A photonic integrated device is provided, includes a substrate, a two-dimensional material unit and semiconductor light-emitting units located at both sides thereof are disposed on the substrate; the two-dimensional material unit is provided with a luminescent two-dimensional material of which a luminous band is longer than that of the semiconductor light-emitting unit, and the semiconductor light-emitting unit provides a pump light source for the two-dimensional material unit to pump the luminescent two-dimensional material to emit light. The photonic integrated device in the present disclosure can obtain different luminous bands by changing the number of layers or kinds of the luminescent two-dimensional material. Meanwhile, the photonic integrated device according to the present disclosure adopts an optical pumping luminescence method without forming a p-n junction, which simplifies process difficulty compared with an electrical pumping luminescence method of manufacturing the p-n junction based on the luminescent two-dimensional material in the prior art.

Excellent physical and chemical properties presented by a two-dimensional material with atomic-level thickness, such as graphene, boron nitride, two-dimensional transition metal sulfides, black phosphorus and so on, get an extensive concern from people. Graphene has many excellent properties such as high-electronic mobility, high thermal conductivity, room-temperature Hall effect and so on. However, graphene has a smaller switching current ratio due to the zero band gap thereof, which limits its application in practical devices. However, although a carrier mobility of a monolayer structure of the two-dimensional transition metal sulfides, for example, MoS2, is lower than that of graphene, it has a direct band gap of about 1.8 eV and a relatively high switching current ratio, this inspired people to start exploring new two-dimensional materials for specific purposes.
At present, there are studies showing that a black phosphorus-based transistor has a higher switching current ratio and excellent carrier mobility. Meanwhile, a change of the number of layers also has an important impact on electronic structures of the black phosphorus and transition metal sulfides. From a monolayer to a thin layer bulk material, a band gap value of the black phosphorus may vary from 2.0 eV to 0.3 eV, and the band gap value of MoS2 in the transition metal sulfides may vary from 1.8 eV to 1.29 eV. Thus, seeking for a two-dimensional semiconductor material system, which has both advantages of graphene and two-dimensional transition metal sulfides on photoelectric properties and also has an appropriate electronic band structure and excellent carrier mobility, has aroused widespread concern in the scientific research and industrial circles. According to the unique photoelectric characteristics and advantages of the two-dimensional material, researchers try to manufacture a p-n junction quantum light emitting system using the two-dimensional material (for example, black phosphorus and transition metal sulfides and the like). For example, Ross et al., University of Washington, USA and Lopez-Sanchez et al., Swiss federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne manufacture a p-n junction light emitting diode on the basis of monolayer two-dimensional materials WSe2 and MoS2, and obtain an electroluminescence spectrum at a band of 600 nm to 800 nm. But, in the actual process preparation, an purity of the interface between the two-dimensional materials and other materials is difficult to be guaranteed, and the contact resistance thereof is relatively large, which directly leads to corresponding light-emitting devices being manufactured harder and having an extremely low luminous efficiency. These problems are the main factors that restrict the development of two-dimensional material light-emitting devices at present.

Photonic integrated device and manufacturing method thereof

QINGDAO YICHENLEISHUO TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD


A sterilization device which includes an inner sterilization wrap and a re-usable outer sterilization bag. The re-usable outer sterilization bag has an outside surface and an inside surface defining a pouch with an opening for receiving the inner sterilization wrap and a sterilizable object. The material is preferably a spunbonded or meltblown polyolefin fiber non-woven breathable web. Also provided are methods of sterilizing an object, and methods of using a sterilizable bag.

The sterilization of medical equipment and supplies is vital to minimizing the spread of harmful or infectious agents to patients. The medical equipment or supplies in need of sterilization include, for example, clamps, scalpel blade handles, retractors, forceps, scissors, basins or towels. Typically, the object desired to be sterilized is placed on an instrument tray and packaged within at least one layer of a sterilization wrap. The wrapped object is then sterilized within the sterilization wrap by a variety of methods, e.g. steam autoclaving, plasma sterilization, microwave irradiation, etc. Sterility of the object is typically maintained by keeping the sterilization wrap package sealed until immediately prior to use.
In the field of sterilization wraps, many designs have been provided which attempt to permit the penetration of a sterilant therethrough, while minimizing the subsequent entry of any contaminates. The type of sterilization technique employed may dictate the materials used. For, example, where gamma or other radiation is used to sterilize the contents, the sterilization wrap may be sealed and made impermeable to even gases. However, when plasma sterilization, steam, ethylene oxide or other attenuating gases, are used to sterilize an item, the sterilization wrap must be gas permeable or breathable. This presents a challenge to construct a breathable sterilization wrap that minimizes the entry of any contaminates, e.g. bacteria, following the sterilization procedure.
Many prior art sterilization wraps require permanent sealing of the sterilization wrap around the object to be sterilized. Therefore, in order to access and use the sterilized object, these prior art sterilization wraps must be torn open. Moreover, prior art sterilization wraps are typically sheets which are wrapped into position and secured by tape or other adhesive fastening means. An alternative approach would be to provide an outer sterilization wrap that maintains the wrapped conformation of the inner wrap. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.


Material lining the inside surface of a section of pipe is removed by a hydrodemolition nozzle assembly mounted on a working end of an elongated boom. The opposed end of the boom is supported outside the pipe on a movable support for inserting and retracting the boom from the inside of the pipe. The nozzles remove the liner while the working end of the boom is supported by a wheel resting on the liner that has not yet been removed and that rolls along the inside liner as the pipe is made to revolve around the boom. The nozzles are oriented to eject the liner and water downstream and away from the boom.

