During a dialysis treatment carried out by a dialysis apparatus, in which a dialysis liquid is circulated to a clean dialysate filter (43) arranged before a dialyser (3), the conductivity of the dialysis liquid is altered according to an altering function that is a function of a mathematical model of the filter (43), in a way that will make the conductivity after the filter change more quickly. A conductivity cell (47), which is arranged after the dialyser, measures the conductivity of the spent dialysis liquid changed in response to said alteration. A control and computer system (52) evaluates the dialysance from said measured response. The conductivity can be changed for a comparatively short time period that is sufficient to allow reliable results.

The invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for determining at least one patient or treatment or apparatus parameter during an extracorporeal blood treatment carried out in an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus.
Specifically, though not exclusively, the invention can be usefully applied in dialysis treatments.
The parameters to be determined can be, for example, ionic dialysance or clearance, plasma conductivity, plasma sodium concentration, dialysis dose, depurated volume of patient body water, ionic mass balance, blood recirculation, fistula flow, etc.
During a dialysis treatment, it is desirable to monitor patient or treatment or apparatus parameters in order, for example, to provide a measure of treatment efficacy, preferably in a real time, non-invasive and automatic mode.
Several methods have been suggested for monitoring a dialysis therapy based, for example, on conductivity measurements of treatment fluids flowing in the extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus.
EP 0 291 421 discloses a method for determining the blood sodium level of a patient whose blood circulates through one compartment of an exchanger separated from a dialysis fluid by a semipermeable membrane; the conductivity of the dialysis fluid of equilibrium with the plasma is determined by: changing in a selected manner the conductivity of the dialysis fluid at inflow the exchanger, measuring the conductivity of the dialysis fluid at outflow from the exchanger, determining a lag time tL of the change in conductivity of dialysis fluid between inflow to and outflow from the exchanger, and determining an equilibrium conductivity value of the dialysis fluid for which the conductivity at outflow from the exchanger at an instant t is equal to the conductivity at inflow at an instant t-tL.
EP 0 330 892 describes a dialysis system comprising means for the conducting of dialysis liquid and blood respectively on either side of one or more membranes in a dialyzer, means for controlling one or more parameters of the dialysis liquid before the dialyzer, means for measuring at least one parameter of the dialysis liquid after the dialyzer, and means for a comparison of the parameter measured after the dialyzer with the set value of the corresponding parameter before the dialyzer; the values measured are used for the calculation of a blood parameter, which is altered as a function of the parameter measured, for the purpose of calculation and/or control of this blood parameter.
In the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,002 for measurement of mass and energy transfer parameters (clearance and dialysance) in hemodialysis, a pre-determined amount of a substance whose dialysance is to be measured is added upstream of the dialyzer; the amount of substance not dialyzed in the dialyzer is measured downstream of the dialyzer by integrating the concentration over time; dialysance is calculated from the amount added upstream, the amount measured downstream and the dialysate flow; in case the substance is part of the dialysate the base concentration is subtracted during integration; the addition of the concentrate upstream of the dialyzer can be done manually or, alternatively by the mixing pump of the dialysis machine; instead of an increase of the concentration with a concentrate dilution with water can be used as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,199 shows a method for determining hemodialysis parameters during an extracorporeal blood treatment according to which the blood to be treated in an extracorporeal circulation flows through the blood chamber of a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into the blood chamber and a dialysate chamber, and dialysate in a dialysate path flows through the dialysate chamber of the dialyzer; the hemodialysis parameter can also be determined when no balanced state has yet been established; the method is based on the response of the dialyzer to a pulse function as inlet signal (pulse response) from the course over time of the physical or chemical characteristic quantity of the dialysate upstream and downstream of the dialyzer; the hemodynamic parameter is then determined from the pulse response of the dialyzer.
EP 0 920 877 provides a method for determining a parameter indicative of the effectiveness of an extracorporeal blood treatment carried out using a membrane exchanger, wherein the method includes the steps of flowing through the exchanger a treatment liquid having a concentration characteristic and of varying the value of the characteristic upstream of the exchanger for a time at the end of which the characteristic is returned to a nominal value; a plurality of values adopted by the characteristic downstream of the exchanger in response to the upstream variation is measured and stored in memory; the area of a downstream perturbation region is determined, which is bounded by a baseline and a curve representing the variation of the measured values with respect to time; then, the parameter indicative of the effectiveness of the treatment is calculated using the area beneath the upstream curve and an area beneath an upstream curve.
EP 0 658 352 makes available a method for determining a significant parameter of the progress of an extracorporeal blood treatment carried-out using a membrane exchanger, includes the steps of successively circulating three treatment fluids through the exchanger; each fluid has a characteristic linked to at least one of the significant parameters of the treatment; the value of the characteristic in the first fluid upstream of the exchanger is different from the value of the characteristic in the second fluid upstream of the exchanger, the latter being itself different from the value of the characteristic in the third fluid upstream of the exchanger; two values for each of the three treatment fluids are measured, respectively upstream and downstream of the exchanger, and at least one value of at least one significant parameter of the progress of the treatment is calculated from the measured values. This method is directed to determine the representative parameters of the progress of the treatment without, as a result, the patient having to be subjected for a long period to treatment conditions different from the prescribed conditions. This method permits a precise determination of the significant parameters of the progress of the treatment from measurements carried out at short time intervals. In this manner, the patient is exposed for only a very short time to a treatment fluid different from the prescribed treatment fluid (for example too high or too low in sodium) and the method can be carried out as often as necessary for an appropriate monitoring of the treatment session.
The prior art comprises a monitoring system, applied on a dialysis machine, which periodically measures the dialysis liquid conductivity at the dialyzer outlet, following a driven increment of the dialysis liquid conductivity at the dialyzer inlet. A processor receives said conductivity measurements and computes, by means of a mathematical model, several parameters relevant to the dialysis process, as ionic dialysance, plasma conductivity, kT/V, etc.
More in detail, for the measurement of ionic dialysance, a step increment is generated in the inlet conductivity by raising the conductivity by 1.0 mS/cm for 2 minutes and then reverting to the original conductivity. These 2 minutes have so far been sufficient to allow both the inlet conductivity and the outlet conductivity after the dialyzer to stabilize on the new level before going down again. It has thus been possible to find out the steady state level of the outlet conductivity that corresponds to each of the two inlet levels, which is used for the calculation of ionic dialysance.
With increasing demands on the quality of the dialysis fluid it has now become standard practice to offer machines that can clean the fresh dialysis fluid just before the dialyzer. The filter used for this (clean dialysate filter or ultrafilter) has to be fairly large to handle the flow of dialysis fluid, which can in some machines be up to 1000 ml/min. A large filter in the dialysis line creates an extra time period for stabilizing the outlet conductivity after the dialyzer, this extra delay in the response created by the clean dialysate filter being on top of the delay already created by the dialyzer, whereby 2 minutes may no longer be sufficient to allow reliable results. The large fluid volume in the clean dialysate filter acts as a mixing chamber that creates a very sluggish conductivity response after the filter. If the clean dialysate filter has, for example, a time constant of approximately 1 min (at 500 ml/min flow), it will correspond to a rise time (10-90%) of about 2 minutes, which is approximately equal to the duration of the afore mentioned conductivity setpoint step increment. Thus there is no chance to reach steady state conditions during the elevated conductivity period.
One solution to the problem with long time periods would be to increase the length of the conductivity step increment.
This would have several disadvantages.
One immediate disadvantage is that the mean conductivity in the inlet fluid will be changed, especially if, as normal, measurements are performed every 15 or 30 minutes. The treatment would no longer be performed with essentially constant conductivity, and the prescribing doctor might view this as a limitation.
Another disadvantage arises when the above-described monitoring system is combined with conductivity profiling, since profiling has to be prevented during and around the conductivity step increment very little time would be left for conductivity profiling.
Finally, the measurement accuracy would be decreased by the change in blood conductivity that would occur during such a long step, since changes in the blood conductivity affect the outlet conductivity.

Method and apparatus for determining a patient or treatment or apparatus parameter during an extracorporeal blood treatment


An anti-glare protection device for a welding mask includes a transmission control circuit for determining a darkening signal from a control signal, a welding activity detection circuit (6) for detecting a welding activity, based on the output of a first sensor circuit. The welding activity detection circuit is arranged to control, via an activation switch, whether either the darkening signal or a signal corresponding to an undarkened optical filter is input to a filter drive circuit. The filter drive circuit drives a controllable optical filter to a transmission value according to the signal input to the filter drive circuit. A manual input device allows a user to manually adjust a user selected signal. A second sensor circuit determines a sensed signal. A manually operable mode selection switch for selecting either, in a manual mode, the user selected signal or, in an automatic mode, the sensed signal to be used as the control signal to the transmission control circuit.

