Water-based, water-fast ink compositions are provided. The compositions contain an aqueous liquid vehicle, a colorant, e.g., a pigment, dye or stain, and a binder material capable of ionically or physically entrapping the selected colorant. The binder material contains two ionically associated components which form a matrix, and comprises either a combination of a monomeric polyacid and a monomeric polybase, or a combination of a basic polymer and an organic acid.

Concern for the environment as well as increasingly stringent regulation of air quality, pollution and hazardous waste has created a need for alternatives to the use of petroleum and petroleum-based products in ink compositions. The primary focus has been on the development of water- and soy-based printing inks. The major reason for using water-based ink compositions is that because organic solvents are not present except in very small quantities, potential problems such as toxicity, flammability and other hazards are minimized.
Traditional water-based inks are based on resin systems which are dispersed in water. Several references describe inks which are based on aqueous vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,417 to Hauser et al., for example, describes low viscosity aqueous printing ink compositions based on polyacrylic resins containing carboxyl groups, and which also contain a humectant, pigment and, optionally, a water-dilutable organic solvent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,245 to Zuraw et al. describes water-based printing inks made with modified rosin grinding resins. U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,489 to Schwarz, Jr., et al., describes an ink composition containing a polymeric additive in addition to a colorant and an aqueous liquid vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,496 to Easton et al. describes a water-fast ink composition containing an amine, an acrylic emulsion resin binder, a triamine dye, and water.
The major drawback of the currently available water-based inks, however, is their generally poor water fastness, which limits their utility.
The present invention is addressed to the aforementioned limitation in the art, and provides a water-based ink composition which is also water-fast. That is, the ink compositions are prepared in water, but after printing and drying become insoluble in water and, depending on the formulation, are also insoluble in alkaline solutions, detergents, and common organic solvents such as alcohols, acetone and toluene.
The novel ink compositions are advantageous in other ways as well. In contrast to many ink compositions of the prior art, the compositions of the invention may be used on a wide variety of substrates, dry quickly after application, and tend not to bleed, smear or rub after drying. The binder materials and colorant are selected so that the colorant is entrapped by the binder matrix, substantially eliminating the possibility that the colorant will leach. In addition, the present ink compositions are generally low in viscosity (and thus relatively easy to work with), display good soak resistance, are generally stable at elevated temperatures, and have a relatively long shelf life, typically on the order of a year or more. It must also be emphasized that the ink compositions may be readily tailored with respect to (1) viscosity, surface tension, dielectric constant and color density by varying the amount or type of components used, and (2) end use, i.e., as continuous jet printing inks, drop-on-demand inks, or the like.

Water-based, water-fast ink compositions containing two-component binder matrix from nitrogen polymer


Provided is an inverter for driving a backlight such as LCD, wherein the inverter includes a driving circuit for driving at least two of a plurality of lamps; a transformer for connecting the driving circuit to the plurality of lamps; and a balance coil connected to at least two of the plurality of lamps for balancing the current flowing through the at least two of the plurality of lamps, and the balance coil further includes a bobbin having a winding part divided into at least three parts; a core disposed in the bobbin; and first and second coils disposed on the divided winding parts.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to an inverter used for driving a backlight of a liquid crystal display (LCD). More particularly, the present invention relates to a balance coil and an inverter for driving a plurality of Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL) in parallel.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Current LCD displays require a backlight unit that is small in size and efficient. Consequently, CCFL is widely used as a light source of backlight unit. However, a single back light unit equipped with only one lamp is not sufficient for use in a wide-bodied display. Instead, multiple backlight units using a plurality of lamps are used because they better satisfy the requirements of a wide-bodied display.
In order to minimize cost and simplify structure, multiple backlight units drive the plurality of lamps in parallel. A conventional parallel driving circuit utilizes a balance coil for balancing currents in each lamp.
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation illustrating an inverter for driving a multiple backlight disposed with a balance coil, and FIG. 2 is a schematic representation illustrating a structure of a conventional balance coil.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an inverter includes a driving circuit 1, a transformer 2 for driving two fluorescent lamps LP1 and LP2, and a feedback control circuit 3.
Furthermore, the inverter includes balance coils 4 and 4′, respectively, connected to a lamp for balancing current flowing through a first lamp LP1 and a second lamp LP2. Ballast capacitors C1 and C2 are used for preventing the current flowing through each lamp LP1 and LP2 from increasing, and are connected in series to each lamp LP1 and LP2.
Referring to FIG. 2, the balance coils 4 and 4′ include a bobbin 11, a core 12 inserted into a groove 11a of the bobbin 11 and a coil 13 wrapped at an external side of the bobbin 11.
The current flowing through each lamp LP1 and LP2 is balanced between each lamp by the coils 4 and 4′. Thereby, the backlight unit is stably maintained without any luminance difference between the lamps.
However, in the conventional inverter, one balance coil 4 and '4' is connected to each lamp LP1 and LP2, thus requiring a large number of balance coils. Therefore, because of the large number of balance coils used the conventional inverter is uneconomical and is large in size.
Furthermore, the conventional inverter uses ballast capacitors C1 and C2 to prevent a current increase in each lamp, and if the ballast capacitors are used, a high voltage is applied to both ends of the transformer 2 to the detriment of the transformer. Consequently, the use of ballast capacitors reduces the stability of the transformer.
Meanwhile, the conventional balance coils 4 and 4′ have a limitation in that by structurally increasing the size of the core 12 there is a high possibility of creating an inferior quality of goods due to core saturation.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved inverter used for driving a backlight of a liquid crystal display (LCD) that is both small in size and economical.

Balance coil and inverter for driving backlight


A partitioning system with vertical posts and horizontal connecting tubes, where panels can be attached to the posts with connecting elements, the posts having a connecting bar which is perpendicular to the plane of the partition with a row of connecting bores, cantilevered arm elements, which extend perpendicular with respect to the partition plane, can be attached to the posts. A simple structure of partitions with a closed visible side is possible with the aid of specially designed connecting elements, without the connecting elements being visible.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a partitioning system with vertical posts and horizontal connecting tubes, where panels be attached to the posts with connecting elements. The posts having a connecting bar which is perpendicular to the plane of the partition with a row of connecting bores. Cantilevered arm elements, which extend perpendicular with respect to the partition plane can be attached to the posts.
2. Description of Prior Art
In one known support arm system the panels connected with the posts do not form a unified flat surface. Here the posts are also put together from two profiled sections and form vertical separating seams in the visible area, which is increased by the distance between the panels attached to the posts, because the panels protrude also with respect to the support bars of the posts from the surfaces of the partitioning system. Moreover, securing elements which protrude from the surfaces of the partitioning system are required to connect the panels with the posts, Another disadvantage which greatly impairs the visual appearance of such partitioning system is in that, in their shape as simple bows of circular tube sections, the cantilevered arm elements do not adjoin the posts in accordance with the system and can also not be used as bases for the posts.


A high-voltage LDMOS device with voltage linearizing field plates and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a continuous gate structure over a deep well region and a body of a substrate. The method further includes forming oppositely doped, alternating segments in the continuous gate structure. The method further includes forming a contact in electrical connection with a tip of the continuous gate structure and a drain region formed in the substrate. The method further includes forming metal regions in direct electrical contact with segments of at least one species of the oppositely doped, alternating segments.

High voltage laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistors are used in power management, microwave and RF power amplifiers, for example. LDMOS devices use Metal-Insulator-Silicon (MIS) surfaces and back-channel field plates to assist in depletion of the drift region, allowing more charge to be placed into the drift region, and thereby reducing on-resistance and on-state power dissipation.
Planar LDMOS devices (devices without STI) can result in superior reliability performance due to the absence of field and current crowding at STI corners; however, in known conventionally fabricated planar LDMOS devices, gate-to-drain capacitance is high, compared to an STI based device. Also, there is a fundamental tradeoff between low conduction losses (on-resistance or Rsp) and switching losses (Qgg and Qgd) and off-state breakdown voltage.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.


Apparatus and methods are disclosed for monitoring in real time the propagation of a fracture through a rock formation traversed by a well borehole, during hydraulic fracturing processes. The inventive system permits continuous measurement of the movement of gamma-emitting tracers in the fracturing fluid, while the fluid is pumped into the formation. The tracer isotopes pass by a downhole neutron source, which activates the tracer isotope nuclei, causing them to emit characteristic gamma radiation after the fracturing fluid passes through perforated production casing into the induced formation fracture. Multiple sodium-iodide scintillometer detectors, arrayed on the logging tool above and below the neutron source, are calibrated to detect the characteristic energy spectra emitted from the activated radioactive tracer isotopes in the fractured formation through the formation rock and the steel production casing and tubing. The detectors pass data to a surface computer system by wire-line logging cable, allowing graphical display of fracture propagation at the wellsite while the fracturing treatment proceeds. The system allows the operator to control fracture propagation in response to present conditions, preventing "out of zone" fracturing, which can ruin a well. The system helps operators to maximize production while preventing economic waste.

