A fluid moving device with a heat radiation, which is mounted to a conductive part to dissipate heat from a heat generation part under the fluid moving device and another heat generation part around the first heat generation part, includes a first frame member, which has an area thereof being equal to that of the conductive part and a base member being movably attached with the fan wheel, and a second frame member, which has a second hollow part with an area thereof being greater than the first frame member and provides a projection section extending beyond four sides of the first frame member. Once the fan wheel rotates, the fluid is dragged to enter the fluid moving device via the second hollow part and to leave via the first hollow part so as to dissipate heat in and around the conductive part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a fluid moving device with a radiation module and particularly to a fluid moving device, which is attached to a radiator, capable of dissipating heat in a conductive part and from a heat generation part around the conductive part.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Due to electronic components being improved to satisfy new demands of the users, performances of the electronic components have become much more powerful, and processing speed thereof becomes much more faster.
However, especially in the computer, the electronic components such as the central processing unit (CPU) and the north bridge chip beside the CPU on the main board are easy to produce high heat in company with the enhanced performance and the faster processing speed. The generated high heat seriously affects the performances of preceding electronic components and the life spans of the electronic components are shortened significantly if the heat generated from the electronic components is not removed rapidly. In order to remove the heat from preceding high heat generation components, a heat dissipation device is usually employed for this purpose. The most popularly used heat dissipation devices are the fan and the radiator. Mostly, the fan associated with the radiator is capable of obtaining better effect for heat removal.
Taiwanese Patent Official Gazette No. 527089, entitled "GUIDE FLOW DEVICE WITH A RADIATION DEVICE", has a guide flow pipe with a front opening, a rear opening and a plurality of inner guide flow plates. The front opening provides an area greater than the rear opening and connects with an outlet of the fan. The rear opening is connected to the cooling fins. When the fan rotates to drag the air into the guide flow pipe via the front opening, the air then passes through the guide flow plates and flows outward via the rear opening to carry heat at the cooling fins out.
The problem of the preceding conventional structure resides in that there is a clearance between the big sized cooling fan and the cooling fins resulting from the guide flow pipe interposing in between. When the fan is running, the guide flow pipe at the side of the fan and at the side of cooling fins vibrates with noise of more sound decibels. Further, material cost and labor cost have to be increased due to the guide flow pipe being connected to the fan and cooling fins. Besides, the inner wall of the guide flow pipe is provided with a trumpet shape such that the fluid is easy to impact the inner wall of the guide flow pipe. As a result, much noise is created and backflow is produced. In this way, heat dissipation efficiency is affected by the backflow.

Fluid moving device with a radiation module


Systems and methods are disclosed for consistently translating or converting between geometric dimensioning and tolerancing information and variation parameters for a three dimensional variation analysis tool. The methods and systems may receive geometric dimensioning and tolerancing information; translate, with a computer, the received geometric dimensioning and tolerancing information into variation parameters for a three dimensional variation analysis tool; and output the variation parameters.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to systems and methods used to translate information between computer three dimensional variation models and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) callouts.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been longstanding issues regarding how to effectively translate variation information between three dimensional (3D) variation analysis simulation tools and Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) callouts used to define allowable variation on drawings and in datasets for product definition.
The American Society Of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Standard ASME Y14.5M GD&T is the industry standard product definition language that engineers use to establish allowable deviations from nominal. This language is predominantly a geometric requirements language. GD&T is one of the methods to describe the process capabilities used to refine variations analysis for a more accurate representation of variation. However, GD&T is not the only method.
Analysts can be very clever in developing an accurate characterization of variation that goes beyond the descriptions GD&T covers. However, in the end it is necessary to use GD&T to communicate the allowable variation of components and assemblies as established through analysis. In addition, analysts need to translate GD&T into variation models in 3D variation analysis tools in order to perform 3D variation analysis.
3D variation analysis simulations are computer simulations that predict the final state deviations of assembled components based on the components allowable variation and the proposed build indexing and sequencing of the components. The components allowable variation is defined as a range and distribution type and is a user defined input to the simulation software. The output of the software is also a variation range and distribution type for a measured value.
A variation analyst needs to translate GD&T into the 3D variation analysis tool in order to perform the 3D variation analysis. If the component's GD&T is undefined at the time the analysis is created, the analyst determines the allowable variation with the analysis software. This allowable variation must then be translated into a GD&T callout to be applied to the component. Since the way the 3D variation analysis tools represent variation is different from how variation is described using GD&T, there is a need to develop a generic method to translate GD&T specifications into the analysis software and vice versa.
Inconsistent and creative translations have resulted in analyses that either over constrain component tolerances, thus increasing component costs, or under constrain component tolerances which then drive costs into the assembly process. These are recurring costs that continue until a new analysis is performed with accurate translations.
The unique characteristic of this problem is the fundamental difference that exists between the languages used in GD&T and 3D variation analysis. The language used in the variation analysis process is a set of equations used either singularly or in combinations to simulate actual production variation. GD&T defines the limits or boundaries of allowable variation and depending on the geometry and applied symbology there is almost an infinite number of boundary situations. The inherent differences of the two languages require a rigorous set of standardized rules to ensure accurate translations are made between the two languages.
Some software vendor help files describe general relationships between simulated variation and GD&T but do not provide the level of detail required for consistent translation. Thus, analysts usually rely on their experience and intuition to perform ad-hoc translations. However, translations based on analysts' experience may not be consistent and typically can not be reliably validated.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that can translate variation information between computer 3D variation models and GD&T.

System and method for translating variation information between computer 3D variation models and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing callouts


A new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant named ‘Red Sensation’, characterized by its upright and outwardly arching plant form; freely clumping growth habit; medium to dark green-colored leaves; red-colored spathes with pale yellow to red-colored spadices that are positioned above and beyond the foliage on strong and erect scapes; freely flowering habit; and good inflorescence longevity.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Anthurium plant, botanically known as Anthurium hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Red Sensation'.
The new Anthurium is the result of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Chamrajpet, Bangalore, India. The objective of the breeding program is to create new vigorous Anthurium cultivars with compact and dense plant habit, unique leaf coloration, interesting leaf shapes, resistance to pathogens and pests common to Anthuriums and tolerance to low temperatures.
The new Anthurium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors on Jan. 12, 1995 of the Anthurium andreanum cultivar Chilli Red, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Anthurium hybrida cultivar Lady Jane, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Anthurium was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Chamrajpet, Bangalore, India.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by cuttings since July, 1996 in a controlled environment in Chamrajpet, Bangalore, India, has shown that the unique features of this new Anthurium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


The present invention relates to methods and systems for producing, previewing and publishing a video press release (“VPR”) over an electronic network. A video press release comprises multimedia information. A software transcoder that performs the function of removing incompatibilities between video file formats and text document file formats for producing, previewing and publishing a VPR is implemented. The present invention assures multimedia compatibility of a VPR across video file formats, web browser formats, computer operating systems, and text file formats by transcoding a video file, as well as compressing, resizing and juxtaposing/transposing the transcoded video file along with a text presentation received from a text file, and presenting the so-produced VPR to Internet audience. The invention operates with a webpage of a secure Internet website so that a single individual for a public or private company or other organizations may generate a video press release instantly and efficiently by an accurate, efficient, and time-sensitive method.

This section provides background that may be useful in understanding the invention, and does not constitute prior art.
Public companies, private companies, organizations, and the like, have a need to publish time-sensitive and factually-accurate information, selectively to individuals and other entities who need or who require such information. The word "company" can refer to a public company, a private company, an organization, and the like without limitation. It has been the common practice for a company to publish the time-sensitive company information in a selective and factually accurate report as a press release. In some cases, the press release document has needed to be selective in its distribution; and to be received only by its intended recipients by hand, mail, fax or email. If such a controlled selective distribution was not required, then the press release document may have been published in magazines, newspapers, journals, newsletters, brochures, or on the Internet to a large number of recipients. There are technical problems and limitations with a multimedia news release and with a blog that have made them an unsuitable and an unsafe pathway for a dissemination of a press release for a business.
Firstly, there is no guarantee that time-sensitive publishing standards will be followed by the copywriter. The Internet copywriter may violate the critical date and time for the distribution of the multimedia news release. The Internet copywriter, for whatever reason, may circulate a copy of the multimedia news release earlier than has been mandated by the company to some of the intended recipients or to another individual. There are many well-known instances of insider information wherein time-sensitive, factual company information was wrongfully used in a number of ways. Secondly, there is the possibility that the copywriter may relax controls in place over the distribution of the multimedia news release to its intended recipients. The copywriter may distribute the multimedia news release to less than all of its designated recipients or to a non-intended recipient. Thirdly, there is the possibility that the copywriter will commit accidental errors due to inattention that alter the accuracy of the facts reported by the multimedia news release. Fourthly, there is the possibility, albeit remote that the copywriter will intentionally commit an act of fraud and insert error(s) in the multimedia news release.
An additional problem with the process of a multimedia news release is the limited formatting control over the media product it creates and publishes. Furthermore, prior to publication of a multimedia news release, the process has the problem that the multimedia news release does not allow a preview of the precise media product that shall be published. The first viewing of a multimedia news release can only occur after publication of a multimedia news release product.
A blog is a discussion or informational site published on the Internet consisting of discrete entries or posts typically displayed in reverse chronological order with the most recent post appearing first. The discussion or information site is the work of a single individual, a small group, or many authors. Information is in the form of online personal journal entries that self-reflect and comment about events and people and use hyperlinks. The ability of readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important contribution to the popularity of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art, photographs, videos, music, or audio. To facilitate the posting of content by non-technical users, a specialized content management system of weblog applications supports the authoring, editing, and publishing of blog posts and comments, with special functions for image management, web syndication, and post and comment moderation.
The writing in blogs is a forum for reactive commentary and personal opinions, as would occur in an informal social gathering. Consequently, as a fact source, blogs are biased and publish alleged facts informally. On a blog, a public company, a private company, an organization and the like cannot responsibly, credibly, and properly publish time-sensitive, factual company information in the form of a press release document.
It is against this background, and in order to solve the aforementioned problems, that various embodiments of the present invention were developed.