Glare protection or dazzle protection devices are, for example, used in welding protection masks, helmets or goggles. In order to enhance the safety and productivity of the welder, active electro-optical cells or filter elements are used, which can be driven electronically to a bright and dark state respectively, without the need of mechanical movement. Electro-optical filter devices for glare protection typically comprise a liquid crystal cell or LC-cell which is controlled to block light transmission to a greater or lesser extent when a light sensor detects a light intensity exceeding a predefined threshold level and/or exhibiting certain dynamic properties such as jitter or flickering. Furthermore, electro-optical filter devices are known in the prior art which automatically adjust the filter transmission to the varying brightness conditions encountered in a welding situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,322 shows an electro-optic welding lens assembly in which a light sensing element for controlling the transmission of a LC filter doubles as a power supply for powering the control circuitry and the LC filter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,244, a welding lens assembly is disclosed which comprises a manually adjustable transmission with an additional automatic override circuit using a brightness sensor for measuring the amount of light falling on the lens assembly. The welder may set the transmission level manually, but if the amount of light exceeds a predetermined threshold, the transmission of light is automatically reduced, compensating for the excess light.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,257, a light filter with the automatic regulation of transmission is described, in which a first optical sensor is arranged behind the filter element in the radiation direction, and a second sensor is arranged beside or in front of the filter element. A subtraction circuit determines the difference between the two sensor signals. Since the filter, when in a blocking state, stops mainly visible light, but not infrared light, the difference is essentially proportional to the amount of visible light. This reduces the influence of infrared light and corresponding unwanted blocking of the filter by infrared light sources.
US Patent Application Publication 2005/0133685 A1 shows a light shutter assembly with automatic shade level adjustment that uses a phototransistor instead of a diode in its light sensing circuit. The light shutter can be driven to one of a plurality of shade levels.
The European Standard EN 379 regulates the use of automatic welder protecting filters in Europe. It includes among others a specification for automatic welding filters that regulate the Shade Number S as a function of light intensity. Shade Numbers are defined in European Norm EN 169, and similarly in the US standard
It is thus in principle known to automatically adjust the transmission to the brightness of the welding scene. However, such products have not met with success, since fully automatic filters are only applicable in situations and welding positions where the mask's sensors correctly capture the brightness of the welding process. For other situations, a mask with a manual transmission setting has to be used. Furthermore, in a fully automatic anti-glare device, the welder's specific preference with respect to the perceived brightness is not accounted for.


A power supply unit for portable apparatus. The battery of rechargeable cells is provided with a connector designed to co-operate with a first connector when said battery of rechargeable cells is placed in said cavity. The power supply unit further includes a removable part serving as an electrical interface between said set of at least one non-rechargeable cell and the first connector, when the set of at least one non-rechargeable cell is placed in the cavity, the removable part being provided with another connector designed to co-operate with said first connector. According to the invention, the removable part can take up the following two positions inside said cavity: a passive position when the battery of rechargeable cells is placed in the cavity, in which position the part does not serve as an electrical interface relative to said first connector; and an active position when the set of at least one non-rechargeable cell is placed in the cavity, in which position the part serves as an electrical interface between said set of at least one non-rechargeable cell and said first connector.

Various types of power supply unit are known in the state of the art.
In the simplest case, the power supply unit includes a cavity in which a battery of rechargeable cells is placed in fixed manner. Such a battery of rechargeable cells is generally referred to as a "rechargeable battery pack" or as a "soft pack". The body of the apparatus includes a first power supply connector, and the battery of rechargeable cells includes a second connector. When the power supply unit is mounted on the body of the apparatus, the first and second connectors co-operate together so that the body of the apparatus (which contains in particular the transmit/receive means when the apparatus is a radiocommunications terminal) is powered by the battery.
When the battery is discharged, the user has two options. If the user does not need the portable apparatus immediately, the power supply unit can be left on the body of the apparatus, and the resulting assembly can be placed on a support for charging it via tabs provided for this purpose on the body of the portable apparatus (in general on its bottom end). In which case, the battery is recharged via the body of the portable apparatus
However, if the user does need the portable apparatus immediately, a new power supply unit whose battery is charged can be put in place. The battery of the replaced power supply unit can then be recharged directly by means of suitable charging equipment (instead of via the portable apparatus).
The major drawback with the above-mentioned solution is that it can be impossible for the user to use the portable apparatus. If the user has only one battery, and if that battery is discharged, then it is necessary to wait for the battery to be recharged before the portable apparatus can be used again. Furthermore, if the user has more than one battery, it is possible that, through inadvertence, all of them might be discharged at the same time. For example, this applies when the user puts a new power supply unit in place and then forgets to recharge the battery of the replaced unit.
In order to avoid such a situation which is very inconvenient for the user, a second type of power supply unit has been proposed. The principle of it is that the power supply unit can receive two types of power source, namely either a battery of rechargeable cells (which is then no longer fixed permanently in the cavity of the power supply unit), or a set of non-rechargeable cells. Thus, when no charged battery is available, it is possible for the user to use standard non-rechargeable cells instead of the battery of rechargeable cells. In general, a battery of rechargeable cells is replaced by three standard AA-type non-rechargeable cells. Since such non-rechargeable cells are readily available from a large number of shops, the user has operational apparatus available at all times.
As explained above, to enable the apparatus to be powered by the battery of rechargeable cells, it includes a second connector designed to co-operate with the first connector on the body of the portable apparatus. Therefore, when a set of non-rechargeable cells is used, it is also necessary to have available a connector serving as an electrical interface between the set of non-rechargeable cells and the first connector of the body of the portable apparatus.
The currently proposed solution consists in providing a removable additional part serving as said electrical interface between the set of non-rechargeable cells and the first connector of the body of the portable apparatus. The removable part includes a third connector designed to co-operate with the first connector.
In the current state of the art, the removable additional part is in the form of an independent housing made of plastic and that the user places in the power supply unit only when the set of non-rechargeable cells is to be used.
That solution is not very satisfactory because it means that the user must remember to keep the additional part on hand at all times. There is therefore a high probability that the part will not be on hand when the user actually needs it.
In addition, in its current form, the additional part has dimensions such that it can receive only small non-rechargeable cells. As a result, the length of operating time of the portable apparatus is reduced when non-rechargeable cells are used.

Power supply unit for portable apparatus and of the type enabling various types of power source to be used, and corresponding portable apparatus


A method of operating a database management system for integrating data from a plurality of data sources comprising steps of:                (a) selecting initial attributes for first and second data sources;        (b) selecting a candidate matching function relating to a possible mapping between data in said first and second data sources;        (c) applying said candidate matching function to data in said first data source to create possible data for said second data source;        (d) deriving a disparity measure relating to an amount of disparity therebetween;        (e) selecting different candidate matching functions and repeating steps (c) and (d);        (f) designating a candidate matching function having a disparity measure indicative of the lowest amount of disparity as a probable candidate matching function;        (g) selecting further attributes and performing steps (b) to (f) in respect thereof; and        (h) determining a probable correspondence between data objects of said first and second data sources.