Various fracture-stimulation techniques are designed and employed in the petroleum industry for the common end result of placing sand proppant in hydraulically induced fractures to enhance oil or gas flow through a reservoir to the wellbore. Hydraulic fracturing of petroleum reservoirs typically improves fluid flow to the wellbore, thus increasing production rates and ultimate recoverable reserves. A hydraulic fracture is created by injecting a fluid, such as a polymer gelled-water slurry with sand proppant, down the borehole and into the targeted reservoir interval at an injection rate and pressure sufficient to cause the reservoir rock within the selected depth interval to fracture in a vertical plane passing through the wellbore. A sand proppant is typically introduced into the fracturing fluid to prevent fracture closure after completion of the treatment and to optimize fracture conductivity.
Hydraulic fracturing treatment is a capital-intensive process. In addition to the significant cost of a fracturing treatment itself, substantial oil and gas revenues may be gained as a result of a technically successful stimulation job, or lost due to an unsuccessful treatment. The effectiveness of a sand-fracturing treatment depends on numerous critical design parameters, including reservoir rock properties, the vertical proximity of water-productive zones, and the presence or absence of strata that act as barriers. Unsuccessful fracturing treatments typically result from inefficient placement of sand proppant in the induced fracture with respect to the targeted reservoir interval, which sometimes results in excessive water production due to treating "out of zone."
The formation is composed of rock layers, or strata, which include the objective petroleum reservoir, which is often a sandstone interval. When a fracture propagates vertically out of the defined hydrocarbon reservoir boundaries into adjacent water-productive zones, the well may be ruined by excessive water flow into the wellbore, or added expenses and disposal problems may be caused by the need to safely dispose of the produced brine water. Also, if the fracture propagates into an adjacent non-productive formation, the sand proppant may be wasted in areas outside the objective, and the treatment may not be effective. Either situation results in dire economic consequences to the well operator. Although it is sometimes possible to save a well that has been fractured "out of zone", the remedy is extensive, risky, and costly.
Present petroleum technology cannot readily predict when a hydraulic fracturing treatment will result in treating out of zone. The problem may be caused by too little or poor-quality cement between the well casing and the rock formation, or it may simply be caused by the absence of harder, fracture-resistant rock layers in the formation, which can act as barriers to the excessive propagation of fractures. Thus, the problem of treating "out of zone" during the hydraulic-fracturing process occurs frequently in industry.
An economical and successful fracture stimulation requires maximum controlled placement of fracture proppant in the reservoir zone, while avoiding treating into water-producing strata. The increased production revenue from successful fracturing treatments amounts to many millions of dollars each year. A successful fracturing treatment is typically evidenced by increased reservoir production performance resulting from concentrated placement of sand proppant in the petroleum reservoir within the induced hydraulic fracture.
Conversely, inefficient fracturing treatments cost the petroleum industry many millions of dollars each year both in foregone revenue from non-production of valuable hydrocarbons and in lost capital expenses associated with well drilling and completion. Indeed, some wells can be ruined entirely from poor fracturing.
Present industry methods for determining whether a fracture treatment has been treated "out of zone" have relied on post-treatment measurements. In such systems, a fracturing treatment is performed, the treatment is stopped, the well is tested, and the data are analyzed. With most known detection systems, moreover, the wait for post-fracturing data can be considerable, even up to several days, which can delay the completion operations, resulting in higher personnel and operating costs.
Specific known techniques for evaluating fracture treatments include the use of seismic hydrophone arrays, ultrasonic televiewers in the fracture interval, temperature surveys, pressure measurement, and flow meters over the fractured interval. However, those systems cannot be used while fracturing fluid is being pumped, because the downhole treating environment is hostile, which can affect the measurements. Also, such systems produce only indirect measurements of fracture propagation, and so they do not provide a good quantitative measurement of fracture height. In addition, some of those methods require the use of adjacent wells or can only be used in wells that are completed as "open hole" wells, that is wells without casing.
One system that falls within that class of techniques but allows measurement during the pumping of fluid is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,121 to Anderson, which discloses a technique for monitoring the temperature near the wellbore as a function of depth. However, such temperature-based systems suffer from the problem of slow feedback from temperature changes, which can result in the "out of zone" problem developing before it is fully detected by the sensors. Also, Anderson's temperature technique has difficulty distinguishing between variations in rock temperature-conductivity and variations in temperature caused by fluid flow. Thus, temperature-measuring systems cannot provide a quantitative, as opposed to a qualitative, measurement of fracture height.
In addition, the particular method taught by Anderson is difficult to use with wells having casing, which is the most common situation. Anderson discloses how to install his system outside (or as part of) the casing while the well is being cased, but the system cannot be similarly installed in pre-cased wells. Anderson says that the system can be used inside the casing or inside the tubing, but such a system would not give reliable temperature readings while the fracturing fluid--which is significantly cooler than the formation--is being pumped nearby. Thus, the Anderson temperature-based system is not well-suited or practical for monitoring of fracture propagation during the fracturing process in most wells.
Another set of known techniques include the injection of radioactive tracer isotopes into the fracturing fluids, fracture proppants, or both during the fluid-injection or sand-injection steps in the fracturing process, allowing quantitative determination of exact fracture height, by a process known as "gamma well logging." However, such systems can determine fracture growth only after a fracturing treatment is completed. Gamma-radiation measurement tools, such as Schlumberger's Multiple Isotope Tracer Tool (MTT) or Schlumberger's Natural Gamma Ray Tool (NGT), can then detect the tracers and collect data that can be analyzed to determine fracture height or the concentration of proppant. The tool is inserted after the fracturing treatment is completed and moved vertically through the formation interval, within the cased wellbore, to detect the placement of tracers in the formation.
However, none of the logging tools offered by Schlumberger or others in industry is capable of detecting the propagation of fractures during the injection of sand-laden fluid, that is, in "real time." In particular, the processed spectral data from logging methods is typically not available concurrent with the fracturing treatment because additional computer processing would be required to distinguish the gamma rays emitted by the tracer isotopes outside the casing from the gamma rays emitted by tracers in the fluid inside the casing. Most existing well-logging tools are not designed for use with the tubing strings that are generally used to pump fluids into the formation, and it is generally considered very risky to pump fluid directly into the well in the presence of a logging tool without using tubing.
Thus, there is presently no method or logging tool available to the petroleum industry for accurate, quantitative measurement of fracture height or proppant placement measurement during the fracturing process.
Existing post-process "logging" or measuring devices are inadequate because operators cannot feasibly stop and restart the fracturing job to take a measurement. Fracturing fluid is generally pumped into the formation at extremely high pressure, to force open the fractures, and an increasing proportion of sand is added to the fluid to prop open the resulting fractures. Stopping the pumping will relieve the pressure, and depending on the point at which it occurs, undesirable results may occur, such as the closing of the fractures, the reversal of fluid flow back into the wellbore, or the build-up of sand in the hole. Then, after the "logging" operation is completed, the pumping cannot be restarted at the point at which it was left off. Instead, the fracturing job would have to be redone from scratch, with unpredictable results, and it may even be impossible or impractical to redo the job at all.
As a consequence, current methods of fracturing are an art, not a science, in that skilled operators must make educated guesses at factors such as the length of the fracturing job and the rate of increase of sand concentration. Current measurement methods allow only a retrospective view of the fracturing job, in other words, only after any damage has already been done.
By contrast, real-time fracture growth monitoring would allow well operators to control fracture dimensions and to efficiently place higher concentrations of sand proppants in the desired reservoir interval. If the fractures came close to extending out of the desired zone, the operator could terminate the fracturing job, automatically or manually. In addition, real-time analysis of the ongoing treatment procedure would allow the operator to determine when to pump greater concentrations of sand proppant, depending on factors such as the vertical and lateral proximity of oil-water contacts with respect to the wellbore, the presence or absence of water-producing strata, and horizontal changes in the physical properties of the reservoir rock.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide systems and methods for quantitatively monitoring in real time the developing growth of hydraulic fractures during the hydraulic fracturing process.
It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods permitting more accurate placement of sand and other proppants in fracturing fluids.
It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods for allowing better control of the fracturing process.
It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods for preventing the problem of fracturing "out of zone."
It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods for improving the reliability of hydraulic fracturing methods.
It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods for improved automation of the hydraulic fracturing process.

