The present invention uses promotional coins to encourage use of a coin counter. The promotional coins are minted in such a way that an unaided human is not likely to distinguish a first prize coin from other promotional coins, e.g., because all promotional coins have substantially identical size, weight and appearance. Due to the apparent similarity between the various promotional coins, the participant is required to use a coin counter to distinguish prize coins from other promotional coins. In one embodiment, the promotion is implemented using a coin counter. Promotional coins are distributed to potential customers who are thereby enticed into using the coin counter as desired. The coin counter accepts and discriminates among government-minted coins of multiple denominations, various promotional coins and unknown debris. The denominations of the government-minted coins and the various promotional coins are distinguished using at least one non-visible characteristic, such as mass, conductivity, and/or magnetic permeability. At least any winning promotional coins are recognized by the coin-counter and the participant is notified. When the coin counter finishes counting all the coins, the participant is issued compensation for the government-minted coins.

Typically, promotions attempt to encourage the participant to try a product or service in the hope that the participant will continue to use the item being promoted after the promotion ends. There are many different ways to promote a product which have varying rates of success. Examples include the various ways of advertising the item; coupons redeemable at the store; rebates mailed after purchase; and contests and sweepstakes, including those in which game pieces must match a given pattern, typically a writing or graphic.
Some promotions attempt to persuade the consumer to try or use the item being promoted. The promoters generally believe that if the consumer is enticed to try or use the product they may later continue to try or use the item without being enticed by the promotion (assuming the consumer is satisfied by the item). This scenario is illustrated by coupons or advertised discounts which give temporary discounts that make the product more affordable. Unfortunately, in certain previous approaches the consumer receiving the enticement does not assure the promoted item will ever be used. If the consumer never uses the product, the benefits of the product will never be experienced which makes future uses less likely. Therefore, a need arises to structure a promotion so that the consumer must use the item being promoted in order to receive the enticement.
It is seen as advantageous to encourage use of the item being promoted without defeating the purpose of the promotion. In some cases, promotions use game pieces which are recognizable by the participants as being winners or losers before the target product is used. If the participant knows which prize is to be awarded for the game piece and the prize is seen as insubstantial, the participant may forgo the promotion and decide to not use the target product. Therefore, a need arises to keep the value of the prize (or the "winning" nature of a game piece) secret until the participant uses the product.
Promotions often try to encourage the consumer to take a new course of action different from the old way in which the consumer performed a particular task. Encouraging consumers to try new things is seen as especially difficult when the item being promoted is new and unfamiliar to consumers. For example, some banks in an effort to persuade customers to use automated teller machines and online banking, charge a fee for use of a traditional human teller. In an effort to encourage automated teller machines and online banking, the banks penalize the customers who use traditional human tellers to promote the automated methods. By imposing the penalty for using the traditional human teller, the bank may not achieve the intended result of encouraging the customer to use the automated teller machines and online banking. The customer may simply use the human teller less often or switch to another bank. In other words, the bank while attempting to encourage use of automated methods of banking (i.e., an intended result), may instead, induce an unintended result of getting the customer to use the human teller less or switch to another bank. Therefore, there is a need to structure a promotion to encourage the consumer to use the product being promoted rather than taking a less desirable or unintended course of action.
The cost of the promotion is one of the concerns sponsors of a promotion often have. If a promotion costs more than the benefits it can produce, it is generally considered uneconomical. Costs associated with at least some kinds of promotions include the infrastructure required to, e.g., (1) recognize and validate a winning game piece and (2) deliver the prize to the participant. To validate the winning game piece and distribute the prize often requires the design and manufacture of custom hardware and hiring extra employees. It would be desirable to use existing hardware without more than minor modifications and without the need for additional support personnel to validate the winning game piece and/or distribute the prize.

Coin counter prize-awarding method and apparatus using promotional coins


The single package three channel audio signal amplifier has three amplifier channels which may be used independently to power three output loads or audio speakers or may be paralleled or bridged to increase power to one or two output loads. The integrated circuit is particularly useful for current computers which use audio devices that require signals to be processed by computer circuit boards that have power limitations. The signal amplifier allows switching between one, two and three channel operation. In addition the new device uses class D operation amplifiers which are coupled to the load by ratio transformers to provide increased efficiency and gain. The device has internal limiting and preamplifier control; allows volume adjustment, filter level and range selection, and mute and treble control; and provides on-device voltage regulation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electronic devices for power amplification and more particularly to audio signal amplification. The new device provides for a combination of at least three selectable amplifier channels in a single integrated circuit package to allow use as a one, two or three channel amplifier device with varying output power based on the mode selected.
2. Description of Related Art
Use of independent amplifiers, basically in two channel configurations such as found in stereo systems, to form a bridging two channel amplifier are known in the art. This type of circuit for use in audio systems has often been used. This is particularly true in audio systems where power supply limitations exist and where inexpensive circuitry is desired yet a more powerful audio sound output is needed.
More recently such two channel bridging circuit have been used with computer sound cards. In these applications the computer sound card amplifying capabilities are limited by the computer power management scheme. In such instances the computer sound card amplifier is bridged with an external audio amplifier to power a speaker. By properly selecting and balancing the components the bridging circuit configuration can approximately double the speaker power output as for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,194.
Use of independent and bridged power amplifiers includes development of devices with paired amplifiers which may be switched by external control from independent operation for stereo operation to bridged operation for increased single speaker output audio power. By proper design of integrated circuit elements a device which uses the same minimum connecting pin leads as existing two channel independent operation devices has been formulated.
More modernly the need for additional audio output power in the limited computer supply power environment has been created by the development of computer multimedia devices such as CD-ROM and DVD players. These computer multimedia devices provide quality grade audio music if they are coupled with an adequate audio power and speaker system.
The present invention includes a three channel signal amplifier in a single package which may be used in a three channel audio power amplifier to support for example surrounding sound effect speaker systems which require three independent amplifier channels. The integrated circuit device contains control circuitry to allow use of the device in the 3 channel mode or in 2 channel and 1 channel modes to provide increased output power to fewer speakers.
The typical class A or class AB operation amplifier can only normally achieve efficiencies of less than 60% on average. Therefore in the instant invention class D operation amplifiers are implemented which are balance bridge connected and transformer coupled to the output load or speakers. In this configuration the class D amplifier can theoretically achieve more than 85% efficiency.

Single package three channel audio signal amplifier


A processor and a memory controlling method. The processor enables a Scratch-Pad Memory (SPM) to prepare data that a processor core intends to process, using a data management unit including a data cache, thereby increasing a data processing rate.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a processor and a memory controlling method, and more particularly, to a processor and a memory controlling method that may improve a data processing rate.
2. Description of the Related Art
An on-chip memory is used for effectively utilizing a memory in a computer system. The on-chip memory being located between a processor core and an external memory (main memory) operates quicker than the external memory, and has a smaller size than that of the external memory. A cache memory and a Scratch-Pad Memory (SPM) are mainly used as the on-chip memory.
The cache memory is an on-chip memory to which a unique address space is not assigned, and in hardware ascertains whether data exists through a tag check circuitry. Accordingly, since a user may not control storing, changing, and deleting of data, a cache miss may frequently occur. Also, since an additional tag check circuitry may be needed to ascertain whether the data exists, a size of the memory and energy consumption increases.
In the case of the SPM to which a unique address space is assigned, the user or a program may directly ascertain whether the data is stored, and control the data. Therefore, the cache miss may not occur, and the size of the memory and the energy consumption may relatively reduce compared with the cache memory since the additional tag check circuitry is not needed. Therefore, a number of processors containing the SPM increases based on the described reasons.
When a rate of reading data is lower than an operation rate of a processor, a data processing ability of the processor substantially decreases. Also, when a processor core manages both reading data to be processed and processing the read data, the data processing ability of the processor more substantially decreases.
Therefore, to improve the data processing ability of the processor, the data to be processed by the processor core is required to be effectively prepared for the on-chip memory (specifically, SPM) included in the processor.

Processor and method for controlling memory


A lock assembly is provided with a key-activated removable core structure. The lock assembly includes a housing having a first internal compartment disposed at a front end thereof, a second internal compartment disposed at a rear end thereof, and a partition with an aperture and a radial slot therethrough for segregating the first and second internal compartments. The removable core structure is selectively removably disposed within the first internal compartment of the housing and a cam actuation assembly is captively rotatably disposed within the second internal compartment of the housing. The removable core structure includes an exterior shell portion and a key-activated lock plug assembly with a distal driver portion rotatably disposed within the shell portion for rotation between distinct operating positions. The cam actuation assembly selectively removably receives the driver portion of the lock plug assembly and is provided with a biasing element which urges the core structure into a first axial position with respect to the front end of the housing. In use, the cam actuation assembly interacts with the driver portion of the lock plug assembly to permit selective removal of the core structure from the first internal compartment of the housing depending upon the axial position of the core structure and the operating position of the lock plug assembly.