The problem of integrating data from multiple sources is becoming more acute, with the increasing spread of electronic data storage. According to the foreword of the recent IJCAI-03 Workshop on Information Integration on the Web:                "Effective integration of heterogeneous databases and information sources has been cited as the most pressing challenge in spheres as diverse as corporate data management, homeland security, counter-terrorism and the human genome project. An important impediment to scaling up integration frameworks to large-scale applications has been the fact that the autonomous and decentralized nature of the data sources constrains the mediators to operate with very little information about the structure, scope, profile, quality and inter-relations of the information sources they are trying to integrate." (See: www.isi.edu/info-agents/workshops/ijcai03/proceedings.htm)
The problem has a long history and has been considered from two perspectives—instance (or record)-based and schema (or ontology)-based approaches. The term "schema" can be taken to mean a framework for representing information about real world objects (for example, employees) in a computerised information storage system. A schema comprises (in general) a number of attributes applicable to each object (such as payroll number, first name, surname, age, etc.), and possibly information about restrictions on the values of attributes. A data source is a representation of a set of objects by means of their associated attributed values.
The problem of record linkage was identified in the USA public health area, when combining different records that (possibly) referred to the same patient. Newcombe [1] proposed a frequency-based approach which was later formalised by Fellegi and Sunter [2]. These approaches assume that the two data sources have common attributes, and are commonly applied to the so-called "merge/purge" problem in business databases to filter out duplicate entries. The methods focus on calculating a weight for each attribute in the database, according to the likelihood of finding matching values within that attribute's domain (i.e. the set of all values appearing in the column).
The initial formulation treated binary matches (true/false) but was extended to categorical matches (one of a small set of values) and continuous matches (e.g. a number in the interval [0, 1]). By assuming conditional independence between records matching on different attributes it is possible to estimate the conditional probabilities for each attribute matching, given that the records are (or are not) identical, and hence to find thresholds for classifying two records as matching or not according to the weighted sum of matches. The estimation can be on the basis of minimum error probabilities, expectation maximisation, utility (cost of incorrect decision) etc—see [3] for an overview.
These methods implicitly take into account knowledge of the database schema, as they assume each record consists of the same set of attributes.
The record linkage problem was extended to analytic linkage (also referred to as entity matching) by considering the combination of data taken from two or more sources e.g. the integration of heterogeneous databases. Dey et al [4] give a summary of probabilistic approaches, based on the same framework as the record linkage work outlined in the previous paragraph. Again, knowledge of the schema is assumed in that matching pairs of attributes are known.
These methods use several techniques to try to match attributes, such as standardising the form of names and addresses, and applying heuristics (for example first-n-characters match, common substrings, edit distance is below a specified threshold). Bilenko, Mooney et al [5] describe "SoftTF-IDF", an adaptive matching function, which takes account of the frequencies of similar and identical words within a domain.
The problem can also be approached at the schema level, by looking at labels (i.e. attribute names) and constraints associated with allowed values.
Several tools have been proposed to aid in the automation of this problem, including                Cupid [6]        Glue [7]        OntoBuilder [8]        Prompt [9]
Rahm and Bernstein [10] survey some of these tools and classify schema-matching into three main groups, with methods arising from the fields of:                information retrieval—using distance-based matching techniques such as the edit distance to overcome the inadequacy of exact, "keyword-based" matching. These assume the use of fairly simple mappings between attribute domains.        machine learning—using algorithms to create a mapping between attributes based on the similarity among their associated values. Bayesian classifiers are the most common approaches (e.g., GLUE [7] and Autoplex [11])        graph theory—by representing schemata in tree or graph form, e.g. the TreeMatch algorithm [6] which estimates the similarity of leaf nodes in an XML DTD by estimating the similarity of their ancestors.
There are also a number of hybrid approaches to schema-matching which combine methods from the above categories.
Gal et al [12] recognised a need to include uncertainty in the matching process, and outlined a fuzzy framework for schema integration. Gal has also looked at the problem of evaluating the matching between schemata, compared to a notional "ideal" matching that would be produced by a human.
Search Software America, now using the name "Identity Systems", markets a name and address matching package which:                "automatically overcomes the vast majority of problems arising from spelling, typing and transcription errors; nicknames, synonyms and abbreviations; foreign and anglicized words; prefix and suffix variations; the concatenation and splitting of words; noise words and punctuation; casing and character set variations" (See http://www.identitysystems.com/)
Although full technical details are not available, this software appears to implement a matching service based on the standard probabilistic record-linkage algorithms outlined above.
Two further papers from the same author (Gal et al [13] and [14]), look at mappings between schemata by combining mappings between an attribute in one schema and a "similar" attribute in a second schema. The mapping is represented as a fuzzy relation—one consequence of this is that the mapping must be symmetric. These papers suggest using a simple weighted average to combine mappings between pairs of attribute into a mapping between schemata. In some cases they consider a wider range of factors in matching attributes, taking account of attribute names as well as attribute values. They are not concerned with mappings between entities—indeed, it does not appear from the experiments (Gal et al [13], section 6) that they have considered mappings between entities, focussing instead on the relation between each approximate mapping (between attribute pairs) and a human-defined "best mapping" (Gal et al [13], section 6.3).
Ying Ding and Schubert Foo [15] is a survey paper, focussing on the ontology mapping problem in the world wide web (regarding an ontology as roughly equivalent to a schema). The methods surveyed rely on manual input (see table 2) and do not address the issue of uncertainty in the mapping between attribute values and in the mapping between objects. Much of the focus is on the problem of ontology maintenance and evolution.
Prior art patent documents include the following:
US2005060332 (Bernstein et al), which describes a method for schema matching (rather than object matching). It uses mappings between attributes but then combines these into an overall measure for a mapping between schemata using an arbitrary formula.
US2004158567 (Dettinger et al), which describes a system for assisting the manual development of mappings between schemata, by examining constraints associated with an attribute from one schema and only proposing candidate attributes (from the second schema) whose values obey those constraints. The mappings between attributes are crisp, and do not take account of uncertainty; and
US2005055369 (Gorelik et al), which relates to a schema matching problem in relational databases and produces a mapping between objects represented in different databases and a "universal" set of objects (UDO). The mappings between attributes are crisp, i.e. do not involve any uncertainty, and a mapping is chosen if the proportion of entities it links is greater than some threshold. Accepted mappings between attributes are combined to give a mapping between objects using join operations on the database, i.e. by using crisp equality with no scope for any partial matching.
A problem remains of how best to create a mapping between two (or more) data sources which represent (approximately) the same sets of objects (or their sets of objects overlap, at least partially) but which use different schemata i.e. the two sources have different sets of attributes.
In general, where prior art approaches are based on record matching, they assume at least some knowledge of the schema, i.e. it is necessary to specify at least some attributes which correspond to those in another database.

British Telecommunications Public Limited Company


By localizing a location D on an optical axis, a virtual image is determined and compared with a measured virtual image. Using an iterative method, a location D can be shifted until the calculated and measured virtual images coincide and these data can then be used to determine an absolute spatial co-ordinate for a point on the surface. This method can be used, for example, in charting the surface of the cornea of an eye which has a reflecting film of tears.

The invention relates to a method for determining absolute spatial coordinates of at least one location on a reflecting surface.
Methods for taking measurements of reflecting surfaces are known. These methods are based on the principle that a point with fixed spatial coordinates is reflected by the surface and that the virtual image is measured with a video keratometer. Several such methods and devices are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,183, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,200 and from the German Offenlegungsschrift 40 30 002.
These methods are suitable for determining relative data points, they are, however, not suited for determining the exact spatial coordinates of individual locations on a reflecting plane.

Method for determining absolute spatial coordinates of at least one point on a reflecting surface


Described herein are oral care compositions comprising (i) an orally acceptable gallium salt and (ii) a basic amino acid polymer, in amounts effective to disrupt biofilm; and methods of making and using the same.

Although many antibacterial agents are tested on free-floating, planktonic cultures of bacteria, these organisms rarely exist this way in nature. More commonly, bacteria are found in complex communities called biofilms. This is especially true in the oral cavity where up to 700 species of bacteria form a complicated mixed species biofilm commonly referred to as dental plaque. Dental plaque may lead to a variety of undesirable conditions, including erosion of the enamel, dental hypersensitivity, halitosis, tooth decay, caries and gingivitis. Relative to free living bacteria, bacteria found in biofilms differ in their metabolic rates, nutrient access and requirements and susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Agents that are active against bacteria in culture may be relatively ineffective against bacteria in plaque, absent some mechanism to disrupt the biofilm.
Gallium is a transition metal generally found in gallium(III) salt form. Due to its similarity in size and charge to iron, the body handles Ga3+ in many ways as though it were iron, and thus it is bound (and concentrates) in areas of inflammation, such as infection, and also areas of rapid cell division. Gallium salts have thus been used in a number of biomedical applications to target iron-based mechanisms, e.g., as a carrier of radiation for nuclear medicine, to treat pain associated with arthritis, and to treat hypercalcemia sometimes associated with cancer treatment. Gallium is also known to be an antibacterial agent, as it is readily taken up by the iron-scavenging mechanisms of bacterial cells. Most bacteria require iron for survival, but as they often exist in iron-poor environments, they have developed a variety of mechanisms for iron scavenging. When gallium is taken up in place of iron, it cannot be used in the same manner, and it effectively poisons the bacterial cells.
ε-Polylysine is a polymer composed of l-lysine molecules with an amide linkage between the ε-amino and α-carboxyl groups. This compound is a naturally occurring product of microbial fermentation and has been used as a food preservative.
There is a need for safe and effective oral care products which are not only effective against bacteria in a free-floating culture, but are capable of disrupting the biofilm forming dental plaque, and rendering the bacteria susceptible to removal and destruction.


An applicator for highly viscous materials such as dental filling materials has a housing and a first and second jamming element positioned spaced from one another in a longitudinal direction in the housing. A coupling rod is connected to the second jamming element. A piston rod is supported in the housing. An actuating element is positioned at the housing and connected to the piston rod for moving the piston rod in a forward direction from an inactive position into a working position, and in a rearward direction from the working position into the inactive position. The first jamming element is jammed, when the actuating element actuates the piston rod in the forward direction, and is moved with the piston rod in the forward direction. The second jamming element is jammed by a spring force in the rearward direction so as to rest at the housing, when the actuating element actuates the piston rod in the forward direction. The actuating element, when moving the piston rod in the rearward direction, acts on the coupling rod for releasing the second jamming element.