System and method for monitoring fracture growth during hydraulic fracture treatment


A method for recompleting a wellbore containing a casing and a tubing string extending from a surface through the casing to a zone of interest by through-tubing rotary drilling by forming an opening through the casing at a selected point, passing a rotatable drill string including a drill bit through the tubing and drilling a second wellbore by drilling out of the cased wellbore through the opening.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for recompleting a cased wellbore using through-tube rotary drilling.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Many oil fields are produced by drilling a wellbore to extend from a surface into an oil bearing formation, casing the wellbore from the surface to or through the oil bearing formation, perforating the casing if it extends through the oil bearing formation, to provide fluid communication between the interior of the casing and the oil bearing formation and positioning a production tubing string in the casing to extend from a depth in or slightly above the oil bearing formation to the surface for the production of fluids from the oil bearing formation. Such wells are used to produce fluids such as oil, gas, water and mixtures thereof from subterranean oil bearing formations under the formation pressure. In other instances, a pump may be used to cause the fluids to flow to the surface. After a period of production, the oil bearing formation surrounding the wellbore becomes depleted so that fluids do not flow into the wellbore and upwardly through the tubing for production. In such instances, a pump may be lowered through a smaller tubing into the formation and fluids may then be pumped to the surface until the flow of fluids from the oil bearing formation stops or drops to an uneconomical level.
In many instances, other areas of the oil bearing formation in the vicinity of the wellbores may not be depleted. Unfortunately, it is expensive to remove the tubing and sidetrack the well through the existing well casing using conventional sidetracking methods. Such methods require that the tubing be removed, a section of the casing be milled out and a drill be run back down through the casing and directed outward through the milled-out section to drill a directional well from the casing outwardly to an area from which additional hydrocarbons may be recovered. Since these techniques are relatively expensive, the amount of potential hydrocarbon recovery required to justify such sidetracking operations is relatively large. Since, in many instances, areas of potentially recoverable hydrocarbons containing less than the amount required to justify this additional expense are known, it is desirable that a more economical method be developed to enable the economical recovery of these smaller quantities of hydrocarbons. The smaller quantities of hydrocarbons may, in fact, be quite sizeable.
One method which has been used in an attempt to reach such hydrocarbons is the use of coiled-tubing drilling. By this method, coiled tubing is used to pass a drill downwardly through the existing tubing and outwardly through an opening in the well casing and drilling a directional well to reach additional hydrocarbons. The use of coiled tubing permits the use of a liquid-driven motor (mud motor) drill supported on coiled tubing. The coiled tubing is not rotatable and is subject to sliding friction and sticking in the existing tubing in the wellbore, the drilled well, and the like. As a result, this method is limited in the length of holes that can be drilled because of the sliding friction of the non-rotatable coiled tubing.
Since, in many instances, drilling to greater distances than previously reachable by the use of coiled tubing is necessary, a continuing effort has been directed to the development of an improved method whereby additional hydrocarbons can be reached.


A temperature sensor, which is used particularly in the intake tube of internal combustion engines in conjunction with an air flow rate meter, includes a sensor element that is constructed as a temperature-dependent NTC resistor in the form of a pill, a cube or the like. A large number of identical temperature sensors are produced by applying a plurality of parallel conductor tracks, which include partial conductor tracks, to a glass plate or wafer, by providing the conductor tracks with outer solderable contact surfaces and inner solderable contact surfaces, by applying and electrically conductively connecting each sensor element to a first partial conductor track, by conductively connecting the sensor element to a second partial conductor track, by coating the sensor element with a resist layer, and by cutting apart the wafer with parallel cuts extending between the individual sensor elements.

Field of the Invention:
The invention relates to a temperature-dependent component, in particular a temperature sensor for use in an intake tube for internal combustion engines in conjunction with an air flow rate meter, including a sensor element formed of a temperature-dependent resistor body in the form of a pill, a cube or the like which is secured to a striplike substrate of glass or ceramic and is electrically conductively connected to conductor tracks applied to the substrate, and a resist layer coating the sensor element. The invention also relates to a method for producing the temperature sensor.
Such temperature sensors and components are used, among other fields, in the intake tube of motor vehicle engines, specifically for the sake of precise engine control. The temperature sensor is installed together with an air flow rate meter in the intake tube, between the throttle valve and the air filter.
In one known method for producing temperature sensors with a pair of plug contacts and a resistance element, specifically in the form of disks, pills or the like, the housing, which includes a plug flange and a mounting part that carries the pairs of plug contacts, is produced in one injection molding operation. In a further injection molding operation, an insulating cap is produced, which receives the sensor element in the form of a hot or cold-conductor track (German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 42 37 039 A1).
In another known method for producing components with a temperature-dependent resistance, which are so-called thermistors (JP 4-280602A, Patent Abstracts of Japan, E-1322, Feb. 19, 1993, Vol. 17, No. 85), a plurality of conductor tracks extending in pairs are applied to a substrate, and then sensor elements are each soldered to two conductor tracks located side by side. The sensor elements and the conductor tracks are sealed with a glass layer. Finally, the substrate is severed between each two pairs of successive conductor tracks. The components which are created in that way are relatively wide.
The known temperature sensors are mounted together with their housing in the intake tube, but as a rule their response time is not as fast as precise modern engine control requires.

Method for producing a temperature sensor with temperature-dependent resistance


The equipment for measuring the speed of rotation of a vehicle wheel (14) carried by a wheel axle (12) comprises a tachometer (30) having a stator (32) suitable for being secured to the wheel axle (12), a rotor (34) suitable for being rotated by the wheel (14), and a connector (110) secured to the stator (32) for electrical connection of the tachometer. The connector (110) includes a set of connection terminals (114A). The equipment further comprises an information transmission member (82) carried by the tachometer stator (32) and suitable for co-operating with a complementary information transmission member (74) constrained to rotate with the wheel (14). Said tachometer connector (110) includes additional connection terminals (114B) to which said information transmission member (82) is connected for transmitting said information.

The present invention relates to equipment for measuring the speed of rotation of a vehicle wheel carried by a wheel axle, the equipment being of the type comprising a tachometer having a stator suitable for being secured to the wheel axle, a rotor suitable for being rotated by the wheel, and a connector secured to the stator for electrical connection of the tachometer, which connector includes a set of connection terminals, the equipment further comprising an information transmission member carried by the stator of the tachometer and suitable for co-operating with a complementary information transmission member constrained to rotate with the wheel.
The invention also relates to a wheel assembly.
In airplanes, it is known to provide in each wheel axle with a tachometer enabling the speed of rotation of the airplane wheel to be determined, in particular while running on the takeoff runway.
In addition, it is known to provide the wheels with devices for detecting tire pressure. Such devices need to be associated with means for transmitting information between the wheel and the hub on which the wheel is rotatably mounted.
Those information transmission means generally comprise two complementary transmitter and receiver members disposed facing each other. One is secured to the cover plate of the wheel substantially on the axis of rotation, and the other is secured to the wheel axle, in the vicinity of the axis of rotation of the wheel.
Thus, one of the information transmission members is disposed inside the wheel axle in the vicinity of the tachometer.
Both the tachometer and the information transmission member secured to the wheel axle have respective connectors enabling them to be wired to a cable bundle leading to the airplane cockpit.
In certain types of airplane, in particular business airplanes, the space available inside the axle for the tachometer and the information transmission member is very small.
Thus, in order to enable the cable bundle to be connected to both connectors, the connectors need to be placed in succession along the axis of the axle. One of the connectors is then carried at the end of a support arm secured to the tachometer. This arm is relatively long. It is therefore fragile and constitutes a source of vibration.

Wheel assembly equipped with a tachometer


A method and a system for allowing computer-executable applications to efficiently and securely obtain credentials required to access data from a protected Web service utilizes an ID token. The ID token is associated with an IP address of a user's computer, and is validated before providing the credentials to the user's computer.

