A non-volatile storage subsystem solution is provided for embedded applications. The storage subsystem is preferably designed to communicate with the host system using a signal interface, such as a USB or SATA interface, that uses substantially fewer signal lines than the IDE interface traditionally used for embedded applications. Thus, the amount of board real estate used to carry interface signals in the host system is reduced. To further reduce board real estate, the host system may include a processor that includes an integrated controller (e.g., a USB or SATA controller) corresponding to the host-subsystem signal interface. The storage subsystem may plug into, and lock to, an internal connector on a circuit board of the host system.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to solid-state storage subsystems. More specifically, the present invention relates solid-state storage subsystems for embedded applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solid-state storage solutions are used to store a wide variety of data. With increasing memory capacity, a mixture of information (e.g., program files, setup files, user data, etc.) can be conveniently stored on a single solid-state storage subsystem such as a removable flash memory card. For some types of storage applications, the storage subsystem is commonly embedded within the host system. For example, an embedded storage subsystem may be used to store boot sequence and operating system code used by the host system.
Storage subsystems used in embedded applications commonly must be capable of tolerating substantial vibration and physical shock without detachment or data loss. The IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) signal interface and connectors are typically used in embedded applications. The hardware used to implement the IDE interface, however, consumes a significant amount of board real estate within the host system. This is largely due to the large number of IDE signal lines (typically forty-four), and to the frequent need to include a separate IDE controller device on the host system's motherboard.

Solid state storage subsystem for embedded applications


An installation system, and method, for installing a transparent pane into a frame. The system includes a base member defining an elongate recess for receipt of the transparent pane, and a magnet is embedded within the base member for magnetically securing the base member to the frame, wherein the base member is formed from a water-soluble material.

Vehicles include glass or other transparent panes of material that are often attached to structures, such as a frame, that supports and attaches to one or more edges of the pane. For example, vehicles may include rear windows, quarter glass, windshields, and the like. The pane can be attached to the frame in many different ways. In some cases, pins or other fasteners are attached to the pane, and the fasteners are attached within corresponding holes formed in the frame. Also, in some cases, the pane can be attached using an adhesive that continuously extends about a periphery of the pane.
When using an adhesive to attach the pane to the frame, permanent glass supports have been used that are fixedly secured to the vehicle cowling or other body components to contact and support the windshield while the adhesive cures. These supports, however, are typically fixed to the vehicle cowling in a manner where the pane is first attached to the frame along a bottom edge thereof. If any manufacturing tolerances are present, a gap can be created between the upper edge of the pane and the frame. If the gap is not covered by a molding piece, the gap can be unsightly. Moreover, as noted above, the supports are permanent. Because the supports are not removed, vibrations from operating the vehicle can be transmitted to the supports. Over time, the supports may generate impact forces that will cause eventual stress cracks.