The present invention relates to an applicator, especially for highly viscous materials, comprising a housing and a piston rod supported in the housing which upon actuation by an actuating element is displaced from an inactive position into a working position, i.e., upon movement in the working direction, is movable by passing two serially arranged jamming elements in the forward direction, whereby an actuator jamming element upon actuating the actuator element is jammed and displaced forwardly together with the piston rod and a locking jamming element is jammed by spring-loading into the rearward direction and supported at the housing.
Such an applicator for highly viscous materials, especially for dental filling materials, is, for example, known from German Offenlegungsschrift 36 07 384. This applicator comprises a pistol grip with a pressing element that dispenses the dental filling material via a drive mechanism with each actuation. When the cartridge with the dental filling material is empty, the piston rod can be released by a release rod and returned so that a new full cartridge can be inserted.
Dental filling materials, in general, must be exactly metered so that it is desirable that the amount of material dispensed upon actuation of the pressing element is constant. Especially, it is desired that the actuation will prevent further flowing of the pastelike or the highly viscous material, especially since this is frequently going hand in hand with contamination. In the solution known from German Offenlegungsschrift 36 07 384, for avoiding further unwanted oozing of the dental filling material from the dispensing opening, it is provided that upon actuation of the pressing element or actuating element, subsequently to the dispensing process, a pressure relief of the piston rod with a special relief lever is performed which is a unitary part of the actuating lever and acts on a locking jamming element.
It is disadvantageous in this apparatus that pressure relief can only be performed when the pressing element has completed its entire stroke. On the other hand, an operator, after completed pressing of the desired amount, has the tendency not to apply any further force in order to complete the stroke of the pressing element, especially since the desired dispensing effect has already been achieved. Accordingly, it is not ensured that unwanted dispensing can be prevented with this apparatus.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an applicator of the aforementioned kind which reliably prevents unwanted dissension (oozing) of the material to be applied from the dispensing opening.


The disclosure relates to current mirrors in which a high level of copying error may arise out of the collapse of the gain of the transistors. The mirror includes, in its output arm, a "Darlington" type amplifier subjected to feedback by a buffered mirror. The error gets cancelled for a gain .beta.=1. A second Darlington amplifier mounted symmetrically with the first Darlington enables the V.sub.CE values of the transistors to be balanced. The disclosed device can be applied to current mirrors when the transistors are low-gain transistors (.perspectiveto.1).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a current mirror with bipolar transistors, working with high precision even if the transistors are very low gain transistors.
It is known that bipolar transistors have characteristics that change with the conditions of use, or even during manufacture. In particular the gain, in current, decreases when the temperature diminishes, or under the effect of a radiation of light or particles. The loss of gain leads to an intrinsic copying error in the current mirrors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A current mirror is an assembly, such as the one shown in FIG. 1, which enables the enforcement, through a second arm, of a current I.sub.0 which, except for errors, is identical to the current I.sub.1 that flows through a first arm. The first arm comprises a current source 1, a transistor 2, the collector of which is connected to the base, and a negative feedback resistor 3. The second arm comprises a transistor 5 and a negative feedback resistor 6. The bases of the two transistors 2 and 5 are joined in such a way that the current I.sub.1 which flows in the first arm controls the current I.sub.0 enforced through a load 7 in the second arm.
This type of simple current mirror suffers from an intrinsic copying error which depends on the gain of the transistors. Indeed, for a simple mirror with a gain equal to unity, the transistors 2 and 5 of which are matched in terms of V.sub.BE (base-emitter voltage) and the negative feedback resistors 3 and 6 of which are matched, the error in the gain of the mirror is expressed through the equation: EQU I.sub.0 =I.sub.1 [1-2/(.beta.+2)]
.beta. being the gain of the transistors, the same for the two transistors since they are assumed to be identical and under the same conditions of bias. The relative copying error is equal to -2/(.beta.'2) and, in most applications, with transistors having a gain that is far greater than 1, this error is not the main cause of any observed lack of imprecision, and it remains masked by the offset voltage of the pair of transistors or the non-matching of the negative feedback resistors 3 and 6. However, as soon as the gain of the transistor decreases, for any reason, the error due to the low gain (.beta.<1) becomes predominant. Indeed, it is seen that the gain .beta. comes into play linearly and at the denominator of the equation, in such a way that, when the gain tends towards zero, the error tends towards -100%.
The current applications of electronics make it necessary, however, to have mirror copying precision of over 10% which can be expected with transistors that have undergone constraints, having a low gain, for example of 1 to 10.
A first known approach is presented by the Wilson mirror shown in FIG. 2. This is the equivalent of a standard mirror in which the amplifier transistor 8 is subjected to negative feedback by the mirror constituted by the transistors 2 and 5. In this figure as in the following figures, the load 7 is no longer shown since it is not a factor in the understanding of the invention.
Assuming that the three transistors have the same gain .beta., the gain error of the Wilson mirror is expressed by a quadratic relationship: EQU I.sub.0 =I.sub.1 [1-2/(.beta..sup.2 +2.beta.+2)]
A second known approach lies in the buffered mirror shown in FIG. 3. In this assembly, the transistors of the master and copying arms, respectively 2 and 5, have their base currents not tapped directly from the source I.sub.1 as in the case of FIG. 1, but through an amplifier transistor 9 the base of which is connected to the source I.sub.1 and the emitter to the two bases of the transistors 2 and 5, the collector of this transistor 9 being supplied with a draw-back volta V.sub.R. The error is given by: EQU I.sub.0 .perspectiveto.I.sub.1 [1-2/(.beta..sup.2 +.beta.+2)]
For transistor gains far greater than 1, the error that is introduced by this Wilson mirror and this buffered mirror has the shape -2/.beta..sup.2 and gives a very substantial improvement of the simple mirror: for .beta.=100, the error goes from -2% to -0.02%, which becomes negligible. However the effect of the quadratic law diminishes when the gain of the transistor becomes close to or below 1. For example, the Wilson mirror has an error of the order of -8% for a gain of the transistors equal to .beta.=4.

Thomson Composants Militaires et Spatiaux


A circuit for dynamically increasing the drop-out voltage of an electromechanical automatic transfer switch (ATS) into a brownout voltage range is provided. The automatic transfer switch includes a first input, a first coil connected to the first input, and a first, normally-open auxiliary contact in magnetic communication with the first coil. The circuit includes a first resistor adapted to connect to the first, normally-open auxiliary contact, and a first transformer having a primary winding connected to the first resistor, and a secondary winding adapted to connect to the first coil. An operating voltage across the first coil is reduced a proportional amount by a secondary voltage across the secondary winding when the first, normally-open auxiliary contact is closed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the mechanism for supplying power to electronic devices, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a fully electromechanical automatic transfer switch having a mechanism for accommodating brownout conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transfer switches allow switching from a primary power source to a secondary or tertiary power source and are employed in some electrical power distribution systems. Transfer switches may be seen where emergency power generators are used to provide back up power from the utility source. The transfer switch allows switching from utility power to emergency generator power. The switch is a manual switch, an automatic switch, or a combination of both. During a power outage, transfer switches isolate the emergency circuits from the utility line, allowing for efficient operation of the generator without backfeeding into the utility. An automatic transfer switch (ATS) is a type of transfer switch that automatically connects one of two alternating current (AC) line sources to an electrical load, usually the better of the two sources.
In virtually every power setting, "brownouts," or conditions where lower voltage than normal is supplied to the load, may present themselves. ATS devices generally use microcontroller-based "smart" electronic control circuits to accommodate this condition. Supporting the microcontroller, however, requires voltage sensors, signal condition equipment, power supplies, coil drive circuitry, and control firmware. These additional requirements add to system cost and complexity, and present several potential points of failure.

Brownout solution for electromechanical automatic transfer switch

International Business Machines Corporation


A punch assembly for a hydroforming die includes a servo motor, a ball screw connected to the servo motor, and a ball nut disposed about the ball screw for movement along the ball screw. The punch assembly also includes a link mechanism connected to the ball nut and a plunger operatively connected to the link mechanism and movable relative to the hydroforming die to allow fluid within a tubular member to force a wall portion of the tubular member outward against the plunger and be sheared by the hydroforming die to produce an opening in the tubular member.

It is known to form a cross-sectional profile of a tubular member by a hydroforming process in which a fluid filled tubular member is placed within a cavity of a die and then the die is closed so that the tubular member is pinched within the die. Fluid pressure is then increased inside the tubular member to expand the tubular member outwardly against the cavity of the die to provide a tubular member having a die formed cross-sectional profile.
During tube hydroforming, large size punches of various shapes are used to create desired openings in the tubular member by piercing. The large punches currently used, necessitate similarly large activating hydraulic cylinders in order to overcome the forces needed for piercing. Large bore hydraulic cylinders need high volume of oil flow to operate, which is undesired.
As the number of hydroformed tube applications grows, the need for complex piercing also increases. Tubular members are not only designed with more openings, but also with larger openings, which, in turn, need larger hydraulic cylinders for piercing. This condition will increase the demand on the hydraulic system having a negative effect on controlling desired positioning, repeatability, and synchronization between multiple locations.
One method of piercing used in hyrdorforming application is "hydrapiercing". Upon completion of hydroforming, the tubular member is in intimate contact with the wall of the die. The hydroforming fluid is at a forming pressure, approximately 10,000 psi. A punch is attached to a hydraulic actuated cylinder. When the hydraulic cylinder is retracted, the high-pressure fluid will force the (non-supported) area of the tubular member outward, allowing the metal to be sheared and produce a slug. The "hydrapiercing" method is mostly used for piercing large openings as well as for hydroshearing operations. In order to support the forming pressure of approximately 10,000 psi or more, this method requires large hydraulic cylinders, which is undesired. Packaging as well as more hydraulic flow to operate large cylinders is a constant problem in designing hydroforming dies.
As a result, it is desirable to provide a punch assembly to pierce openings in a tubular member during the hydroforming process. It is also desirable to provide a punch assembly that can withstand extremely high forces. It is further desirable to provide a punch assembly that is more compact than a hydraulic cylinder of equal power. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a new punch assembly for a hydroforming die that meets these desires.