Conventional prior art lock assemblies typically include a lock plug selectively rotatably disposed within a housing structure and a specially-encoded key for turning the lock plug with respect thereto. In use, such lock assemblies may be "changed" to accept a different key by removing, reconfiguring, and reinstalling the existing lock plug or by removing the existing lock plug and replacing it with a different lock plug. Either procedure, however, typically requires ample time, specialized equipment, and/or a skilled locksmith.

Lock assembly with a key-activated removable core structure


A machine which travels on railroad rails includes a conveyor belt which transports metallic objects from a railway bed into a hopper. The conveyor belt revolves around a pair of rollers mounted on the framework of a conveyor belt assembly. One roller magnetically picks up the metallic objects and a hydraulic motor powers the other roller to drive the conveyor belt. The magnetized roller is mounted via two mounting bearings which slidably engage the assembly. An adjustment bolt on the assembly engages the mounting bearing to move the magnetized roller to adjust conveyor belt tension to facilitate replacement of the belt. A lift beside the assembly raises and lowers one end of the assembly which rotates about a pivot tube within the conveyor belt. The lift, pivot tube and hydraulic lines connected to the motor are all situated to allow the belt to be removed without interference therefrom.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a device which travels on railroad track rails and removes metallic objects, such as railroad spikes, from a railway bed. More particularly, the invention relates to such a device which has a conveyor belt for transporting the metallic objects from adjacent the railway bed into containers. Specifically, the invention relates to such a device which is configured to facilitate removal of worn conveyor belts and installation of new conveyor belts.
2. Background Information
In the railway industry, railroad track is constantly being repaired or replaced. One result of this work is the accumulation of metallic objects such as railroad spikes along the railway bed. Due to the large number of spikes and other metallic objects used, the railway bed which repair workers traverse daily may easily be littered with thousands of used spikes and other metallic objects which need to be removed. Cars or retrievers which ride on railroad track rails have been developed to facilitate the removal of these spikes and other metallic objects. The metallic objects are picked up magnetically and carried on a conveyor belt to hoppers on the car for transport to a location where they can be removed from the hoppers and recycled as scrap metal or otherwise.
One problem arising with the use of these cars is the replacement of the conveyor belts, which experience a substantial amount of wear. Typically, these conveyor belts are made of a reinforced elastomeric material which forms a loop. The replacement of the conveyor belts has been a tedious and time-consuming task. One solution involves the use of laced belts, which, however, present accelerated wear problems.
A laced belt has an elongated strip of the elastomeric material with a set of metal interlocking teeth on either end thereof so that the teeth of one set are laced together with the teeth of the other set to form the loop of the conveyor belt. To replace these belts, the two sets of teeth are disengaged from one another so that the belt may be slipped out along the length the conveyor belt track. While the laced-belt solution facilitates removal and replacement, the accelerated wear problem noted above arises due to the joint between the elastomeric material and the metal teeth, which naturally creates a point of wear as the conveyor belt moves about its track.
Thus, a continuous-loop belt of reinforced elastomeric material is preferred over the lace belts because they are longer lasting. However, the continuous-loop belts must still be replaced on a regular basis and expediting this replacement eliminates substantial down time of these metal-collecting cars. The problem arising is that the continuous-loop belts must be moved laterally, that is, transverse to their length, in order to remove a worn belt from its track and install a new belt on the track. This movement has been particularly difficult because the conveyor belt assembly and various other structure interferes with this lateral movement.
For example, the prior art uses a lift (or lifts) for adjusting the height of one end of the conveyor belt. The lift either spans the conveyor belt from side to side or is otherwise situated on the removal side of the conveyor belt so that the lift or a portion thereof must be removed from the conveyor belt assembly or other supporting structure to permit removal or installation of a belt. Another interfering factor is the structure about which the conveyor belt assembly pivots in order for the above-noted lift to raise one end of the conveyor belt assembly. The prior art pivot structure is disposed external to the loop of the conveyor belt at the exit end of the belt, which is adjacent the hopper into which metal objects are conveyed. As such, the pivot structure also spans the conveyor belt and is attached to both sides of the belt assembly so as to prevent removal and installation of a belt absent removal of the pivot structure from the belt assembly. Further, these conveyor belts are typically driven by a motorized roller disposed within the conveyor belt loop and in frictional engagement with the belt. The motor driving this drive roller is typically hydraulic and so requires hydraulic pressure and return lines between the motor and a hydraulic pump. The prior art hydraulic lines are also situated external to the conveyor belt loop so that they too interfere with removal and installation of the belt unless the lines are disconnected. The present invention provides a solution to these problems and greatly simplifies conveyor belt removal and installation.

Device for removing metallic objects from a railway bed


An online shopping support method and system capable of supplying proper services matching user specific needs and conditions. Purchase history information of each good purchased by each user is stored at a service offering system. In response to an input of identification information from a service use system, the service offering system searches the purchase history information of the user corresponding to a user identifier and calculates a purchase interval of each good purchased by the user. The service offering system judges, for each good whose purchase interval was calculated, whether the time corresponding to the purchase interval has lapsed after the latest purchase day. The service offering system transmits information of the good whose time corresponding to the purchase interval has lapsed to the service use system via a communication network and displaying the information at the service use system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an online shopping support method and system using communication networks such as a personal computer based communication network and an interactive cable TV network, and more particularly to an online shopping support method and system for supplying each user with merchandise information by utilizing a database of the purchase history of users.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional online shopping system using a personal computer based communication network or the like, a service offering side (or merchandise selling side) supplies merchandise information in response to a merchandise search request from a user.
For example, for a shopping mall on the Internet described in "Internet Magazine" published by Impress Corporation, April issue of 1995, pp. 116-121, merchandise information is systematically arranged in a menu style and a user searches information of a desired product or good in a hierarchical manner. Alternatively, a user enters a keyword of a desired good to retrieve merchandise information matching the keyword from a database of merchandise information at the service offering side.
As online shopping using multimedia and networks prevails, a variety of merchandise such as daily necessities is sold online. Users buy a variety of merchandise at a considerable frequency through online shopping.
In conventional online shopping, however, the service offering side provides merchandise information in a uniform menu style, and is unable to provide services suitable for user specific needs or conditions.
On the service user side, merchandise information is searched by using a uniform menu. Therefore, as daily necessities or the like are bought at a considerable frequency, it can be anticipated some merchandise may sometimes be forgotten at the time of a purchase.

Online shopping support method and system for sales promotions based on the purchase history of users


A method of performing primary service backups for a direct broadcast system is provided. The method includes establishing play-out of a plurality of primary events via a plurality of primary devices and establishing play-out of a plurality of backup events via at least one backup device. A controller switches from a primary device of the plurality of primary devices to a backup device of the at least one backup device in response to a malfunction signal from one of the plurality of primary devices. A direct server-based broadcast system and a direct port-based broadcast system are also provided which implement the above-stated method.

Direct broadcast systems offer various different services including video and audio programming. Additional new services are continuously being offered for direct satellite broadcast system users. In order to offer these various services, multiple primary servers are controlled to transmit the audio and video programming over multiple channels and designated time frames.
Uninterrupted play-out of the audio and video programming is required in direct broadcast systems. In a direct broadcast environment every second of "airtime" is important and interrupted airtime can be costly. Airtime is especially important during pay-per-view and commercial time frames. When a commercial or pay-per-view event is interrupted for just one or two seconds, revenue is lost.
It is therefore critical that there be a backup scheme associated with each primary server. Typically, a one-to-one backup scheme is used. The one-to-one backup scheme includes operating a backup server in parallel with each primary server. With this configuration, when a failure occurs in a primary server, a backup server assumes the play-out role of the inoperative or improperly operating primary server. Thus, full redundancy exists in the event of failure of any or all of the primary servers.
The one-to-one backup scheme, however, has several associated disadvantages. Since there is a backup server or other backup device operating in parallel with each primary server the cost of providing, maintaining, and operating the backup broadcast system is relatively high. Additionally, in the event that both a primary server and an associated backup server malfunction simultaneously, there may be a large amount of downtime, sometimes several hours, before the primary server of interest is repaired/replaced or a second backup server is installed.
Also, backing up a group of primary servers with a backup tape is not a viable solution as there may be several minutes of delay in cueing the tape to point where the primary tape failure, before playback can occur. This is not tolerable, as even a mere 1 or 2 second delay can result in loss of customers and/or revenue.
Statistically there are times in programming in which typical malfunctions are more likely to occur such as the beginning portion of a program or commercial. There are also times where the cost of failure is higher than others. It is at these times when backup and the manner as to which the backup is performed is most critical. Existing backup systems do not account for the portion of a program or commercial that is at higher risk of failure or has a higher cost of failure in any different or better fashion than the remainder of the program or commercial.
It would therefore be desirable to minimize the number of backup servers and components within a direct broadcast system while also providing a backup system that minimizes downtime, virtually eliminates any switch over time, and takes into account the programming or portions of programming that have a high-probability or high cost of failure.


