The invention discloses a method and system for obtaining an evaluation model and an evaluation method and system for the plugging performance of drilling fluid. The method for obtaining the evaluation model comprises: applying a confining pressure to a holding device where a preset fracture model is located, wherein a displacement differential pressure of two ends of the holding device is a preset displacement differential pressure; measuring a flow of standard measuring fluid flowing through the preset fracture model under different confining pressures, wherein the different confining pressures gradually increase according to a first preset rule; and controlling to stop increasing the confining pressure when the flow of the standard measuring fluid flowing through the preset fracture model reaches a preset flow so as to compress the preset fracture model into the evaluation model at a micro-nano level.

Wellhole instability is a serious engineering difficulty troubling the drilling field for years, which needs to be solved urgently, yet without being solved well. Wellhole instability will cause borehole collapse, drill pipe sticking, circulation loss, and other complicated downhole situations which seriously affect the drilling quality and progress. Wellhole instability of a formation mainly occurs at a shale formation comprising a fracture, and closed or open bedding and micro fractures mostly exist at the formation, and the capillary action force of the fractures is strong. Under the effect of a positive differential pressure of the formation and a capillary pressure of fractures, it is easy for drilling fluid to invade into the formation, thereby causing shale to fracture along a fracture surface or a bedding surface and to continuously develop longitudinally and horizontally along the fracture surface, thus aggravating the wellhole instability phenomenon. For the wellhole instability of the formation, a pressure transmission process caused by invasion of borehole fluid into the formation can be effectively obstructed only by adding a plugging material into the drilling fluid, filling the fracture and forming a blocking layer on a borehole wall, so as to achieve the purpose of stabilizing the borehole.
For the shale and other formations with developed micro fractures, related researchers proposed a method for effective plugging in a targeted manner by adding nano-level particles into the drilling fluid. However, in the field of drilling fluid, available nano plugging agent products are mostly nanoemulsions, super-fine calcium carbonate, nano silicon dioxide, and the like. (Since these products have stable performance and the effects in drilling fluid are prominent, these products have been applied to a part of well sites in some regions.) However, with continuous promotion and application of nano plugging agent products, the defects of the evaluation method on the plugging effect of the nano plugging agent products also become prominent.
At present, the methods related to evaluation of the plugging effects of nanoparticles which are being studied and used in the field of drilling fluid mainly comprise: a high pressure filtration loss measurement method, a high pressure mud cake permeability experiment (high pressure permeability filtration loss experiment), a scanning electron microscope observation method, a sound wave propagation rate measurement method, a permeability plugging experiment, a mud cake strength scouring experiment and a pressure transmission experiment etc. These methods play a certain role in evaluating the plugging effect, but whether they can authentically reflect the plugging effect of nanoparticles on micro fractures of clay-shale also needs to be further verified through experiments. The inventors pointed out: when a nano plugging agent is added into base slurry and is evaluated by a high pressure filtration loss measurement method, no influence on high pressure filtration loss and filtration rate is generated substantially; therefore, the plugging effect of nanoparticles cannot be effectively reflected, and with a mud cake evaluation method, the plugging effect of nanoparticles can be reflected only after an outer mud cake is formed by filling filter paper pores with micron-sized plugging materials. Thus, the above evaluation methods are not highly operable and cannot effectively reflect the plugging effect of nanoparticles.
In addition, the inventors made an analysis, holding that although the evaluation methods like high temperature and high pressure filtration loss, high temperature and high pressure sand bed, permeability plugging, and other drilling fluid plugging capacities, which are conventionally used currently, are convenient to operate and can directly reflect the difference of performance of plugging agents, the width of the simulated fracture is generally around 50 micrometers. Thus, the above methods cannot be used for simulating micro- and nano-sized fractures/pores of shale reservoir, so that the preferred plugging materials selected are unable to satisfy requirements of borehole stability of tight oil reservoirs, thus generating the problem of wellhole instability occurring in a drilling process.

Method and system for obtaining micro-nano level fracture model and evaluating plugging performance of drilling fluid


A Method and Apparatus for Insta Fill Wake System have been disclosed. By using a rotatable cylinder that can be positioned as closed, flood, and drain and deployable on a boat, controlled filling/emptying/holding of water in ballast tanks is possible without the use of pumps.

In several water sports, for example, but not limited to, wakeboarding, waterskiing, etc., "getting air" is desirable. One way of "getting air" is to launch oneself off a wave in the water into the air. This wave can be created by a boat, for example, towing person(s) engaging in the water sport. This wave created by the boat is often referred to as a wake. To create a wake a boat must displace water as it moves forward. One approach to displace as much water as possible is to lower a boat in the water. This lowering can be achieved by placing ballast tank(s) in the boat. However filling and emptying the ballast tanks(s) is slow and can involve pumps, valves, plumbing, etc. Additionally valves and plumbing may leak resulting in a boat sinking. This presents a technical problem for which a technical solution using a technical means is needed.

Method and apparatus for insta fill wake system


A drive assembly, in particular for driving a flap (5), includes a hinge assembly (2), comprising a first hinge part (3) connectable to a vehicle body and a second hinge part (4) connectable to a vehicle flap (5), a joint assembly (7) comprising at least a first joint part (8) hingedly connecting said first hinge part (3) with said second hinge part (4) and a first actuator (10) for driving the second hinge part (4) to move between an opened and a closed position during a normal operation. The first actuator (10) has a first end (10a) coupleable to a vehicle body pivotally about a first pivot axis (P1) and a second end (10b). The drive assembly also includes a bearing element connected (16) to the first actuator (10) and a coupling assembly (14) for coupling the first actuator (10) to the hinge assembly (2), comprising a first coupling part (15) having a first end (15a) and a second end (15b). The first end (15a) of the first coupling part (15) is coupled to one of the second hinge part (4) and first joint part (8) pivotally about a second pivot axis (P2). The bearing element (16) of the first actuator (10) is coupled to the second end (15b) of the first coupling part (15) pivotally about a third pivot axis (P3) spaced apart from the second pivot axis (P2). The drive assembly provides a possibility to move a vehicle flap drivingly between a closed and an opened position and further provides a reliable pedestrian protection function.