The use of many conventional computer-executable applications often requires the applications to obtain data from protected Web services. A "protected Web service" involves a computer located on a web-based network, such as the Internet, which requires the authentication and validation of a user's identity prior to permitting access to data stored on the computer. Exemplary applications that require this type of repeated data acquisition include, but are not limited to, spreadsheet applications, such as Microsoft® Excel; word processing applications, such as Microsoft® Word or Corel WordPerfect®; database applications, such as Microsoft® Access; and presentation applications, such as Microsoft® PowerPoint. For example, these applications may require access to application data that includes, but is not limited to, logical expressions, equations, dates, numbers, characters and/or any information suitable for incorporation into or use by the application.
Often, the application data sought by the user is dynamic, and use of the application requires repeated requests for access to this changing data. Take, for example, the case where the application is a spreadsheet application having a number of equations embedded within the spreadsheet, each having variables representing source data stored on an application server. In the event the source data and/or equations change, these changes must be communicated to the spreadsheet for incorporation therein, often for a large number of users. Effectuating this type of universal change to the application is cumbersome and difficult when done on an individual user basis.
To alleviate problems associated with the distribution and management of applications and changes to application data, the applications and the application data may be stored on a central computer, known in the art as an "application server." Typically, the application server is accessible by users through a Web browser via a conventional computer network using any known Web-based protocol.
Although housing an application and application data on an application server allows for efficient control and distribution of the application and the application data, providing the application to users via a computer network introduces a number of security-related risks and problems. As such, access to the application server must be monitored to prevent access by unauthorized users. In order for a user to access the application server, which houses a desired application file, the user must first be authenticated. Typically, the user is authenticated by providing authenticating information, such as a username and a passcode, which is verified by a known authentication system.
Conventional systems require the re-authentication of a user each time a request for data is made. However, re-authenticating the user for each request is problematic for an application that requires frequent and repeated exchanges between the application and the application server. For example, an application that imports real-time data must access the application server at frequent periodic intervals, forcing the user to respond to numerous prompts for his or her authenticating information. These incessant interruptions distract the user from his or her intended purpose, leading directly to a decrease in productivity. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method and a system that allows a user to access an application and/or application data stored for a protected Web service.

System and method for providing access to protected services


Given a set of network nodes B that are sought to be monitored, and a set of potential monitoring nodes, a subset M of the monitoring nodes is chosen that insures monitoring each node b in B with a pair of nodes mi and mj such that no node except b is on both any shortest path from b to mi and on any shortest path from b to mj. Some of the nodes in M are chosen in a first step by identifying a subset of B having nodes b that are “t-good” nodes, choosing a subset of potential monitoring nodes as First Partner nodes, and choosing a corresponding subset of potential monitoring nodes as Second Partner nodes. Others are chosen in a second step that handles nodes b that are not “t-good,” using a greedy algorithm.

This relates to networks and, more particularly, to selecting a subset of network nodes from a given set of network nodes. It is applicable, for example, to monitoring the behavior of networks.
A data network such as the Internet comprises nodes (e.g., routers) and links that interconnect the nodes. A typical objective of such networks is to establish connections between nodes that utilize the network most effectively, which translates to the objective of choosing a best path from a given originating node of a connection to a given terminating node of the connection. One well known algorithm for choosing a path from an originating node to a terminating node is the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) algorithm, where each link of the network has an associated cost; a path from node N1 to node N2 is said to have a cost that corresponds to the sum of the costs of the links which form the path, and the algorithm identifies a path that has the lowest cost.
There is a recognized need to know the operational state of the network—such as packet loss rate, packet delay through the routers and links, etc.—and to that end, there is a need to measure the traffic that flows through the various links and nodes. This need exists in the data network as a whole, and also in sub-networks of the data network, such as virtual private networks within a data network.
Whether it is the entire network or a sub-network, the situation typically is the same: an administrator desires to monitor a specific set of nodes (herein referred to as branch nodes) and is able to perform this monitoring through equipment or modules that the administrator is able to install in any of a given set of network nodes (herein referred to as potential monitoring nodes). The branch nodes and the potential monitoring nodes may or may not be disjoint; meaning that one or more of the potential monitoring nodes may also be branch nodes.
It would be beneficial to be able to choose a small set of nodes from among the set of potential monitoring nodes as the actual monitoring nodes.


In a state in which the engine is unloaded and the number of engine rotation is low, an overlap period of time during which the intake valve and the exhaust valve are both open is extended during the cold time, as compared with during the warm time. The extension of the overlap period of time causes gases remaining in the cylinders to increase, thereby making the burning of the fuel slow and elevating the temperature of the exhaust gases to thereby elevate the temperature of the cylinder head of the engine. A variation in the number of engine rotation, particularly a decrease in the number of engine rotation, resulting from the increase in the residual gases can be prevented by increasing the amount of intake air. Further, the temperature of the cylinder head can be elevated due to an increase in the amount of the supplied fuel resulting from the increase in the amount of the intake air.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a warming-up system for warming up an engine for an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication (kokai) No. 62-67,244 discloses technology capable of adjusting the number of engine rotation in a region where the engine is unloaded and the number of engine rotation is low, by providing an intake system with a bypass for bypassing a throttle valve and providing the bypass with a bypass valve for adjusting the amount of intake air.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication (kokai) No. 2-115,537 discloses means for changing an overlap period of time during which the intake valve and the exhaust valve are both open.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication (kokai) No. 1-159,431 discloses an exhaust valve timing variable mechanism for changing a valve timing of the exhaust valves. The exhaust valve timing variable mechanism is adapted to change a timing for opening the exhaust valves so as to open the exhaust valves at a retarded timing during the cold time, as compared with during the warm time.
It should be noted herein that the shortening of the time required for warming up the engine is effective for measures to compete with engine emissions because the burning state within the engine is unstable and hazardous ingredients are prone to increase in exhaust gases when the engine is in a cold state.

Warming-up system for warming up an engine for an automotive vehicle


A socket for a wedge base bulb, in which a cylindrical socket body has an opening for receiving the bulb and a terminal having a pair of opposed contact pieces is mounted in the opening and the contact pieces grip a base portion of the bulb therebetween so as to be electrically connected to the base portion, the improvement comprising: a slot for receiving a rectangular platelike mounting portion of the terminal, which is formed on an inner face of a circumferential wall of the socket body so as to confront the opening; a step portion which projects radially inwardly from an axially lower location of the inner face of the circumferential wall in the slot; wherein when the bulb has a minimum size, the bulb is supported by a lower portion of the mounting portion of the terminal; and wherein when the bulb has a maximum size, an upper portion of the mounting portion of the terminal is deflected radially outwardly by the bulb about a fulcrum defined by an upper edge of the step portion of the slot so as to grip the bulb.

The present invention relates to a socket for a wedge base bulb used as a lamp for a motor vehicle, etc., which eliminates not only looseness of the bulb fitted into the socket but at the time of improper insertion of the bulb into the socket, deformation of a terminal mounted in the socket.
In a known socket for a wedge base bulb 6 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a substantially I-shaped opening 2 for receiving the bulb 6 is formed in a cylindrical socket body 1 and terminals 3A and 3B each having a pair of contact pieces 4 are symmetrically fitted into the opening 2 so as to interpose a central bore 5 therebetween such that the contact pieces 4 of the terminal 3A confront the contact pieces 4 of the terminal 3B, respectively. Furthermore, in the socket body 1, ribs 13A to 13F project radially inwardly from an inner face of a circumferential wall 12 into the opening 2 and are spaced circumferentially from each other. Radially inner faces of the ribs 13A to 13F are so formed as to define a circle.
As shown in FIG. 3, the bulb 6 has a glass globe 7, a pair of base portions 8 provided at a bottom of the glass globe 7 and a cylindrical stem 9 extending between the base portions 8. Each of the base portions 8 is formed with a recess 8a such that lead wires 10A and 10B project from the recesses 8a, respectively. When the bulb 6 is fitted into the known socket, not only each of the base portions 8 is positioned between the contact pieces 4 of each of the terminals 3A and 3B mounted in the socket body 1 but the stem 9 is positioned at the central bore 5 such that the bulb 6 is inserted into the opening 2. Then, each of the base portions 8 is gripped between the contact pieces 4 of each of the terminals 3A and 3B such that the bulb 6 is clamped. As a result, each of the lead wires 10A and 10B is brought into contact with one of the contact pieces 4 of each of the terminals 3A and 3B.
Meanwhile, a hole 12 for receiving a connector (not shown) is formed at one end of the terminal body 1 remote from the opening 2. As shown in FIG. 2, a connector contact 12 extends downwardly from the contact pieces 4 of each of the terminals 3A and 3B and protrudes into the hole 12 so as to be connected to the connector fitted into the hole 12.
In the bulbs of this kind, an outside diameter D1 (FIG. 3(a)) of the glass globe 7 is stipulated by the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) so as not to exceed 10.29 mm. However, a minimum value of the outside diameter D1 of the glass globe 7 has not been stipulated by JIS. The glass globe 7 of 9.60 to 10.20 mm in outside diameter is usually used. However, diameter of the opening 2 for receiving the bulb 6 should be set such that the bulb 6 having the glass globe 7 of 10.29 mm in outside diameter can be inserted into the opening 2. Therefore, as shown by the broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, diameter of the opening 2 is set on the basis of the maximum value of 10.29 mm in the outside diameter D1. Namely, it is so arranged that the radially inner faces of the ribs 13A to 13F are brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the glass globe 7 having the maximum value of 10.29 mm in the outside diameter D1 so as to hold the glass globe 7.
Therefore, in case the glass globe 7 of the bulb 6 to be fitted into the opening 2 has the maximum value of 10.29 mm in the outside diameter D1, the glass globe 7 is brought into contact with the radially inner faces of the ribs 13A to 13F of the socket body 1 without any clearance therebetween, so that the glass globe 7 is not set loose in the opening 2 even when vibrations are applied to the motor vehicle.
However, in case the outside diameter D1 of the glass globe 7 of the bulb 6 is less than the maximum value of 10.29 mm, for example, the outside diameter D1 of the glass globe 7 is 9.60 mm, a clearance G of about 0.35 mm is formed between the glass globe 7 and each of the radially inner faces of the ribs 13A to 13F as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, if vibrations in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 5 are applied to the known socket, the glass globe 7 is set loose in the socket body 1 due to the clearance G, thereby resulting in detachment of the bulb 6 from the socket body 1 or deterioration of reliability of electrical contact between the lead wires 10A and 10B of the bulb 6 and the terminals 3A and 3B.
As shown in FIG. 6, a pair of parallel walls 15 confront each other in the opening 2 so as to support the contact pieces 4 of each of the terminals 3A and 3B such that an upper end 4a of each of the contact pieces 4 of each of the terminals 3A and 3B extends above an upper end 15a of each of the parallel walls 15. Therefore, if the bulb 6 is improperly inserted into the opening 2, for example, obliquely as shown by the arrow Al or at a location far distant from the axis of the opening 2 as shown by the arrow A2 when the bulb 6 is fitted into the socket body 1, such an undesirable phenomenon may take place that the base portions 8 of the bulb 6 interfere with or depress the upper end 4a of one of the contact pieces 4 so as to deform the contact piece 4 as shown by the two-dot chain lines in FIG. 6. Once the contact piece 4 has been deformed due to improper insertion of the bulb 6 into the opening 2 of the socket body 1, the bulb 6 cannot be fitted into the socket body 1 smoothly even if the bulb 6 is properly inserted into the opening 2 subsequently.


