An integrated circuit device may include a main clock signal input pad configured to receive a main clock signal having a main clock frequency, a high speed clock signal input pad configured to receive a high speed clock signal having a high speed clock frequency greater than the main clock frequency, a frequency divider, and a phase controller. The frequency divider may be configured to generate a plurality of preliminary internal clock signals responsive to the high speed clock signal wherein each of the preliminary internal clock signals has the same main clock frequency and a different phase. The phase controller may be configured to select one of the preliminary internal clock signals having a phase most closely matched with a phase of the main clock signal, and to translate the preliminary internal clock signals to internal clock signals so that the preliminary internal clock signal having the phase most closely matched with the phase of the main clock signal is translated as a primary internal clock signal, so that the internal clock signals have the main clock frequency. Related methods, systems, and devices are also discussed.

In order to increase speeds of memory operations, Double Data Rate (DDR) Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) devices (also referred to as DDR memory devices), have been developed so that data is written to and/or read from the memory device on both rising and falling edges of a main clock signal. In known DDR memory devices, both the main clock signal and a high speed clock signal (having a frequency that is twice a frequency of the main clock signal) may be provided from a memory controller to the DDR memory device.
A DDR memory device (such as a DDR2 memory device for a personal computer or server) may operate at a main frequency of about 400 MHz to provide a data rate of about 800 Mbps. A GDDR (Graphics DDR) memory device (such as a GDDR4 memory device for a graphics card) may operate at a main clock frequency of about 1.25 GHz to provide a data rate of about 2.5 GHz. Moreover, even faster GDDR memory devices (such as a GDDR5 memory device) are proposed to operate, for example, at a main clock frequency of about 2.5 GHz to provide a data rate of about 5 GHz.
In a DDR memory device, the main clock signal (transmitted from the memory controller to the DDR memory device) is used to synchronize transmission of command (CMD) and address (ADD) signals transmitted from the memory controller to the DDR memory device. The high speed clock signal may be generated at the memory controller to have a frequency that is twice the frequency of the main clock signal, and the high speed clock signal may be free running. Moreover, data being written to and/or read from the DDR memory device may be aligned with the high speed clock signal to provide the double data rate.
In a DDR memory device using both a main clock signal and a high speed clock signal, the high speed clock signal may need to be synchronized with the main clock signal to provide proper timing of command, address, and data signals during read and/or write operations. For example, a tuning operation may be used to provide that a rising edge of the main clock signal is aligned with a rising edge of the high speed clock signal (as opposed to a falling edge of the high speed clock signal). More particularly, the high speed clock signal (HSCS) may be divided by 2 to provide a HSCS/2 signal. The HSCS/2 signal may then be compared and aligned with a phase of the main clock signal and tuned so that rising edges of the HSCS/2 signal are aligned with rising edges of the main clock signal. By tuning the HSCH/2 signal, rising edges of the main clock signal may be aligned with rising edges of the high speed clock signal.
Alignment of main and high speed clock signals may be provided in a DDR memory using data training. More particularly, a known data pattern may be written from the controller to a FIFO (First-In-First-Out) buffer of the DDR memory device (not DRAM memory cells). A series of read operations are then performed using different phases of the high speed clock signal to read the known data pattern from the FIFO buffer of the DDR memory device. The phase of the high speed clock signal providing the best performance (e.g., providing a successful read of known data pattern) may then be selected for subsequent read operations. If multiple phases of the high speed clock provide a successful read of the known data pattern, a center one of the passing phases of the high speed clock signal may be selected.
Data training operations, however, may consume time and/or power. Moreover, a frequency divider(s) within a DDR memory may be used to divide the high speed clock signal for internal operation, but an initial value of the frequency divider may be unknown, and the output of the frequency divider may be inverted relative to a desired output. Accordingly, if a clock and/or frequency divider stops after power up (e.g., in a power down mode) with data already aligned, a frequency divider output may be inverted so that another data training operation may be required.

Internal clock signal generating circuits including frequency division and phase control and related methods, systems, and devices


This invention relates to the preparation of a silica reinforced elastomer via preparation of a silica-elastomer masterbatch as a composite of synthetic silica and an emulsion polymerization prepared synthetic elastomer. Such masterbatch is prepared by introducing such silica and a silane into a latex of the synthetic elastomer and recovering the composite thereof The invention further includes a rubber composition of at least two elastomers wherein at least one of said elastomers is such masterbatched composite. A tire having a component of such rubber composition, particularly a tire tread, is specifically contemplated.

Elastomers are conventionally reinforced with particulate reinforcing fillers such as, for example, carbon black and sometimes synthetic amorphous silica, usually precipitated silica aggregates.
Such synthetic silica aggregates are normally highly hydrophilic in nature and have a strong tendency to form agglomerates of the aggregates.
Usually a coupling agent is also added to the rubber composition to aid in coupling the silica to the one or more of the diene-based elastomers contained in the rubber composition. Alternately, an alkoxysilane hydrophobating agent for the silica may also be added to the rubber composition or the silica may be pre-treated with such coupling agent and/or alkoxysilane hydrophobating agent.
In practice, the rubber composition is usually subjected to several sequential high shear, high temperature, mixing steps in which the silica agglomerates are substantially physically broken down and thereby substantially reduced to the aforesaid basic silica aggregates.
Masterbatches, or pre-formed mixtures, of carbon black and rubber have sometimes been suggested and/or used for the preparation of various rubber compositions. Often such masterbatches are prepared by introducing water slurries of carbon black to an aqueous rubber latex, followed by coagulating and recovering the resulting composite for use in blending with a respective rubber composition.
Masterbatches of silica and rubber have also been suggested for similar purposes where the masterbatch is created by blending silica and an aqueous rubber latex, followed by recovering the resulting blend of silica and rubber.
However, because the precipitated silica aggregates are typically hydrophilic in nature and therefore have an affinity to water, the silica aggregates typically become more associated with the water of the latex than with the rubber itself. Accordingly, it is considered herein that it is difficult to adequately disperse such hydrophilic silica within a rubber by introducing the silica to the rubber in its aqueous latex form.
Accordingly, various methods have been offered to more efficiently provide dispersions of silica in a rubber latex.
For example, it has been proposed to incorporate silica into a rubber latex by
(A) treating a silica with coupling agent in a aqueous suspension to form a compatibilized silica slurry, said coupling agent being an organosilane silicon compound having the capability of chemically reacting with the surface of the silica to bond the coupling agent thereto, and
(B) contacting the rubber latex with the treated silica slurry whereby the silica is substantially uniformly distributed through the latex. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,388.
Historically, precipitated silica aggregates are sometimes formed by acid-coagulating a silicate from a basic solution thereof, such as, and only as an example, treating sodium silicate, formed from silica and sodium hydroxide, with sulfuric acid, in the presence of a suitable electrolyte, under controlled conditions such as for example controlled temperature and controlled sequential order and rate of addition of materials. It is envisioned herein that colloidal elemental particles of silica are thereby formed which readily aggregate to from colloidal silica aggregates thereof and which are thereafter recovered from such colloidal mixture by precipitation of the silica aggregates therefrom to form a filtercake thereof which is washed with water, which might also include an electrolyte, and finished by drying techniques.
It is understood that such colloidal silica may negatively charged or positively charged, depending somewhat upon the specific manufacturing method used to form the colloidal silica.
Such colloidal silica, whether in a form of said formative elemental particles of silica and/or silica aggregates thereof, preferably in a form of colloidal silica aggregates, and prior to said recovery thereof by precipitation from said colloidal mixture, is referred to herein as "colloidal silica" which may be in an unprecipitated colloidal/dispersion state of aggregates of primary silica particles having hydroxyl groups (e.g. silanol groups) on their surfaces.
For this invention, it is desired to prepare a composite of silica and diene-based rubber by mixing an aqueous dispersion of well dispersed, negatively charged colloidal silica with a diene-based rubber latex and discrete domains (droplets) of a negatively charged oil emulsion of an organosilane followed by co-coagulating the mixture with the aid of a suitable coagulant to form a silica/rubber/silane composite.
By such method it is envisioned that a novel composite of silica and diene-based rubber is formed with relatively homogeneously dispersed silica aggregates therein and with a minimum of premature silane hydrolysis and network formation in the elastomer host.
In the description of this invention, the term "phr" where used herein, and according to conventional practice, refers to "parts of a respective material per 100 parts by weight of rubber, or elastomer".
In the description of this invention, the terms "rubber" and "elastomer" if used herein, may be used interchangeably, unless otherwise prescribed. The terms "rubber composition", "compounded rubber" and "rubber compound", if used herein, are used interchangeably to refer to "rubber which has been blended or mixed with various ingredients and materials" and such terms are well known to those having skill in the rubber mixing or rubber compounding art.