Removing degraded coatings and liners is the first step to reconditioning the inside surface of a pipe and is performed before new coatings or liners are applied. The inside surfaces of some larger pipes may be reconditioned while the pipes remain in the ground. Such may be the case for example for sewer pipes. In other cases, for example removing and replacing the insider liners of oil pipelines, sections of pipe are removed from the pipeline, collected and delivered to be reconditioned at a remote location.
High pressure water may be used to remove the inside liners of pipes by hydrodemolition, namely by fluid blasting the exposed surface to disintegrate and remove the liners. In the case of embedded or installed pipes, it is generally known to mount hydrodemolition nozzles on robots or to tow separate high pressure water nozzle assemblies along the inside of the pipeline by remote controlled tractors. The robot or the tractor moves along the inside of the pipe while the nozzles treat the inside surfaces. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,394,205 and WO 00/06312, both to MacNeil et al.
The use of in-pipe robots or tractors is inconvenient in the case of pipe sections that are short and small enough to be transported to a remote location to be treated. Robots and tractor systems require repeatedly reinstalling the robot or tractor assembly within successive relatively short pipe sections, in each case reattaching hoses and resetting the apparatus for the new pipe section to be worked. In oil pipeline reconditioning as in the case of many other types of pipes, reducing the turn-around time is of primary importance to the customer.
Treating the inside of a pipe using high pressure water nozzles also requires providing sufficient articulation and movement of the nozzles or nozzle assemblies to enable the water to work the entire circumferential area within the pipe. Various articulation arrangements have been proposed. One example is E.P. 1,565,279 to MacNeil et al. that discloses a wheeled frame that supports opposed pivotable and extendible arms, the distal ends of which comprise nozzle assemblies.
The use of various materials to line conduits such as pipelines and the like is well known and essential in many industries. For instance, in the field of piping crude or diluted bitumen from tar sands extraction to a storage facility or refinery, the internal surface of the metal pipe segments (each segment being typically 50 feet in length) that comprise the pipeline are often lined with a layer of a rubber compound (usually about 0.25 inches thick) that is adhered to the metal on the inside of the pipe, followed by a urethane layer (usually about 0.75 inches thick) that is adhered to the rubber layer. In other applications, the lining material may vary in thickness, composition or in other aspects. The lining of the pipelines wears or deteriorates over time, and it becomes necessary to periodically remove and replace the affected pipe segments in the pipeline. Being of different materials and thickness, each of the two layers requires a different set of operating conditions for its removal. A urethane layer having a thickness of about 0.75 inch may typically be removed by a single pass of water jets that are mounted within a few inches of the surface of the urethane and at a pressure of 15,000-20,000 psi. The number of nozzles may be varied so that a given area of surface is targeted by more than nozzle in succession thereby varying the operational parameters required to completely remove the urethane. The subsequent removal of an underlying rubber liner that is about 0.25 inch thick may be accomplished by a single pass using ultra-high water pressures of about 40,000 psi (using different nozzles). In fact, the individual layers may be removed variously using either high or ultra-high pressure water depending on operational parameters that include the distance of the nozzle from the surface, the number of passes by a nozzle, the debit volume from the nozzle, the spray pattern, movement or spinning of the nozzle and the dwell time. As a result, a first pass is typically conducted along the pipe section to remove the urethane layer using a first set of nozzles or operational parameters, followed by a second pass, using a second set of nozzles or operational parameters.
The use of high and ultra-high pressure water results in a significant amount of water and other debris (including shredded liner or pieces of liner), being displaced within the pipe, as well as introducing significant lateral stresses on the nozzle assemblies.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for treating the inside surface of pipe sections by hydrodemolition in an efficient manner.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for efficiently removing the interior surface liners of pipe sections that have at least two layers of liner using hydrodemolition.
These and other objects of the invention will be better understood by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment which follows. Note that the objects referred to above are statements of what motivated the invention rather than promises. Not all of the objects are necessarily met by all embodiments of the invention described below or by the invention defined by each of the claims.

Method and apparatus for high pressure water treatment of the inside of a pipe section


An ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method can enable high quality printing, without causing uneven thickness in a conveying direction, using a printing head having a plurality of ejection port arrays. To this end, the printing is performed by making distribution ratios of printing in each ejection port array in the printing head different from one another according to gradation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method which perform printing by ejecting an ink from a plurality of ejection ports to a printing medium. In detail, the present invention relates to an ink jet printing apparatus and an ink jet printing method which perform printing using a printing head equipped with a plurality of ejection port arrays ejecting the same color ink.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printer or a copy machine and the like, a printing apparatus used as an output device for composite electronics, a work station including a computer or a word processor is configured so that printing can be performed on a printing medium such as paper or a plastic thin sheet based on printing information. The printing apparatus like this is classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, a laser beam type, or the like. The printing apparatus of the ink jet type among printing apparatuses of such various printing types uses an ink jet printing head (hereinafter, referred to also as a printing head) as a printing means to perform printing by ejecting an ink toward the printing medium from an ejection port provided in the printing head. The printing apparatus of such ink jet type (hereinafter, referred to also as an ink jet printing apparatus) has advantages that the printing head is easily downsized, that high resolution image can be formed rapidly, and that noise is small because of non-impact type.
The ink jet printing apparatus like this is roughly classified into two types of a serial type and a full line type depending on its printing method. The ink jet printing apparatus of the serial type uses a method to perform printing while scanning a printing head in a main scanning direction intersecting with a conveying direction of the printing medium (sub scanning direction). In this method, every time a printing movement in one time main scanning is finished, a movement in which the printing medium is conveyed by a predetermined amount is performed, and the printing on all regions of the printing medium is performed by repeating the printing movement and the conveyance of the printing medium. On the other hand, the ink jet printing apparatus of the full line type uses a printing method to perform only a movement of the printing medium in the conveying direction upon printing. In the full line type, the printing on all regions of the printing medium is performed by performing printing continuously for one line while conveying the printing medium by use of the printing head in which ejection ports are arranged across the entire width of the printing medium. The ink jet printing apparatus of such full line type uses a printing method having a capability of printing with higher speed in comparison with the serial type. For example, the printing with a resolution of 600×600 dpi (dot/inch) for the printing of mono-color such as a sentence, or a high resolution printing with a resolution of 1200×1200 dpi or more for the printing of full-color picture like a photon can be also performed at a high speed of 60 pages or more per minute on the printing medium sized A4.
In the ink jet printing apparatus of the full line type, each of the ejection ports that are arranged across the full width of printing region prints dots arranged along the conveying direction (a direction intersecting with this conveying direction is referred to as the main scanning direction hereinafter). Accordingly, as with so-called multi-path printing which performs one line printing with a plurality of scannings in the serial type, one line is printed with a plurality of ejection ports, therefore, a variation of ejecting characteristic between the ejection ports cannot be reduced. Because of this, when the ejecting characteristic has a variation such that ejecting is not performed normally, and that an impact location displaces, this type has a defect that a fault in the printing such as stripe or stripe unevenness may easily appear. Originally, it is to be desired that all ejection ports shall be manufactured with no defect and excellent accuracy. However, the number of the ejection ports is great; therefore, it is very hard to manufacture them with no defect and excellent accuracy. For example, for performing the printing with the resolution of 1200 dpi in a sheet sized A3, it is necessary to provide about fourteen thousand units of the ejection ports (printing width 297 mm) in the printing head of the full line type. Therefore, if they can be manufactured, manufacturing cost tends to increase because the non-defective ratio is low. Because of this, in the printing head of the full line type, a constitution of so-called connection heads so as to realize a long head by arranging relatively low cost short heads used for the printing of the serial type is commonly constructed in such a manner that a plurality of units are connected in an arrangement direction of the ejection ports.
As one constitution reducing a problem of the above-mentioned variation caused by the printing head of the full line type, in order to weaken an influence applied to the printing with one ejection port, a constitution in which dots on one line along the main scanning direction shall be printed by not one ejection port but a plurality of ejection ports is employed. This multi-array constitution of the ejection port arrays can realize printing of a high-quality picture by reducing the variation of the ejecting characteristic between the ejection ports as well as a multi-path printing in the printing of the serial type. For example, a picture quality of the same level as 4-path printing in the printing of the serial type can be realized in such a way that the ejection port array is constituted to be multiple as with a constitution in which 4-array ejection ports per one color are provided to be shifted in the conveying direction of the printing medium.
However, the present inventors examined and revealed that, when the printing is performed using the printing head of the multi-array constitution like this, uneven thickness with density varied with respect to the main scanning direction, so called conveyance unevenness tends to occur. Specifically, when the plural ejection port arrays arranged in a direction intersecting with the main scanning direction at approximately right angles are arranged with a certain distance in the conveying direction of the printing medium, it is found that the conveyance unevenness occurs remarkably as the distance between those ejection port arrays becomes great. This is caused by a phenomenon in which the printing medium may be conveyed meanderingly. At that time, the uneven thickness may occur in such a way that the impact location displaces depending on a difference of eject timing between the ejection port arrays.
FIG. 16 is a drawing illustrating a situation performing the printing on a printing medium 5 conveyed in the arrow direction in the drawing with a printing head of 4-array constitution (array A, array B, array C, and array D) for the same ink color. Further, FIG. 17 is a graph showing a printing displacement (hereinafter, also referred to as X displacement) caused in such a manner that the printing medium is conveyed meanderingly in a state like a sine curve when the printing is performed with the printing head shown in FIG. 16.
As is apparent from FIG. 16, each of four ejection port arrays is arranged mutually in parallel with a fixed interval in the main scanning direction. In addition, a row direction of four ejection port arrays is equivalent to the conveying direction of the printing medium. Accordingly, when the printing is performed with ejection ports of four ejection port arrays, printing timing is different for each array. Incidentally, a dot of the same color is not printed to be overlapped so often at the same location of the printing medium. Normally, the dots are printed in order with four ejection ports so that they may be adjacent in the main scanning direction with a pitch depending on the resolution. However, since a mutual spacing between these four ejection port arrays is far greater than the pitch of the above-mentioned adjacent dots, hereinafter, a location at which the dots are printed adjacently in the main scanning direction with these plural ejection ports is described as the same location for simplified description. When the printing is performed at the same location like this, ejection timing is different for each ejection port array, and a printing displacement of each ejection port array caused by the difference leads to a condition that phase is shifted as shown in FIG. 17.
A relation between a graph in FIG. 17 and a result of the printing will be described. In any graph of the arrays from the array A to the array D, there is X-displacement within a range from +15 μm to −15 μm so as to draw a sine (sine wave) curve, and the phase is shifted by the amount corresponding to the difference in ejection timing. Regarding printing result, the printing result of the case in which a straight line is drawn without displacement in X is most preferable, and the uneven thickness does not occur either.
By the way, a portion in which a difference of X displacement among ejection port arrays in each graph shown in FIG. 17 is small is each of inflection points of Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4, and the printing results equivalent to portions near these inflection points Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 give almost excellent printing results. Further, in portions except the inflection points, namely, notwithstanding from plus to minus or from minus to plus, P1, P2, P3, and P4 which are large in X displacement variation amount, the printing becomes rough as a result that the impact location of the ink ejected is displaced. Accordingly, the printing result becomes a result with prominent uneven thickness in which dense portion and rough portion are generated alternately.
FIG. 18 shows that a difference of the X displacement between the array A and the array D and a difference of the X displacement between the array A and the array B in each main scanning position in FIG. 17 are represented in a graph. The comparison of FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 shows that the difference of the X displacement becomes small at a portion equivalent to the inflection points Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 in FIG. 17. The comparison also shows that the difference between the array A and the array B, which are short in distance between the ejection port arrays is smaller than the difference between the array A and the array D, which are long in distance between the ejection port arrays. Namely, the shorter the distance between the ejection port arrays becomes, the less the uneven thickness becomes. Inversely, since the longer the distance between the ejection port arrays becomes, the greater the X displacement becomes, the uneven thickness is generated remarkably accordingly. In particular, in a photographic output in which high image quality is required, the uneven thickness like this becomes an unacceptable level.
As mentioned above, the shorter the distance between the ejection port arrays becomes, the less the uneven thickness becomes. Namely, the uneven thickness generated in the printing result can be normally eliminated by performing the printing with one ejection port array. However, in this case, an effect of so called multi-array constitution, in which when a certain ejection port has a failure of miss ejecting, other ejection port performs supplemental ejecting, can not be obtained, therefore, the printing result with high quality printing can not be obtained.
By the way, the uneven thickness generated in the printing result is conspicuous in the half tone portion in particular. Since the half tone portion has a gradation in which the dots impacted per a unit area are contacted or overlapped each other, when the impact location displaces, a variation of covering ratio (called [area factor] also) of the ink with respect to the unit area of the printing medium is greater in comparison with that of the other gradation. Therefore, the impacted dot with displacement is likely to be visible. As compared with the above, since the dots are separately arranged normally in a portion in which the number of impacting dots per the unit area is small, the variation of the covering ratio is hard to occur even when the impact location displaces. On the other hand, since the dots are densely impacted being mutually overlapped in a portion in which the number of the impacting dots per the unit area is large, the variation of the covering ratio is hard to occur because an influence of the impact location displacement is hard to be received.
Incidentally, a meandering in the printing medium conveyance causing the above-mentioned problem, needless to say, needs not be a complete sine wave curve as mentioned above. Further, even when the meandering is generated in a part of the conveyance, it is evident that the above-mentioned problem is caused in that part.
Furthermore, the above-mentioned uneven thickness can be thought to be naturally eliminated by suppressing a conveyance deviation of the printing medium as much as possible. However, the deviation generated on the apparatus like this is hard to be eliminated completely. Therefore, the displacement of several 10 μm or so tends to be generated while conveying the printing medium. On the other hand, as the distance between the plural ejection port arrays is made to be shortened relatively, the uneven thickness becomes not conspicuous because a location displacement influence of the impacting is reduced. However, the distance between the ejection port arrays is hard to be shortened from a consideration of arrangement of the ejection port, a wiring layout of the printing element provided in the ejection port, securement of a space portion in which the ink jet printing head and a cap protecting the ink jet printing head may contact each other, and the like.

