An insulator for use in a suspension-type line arrester that supports a transmission line is disclosed. Such line arresters have a plurality of insulators connected in a string. The insulators have linking members configured to prevent relative rotation between adjacent insulators in the line arrester's insulator string.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension-type line arrester. More particularly, this invention pertains to a suspension-type line arrester which grounds the surge current generated by lightning strike in transmission lines. The line arrester also promptly cuts off the follow current to prevent ground faults.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, surge absorbing devices are provided on transmission lines to absorb any switching surge currents generated by opening or closing of the circuit breaker and any lightning surge currents generated by a lightning strike. Surge absorbing devices prevent ground faults. Conventional arresters do not make suitable surge absorbing devices for transmission lines, because their structure have limited endurance for the line load.
If a conventional arrester is provided on transmission lines, it influences the complex design of the transmission tower and the insulating devices which support the transmission lines. Therefore, a suspension-type line arrester has been proposed for arresting, insulating and supporting transmission lines.
The body of the proposed line arrester has an integrally formed head and shed structure. The shed is formed about the head. A metal pin within the head. A metal cap is installed at the top of the head. The pin and the cap are aligned along the center axis of the insulator body. They are insulated from each other by the insulator body. Bore holes are constructed within the shed. Several resistors having nonlinear varistor voltage-current characteristics are accommodated in each bore hole.
A conductive seal is provided at each vertical end of the bore hole. The resistors are supported within each bore hole by the top and bottom seals. Each top seal is connected to the cap by a connector, and each bottom seal is connected to the pin by a wire.
The pin is a ball type pin. Therefore, the pin base has a larger diameter than that of the pin body. The cap is a socket type cap with an opening formed on the top portion of the cap. The opening opens to the side and therefore, the pin base of the adjoining insulator can be horizontally inserted into the opening.
Once the pin base of a first insulator is engaged with the opening of the cap of a second insulator, the two insulators can not be vertically separated from each other. An insulator string is constructed by linking several insulators. The transmission lines are suspended from the tower by the insulator strings.
In the event of a lightning strike, a large surge current flows from a tower to the transmission lines or from a transmission line to a tower by way of insulator strings. In each insulator, the surge current flows through the route sequentially set by a pin, a wire, a bottom seal, resistors, a top seal, a connector and a cap.
Conventional insulators can rotate relative to their adjacent (upper and lower) insulators around the center axis of the insulator string. Accordingly, even though each insulator is mounted so that resistors of the vertically linked insulators are aligned in a vertical direction, swaying in the transmission lines can cause misalignments between the resistors of the upper insulator and the resistors of the lower insulator.
When the energy of the surge is over the capacity of the resistor, the resistors break down due to the excess surge current and become conductive. Then, an arc discharge will occur directly between the resistors of the upper insulator and the resistors of the lower insulator. If the resistors are misaligned, the course of the arc discharges are in a zigzag manner along the insulator string. Such an arc discharge pattern damages the surface of the sheds of the insulators.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated


A trimming circuit, installed in a semiconductor integrated circuit that has multiple different target values, the trimming circuit to adjusts circuit characteristics of the semiconductor integrated circuit to make output values of the semiconductor integrated circuit correspond to multiple desired target values and includes a setting-value table memory to store multiple setting value groups respectively containing different combinations of multiple setting values related to the multiple target values; a trimming cell circuit to store first selection information indicating one group of the multiple setting-value groups stored in the setting-value table memory; and a selector to select one group from the multiple setting-value group stored in the setting-value table memory based on the first selection information, and select one setting value from multiple setting values in the selected setting-value group based on external second selection information to output the selected setting value.

1. Field
The present disclosure relate to a trimming circuit to adjust fluctuation in circuit characteristics, a power supply including the trimming circuit, and a trimming method executed by the trimming circuit.
2. Description of the Background Art
In semiconductor integrated circuits, due to fluctuation in circuit characteristics, there is a difference between target values (e.g., upper limits of current and voltage), desired to be output from the semiconductor integrated circuit, and an actual output value (e.g., upper limits of detected current and voltage). Accordingly, the semiconductor integrated circuit includes a trimming circuit that adjusts the circuit characteristics (perform trimming) so that an output value is consistent with the target value. The trimming circuit, which is generally formed by a ladder resistor circuit, adjusts an output voltage of the ladder resistor circuit to perform trimming. In order to adjust the output voltage of the ladder resistor circuit, an adder to add a certain offset to the output voltage of the ladder resistor circuit and a multiplexer to correct rate of change (gradient) of the output voltage relative to the target value are used.
For example, in JP-2002-231887-A discloses a programmable trimming circuit to trim a reference voltage of an integrated circuit after the integrated circuit is mounted on a chip and is packed. In this example, the trimming circuit includes a first resistor, multiple programmable trimming cell circuits, a digital analog converter (ladder resistor circuit), and a second resistor. The first resistor is controlled to generate a sequence of a test bit signal and a sequence of a setting bit signal. The multiple trimming cell circuits, selectively connected to the first resistor, receive the test bit signal and the setting bit signal and generate output signals similarly to the received signals. The digital analog converter, constituted by the ladder resistor circuit, converts the output signals into trimming currents proportional to the output signals. The second resistor converts the trimming currents into trimming voltages and superimposes the trimming voltages on initial values of reference voltages generated by the integrated circuit.
In this example, when the reference voltage of the integrated circuit is trimmed, the initial value of the reference voltage generated by the integrated circuit is measured, the initial value of the reference voltage is compared with an accurately detected reference voltage, and a control signal indicating the difference therebetween is generated. Then, the multiple trimming cell circuits generate the bit sequence representing signs and magnitudes of the trimming currents, generate the trimming currents having the magnitude and sign proportional to the bit sequences, superimposing the trimming voltage converted from the trimming current, and determines whether or not the superimposed voltage is equal to the accurately detected reference voltage. When the superimposed voltage is suitable and equal to the accurately detected reference voltage, the trimming cell circuits permanently set the bit values when the bit sequence is generated.
In the above-described example, multiple trimming cell circuits respectively include fuses, and melt and cut the fuses to set the bit value "1" permanently. Accordingly, in this example, once trimming is performed, adjusting cannot be performed again.
Although the conventional trimming method is effective when linearity is present in the difference between the target value and the output value that is, when the output value (dependent variable y) changes at a constant rate (linearly) with the target values (independent variable x), otherwise, trimming cannot be performed. For example, when the semiconductor integrated circuit installing the trimming circuit is a power supply (e.g., switching regulator), since the characteristics fluctuate by generating current noise and heating as the output current of the power supply is increased, the upper limit of the output current (limit current) does not linearity change with the target values. Accordingly, when the power supply is operated in multiple modes having different upper limit currents respectively, performing trimming is difficult using the conventional method.
As detail example of semiconductor integrated circuit that is operated in the multiple modes having different upper limit currents respectively, a power supply of a universal serial bus (USB) that receives power from a USB host device via a USB interface.
At present, the USB is a standard to serial interface and is also used as an interface for supplying power.
The standard of "Battery charging specification revision 1.2" is developed considering charging to rechargeable batteries. "Battery charging specification revision 1.2" mainly defines ports of USB device having three types of power supplying capabilities including Standard Downstream Port (SDP), Charging Downstream Port (CDP), and Dedicated Charging Port (DCP). SDP is a port of host and hub conformed to USB 2.0. When the USB device is a low power device, the SDP has a power supply ability to generate a current of 100 mA, and when the USB device is a high power device, the SDP has a power supply ability to generate a current of 500 mA. CDP is a port of host and hub containing various power supply abilities and detection protocols conformed to USB 2.0. The CDP includes various types of ports having any one of power supplying abilities to generate the current ranging from 1.5 A to 0.5 A. DCP does not have a function as a downstream port but is a device to supply power via the port. The DCP includes various types of ports having any one of power supplying abilities to generate the current ranging from 500 mA to 5.0 A. Using a super speed port defined by USB 3.0, power of 900 mA can be supplied.
When the power is supplied from the USB host device by connecting the USB device to the USB host device (e.g., the power is supplied to charge the rechargeable battery of the USB device), the USB host device may include all of the power supplying capability. Accordingly, it is desired for the power supply of the USB device that receives the power supply to change the upper limits of the output currents of the power supply in accordance with the power supply abilities of the USB host device. However, in a configuration in which the power supply is operated in the multiple modes having different upper limit currents, performing trimming of the power supply with the conventional method is difficult.

Trimming circuit, power supply including trimming circuit, and trimming method


A method to guarantee real time processing of a soft real time operating system in a multicore platform by executing a thread while varying a core in which the thread is executed and apparatus are provided. The method includes assigning priority to a task thread, executing the task thread, determining a core in which the task thread is to be executed, and if the core is determined, transferring the task thread to the determined core.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a software framework used in embedded systems, such as multicore- or manycore-based mobile devices, multimedia devices, and home devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) refers to an operating system that considers requirements of a real-time application program.
The RTOS executes an application program at an execution timing calculated, for example, by a developer or programmer of an application program.
The RTOS may be divided into a hard RTOS and a soft RTOS. The soft RTOS has an advantage that libraries and programs of a general purpose Operating System (OS) such as Windows or Linux can be used, but has a disadvantage that there may be will many jitters relative to the hard RTOS.
In the soft RTOS, it is important to reduce jitters to guarantee a real time processing corresponding to real time processing of the hard RTOS.