From practice drive assemblies with a hinge assembly are known having a first hinge part which can be fixed to a vehicle body and a second hinge part fixed to the vehicle flap. For pivotally connecting the vehicle flap with the vehicle body the hinge assembly further comprises a joint assembly arranged between the first hinge part and the second hinge part. The joint assembly in some cases is configured to not only allow the pivoting movement of the vehicle flap between an opened and closed position for inspection purposes of the motor for example but is also configured to allow the elevation of the vehicle flap relative to the motor block or the vehicle body in general to provide a protection in particular for pedestrians in case of an accident in which the pedestrian may be injured heavily or even fatally by an impact on the hard motor block positioned closely below the vehicle flap. Such drive assemblies for that purpose comprise an actuator to drive the flap to move from the closed position to an elevated position such that the protection for pedestrians is provided in case of an accident. The actuator used is mostly configured as a pyrotechnical actuator that provides a very fast elevating movement of the flap to ensure that the protection of the pedestrians is provided safely and timely. Disadvantageously using an additional actuator for driving the movement of the vehicle flap between the opened and closed position is difficult as such an actuator in most cases is configured as a spindle drive which provides the needed force to move the flap from the fully closed to the fully opened position and vice versa but which is not fitted to move in such a fast way like it is provided by pyrotechnical actuators used in pedestrian protection systems as it may be damaged in case the pyrotechnical actuator is triggered during an accident.
WO 2006/086960 A1 shows a drive assembly for driving a flap of a vehicle comprising a hinge assembly with a first hinge part connectable to one of a vehicle body and a vehicle flap and a second hinge part connectable to the other of a vehicle body and a vehicle flap. The drive assembly further comprises a joint assembly configured as a four-bar linkage pivotally connecting the first hinge part with the second hinge part. The drive assembly further comprises a first actuator configured as a hydraulic drive coupled to the hinge assembly to drive the hinge assembly to move between an open and close position wherein the first actuator is connected between the vehicle body and the hinge assembly. The coupling assembly is arranged between the first actuator and the hinge assembly for coupling the first actuator to the hinge assembly. The coupling assembly comprises a first coupling part configured as a first lever connected to the first actuator at a first end. The first lever is pivotally connected to the first hinge part and is coupled with a second end facing away from the first actuator to a second coupling part pivotally connected to the second hinge part. The second coupling part is configured as a second lever wherein a first end of the second lever is pivotally connected to the second hinge part and a second end of the second lever is pivotally connected to the second end of the first coupling part. The shown drive assembly disadvantageously has two levers which are pivotally connected to each other to couple the first actuator to the hinge assembly. When the hinge assembly was elevated the first lever would also be rotated and thus a force would be acting on the first actuator which might lead to a damaging of parts of the first actuator or the elevating movement would be restrained and thus a sufficient pedestrian protection would not be provided.
DE 10 2018 125 800 A1 shows a drive assembly for driving a flap of a vehicle between an opened and closed position. The known drive assembly comprises a joint assembly pivotally connecting the flap of the vehicle with a body of the vehicle such that the flap is pivotable between the opened and closed position and further allows the flap to be displaced to an elevated position for providing pedestrian protection in which the flap is spaced apart from the motor block of the vehicle. The drive assembly further comprises a first actuator pivotally connected between the vehicle body and the vehicle flap for driving the movement of the flap between the opened and closed position. Further the drive assembly comprises a second actuator connected between the vehicle body and the vehicle flap for driving the movement of the flap to the elevated position for providing the pedestrian protection function. A first bearing element is fixedly connected to the flap of the vehicle wherein the first actuator is pivotally connected to the bearing element for coupling the first actuator to the flap of the vehicle. The first bearing element comprises a connecting region to connect the bearing element to the flap and a bearing region to which the first actuator is coupled pivotally. The bearing region comprises a rectangular shaped receptacle in which a coupling part is arranged to which the first actuator can be pivotally coupled. The coupling part is displaceable in the receptacle along an axial direction of the first bearing element such that the end of the first actuator to which the coupling part is coupled is also displaced along the axial direction of the first bearing element to ensure that in case the second actuator moves the flap to an elevated position very fast the length of the first actuator is nearly not effected as the first end of the actuator is displaced together with the coupling part of the first bearing element in case of activation of the pedestrian protection position of the flap. In the receptacle of the first bearing element a biasing arrangement is arranged to define a first position of the coupling part inside the receptacle corresponding the normal operation in which the flap is pivoted between the opened and closed position and a second position during an active mode in which the flap is moved to an elevated position fast. The biasing arrangement comprises a first biasing member and a second biasing members facing each other wherein the biasing members each preload a stopping member abutting against the coupling part and thus preventing the coupling part from being displaced axially in the rectangular shaped receptacle of the first bearing element.

Drive assembly for driving a vehicle flap


Doped tungsten powder, or sintered tungsten bodies formed therefrom, having a fine dispersion of oxide particles of at least one metal from the group zirconium, hafnium, lanthanum, yttrium, and rare earth's are formed by the method of this invention. A mixture of a salt solution comprised of a soluble salt of the metal, and a tungsten blue oxide powder is formed. A hydroxide precipitating solution is admixed with the mixture to form a hydroxide precipitate of the metal on the tungsten blue oxide powder. The tungsten blue oxide powder and hydroxide precipitate are heated in a reducing atmosphere to form the tungsten powder having the dispersion of oxide particles. The doped tungsten powder can be consolidated and sintered to form tungsten bodies having a fine dispersion of the metal oxide.

The high melting point and vaporization temperature of tungsten has made it useful for the wire filaments in incandescent electric lamps, discharge lamps, and electrode rods for electric arc welding. Pure tungsten is known to be unsatisfactory for forming wire filaments or electrodes, because tungsten recrystallizes at a relatively low temperature. For example, grain growth throughout the operating life of the pure tungsten filament leads to the development of highly stressed grain boundaries, a high creep rate, offsetting, and early failure of the lamp filaments.
A fine equiaxed grain structure is preferred for dissipating shock and vibration energy during rough service usage of tungsten wire filaments, for example in automobile lamps. Wire comprised of dispersed thoria particles has been used for such applications. The thoria particles maintain the fine grained structure during operation by inhibiting grain growth. Tungsten comprised of dispersed thoria exhibits improved electron emission for the discharge lamp application, and greater vibration resistance to improve life in the lamp application. Tungsten rod electrodes comprised of up to about 4 percent thoria have improved ignition properties greater arc stability, higher current loading capability, and longer life due to the recrystallization inhibiting effect of thoria in the grain boundaries.
However, thoria is a radioactive material, and there is great environmental incentive to replace the thoria in tungsten rods and wires with another additive more compatible with the environment. Preferably, the replacement material will provide the improved electron emission and fine grain equiaxed grain structure having inhibited grain growth found in tungsten comprised of dispersed thoria particles.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,923,673 and 4,678,718, and Japanese Kokai Patents 170,844, 143,041, and 286,698 disclose tungsten rods or wires comprised of oxides of either lanthanum, yttrium, or cerium for replacing thoria. The rare earth oxide is dispersed or doped in the tungsten by either mixing a powder of the rare earth oxide with a tungsten oxide powder, or mixing a tungsten oxide powder with a nitrate solution of the rare earth. The nitrate solution mixture is heated in a reducing atmosphere to reduce the tungsten oxide, decompose the nitrate, and form a doped tungsten powder comprised of the rare earth oxide. The doped tungsten powder can be compacted and sintered to form a bar for rod or wire reduction. As used herein, the term "doped" means the intentional addition of an impurity such as ceria in a small controlled amount to improve properties such as creep-resistance or electron emission in articles formed from the doped material.
For those skilled in the art, it is well known that at a given percentage of rare earth dopant in the tungsten, a finer dispersion of the rare earth in the tungsten provides improved rod and wire reducing or drawing properties, improved uniformity of distribution of the particles in the final rod or wire, and improved resistance to recrystallization, grain growth, and grain boundary sliding. In other words, a finer distribution of the rare earth oxide provides a finer grain size tungsten and improved service life in the tungsten wire or rod.
One aspect of this invention is to provide a method for forming a fine dispersion of a metal oxide on tungsten powder.
Another aspect of this invention is to provide a fine dispersion of a metal oxide on tungsten powder by a precipitation process.

Method of forming fine dispersion of ceria in tungsten


A driver device for driving a load, in particular an LED unit having one or more LEDs. The driver device includes input terminals for receiving an input voltage from an external power source and a polarity-dependent unit for connecting the input terminals to each other and for providing a current path dependent on the polarity of the input voltage. The polarity-dependent unit includes a first current path for connecting the input terminals in a first current direction and a second current path for connecting the input terminals in a second current direction opposite to the first current direction. The first and the second current path each comprise a current control unit for controlling a bleeding current in the respective current path and diodes for blocking the bleeding current in the respective current path in a reverse direction opposite to the respective current direction.