Methods and systems for producing, previewing, and publishing a video press release over an electronic network


A method for recognizing and rewarding individual contributions is disclosed as including the steps of: (1) obtaining a recognition assembly adapted to removably retain a retaining member comprising at least one award seal, the award seal having a predetermined value; (2) personalizing the recognition assembly for a qualified recipient; (3) presenting the recognition assembly to the qualified recipient; (4) removing one or more award seals from the retaining member of the recognition assembly; and (5) redeeming one or more award seals for comparably valued merchandise or services. Correspondingly, the step of formulating goals and objectives in an attempt to target certain desirable behaviors from the qualified recipient may be included. Structurally, the recognition assembly may comprise a certificate member formed of a material being sufficiently sturdy for display, an award member including at least one fastening member for removably retaining the retaining member having one or more award seals, and a detachable connection disposed between the certificate and the award member. Alternatively, the recognition assembly may comprise a greeting card having a heading or greeting field, a field for a personalized greeting or message, and/or a field for identifying the person or persons presenting the greeting card.

1. Related Applications
This application claims the benefit of my co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/018,660, filed on May 30, 1996 for SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RECOGNIZING AND REWARDING EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS.
2. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to recognition programs and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for recognizing and rewarding individual contributions.
3. The Background Art
In an age of corporate downsizing and a watchful eye on the financial "bottom line," companies, institutions, government agencies, organizations, etc. (both profit and non-profit) seem to have become more attentive to the individual contributions of employees, associates, independent contractors, and the like who have been hired or engaged to assist in reaching the specific goals and objectives of an organization. Not much development, however, has transpired by those skilled in the art as to recognition or incentive programs to reward and recognize persons for their individual contributions other than those conventional means that may include, for example, discretionary bonuses, stock options, and/or varied participation in profitability pools. These conventional recognition or incentive programs have been found to be generally directed to overall performance, rather than isolated contributions that may be overlooked or underappreciated with the passage of time.
Although various incentive programs have been developed to protect "bottom line" finances, many of the methods and techniques which have been developed by those skilled in the art generally relate to coupon redemption apparatus and programs. For example, prior art coupon redemption apparatus may include sheets of promotional merchandise coupons supportably disposed in relation to a plate-like support member which is adapted for mounting at the front edge of a supermarket shelf to provide a point-of-sale display in association with product or units of the particular product line. Structurally, the promotional coupon may comprise a front surface which illustrates and promotes a particular product line and describes the nature of an offer being made. Typically, the promotional coupon further includes a rear surface that continues with the description of the product line and the offer, but also contains an adhesive region designated for the attachment of a portion of the package dress or packaging material of the specific product or the product line being promoted thereto before redemption may be available.
Another example of a prior art coupon redemption methods and apparatus includes a coupon redemption card formed of a layer of card stock, laminate, and a layer of adhesive, the method comprising the steps of: (1) printing information on a front surface of the layer of card stock, such as, manufacturing, marketing, charity information, and the like; (2) applying the laminate to the front surface; (3) applying the adhesive layer to a back surface of the layer of card stock; and (4) folding the layer of card stock in half, such that one half of the back surface is adhered to another half of the back surface by means of the adhesive layer. As noted by the inventor, this invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by creating a coupon redemption card wherein coupons may be removed from the card with a sufficient layer of the card stock remaining to maintain the support of the coupon redemption card and maintain structural integrity through the life of its use in a wallet-carrying environment.
Similarly, those skilled in the art developed prior art transactional control systems which generally include a set comprising a transactional card and a removable label having a first side suitable for printing indicia thereon and a second side having a reusable adhesive layer suitable for affixing the label to the transactional card. In typical operation, the label printed with registration indicia may be removed from the transaction card and affixed to a registration form to provide instant on-site registration of a holder of the transaction card.
Consistent with the foregoing, while prior art apparatus and methods for coupon redemption and transactional control systems may disclose some of the individual features of the present invention and appear generally suitable for their intended purposes, they nevertheless leave much to be desired from the standpoint of providing a recognition program for recognizing and rewarding the contributions of individuals in an organization or business. In this regard, the present invention provides for novel systems and methods for recognizing and rewarding individual contributions which overcomes several deficiencies of prior art contribution techniques and resolves several problems left unsolved by the known prior art.

Systems and methods for recognizing and rewarding individual contributions


Electrical connectors are adapted to provide a reliable electrical connection to mating elements of a mating connector. The connector can have sockets that accept mating elements of the mating connector. Conductors of the connector are associated with each socket and make electrical contact with mating elements received therein. A loading band of the connector is tensioned to provide a contact force between the conductor and the mating element when the mating connector is in the socket. Electrical connectors constructed in this manner can provide increased current density and/or a more reliable connection between the conductors and the mating element.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to electrical connectors.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Electrical connectors are used to provide a separable path for electric current to flow between components of an electrical system. In many applications, numerous connections between components can, in turn, require numerous data and/or power connections within a given electrical connector. Lately, there has been increase in the number of connections required for typical electronic components, which in turn has created a demand for greater numbers of electrical connections in electrical connectors. There has also been a general reduction in the size of electronic components, which has created demand for smaller electrical connectors. For either of these reasons, there is a need for electrical connectors with increased current density, where "current density" refers to the amount of current passed through a given connector divided by the area of the connector. By way of example, there is a current demand for connectors that can mate with circular pins that are between 0.050″ and 0.020″ in diameter (or square pins with edges of similar cross sectional length) that are spaced from one another on a pitch between 0.15″ and 0.05″. Some of these electrical connectors are required to handle as much as 5 to 20 amps per connection within the connector. Existing technologies cannot meet these requirements while also providing reliable electrical connections.
The applicant also appreciates that in many applications, particularly those involving small conductors, it can be desirable to maximize the contact area between a conductor and a mating element. Connectors with conductors that make contact over a larger area or that produce multiple contact points per connection can often support greater amounts of current flowing through the connector, and in doing so can provide connectors that can support an increased current density.
Greater contact forces can provide for a more reliable electrical connection by preventing separation of the conductor and mating element. Additionally, higher normal contact forces can cause wiping action between the conductor and the mating element when they are engaged in a sliding manner. This wiping action can help remove debris that might be on the conductor or mating element, which might otherwise reduce the reliability of the connection. Wiping action can also help break oxide layers that can limit conductivity. However, there can be drawbacks to high normal contact forces. Higher contact forces can substantially increase the insertion force required to engage the connector with the mating surface. An operator, attempting to overcome such high insertion forces, may damage the connector. Additionally, the wiping action associated with higher contact forces can cause wear of the conductor and/or mating surface, including removal of desirable coatings, which can lead to oxidation and poor electrical connections.
Electrical connectors are known to use conductors that are displaced under an elastic load during engagement with a mating surface to provide contact forces. However, applicant appreciates that requiring the conductor to be optimized for both transmitting a current and applying a contact force in this manner often requires compromises to be made when choosing materials or configurations for conductors. By way of example, applicant appreciates that high conductivity copper alloys, which have desirable electrical properties, are avoided for use in electrical connectors because of stress relaxation and creep that may occur over time or repeated use. High conductivity copper alloy, as the term is used herein, refers to alloys that have at least 90% of the conductivity of metals made of 99.99% copper. Attempts to improve the mechanical properties of copper with small quantities of alloying agent, such as 0.5% Beryllium, can reduce the conductivity of the alloy to as low as 20% of the conductivity of pure copper.


Base mouldings useful to form shadow boxes from a multitude of commonly-available decorative frame parts comprise three-dimensional lengths of wood or the like provided with an eight-sided, right-angled cross-section comprising a top side, a bottom side, a left side, a right side, an upper two-sided rabbet between the top side and the right side and a lower two-sided rabbet between the bottom side and the right side.