Guarantee real time processing of soft real-time operating system by instructing core to enter a waiting period prior to transferring a high priority task


Tire building apparatus and method wherein the cut to length tread is transported to a drum on a conveyor having laterally movable driving rollers and inverted guide rollers engaging the inner surfaces of raised shoulders of the tread. Control of the tread length is provided by measuring the length of the tread before and while it is being wrapped on the drum and then varying the stretching and rate of tread application to the drum to provide a precise splice of the ends of the tread. The position of the tread ends are controlled by a pricker bar to insure placement of the leading end on the drum and then placement of the trailing end on the drum over the leading end to provide the desired splice.

This invention relates to a tread server for applying a tire tread to a drum and splicing the tread accurately without the need of an operator. In addition, the tread is centered without distorting the edges.
Heretofore, treads have been measured once and the drum speed of rotation varied to compensate for variations between the tread length and the circumference of the drum. There have not been additional measurements during the conveying process to compensate for changes in length during the guiding and conveying of the tread. There have also been no positive guiding and positioning of the leading end and trailing end to provide a precision splice of the tread on the drum. Guide rollers have been used to center the tread, however no provision has been made for preventing distortion of the edges of wide, thin treads or soft compound treads.


A vehicle includes: a motor generator for generating driving power for traveling thereof; an ECU for controlling the motor generator; and an inclination detecting unit for detecting inclination of a road surface. The ECU performs power changing driving in which the vehicle is traveled while switching the motor generator between a first state (high output state) and a second state (low output state). In the first state (high output state), driving power of a first level is generated. In the second state (low output state), the driving power is made smaller than that in the first state. When it is recognized that the vehicle is traveling on an uphill road based on the inclination detected by the inclination detecting unit, ECU sets the driving power in the first state to be larger than that set when the vehicle is traveling on a flat road.

In recent years, as an environmentally friendly vehicle, a vehicle has been drawing attention which has a power storage device (such as a secondary battery or a capacitor) and which travels using driving power generated from electric power stored in the power storage device. Examples of such a vehicle include an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and the like.
In order to further reduce environmental load, these vehicles are required to reduce fuel consumption and electric power consumption so as to improve energy efficiency.
Japanese National Patent Publication No. 2008-520485 (PTL 1) discloses a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and a motor generator, wherein the motor generator is controlled such that a first interval and a second interval are alternately repeated while the motor generator is in a power generator mode. In the first interval, the motor generator is driven to output high power larger than actual electric power consumption of an electric system of the vehicle. In the second interval, the motor generator is switched off.
According to Japanese National Patent Publication No. 2008-520485 (PTL 1), while the motor generator operates as a power generator, the motor generator is driven at an operating point of high efficiency in the first interval, and the motor generator is stopped in the second interval. In this way, the motor generator is suppressed from being continuously driven in a state of low efficiency during the power generation operation, thereby improving energy efficiency of the vehicle during the power generation operation.
Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-6309 (PTL 2) discloses a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and a motor generator, wherein traveling using driving power generated by the internal combustion engine and traveling in an inertia state with the internal combustion engine being stopped are alternately repeated. In this way, the internal combustion engine can be driven at an operating point of high efficiency, thereby achieving improved fuel consumption.

Vehicle and method for controlling vehicle


A method comprises determining a first pressure increase in an electrochemical energy storage unit based on a first repetition rate, detecting that the first pressure increase has exceeded a first threshold value, determining a second pressure increase in the energy storage unit based on a second repetition rate, the second repetition rate being greater than the first repetition rate, detecting that the second pressure increase exceeds a second threshold value, and outputting a signal to a control unit based on detecting that the second pressure increase has exceeded the second threshold value.

Electrochemical energy storage devices, such as lithium-ion accumulators, can be used in electric vehicles, for example. A thermal runaway of individual cells of an energy storage unit can lead to a temperature rise in neighboring cells, to generation of gas and a pressure increase in the energy storage unit and ultimately to a fire in the energy storage unit and, in the worst case, in the vehicle. In such a case, passengers of the vehicle should be warned within a prescribed time in order to be able to exit the vehicle in good time.

Electrochemical energy storage units, sensor devices and associated methods


Provided is a three-dimensional display. The display includes a substrate including a plurality of pixel areas; a barrier layer on a first surface of the substrate and at an area corresponding to a boundary between neighboring pixel areas of the plurality of pixel areas; a driving circuit layer on the barrier layer; and a display device layer on the driving circuit layer and forming pixels at positions corresponding to the plurality of pixel areas, wherein light emitted by the display device layer is emitted outside via a second surface of the substrate opposite to the first surface of the substrate.

1. Field
Aspects of the present invention relate to a three-dimensional display for the naked eyes.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic light-emitting display apparatus typically includes an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) including a hole injection electrode, an electron injection electrode, and an organic emission layer disposed between the hole injection electrode and the electron injection electrode, and is a self-emissive display apparatus in which light is emitted while excitons generated when holes injected by the hole injection electrode and electrons injected by the electron injection electrode are combined in the organic emission layer transition from an excited state to a ground state.
A self-emissive organic light-emitting display apparatus may be driven at a low voltage without requiring an additional light source, and may be formed as a thin film having a small weight and thickness. In addition, due to advantages such as wide viewing angles, high contrast, and fast response speeds, an organic light-emitting display apparatus has been in the spotlight as a display apparatus for the next generation.
In recent years, consumer demand for three-dimensional image displays has steadily increased. Generally, methods for allowing humans to perceive a three-dimensional effect involve using both eyes, i.e., a left eye and a right eye of a human, or using one of the left eye and the right eye. For example, because the left eye and the right eye are separated from each other, slightly different images may be displayed to each eye. That is, different images may be visible by the left eye and the right eye, respectively, consistent with binocular disparity between the left and right eyes.
Methods of realizing the binocular disparity include a glasses type and a glassless type. The glassless type includes a lenticular method, which involves using a lenticular lens plate with a lens array vertically arranged, and a parallax barrier method. In case of such glassless types, while it may be unnecessary for users to additionally wear glasses, and it may be more convenient for users, the glassless type method of displaying three-dimensional images may be more difficult to express a three-dimensional effect and distance relative to the glasses type.

Three-dimensional display for naked eyes


Data is read from a memory array. Before being stored in a data buffer, a Hamming code detection operation and a Reed-Solomon code detection operation are operated in parallel to determine if the data word has any errors. The results of the parallel detection operations are communicated to a controller circuit. If an error is present that can be corrected by the Hamming code correction operation, this is performed and the Reed-Solomon code detection operation is performed on the corrected word. If the error is uncorrectable by the Hamming code, the Reed-Solomon code correction operation is performed on the word.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory including random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and flash memory.
A typical flash memory comprises a memory array, which includes a large number of memory cells. The flash memory is differentiated from other non-volatile memory in that flash memory cells can be erased and reprogrammed in blocks instead of one byte at a time.
Flash memory devices typically have some type of error detection and correction that provides greater reliability. For example, if a design in which the memory device is implemented is electrically noisy but requires high reliability (e.g., automobile antiskid braking system), some type of error detection and correction would be necessary to increase the reliability that the data in the memory is actually what was stored by the processor or other controller.
Error correction schemes that are used in memory devices include Hamming or Reed-Solomon codes. However, each of these schemes has drawbacks. The Hamming code is faster than many error correction schemes but is not as robust. The Reed-Solomon code is very robust but is relatively slow.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a more efficient and robust error detection and correction scheme in memory devices.

Error detection and correction scheme for a memory device


Methods are provided for controlling an engine. One method may include adjusting airflow to a turbocharger arrangement with a turbine bypass valve bypassing a first turbine from a high-pressure turbocharger and a wastegate bypassing a second turbine from a low-pressure turbocharger; responsive to valve degradation, setting the turbine bypass valve fully open and the wastegate fully closed; and limiting engine torque based on a flow through a compressor of the low pressure turbocharger. In the event of valve degradation, limiting torque may reduce overspeed and surge of the low pressure turbocharger.