Self-locating water-soluble glass support


In a label transfer network, an ingress node positioned at an upstream side end of a partial section of a first data transfer path (old path) transmits a path modify request, and an egress node positioned at a downstream side end of the partial section returns a label allocation request on a detour path (new path) to the ingress node in response to reception of the path modify request for implementing partial path modification from the old path to the new path. This enables the partial path modification with only a node bearing relation to the path modification, thus shortening the time needed for the path modification and suppressing an increase in extra control traffic for a node having no relation to the path modification.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a path (route) modifying method, label switching node and administrative (management) node in a label transfer network, and more particularly to a path modifying method, label switching node and administrative node suitable for use in a network based upon MPLS or GMPLS (Generalized MPLS).
(2) Description of the Related Art
(1) MPLS
In the recent years, as a technique of, on a network, relaying (routing) communication data in the form of packet data (which will hereinafter be referred to simply as a "packet") at a high speed, much attention has been paid to a technology called "MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching). This "MPLS" is of a type transferring packets in accordance with fixed-length destination information (label information; which will hereinafter be referred to simply as "label") newly appendant (added) to a head of a packet in addition to a resident destination address therein.
Concretely, a router (LSR: Label Switching Router) functioning as a relaying device constituting a network (label transfer network; which will be referred to hereinafter as an "MPLS network") based on the "MPLS" retains a label table representative of the relationship between an input label, an input interfaces (IF) and an output label, an output IFs, and for packet relay, determines an output IF on the basis of an appendant label of a received packet without using a resident destination address thereof and converts (rewrite) the appendent label of the received packet into an output label.
Such an operation is repeatedly conducted in each of routers constituting the MPLS network, thereby transferring packets successively to a desired destination within the MPLS network. The aforesaid label is initially added in an input LSR (edge router) of the MPLS network.
Referring to FIG. 18, a more detailed description will be given hereinbelow of a packet relay method for use in such an MPLS network. In FIG. 18, reference numerals 101 to 104 represent routers (LSRs) organizing an MPLS network 100, and of these routers (which will hereinafter be referred to equally as "nodes") 101 to 104, each of the routers 101 and 104 serves as an edge router while each of the other routers 102 and 103 acts as a transit router.
First of all, the edge router 101 appends a label "a" to a received packet inputted to the MPLS network 100 and transfers this packet toward the next-hop (downstream side) router 102. Upon receipt of the packet with the label "a" from a specified input IF, the router 102 performs the retrieval (which will hereinafter be referred to as "label retrieval") on a label table 111, it retains, on the basis of identification information about that input IF (IF-ID; for example, IF-ID=#1) and the inputted label "a" as a retrieval key to determine/acquire the corresponding output IF and output label. In the case of FIG. 18, the router 102 provides the output IF "IF-ID=#2" and output label "b".
In addition, after the conversion of the input label "a" of the received packet into the output label "b" through the label retrieval as mentioned above, the router 102 transfers this packet through the output IF corresponding to "IF-ID=#2" to the next-hop router 103. As well as the aforesaid router 102, the router 103 determines and acquires an output IF ("IF-ID=#2") and output label ("c") respectively corresponding to the IF-ID (for example, IF-ID=#1) of the input IF, which has received the packet, and the label "b" appended to the received packet through the retrieval on a label table 112, and after the conversion of the label "b" of the received packet into the output label "c", it transfers this packet through the output IF "IF-ID=#2" toward the subsequent-stage router 104.
In this way, in the MPLS network 100, the packet received by the edge router 101 is transferred to the final-hop edge router (egress router) 104 while its label is rewritten in each of the transit routers 102 and 103. At this time, since each of the transit routers 102 and 103 conducts the transfer according to a fixed-length label, there is no need to calculate and determine the destination, to which the received packet is transferred, on the basis of a variable-length destination address, which enables fast packet relay.
(2) Label Distribution Protocol
In the case of the "MPLS", a label distribution protocol (CR-LDP: Constraint-based Routed Label Distribution Protocol) is employed for constructing the label tables 111 and 112 for use in the above-mentioned packet transfer system. That is, as illustratively shown in FIG. 19, for establishing a path (LSP: Label Switched Path) from the router 101 to the router 104, the edge (ingress) router (ingress node) 101 exiting at the starting point of the path transmits, to the next-hop router 102 lying on the path being established, a label request (Label REQ) 113 specifying (storing) identification information [node addresses (="LSR2", LSR3", "LSR4")] such as address information on a route up to the edge (egress) router (egress node) 104 forming the end point of the path (on the routers 102, 103 and 104 lying on the path to be established).
Upon receipt of this label request 113, the router 102 extracts its own node address (="LSR2") stored in this label request 113 and then transfers a label request 114 to the next-hop router 103 having a succeeding specified node address (="LSR3").
In like manner, the router 103 extracts its own node address (="LSR3") stored in the label request 114 and then transfers a label request 115 to the subsequent-hop router 104 having a further succeeding specified node address (="LSR4"). In this way, a label request issued from the ingress node 101 is transferred to the routers 102, 103 and 104 on the established path in a hop-by-hop manner.
Lastly, upon receipt of the label request 115, the edge node 104 recognizes the fact that it is the egress node because only its own node address (="LSR4") exists as the specified address in the label request 115, and transmits a message (label allocation request (Label MAP)) for label allocation as a reply to the ingress node 101.
For example, in the case of FIG. 19, the egress node 104 allocates "c" as a label (which is referred to as an "upstream side label") to be appended on the upstream side (router 103), and transmits a label allocation request 116 with the label "c" to the upstream side (router 103) through the input IF which has received the label request 115.
When receiving this label allocation request 116 through the output IF (IF-ID=#2) through which the router 103 has transferred the label request 115, the router 103 newly allocates "b" as an upstream side label and transmits the label request 114 to the upstream side (router 102) through the input IF (IF-ID=#1) which has received the label request 114.
In addition, at this time, the router 103 makes out the aforesaid label table 112 by associating the IF-ID=#1 on the input IF and the upstream side label "b" with the IF-ID=#2 on the output IF and a label (which is referred to as a "downstream side label") "c" allocated on the downstream side (the egress node 104).
In like manner, when receiving the aforesaid label allocation request 117 transmitted from the downstream side router 103, the upstream side router 102 newly allocates "a" as an upstream side label to transmit a label allocation request 118 with the allocated upstream side label "a" to the upstream side (ingress node 101), and makes out the aforesaid label table 111 by associating the IF-ID=#1 on the input IF and the upstream side label "a" with the IF-ID=#2 on the output IF and the downstream side label "b".
In this way, the label allocation requests (Label MAP) are successively transferred from the egress node 104, which has received a label request (Label REQ), to the upstream side, and when the label allocation request 118 is finally received by the ingress node 101, the required label tables 111 and 112 are made out in the transit nodes 102 and 103, thereby establishing a path from the ingress node 101 to the egress node 104.
(3) Path Modification in "MPLS"
As mentioned above, in the MPLS network 100, a path (LSP) from the ingress node 101 to the egress node 104 is established through the use of a signaling protocol represented by the aforesaid CR-LDP. With reference to FIGS. 20 to 23, a further description will be given hereinbelow of a method of modifying (changing) a path (LSP) established in this way.
For example, let it be assumed that, of routers 101 to 106 constituting an MPLS network 100, a path (LSP) 120 extending through the routers 101, 102, 103, 105 and 106 has already been established as shown in FIG. 20A while label tables 111, 112, 113, 115 and 116 have been made out and retained through the use of a signaling protocol such as the aforesaid CR-LDP in the routers 101, 102, 103, 105 and 106 as shown in FIG. 20B.
In the label tables 111 to 113, 115 and 116 shown in FIG. 20B, the "identifier" represents information (which will be referred to hereinafter as an "LSP ID") for identifying an LSP already established. That is, each of the routers 101 to 106 is made to manage the association (correspondence) between an input IF, an input label and an output IF, an output label according to LSP.
In this condition, in FIG. 20A, when the established LSP 120 is modified into a new LSP passing through the routers (nodes) 101, 102, 104, 105 and 106, a path modify request (Modify REQ) is transmitted through the new LSP to the egress node 106.
That is, as shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B, the ingress node 101 transmits, to the downstream side node 102, a path modify request (Modify REQ1) 121 having an LSP ID (in this case, "1" is taken provisionally) of the new LSP and node addresses (LSR#2, LSR#4, LSR#5, LSR#6) of the nodes 102, 104, 104 and 106 on the new LSP. Incidentally, the "path modify request" includes the same basic format as that of the above-mentioned label request (Label REQ), and flag information is set to indicate whether its own message is an ordinary label request for establishing a new path or the aforesaid path modify request.
Upon receipt of the path modify request 121, as in the case of the reception of the foregoing label request, the node 102 extracts its own node address (=LSR#2) from the received path modify request 121 to transfer a path modify request 122 (Modify REQ2) shown in FIG. 21C to the downstream side node 104 on the new LSP.
Following this, in like manner, a path modify request 123 (Modify REQ3) shown in FIG. 21D is transmitted from the node 104 on the new LSP to the node 105 thereon, and a path modify request 124 (Modify REQ4) shown in FIG. 21E is sent from the node 105 to the node 106. Upon receipt of the path modify request 124 at the egress node 106, as well as the case of establishing the LSP 120, the egress node 106 returns the above-mentioned label allocation request (Label MAP) to the upstream side node 105 on the new LSP.
That is, for example, as shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, a label allocation request 131 (Label MAP1) having a route ID (=1) of the new LSP and a newly allocated label (label "D" different from the label "d" for the old LSP 120) is returned to the upstream side node 105. Upon receipt of this label allocation request 131, as shown in FIGS. 22A and 22C, the node 105 transmits, to the upstream side node 104, a label allocation request 132 (Label MAP2) having a route ID (=1) on the new LSP and a newly allocated label "C".
Thereafter, in like manner, a label allocation request 133 (Label MAP3) shown in FIG. 22D is transmitted from the node 104 to the node 102 as shown in FIG. 22A, and a label allocation request 134 (Label MAP4) shown in FIG. 22E is transmitted from the node 102 to the node 101 as shown in FIG. 22A.
In this way, the label allocation requests 131 to 134 are transferred on the new LSP in a hop-by-hop manner, and lastly, when the ingress node 101 receives the label allocation request 134, the label tables 111 to 116 the nodes 101 to 106 retain becomes in states shown in FIG. 22F.
That is, owing to the transmission of the above-mentioned label allocation requests 131 to 134, association information indicated by an oblique line portion in FIG. 22F are newly created in the nodes 101, 102, 104, 105 and 106 on the new LSP, and are placed (registered) in the label tables 111, 112, 114, 115 and 116, they retain, respectively.
Thus, as indicated by a solid-line arrow in FIG. 22F, the association information on the new LSP in the label tables 111, 112, 114, 115 and 116 in the nodes 101, 102, 104, 105 and 106 are linked with each other so that a new LSP 121 (see FIG. 23A) falls into an establishable condition. Incidentally, the link between the association information indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 22F is on the old LSP 120.
Following this, the ingress node 101 terminates (releases, that is, removes from the label table 111) the association information on the old LSP 120, and transmits a release request (Release REQ) along the old LSP 120. That is, for example, as shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, the ingress node 101 transmits, to the downstream side node 102 on the new LSP 121, a release request (Release REQ1) 141 having a route ID (=1) of the old LSP 120 to be released and the released label "a".
Upon receipt of this release request 141, the node 102 removes the association information on the old LSP 120, specified by the received release request 141, from the label table 112, and transmits, to the downstream side node 104 on the new LSP 121, a release request (Release REQ2) 142 having a route ID (=1) of the old LSP 120 and the released label "b".
After this, in like manner, a release request (Release REQ3) 143 shown in FIG. 23D is transmitted from the node 103 to the node 105 as shown in FIG. 23A, while a release request (Release REQ4) 144 shown in FIG. 23E is forwarded from the node 105 to the egress node 106.
With the above-mentioned operations, only the association information on the new LSP 121 remain in the label tables 111, 112, 114, 115 and 116 of the nodes 101, 102, 104, 105 and 106, thus achieving a path modification (alteration) from the old LSP 120 to the new LSP 121 (see FIG. 23F).
However, in the case of the above-described conventional path modify method for use in the "MPLS", since a release request (Release REQ) is forwarded from the ingress node 101 to the egress node 106 after a path modify request (Modify REQ) is transmitted from the ingress node 101 to the egress node 106 and a label allocation request (Label MAP) is returned from the egress node 106 to the ingress node 101, even the nodes (in the above-mentioned examples, the nodes 101 and 106) having no relation to the path modification are involved in the transmission/reception of the path modify request (Modify REQ), the label allocation request (Label MAP) and the release request (Release REQ).
In consequence, a problem arises in that the path modification takes much time to cause a great delay until the path modification reaches completion. Add to it that extra control traffic to the nodes having no relation to the path modification comes into existence.

Path modifying method, label switching node and administrative node in label transfer network


A method and system for performing handoffs in radiocommunication systems using a time variable hysteresis value are described. By varying the hysteresis value in accordance with the amount of time that the mobile station has been using a current channel, problems associated with the measurement of signal strengths attributable to filter initialization can be avoided.