Method for preparing elastomer/silica composite


A computer platform and method for managing secure data transactions between user accounts on a server, based on the respective locations of mobile user devices related to the user accounts, where the user devices create a secured mobile communication cloud between themselves to ensure secure data communications.

The present invention relates to a mobile information exchange system and, more particularly, to a location-aware system for mobile connectivity and information exchange.
The ubiquitous use of mobile technology, specifically handheld cellular devices, has given rise to a number of location based applications available to cellphone users. Foremost among such applications are GPS based tracking applications which allow users to pinpoint the current location of the mobile/GPS-enabled device for the purposes of navigation or gaining information about the local surroundings. GPS-like systems have given powerful handheld devices location based abilities. Furthermore, wireless data exchange systems such as BlueTooth™, RFID and NFC (Near Field Communication), allow mobile devices to be aware of compatible devices within the immediate vicinity.
One of the potential goals of modern technology is the collaboration between mobile devices/smart-phones and social networks (e.g. FaceBook™, Twitter™, MySpace™, LinkenIn™ etc.) in order to create a market for providing users with a secure way to expose and share their social network accounts/personal details with other users who are in the same geographical area (e.g. office, club, classroom, coffee shop or simply on the street) using smart-phones/devices.
Various attempts have been made to facilitate data exchanges between co-located individuals via communication devices. U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. US 2010/0070758 to Low et al. (hereinafter "Low") discloses a system for analyzing tokens which have been exchanged by co-located devices, and creating Groups as a result of the analysis. The system disclosed by Low facilitates the automatic grouping of individuals that attended an event in the same location at the same time. The system, however, does not facilitate the exchange of data between user accounts stored on the server, only between the devices themselves (e.g. SMS messages, calendar sharing, telephonic communication etc.), which significantly limits the size of the data that is transferable. A further drawback stems from the fact that the devices generate the tokens locally using a cipher. It would be of better design and much more efficient to perform the task of token generation on a central server that has greater control and perspective over what is occurring in the system at any given moment. For example:
1. In case someone manages to hack the token encryption mechanism of a certain client it is the client's responsibility to detect the hack and switch encryption key. On the other hand, if the token had been generated by the server then it would be a much easier task for the server to identify the hack—e.g. if the server receives tokens from the same user but from two different parts of the city, then it very likely that the encryption key has been hacked.
2. A computer worm loaded onto a target device can generate valid tokens of the worm's creator (a malicious user also in the system) and can now generate valid tokens of the malicious user in place of the tokens of the target device. This would make the targeted user visible to others as the malicious user or potentially a third user from whom the malicious user has stolen a cipher.
It would be highly advantageous to have a location-aware system that securely facilitates exchange of remote information regarding local entities. It would furthermore be advantageous to have a Unique Identifier (UID) which is generated by a remote server and downloaded to the device, whereby the UID can be periodically changed or otherwise protected from malicious attacks.
Definitions
The mobile device can be a cellular or satellite phone enabled with either GPS capabilities or similar satellite-based positioning capabilities that can pin-point the X and. Y coordinates or X, Y and Z coordinates of the device. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, using the GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or Beidou system, are used in many applications. For simplicity sake, the term GPS will be used in this document but it is to be understood that this is only an exemplary reference. The GPS device may either be integrated into the mobile handset or an external device coupled (wired or wireless) to the handset.
'Mobile device', 'smart phone', 'cell-phone', 'cellular device' and similar terms are used interchangeably here, generally referring to a mobile handset with at least celluar telephonic communications capabilities, computing capabilities, and wireless local/short-range data communication capabilities (e.g. Bluetooth™, RFID, NFC etc.). GPS-like capabilities are preferred in some embodiments. The current invention pertains equally to mobile computing platforms having the same capabilities, even those not generally used for telephonic communications or even lacking such features.
The two types of wireless technologies readily available on most mobile devices can generally be divided into Local Area Wireless Communication 116 (LAWC) technology and Wide Area Wireless Communication 118 (WAWC) technology (elements of the aforementioned names are borrowed from the computer technology terminology Local Area Networks and Wide Area Networks, although no inferences should be made between the two technologies). The term 'communication' with reference to LAWC and WAWC can be two-way communication or only one-way communication. The communication medium may be sound waves, electromagnetic energy such as radio waves, light waves and the like. An example of the LAWC technology is Bluetooth™ (BT), but it is understood that the use of Bluetooth technology herein is merely exemplary and that other communication technologies such as, but not limited to, RFID, NFC , IrDA, UWB and others may be employed in place of Bluetooth. Examples of WAWC include cellular communication, WIFI and satellite communication. In some instances the distinction between LAWC and WAWC may not be so clear, but in general the given definitions will suffice to distinguish between technology types employed within the scope of the invention.
The LAWC enabled device passes information "on contact" with other people or entities automatically, semi-automatically and/or manually. The terms "contact", "vicinity" and "proximity", as used herein, refer to physically close proximity between two parties, which can be defined as a range of distance between the two entities (potentially calculated using GPS triangulation, cellular coordinate recognition, etc.) or the ability to initiate direct Bluetooth discovery or other technology that detects a direct location link between two people (e.g. using RFID reader or NFC communication). Proximity is defined as the upper range of data communication capabilities for short-range communication technology. The number of exemplary short-range technologies and their transmission/communication ranges follow. Bluetooth technology transmits up to approximately 30 meters or 100 feet. RFID technology has a number of different ranges, depending on various factors. Typically, the read range is approximately between 3 and 300 feet (1-100 meters). RFID readers can read tags in smart cards from about 3 feet; tags on pallets and cases of goods can be read from approximately 20-30 feet and battery-powered tags (e.g. tags used in toll collection) up to approximately 300 feet. NFC technology can typically transmit data over a distance/range of between 4 cm and 1.2 m.
A 'Secured Mobile Communication Cloud' is an ad-hoc cloud-like network between mobile/static communication devices, where the data transactions are secured at least by one or more of the security measures detailed elsewhere herein.
The server and encompassed units and features of the present invention can be embodied in hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof. The mobile application and features of the present invention can be embodied in hardware, software, firmware or any combination thereof.

Location-aware mobile connectivity and information exchange system


A mechanism is provided for a fifth wheel to eliminate squirting and to provide automatic adjustment for slack in the locking system. The mechanism is able to keep the wedge and jaw of a fifth wheel locking mechanism and trailer king pin within specified ranges of tolerance. The mechanism utilizes a self-adjusting or automatic ratchet lock system which may be positioned to work in relation to the operating handle or lever arm and utilize the leverage forces available allowed by the design of the lever arm. The invention also provides for a fully retractable lock release pull handle which may be retracted into the fifth wheel whether the locking mechanism is open or closed. The invention further incorporates electronic induction switches to indicate open and closed positions of the locking mechanism and to indicate whether the king pin is properly seated in the locking mechanism. The design further incorporates replaceable strips of high impact resistant, low friction material in the top plate which eliminates the necessity of grease lubricant on the top surface.