In the field of LED drivers for offline applications such as retrofit lamps, solutions are demanded to cope with high efficiency, high power density, long lifetime, high power factor and low cost, among other relevant features. While practically all existing solutions compromise one or the other requirement, it is essential that the proposed driver circuits properly condition the form of the mains energy into the form required by the LEDs while maintaining compliance with present and future power mains regulations. In addition, it is required that the driver circuits comply with existing power adjusting means, e.g. dimmers or the like, so that the drivers can be used universally as a retrofit driver device including the LED units.
The driver circuits should comply with all kinds of dimmers and especially the drivers should comply with phase-cut dimmers, which are preferably used to regulate the mains power with low power loss. The dimmers which are generally used to regulate the mains energy provided to a filament lamp need a low load impedance path for a timing circuit operation current to adjust the phase-cut timing. Alternatively, when this path is provided continuously, making and breaking that path for certain parts of the mains voltage cycle can also result in stable operation. The provision of this low impedance path has to be adjusted with respect to the zero crossing of the mains voltage. To achieve timely provision of this low impedance path, the zero crossing is usually detected by the driver circuit of the lamps while it is in a high impedance state. Such a zero-crossing detection is complicated and involves a high technical effort, and if a large number of LED units are connected to one dimmer circuit, the technical effort increases due to the required increase of the impedance of each individual LED unit.
WO 2009/121956 A1 discloses a lighting apparatus comprising an LED assembly and a rectifier unit to connect the LED unit to a dimmer circuit. The LED unit comprises a bleeder connected in parallel to the LED unit to provide a bleeding current. The bleeder unit is controlled by a control unit connected to the LEDs to provide the bleeding current at certain point in time of the rectifier AC voltage. This control unit is complicated and the power factor of the whole lighting apparatus is reduced due to the bleeding current.

Driver device and driving method for driving a load, in particular an led unit


The tool for detecting the verticality between an axle hole and a milling plane comprises a base provided with a horizontal plane and a vertical plane which are vertically intersected, a vertical through hole is provided, a locating plate is vertically arranged and located in the middle of the vertical through hole, the locating plate is fixed with the vertical plane, a horizontal through hole is provided on the locating plate, two vertical pin rods are arranged at a position of the base away from the vertical through hole, the vertical pin rods are symmetric with respect to the axis of the horizontal through hole, a detection rod can be inserted into the horizontal through hole.

During processing and assembling of a workpiece, it is usually required to measure the verticality between two structures of the workpiece, to determine whether the workpiece meets the processing, assembling, and other requirements. The existing verticality measurement tools mainly comprise square, three-coordinate measuring machine, plumb bob, laser measuring instrument, etc. These instruments are usually simple in structure, and can be used for the measurement between a straight line and a plane, and a plane and a plane. However, many workpieces are complicated in structure, the conventional verticality detection devices may be difficult to be placed properly in the workpieces for measurement, or the measurement process is too complicated, or the measuring tools are too expensive, so that the conventional simple verticality detection devices cannot be well applied to the assembly process of the workpieces. Although some verticality measuring devices may measure the verticality of the workpieces, the results of measurement cannot be displayed intuitively.

Tool for detecting verticality between axle hole and milling plane

Hengdian Electronic Industry Zone, Dongyang, Zhejiang


A pressure portion (1) includes a receiver (2) for adjustable lateral support of a rack (Z) for a steering arrangement of vehicles. The pressure portion (1) arranged in positionally variable relationship guided linearly in a guide passage (F) for adjustment of the support of the rack (Z) in an adjustment direction (e), and enlarged or expanded for at least partial contact at an inside wall side in the guide passage (F) with respect to a directional component (r2) which is radial relative to the adjustment direction (e). The pressure portion (1) has radially at an outside thereof an elastomeric force application aid (11) for transmission of forces from the pressure portion (1) to an inside wall (10) of the guide passage (F).

The present invention relates generally to a pressure portion having a receiver for adjustable lateral support of a rack for in particular a steering arrangement of vehicles, wherein the pressure portion can be arranged in positionally variable relationship preferably guided linearly in a guide passage for adjustment of the support of the rack in an adjustment direction and can be enlarged or expanded, in particular spread, for its at least partial contact at the inside wall side in the guide passage with respect to a directional component which is radial relative to the adjustment direction. The present invention is further related generally to a pressure portion system including the pressure portion and a guide passage in which the pressure portion is positionally variably arranged preferably linearly guided in an adjustment direction in a loose position for adjustment of the support for the rack and in a load position is arranged radially braced under a pressure load at the inside against the guide passage.
Such pressure portions or pressure portion systems are used in particular in a steering arrangement for guiding and supporting a rack. Such a rack has to be supported, in particular, in the region of its thread engagement with components of the steering arrangement such as, for example, with a threaded worm. Mounted in the pressure portion system, the rack is supported for rotational movement around and/or translatory movement along its axis of rotation in a receiver, wherein the adjustment direction is oriented as perpendicularly as possible to the axis of rotation of the rack.
A pressure portion or a pressure portion system of the general kind set forth is known from German Utility Model No. DE 20 2010 011 990 U, which describes a pressure portion which in the load position can bear substantially play-free against an inside wall of the guide passage and against the rack. The pressure portion can extend in that installation in a wedge-like configuration between the inside wall of the guide passage and the rack. Such prior art already permits precise guidance for the rack in the lateral direction. As long as the pressure portion remains pressed in play-free relationship against the rack its play-free contact can also be maintained at the inside wall of the guide passage.

Pressure portion and pressure portion system having pressure portion


A system and method are described for providing interactive television services and for switching between television programs, such as to an interactive program session from another program. An interactive server, capable of providing requested interactive video services to a set of subscribers in a given geographic area, is coupled to a network to which subscriber set top boxes are also coupled. Television programming, which may be furnished by any number of sources, is accompanied by a signal that indicates the availability of other programming, such as interactive television service related to the program being viewed, as well as information to be used in requesting such service. The user, when notified by this signal, may input to the set top box a request for a second program, such as an interactive program or application. The identity of the original program channel is stored, and a session with the video service provider is established over the network. When the session is terminated, the set top box re-tunes the television signal to the original program channel.