The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for radiocommunications and, more particularly, to such systems in which a connection can be handed over from one channel or base station to another.
The cellular telephone industry has made phenomenal strides in commercial operations in the United States as well as the rest of the world. Growth in major metropolitan areas has far exceeded expectations and is rapidly outstripping system capacity. If this trend continues, the effects of this industry's growth will soon reach even the smallest markets. Innovative solutions are required to meet these increasing capacity needs as well as maintain high quality service and avoid rising prices.
In cellular systems, the capability is typically provided to transfer handling of a connection between, for example, a mobile station and a base station to another base station, as the mobile station changes its position and so moves out of the coverage area of one base station and into the coverage area of another base station. This type of handoff is commonly referred to as an "intercell" handoff as the coverage areas associated with base stations are commonly referred to as "cells". Depending upon the quality of the current channel, it may also be desirable to transfer a connection from one channel of the base station to another channel supported by the same base station, which handoffs are commonly referred to as "intracell" handoffs.
To smoothly complete a handoff, the network controlling the base stations first determines, for each mobile station, whether the need for handoff is imminent and secondly determines to which new base station (or channel) handoff should be effected. In making the latter decision it is desirable that the network controller know either how well each base station can receive signals from a mobile station in question, how well the mobile station in question can receive signals from each base station, or both.
Many existing radiocommunication systems are based on an access method known as Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), in which each mobile station transmits on a unique frequency within its current base station area. The mobile station is thus unaware of signals on other frequencies from surrounding base stations. In FDMA systems it is typically considered too costly to equip mobile stations with an extra receiver that could be used to scan other base station frequencies. Instead, it is common for base stations to be equipped with a scanning receiver that searches for the signals of approaching mobile stations. The network then hands over a mobile station from a base station covering an area that the mobile is leaving to the base station that reports the best reception of the mobile station's signal.
More recent cellular telephone standards employ Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) in which a fixed time period (e.g., 20 mS) on each pair of radio frequency links (one used in the direction from mobile station to base station (uplink), the other used in the direction from base station to mobile station (downlink)) is divided into a number (e.g., 3) of short timeslots (e.g., 6.6 mS) that are cyclically used by different mobile stations. Thus, a first mobile station transmits in the first timeslot in each period, a second mobile station transmits in the second timeslot in each period and so on. Likewise the base station transmits to one mobile station in the first timeslot, another mobile station in the second slot and so on. By offsetting the allocation of timeslots in the two communication directions, base to mobile (the downlink) and mobile to base (the uplink), it can be arranged that a first mobile transmits in the first timeslot and receives in the second timeslot; a second mobile transmits in the second timeslot and receives in the third, while a third mobile transmits in the third timeslot and receives in the first timeslot. An advantage of this arrangement is that a mobile station does not need to transmit and receive simultaneously, which reduces disturbance.
In the above three-timeslot example, each mobile station is active to transmit or receive in two of the three timeslots and is idle in the remaining timeslot. Therefore it is possible for TDMA mobile stations to use this idle time to receive signals from other base stations and measure their signal strength. By reporting these signal strength measurements to the base station using a slow speed data channel multiplexed with the traffic (i.e., voice), the network is informed about the base stations each mobile station can receive. The network can use this information to effect handoff to the best base station, and such a method is termed mobile assisted handover (MAHO). When the base stations scan for the signal strength of mobile stations, the method could be termed base assisted handover (BAHO). Systems providing MAHO also have access to the base station measurements, and so are able to effect smoother and more reliable handovers because both uplink and downlink signal strengths are taken into account, instead of just uplink strengths in the case of BAHO.
In yet another access technique, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), mobile stations can share the same frequency band but communications are distinguishable by virtue of unique spreading codes. Even in CDMA systems it is possible to measure a signal strength of pilot channels associated with a particular base station. The base station and/or mobile station can use this information to determine when a handover to another code, or another frequency band in multicarrier CDMA, is desirable.
As can be seen from the foregoing, a common element in determining when an handoff is desirable is the measurement of signal quality received either at the base station, at the mobile station, or both. An intracell handoff, on the other hand, is triggered by insufficient quality of the current connection as indicated by, e.g., bit error rate (BER). Conventionally, the decision to make a handoff is based on this signal quality information in view of some constant hysteresis value. Signal quality can be expressed as either, for example, signal strength or BER. If, for example, the signal strength received by a mobile station from an adjacent cell's base station exceeds that of the base station to which it is currently connected plus the constant hysteresis value, then a handoff occurs to the adjacent cell's base station. By providing the hysteresis value, it was conventionally thought that inadvertent handoffs due to fluctuations in signal strength could be minimized so that a mobile station operating near cell borders didn't experience a "ping-pong" effect between base stations.
However, the provision of a constant hysteresis has been found by Applicants to be ineffective under certain circumstances. In particular, base stations filter the reported signal quality in order to more accurately determine when a handoff is desirable for a particular mobile station under the particular rf conditions that its channel is experiencing. This filter can be initialized either by assuming a fixed value or, for example, by using the first received value from the mobile station. If the first received value from the mobile station is used as a "best guess" to initialize the filter, then the filter will more rapidly converge on a correct value. However, during the convergence process, fluctuations in the signal quality may result in undesirable handoffs.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop enhanced techniques to determine when a handoff is appropriate to efficiently utilize system resources, to avoid oscillating connections caused by the "ping-pong" effect described above and to address the undesirable handoffs caused during the period when receive filters are being initialized.

Method and system for variable handoff hysteresis in a radiocommunication system


A method for monitoring performance of a gas turbine system comprises providing a plurality of combustor cans; placing a plurality of temperature sensors circumferentially around an exhaust plane of the plurality of combustor cans; operating the plurality of combustor cans while varying a plurality of gas turbine operating parameters, where exhaust gas issues from each combustor can of the plurality of combustor cans during operation; measuring temperature of the exhaust gas in the exhaust plane using the plurality of temperature sensors to obtain a plurality of individual temperature measurements; determining a correlation of the individual temperature measurements of exhaust gas temperature with corresponding individual combustor cans of the plurality of combustor cans issuing the exhaust gas; and developing a swirl model, where the model uses the correlation to predict swirl values in the exhaust plane as a function of the operating parameters.

The present invention relates generally to gas turbine systems and more specifically to methods and apparatus for monitoring performance of gas turbine systems.
A gas turbine typically comprises a compressor for compressing air and a combustor where the compressed air from the compressor and gas fuel are mixed and burned. The hot gases from the combustor drive the turbine stages to generate power. Normally, for installed turbines, performance monitoring is done through daily checks and measurements and periodic performance tests. The results are later used for maintenance and repair diagnostic processes. For example, after a fault occurs the previously recorded trends of the machine are analyzed to identify the cause of failure, and maintenance action required to recover from the identified failure is conducted. There are limitations for such monitoring systems, as they identify the problem only after the fault has occurred. Therefore, present methods as described above generally are not able to predict and prevent turbine damage. Furthermore, due to inherent time delays associated with analyzing faults, determining failure causes, and identifying corrective action steps, use of present methods often results in undesirable lengths of repair time for critical turbine components.
In certain gas turbine monitoring devices, system modeling techniques use engine performance parameters to approximate thermodynamic processes within a gas turbine. In one such system, the engine pressure ratio (EPR) is monitored for a gas turbine engine and used as an independent variable to determine expected values of fuel flow, exhaust gas temperature, and rotational speed of the high pressure compressor stage for a properly operating theoretical engine of the type being monitored. Diode networks are arranged to effect voltage transfer characteristics that closely approximate the parametric relationship between EPR and one of the dependent variables such as, for example, fuel flow in the theoretical engine. The diode network provides expected values of operating parameters in an ideal condition. The signals from the actual engine and the expected values are supplied to an analog computational network to calculate deviation of the actual values from expected values as a means to detect anomalies. Such systems face a drawback in that they are not capable of precisely monitoring engine performance over the entire operation of the engine being monitored. Many systems modeling techniques unrealistically assume that the values of engine performance parameters remain constant at different operating conditions, and most systems do not take into account the gradual deterioration in performance during an engine's operating life.
In gas turbines, exhaust temperature monitoring is desirable since high temperatures can cause damage to combustor elements, hot gas path parts, rotor blades, and the like. High exhaust gas temperatures may also cause emission levels of certain regulated compounds, such as nitrogen oxides, to rise above allowable limits. Temperature sensors, such as, for example, thermocouples, have been used in prior art systems to determine the temperature of discharges gases in the turbine combustor. Though temperature monitoring provides information important to increased turbine reliability, this technique alone generally is not sufficient in the identification of particular components operating in, or at risk of operating in, an anomalous condition.
Therefore there is a need for an improved mechanism for monitoring the performance of a gas turbine system so that particular components causing anomalous operation may be identified and an informed prognosis may be made regarding the time the turbine can be operated until maintenance and repair procedures are required.

Method and apparatus for monitoring the performance of a gas turbine system


A damper and overfire air duct in a combustion system having a combustion structure defining a flue gas passage, the damper and overfire air duct including: an inlet to the overfire air duct and an outlet to the duct discharging overfire air into the flue gas passage, and the damper aligned with an axis of the overfire air duct, and having an open position axially distal to the inlet and a closed position at least partially in the inlet and duct, wherein the damper is movable axially between the open and closed positions.

This invention relates generally to secondary air injection to combustion systems and, particularly, to dampers for secondary air tubes in fossil fuel fired boilers.
Combustion systems are used in numerous industrial environments to generate heat and hot gases. For example, boilers and furnaces burn hydrocarbon fuels, e.g., oil and coal, in stationary combustors to produce heat to raise the temperature of a fluid, e.g., water. Industrial combustors typically employ various burner elements to combust the fuel and air injectors to provide combustion air to ensure complete combustion of the fuel. A typical industrial furnace, whether gas or fossil fired and hereafter referred to as a boiler, typically includes a lower combustion zone and a generally vertically extending flue gas passage.
The air introduced into a combustion system may be staged. Primary air is mixed with the fuel as both are injected into a combustion zone. Secondary air (also known as overfire air) may be injected into a combustion chamber downstream (in the direction of flue gas flow) of the primary combustion zone. The secondary air may be used to burnout any unburned hydrocarbons remaining from the primary combustion zone.
Overfire air is typically injected into the flue gas at a location in the flue gas passage downstream of the combustion zone. The combustion air provided to the combustion zone may be reduced to suppress flame temperature in the combustion zone and NOx formation. Suppressing combustion temperature creates excessive unburned hydrocarbons in the flue gas. The overfire air, introduced above the primary combustion zone, completes combustion of the unburned hydrocarbons which are then converted to carbon dioxide and water.
In conventional boilers, the overfire air is introduced to the flue passage through injection ports in the front or side walls or both of the boiler. The amount of secondary air (overfire air) needed for effective burnout may vary depending on the operating condition of the combustion system. To adjust the amount of secondary air, dampers are closed or opened to vary the amount of secondary air flowing from the secondary air tubes into the flue passage. However, conventional dampers tend to either shut off secondary air flow or allow substantial amounts of air flow. Conventional dampers tend not to effectively allow for adjustable amounts of secondary air. There is a long felt need for an improved damper for a secondary (overfire) air system.