Inventions relating to the current subject matter have progressed since the mid 1940s. Since that time the inventor of the current invention has been active in this art and has designed and patented numerous mechanisms to eliminate slack between king pin of trailers and fifth wheel locking mechanisms. His experience with fifth wheels began during World War II when the military conducted studies of fifth wheel designs at the U.S. Government Ordinance and Engineering Department at Fort Belvoir and Aberdeen Maryland Proving Grounds. That testing led to the observation that the Government specifications for fifth wheels would allow wearing between king pins and locking mechanisms to such a degree that the slack created from such wearing caused damage to the drive train of the tractor and breakage of fifth wheel components which were, at that time, primarily steel castings.
For the most part, the trucking industry, as it has evolved since the 1940s, has relied on conventional fifth wheel designs for locking onto and supporting tractor trailer king pins. Such designs have incorporated features such as non-retracting lock release handles when the lock is in an open position, spring operated locking jaws, wedges and locking jaws opening on the rearward side of the fifth wheel hub, and wedge/jaw timers. Notwithstanding advances in fifth wheel designs such as those by the current inventor as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,456,826, 3,844,584, 5,456,484 and 5,516,138, herein incorporated by reference, there is still a need to address and solve problems which remain inherently in fifth wheel/king pin coupling due to the forces of tremendous weight and leverage place on the locking mechanism and king pin while the tractor and trailer are engaged.
The inherent problems arise due to wear that increases tolerances between the king pin and locking mechanism. In some instances it has been found, notwithstanding measures designed to keep locking mechanism's elements in place, that the locking elements will slip from a fully locked position towards an unlocked position. Such movement caused by the king pin (i.e. squirting), forces the operating handle (lever arm) to move towards the open position with such force that a clicking or banging is noticeable by the tractor operator. Moreover, such force (squirting) may cause the jaw and wedge to jam in a partial open condition.
Some causes of slack and wearing have been addressed by inventions of the inventor such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,878 in which the timing of the engagement of the lock jaw and wedge was designed to allow proper coupling of the lock jaw and wedge. In addition to incorporation of the timer, the lockjaw and wedge included angled wedge/jaw contact to allow for adjustment for wear when the wedge moved into locking position.
The design disclosed in the "878" patent has influenced the designs of other fifth wheel manufacturers in their effort to eliminate slack in the locking mechanism and was additionally the prime reason for the inventor's fifth wheel company becoming number one in the industry. Although the design of the 878 patent proved adequate over many years, the fact that the top contact plate between the fifth wheel and trailer was coated with grease allowed for such grease to seep down into the wedge and locking jaw elements. The presence of grease on these components causes the wedge and jaw to slip under the pressure of the king pin thereby causing such components to favor movement toward the open position and cause squirting of the wedge. The combination of wear between the jaw and wedge induced by normal operation of the fifth wheel and wear caused by squirting caused increases in tolerances with respect to the wedge, jaw, and king pin.
The issue of eliminating undesirable tolerance increases has been addressed in prior work of the inventor. U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,584 describes a jaw and wedge having a stepped mating surface the design of which was intended to eliminate sliding forces between the jaw and wedge caused by force applied due to the trailer king pin. The stepped design was contemplated to eliminate movement between the locking jaw and wedge by the presence of surfaces perpendicular to the force applied by the king pin. However, the stepped design has failed to solve the squirting problem because of three reasons. First, upon repetitive locking and unlocking the mechanism, the sliding action of the wedge in contact with the jaw causes the steps to wear down due to uneven sliding contact. This wearing causes the stepped contact surface areas to decrease with usage (approximately a two year period) thereby allowing the force applied by the king pin to generate squirting. Second, it is nearly impossible to keep heavy grease applied to the upper surface of the fifth wheel from seeping into the locking mechanism's wedge and jaw. The presence of such grease causes the wedge and jaw to tend towards slipping towards an unlocked position due to the reduction of friction between the wedge and jaw contact surfaces thus facilitating further wearing down of the stepped surfaces and promotion of squirting. Third, the wedge and jaw, being engaged towards the closed position primarily by coil spring force and a tolerance allowance of lateral movement of the lever arm toward an open position of about two inches when worn, inherently create "play" in the locked mechanism having a stepped wedge and jaw as well as virtually all prior described fifth wheel arrangements having a sliding wedge and jaw arrangement.
Other inventions respecting fifth wheel designs by the inventor have contemplated use of stepped arrangements associated with the wedge. In inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,616, a fifth wheel design is disclosed wherein a locking jaw of a rotating hook design is urged to remain in locking position by a wedge. Associated with the wedge is a pivoting locking dog having a detent which may be engaged with a rack carried by a frame portion of the fifth wheel. Although the locking dog was intended to maintain the position of the wedge, pressure from the king pin caused the urging of the locking jaw towards the open position whereby a maximum of pressure force was generated on the wedge which in turn applied force directly on the detent. In some instances the force applied to the locking dog and its detent was great enough to cause jamming of the detent in its engagement with the rack thereby making opening the locked mechanism problematic. Although the rack and detent arrangement of the "616" patent looks similar to the current invention, such earlier concept had no relation to the functionality or purpose contemplated in the present invention. The prior use of a rack and locking dog detent was for the purpose of only locking the king pin locking hook member and wedge in a closed position. Without such detent and rack no adequate means, except for the safety catch of the handle on the perimeter of the fifth wheel, could keep the rotating locking jaw from being urged in the open position.
Additionally, such design did not provide an auxiliary safety lock mechanism for the lever arm. Instead, the design required the addition of a safety lock at the perimeter of the fifth wheel which required the operator to release with one hand prior to pulling the handle with the other hand, which operation proved inconvenient as opposed to a direct pull on the handle with just one hand. Moreover, the 616 rack and detent design was integrally connected with the wedge and did not function to affect tolerances and did not incorporate the benefits of leverage allowed by the lever arm (which operates the opening and closing of the locking jaw and wedge) as is the case with the current invention's locking mechanism which uses sliding wedge and jaw members.
Still other inventions used in the trucking industry include safety catch members associated with the linear travel of non-retractable pull handles (i.e. the pull handle which is pulled outward from the fifth wheel by the operator to disengage the locking mechanism and which must remain extended outward and above the tractor tires when the locking mechanism is in the open position). In U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,174, a conventional fifth wheel is disclosed in which as much as two inches of play is allowed in the movement of the operating handle (lever arm) towards the open position before a safety catch is engaged. The problem with such single step safety catches is that large tolerances allowed by the movement of the operating handle before engagement of the safety catch allow for unacceptable slack to be generated promoting severe squirting. Moreover, the single position lock design, as disclosed in the "174" patent, may not allow proper engagement of the safety lock when the slack adjustment knock out rod is incorrectly adjusted by the operator. Further, the safety lock could fail to engage because the 174 design was subject to failure of the wedge and jaw properly locking where an auxiliary spring used in connection with the timer failed or was installed incorrectly. If the safety lock does not properly engage, severe squirting may generate enough force to push the lever arm towards the open position and if the safety lock is not properly engaged, there is the possibility of the lock releasing the king pin with potentially catastrophic consequences of the trailer becoming disengaged from the tractor.
Whereas the single step safety lock design of the invention described in the 174 patent will allow approximately two inches of lever arm movement at the safety lock when the wedge and jaw are worn, the current invention significantly avoids such play because the self-adjusting stepped design at the safety lock restricts the movement of the lever arm to one half inch maximum movement regardless of the condition of the jaw and wedge. Consequently, the current invention will restrict any banging effect whether or not the wedge is worn and further reduce significantly any force on the handle caused by fore and aft movement of the king pin.
A preferred embodiment of the current invention further allows the self-adjusting ratchet system to act as a safety lock. Moreover, the system is designed to follow a movement of the lever arm towards the closed position which self-adjustment will allow the wedge to compensate for a no less than one quarter inch lateral slack adjustment of the wedge for each step of adjustment in the system's ratchet rack. Whereas the 878 design could adjust the positioning of the wedge and jaw due to coil spring action, the 878 design could not prevent the occurrence of squirting caused by grease accumulation between the jaw and wedge because it had no inward self-adjusting ratchet catch system. Additionally, the invention disclosed in the 174 patent, as it has been produced and used in the field, could not make such an inherent adjustment due to the fact that the pull handle shaft was not long enough thereby causing the external hand grip of the pull handle to abut the outside perimeter of the fifth wheel preventing any inward movement of the operating handle thereby preventing slack adjustment necessitated by wear of the jaw and wedge. The 174 patent thus failed the basic feature embodied in the inventor's first U.S. Pat. No. 2,456,826, herein incorporated by reference, the embodiments of which have been practiced in the art for over 40 years and proven valuable in the trucking industry.
