A mechanism for discharging parasitic capacitance at an input of an operational amplifier, which is shared between two stages of a pipelined analog-to-digital converter and/or two channels of signal processing circuitry. The operational amplifier contains two input circuits that are time multiplexed in a manner that allows capacitance to be discharged at one input circuit while the other input circuit is inputting signals into the amplifier. The discharging of the parasitic capacitance substantially mitigates the memory effect and the problems associated with the memory effect.

Analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) are useful components in any circuit or system that interfaces analog and digital circuitry and signals. One application in which analog-to-digital converters are particularly useful includes imaging devices such as CMOS and CCD imagers. Imagers typically convert light photons into analog image signals. These analog image signals are converted to digital signals, by an analog-to-digital converter, and then processed by an image processor or other processing circuitry.
There is a desire to increase the speed of the analog-to-digital conversion process in many applications such as e.g., imagers. As such, many applications use pipelined analog-to-digital converters, which typically operate faster than non-pipelined analog-to-digital converters. FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional N-bit pipelined analog-to-digital converter 10. The pipelined analog-to-digital converter 10 consists of multiple low resolution (e.g., 1.5 bits) stages 121, 122, . . . , 12n, 12N-1, each of which comprises an arithmetic unit 20 and a two-level decision circuit 40. The pipelined analog-to-digital converter 10 further includes digital correction logic 14 for outputting an N-bit digital code representing an input analog signal.
FIG. 1 illustrates the components of the nth stage 12n in more detail. It should be appreciated that the other stages 121, 122, . . . , 12N-1 contain the same circuitry as the nth stage 12n. The arithmetic unit 20 comprises a switching block 22, four additional switches 24, 26, 28, 30, a sampling capacitor Cs, a feedback capacitor Cf, and an operational amplifier 32. The decision circuit 40 includes two comparators 42, 44 and an encoder 46.
In operation, the arithmetic unit 20 in the first stage 121 merely operates as a sample and hold circuit. In the other stages 122, . . . , 12n, 12N-1, the arithmetic unit 20 multiplies the incoming analog signal portion VRES(n-1), often referred to as a "residue," by a factor of two and subtracts from this product one of three voltages +VR, 0, −VR, based on the closed switch in the switching block 22. The switches of block 22 are opened/closed based on the decision bits Dn-1 from a prior stage (e.g., stage 12n-1). The new residue is fed into the decision circuit 40, where it is compared with two different reference voltages ¼VR, −¼VR. The encoder generates and outputs decision bits Dn for the stage 12n. The decision bits for each of the stages 121, 122, . . . , 12n, . . . 12N-1 are processed by the digital correction logic 14, which removes any redundancy and outputs the N-bit digital output code.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, the conventional pipelined analog-to-digital converter 10 requires one operational amplifier 32 for each stage 121, 122, . . . , 12n, . . . 12N-1 in the pipeline. The majority of the power of the pipelined analog-to-digital converter 10 is consumed by operational amplifiers 32. Therefore, minimizing the power consumption of the operational amplifiers 32 is key to the design of low power pipelined analog-to-digital converters 10.
FIG. 2 illustrates the timing diagram for two stages STAGE 1, STAGE 2 of the FIG. 1 pipelined analog-to-digital converter 10. Non-overlapping clock signals PHI1, PHI2 are used to control the switching circuitry contained within each stage STAGE 1, STAGE 2 to configure how the sampling and feedback capacitors Cs, Cf and the operational amplifier 32 are connected.
FIG. 3 illustrates the operational amplifier configuration of the two stages STAGE 1, STAGE 2 when the second clock signal PHI2 is asserted (i.e., has a high level). As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first stage STAGE 1 undergoes a sampling operation while the second stage STAGE 2 undergoes an amplifying operation. That is, the first stage's arithmetic unit 201 is configured such the analog input voltage Vin is sampled in the sampling capacitor Cs. The second stage's arithmetic unit 202 is configured in a manner such that the operational amplifier 32 amplifies the signal stored in the sampling capacitor Cs and outputs the amplified signal as Vout.
FIG. 4 illustrates the operational amplifier configuration of the two stages STAGE 1, STAGE 2 when the first clock signal PHI1 is asserted (i.e., has a high level). As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first stage STAGE 1 undergoes the amplifying operation while the second stage STAGE 2 undergoes the sampling operation. That is, the first stage's arithmetic unit 201 is configured such the signal stored in the sampling capacitor Cs is amplified by the operational amplifier 32. The second stage's arithmetic unit 202 is configured to sample the output from the first stage STAGE 1 and store it in the stage 2 STAGE 2 sampling capacitor Cs.
It can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4 that during the sampling operations, the operational amplifiers 32 performs no useful function; they just consume power. This occurs because the operational amplifiers 32 are placed into an open-loop configuration with their inputs and outputs connected to known voltage levels. To avoid wasting power during every sampling operation, some analog-to-digital converters share one operational amplifier 32 between two adjacent stages STAGE 1, STAGE 2 as is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a circuit 120 of a pipelined analog-to-digital converter in which arithmetic units 201, 202 of two pipeline stages STAGE 1, STAGE 2 share one operational amplifier 32. The amplifier 32 can be shared because the circuit 120 contains six switches S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 that are controlled to connect the sampling and feedback capacitors Cs, Cf to the operational amplifier 32 inputs and outputs differently depending on the operation being performed.
FIG. 5 illustrates the circuit 120 when the second clock signal PHI2 of FIG. 2 is asserted. While the second clock signal PHI2 is asserted, switch S1 is closed to connect the analog input voltage Vin to the stage 1 arithmetic unit 201 sampling capacitor Cs. Switches S5 and S6 are closed in the second stage's arithmetic unit 202 such that the operational amplifier 32 amplifies, and outputs as Vout, a signal stored in the stage 2 arithmetic unit 202 sampling capacitor Cs. The other switches S2, S3 and S4 are left open. Thus, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the first stage STAGE 1 undergoes a sampling operation while the second stage STAGE 2 undergoes an amplifying operation, but only one operational amplifier 32 is connected and used.
FIG. 6 illustrates the circuit 120 when the first clock signal PHI1 of FIG. 2 is asserted. While the first clock signal PHI1 is asserted, switches S1, S5 and S6 are open, and switches S2, S3 and S4 are closed. As such, the first stage's arithmetic unit 201 is configured such that a signal stored in the first stage arithmetic unit 201 sampling capacitor Cs is amplified by the operational amplifier 32 and output as Vout. The second stage's arithmetic unit 202 is configured to sample and store an analog input Vin in the stage 2 STAGE 2 sampling capacitor Cs. As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 6, the first stage STAGE 1 undergoes the amplifying operation while the second stage STAGE 2 undergoes the sampling operation. Again, only one operational amplifier 32 is connected and used during these operations.
By sharing an operational amplifier 32 between two adjacent stages STAGE 1, STAGE 2, the power consumption of the pipelined analog-to-digital converter 10 (FIG. 1) can be reduced by half. However due to the finite DC gain AO and input parasitic capacitance Cp of the operational amplifier 32 (FIG. 7b), the previous output VO(k−1) adversely effects the present output VO(k), which is known in the art as the "memory effect." The memory effect can cause a non-linearity in the operational amplifier 32 and thus, analog-to-digital converter output.
Briefly, the memory effect can be described using the following equations in reference to FIG. 7a. Ideally, during sampling, charge should be represented as Q=(Cf+Cs)×Vin. From charge conversion, at the amplifying phase, Q=Cf×(VO−VX)−Cp×VX−Cs×VX=(Cf+Cs)×Vin, where VX is the input node voltage of the operational amplifier 32. Because the amplifier has a finite gain AO, VO=−AO×VX, which yields VX=−VO/AO. This means that Cf×(VO+VO/AO)+Cp×VO/AO+Cs×VO/AO=(Cf+Cs)×Vin. Therefore, VO=Vin×(Cf+Cs)/(Cf+(Cf+Cs+Cp)/AO), which equals Vin×Gc.
In reality, however, there is charge associated with parasitic capacitance Cp (due to the memory effect). As such, at the sampling stage, as shown in FIG. 7b, Q=(Cf+Cs)×Vin(k)−Cp×Vin_err(k), where Vin_err(k) is the memory error associated with the parasitic capacitance Cp. Using just the error term, from charge conversion, VO(k)=−Vin_err(k)×Cp/(Cf+(Cf+Cs+Cp)/AO)˜=−Vin_err(k)×Cp/Cf, if AO is large enough. For the first and second terms VO(k)=Vin(k)×Gc−Vin_err(k)×Cp/(Cf+(Cf+Cs+Cp)/AO). Since Vin_err(k) comes from the previous output, Vin_err(k)=−VO(k−1)/AO=−Gc×Vin(k−1)/AO. Accordingly, VO(k)=Vin(k)×Gc+Vin(k−1)×Gc/AO×Cp/(Cf+(Cf+Cs+Cp)/AO)=Vin(k)×Gc+Vin(k−1)×Gc×e, where e=1/AO×Cp/(Cf+(Cf+Cs+Cp)/AO)˜1/AO×Cp/Cf. It should be noted that the second order errors are neglected in the above calculations.
In addition, charge injection and kickback noise from the circuitry add to the memory effect error described above. Reducing the memory effect is a key element in designing a pipelined analog-to-digital converter that shares operational amplifiers between two pipeline stages.
Accordingly, there is a need and desire for a pipelined analog-to-digital converter that shares an operational amplifier between two pipeline stages, yet does not suffer from the memory effect and the problems associated with the memory effect.
It is known to divide signal processing circuitry into multiple channels. For example, imagers often include multiple readout channels where one channel processes a specific set of pixel signals and at least one other channel processes the remaining sets of pixel signals. FIG. 7c illustrates a two channel processing circuit 150 designed to sample and hold analog input signals and convert the signals into digital signals. As shown in FIG. 7c, the first channel CHANNEL 1 comprises a sample and hold circuit 152a and multiple analog-to-digital pipeline stages 154a, 156a. Similarly, the second channel CHANNEL 2 comprises a sample and hold circuit 152b and multiple analog-to-digital pipeline stages 154b, 156b. The sample and hold circuits 152a, 152b share an operational amplifier 32. The analog-to-digital pipeline stages 154a, 154b share an operational amplifier 32 as do the other analog-to-digital pipeline stages 156a, 156b.
The devices of the two channels CHANNEL 1, CHANNEL 2 share the operational amplifiers in a similar manner and with similar timing (e.g., FIG. 2) as the adjacent pipelined analog-to-digital converter stages share the operational amplifiers (as discussed above). That is, the channels switch in or out the amplifier based on the operation being performed in that portion of the channel. Thus, although the circuit 150 achieves the benefits of reducing the number of operational amplifiers, the circuit 150 also suffers from the memory effect.
Accordingly, there is a need and desire for sharing an operational amplifier between two channels of a signal processing circuit, yet does not suffer from the memory effect and the problems associated with the memory effect.