Ink jet printing apparatus and ink jet printing method


An electrical connector (100) includes a housing (1) defining a cavity (11) opened to a front face (10) thereof and a pair of recessed areas (14) on two side thereof; a plurality of terminals (2) disposed in the housing and with engagement portions (22) extending into the cavity; an actuator (3) movably assembled to the housing, said actuator including an elongated base (31), a tongue (32) extending from a middle section of the base and movable within the cavity, and a pair of side latches (33) respectively extending from end sections of the base and respectively disposed in the corresponding recessed areas; and a pair of locking ears (4) respectively assembled to an exterior side of the corresponding recessed area of the housing to define a guiding passageway together with the housing for guiding the movement of the side latch in the recessed area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector for a sheet-like connection member such as a flexible printed circuit or cable (FPC), a flexible flat cable (FFC) and so forth. All of these cables and circuit will be generally referred to as "FPC".
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional FPC connectors generally includes a housing defining a cavity opened to a front face thereof, a plurality of terminals loaded in the housing and extending into the cavity, and an actuator assembled to the housing and movable between an open position and a close position relative to the housing. The actuator generally has a tongue insertable into the cavity, which will carry the FPC disposed thereon into the cavity and then hold the FPC in contact with the terminals. The actuator usually further comprises a pair of side latches oppositely beside the tongue to engage with the housing for guiding the relative movement between the actuator and the housing and further for retaining the actuator on the housing at the closed position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,156 discloses a flexible flat connector including a housing retaining a plurality of terminals therein and an actuator detachably assembled to the housing and movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the housing. The actuator has a pair of side latches each with an inwardly extending barb formed on a free end thereof. The side latches are guidingly and movably received in guide slots defined in opposite distal ends of the housing for guiding a relative movement between the actuator and the housing. A projection is formed in each guide slot for engaging with the barb of the corresponding side latch to retain the actuator at the closed position. However, as the guide slots are sidewardly opened and there is no stopper to prevent the side latch from the sidewardly tilting, once a push/pull force deflected from the push/pull direction is put to move the actuator by an unintentional and improper operation, it will cause the actuator to laterally tilt. For example, when the actuator is pulled forwardly from the closed position to the open position, it may occurs that one of the barbs of the latches is pulled over the projection in the guide slot but the other is still remained behind the projection. That will cause the actuator to split at some week point thereof and then the actuator will be destroyed.
Therefore, an improved FPC connector is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the prior arts.


A switch guide located between a pair of switches on a computerized bicycle control panel is disclosed for guiding a bicycle rider's thumb to a proper switch on a bicycle handle bar. The switch guide is preferably a protrusion dimensioned to be detected by the bicycle rider's thumb. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the height of the switch guide is greater than the height of the switch. In an alternative embodiment, the height of the switch guide is greater than the height of the switch, when the switch is activated. The switch guide is located in sufficient proximity to the switches to allow the rider's thumb to access one of the switches by moving the thumb to one side of the switch guide and the other switch by moving the thumb to the other side of the switch guide.

Modern bicycles allow the rider to control the gears, the brakes and other features of the bicycle to optimize the rider's experience. Much of the control functions are computerized so that a rider can control the particular function by simply pressing a switch on a control panel. A typical computerized control panel includes a base member mounted to the bicycle handlebar and numerous switches on the control panel, each switch corresponding to a particular function that is controllable by the rider.
During a ride, it may be desirable for the rider to repeatedly manipulate various switches to adapt to the varying road conditions. For instance, if the bicycle ride covers an uphill or downhill terrain, the rider may wish to change the gears to correspond to the incline of the terrain. In this regard, the rider would manipulate a switch that would cause the change in the bicycle gears. It is important to some riders to be able to activate the switch at a precise time corresponding to a particular location or condition in the ride.
The problem with operating a control panel is that, during a bicycle ride, it may be difficult to quickly find and activate the correct switch. The switches on the control panel are often set close together, increasing the possibility that a rider may inadvertently activate the wrong switch. Also, road conditions frequently vary and when the rider is maneuvering rough and bumpy terrain, the chances of pressing the wrong switch is increased.
In known control panels, a visual indicator is provided to inform the rider of the function of each switch. When riding, however, it is inconvenient, and at time unsafe, for the rider to take his eyes off of the road and look at the visual indicators on the control panel to find the desired switch. If the rider does not wish to look down at the control panel, the rider must guess or estimate the location of the switch, which is increasingly difficult on a bumpy terrain.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an indicator that would guide a bicycle rider to the correct switch without requiring the rider to look down at the control panel.
It is also desirable to provide a guide in a convenient location that is easily accessible to the rider and would require minimal effort to use.
It is also desirable to provide a guide that would be simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Switch guide for a bicycle control panel


The invention relates to a system and a method for the condition-based maintenance of at least one decentralised technical installation. The system comprises recording means for recording condition values of the technical installation and transmission means for transmitting the recorded condition values to a central maintenance management system, which comprises first means for evaluating the condition values and second means for generating maintenance orders, depending on the result of the evaluation of the condition values. Said condition-based maintenance is operated, in particular when a global maintenance management system is used, by the transmission of condition values from an automation system via e-mail or HTTP transfer.

WO 01/59972 A2 describes a method for the maintenance of components. By means of the method it is determined that a certain component has to be maintained. A maintenance process with at least one maintenance order is automatically selected, in order to perform this maintenance. The maintenance process is administered and monitored on a maintenance server.
From EP 0 822 473 A2, a system for the maintenance of dispersed industrial installations is known. In this case, the industrial installations in dispersed factories are monitored by host computers. Each of these host computers is connected via the Internet to a management host computer at the supplier end. The host computer at the customer end transmits fault messages from the industrial installations to the supplier. The host computer at the supplier end then provides information on possible countermeasures to the host computer at the customer end.
WO 00/62138 describes a method and a system for the performance of maintenance of a production installation, particularly in the paper industry. In this case, information on the production process is provided to a remote service unit, where this information is collected and analyzed. The transmission between the production installation and the service unit takes place via the Internet, with the particular internal data networks being separated from the Internet itself by firewalls.
From U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,701 B1, a maintenance system is known whereby data is transmitted from intelligent field devices to a local maintenance management system. The collected data is transmitted via the Internet to a global maintenance server.

System and method for condition-based maintenance


Described herein is a simplified placement system and method for a tissue graft anchor by which a surgeon may introduce one or more sutures into a hole in a boney tissue, apply tension to the sutures to advance a soft tissue graft to a desired location, and then advance the anchor into the bone while maintaining suture tension and without introducing spin to the suture.