The present principles relate to a method an device for context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding/decoding a sequence of binary symbols representing a syntax element related to picture data belonging to a picture block. Said method comprising, for each binary symbol of the sequence of binary symbols: —determining (110) a context according to the size of the picture block and the binary symbol to be coded; and —arithmetic-coding/decoding (120) said binary symbol taking into account said determined context; characterized in that said determining (110) of a context comprises: —when the size of said picture block is a power of 2, determining (910) a context according to the size of said picture block; and —when the size of said picture block is not a power of 2, determining (920) a context according to a block size immediately higher or lower than the size of said picture block, said block size being equal to a power of 2.

The present section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present principles that are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present principles. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In the following, picture data contains one or several arrays of samples (pixel values) in a specific video format which specifies all information relative to the pixel values of a picture and all information which may be used by a display and/or any other device to visualize and/or decode a picture for example. A still picture (or a picture of a video) comprises at least one component, in the shape of a first array of samples, usually a luma (or luminance) component, and, possibly, at least one other component, in the shape of at least one other array of samples, usually a color component. Or, equivalently, the same information may also be represented by a set of arrays of color samples, such as the traditional tri-chromatic RGB representation.
A pixel value is a picture data that may be represented by a vector of C values, where C is the number of components. Each value of a vector is represented with a number of bits which defines a maximal dynamic range of the pixel values.
Generally speaking, a picture block stands for a set of elements of picture data or syntax elements relative to picture data. For example, a picture block is a set of pixels which belong to a picture.
A video coding device may attempt to compress picture data by taking advantage of spatial and temporal redundancy. For example, a video encoder may take advantage of spatial redundancy by coding a picture block relative to neighboring (previously coded blocks). Likewise, a video encoder may take advantage of temporal redundancy by coding a picture block relative to data of previously coded pictures. In particular, the video encoder may predict a current picture block from data of a spatial neighbor or from data of a previously coded picture. The video encoder may then calculate a residual for the picture block as a difference between the actual pixel values for the picture block and the predicted pixel values for the picture block. Accordingly, the residual for a picture block may include pixel-by-pixel difference values in the pixel (or spatial) domain.
The video encoder may then apply a transform to the values of the residual to compress energy of the pixel values into a relatively small number of transformed coefficients in the frequency domain. The video encoder may then quantize the transformed coefficients, scan the quantized transformed coefficients to convert a two-dimensional matrix of quantized transformed coefficients into a one-dimensional vector including the quantized transformed coefficients. The video encoder may then apply an entropy coding process to entropy encode the scanned coefficients. Example entropy coding processes may include, for example, context-adaptive variable length coding (CAVLC), context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC), syntax-based context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding (SBAC), probability interval partitioning entropy (PIPE) coding or other entropy encoding methodologies.
A video decoder may perform generally reciprocal techniques to the encoding techniques performed by the video encoder. Although generally reciprocal, the video decoder may, in some instances, perform techniques similar to those performed by the video encoder.
The video encoder may also entropy encode syntax elements associated with the encoded picture data for use by a video decoder in decoding the picture data. The video decoder may then rely on syntax elements or other data contained in a received bit-stream that includes the data described with respect to the video encoder.
According to some examples of syntax elements, the "last significant coefficient coordinate" is a syntax element which provides the decoder with the spatial position of the last non-zero coefficient in a picture block according to a scanning order associated with the picture block. Then, a "last significant coefficient x-coordinate" syntax element may be encoded for providing the decoder with the x-coordinate of the last significant coefficient in the picture block and a "last significant coefficient y-coordinate" syntax element may be encoded for providing the decoder with the y-coordinate of the last significant coefficient in the picture block. A "significant coefficient flag" is another syntax element which indicates whether a quantized transformed coefficient in a picture block equals zero or not.
For entropy coding the level of the quantized transformed coefficients, a video coder may entropy code the level of each quantized transformed coefficient. For example, a video coder may convert an absolute value of each non-zero quantized transformed coefficient into binary form. In this way, each non-zero transformed coefficient may be "binarized," e.g., using a unary code comprising one or more bits, or "bins". A bit for the sign of the quantized transformed coefficient may also be encoded.
In addition, a number of other syntax elements may be included to allow a video decoder to decode the picture data. For example, as described in H.264/MPEG-4 AVC ("Advanced video coding for generic audiovisual Services", SERIES H: AUDIOVISUAL AND MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS, Recommendation ITU-T H.264, Telecommunication Standardization Sector of ITU, February 2014) and High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standards (ITU-T H.265 TELECOMMUNICATION STANDARDIZATION SECTOR OF ITU (October 2014), SERIES H: AUDIOVISUAL AND MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS, Infrastructure of audiovisual services—Coding of moving video, High efficiency video coding, Recommendation ITU-T H.265), syntax element may represent motion vector residuals, Transform Unit coding flags, Coding Group coding flags, quantized transformed coefficient magnitude (greater than 1 and greater than 2) flags, SAO data, etc.
A video coder may entropy code each binary symbol (or bin) for a block of picture data, whether corresponding to quantized transformed coefficients or syntax element (information) for the picture block, using probability estimates for each binary symbol. The probability estimates may indicate a likelihood of a binary symbol having a given binary value (e.g., "0" or "1"). The probability estimates may be included within a probability model, also referred to as a "context". Then, a video coder may determine a context (including a probability model) for a binary symbol to be coded.
Context, for a binary symbol of a sequence of binary symbols representing a syntax element, may include values of related binary symbols of previously coded neighboring syntax elements. A context may belong to a set of contexts and a context is then obtained from a context index identifying said context in said set of contexts.
As one example, the context, for a significant coefficient flag relative a quantized transformed coefficient belonging to a picture block, includes a type of said picture block (e.g., picture block size, block of lum or chroma elements), and a spatial position of said quantized transformed coefficient within the picture block according to a scanning order associated with the picture block.
As another example, the context for a binary symbol of a binarized residual transform coefficient absolute value for the picture block includes a spatial position of the binary symbol within a unary codeword that represents the absolute value, and values of previously coded coefficients of the picture block.
In other examples, the context for a binary symbol of a sequence of binary symbols representing a coded block pattern ("CBP") includes values of related binary symbols of previously coded neighboring syntax elements, e.g., on the top and to the left of the current syntax element.
The present principles are not limited to the above examples but extends to any syntax elements and contexts such as defined, for example in the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC and High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standards.
In any case, a different probability model is defined for each context.
After having entropy coded a binary symbol, the probability model may be updated according to the value of the coded binary symbol to reflect the most current probability estimates.
The binary symbols associated with a picture block may be coded in one or more coding "passes." For example, during a first pass, a video coder may entropy code the significant coefficient flags and the last significant coefficient coordinates. During a second pass, the video coder may entropy code a first bin of the quantized transformed coefficient levels. The video coder may continue to perform coding passes until all of the information associated with the quantized transformed coefficients of a picture block is coded.
In some examples, the video coder may code the bins of a picture block using a combination of context adaptive and non-context adaptive coding. For example, for one or more passes, the video coder may use a bypass mode to bypass, or omit, the regular arithmetic coding process. In such instances, a fixed equal probability model may be used to code a bypass coded bin. Bypass coded bins do not include context or probability updates.
When performing context adaptive coding, in some examples, there may be relatively high serial dependencies due to multiple feedback loops.
For example, context, which indicates a particular probability model for coding a binary symbol, may be influenced by values of previously coded binary symbols, e.g., related binary symbols of previously coded syntax elements.
In addition, the probability models used to code the binary symbols may also be influenced by values of previously coded binary symbols. That is, the probability models may be maintained as a state in a finite state machine. Each particular state may correspond to a specific probability value. The next state, which corresponds to an update of the probability model, may depend on the value of the current binary symbols (e.g., the bin currently being coded).
In addition, as noted above, a particular probability model may be maintained as a state in a finite state machine, with each particular state corresponding to a specific probability value. The next state, which corresponds to an update of the probability model, may depend on the value of the current binary symbol. Such feedback loops, which may be referred to as state updates, may present a computational bottleneck. For example, it may be difficult to increase throughput due to the dependencies in the feedback loops. That is, one binary symbol may not be processed until the probability model from the previous binary symbol has been updated. In some examples, the same context may be called continuously (binary symbol by binary symbol) with high frequency.
Context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) is a form of entropy encoding used in the H.264/MPEG-4 and HEVC.
CABAC is a lossless compression technique, although the video coding standards in which it is used are typically for lossy compression applications.
FIG. 1 shows a generic block diagram for encoding a syntax element in CABAC.
Basically, CABAC comprises three elementary steps.
In step 100, a binarizer maps a given non-binary valued syntax element to a sequence of binary symbols (bin string). When a binary valued syntax element is given, this initial step is bypassed, as shown in FIG. 1.
For each current bin of the bin string or for each binary valued syntax element, one or more subsequent steps may follow depending on the coding mode.
In a so-called regular coding mode, a context modeling step 110 is followed by a regular coding step 120.