The invention relates to a remote-control system (1) comprising: a pushbutton (8) that can be pressed by a user for inputting information in that the user applies a pressure in a direction (18); a sensor magnet (23) arranged on the underside of the pushbutton (8), when viewed in the pressure application direction (18); and an armature magnet (27) arranged below the pushbutton (8), when viewed in the pressure application direction (18), and fixed relative to the pushbutton (8), wherein the magnetic poles (39, 41) of the sensor magnet (23) and of the armature magnet (27) are arranged in such a way that the pushbutton (8) is pressed by the sensor magnet (23) away from the armature magnet (27), against the pressure application direction (18).

A remote-control system is known, for example, from WO 2010/119 348 A1. It comprises a pushbutton to input information in that the user applies a pressure in a pressure application direction; a spherical sensor magnet arranged on the underside of the pushbutton, when viewed in the pressure application direction; and a circular armature magnet fixed relative to the pushbutton on the housing. The magnetic poles of the spherical sensor magnet and the circular armature magnet are arranged as opposite poles. The user can press the pushbutton to input information in the pressure application direction, causing the spherical sensor magnet to be pushed out from an initial position in the centre of the circular armature magnet. The information to be input can now be entered on the basis of a change in the magnetic field in the pressure application direction beneath the sensor magnet. If the user releases the pressure on the pushbutton, the circular armature magnet resets the position of the spherical sensor magnet, and thus the pushbutton, by pulling it back into the initial position.

Remote-control system with homopolar magnets


A digital arithmetic circuit includes an inverting circuit connected to a digital circuit in which errors are to be detected. An operand input to the circuit produces an output result in a first operation which is stored in a comparison circuit. The operand is inverted by the inverting circuit on a second cycle of operation of the circuit and the output result is compared by the comparison circuit with that from the first operation. A non-zero result from the comparison indicates the occurrence of an error or errors in the operation of the circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a digital arithmetic circuit and more particularly to such a circuit having error detection properties.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Digital arithmetic circuits are widely used in many fields of activity. Electronic technology has progressed rapidly over the past decade, and integrated circuit and system technology has increased in complexity as a result. Increasing complexity presents a number of problems, but in particular it results in reduced reliability due to ageing, transient malfunctions in operation and production faults during manufacture. These problems increase as circuit and system complexity increases and device size continues to decrease. A further aspect of increasing circuit complexity is that it may not be economically possible to fully test all aspects of a complex circuit or system. Such a circuit or system may therefore be produced in a form giving rise to unidentified errors. Detecting circuit errors becomes increasingly important for safety-critical applications, such as aircraft systems.
Methods of detecting errors are known, such as those employing Hamming codes as described in "Error Detecting and Error Correcting Codes", R W Hamming, Dell Systems Technical Journal, Vol 29 No 1 pp 147-160, January 1950. Hamming codes are parity check codes useful for checking data transmissions and storage. However, they have the important disadvantage that they are not preserved by arithmetic operations and cannot be used in arithmetic circuits.
Codes which overcome the limitation regarding preservation in arithmetic operations are described in "Error Detecting Code, Self-Checking Circuits and Applications", J Wakerly, Elsevier, North Holland Inc, 1978. A simple example is the so-called AN code. Here, input data words are multiplied by an applied multiplicand. Outputs which are not a multiple of the multiplicand can therefore be construed as containing errors.
Arithmetic codes all require additional circuitry to carry out initial coding and error checking. Additionally, more hardware is needed to implement the arithmetic function because coded data words are longer than uncoded ones.
Time redundant approaches to error detection have also been implemented. These methods require extra processing time compared with that normally required to perform the desired operation. Consequently, an operation which could be completed in one time unit without error detection might take two time units or more if carried out in an error detecting system employing time redundancy. An example of time redundancy has been suggested by Patel and Fung ("Concurrent Error Detection in ALU's by Recomputing with Shifted Operands", J H Patel and L Y Fung, IEEE Trans. on Computers, Vol C-31, pp 589-595, July 1982). This involves calculating a given result twice whilst shifting the position of the bits of the operands between the first and second calculation. After realigning the two output results, any error introduced by the hardware will appear in a different position in the two output values, and will be detectable. This approach is applicable to circuits such as arithmetic logic units (ALUs) which are constructed in a modular fashion with little or no connectivity between modules. This has the disadvantage that extra hardware modules are needed to handle the shifted operand.
The method of T H Chen et al ("Design of Concurrent Error-Detectable VLSI-Based Array Dividers", T H Chen, L G Chen, Y S Chang, Proc IEEE International Conference on Computer Design (ICCD), 1992) exploits circuit regularity to separate a circuit into two identical parts, each of which performs only half of the required calculation. Each part of the circuit is then used twice to generate two complete results which should be identical in the absence of errors. However, this approach is limited to circuits have regularity which enables separation for performing functions of calculations.
An adding and subtracting system is described in "Patent Abstracts of Japan", Volume 13 Number 460 (P-946), 18 Oct., 1989 which adds the result of the operations (A-B) and (B-A) and a zero check is then performed on this result.

Error detecting digital arithmetic circuit

The Secretary of State for The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in Her Britannic Majesty'Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


A method for retransmitting reverse link data practiced by a media access control layer, the method comprising: buffering a plurality of data frames encapsulated in a first access probe in a memory; obtaining information regarding data frames encapsulated in the first access probe that are successfully decoded by a telecommunication network; selecting the buffered data frames that are required to be retransmitted, according to the obtained information; and passing down the selected data frames to a physical layer, to encapsulate the selected data frames into a second access probe and transmit the second access probe to the telecommunication network.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to data retransmission, and in particular, relates to methods for retransmitting reverse link data and apparatuses using the same.
Description of the Related Art
At the level of interconnected network systems, protocol schemes have been developed to facilitate the exchange of data among multiple elements of the system. A protocol scheme specifies the manner of interpreting every data bit of a data packet exchanged across the networks. In order to simplify network design, several well-known techniques of layering the protocols have been developed. Protocol layering divides the network design into functional layers and then assigns separate protocols to perform each layer's task.
In a data retransmission mechanism, an upper layer is responsible for comprehending information of a SACK (Selective Acknowledgement) order, which indicates which frames have been successfully transmitted to the network, but the lower layer does not have the capability to comprehend the content of a SACK order. The lower layer cannot know which frames have been successfully transmitted to the network through received data after instructing RF (radio frequency) circuits to transmit data via a reverse link frame by frame. It may cause the lower layer to mistakenly instruct the RF hardware to retransmit the frames, which have been successfully transmitted, after receiving a data retransmission command from the upper layer, resulting in the unnecessary occupation of network bandwidth.
Methods for retransmitting reverse link data and apparatuses using the same are needed so as to have the lower layer instruct the RF circuits to retransmit frames that have not been successfully transmitted correctly. Therefore, the unnecessary occupation of network bandwidth may be avoided.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Methods and apparatus for controlling the air temperature of a conditioned space to a selected set point temperature, utilizing a supply of cryogen in liquid and vapor states. The two states are drawn from the supply and maintained in first and second separate, independent flow paths. The liquid cryogen provides a cooling mode for the conditioned space via a heat exchanger disposed in the first flow path, and the vaporized cryogen provides a cooling mode for the conditioned space via a heat exchanger disposed in the second flow path. Cryogen flowing in at least one of the flow paths is used to drive a vapor motor connected to a fan, with the fan moving air between the conditioned space and at least one of the heat exchangers. Heat is applied to the cryogen as required to hold the set point temperature, or to defrost a heat exchanger.

Refrigeration systems, including those used on straight trucks, truck-trailer combinations, and refrigerated containers, buses, and the like, conventionally utilize a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerant in a mechanical refrigeration cycle. The mechanical refrigeration cycle requires a refrigerant compressor driven by a prime mover, which often includes an internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine. Because of the suspected depleting effect of CFC's on stratospheric ozone (O.sub.3), and detrimental effects of diesel emissions, practical alternatives to the use of CFC's in air conditioning and refrigeration systems are being sought.
The use of a cryogen, i.e., a gas which has been compressed to a very cold liquid state, such as carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and nitrogen (N.sub.2), in air conditioning and refrigeration systems is particularly attractive because, in addition to eliminating the need for a CFC, it also eliminates the need for a compressor and associated prime mover.
Thus, it would be desirable, and it is an object of the present invention, to provide reliable, efficient, practical methods and apparatus which utilize a cryogen in air conditioning and refrigeration systems.

Air conditioning and refrigeration methods and apparatus utilizing a cryogen


Radar, lidar, and other active 3D imaging techniques require large, heavy sensors that consume lots of power. Passive 3D imaging techniques based on feature matching are computationally expensive and limited by the quality of the feature matching. Fortunately, there is a robust, computationally inexpensive way to generate 3D images from full-motion video acquired from a platform that moves relative to the scene. The full-motion video frames are registered to each other and mapped to the scene coordinates using data about the trajectory of the platform with respect to the scene. The time derivative of the registered frames equals the product of the height map of the scene, the projected angular velocity of the platform, and the spatial gradient of the registered frames. This relationship can be solved in (near) real time to produce the height map of the scene from the full-motion video and the trajectory.