Method, apparatus and system sharing an operational amplifier between two stages of pipelined ADC and/or two channels of signal processing circuitry


A method is provided for monitoring error log files for specified error events through the use of a software program. In accordance with the method, each time the program is run, the steps are performed of: (a) accessing (405) an error log file, (b) identifying (419) those portions of the error log file not previously read by the program, (c) reading (413, 417) essentially only those portions of the error log file not previously read by the program and identifying (423) any predefined error conditions recorded therein, (d) generating a report (425, 429) which notes the existence of any predefined error conditions identified, and (e) terminating (427) the program.

A variety of software applications create log files that keep a record of error conditions that have been detected. For example, an application that refers to an external file for configuration information may generate an error notice that is recorded in a log file associated with the application if that external file is determined to be missing or corrupt. Early identification of such error conditions allows remedial action to be taken that can minimize or eliminate the impact of these errors on a business being supported by the application. Hence, such log files are often monitored as part of a continuing production support environment.
As a practical matter, it is difficult and inefficient to have IT personnel continuously monitoring these log files, particularly in a large enterprise. Consequently, it is desirable to automate the monitoring process so that the appropriate personnel will be notified of any error conditions detected.
One complicating factor in this effort is that some applications create a series of log files in the form of a circular buffer. In such a configuration, the oldest file in the buffer is periodically deleted and is replaced with a file containing the newest information. The current or most recent log file will often have a standard name, and the previous log files will have derivative names based on the standard name. Such a configuration is often employed because it allows convenient access to the most recent data.
Unfortunately, the creation of the new standard log file by applications that utilize circular buffer log file configurations is not always predictable. In some instances, for example, the new standard log file is created only when a previous file has reached a certain size. Consequently, if attempts are made to access the log file for the purpose of implementing an automated monitoring process, these attempts may result in an older version of the log file being accessed, which in turn may result in lack of notification with respect to more recent error conditions. On the other hand, if the automated monitoring process is simply configured to look for the most recent log file, error events that have happened between successive iterations of the monitoring process may go undetected. As an added complication, if the monitoring process fails to adequately distinguish unreported error conditions from those that have already been reported, duplicate error notifications will be generated, thus resulting in the misapplication of IT resources.
Some conventional system management tools are configured to monitor log files by opening the file, reading and scanning the log file, sending out appropriate notifications, and then going into a sleep mode. After a certain period of time, the process wakes up to continue reading the log file. This type of approach utilizes the file system behavior to keep track of the file pointer position between sequential reads within a single program execution.
However, while such an approach is potentially capable of avoiding problems of the type noted above, this approach requires that the system management tool operate somewhat continuously in the background. Hence, programs of this type can consume a significant amount of system resources and bandwidth.
To date, some standard utilities, such as the GREP (Global Regular Expression Print) utility in UNIX, are capable of scanning files for occurrences of a specified string of characters. Every time it finds a line that contains the specified strings, it displays the line on screen. If it is searching through more than one file; it also notes the name of the file in which the string occurred. The user specifies which files to search through and which strings to look for.
The GREP utility, which may be run in the background, is utilized primarily to find one or more files which contain a known string when the name of the file containing the information is unknown. It can be utilized to check all the files in a directory or a single file. GREP has been utilized by software developers to search for known error conditions in build files.
In searching build files, GREP and other traditional search tools typically produce all potentially relevant hits, but leave it up to the user to determine which ones are real and what can be ignored. Such utilities could potentially be used to detect the presence of a certain character string (corresponding to a specific error message) in a log file for the purpose of monitoring these files. However, the use of such utilities becomes impractical when multiple character strings must be detected.
Other methods of conducting error log analysis have been developed and are disclosed in the literature. For example, one method has been disclosed for diagnosing faults in a computer-based system. In that method, a log of errors of different kinds that have been recorded in the system is read, and errors of those kinds that are relevant to one or more predetermined types of faults that can occur in the system are selected from the log. The selected errors are filtered so as to compose one or more events, each event comprising one or more occurrences of one or more of the relevant kinds of the errors. The composed events are analyzed to reach an assessment that at least one of the predetermined types of faults has occurred. In preferred embodiments of the method, an error log analyzer (ELA) scans error logs generated by a computer system. The logs are preferably generated whenever the system is running and are analyzed by the ELA at regular intervals and/or when a fault has occurred.
Another method of conducting error log analysis that has been disclosed in the literature relates to identifying predefined error conditions in a build output log file to determine if software build is defective. In accordance with the method, an output log file is generated within a storage device of a data processing system during a build of a software algorithm on the data processing system. A user creates a list file on the data processing system containing predefined valid error conditions. The output log file is searched to identify user-defined strings from the list file. A comparison of the user-defined strings identified during the search is made with predefined valid error conditions to determine when the user-defined strings identified matches the predefined valid conditions.
While the two methods described above may have some desirable attributes, they do not address the aforementioned problem concerning circular file buffers. These methods also do not describe a means by which the consumption of system resources by the error log monitoring process may be minimized.
There is thus a need in the art for methods for monitoring error log files of the type generated by software programs, which methods overcome the above noted infirmities. In particular, there is a need in the art for methods for monitoring error log files, and for software programs and systems which implement these methodologies, in which notice of all reportable error conditions in the error logs of software supporting a business is provided to the appropriate support personnel, and in which duplicative notices are avoided. There is further a need in the art for such methods, software and systems that can accommodate applications that utilize circular file buffers, and that can readily detect multiple character strings in error log files. There is also a need in the art for methods, software and systems of this type which minimize the use of system resources in the monitoring process. These and other needs are met by the methods, software and systems disclosed herein and hereinafter described.


A method of preparing TPN solutions, which is particularly well adaptable to computerized control, has been developed. These methods can assist the pharmacist or physician in the preparation of three-in-one TPN solutions containing lipid, dextrose and amino acids. The method includes a series of criteria for concentrations of lipid, dextrose, amino acids, and ions as well as eliminating the possibility of certain deleterious interactions.

The present invention relates to methods of making total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions. More particularly, the step-wise procedure for making TPN solutions which is disclosed herein guarantees that the solutions conform to acceptable standards of repeatability and physiologic compatibility. This method of forming TPN solutions is easily adapted to computerized control.
In the last few years, there has been a rapid expansion in the use of TPN solutions to treat hospitalized patients. In part, this expansion of TPN usage has been fueled by a series of discoveries which are leading to an optimization of TPN solutions for treatment of particular conditions. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the modification of the content of the fats used in TPN solutions. The traditional soybean or safflower oil used to provide the lipid content to TPN solutions is now being replaced, at least in part, by a variety of different lipids. These include omega-3 fatty acids (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,752,618 and 4,871,731, both assigned to New England Deaconess Hospital Corporation), medium-chain triglycerides or MCT's (U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,197, assigned to KabiVitrum), structured lipids having both MCT and Omega-3 fatty acids on the same backbone (U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,768, assigned to New England Deaconess Hospital Corporation), kernel oils (U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,726, assigned to New England Deaconess Hospital Corporation), structured lipids containing dairy fats (U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,606, assigned to New England Deaconess Hospital Corporation), and structured lipids containing short-chain fatty acids (PCT Publication No. W090/12080, assigned to New England Deaconess Hospital Corporation). In addition, even the structure of the amino acids used in the parenteral nutrition solution have been modified. For certain uses, branched chain amino acids are preferable to straight chain amino acids (U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,144, assigned to Baxter Travenol Laboratories).
The rapid explosion of information concerning TPN solutions and what modifications must be made to the solutions when using each different type of fats and amino acids to achieve optimum results has made it particularly difficult for pharmacists and physicians to make sure the solutions are produced accurately. In addition, as more and different types of drugs are being delivered in conjunction with TPN solutions, determining compatibility of the drugs and a variety of ionic materials is more difficult for the physician and/or pharmacist ordering or formulating the TPN solution. Another factor which must be monitored is whether the various ionic materials affect the strength and stability of the lipid carrying emulsion itself. For example, if the concentration of ionic materials is too great or of the wrong type, the emulsion in the TPN solution may be destabilized or break down. Still another problem is making sure that the cumulative amounts of ions, drugs and other ingredients of the TPN solutions are monitored so that they do not exceed predetermined safety limits nor adversely affect the osmoticity of the solution. Similarly, the intravenous set used for delivery of the TPN solution must be of proper type for the particular TPN solution and it be changed, when necessary, because of any differences made in the TPN solution for a particular patient
Accordingly, an object to the invention is to provide a method of preparing TPN solutions in a controlled manner such that there are no adverse drug or ionic interactions or emulsion destabilizing problems.
Another object to the invention is to provide a method of preparing TPN solutions so that mistakes which could be injurious to the patient by a pharmacist or physician are minimized.
A further object to the invention is to provide a computer control system for the manufacture of TPN solutions.
These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