Like the "826" patent, a preferred embodiment of the current invention also permits adjustment for slack due to worn jaws and wedges. An additional advantage of the current invention is that because of the self-adjusting feature allowed by the ratchet system, a need to replace jaws and wedges is eliminated.
In the current invention stepped surfaces between the wedge and jaw are not necessary to decrease the slack caused by grease induced wear between the jaw and wedge. Instead a smooth surface between the jaw and wedge may be used allowing for less expensive manufacturing of such parts. Moreover, it does not matter whether grease becomes applied to the jaw and wedge. The inventor's experience has further proven that a smooth contact surface between the jaw and wedge will provide much better friction than stepped jaw and wedge contact surfaces when the contact surfaces are worn.
Further, it has been discovered by the inventor that application of the current invention provides for maintenance of narrower tolerances between king pin and jaw without the possibility of squirting. Additionally, the self-adjusting engagement of the wedge and jaw is able to be maintained in the closed position, which maintenance is benefited from the lever arm arrangement of the internal operating handle (lever arm) by both reducing the force applied to the detent and rack caused by the king pin and generating markedly tighter tolerances of movement between the jaw and wedge. Squirting and slippage is essentially eliminated, regardless of the presence of grease or worn components. Moreover, the design of the multi-positions (i.e. steps) of the self-adjusting ratchet system eliminates the human element involved in making sure the lever arm has fully closed and properly engaged the safety catch.
Integral to the advance in tightening tolerances of the current invention, a fully retractable pull handle is incorporated in association with the lever arm actuated detent and rack. There is a long felt need for this advancement in the art due to severe problems that have been caused by non-retractable type handles. As can be attested to by the presence of truck tire treads commonly found on the nation's highways, truckers have found that when the tractor is traveling without a trailer and the locking mechanism of the fifth wheel disengaged, since the non-retractable pull handle is extending over the tractor's tires, if a tire tread separates at high speeds, the centrifugal force of the tread slamming against the extended pull handle will often bend the shaft of the pull handle so that the locking mechanism is inoperative. Moreover, in many instances, if the shaft was improperly rebent to correct the damage done by the tire, the shaft was still not properly straightened leading to an inability of the locking mechanism to properly engage. Additionally, such non-retractable handles can be damaged by the trailer king pin if the tractor is backing into place improperly to engage the king pin into the fifth wheel. There have also been instances where the tires themselves of tractors equipped with air suspensions have bent an extended pull handle.
In a previous retractable handle design of the inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,183, the pull handle was able to retract only partially into the fifth wheel. The handle had a notch cut into one side of the handle shaft which acted as a safety catch and the slot allowing for retraction was L-shaped. In order for the handle to be retracted into the fifth wheel, the handle had to be manipulated laterally in order for the connecting bolt between the pull handle and operating handle to be slid along the slot in the pull handle for retraction of the pull handle when the operating handle was in the open position. This manipulation proved inconvenient. Moreover, since the pull handle did not fully retract, it was still subject to damage by separating tire treads. Also, the safety catch could fail to properly engage where the operating handle did not swing into a fully closed position.
In the current invention the retractable handle is able to fully retract whether the locking mechanism is open or closed and is not affected by type of tractor suspension, separating tire treads, or trailer king pins. Additionally, the slot is completely linear and not dependant upon any manipulation to retract. Moreover, there is no need for a safety notch because the ratch system acts as its own safety catch.
In association with the retractable handle yet another advance is incorporated in the current invention. Due to the design of the lever arm extending beyond the perimeter of the fifth wheel plate, the operator may visually tell from such visible portion, by the lateral or forward position of the lever arm extension, whether the locking mechanism is open or closed. Additionally, it is known that truckers often must operate their tractors during inclement weather conditions and at night. Moreover, all manufacturers specify in their operating instructions to examine the fifth wheel from behind (one even suggests using a flashlight if necessary) to determine whether the locking mechanism has actually locked. Such action by the operator is rarely carried out because to check the locked position of the fifth wheel from behind would require the driver to check the lock from under the trailer. Incorrect locking has been attributed to the most frequent cause of trailers becoming uncoupled over the past fifty years. Therefore, the current invention incorporates not only the extension of the lever arm to indicate whether the mechanism has locked but also includes as elements induction switches located so as to properly indicate whether the lever arm (thus, locking mechanism) is positioned in the open or closed position, and whether the trailer plate is resting or contacting the fifth wheel properly.
Prior inventions which have included electronic indicator switches include inventors U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,484 in which a button switch was placed so as to become depressed when the forward end of the wedge became seated in the locking position. However, the position of this switch negated the possibility of the wedge to adjust farther in the locked position as the wedge became worn thereby making any adjustment for slack impossible. Moreover, such switch was subject to malfunction due to grease buildup. Additionally a push button switch has been utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,679 wherein a lever arm having a hook lock mechanism would activate the switch when the lever arm was in a closed position. Unlike the present invention, the lever arm of the "679" design had only two positions of movement, open or closed. It could not adjust for wear induced slack. In contrast, the indicator switch of the present invention is able to activate when the lever arm is in the closed position while allowing for the lever arm to self adjust as needed. This advance is due to the use of an electronic switch in the form of an induction switch. Likewise, the ability to detect whether the trailer plate is resting or contacting the fifth wheel properly is also allowed by an induction switch.
Yet another embodiment of the invention incorporates a means by which a fifth wheel may support a trailer via the trailer riding plate without the use of a grease-based lubricant and further without the mating surfaces of the trailer plate and fifth wheel binding. Specifically, the current invention solves the long felt need recognized since the early days of the industry for a means to create a non-binding surface between the trailer plate and fifth wheel without a need for grease. The use of grease as a lubricant has always been the means for creating non-binding surfaces between the trailer and fifth wheel. However, the presence of grease has always presenting a great deal of handling problems for the operator. For example, when a fifth wheel required repair, the grease made for exceptionally messy work environments in the repair shop. Moreover, not only does the grease seep into the locking mechanism elements thereby facilitating wearing and squirting, the grease also attracts road grit which gums up the locking mechanism components and in frigid environments of winter months, the grease will solidify sometimes freezing causing the locking elements to become inoperative. The cost of grease and labor to install is eliminated. The tractor becomes much easier to clean and stays clean longer. Weight is also reduced because there is no mud and dirt which are normally attracted by grease.
The current invention has solved the grease problem by incorporating into the fifth wheel plate materials having properties of a low coefficient of friction, high density, low compressibility, and high impact resistance. Such material is recessed into the top plate in the form of a plurality of strips which are embedded deep enough in the top plate to protect such strips from damage or distortion especially when the trailer plate slides on the fifth wheel during coupling. The strips are further raised 1/16th to 1/8th inch above the surface of the fifth wheel plate so as to keep the trailer plate from contacting the fifth wheel plate.
The strips out perform and operate in a functionally different manner than other grease avoiding component designs because of the unique spacing and manner of incorporation. In other inventions such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,924,909, 4,169,635, 4,752,081, 5,165,714, 5,263,856, and 5,431,424 a high molecular weight polyester material and other composite materials were either bonded, welded, or bolted to the surface of the fifth wheel top plate. Moreover, such prior designs required a substantial surface of the fifth wheel plate to be covered by such materials. Some designs comprised whole sheets of the plastic material covering the entire plate while others comprised large plastic plates. Practical use of such designs has proven unsatisfactory in the long run due to abrasive or disruptive action of the trailer plate scraping across the surface of the fifth wheel when coupling. For example, the use of plastic sheeting failed due to wrinkling, dislodging, or ripping of the plastic from its intended position. The current invention provides a unique means of providing for protection by inserting the low friction composite material within depressions incorporated directly into the surface of the fifth wheel plate. Moreover, the low friction material of the current invention requires that only narrow strips of material be used such that the strips rise above the surface of the metal plate by only 1/16th to 1/8th inch. Thus, the over all profile of the fifth wheel plate is lower that other greaseless designs. The capacity for utility with such narrow bands of material is provided by the fact that the material applied in the current invention has a lower coefficient of friction and higher impact resistance that used in prior methods.