Radar, lidar, and passive imaging techniques based on feature-matching have each been used to create three-dimensional (3D) images. A radar uses radio-frequency (RF) radar signals to measure the distance to a target or scene. The radar transmits a pulsed radar signal toward the target, which reflects or scatters the incident RF radiation toward the radar's receive aperture. The radar determines the range to the target based on the time delay between transmitting the pulsed radar signal and detecting the back-scattered RF radiation. Alternatively, the radar may transmit a chirped radar signal toward the scene and interfere the back-scattered radiation with a copy of this chirped radar signal to produce a beat note whose frequency varies with the range to the target.
A side-looking airborne aperture radar (SLAR) is a radar that is used to image the ground from a moving platform, such as an aircraft or satellite. As the platform moves, the SLAR illuminates a swath of the ground at an angle, called the look or looking angle, with respect to the platform nadir. The SLAR signal hits the ground at a grazing angle, which is the angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The azimuthal resolution, also called the cross-range resolution, of a SLAR image depends on the ratio of the SLAR antenna diameter to the SLAR signal wavelength; the larger the antenna diameter, the finer the azimuthal resolution. In practice, the diameter of an antenna mounted on an aircraft or satellite is too small to produce an image with fine azimuthal resolution.
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a variant of SLAR that provides finer azimuthal resolution. In SAR, the platform and radar together are used to emulate or synthesize a large phased-array radar with many emitting and receiving elements spanning a very large distance. Instead of having many elements at different spatial positions, like a phased-array radar, a SAR has a single element that is moved to different positions at different times by the platform. Together, these positions form a synthetic aperture large enough to provide much finer azimuthal resolution. SAR data can be used to produce 3D terrain maps.
Lidar is similar to radar but uses light instead of RF signals. A laser illuminates a scene with a lidar signal, which reflects and/or scatters off surfaces in the scene. A detector senses the scattered light, either directly or coherently, to produce a 3D point cloud representing the scene. Airborne lidars have been used for creating digital elevation models, digital terrain models, and other 3D representations with resolutions fine enough to resolve vegetation, man-made structures, and living things.
Unfortunately, radar, lidar, and passive 3D imaging techniques all suffer from drawbacks that limit their usefulness. Radar and lidar are both active devices and so tend to be expensive, bulky, heavy, and consume a lot of power. They are also susceptible to jamming and interference.
Passive imaging techniques based on feature-matching have also been used to create 3D images. In these techniques, a camera or other image sensor takes two-dimensional (2D) pictures of a scene from many different angles, which are then stitched together to form a 3D image using a feature-matching technique, such as the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT). These Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques involve matching features that can be uniquely identified, such as corners and edges, among images of the same scene taken from a wide variety of look angles. Using the knowledge of where common features appear in the focal plane, the features can then be located in physical space, and a 3D point cloud can be generated from the features' locations.
Passive methods based on feature matching rely on high-resolution imagery, a wide diversity of look angles, and the ability of SIFT or another feature-matching process to locate a large number of common features among all images. They are computationally very expensive and subject to robustness problems in the feature matching. Image reconstruction based on feature matching is highly sensitive to initial values and the ability of the feature detector to detect and match many high quality features. Another common robustness problem with feature-matching methods is that large numbers of photographs fail to register or misregister or drift, producing poor results. SfM techniques also have very high computational latencies because feature-matching can take many hours or even days to compute a solution, making a quick turnaround extremely challenging.

Passive wide-area three-dimensional imaging


Limitations on memory access decrease the computing capability of related-art semiconductor devices during convolution processing in a convolutional neural network. A semiconductor device according to an aspect of the present invention includes an accelerator section that performs computation on a plurality of intermediate layers included in a convolutional neural network by using a memory having a plurality of banks capable of changing the read/write status on an individual bank basis. The accelerator section includes a network layer control section that controls a memory control section in such a manner as to change the read/write status assigned to the banks storing input data or output data of the intermediate layers in accordance with the transfer amounts and transfer rates of the input data and output data of the intermediate layers included in the convolutional neural network.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and to a memory access setup method. For example, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device for performing a process concerning a convolutional neural network, and also relates to a memory access setup method.
In recent years, many recognition processes based on a neural network are proposed in the field of image recognition. One of the neural networks used in the field of such image processing is a convolutional neural network (CNN). An example of a technology concerning the convolutional neural network is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-126203.
An arithmetic processing unit described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-126203 includes a computing section, an external memory, and a buffer, and performs computation with a plurality of hierarchically coupled processing layers. When writing data out, the buffer retains part of the data in a data retention area, and writes the remaining data not retained in the data retention area out to the external memory through a ring buffer area by a first-in, first-out method. Further, when reading data out, the buffer reads data retained in the data retention area out to the computing section, and reads the remaining data not retained in the data retention area out to the computing section through the ring buffer area by the first-in, first-out method.

Semiconductor device and memory access setup method


A switched capacitor type filter apparatus includes sampling capacitors and has a steep characteristic with a small number of taps. The filter apparatus includes positive polarity selecting switches, negative polarity selecting switches, positive read-out switches, negative polarity read-out switches, and a timing control unit. Thus, it is possible to read out a negative charge by controlling the polarity upon write-in and the polarity upon read-out to be identical or different. Accordingly, it is possible to set a negative coefficient as a filter weighting coefficient. This configuration causes a finite impulse filter (FIR) to have a steep characteristic.

Presently, studies are conducted for circuit schemes for performing digital signal processing of high-frequency signals accompanying progress in digital signal processing technology. As an example, there is a technique of performing discrete-signal processing on a received signal using switched capacitors. Moreover, as another example, a technique of signal processing featuring a filtering function of sampling and band-limiting a received signal at the same time, is proposed.
A conventional filter apparatus has a voltage-to-current conversion section converting sampling signals to current and a set of capacitors formed with a plurality of switched capacitors. This filter apparatus charges sampling signals in the capacitors in a fixed order and collectively extracts charge from a plurality of capacitors, thereby providing working effects including a mixing effect by down sampling and a filtering effect by gathering and averaging a plurality of capacitors (for example, see patent document 1). FIG. 1 shows the conventional filter apparatus disclosed in patent document 1.
The filter apparatus in FIG. 1 charges signal 21, which is sampled received signals 20 converted to current, into capacitors C, in a predetermined order, through switches controlled by control signals 31, 32 and 33, from DCU 34 that controls timings. Then, the filter apparatus collectively picks up a plurality of charges and converts them to voltage, to acquire output signal 26.
The filter apparatus is able to change the weights of filter coefficients by changing the ratio of capacitance between a plurality of capacitors from which charge is collectively picked up, thereby providing a filtering effect of different characteristics from a simple decimation filter.    Patent Document 1: United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0050027 Specification (FIG. 5)


Examples provide a system for watering plants on a rack. A robotic device attaches to a portion of the rack and pulls or pushes the rack to a watering zone. A sprinkler device sprays water to evenly distribute water across all plants on the rack. The system determines quantity of water, duration of watering, and frequency of watering based on real-time sensor data and context data associated with the environment, historical watering data, condition of the plants on the rack and a set of customized maintenance rules based on the type of plants on the rack. When watering is complete, the robotic device returns the rack to a designated location and detaches from the rack. The robotic device then attaches to another rack having plants on it scheduled for watering. The watering schedule is updated dynamically based on changing weather and plant state.

In a garden center or other plant nursery, there are frequently dozens or even hundreds of different types of plants to be maintained. Each type of plant frequently requires varying amounts of sun exposure, soil moisture levels, soil acidity (pH), watering frequency, fertilizer requirements and/or soil composition for maintenance, health and growth of the plants. Managing these diverse maintenance requirements for every type of plant on an individual basis is typically too time consuming, cost prohibitive and impractical in large-scale garden centers. In some solutions, plants are watered simultaneously/uniformly by water sprinklers spread throughout the garden center. This automated watering regime may lead to overwatering of some plants and underwatering of others, resulting in sub-optimal condition of plants and inefficient resource usage in plant maintenance.

System for watering live plants on a maneuverable rack


A site-specific customizable nacelle for a wind turbine includes a plurality of walls arranged together to form an inner volume. The walls include a base wall, side walls, a front wall, a rear wall, and a top wall. Each of the walls is constructed of one or more outer skin layers positioned adjacent to one or more inner skin layers and infused together via a resin material. Further, the nacelle includes a plurality of reinforcement members secured to one or more of the plurality of walls on an interior side or an exterior side of at least one of the one or more outer skin layers or the one or more inner skin layers at locations requiring additional reinforcement. As such, the reinforcement members can be tailored according to a particular wind turbine site.