The present invention relates in general to the field of television and in particular to the field of interactive television.
Advances in telecommunications and computing technology are leading to the provision of interactive television (TV) on a large scale. Interactive TV involves the use of video gateways and video transport of sufficient bandwidth for video programmers and enhanced video gateway providers to offer their services to residential and business subscribers. Where such facilities are available, subscribers will not only be able to access these services by passively receiving them, but will also be able for the first time to interact with the service providers by communicating requests and commands to the providers via the same path over which the programming services are provided (or even via other paths or drivers).
Interactive TV service is capable of-supporting at least the following services: (1) traditional broadcast and cable television programming; (2) video services, such as pay-per-view (PPV), near video-on-demand (NVOD), video-on-demand (VOD), promo channels, electronic program guides, etc.; (3) cable delivered PC-based services; and (4) interactive services, through the use of a combination of compression and digital video technologies. Interactive TV service also permits menuing capabilities and upstream signaling from subscribers to service providers. A subscriber interactive TV connection may, for example, provide subscribers with a screen of available enhanced video gateway providers and/or video programmers and their telephone numbers, or a menu to interactively order services and/or programs.
Interactive television may be provided over any number of paths, including coaxial cable or optical fiber, hybrid fiber/coaxial, or any other suitable path that accommodates sufficient bandwidth for desired analog and digital video channels as well as other telecommunications services. Content Providers may include, for example, providers of interactive or non-interactive over-the-air programming such as commercial television stations, cable programming such as weather, travel and entertainment channels, game channels, and on-line services of various types.
Interactive video enables a subscriber to request that an xe2x80x9cinteractive sessionxe2x80x9d be established between an xe2x80x9cinteractive serverxe2x80x9d or similar platform maintained by an interactive video service provider and a xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d terminal device at the subscriber""s premises. An interactive session is a two-way communication relationship, and is a precondition to interactive video services being provided to a subscriber""s terminal device. Such a session utilizes the necessary downstream bandwidth and resources (defined below) for delivering interactive video service and the necessary upstream bandwidth from the subscriber""s terminal device to issue commands to the interactive server. The terminal device may take the form of what has been termed a xe2x80x9cset top boxxe2x80x9d (STB), or may be any other device capable of performing at least the following functions: (1) exchanging messages (including video-related data) over a network with the interactive server; (2) receiving messages from a user input device, such as a hand-held remote control unit; (3) translating video signals from a network-native format into a format that can be used by the television or display device; and (4) providing a video signal to a television or other display device. A STB may also be capable of performing other functions, such as: (1) inserting alphanumeric or graphical information into the video stream in order to xe2x80x9coverlayxe2x80x9d that information on the video image; (2) providing graphic or audio feedback to a user; or (3) possibly the most basic function, simply routing a traditional broadcast signal to a viewing device to which the STB is connected.
The STB xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d is xe2x80x9cservedxe2x80x9d by a facility which may be operated and maintained by the video service provider. This xe2x80x9cinteractive serverxe2x80x9d provides, in response to a subscriber request, access to an xe2x80x9capplication,xe2x80x9d which may be something as straightforward as a video program, or may itself interact with the subscriber by transmitting, for example, a subscriber prompt or menu to allow the subscriber to assert a desired selection from among a set of given commands for the interactive server to carry out.
This added functionality is in large part the result of a historically unprecedented convergence of communications and computing technology. It makes possible, for the first time, features such as the following. In the game media environment, a subscriber may download video games or even play them interactively with the interactive server and/or with other subscribers. An interactive service subscriber may order xe2x80x9ctime shift TV,xe2x80x9d in which a particular program may be viewed at a time following its ordinary broadcast time. A subscriber may also selectively view desired parts of transactional, informational or advertising services. For example, a subscriber may view information on the weather predictions for a given location or at a given time, gather information relating to a particular sporting event or team, obtain news on demand, or query a system regarding a particular real estate market. Alternatively, a subscriber may participate in interactive entertainment programs, such as interactive game shows, interactive lottery or gambling, or request musical selections. Subscribers interested in educational programming, such as a school or a family residence, may invoke interactive xe2x80x9cedutainmentxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chow-toxe2x80x9d programs. Interactive communication services, such as on-line services historically provided by the public telephone network, may also be accessed via interactive TV, which permits not only the rapid transfer of files to the subscriber but also interaction with other subscribers.
The combination of broadcast and interactive applications over interactive TV (e.g., interactive programs) creates a new mode of communication in which a user, when informed of the availability of an interactive application relating to the subject matter of a broadcast program, may invoke the application to investigate that subject matter more thoroughly and according to his or her own tastes.
Additionally, television viewers, who are accustomed to choosing at will between the available channels with instantaneous results, will expect to pass from one medium (e.g., broadcast) to another (e.g., interactive) xe2x80x9cseamlesslyxe2x80x9d with the push of a button. To accommodate their viewer""s needs, programmers may wish to provide broadcast programming, such as a commercial advertisement or a news program, and make available in the context of that program a related interactive television program.
The means by which interactive television and broadcast television are provided, however, are generally quite different. The two media, for example, are typically supplied from different sources and use different modulation techniques over different transmission paths. The originating source of broadcast programming is likely to be remote from those subscribers interested in invoking an interactive service, making telecommunication between the parties over a dedicated network prohibitively expensive and complex. By contrast, interactive servers, in order to avoid the expense of high bandwidth communications over such distances, can be located geographically close to a corresponding set of subscribers, unlike the programming sources or xe2x80x9cContent Providers.xe2x80x9d An interactive server can therefore efficiently provide exclusive interactive access to a large number of applications by a large number of interactive subscribers.
The technical differences between broadcast programming and interactive applications, combined with the difficulties of providing interactive services at any rate, make the provision of a smooth transition between interactive and broadcast television a difficult proposition and a seamless transition from broadcast television to interactive television and back an elusive goal.
The present invention provides an approach for viewer-friendly and virtually instantaneous transitioning from a first analog based television program to a second program, particularly an interactive application program, and further permits a similarly rapid and easily accomplished return to viewing the first program.
To accomplish this convenient and virtually instantaneous transition between programs such as a broadcast program and an interactive application or program, the present invention provides a system for permitting a provider of program content to furnish a video service provider with content, such as an interactive program or application, and for permitting the video service provider to transmit to the Content Provider an identifying code or address, such as an interactive callback address. The video service provider associates this identifying code or address with a location at which the program or application will be stored. The identifying code or callback address may be a program-specific code that can be used by subscribers to invoke the program from the video services provider directly. Alternatively, the identifying code may be a common identifying code or callback address (which might be called a xe2x80x9cwell-known callback addressxe2x80x9d), used by all subscribing viewers to access a program- or application-specific identifying code or callback address, which is in turn used to invoke the program.
According to the present invention, Content Providers may transmit the identifying code or callback address for a second program in coordination with a first program, so that viewers of the first program, who have access to systems operated by the video service provider, may invoke the second program, which may be an interactive program or application, using that identifying code or callback address.
Also according to the present invention, the Content Provider may transmit the identifying code or callback address in the first program signal, for example, in the vertical blanking interval of the video stream for that program. Alternatively, the identifying code or callback address could be provided in any other suitable out-of-band channel, especially one that is capable of being synchronized with the program signal, so that the identifying code or callback address may be transmitted at appropriate times during the program.
Additionally, the present invention permits the Content Provider to transmit with the identifying code or callback address additional information, such as information to be used at the subscriber site to generate a screen image indicating the availability of additional content from the video service provider.
The present invention also provides for an interactive server, which may be operated and maintained by the video service provider. The interactive server can service requests from Content Providers for identifying codes or callback addresses, such as interactive callback addresses, can store program content from Content Providers, such as interactive programs or applications, and can associate that content with an appropriate identifying code or address, such as an interactive callback address. The interactive server according to the present invention can also service requests for that content from subscribing viewers.
The subscribing viewers are provided with a set top box or similar device adapted to be coupled to a video distribution network to which one or more video service provider systems are also coupled, and also adapted to be coupled to a television, computer or any other suitable display device to reside either outside of, or within, the housing of the display device. The set top box includes a receiving set capable of receiving broadband signals over the video distribution network and possibly also over the air. The set top box also includes at least one processor coupled to the receiving set and programmed to detect the presence and content of an identifying code or callback address, such as an interactive callback address, received by the receiving set either in a program signal (typically in the vertical blanking interval of that signal) or possibly in an out-of-band signal. The set top box processor is also programmed to store the identity of the channel on which the program is being received in one of at least one information storage devices or memory means to which the processor is coupled. The processor is also programmed to detect and store information accompanying the transmission of the identifying code or callback address regarding an image to be displayed on the display device (such as a video screen xe2x80x9cbuttonxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ciconxe2x80x9d) to indicate the availability of content, such as an interactive application, from a video service provider. Alternatively, such information regarding the image to be displayed on the television or other display device may be pre-stored in an appropriate information storage device to which the processor is coupled. The processor is also coupled to a means for generating a video image based on the received or pre-stored xe2x80x9cbuttonxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ciconxe2x80x9d information, or alternatively, is programmed to generate the video signal and is coupled to the display device in such a manner as to provide such a signal to that device.
Furthermore, the set top box processor is adapted to establish communication over the video distribution network with the video service provider, upon receiving a request from the subscribing viewer in response to seeing the screen button or icon. The processor may first store in the information storage device the identity of the channel on which the program then being viewed is being transmitted. A communication session over the network to the video service provider is then established by transmitting a message including the identifying code or callback address, such as the interactive callback address. If the identification code or callback address is a common identification code (for example, a xe2x80x9cwell-known callback addressxe2x80x9d) the video service provider returns the program- or application-specific identification code or callback address, which the processor then may use to invoke from the video service provider the associated program or application.
The video service provider transmits to the set top box the identity of a network service (i.e., a network address) or a channel on which the requested program will be provided, and the set top box processor initiates a session with the indicated network service and/or causes the receiving set to tune to the channel. The set top box then receives the program or application from the video service provider. During that session, communication between the set top box and the video service provider may be two-way.
When the program or application is terminated, or when the user signals the set top box that viewing the second program or application is no longer desired, the communication session is terminated. The processor then retrieves the identity of the first program from the information storage device, and causes the receiving set to re-tune to the first program to which the viewer had been tuned.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a system for permitting a Content Provider to furnish a video service provider with program content, such as an interactive application or program, and for permitting the video service provider to transmit to the Content Provider an identifying code or address, such as an interactive callback address or a xe2x80x9cwell-known interactive callback address.xe2x80x9d
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for permitting a Content Provider to furnish an identifying code or callback address along with a program for directly invoking another program, such as an interactive program furnished to subscribing viewers by the video service provider.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system for permitting a Content Provider to furnish a common identifying code or callback address (such as a xe2x80x9cwell-known interactive callback addressxe2x80x9d), used by all subscribing viewers to access a program- or application-specific identifying code or callback address that, in turn, is used to invoke the program content from the video service provider.
It is an additional object of the present invention to permit a Content Provider to transmit the identifying code or callback address in coordination with the program signal, such as in the vertical blanking interval of the video. stream.
It is a further object of the present invention to permit a Content Provider to optionally transmit the identifying code or callback address in coordination with the program signal, but in any suitable out-of-band channel.
It is yet another object of the present invention to permit the Content Provider to transmit with the identifying code or callback address additional information, such as information to be used at the subscriber site to generate a screen image indicating the availability of additional content from the video service provider.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an interactive server capable of servicing requests from Content Providers for identifying codes or addresses for program content and to receive and store such content in association with the identifying code.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an interactive server according to the present invention that can service requests for program content from subscribing viewers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide subscribing viewers with a set top box for detecting the presence and content of an identifying code or callback address transmitted in coordination with a program, to store for later retrieval the identity of the channel on which the program is being received, to generate a screen image for display on a display device based on information either pre-stored or transmitted with the identifying code, to establish a session with the video services provider using the code, and upon termination of the session, to fetch the identity of, and re-tune to, the channel the subscriber was originally watching.