The present invention encompasses methods and apparatus for minimizing the risks inherent in endovascular grafting for blood vessel therapy and repair. The invention involves delivering adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells, progenitor cells, fibroblasts, or smooth muscle cells to the diseased blood vessel, in some embodiments in conjunction with a stent graft.

Aortic aneurysms and degeneration of the vasculature in general represent a significant medical problem for the general population. Aneurysms within the aorta presently affect between two and seven percent of the general population and the rate of incidence appears to be increasing. This form of vascular disease is characterized by degeneration in the arterial wall in which the wall weakens and balloons outward. Until the affected artery is grafted through open repair or treated with a stent graft endovascularly, a patient with an aortic aneurysm must live with the threat of aortic aneurysm rupture and death.
One known clinical approach for patients with an aortic aneurysm is a surgical repair procedure. This is an extensive operation involving dissection of the aorta and reinforcement of the aneurysm wall with a prosthetic graft.
Alternatively, there is a significantly less invasive clinical approach to aneurysm repair known as endovascular grafting. Endovascular grafting involves the placement of a prosthetic arterial stent graft within the lumen of the artery. To prevent rupture of the aneurysm, a stent graft of tubular construction is introduced into the blood vessel, and is secured in a location such that the stent graft spans the length of the aneurysmal sac. The outer surface of the stent graft at its ends is sealed to the interior wall of the blood vessel at a location where the blood vessel wall has not suffered a loss of strength or resiliency, such that blood flowing through the vessel is diverted through the hollow interior of the stent graft away from the blood vessel wall at the aneurysmal sac location. In this way, the risk of rupture of the blood vessel wall at the aneurysmal location is reduced significantly and blood can continue to flow through to the downstream blood vessels without interruption. However, despite the advantages of endovascular grafting over other surgical procedures, there may be, nonetheless, continued progression of the aneurysm.
A salient feature of aneurysm formation is the gradual degradation of extracellular components, such as collagen and elastin, as well as the loss of resident cells. The cells in a healthy vessel perform many and varied functions, including providing reinforcement to the vessel wall and, importantly, replenishing the extracellular components. The diminished cellular presence observed in diseased arteries directly and adversely impacts the vessel wall ultrastructure.
Thus there is a desire in the art to slow, reverse, or cure the aneurysm disease state by using minimally invasive procedures while reducing or eliminating immunological rejection.

Cellular therapy to heal vascular tissue


A flight data recorder for reliable, high-speed storage of flight data employs a distributed, modular architecture in which an array of controller/memory modules is arranged in parallel controller/memory chains and the memory in the individual controller/memory modules is partitioned into submodules. This distributed architecture allows failed controller/memory modules or failed memory submodules to be bypassed, thus providing fault tolerances for both controller and memory functions. The modular architecture allows the number of controller/memory modules to be easily configured to accommodate any required storage size, while the number of parallel controller/memory chains can be configured to accommodate any required data rate.

This invention relates generally to flight data recorders and, more particularly, to solid-state flight data recorders.
Flight data recorders are typically used in aircraft for storing flight test data and in spacecraft for storing data from various onboard instruments. Conventional magnetic tape recorders, which have been modified to withstand the adverse environments of flight and space, are widely used as flight data recorders. However, magnetic tape recorders have many moving parts and tend to breakdown frequently. Also, magnetic tape recorders have relatively low data transfer rates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,648 to Capots discloses a solid-state flight data recorder in which a large array of semiconductor random access memory (RAM) chips is used for storing flight data. A central processing unit (CPU) performs the various control functions for the device. Although this solid-state device is faster and more reliable than conventional magnetic tape recorders, it does not provide the speed and reliability that is needed for today's ever increasing data transfer rates and more complex data handling requirements. Accordingly, there is still a need for a fast and reliable flight data recorder. The present invention clearly fulfills this need.

Fault-tolerant solid-state flight data recorder


A bot network system may be provided. A system may include a plurality of bot agents, wherein at least one bot agent of the plurality of bot agents is configured to receive a request from a user in natural language. The system may further include a plurality of digital resources including one or more of a software program, a service, a web service and a dataset. Each digital resource of the plurality of digital resources may be configured to communicate with a dedicated bot agent of the plurality of bot agents. Also, each bot agent may be configured to interact with its associated digital resource via an application programming interface (API) of the associated digital resource and translate between the natural language and a language of the associated digital resource.

An Internet Protocol (IP) network is a communication network for sending and receiving messages between one or more computers. Human users may interact with digital resources of an IP network via a webpage or mobile application.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.


A closure provides a well in which a game piece is placed. The well has a side wall which supports a well floor. The well floor can contain an opening which can accommodate a drinking straw. A shield is located between the game piece and the well floor. The recessed well is covered by a sealing member which is adhered to an upper surface of the closure. The sealing member can have a pull tab and perforations which can be aligned with the edges of the pull tab. The perforations define a flap. The flap can be coupled to the closure through the use of a mounting flange.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a closure for a container. More specifically, the present invention relates to a closure for a beverage container which includes a removably-covered, recessed, well adapted to contain a game piece or prize.
2. Description of Related Art
Retailers often use promotional activities to increase the sales of their products. For instance, in the quick-service restaurant industry, restaurants often employ promotional games in which the customer can receive instant prizes and/or collect game pieces in an effort to earn prizes. Such games commonly use game pieces which consumers either immediately return or collect and return for prizes (e.g, free beverages or food).
Quick-service restaurants have previously delivered such game pieces to their customers in one of two ways. In connection with some prior promotions, restaurants have handed the games pieces to the patron upon completing the sale. Food and beverage containers have also been used to convey game pieces.
In one existing form, a game piece consists of a flexible paper tab which is adhered to the side of a container (e.g., a cup). The game piece thus readily conforms to and smoothly lies over either a planar or non-planar surface of the container. The game pieces are designed to be peeled off the surface to reveal the prize won by the patron or to convey other information to the patron.
Inflexible game pieces and prizes do not conform to the surfaces of food and beverage containers. Restaurants thus have previously distributed such game pieces apart from the containers. Quick-service restaurants, however, generally disfavor separate distribution because they cannot ensure that every customer receives a game piece with his or her purchase. Decoupling the game piece from the container also presents the risk that game pieces will be distributed without a product purchase.


An aqueous disinfecting solution, a concentrated version of the solution, and a dry powdered composition which may be dissolved in water to provide the solution. The solution has a pH of from 0.6 to 7 and comprises (a) hydrogen peroxide in a concentration of from 0.01 to 6% w/w; and (b) at least one component chosen from cyclic carboxylic acids and aromatic alcohols, in a concentration of from 0.01 to 10% w/w, all based on the total weight of the solution. The cyclic carboxylic acids are preferably 2-furan carboxylic acid, benzoic acid and salicylic acid and the aromatic alcohol is preferably benzyl alcohol. Furthermore, the solution may contain surfactants, corrosion inhibitors, hydrotropes, cation sequestering agents, hydrogen peroxide stabilizers, solvents, thickeners, skin conditioning agents, antifoams, and pH buffers.