Method of preparing total parenteral nutrition solutions


This invention relates to chromosomal engineering via DNA repair process. The process of the invention comprises the steps of: 1) submitting at least one source of biological activity, e.g. Deinococcus radiodurans, to radiation, desiccation and/or chemical treatment liable to damage the DNA, so as to substantially shatter its chromosomes into short fragments; 2) annealing complementary single strand tails extended by the synthesis templated on partially overlapping DNA fragments of said shattered chromosomes; 4) converting the resulting long linear DNA intermediates into intact circular chromosomes, by means of a RecA dependent homologous recombination; whereas at least one foreign source of genetic material, e.g. DNA, can be introduced during steps 2 and/or 3; and 4) optionally separating and collecting the recombined chromosomes thus obtained.

Hundreds of partially overlapping chromosomal fragments could be conceivably rejoined via mechanisms involving no significant DNA synthesis, e.g., by (i) non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) of DNA fragments1,2 held in register by some special form of chromatin3 or (ii) homologous recombination (HR) via conservative crossovers involving ends of overlapping fragments4-6. Because of the large number of DNA fragments, significant DNA repair synthesis can be involved in (iii) single-strand annealing (SSA) requiring a strand-biased exonucleolytic erosion of the DNA fragments' ends liberating the complementary strands for the annealing with other fragments' complementary single-strand protrusions4.
Alternatively, fragment assembly could require or involve massive DNA synthesis, e.g., (iv) by strand invasion between overlapping fragments (D-loop formation) priming the extension of paired 3′ ends (e.g., by a moving D-loop, like in transcription, FIG. 4) to the end of the templating fragment, followed by the annealing of thus extended ends via complementary single-strand tails (so-called synthesis dependent strand annealing or SDSA mechanism7), or (v) by any kind of "copy-choice" (CC) DNA replication mechanism switching between and copying double-stranded templates from one fragment to another until a full-size chromosome is newly synthesised8.
It is an object of the present invention to form novel hybrid species or novel chromosomes by in vivo intergeneric and/or interspecific recombinations, in a way that is both efficient and easy to reduce to practice.
It is another object of this invention to use in vivo chromosomal engineering, e.g. in an extremophile bacterium Deinococcus D. radiodurans, or any other radiation and/or desiccation and/or chemical treatment resistant organism possessing similar DNA repair mechanisms (the herein described ESDSA) for assembling their fragmented DNA into intact functional chromosomes.
It is still another object of this invention to use in vitro chromosomal engineering, e.g. in D. radiodurans cell-free extracts, or in active cell-free extracts of any other radiation and/or desiccation resistant organism possessing similar DNA repair mechanisms (the herein described ESDSA) for assembling their fragmented DNA into intact functional chromosomes. It is another object of this invention to use the aforesaid strategy to provide sites of integration of exogenous DNA by adding single-stranded or double-stranded terminal additions identical, or similar to, any chromosomal sequence as sites for their integration during the DNA repair process either in vivo or in vitro.
It is another object of this invention to use intact or fragmented DNA from any biological species, or even DNA created by artificial synthesis, as genetic elements to be integrated into the bacterial chromosome and become an integral part thereof.
Still another object of this invention is to use intact or fragmented DNA from any biological species, or even DNA created by artificial synthesis, as genetic elements to be integrated into artificial chromosomes by either in vivo or in vitro chromosomal assembly processes.
It is another object of this invention to use natural transformation capacity, or bacterial sex (e.g., conjugation or transduction), or artificial means (electroporation or chemical modification of the cellular membrane) of introducing foreign DNA into the target cells undergoing DNA repair. This ongoing repair by fragment assembly is triggered by ionizing or ultraviolet irradiation, or by chemicals that damage DNA (e.g., mitomycin C) before or after the introduction of foreign DNA in the bacterial cell. It is another object of this invention to use large genomic or plasmidic DNA fragments containing entire operons for biosynthetic pathways producing (i) useful small molecules or therapeutic proteins, (ii) enzymatic activities for biodegradation or bioremediation of the environment or (iii) energy generating metabolism, for example taking also advantage of the extreme desiccation resistance of D. radiodurans and its innocuousness for humans.
It is still another object of this invention to use a source of biological activity according to this invention as the vector for natural or engineered biodegradation and bioremediation pathways.
It is still another object of this invention to use this chromosomal engineering process in cell free extracts, or with purified proteins, for generating new chromosomal assemblies that can be transferred into appropriate cells, or DNA-free cells, creating new biological entities. These new biological entities or species can be used as biological machines tailored to solve major problems for humanity, e.g., environmental clean-up through biodegradation, synthesis of new therapeutics, clean energy production etc.

Process for chromosomal engineering using a novel dna repair system


There is provided a circuit and method for providing a supply voltage to an operational amplifier. A switch has a plurality of inputs connected to a respective plurality of supply voltages. An output of the switch is connected to a supply voltage terminal of an operational amplifier. The input of the switch is selected in dependence of the voltage levels to which a signal is to be amplified

In certain applications the voltage levels to which an operational amplifier is required to drive signals is variable. Thus, for example, the operational amplifier may at times be required to drive output signals to a voltage level of 15 volts, whilst at other times it may only be necessary to drive output signals to a voltage level of 5 volts. However in order to cover the full range of possible output voltage levels, the operational amplifier is required to be provided with the voltage supply corresponding to the highest voltage level, namely in this example 15 volts.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved technique for providing a supply voltage to a supply terminal of an operational amplifier.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Switched supply for operational amplifier


The toy flute is configured such that: a reciprocating body is accommodated inside a cylindrical body in a reciprocating manner; the cylindrical body is installed at an inner side of an opening section provided at a hollow body in such a manner that a vent hole at one side from among two vent holes provided at the abovementioned cylindrical body can communicate with the abovementioned opening section; and a flute section is installed at the abovementioned cylindrical body in such a manner that airflow flowing between the abovementioned opening section and a vent hole at the other side from among the abovementioned two vent holes causes sound to occur and reverberate inside the cylindrical body.

There are various kinds of flutes including one in which a piston-like cylindrical flute is provided inside a cylindrical container in a reciprocating manner and sound can be made by airflow passing through the cylindrical flute as the flute reciprocates. In order to allow a cylindrical flute to reciprocate, there are a cattle flute in which a weight is provided at the cylindrical flute and a so-called croaking flute in which a coil-shaped spring is installed in between the cylindrical flute and a container.
The toy provided with a whistling flute in a ball includes a "sounding throwing toy" disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai Publication No. H06-034660 and an "imitation sound generating device and toy" disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai Publication No. H05-000194. In Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai Publication No. H06-034660, a whistling flute (sounding body 2) is placed at the center of a spherical body 6 disposed inside a stuffed toy, wherein particularly the sounding body 2 placed at the center of the spherical body 6 has a weight that can be restored in the gravitational lower direction at all times and air inside the sounding body flows out as a result of a change in the weight thus restored to cause a flute body to make sound. Similarly, in Japanese Utility Model Application Kokai Publication No. H05-000194, an imitation sound generating member 20 is rotatably installed at a frame body 15, which is rotatably provided at a central section of a spherical body, wherein this toy is configured such that a weight 25 of this imitation sound generating member 20 can be restored in the gravitational lower direction.