System and method for providing television services

BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation


A fuel cell system that is capable of suppressing temperature change of the fuel cell under a low temperature environment after the operation has stopped, suppressing freezing due to condensation, and ensuring a preferable start thereafter. The fuel cell system comprises: a fuel cell that generates electric power through an electrochemical reaction between air and a hydrogen gas; a gas supply section that supplies air and the hydrogen gas to an air supply path, a fuel supply path and a hydrogen circulation path which are connected to the fuel cell by a compressor and a hydrogen pump; a cooling section that cools the fuel cell by making a cooling path connected to the fuel cell to circulate by a pump the cooling water that is cooled by a radiator; and a control section.

In recent years, fuel cell systems have been developed which have as an energy source a fuel cell that generates electric power through an electrochemical reaction of a reaction gas (fuel gas and oxidant gas). This type of fuel cell system may be configured to cool the fuel cell while the operation is stopped more rapidly than during normal operation and delay the deteriorative reaction of the fuel gas due to carbon oxidation caused by gas remaining in the fuel cell (see, for example, Patent Document 1), or may be configured to allow the fuel cell to circulate the cooling water until the temperature of the fuel cell, after the power generation is stopped, is below the cooling water circulation stop temperature which is the criterion of judgment for stopping the circulation of the cooling water (see, for example, Patent Document 2).


A car race game apparatus, which includes a playing board, marked to provide a system of interconnected branch roads. The road system is sub-divided into multiple contiguous spaces, arranged between a START space and a FINISH space, such that each game player can move an individual token from space to space, in an effort to reach the FINISH space, before the other players. Selected spaces are marked, so that when a token lands on such spaces, the token has to be returned to a designated space near the START space. Also, a pack of direction cards is provided for directing a player to return his/her token back to a designated space, when the player's token passes through specially marked STOP spaces, located in immediate proximity to the branch road intersection points. The game is designed to introduce penalties into the play, so that even when a player's token is considerably behind the leading player's token, there is always a possibility that the leading player will be penalized, thereby enabling any of the other players to still win the game.

The present invention, relates to board games.
The present invention, more particularly, relates to a car race game, wherein simulated car tokens are moved from space to space, along a road system, marked on a flat playing board, in accordance with the roll of the dice, or the spin of a spinner means. The player whose token is the first to reach a FINISH space, located at the end of a road system, is the winner of the game.
Various race games have been devised. U.S. Pat. No. 2,577,961, issued to F.R. Graves on Dec. 11, 1951, discloses a car race game that includes a game board, marked to define an annular endless track, having differently colored spaces, extending between a starting point, and a finishing point. A spinner disk, having a series of similarly colored sections, is provided for enabling the players to move simulated car tokens to different spaces on the endless track, in accordance with the positions of a rotary pointer, carried on the spinner disk.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,917, issued to M. J. Ferris, et al. on Nov. 5, 1985, shows a car racing game, wherein the game board has four laterally shiftable track sections, that may be manually moved, in order to block the advance of the opponent's car token along an endless two lane track system. The player's moves are determined by sequentially exposing specially marked cards, provided as part of the game apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,463, issued to K. W. Glennon on Nov. 25, 1986, discloses a car race game, that includes a game board, marked to form an annular track, having spaces containing notes, questions, or instructions, relating to the Indianapolis Memorial Day Race. Each player's token is advanced along the track, in accordance with the roll of dice, and/or, the answers to questions, appearing in selected ones of the track spaces, and/or, penalties or bonus points, appearing on cards drawn as a result of landing on specific track spaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,841, granted to R. A. Manney et al. on Sep. 17, 1991, contemplates a race game in which tokens are moved around a simulated race track, in accordance with the values of standard playing cards placed on the game board by the individual game players. Replacement cards are drawn from a stack of cards, to replenish cards placed on the board. Each player's token is, normally, confined to movement in one of the four lanes in the track, as determined by the suit of cards placed on the board by the player. Certain cards in the deck are designated as wild cards, for enabling a player to switch his/her token to a different lane in order to utilize more cards, and/or, to displace another player's token from the track.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,605, issued to C. L. Hoffman on Mar. 3, 1992, discloses a car race game in which the players' tokens are advanced along separate lanes in an annular track, in accordance with the roll of the dice. The players periodically predict the order of the finish of the various tokens. The game winner is the player who most accurately predicts the finishing order of the tokens.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,111, issued to E. Bilodeau on Apr. 28, 1992, discloses a maze board game, in which a game board is marked to provide a number of intersecting pathways between a START space and an END space. Directional arrows are provided on selected ones of the pathway spaces, such that when a player's token lands on one of the directional spaces, the respective token is required to reverse direction on the player's next turn, thus potentially delaying progress towards reaching the end space.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,151, issued to D. Bergerstock on May 19, 1992, shows a race game in which an oval game board is marked to provide an annular track, having three separate lanes. The spaces in each lane are marked with two of the six numbers that can appear on two thrown dice, e.g. one and four, or two and five. The dice are thrown to establish the tokens that can be advanced longitudinally along the individual lanes, or diagonally from one lane to another lane.


The invention relates to an adhesive strip for the bonding of sheeting in the area of a building envelope, with a carrier material and an adhesive coating arranged on the carrier material, wherein the adhesive strip is vapor permeable with a diffusion resistance with an sd value of ≦12 m and the carrier material can elongate elastically with a difference value between the percentage of total elongation under loading εg and the percentage of permanent elongation after loading εb in the range of 6-80. The invention also relates to the use of such an adhesive strip for the bonding of sheeting in the outer area in house construction.