In infection control practice, mycobacterial species are typically used as the benchmark for evaluating the potency of a germicide. If a chemical disinfectant is effective in destroying mycobacteria, then it will be judged effective for use as a hard surface disinfectant, against all possible bacterial species and lipophylic and hydrophilic viral particles. For example, in dental practice, a disinfectant registered with the EPA as a tuberculocide is recommended for general hard surface disinfection (CDC, 1993).
Very few liquid chemical disinfectants are effective sporicides, particularly in cold soaking instruments sensitive to chemical attack. The most widely used sporicidal chemical solutions are based on aldehydes, short chain alcohols, phenolic compounds, and certain peroxygens. Aldehydes (e.g. formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde), although highly effective, suffer from serious occupational safety and environmental disposal hazards. Of the peroxygens, peracids are those most widely used in liquid form. Peracetic and performic acids have been marketed for the disinfection of semicritical and critical instruments; however, their aggressive chemical nature tend to damage surfaces and instruments with prolonged use.
Alcohol or phenolic compounds which exhibit good efficacy against mycobacterial species are typically not effective in destroying bacterial endospores. Mycobactericidal products that are based on short-chain alcohols typically contain these ingredients at high concentrations (usually higher than 20% w/w). This makes the products highly flammable and toxic. Furthermore, they are often characterized by a strong alcoholic odor and are therefore difficult to use in large quantities in small enclosed spaces by chemically sensitive individuals. Phenolic compounds can be used by themselves or in combination with other germicidal actives (such as with quaternary ammonium compounds and solvents), in order to achieve wide spectrum efficacy. These compounds are also highly volatile and exhibit strong objectionable odors.
Hypochlorite solutions and other chlorine-based compounds are effective against both mycobacteria and bacterial endospores; however, they are easily inactivated by the presence of organic matter, are unstable when diluted, have a strong, objectionable, chlorinated smell, and are highly corrosive and therefore damaging to most instruments and surfaces.
Aqueous chemical disinfectants are used in applications where, due to occupational, environmental, or toxicological concerns, solvent-based solutions cannot be used. While there are a large number of disinfecting and sanitizing solutions available in the marketplace, there is still a need for a low-volatility, low toxicity, non-corrosive, non-irritating, and stable aqueous disinfectant which is effective against hydrophilic viruses, acid-fast bacteria and bacterial endospores. The present invention is intended to at least partially address this need.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Hydrogen peroxide disinfectant containing a cyclic carboxylic acid and/or aromatic alcohol


A cabinet for an engine welder including an output power module driven by a DC input signal from a rectifier having an AC input signal created by an alternator rotated by an internal combustion engine. The cabinet has a front panel with a pivotally mounted door with an open and closed position. The door is used to expose a large accessible compartment. This compartment contains major components of the welder, such as the rectifier, the power source module, the control module of the engine and a support structure for the capacitors and diodes used to control the alternator.

It is common practice to perform complex welding operations in the field instead of in a factory; therefore, a large segment of the electric arc welding business has been directed to freestanding, movable welders. In practice, such welders are commonly a power source having a rectified input driven by an AC signal from an alternator rotated by an internal combustion engine. Thus, the internal combustion engine provides the electrical power for the welder, so the welder can be moved to remote locations in the field without concern for the existence of commercial line voltage. With the popularity of an engine driven welder, substantial development activity has been directed to improving the unit so it is easily operated and customer friendly. This objective is reached by facilitating minor maintenance and allowing placement or repair of defective components. The rectifier, engine and alternator unit, power source and various components of the portable arc welder are contained in a surrounding housing where the front panel of the housing includes gages, input devices, such as switches, and output devices, such as display units for amperes and voltage. However, when the engine welder requires maintenance, it must be returned to the home facility so the cabinet can be removed to gain access to the various components. To repair the engine welder, the cabinet panels must be removable or disassembled. Components requiring the most frequent attention are not easily accessible even with the cover panel removed. One slight improvement in the cabinet structure of an engine welder has been to provide a pivoted door on the front panels. The various gages and input devices are mounted onto this pivoted door. The maintenance of the door mounted components or devices can be done by pivoting the door. This allows access from either the back side or the front side. Thus, door mounted components are easily repaired by opening the door. This is an advantage of units sold by The Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland, Ohio; however, this pivoted front panel door does not address the real problem of accessibility for the many operating components of the engine welder.


A timepiece includes a mechanical oscillator, formed of a mechanical resonator, and a device for regulating the frequency of the mechanical oscillator. This regulation device includes an auxiliary oscillator, an electromechanical device for stopping the mechanical resonator, a sensor arranged to detect the passage of the mechanical resonator via the neutral position thereof, and a measuring device arranged to measure a time drift of the mechanical oscillator. The regulation device is arranged to stop, during a given alternation, the natural oscillation movement of the mechanical resonator selectively either momentarily during a first half-alternation occurring before the passage of the mechanical resonator via the neutral position thereof when the time drift measured corresponds to at least a certain gain, or prematurely during a second half-alternation occurring after the passage of the mechanical resonator via the neutral position thereof when the time drift measured corresponds to at least a certain loss.

Those skilled in the art know timepiece mechanical movements with which a device for regulating the frequency of the sprung balance thereof which is of the electromechanical type is associated. More specifically, regulation takes place via a mechanical interaction between the sprung balance and the regulation device, the latter being arranged to act upon the oscillating balance by a system formed of a banking arranged on the balance and an actuator equipped with a mobile finger which is actuated at a braking frequency in the direction of the banking, without however touching the felloe of the balance. Such a timepiece is described in document FR 2.162.404. According to the concept proposed in this document, it is sought to synchronise the frequency of the mechanical oscillator with that of a quartz resonator by an interaction between the finger and the banking when the mechanical oscillator exhibits a time drift relative to a setpoint frequency, the finger being envisaged to be capable of either momentarily locking the balance which is then stopped in the movement thereof for a certain time interval (the banking bearing against the finger moved in the direction thereof upon a return of the balance towards the neutral position thereof), or limiting the oscillation amplitude when the finger arrives against the banking while the balance rotates in the direction of one of the two extreme angular positions thereof (defining the amplitude thereof), the finger then stopping the oscillation and the balance restarting directly in the opposite direction.
Such a regulation system has numerous drawbacks and it can seriously be doubted whether it can form a functional system. The periodic actuation of the finger relative to the oscillation movement of the banking and also a potentially large initial phase-shift, for the oscillation of the banking with respect to the periodic movement of the finger towards this banking, pose several problems. It will be noted that the interaction between the finger and the banking is limited to a single angular position of the balance, this angular position being defined by the angular position of the actuator relative to the axis of the sprung balance and the angular position of the banking on the balance at rest (defining the neutral position thereof). Indeed, the movement of the finger is envisaged to stop the balance by contact with the banking, but the finger is arranged not to come into contact with the felloe of the balance. Furthermore, it will be noted that the moment of an interaction between the finger and the banking is also dependent on the amplitude of the oscillation of the sprung balance.
It will be noted that the synchronisation sought seems improbable. Indeed, in particular for a sprung balance wherein the frequency is greater than the setpoint frequency pacing the to-and-fro motion of the finger and with a first interaction between the finger and the banking which momentarily retains the balance returning from one of the two extreme angular positions thereof (correction reducing the error), the second interaction, after numerous oscillations without the banking touching the finger during the alternating movement thereof, will be certainly a stoppage of the balance by the finger with immediate inversion of the oscillation direction thereof, in that the banking abuts against the finger while the balance rotates towards said extreme angular position (correction increasing the error). Thus, not only is there an uncorrected time drift during a time interval that may be long, for example several hundred oscillation periods, but some interactions between the finger and the banking increase the time drift instead of reducing it! It will be further noted that the phase-shift of the oscillation of the banking, and therefore of the sprung balance, during the abovementioned second interaction may be significant according to the relative angular position between the finger and the banking (balance in neutral position thereof).
It may thus be doubted that the synchronisation sought is obtained. Furthermore, in particular if the natural frequency of the sprung balance is similar but not equal to the setpoint frequency, scenarios where the finger is locked in the movement thereof towards the balance by the banking which is located at this time facing the finger are foreseeable. Such parasitic interactions may damage the mechanical oscillator and/or the actuator. Furthermore, this limits practically the tangential range of the finger. Finally, the holding time of the finger in the interaction position with the banking must be relatively short, therefore limiting a correction inducing a loss.
In conclusion, the operation of the timepiece proposed in document FR 2.162.404 appears to those skilled in the art to be highly improbable, deterring them from such a teaching.

Timepiece comprising a mechanical movement wherein the working is regulated by an electromechanical device

The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd


Cartridges for vaporizer devices are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the cartridge can include a reservoir being configured to contain a liquid vaporizable material that includes at least one ionic component, an airflow tube that extends though the reservoir and defines an airflow passageway therethrough, and first and second electrodes. The airflow tube includes a wicking element that is in fluid communication with the reservoir, in which the wicking element is configured to substantially draw at least a portion of the liquid vaporizable material from the reservoir into the airflow passageway. The first and second electrodes are positioned substantially on or adjacent to opposite surfaces of the wicking element, in which the liquid vaporizable material received within the wicking element is substantially vaporized in response to generation of a potential difference between the first and second electrodes. Vaporizer devices are also provided.