Overfire air tube damper for boiler and method for regulating overfire air


An entry and starting system in an object has a control and transmission unit configured to use a radio link to interchange at least one radio signal and an ultrasonic link to interchange at least one ultrasonic signal with a portable electronic device. The control and transmission unit sets up a radio link to the portable electronic device and uses the electronic device via the radio link to stipulate at least one relevant parameter for a subsequent ultrasonic link. The control and transmission unit is additionally configured so as, following the stipulation of the parameters, to set up an ultrasonic link according to the previously determined parameters. The entry and starting system checks an authorization of the portable electronic device, the portable electronic device being detected as authorized if the at least one relevant parameter of a subsequent ultrasonic link is concordant with the at least one stipulated parameter.

Keyless vehicle entry and starting systems, such as the Passive Start Entry (PASE) system, for example, are automatic systems for unlocking a vehicle without active use of an automobile key and for starting said vehicle by merely operating the starting button. In this case, the vehicle has a transmission unit arranged in it that transmits signals. These are electromagnetic signals in the LF (Low Frequency) or HF (High Frequency) band, for example. The signals are received by a transponder unit when the latter is close to the vehicle, and are subsequently evaluated and/or processed further. Following the evaluation and/or further processing in the transponder unit, corresponding response signals can be sent back again to the transmission unit in the vehicle. The response signals are sent in the UHF frequency band, for example, and can be evaluated in the vehicle by an evaluation unit. If a response signal is detected as correct and hence the transponder unit is detected as belonging to the vehicle, the vehicle can be unlocked or started. Other functions in the vehicle can also be controlled in this manner.
Such systems can be attacked relatively easily, however, e.g. by means of what are known as relay attacks.

Entry and starting system and method for entry and starting verification


System, method and computer readable medium are described. The method may include obtaining user defined distribution traits characterizing a random sub-space of a space of assignments for a set of generative variables. The method may further include applying the user defined distribution traits on the space of assignments for a set of generative variables to generate the random sub-space of the space of assignments for a set of generative variables. The method may also include testing a device under test using the generated random sub-space of the space of assignments for a set of generative variables.

Design verification is a common process for testing an integrated circuit, board, or system-level architecture, to confirm it complies with the requirements defined by the specification of the architecture for that device. Design verification for a device under test (DUT) may be performed on the actual device, or on a simulation model of the device.
Verifying a design using a simulation model of the device involves using hardware description languages (HDL) such as Verilog and VHDL. These languages are designed to describe hardware at high levels of abstraction. The generated simulated model of the tested device can receive input stimuli in the form of test vectors, which are a string of binary values applied to the input of a circuit. The simulated model then produces results, which are checked against the expected results for the particular design of the device.
However, HDLs are not designed for actual verification. Therefore, the verification engineer has to write additional programming code in order to interface with the models described by these hardware description languages in order to perform design verification of the device.
When verifying an actual, manufactured device (or a similar device implemented in a fast technology such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), there is still a need to inject input stimuli, similar to the stimuli used for verifying a simulation.

Generation of a random sub-space of the space of assignments for a set of generative attributes for verification coverage closure


OSD data YD includes a color designating signal As and a color changing signal Ex. When a color register number is designated by the color designating signal As, a color storage unit 41 outputs an appropriate color signal. A Y signal is branched from the outputted color signal and subjected to a modulating process by the color changing signal Ex. The Y changing signal obtained by the modulating process is merged with a Cb signal and a Cr signal so as to form new color signal. The OSD data YD with changed color is subjected to a synthesizing process with image data XD according to the predetermined mixture ratio.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color signal generating circuit and a color signal synthesizing circuit.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a digital camera, a taken image is displayed on a monitor and textual information such as the date, time and counter of photo-taking is overlaid on the image. Predetermined buttons operation allows various menus to be shown on the camera image. The data thus displayed on camera image in an overlaid manner is referred to as OSD (On Screen Display) data.
An image such as textual information overlaid on the taken image is displayed in multi colors these days. This makes it possible to change colors depending on the contents of information to be displayed or to perform gradation display, thereby improving GUI (Graphic User Interface).
As for the pixels to be concerned, overlaid video images can be displayed with transparency by mixing colors for displaying textual information and colors for displaying the taken image at a predetermined mixture ratio. This achieves not only multi-color display but also various changes made in the display on the monitor.
However, there is a problem that using various colors for overlaid display requires a large storage capacity to store the color information. This problem is particularly serious in electronic appliances such as digital cameras and digital movies which have been increasingly reduced in size and cost.
FIGS. 7 to 9 are circuit diagrams of color signal synthesizing circuits which has been conventionally used. FIG. 7 shows a color signal synthesizing circuit capable of performing overlaid display with 16 colors, and FIGS. 8 and 9 show a color signal synthesizing circuit capable of performing overlaid display with 256 colors. The flows of the processes of these circuits and the details of the circuits will not be described here since they are equal to the description in embodiments of the present invention.
In the case of 16 colors-equipped circuit (FIG. 7) using 4-bits data per pixel in overlaid display, a color storage unit 141 holds 16 color registers (color registers 0 to 15). On the other hand, in the case of 256 colors-equipped circuit (FIG. 8) using 8-bits data per pixel in overlaid display, a color storage unit 151 holds 256 color registers (color registers 0 to 255). This brings about the problem that a growing number of colors expands the circuit scale, thereby increasing the cost and power consumption.
FIG. 9 shows a case adopting an SRAM as a color storage unit 161. This case can have a circuit scale smaller than the case with 256 color registers as shown in FIG. 8, but has the problem of cost increase.

Color signal generating circuit, method and color signal synthesizing circuit


Provided are a wind turbine generator and a method for constructing a wind turbine generator that allow for alleviation of construction costs, particularly for large wind turbine generators, and alleviation of limitations on construction due to weather. Provided are a rotor head that has a plurality of wind turbine rotor blades and that is rotated by wind power received by the plurality of wind turbine rotor blades, a front segment disposed on top of a tower and constituting a nacelle to which the rotor head is attached, a rear segment attached to the front segment and constituting the nacelle, a front frame disposed in the front segment and positioned between the rotor head and the tower so as to support a load on the rotor head, a rear frame disposed in the rear segment and attached to the front frame, a front cover covering the periphery of the front segment, and a rear cover covering the periphery of the rear segment.

Recently, the size of wind turbines has been increased in order to, for example, boost the output power of wind turbine generators. The increase in the size of wind turbines, accordingly, has increased the hub height of wind turbines and at the same time has increased the weight of nacelles.
To support such a change, the size of cranes used for construction of wind turbines is also increased; however, it causes the problem of increased construction costs.
To solve this problem, a method has been proposed in which wind turbines are constructed with segmented wind turbine rotor blades, nacelles, and so on (see, for example, Non-patent Document 1).
The above method alleviates the increase in the size of cranes used for construction and therefore the increase in construction costs.
Non-patent Document 1:
"Four New Proposals", 02: Segmented Nacelles and Segmented Blades, online, searched on Oct. 5, 2006, Internet <URL: http://www.fhi.co.jp/ecotechnology/wind/tech/index.html>

Wind turbine generator and method for constructing wind turbine generator


A start-up method and apparatus for continuous casting of molten metal into a cast strip product includes initially casting a start-up alloy having sufficient strength, flexibility and casting surface release properties to achieve steady state casting conditions. A target alloy follows the start-up alloy being cast to produce a cast strip product of the target alloy composition. A start-up alloying vessel is disposed between the source of the target alloy and the casting apparatus to facilitate introduction of a start-up alloy into the casting process or formulation of a particular start-up alloy for initiation of the continuous casting operation.