Internal combustion engines, in particular diesel and gasoline engines, are frequently equipped with turbochargers. A turbocharger operates by compression of the intake airflow into the engine in order to achieve more power. In particular, a predetermined power can be generated by a turbocharged engine with a smaller displacement volume and thus smaller size and less weight, thereby achieving an increased specific power and a reduction of fuel consumption. In general, turbochargers are driven by the exhaust flow of the internal combustion engine. To this end, a turbocharger comprises a turbine arranged in the exhaust flow of the internal combustion engine, driving a compressor for compressing the intake airflow of the engine via a connecting drive shaft.
Recently, in particular for in-line engines, series sequential turbocharging has become popular. A regulated two-stage turbocharging system comprises a low-pressure (LP) stage for peak power and a high-pressure (HP) stage for performance and for fulfilling the back pressure requirements for driving exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), which is needed for NOx pollutant emission reduction. Moreover, the HP turbine usually is smaller and more responsive than the LP turbine. The HP and LP turbines are arranged sequentially in the exhaust flow of the internal combustion engine, the LP turbine being located downstream of the HP turbine. The LP and HP compressors are arranged sequentially as well, the HP compressor being located in the intake airflow downstream of the LP compressor.
The exhaust flow and the intake airflow are controlled by one or more bypass valves located in branches of the exhaust or intake system respectively. The bypass valves are parallel to their respective turbine or compressor. In particular, the exhaust flow may be controlled by a bypass valve of the HP turbine (turbine bypass valve, TBV) and a wastegate (WG) for bypassing the LP turbine. With the bypass valve closed, the respective turbine is driven maximally, while with the bypass valve partially or fully opened, the parallel branch is passed by at least part of the exhaust flow, the respective turbine being driven at a reduced rate. Similarly, the intake airflow may be controlled by a compressor bypass valve of the HP compressor (CBV). The bypass valves ensure a smooth operation of the engine and also ensure respecting various further constraints, concerning for example exhaust composition, compressor outlet temperature and turbine inlet temperature, as well as avoiding turbocharger surge or overspeed.
The bypass valves may be controlled actively, for example, electrically or by vacuum, and may comprise a position feedback sensor. As the HP turbine bypass valve (TBV) is important in emissions control, it is usually actively controlled and equipped with a position feedback sensor. The LP turbine bypass valve (WG) usually also is actively operated. For high speeds and loads, the wastegate (WG) actuator normally is used as a boost pressure limiter, hence high levels of accuracy are not required and consequently no position feedback is required for the WG. The compressor bypass valve (CBV) may be equipped for active actuation with position feedback, but for reasons of cost and complexity reduction, it usually is passive with no position feedback, e.g. it opens or closes due to the pressure difference across it, and, in particular, has two possible positions, which are the fully open and the fully closed positions.
The active valves usually have a default or "failsafe" position into which they move when there is no vacuum or electrical supply. The failsafe position normally is either fully open or fully closed. The default setting is determined by factors such as safety and engine power requirements at altitude. In particular, with a vacuum or electrical supply error, the TBV is fully open, and the WG is fully closed, in order to ensure minimal damage to the HP compressor and some basic driveability. In that case, the LP turbocharger is used, since the HP turbine is effectively bypassed. With a suitable calibration, it may be possible to achieve low particle emission even in this case.
However, this is not sufficient to ensure avoidance of compressor surge or overspeed, since these events can occur at exhaust lambda values greater than 1.2 (λ>1.2). In this case the valve actuators are inoperable and there is no effective boost pressure control for surge or overspeed protection. At altitude, this effect is more pronounced.
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a method for operating an internal combustion engine equipped with a turbocharger arrangement, the method permitting increased turbocharger surge or overspeed protection in the case of turbocharger valve supply error. It is a further object of the disclosure to provide a control unit for an internal combustion engine with a turbocharger arrangement permitting increased turbocharger surge or overspeed protection in the case of such valve supply error.
A method of the present disclosure for operating an internal combustion engine refers to an internal combustion engine that is equipped with a turbocharger arrangement or turbocharger system comprising a low-pressure turbocharging stage and a high-pressure turbocharging stage, which are arranged sequentially. The low-pressure turbocharging stage comprises a low-pressure turbocharger which comprises a low-pressure turbine driving a low-pressure compressor. The high-pressure turbocharging stage comprises a high-pressure turbocharger, comprising, in particular, a high-pressure turbine driving a high-pressure compressor. The high-pressure compressor is arranged downstream of the low-pressure compressor in the intake airflow of the internal combustion engine. The low-pressure turbine is located downstream of the high-pressure turbine in the exhaust flow of the engine.
The turbocharger arrangement further comprises at least one turbocharger control valve for controlling the turbocharger arrangement. In particular, the low-pressure turbine may exhibit a low-pressure turbine bypass valve or wastegate (WG). The high-pressure turbine may exhibit a high-pressure turbine bypass valve (TBV). The at least one turbocharger control valve is configured to be actuated actively by a turbocharger valve supply system, which may comprise, for example, vacuum or electric transmission means. The at least one turbocharger control valve may be operated in a closed-loop control, employing the boost pressure for controlling the valve, for example.
The turbocharger arrangement may comprise further valves. Thus, for example, the high-pressure compressor may exhibit a compressor bypass valve (CBV). The CBV may be passive, e.g. operated by the pressure difference acting across it. The compressor bypass valve may be limited to two operational states, which are the fully open and the fully closed positions.
In accordance with the present disclosure it is determined whether the turbocharger valve supply system is in an operational state or in an error state. A supply system error, in particular an error of the electrical or vacuum system employed for actuating the at least one turbocharger control valve, may be detected by a diagnostic system in a standard engine control unit (ECU), which evaluates one or several sensor signals for detecting error modes. Additionally, an error of the turbocharger valve supply system may be detectable by a dedicated sensor system. An exemplary method for detecting an error mode of the wastegate, which may be indicative of a supply system error, is disclosed in EP 11155167.7, which is incorporated into the present application by reference.
According to a further aspect of the disclosure, a control unit for controlling a turbocharger arrangement of an internal combustion engine is configured to operate according to a method as described above. In particular, the control unit comprises at least one signal input port for capturing at least one sensor signal indicative of a turbocharger valve supply system error, or a diagnostic function for detecting a turbocharger valve supply system error based on other information available to the control unit. The control unit comprises at least one signal input port for capturing at least one sensor signal indicative of the low-pressure compressor flow, or is configured for determining the low-pressure compressor flow based on other information available. The control unit further comprises data processing means; the data processing means being configured for establishing a limit to an engine control parameter setpoint, depending on the low-pressure compressor flow. The processing means may be, in particular, configured for limiting fuel quantity or torque depending on the low-pressure compressor flow. The control unit may further comprise data storage means for storing a map or a lookup table, for example, employed in determining the limit to the engine control parameter. The control unit is further configured for feeding such modified control parameter setpoint to the engine control for controlling, for example, fuel quantity or torque according to the modified setpoint. The control unit may be, or may be part of, an electronic engine control unit (ECU).
Methods are provided for controlling an engine. One method may include adjusting airflow to a turbocharger arrangement with a turbine bypass valve bypassing a first turbine from a high-pressure turbocharger and a wastegate bypassing a second turbine from a low-pressure turbocharger; responsive to valve degradation, setting the turbine bypass valve fully open and the wastegate fully closed; and limiting engine torque based on a flow through a compressor of the low pressure turbocharger. In the event of valve degradation, limiting torque may prevent overspeed and surge of the low pressure turbocharger.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. Further, the inventors herein have recognized the disadvantages noted herein, and do not admit them as known.

Method for operating an internal combustion engine with a turbocharger arrangement and control unit for an engine with a turbocharger arrangement


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element, a connection electrode formed on the semiconductor element, and alignment marks formed on the semiconductor element. At least one of the alignment marks is made of a magnetic material.

The present technology relates to a semiconductor device including alignment marks that allow positioning during connection, and to a manufacturing method for the semiconductor device.
In the related art, alignment marks formed in a wiring layer on a semiconductor device are used to connect a semiconductor device, such as in flip-chip mounting in which solder bump are used and connection between semiconductor substrates. The alignment marks are used for optical positioning, in which a camera or the like is used, to connect the semiconductor device.
There is disclosed a technology in which bump electrodes with no electrical connection made of a magnetic material are formed on a semiconductor element and a circuit substrate on which the semiconductor element is to be mounted to achieve self-alignment using the attracting magnetic force of the magnetic material (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005-268623 and 2006-41534, for example). There is also disclosed a technology in which a magnetic material is provided in bumps used for electrical connection between a semiconductor element and a wiring substrate to achieve self-alignment using the magnetic force of the magnetic material when the semiconductor element is mounted onto a circuit substrate (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-112477, for example).

Semiconductor device having magnetic alignment marks and underfill resin layers


The present invention provides a torque detecting apparatus that includes a drive plate that is elastically deformable in response to an applied torque, strain gauges, and a torque detecting circuit, and the torque detecting apparatus can accurately detect torque transmitted from an engine output element of a vehicle having an automatic transmission to a torque converter input element.