An image processing system and method. The image processing system acquires a first set of scan lines in at first field of image data and a second set of scan lines in a second field of image data; the second set of scan lines are interlaced relative to the first set of scan lines and performs a line by line correlation therebetween to provide an error signal or value. The first and second fields are buffered and coupled to a line-to-line correlator. The error signal is used to adjust either the first or the second set of scan lines to correct for skew or blur in the second field of image data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to imaging systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for improving the image quality of images with scene motion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Visible and infrared imagers are used in a variety of commercial, industrial and military applications. For such applications, there is an ongoing need to improve the quality of the displayed image. For example, many older imagers and some newer imagers display frames of images using successive fields that are interlaced on a line-by-line basis. Thus, one field of image data is scanned onto the display on a line-by-line basis and then the next field is displayed with the lines of the second field interlaced between the lines of the first field. This interlaced scanning approach capitalizes on the inherent persistence of the display by which individual pixels on the screen remain or persist for a brief time period after a scanning electron beam is removed.
The interlaced scanning approach has certain advantages and therefore has been used for many displays. Unfortunately, when an object in scene being imaged moves at a speed higher than the field update rate of the display, the movement may cause a field-to-field skew when constructing a progressive frame of image data. While deinterlace algorithms are known in the art, common deinterlace algorithms do not correct this line-to-line skew.
In addition, these imagers typically use rolling integration detectors that sample each line in a field at different times. The integration of each line is typically staggered over a predetermined fixed time interval (e.g. 16 milliseconds). Another shortcoming associated with conventional interlaced scanning imagers then is due to the fact that scene motion with the integration time of the imager can also cause blurring and horizontal line misregistration.
Hence, a need exists in the art for a system or method for correcting line to line skew in imagers using an interlaced scanning scheme to display scenes having motion at or near the field scan rate or integration time thereof. That is, there is a need in the art for a system or method for deinterlacing fields and correcting line to line skew within a field of an imager.

Image processing system with horizontal line registration for improved imaging with scene motion


A motor driving apparatus includes a comparator, a threshold controller, a position determining unit, a phase-switching controller, and a current output unit. While the rotor is stopped, the phase-switching controller supplies a predetermined phase of winding with a current pulse having a predetermined pulse width so as not to cause the rotor to react and operate, in order to determine the initial position of the rotor. The position determining unit determines an initial position of the rotor based on the result of comparison between the induced voltage generated in a non-conduction phase by the current pulse and the threshold. The phase-switching controller performs energization or commutation according to the determined initial position of the rotor to start up the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor driving technique, and more particularly to a driving apparatus and a method that drive a motor in a position sensor-less system to detect a rotor position based on a zero-cross point of a back electromotive force generated in a non-conduction phase of windings.
2. Related Art
In recent years, a brush-less motor has been generally used as a spindle motor for a hard disk, an optical disk and the like, or as a fan motor and a compressor-driving motor for an air conditioner. In general, the brush-less motor is driven in PWM control by an inverter so as to provide a variable speed controlling operation in a wide range and also to achieve low power consumption.
Inside the brush-less motor having three-phase windings, in general, position sensors such as hole elements are placed at every electrical angle of 120 degrees so as to detect the position of a magnetic pole of a rotor. Here, in order to reduce costs and achieve a small-size device, various sensor-less techniques have been developed. With respect to a means for achieving a sensor-less driving operation, there is a method including the steps of carrying out 120 degree conduction, and detecting the rotor position by detecting a zero-cross point of a back electromotive force generated during a non-conduction period. In this method, however, since no back electromotive force is generated unless the motor is rotating, the back electromotive force is not detected at the time of starting the motor, with the result that a starting failure, such as oscillation, loss of synchronism and reverse rotation, tends to occur depending on the initial position of the rotor.
For this reason, a means for determining a relative position of the rotor to the stator in a motor stop state has been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 2547778 has proposed a controlling system in which a voltage is applied across each terminal of stator windings for such a short period of time as not to allow the rotor to react to move so that the winding that generates an electric current having the highest amplitude value is determined as a winding to be used for starting a current supply.
Moreover, for example, JP2001-275387A has proposed a controlling system in which a current pulse, which is such a short pulse as not to allow the rotor to react to move, is allowed to successively flow each terminal with its polarity being changed, so that an induced voltage generated in a non-conduction phase at this time, is detected and added to determine the initial position of the rotor. FIG. 19 is a drawing that shows a structure used for achieving the controlling system indicated by JP2001-275387A. FIG. 20A is a drawing that shows the results of measurements of the induced voltage generated by the current pulse generated in the non-conduction phase.
In FIG. 19, a motor 10 includes a rotor (not shown) having a magnetic-field section given by a permanent magnet and a stator in which a U-phase winding 11, a V-phase winding 12 and a W-phase winding 13 are Y-connected. A current output unit 20 is composed of, for example, 3-phase bridge circuits and is placed between a power supply and a GND so that a voltage is applied to the terminal of each winding to flow a current. A phase-switching controller 50 determines a winding through which a current pulse flows, and outputs a signal for providing a current pulse flow to the current output unit 20 and a signal for indicating a selected winding to an induced voltage detection unit 110, respectively.
In response to the signal of the phase-switching controller 50, the induced voltage detection unit 110 detects induced voltages of respective phases from three-phase terminal voltages Vu, Vv and Vw as well as a neutral-point voltage Vc of the motor 10, and outputs values of the induced voltages to an adder 120. The adder 120 adds an induced voltage of a non-conduction phase obtained when current pulses forwardly flows through a phase winding to an induced voltage thereof obtained when current pulses reversely flows through the phase winding.
For example, in FIG. 20A, a solid line 111 indicates an induced voltage generated in the W-phase winding 13 upon supplying current pulses from the U-phase winding 11 to the V-phase winding 12, and a broken line 112 indicates an induced voltage generated in the W-phase winding upon supplying current pulses from the V-phase winding 12 to the U-phase winding 11 in a reversed manner. The ordinate axis represents a detection voltage (mV), and the abscissa axis indicates a relative position of the rotor to the stator with an electrical angle (degrees). The adder 120 adds the induced voltage 111 and the induced voltage 112 detected by the induced voltage detection unit 110 and shown in FIG. 20A to obtain a sum of induced voltages 113 shown in FIG. 20(b).
A polarity determining unit 130 determines the polarity of the sum 113 of induced voltages obtained in the adder 120. When it is determined to be the sum of induced voltages of U-phase, the unit 130 outputs the resulting signal to a UDATA storage device 141. When it is determined to be the sum of induced voltages of V-phase, the unit 130 outputs the resulting signal to a VDATA storage device 142. When it is determined to be the sum of induced voltages of W-phase, the unit 130 outputs the resulting signal to a WDATA storage device 143. In FIG. 20B, since the sum of induced voltages of W-phase is shown, the determined polarity is output to the WDATA storage device 143. Moreover, with respect to the U-phase and V-phase, the sum of induced voltages is obtained in the same manner, and the determined polarity is output to the UDATA storage device 141 and the VDATA storage device 142, respectively. Each of the UDATA storage device 141, the VDATA storage device 142 and the WDATA storage device 143 stores the polarity of the sum of induced voltages output from the polarity determining unit 130.
A judgment unit 150 judges the initial position of the rotor based on combinations of polarities respectively stored in the UDATA storage device 141, the VDATA storage device 142 and the WDATA storage device 143.
A timing generator 160 outputs timing signals to the phase-switching controller 50, the induced voltage detection unit 110, the adder 120, the UDATA storage device 141, the VDATA storage device 142, the WDATA storage device 143 and the judgment unit 150 so as to control timings of the respective processes.
In the control system proposed in Japanese Patent No. 2547778, since the highest amplitude value is varied dependent on production deviations among the windings of the stator, a detection error tends to occur due to slight deviations in the windings. Consequently, a starting failure, such as oscillation, loss of synchronism and reverse rotation, tends to occur.
Moreover, in the control system proposed in JP2001-275387A, an adder 120, which holds induced voltages and adds these, is installed, and an externally added capacity and circuits for charging and discharging the capacity are required as constituent components. Moreover, since the rotor initial position is judged based on combinations of polarities of the sum of induced voltages of the respective phase windings, it is necessary to refer to a table or the like relating to the combinations, which makes the structure of the device more complicated. Moreover, since an induced voltage is detected by using a pair of current pulses in a forward direction and a reverse direction, and since the induced voltage is detected for each of the phase windings, current pulses of six patterns in total need to be always supplied. For this reason, upon judging the initial position of the rotor, a period of time (one cycle) required for supplying the current pulses of six patterns is inevitably required.

Motor driving apparatus and motor driving method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A folding deployment system for solar panels provides a portable solar collecting power station that can be easily packaged and deployed for use in diverse environments. A solar array frame extends and contracts in accordion fashion. Solar panels mounted on the solar array frame are pivotally moveable from an upright position in a stowed position inside a container to a substantially horizontal position outside the container in a deployed position.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable solar energy systems and more specifically to a folding structural deployment system for solar panels.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Solar power systems can be less costly than other types of power sources in more remote areas where power from centralized generators is unavailable. This is particularly true when the cost to continuously transport and store fuel is factored into the situation, especially in areas where the climate and topography are conducive to harvesting solar energy.
In rugged remote areas, islands, regions without roads, deserts, and the like, solar power can be a more desirable source of energy both in terms of reliability and cost. Similarly, solar power could also be useful in humanitarian relief efforts and organizations. If reliably available, solar power offers opportunities for people in regions which have been affected by partial or total loss of power systems, or areas which lack of infrastructure to support power systems. Additional uses for solar power include communication capabilities, medical equipment power source, and other similar necessities and necessary services.
Many systems that deploy solar arrays for electric power have been fielded. Unfortunately, these systems suffer from similar deficiencies, including, but not limited to, less than adequate functionality, decreased efficiency and optimization, and weight and portability issues. Many are cumbersome to set up and are not suitable for deployment at the best angle relative to the solar orientation of the sun to obtain maximum power yield. These problems may be more pronounced if the power system is to be frequently moved and/or require repeated operation of mechanical parts susceptible to damage.
The prior art does not show the features of the present invention, which provides for an easily transported, rugged, folding solar array which overcomes the above mentioned limitations. Accordingly, those of skill in the art will appreciate the present invention which addresses the above discussed problems.

