaine21.

Methods for treatment of interstitial cystitis


A card reader for reading magnetic stripe cards which are manually inserted, and withdrawn, by a user. The card is constrained to follow a path which displaces the card laterally while the card is outside the reader, and before the magnetic stripe reaches a magnetic sensor within the reader. The lateral displacement prevents an illicit magnetic sensor, positioned externally to the reader by a hacker, from reading the magnetic stripe, since the stripe is moving in an incorrect direction while the card is external to the reader.

The present invention relates to a card reader module, in particular to a manual insertion or "dip" card reader. More particularly, the invention addresses the issue of card skimming at a self-service terminal (SST), such as an automated teller machine (ATM), or any other terminal using a manual insertion card reader module.
There are two different types of card readers, manual (or dip) card readers and automatic card readers. In automatic card readers a sensor adjacent to the card entry slot detects the presence of a card bearing a magnetic stripe. Once the magnetic strip is detected an internal shutter is activated and moves out of the path of the card. As the card is partially inserted it is received by transport rollers which transport the card into the body of the reader. The problem of "skimming" a card, where the magnetic stripe is read by an unauthorized reading device placed over the card slot, may be addressed by ensuring that the motion of the card is irregular until the card is fully within the body of the card reader. This randomly fluctuating path is achieved by programmed control of the aforementioned transport rollers, as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,771, in the name of NCR Corporation.
However, in dip card readers the card is inserted and withdrawn manually, by the user, and the approach detailed above is not feasible.
A dip card reader makes two attempts to read a magnetic stripe card, once during the insertion phase and once again during the withdrawal phase. The dip card reader uses the better of the two readings (normally the withdrawal reading) to process the transaction. The card motion during the manual process must be uniform to achieve a good reading of the magnetic stripe. Any fluctuation as with the automatic reader would result in a failure to read the magnetic stripe.
As briefly mentioned above, card skimming is the copying of the data stored on a magnetic stripe of a card either directly onto another card or into some form of storage, to be transferred at some later date onto a card, which can then be used for fraudulent purposes. This is a particular problem for dip card readers, given that the solution utilized with automatic card readers cannot be applied to dip readers.
The commercial significance of this problem is heightened by the fact that many ATM's or other self-service devices use dip card readers that are operated by customers in an unsupervised environment. This gives criminals the opportunity to attach a skimming device to the outside of a dip reader which is designed to blend in with the fascia of the ATM or self-service device in order not to arouse the customer's suspicion. The skimming device does not prevent the user from withdrawing the card, nor does it prevent legitimate reading of the card by the card reader, hence giving the user no hint that any fraud has taken place. Therefore, the customer departs having completed the transaction and is completely unaware that all the details on the magnetic stripe on their card have been stolen.
Skimming, especially with dip card readers, has been a significant issue for ATM service providers for many years. Consequently, there has long been a need to address this extremely commercially significant issue, without notable success.


A signal amplifier circuit suitable for a semiconductor memory device includes a first current mirror circuit for outputting a first current to a first signal line and for outputting a second mirror current, and a second current mirror circuit for outputting a third current to a second signal line and for outputting a fourth mirror current. The first and second signal line form a pair of complementary signal lines. The amplifier circuit also includes a third current mirror circuit for receiving the second and fourth mirror currents and for outputting an output signal based on a potential difference between the first and second data signal lines.