Frames for decorative art, mirrors, posters and like are conventionally formed from a plurality (usually four) of sides, or frame parts, which are cut from longer pieces of mouldings, of up to about 16 feet in length, and thereafter joined to each other at mitered ends. Small, custom framers literally have thousands of such decorated frame parts, either in their own inventory, or readily available from a number of suppliers. However, when their customers have 3-dimensional objects to be displayed, even though the customer likes a particular decorated frame, they are often disappointed to find that specialized framing is necessary to accommodate the thickness of the article to be displayed. Not only are there increases in the expense and labor required to assemble the construction, but in the present state of the art, none of the many beautifully decorated frames carried by, or available to, small, custom framers can be used. In addition, obviously, in making individual shadowboxes much effort is needed to carefully measure and miter the individual frame members and to secure proper fitting. It would be desirable, therefore to provide shadow box base mouldings based on a novel eight-sided cross section which can be mitered and assembled with a minimum of effort into a shadowboxes decorated with the broadest selection of ordinary picture frames and such mouldings in lengths of up to about 16 feet are provided in accordance with the instant invention.

Base moulding for framing shadowboxes and the like


A compact air-bump stop (jounceshock) provides improved motor vehicle suspension system accommodation of jounce and rebound than is provided than by a conventional shock absorber, bump cushion and/or air-bump stop. In an independent jounceshock, a primary shell and a secondary shell are reversibly collapsible into each other, and a valved piston demarcates a primary chamber within the primary shell and a secondary chamber within the secondary shell, both of which being filled with a mixture of pressurized gas, preferably nitrogen, and oil. The valving of the valved piston allows for selectively unidirectional, metered movement of the oil therethrough in concert with the direction of movement of the secondary shell with respect to the primary shell. In an integrated jounceshock, a compact air-bump stop is integrated with a shock absorber.

Motor vehicle suspension systems are configured so that the wheels are able to follow elevational changes in the road surface as the vehicle travels therealong. When a rise in the road surface is encountered, the suspension responds in "jounce" in which the wheel is able to move upwardly relative to the frame of the vehicle. On the other hand, when a dip in the road surface is encountered, the suspension responds in "rebound" in which the wheel is able to move downwardly relative to the frame of the vehicle. In either jounce or rebound, a spring (ie., coil, leaf, torsion, etc.) is incorporated at the wheel in order to provide a resilient response to the respective vertical movements with regard to the vehicle frame. However, in order to prevent wheel bouncing and excessive vehicle body motion, a shock absorber is placed at the wheel to dampen wheel bounce. Additionally, when the limit of jounce is encountered, it is customary to provide a maximum jounce impact absorber in the form of a bump cushion.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 1B, components of a conventional suspension system 10 are depicted which allow for jounce and rebound at a wheel of the subject motor vehicle 12.
Firstly with regard to FIG. 1, a control arm 14 is pivotally mounted with respect to the frame 16, wherein, in the depicted example, a torsion spring 18 is utilized to provide resilient response for the jounce and rebound of the control arm relative to the frame. To provide control over bounce, a shock absorber 20 is connected pivotally at one end to the frame 16 and connected pivotally at the other end to the control arm 14. To provide cushioning in the event a maximum jounce occurs, a bump cushion 22 is mounted to the frame 16 which is resiliently compressed by movement of the control arm as jounce approaches its maximum.
Referring next to FIG. 1A, the internal components and operational aspects of a conventional shock absorber 20′ (a remote reservoir high pressure gas type shock absorber being shown merely by way of example) can be understood. A valved piston 30 is reciprocably movable within a shock cylinder 32. A shock rod 34 is attached to the valved piston 30 and is guided by a shock rod guide 36 at one end of the shock cylinder 32. Below the valved piston 30 and above the shock rod guide 36 is a mutually interacting rebound limiter 38. The instantaneous position of the valved piston 30 within the shock cylinder 32 defines a first interior portion 32F and a second interior portion 32S of the interior of the shock cylinder. In the example depicted at FIG. 1A, the pressurization in the first and second interior portions 32F, 32S is provided by an oil O which is pressurized by pressurized gas, preferably nitrogen, G acting on a divider piston 40 of an oil reservoir cylinder 42, wherein a tube 44, including a base valve 44V, connects the oil between the oil reservoir cylinder and the first interior portion. In operation, as the control arm undergoes jounce, the oil is displaced from the first interior portion into the oil reservoir cylinder, causing the pressure of the nitrogen gas to increase as its volume decreases and thereby causing an increased hydraulic pressure on the valved piston 30 in a direction toward the shock rod guide. Oil is able to directionally meter through valving 46 of the valved piston 30 in a manner which provides damping.
Referring next to FIG. 1B, the internal structure of a conventional bump cushion 22 can be understood. An optional skin 50 of a pliant plastic material may (or may not) overlay an interior of resilient elastomeric material 52, which may be for example a rubber, rubber-like material, or micro-cellular urethane. In operation as the control arm approaches maximum jounce, the bump cushion 22 compresses, delivering a reaction force on the control arm which increases with increasing compression so as to minimize the severity of impact of the control arm with respect to the frame at the limit of jounce. Immediately following the jounce, the rebound involves the energy absorbed by the compression of the conventional bump cushion being delivered resiliently back to the suspension.
In the art of motor vehicle off-road racing, it is known (for at least the past 15 years) to replace a conventional bump cushion with a device which better accommodates extremes of control arm jounce, known as an "air-bump stop" or "bumpshock".
As depicted by way of exemplification at FIG. 2, a conventional air-bump stop 60 has an elongated cylinder 62 and a valved piston 64 which is reciprocably movable within the cylinder. The valved piston 64 demarcates a primary chamber 66 and a secondary chamber 68, which mutually communicate through the valving 70 of the valved piston. A rod 72 is attached to the valved piston 64 and is guided by a rod seal 74 at the terminous of the secondary chamber 68 and a rod guide 76 at one end of the cylinder 62. Both the primary and secondary chambers 66, 68 are pressurized by a pressurized gas G, most preferably nitrogen, which is mixed with oil O. In operation of the example depicted at FIG. 2, as a control arm undergoes jounce, the piston 64 moves into the primary chamber 66. As this occurs, oil O is metered through the valving 70 at a predetermined flow rate based upon the pressure of the piston applied by the control arm jounce, with the consequence that the gas in the primary chamber 66 increases in pressure rapidly which pressure on the piston reacts against the jounce. Additionally, an "air spring" function due to the total pressure within the primary and secondary chambers acts on the area of the rod 72 to provide an exponential force as related to rod movement into the cylinder.
What remains needed in the art is an improved motor vehicle suspension system in which better accommodation of jounce and rebound is provided than by a conventional shock absorber, conventional bump cushion and/or conventional air-bump stop.

Independent and integrated compact air-bump stops


A method and apparatus associated with producing hydrocarbons. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises at least one heating element that is disposed in a chamber with actuator material. A member is also partially coupled to the chamber. The member is configured to extend to a first configuration when the at least one heating element converts at least a portion of the actuator material from a first phase to a second phase and contract to a second configuration when the actuator material converts from the second phase to the first phase.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with information to facilitate a better understanding of particular techniques of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
The production of hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, has been performed for numerous years. To produce these hydrocarbons, a production system may utilize various devices, such as tools and valves, for specific tasks within a well. For instance, some devices are used to deploy packers and other tools within the well, while other devices are utilized to manage the flow of hydrocarbons from a subsurface formation to the surface. Accordingly, by utilizing these various devices, companies may produce hydrocarbons in an efficient manner.
However, the devices typically utilized in wells have certain limitations or problems that may effect the production of hydrocarbons. For instance, some devices, such as setting tools, typically utilize explosives to generate the force required for setting packers within the well. Because explosives are utilized, special handling is mandated by governmental regulations that relate to the transportation and use of the explosives. In particular, the regulations may prohibit transporting the explosives by air, require a dedicated explosive storage area, and require military/police escort for the explosives. In addition, the operational regulations may require radio silence from the time the setting tool is armed until the explosive device is detonated. Further, because the explosive material is only utilized once, the explosives are replaced after every operation, which may expose personnel to high-pressure gas trapped in the setting tool after the explosive charge has been ignited. Thus, the special handling restrictions increase operational costs because trained technicians are utilized to handle the explosives. As such, devices that utilize explosives present regulatory and safety issues that restrict the operation of the production system.
Similarly, other devices, such as hydraulic devices, present certain limitations or problems that may effect the production system. For instance, hydraulic devices may be utilized to control different valves in a well by relying on hydraulic fluid in small diameter control lines. With hydraulic devices, the number of control lines generally increases along with the number of valves being controlled. This number of control lines impacts the design and manufacture of other devices in the well because each device (e.g. tree, packers, seal assemblies, etc.) incorporates pass-through capability for the hydraulic control lines. Accordingly, the number of pass-through ports available to accommodate the control lines may limit the number of hydraulic valves that may be installed within the well. Further, while each additional pass-through port increases the manufacturing costs, it is also a potential leak point that increases the risk for a loss of pressure integrity in the production system. The leakage of hydraulic fluid may contaminate the surrounding environment, lead to damage of interior surfaces of equipment, and injure personnel. Finally, the length of the control lines also impact the responsivness of the devices managed by the control lines. This delay may be unacceptable for certain applications, such as a long interval completion or when a quick response time is required to active a device.
In addition, while other devices, such as electrical devices, may reduce the reliance on hydraulic control lines, these devices are typically complex and utilize large amounts of space. For instance, multiple electrical devices may be operated from an electric cable that provides power and signals to electric actuators and motors in the devices. However, electric motors generally produce small amounts of force relative to their size and weight. Further, electrical devices are generally complex because they utilize various components and circuitry to convert the power received into mechanical movement. This complexity and spatial footprint increase the cost associated with fabricating the electric devices. Finally, because of this complexity, the electric devices frequently breakdown and are not very reliable in wellbore applications.
Accordingly, the need exists for a reliable method or mechanism that efficiently controls devices within a production system.