In the prior art, it is known to produce aluminum in coil form from a continuous casting apparatus wherein molten aluminum is delivered from a tundish and cast in the form of a metal sheet or strip and rolled into a coil on a coiler. Generally, in this process, molten aluminum is deposited on a moving chill surface from a tundish having an open outlet. An inlet is provided for the flow of molten metal into the tundish from a source of molten metal. The direct casting of the molten aluminum metal onto a chill wheel, preferably a grooved chill wheel, produces a cast aluminum product at a rapid rate. The aluminum cast strip is wound on a coiler in heated form, generally at a temperature in the range of about 400.degree.-1000.degree. F.
Drag casting apparatus and methods of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,828,012, 4,896,715, 4,934,443, 4,945,974, 4,940,077 and 4,955,429. The disclosures of these patents are hereby specifically incorporated by reference with respect to the method and apparatus for the production of aluminum strip and coil from molten aluminum or aluminum alloys.
With reference now to FIG. 1, a continuous casting apparatus is illustrated which is typical of prior art continuous casting apparatus using a driven chill surface. The continuous casting apparatus is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and is seen to include a tundish 1 positioned adjacent a driven chill surface 3. The chill surface 3 comprises the external cylindrical surface of a casting wheel 5. The casting wheel 5 is internally cooled with circulating water or other conventional cooling fluids to extract heat through the chill surface 3 so as to solidify molten metal 7 exiting the tundish 1. A rotary brush 18 contacts the chill surface 3 to remove debris and other impurities prior to casting.
The casting wheel 5 is supported by journal bearings 9 for rotation about a fixed horizontal axis. The journal bearings 9 are supported on the supporting frame 11 which supports both the bearings and the tundish 1. The casting wheel may be driven by a suitable drive means such as a variable speed motor and reduction gear mechanism, not shown, and a drive chain or belt 13 engaging the casting wheel 5.
After the molten metal 7 contacts the chill surface 3 and is solidified as a strip 15, a coiling apparatus 17 accumulates the strip in coil form for further processing. The coiling apparatus may include rollers 23 to guide the cast strip to the coiler.
The continuous casting apparatus 10 may also include a burner 19 to selectively apply heat to the chill surface at a location beneath the tundish 1. In addition, a top roll 21 may be provided which is uncooled or heated, the top roll being mounted for rotation in contact with the molten metal prior to complete solidification of the strip.
However, these types of melt drag casting apparatus present difficulties in casting certain types of alloys. For example, at casting onset, the solidified head of the strip being cast does not release from the casting wheel. Consequently, the cast strip will wrap around the wheel, burning the brushes 18 and damaging the tundish 1. On the other hand, if the cast strip releases too quickly it can become entangled in the cast strip framework or other cast strip components.
Besides alloys having unacceptable release characteristics as described above, certain alloys lack the required physical strength characteristics for start-up conditions. During casting start-up, an alloy must have sufficient stiffness to feed through the strip handling equipment such as the guide rolls 23 located between the casting wheel 5 and the coiler 17. The cast alloy strip must also have sufficient tensile strength so that it is not pulled apart by the feed rolls when wrapping around the coiler 17. In combination with the required strength, the alloy cast strip must also possess sufficient flexibility to take gentle bends and direction changes without breaking.
Highly alloyed materials such as an AA aluminum alloy 5182 exhibit brittleness and high strength which make it difficult to begin casting. On the other hand, high purity aluminum alloys such as AA 1235 do not have sufficient strength to travel from the casting wheel through the material handling components to the coiler 17.
In view of the deficiencies in prior art melt drag casting apparatus, a need has developed to improve the continuous casting start-up sequence so as to successfully continuously cast these types of difficult-to-cast alloys.
In response to this need, the present invention provides a start-up alloying vessel in combination with a melt drag continuous casting apparatus. The start-up alloying vessel permits start-up continuous casting with an alloying composition having the necessary strength and release characteristics to establish steady state casting conditions. Once casting equilibrium is achieved, an alloy composition exhibiting characteristics making it difficult to initiate continuous casting is merged with the start-up alloying composition to produce a cast strip product of the desired composition.
In the prior art, various casting apparatus have been proposed which include an intermediate tundish disposed between a molten metal vessel and a casting surface or mold. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,360 to Bray, a launder is disposed between a furnace and a casting mold. A dilute master alloy as a pre-heated wire is fed into the launder while a pure molten copper enters the launder from a furnace. The alloying wire is pre-heated using an electrical circuit prior to submersion into the molten metal in the launder.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,870 to Nemoto et al. also discloses the use of an intermediate vessel disposed between a ladle and a mold for alloying purposes. In this patent, rare earth metals are added into the liquid steel in the intermediate vessel. Adding the rare earth elements in the intermediate vessel facilitates desulphurization of the liquid steel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,876 to Steinemann discloses an arrangement for the delivery of predetermined amounts of molten metal from a sealed and heated storage vessel. The arrangement includes an intermediate vessel which permits measurement of the molten charge within the vessel. Inoculation or seeding agents may be added to the molten metal in the intermediate vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,365 to McCaulay et al. provides a reaction chamber separate from the casting mold. The reaction chamber is used to add a nodularising agent to the untreated molten metal prior to casting. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,468 to Nieman, a wire of added material is inserted into a mixing chamber prior to a casting cavity. The mixing chamber has a semi-circular configuration to enhance mixing action between the wire additive and the molten metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,305,902 to Bjorksten uses an intermediate vessel in a casting apparatus to facilitate foaming of the metal. During casting, the molten metal is poured into an intermediate vessel prior to casting into the casting metal. A foaming agent is supplied to the intermediate vessel to foam the molten metal prior to final casting.
The prior art also discloses methods and apparatus concerned with continuous casting start-up. In European Patent Application Number 0127 578 to Buxmann et al., a casting nozzle in a twin-belt continuous casting machine is pre-heated by first casting with molten aluminum followed by casting with grey cast iron. The nozzle is then sufficiently preheated for casting steel. In Japanese Patent Number 63-242450, a method for continuously casting metal strip using two rotating cooling rolls is disclosed which shortens the time from casting start to steady state casting. At first, the tip of a dummy bar for drawing the continuously cast strip is inserted into the gap between the two rotating cooling rolls. An easy melting metal material is added adjacent to the dummy bar. The metal material is easily melted by holding heat of the molten metal as raw material is successively poured from the pouring basin. After casting, the dummy bar containing the easy melting metal is removed.
However, none of the prior art discussed above addresses the problems associated with melt drag casting of metal strip, in particular, aluminum alloys having physical properties causing problems in the start-up of melt drag casting. Further, the prior art does not recognize modifying a select amount of an alloy composition to be cast so as to initiate continuous casting and achieve steady state casting prior to onset of a difficult-to-cast alloy composition.

Start-up method and apparatus for continuous casting of metal into strip product


According to one embodiment, an information processing device includes a memory and a hardware processor in communication with the memory. The hardware processor is configured to acquire a first motion data indicating a motion of a first operator, acquire a second motion data indicating a motion of a second operator, compare the first motion data and the second motion data, determine a similarity of the first motion data and the second motion data, and present to the first operator instruction data indicating an improvement point relating to a motion at a time of performing a predetermined operation in accordance with a determination result.

Generally, training, education and guidance to make operators acquire necessary skills at the work site are indispensable to ensure productivity. Moreover, it is important to train operators with less practical experience with less time and send them to the work site against the background of the rapid personnel transition, which is attributed to overseas facility expansion and employment of foreigners due to recent labor market mobility and globalization. For this reason, a technique capable of efficiently promoting training of operators is desired.