The present invention generally relates to semiconductor memory devices such as dynamic random access memories and static random access memories. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a current amplifier circuit which amplifies a signal on a data bus line or an equivalence of a field effect transistor memory of a MIS (Metal Insulator Semiconductor) type, such as a MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional data bus signal amplifier circuit. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional data bus signal amplifier circuit includes a data bus load circuit 1 and a data bus amplifier 2. The data bus load circuit 1 is made up of n-channel MOS transistors (hereafter simply referred to as NMOS transistors) Q1 and Q2.
The NMOS transistors Q1 and Q2 function as load elements of data buses DB and DB, and are diode-connected. The NMOS transistors Q1 and Q2 pull the data buses DB and DB up to a potential nearly equal to a high-potential power supply voltage Vcc. During a data readout operation, a sense amplifier SA coupled to bit lines BL and BL makes the potential of one of the bit lines BL and BL decrease toward a ground potential. On the other hand, a corresponding one of the NMOS transistors Q1 and Q2 functions to pull up the above-mentioned one of the bit lines BL and BL toward the power supply voltage Vcc. A readout data voltage developed between the data buses DB and DB is determined on the basis of the balance between the driving ability of the sense amplifier SA and the current supply ability of the NMOS transistors Q1 and Q2. Normally, the readout data voltage is approximately equal to 500 mV. The readout data voltage is limited to such a small voltage due to the fact that if data specified by the next address is opposite to that specified by the current address, the time necessary to reverse the data bus voltage becomes shorter as the readout data voltage becomes smaller.
Since the readout data voltage developed between the data buses DB and DB is made small, it is necessary to use an amplifier having a large voltage amplification (transconductance) ratio in order to amplify the readout data voltage. As is well known, a MOS transistor has a mutual conductance lower than that of a bipolar transistor, and does not have a large transfer ratio. However, a MOS differential circuit using a current mirror circuit functioning as a load is capable of providing a relatively high gain.
The data bus amplifier 2 is composed of p-channel MOS transistors (hereafter simply referred to as PMOS transistors) Q7, Q8, Q9 and Q10, and NMOS transistors Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6 and Q11. The PMOS transistors Q7 and Q8 form a current mirror circuit, and the PMOS transistors Q9 and Q10 form a current mirror circuit. The NMOS transistors Q3 and Q4, which are voltage amplification drive transistors, form a differential amplifier circuit to which a load consisting of the current mirror PMOS transistors Q7 and Q8 is connected. Similarly, the NMOS transistors Q5 and Q6, which are also voltage amplification drive transistors, form a differential amplifier circuit to which a load consisting of the current mirror PMOS transistors Q9 and Q10 is connected. The two pairs of the differential amplifier circuits connected in parallel form are provided to obtain differential output signals OUT1 and OUT2 from the drains of the NMOS transistors Q4 and Q5, respectively. As the transistor pairs Q3 and Q4 form the differential amplifier circuit, and the transistor pair Q5 and Q6 form the differential amplifier circuit, it is possible to obtain complementary output signals by means of a single differential amplifier circuit. However, such complementary output signals do not have good symmetry because the NMOS transistors Q3 and Q6 which respectively extract the gate voltages of the current mirror circuits have small amplitudes and generate deteriorated output signals, as compared with the NMOS transistors Q4 and Q5. The output signals OUT1 and OUT2 are drawn from the opposite sides of the two differential amplifier circuits. The NMOS transistor Q11 is provided for preventing a current from passing through the data bus amplifier 2 during a time the data bus amplifier 2 is not generating the output signals OUT1 and OUT2. When a clock .phi..sub.EN is maintained at a high level, the NMOS transistor Q11 allows the NMOS transistors Q3-Q6 to operate. On the other hand, when the clock .phi..sub.EN is maintained at a low level, the NMOS transistors Q3-Q6 are disconnected from the ground which functions as a low-potential power supply voltage.
It will be noted that C1 and C2 are parasitic capacitors coupled to the output side of the amplifier circuit, and Qa and Qb are NMOS transistors for use in column select. A column select signal Y is applied to the gates of the NMOS transistors Qa and Qb. A one-transistor one-capacitor type memory cell MC is connected to one of the bit lines (bit line BL in FIG. 1), and selected through a word line WL.
As has been described above, the conventional current mirror load type amplifier shown in FIG. 1 has a limited readout data voltage approximately equal to 500 mV, and is thus designed to pass large amounts of currents (equal to approximately 100 .mu.A-200 .mu.A) through the NMOS transistors Q3-Q6, so that they are used in a state where increased mutual conductances gm thereof are obtained. Thus, the conventional amplifier consumes a large amount of power. In addition, when a large number of amplifiers are simultaneously driven in parallel form, a large amount of IR drop occurs at the Vcc power supply line and ground line.
The PMOS transistors Q1 and Q2 function to limit the readout data voltage, and thus waste currents passing through these PMOS transistors Q1 and Q2. The NMOS transistors Q3-Q6 function as voltage amplifiers (voltage inputs and voltage outputs) which amplify the limited readout data voltage, and are thus required to have large mutual conductances gm. However, MOS transistors are not inherently optimal elements which satisfy the above-mentioned requirement.