Automatic tolerance reducing greaseless fifth wheel using a wedge and jaw locking system that eliminates squirting


An electrical system for use with interconnected or ganged furniture includes electrical receptacles for each article of furniture and a plurality of electrical cables for connecting the receptacles. The receptacles and cables have specifically coded terminal groups and connector terminal groups that prevent interconnection of more than a specific allotted number of receptacles. An initial receptacle includes a substantially permanent power cord for plugging into a conventional wall socket. A last receptacle has only an input terminal group and a blank output. Intermediate receptacles are provided so that the total electrical system is limited to twelve sockets among the first, last and intermediate receptacles. In one embodiment, five terminal groups are provided. The receptacles are configured so that the input and output terminal groups for the receptacle are different. In this embodiment, only three electrical cable configurations are required, two having different mating terminal groups the mating ends and one having the same terminal groups at its ends.

With the increased use of personal computers in the office environment, many articles of furniture have been modified to accommodate the proliferation of electrical cables associated with these computers. The task of wire management has become more troublesome, yet more essential. Many furniture systems have been developed that provide some means for storing or containing the various cables and wires associated with a computer system, as well as with other electrical equipment that may be supported by an article of furniture, such as a table or a desk.
A more unique problem arises in the case of ganged or interconnected furniture. For example, in many conference or training room settings, several tables can be connected or ganged together in a particular arrangement. In a training setting, several trainees may be seated around an array of tables, each trainee having his/her own computer for performing various training tasks. Similarly, in a conference room setting, the attendees may likewise require their own P.C. at their particular location at the table arrangement.
With ganged furniture of this type, such as in a conference or training room scenario, a problem arises as to how to get electrical power to each of the computers throughout the length of the connected furniture. One obvious approach is to provide each work station or conference table location with an electrical cable connected directly to an outlet. However, in most conference or training rooms, there are not enough wall outlets to accommodate the number of participants. A further option that has been pursued is the utilization of a plurality of so-called "power strips," which are simply strips of multiple electrical outlets connected to a single power cord, which is in turn plugged into a wall socket. This approach has the advantage of reducing the number of wall plug ins that are necessary, since a typical power strip will have 4-8 electrical sockets. Nevertheless, in a conference room setting where there are a dozen or more participants, several power strips would be required, which again is likely to exceed the number of available wall outlets. Moreover, even if there are a sufficient number of wall outlets, the use of several power strips can still lead to a tangled web of electrical cables that somehow always manage to get into the path of a participant who will either trip over a cable or inadvertently unplug it from the wall socket.
In some circumstances, the power strips are improperly daisy chained together. In other words, each power strip is connected to a prior power strip, which is ultimately connected to a single wall socket. This use of the power strip is in violation of certain regulatory standards, as well as the usage recommended by the manufacturers of power strips. Notwithstanding the safety hazards, the daisy chaining of power strips still presents problems in wire management.
Therefore, there still remains a need for an electrical system that can be readily adapted for use with ganged articles of furniture, such as training or conference tables. The answer to this need is complicated by various safety regulations promulgated by the National Electric Code (NEC). One principal regulation limits the number of electrical outlets that are connected together. According to NEC regulations, a single electrical circuit is limited to a wall outlet and twelve additional outlets. An Underwriter's Laboratory regulation requires the use of a circuit breaker if more than three outlets are electrically connected to a 15-amp circuit. Other UL regulations limit the length of flexible power cords that can be used in a particular system, and the use of permanent vs. temporary electrical taps.
Adherence to the National Electric Code is an almost universal requirement of local government building inspector bodies. A UL or equivalent listing is often a requirement for electrical equipment by many of those same inspecting bodies. Consequently, purchasers of "electrified" articles of furniture will look to adherence to these regulations as a requirement for their purchase. Thus far, no adequate solution has been proposed for an electrical power distribution system that is adapted for use with ganged articles of furniture. While various solutions may exist that would fall within the UL restrictions, none of these possible solutions are fool proof. Specifically, there has been no answer to the problem of electrified ganged furniture that would prevent the improper use of the furniture. For example, simply providing a power strip with each table could satisfy the need for electrical power at a number of stations at the table. However, the user of the ganged furniture could improperly daisy chain the power strips between adjacent connected tables.
Consequently, not only is there a need for an electrical system that can be used with ganged furniture, there is also a need for such a system that prevents unauthorized or improper usage.

Electrical system for use with ganged furniture


A tracking computing system detects tracking indicia provided on or embedded within cutting implements to be deployed at a processing facility. Periodic implement scans can be performed by one or more mobile computing devices to detect tracking indicia and to determine state data associated with the cutting implements. The state data can be determined at different stages within a processing cycle. The absence of state data for a tracking indicium at one or more stages of the processing cycle may be detected and used to initiate a control action with respect to a potentially missing cutting implement.

Cutting implements, such as knives, scissors, and sharpeners thereof, are utilized in a wide variety of environments for a wide variety of purposes. In addition to personal use, for example, cutting implements are utilized in various commercial settings. One particular setting is the food processing industry, wherein cutting implements are utilized on a daily basis to process various types of food, such as for example poultry.
In such commercial settings, it is vital to track the cutting implements before, during, and after use. Loss and/or theft of cutting implements can be expensive and detrimental not just due to the loss of the cutting implements themselves, but also due to potential shut-down of the commercial operation in an effort to find the cutting implements. Further, in the food processing industry, processed food can go to waste due to the loss of cutting implements because of the associated shut-down and potential violations of food safety regulations.
Accordingly, improved systems and methods for tracking cutting implements is desired. In particular, simple, efficient, and inexpensive solutions which facilitate such tracking would be advantageous.

Systems and methods for tracking cutting implements in processing facilities


The invention relates to a method for orientating two workpieces in order to form a joining connection, wherein in a longitudinal orientation step the first workpiece is orientated relative to the second workpiece) along at least one of the workpiece edges by linear movement of at least one of the grippers relative to the other gripper and wherein the longitudinal orientation step is carried out during the transport of the workpieces from the provision station to the processing station. Furthermore, the invention relates to a manipulator which comprises a first gripper and a second gripper.

In order to produce so-called tailored blanks, workpieces typically constructed as sheet metal plates of different materials or material qualities and/or sheet thicknesses are combined and connected by welding in order to then subsequently be shaped, for example, by deep-drawing. The Leading Edge Offset (LEO) and the Trailing Edge Offset (TEO), that is to say, the offset which the workpieces which are intended to be connected have after welding at the leading edge or the trailing edge, are subjected by the automotive industry to very high demands which can only be complied with when both workpieces are oriented very precisely with respect to each other prior to the welding.
From the prior art, methods for orientating two workpieces in order to form a joining connection which comprise the steps mentioned below are known: inserting or holding at least two workpieces in a provision station, gripping the first workpiece with a first gripper, gripping the second workpiece with a second gripper and removing the workpieces from the provision station and transporting the workpieces to a processing station. Using such methods, the requirements of the automotive industry with regard to a minimum offset between the workpieces cannot be complied with.
Furthermore, manipulators which comprise a first gripper and a second gripper are known from the prior art.

Method for orienting two workpieces to form a joining connection and manipulator


A possibly pre-infected system is inspected for the existence of tracked application-specific accounts. In a tracked application-specific account is found, the system is further audited to verify that only authorized processes are using the account and that the authorized account creation application is installed on the host computer system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer system security. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method of detecting malicious code on a computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Services are executable programs that run in sessions outside of the currently logged-on user's session. Typically, services run in the background and may not show any user interface. Services can start automatically when the computer system starts, can be paused and restarted. Accordingly, services are prime vulnerability points for attackers to compromise a computer system.
A service must run under the context of an account. An account establishes the privileges of a service running within the context of the account.
The principle of least privileges states that you give a service the least amount of access it requires to serve its function and nothing more. Thus, to protect against a service that may be malicious, the service is run under the context of an account that provides the service the necessary privileges required to serve its function and nothing more. However, additional protection against malicious services is still needed.

Unauthorized account monitoring system and method


A padlock includes a housing, a shackle, a limit knob, a movable member and a first locking mechanism. The shackle is movably mounted on the housing and has a root section extended into the housing and a free section having a first end extended from the root section and a second end extended outside of the housing. The limit knob is movably mounted on the housing to control movement of the free section of the shackle. The movable member is movably mounted in the limit knob. Additionally, the first locking mechanism is mounted in the housing to control movement of the limit knob and the movable member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a padlock, and more particularly to a multifunctional padlock having an outwardly exposed shackle limit knob.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional padlock disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,125 and U.S. Publication No. 2005/0034492 comprises a locking mechanism, a shackle, and a shackle limit knob. The shackle limit knob is controlled by the locking mechanism to lock or release the free end of the shackle.
Another conventional padlock disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,283 and the U.S. Publication Nos. 2002/0088256, 2004/0226323, 2004/0226324 and 2005/0039500 has a double lock function to facilitate the inspector of the customs checking the luggage.
Another conventional padlock disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,877,345 and 7,007,521 has a double lock function and has an indicator to remind if the padlock has been opened by a key. Such a padlock does not have a shackle limit knob.
Another conventional padlock disclosed in the U.S. Publication No. 2005/0262902 has a double lock function and has an indicator and a shackle to remind if the padlock has been opened by a key. The indicator cannot indicate if the padlock has been opened by an insert instead of a key.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multifunctional padlock having shackle limit knob


An electrical test contact electrically connects a test terminal of an Integrated Circuit (IC) test assembly with an IC terminal of an IC device in an electrical interconnect assembly. The test contact is formed of electrically conductive material and includes a head portion and a foot portion. The head portion includes a first electrical contacting portion for electrically engaging an IC terminal of an IC device during use, and the foot portion includes a second electrical contacting portion for electrically engaging a test terminal of a test assembly during use. The head portion includes a head receiving portion that receives a first resiliently biasing member to retain the first resiliently biasing member in contact with the test contact. The first resiliently biasing member biases the first electrical contacting portion against the IC terminal of the IC device during use. An electrical interconnect assembly having multiple test contacts is also disclosed.

As part of an IC manufacturing process, it is important to test manufactured IC devices in order to ensure that the devices are operating correctly and to required specifications. Such testing is generally carried out using an IC test system, the test system having a test assembly and an interconnect assembly arranged to electrically connect the test assembly with pads/leads of an IC during testing so that characteristics of the IC device in response to input electrical stimuli can be determined and compared with reference responses by the test assembly. The interconnect assembly comprises a series of test contacts which extend between respective test terminals of the test assembly and IC terminals of the IC device. The test assembly is arranged to provide an interface between a test assembly and an IC device whilst minimizing the likelihood of damage to leads/pads of the IC device.
In one arrangement, the interconnect assembly includes first and second arm portions arranged to respectively connect with test terminals and IC terminals. The test contacts are moveably disposed in the interconnect assembly and resiliently biased such that during use, when an IC device is engaged with the test assembly, a biasing force is exerted so as to urge the first arm portion into good electrical contact with an IC terminal of an IC device and so as to urge the second arm portion into good electrical contact with a test terminal of the test assembly. The test contacts in this arrangement, however, can transfer excessive force to the test terminal resulting in premature wear of the test terminal and can damage the IC terminal during use.