The use of implants to affix tissue grafts to bone is well known in the orthopedic arts. Common procedures in which such implants are used include, for example, the repair of rotator cuff tears, the repair of torn ligaments in the knee, among others. In these procedures, a socket is drilled or punched in the bone at the attachment site and a graft is secured to the bone using an implant placed in the socket. The graft may be secured to the implant by sutures, or, alternatively, an end of the graft may be placed in the socket and secured directly by an implant.
In rotator cuff repair implants commonly referred to as "anchors" are used. These anchors occur in two types: conventional anchors, in which the suture is passed through the cuff after anchor placement, and "knotless" anchors, in which the suture is passed through the cuff prior to anchor placement. In the former case, the graft is secured in place by tying knots in the suture after it has been passed through the cuff so as to secure the cuff in the desired location. Conversely, as the name implies, when using a knotless anchor, the sutures are passed through the cuff and through a locking feature of the anchor such that when the anchor is inserted into the socket, the suture position is secured by the anchor. The tying of knots is not required. This is particularly advantageous when performing endoscopic (arthroscopic) repairs since the tying of knots arthroscopically through a small diameter cannula may be difficult for some surgeons and, moreover, there is an opportunity for tangling of the sutures.
Knotless suture anchor fixation is a common way of repairing soft tissue that has been torn from bone. The procedure requires drilling or punching of holes into a properly prepared boney surface. After suture has been passed through soft tissue the suture anchor is introduced into the socket and driven into the socket using a mallet or by screwing the anchor into the socket using a driver device. These driver devices typically resemble a screwdriver in form, having a proximal handle portion for applying torque or percussive force, and an elongate rigid distal portion having at its distal end a torque or percussive force-transmitting configuration. In the case of torque transmitting drivers used with threaded anchors, the distal end of the driver typically has an elongate hexagonal or square distally extending portion that, through coupling with a lumen in the anchor having a complementary cross-section, transmits torque to the anchor. The lumen may extend through anchor so that the distal portion of the driver protrudes from the distal end of the anchor and rotates with the anchor during anchor placement. Illustrative examples of such "knotless" anchors include the SwiveLock® Knotless Anchor system by Arthrex, Incorporated (Naples, Fla.), the HEALIX Knotless™ Anchor by Depuy/Mitek, Incorporated (Raynham, Mass.), and the Knotless Push-In Anchors such as the Knotless PEEK CF Anchor by Parcus Medical (Sarasota, Fla.)). These anchors and their associated repair techniques have certain drawbacks, primarily stemming from difficulties in maintaining suture separation and preventing rotation of sutures during anchor placement. For example, in the case of the SwiveLock®, the suture is placed at the bottom of the socket via a PEEK (PolyEther Ether Ketone) eyelet that remains at the bottom of the hole. This eyelet can fracture at insertion resulting in a loss of rotational control of the sutures which, in turn, results in suture spin and variation in the tension as well as possible loss of fixation of the suture tension and loss of the suture from the eyelet, all of which add up to failure of the anchor. In the case of the HEALIX Knotless™ anchors, the sutures pass directly through the body of the anchor and, upon insertion of the anchor, the sutures spin around the anchor, thereby resulting in incomplete tension on the sutures as well as change in the suture tension—both of which can result in movement of the tissue through which the suture was placed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,281, ElAttrache et al. describe a cannulated driver having a rotating inner member and a stationary outer member, wherein the rotating inner member serves to drive the threaded anchor. The rotating member extends past the distal end of the anchor and is inserted into a prepared socket in the boney surface. Sutures attached to the graft, i.e., captured sutures, are used to draw the graft to the desired position prior to placement of the anchor. However, because the sutures are captured to or pass through the rotating inner member, the sutures are twisted during anchor insertion thereby changing the tension on the sutures and the graft position.
Other knotless anchors such as the ReelX STT™ Knotless Anchor System by Stryker® Corporation (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and PopLok® Knotless Anchors by ConMed Corporation (Utica, N.Y.) have complex constructions and require that the surgeon perform a sequence of steps to achieve a successful anchor placement with the desired suture tension and proper cuff position. The sequence of steps adds to procedure time and creates opportunities for failure of the placement procedure if a step is not performed properly.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a knotless anchor system that allows the surgeon to establish the graft position and, while maintaining that position, place the anchor without changing the suture tension or causing a shift in the graft position. Furthermore, if the anchor is threaded, placement of the anchor in the socket must occur without spinning of the suture.
If a graft is directly affixed to a bone by insertion of a graft into a socket (a technique referred to as "bio-tenodesis"), it is essential that the graft be fully inserted so as to engage with the full length of the implant. It is also important that the position of the graft be maintained during anchor insertion. Further, it is essential that the alignment of the implant (in this case referred to as an "interference screw") be coaxial, or if slightly shifted, parallel to the axis of the socket. It is also desirable for the sutures used to draw the graft into the socket not to spin or twist during anchor placement as this may change the position and tension of the graft from that intended by the surgeon. In sum, there is also a need in the suture arts for an interference screw and implant placement system in which graft position within the socket is maintained throughout the implant placement process, and in which suture spin or twisting is prevented.
Current placement systems for threaded implants use a driver that is rigidly coaxial throughout its proximal and distal portions and is coaxial with the implant. Of necessity, the implant is placed coaxially within the prepared socket. Because the sockets are formed using a punch or drill, an item that is itself rigidly coaxial throughout, placement of anchors in sockets so produced are not limited by the rigid coaxial nature of the implant driver devices. This limits the locations in which anchors and interference screws may be placed, particularly when procedures are performed arthroscopically. However, in U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/965,973 filed Feb. 13, 2014, the contents of which are herein included by reference in its entirety, the present inventors describe a drilling device in which the distal portion may be angularly offset by the surgeon so as to produce holes having an axis offset from that of the more proximal portions of the drilling device. Using devices so configured, it is possible to produce sockets for anchors in locations that cannot be accessed by drills or anchor driver systems in which the distal portion is not angularly offset. Accordingly, there is further a need in the suture arts for anchor systems, both conventional and knotless, and for interference screw placement systems in which anchors may be placed in sockets the axis of which is not coaxial with the driving assembly axis. That is, in which the anchor and the distal portion of the driving assembly are coaxial with the socket, but the other portions of the driver assembly are not. Further, since some implants require that threads be formed in the socket prior to placement of a threaded implant, there is a need in the art for a thread-forming device in which the axis of the rotating thread-forming portion is not coaxial with the proximal portions of the torque producing member. The availability of such "off-axis" drills and implant systems such as contemplated herein will greatly simplify commonly performed procedures, such as Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) repair, since current methods are limited to constructs that can be produced by conventional coaxial drills and interference screw placement systems.

Implant placement systems, devices, and methods


A method of testing a non-volatile memory device on a wafer is disclosed. The method includes performing an erase operation and a first verify operation about every memory cell in the non-volatile memory device, storing data of a first latch in a page buffer for storing result in accordance with the first verify operation in a second latch, and setting the data of the first latch to data indicating pass of the verifying, and performing a soft program and a second verify operation about every memory cell.