Signal amplifier circuit and semiconductor memory device using the same


A broadband binary phased antenna includes an array of symmetric antenna elements, each being connected to a respective symmetric switch. The symmetric antenna elements are each symmetrical about a mirror axis of the antenna element and include feed points on either side of the mirror axis capable of creating opposite symmetric field distributions across the symmetric antenna element. The opposite symmetric field distributions are binary phase-shifted with respect to one another. The symmetric switch is connected to the feed points to selectively switch between the opposite symmetric field distributions.

Phased antenna arrays provide beamforming and beam-steering capabilities by controlling the relative phases of electrical signals applied across antenna elements of the array. The two most common types of phased antenna arrays are continuous phased arrays and binary phased arrays.
Continuous phased arrays use analog phase shifters that can be adjusted to provide any desired phase shift in order to steer a beam towards any direction in a beam scanning pattern. However, continuous phased arrays are typically either lossy or expensive. For example, most continuous phase shifters are based on varactor-tapped delay lines using variable capacitive and/or variable inductance elements. Variable capacitive elements, such as varactor diodes and ferroelectric capacitors, are inherently lossy due to resistive constituents or poor quality in the microwave region. Variable inductance elements, such as ferromagnetic devices, are bulky, costly and require large drive currents.
Binary phased arrays use phase shifters capable of providing two different phase shifts of opposite polarity (e.g., 0 and 180°). Binary phase shifters are typically implemented using diode or transistor switches that either open/short the antenna element to ground or upshift/downshift the antenna element's resonant frequency. Diode switches are most commonly used in narrowband applications with small antenna arrays. However, in large antenna arrays, transistors are generally preferred due to the excessive dc and switching currents required to switch a large number of diodes. For broadband applications, high-frequency, high-performance field effect transistor (FET's) are required, which substantially increases the cost of the binary phase shifter. For example, the current cost of a 5-GHz FET is usually around $0.20-$0.30, whereas the current cost of a 20-30 GHz FET is upwards of $5.00.
Therefore, what is needed is a cost-effective binary phase-shifting mechanism for broadband antenna arrays.


Electrical solder compositions (by weight percent) having between 91.5-96.5% Sn; 2-5% Ag; 0.1-3% Ni; and 0-2.9% Cu; and having a melting temperature 220.degree. C. or less. The solder compositions have microstructure with uniformly dispersed fine grains of Sn--Ni, Sn--Cu and Sn--Cu--Ni intermetallic phases that provide resistance to grain growth during thermal cycling.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrical solder composition comprising tin (Sn), silver (Ag) and nickel (Ni), and optionally copper (Cu). More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrical solder composition having between 91.5-96.5% Sn; 2-5% Ag; 0.1-3% Ni and 0-2.9% Cu; and having a melting temperature 220.degree. C. or less. All percentages are by weight.


A retrieval device for retrieving items within a confined space with limited access, said device comprising: (a) an elongated body having a front and rear and a longitudinal axis; (b) a clamping mechanism comprising at least a set of jaws disposed at said front, said jaws being configured to actuate between closed and open positions, said clamping mechanism also comprising at least one actuating member connected to said jaws and at least partially disposed in said body; (c) an actuator laterally offset from said axis and beside said at least one actuating member, said actuator operatively connected to said at least one actuating member to actuate said jaws between said closed and opened positions; and (d) at least one camera disposed proximate said motor and offset from said axis, said at least one camera having a field of view of at least a portion of said jaws.

There are many situations requiring a retrieval tool to recover an object in a confined space, such as a pipe or a piece of machinery. For example, frequently tools are dropped down into machinery or pipes and a retrieval tool is needed to go through a circuitous path to reach the dropped tool. A conventional retrieval tool 150 is shown in FIG. 1. This is a commercially available tool and comprises an elongated body 151 having jaws 154 at the front end 153 and a cable 156 extending from the rear end 152.
Although this tool has been successful in retrieving articles, Applicants have nevertheless identified that it tends to lack maneuverability. For example, the length of the device inhibits its ability to turn through elbows. For example, the retrieval tool 150 depicted in FIG. 1 requires a minimum 6″ elbow to pass as shown in FIG. 2. Additionally, a camera typically must accompany the tool to image the object to be retrieved. Thus, the user must maneuver not only the tool around bends, but also an attached camera with its own cable 156a, thereby exacerbating the maneuverability issue.
Therefore, applicants have identified a need for a more maneuverable tool. The present invention fulfills that need among others.