In general, in the outer area in house construction, especially on roofs or on facades, sheeting, especially plastic sheeting, or also boards, especially made from hardwood, are installed as so-called "wind resistance" or "rain protection." Such coverings lie above the insulation layer and below the actual outer layer, which is composed, e.g., from bricks, cement-asbestos boards, or the like. As a rule, this cover layer is laid in an overlapping arrangement, with the resulting joints being bonded with one-sided adhesive strips. In this way, penetration of wind, snow, rain, or the like between the outer layer into open joints and production of air currents in the area of the insulation layer can be prevented. Such air currents of cold outside air would reduce the insulation effect, which is to be prevented as much as possible.
In general, for the bonding of sheeting in the outer area in house construction, according to the state of the art usually one-sided adhesive strips are used, which feature, in particular, carriers made from polyethylene sheeting, PVC sheeting, or thermally compressed non-woven spun carrier sheeting.
In general, sheeting or boards used in the outer area in house construction are very vapor permeable, with these usually having an sd value of ≦1 m, measured according to DIN 52615. The adhesive strips widely used and known from the state of the art for bonding joints of such boards or sheeting usually exhibit an essentially higher water-vapor diffusion resistance and usually have sd values that are significantly higher than the corresponding values of sheeting or boards that are used; for example, such values for adhesive strips that are used in the state of the art lie in the range from 20-50 m. In practice, it has been shown in the use of such adhesive strips of the state of the art that for a discharge of diffusing water vapor, e.g., from the roof construction of a house, due to trapped building moisture or residual moisture of construction wood, the moisture in areas, in which there is no joint bonding of the state of the art, can escape easily through the very vapor permeable sheeting or boards, but condensation water can build up along the joint bonding in the area directly under a joint bond with adhesive strips of the state of the art due to the significantly more diffusion-tight adhesive strip in this area. Thus, according to the downward diffusion slope, it can lead to a considerable collection of water, which, as a consequence, can cause rot and structural damage. This is the case, in particular, when more moisture is flowing in from below than can leak out due to the increased diffusion resistance from the joint bonding of the state of the art. Such moisture can involve trapped residual moisture in the roof due to moist construction wood or moisture in the air, which always flows back into the roof construction due to the inner vapor barrier that is not sealed airtight everywhere.
Especially for the use of sheeting as an additional wind and rain protection layer in the outer area in house construction, there is the additional problem that this sheeting must be stretched in webs over the entire roof construction or along the entire width or height of the fagade, so that undulations in individual sheeting webs due to different tensioning can scarcely be avoided. In the area of the joints between two webs, which are tensioned differently or have corresponding undulations, it is thus actually very desirable that adhesive strips be used that provide soft, conforming, and stretching carrier materials that are, however, also sufficiently stable. Otherwise, when laying such sheeting, joint areas that may have been bonded tightly together can detach due to the inherent restoring force of the sheeting material and over time a leakage point can appear in the bonding. Very soft and flexible carrier materials for self-adhesive strips have the advantage that they can continuously conform to all unevenness, but the processability and stability of such carriers often suffers due to the relative softness and excessive flexibility.
Thus, different, actually prohibitive requirements are given with the bonding of sheeting in the outer area in house construction for adhesive strips to be used there.
For example, if one uses an adhesive strip according to the state of the art, which uses as the carrier material a so-called plastic membrane composed of, for example, a polymer sheeting that is mechanically stretched and thus has microscopic openings, such an adhesive strip of the state of the art does obtain permeability, but it loses its stretching ability and elasticity, consequently also its mechanical loading capacity, which has the effect that such an adhesive strip would tear too quickly. In addition, such an adhesive strip would no longer be water tight, because rainwater could pass through the microscopic openings, which could also lead over time to detachment of the adhesive that is used. If one uses as the carrier material for adhesive strips of the state of the art a non-woven carrier, then a high permeability is reached but such an adhesive strip would also no longer be able to conform and as a rule would no longer be water tight. If one uses a coating on such a non-woven carrier, it would be water tight, but it would become even more inflexible and would not conform, which would lead to the problems mentioned above when bonding joints of sheeting in the outer area in house construction.

Adhesive strip for the bonding of sheeting in the area of a building envelope and the use of this adhesive strip


Provided herein are, among other things, epoxy resin varnishes and methods of making and using the same. In some embodiments, the epoxy resin varnishes comprise at least a filler such as silica. In certain embodiments, the epoxy resin varnishes provided herein are used for making laminates such as copper clad laminates. In farther embodiments, the copper clad laminates provided herein are used for making printed circuit boards (PCBs).

After more than half a century of development of epoxy copper clad laminate (CCL), the worldwide annual output of epoxy CCL is more than 300 million square meters. Epoxy CCL has been widely used as a reinforcement material for making epoxy printed circuit board (PCB). Epoxy CCL can generally provide desirable properties such as turn-on interconnection, insulation and support for circuits. In general, the properties of epoxy CCL can affect the signal transmission speed, energy loss, impedance, and the like of the PCB. Therefore, the performance, quality, processability, the manufacturing level, manufacturing costs, as well as long-term reliability and stability of the epoxy printed circuit board depend to a large extent on the properties of the CCL material.
Whether it is a lead-free CCL, high density interconnect (HDI) CCL, integrated circuit (IC) packaging reinforcements or high-performance flexible CCL, the CCL should have a good adhesive strength, excellent insulation properties, high heat resistance and humidity resistant. In some embodiments, inorganic filler are added to varnishes comprising epoxy resins to reduce costs and improve the performance of the epoxy CCL. Choice of which have a relatively large number of talcum powder, aluminum hydroxide, silica, mica, and so on, all the materials can be in the dimensional stability of the CCL, the direction of the thickness of the expansion coefficient (Z-CTE) to achieve significant results.
When the peel strength is low, there is a possibility that circuit peeling during the manufacturing process of a printed circuit board and the falling-off of mounted parts in the outermost layer may occur and this is undesirable.
Therefore, there is a need for metal clad laminates with improved peel strength. There is also a need for metal clad laminates with improved Z-CTE.

Epoxy resin varnishes, laminates and printed circuit boards


The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of performing one or more broadcast or reduction operations using direct memory access (DMA) control circuitry. The DMA control circuitry executes a modified instruction set architecture (ISA) that facilitates the broadcast distribution of data to a plurality of destination addresses in system memory circuitry. The broadcast instruction may include broadcast of a single data value to each destination address. The broadcast instruction may include broadcast of a data array to each destination address. The DMA control circuitry may also execute a reduction instruction that facilitates the retrieval of data from a plurality of source addresses in system memory and performing one or more operations using the retrieved data. Since the DMA control circuitry, rather than the processor circuitry performs the broadcast and reduction operations, system speed and efficiency is beneficially enhanced.

Many graphic workloads include situations where a single vertex must communicate data, such as an instruction, a single value, or an array or values, to at least some of its neighboring vertices. A list of such receptor vertices may be represented as a list using a format such as compressed sparse row (CSR) format. The list of receptor vertices must be accessed prior to communicating the data to determine the memory location of each of the receptor vertices that will receive the data. The broadcast value or instruction is then communicated to each receptor vertex, at times as an atomic operation (i.e., increment/decrement, add, mul, bitop).
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Array broadcast and reduction systems and methods