In order to improve engine efficiency, it is important to promote power transmitting efficiency as well as engine efficiency.
To promote the power transmitting efficiency, it is necessary to have the engine output and transmitted power in respective power transmitting steps detected when the engine is operating.
Generally, the power transmitted by a shaft is detected by a torque meter. Because the torque meter is already commercialized, a torque meter suited to a target object can be applied. In addition, the engine mounting portion must be excessively deformed so that the commercial torque meter can be mounted between the engine and the transmission.
Generally, an apparatus for transmitting engine output to a transmission can be divided into a single mass flywheel, a dual mass flywheel, and a drive plate.
In the case of an automatic transmission vehicle, detecting power transmitted from an engine to the transmission is very important. However, an apparatus that can detect power transmitted by the drive plate has not yet been commercialized.
The information disclosed in this section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and computer-readable mediums for preserving forwarding equivalence class (FEC) hierarchy weights, which may include obtaining a FEC hierarchy; obtaining a target height for the FEC hierarchy; identifying within the FEC hierarchy a FEC node comprising pointers to a plurality of lower level FEC nodes; making a first determination that a height of the FEC node is greater than the target height; obtaining a rebasing factor for the FEC node; and updating weights for the plurality of lower level FEC nodes using the rebasing factor to obtain an updated FEC hierarchy.

Network devices receive network traffic data units (e.g., packets, frames, etc.), which may be grouped as part of a forwarding equivalence class (FEC). A FEC may be associated with one or more items of information (e.g., an egress interface out of which to send the network traffic data unit, whether a network traffic data unit should be encapsulated, etc.), which may be used, for example, when making decisions related to forwarding a network traffic data unit. Network devices, and/or hardware components therein, may have varying amounts of support for aspects of implementing the use of FECs. In order to use the amount of support a given hardware component has for implementing the use of FECs, various actions may need to be taken.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mechanism to preserve weights assigned to nexthops


A skin-mounted physiological recording electrode assembly has a foam pad having a front surface having a central recess and mounted to the skin, and a rear surface. A pad passage extends from the central recess to the rear surface. An electrode in the pad passage has a sensing end in the central recess and a connector end to which a clip attaches. The clip attaches to a lead wire connecting to a monitoring device. At least one deformation gauge is coupled to the rear surface of the foam pad, and may be a strain gauge, a bending sensor, or a combination of both. The electrode assembly may be used in a patient monitoring system having an electrode signal processor, sensor signal processors, a multiplexer, an A-to-D convertor, and a microprocessor programmed with an adaptive noise canceling algorithm. A method is taught of monitoring signals from at least two electrodes, generating and monitoring deformation signals which are correlated to the deformation of the foam pads, and making an adaptive noise canceling analysis of the electrode signals and the deformation signals to reduce or eliminate the noise component of the electrode signals.

Motion artifact resulting from electrode and patient movement is a significant source of noise in making physiological recordings such as electrocardiograms (ECG), electroencephalograms (EEG), and electromyograms (EMG). This noise results in a contaminated signal being received from the electrode, and is particularly a problem in cases where it is necessary to make such recordings while the patient is engaged in activity. These artifacts arise from skin deformation which may be produced by forces transmitted through the skin-electrode interface or by forces on the skin generated by movement of the patient.
One approach taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,503,860; 4,757,817; and 5,445,537 to limit such artifacts has been to provide means for anchoring a lead wire connecting the electrode to a recording device being used to make the recording. The anchor absorbs strains on the lead wire due to motion of the patient relative to the recording device and due to the weight and inertia of the lead wire as the patient moves, thus preventing these strains from being transmitted to the electrode itself. While such anchors minimize strains resulting from the lead wire, they do not address strains due to stretching and bending of the skin of the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,883 teaches an electrode connector which incorporates a strain gauge. The strain gauge is accommodated in a protective cap of the connector, between a contact member which connects to the electrode and an interior region of the cap. The intent of the '883 device is to generate a strain signal from the strain gauge and subtract the strain signal from the contaminated signal received from the electrode to generate an uncontaminated signal. However, the '883 device only addresses strains experienced by the connector, and does not provide an index based upon the state of deformation of the skin where the electrode is positioned, which can effect the output signal from the electrode. Also, the '883 patent does not teach a method for processing the signals from the strain gauge to provide appropriate weighting of the strain signal with respect to the signal received from the electrode.
Thus, there is a need for a skin-mounted physiological recording electrode assembly which allows for measuring deformation of the skin to which the electrode assembly is mounted, and there is a need for a system which uses such electrode assemblies to remove motion artifacts from a contaminated signal received from the electrodes.

Apparatus and method for reduction of motion artifact


An embodiment of the present disclosure includes an RPC architecture that includes a central manager gateway with a client-facing side that allows for client access via web services protocols such as SOAP and REST. The central manager gateway further includes a server-facing side that can communicate with a plurality of network elements, with each network element implementing a common IDL architecture and RPC manager instance. Each of the network elements, and in particular their RPC manager instance, may communicate with other RPC manager instances to ‘learn’ the network topology for the system and maintain a topology database for purposes of exposing a naming service, e.g., a CORBA naming service. The network elements may elect one master element while the others remain as slaves. The central manager gateway may automatically locate the master network element and forward client requests to the same for servicing.

With the development of the Internet and its related technologies, web applications and services are becoming more and more popular as well as important in the software industry. Among web technologies, Representative State Transfer (REST) has become one of the most ubiquitous and fast-growing technologies. There is an increasing demand for software to provide RESTful APIs to accommodate customized client-end user interface development and integration. Most development languages now include frameworks to build RESTful web services.
However, many existing implementations utilize the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) which was developed during the Internet's infancy. CORBA is a software standard defined by the Object Management Group which many systems employ for cross-platform communication to maximize the advantages of different programming languages and manage distributed Network Element Services (NES). Consider C++ development for example, the native C++ development environment does not have native support for graphical user interfaces (GUIs), so C++ requires other development languages for the support of GUI development (e.g. JAVA). Likewise, CORBA uses interface definition language (IDL) to regulate the interfaces and objects presented to different implementations (e.g. C, C++, Java, Pascal, Python, Ruby) so that developers need not "re-invent the wheel" and develop cross-platform communication software, and by extension, save cost and time associated with development of such software systems. CORBA provides a well defined way of cross-platform communication where access is at the object level with much of the underlying client-server communication code hidden from the developer. Likewise, CORBA features a naming service that provides developers a simple way to register and look up the object references using logical names.
However, CORBA remains an impractical solution going forward due to non-trivial challenges. For instance, both client and server in the CORBA architecture require the same IDL to be utilized at runtime to ensure compatibility. A mismatch between IDLs can result in complete breakdown of communication between client and server. This makes CORBA implementations relatively brittle as even minor changes and upgrades to the exposed functions/methods require synchronization between server and all clients that may be impractical. Moreover, many existing solutions utilize some amount of propriety CORBA elements that require not only knowledge of CORBA itself but the nature of the changes to the core services. This proprietary knowledge can require extensive training and can unfortunately result in full, ground-up redevelopment of legacy CORBA software services rather than reuse of otherwise functional software.

Techniques for interfacing between web services and interface description language (IDL)-based remote procedure call (RPC) services and an optical communication system implementing same


A coolant temperature control system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle includes a controller for determining a real time target exit temperature of a fuel cell stack coolant and a communicating device for detecting a fuel cell voltage and a fuel cell current outputted from the fuel cell stack. The real time target exit temperature of the fuel cell stack coolant is determined by an input fuel cell heat to fuel cell power ratio generated from the fuel cell stack for compensating the target exit temperature due to degradation of the fuel cell stack over time. In addition, the coolant temperature control system determines to activate for evaluating the real time target exit temperature of the fuel cell stack coolant when a trip distance of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined travel distance.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Hydrogen fuel cells are an alternative power source to the internal combustion engine for vehicle due to zero harmful exhaust emissions, high efficiencies and the potential to generate hydrogen from renewable methods. A plurality of fuel cells used as the power source are stacked in the vehicle. The vehicle further includes a fuel supplying system that supplies hydrogen, or similar fuels, to the fuel cell stack, an air supplying system that supplies oxygen, which is an oxidizing agent required for an electrochemical reaction, and a water and heat management system that adjusts a temperature of the fuel cell stack, and the like.
When hydrogen is supplied to an anode of the fuel cell stack and oxygen is supplied to a cathode of the fuel cell stack, hydrogen ions are separated by a catalytic reaction in the anode. The separated hydrogen ions are transferred to an oxidizing electrode, which is the cathode, through an electrolyte membrane, and the hydrogen ions separated in the anode generates an electrochemical reaction together with electrons and the oxygen in the oxidizing electrode, such that electric energy may be obtained. In the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, accordingly, electricity and heat are generated due to movement of electrons generated by the above-mentioned process.
By the process, the fuel cell stack generates electric energy from the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen which are reaction gas and discharges heat and water which are the reaction byproducts. Therefore, the fuel cell system in the vehicle includes an apparatus for controlling the temperature of the fuel cell stack. Generally, a cooling system for maintaining the fuel cell stack at a desired temperature in the fuel cell system for a vehicle has widely adopted a coolant type which cools the fuel cell stack by circulating coolant through a cooling channel in the fuel cell stack.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art.