The present invention relates to an erase method in a non-volatile memory device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of testing a non-volatile memory device for enhancing threshold voltage distribution characteristics after an erase operation is performed for a multi level cell (MLC) memory device.
Generally, a flash memory device as a non-volatile memory device is divided into a NAND flash memory device and a NOR flash memory device.
In the NOR flash memory, each of the memory cells are connected independently to a bit line and a word line, and so the NOR flash memory has excellent random access time. Whereas, in the NAND flash memory, only one contact is required for one cell string because memory cells are connected in series, and so the NAND flash memory has excellent characteristics for integration. Accordingly, the NAND flash memory has been generally employed in high density flash memory.
The well-known NAND flash memory device includes a memory cell array, a row decoder and a page buffer.
The memory cell array has word lines disposed along rows, bit lines disposed along columns, and cell strings corresponding to each of the bit lines.
Recently, multi bit cells for storing a plurality of data bits in one memory cell has been actively studied so as to increase the degree of integration of the above flash memory. This memory cell is referred to as a multi level cell (hereinafter, referred to as "MLC"). A memory cell for storing one data bit is referred to as a single level cell (SLC).
The MLC has a plurality of threshold voltage distributions so as to store a plurality of data. This means that the possible data values are stored differently in accordance with each of the cell distribution voltages.
The flash memory device is manufactured on a wafer. Here, a memory cell having a fail, i.e. a failed memory cell in accordance with a test process is masked on the wafer, and then a repair process is performed about the failed memory cell by using a laser.
FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a common process of testing a memory cell on a wafer.
In FIG. 1, in the case that a test is started on the wafer, a power source test, for verifying whether or not a power source is normally applied to each of memory chips, is performed in step S101.
In step S103, every memory cell on the wafer is erased when the power source test is finished. The memory cells on the wafer may have different threshold voltages during a manufacturing process. Accordingly, every memory cell is erased so that the memory cells have threshold voltages of less than 0V.
In step S105, a hard erase verify is performed so as to verify whether or not every memory cell has a threshold voltage of less than 0V in accordance with the above erase process.
In the case that a fail has occurred to a specific memory cell in accordance with results of the hard erase verify in step S107, the test operation is stopped in step S109.
In step S111, data in the failed memory cell are read, and information related to the read data is stored in a corresponding page buffer.
In step S113, a failed page buffer is determined in accordance with the stored information, masking data are inputted to the page buffer connected to the memory cell so that a latch in the failed page buffer outputs a pass signal in a following operation.
In step S115, every memory cell is erased again after the masking data are inputted to the page buffer, and then it is verified whether or not the masking is normally performed through the hard erase verify. Generally, since the masking is normally performed in the steps S111 and S113, the hard erase verify is passed.
In step S117, a soft program is performed so that the memory cells have a threshold voltage near 0V in the case that the hard erase verify is finished. Particularly, in the case that the threshold voltage of the memory cell is much smaller than 0V when programming the memory cell, a programming time is long and the memory cell may affect other memory cells. Accordingly, the memory cells are pre-programmed so that the memory cells have a threshold voltage near 0V.
In step S119, verifying the soft program is performed by using a soft verify voltage SEV.
As described above, in the case that a failed memory cell has occurred during the test process, the test process is stopped, the information concerning the failed memory cell is stored, and masking is performed about the failed memory cell. Then, every memory cell is erased, and the hard erase verify is performed. As a result, a test time becomes longer.
FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C are views illustrating the threshold voltage shifts of the memory cells in accordance with the operation in FIG. 1.
The memory cells on a wafer may have various threshold voltages at an initial time. In FIG. 2A, every memory cell is erased in step S103 so that the memory cells have a threshold voltage of less than 0V. Here, the hard erase verify is performed by using a hard verify voltage EV.
FIG. 2A to FIG. 2C show a process of shifting the threshold voltages of the memory cells having a wide threshold voltage distribution so that the memory cells can have a narrow threshold voltage distribution near 0V.
In FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C, the soft program is performed so that the memory cells have threshold voltages near 0V. Then, a verify is performed by using the soft verify voltage SEV to determine if the memory cells threshold voltages near the soft verifying voltage SEV.
In the case where the process of erasing every memory cell and the hard erase verify are performed in the test process, a failed memory cell usually occurs. Hence, a process of inputting the masking data to corresponding page buffer is required before following the soft program and the verify process are performed so that the hard verify is passed. Accordingly, a time for testing the wafer is increased due to the process of inputting the masking data.

Method of testing a non-volatile memory device


Devices and methods are provided for leveling and orienting a trail camera mounted to a stationary object such as tree. For example, a device for leveling and orienting a trail camera includes a housing element comprising a first cavity and a second cavity formed in an upper surface of the housing element, a compass mounted in the first cavity of the housing element, wherein the compass is configured for use in directionally orienting the trail camera in a target direction, and a bubble level mounted in the second cavity of the housing element. The housing element includes at least one flat surface which is placed against a flat surface of a trail camera housing to determine a level position of the trail camera housing using the bubble level.

Trail cameras are cameras that are used for various purposes such as hunting or game surveillance. In general, trail cameras have weather-resistant, airtight camera housings, which are designed for extended and unmanned use outdoors to record images (e.g., still photographs or videos) of wildlife and game. While trail cameras can be useful to hunters for various purposes such as pre-season scouting to determine where game is located, capturing frameable images for collection, etc., most users of trail cameras do not know how to properly position a trail camera to capture good images. Indeed, hunters typically do not take into account the negative aspects of improper trail camera orientation and positioning. For example, users of trail cameras neglect to position their trail camera away from sun rays that emanate from eastern, western and southern directions, wherein excessive glare into the camera lens can result in white-washed or low-grade photo quality. Indeed, when sunlight directly or indirectly strikes the lens of the trail camera, the light is scattered, and sun flare is produced. The sun flare manifests itself in the captured images as sunbursts, circles and/or as a haze. In addition, excessive sun glare can result in constant tripping of a passive infrared (PIR) motion sensor of the trail camera in the early morning and afternoon hours. In this regard, to avoid the negative effects of sun glare in the trail camera lens, it is desirable to position a trail camera south of the intended target imaging area and facing in a northerly direction. Furthermore, the unlevel positioning of a trail camera result in the generation of photographs with a tilted horizon, which can be displeasing to view and result in a non-picturesque image.

Devices and methods for leveling and orienting trail cameras


A supply system for supplying liquid to an applicator assembly in an imaging apparatus is provided. The supply system includes a liquid retaining reservoir that is in fluid communication with an applicator assembly. The reservoir utilizes a collapsible bellows construction to contain maximum volume in minimal space. A moveable contact surface selectively contacts and squeezes the reservoir to speed flow of the liquid to the applicator assembly.

Ink-jet printing systems have utilized intermediate transfer surfaces, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,958 for IMAGING PROCESS, assigned to the assignee of the present application. This patent discloses a system wherein an intermediate transfer drum is employed with a print head. A final receiving surface such as paper is brought into contact with a liquid intermediate transfer surface on the intermediate transfer drum after an ink image has been placed thereon by the nozzles in the print head. The image is then transferred to the final receiving surface. The intermediate transfer surface is cleaned and reapplied prior to the next image being formed on the transfer surface.
Imaging systems using a liquid intermediate transfer surface require some sort of applicator assembly for applying and metering the fluid onto the transfer drum support surface. One such applicator assembly is disclosed is copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/382,453, assigned to the assignee of the present application. This application discloses an applicator assembly that is housed in a replaceable transfer drum maintenance cartridge. The applicator assembly uses a liquid impregnated wick as a contact medium to apply the liquid onto the transfer drum support surface and to remove foreign matter from the support surface. The liquid is stored in a reservoir adjacent to the applicator assembly. The release of the liquid from the reservoir is actuated by the movement of the wick assembly upwardly along a valve opening track as the wick assembly moves toward the transfer drum support surface. The applicator assembly includes a hydrodynamic wiper blade that uniformly meters and distributes the liquid intermediate transfer surface over the support surface and incorporates a dam to contain and distribute a sufficient amount of liquid onto the support surface.
While the applicator assembly described in the above application performs well when used in conjunction with printers printing on A-size media (8.5 in..times.11.0 in.; 21.59 cm..times.27.94 cm.), it is not as well suited for use in B-size (11.0.times.17.0 in.; 21.59 cm..times.27.94 cm.) and larger printers. The larger surface area of the media handled by these printers requires a correspondingly larger amount of liquid to create the intermediate transfer surface. Accordingly, the volummetric capacity of the reservoir containing the liquid must increase, as well as the surface area of the wick that applies the liquid.
As explained in the above-referenced copending application, prior to installation of the drum maintenance cartridge in a printer, the liquid is securely contained in the reservoir and does not flow to the wick in the applicator assembly. Upon insertion of the cartridge into a printer, a valve is opened and the liquid begins flowing to the wick. To allow the wick to become sufficiently saturated with the liquid for proper operation, printing is disabled for a predetermined period after a new cartridge is installed in a printer. This delay, or "time-to-first-print," must be as short as possible to avoid user dissatisfaction. Thus, especially in B-size and larger printers, it is desirable to rapidly communicate liquid from the reservoir to the wick upon insertion of the cartridge to minimize the time-to-first-print. Also, where an oil is used as the liquid for the intermediate transfer layer, it is especially important to have a simple and reliable, yet relatively inexpensive supply system that does not leak or erratically dispense the oil.
What is needed is a liquid supply system for an intermediate transfer surface application system that overcomes the drawbacks of previous supply systems. Such a system must speed the initial flow of the liquid from the reservoir to the applicator assembly to minimize the time-to-first-print. At the same time, such a system must simply and reliably deliver a precise amount of liquid to the wick without leaking or generating undesirable pressure in the reservoir or connecting tubing.