In context modeling step 110, a context modeler selects a context model according to the bin to be coded (usually a context index which identifies a context model among a set of several context models), and determines a context from said selected context model taking into account contextual information, such as previously encoded syntax elements or coded binary symbols, available both on the encoder and decoder side in a synchronous way, at the time the current bin is being coded. The determined context is then used to obtain a conditional probability that the current bin has a specific value, for example '0'.
Then, in regular coding step 120, the determined context (conditional probability) and the value of the current bin s (Bin value in FIG. 1) are passed to an engine which arithmetic codes the current bin taking into account said determined context. A coded value of the current bin is thus obtained and used to update the contextual information. This is the context model update feedback loop on FIG. 1. Updating the contextual information involves updating of the context for each bin as long as the bins are being coded, allowing thus progressively refining the context modeling for each bin of the bin string. Thus the CABAC encoder progressively learns the statistical behavior of each regular-encoded bin.
The regular-encoded bits, output of the regular coding step 120, are added to an output bit-stream.
Alternatively, a so-called bypass coding mode is chosen for coding a bin in order to allow a speedup of the whole encoding (and decoding) process by means of a simplified coding engine without the usage of an explicitly assigned probability model, as illustrated by the lower right branch of the switch in FIG. 1. The bypass mode consists in simply writing a bit in the output bit-stream and assigning the so-obtained bit value to the current bin. This coding mode has the advantage of being straightforward, hence fast. It is typically efficient thus used for bins that have a uniform statistical distribution, i.e. equal probability of being equal to '1' or '0'.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the CABAC coding when a sequence of binary symbols representing significance coefficient flags relative to a picture block.
This is a non-restricting example because the present principles apply to any sequence of binary symbols representing syntax element.
In the example of FIG. 2, is represented a picture block (here of binary symbols), representing a block of the significance coefficient flags (a flag may be associated to each quantized transformed coefficient of the picture block). This flag equals 0 if the quantized transformed coefficient equals 0 and 1 if not). This picture block is scanned according to a specific scanning order. For example, the scanning order, illustrated by the dotted lines, starts from the bottom-right corner to the top-left corner of the picture block. Assuming a binary symbol s to be coded, several candidate contexts Ci are defined previously for the binary symbol s according to said scanning order and each context Ci is associated with a context index CantVali that identified the context Ci in a set of candidate contexts.
For example, four candidate contexts Ci (i=1, . . . 4) are defined for the binary symbol s from two previously coded syntax elements x1 and x2 (significance coefficient flags). Each context Ci is defined according to the binary values of x1 and x2 and a specific context index CantVali is assigned to each of the context.
As example, illustrated in FIG. 3, a context index comprises a bit valMPS representing a specific binary value, so-called Most Probable Symbols (MPS), of the binary symbol s and bits (e.g. 7 bits) pStateIdx representing a probability p′ (or state) from which a probability p is deduced.
According to an example, in the context modeling step 110, according to the values of x1 and x2, a context Cs is selected from the four candidate contexts and the associated context index ContVals is assigned to the binary symbol s.
In the regular coding stage 120, the update of the context model of selected context with index ContVals is made following the process illustrated in FIG. 4 depending on whether or not the binary symbol s equals MPS.
The evolution is made through two tables transIdxMPS (if the binary symbol s is the MPS) and transIdxLPS (if the binary symbol s is not the MPS, i.e. it is the Least Probable Symbol (LPS)). These tables are provided in FIG. 5 for an entry pStateIdx.
Following this example, the probability pMPS of the binary symbol s to be the MPS is quantized linearly on 8 bits, from 0 to 127. It is deduced from the selected context index bypMPS=(p′+64)/127=(pStateIdx+64)/127and the probability p of the symbol s to be 1 is deduced obviously from pMPS depending on the value of the MPS.
p = pMPSif MPS = 1,p = 1 − pMPSif MPS = 0.
Context-Adaptive coding is a powerful tool that allows to follow dynamically the statistics of the different syntax elements relative to encoded picture data.
Thus, using CABAC for entropy coding picture data and/or syntax elements relative to picture data has led to the extensive use of many contexts in HEVC/H265 (up to several hundreds) in order to model their statistics.
Selecting a context index depends on many things, thus it is usual to use a huge number of contexts in order to capture the statistics of the syntax elements and thus optimizing the performance of CABAC. However, because the contexts shall be stored in memory for encoding all the binary symbols of one or more sequences of binary symbols, increasing the number of contexts increases the requirement in term of memory and processing complexity. That is why limiting the number of contexts is crucial to ensure efficient hardware implementability of a video decoder implementing CABAC for encoding syntax elements.
One of the challenge is thus to benefit from the increased compression capability provided by CABAC without increasing too much the number of contexts.
FIG. 6 shows a generic block diagram depicting the CABAC decoding of a syntax element given an input bit-stream comprising bits coded according to the method of FIG. 1. The input bit-stream may conform to the HEVC specification.
At any point of the decoding, one assumes that the decoder knows which syntax element is to be decoded next. This is fully specified in the standardized bit-stream syntax and decoding process. Moreover it also assumes how the current syntax element to be decoded is binarized (i.e. represented as a bin string, each bin equals to '1' or '0'), and what is the coding mode used for encoding each bin (regular coding or bypass mode).
These information are fully specified in the considered video compression standard, H.264 or HEVC.
Therefore, in step 600, a parser obtains a series of bits by decoding (parsing) coded bits from an input bit-stream.
For each current coded bin to be decoded, one or more subsequent steps may follow depending on the coding mode used for coding said current coded bin.
When the bypass coding mode was used to code the current coded bin, in a bypass decoding step 610, the value of the current coded bin is the decoded value of the current coded bin.
When the regular coding mode was used to code the current coded bin, the context modeling step 110 is followed by the regular decoding step 620.
The context modeling steps of FIGS. 1 and 6 are strictly the same and the regular decoding step 620 of FIG. 6 is quite similar to the regular coding step 110 of FIG. 1.
In the regular decoding step 620, the decoded value of the current coded bin is obtained from a context given by the context modeling step 110: said context (conditional probability) and the value of the current bits are passed to an engine which arithmetic decodes the current bin taking into account said context. A decoded value of the current bin is thus obtained and used to update the contextual information. This is the context model update feedback loop on FIG. 6. Updating the contextual information involves updating of the context for each bin as long as the bins are being decoded, allowing thus progressively refining the context modeling for each bin. Thus the CABAC decoder progressively obtains a decoded value of the current coded bin equal to the original value of the current bin (lossless compression).
When the decoded value of the current bin (output of either the bypass decoding step 610 or the regular decoding step 620) is obtained, the decoded value of the current bin is relative to either a binary valued syntax element or a non-binary valued syntax element. This may be specified by the considered video compression standard, H.264 or HEVC. Next, if the decoded value of the current bin is relative to a binary valued syntax element, the CABAC decoding ends, and when the decoded value of a current bin is relative to a non-binary valued syntax element the decoder knowns how to build the syntax element from the decoded values of bins (an output bin string of steps 620 or 610).
In step 630, a converter then converts said output bin string into a non-binary valued syntax element by applying a process reciprocal of the binarization (step 100).
In video compression, it is well-known that encoding a whole picture as a single picture block is not optimal and dividing recursively the whole picture into sub-blocks before encoding each leaf of a coding tree increases the coding efficiency.
For example, in the HEVC standard, a picture to be encoded is divided into Coding Tree Units (CTU) having typically a square shape (64×64, 128×128, or 256×256 pixels). Each CTU is represented by a coding tree in the compressed domain. A coding tree describes the recursive splitting of a CTU. Each leaf of the coding tree (a coding unit) has a square shape if a quad-tree dividing is used but some of the leaves may also have rectangular shape when a Quad-tree Plus Binary Tree (QTBT) decomposition is used. More precisely, the QTBT decomposition of a CTU is made of two stages: first the CTU is split in a quad-tree fashion, then each quad-tree leaf can be further divided in a binary fashion. This is illustrated on the right of FIG. 7 where solid lines represent the quad-tree decomposition phase and dashed lines represent the binary decomposition that is spatially embedded in the quad-tree leaves. The splitting of a coding unit is decided on the encoder side through a rate distortion optimization procedure, which consists in determining the QTBT representation of the CTU with minimal rate distortion cost.
In HEVC standard, the size, i.e. the width and the height, of coding unit is always a power of 2, and typically goes from 4 to 128.
The inventors found that allowing an asymmetric splitting mode in the QTBT decomposition increases the coding efficiency because the coding tree better matches the spatial structure in a picture providing coding units with more homogenous content.
An asymmetric splitting mode consists in splitting a coding unit with a size (width and/or height) equals to a multiple of an integer value m, into two sub-coding units with a size (width and/or height) equals to m·2n where n is an integer value and m is an integer value chosen in order that m·2n is not equal to a power of 2.
FIG. 8 shows examples of four asymmetric splitting modes when m equals 3. Those examples are given only for illustrative purpose and may be extended to other values of m such as 5, 7, . . . etc. Introducing asymmetric splitting modes in the encoding of a coding unit with size (width w and/or height h) equals to a multiple of m, allows splitting said coding unit through one of said asymmetric splitting modes. For example, splitting a coding unit with a width w and a height h equals to a multiple of 3 according to the asymmetric splitting mode HOR_UP (horizontal-up) in FIG. 8, would lead to 2 sub-coding units with respective rectangular sizes
      (          w      ,              h        4              )                and                        (              w        ,                              3                        h                    4                    )        .
When an asymmetric splitting mode is used, some coding unit has either its width and/or its height equal to m·2n. Then, the usual HEVC tools initially designed for encoding coding units with size equals to a power of 2 have to be adapted to these new size of coding units which are not equal to a power of 2.
One of the problems solved by the present principles is how to efficiently entropy encode/decode the quantized transformed coefficients contained in asymmetric coding units, in a way that provides good compression efficiency (rate distortion performance) together with a minimum complexity increase of the coding design. In other words, one of the challenges is to benefit from the increased compression capability provided by the use of asymmetric splitting modes without increasing the number of contexts used by the HEVC entropy encoding (CABAC).