A method of printing an image using a printing system including at least first and second overlapping printhead segments, the method includes the steps of: feeding media past the printhead segments along a media feed direction; determining an extent of wander of the media in a direction perpendicular to the media feed direction; selecting a stitching method based on the determined extent of wander; and printing the image using the first and second printhead segments. The printing step includes stitching the first and second printhead segments using the selected stitching method.

Pagewide printing dramatically increases print speeds compared to traditional scanning printheads. Many types of pagewide printers use overlapping printhead segments to form a pagewide array configured for printing over a required media width. For example, the Applicant's wideformat pagewide printers described in WO2011/011824 use a staggered overlapping array of multi-color A4-sized printheads, which extend across wideformat media. The Applicant's modular printing systems described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 10,081,204 use multiple monochrome pagewide print bars, each print bar having a staggered overlapping array of monochrome printheads ("print modules"). Other pagewide printers, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,662,636 use a staggered overlapping array of printhead chips to form a pagewide printhead. In the present context, the term "printhead segment" encompasses both printhead chips and printheads (or print modules) comprised of multiple printhead chips.
A problem with overlapping printhead segments is that pairs of neighbouring printhead segments must be stitched together in their overlap regions. As used herein, the term "stitching" refers to any method by which image content is printed from a pair of overlapping printhead segments. Whatever stitching method is used, print artefacts may result from the stitching, typically in the form of a light or dark streak down the page.
In its simplest form, butt joins may be used for stitching, whereby one printhead segment prints image content on one side of a fixed stitch point and a neighbouring overlapping printhead segment prints image content on the other side of the fixed stitch point. Test prints may be used to select the position of the fixed stitch point in the overlap region and thereby provide the least objectionable print artefacts.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,646, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes a stitching method whereby printing is shared between the overlapping printhead segments in the overlap region. Typically, printing is faded from one printhead to the other across the overlap region, in accordance with a dedicated overlap dither. This type of is stitching is sometimes referred to in the art as "feathering".
The prior art has generally focused on various types of overlap dither in an attempt to improve stitching and minimize print artefacts. One example of a more sophisticated stitching technique based on image content is described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,293,622, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In the described method, a seam carving algorithm is used to define a continuous seam which meanders through regions of low intensity in the image (e.g. between text lines). Furthermore, foreground images (e.g. text) may be stitched using butt stitches, while background images (e.g. contone) may be stitched using a feathered stitch.
With the commercial growth of pagewide printers having overlapping printheads and/or printhead chips, and particularly in view of customers' sensitivity to print quality in many market segments, it would be desirable to improve methods of stitching so as to reduce noticeable stitching artefacts and optimize overall print quality.

Method of printing using overlapping printhead segments


A solid state imaging device comprising: a pixel region including a matrix of cells; reading means driving a modulation transistor and a residual electric charge discharging control element and carrying out different controls to cells where reading is and is not carried out, in a modulation period when a signal modulation output based on photo-generated electric charges accumulated in a modulation well, and a noise modulation output based on a noise component are obtained; clear means driving the modulation transistor and the discharging control element, and carrying out different controls to cells where a clear is and is not carried out, in a clear period when residual electric charges in the modulation well are discharged; and dummy clear means controlling the clear means, and carrying out control for a cell where the clear is not carried out, to all the cells, before reading a first line from the pixel region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid state imaging device having a high quality picture and low power consumption, and a method of driving the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solid state imaging devices carried in cellular phones or the like include a CCD (charge coupled device) type image sensor and a CMOS type image sensor. The CCD type image sensor is excellent in picture quality and the CMOS type image sensor consumes lower power and its process cost is low. In recent years, MOS type solid state imaging devices using a threshold voltage modulation method which combines both a high quality picture and low power consumption have been proposed. A MOS type solid state imaging device using the threshold voltage modulation method is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, for example.
In the solid state imaging device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, the picture output is obtained by arranging unit pixels in a matrix form and repeating three states of initialization, accumulation, and reading. Moreover, in the solid state imaging device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, each unit pixel has a photo-diode, a modulation transistor, and an overflow drain gate. The gate of the modulation transistor is formed in a ring shape.
Electric charges (photo-generated electric charges) generated by light incident upon the photo-diode are transferred to a P-type well region formed under a ring gate, and accumulated in a carrier pocket formed in this region. The threshold voltage of the modulation transistor changes corresponding to the photo-generated electric charges accumulated in the carrier pocket. Accordingly, a signal (pixel signal) corresponding to incident light is obtained from a terminal coupled to the source region of the modulation transistor.
In the above described conventional solid state imaging device, a picture signal corresponding to light incident upon the photo-diode in an accumulating period is outputted in a reading period. By accumulating photo-generated electric charges generated by the photo-diode in a carrier pocket, the picture signal corresponding to incidence light is obtained. The photo-generated electric charges accumulated in the carrier pocket are discharged at the time of initialization.
For example, in the device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, with respect to a selected line selected line), the photo-generated electric charges of the carrier pocket are read, and with respect to a non-selected line, the photo-generated electric charges remain accumulated in the carrier pocket. An accumulating period, a reading period or an initialization period are set for a selected line and a non-selected line, respectively.
In the device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-134729, a flow of the photo-generated electric charges in the accumulating period, reading period, and initialization period is controlled by the potential gradient of each part.
However, the design of a layer thickness and the design of an impurity profile or the like are complicated, and it is extremely difficult to obtain an ideal potential gradient. For this reason, actually, carrier leakage, which the photo-generated electric charges accumulated in the carrier pocket flow out, occurs even in the non-selected lines.
In this case, if the carrier leakage occurs similarly with respect to all unit pixels, there will be no specific problems from a viewpoint of pixel variation, however, in the case where there exists a line in which carrier leakage occurs and a line in which the carrier leakage does not occur, there will be a problem that the dynamic range and the saturation output vary for each of these lines, and thereby the picture quality will degrade.
The present invention has been made in view of this problem, and is intended to provide a solid state imaging device which can make the dynamic range and the saturation output uniform and improve the picture quality by conforming the carrier leakage of all the pixels, and a method of driving the same.

Solid state imaging device and method of driving the same


A slide of a press machine is driven by composite thrust of thrust of an electric (servo) motor SM (via a screw/nut mechanism from the electric motor) and thrust of hydraulic cylinders SYL1, SYL2 to which pressure oil is supplied from a constant, high pressure source. A slide control device controls the electric motor SM and the hydraulic cylinders SYL1, SYL2, based on a slide position signal and a motor angular velocity signal, and at the same time, makes the hydraulic cylinder SYL1 work as a pump during a period when slide load is small, charging pressure oil to the constant, high pressure source by using the thrust transferred from the electric motor to the hydraulic cylinder SYL1 through the screw/nut mechanism and the slide.