Wind power is considered one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources presently available, and wind turbines have gained increased attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes a tower, a generator, a gearbox, a nacelle, and one or more rotor blades. The nacelle includes a rotor assembly coupled to the gearbox and to the generator. The rotor assembly and the gearbox are mounted on a bedplate member support frame located within the nacelle. More specifically, in many wind turbines, the gearbox is mounted to the bedplate member via one or more torque supports or arms. The one or more rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles. The rotor blades transmit the kinetic energy in the form of rotational energy so as to turn a shaft coupling the rotor blades to a gearbox, or if a gearbox is not used, directly to the generator. The generator then converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy that may be deployed to a utility grid.
Typically, the nacelle is formed via a vacuum infusion process with inner and outer skin layers and a core material therebetween. Thus, the premanufactured nacelle generally has a single design to accommodate worse-case global conditions for wind and snow loads at multiple sites. At most, two different nacelle designs are manufactured, including a design for snow load countries and another design for non-snow load countries. In either design, however, the nacelle is manufactured the same way, placing one or more outer skin layers in a mold of the nacelle, placing a core material atop the outer skin layer(s), placing one or more inner skin layers atop the core material, and infusing all of the components together with a resin material. As such, manufacturers and assembly plants have difficulty or are incapable of building and/or assembling more than one nacelle design at a wind turbine site.
In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure is directed to a base nacelle design manufactured without the core material that can be customized via one or more strengthening members to accommodate varying site-specific conditions to avoid overdesigning for sites with low loads.

Site-specific customizable nacelle for a wind turbine


An optical product such as an optical lens, or semi-finished lens blank is provided comprising a composite of at least three different and separately applied layers, each layer having a different refractive index which allow for a progressive multifocal lens having a wide and natural progression of vision when looking from far to near. In addition, a method is provided for simply, quickly and inexpensively manufacturing a composite refractive gradient progressive multifocal lens. A transition zone disposed between a base and an outer layer includes a distinct and separately applied transition layer or layers having an effective refractive index which is intermediate between the refractive indices of the base and outer layers, and preferably approximates the geometric mean of the refractive indices of the base and outer layers. This transition zone may include multiple transition layers, with each transition layer having a different and distinct refractive index. The lens is substantially free of unwanted peripheral astigmatism, incorporates a wide reading zone and is easy to fit a patient and possesses a cosmetic appearance which is mostly invisible.

Commercial multifocal lenses come in a variety of materials and are generally made of plastic or glass. These lenses come in many styles, sizes, and can be of a lined, blended or progressive design. Of these designs, lined bifocals have long been used by those requiring near vision correction. The lined bifocal segment is fused in the case of glass, or molded in the case of plastic. In either case, the bifocal segment line is noticeable and represents the junction of near and distance optical portions in the lens or a semi finished blank providing the distance focus and near focus. Bugbee (U.S. Pat. No. 1,509,636), Meyrowitz (U.S. Pat. No. 1,445,227), and Culver (U.S. Pat. No. 2,053,551) teach fused lined bifocals or multifocals. While lined bifocals have been used successfully for many years, they have several drawbacks. First, they are extremely noticeable and thus are not cosmetically appealing; second, the segment line creates a blur when looking from far to near objects and vice versa; and third, there is an abrupt change of focal length when looking from far to near objects and back again. No optical area is provided with intermediate power (focal length) at all, unless a lined trifocal is used.
Blended bifocals, such as those disclosed in W082/03129, are bifocals which retain a clear demarcation between the optical zones with far focus and near focus; however, the line of demarcation is blended to make it far less noticeable. Blended bifocals attempt to solve the cosmetic disadvantage of a lined bifocal, but in doing so create a wide blended blur zone when looking from far to near objects and back again, as well as failing to provide intermediate vision.
Progressive addition lenses are a type of multifocal lens which incorporate a progression of power changes from far to near correction, creating a progressive vision transition from far to near power and back again. Progressive addition lenses represent an attempt to solve the problems discussed above. Although progressives solve several deficiencies of lined or blended bifocal lenses, they require other compromises in optical design, which in turn compromise the visual function of the lens optic, as discussed below. Progressive addition lenses are invisible, and provide a natural transition of power from far to near foci.
Methods of making progressive addition lenses are disclosed, for example, by Harsigny (U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,442), Maitenaz (U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,747), Maitenaz (U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,528), Cretin et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,725), Maitenaz (U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,691), Winthrop (U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,379), Winthrop (U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,311), and Winthrop (U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,629). These lenses, however have certain deficiencies which are inherent in their design. A first deficiency is that only a relatively narrow reading channel width of about 3-8 mm, defined as the space between two meridional imaginary lines characterized by astigmatism of +/-0.50 diopters or more. This reading channel represents the progressive transition of focal lengths from far to near, enabling one to see from far to near in a somewhat natural manner without experiencing the abrupt change of power of a lined bifocal. A second deficiency is that progressive addition lenses can only provide a relatively narrow reading zone which is about 22 mm wide or less. A third major deficiency is the unwanted peripheral astigmatism which is created due to the nature of the progressive optical design. This unwanted peripheral astigmatism creates significant visual distortions for the user. Manufacturers are interested in limiting the amount of unwanted astigmatism in order to enhance the visual performance, and thus increase the acceptance levels of their different designs. In practice, all progressive lens designs represent compromises among having a lens with the widest possible channel, the lowest amount of unwanted astigmatism and the widest add power zone. A fourth major deficiency is the difficulty of properly fitting the patient with a progressive; and, the fifth deficiency is the low tolerance for fitting error allowed by these designs.
Numerous attempts have been made to solve the inherent problems discussed above with lined, blended, trifocals, and progressive multifocals. However, no other commercially viable options have been found. The ophthalmic lens design disclosed in Frieder (U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,048) and Frieder (U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,588) addresses some of these deficiencies, but fails to provide a satisfactory solution due to both manufacturing difficulties and poor cosmetic appearance at moderate to higher add powers. Although these patents disclose a lens with several improved features, in the moderate to higher add powers from +1.75 to +3.00 diopters, this lens caused the front (convex) surface defining the periphery of the near power zone to bulge anteriorly and thus cause a visible optical distortion on either side of the reading zone. This feature significantly reduced its commercial appeal. Furthermore, difficulties in manufacturing this lens made the lens less commercially viable.
Maeda (U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,584) discloses a refractive gradient lens using a first partially cured substrate layer. A second uncured resin layer is added and diffusion occurs between these two layers during curing to create a third diffusion layer having a refractive index gradient which varies continuously between the refractive indices of the first and second layers. To achieve this diffusion layer, the assembly containing the second layer is heated at specified temperatures for 20-26 hours. The time required for curing to form the diffusion layer makes this procedure unattractive from a commercial standpoint. Furthermore, it is known that the process disclosed in Maeda, which includes demolding a partially cured lens or semi-finished blank, can create yield problems. Thus, while it may be theoretically possible to achieve Maeda's third, continuously varying, refractive index gradient diffusion layer, actual manufacturing difficulties may reduce the likelihood that the Maeda lens could achieve commercial success.
In addition to the deficiencies previously mentioned concerning bifocal and multifocal lenses, these lens styles are also thicker than single vision lenses of equivalent distance power, since they are required to provide for additional plus power in the add power zone. This added thickness on the anterior surface of the lens tends to detract from their cosmetic appeal and adds additional weight to the lens. Several solutions to this problem have been proposed.
Blum (U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,029) describes the use of a preformed wafer having desired multifocal segments formed thereon and adding a resin layer of a different index of refraction onto the surface of the preformed wafer. In this approach, the preformed wafer is consumed during the molding process so that the preformed wafer ultimately forms part of the lens. While this approach produces a cosmetically improved lens, the process requires hundreds of gaskets and back convex spherical and toric molds. These molds ultimately make the concave side of the finished lens. Furthermore, with this approach the bifocal or multifocal zone is not invisible due to the significant refractive mismatch needed and the lack of a transition of refractive indices of various materials.
Various patents disclose refractive gradient bifocal, multifocal or progressive lens styles, e.g., Dasher (U.S. Pat. No. 5,223,862), Maeda (U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,584), Yean (U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,144), Naujokas (U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,556), Okano (U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,028), Young (U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,866), Hensler (U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,535), and Blum (U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,850). However, the commercial production of refractive gradient multifocal ophthalmic lenses to date has not been commercially successful due to chemistry, technology, manufacturing and cost limitations.
In European Patent Application No. PCT/US93/02470, Soane discloses producing a multifocal lens having a bifocal and astigmatic area on the back, concave side of the front optical wafer preform. Soane discloses curing a resin material having a different index of refraction from the optical wafer preform onto the back of the front optical wafer preform using an appropriate back convex mold having the correct curvature. This approach, however, requires that a significant number of front optical preforms be inventoried.
In view of the above, it is desirable to have a progressive multifocal lens which would allow the end user a wide and natural progression of vision when looking from far to near, being substantially free of or having a reduced amount of unwanted peripheral astigmatism, having a wide reading zone, requiring a smaller inventory of skus (stock keeping units) and being relatively forgiving and easy to fit for the patient. In addition, it would be desirable to have a progressive multifocal lens which has substantially the same thickness as a single vision lens of equivalent distance prescription, and which cosmetically is almost invisible in appearance. Also, it is desirable to manufacture such optical products in a way that reduces the amount of processing time.