Information processing device, method, and storage medium


A radiation structure is employed in electronic apparatus such as a laptop computer having a body containing a heat generating element (e.g. CPU) and a display, rotatably connected to the body. The radiation structure transfers heat from the CPU to the outside of the apparatus and includes a first heatpipe; a hinge member connected to the host heatpipe for receiving heat therefrom; a second heatpipe for transferring heat from the hinge member to a radiation member placed in the display, one end of the second heatpipe being arranged substantially coaxially with the center of rotation of the display; and a sleeve member arranged in the hinge member coaxially with respect to the center of rotation of the display, the sleeve member being inserted from the outside into the inside of the display together with a portion of the second heatpipe which projects from the hinge member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic equipment such as a notebook-type personal computer or word processor which is configured to have a display part rotationally supported by a body and relates to a radiation structure for radiating heat from a heating element such as a CPU placed in the body to the outside of the equipment as well as to electronic equipment or a computer apparatus which has such a radiation structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as electronic equipment such as a notebook-type personal computer (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cnotebook computerxe2x80x9d) becomes more advanced and faster, various electronic elements represented by a central processing unit (CPU), which may produce heat, tend to produce more and more heat. In particular, since more power consumption of an electronic element for faster operations facilitates a rise in temperature of the electronic element, some protection may be required against such a temperature rise.
Insufficient protection against radiation from such electronic equipment may cause the electronic element to have an increased error rate due to such a temperature rise or to be made unstable because of increased actuations of a protective circuit and thus, the service life of the equipment may be reduced due to a thermally degraded electronic element. In order to avoid these problems, various types of electronic equipment employ some radiation structure as a heat protection.
FIG. 5 shows a heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism as an example for a conventional radiation structure used for a notebook computer. The notebook computer includes a body 10 and a display part 12 and the display part 12 is rotationally connected to the body 10 through a hinge (not shown) to allow the display part 12 to function as a cover for the body 10 as well. It should be noted that a CPU (not shown) and other components are contained in the body 10. It should also be noted that the display part 12 has a liquid crystal display part (LCD) 13 and some other components built therein.
The conventional heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism 14 shown in FIG. 5 transfers heat produced in the body 10 to the display part 12 to suppress any temperature rise within the body 10 and on its outer surface of the body 10. The heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism 14 includes a heat sink 16 provided within the body 10. The heat sink 16 takes the form of thick plate and is supported above a CPU (not shown) mounted on a printed circuit board. The heat sink 16 is in contact with the CPU directly or indirectly through a cushioning material with a high thermal conductivity such as silicone rubber to absorb any heat from the CPU or other electronic components.
One end of the heatpipe 18 is connected to the end of the heat sink 16. The heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism 14 includes a heatpipe hinge 20 for connecting the body 10 and the display part 12. The heatpipe hinge 20 connects the body 10 to the display part 12 rotationally with respect thereto. However, the body 10 is also connected to the display part 12 by a hinge (not shown) rotationally with respect thereto and any load of the body 10 and the display part 12 is supported by the hinge mechanism to prevent it from directly acting on the heatpipe hinge 20.
The heatpipe hinge 20 includes a fixed plate 22 fixed to a chassis (not shown) within the body 10 and the other end of the heatpipe 18 is connected to the fixed plate 22. The fixed plate 22 includes a rotationally annular bearing 24 integrally provided along the upper longitudinal edge and one end of another heatpipe 26 is rotationally inserted into the bearing 24. Therefore, the fixed plate 22 is connected to the heatpipe 26 rotationally with respect thereto around the axis S of the bearing 24.
A portion of the heatpipe 26 which projects from the bearing 24 passes through a cylindrical sleeve 27 and then it is inserted into the display part 12. It should be noted that the fixed plate 22 and the sleeve 27 are made of a metal material with a high thermal conductivity, respectively. This allows the heatpipe 22 to receive any heat directly from the fixed plate 22 and indirectly from the fixed plate 22 through the sleeve 27.
On the contrary, a thin-plate radiation plate 28 is arranged on the back of the LCD 13 in the display part 12. The radiation plate 28 is also made of a metal material with a high thermal conductivity and the other end of the heatpipe 26 is connected thereto.
In the heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism 14 as configured above, any heat produced by the CPU and other components during the operation of the notebook computer is absorbed by the heat sink 16 and the heat stored in the heat sink 16 is transformed to the radiation plate 28 through the heatpipe 18, the heatpipe hinge 20, and the heatpipe 26. This allows the heat produced in the body 10 to be efficiently transferred to the radiation plate 28 of the display part 12 for heat emission from the radiation plate 28 to the outside of the apparatus and thus, any excessive rise in temperature can be avoided both within the body 10 and on the outer surface of the body 10.
Although the heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism 14 as described above consists of a plurality of parts such as heat sink 16, the heatpipes 18 and 26, and the heatpipe hinge 20, it is supplied in the form of a single finished part to the process for assembling notebook computers. During that process, the heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism 14 is first built into a housing 15 which constitutes the outer shell of the display part 12 together with the LCD 13 and other components so as to be integral with the display part 12. The fixed plate 22 of the heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism 14 integral with the display part 12 is fixed to the chassis (not shown) in the body 10 and thus, the display part 12 is rotationally connected to the body 10.
Therefore, the heatpipe 18 and the heat sink 16 are exposed to the outside until the heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism 14 is built into the body 10 together with the display part 12. The heat sink 16 is connected to the display part 12 through the heatpipe 18 only. Thus, when any load other than the moment rotating around the axis S acts between the heat sink 16 and the display part 12, that load will act as a bending or torsional load on the heatpipes 18 and 26.
The heatpipes 18 and 26 are formed of, for example, metal or any other heat conductor such as copper, aluminum, and stainless steel and have a thinner wall to increase heat transfer (endothermic and radiative) speeds near the opposite ends. This will prove that a slight load may easily cause bending, buckling, fracture, or any other breakage, resulting in decreased heat transport capacities or incapacity for heat transport. The display part 12 is handled very carefully during the notebook computer assembly process in order to avoid such breakage of the heatpipe hinge radiation mechanism 14, but the heatpipes 18 and 26 may be damaged by getting the heat sink 16 snagged on something or imposing an inappropriate load on the heatpipes 18 and 26 during the transportation of the display part 12 or its assembly into the body 10. In addition, when the display part 12 is removed from the body 10 for repair of the notebook computer, the heatpipes 18 and 26 of the display part 12 removed from the body 10 may be easily damaged.
The display part 12 is usually held on a tray or pallet or in a storage container corresponding to its shape until it is incorporated with the body 10. However, the storage container may be complicated if it is intended to prevent an inappropriate load from being imposed on the heatpipes 18 and 26, resulting in a large space required to hold the display part 12 together with the storage container and difficulty in efficiently transporting the display part 12 together with the storage container.
An embodiment of the present invention is a radiation structure applicable to electronic equipment such as a notebook-type personal computer, word processor, or PDA (Personal Data Assistant) with a body and a display part, which comprises a first heatpipe for transferring heat from a heating element contained in the body; a hinge member connected to the first heatpipe for receiving heat from the first heatpipe; a second heatpipe for transferring heat from the hinge member to a radiation member placed in the display part, one end of the second heatpipe arranged substantially coaxially with respect to the center of rotation of the display part being connected to the hinge member rotationally with respect thereto; and a sleeve member arranged in the hinge member coaxially with respect to the center of rotation of the display part, the sleeve member being inserted from the outside into the inside of the display part together with a portion of the second heatpipe which projects from the hinge member.
According to the radiation structure as configured above, when the hinge member is built into the display part together with the second heatpipe, the second heatpipe will not be exposed to the outside between the hinge member and the display part. Therefore, the second heatpipe can be protected from any breakage which may be caused by something hitting against the second heatpipe before the display part is incorporated with the body together with the first heatpipe and the hinge member.
In the radiation structure as configured above, since the sleeve member can be supported by the display part rotationally around the center of rotation of the display part, any external load acting on the hinge member and the display part will not affect directly the second heatpipe because the load is supported by the sleeve member. Therefore, it the sleeve member has a sufficiently high rigidity, the second heatpipe can be prevented from being broken even when any external load is imposed on the hinge member and the display part.
In the radiation structure as configured above, since the hinge member can be divided into a first hinge to which the first heatpipe is connected and a second hinge to which the second heatpipe is connected rotationally with respect thereto and which has the sleeve member provided therewith and is connected to the first hinge, no external load will affect directly the first heatpipe if the second heatpipe is built into the display part and the first hinge is built into the body so that the first heatpipe is supported by the body and the first hinge before the display is incorporated with the body. Therefore, the first heatpipe can be prevented from being broken under any external load when the display part is incorporated with the body.
The radiation structure as configured above can also transfer heat from the heat element in the body to the display part through heat conduction even if a first heat conductor and a second heat conductor both of which are made of a material with a sufficiently high heat conductivity are substituted for the first heatpipe and the second heatpipe, respectively. In this case, the first and second heat conductors can be made of various materials including, for example, metal materials such as copper and aluminum and nonmetallic materials which have a sufficiently high heat conductivity.

Radiation structure for electronic equipment and computer apparatus

International Business Machines Corporation


In one aspect, the present application is directed to a computer system, a computer-implemented method and a computer program product for processing at an application. The computer system may comprise an application operable to process incoming messages, wherein at least two of the incoming messages are correlated, wherein correlated messages need processing at the application in a required order; and a sequencing framework implemented with the application to intercept the incoming messages and comprising an internal buffer to identify the correlated messages and to buffer the correlated messages as a message group with the required order, wherein the sequencing framework interacts with the application by transferring the incoming messages from the internal buffer in the required order to the application for processing.

Many software applications (herein after also referred to as applications) such as SOA-based applications require processing of electronic messages (herein after referred to as messages) in the order in which they were sent to the application over a network from a source system (e.g. a client, another remote software application). Such software applications may be implemented applying the principles of the service-oriented architecture (SOA).
Basically, at present a way to guarantee that messages received at an application are processed in the required order is to have a single thread or process at the receiving application for processing one message at a time. In case of parallel processing, message (re-)ordering and/or sequencing across the parallel processing threads and/or processes of the application can be then no longer guaranteed.
Thus, there is a need to maintain ordering of messages received at a software application for processing without creating a bottleneck in the software application that can process only one message at a given time.
Currently computer systems have been developed that try to address this problem. The available systems, however, have limitations regarding capabilities (e.g. allow sequencing but do not support reordering), protocols (e.g. not support available electronic message communication protocols), and/or portability (e.g. require specific products for installation).
Hence, there is a need to provide systems and methods for addressing the above problems to enable sequencing and/or reordering of incoming messages to maintain ordering of the messages when processed in parallel without creating a bottleneck in the software application that can process only one message at a given time without limitations regarding capabilities, protocols, and/or portability.

Computer system, computer-implemented method and computer program product for sequencing incoming messages for processing at an application


An apparatus and method for encoding objects in a camera-captured image with a deep neural network pipeline including multiple convolutional neural networks or convolutional layers. After identifying at least a portion of the camera-capture image, a first convolutional layer is applied to the at least the portion of the camera-captured image and multiple subregion representations are pooled from the output of the first convolutional layer. One or more additional convolutions are performed. At least one deconvolution is performed and concatenated with the output of one or more convolutions. One or more final convolutions are performed. The at least the portion of the camera-captured image is classified as an object category in response to an output of the one or more final convolutions.

Object detection is an important task in computer vision for computers to understand the world and make reactions, and has great potential to emerging applications such as automatic driving. In the past few years, deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have shown promising results on object detection. Although CNNs have been demonstrated to be effective on object detection, existing methods often do not detect small objects as well as they do for the large objects. Moreover, the size of input for those networks is limited by the amount of memory available on graphics processing units (GPUs).