(a) A Slide Drive Device of a Press Machine Driven by an Electric Servo Motor
Japanese Patent No. 2506657 discloses an electric press for driving a slide directly or indirectly (via a speed reducer etc.) only by using an electric motor (electric servo motor). This electric press can provide high controllability of the slide, but working capacity (energy capacity) which is an important capacity factor for a press or a forming machine can not be secured (insufficient). This means that driving by the electric motor does not have a storage function of energy, and large power can not be continuously discharged due to internal heat generation of the motor, and at forming, an amount of energy provided by the motor is limited.
To solve this problem, it is necessary to prepare an electric motor having a considerably large power (W), and to correspond to it, receiving electricity (facilities) of a user may be huge. Further, during uniform motion of a slide not involving acceleration, deceleration or forming, the electric motor performs only a small workload involved in an extremely small load torque, so that the residual torque (energy) of the electric motor may not be efficiently used.
(b) A Slide Drive Device of a Press Machine Driven by a Variable Delivery Pump+(a Plurality of) Hydraulic Motors (Linked to Each Other in a Closed Circuit)+a Screw
U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,889 discloses a slide drive device of a press machine of which slide is driven by a variable delivery pump+a hydraulic motor+a screw. When this slide drive device of a press machine drives the slide, a problem arises in controllability (responsivity or static accuracies (of velocity or position) of the slide.
That is, because force necessary to drive the slide is proportional to pressure (load pressure) generated from compression of oil flow discharged by the variable delivery pump per unit time in a pipe line connected to the hydraulic motor when load is applied, dynamic characteristics of the slide are lowered by delay in response caused due to this compression (responsivity, or a feedback gain of velocity or position may be lowered). Further, a leakage of pressure oil proportional to the load pressure occurs in the variable delivery pump, the hydraulic motor or valves, so that, especially, accuracies of velocity and position are largely lowered during forming when the load pressure is high. Moreover, because driving is carried out, based on oil flow control by the variable delivery pump, a large amount of oil flowing per unit time becomes necessary, so facilities may be enlarged thereby.
On the contrary, a fly wheel may be provided between the electric motor and the variable delivery pump, and it has a storage function of energy, so that, there is no limitation with respect to energy. Further, there is also a device of the type in that a crankshaft of a press machine is driven by a similar hydraulic circuit (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 01-309797), but besides the problem described above, problems in control further occur that a transfer characteristic from a drive shaft driven by the hydraulic motor to the slide is nonlinear, and a value of force applied to the slide is limited.
(c) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-166199 discloses a hydraulic drive plastic working device in which an electric motor rotationally drives a constant delivery pump, and a hydraulic cylinder or a hydraulic motor connected to the pump drives a movable platen. This device has a problem that, because a pressure oil medium intervenes in a drive part (because of an effect of compressibility of hydraulic oil or a leakage of pressure oil), controllability included in the electric motor is considerably lowered. Moreover, the problem specific to control of the electric motor that the motor does not have the storage function of energy, and the problem of heat generated in a coil, just as there are, remain. Accordingly, force applied to a press and a work load necessary for press-forming is limited by maximum instantaneous power of the electric motor. An advantage is limited to the point that a system may be simply configured.
(d) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-172499 discloses a slide drive device which drives a slide via a screw/nut mechanism, by an electric motor and a constant delivery hydraulic pump/motor in parallel. This device is configured in a manner that turning forces applied by both the electric motor and the constant delivery hydraulic pump/motor are combined together and transferred to the screw/nut mechanism.
(e) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-266086 discloses a ram drive device in a plate working machine, in which a direct drive force of a screw pressure device driven by a servo motor, and a direct drive force of a hydraulic cylinder (hydraulic device) including a variable delivery pump or a constant delivery pump as a power source can be transferred to a slide, respectively. In this ram drive device, the screw pressure device mainly positions the ram during a to-and-from drive, and the hydraulic device mainly pressurizes during plate working, and thereby, a high accuracy of positioning can be achieved and a plate can be worked with a large pressurizing force (see the paragraph [0056] in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-266086).
The slide drive device of a press machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-172499 has the following problem.
(1) Energy Efficiency
A hydraulic motor driven by a constant pressure source has poor energy efficiency, because a leakage of hydraulic oil is large in the hydraulic motor and a friction loss is also large.
(2) Controllability
Drop in controllability (drop in responsivity or limitation to securing a proportional gain in a feedback control configuration) occurs, because an increase in rigidity of the screw/nut mechanism and the drive shaft is caused and moment of inertia converted at an electric motor axis is increased, since turning forces of both the electric motor and the constant delivery hydraulic pump/motor are combined together and transferred to the screw/nut mechanism.
(3) Cost
The constant delivery hydraulic pump/motor is expensive from the viewpoint of marketability or the number of parts.
(4) Noises
The constant delivery hydraulic pump/motor generates pulsing noises at switching between high pressure and low pressure proportional to an angular velocity, and is a noise source.
On the one hand, the ram drive device in a plate working machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-266086 uses the hydraulic cylinder, and so, it does not have the problems (1) to (4) described above. In this drive device, a hydraulic device controls pressure during plate working as described above, and the hydraulic device directly supplies hydraulic oil from the variable delivery pump or the constant delivery pump to an upper room of the hydraulic cylinder. Therefore, it is possible to secure pressurizing force and energy as desired, but problems arise that controllability is considerably lost, because of compressibility of hydraulic oil or a leakage of pressure oil, and further, it is difficult to control the pressurizing force accurately in high responsivity.
Moreover, the hydraulic device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-266086 has to drive the variable delivery pump or the constant delivery pump to supply hydraulic oil to the hydraulic cylinder during plate working, and so, also as the motor for driving the pump, a motor having a large power is required.

Movable plate drive device and press slide drive device


A fan system is electrically connected to a power source, and the fan system includes a power reverse protection apparatus, a voltage regulator, a driver, and a fan. The power reverse protection apparatus, electrically connected to the power source, includes a voltage regulator switch and an activating device. The voltage regulator switch receives an input signal and outputs a first output signal according to the input signal. The activating device is electrically connected to the power source and the voltage regulator switch for receiving the input signal and the first output signal, respectively. The activating device outputs a second output signal to the fan according to the first output signal. The voltage regulator is electrically connected to the power source for receiving the input signal from the power source and outputting a regulating signal according to the input signal. The driver is electrically connected to the voltage regulator for receiving the regulating signal and outputting a driving signal according to the regulating signal. The fan is electrically connected with the driver and the power reverse protection apparatus and operates according to the driving signal and the second output signal.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a fan system, in particular to a fan system and a power reverse protection apparatus thereof that can prevent the reverse transmission of the power signal.
2. Related Art
As the high development of technology, the demand to the function of the electronic device is higher, the number and the density of the electronic elements increase, and hence relatively larger amount of the electricity is used. When the amount of the electricity is large, a protective circuit is usually disposed at the input of the electronic device for protection. The efficiency of the protective circuit has a direct effect on the reliability and the lifetime of the electronic device.
A power reverse protection apparatus disposed at the input of the electronic device is usually used to turn on the main power circuit in the electronic device and to turn off the rest of the power circuits. However, the amount of electricity is also consumed while driving the power reverse protection apparatus. Therefore it is an important subject to reduce the power consumption of the power reverse protection apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 1, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,410, the conventional power reverse protection apparatus 10 includes an N-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (N-type MOSFET) 102, which includes a body diode transistor BD1, a plurality of coils (can be regarded as inductors) L1 to LN, a plurality of diodes D1 to DN, a plurality of switches S1 to SN, a capacitor 16, and a capacitor 108. Since the inductor is an energy storage element, as the voltage supply VSUPPLY provides a surge voltage that passes through the body diode BD1, a current is generated and flows to the coils (the inductors) L1 to LN. As the current increases, the coils L1 to LN impede the current increase and temporally store the electric energy in the form of magnetic field, and a high voltage at the two ends of the capacitor 16 thus will be generated. This high voltage will turn on and drive the N-type MOSFET 102 and activate the power reverse protection apparatus 10. If the power reverses instantly, which means, when the voltage supply VSUPPLY is a low potential or a negative potential, the body diode BD1 can be used as a power reverse protection diode and the N-type MOSFET 102 is turned off. However, if a plurality of coils L1 to LN are used to store the energy to drive the N-type MOSFET 102, the coils will take a lot of space and the cost of the coil material is high. The circuit will be more complex and it is harder to control. In addition, driving the capacitor 16 by a high voltage consumes too much power.

Fan system and power reverse protection apparatus thereof


A cylinder block includes a metal body part having a cylinder, and an outer wall part made of fiber reinforced resin, surrounding an outer circumference of the body part. A part of the outer wall part at BDC side in a cylinder axis direction contacts a bottom wall forming part. The outer wall part is comprised of an inner layer surrounding the outer circumference of the body part, and an outer layer surrounding an outer circumference of the inner layer. A density of reinforcing fiber contained in the outer layer is higher than that in the inner layer. A thickness of a part of the inner layer at BDC side in the cylinder axis direction is greater than that of the TDC-side inner layer. A thickness of a part of the outer layer at TDC side in the cylinder axis direction is greater than that of the BDC-side outer layer.

For reducing the weight of an engine for automobiles, etc. to improve fuel efficiency, various technologies of forming a cylinder block partially with resin are proposed.
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, JP2019-015227A discloses a cylinder block 100 which includes a metal body part 101 having a cylinder 101b extending in a cylinder axis direction A, and an outer wall part 102 made of fiber reinforced resin. The body part 101 has a cylindrical circumferential wall 101a which forms the cylinder 101b, and a bottom wall forming part 101c which protrudes outward from an outer surface of the circumferential wall 101a. An inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall 101a is covered with a cylinder liner 107.
The outer wall part 102 is comprised of two layers of an inner layer 103 and an outer layer 104 which are made of fiber reinforced resin. The inner layer 103 is made of resin containing glass fiber, and the outer layer 104 is made of resin containing carbon fiber.
In a lower end part 106 of the cylinder block 100, a part 102a of the outer wall part 102, which protrudes radially inward, contacts the bottom wall forming part 101c of the body part 101. Thus, between the body part 101 and the outer wall part 102, a coolant passage 105 where a coolant W for cooling the cylinder block 100 circulates is formed.
From a viewpoint of reducing a sliding resistance of a piston which reciprocates inside the cylinder 101b, it is desirable to make a thermal deformation of the cylinder liner 107 substantially uniform in the cylinder axis direction A. Thus, the cylinder liner is required to have a substantially uniform temperature distribution in the cylinder axis direction A.
However, in the lower end part 106 of the cylinder block 100, since the outer wall part 102 contacts the body part 101, heat generated in the cylinder 101b of the body part 101 is transmitted via the lower end part 106 to the ascending circumferential direction of the outer wall part 102 made of the fiber reinforced resin, and is released outside from the outer layer 104, as illustrated by a path of an arrow B. Thus, the cylinder liner 107 may have an uneven temperature distribution in the cylinder axis direction A.
Particularly, when the reinforcing fiber contained in the outer wall part 102 has a high density, it increases the rigidity of the outer wall part 102 but also increases the thermal conductivity of the outer wall part 102, which easily causes heat release. Therefore, since in the above structure the reduction in the thermal conductivity of the outer wall part 102 reduces the rigidity of the outer wall part 102, it is difficult to secure the rigidity of the outer wall part 102 while reducing the heat release of the outer wall part 102.