This invention discloses a method and apparatus to deliver medical devices to targeted locations within human tissues using imaging data. The method enables the target location to be obtained from one imaging system, followed by the use of a second imaging system to verify the final position of the device. In particular, the invention discloses a method based on the initial identification of tissue targets using MR imaging, followed by the use of ultrasound imaging to verify and monitor accurate needle positioning. The invention can be used for acquiring biopsy samples to determine the grade and stage of cancer in various tissues including the brain, breast, abdomen, spine, liver, and kidney. The method is also useful for delivery of markers to a specific site to facilitate surgical removal of diseased tissue, or for the targeted delivery of applicators that destroy diseased tissues in-situ.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of medical imaging and particularly to a hybrid imaging method and apparatus used to monitor and optimize the placement of interventional medical devices in human tissues.
2. Background of the Art
A number of techniques, methodologies, apparatus and systems have been proposed to improve the accuracy of instrumentality placement such as needle or catheter placement into tissue based on measurements from 3D imaging formats. These imaging formats (such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, sonographs (ultrasound), fluoroscopy, X-ray, and the like) locate the needle entry device in relation to treatment- or therapy-targeted tissue, such as MR-detected target tissue. These imaging formats generate imaging data that are used to determine the appropriate positioning of the needle during treatment, which needle typically is placed in a guide device and moved into the tissue. In many cases, the needle is delivered solely on the basis of this imaging data information and confirmation of the final needle position relative to the target requires a second set of images to be acquired. In cases where tissue stiffness variations are extreme, the needle may deviate from the desired path and deflect on-route to the target tissue. Similarly, the needle may distort the tissue itself and thereby move the target tissue to a new location, such that the original targeting coordinates are no longer correct. Further limitations of current systems include the fact that needle position is often determined by reference to its artifact generated in the MR images. From this artifact, the operator infers the actual needle position relative to the target position. In many situations this is appropriate; however, when targeting small lesions (i.e. <7 mm), the needle artifact (often 5-9 mm) may obscure the target, limiting the ability to use even real-time imaging data, as from MRI, to validate needle/target position.
Numerous articles have been published in the medical literature describing imaging methods which can be used to monitor and optimize the placement of interventional medical devices in human tissues (e.g., Greenman et al, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, vol. 39:108-115, 1998; Orel et al., Radiology. vol. 193, pp. 97-102, 1994; Kuhl et al., Radiology. vol. 204, pp. 667-675, 1997; Fischer et al., Radiology, vol. 192, pp. 272-272, 1994; Doler et al., Radiology, vol. 200, pp.863-864, 1996; Fischer et al., Radiology, vol. 195, pp. 533-538, 1995; Daniel et al., Radiology, vol. 207, pp. 455-46, 1998; Heywang-Kobrunner et al., European Radiology, vol. 9, pp. 1656-1665, 1999; Liney et al., Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, vol. 12, pp. 984-990, 2000; Schneider et al., Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, vol. 14, pp. 243-253, 2001; Sittek et al., Der Radiologe, vol. 37, no. 9, pp 685-691, 1999; Jolesz, Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, vol. 8, pp. 3-6, 1998; Lufkin et al., Radiology, vol. 197, pp. 16-18, 1995; Silverman et al., Radiology, vol. 197, pp. 175-181, 1995; Kaiser et al., Investigative Radiology, vol 35, no. 8, pp. 513-519, 2000; Tsekos et al., Proceedings of the IEEE 2nd International Symposium on Bioinformatics and Bioengineering Conference, 2001, pp. 201-208).
To address limitations described in the published prior art, a means to verify the actual trajectory of the needle is needed. A satisfactory method must be capable of observing the target tissue to ensure either that needle deflection or target tissue movements can be incorporated into the needle delivery path, thereby ensuring accurate needle delivery. Modified bore design MR magnet systems have been developed to provide more open access to the patient. As such, imaging and needle manipulation can take place concurrently with the physician having some access to the patient while the patient is positioned in the bore. However, these "open" systems are not always available and are often of suboptimal field strength, which can result in reduced image quality. Other proposed solutions in the art involve in-bore robotic devices that enable manipulation of the needle within the bore of the imaging magnet. While this approach usefully addresses the issues of tissue/needle deflection, it also removes the normally close interaction between the radiologist and patient, which may lead to high levels of patient anxiety.

Hybrid imaging method to monitor medical device delivery and patient support for use in the method


A diesel motor-driven electric drive power train system including a diesel engine having a rotatable crankshaft from which a torquing force is output when the engine is energized; an electric generator having a rotatable rotor coupled to the crankshaft of the diesel engine and generating an output electrical current when rotated by the crankshaft; a vehicle frame coupled to the diesel engine and generator and having a wheel rotatably coupled thereto and with the wheel having a central axle shaft extended therefrom; an electric motor coupled to the axle shaft of the wheel for rotating the wheel when electrically energized; and a manually-actuatable three-position gear shift switch mechanism coupled between the generator and the motor and having a first position for energizing the motor to allow the wheel to turn in one direction, and a second position for energizing the motor to allow the wheel to turn in an opposite direction, and a third position for de-energizing the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a diesel motor-driven electric drive power train system and more particularly pertains to propelling a vehicle with a diesel motor-driven electric drive power train system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of power train systems is known in the prior art. More specifically, power train systems heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of propelling a vehicle are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,970 to Severinsky discloses a hybrid electric vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,987 to Abdelnalek discloses a high efficiency hybrid car with gasoline engine and electric battery powered motor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,641 to McLaughlin discloses a truck/trailer control system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,402 to Clark et al. discloses an electric hydraulic car. U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,989 to Gruich et al. discloses a multi-motor modular electric drive power train system for turbine powered vehicles.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a diesel motor-driven electric drive power train system that combines both diesel and supplemental electrical power in one integrated system and allows a driver to precisely control forward, rearward, or braking motion of each wheel of a vehicle with a simple gear shift switch.
In this respect, the diesel motor-driven electric drive power train system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of propelling a vehicle.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved diesel motor-driven electric drive power train system which can be used for propelling a vehicle. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Diesel motor-driven electric drive power train system


A support device, in particular for a camera or the like, comprises a stand with a holder. The holder is connected to the stand by a ball-and-socket joint with a socket constructed as a bridge (1). The bridge (1) has a width which is narrower than the diameter of the ball of the ball-and-socket joint.

The invention relates to a support device comprising a stand with a holder, in particular for a camera and the like, the holder being connected to the stand via a ball-and-socket joint comprising a ball and socket.
Such stands have been disclosed in various constructions. DE-OS 4 202 825 describes a stand in which the camera holder is connected to the stand by means of a ball-and-socket joint. In this joint, the socket overlaps the ball by more than half, as a result of which the swivelling ability of the ball-and-socket joint is severely limited. Furthermore, a comparatively small ball is provided, which results in limited stability when the camera is attached.


A bowling game table featuring a lane surface having a bilaterally symmetrical trough on each side of the flat top surface. A ramp that swivels from side to side from which a ball is rolled will allow a person to “aim” a ball as he or she tries to strike a set of pins on the opposite end of the bowling game surface. In order to level the playing field among the players a handicap pin system has been provided. In order to improve the function of the game surface the top surface is reversible to display other games that may be played.

A. Field of the Invention
This invention involves a unique configuration for a miniature bowling alley and game. Thus, the invention touches, in general fashion, on the fields of both bowling and game tables. However, it can be more specifically and exactly classified as part of the field of miniature bowling games/tables.
B. Prior Art
Numerous patents, both design and utility, have been granted in the field of bowling type game tables. The applicant has been granted a prior patent related to this type of device: Stanford U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,192 that was issued on Mar. 17, 1992.
Substantial improvements have been made to the prior patent in this application. Some of the improvements include the addition of a handicap pin system, the use of Braille indicators, the installation of an automatic ball return, the incorporation of two sided surfaces with one side being slightly indented to simulate a "gutter" ball and the ability to play different games on the opposite side with the use of overlays.


Methods and apparatus are provided for integrating online and offline commerce. In one exemplary embodiment, a customer may select a first item from goods or services offered by a web site accessible from a vendor's place of business, select a second item from a source separate from the web site (e.g., from stock maintained at the vendor's place of business), and purchase both the first and second items in a single transaction. The vendor then initiates shipment of the first item from a separate location.