Folding deployment system for solar panels

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A device for attaching a bracelet or strap to a watch case includes at least one horn integral with the watch case, and an insert integral with the end of a bracelet strand. The horn and the insert are complementary to cooperate by interlocking with each other to form a removable assembly able to make the bracelet interchangeable. The insert includes at least one stud subjected to the action of a spring, at least one stud being arranged to cooperate with at least one housing in the horn, the horn including a control member projecting radially with respect to the horn, in order to move the stud from a deployed position in which the stud holds the strand on the horn, to a retracted position in which the strand is released from the horn.

Generally, straps or bracelets, made of leather or metal, are attached to the horns of a watch case by means of a bar formed of a tube, inside which are mounted two pistons that move in translation, and an elastic member disposed between said pistons and intended to drive them outwardly of the tube. Said bar is mounted inside a housing provided for this purpose at one end of the bracelet, and the pistons are engaged in blind bores made opposite them in the horns of the case.
To detach a strap or bracelet attached to a case in this manner, it is necessary to have a tool designed to push the pistons back inside the tube, against the force exerted by the elastic member, and thereby remove them from the bores. The wearer of the watch does not permanently carry such a tool, and moreover, the tool can be inconvenient to use. This is why bracelets provided with such an attachment device are generally permanently secured to the case.
There are also attachment devices that allow the bracelet to be removed from the case without using a tool. Such devices usually comprise a bar, of the type described above, on which is mounted, through the tube, a member for actuating the pistons. Said actuation member is, for example, a radial finger integral with one of the pistons, as described in Swiss Patent No CH327838. The finger is slidably mounted through an axial slot made in the tube, and its movement along the slot pushes one of the pistons inside the tube.
CH Patent No. 614589 discloses a watch case with a device for attaching a strap to the case, the central horn has a cylindrical passage that is slit longitudinally over the entire length of the horn, to allow insertion of a bar for attaching a strap. The bar takes the form of a cylinder with a flat portion along its entire length to allow the bar to pass when it is inserted into the passage and to hold the bar in place when the latter occupies a determined angular position.
The attachment devices thus described are generally employed for interchangeable bracelets or straps which the user can then change as desired. They are not, however, free of drawbacks. It will be noted in particular, that they require major structural modifications to the bar, such as, for example, making an opening in the tube, or transforming the pistons. These changes entail significant extra manufacturing costs. These attachment devices also include a protruding element, namely the actuating member, which may snag or injure the wearer of the watch.


A tracking offset is reduced. The effect of an SPP signal fluctuation is reduced by using a variable mixing ratio DPP method, and a residual tracking offset is minimized.

The DPP method in which the offset of a tracking control signal resulting from lens shifting can be effectively suppressed has been in wide use as a tracking system for optical disks. In the method disclosed in JP-A 54415/1993, three spots for tracking, i.e. a main spot, a first sub-spot, and a second sub-spot are positioned being shifted by half a track pitch each on a land/groove disk or a groove recording disk, and the offset of the tracking control signal caused by lens shifting is, in principle, canceled based on calculations made using three push-pull signals detected. When the DPP method is used in an isolated optical system, there are cases in which optical axis deviation causes the magnitudes of the three push-pull signals to vary. A method aimed at solving the problem is disclosed in JP-A No. 89494/1993. In the method, gain adjustment is made, in a mirror section, between the push-pull signal of a main spot and the push-pull signals of sub-spots. In the method disclosed in JP-A No. 279659/2002, to make up for a difference in reflectivity between land and groove, distinction is made between land and groove and between media, and the push-pull signal of either sub-spot is selected for use. In the method disclosed in JP-A No. 320287/1995, a function for selecting the three-spot method or the DPP method according to the medium type is used.

Optical disk apparatus and tracking method


The present invention comprises a method and software for recognizing and flagging a data item used by one or more application program as falling within the scope of a rule but anomalous when compared with other data items falling within the scope of the rule. The method of the present invention comprises determining a collection to which the data item belongs as defined by the rule. The collection that the data item belongs to is analyzed to calculate statistics regarding the other data items that are part of the collection. Based on the statistical calculations, it is determined whether the data item is an anomalous data item. If the data item is identified as an anomalous data item, it is flagged.

The invention disclosed herein relates generally to classification and organization of data items in computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and software for recognizing items that satisfy rigid general rules for organizing information, but differ from other items that also satisfy the rules, thereby requiring a user or supervising software process to be notified.
With the rise of networks of digital computers, staggering amounts of information are passed between individuals and computer systems on a daily basis. Whether through email (SMTP), the World Wide Web (HTTP), file transfer (FTP), or data exchanges (EDI), it is clear that the interchange of information has come to define modern existence. Because of this vast information exchange, between individuals and software systems, there are many situations in which rules are created to categorize, filter, or handle data items in an unsupervised fashion.
A common application of a rules system to automate the handling of data items is in electronic mail client applications. Using an electronic mail client application, functionality is provided to establish rules so that incoming mail comprising a specific set of attributes is routed to a desired location, such as a directory on a file system or another user on a network. For example, a user may define a rule specifying that all electronic mail received from the user "email@example.com" should be routed to an electronic mailbox labeled "John.Doe". Similarly, complex rules may be defined that include instructing the mail client to perform processing defined by the user on specific electronic mail messages.
There are many situations, however, where a rigid rules based system is not adequate to correctly handle or route every data item received, even data items that fall within the scope of a defined rule. This shortcoming of a rigid rules based system is essentially "over generalization", that is, catching items that conform to rigid rules, but which the user would not wish to have grouped with other items that satisfy the rule. Over generalization can cause important items to be overlooked or handled in unintended ways. This effect stems from the fact that users may create overly broad rules and because they cannot always anticipate the variety of potential items that may arrive in the future.
In order to overcome the mishandling of received data items that fall within the scope of rigid rules, a user or system is required define a multiplicity of narrowly targeted rules in an attempt to predict every type of data item that is expected to be received in the future. This technique is undesirable for many reasons. First, as with over generalization, it is nearly impossible to identify and create a rule to handle every data item that is to be received by a user or system; some data items inevitably are mishandled due to unidentified exceptions to a rule that are not recognized in advance. Another reason this technique is undesirable is the amount of time required to create a rule to handle every data item expected to be received, in addition to creating exceptions to the rules. Indeed, one would need to be able to divine the future to anticipate every exception to every rule created.
There is thus a need for a system and method for automatically recognizing and flagging extraordinary or exceptional data items that nonetheless satisfy a rigid rule. Flagging these extraordinary or exceptional data items that meet the criteria defined by a rigid rule ensures that these data items requiring the attention of a user or software process are not overlooked or handled in unintended ways.

Automatic recognition and flagging of anomalous items within sets of automatically classified items

International Business Machines Corporation


There is provided a liquid discharge apparatus including a liquid discharge head, a cap, a movement mechanism configured to move one of the liquid discharge head and the cap to selectively take a first and a second contact state, and a separated state. The cap includes a first and a second cap portion configured to respectively cover a plurality of first and second nozzles, and a communicative portion for the first cap portion to communicate with the second cap portion. The communicative portion includes a part of a first surrounding projection formed lower in the height than the other portion of a first surrounding projection of the first cap portion except the communicative portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liquid discharge apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known ink jet printers including a cap member adapted to cover a plurality of nozzles formed in an ink jet surface by contact with the ink jet surface, and a suction pump connected with the cap member via a switching unit. The plurality of nozzles include a plurality of nozzles for black ink and a plurality of nozzles for color inks. The cap member has a first cap portion to cover the plurality of nozzles for black ink, and a second cap portion to cover the plurality of nozzles for color inks. These first and second cap portions are connected respectively with the switching unit via suction ports. The switching unit causes the suction pump to communicate with any one of the first and second cap portions. In this configuration, when the cap member comes to contact with the ink jet surface so as to cover the plurality of nozzles, the suction pump is driven, and the switching unit causes the suction pump to communicate individually with each of the cap portions; thereby, it is possible to purge the inks respectively from the plurality of nozzles for the black ink and from the plurality of nozzles for the color inks.


The invention relates to a crane, in particular a rotary tower crane, comprising a crane boom, from which a load hook can be raised and lowered via a hoist cable, and an electric power supply on the load hook and/or an optionally provided trolley which can be moved on the crane boom. According to the invention, the electric power is directly generated at the location where it is required, and in the process kinetic energy present at said location is converted into power. According to the invention, the electric power supply comprises a generator which is arranged on the load hook and/or on the trolley and which can be driven by a deflecting and/or running pulley and/or a cable running around the deflecting pulley.