System and method for controlling coolant temperature for fuel cell


A method for the manufacture of a component assembly comprising a sheet metal part and a functional element attached to it by a riveting process or by a riveting and piercing process or by a press-in process, wherein the sheet metal part is provided with an imprint, is wherein the imprint is produced prior to attachment of the functional element and consists of a sequence of regions which are raised and recessed relative to one another and wherein, during the attachment of the functional element this is pressed against the sheet metal part in such a way that the imprint of the sheet metal part leads to a complementary shaping of the functional element in the region of the functional element which comes into contact with the imprint. A sheet metal part and a functional element are also claimed.

The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a component assembly comprising a sheet metal part and a functional element attached to it by a riveting process or by a riveting and piercing process or by a press-in process, wherein the sheet metal part is provided with an imprint. Furthermore the invention relates to a sheet metal part as well as to a functional element which are suitable for use in the method.
A method of the initially named kind is known from the European Patent 0 539 793 and is described there with a functional element in the form of a rivet nut. There a sheet metal part is provided with a stamped formation or imprint in the form of a ring-like collar around a pre-pierced hole and a cylindrical rivet section of the functional element is introduced into the stamped hole from the side of the ring collar which projects beyond the plane of the sheet metal part so that a ring-like contact surface of the functional element which forms the transition between the body of the nut element and the cylindrical art comes into contact against the end face of the ring-like collar. Triangular, nose-like ribs providing security against rotation are provided in the transition region between the ring-like contact surface and the cylindrical rivet section. Following this the nut element is pressed against the sheet metal part so that the cylindrical rivet section is formed by means of a die button arranged below the sheet metal part into a rivet bead and the ring-like collar which has a conical shape is pressed at least partly flat. In this way the diameter of the pierced hole is reduced and the outer diameter of the rivet section simultaneously enlarged so that a considerable "stranglehold" takes place between the sheet metal part and the nut element around the rivet section. Furthermore, the noses providing security against rotation are pressed into the sheet metal material of the sheet metal part and serve for an excellent security against rotation.
A related method is also used for the attachment of so-called RND elements (European Patent 11116891) to sheet metal parts.
The fastener elements in accordance with the European Patent 0 539 793 and EP 11116891 are so-called rivet elements which are inserted into pre-pierced holes in the sheet metal part and are secured to the sheet metal part by a rivet process. It is, however, not essential to pre-pierce the sheet metal part but rather fastener elements also exist which are riveted to a sheet metal part without the rivet section of the element penetrating the sheet metal part. This is for example the case in the rivet element of EP-A-0 993 902. Furthermore, functional elements exist which are attached by a so-called riveting and piercing process to a sheet metal part. For example, the SBF bolt elements of the company Profil-Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG, which are described in the German patent specification 34 47 006 and the corresponding nut elements, which are attached by a like method to a sheet metal part, fall in this category. However, with these elements the sheet metal part is not provided with a pre-formed imprint prior to the attachment but rather the imprinting of the sheet metal part takes place during the attachment of the functional element in a first stage of the attachment method.
Furthermore, so-called press-in elements are known in the prior art which are pressed into the sheet metal part and indeed in such a way that the sheet metal part flows to a certain extent around the element and leads to a form-locked engagement of the element with the sheet metal part without an actual riveting process taking place. An example for a press-in element and a press-in process of this kind is the so-called EBF element of the company Profil-Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG which, together with the method for its attachment, is described in the European Patent 0 678 679 B and in the later European patent specification EP-B-0958100. The last-named European patent specification also describes a possibility of introducing an EBF element in self-piercing manner into a sheet metal part. The RND elements described above as rivet elements can also be introduced in self-piercing manner in the sheet metal parts, even if this is not frequently practiced.
The designation functional element is however not restricted to fastener elements but rather counts in the specialist field as a designation for a large number of other elements which satisfy specific functions and which can be secured by riveting processes, by piercing riveting processes or by press-in processes to sheet metal parts. By way of example the above-named EP-B-120234 describes amongst other things, a functional element which is secured with a piercing and riveting process to a sheet metal part, with one realization of the corresponding element taking place in the form of a so-called ball pin. The corresponding element is described in the European patent application EP-A-01989624.0, with the spherical head of this element serving to accommodate a ball socket in order, for example, to be used in a gas support strut for a motor vehicle hood or rear door. Furthermore, functional elements are known which serve as spigots for the turning of rotatable parts or are for example provided with a clip mount which serves for the clipped attachment of carpets, brake lines or cable looms in motor vehicles. Furthermore, functional elements having a fir-tree-like structure are known which can be used for lower level attachment purposes in conjunction with hollow parts which are pressed onto the fir-tree structure.

Method for the manufacture of a component assembly comprising a sheet metal part and a functional element attached to it, a sheet metal part and also functional element


In method of programming a nonvolatile memory device including first and second cell strings that are coupled to one bitline, a first channel of the first cell string and a second channel of the second cell string are precharged by applying a first voltage to the bitline, one cell string is selected from the first and second cell strings, and a memory cell included in the selected cell string is programmed by applying a second voltage greater than a ground voltage and less than the first voltage to the bitline.

1. Technical Field
Example embodiments relate to nonvolatile memory devices. More particularly, example embodiments relate to methods of programming nonvolatile memory devices having shared bitline structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
A nonvolatile memory device having a shared bitline structure includes at least two cell strings per bitline. The nonvolatile memory device having the shared bitline structure performs a programming operation such that one cell string is selected from the at least two cell strings coupled to the same bitline and a memory cell included in the selected cell string is programmed. During the programming operation, an unselected cell string is disconnected from the bitline, and thus a channel of the unselected cell string may not be charged through the bitline. Accordingly, a voltage of the channel of the unselected cell string may not be sufficiently boosted, which results in a programming disturbance that undesirably programs a memory cell included in the unselected cell string by a programming voltage applied to a selected wordline.

Method of programming a nonvolatile memory device


A dispenser for dispensing flat media comprises a media storage bin at a first end and a discharge chute at a second end, with a coarse media separator located adjacent the media storage bin and a rear conveyor which is intermittently driven to convey the media towards a singulation separator, having a front conveyor which delivers media to a transport conveyor and to a discharge chute. A sensor senses media at a location just before the singulation separator. Media from the bottom of the storage bin are pass through the coarse media separator and lie on the rear conveyor in shingled arrangement, and are pulled into the singulation separator one at a time. The rear conveyor works only when the sensor senses the absence of media.