Intermediate transfer surface supply system


In a device for the arrangement of at least one ultrasonic testing head on a tube having a welding seam for the ultrasonic testing of the welding seam of the tube each ultrasonic testing head is built in a support. The support is provided with front and rear support points and led in constant radial distance to the tube on a test trace. The ultrasonic testing head is arranged in the area of the front support points, which are closest to the welding seam to be examined seen in the peripheral direction of the tube. A mechanical scanning device is provided, it is connected to the ultrasonic testing head and is arranged at the support in the area between the front and rear support points. The ultrasonic testing head has a single ultrasonic vibrator.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an arrangement of at least one ultrasound testing head in a test system for the ultrasonic testing of a welding of a tube seam.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When testing the welding seam of tubes for longitudinal errors, especially with tubes having large diameters, it is necessary for some tasks to get as closely as possible to the welding seam. For leading the ultrasound-testing head a support is used, which shows two support-points each on both ends in the peripheral direction. Normally the sound-entrance point is situated with the systems known in the peripheral direction of the tube centric between the support points of the locating arrangement. This has the advantage that the angle of sound entrance once chosen stays the same for all diameters of the tube and the optimal angle of sound entrance can be measured at a device with a plane supporting surface. With this arrangement the possible minimal distance welding seam edge/sound-entrance point is half of the distance of the support points of the locating arrangement.
If the test task requires to get closer to the welding seam edge with the sound-entrance point, the distance of the support points would have to be maximized so much with a locating arrangement and with a centric sound-entrance point, that the front support point seen from the peripheral direction of the tube lies on one side of the welding seam, while the rear support point and the sound entrance point lies on the opposite point of the welding seam. Disadvantages of this arrangement are:
a) The distance of the support points of the locating arrangement needs to be changed to different distances for the sound-entrance point to the welding seam edge, meaning, in some cases, that no indicator optimization by continuous change of skip distance is possible. PA1 b) Seam edge racking can sometimes occur (meaning, different sheet metal heights on both seam sides) which can lead to undefined changes of the angle of the sound-entrance point. PA1 c) In the arrangement described earlier, a belt control with the help of the passing-sound is not possible. PA1 R=radius of the circular cross-section of the tube to be examined PA1 M=center of the circular cross-section PA1 Alpha=angle between the sides (M-scanning device and M-front support point) PA1 x=way of the scanning device (reference point for the angle correction) PA1 x'=distance of the scanning device to the closed tangent situated at the front support point EQU R/(R+x')=cos alpha=(R-x) (1) EQU R2=(R-x)(R+x')=R2+Rx'-Rx-xx' (2) EQU Rx=x'(R-x) (3) EQU x'=Rx/(R-x) (4)

Testing head arrangement for correcting the angle of sound enhance using a correction skid


An organic electroluminescent display device includes a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate, an organic layer formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on the organic layer. The organic layer includes an organic emission layer and an organic material layer, and the organic material layer has a surface with a roughness in a range of Rms 11 Å to 50 Å.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescent (EL) display device and, more particularly, to an organic EL display device in which organic layers have improved adhesion to each other.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, an organic EL device includes an anode, a cathode, and an organic layer. The organic layer may be comprised of various layers, including a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, an emission layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer. The organic EL device may be classified as a polymer type and a small-molecule type according to materials used in the organic layer. For the small-molecule organic EL device, each layer may be formed by a vacuum deposition method, and for the polymer organic EL device, the layers may be made by a spin coating process.
Single color organic EL devices using polymer may be simply fabricated by the spin coating process. Although the polymer organic EL device has a lower driving voltage than the small-molecule device, it is less efficient, and it has a shorter lifetime. Further, patterning red, green and blue polymers for a full-color display device by inkjet technology or a laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) method may degrade emission characteristics such as efficiency and lifespan.
When the patterning by the LITI method, single polymer materials may not transfer. Korean Patent Application No. 1998-51844 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,998,085, 6,214,520 and 6,114,088 disclose a method of forming the pattern of the polymer organic EL device by the LITI method.
The LITI method may utilize a light source, a transfer film and a substrate. A light absorption layer of the transfer film absorbs emitted light from the light source and converts it into thermal energy. Material forming a transfer layer of the transfer film is then transferred onto the substrate by the thermal energy to form a desired image (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,220,348, 5,256,506, 5,278,023 and 5,308,737).
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,085, the LITI method may be used to fabricate a color filter of a liquid crystal display device, and it may also be used to form a pattern of emission material. This method may transfer the material without transferring heat, unlike the LITI method using sublimation of the material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,272 discloses a method of forming high definition patterned organic layers in a full-color organic EL device, wherein a donor support coated with a coating material is heated to transfer the organic EL material onto a designated recessed surface of a substrate in a designated sub-pixel. Heat or light may vaporize the emission material, which transfers it onto the pixel.
Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,551, a transfer from a donor sheet to a receiver sheet may be used to form a sub-pixel in a pixel region. An organic EL material with sublimation properties may be transferred from the donor sheet to the receiver sheet at a low temperature (less than 400° C.) to form the sub-pixel.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a typical structure of a conventional full-color organic EL device.
Referring to FIG. 1, a first electrode 110 is patterned and formed on an insulating substrate 100. The first electrode 110 may be transparent for a bottom emission structure, and it may be a reflective for a top emission structure.
A pixel defining layer (PDL) 120 may be formed of an insulating material on the first electrode 110 and the substrate 100 to define a pixel region and to insulate between emission layers.
An organic layer 300 having an organic emission layer 150 may be formed in the pixel region defined by the PDL 120. The organic layer 300 may further include a hole injection layer 130, a hole transport layer 140, a hole blocking layer 160, an electron transport layer 170 and an electron injection layer 180, as well as the above organic emission layer. Both polymer and small-molecule materials may be used as the organic emission layer 150.
A second electrode 190 may be formed on the organic layer 300. The second electrode 190 may be reflective when the first electrode 110 is transparent, and it may be transparent when the first electrode 110 is reflective. Encapsulating the organic EL device completes its fabrication.
However, when an organic layer having a conventional organic emission layer is formed by the LITI method, adhesion between a transfer layer material to be transferred from a donor film and an organic material formed on the substrate may not be sufficient. If the materials do not adhere appropriately, particles may be generated by breakage and exfoliation of the organic layer, and the organic layer may crack.