A compact monitoring device for monitoring the state of rotation of a disk cutter of a shield tunnel boring machine is integrated into a clamping element for fastening the disk cutter. A sensor module of the monitoring device is arranged in close proximity to the disk cutter but without touching so that a state of rotation of the disk cutter generated by transmitters mounted in the disk cutter is reliably ensured even under the rough environmental conditions prevailing in shield tunnel boring.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for monitoring the state of rotation of a disk cutter of a shield tunnel boring machine.
The invention furthermore relates to a disk cutter arrangement having a device of this type.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device according to the definition of the species and a disk cutter arrangement equipped with a device according to the definition of the species for a shield tunnel boring machine are known from WO 2009/155110 A2. The device known from the prior art has a base plate and a housing cover of a wedge-shaped design which is manufactured from a chamfered metal sheet. A number of modules, which have an acceleration sensor, a temperature sensor and a magnetic field sensor, are situated in a free end section of the housing cover which projects over the base plate in a retaining space which is thus open on one side. The base plate is situated to the side of a clamping screw shaft of a clamping screw belonging to a clamping unit for fixing a disk cutter axis. A connecting plate, through which the clamping screw shaft extends, is mounted on the base plate at right angles, thereby fastening the housing. The modules accommodated in the housing are connected via a wireless connection to a receiver, by means of which the measured values recorded by the sensors may be processed for monitoring the state of rotation of the disk cutter, whose axis adjoins the free end of the housing cover.

Device for monitoring the state of rotation of a disk cutter arrangement of a shield tunnel boring machine and disk cutter arrangement for a shield tunnel boring machine


A cooling system includes a cooling fan with an outlet and an inlet and a shroud surrounding at least a portion of the cooling fan. The cooling fan includes a plurality of fan blades, and each fan blade includes an inlet portion and an outlet portion that define an outer periphery of the fan blade. The outlet portion has a profile defined by a radial distance, perpendicular from a central axis of the fan, increasing in a direction towards the outlet. The average angle, relative to a central axis of the fan, of either a profile of the outlet portion or a profile of a portion of the shroud surrounding the outlet portion is between about ±15° of an average angle to the central axis at which a flow of fluid exits the outer periphery of the fan blades or between about 20° and about 70°.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates generally to cooling systems for computer systems and, more specifically, to a cooling system for reducing noise and improving volumetric output of the cooling system.
2. Description of the Related Art
While the recent increase in the speed of microprocessors has significantly increased the processing capability of computers, this increase in speed has resulted in additional heat being generated by the processor and/or other components within a computer system. Many of these components, including the processor, are adversely affected by high temperatures; and thus, a need exists for dissipating the excess heat. Typically, a heat sink is thermally attached to an integrated circuit package containing the processor or other chip, and a cooling fan is used to force air over the heat sink.
A rapidly growing area of interest for customers of computer systems is acoustics or noise. Many customers place significant emphasis on the acoustical characteristics of a system in valuing the quality of the system. Currently, the primary elements operative in the production of system acoustical noise are the computer system's various electromechanical cooling fans, such as system fans, microelectronic component fans, and power supply fans.
An issue associated with current fans involves striking a balance between improving volumetric output through the cooling fan (i.e., increased cooling) and reducing the acoustical output of the fan. Although solutions currently exist to increase the output through the cooling fan, these solution negatively affect the acoustics of the fan. For example, increasing the speed (i.e., RPM) of the cooling fan increases acoustical output. Adding flow straighteners to the exhaust of the cooling fan, which turn airflow "swirl" energy into potential pressure drop energy, is another example, but the flow straighteners also increase acoustical output.
FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively illustrate the presumed (FIG. 1) and actual (FIG. 2) flow of fluid F exiting a conventional cooling fan 210. Although a common presumption is that fluid F exits the fan 210 at a vector normal to a frame 220 of the fan 210 or parallel to a rotational axis RA of the fan 210, this is not correct. As known to those experienced in fans and/or fluid aerodynamics, the actual characteristics of fluid F exiting the fan 210 differ significantly from the characteristics shown in FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the actual vector of fluid F exiting the fan 210 is at a angle that away from the rotation axis RA of the fan 210. This angle can be 45° or even greater. The angled vector of fluid F exiting the fan 210 results from fluid radially moving away from the hub 212 and along the surfaces of the fan blades. The exact angle the fluid exits the fan 210 depends upon several known factors, such as the pitch angle and shape of the blades.
A conventional cooling fan 110 and shroud 120 and how fan noise is created is illustrated in FIG. 3. The conventional fan 110 includes blades 114, each having an outer periphery 118 that is substantially parallel to a rotational axis RA of the fan 110. The shroud 120 surrounds, in part, the blades 114, and a substantially constant width gap separates the periphery 118 of the fan blades from the shroud 120. Since the fluid F exits the outer periphery 118 at an angle relative to the rotational axis RA, the fluid F impacts the shroud 120, which reflects the fluid F back into the fan 110.
The turbulence or swirl created in the fluid F causes the shroud 120 to vibrate, thus creating acoustical emissions from the fan/shroud assembly. The turbulence within the fluid F also acts as in impedance to the fluid F through the fan 120, which reduces the maximum volumetric output of fluid F of the fan 120. The impingement of the fluid F on the shroud 120 also increases the resistance of fluid F through the fan 120. There is, therefore, a need to improve the volumetric output of fluid through a cooling fan while at the same time reducing the acoustical output of the fan.