Thermal activation mechanisms and methods for use in oilfield applications


The present invention relates to a 2227-bp DNA fragment that confers antiphage activity. Two proteins encoded by this DNA sequence are responsible for the phage resistance phenotype. When introduced in Lactococcus lactis phage-sensitive strain, this DNA fragment aborts infection of phages of the 936 and P335 species.

(a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to DNA fragments encoding Abi-type proteins, determined herein respectively as AbiTi and AbiTii, which confers resistance to either naturally or artificially transformed bacteria against bacteriophages. The DNA fragments can be stably or transiently introduced, via a recombinant vector, into host fermentation bacteria. The invention encompasses isolated DNA fragments, recombinant vectors and transformed bacterial strains comprising the two AbiTi and AbiTii fragments.
(b) Description of Prior Art
Lactococcus lactis is a Gram-positive lactic acid bacterium used to acidify milk during the manufacture of cheese, sour cream and buttermilk. Lytic bacteriophages that attack L. lactis can slow down or completely inhibit the milk fermentation and are therefore responsible for substantial economic losses in the dairy industry. Naturally found in raw milk, they resist the pasteurization process, and can spread rapidly within a production plant as they have a short latent period and a relatively large outburst. Lactococcal phages are classified into twelve genetically distinct species. Three of them (936, P335 and c2) are the main cause of troubles since members of these species are regularly isolated worldwide.
Phages are always found in dairy environments and, therefore, the strategy is to control rather than eradicate them. Phage control relies on a variety of practical approaches ranging from adapted factory design, improved sanitation, adequate ventilation, processing changes, starter medium, culture rotation, and the use of phage-resistant starters.
Various techniques are available to protect the sensitive strains by transforming them into phage-resistant derivatives. The development of bacteriophage-insensitive mutant strains (BIM) was formerly the ideal method. A BIM is a spontaneous phage-resistant derivative that survives a long-term exposure to lytic phages, most likely as a result of a change in the phage receptor. Although this technique has the convenience of simplicity and rapidity, this natural evolutionary process is now rarely used for commercial Lactococcus strains due to substantial drawbacks including narrow phage-specificity, reversion of the resistance phenotype, and altered cell growth.
Decades of progress in the genetics of Lactococcus have established a solid basis for constructing another type of phage-resistant starters. Some L. lactis strains were found to naturally possess plasmids coding for anti-phage systems that can be transferred into industrial strains. These anti-phage mechanisms are divided into four groups according to the moment of their action in the phage lytic cycle. Adsorption and DNA ejection inhibition mechanisms block respectively the first and second steps of the lytic cycle. Restriction/modification (R/M) systems cut the viral DNA once it has entered the cell. Finally, abortive infection (Abi) systems can act at any step between DNA ejection and cell lysis but their precise modes of action remain unknown. The resistance conferred by these natural lactococcal plasmids is often broad and effective against most phages of the same species. The discovery of these anti-phage barriers had a significant impact, as resistance strategies became based on phage species rather than on phage isolates (BIMS).
Phage resistant starter cultures have been successfully used for more than 15 years in industrial large-scale fermentation and many of anti-phage systems are subjected to limited exploitation. Over the same period, new phages have continued to emerge and the biodiversity of the phage population has never been so apparent. Unfortunately, some of these emerging phages are insensitive to the resistance mechanisms introduced into the industrial strains. Thus, there is a need for novel anti-phage systems.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,118 describes a DNA encoding phage resistance protein. There is disclosed in this patent an Abi900 protein isolated from a natural 11 kb plasmid of Lactococcus lactis. The protein confers resistance to some bacteriophage infections.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,396 describes a plasmid pTR2030 and derivatives thereof containing genetic determinants which confer phage resistance to group N streptococci. The plasmid has also a conjugal transfer phenotype upon expression in group N streptococci.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,688 describes a DNA encoding phage resistance protein which aborts infection by the phage, designated as AbiE. The DNA, which is contained in a Lactococcus lactis deposited as NRRL-B-21443, is incorporated into a bacterium to encode the AbiE and provide phage resistance.
Antibacterial or antiviral systems are always offset by the emergence of resistant strains. Natural phage-resistant systems are not immuned to this evolutionary process.
It would be still highly desirable to be provided with modified or new phage-resistance factors, capable of conferring resistance to different bacteria used in fermentation processes.

Fragment of L. lactis plasmid conferring antiphage activity and uses thereof


A method of adapting a communication link in a network of radio communication nodes is disclosed, The method includes sending by a first node a first radio communication, The method also includes receiving by a second node the first radio communication, Further, the method includes estimating by the second node the dynamics of the communications channel, Further still, the method includes categorizing the dynamics of the communications channel into one of at least two groups, based on the estimate, Yet further still the method includes selecting, based on the chosen group, the use of either closed loop link adaption or open loop adaption of communication link parameters.

Highly dense and highly dynamic Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANET) often have limited bandwidth available for the measurement and control of link performance parameters. Often, a receiving node can only measure and return link performance parameters to the transmitting node at a rate that constitutes a highly undersampled control loop with respect to the link dynamics encountered. Undersampling or the need for large control bandwidth to allow for adequate sampling is the bane of many MANET closed loop control methods. Open loop methods, where adjustments in transition parameters are made by the transmitting node based on receptions made in the opposite direction, suffer from bidirectional asymmetrical fading.
Accordingly, there is a need to exploit the synergistic relationship between Open and Closed loop link measurements. More particularly, there is a need to utilize the Closed Loop more in static environments where a lower update rate may be acceptable since the channel is not as dynamic and where static asymmetric fading can be compensated for via the closed loop. In dynamic channel conditions, the Open Loop may be favored since the asymmetrical fading can be filtered via low pass filtering and the more symmetrical link components compensated for, and where the Open Loop can provide lower latency in the link measurements with respect to the Closed Loop.
It would be desirable to provide a system and/or method that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present specification. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the aforementioned needs.

Hybrid open/closed loop filtering for link quality estimation


A vibrating disc transducer assembly suitable for accurately measuring high pressures utilizes a transducer having a vibratory disc that is preferably fabricated from silicon and excited to vibrate in the thickness-shear mode. The excitation is accomplished by placing the resonator in a magnetic field and passing an electric current through electrodes on opposite sides of the disc. The transducer is supported in a housing that communicates with the medium whose pressure is being measured.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to resonating transducers, and more particularly to a magnetically driven resonant disc pressure transducer, capable of measuring high pressures accurately.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Resonant pressure transducers are known, and many are capable of providing highly accurate readings at high pressures. One such device is fabricated from quartz and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,610. However, the device described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,610 patent is relatively expensive to manufacture and its minimum size is limited by quartz fabrication techniques.

Magnetically driven resonant disc pressure transducer


A deck of cards is adapted to enable all ages to play a game (of many games) which is of interest to them. Each of 104 cards in a deck of cards has an alphabetical letter and a numerical value along with a cartoon which begins with a phoneme that corresponds to the letter so that the cards may be used as flash cards to teach the alphabet to small children. Some games require only a matching to two alphabetical characters. Other games are designed to permit players with low scores to "gang-up" on players with high scores. Still other games fit between these extremes to challenge the players skills and to provide games of interest to various age groups.