Method and device for context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding a sequence of binary symbols representing a syntax element related to picture data


Novel diarylamidines, and compositions and methods for treating cardiac arrhythmias in mammals utilizing the novel and related known diarylamidines of formula I, II, III and IV ##STR1##

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel diarylamidines, and to compositions and methods for treating cardiac arrhythmias in mammals utilizing the novel and related known diarylamidines.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Meyer et al. [Bull. Soc. Chim. Belg. 84, 735-739 (1975)] disclose N'-(diphenylmethyl)-N,N-dimethylethanimidamide. No utility is disclosed.
Marchand-Brynaert et al. (J. C. S. Chem. Comm., 1980, 173-174) disclose N'-(diphenylmethyl)-N,N-dimethylbenzenepropanimidamide. No utility is disclosed.
Winthrop and Gavin [J. Org. Chem. 24, 1936-1939 (1959)] disclose N'-(diphenylmethyl)ethanimidamide and N'-(diphenylmethyl)propanimidamide. They state that "the amidines and guanidines were convulsants at high doses".
The Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, available on-line from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, lists a chemical structure for N'[(4-chlorophenyl)phenylmethyl]-N,N-dimethylmethanimidamide. An LD.sub.50 is given, but no other information on its preparation or utility is disclosed.
Reynaud et al (Bull. Soc. Chim. Fr. 1978 part II, 449-456) disclose N,N'-bis(phenylmethyl)ethanimidamide and N,N'-bis(phenylethyl)benzenethanimidamide. No utility is disclosed.
Wicherink et al. (Synthesis 1977, 273-275) disclose N-methyl-N,N'bis(phenylmethyl)methanimidamide. No utility is disclosed.
Rodriguez and deStevens U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,228 disclose N-[(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl]-4-methylbenzeneethanimidamide as a hypoglycemic and diuretic agent.
Adams and Beebe [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 38, 2768-2772 (1916)] disclose N,N-bis(phenylmethyl)propanimidamide. No utility is disclosed.
Kato et al. [Yakagaku Zasshi 93, 1034-1042, (1973) (Chem. Abstr. 79:105053d] disclose N,N'-bis(phenylmethyl)propanimidamide.
Garmaise et al. [Can. J. Chem 39, 1493-1501 (1961)] discloses N-[(3,4-dichlorophenyl)methyl]3,4-dichlorobenzeneethanimidamide as an antibacterial agent.


A tobacco stream which contains a surplus of tobacco particles is conveyed in a channel past a trimming device which serves to remove the surplus and has two disc-shaped tobacco engaging members extending through openings in the sidewalls of the channel and into the stream in such a way that the surplus is located at one side and the remainder of the stream is located at the other side of the plane of the tobacco engaging members. These members are rotated in opposite directions, and their marginal portions come nearest to each other at a point normally midway between the sidewalls. A rotating tube is disposed at the one side of the tobacco engaging members and has a serrated or smooth cutting edge which removes the surplus only, or practically only, at the aforementioned point. Such surplus is evacuated by suction through the tube whose axis makes an oblique angle with the direction of advancement of the stream in the channel.

The invention relates to improvements in so-called trimming or equalizing apparatus which can be utilized with advantage in the tobacco processing industry to remove the surplus from a moving stream of fibrous material, such as particles of tobacco or particles of filter material for tobacco smoke. Trimming or equalizing apparatus of the class to which the present invention pertains can be utilized in so-called rod making machines for the mass production of plain cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos. The following description will discuss primarily trimming or equalizing apparatus which are used for the removal of surplus from moving tobacco streams; however, it is to be understood that the apparatus can be utilized with equal or similar advantage for the removal of surplus from streams or similar accumulations containing other types of materials including filter material for tobacco smoke.
As a rule, surplus tobacco is removed from a moving continuous stream by an apparatus which defines a channel for the stream and employs a foraminous belt conveyor cooperating with a suction chamber to advance the stream in the channel past two coplanar trimming discs which extend into the stream so that the surplus is located at one side and the remaining (trimmed or equalized) stream is located at the other side of the common plane of the discs. The marginal portions of the discs clamp the stream in such a way that the surplus extends beyond their common plane and is removed by a rotary implement in the form of a paddle wheel or a cylindrical brush whose axis of rotation is inclined with reference to the direction of advancement of the stream in the channel. The paddles or the bristles sweep the surplus away from the remainder of the stream, not only at the locus where the marginal portions of the discs come nearest to each other but also upstream and downstream of such locus. The particles which are located upstream and downstream of the aforementioned locus are not clamped by the discs so that they, and some particles which are interlaced therewith, are actually extracted from the mass of tobacco particles at the other side of the common plane of the discs. This affects the appearance and density of the trimmed stream because the bristles or paddles remove the surplus as well as varying quantities of material which is supposed to form part of the trimmed stream, i.e., which should not be removed from the stream. The quality of the trimming or equalizing action is not improved by causing the marginal portions of the discs to move at a speed having, at the aforementioned locus, a component of movement in the direction of advancement of the stream which matches or approximates the speed of the stream.
Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,755 granted Mar. 24, 1987 to Rudszinat discloses an apparatus for trimming a stream of smokable material. The apparatus of Rudszinat employs a substantially disc-shaped surplus removing member having a slightly conical peripheral surface and a slightly conical front surface. The neighboring portions of the two surfaces are notched so that the peripheral surface is provided with teeth which are to segregate the surplus from the remaining major portion of the moving stream. The relatively wide peripheral surface of the disc can remove tobacco particles at the upstream side and/or at the downstream side of the location where the marginal portions of the two discs come nearest to each other.
The disclosure of the patent to Rudszinat is incorporated herein by reference.