Cooling fan and shroud with modified profiles

International Business Machines Corporation


An alarm clock includes a time indicator, a first alarm for sounding a first alarm at a preset time, a manual rotary bezel provided rotatable relative to the time indicator outside same for setting a time elapsing from the alarm time, and a second alarm for sounding a second alarm when the time set by the rotary bezel has elapsed since the preset time. After the first alarm is sounded at the alarm time, and after the time set by the rotary bezel has elapsed, the second alarm is sounded. The time interval after which the second alarm is sounded is set by a simple operation and two-staged sounding ensures proper awakening of the sleeper.

This invention concerns an alarm clock which sounds an alarm at a set time.
An alarm clock is known which, if a desired get-up time is set as an alarm time, sounds an alarm when the alarm time is reached.
However, even if the alarm is sounded at the alarm time, the sleeper can operate a stop switch for the alarm to stop same before the sleeper awakes surely, and as a result, oversleep occasionally occurs. In order to solve this problem, alarm clocks are commercialized which sound an alarm again after a fixed time even if the stop switch is operated.
However, an interval of time after which the alarm is conventionally sounded again is fixed in alarm clocks which repeatedly sound their alarms. Therefore, the fixed interval of time is sometimes not suitable for a particular user's life rhythm, so that such an alarm clock can be completely useless for the user.
In order to sound the alarm again after a desired interval of time, the user must prepare two alarm clocks and set a first alarm time in one alarm clock, and a second alarm time in the other alarm clock. That is, not only are two alarm clocks required but also two alarm times are required to be set, which is annoying.
It is an object of this invention to provide an alarm clock which is capable of easily changing an interval of time after which a second alarm is sounded.


The present invention is a marketing and distribution method for introducing and maintaining refillable containers for personal care products such as cosmetics, creams, lotions, and sprays. The refillable container is refilled at local refill stations at stores, kiosks, vending machines, and the like, to eliminate the need for new packaging with each purchase. The method is designed to reduce waste and costs associated with product packaging by using refillable containers to dispense personal care products.

The world has experienced a movement toward more environmentally friendly product packaging, which has gained momentum recently as the world begins to appreciate the ever-growing presence of non-biodegradable waste in the landfills and areas of waste disposal. Companies have tried to explore new options for controlling the amount of waste and costs associated with containers of products purchased every day. Packaging of products, including foods, beverages, personal care products, and the like are a prime candidate for further action to protect the environment.
Personal care products, such as lotions, creams, hair care products, cosmetics, and the like have been slow to move toward a more environmentally friendly packaging. This may be because the industry is, to a large extent, packaging driven, with the commercial success of many products a direct result of the public's affection for the packaging that accompanies the product rather than the quality of the product itself. Companies that sell colognes, perfumes, eye make up, cosmetic creams, etc. may spend much more capital on the response of potential customers to their packaging than their products. As a result, cosmetics and personal care products companies have resisted the movement to more environmentally friendly packaging, leading to significant waste and a higher cost to both the manufacturer and the customer for repeated purchasing of the same packaging. The present invention is directed to methods for increasing awareness and providing such companies with an easy to introduce marketing technique and system to convert consumers to a refillable container system for personal care products.
The present invention relates generally but not exclusively to the field of materials management, and more particularly to methods designed to market refilling product containers such as (but not limited to) personal care items such as cosmetics, creams, lotions, shampoos, gels, skin care products, hair care products, and the like, which are traditionally packaged and marketed in single use disposable containers.
A hand-held refillable material transfer system may be configured to move highly viscous materials from a point of manufacture to a point of use. The material transfer system may be configured to dispense only the required amount of material without waste, which is especially important when fluids or materials are not easily handled and cannot be transmitted easily or safely from container to container without unwanted exposure. Preferably, such a material transfer system would reduce or eliminate costs and expenses attendant to using traditional disposable personal packaging as well as the waste of material associated with most existing systems. Because certain materials are sensitive to contamination of one form or another, such a material transfer system may be sealed or closed system to protect product quality and allow sampling without exposing the container to contamination. This provides an allocation of product quality to either the supplier or the user. A refillable material transfer system may further be configured to use low cost components, non-pulsating solution for dispensing and transferring thick fluids and other such materials.