There are card games which are similar to, but different from the invention, a few of which are shown and described in the following patents: Design U.S. Pat. Nos. 56,985; 118,977; and 169,557; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 627,046; 1,012,574; 1,076,307; 1,191,419; 1,320,899; 1,377,327; 1,401,001; 1,448,441; 1,485,146; 1,557,824; 1,705,883; 2,000,812; 2,042,930; 2,265,334; 4,333,656; 4,428,582; 4,775,157; 4,826,175; 4,923,199; 5,014,996; 5,092,777; 5,199,714; and 5,203,706.
These patents describe many different card designs and procedures for playing games; however, they are focused on some particular audience or style of playing. Hence, some games may be designed for small children. Other games may be designed for adults. Some games may be educational while other games are purely entertaining. In general, games involving a single deck of cards are not games which may be played by almost anyone from preschool to adults with a high level of interest for all persons. For the adult, the invention provides a wide range of games ranging from intellectual pursuits to the kind of almost trivial play which may be carried on while the main effort is socializing.
One disadvantage of card and similar games is that they appear to attract the public's interest for a while, and then disappear as the public's attention span wanes. Thus, there is a constant need for new games to replace those which have run their course. In order to increase its staying power and increase its life time, it is desirable for a deck of cards to have a great variety of different game uses so that play may be switched before boredom sets in. Also, the life time of and interest span for a deck of cards, or other game pieces, is greatly enhanced if creative people can invent and design their own games. Among other things, these features may be provided by cards having different values or symbols so that each game may be centered on a matching or scoring procedure which is convenient for such a game.

Deck of playing cards for playing alphabet learning games and spelling games


An adjustable armrest assembly for an ergonomic chair provides for adjustment of the armrests in the forward and rearward direction relative to the front of the chair without inhibiting adjustment of the armrests in other directions. A support frame having one or more rails or rods running perpendicular to the chair front is connected to the seat bottom. The support frame is slidably mounted on the seat bottom to permit sideways adjustment of the width between the chair arms. A support base, to which the chair arm is connected, is slidably supported on the rods. A controller attached to the support frame moves the support base along a line extending from the front to the back of the chair. In one embodiment, the controller includes a gear assembly and a screw drive attached to a manual crank. An expandable linkage is provided between the left and right support member so that both are simultaneously moved while still permitting width adjustment.

In recent years, chairs have increasingly become ergonomically designed for comfort and healthful body support. Such chairs can be adjusted by the user to meet their specific anatomy. These adjustments include, for example, seat tilt, seat height, seat depth, seat glide, back height, and back tilt.
Armrests are usually designed to be secured in a fixed position on the chair. In an office environment, different people often use the same chair. Similarly, a person may perform several different tasks in the same chair. For example, a person may switch from writing on a desktop to working on a computer and prefer different arm positions for each task. Therefore, designers began constructing chairs with armrests that are adjustable to match the specific anatomy of a person while providing flexibility for quickly changing the armrests for another person or for the same person performing a different task.
Armrests in some chairs adjust vertically relative to the seat in order to accommodate variations in torso height and upper arm length. Also, armrests in some chairs adjust horizontally toward and away from the sides of the chair in order to accommodate variations in shoulder, torso, and buttock width. However, current armrests are unable to adjust horizontally forward and rearward relative to the front of the chair in order to accommodate variations in comfortable arm positioning.
The ability to adjust the armrests horizontally forward and rearward relative to the front of the chair has inherent problems since there are many other adjustments in an ergonomic chair. These other adjustments are controlled by an assortment of paddles and knobs located near the bottom of the seat. Due to the location of these paddles and knobs to the bottom of the seat, difficulties arise in positioning an apparatus near the bottom of the seat to permit unimpeded forward and rearward adjustment of the armrests. The configuration and mounting of the apparatus must allow enough room for the paddles and knobs to operate.
It would be desirable to provide an apparatus to adjust the horizontal armrest position forward and rearward relative to the front of the chair while providing clearance for other ergonomic adjustments on a chair. It would also be desirable to provide synchronized adjustment to both armrests in the forward and rearward direction relative to the front of the chair with only one control.


Systems and methods for transmitting trade orders from a client trading engine to an exchange where the trades are executed. The system may comprise a low latency system in communication with the client trading engine and the exchange server(s). The low latency system is for receiving trade orders from the client trading engine, performing one or a limited number of pre-order risk checks on the trade orders, and, when the trade orders pass the risk checks, transmitting the trade order to the exchange server(s). The system also comprises a post-order risk checking data center in communication with the low latency system via a network. The post-order risk checking data center is for performing post-order risk checks on the trade orders after the low latency system transmits the trade orders to the exchange server(s).

In the financial markets, many market participants implement investment strategies that require computerized trading engines that execute trades autonomously based on the most-up-to-date, or real time, market data. These trades are often executed in milliseconds after receiving the market data and, in some instances, a few milliseconds can be the difference a winning trade and a losing trade. One of the factors that contributes to the delay is the latency, or time interval, between (a) when the trading engine sends a trade order to the exchange and (b) when the trade order is acknowledged and acted upon by the exchange.
FIG. 1a is a simplified diagram of a known trading architecture. The client trading engine 10 receives the market data, analyzes it, and based thereon sends a trade order over a Wide Area Network (WAN) 12 to a Direct Market Access (DMA) trading engine 14 that is hosted by a registered broker/dealer. The DMA trading engine 14 performs risk checking and order validation on the trade order and, if the order is not rejected, sends it over another WAN 16 to the exchange server 18, where the trade is executed. The exchange server 18 then sends a report back to the DMA trading engine 14 for the trade order. The DMA trading engine 14 then performs a variety of post-trade risk checks.
In such an architecture, the order is sent over two WANs 12, 16, and through a number of firewalls. Also, the client trading engine 10 and the DMA trading engine 14 typically communicate using a different communication protocol than the DMA trading engine 14 uses to communicate with the exchange data center 18. Thus, the DMA trading center 14 must also convert the order from one protocol to another, adding to the latency.
The client trading engine 10 is also in communication with the client data center 22, so that the client data center 22 can track the trades executed by the client trading engine 10.
Another known architecture is for the client trading engine 10 to submit orders directly to the exchange servers 18 via the WAN 12, as shown in FIG. 1b. This architecture has the advantage of reduced latency, but there is no pre-trade risk checking in this architecture (except for pre-trade risk checks performed by the client, if any) after the order is sent from the client trading engine 10 and before the order gets to the exchange servers 18. Post-trade risk checking is performed in this scenario after the trade is submitted to the exchange by a data center 26 in communication with the exchange server 18 via a WAN 23.


A method for removing nits (e.g., lice eggs) from hair which comprises the application of a water-based enzyme composition to the hair, whereby the water-based enzyme composition is capable of causing swelling and/or biodegrading of the complex organic structure that cements nits to the hair to facilitate the subsequent physical removal of the nits from the hair.

The head louse (pediculus humanus capitit) infests roughly 2-3% of grade school children in the United States and England. The females, about 1/8 inch long, deposit approximately 270-300 eggs, most commonly on the hair above the ears and the back of the head near the base of the hair shaft. The eggs are cemented to the hair with a tenacious protein-like substance.
Head lice are capable of spreading disease. Specifically, head lice are vectors for staphylococcal skin infections, e.g., impetigo, furunculosis, and are also the principle method of transmission for typhus, trench fever, and relapsing fever.
Effective control of head lice can be obtained with a number of insecticides (termed pediculicides for this application), such as malathion, carbaryl, lindane, pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide, and the synthetic pyrethrin analog permethrin. The most acceptable treatments involve shampoos which contain the pediculicide, some of which are prescription products (e.g., lindane). Some eggs, however, often survive the treatment.
Physical removal of the lice can be accomplished to a significant degree with hair washing followed by thorough brushing. Fine toothed nit combs, which are designed for removal of the nits anchored to the hair shaft, are not particularly effective in removing the eggs. If still alive, the eggs can lead to a full reinfestation of the hair. If dead, following pediculicide treatment, they can still represent a social embarrassment for both child and parent, with no absolute certainty that the nits are all dead and therefore potentially reinfesting.
Furthermore, children must be nit free to return to school even if a lice treatment is resident on the head. Therefore, efforts have recently been directed to develop products which are effective in unlocking the bond between the lice egg and the hair. One such product is marketed under the trademark STEP 2.RTM. by GenDerm as a lice egg removal kit. STEP 2.RTM. is a liquid treatment that attempts to loosen the bond between lice eggs and hair to facilitate nit removal via a fine tooth comb. STEP 2.RTM. has a formic acid base which is a harsh chemical and produces an unpleasant odor. It also contains polyquaternium, benzyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol as preservatives. However, contrary to the claims made by the manufacturer of STEP 2.RTM., it has been determined by the present inventor that STEP 2.RTM. does not provide any practical ability to loosen nits to facilitate removal by combing. Finally, STEP 2.RTM. does not break down pesticidal shampoo toxins.
The present invention, however, does satisfactorily remove lice eggs from hair stands. When used as a post-pediculicide treatment it is capable of removing pediculicide product residue and the odor associated therewith to leave treated hair clean and fresh smelling. It uses a water-based enzyme composition that attacks the cement-like complex organic structure that bonds the nit to the hair causing swelling and/or biodegrading of the complex organic structure to facilitate the subsequent physical removal of the lice nits from the hair. When it acts as a biodegrader it converts the complex organic structure to another non-bonding composition, e.g., a sugar. As such, it is a natural, vegetable derived enzyme, chemical-free and non-toxic composition which attacks and rapidly swells and/or biodegrades the complex organic structure that comprises the louse glue. Moreover, the water-based enzyme composition of the present invention is effective in breaking chemical bonds, resulting in the biodegrading of pediculicide residues on the hair and scalp of the patient. Furthermore, the water-based enzyme composition does not react to the protein structure of the hair and it is non-irritating to the skin and mucous membranes. It also leaves the treated hair soft, silky and fresh smelling.
The present invention also provides many additional advantages which shall become apparent as described below.