The present invention relates to a crane, in particular to a revolving tower crane, comprising a crane boom from which a lifting hook can be raised and lowered via a hoist rope and an electric power supply at the lifting hook and/or an optionally present trolley travelable at the crane boom.
It is necessary or at least helpful for certain lifting work to have an electric power connection available at the whippletree or lifting hook, for example to be able to operate electric lifting solenoids for magnetic lifting work or also to be able to use cameras, sensors, or other attachment devices having, for example, electrical actuating motors at the lifting hook. If the crane has a trolley at the boom, as is the case with revolving tower cranes, for example, it is sometimes also necessary or helpful to have a power connection at the trolley, either to be able to transfer the power from the trolley via a spring cable reel to the lifting hook or also to be able to electrically feed other consumers at the trolley, for example headlamps, cameras, sensors, or other electric devices.
It has already been proposed for the electrical supply of a power connection at the trolley and/or at the lifting hook to first transport electric energy up to the trolley with the aid of trailing lines and to transmit it onward further down to the lifting hook with the aid of spring cable reels. Such an installation of trailing lines and spring cable reels at the boom is, however, very bulky and is per se only suitable for cranes that are installed as stationary and where space requirements and ease of installation do not play any greater role. With fast-erecting cranes or so-called taxi cranes that are frequently set up and dismantled daily or even several times a day and only rarely weekly, the ease of installation and the folding work for road transport for the transport by road and also the weight problems at the boom are of great importance. With such fast-installation or fast-erecting cranes, the named solutions are unsatisfactory for the electrical supply of a consumer at the trolley or at the lifting hook.
It is further known from EP 3 178 772 A1 to conduct electric power over the electrically conductive trolley cable to the trolley and to conduct it to the lifting hook over the electrically. conductive hoist rope. Electrical conductors are embedded in the cable core in the trolley cable and in the hoist rope for this purpose and are surrounded by a plurality of outer strands that serve as ground wires. Such a power transmission over the load-carrying ropes admittedly avoids separate trailing lines and spring cable reels; on the other hand, conventional, non-insulated steel wire ropes cannot be used.
It is therefore the underlying object of the present invention to provide an improved crane of the initially named kind which avoids disadvantages of the prior art and further develops the latter in an advantageous manner. Electric energy should in particular be provided in a simple and efficient manner at the lifting hook and/or at the trolley of the crane without impairing the ease of installation, taking up excessive space requirements at the boom, or requiring complex rope designs.


Disclosed is a recording sheet which comprises (a) a substrate; (b) a coating on the substrate which comprises a binder and a material having a melting point of less than about 65.degree. C. and a boiling point of greater than 150.degree. C. and selected from the group consisting of alkyl phenones, alkyl ketones, halogenated alkanes, alkyl amines, alkyl anilines, alkyl diamines, alkyl alcohols, alkyl diols, halogenated alkyl alcohols, alkane alkyl esters, saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, alkyl aldehydes, alkyl anhydrides, alkanes, and mixtures thereof; (c) an optional traction agent; and (d) an optional antistatic agent.

The present invention is directed to coated recording sheets. More specifically, the present invention is directed to recording sheets particularly suitable for use in electrophotographic printing processes. One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a recording sheet which comprises (a) a substrate; (b) a coating on the substrate which comprises a binder and a material having a melting point of less than about 65.degree. C. and a boiling point of greater than 150.degree. C. and selected from the group consisting of alkyl phenones, alkyl ketones, halogenated alkanes, alkyl amines, alkyl anilines, alkyl diamines, alkyl alcohols, alkyl diols, halogenated alkyl alcohols, alkane alkyl esters, saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, alkyl aldehydes, alkyl anhydrides, alkanes, and mixtures thereof; (c) an optional traction agent ; and (d) an optional antistatic agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,570 (Malhotra) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,407 (Malhotra), the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference, disclose a transparency which comprises a hydrophilic coating and a plasticizer, which plasticizer can, for example, be from the group consisting of phosphates, substituted phthalic anhydrides, glycerols, glycols, substituted glycerols, pyrrolidinones, alkylene carbonates, sulfolanes, and stearic acid derivatives.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,749 (Matthew) discloses erasable coatings for xerography paper which comprise a pigment such as calcium carbonate in a binder such as an aqueous emulsion of an acrylic polymer. The erasability of the coating is improved by replacing at least 15 weight percent of the binder with a polyalkane or polyalkene wax, such as an aqueous emulsion of a polyolefin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,847 (Walker et al.) discloses a transparency for the formation of an adherent electrostatic image thereon which includes a polyester resin film sheet having an image-receiving coating of nitrocellulose, a plasticizer, a particulate material, and, preferably, an antistatic agent. The coating is applied to the film sheet from a solvent mixture of an aliphatic ester or an aliphatic ketone, and an aliphatic alcohol.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,279 (Johnston et al.) discloses a toner receiving member having available at an external surface a solid crystalline plasticizer to reduce the fusion power requirements when toner is fused to the receiving member. The external surface of the toner receiving member is substantially free of material plasticizable by the solid crystalline plasticizer. Typically a plasticizer such as ethylene glycol dibenzoate may be available on the surface of paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,337 (Mulkey) discloses a sheet material having a transparent backing coated with a layer containing a polymeric binder and particles of solid material which is insoluble in the binder. The refractive index of the solid material varies from that of the binder by at most .+-.0.6. The surface of the layer is ink receptive and, by printing on that surface, a transparency is obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,412 (Johnston et al.) discloses an imaging process wherein an electrostatic latent image is developed with a thermoplastic resin toner on an imaging surface and the toner image is transferred to an image receiving surface carrying an amount of a solid crystalline plasticizer sufficient to lower the toner fusion requirements when the toner image is fused to the receiving surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,189 (Mayer et al.) discloses the formation of fused toner images on an imaging surface corresponding to an electrostatic field by depositing on the imaging surface in image configuration toner particles containing a thermoplastic resin, the imaging surface carrying a solid crystalline plasticizer having a lower melting point than the melting range of the thermoplastic resin and heat fusing the resulting toner image.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,225 (Malhotra) discloses a transparency suitable for electrographic and xerographic imaging which comprises a polymeric substrate with a toner receptive coating on one surface thereof comprising blends selected from the group consisting of: poly(ethylene oxide) and carboxymethyl cellulose; poly(ethylene oxide), carboxymethyl cellulose, and hydroxypropyl cellulose; poly(ethylene oxide) and vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene copolymer; poly(chloroprene) and poly(alpha-methylstyrene); poly(caprolactone) and poly(alphamethylstyrene); poly(vinyl isobutyl ether) and poly(alpha-methylstyrene); poly(caprolactone) and poly(p-isopropyl alpha-methylstyrene); blends of poly(1,4-butylene adipate) and poly(alpha-methylstyrene); chlorinated poly(propylene) and poly(alpha-methylstyrene); chlorinated poly(ethylene) and poly(alpha-methylstyrene); and chlorinated rubber and poly(alphamethylstyrene). Also disclosed are transparencies with first and second coating layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,697 (Malhotra) discloses a transparent substrate material for receiving or containing an image which comprises a supporting substrate base, an antistatic polymer layer coated on one or both sides of the substrate and comprising hydrophilic cellulosic components, and a toner receiving polymer layer contained on one or both sides of the antistatic layer, which polymer comprises hydrophobic cellulose ethers, hydrophobic cellulose esters, or mixtures thereof, and wherein the toner receiving layer contains adhesive components.
European Patent Publication 463,400, published Jan. 2, 1992, corresponding to copending application U.S. Ser. No. 07/544,577 (Malhotra), entitled "Transparencies Comprising Metal Halide or Urea Antistatic Layer," discloses a transparent substrate material for receiving or containing an image comprising a supporting substrate, an ink toner receiving coating composition on both sides of the substrate and comprising an adhesive layer and an antistatic layer contained on two surfaces of the adhesive layer, which antistatic layer comprises mixtures or complexes of metal halides or urea compounds both with polymers containing oxyalkylene segments.
Copending application U.S. Ser. No. 07/806,064 (Malhotra et al.), entitled "Coated Recording Sheets for Electrostatic Printing Processes," discloses a recording sheet which comprises a base sheet, an antistatic layer coated on at least one surface of the base sheet comprising a mixture of a first component selected from the group consisting of hydrophilic polysaccharides and a second component selected from the group consisting of poly (vinyl amines), poly (vinyl phosphates), poly (vinyl alcohols), poly (vinyl alcohol)-ethoxylated, poly (ethylene imine)ethoxylated, poly (ethylene oxides), poly (n-vinyl acetamide-vinyl sulfonate salts), melamine-formaldehyde resins, urea-formaldehyde resins, styrenevinylpyrrolidone copolymers, and mixtures thereof, and at least one toner receiving layer coated on an antistatic layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of maleic anhydride containing polymers, maleic ester containing polymers, and mixtures thereof.
While the above materials and processes are suitable for their intended purposes, a need remains for recording sheets particularly suitable for use in electrophotographic applications. In addition, a need remains for recording sheets upon which the toner materials commonly employed in electrophotographic Imaging processes exhibit improved adhesion. Further, there is a need for recording sheets exhibiting improved toner adhesion wherein the additive components in the coating on the recording sheet which enable the improved adhesion remain within the coating when the recording sheet is stored in a vinyl or plastic folder.