Aseptic distribution system method using refillable containers


The present disclosure relates to a sewage/wastewater treatment system using granular activated sludge and a membrane bio-reactor and a sewage/wastewater treatment method using the same that are configured to effectively remove pollutants contained in raw water through a granulation tank in which the granular activated sludge is contained and to allow the raw water to be filtered through movable membranes located on the upper portion of the granulation tank. The system includes: an indirect aeration tank adapted to supply air thereto to allow dissolved oxygen contained in raw water to reach a saturation concentration; a granulation tank adapted to allow floating microorganisms contained in the treated water passing through the indirect aeration tank to be granulated and having a sludge blanket formed thereon; and movable membranes located on the upper portion of the granulation tank in such a manner as to be movable in the granulation tank.

The present disclosure relates to a sewage/wastewater treatment system using granular activated sludge and a membrane bio-reactor and a sewage/wastewater treatment method using the same that are configured to effectively remove pollutants contained in raw water through a granulation tank in which the granular activated sludge is contained and to allow the raw water to be filtered through movable membranes located on the upper portion of the granulation tank, thereby conducting advanced water treatment for tap water for miscellaneous.
Generally, an activated sludge system, which is commonly used as biological sewage/wastewater treatment equipment, needs an aerobic tank for oxidizing organic matters by using floating microorganisms and a secondary clarifier for conducting solid-liquid separation so that treated water is separated from the floating microoragnisms.
However, the facility for the secondary clarifier is complicated in the mechanical device thereof, sensitive in the hydraulic load thereof, and causes various problems like sludge rising, and recently, accordingly, a variety of water treatment technologies wherein membranes are submerged in the aerobic tank using the activated sludge system (which is called a membrane bio-reactor MBR) have been developed and suggested.
The MBR system is configured wherein water treatment is conducted with a single or continuous modified activated sludge processes so as to effectively remove the pollutants contained in sewage and wastewater, and in this case, microfiltration MF membranes or ultrafiltration UF membranes are used as physical barriers for complete solid-liquid separation. The UF and MF membranes are submerged in the interior of the bio-reactor or in the exterior of the bio-reactor.
If the membranes are submerged and operated for the replacement of the clarifier in the activated sludge system, however, the activated sludge may be broken by means of the sticky characteristics thereof and the aeration, and thus, the surfaces of the membranes may be clogged with the fine particles of the activated sludge, so that the membranes should be often cleaned. Due to the clogging of the membranes, accordingly, there are many difficulties in actually applying the membrane bio-reactor to the water treatment system.
So as to prevent the membranes from being clogged due to the broken activated sludge, there is a sludge granulation method using self-granulation characteristics of microorganisms. Representatively, there are an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket method conducted through upflow under an anaerobic condition and a granulation method conducted under an aerobic condition. Now, the granulation method under the aerobic condition will be in detail explained.
If the microorganisms of the aerobic tank for the activated sludge are contacted with each other at a slow speed by means of an agitator, the contacts between the activated sludge are generated by means of the bridge reaction of the activated sludge to allow the activated sludge to bind with each other, so that the activated sludge becomes granulated through self-granulation thereof, without having any media, and the granular activated sludge is excellent in the submerging capability and compact in size, thereby reducing the volume occupied by the reactor tank and requiring no clarifier.
The activated sludge granulation device largely includes an indirect aeration tank and a granulation tank, wherein the indirect aeration tank introduces water from the upper portion of the granulation tank, excessively aerates the water introduced thereinto, and introduces the water in which dissolved oxygen is abundant into the granulation tank, as upward flow, so as to allow the sludge in the granulation tank to be maintained in an aerobic condition, and the granulation tank is adapted to allow the contacts between the sludge to be generated through the vortexes caused by the hydrodynamic force generated from the indirect aeration tank toward the granulation tank or through an agitator disposed in the granulation tank.
A sewage/wastewater treatment systems and methods using granular sludge is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 1336988 (issued on Dec. 5, 2013), and the system is configured wherein anaerobic granular sludge, first aerobic granular sludge, second aerobic granular sludge and nitrification granular sludge are injected correspondingly into an anaerobic tank, anoxic tank, a first aerobic tank and a second aerobic tank, each of them having a separation plate, thereby greatly improving the treatment efficiencies of the pollutants such as organic matters, nitrogen, phosphate and so on in the sewage and wastewater.
However, the conventional system is configured to allow the treated water to pass through a clarifier in which membranes are additionally disposed to separate and discharge the floating microorganisms contained in the treated water passing the aerobic tank, thereby disadvantageously increasing the installation area and requiring separate facilities such as an air collection device, a pump, and a pipe for cleaning the membranes.