A apparatus and method for an operator to monitor the whereabouts of a subject, the apparatus comprising a portable remote unit connected to the subject, the remote unit including a remote unit power supply, a radio transmitter for sending a substantially constant remote unit radio signal, a radio receiver for receiving a base unit radio signal, a remote unit alarm, and a dye pack for releasing dye substantially responsive to submersion of the remote unit in water. The apparatus also includes a base unit in radio communication with the remote unit for enabling the operator to monitor the whereabouts of the remote unit, the base unit including a base unit power supply, a radio transmitter for sending the base unit radio signal, a radio receiver for receiving the substantially continuous remote unit radio signal, a distance estimator for substantially estimating the distance between the base unit and the remote unit, a base unit alarm responsive to the remote unit radio signal so that the base unit alarm is activated when the remote unit radio signal is altered, and a direction finding function for generally finding the direction from which the remote unit signal originates, relative to remote unit radio signal strength.

The present invention relates to the field of personal alarms and, more particularly, to a personal alarm apparatus intended to aid against accidental drowning, including a method for an operator to monitor the whereabouts of a subject in or out of the water.
The present invention provides a personal monitoring apparatus useful in helping prevent accidental drownings, particularly with children, the elderly, and handicapped subjects. Additionally, the apparatus is useful for monitoring separation distance, thus helping prevent a monitored subject from wandering away from a supervising operator. Similar systems including compact, portable monitoring units have been previously described and are known in the art. However, no previous system incorporates all the features and advantages of the present invention. The present invention provides water-activated warning systems, a distance warning, a manually activated warning, directional finding capability, and the ability for one base station to individually monitor multiple remote stations. This last function being particularly useful in group situations, such as summer camps, daycares, nursery schools, elder care, and others.
With the foregoing in mind, the present invention advantageously provides a personal monitoring apparatus and method for an operator to monitor the whereabouts of a subject. The apparatus includes one or more portable remote units and a base unit. The portable remote unit is connected to the subject to be monitored and includes a remote unit power supply, a radio transmitter for sending a remote unit radio signal, a radio receiver for receiving a base unit radio signal, remote unit alarm having a light activated water sensor, and a dye pack for releasing dye substantially responsive to submersion of the remote unit in water. The remote unit may include a power switch positioned such as to substantially prevent the remote unit from being turned off by the subject. The apparatus also includes a portable base unit in radio communication with the remote unit for enabling the operator to monitor the whereabouts of the remote unit, and thereby also the whereabouts of the subject. The base unit includes a base unit power supply, a radio transmitter for sending the base unit radio signal, a radio receiver for receiving the remote unit radio signal, a distance estimating function for substantially estimating the distance between the base unit and the remote unit, a base unit alarm responsive to the remote unit radio signal, and a direction finding function for generally finding the direction from which the remote unit signal originates. Both the base unit and the remote unit may be housed in an accessory or a garment. For example, the base unit may be housed in an accessory such as a wrist band to be worn by the operator performing the monitoring. The remote unit may be housed in a garment, such as a shirt to be worn by the subject, perhaps a child. The apparatus incorporates an alarm activated by excessive distance between the remote unit and the base unit or by the remote unit being submerged in water. An alarm on the remote unit may also be activated manually from the base unit at the operator""s discretion.

Personal monitoring apparatus and method


A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel, a row electrode drive circuit (scanning signal line drive circuit), a column electrode drive circuit (source signal line drive circuit), a power supply circuit, a common electrode drive circuit, and a memory (storage means). The memory stores the respective optimum applied voltages for the source electrode corresponding to display modes of the liquid crystal display device, a reflective mode and a transmissive mode. With the above arrangement, in the case where the display mode is switched among a plurality of display modes, the above active matrix display device can reset an optimum applied voltage for a common electrode or a source electrode in accordance with each of the display modes to suppress the occurrence of flickers, thus allowing the display device to maintain a high quality of display all the time.

A liquid crystal display device is preferably driven by AC voltage to lengthen a useful life of liquid crystal material.
However, since a parasite capacitance Cgd exists between a gate electrode and a drain electrode as shown in FIG. 9(a), a voltage level Vs written into a source electrode is drawn and varies (ΔV) when the gate electrode switches from ON (Vgon) to OFF (Vgoff), resulting in decrease to Vd, as shown in FIG. 9(b). This variation is expressed by the following equation:ΔV=Cgd/(Clc+Ccs+Cgd)×(Vgon-Vgoff),
where Clc is liquid crystal capacitance, and Ccs is storage capacitance.
Therefore, in view of ΔV, a common electrode voltage (Vcom) and a source electrode voltage (Vs) must be adjusted by shifting their respective center values.
To a liquid crystal layer of each pixel, an electric potential difference between the common electrode voltage (Vcom) and the source electrode voltage (Vs) is supplied as a liquid crystal drive voltage. For this reason, when a variation ΔV occurs between a center of a voltage waveform for the common electrode and a center of a voltage waveform for the source electrode constituting a pixel electrode, difference in amplitude between the positive side and the negative side in a voltage waveform causes a variation of the liquid crystal drive voltage, resulting in the occurrence of flickers.
Further, a value of the liquid crystal capacitance Clc varies in black display and in white display, which causes variations ΔV of different values. This requires further adjustment.
In this connection, in the halftone display shown in FIG. 10, a voltage waveform of a voltage applied to the common electrode or a voltage waveform of a voltage applied to the source electrode must be shifted to match the center (Vcom1) of a voltage waveform of a voltage applied to the common electrode (Vcom) with the center (Vs1 or Vs2) of a voltage waveform of a voltage applied to the source electrode (Vs) for preventing the occurrence of flickers caused by variations of the liquid crystal drive voltage.
A conventional liquid crystal display device 50, as shown in FIG. 11, includes an offset circuit 52, connected to a common electrode drive circuit 53, which is provided with a variable resistor 51. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 295164/1994 (Tokukaihei 6-295164; published on Oct. 21, 1994) discloses a liquid crystal display device which can adjust a voltage applied to a common electrode by the use of a variable resistor.
The value of the foregoing ΔV varies due to the variations of panels caused in the manufacturing process and other reasons. Therefore, an optimum applied voltage is applied to the common electrode in such a manner that the variable resistor 51 in the offset circuit 52 is independently adjusted to match the center of the voltage waveform for the common electrode with the center of the voltage waveform for the source electrode. This enables a shift in waveform of the common electrode voltage, thus preventing the occurrence of flickers.
However, the foregoing conventional liquid crystal display device 50 has the following problems.
That is, for reduction of power consumption, has been proposed in recent years a semi-transmissive liquid crystal display device including a plurality of display modes such as reflective mode in which external light is utilized for displays with a back light (hereinafter referred to as BL) turned off and a transmissive mode in which BL is utilized for displays.
As to a liquid crystal display device for displaying images in one display mode such as transmissive mode, no problems occur when an optimum applied voltage is once set because change of a display mode is not required. However, as to a liquid crystal display device capable of displays in a plurality of modes, change of a display mode causes change in liquid crystal capacitance Clc due to a different light propagation route. This causes increase in the value of ΔV, as compared to the value of ΔV obtained by the foregoing equation. Accordingly, the amount of drawn voltage in the source electrode voltage increases, resulting in a shift of the center of the voltage waveform for the source electrode voltage.
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the center of the voltage waveform for the common electrode voltage (Vcom) before shifted is Vcom1, and a center of an optimum voltage of the source electrode voltage (Vs) is Vs1 in the transmissive mode, the center Vs1 of the optimum voltage of the source electrode voltage shifts to Vs2 when the display mode is switched to the reflective mode. On this account, a value of the optimum voltage also shifts under the condition where setting is carried out in accordance with a display mode before switched, resulting in the occurrence of flickers.
Such a variation about the center of the voltage waveform, i.e. a variation about an optimum applied voltage, caused by switch of the display mode is as much as 0.1V to 0.2V, which is considerable. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of flickers caused by switch of the display mode, the optimum applied voltage applied to the source electrode must be set again after the display mode is switched to match Vcom1 with Vs2.
However, in the conventional liquid crystal display device 50, once the optimum applied voltage is set by adjusting a resistance value of the variable resistor 51 in the offset circuit 52, which is mounted to generate the optimum applied voltage for the prevention of flickers, it is impossible to change the optimum applied voltage by readjusting the resistance value of the variable resistor 51 during operation of the liquid crystal display device 50. That is, it is impossible to prevent the occurrence of flickers caused by switch of the display mode carried out during operation of the liquid crystal display device 50.