Deep neural network architecture for image segmentation


A bundling device designed for ideal use in the field that it is designed to aid in the management, storage, and protection of a wide range of a line type material. Bundling device is designed to be easy to operate, inexpensive to produce, compact, and durable. Bundling device comprising of a reusable body that is formed so as to be firmly disposed to a segmented portion of line type material. Bundling device comprises of a bundling strap designed so that it may effectively hold a wide range of personally sized coiled lengths of line type material. Body may be designed so that it may be firmly disposed to an electrical extension cord set, or an electrical extension cord, or a coaxial cable, or a rope, or a set of battery jumper cables, or a tow strap, or a like line type material. Bundling device may also be incorporated into an existing device that is already firmly disposed to a segmented portion of line type material such as an electrical extension cord plug, or an electrical extension cord strain relief.

This invention relates to a bundling device that is comprising of a body that is designed to be firmly disposed to a segmented portion of line type material. Where bundling device is also comprising of a bundling strap designed to hold a personally sized coiled length of line type material such as an, electric extension cord, coaxial cable, tube, hose, rope, battery jumper cable, strap, or the like of, in a coiled arrangement to the bundling device.
Many line type materials such as cords, cables, ropes and the like of necessitate an orderly arrangement for both storage and safety purposes. The most common arrangement of these materials is in a coiled loop. Before a device was invented the solution was to wrap one end of the line around the coiled line, then tie up one end of the line to itself. As well as being difficult, unreliable, and time consuming this puts a strain on the end of the line set thus decreasing the life expectancy of a line. Early bundling devices consisted of a short length of string or rope to tie around a bundle of line to hold the line in an coiled loop, this bundled the line but did not separately hold a segmented portion of line and was therefor able to become lost easily. Many devices have been invented such as Bayat U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,984, Gruenewald U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,961, Knapp U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,803, Harrington U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,005. Although these type devices are novel and helpful in the process of arranging the line type material into a coiled loop. These devices have proven themselves inadequate for field use due to their bulky design and limited range of line type material in which they may hold. Some other less bulky inventions such as Kaplan U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,863, Kaplan U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,965 and Kaldor U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,958 were invented but still these devices were inadequate due to their limited range of line type material in which they may hold.
The need for a device that may be disposed to a segmented portion of a line type material with the ability to hold a wide range of bundled line type material has been known throughout the field since its conception. Inventions such as, Hasslinger U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,136, Hunt U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,932, Lyons U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,436, Hahn U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,743 Trethewey U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,871, Tolan U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,676, Denaro U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,282, and Reed U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,603 address the issue of disposing the device to a segmented portion of the line type material and incorporate a wide range of line type material in which they may hold, but they do not address the issue of firmly disposing the device to the line type material. Thus compromising the integrity of the device by the device being able to move laterally about the line type material. A device such as Fennell U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,432 addresses the issue of firmly disposing the device to the line type material but this device uses a tie that is difficult to release from the line type material therefor reducing the life of the tie and making it necessary to replace the tie from time to time. Therefore there is a need for a durable, compact, inexpensive and effective reusable bundling device. That has the ability to hold a wide range of personally sized coiled line type material and that also has the ability to be firmly disposed to a segmented portion of line type material so as to eliminate the device from moving laterally about the line type material.
An improved bundling device for a length of line type material. Comprising of a separate reusable body designed to firmly dispose the bundling device to a segmented portion of line type material, and a bundling strap harnessed by the body, designed to hold a personally sized length of coiled line type material to the body
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an improved line type material bundling device for round line type materials.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved line type material bundling device for flat line type materials.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved electric extension cord bundling device.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved electric extension cord bundling device which will eliminate the need of tying up one end of the electric extension cord to the bundled electric extension cord therefor extending the life of the electric extension cord.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved line type material bundling device that may be firmly disposed to a segmented portion of line type material and may also then be released from a segmented portion of line type material.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved line type material bundling device that is inexpensively manufactured and assembled.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved line type material bundling device which is easily and quickly adjustable to different diameters of coiled line type material.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved line type material bundling device that is compact, durable, and effective for ideal use in the field.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for firmly disposing a bundling device to a segmented portion of line type material and hold a personally sized coiled length of line type material inan coiled arrangement.
Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.

Bundling device for a length of line type material


A method for forming an ionically bonded ammonium dinitramide salt having the formula NH.sub.4.sup.30 N(NO.sub.2).sub.2 - useful as a stable oxidizer for solid fuel rocket propellant or explosive formulations is disclosed. The ammonium dinitramide salt is formed by the reaction of ammonia and a nitronium-containing compound, such as a nitronium salt or a covalently bonded compound containing a NO.sub.2 - group, at a temperature of from about - 20.degree. C. to about 120.degree. C. The nitronium-containing compound may be either a covalently bonded compound containing a NO.sub.2 - group or a nitronium salt having the formula (NO.sub.2.sup.+).sub.n X.sup.-n, where X is the anion of the nitronium salt and n= 1-2.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for directly forming an ammonium dinitramide salt by reaction of ammonia and a nitronium-containing compound such as a nitronium salt.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solid oxidizers, such as ammonium perchlorate or potassium perchlorate, have been used in the past in rocket propellant formulation because of their improved ease of storage over liquid oxidizers. However, the presence of a halogen in the solid oxidant produces a visually observable smoke trail which is also observable on radar as well. Also, chlorine poses a serious atmospheric environmental hazard of ozone depletion and acid rain.
Because of such shortcomings in the use of perchlorate solid fuel oxidizers, other materials, including nitrate (NO.sub.3 -) compounds, have been investigated in the search for oxidizers which would provide the desired energy density and stability, without the drawbacks of the perchlorate oxidants.
In related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/540,020, filed by several of us on Jun. 8, 1990 and assigned to the assignee of this invention and cross-reference to which is hereby made, we disclosed and claimed new ionically bound compounds suitable for use as oxidizers in rocket propellants. These compounds comprise dinitramide salts of metals or nitrogen-containing cations. We also described and claimed in that application a method of making such nitramide salts by first forming a dinitramine compound and then reacting the dinitramine compound with either a nitrogen-containing compound or a metal salt.
In related U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 07/539,647, also filed by several of us on Jun. 18, 1990 and assigned to the assignee of this invention and cross-reference to which is hereby made, we disclosed and claimed another method of forming the dinitramide salts of metals or nitrogen-containing cations claimed in Ser. No. 07/540,020. This second method of making such nitramide salts comprises nitrating a carbamate to form a dinitramide acid intermediate product, followed by neutralizing the intermediate product with a compound selected from the class consisting of ammonia, hydrazine, a primary amine, a secondary amine, and a salt having the formula AX where A is a metal ion or a nitrogen-containing ion and X is a fluoride, chloride, hydroxyl, carbonate, alkoxide, or carboxyl anion.
The reaction of ammonia with nitronium salts at a temperature of about -196.degree. C. to form nitramide (NH.sub.2 NO.sub.2), a covalently bonded compound, has also been reported in the literature. Vast et al., in Chemical Abstracts of a publication entitled "Reaction between nitric anhydride and ammonia at low temperature. Characterization of nitramide", published in Compt. Rend. 260 (22) (Groupe 8), pp. 5799-5801 (1965), report that the reaction N.sub.2 O.sub.5 +2NH.sub.3 .fwdarw.NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3 +NO.sub.2 NH.sub.2 was moderated by a suitable experimental device. Quantities of up to 5 g. of NO.sub.2 NH.sub.2 were obtained with yields of 25-30%, based on N.sub.2 O.sub.5. Small fractions of N.sub.2 O.sub.5 (200-300 mg.) cooled to -196.degree. C. were introduced into partially crystallized ammonia under dry nitrogen. The operation lasted 15-30 minutes.
Traces of N.sub.2 O.sub.4 were removed with O.sub.3. The nitramide was recovered by extraction of the product with ether and precipitated with petroleum ether or isopentane.
Tellier-Pollon et al., in Chemical Abstracts of a publication entitled "Inorganic preparation of nitramide", published in Revue de Chemie minerale, 4(2), pp. 413-423 (1967), state that the reaction of HNO.sub.3 with NaSO.sub.3 NH.sub.2 to give NO.sub.2 NH.sub.2 was investigated. The optimum conditions included use of 95% HNO.sub.3, a sulfamate:acid ratio of 1:10-6 (sic), a contact time of 10-60 minutes, and a temperature of -20 to -50.degree. C. Addition of NaNO.sub.3 to the reaction medium increased the yield of NO.sub.2 NH.sub.2. Thus, a mixture of 10 ml. 95% HNO.sub.3. 1.7 g. NaNO.sub.3 , and 1.2 g. NaSO.sub.3 NH.sub.2 at -35.degree. C. gave 70% NO.sub.2 NH.sub.2. Various methods of dilution, neutralization, and extraction were discussed. Best results were obtained by neutralization with NAHCO.sub.3 solution.
Vast et al., in Chemical Abstracts of a publication entitled "Reactions between liquid ammonia and some nitryl salts", published in C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. C264(21) pp. 1697-1699(1967), state that the reaction between 7 nitryl salts, including N.sub.2 O.sub.5, NO.sub.2 BF.sub.4, NO.sub.2 ClO.sub.4, NO.sub.2 FSO.sub.3, NO.sub.2 Cl.2SO.sub.3, and NO.sub.2 Cl with liquid NH.sub.3 at low temperature was investigated. The nitryl salt at -196.degree. C. was added to liquid NH.sub.3, the mixture was stirred at 400-1200 rpm., and the NO.sub.2 NH.sub.2 was extracted and determined potentiometrically. NO.sub.2 NH.sub.2 was obtained from all the salts except NO.sub.2 Cl. The ionization of the nitryl salt into an anion and NO.sub.2.sup.+ decreases in the order NO.sub.2 NO.sub.3 >NO.sub.2 BF.sub.4 >NO.sub.2 ClO.sub.4 >NO.sub.2 FSO.sub.3, >(NO.sub.2).sub.2 S.sub.2 O.sub.7 >NO.sub.2 S.sub.2 O.sub.6 Cl>NO.sub.2 Cl. The decrease is related to the more or less ionic structure of the nitryl salts.
Barbes et al., in "Relation between nitration capacity and structure of NO.sub.2.sup.+ in some nitryl salts", published in Revue de Chemie Minerale, 1971 8(6), pp. 851-858, state that Raman and ir spectra of compounds NO.sub.2 X show that the angle of O--N--O varies with X; increasing in the order NO.sub.2 Cl<NO.sub.2 OH <NO.sub.2 NO.sub.3 (covalent)<NO.sub.2 F<NO.sub.2 SO.sub.3 F<NO.sub.2 S.sub.2 O.sub.6 F<NO.sub.2 ClO.sub.4 NO.sub.2 BF.sub.4 <NO.sub.2 NO.sub.3 (ionic). The order of nitrating power in the reactions: NO.sub.2 X+2NH.sub.3 .fwdarw.NO.sub.2 NH.sub.2 +NH.sub.4 X and NO.sub.2 X+Cl.sub.2 O.fwdarw.NO.sub.3 Cl+ClX is also NO.sub.2 SO.sub.3 F<NO.sub.2 ClO.sub.4 <NO.sub.2 BF.sub.4 <N.sub.2 O.sub.5 (s). These results indicate the degree of covalency in the NO.sub.2 --X bond. Similar relations are found between the reactivities of NOX compounds.
It is also know to react a nitronium salt with an organic nitramine to form a covalently bonded N,N-dinitramine compound. Hamel et al. U.S Pat. No. 3,428,667 describes the reaction of an ionic nitronium salt with a primary organic nitramine to form N,N-dinitramines having the general formula R-[N(NO.sub.2).sub.2 ].sub.n where n is 1-2 and R is a monovalent or divalent organic radical. These compounds are said to be highly energetic and useful as ingredients in propellant, explosive, and pyrotechnic compositions.
However, as discussed in our related applications, the formation and use of covalently bonded nitrogen-containing solid fuel oxidizing agents for use in rocket propellant formulations is not as desirable as the use of the previously claimed dinitramide salts because these salts have been found to be much more stable. The processes for forming such stable dinitramide salts in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. application Ser. Nos. 07/540,020 and 07/539,647 have been multiple step processes involving the formation of precursors which must then be isolated or recovered for a further reaction with another reactant to form the desired ionically bonded dinitramide salt product. It would be desirable to provide a simplified process to form an ionically bonded stable ammonium dinitramide salt wherein one reaction vessel may be used to form the ammonium dinitramide salt product.