Vaporizer devices, which can also be referred to as vaporizers, electronic vaporizer devices, or e-vaporizer devices, can be used for delivery of an aerosol (for example, a vapor-phase and/or condensed-phase material suspended in a stationary or moving mass of air or some other gas carrier) containing one or more active ingredients by inhalation of the aerosol by a user of the vaporizing device. For example, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) include a class of vaporizer devices that are battery powered and that can be used to simulate the experience of smoking, but without burning of tobacco or other substances. Vaporizer devices are gaining increasing popularity both for prescriptive medical use, in delivering medicaments, and for consumption of tobacco, nicotine, and other plant-based materials. Vaporizer devices can be portable, self-contained, and/or convenient for use.
In use of a vaporizer device, the user inhales an aerosol, colloquially referred to as "vapor," which can be generated by a heating element that vaporizes (e.g., causes a liquid or solid to at least partially transition to the gas phase) a vaporizable material, which can be liquid, a solution, a solid, a paste, a wax, and/or any other form compatible for use with a specific vaporizer device. The vaporizable material used with a vaporizer device can be provided within a cartridge for example, a separable part of the vaporizer device that contains vaporizable material) that includes an outlet (for example, a mouthpiece) for inhalation of the aerosol by a user.
To receive the inhalable aerosol generated by a vaporizer device, a user may, in certain examples, activate the vaporizer device by taking a puff, by pressing a button, and/or by some other approach. A puff as used herein can refer to inhalation by the user in a manner that causes a volume of air to be drawn into the vaporizer device such that the inhalable aerosol is generated by a combination of the vaporized vaporizable material with the volume of air.
An approach by which a vaporizer device generates an inhalable aerosol from a vaporizable material involves heating the vaporizable material in a vaporization chamber (e.g., a heater chamber) to cause the vaporizable material to be converted to the gas (or vapor) phase. A vaporization chamber can refer to an area or volume in the vaporizer device within which a heat source (for example, a conductive, convective, and/or radiative heat source) causes heating of a vaporizable material to produce a mixture of air and vaporized material to form a vapor for inhalation of the vaporizable material by a user of the vaporizer device.
Vaporizer devices can be controlled by one or more controllers, electronic circuits (for example, sensors, heating elements), and/or the like on the vaporizer device. Vaporizer devices can also wirelessly communicate with an external controller for example, a computing device such as a smartphone).
A vaporizer device typically uses an atomizer that heats the vaporizable material and delivers an inhalable aerosol instead of smoke. The atomizer can include a wicking element that conveys an amount of a vaporizable material (along its length) to a part of the atomizer that includes a heating element. However, the temperature of the heating element can be difficult to control, resulting in hot spots. Absent rigorous temperature control, the inhalable vapor may contain undesirable chemical components, such as carbonyl containing compounds, which result from heating the vaporizable material at too high of a temperature. Alternatively, or additionally, the placement of the heating element can be non-optimal for thermal transport (e.g., insufficient contact with the wicking element).
Accordingly, vaporizer devices and/or vaporizer cartridges that address one or more of these issues are desired.

Cartridges with vaporizable material including at least one ionic component


A method for implementing a smart antenna in establishing association between a station (STA) and an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network begins by transmitting a beacon frame by the AP on one antenna beam. The beacon frame is received at the STA, which measures the signal quality of the beacon frame. The AP switches to a different antenna beam and repeats the method until the beacon frame has been transmitted on all antenna beams. The STA associates to the AP that transmits the beacon frame with the highest signal quality on one of its antenna beams. A similar method may be used in which the STA sends a probe request frame to the AP, which then responds with probe response frames sent on multiple antenna beams.

In a wireless local area network (WLAN) operating in infrastructure mode, a STA typically performs scanning in order to estimate which AP is the best candidate to serve it. Scanning performed by the STA can be passive or active. In passive scanning, the STA listens for beacon frames sent by the APs. In active scanning, the STA sends out probe requests and the APs respond by sending a probe response to the STA.
In order to enhance coverage and increase throughput, APs can be equipped with advanced antenna structures, which allow them to change the radiation pattern (the beam) they use. This is a function of the position of the STA to which the AP sends packets and/or of the time-varying channel. Because the beacon frames are not aimed at a particular STA, but rather at a multitude of STAs, they tend to be sent uniformly across all directions (i.e., with an omni-directional beam). Similarly, because it is desirable for an AP to hear the packets from all its associated STAs, the AP typically listens to the channel using an omni-directional beam. This type of beam does not necessarily allow the AP to determine which beam is the best to serve a STA, even after it has received a probe request from the STA. Therefore, a probe response also tends to be transmitted using an omni-directional beam.
A STA uses the beacons (passive scanning) and the probe requests (active scanning) to estimate, among other things, the quality of the radio links (e.g., signal to noise ratio (SNR)) that it could obtain from the different APs. Beacons and probe responses are typically sent by the APs using an omni-directional beam for the reasons described above. This creates a situation where a STA may estimate, based on the received signal quality it perceives from the beacons and/or probe responses, that a given AP is the best candidate, when in fact this AP will perform worse than another AP for the transmission of traffic frames which can be sent with directional beams.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary WLAN 100 including a STA 102 and two APs, AP_A 110 and AP_B 120. AP_A 110 can utilize an omni-directional beam 112 and a plurality of directional beams 114, 116, 118. AP_B 120 can utilize an omni-directional beam 122 and a plurality of directional beams 124, 126, 128.
The STA 102 measures the received power of the various beams as shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1Measured Received Signal Power at STA 102Received power atSignal fromOn beam numberBeam typeSTA 102AP_A112omni−75 dBmAP_A116directional−85 dBmAP_A118directional−85 dBmAP_B122omni−80 dBmAP_B124directional−70 dBm
The STA 102 can receive stronger beacons and/or probe responses via omni-directional beam 112 from AP_A 110 than via omni-directional beam 122 from AP_B 120. However, AP_B 120 would be a better candidate than AP_A 110 for transmitting traffic frames, since AP_B 120 is in a better position to make use of its advanced antenna structure and focus the energy towards the STA 102 (via directional beam 124).

Implementing a smart antenna in wireless local area network


Systems, apparatuses and methods may include technology to bundle on demand video frames together in clusters having similar encode times based on predicted performance determined by weighted heuristics.

To support on demand video services, video files may often be stored in some master format. This master format, however, may generally be incompatible with the thousands of devices that are used to playback the video. Moreover, with the large number (e.g., millions) of videos streaming at any given time, workloads may be encoded in parallel. Parallel hardware, however, may continue to be underutilized in current methods.

Intelligent video frame grouping based on predicted performance


Position measurements are often performed using a localization system with a given fixed capture range and accuracy and resolution. Having a fixed capture range often comes at the cost of decreased accuracy and resolution. At the start, a large capture range is provided where the accuracy and resolution is low. In this large capture area, the target area can be identified and aimed at. With this identification, a smaller capture range is iteratively provided and centered around the region of interest, which leads to an increased accuracy and resolution.

The present invention relates generally to position and/or orientation measurements. In particular, the present invention relates to a tracking method for tracking a sensor in a capture range in a field generated by a field generator, a tracking system for tracking a sensor in a capture range in a field generated by a field generator and to a computer program product comprising computer program code means.
Known systems for performing position measurements use a localization system with a given fixed capture range and accuracy and resolution. Having a fixed size and desirably large capture range often comes at the cost of decreased accuracy in resolution. This bears two problems: either the capture range or the accuracy and resolution do not match the needs of a user.
P. G. Seiler et al: "A novel tracking technique for the continuous precise measurement of tumour positions in conformal radiotherapy" Phys. Med. Biol. 45 (2000) N103-N110 describes a tracking technique using magnetic fields as information carriers between a field generator and a field sensor, similar to other magnetic tracking applications such as Wynn et al "Advanced superconducting gradiometer/magnetometer arrays and a novel signal processing technique" IEEE Trans. Magn. 11 701-7. However, the capture range defined by the field generated with the field generator remains the same for all applications and measurements.