Active matrix display device for changing voltage based on mode of operation


A differential load amplifier for receiving two measurement currents from a differential piezoelectric sensor and outputting a voltage proportional to a useful signal measured by the sensor. The differential load amplifier includes a subtraction device for determining a difference signal between the two measurement currents received from the sensor, and an integration device including and an integration capacitor for integrating the difference signal determined by the subtraction device. The subtraction device includes a negative immitance impedance converter, and the integration device includes an operational amplifier connected as an integrator. The subtraction and integration devices may also be implemented by a differential current amplifier and an integration capacitor, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a differential load amplifier for a piezoelectric sensor. The invention is applicable to all devices utilizing piezoelectric sensors, and particularly to devices for measuring the vibrations of an engine by means of a piezoelectric accelerometer.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
It is known to measure the vibrations of an engine by means of a piezoelectric sensor associated with a load amplifier, the purpose of the load amplifier being to convert into a voltage the electrical load delivered by the piezoelectric sensor. In the case of equipment on an engine or in an industrial environment, an unwanted signal, termed a common mode voltage, generally superimposes itself on the signal to be measured, and elimination of the unwanted signal is achieved by using a differential structure comprising a differential piezoelectric sensor in association with a differential load amplifier. The known differential load amplifiers usually include two operational amplifiers mounted as integrators and require a strict pairing of two integration capacitors, which can be achieved only by means of a lengthy and costly sorting of components.

Differential load amplifier for piezoelectric sensors

Societe Nationale D'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs D'aviation "Snecma"


Disclosed is a liquid crystal device comprising a liquid crystal cell filled with a liquid crystal material capable of exhibiting a smectic phase, said cell including upper and lower substrates each having in order an electrode and an orientation film in contact with the liquid crystal material, a cross angle e formed by the orientation treatment directions of the orientation films is 180.degree.-.delta. or 360.degree.-.delta. (0.degree.<.delta..ltoreq.90.degree.). Also disclosed is a process for preparing the above-mentioned liquid crystal device comprising treating the orientation films and preparing the liquid crystal cell so as to have the orientation treatment directions of the orientation films form the cross angle .THETA. within the above range in the cell. According to the present invention, a liquid crystal device having a high electrooptic response speed required in various technical fields such as optical communication, steroscopic image display, image processing and optical operation and also having a high optical contrast can be obtained.

In order to lighten various optical modulation devices and display devices or to reduce power consumption required for these devices, a tendency of using liquid crystal devices for these devices has been recently increased. Of various liquid crystal devices, ferroelectric or antiferroelectric liquid crystal devices using electrooptic effect of a smectic liquid crystal phase (hereinafter referred to as "smectic liquid crystal device") have been paid attention because they have a wider view angle of field and a higher response speed as compared with TN liquid crystal devices. Particularly because the antiferroelectric crystal devices are excellent in impact resistance and almost free from a problem of printing a liquid crystal material on the inner surface of a liquid crystal cell, they have been recently paid much attention.
The smectic liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal cell in which a liquid crystal material capable of exhibiting a smectic liquid crystal phase (hereinafter referred to as "smectic liquid crystal material") with a thickness of not more than several .mu.m is filled between electrodes provided on a pair of substrates, and also includes, if necessary, various polarization control means. For conducting optical modulation with a sufficiently high contrast using the device, a layer of the smectic liquid crystal material in the liquid crystal cell is desired to be uniformly orientated so that the layer normal directions of the smectic liquid crystal (normal directions against the smectic liquid crystal layer) shown in FIGS. 3-A, 3-B and 3-C are almost the same as each other. In these figures, the liquid crystal molecules are orientated in such a manner that each liquid crystal molecule has a tilt angle .THETA., to form a liquid crystal layer. The layer normal shown in FIG. 3 is parallel with the electrode surface of the liquid crystal cell. In FIG. 3-A, a liquid crystal layer formed from liquid crystal molecules whose every spontaneous polarization is in the upward direction and a liquid crystal layer formed from liquid crystal molecules whose every spontaneous polarization is in the downward direction are layered one upon another. In FIG. 3-B, liquid crystal layers each formed from liquid crystal molecules whose every spontaneous polarization is in the upward direction are layered one upon another. In FIG. 3-C, liquid crystal layers each formed from liquid crystal molecules whose every spontaneous polarization is in the downward direction are laminated one upon another.
Particularly in the case of optical switches for optical communication, optical shutters for stereoscopic image display and spatial optical modulators used for image display, image processing and optical operation, a contrast of at least about 100 is necessary, so that it is required that not only the smectic liquid crystal layer is uniformly orientated all over the device surface but also occurrence of various defects in the smectic liquid crystal layer is inhibited.
For making the layer normal directions of the smectic liquid crystal the same as each other, there is conventionally known a method of first forming an orientation film made of a polymer thin film such as a polyimide thin film on the interface between the substrate and the liquid crystal material and then subjecting the orientation film surface which is to be brought into contact with the liquid crystal material to a rubbing treatment. The term "rubbing treatment" used herein means a treatment of rubbing the surface of the orientation film formed on the substrate in a given direction with a cloth or the like.
When the liquid crystal material is filled between the orientation films whose rubbing directions are parallel with each other, however, plural domains having layer normal directions of the smectic liquid crystal different from those of their adjacent domains are often formed. Especially in the case where the layer normal directions of the smectic liquid crystal are strikingly different with domains, if electric voltage is applied to the liquid crystal cell to change the orientation state of the smectic liquid crystal layer inside the liquid crystal cell, light leaking takes place because the extinction positions of the smectic liquid crystal layer differ with domains. Therefore, the liquid crystal device provided with such a liquid crystal cell as mentioned above has a problem that the contrast between brightness and darkness of the output lights before and after optical modulation is conducted by this liquid crystal device becomes smaller as compared with the case of using a liquid crystal device in which the layer normal directions of the smectic liquid crystal present inside the liquid crystal cell are the same as each other. That is, a sufficiently high contrast cannot be obtained by the use of a ferroelectric or antiferroelectric liquid crystal device provided with a liquid crystal cell in which a liquid crystal material is filled between such orientation films as have rubbing directions parallel with each other.
For solving this problem, particularly in the antiferroelectric liquid crystal device, there have been proposed methods of shifting the rubbing direction against the orientation film formed on each of the upper and lower substrates. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 371925/1992 proposes a method of shifting the rubbing direction by the sum (.THETA..sub.1 +.THETA..sub.2) of the angle .THETA..sub.1 which is formed by the rubbing direction and the layer normal of the liquid crystal in a smectic A phase on the surface of the orientation film provided on the upper substrate and the angle .THETA..sub.2 which is formed by the rubbing direction and the layer normal of the liquid crystal in a smectic A phase on the surface of the orientation film provided on the lower substrate. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3676/1994 proposes a method of shifting the rubbing direction by a given angle.
However, the method proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 371925/1992 is not applicable because the angle between the rubbing directions on the surfaces of the orientation films formed on the upper and lower substrates cannot be determined in the case of a liquid crystal material whose layer normal against the rubbing direction is not decided univocally or a liquid crystal material which cannot be in a smectic A phase.
Also in the method proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3676/1994, there is a problem that the preferred range of the angle to obtain sufficiently uniform orientation is not always clear.
In the above-mentioned conventional methods, moreover, stripe defects induced by application of an electric field cannot be inhibited, and hence when switching between the ferroelectric states, which is brought about by applying electric voltage to the antiferroelectric liquid crystal device, is used for the optical modulation, a sufficiently high contrast can be hardly obtained only by shifting the rubbing direction of the surface of the orientation film formed on each of the upper and lower substrates by application of an electric field.

Liquid crystal device and process for preparing the same


The present invention is directed to a passive solar greenhouse for controlling the greenhouse's interior environment and maximizing photosynthetic metabolism within the plants grown therein through regulation of sunlight, temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels and methods optimizing plant growth conditions by using passive solar greenhouse of the present invention. Generally the greenhouse has a sloped glazed face which faces substantially true south in the Northern hemisphere and substantially true north in the Southern hemisphere with a predetermined slope angle designed to maximize incident solar radiation (insolation) and increase the interior temperature during the colder months of the year while reducing overheating during the warmer months of the year.