An arrangement comprising a magnetic body (12) having a hole portion (11) for passage of a primary-side first induction line (2), a primary-side second induction line (5) for electrically feeding a load in a contact less manner, an added line (17) passing through the hole portion (11) of the magnetic body, and 1th contact (19) for short-circuiting the added line 17. According to this arrangement, short-circuiting provided by the 1th contact (19) can cut off electric feeding to the primary-side second induction line (5), thereby isolating the load (second-side power receiving circuit) without mechanically switching the power supply line.

Contact less power supply systems include one which feeds electric power to "a plurality of working areas" from a primary-side induction line providing high frequency current. In the working areas, for example, a travel carriage is fed with electric power from the primary-side induction line though a pickup coil in a contactless manner.
In the system for feeding electric power to the "plurality of working areas," it sometime becomes necessary, as at the time of maintenance of the working areas, to cut off the power supply for each working area. In such case, measures are taken by inserting a switching circuit in the primary-side induction line providing high frequency current, for each working area, and bypassing a within-working-area primary-side induction line led into the working area by means of the switching circuit when cutting off the power supply in the working area.
The switching circuit comprises a bypass circuit for bypassing the within-working-area primary-side induction line, and a switch adapted to switch to either the bypass circuit or the within-working-area primary-side induction line after the bypass circuit and the within-working-area primary-side induction line are simultaneously connected, whereby electric feeding to the other working areas being actuated is not cut off.
In the switching circuit, however, in order not to allow power to break down in the other working areas which are being actuated, it is necessary for the switch to ensure mechanical contact and contact duration in order for effecting simultaneous connection between the bypass circuit and the within-working-area primary-side induction line, and it is necessary, to this effect, to use a special and highly reliable switch. Further, if a power supply device is prepared for each of the working areas, such switching circuit can be dispensed with, but the cost becomes very high.
Further, when an lifting/lowering body, such as a crane, is fed with power from the primary-side induction line providing high frequency current, it is necessary that the primary-side induction line is capable of moving vertically in conformity with the lifting/lowering movement of the lifting/lowering body. To this end, the primary-side induction line is allowed to slack so as to be movable vertically in conformity with the lifting/lowering movement of the lifting/lowering body.
However, when the crane or other lifting/lowering body is fed with power from the primary-side induction line providing high frequency current, a wire breakage tends to occur in the primary-side induction line as the line repeats lifting/lowering movement with the lifting/lowering body. Thus, in order to avoid power breakdown occurring in all power supply lines due to such wire breakage, frequent maintenance is necessary.

Contactless power supply system and branch box used therefor


A tilting, swiveling, locking base apparatus tilts, swivels and locks to a computer monitor. The base apparatus comprises a tiltball unit including a slot opening which has a key opening portion, a recessed ledge disposed about the slot opening, and a locking rib disposed on the recessed ledge adjacent the key opening portion. The base apparatus further comprises a support unit having support points lying in a plane and including a shaft extending in a direction substantially perpendicular from the plane to an outer end, teeth on the outer end of the shaft configured to fit through the slot opening only in the key opening portion, a locking rim configured to slideably engage the recessed ledge, and an elastic locking snap formed to be deflected by the locking rib when the teeth are inserted into the key opening and to rebound when the shaft is displaced in the slot from the rib. The base apparatus uses a special tool to deflect the locking snap for detaching the tiltball unit from the support unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer monitor housings, and more particularly to a base which tilts, swivels and locks a monitor housing.
2. Description of the Background Art
A typical computer monitor is mounted on a monitor base which allows both tilting (i.e., changing the vertical angle of the monitor with respect to the user's eye level) and swiveling (i.e., changing the horizontal angle of the monitor with respect to the user's position) capabilities. Typical monitor bases have an excessive number of parts which often makes them expensive to manufacture, difficult to assemble and fragile to handle (especially for large computer monitors).
Some conventional monitor bases are detachable from the monitor by any user easily without the use of any special tools. However, lay users sometimes detach such monitors from their bases unintentionally and can damage the base.
Other conventional monitor bases are permanently attached to computer monitors, and can only be detached by breaking the monitor base.
Therefore, a system and method are needed to provide a locking feature for a monitor base without compromising the tilting and swiveling capabilities. Further, a system and method are needed which use a special tool to detach the monitor base from the computer monitor.

Tilting, swiveling, locking base for monitors


Narrow-optical linewidth laser generation devices and methods for generating a narrow-optical linewidth laser beam are provided. One narrow-optical linewidth laser generation devie includes a single-wavelength mirror or multiwavelength mirror (for comb lasers) formed from one or more optical ring resonators coupled with an optical splitter. The optical splitter may in turn be coupled with a quantum dot optical amplifier (QDOA), itself coupled with a phase-tuner. The phase tuner may be further coupled with a broadband mirror. The narrow-optical linewidth laser beam is generated by using a long laser cavity and additionally by using an integrated optical feedback.

Optical systems may be used to manipulate optical signals in various ways. For example, photodetectors may absorb an optical signal and convert it into an electrical current. As another example, laser diodes may be used to generate lasers by applying a voltage across the diode's p-n junction to make it forward-biased. Narrow optical linewidth lasers may be used in light detection and ranging (LIDAR), coherent communications, and other applications.

Quantum-dot-based narrow optical linewidth single wavelength and comb lasers on silicon

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


Methods and devices for treating fractures in or adjacent the wrist and distal forearm employ an intramedullary interlocking fixation rod (i.e, it interlocks the distal and proximal fracture fragments together) to stabilize the skeletal structure in a manner which can inhibit the amount of collapse or loss in skeletal length exhibited by a patient with a distal radius fracture.

Distal radius fractures are among the most common type of bone fracture of the upper extremities. The distal radius fracture is often called a "Colles" fracture (named after a 19th Century British surgeon who described the fracture). The Colles fracture is associated with a fracture of a distal tip or distal end portion of the radius.
Distal radius fractures are, unfortunately, most common in the elderly segment of the population. This is because the elderly tend to exhibit some degree of bone density loss or osteoporotic condition making their bones more susceptible to injury. Indeed, just as osteoporosis is known to affect women more often and more severely than men, distal radius fractures are much more common in females than males, typically on the order of about 20:1. Distal radius fractures generally occur as a result of a fall, because the patient tends to brace for the fall by outstretching the hand which then fractures upon impact, at the distal radius at or adjacent the wrist.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the distal radius fracture is such that the major fracture line 15 associated with this type of injury generally occurs just above or proximal to the articular joint surface 11 of the distal radius at the wrist about the metaphysis 12. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, one common distal radius fracture type separates the shaft 13 of the radius 10 from the distal end portion of the bone. That is, the fracture line 15 defines a first major bone fragment 18 which is located above the fracture line 15 (the distal side) proximate the articular joint surface 11 and extends substantially medially (laterally) across the radius 10 in the metaphysis region. Although not shown, the fracture may also produce smaller bone fragments or splinters along the fracture line. Further, the distal end portion of the radius may be present as multiple (vertically and/or horizontally oriented) fragments disrupting the articular joint surface itself. This latter type of Colles fracture is known as a comminuted intraarticular fracture (not shown).
FIG. 1 illustrates the fracture line 15 in the radius 10 as a substantially horizontal line which produces an upper or distal fracture fragment 18 as a substantially unitary fragment. Similarly, FIG. 2 illustrates a fracture line 15 in the radius 10 which is offset from a horizontal axis.
Distal radius fractures can be difficult to treat, particularly in the older osteoporotic patient. Conventionally, this type of fracture has been treated by a closed (non-surgical) reduction and application of a splint (such as a plaster compression dressing) or a cast (typically circular plaster or fiberglass). Unfortunately, primarily because of the patient's osteoporosis, during the healing process, and despite the splint/cast immobilization, the fracture fragments can settle, potentially causing a collapse at the fracture line in the distal radius. FIG. 2 illustrates a loss of radial inclination (in degrees) and a shortened length in the skeletal length line (shown with respect to a neutral length line "L") which can occur after a fracture in the distal radius. That is, even healed, these types of fractures may cause shortening or collapse of the bone structure relative to the original skeletal length line. This, in turn, can result in deformity and pain.
Treatment options for a collapsed distal radius fracture are relatively limited. The primary conventional treatments include the use of devices which can be characterized as either external fixation devices or internal fixation devices. External fixation devices are those that stabilize a fracture through the use of percutaneous pins which typically affix one or more bone portions to an external (anchoring or stabilizing) device. Internal fixation devices are those devices which are configured to reside entirely within the subject (internal to the body). Percutaneous pins can be used alone, without anchoring devices, for fixation of Colles type fractures. The use of external devices has conventionally been thought to be particularly indicated in cases of bone loss to preserve skeletal length as noted, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,103 to Bailey at col. 1, lines 35-43. However, such devices can be bulky, cumbersome, and or invasive to the user or patient. Further, the external fixation devices may not be suitable for use in soft osteoporotic bone.
In view of the foregoing, there remains a need for improved distal radius fracture treatment devices and techniques.