A gas turbine compressor casing has two inner and outer envelopes forming at least one closed cavity and a locking or clamping ring having a thermal inertia higher than that of the envelopes and mounted in the closed cavity in such a way as to limit its contraction during a lowering of the temperature. The thermal inertia difference can be obtained by using for the locking ring a material having a thermal expansion coefficient lower than the coefficient of the envelopes. It can also be controlled by a ventilation means device for ensuring hot air flow in the cavity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device making it possible to check or control the clearances of a high pressure compressor casing of a gas turbine. This device can be used for numerous types of gas turbine for aircraft engines.
2. Discussion of the Background
The high heating levels to which a gas turbine is exposed during the flight of an aircraft lead to thermal expansion, which should be controlled in order to improve the performance characteristics of the gas turbine. More particularly, it is important to control the radial clearances between the rotor and the stator, i.e. limit said clearances during the accelerating and cruising phases (essential phases during flying), while avoiding mechanical interference between the fixed part (i.e., stator) and the rotary part (i.e., rotor) of the compressor during a transient phase of the deceleration type with reacceleration.
Several documents propose devices for controlling such clearances and are usually in the form of compressor stators having a double envelope casing, namely an inner envelope supporting the stator blades and an outer envelope, said two envelopes being joined by flexible connections.
French patent application 2,607,198, filed on Nov. 26, 1986 by the present Applicant, proposes a compressor casing comprising an inner envelope having circumferential corrugations, whereof the valleys are located level with the medium of a blade stage and the crests are located at the blade edges. Rows of flexible pillars connect and join the inner and outer envelopes.
FR-2,640,687 proposes installing a plurality of deformable cylindrical bellows within which a variable pressure is maintained by an air sampling duct at the downstream end of the compressor.
The two aforementioned devices make it possible to limit the risks of mechanical interference between the stator and the rotor, but their use is difficult.
French patent application 2,653,171 describes a gas turbine compressor casing constituted by two inner and outer envelopes forming an enclosure and supplied with hot air by a downstream opening. The two envelopes are connected by hollow connecting arms and are linked with an air ventilating circuit or system permitting the circulation of cooling air within the arms. This device requires a cooling circuit for the casing in the essential flight stages of cruising and acceleration and this is expensive from the delivery standpoint.

Device for checking the clearances of a gas turbine compressor casing

Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation "SNECMA"


An adjustable strap or band adapted to be circumferentially fitted around the forearm to alleviate the symptoms of tennis elbow. The strap is a generally band-shaped device having opposing inwardly protruding means on its forearm contacting surface to direct transaxial compression against the radial extensor, supinator complex and flexor muscles when the band is circumferentially tensioned and fastened in place around the forearm. In its preferred form, the band applies an adjustable pressure principally upon the extensor, supinator and flexor wads permitting unimpeded blood circulation along all other portions of the forearm. The two opposing means for applying transaxial compression are limited in their circumferential extent to those areas of the band immediately overlying the extensor and flexor muscle mass.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an adjustable compression arm band and, more specifically, to an arm band constructed to be worn by persons suffering from symptoms of lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), radial supinator syndrome and medial epicondylitis.
2. Prior Art
Tennis elbow, sometimes referred to in the prior art alternatively as lateral epicondylitis or epicondylalgia externa, is frequently found in men and women between the ages of thirty and fifty who engage in racket sports. In people in the aforesaid age group, muscles and tendons become less supple and less able to absorb and dissipate the forces associated with sudden acceleration and deceleration which cause the inflammation associated with tennis elbow particularly where the extensor muscle mass meets the bone. Tennis elbow is also found in individuals pursuing activities such as golf and bowling. It is also found in certain trades such as carpentry, due to repeated hammering and driving of screws, and house painting, due to the forward and backward stroke of the brush.
Although "tennis elbow" is frequently thought of as an inflammation of the extensor muscles of the forearm, such inflammation may be accompanied by radial supinator inflammation due to repetitive pronation and supination. Such inflammation of the supinator muscle mass can cause tension on the overlying extensor muscle and resultant inflammation. The forearm extensor and supinator muscles are those that come into play during the extension, raising or snapping of the wrist. Every time a tennis ball hits a racket, there is a certain force or mechanical shock wave propagated up the forearm muscles which are already in tension due to the weight and acceleration of the racket and the tension caused by the centrifugal force of the stroke. If the ball is mis-hit, an extra force is added resulting in a snap of the wrist. It is this extra repetitive stress that causes the trauma leading to inflammation in the extensor and supinator muscles.
Prior art devices and procedures to control "tennis elbow" have been principally directed to lateral epicondylitis due to inflammation of the extensor muscle mass. Such devices include tension bandages for support and non-elastic bandages which are fastened around the forearm to inhibit the massive movement of the extensor and flexor muscles and absorb much of the shock. The following United States patents describe such devices and are made of record: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,628,918; 4,905,998; 3,970,081; and 4,191,373.
Applegate, Jr., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,081 (referenced above) describes a support to be worn on the arm near the elbow joint for reducing pain in the elbow joint associated with the condition of tennis elbow. Applegate, Jr.'s strap comprises a tubular sleeve of one-way stretch fabric with an integral non-elastic strap. In use, the tubular sleeve is pulled up over the arm and positioned. The strap is tightened to compress a disc housed thereunder causing the disc to press against the forearm. Applegate, Jr. teaches positioning the tubular sleeve such that the compression disc underlying the inelastic band may be positioned on the arm wherever it will provide or afford the most relief. The Applegate, Jr. sleeve and integral band is substantially circular and because it is circular, it applies pressure substantially evenly about the forearm thereby impairing the circulation much like a tourniquet. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a pressure band similar to Applegate, Jr.'s without the disadvantage of impairing blood circulation in the forearm.
Each of the aforesaid patents provides for a device to relieve the symptoms of lateral epicondylitis. Each of the devices stresses either absorption of shock and vibration or the application of warmth or heat and pressure. None of the devices addresses the associated problems of flexor and supinator muscle inflammation or the problem of impeded blood circulation due to compression of non-target tissues in the forearm or upper arm. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a compression band useful for treating the symptoms of tennis elbow whether due to extensor, flexor or supinator inflammation. Additionally, the design of the band should minimally impair normal circulation up and down the arm.


An air supported frame is provided for supporting a large LED display wherein the frame includes upper, lower and side segments and has a front portion and a rear portion and the LED display is positioned when in use within the frame substantially midway between the front portion and rear portion. Further, an additional support structure may be attached to the upper and lower segments of the air supported frame wherein the additional support structure bends, curves, or angles away from the plane of the display so as to provide support to the upper segment without interfering with the display. In addition, the air supported frame may include vent seals that allow greater air pressure to be held within the air supported frame.

Large LED displays for use in outdoor environments are known in the art. Such displays are typically mounted on aluminum or steel trusses or supported by buildings or other permanent structures. However, there is a need for portable, lightweight structures that can be relatively simply and quickly erected and dismantled and that are capable of supporting large LED displays.


A binuclear organometallic complex enabling highly efficient phospholuminescence and an organic electroluminescent device using the same. The binuclear organometallic complex, which can be suitably used to form an organic layer of an organic electroluminescent device, produces luminescence in the wavelength range of 430-650 nm, and induces white electroluminescence when combined with green and red luminescent materials.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organometallic complex capable of being used in an organic electroluminescent device, and more particularly, to a binuclear organometallic complex capable of emitting light with a wide spectrum from a blue region to a red region through triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and to an organic electroluminescent device using the same as an organic layer forming material.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic electroluminescent (EL) device is a spontaneous light-emitting display device that generates light through the recombination of electrons and holes when an electric field is applied to thin films composed of fluorescent or phosphorescent organic compounds (organic layers). An organic EL device has various advantages including lightness, simple components and a simple manufacturing process, high resolution, wide viewing angle, high color purity, perfect reproduction of motion pictures, low power consumption, low driving voltage, and so on so that is suitable for use in portable electronic devices.
An electroluminescent layer of an organic EL device can be composed of a fluorescent material or a phosphorescent material. The fluorescent material differs from the phosphorescent material in terms of a light-emitting mechanism. The fluorescent material uses singlet excitons, and the phosphorescent material uses triplet excitons. An electroluminescent layer is composed of the fluorescent material or the phosphorescent material itself. Alternatively, the fluorescent material or the phosphorescent material is doped into an appropriate host material. In the latter case, as a result of electron excitation, singlet excitons and triplet excitons are produced in the host. Statistically, the singlet excitons and the triplet excitons are produced in a ratio of about 1:3.
A conventional organic EL devices including an electroluminescent layer composed of a fluorescent material is disadvantageous since triplet excitons are consumed by the host. However, a conventional organic EL device including an electroluminescent layer composed of a phosphorescent material are advantageous since singlet excitons and triplet excitons are both utilized to achieve an internal quantum efficiency of 100%. Thus, an organic EL device including an electroluminescent layer composed of a phosphorescent material has higher emission efficiency than an organic EL device including an electroluminescent layer composed of a fluorescent material.
The introduction of a heavy metal such as Ir, Pt, Rh, or Pd to organic molecules has led to spin-orbital coupling due to a heavy atom effect which allows a triplet state and a singlet state to coexist, thus enabling a forbidden transition, thereby allowing phospholuminescence to occur even at room temperature.
Recent developments have led to the discovery of highly efficient green and red luminescent materials using photoelectroluminescence with the internal quantum efficiency as high as 100%. In particular, a green phosphorescent material including fac-tris(2-phenylpyridine)iridium(Ir(ppy)3) has an external quantum efficiency of 17.6±0.5%. {Bis(2-(2′-benzo[4,5-A]thienyl)pyridinato-N,C)iridium(acetylacetonate)} (Btp2Ir(acac)) has been developed as a red phosphorescent material having a high emission efficiency of 7.0±0.5%.
As described above, various materials employing various transition metal compounds containing a transition metal such as iridium or platinum have been used as highly efficient luminescent materials using phospholuminescence. However, white phosphorescent materials with high emission efficiency and low power consumption have not been developed, making it difficult to achieve a full-color display, which is, in turn, a barrier to the development of phosphorescent full-color display devices.
To address the above-described problems, the development of blue luminescent materials is under way (WO 02/15645 A1, US 2002/0048689 A1 entitled Light-emitting device and iridium complex to Igarashi Tatsuya et al. and published on Apr. 25, 2002). Also, there have been proposed organometallic complexes having bulky functional groups or functional groups having high intensity ligand fields, e.g., a cyano group, introduced thereto to increase a difference between HOMO (Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital) and LUMO (Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital) energy levels by transforming the molecular geometry of the oragnometallic complexes. Other materials that have recently been developed include iridium complexes having the general formula of Ir(ppy)2P(ph)3Y, where Y is Cl or CN, as disclosed in US2002/0182441 A1 entitled Organometallic compounds and emission-shifting organic electrophosphorescence to Lamansky, Sergey et al. and published on Dec. 5, 2002, and iridium(III) complexes including a cyclometalating ligand and chelating diphosphine, chlorine and a cyano group, as disclosed in US 2002/0064681 A1 entitled Luminescence device, display apparatus and metal coordination compound to Takiguchi, Takao et al. and published on May 30, 2002.