Sewage/wastewater treatment system using granular activated sludge and membrane bio-reactor and sewage/wastewater treatment method using the same

Doosan Heavy Industries Construction Co., Ltd


A method of extracting metalloid and metal species from a solid or liquid material by exposing the material to a supercritical fluid solvent containing a chelating agent is described. The chelating agent forms chelates that are soluble in the supercritical fluid to allow removal of the species from the material. In preferred embodiments, the extraction solvent is supercritical carbon dioxide and the chelating agent is a fluorinated .beta.-diketone. In especially preferred embodiments the extraction solvent is supercritical carbon dioxide, and the chelating agent comprises a fluorinated .beta.-diketone and a trialkyl phosphate, or a fluorinated .beta.-diketone and a trialkylphosphine oxide. Although a trialkyl phosphate can extract lanthanides and actinides from acidic solutions, a binary mixture comprising a fluorinated .beta.-diketone and a trialkyl phosphate or a trialkylphosphine oxide tends to enhance the extraction efficiencies for actinides and lanthanides. The method provides an environmentally benign process for removing contaminants from industrial waste without using acids or biologically harmful solvents. The method is particularly useful for extracting actinides and lanthanides from acidic solutions. The chelate and supercritical fluid can be regenerated, and the contaminant species recovered, to provide an economic, efficient process.

Waste treatment and disposal is an important social and economic issue. Industries throughout the world spend large sums of money to reduce the biological hazards of environmental exposure to toxic substances. One particular environmental problem is the removal of toxic metals and radioisotopes from solid or liquid industrial wastes. Such contaminants can be removed from soils, for example, by treating the soil with an acid that dissolves the metals. Acid dissolution is followed by selective precipitation, electrowinning, or solvent extraction. Acid dissolution is unfortunately very nonspecific, and often produces many by-products that can create serious environmental problems in their own right.
An alternative detoxification process is to encapsulate contaminants in a container or insoluble matrix that prevents their entry into the environment. This approach still requires storage of the bulky matrix, and does not allow regeneration or reuse of the contaminants. Hence there is a need for a biologically compatible waste treatment process that efficiently and effectively separates metals from contaminated materials. There is also a need for such a process that is biologically compatible and permits selective regeneration and reuse of the contaminants.
One of the present inventors previously has disclosed that enhanced extraction of metals can be achieved with ionizable crown ethers, such as crown ether carboxylic acids. The inventors have found that these macrocyclic ethers have cavities that can selectively extract lanthanides and actinides by attracting these species with an ionized side chain.
The metal ion is then inserted into the cavity of the macrocycle to form a chelate. Analyst, 114:451-453 (1989) and Anal. Chem 58:3233-3235 (1986). This mechanism of attracting the ion and inserting it in the ring has earned these compounds the name of "lariat crown ethers." In these reports, a crown ether carboxylic acid (sym-dibenzo-16-crown-5-oxyacetic acid) was used to extract lanthanides from aqueous solutions into an organic phase with high efficiency and selectivity. U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,135 similarly discloses separation of secondary and tertiary amines using a different crown ether, while U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,149 shows separation of racemic compounds with yet other crown ethers.
An unrelated solvent extraction method is fluid extraction, such as supercritical fluid extraction. A supercritical fluid is typically one that is gaseous at ambient conditions, but which is maintained at a temperature and pressure above its critical temperature and pres sure. Although materials may p erform as solvents at sub-critical temperatures and pressures, fluids often perform better as solvents at supercritical conditions. Supercritical solvents can be used to ex tract organic materials such as caffeine from coffee beans. U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,941 provides an example of supercritical carbon-dioxide extraction of caffeine in which green coffee beans are moved periodically through an extraction vessel and contacted with continuously flowing supercritical carbon dioxide. U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,673 shows a similar system in which soluble materials are co ntinuously extracted from solids using supercritical carbon dioxide. The soluble solids are circulated in a closed-loop pipeline with the supercritical fluid.
Supercritical extraction of environmental wastes has not previously been suggested. This may be due to the relatively low solubility of metals and other non-organic materials in supercritical fluids. Direct extraction of metal ions by supercritical carbon dioxide, for example, is inefficient because of the weak van der Waals interaction between metal ions and carbon dioxide. This weak interaction has apparently discouraged efforts to perform supercritical fluid extraction of metals from environmental wastes.