Over the past several years, the global internet and associated technologies have revolutionized the way in which a business is able to engage in transactions with customers. The World Wide Web portion of the internet has made it cost-effective for businesses to reach a larger audience of potential customers and more convenient for customers to shop at their leisure. Businesses can, using internet-based product advertisements disseminated across multiple web sites, provide a vehicle for a customer to "click through" to a spot on the business's web site where a purchase can be consummated instantly. Security technology has advanced sufficiently to allow customers to trust their ability to make purchases using a credit card. Further, the internet allows businesses to remove logistical barriers to a customer's purchase, by enabling customers 24-hour access to products, and by eliminating the need for customers to travel to the business's physical location.
Despite appearances, however, internet-based commerce has in many respects made transactions more difficult. From the seller's standpoint, most retail web sites require multi-tiered system architectures involving numerous hardware and software components, and presenting a unified face to the customer requires the complex integration of mission-critical but heterogeneous applications like those involved in marketing, inventory management, payment processing and order fulfillment. For some customers, too, internet-based transactions are more difficult in that they place restrictions on method of payment (usually requiring a credit card, and not accepting gift certificates, exchange credits, cash or checks), and require that the customer wait for goods to be shipped or services to be rendered.
These technological and logistical factors often mean that customers perceive, and react very differently to, the experiences of shopping on the web and in the business's storefront(s), and this "perception gap" creates barriers to increased sales that might be removed with better integration of the business's online and offline presence. For instance, the prohibitive costs associated with maintaining physical inventory in multiple storefront locations prevents many retailers from providing many of their customers access to the full breadth of products they offer, and introduces the possibility that a customer could visit the store, find that an item is not stocked, and go to a competitor's store to buy the item. Also, a business's product line can be greatly affected by the cost of stocking certain products at stores—preventing some businesses from carrying certain slower-selling items, thereby costing them not only the sale of those items but sometimes others as well. For example, certain web-based operations that stock items at few locations, or do not stock certain items at all but merely forward orders to manufacturers or distributors to ship to customers, have come to fill a role that store-based retailers cannot perform economically, thus taking the revenue a store-based retailer might have gotten not only for that product, but for products the store-based retailer might have sold with it (and might, coincidentally, be stocked in the store). Lastly, until recently, most retailers were unable to accept returns of purchases made on their web sites at the store, which not only gave the customer cause to reconsider the purchase, but also required the business to absorb extra shipping costs to transfer the goods back to a central distribution center.
Recognizing the potential benefits, many businesses strive to meet the technological and logistical challenges associated with better integrating online and offline sales channels. However, achieving this goal remains elusive, and those who have come closest to achieving it still bear unnecessary costs as a result. Several retailers, for instance, offer customers the capability, if an item is out of stock, of having a salesperson access a back-office inventory and order-entry system directly from a cashier's register, so that the item can be ordered and shipped to the customer, and payment can be accepted in-store as though a "normal" purchase were being executed. This solution, however, requires that the retailer construct and maintain a customized interface to inventory systems as well as a facility to reconcile payment received in the store with products to be shipped. Further, given that the customer typically perceives the process as compensating for an under-stocked store, it does not allow retailers to minimize the cost of maintaining physical inventory without sacrificing customer satisfaction. At least one electronics retailer takes the additional step of allowing customers to access an "in-store version" of the retailer's web site (typically stored on the retailer's intranet) from kiosks placed throughout the store, from which customers can initiate orders, and pay for those orders in the store. This solution, however, requires that the retailer construct and maintain a separate "in-store version" web site, and deploy separate infrastructure to support it.

Method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for integration of online and offline commerce


A method and package for packaging and preserving a sliced cored whole fruit (10) together with a complementary food (18). The whole fruit is prepared by coring to define an elongate central passage (12) and slicing the whole fruit into a plurality of radially symmetric segments (14). The segments are assembled in the shape of a whole fruit around a moisture impermeable inner container (16) containing the complementary food. The inner container has approximately the same outer dimensions as the inner dimensions of the central passage so that the inner container essentially fills and displaces the majority of the air from the central passage. The assembled fruit segments and filled inner container are then sealed within an outer container (20).

Due to the growing public awareness of the importance of avoiding excess fat while increasing the consumption of fiber and carbohydrates, fresh fruit is often regarded as the ideal healthful snack. Unfortunately, fresh whole fruit is often avoided in favor of less healthful snack foods because of the inconvenience and mess associated with eating fruit. Instead, people often eat whole fruit such as apples at home by slicing the apple into segments that are convenient and neat to handle and consume. Often people eat fruit such as apples together with complementary foods such as peanut butter, cheese, fudge, popcorn or chocolates.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,139 to Craig discloses a method for packaging a piece of segmented fresh fruit, such as an orange or other fruit, in a more convenient form for snacking. The orange is peeled, broken into segments and cleaned. The segments are then reassembled and placed in an fruit-shaped plastic package that includes a tear strip for opening. While the container disclosed is suitable for oranges and is suggested for use with other fruits such as apples, no method is provided for preventing deterioration of the fruit due to introduced microbes and air, which would be present within the cored center and between the segments of the fruit. Further, no accommodation is made for conveniently serving a complementary food with the package orange.
Other methods have been developed for preserving cut fruits to prevent their spoilage until consumption. U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,674 to Fan discloses a method for preserving cut fruit wherein the fruit is treated with a chlorine solution to reduce microbes, sliced, treated with sulfides to reduce enzyme activity, and packaged in a controlled atmosphere within a container including a gas permeable portion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,729 to Powrie et al. discloses preserving cut fruit in a controlled atmosphere within a gas impermeable container. The containerized fruit is cold shocked prior to refrigerated storage to further prevent deterioration. U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,229 to Toshitsugu discloses a process for inhibiting ripening of whole apples, wherein the apples are placed together with an ethylene absorbent and a deoxidant in a semi-air permeable bag.
While such methods are suitable for preventing deterioration of fruits, they do not address the packaging and preserving of a sliced cored fruit together with an accompanying food for convenient consumption.

Method for preserving sliced, cored fruit with complementary food center


An apparatus and a method for selecting an antenna appropriate for a data service type in a communication system employing multiple antennas. The method of performing data communication through a transceiver using multiple antennas includes determining the type of the data services contained in a received signal, selecting one of the multiple antennas with a communication quality corresponding to the type of the data services, and employing the selected antenna to perform the data communication.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antenna structure provided in a communication system, and more particularly to an apparatus for enabling an antenna structure to effectively work for various data services in a data communication system and a method therefore.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally the performance and capacity of a communication system are adversely affected by radio channel characteristics such as same channel signal interference, path loss, multiple path fading, signal delay, Doppler diffusion, and shading phenomenon occurring in a cell and between cells. In order to mitigate these drawbacks, various technologies like power control, channel coding, rake reception, diversity antenna, cell sectoring, frequency division, and/or band diffusion are typically used by communication systems.
However, conventional technologies have difficulty satisfying increasing data communication needs of users and providing high performance and high capacity data communication services. The high performance data communication systems typically include communication systems which can transmit a large amount of data packets such as a moving picture. Accordingly communication systems have been developed to support multimedia communications requiring high quality and high capacity.
Generally the communications systems include a base station and at least a subscriber terminal to provide communication services. The base station exchanges high frequency signals with the subscriber's terminal through one or more antennas. The antennas used for the subscriber's terminals may include directional, omni-directional, monopole, or dipole-type antennas.
The monopole-type antenna is typically used in the subscriber terminal cannot have a gain for a signal portion of horizontal polarization even though the received signal includes both signal portions of horizontal and vertical polarization. On the contrary, the antenna system utilizing both horizontal and vertical polarization such as helical antenna has a high gain because of good signal receptivity.
Although the next generation communication systems are being designed to provide subscriber terminals with various data services, the position of the antenna in the subscriber terminal and other adjacent devices may adversely affect the signal reception. For example, if the user uses game services on the subscriber terminal (which typically require the user to hold the terminal using one or both hands, the user's hand may obstruct the incoming radio waves depending on the position of the antenna in the terminal relative to the user's hand or hands, thereby weakening the signal strength. Hence, the position or direction of the antenna in the subscriber's terminal must be considered in order to effectively receive various data services without weakening the signal strength. To this end, efforts have been made to adapt multiple antennas in the subscriber terminals to effectively receive various high-quality data communication services.

Apparatus and method for selecting an antenna in a communication system