For people who live in areas that experience harsh winter climates, growing flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables year-round is very difficult. In those environments, greenhouses are effective. A greenhouse is a structure, usually enclosed by glass or plastic (glazing), which helps to maintain an adequate temperature range throughout the year and a measure of control over the environment for growing healthy plants.
Generally speaking there are two types of greenhouse design; conventional and passive solar. Both types of greenhouses serve the same function, which is to provide an internal environment conducive to plant growth. There are, however, important differences in design and operation to consider.
Conventional greenhouses are designed to harness the sun's energy in the form of light for plant growth. Typically, conventional greenhouses are constructed of transparent, uninsulated glass or plastic. Ideally, these designs allow light in during the day for photosynthesis and heat. Overheating frequently occurs and is a problem with these designs. Furthermore, the poor insulative quality of the glass and plastics often leads to a detrimental loss of heat at night requiring supplemental heat sources, such as CO2 producing fossil fuels like natural gas or propane. This requires large amounts of energy, especially in colder regions, and is a major on-going expense that decreases the profit margin of the grower, or is passed on to the consumer through higher product cost. Many conventional greenhouses are oriented with the axis in a north-south direction, which does not optimize use of the low angle winter sun, which stays close to the southern horizon during the coldest time of the year.
The term passive solar greenhouse generally refers to greenhouses designed to harness the sun's energy to use for both light and heat during cold winter months. The three basic elements of passive solar greenhouses are; an efficient collection of solar energy, the storage of solar energy as heat, and the prevention of heat loss during and following collection periods. It is these characteristics that separate passive solar greenhouses from conventional greenhouses.
Plants use the energy in sunlight to convert CO2 (from the air) and water (from the soil) into sugars—a process called photosynthesis. The sugars are used to metabolize and to build new stems and leaves and when plants burn their sugars for food. CO2 is produced as a waste product. Since photosynthesis is powered by sunlight, plants absorb more CO2 than they give off during the daytime, but at night, when photosynthesis is dormant, the opposite occurs.
A greenhouse uses a few basic scientific principles to maintain its interior microclimate. Sunlight is the primary source of heat for a passive solar greenhouse. Sunlight passes through transparent materials, such as glass or clear plastic and when it hits an opaque, or less transparent surface, some of that light is transformed into heat. The darker the surface, the more light gets transformed into heat.
In most traditional greenhouses comprised of glass or plastic, there is almost always some heat loss which requires additional heat sources to maintain acceptable temperatures during colder periods. The goal is to trap energy inside the greenhouse to comfortably heat the plants, the ground, and soil inside it. Ideally, the air near the ground is warmed and prevented from rising and dissipating too quickly. In order for plants to flourish, a greenhouse must provide the appropriate amounts of light humidity, and warmth and the key to operating an effective greenhouse is being able to maintain a reasonably stable climate to support plants.
Air movement also has a large impact on the morphology, physiology, and reproduction of the plants as it affects the temperature of the leaf, gas exchanges and resistance of the boundary layer and, therefore, photosynthesis, transpiration and water use. Limited air movement, for example, hinders the supply of CO2 to the stomata of the leaves for photosynthesis. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve a minimum horizontal air movement for CO2 supply to the leaf stomata. Increases in CO2 levels generate an increase in photosynthesis and subsequent increase in yield as well as induces an improvement in the water use efficiency. The recommended CO2 concentration depends on the species and variety, as well as the environmental conditions. For vegetables, it has been recommended not to exceed 1500 ppm for cucumber or 1000 ppm for tomato and pepper. Recently, 1000 ppm has been considered a suitable maximum limit for all species except cucumber, aubergine, and gerbera. An excess in CO2 in tomato plants may cause abnormally short leaves or the rolling of the leaves, whereas in other crops it may cause leaf chlorosis. Ventilation is the most economic method to limit CO2 depletion in the greenhouse air; however, in most contemporary systems it only allows the maximum to reach ambient conditions (350-400 ppm).
During the day (photosynthesis), plants will generally use twice as much CO2 than they give off from cellular metabolism. After the photosynthetic period, plants will continue respiring and give off CO2 without using any, so that there can be a buildup above ambient levels overnight in a well-insulated greenhouse for the start of photosynthesis the next morning.
Thus, there is a delicate balance between maintaining proper CO2 concentrations and temperatures within the greenhouse. To date, the most effective way to maintain control over the internal greenhouse CO2 concentrations has been via the application of pure CO2 combustion gasses, enrichment with small burners, or enrichment from a central boiler. However, these methods are expensive and wasteful.
Light regulation is practiced in a greenhouse for reasons including altering the length of daylight hours (increasing or reducing them) and increasing photosynthesis (complementing the naturally available light and/or extending the length of the day with artificial light. The objective is to maximize photosynthesis by maximizing the light interception by the greenhouse. Standard techniques employed in greenhouse design have been via supplementary artificial lighting techniques, such as lamps, etc. But again, such techniques require an energy source, such as electricity and are thus expensive to use and maintain.
As mentioned above, plant cultivation in climates that experience temperatures below the plant's ideal growth temperature range relies on a controllable microclimate often provided by greenhouses. When these greenhouses experience interior temperatures that fall outside the plant's ideal growth temperature range, the majority of these greenhouses rely on either 1) active heating methods from fossil fuels or electricity driven heaters to raise the interior temperature or 2) active ventilation from electric-driven fans to exhaust heat to lower the interior temperature to maintain the correct temperature range. Additionally (as discussed above), these greenhouses may use electric grow lights to increase photosynthetic light available to these plants. These greenhouses frequently experience carbon dioxide levels below the outside (ambient) levels during the photosynthetic period and often require carbon dioxide enrichment equipment, to optimize plant productivity during the photosynthetic period.
Passive solar greenhouses have been recognized as offering tremendous promise for growing winter crops in areas in the northern hemisphere. For example, the increasing popularity of the "Chinese Solar Greenhouse" has greatly reduced energy demand and carbon dioxide emissions throughout China and elsewhere. Gao L-H, Qu M, Ren H-Z, Sui X-L, Chen Q-Y, and Zhang Z-X. Structure, function, application, and ecological benefit of a single-slope, energy-efficient solar greenhouse in China. HorTechnology, June 2010 20(3) 626-631. However, the authors also cite problems associated with the Chinese solar greenhouse design including severe CO2 depression, high humidity levels, low light intensity, overheating in the spring and fall, and the need for much better thermal mass. Other standard greenhouse problems include phototropism (e.g., growth or movement of a sessile organism toward or away from a source of light), winter heating and protection from extreme weather events.
Problems such as these are addressed by the current system. Through the techniques and construction described herein, the current system is able to affect the critically important levels of temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and natural light to maximize plant production in the system, and require only seeds, soil (nutrients), and water as external inputs. Worldwide, conventional greenhouse designs ignore many of these parameters then add energy intensive systems as mentioned above to correct the inherent weaknesses of their designs. The current system uses a unique combination of design features to create a passive system that eliminates or greatly reduces the input of active, or fossil fuel and electric driven systems, to control the greenhouse's interior temperature, light levels, humidity levels and carbon dioxide levels. The design allows for better capture, distribution, storage, and release of solar energy or its thermal energy form for enhanced winter plant growth and greatly reduces the costs associated with heating, grow lights, active ventilation, and carbon dioxide enrichment.


Disclosed are a power control method and device, a terminal, and a storage medium. The method comprises: determining a reference point corresponding to the closed-loop power control parameter of a PUSCH transmission unit i; determining a power adjustment amount corresponding to the closed-loop power control parameter of the transmission unit i; determining the closed-loop power control parameter of the transmission unit i according to the reference point and the power adjustment amount; and determining the transmit power of uplink data to be transmitted at the transmission unit i according to the closed-loop power control parameter of the transmission unit i.

According to a closed-loop accumulative power control method in the related art, a reference point is a previous physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmission occasion (i.e., transmission period) of the present PUSCH transmission occasion, and a power adjustment value is a delta carried in a transmission power control (TPC) command. From a perspective of a base station, when the base station transmits an uplink (UL) grant for an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), the base station takes a PUSCH transmission period (i−1), i.e. the last uplink slot of the first 2.5 ms periodicity as the reference point, and takes delta1 as an accumulated power value. That is, the base station expects a transmission power of the eMBB to be P(i−1)+delta1. While, from a perspective of a user equipment (UE), when transmitting the ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) data, the reference point is the PUSCH transmission occasion (i−1), and a TPC adjustment value carried in an UL grant for scheduling URLLC service is delta2, and thus the transmission power of URLLC is P(i−1)+delta2. When the UE transmits eMBB data, the reference point changes to the URLLC transmission occasion, namely the fourth slot within the second periodicity, a TPC adjustment value carried in an UL grant for scheduling eMBB service is delta1, and therefore the transmission power of the eMBB is P(i−1)+delta2+delta1, which is different from the transmission power expected by the base station at the time of scheduling the eMBB service. In this way, the power control error occurs, which will lead to demodulation failure or interference increase. In brief, there is a problem in the related art that the closed-loop cumulative power control error occurs due to the inconsistency between the scheduling order and the transmission order.

Power control method and device, terminal, and storage medium

CHINA MOBILE COMMUNICATION CO., LTD RESEARCH INST

CHINA MOBILE COMMUNICTION GROUP CO., LTD.