Document dispensers are well known and have been used in a variety of document handling applications with great commercial success over the years. Generally, such dispensers are used to handle sheet-like materials such as papers, envelopes, catalogues, credit cards, business cards, and other similar items.
In practice, the document dispensers are typically used in connection with various types of document processing systems, such as printers, folding machines for properly folding the printed materials, laminators, accumulating machines for properly arranging the customized printed document or documents with all of the insert materials, inserting machines for inserting the collations into envelopes, labellers, mailing machines which close and seal the flaps of the envelopes, and print a postage indicia thereon, and sorters for sorting out the printed envelopes. Often, the document dispensers are used as the front side of a fully automatic system.
In a typical arrangement of a document processing systems, there may be a stack of documents loaded onto a loading end of a document dispenser. The documents are generally stacked in a vertical manner with each of the documents lying in a horizontal plane. When the dispenser is in operation, a separating mechanism typically first separates the document from the stack, and then the document passes through a feeding mechanism which feeds the separated document into another apparatus for further processing. There are two common designs of dispensers which are available in the existing market. There are bottom feed dispensers and top feed dispensers. In a bottom feed dispenser, the document is removed from the bottom of the stack and then fed into the feeding portion of the dispenser. In a top feed dispenser, on the other hand, the document is removed from the top of the stack and then fed into the feeding portion of the dispenser. Furthermore, depending on the type of document being dispensed by the document dispenser, the dispenser may utilize friction rollers, reciprocating friction pusher feed elements, vacuum lift, vacuum pusher feed elements, grippers, or clamp type devices.
Generally, a desirable characteristic of the document dispenser is the capability of handling a large through-put at a high rate of speed so as to optimize the costs of the manufacturing and the maintenance of the various components of the dispenser. However, as in many document dispensers of this type, the dispensers are susceptible to paper jams, double feeds, and other unacceptable conditions if a wide range of documents of varying thicknesses are fed into the dispenser. In many instances, the dispenser needs to be adjusted each time when documents of different thicknesses are fed into the dispenser, thus leading to down-time of the dispenser.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,123 issued to ALICEA on Mar. 12, 1996, a bottom feeding mechanism is taught. In particular, the mechanism is used for feeding media only one piece at a time to a functional unit, such as a printer. The bottom feeding mechanism comprises a feed roller assembly and a conveyor belt assembly functioning as a first stage gate and a set of snubber rollers functioning as a second stage gate. The feed roller and the conveyor belt can only move unidirectionally, which are controlled by a driving means through one-way clutches. Further, each snubber roller is independently driven. When a medium is fed to hit the gate, vertical component of momentum of the feeding mechanism forces the conveyor belt deflecting the leading edge and opens up the gap to its proper opening to allow one piece of media to pass through. Should more than one piece pass through the first stage gate, the second stage gate will virtually eliminate the possibility of more than one piece passing through this gate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,047 issued Mar. 30, 1999 to AUERBACH et al., a separating and feeding machine for bound booklets is taught. The separating and feeding machine is used for the removal of a succession of bound booklets from a supply hopper which is adapted to hold a stack of the booklets and for the feeding of the booklets to a subsequent apparatus for further processing. The machine includes a reciprocating vacuum feed plate, and first and second stage separating mechanism. The reciprocating vacuum feed plate is disposed in the bottom of the hopper which is used for advancing the bottom booklet through a discharge opening to a take away feed mechanism. When the machine is in use, the first and second stage separating mechanism initially maintains at least the bottom two booklets in the hopper in a shingled relationship such that a marginal portion of the adjacent bound booklet is exposed. A pressing member is then applied to maintain a normal force on the exposed marginal portion of the bottom booklet so as to prevent it from wrinkling and becoming jammed in the discharge opening when the vacuum feed plate is moving the booklet toward the discharge opening. The second stage separating separator then further ensures that only one booklet at a time can pass through the discharge opening.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,722 issued to IRVINE et al. on Jun. 21, 1977, a sheet-material separator and feeder system is taught. The sheet-material separating and feeding system is used for the handling of a wide range of sheet thicknesses and sizes at high speed. Further, the system does not require on-going adjustments or a pre-sorting of materials. When in use, the sheets are stacked at one end of the system, and are then fed to a first of two separator mechanisms. The first separator mechanism is adjusted for thicker sheets of the range. Sheets leaving the first separator are subsequently fed to the second of the two separator mechanisms. The second separator is adjusted for thinner sheets of the range. Sheets leaving the second separator are ejected one at a time. The ejected sheets can be fed to other sheet handling equipment for processing. Generally, the sheet-material separator and feeder system as taught in this patent is directed for sheet-like materials such as envelopes, letters and pieces of mail.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,408 issued to SELAK et al. on Jun. 23, 1998, an apparatus for feeding sheets is taught. In particular, the patent teaches a system for feeding a stack of sheets at a high rate of speed which prevents the sheets from bottlenecking or jamming in the sheet feeder. The sheet feeder includes a platform supporting a stack of sheets, feed rollers and downstream pull rollers, and first and second sensors. The first sensor detects the sheet and controls the on/off driving mechanism for the feed rollers. The second sensor detects the sheet and controls the on/off driving mechanism for the pull rollers. When in use, the feed roller section moves the sheets one at a time to the pull roller section.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No: 4,982,942 issued to KONISHI et al. on Jan. 8, 1991, a sheet feed mechanism is taught. In particular, the sheet feed mechanism is used for feeding sheets one at a time. The mechanism comprises a hopper loaded with a stack of sheets, a feed roller disposed near the outlet of the hopper, and a resilient tongue which is held in resilient contact with the central section of the feed roller. The central section of the feed roller is provided with an alternate circumferential arrangement of low friction and high friction portions. The feed roller is designed such that the friction coefficients between the sheet and the low friction portions is smaller than that between the sheet and the tongue, and the friction coefficient between the sheet and the high friction portions is greater than that between the sheet and the tongue.
It will be apparent from the foregoing prior art that the initial height of the stack of documents at the loading end of the dispenser in some instances is limited, especially for dispensers which employ a bottom feed mechanism.


The present invention relates to a mobile terminal that can interoperate with a plurality of headsets. The present invention further relates to systems and methodologies for facilitating communication to the mobile terminal from the plurality of headsets. The plurality of headsets can be of various types. For example, the headset can be a push button enabled signaling headset, which includes a signaling mechanism, such as a button, mounted to the headset or a headset cord. The mobile terminal includes a sensing component to detect the signaling from the headset. The signaling mechanism is employed to issue commands to the mobile terminal. Alternatively, the headset can be a standard, commercially available audio headset. If the standard headset is employed, the signaling function is not available and the standard headset operation is not impacted.

The control of electronic devices has traditionally required the manual operation of dials, buttons, keyboards, keypads, and the like. However, such manual operation can be impractical, awkward, and inconvenient. For example, the terminal can be hooked to a belt underneath layers of clothing or a user might be wearing gloves, in which access to mechanical interfaces on the terminal is difficult and/or time consuming. Additionally, as technology progresses, manufacturers of electronic devices are continually reducing size of the devices, and thus, also reducing size of keyboards, keypads, or other mechanical interfaces. Such size reduction further hampers the ability of users to input accurate information.
Speech recognition technology has been developed for use in electronic devices in response to the aforementioned problems. In general, conventional speech recognition technology comprises a mechanism for receiving an input voice signal, comparing the input voice signal with stored voice signals, and determining if the input voice signal is sufficiently similar to any of the stored voice signals. If there is a match between the input and stored voice signals, instructions or other data is generated by the device.
However, a disadvantage with speech recognition is the need to "train" the speech recognition system to understand a specific vocabulary, language characteristics, and characteristics of the voice of the speaking person. The complexity increases with the size of the vocabulary that has to be recognized in any particular instance of the dialog with the application. Further, whether using speech recognition for command and control, having a telephone conversation, or performing dictation, there are instances in which speech commands are inadequate. For example, if a user is wearing a terminal and a speech recognition engine and decides to take a break, to maintain battery life, the system should suspend as many operations as possible. Yet, if the speech recognition system is suspended, which requires a significant amount of processing and power, the user has no method by which to re-activate the recognition, other than to remove the terminal from his belt and press buttons and/or keys.

Mobile terminal for interoperating with a standard or push-button enabled headset


A system for an electronic-based market is disclosed. The system operates with a model where a trader is designated to enter orders for contracts on behalf of a subscriber. The model uses assets of the subscriber that are placed into an account that is accessible by the electronic market to cover risks associated with trades initiated by the trader. The system includes a plurality of client stations for entering orders into the electronic market by traders and a server to receive the orders and match the orders in accordance with matching criteria. The server maintains for the subscriber and the subscriber's associated traders a trading account that is accessible by the electronic market. The server also includes offsetting, clearing, default, and margin protocols functions to administer the market. The market uses species contracts that are derived from a contract genus.

This invention relates to trading systems.
A traditional futures exchange is a membership structure that allows trading only through members. Traditional markets have customers, members and clear members. The financial backing of a traditional exchange is also through members. Members provide capital and when a trade is completed a clearing member will back the trade. Some exchanges only allow their clearing members to trade. Other exchanges allow any person to trade as long as a clearing member backs the person. That is, a clear member can have customers that have accounts with the clear member. The customer uses the credit of the clear member to trade and the customer does not have direct access to the market.