Apparatus for removing surplus from a stream of fibrous material


The present disclosure provides a motor with a grounded rotor. The motor includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes a bearing seat, a conductive plate and an elastic element. The bearing seat receives a first bearing and a second bearing. The conductive plate is disposed in the bearing seat and has at least one overlapping foot convexly formed thereon. The elastic element is arranged between the first bearing and the second bearing, and integrally formed with the at least one overlapping foot into one piece. The rotor includes a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is inserted in the first bearing and the second bearing along the axial direction. The conductive plate and the rotating shaft are electrically connected to each other.

The rotating shafts of current motors and generators often generate voltages, i.e. the shaft voltage, due to inductive coupling or capacitive coupling with motor winding. A leakage current to the rotating shaft is easily generated on a DC motor because of armature winding, and the leakage current generated by the shaft voltage is easy to damage the motor bearings. Therefore, a common improvement method is to ground the rotating shaft to reduce the shaft voltage.
In the field of design of motor grounding of inner rotor motors currently, a bearing is connected to ground through an outer stator for reducing the shaft voltage. As the rotor is a moving part, which is not easy to wire and conduct, existing rotor grounding structures generally require additional parts to achieve grounding. Thus, there are few designs to ground the rotor. However, the stator of the outer rotor motor is located at an inner side so that it is not easy to wire. Therefore, how to ground the outer rotor motor is a problem to be solved in the technical field of the present invention.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a motor having a rotor grounded to overcome the above drawbacks.


An apparatus and method for enabling composite style sheet application to multi-part electronic documents is provided. The apparatus and method identify content of a requested electronic document and determine subset style sheets that correspond to the identified content. Certain ones of these subset style sheets are selected based on, for example, requesting device characteristics, for use in generating a composite style sheet. The selected subset style sheets are then merged with a global style sheet to generate a composite style sheet that may be applied to the electronic document for proper presentation on a requesting device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for enabling composite style sheet application to multi-part electronic documents.
2. Description of Related Art
A "style sheet" is a specification of a style that is to be used when presenting a document. The style specification includes information such as the font and margins to be used, the formatting layout, and other types of information that indicate how the presented document should appear. Style sheets can be used for many types of presentation of a document, including printing the document, displaying it on a video display, processing the document by a speech synthesizer, etc. Consequently, style sheets may also be utilized to describe transformations from one document type to another (e.g. from MathML to HTML) or as filters which describe transformations to reduce the amount of content while maintaining the original document type.
One type of style sheet is an XSL Style Sheet. XSL Style Sheets are style sheets specified in the eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL). An XSL Style Sheet specifies how an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) document is to be transformed for presentation, resulting in a different document which may or may not maintain the original document type. XML is a standardized formatting notation, created for structured document interchange on the World Wide Web (hereinafter, "Web"). (Refer to "Extensible Markup Language (XML), W3C Recommendation 10-Feb.-1998" which is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/REC-xml-19980210, for more information on XML; and to "Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL), Version 1.0, World Wide Web Consortium Working Draft 16-Dec.-1998", hereinafter "XSL Specification", which is available on the Web at http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-xsl, for more information on XSL.)
Style sheets include "template rule" constructs, which define an input pattern and a template (also known as an "action") to use in creating an output result tree fragment. When applying a style sheet, the patterns in the templates are matched against the syntax of the source document. When a match is found with the template pattern, an output document fragment is created according to the actions specified in the template (which may include processing additional elements in the source document beyond the matching element). The source document is parsed recursively, until no more matching patterns are found. The resulting document fragments are then aggregated to yield a complete output document. (For more information on this process, refer to section 2, "Tree Construction", in the XSL Specification.) It is this template matching and substitution of different document elements according to the actions in the matching rules that enables style sheets to transform documents.
While the term "document" is used herein when discussing encoded data and application of style sheets thereto, it is to be understood that the information on which a style sheet operates may represent any type of information, and is not limited to the traditional interpretation of the word "document".
As one example, a style sheet may be used to process an encoded representation of records from a data repository which specify a company's sales data. As another example, a style sheet may be used to format employee information retrieved from a corporate database for presentation. For ease of reference, the term "document" will be used herein to refer to these diverse types of information.
XML is emerging as a powerful methodology for representing document content, due to its ability to store data in a self-defining, portable manner. A large number of XML-based markup languages have recently emerged. XML-based markup languages have been utilized to represent airline reservation information, weather information, news information, vertical industry and internal company data content, and the like. Examples of recently defined markup languages include Channel Definition Format (CDF), trading partner agreement Markup Language (tpaML) and content Synchronization Markup Language (SynchML).
Style sheet languages such as XSL, along with their associated processors, are powerful tools for filtering data content encoded in notations such as XML, as well as for formatting XML-based documents into a variety of rendering markup languages, such as HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Wireless Markup Language (WML), Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML) and Voice-XML. For example, style sheets may be written to search for and extract a specific subset of the information contained in the XML document. In addition, a style sheet might tailor the information so that it can be delivered to a particular device, transforming the document for the characteristics of the device (such as which browser will be used to render the document, the screen size of the device, whether the screen supports color or gray scale, etc.).
The need to perform this type of content tailoring is increasing rapidly as the popularity of new types of computing devices, such as pervasive computing devices, increases. Pervasive computing devices are typically small, constrained-storage devices such as "Smart Phones" or the WorkPad device from the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). ("WorkPad" is a registered trademark of IBM.) These devices are typically designed to be portable, and therefore are often connected to a network using a relatively expensive wireless connection, which may have limited bandwidth.
Pervasive computing devices are often quite different from the devices an end-user might use in an office setting, such as a desktop computer. For example, the display screen on the devices may be quite small, and may not support color display, audio, etc. Thus, XML documents which were originally created with the expectation that the document would be rendered on a full-function desktop computer may contain a significant amount of content that cannot be presented to the user of the smaller, low-end device. In fact, when a document includes large objects such as image, video, or audio files, it is quite possible that the low-end device will not have sufficient storage space to even receive the document.
As the number of XML-based content markup languages proliferates, and the desire of companies to provide personalized portal sites increases, XML transcoding developers are being required to create a much larger number of style sheets than were required in their non-portal based projects. This explosion in the number of stylesheets required to be written is due to the fact that for each desired subset combination of XML-based content streams that one desires to transcode, a specific style sheet must be created.
For example, suppose a portal site provides content for news, sports, weather and stocks. Now suppose one group of users only desires news, sports and stocks and another group of users desires news, weather and stocks. In order to support both of these groups of users, a separate stylesheet needs to be created for each group. Moreover, each group may make use of many different types of devices on which to receive this content. Thus, the portal site must have a style sheet for each group for each device or a very large parameterized stylesheet needs to be created (also typically done on a per device basis).
Both of the above approaches result in a proliferation of style sheets that are monolithic in nature, not very modular, and poorly suited to extensibility. For example, suppose after a group for news, sports and stocks is created and a group for news, weather and stocks is created, a new XML datastream providing company highlights is desired to be added to the groups. To provide this new XML datastream, a developer must go back and look at the formerly created style sheets and augment these style sheets to support the new datastream. Such an approach is extremely time consuming, costly, and could result in introducing sources of error into the legacy style sheets.
Thus, it would be beneficial to have an apparatus and method for creating simple style sheets that describe standard subsets of content which can be combined into a composite style sheet for a desired datastream.

Apparatus and method for enabling composite style sheet application to multi-part electronic documents