A circuit for synchronizing transmission local oscillating frequency in a co-channel microwave system, with more reliability, synchronizes horizontal and vertical polarization waves phase locked dielectric resonators which generate transmission local oscillating frequencies in a digital co-channel microwave system. The circuit includes a first reference signal oscillator for outputting a first reference signal; a second reference signal oscillator for outputting a second reference signal; a first divider for dividing the power of the first reference signal and outputting first and second divided powers; a second divider for dividing the power of the second reference signal and outputting first and second divided powers; a first radio frequency signal generator for detecting the output level of the second divided second reference signal and for outputting one of the first divided first reference signal or the second divided second reference signal as a first radio frequency signal for input to the vertical polarization waves locked dielectric resonator, depending upon the detected result; and a second radio frequency signal generator for detecting the output level of the second divided first reference signal and for outputting one of the first divided second reference signal or the second divided first reference signal as a second radio frequency signal for input to the horizontal polarization waves locked dielectric resonator, depending upon the detected result; the first reference signal oscillator, the first divider, and the first radio frequency signal generator being included in one module and the second reference signal oscillator, the second divider, and the second radio frequency signal generator being included in another module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital microwave system and, more specifically, to a circuit for synchronizing transmission local oscillating frequencies in a digital microwave system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a recent digital microwave system, co-channels are mostly used to enhance the efficiency, where the frequency of one channel is separated into a vertical polarization wave (hereinafter, referred to as "V) mode and a horizontal polarization wave (hereinafter, referred to as "H") mode and each data is loaded to the V and H modes so as to perform each function.
Upon transmission in a point-to-point microwave system operating with co-channels, a baseband signal is modulated into an intermediate frequency signal by the modulation method adapted in the above system. After that, a frequency converter uses a phase locked dielectric resonator oscillator (hereinafter, referred to as "PLDRO") having good frequency stability and phase noise characteristic at each V and H mode as a local oscillator, increases the frequency of the intermediate frequency signal and outputs it as a radio frequency signal. The V and H signals of the radio frequency outputted as described above are united into one in an OMT (orthomode transducer) after power amplification.
Meantime, a circuit for synchronizing the oscillating frequency of the transmission local oscillator typically includes a reference oscillator, a phase comparator and a loop filter, corresponding to V and H PLDROs. But, the above circuit therefor has its sophisticated construction as well as has the possibility of generating a malfunction in the system of one reference signal oscillator of the V the or H oscillators being out of order.
A technique for solving the above problem has already been proposed in Korean Patent application No. 95-26430, entitled "Circuit for Synchronizing Local Oscillating Frequency of Transmitter in Co-Channel Digital Microwave System" and assigned to the same assignee Samsung Electronics, Ltd. as in the present application, on Aug. 24, 1995. The synchronizing circuit as stated hereinbefore, is composed of two modules for co-channel operation and uses a method for controlling bias switches respectively located in the two modules by detecting oscillating signals of reference oscillators included in the modules.
However, it is troublesome for a user to intentionally operate the bias switches for operating the synchronization circuit proposed in the aforesaid patent application with a single channel. Also, each module of the synchronization circuit must have reference signal oscillation controlling ports, and bias switch controlling ports, and these ports are connected to each other through RF cables, thereby resulting in a disadvantage in operating the system. Furthermore, it is impossible to check whether or not the RF cables are properly connected.
The following patents each disclose features in common with the present invention but do not teach or suggest the specifically recited circuit for synchronizing transmission local oscillating frequencies and a digital microwave system as in the present invention: U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,126 to Boudewijns et al., entitled Multiphase Output Oscillator, U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,257 to Southard, entitled Clock Pulse Signal Generator System, U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,008 to Kessels, entitled Multiple Redundant Clock System Comprising A Number Of Mutually Synchronizing Clocks, And Clock Circuit For Use In Such A Clock System, U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,315 to Verhoeven, entitled Coupled Regenerative Oscillator Circuit, U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,171 to Blow et al., entitled Cross-Monitored Pair Of Clocks For Processor Fail-Safe Operation, U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,874 to Abbey, entitled Master/Slave Clock Arrangement For Providing Reliable Clock Signal, U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,926 to Karczewski, entitled Frequency Synchronization Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,604 to Jokura, entitled Local oscillation Frequency synthesizer For Vibration Suppression In The Vicinity Of A Frequency Converging Value, U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,620 to Chen, entitled High-Frequency Phase Locked Loop Circuit, U.S. Pat. No. 5,610,558 to Mittel et al., entitled Controlled Tracking Of Oscillators In A Circuit With Multiple Frequency Sensitive Elements, U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,359 to Sakae et al, entitled Phase Synchronizer And Data Reproducing Apparatus, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,298 to Abe, entitled VCO Having Voltage-To-Current Converter And PLL Using Same.

Circuit for synchronizing transmission local oscillating frequencies in digital microwave system


The present application provides a power line communications system and method. The system comprises a power line network, a sending apparatus, and a receiving apparatus. The receiving apparatus comprises at least two PLC modems connected through a power line link. The sending apparatus sends a signal to a target PLC modem in the receiving apparatus through a power line network. The target PLC modem is at least one PLC modem in the receiving apparatus. The PLC modems in the receiving apparatus simultaneously receive a signal, the PLC modems except the target PLC modem respectively send the received signal to the target PLC modem through a wireless link, and the target PLC modem restores the signal sent by the sending apparatus according to the signal received through the power line network and the signal received through the wireless link. According to the power line communications system and method provided in the present application, the signal transmission quality is improved, and the data transmission rate and the system reliability are improved.

Generally, there are three modes for accessing internet, i.e., a dial-up mode via a telephone line, a Cable Modem (CM) mode via a cable television line, and an Ethernet mode via a twisted pair. In a process of accessing internet in each of these modes, a special modem and an access port are required, which results in a high cost and inconvenience.
With a continuous development of power line communication technology, a high Internet connection speed of 4.5 Mbps to 45 Mbps can be provided to users, which allows the user to browse web pages, make calls and watch movies online. Therefore, networks of data, voice, video and power are integrated together. The full name of the power line communication is Power Line Carrier (PLC) communication, which refers to a special communication mode for transmitting voices or data by using a high voltage power line, a medium voltage power line or a low voltage distribution line as an information transmission medium.
During the implementation of the present disclosure, the inventors found that although the power line communication technology is continuously improved, a frequency selective fading due to a multi-path effect and a large-scale fading due to a line loss exist on a power line channel in the existing power line communication system. Thus, a channel between two PLC modems with a very short physical distance may be in a deep fading area. In addition, due to the large-scale fading, the signal between two PLC modems with a long distance has energy less than a minimum receiving threshold. Furthermore, various strong interferences exist on the power line channel. All these problems lead to a low signal transmission quality and a low system reliability of the existing power line communication system.

Power line communications system and method

STATE GRID CHONGQING ELECTRIC POWER CO. ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A wall mounted skateboard storage rack comprises a base plate having a back planar surface and a front surface including an upper and lower portion which is provided with a hole or holes, preferably vertically aligned at the horizontal center line of the base plate, that serve as a port or ports for a nail, screw, rivet, lug, pin, or bolt to be inserted therethrough to affix the base plate to a wall, a pair of skateboard support arms located at the upper portion of the base plate front surface which are horizontally aligned from each other in spaced apart relation to receive and support a pair of wheels of a skateboard, and either brace surfaces provided at the outer side end of each skateboard support arm or guide members attached to the base plate at a lower portion thereof and in horizontal alignment from each other in spaced apart relation to receive and secure therebetween a pair of wheels of a skateboard to thereby contain the skateboard in substantially vertical alignment with the base plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a wall mounted skateboard support rack for storage of skateboards in a vertical position adjoining a wall.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR .sctn. 1.97-1.99
Heretofore, it has been regarded as desirable to safely store away skateboards not in use or to provide apparatus for holding and carrying skateboards.
An example of an apparatus to store away a skateboard is U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,239 to Lowe et al. which discloses a combination skateboard lock and trick device designed for mounting to a skateboard in order to lock the skateboard to a fixed structure such as a bicycle rack or post. The device comprises a lock body member which is fixedly mounted between the board of the skateboard and one of the wheel truck assemblies, the lock body being provided with a pair of oppositely disposed longitudinal bars to receive leg members of an adjustable U-shape shackle, the looped end of which is bent at right angles to the legs thereof, thereby forming a trick handle.
Apparatus for holding and carrying skateboards have heretofore aided skateboard users in transporting their skateboards.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,794 to Beagle, Jr. there is disclosed a backpack for holding and carrying a skateboard which includes a flexible frame for receiving and holding a skateboard and a harness connected to the frame for securing the rigid frame to the back of a user.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,460 to Harper, Jr. discloses a skateboard carrier for mounting on the back of a user which leaves use of the hands free. The skateboard carrier includes a flexible resiliently deformable pad body with front and back faces configured to cover substantially the upper back of the bearer. The lateral sides of the pad body have pairs of attachment members to which cinching straps removably attach across the back face to cinchingly loop around the axle support brackets of a skateboard vertically orientated and positioned with its wheels extending outwardly. The lateral edges of the pad body at the attachment member and the attachment members are drawn tightly against the lateral margins to restrain lateral movement of the skateboard, vertical movement of which is restrained by the loops about the axle support bracket. A plurality of lateral attachment member pairs permits vertical adjustment of the board on the pad body and supplementarily provides for attachment of skateboarding accessory articles. Compact articles may be accommodated in a back face pocket.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,883 to Pate there is disclosed a skateboard holder which can be removably attached to the belt of a wearer for transporting a skateboard. The skateboard holder comprises a rectangularly-shaped hanger, formed of a flat material such as leather, in which two vertically orientated slits are formed in an upper portion thereof for attachment to a belt. Attached to two side portions of the hanger are two straps having fastening means at their ends so that a loop defined by the straps and hanger can be formed. The straps are formed so that each one attaches to the hanger along a predetermined length of a vertical edge thereof. Each strap tapers down so that its end portion is narrower than the predetermined length. A vertically oriented skateboard having its upper wheels extending outwardly is positioned against the hanger so that a loop formed by the two straps is under the outwardly extending upper wheels, thereby providing support for the skateboard as it is transported. In a further embodiment of the invention, a single strap extending from one side portion of the holder is provided. The end portion of the single strap is attached to the other side of the hanger so as to form a loop for holding the skateboard as in the first embodiment.
U.S. Pat. No. 258,703 to Ogle et al. discloses a carrying case for a skateboard including a zippered case for receipt of a skateboard and an adjustable strap fastened to the case.
The present invention provides for a wall mounted storage rack for skateboards to thereby store skateboards not in use at a specific location wherein the skateboard is stored vertically aligned to a wall to avoid the same being left in horizontal orientation which may constitute a hazard or obstacle to people.