Clearing system for an electronic-based market


A piezoelectric actuator 1 capable of being driven with a high electric field intensity, obtaining a larger displacement and being high in electric conducting reliability of electrodes, and comprising: at least one cell 3 defined by two side walls 6, a substrate 2 and a ceiling wall 7; the two side walls being disposed on the substrate and being covered with the ceiling wall to define one cell, at least the two side walls 6 comprising piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices 4, and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices 4 being capable of changing a volume of the cell 3 by displacement of the walls. Each of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices 4 comprises a plurality of layered piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies 14 and electrodes 18, 19 which are alternately stacked, and end portions of the electrodes 18, 19 are embedded in the piezoelectric/electrostrictive bodies 14 in at least the internal side of the cell 3.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator including at least one cell formed by a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device to realize a predetermined function by a volume change of the cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
A piezoelectric actuator driven by a share mode system has heretofore been known as the piezoelectric actuator. The share mode system refers to a driving system which causes displacement by a driving electric field in a direction crossing a polarized field direction of a piezoelectric body at right angles. One example of the piezoelectric actuator using such a driving system is shown in FIG. 16.
A piezoelectric actuator 71 shown in FIG. 16 is used in an ink jet head, a plurality of piezoelectric bodies which are comb teeth 76 or driving portions 74 are formed in the form of comb teeth 76 on a substrate 72, and slits 75 between the comb teeth 76 are closed by a lid plate 77 to form cells 73 having substantially rectangular parallelepiped shapes. When openings in comb teeth tips of the piezoelectric actuator 71 are closed by a nozzle plate 9 including nozzles 8, an ink jet head 70 using the cells 73 as ink chambers is obtained. Moreover, when a driving electric field is applied in a direction parallel to the polarized field direction of the comb teeth 76 which are formed of piezoelectric materials to constitute the driving portions 74, the comb teeth 76 are deformed, volumes of the cells 73 change, and ink stored in the cells 73 can be discharged.
The piezoelectric actuator 71 is prepared in the steps illustratively shown in FIGS. 17(a) to 17(e). First, a piezoelectric material 86 is prepared (FIG. 17(a)), and fired (shrunk to a certain extent as shown in FIG. 17(b)). Then, the polarization treatment is performed (FIG. 17(c)). In FIG. 17(d), fine slits are formed by working processing using a dicing saw or the like, and the driving portions 74 displaced by the driving electric field are sandwiched between the plurality of slits 75 is arranged in the form of the comb teeth to form electrodes 88 on the wall surfaces in the slits 75 as is shown in FIG. 17(e). Said slits are spaces in which the ink is stored. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 16, the lid plate 77 made of a glass plate or the like is attached, and the openings in the comb teeth tips are covered with the nozzle plate 9 including the nozzles 8 to form the cells 73 to be charged with the ink.
Moreover, there is disclosed another type of an ink jet (recording) head of a piezoelectric type in Patent Document 1 (See Japanese Patent No. 2873287).
The ink jet (recording) head disclosed in Patent Document 1 is characterized in that ink channels (corresponding to the cells) and dummy channels are alternately formed being separated by side walls of piezoelectric bodies, electrodes formed in the respective ink channels are formed as a common electrode, electrodes formed in the respective dummy channels are used as individual electrodes, and the ink is prevented from contacting a passivation film formed on the individual electrode. An electric field is applied to the electrodes formed in the respective channels to change volumes in the ink channels, and ink droplets are discharged. According to Patent Document 1, by the above-described characteristics, the electric field does not act on the ink during the driving, and any electrolysis of the ink by a low electric insulation withstand voltage does not occur regardless of a defect or non-defect of the passivation film. Therefore, a life of the head is prolonged, there is not any possibility that physical properties of ink are changed during the driving the head, and it is therefore described that the actuator largely contributes a high printing quality.
Furthermore, the present inventors have proposed a piezoelectric actuator, which is different from the piezoelectric actuator shown in FIG. 16, in Patent Document 2 (See WO 02/070265 pamphlet).
The actuator disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a comb teeth type piezoelectric actuator, characterized in that a plurality of piezoelectric actuators comprising a plurality of piezoelectric layers are aligned/arranged in the form of the comb teeth, and the side surface of each comb tooth comprises an as-fired surface. As described in Patent Document 2, because of the above-described characteristics, the surface of the comb teeth type piezoelectric actuator is not easily contaminated, a short circuit defect or the like caused by sticking matters during the practical use does not easily occur, and the actuator is superior in durability and reliability.
However, the actuators disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Documents have problems to be improved.
First, the conventional piezoelectric actuator 71 shown in FIG. 16 has a problem caused by the driving in the share mode system in which the driving electric field is generated in the direction crossing the polarized field direction at right angles. That is, since the actuator cannot be driven at such high electric field intensity that a polarization of the actuator is changed, a large electric field induced strain amount is not obtained. If a high driving electric field intensity is applied, the polarization of the actuator gradually changes during the driving, and eventually a drop of the strain amount is caused. Therefore, it has been difficult to obtain a large displacement in the actuator as long as the share mode system is used.
Moreover, during the manufacturing, since the electric field direction for polarization is different from an electric field direction for driving, the electrodes for use in the polarization treatment should be formed, and removed after the polarization treatment. This means that the formation of electrodes for driving is required thereafter. Accordingly, the number of forming steps increases, and the workloads become larger.
Additionally, in the ink jet (recording) head described in Patent Document 1, since the common and individual electrodes are formed on the side walls of the piezoelectric body, it is laborious to form the electrodes on the narrow spaces of the side walls with plating, sputtering or the like in order to cope with a demand for high densification of the ink jet (recording) head in recent years. This would often cause the lowering of the conducting reliability. When a conductive liquid is used as an ink, it is indispensable to form the passivation film in order to insulate the electrodes, and extra forming steps have been required. Furthermore, depending on the driving polarity, it is necessary to form the passivation film in order to prevent the electrolysis of the ink regardless of whether or not the ink has conductivity, and it has been difficult to reduce the number of steps required for the manufacturing.
For the comb teeth type piezoelectric actuator disclosed in Patent Document 2 by the present applicant, since it is not necessary to form the electrodes on the side walls by the plating, sputtering or the like, the conducting reliability of the electrode does not drop even in the arrangement in a high density. However, it is indispensable to form the passivation film in order to insulate the electrodes, and the extra forming steps have been required.

Cell driving type piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator and method of manufacturing the same


One or more examples provide a method of transferring a virtual machine between a virtualized computing system and a cloud computing system that includes: establishing connection between a first resource in the virtualized computing system and a second resource in the cloud computing system to transfer files that implement the virtual machine from the first resource to the second resource; accessing, for transmission over the connection, data blocks on a storage device in the virtualized computing system that include the files; executing at least one compliance check on each of the data blocks using at least one compliance checker; and preventing each of the data blocks that fails a compliance check from being maintained in the cloud computing system.

Cloud architectures are used in cloud computing and cloud storage systems for offering infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) cloud services. Examples of cloud architectures include the VMware vCloud™ Director cloud architecture software, Amazon EC2™ web service, and OpenStack™ open source cloud computing service. IaaS cloud service is a type of cloud service that provides access to physical and/or virtual resources in a cloud environment. These services provide a tenant application programming interface (API) that supports operations for manipulating IaaS constructs, such as virtual machines (VMs) and logical networks. One operation provided by some services is the transfer to the cloud system of VMs on existing computing resources managed by customers. Both the service provider and the customer perceive risks when uploading VMs to the cloud environment: the customer perceives the risk of potential loss of sensitive or private data, such as credit card data, personal health data, and the like. The service provider perceives the risk of running VMs that contain sensitive data in violation of laws, rules, and regulations, that are unsecure, that are running inauthentic software licensing, and that can potentially compromise the cloud system.

Virtual machine compliance checking in cloud environments


A method of forming a short channel field effect transistor is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a semiconductor substrate having a well region of a first conductivity type; forming a gate electrode on the well region; implanting first impurities into the well region and adjacent to the gate electrode, the first implant step being at a first dose and a second conductivity type; forming sidewall spacers on edges of the gate electrode; implanting second impurities into the well region and adjacent to the gate electrode, the second implant step being at a second dose and at the second conductivity type; and implanting third impurities into the well region and adjacent the gate electrode, the third implant step being at a third dose and at the first conductivity type.

Industry utilizes or has proposed kinds of techniques for the manufacture of a MOS integrated circuit device. As the channel length (L.sub.gate) becomes shorter and shorter, short channel effects tend to occur. Thus, how to suppress the short channel effects is very important in today's technology.
Punchthrough is one serious problem of the short channel effects. It makes the gate lose the ability to control the current. Therefore, when the device is scaled down, the punchthrough voltage (V.sub.PT) is to be increased. Although to increase the substrate doping concentration is helpful in increasing the punchthrough voltage, at the same time the surface vertical field will also be increased so that the mobility will be lowered and the junction capacitance at the source and the drain regions will be increased. That is, the above method is not so satisfactory. One improvement of the above method is to keep the surface channel region at a relatively low concentration and the region between the source and the drain at a relatively higher concentration.
Some methods are also proposed to solve the above-mentioned problem:
(1) Atomic-Layer Doped (ALD) structure: this structure is formed by the epitaxy materials. PA1 (2) Punchthrough stopper: this structure is executed by the implantation between the source and the drain to form a high concentration region therebetween. PA1 (3) By the Self-aligned Pocket Implantation (SPI) technology to form a region under the lightly-doped drain (LDD) regions and at a concentration higher than that of the substrate. The punchthrough problem can thus be suppressed.
But these methods still have some drawbacks. In the high concentration region and the source/drain region, the P-N junction breakdown voltage is too low. In the device formed by the SPI technology, the source/drain junction capacitance is too high. These drawbacks will seriously affect the device speed.
From the above it is seen that a method of manufacturing a short channel field effect transistor with a higher punchthrough voltage and a lower junction capacitance is often desired.

Method of forming a short channel field effect transistor


A crosslinkable polylactone-based composition comprising formulating 100 parts by weight of a polylactone (A) whose number average molecular weight is in the range of 10,000 to 300,000 and 0.1 to 30 parts by weight of a crosslinkable monomer (B) which can confine the molecular chain of the polylactone (A) by irradiating active energy radiation or by heating, a production method of a polylactone-based crosslinked molded article prepared by irradiating active energy radiation or by heating after melting and molding the above-mentioned crosslinkable polylactone-based composition at the temperature where crosslinking does not occur, and a polylactone-based crosslinked molded article obtained by the above method are offered. A cured polylactone-based molded article having similar properties is also obtained from the curable polylactone-based composition composed of a polylactone or polylactone composition (X) comprising a prescribed polylactone (C) and polyvalent alcohol (D), and a prescribed curing agent (Y).. Since these molded articles obtained have biodegradability as well as excellent mechanical strength, thermal resistance, oil resistance, abrasion resistance, and shape-memorizable property which is a property to deform showing rubber elasticity on applying an external force when it is heated to soften and to tend to recover its initial shape of the molded article when it is reheated to soften, the product can be used for a sheet for fixing a patient in radiation therapy, a material for transcribing a shape of wig, a material for transcribing a shape of teeth, and gypsum.

Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 279445/1993 describes that a film-form molded product, a fiber or the like of a polycaprolactone composition containing a small amount of urethane bonds can be produced by melt blending a polyvalent isocyanate of 0.1 to 5% parts by weight to a polycaprolactone of 100 parts by weight.
Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 279445/1993 describes that since the presence of gel may cause problems such as fish eye, filament break, or reduction of moldability due to plugging by gel in the nozzle, the amount of polyisocyanate added must be less than 5 parts by weight to a polycaprolactone of 100 parts by weight. Such publicly-known conventional techniques have failed to offer molded products in which polylactone is crosslinked or cured, but considered only partial improvement, for instance, improvement of melt tensile strength by reacting the terminated-hydroxyl group of polylactone with a small amount of isocyanate. Accordingly, a polylactone with rubber elasticity in softened state by heating or shape memorizable property on a satisfactory level has not been obtained, and naturally application development requiring such new functions has not been made yet.

Cross-linkable or curable polylactone composition, cross-linked or cured molding made therefrom and process for the production thereof


An anchor rod cap and method for protecting an anchor rod bolt/nut/lower flange assembly are provided. An anchor rod is provided having upper and lower tubular elements connected by a shoulder. The upper element is disposed about the anchor rod threads and has an interior surface defined on a radius smaller than an anchor rod thread outer radius. The lower tubular element has an interior radius larger than an anchor nut outer dimension and is configured to define an air gap between the lower tubular element inner surface and an anchor nut encompassed thereby. A lower tubular element bottom edge is configured to form a physical barrier interface with the anchor rod base flange. At least one of the upper tubular element interior surface and the lower tubular element bottom edge are configured to form a sealing interface with anchor rod thread outer surfaces or an upper flange surface.

The invention relates to the protection of structural fasteners and assemblies from environmental exposures. The invention relates in general to "wind generator" applications, although it will be readily apparent that the present invention may be utilized in many other types of structures and applications, and the invention is by no means limited to wind generator applications. Wind generators are used in the generation of electricity through the rotation of turbines and conventionally feature a plurality of propellers or blades arrayed high enough above the ground to be responsively compelled into rotation by naturally occurring wind.
In one common style of wind generator, a tower structure is provided (conventionally about 200 feet high or higher), at the top of which is an array of large propellers or blades (conventionally about 90 feet or longer) which are rotated by the wind forces, thereby generating electricity. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, views of a typical prior art wind tower installation are provided. The bottom end of a wind generator tower base 10 is attached to a base foundation 20 firmly installed into the earth, typically 30 feet or more deep, through a plurality of anchor bolts 16. A door 12 gives access to the interior of the tower base. An annular flange 14 is formed on the bottom end of tower base 10. The top ends of anchor bolts 16 extend at least 10 inches above the top surface of flange 14 and each has a nut 18 threaded thereon. A concrete walk 19 extends around the perimeter of tower base 10. The base foundation 20 is covered by dirt 21.
FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevation view of base foundation 20. It is formed on site in a hole approximately 30 feet deep and about 10-15 feet in diameter. A metal embedment ring 23 is placed in the base foundation hole spaced a predetermined distance above the bottom of the hole. Approximately 250 anchor bolts 16 have their bottom ends captured in apertures in the embedment ring and have a nut threaded onto their bottom end. The anchor bolts are oriented in two concentric circular patterns. Each of the anchor bolts 16 has a tubular conduit 40 slid over them to protect them from concrete that is later poured between cylinder inner metal form 25 and cylinder outer metal form 27. Horizontally spaced rebar hoops 29 maintain the anchor bolts in their proper alignment. Spacer rods 31 are located at various positions to keep the respective inner and outer metal forms 25 and 27 in their proper positions. Outer metal form 27 is longer than inner metal form 25 so that when concrete 33 is poured between the respective forms, it will travel downwardly and centrally to form a concrete bottom wall 35. Dirt is filled into the area within the center of metal form 25. A metal template ring 37 has an outer and inner circular pattern of apertures for receiving the top ends of the respective anchor bolts 16. The top surface of metal template ring 37 forms an annular trough that is later filled with grout. When the grout has properly set, the bottom end of tower base 10 is erected on the top surface of metal template ring 37 with the respective top ends of the anchor bolts 14 passing through the respective apertures in the inner flange (not shown) and outer flange 14 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1.
In a typical prior art installation, the nuts 18 are screwed on the top end of anchor bolts 16, following which a second nut is then threaded onto "the top end" of the respective anchor bolts, and hydraulic jacks are attached thereto so that the anchor bolts can be stressed to approximately 70 to 80 thousand pounds of stress. At this time, the lower nuts 18 are cinched down and the hydraulic jacks and their associated nuts are removed.
It is common for wind generators and their associated tower base assemblies to provide for an expected service lifespan of between 20 and 30 years. However, of particular concern over the anticipated lifespan of the tower base assembly is the effect of corrosion of structural materials due to environmental exposure. Anchor rod bolts 16 are typically fabricated from high-strength metal "rebar" source material, and anchor rod nuts 18 are also typically fabricated from high-strength metallic source materials. It is well known that many high-strength metal source materials experience oxidation and/or other corrosion degradations responsive to exposure to moisture and oxidizing air and other gases. Accordingly, anchor rod and nut surfaces exposed to moisture will experience corrosion degradation over time, which may be severe enough to reduce the serviceable lifespan of either or both of the anchor rod bolt and nut to a period significantly less than the serviceable life of a wind tower generator.
Specifically, the top ends of the anchor bolt assemblies are exposed to environmental corrosion-causing or enabling elements, such as sun, wind, rain, snow and moisture. The anchor rod 16 which surfaces below the base flange 14 must also be protected from oxygen, moisture, environmental exposure and other agents that may enter the air space between the anchor rod 16 and the tubular conduit 40 and cause degradation of anchor rod surfaces protective coverings. Without adequate waterproofing measures, water and condensing moisture may enter along the bottom surfaces of the wind tower base flange and seep down from the bottom surface areas of the wind tower foundation and into the lower anchor rod 16 and base foundation tubular conduit 40 assembly. Air may also be admitted, resulting in oxygen or air-entrained moisture attack on the anchor rod 16 surfaces below the base flange 14. Such corrosion degradation may weaken an anchor rod 16 and thereby significantly shorten the effective life of a wind generator tower base. Therefore, it is important to prevent the introduction of corrosive agents, such as air, moisture and water onto the exposed anchor rod 16, nut 18, washer 20 and upper flange surface 14 structures above the flange 14. It is also important to prevent the introduction of corrosive agents onto surface areas of the anchor rod 16 throughout its entire structural length below the wind tower base flange 14.
One solution for this problem is to cover the exposed anchor bolts 16 and nuts 18 with a film of grease to keep them protected from attack by oxygen or moisture in the air. However, the grease-film layer must itself be protected in order to keep the layer intact during the service life of the anchor bolt and nut assembly. Environmental erosion factors including wind, sun, rain and snow, and/or grazing livestock, wild animals or human tampering may remove all or part of the protective grease-film layer, thereby exposing the metal surfaces and resulting in oxidation corrosion damage to the assembly. Also, an exposed anchor nut 18 and bolt 16 assembly may invite vandalism and tampering with the assembly.
Accordingly, what is needed is an additional physical protective barrier structure that will protect the water and gas-resistant film layers commonly deposited on anchor nut 18 and rod 16 assemblies, thereby preventing corrosion over the serviceable life of the anchor rod and base flange assembly structures.

Method and structure for an anchor rod cap


Embodiments of the present invention provide a pet leash that permits a pet handler to bring his/her pet under control urgently in a steady and reliable manner. Embodiments include a handle, a lead mechanism, an elongate portion extending therebetween, and multiple grip points on the elongate portion. A pet handler can grip the handle or one of the grip points with one hand and grip another of the grip-points with the other hand.

In many situations, it is important that pets on leashes be controlled by the person holding the leash. For example, if a dog owner is walking his/her dog and stops to talk with someone, he or she may need to bring the dog under greater control (e.g., if the dog gets unduly excited, if the person with whom he/she is talking has a small child, etc.). Conventional pet leashes leave much to be desired in terms of this greater level of control.
One kind of dog leash includes a first handle for allowing the fullest extent of the leash and a second handle to be grabbed in order to pull the dog closer. Such a dog leash poses multiple problems. First, in situations such as those mentioned above, the pet must be brought under greater control in an urgent manner. Grabbing for the second handle can be difficult, and accidentally missing the second handle can result in the pet causing harm. Second, with only one intermediate handle, there is only minimal flexibility in terms of how much control to exert—the dog can be free to use the full extent of the leash or he can be pulled to the intermediate distance. Moreover, adding additional handles to improve flexibility would result in a leash that is quite cumbersome to use.