Binuclear organometallic complexes and organic electroluminescent display device using the same


A multi-part hair clipper housing lid is provided that is configured for engagement upon a main hair clipper housing. The lid includes a base having an interior portion defined by an interior edge, a trim piece having an outer trim edge configured for locating on the interior edge, the trim piece defining an inner space defined by an inner peripheral edge, and a cover configured for seating upon the inner peripheral edge and covering the inner space. The cover is constructed and arranged such that upon being fastened to the main housing, the trim piece is retained upon the base.

The present invention relates generally to housings for powered hair clippers or trimmers (collectively referred to as "hair clippers"), and specifically to multi-part lids for such housings.
Multi-part clipper housing lids or covers are known, among others from U.S. D597,254; D568,542; D500,392 and D435,936. By providing lids in multiple components, hair clipper designers can optionally create a variety of appearances or grades of trim by utilizing different materials or surface treatments for selected lid components without creating new molds. Thus, a relatively large variety of appearance variations can be achieved without excessive tooling costs to create distinct housings for different products. Such lids typically include a main lid secured to a lower or main clipper housing by fasteners such as screws, or combinations of screws and snaps, and at least one cover that is secured to the main lid by snaps or chemical adhesive.
A challenge for clipper designers is developing multi-part lids configured so that the respective components can be easily secured together, as well as to the main housing. Another challenge is designing such lids which are readily disassembled when the clipper requires servicing. Many conventional multi-piece lids are snapped together such that breakage of the snaps and/or portions of the lid often occurs during disassembly.


The present invention generates a reference signal including identification information based on a first coding method and generates data signals by a second coding method different from the first coding method. Next, it time division multiplexes signals by allocating the reference signal to a reference time slot and allocating data signals to time slots of which phase difference between the reference time slot is predetermined, and sends a multiplexed signal. In a receiver side, the reference time slot is detected based on identification information in a transmitted signal.

The present invention relates to an art of a time division multiplexing transmitter for transmitting time division multiplexed data, and more particularly, to an art for identifying a time slot of a reference channel contained in the multiplexed signal to extract a desired channel based on the phase difference between the time slots.
In order to select and extract a desired channel from among signals in which data of multiple channels are time division multiplexed, the time slot phase of the desired channel has to be identified.
Assuming that N (positive integer) channels are multiplexed, some of those channels are used as reference channels for identifying the time slot phase. A receiver side detects the reference channel from among the multiplexed signals and identifies the time slot phase. Based on a predetermined relative phase between the reference channel and the channel to be extracted, the desired channel is extracted.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a construction of a conventional time division multiplexing transmitter disclosed in a paper titled "Study on large-capacity digital video distribution system to Development on time division data multiplexing and distribution method with compact 10 Gbps optical terminal" written by Hajime ISHIKAWA et al. on "Technical Report of IEICE (EMCJ94-49(1994-11))".
The time division multiplexing transmitter comprises a transmission unit 101 for time division multiplexing data of N channels and converting the same into optical signals for transmission, an optical fiber 102 as a transmission path and a receiving unit 103 for extracting the desired channel among received signals for outputting.
The transmission unit 101 is described in detail.
Data 104 of M (M is a positive integer, M.ltoreq.N) channels of N channels are input to reference channel signal generators 105.sub.1, to 105.sub.M, respectively. The rest of the data signals 106 of (N-M) channels are input to a time division multiplexing circuit 107.
The reference channel signal generators 105.sub.1 to 105.sub.M are circuits for adding a different bit pattern as identification information to each data signal for transmission. The time division multiplexing circuit 107 time division multiplexes M data signals output from the reference channel signal generators 105.sub.1 to 105.sub.M and data signals 106. An optical transmitter 108 is a circuit for converting a signal output from the time division multiplexing circuit 107 into an optical signal for transmission.
The receiving unit 103 is described in detail.
An optical receiver 109 receives the optical signal transmitted from the optical transmitter 108 via the optical fiber 102. The optical signal is further converted into an electric signal 111. A clock extraction circuit 112 is a circuit for inputting the electric signal 111 and extracting a clock signal 113 at a frequency corresponding to the resultant bit rate. A frequency divider circuit 114 is a circuit for outputting a signal 115 obtained by frequency dividing the clock signal 113 into 1/k (k: natural number and prime in relation with M). A phase control circuit 116 is a circuit for outputting a synchronous signal 118 having a phase shifted from that of the signal 115 by the amount defined based on a phase control signal 117.
An decision circuit 119 is a circuit for extracting the data contained in the time slot having the phase corresponding to the synchronous signal 118 from the electric signal 111. Data signals 121 of one channel extracted by the decision circuit 119 are output to a reference channel detection circuit 122. The reference channel detection circuit 122 is a circuit for determining if a predetermined bit pattern as identification information is contained in the input data signals 121.
In order to detect the reference channel from among the multiplexed data signals, phase of the phase control circuit 116 is sequentially changed and data signal at every time slot is sent to the reference channel detection circuit 122. When detecting a reference channel generated by any one of the reference channel signal generators 105.sub.1 to 105.sub.M of the transmission unit 101, the reference channel detection circuit 122 identifies the phase of the synchronous signal as the reference channel phase. In order to extract a desired channel from among N channels, the phase control circuit 116 is designed to output a synchronous signal obtained by adding phase difference between the reference channel and desired channel to the reference channel phase.
Another conventional time division multiplexing transmitter has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 291840 (1992), which is constructed such that a channel phase is determined by detecting a specific bit pattern for frame synchronization at each channel multiple times for protecting synchronization. In this prior art, frequency of bit pattern non-conformity is subtracted from frequency of the bit pattern conformity. If the resultant subtraction value is 5 or greater, synchronization state is detected.
In the above-mentioned conventional time division multiplexing transmitters, specific bit pattern as identification information is added to each reference channel, which is detected by a receiver side for determining the reference channel phase. Since the transmission data can use any bit pattern, the channel other than the reference channel may have the same bit pattern as that of the identification information, resulting in misidentifying such channel as the reference channel. Therefore it is necessary to provide rear protection for determining the reference channel after detecting the bit pattern as the identification information multiple times. The above process unnecessarily extends the time for determining the reference channel phase. In case a code error of the identification information occurs during transmission, the bit pattern is not detected correctly, thus deviating from synchronization.

Time division multiplexing transmitter and decoding circuit used for said transmitter and method for time division multiplexing transmission


The invention relates to a monitoring unit configured for monitoring a power converter of a wind turbine, the monitoring unit comprising: electric connection means configured for connecting the monitoring unit to one or more electric converter components, a cold area comprising a data communication interface, and one or more hot areas dedicated to obtain measurements from the one or more electric converter components.

The converter is one of the most expensive parts of the electric components of a modern wind turbine. At the same time, in relation to availability of the wind turbine, the converter is a vulnerable part. Therefore, it is important to be able to solve problems with the converter as fast as possible.
The prior art holds examples of how to control converters both to prevent faults from occurring and to operate safe in case of a fault. One example is US2007/0024059 disclosing how to control power flow through a conversion component of a wind turbine by switching devices hereof according to different modes dependent on monitoring operation condition of the conversion component.
Another example is found in US2005/0281065 disclosing a fault handling system for short circuit recovery an inverter bridge. Three branches of switches S1-S4, S11-S14, S21-S24 are disclosed. Each individual of these switches is controlled by a controller via a driver card dedicated to monitor and control one single switch. Separate transducers are able to obtain measurements of output current of the inverter bridge and separately communicate these measurements to the controller.