Process for forming ammonium dinitramide salt by reaction between ammonia and a nitronium-containing compound


Disclosed is a method of providing potable water that includes providing a filter, passing water through the filter, and removing bacteria and viruses from the water with the filter. The filter comprises a housing having an inlet and an outlet and a filter material disposed within the housing, the filter material formed at least in part from a plurality of mesoporous wood activated carbon filter particles and particles selected from the group consisting of mesoporous wood activated carbon filter particles coated entirely with a cationic polymer, mesoporous wood activated carbon filter particles partially coated with a cationic polymer, and mixtures thereof. A sum of mesopore and macropore volumes of the filter particles may be between about 0.2 mL/g and about 2 mL/g, wherein mesopore means an intra-particle pore having a diameter between 2 nm and 50 nm, and macropore means an intra-particle pore having a diameter greater than 50 nm, a total pore volume of the filter particles is greater than about 0.4 mL/g and less than about 3 mL/g, and a ratio of the sum of the mesopore and macropore volumes to the total pore volume of the filter particles is greater than about 0.3. The filter removes bacteria and viruses from the water at a level of Filter Bacteria Log Removal of greater than about 2 logs and a Filter Viruses Log Removal of greater than about 1 log.

Water may contain many different kinds of contaminants including, for example, particulates, harmful chemicals, and microbiological organisms, such as bacteria, parasites, protozoa and viruses. In a variety of circumstances, these contaminants should be removed before the water is used. For example, in many medical applications and in the manufacture of certain electronic components, extremely pure water should be utilized. As a more common example, any harmful contaminants should be removed from the water before it is potable, i.e., fit to consume. Despite modern water purification means, the general population may be at risk, and in particular, infants and persons with compromised immune systems may be at considerable risk.
In the U.S. and other developed countries, municipally treated water may typically include one or more of the following impurities: suspended solids, bacteria, parasites, viruses, organic matter, heavy metals, and chlorine. Breakdown and other problems with water treatment systems sometimes can lead to incomplete removal of bacteria and viruses. In other countries, there may be deadly consequences associated with exposure to contaminated water, as some of those countries may have increasing population densities, increasingly scarce water resources, and no water treatment utilities. It is sometimes common for sources of drinking water to be in close proximity to human and animal waste, such that microbiological contamination is a major health concern. As a result of waterborne microbiological contamination, an estimated six million people die each year, half of which are children under 5 years of age.
In 1987, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced the "Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers". The protocol establishes minimum requirements regarding the performance of drinking water treatment systems that are designed to reduce specific health related contaminants in public or private water supplies. The requirements are that the effluent from a water supply source exhibits 99.99% (or equivalently, 4 log) removal of viruses and 99.9999% (or equivalently, 6 log) removal of bacteria against a challenge. Under the EPA protocol, in the case of viruses, the influent concentration should be 1×107 viruses per liter, and in the case of bacteria, the influent concentration should be 1×108 bacteria per liter. Because of the prevalence of Escherichia coli (E. coli, bacterium) in water supplies, and the risks associated with its consumption, this microorganism is used as the bacterium in the majority of studies. Similarly, the MS-2 bacteriophage (or simply, MS-2 phage) is typically used as the representative microorganism for virus removal because its size and shape (i.e., about 26 nm and icosahedral) are similar to many viruses. Thus, a filter's ability to remove MS-2 bacteriophage may demonstrate its ability to remove other viruses.
Due to these requirements and a general interest in improving the quality of potable water, there is a continuing desire to provide processes for manufacturing filter materials and filters, which are capable of removing bacteria and/or viruses from a fluid.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A hollow fiber membrane including a dense layer at least on an inner surface side of the hollow fiber membrane, in which when the inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane is observed under an atomic force microscope, a plurality of groove-like recesses oriented in a lengthwise direction of the hollow fiber membrane are observed, an aspect ratio defined as a ratio of a length to a width of each of the recesses is greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to 30, a yield strength of the hollow fiber membrane in a dry state is greater than or equal to 30 g/filament, and a breaking elongation is less than or equal to 20%/filament.

Blood purification includes methods such as hemodialysis, hemofiltration, and hemodiafiltration. The hemodialysis is a method for bringing blood into contact with a dialysis fluid with a semi-permeable membrane interposed therebetween to remove a waste product accumulated in a body by means of a diffusion phenomenon. Purified blood is returned to the body again. Normally, the treatment is conducted three times per week, and it takes about four hours per treatment. On the other hand, the hemofiltration is a method for ultra-filtering a large amount of blood to remove a waste product as well as a body fluid. Since a large amount of body fluid is removed, a supplemental fluid (12 to 20 L/time) is required to be supplied. It is said that, although the hemofiltration is superior to the hemodialysis in removal of a medium to high-molecular-weight waste product, the hemofiltration is inferior to the hemodialysis in removal of a low-molecular-weight waste product. Under such circumstances, in recent years, the hemodiafiltration attracts attention since, by combining the hemodialysis with the hemofiltration, the hemodiafiltration enables a wide range of waste products ranging from the low-molecular-weight waste products to the high-molecular-weight waste products to be removed efficiently, and the present applicant has filed related applications (PTL 1 and 2). These patent literatures disclose a hollow fiber membrane applicable to hemodiafiltration and the like. In this hollow fiber membrane, by improving uniformity and smoothness of a membrane surface, adsorption and clogging of blood protein and the like can be restricted even at the time of large-quantity filtration.

Cellulose acetate-based asymmetric hollow fiber membrane