A method for transmitting a digital signal via n transmit antennas, wherein n is strictly greater than 2, comprising the steps of combining with a source data vector n vectors to be transmitted respectively by each of the transmit antennas by a coding matrix M with a yield equal to 1, using reference symbols known to at least one receiver whereby it is able to estimate at least three transmission channels corresponding respectively to each of said transmit antennas. Said coding matrix M applied a mathematical transformation to the reference symbols prior to the transmission thereof.

There are several and known techniques of estimation of transmission channels in a multi-antenna system comprising several transmit antennas.
Most of these estimation techniques are limited to the application of a space-time encoding or space-frequency encoding in OFDM-type multi-carrier systems.
Thus, the first systems proposed all used orthogonal space-time block codes.
Alamouti in "A Simple Transmit Diversity Technique for Wireless Communications", IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, pp. 311-335, vol. 6, 1998, presented the first system using an orthogonal space-time block code of rate 1 (where rate is defined as the ratio between the number N of symbols transmitted and the number L of symbol times during which they are transmitted) for two transmit antennas.
A major drawback of Alamouti's orthogonal space-time codes is that they are limited to two-transmit-antenna systems and that it is not possible to extend their use directly to a system with more than two transmit antennas while keeping an unitary rate.
Tarokh and al. ("Space-time Block Codes from Orthogonal Designs", IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, 1999, 45, (5), pp. 1456-1467) then extended the orthogonal space-time block codes to systems comprising three or four transmit antennas. However, the rates R=N/L obtained were only ½ or ¾.
One drawback of Tarokh's orthogonal space-time codes therefore is that, although they are adapted to systems implementing a greater number of transmit antennas (three or four antennas), they have a rate of less than 1.
Barhumi and al. in "Pilot Tone-based Channel estimation for OFDM Systemes with Transmitter Diversity in Mobile Wireless Channels" then proposed a channel estimation technique for multi-antenna OFDM (SISO-OFDM or MIMO-OFDM) systems relying on a classic OFDM channel estimation system, implementing an extinction of certain carriers. However, one drawback of this estimation technique in a MIMO system is that the insertion of reference symbols generally causes major loss of spectral efficiency whenever, for each transmit antenna, a reference symbol is transmitted on a reference carrier at a given point in time while no data whatsoever is transmitted on the other carrier or carriers so as not to disturb the estimation of the transmission channel.
Other research was subsequently conducted by Fragouli and al. in "Training Based Channel Estimation for Multiple-Antenna Broadband Transmissions" on the learning sequences that can be used for channel estimation for multi-antenna systems.
Subsequently, Stirling-Gallacher and al. ("Improving performance of coherent coded OFDM systems using space time transmit diversity", Electronics Letters, Vol. 37 N, March 2001, "Practical Pilot Patterns coherent coded OFDM systems using space time transmit diversity", European Wireless 2002 conference, 25-28 Feb. 2002, Florence) envisaged a channel estimation technique for MIMO-OFDM systems, restricted to two-transmit-antenna systems using orthogonal space-time codes of the Alamouti or Tarokh type.
One drawback of this estimation technique is that the number of transmit antennas of the transmission system is limited by the use of prior-art orthogonal space-time block codes.
Thus, according to the prior-art techniques, there are no complex orthogonal unit-rate codes for systems having more than two transmit antennas. This diminishes spectral efficiency.

Method and device for transmitting a signal in a multi-antenna system, signal, and method for estimating the corresponding transmission channels