Intramedullary interlocking fixation devices for the distal radius


In an embodiment, an apparatus is provided that may include circuitry to generate, at least in part, and/or receive, at least in part, at least one access request involving a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage. The storage may be capable of accessing, in response, at least in part, to the at least one request an encryption and/or parity information. The encryption may be of at least one portion of the data and/or the parity information. The encryption may be stored in (1) encrypted disk stripes in the storage such that the data is unrecoverable based solely upon remaining unencrypted portion of the data and the parity information stored in the storage, and/or (2) one or more respective disk stripes having a number that is determined based at least in part upon one or more encryption levels, if any, associated with at least one characteristic of the data.

In one conventional RAID arrangement, a user data block and associated parity information are encrypted (using a uniform encryption scheme) and striped across all of the disks in the RAID. If a stripe of user data is modified, all of the other user data and parity stripes associated with the modified user data stripe are decrypted, and then used to calculate a new parity stripe to be associated with the modified user data stripe. This decryption of the other user data and parity stripes in the data writing process reduces the speed and efficiency of the data writing process.
Additionally, in this conventional arrangement, each disk in the RAID includes both user data stripes and parity information. Accordingly, conflict/contention issues may arise if two RAID operations are concurrently executed that involve accessing parity information and user data, respectively, in a single respective disk. This may reduce efficiency and performance of the RAID.
Also in this conventional arrangement, a single, uniform encryption scheme is used for all user data stored in the RAID, regardless of the particular nature, characteristics, sensitivity and/or importance of specific portions of that data. This reduces the utility of the RAID, and also prevents user selection of the balance to be struck between data security and RAID performance.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the claimed subject matter be viewed broadly.

Redundant array of independent disks-related operations


An exothermic device has an exothermic composition enclosed in a flat pouch formed of film or sheet, at least one surface thereof being gas-permeable. The exothermic composition comprises a laminate of an exothermic reaction layer having an exothermic substance as an essential ingredient thereof, and a single or a plurality of reaction auxiliary layer(s) including other ingredients. The exothermic device is incorporated into a sticking pad applicable to the human body to provide a warming and/or therapeutic effect.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exothermic device and an application pad using the same, and more particularly to an exothermic device and a pad using the same, which are capable of eliminating various harmful effects due to an exothermic reaction or coagulation of an exothermic composition occurring in time of manufacture, in particular, which are ultra-thin, have a uniform thickness, and are soft and readily conformable to any curved areas of the human body or the like, which readily follow expansions and contractions of a surface of the human body or the like, and which are free from movement of the exothermic composition during use to give a comfortable feel to the wearer.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, exothermic devices each having an exothermic composition enclosed between two films or sheets at least one of which is gas-permeable have become widespread as warming devices called disposable body warmers. Some exothermic devices forming the disposable body warmers have an adhesive layer formed on one surface thereof to be applied to the human body or the like. The exothermic devices with a warming effect are increasingly used as applied pads to promote metabolism such as blood circulation or to facilitate absorption of skin absorbable medicine (see Patent Laying-Open Publication No. 2-149272).
Most of the conventional exothermic devices are manufactured by a method based on a technical concept of enclosing an exothermic composition, which generates heat through a reaction with oxygen in the air, in a flat gas-permeable pouch, so that the exothermic composition may be applied directly or through clothing such as underwear to a surface of the human body or the like.
Specifically, according to this manufacturing method, the exothermic composition is injected to fill into a flat inner pouch formed of films or sheets at least one of which is gas-permeable, with three sides closed and one side open, and then the open side is sealed. Alternatively, the exothermic composition is placed on a gas-permeable film or sheet, and then the film or sheet is formed into a pouch with three sides sealed or four sides sealed. The pouch is thereafter inserted into a gastight outer pouch.
The exothermic composition is prepared by mixing a metal powder acting as an exothermic substance, a carbon-containing substance such as carbon powder acting as an exothermic promoter, a chloride and water acting as a reaction promoter (reducing agent), and a water retainer to prevent stickiness. In a traditional manufacturing method, all of these ingredients are blended and then filled into a pouch or placed on a film or sheet which is subsequently formed into a pouch.
As these ingredients are blended in air, an exothermic reaction of the exothermic composition with the oxygen in air is started when all of the ingredients thereof have been blended, and the coagulation of the composition will be started and proceeded in the process of the exothermic reaction.
This gives rise to the problem that, after preparation of the exothermic composition and before insertion thereof into the outer pouch, heat is generated to constitute a heat loss which is not utilized by a wearer of the exothermic device, resulting in a lowering of quality.
A filling apparatus for filling the exothermic composition into the pouch, or a feeding apparatus for feeding the exothermic composition onto a film or sheet, includes a hopper for storing the exothermic composition, and a chute connected to a lower position of the hopper. The exothermic composition of a predetermined quantity is injected into every pouch, or intermittently on a film or sheet running at a speed in the atmosphere.
When the quantity of the exothermic composition in the hopper is decreased below a predetermined quantity, a preferable amount of the exothermic composition blended by a mixer beforehand is replenished, or ingredients of the composition are replenished in the hopper and blended therein.
It is therefore very difficult to maintain the interior of such apparatus shielded from the atmosphere. The exothermic composition may undergo an exothermic reaction or coagulation inside the hopper or chute of the apparatus, often disrupting manufacture or causing quality variations.
Furthermore, before a noon recess and closing of work for the day, the filling apparatus or feeding apparatus must be stopped after the exothermic composition has been exhausted therefrom in order to avoid coagulation of the exothermic composition in the apparatus. Besides, it is necessary to carry out operations, after the exothermic composition is exhausted from the apparatus, to seal the filling apparatus or feeding apparatus and to remove any reaction product adhering to the filling apparatus or feeding apparatus.
The operation for removing the reaction product operation must deal with dust adhering to and remaining on the walls inside the hopper and chute. Thus, the operation is an irksome and ugly operation involving scraping with knives and cleaning with water.
Moreover, if such a removal operation was not carried out before a noon recess or after closing of work, the exothermic composition is maintained in a sealed condition in the filling apparatus or feeding apparatus till commencement of work in the following day, but the exothermic composition solidifies under gravity or undergoes a reaction through contact with air or the like inside the hopper. As a result, the exothermic composition partly coagulates, thereby to bring about variations in the feed and fluidity of the exothermic composition.
Incidentally, sealing of the hopper ordinarily is not more than closing the hopper with a lid. Some air will enter through gaps around the lid to cause coagulation of the exothermic composition. Consequently, clogging of the filling chute or feeding chute is encountered repeatedly, almost every morning.
In addition, the exothermic composition cannot be stored in the filling apparatus or feeding apparatus over a long period of production downtime occurring with introduction of a five-day week or at the year-end to new year holiday, summer holiday, or other consecutive holidays. It is therefore necessary to dispense the exothermic composition in the filling apparatus or feeding apparatus or thoroughly remove it by washing or cleaning. Moreover, the exothermic composition removed from the apparatus by washing or cleaning has already undergone a change in composition and ingredient. Such exothermic composition is not preferable to reuse and must be discarded, thereby resulting in a low yield. Besides, as it is distinct from ordinary wastes, this waste must be treated as so-called industrial waste which involves a high cost of treatment.
Furthermore, a mixer for mixing the ingredients of the exothermic composition tends to be wet with moisture in the compound. Thus, the ingredients of the compound tend to adhere thereto and tend to coagulate through the reaction. It is therefore necessary to carry out an irksome and ugly operation after closing of work every day, which includes scraping with knives and cleaning with water. A considerable amount of adhering matter must be discarded as industrial waste.
Besides, the manufacturing apparatus must have mounted therein a device for preventing bridging of the exothermic composition. Thus, the apparatus is complicated and expensive. There is a further disadvantage that, with filling or feeding of the exothermic composition, dust scatters to the ambient to pollute the working environment.
In the conventional method in particular, the exothermic composition is injected into a flat inner pouch formed of films or sheets at least one of which is gas-permeable, with three sides closed and one side open, and then the open side is sealed. Alternatively, the exothermic composition is scattered on a gas-permeable film or sheet, and then the film or sheet is formed into a pouch. Since, with this method, the exothermic composition having a water content is injected into or scattered on the gas-permeable film or sheet, it is difficult to secure a uniform thickness, which results in serious problems such as variations in temperature distribution.
Besides, it is difficult with the conventional method to form the water-containing exothermic composition injected into or scattered on the gas-permeable film or sheet, to be thin below a predetermined value of thickness. That is, the exothermic composition is formed thick so that it has difficulties in conforming to a complicated curve of a body surface or a curved surface of small curvature and in following expansions and contractions and changes in the shape of a body surface. It also gives a stiff feel.
In addition, since, with this method, the exothermic composition having a water content is injected into or scattered on the gas-permeable film or sheet, not only the exothermic composition is easy to move within the pouch, but the exothermic device is made thick and the exothermic composition tends to move within the pouch. Consequently, the exothermic composition in the pouch tends to be moved during use or during transport.
Incidentally, an ultra-thin, soft, sheet-like exothermic device with ease of temperature control is desired to be made available in the medical field in the future.
There is a strong demand especially for an exothermic sheet formed as ultra-thin as possible to be used as an exothermic device for skin absorption of medicine. With the conventional exothermic composition having all ingredients mixed together, the powdery mixture becomes granulated to form an unsmooth exothermic device. The resulting disadvantages are not only poor adhesion to the skin, but variations in the exothermic composition per se which result in variations in temperature distribution.
Conventionally, a movement of the exothermic composition is prevented by controlling gas-permeability of a porous film to decompress the interior of the covering. However, since the exothermic device per se is thick and the exothermic composition tends to move as noted above, the exothermic composition may be moved in the presence of pinholes in the covering or pinholes formed in time of heat sealing. Just before the end of a exothermic action, the degree of decompression in the covering is lowered, i.e. the covering interior approaches atmospheric pressure, whereby the exothermic composition moves to one side within the covering. A maldistribution occurs also when the heat of the exothermic device exceeds a fixed temperature.
Further, the exothermic composition becomes compact and hard since the interior of the covering is decompressed during use of the exothermic device. Consequently, when it was applied directly to the skin, it gives an unsmooth feel and causes trouble due to skin stress.