Disclosed is an elastic fastener assembly for fastening objects to gap between the car window and the trim panel. The elastic fastener assembly includes an elastic fastener having a first piece for supporting the elastic fastener assembly and a second piece serving as a fastener of the elastic fastener assembly. The second piece has an opening provided with a flange for allowing the elastic fastener to be inserted in a gap between a trim panel and a car window glass to securely fasten the elastic fastener assembly to an inner side of the trim panel. The elastic fastener assembly includes an object jointer for jointing objects. The neck of the object jointer is spaced apart from the flange by a distance longer than the thickness of the trim panel, thereby ensuring the elastic fastener assembly to be fastened to the inner side of the trim panel during the installation process.

Cars have become an indispensable commodity for use in daily life. People tend to put some articles in their cars, such as car curtain, driving recorder, or any other necessities. Because the trim panel of a car does not reserve any space for the purpose of fastening, it is difficult to firmly fix objects in the car. More disadvantageously, if it is desired to fasten an object in a car with glue or adhesive or sucker, the object may fall as a result of the rise of ambient temperature. Moreover, if a screw is used to fasten an object, it may damage the surface of the trim panel. Furthermore, it would be strenuous to fasten an object in a car with screw. Thus, people are reluctant to fasten an object in a car with screw.
The applicant endeavors to research and design a novel elastic fastener assembly to address the shortcomings encountered by the prior art and finally devises the inventive elastic fastener assembly through assiduous trials and experiments.


An electrorheological material comprising a carrier fluid and an atomically polarizable particle component. The atomically polarizable particle component has a crystalline lattice structure which allows atoms to shift position with respect to each other in response to the application of an electric field. The electrorheological materials are subjected to an alternating current electric field at a frequency of at least 500 Hz. The materials exhibit substantial electrorheological activity over a broad temperature range.

Fluid compositions which undergo a change in apparent viscosity in the presence of an electrical field are commonly referred to as electrorheological fluids or materials. Electrorheological materials normally are comprised of particles dispersed within a carrier fluid and in the presence of an electrical field, the particles become polarized and are thereby organized into chains of particles within the fluid. The chains of particles act to increase the apparent viscosity or flow resistance of the overall fluid and in the absence of an electric field, the particles return to an unorganized or free state and the apparent viscosity or flow resistance of the overall material is correspondingly reduced.
An electrorheological fluid composed of a non-conductive solid dispersed within an oleaginous fluid vehicle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,047,507. The compositions contain a minimum amount of water and a minimum amount of a surface active dispersing agent and the non-conductive solid consists of finely divided particles having an average diameter of from about 0.1 to about 5 microns.
A method of inducing a change in dynamic torque transmission of an electrorheological fluid in response to an electric field at low current is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,056. The method involves selecting a non-conductive liquid phase and dispersing in the liquid phase an alumino silicate particulate phase which is substantially free of adsorbed water. The resulting electrorheological fluid is then subjected to an electric potential in excess of about 1 kV at a current density of less than about 1/3 microamp per square inch.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,855 discloses electrorheological fluids consisting of an aluminum silicate solid dispersed within a fluid medium wherein the aluminum/silicate atomic ratio on the surface of the aluminum silicate is in the range of 0.15 to 0.80. The aluminum silicates may be either amorphous or crystalline and may contain contaminants such as Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, CaO, MgO, Na.sub.2 O, and K.sub.2 O. The electrorheological fluids may optionally contain an effective quantity of an appropriate dispersing agent.
As described above, the particles of electrorheological materials undergo polarization so as to be organized into chains of particles within the carrier fluid. The polarizability of particles traditionally utilized in electrorheological materials has typically been a function of the surface or bulk ionic conductivity of the particles themselves. Polarization resulting from surface or bulk ionic conductivity arises from the free migration of charged particles throughout the particle structure into positive and negative regions in response to an electric field. This type of particle conductivity has typically been achieved by the addition of an activator such as water to the particle component or by selecting a particle component which has a crystalline structure which enables cations to move freely through the structure. As a result, the electrorheological activity of many traditional electrorheological materials is dependent on the surface or bulk ionic conductivity of the particle component utilized in the overall material. This dependence on the ionic conductivity of the particle component causes the electrorheological material to be relatively sensitive to changes in temperature since both the mobility and concentration of charge carriers such as cations and anions are a function of temperature.
A need therefore exists for an electrorheological material which does not depend on the surface or bulk ionic conductivity of the particle component. Such an electrorheological material would be capable of functioning over a broad temperature range, which is desirable in many applications involving varying temperature conditions.

Atomically polarizable electrorheological material


A device for reducing the incidence and severity of dermal conditions such as bedsores and anoxic pressure necrosis of the scalp including a pad disposable on a horizontal support surface, the pad having a cavity or chamber at least partially filled with a fluidic substance. A pressurization component is operatively connected to the pad for shifting the fluidic substance in the cavity, thereby modifying pressure distribution in the cavity. An additional component is operatively connected to the pad for automatically applying a medicinal composition to an upper surface of the pad. This medicine applicator may include an ejector mechanism or a spray nozzle for dispensing a liquid film over the pad. In one embodiment of the invention, the medication applicator is disposed in the same housing as the pressurization component.

This invention relates to a device and an associated method for reducing the incidence and severity of dermal conditions such as bedsores and anoxic pressure necrosis of the scalp.
Anoxic pressure necrosis of the scalp is a condition that occurs particularly upon extended surgery and basically results in a bald spot on the patient's head. During surgery, the patient's head usually remains fixed in one position on a table surface. The weight of the head places such pressure on the portion of the scalp in contact with the table surface that the blood supply is cut off, thereby causing the death of skin cells and hair follicles. Although an operating room assisant could periodically manipulate the patient's head to vary the pressure on the back of the head, this procedure is not viewed to be especially useful for several obvious reasons.
Bedsores are painful and possibly dangerous pressure ulcers resulting from continuous lying in a single position on a bed or other support surface. This affliction is particularly common among the patients in nursing homes and hospitals. Although the condition may be reduced by manual moving of the patients, this solution represents a considerable drain on the time and energy of attendants who are in short supply. Other solutions include beds which rock, thereby moving the patients automatically. To introduce such beds throughout a hospital or nursing home would entail a considerable expense, more than many institutions would be willing to undertake.


A fluid reservoir includes a housing, a nozzle and a cup. The housing defines a chamber for retaining a fluid. The nozzle receives the fluid and directs the fluid toward the chamber. The cup is disposed in the chamber and defines an interior volume in fluid communication with the nozzle for directly receiving the fluid from the nozzle. A portion of the cup may be captured between the housing and the nozzle. The cup defines at least one fluid path between the interior volume and the chamber.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Operation of a motor vehicle requires the circulation of various fluids. For example, in a conventional motor vehicle coolant is used to both extract heat from the engine and direct heat to a heater core disposed in the passenger compartment. A pump circulates coolant heated by the engine from the engine to both the heater core and a radiator. Heat is extracted from the coolant by both the radiator and the heater core. The pump further circulates the cooled fluid from both the radiator and the heater core back to the engine for further cooling of the engine.
When the temperature of coolant increases, the volume correspondingly expands. A radiator cap maintains the pressure in the radiator to a predetermined maximum amount. A coolant reservoir is conventionally provided to accommodate expansion of the coolant and to also store a reserve of the coolant.
Fluid (e.g., coolant) entering a conventional reservoir may become aerated. For example, the fluid may enter the reservoir at a relatively high speed and become aerated in response to turbulence. Air bubbles may be introduced into the flowing fluid in the coolant fluid circuit within the engine and radiator components. It can occur that air is trapped in the engine cooling system and that portions of the trapped air may become entrained into the coolant fluid flow as air bubbles. The air captured in the fluid is preferably released from the fluid before the fluid exits the fluid reservoir (e.g., for heat transfer within the vehicle). Also it is advantageous to prevent foaming within the reservoir, such as due to the presence of entrained air.
While known fluid reservoirs such as coolant reservoirs have proven to be generally successful for their intended purposes, a continuous need for improvement remains in the pertinent art.

Reservoir for reducing aeration of a fluid