Exothermic device and an application pad using the same


A process for preparing 2-piperazinecarboxamides in the form of their enantiomers or their enantiomer mixtures of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is (a) unsubstituted or substituted alkyl or (b) --OR.sub.4, wherein R.sub.4 is unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aryl, or (c) --NR.sub.5 R.sub.6, wherein R.sub.5 is hydrogen or alkyl and R.sub.6 is alkyl, and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are identical or different and are hydrogen, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aryl, or the radical of an amino acid or an amino acid ester. A 2-piperazinecarboxylic acid of the formula: ##STR2## or a salt thereof, is first converted into an N-acyl derivative of the general formula: ##STR3## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.4 are as defined above. This compound is then cyclized in a second stage in the presence of a halogenating agent to form a piperazinecarboxylic anhydride of the general formula: ##STR4## where R.sub.1 is as defined above, which is finally reacted with an amine of the general formula: ##STR5## where R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are as defined above, to give the end product of the general formula I. Certain piperazinecarboxylic anhydrides are also novel.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a new process for preparing 2-piperazinecarboxamides of the general formula ##STR6## where R.sub.1 is a) unsubstituted or substituted alkyl or b) --OR.sub.4, where R.sub.4 is unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, is alkenyl or aryl, or c) --NR.sub.5 R.sub.6, where R.sub.5 is hydrogen or alkyl and R.sub.6 is alkyl, and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are identical or different and are hydrogen, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aryl, or the radical of an amino acid or an amino acid ester. The process of the invention enables both the (R) or (S) enantiomers of the 2-piperazinecarboxamides and the mixtures of the enantiomers, e.g., the racemates, to be obtained. The 2-piperazinecarboxamides are, inter alia, important intermediates for preparing orally active HIV-1 protease inhibitors European Published Patent Application No. A 541 168).
2. Background Art
In the previously known synthesis as described in European Published Patent Application No. A 541 168, the N-(t-butyl)-4-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-2(S)-piperazinecarboxamide of the formula ##STR7## is prepared, according to Example 15, starting from the 2-(S)-piperazinecarboxylic acid by conversion into the 1-Z-protected and 4-BOC-protected 2-(S)-piperazine-carboxylic acid by formation of the tert-butylamide and finally by catalytic hydrogenation to remove the Z protective group. This synthesis is very complicated and is therefore only suitable for the laboratory scale. Furthermore, Tetrahedron Letters 1994, 35, 676, discloses the preparation of the compound of the formula Ia in an overall yield of 26% starting from 2-pyrazinecarboxylic acid by further conversion into the t-butylamide, hydrogenation to give the piperazinecarboxamide, racemate resolution using camphorsulphonic acid and finally by introduction of the BOC protective group. This synthesis too is not suitable for transfer to an industrial scale.
3. Broad Description of the Invention
There was therefore the object of developing a synthesis which allows the piperazinecarboxamides to be prepared simply, in good yields and on an industrial scale.
The object was able to be achieved by means of the process of the invention.
The first stage of this process comprises the conversion of a 2-piperazinecarboxylic acid of the formula ##STR8## or a salt thereof into an N-acyl derivative of the general formula ##STR9## where R.sub.1 and R.sub.4 are as defined above.

Process for preparing 2-piperazinecarboxylic acid derivatives


A system for detecting latent defects within a redundant power architecture includes a plurality of redundant power supplies, each having one or more output power rails, connected in a redundant fashion to a system load; each power supply output having fault-isolating OR'ing circuitry that prevents reverse current flow when free of defects; each power supply having means for adjusting its output voltage; each power supply having means for monitoring an internal voltage therein, and, based on characteristics of the monitored internal voltage, determining the presence of latent defect/s in the fault-isolating “OR'ing” circuitry. Further, the system operates to shift the load demanded from power supplies in redundant power architectures to allow the power supplies to run at their optimum electrical efficiency.

Computer systems requiring high-availability and fault tolerance often employ redundant power architectures that allow the systems to continue to run even if the input power to a power supply component is interrupted, or if a power supply component fails. These redundant power architectures include the use of a plurality of power supplies (typically isolated AC/DC Power supplies, but also isolated and non-isolated DC/DC Power supplies) that produce one or more output power rails which power the system circuitry. The use of more than one power supply or more than one output power rail allows the system to receive power from the redundant power supply or redundant power rail in the event the primary power supply or primary power rail is unable to provide power. The plurality of power supplies in such an architecture often contain electronic components on their outputs that allow the power supplies to source current to the system loads, but prevent current from flowing in the reverse direction from the load side back into the power supply. Preventing the reverse current flow is critical in redundant architectures so that a failed power supply does not load down the system bus. These "Fault-Isolation" devices that prevent reverse current flow into the power supply are commonly referred to in the art as "OR'ing" devices, as they allow the load to be powered from one power supply "OR" the other "redundant" power supplies.
Conventional architectures may use a diode or a Mosfet to provide the "OR'ing" function. Use of a semiconductor diode for this function provides simplicity from a design approach, but may suffer in comparison to a Mosfet with low source-drain resistance ("RDS") from an electrical efficiency approach. Regardless of the type of "OR'ing" device used, the "OR'ing" function is one important design element that must work properly in order to provide fault tolerant power to the system. Another design requirement in a redundant power architecture is to have redundant power supplies that are capable of supporting the requisite system load current in the event of a failure in one of the other power supplies. For example, in a system requiring "x" Watts with N+1 redundancy, the power architecture could employ two power supplies, each capable of independently providing "x" Watts of power. Having the second power supply is of little use if it is not properly sized, or if it is not functioning properly so that it is able carry the full system load.
Designing power supplies with "OR'ing" functionality, and adequately sizing those supplies to support the worst-case system load is relatively straightforward. However, ensuring that a particular power supply has (a) a properly functioning "OR'ing" feature, and (b) can properly support the requisite load when called upon, is problematic once the units are in operation in a system. While both of these functions can be, and typically are, initially tested by the power supply manufacturer prior to being installed in a computer system, the system in which they are installed can become vulnerable to a latent (hidden) defect in those features, if the defect occurs during or after the power supply installation in the system. For example, a defect in the "OR'ing" circuit such that the "OR'ing" device is "open" or "shorted" may go undetected until that power supply or its redundant power supply fails. At that point, the "open" or "shorted" "OR'ing" device can result in the interruption of power to the system. Similarly, a redundant power supply designed to supply "x" Watts that, due to some latent defect, can not support a full load of "x" Watts, would cause an interruption in power to the system if the peer supply experienced a failure. Interruption of power to the system (as described in the examples above) as a result of a latent defect in the power architecture is problematic to systems requiring high availability.
Currently, there is no method or system for testing for these defects in power supplies that are in operation in the field.
Another potential shortcoming in redundant power architectures is that sizing of the power supplies can be a challenge, as the total system loads may vary depending on the customer's desired system configuration. As a result, system designers often must oversize the power supply, from an output power rating perspective, to be capable of supporting the worst case system load. The consequence of this is that the power supply, when installed in a minimally configured system, may be running at very light loads when the peer power supply is not faulted. Since power supplies intended for use in redundant architectures are conventionally designed to have their optimal (greatest) electrical efficiency at or near fifty percent load, they will often suffer, somewhat, from a reduced efficiency when running at full or light load conditions. As a result, the power supplies used in conventional redundant power architectures may not be running at their optimum electrical efficiency, depending on the amount of load being demanded from them by the system.

Method and apparatus for performing power supply self-diagnostics in redundant power architectures