Electroluminescent display device having surface treated organic layer and method of fabricating the same


I describe and claim a system and method for improved keystone correction. The method comprising identifying input values associated with an image projected on the projection surface, the input values including one or more center-points on edges of a distorted projection of the image and including a plurality of corners within the distorted projection of the image, the corners corresponding to an undistorted projection of the image, determining one or more keystone scaling values responsive to the identifying, and predistorting the image responsive to the determining, the predistorted image exhibiting no distortion and aligning with the plurality of corners when projected on the projection surface.

Projection systems are commonly used in academic, business, and personal environments to project images on screens or walls. The display of these projected images is dependent upon the orientation of the projection systems relative to the screens or walls. For instance, when a projection system is not oriented perpendicularly to a screen, the shape of the image will often appear stretched, deformed, or otherwise misshapen. This distortion of the projected image is often referred to as keystoning, since the shape of distorted image typically resembles a trapezoid or keystone.
There are several ways to correct keystone distortion. Projection systems might, for example, include optics that compensate for keystone distortion. These optics, however, are costly and prone to dust collection that degrades the quality of the projected images. Projection systems might also include gauges used to manually adjust the projected image to eliminate or minimize keystone distortion. These manual adjustments however tend to move the projected image off of the screen or wall and are typically time consuming, cumbersome, and generally an unwelcome set up complication.
Most projection systems additionally include signal processing circuits, for example, to oppositely distort the image to compensate for keystone distortion prior to projecting the image. These signal processing circuits typically distort the image according to distortion values pre-calculated from 100 or more points of the image. Although this technique may alleviate most, if not all, keystone distortion, it is complicated to set-up or recalibrate the projection system. For example, when the projection system is reoriented or repositioned, the system needs to identify new points of the image and recalculate the distortion values, which often requires floating point processes that exceed real time system capability. These complex pre-calculations result in the lack of real time distortion value calculations, which hinder the incorporation of advance functionality into the projection systems, such as image zoom and lens replacement, and impede projection system mobility. Accordingly, a need remains for a system and method for improved keystone correction.

System and method for improved keystone correction


Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting a faulty ground strap connection for a machine hosting a high voltage system. In one embodiment, a fault detection and compensation system includes a ground strap, a DC power supply electrically referenced to a machine frame, a leakage detection switch connected to the machine frame, a current source controlled by the leakage detection switch, and a voltage measuring device that measures an offset voltage. The fault detection and compensation system further includes a leakage detection and compensation controller that compensates for the unbalanced fault condition by controlling the leakage detection switch and the current source, and determines whether the ground strap is properly connected to the machine frame.

An HVDC power supply system is required for driving an electric machine that incorporates a high voltage electrical drive motor and electric auxiliaries. The integrity of the high voltage system is critical to the reliability and integrity of the machine. Typically, the machine frame is electrically insulated from the terminals or conductors of the high voltage power supply.
Under normal working conditions, DC leakage currents on the order of microamps exist between the conductors of the high voltage power supply and the machine frame. Thus, the leakage resistances between the conductors of the high voltage power supply and the frame are normally very high. However, under faulty conditions (e.g., insulation failure), electric currents from a high voltage power supply may leak to a machine frame. Such leakage currents, when significant, may be an indication of machine component fatigue or failure of a conductor's insulation. In order to ensure the proper operating conditions and the integrity of the machines, it is necessary to detect electrical leakage between the conductors of the high voltage power supply and the machine frame.
Further, the configuration of certain high voltage systems requires that the high voltage and low voltage conductors of the high voltage power supply are balanced in reference to the machine frame. For example, the conductors of a high voltage power supply in the system may be +100V and −100V when referenced to the machine frame. For this type of high voltage system configuration, it is desirable to compensate for unbalanced electrical leakage currents so that the system will stay balanced and centered in reference to the machine frame.
Conventional systems and methods have been implemented to detect electrical leakage. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,700,384 to Yugou (the '384 patent) discloses a power source device having a cell unit comprising a plurality of cells. In the '384 patent, a first current line having two voltage dividing resistors interposed therebetween is connected between a positive side terminal and a negative side terminal of the cell unit. A second current line having two protection resistors and two detection resistors interposed therebetween is also connected between a positive side terminal and a negative side terminal of the cell unit. An intermediate point of the second line is grounded via an insulation resistor. The voltage difference between a voltage (V1, V2) detected by the detection resistors and a reference voltage (Vc) obtained from a point of connection between the voltage dividing resistors is provided as the input to two Op-Amps serving as the input voltage (V1IN, V2IN). Based on the output voltage (V1OUT, V2OUT) obtained from the Op-Amps, leakage occurrence is detected.
While prior art systems, such as the '384 patent, may detect electrical leakage, they do not detect electrical leakage in a balanced fault condition. The disclosed embodiments improve upon these prior art systems by, in one embodiment, providing a compensation mechanism that automatically compensates for electrical leakage in a circuit so that the circuit stays balanced in reference to the machine frame. The disclosed embodiments further improve upon prior art systems by, in another embodiment, providing a leakage detection mechanism that detects electrical leakage in a circuit with balanced leakage resistance. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments improve upon the prior art systems by providing a faulty connection detection mechanism that can be used to detect a faulty ground strap connection in a machine.

Systems and methods for detecting a faulty ground strap connection


The invention relates to a method for the anticipatory speed control, effective over a plurality of blocks, of an electric drive, in an anticipatory analysis of the braking requirements of a plurality of subsequent control data blocks. The braking requirements are necessary for the reliable reduction to the programmed feed rate for the electric drive. The limiting conditions such as admissible track acceleration and block length, are projected onto the necessary braking path, so that the shortest braking ramp determined in each case represents the limiting condition. The braking ramps for a plurality of parametrable override transition values are assigned to each control data block analyzed as characteristic data in a data store. In an interpolator unit, in accordance with an actually preset current override value, an interpolation is carried out between the characteristic data determined in order to determine therefrom the block final speed necessary to prevent excessively rapid travel in the subsequent block.

The present invention relates to a method for the anticipatory speed control of electric drives, in which the speed control is effective over a plurality of blocks.
In modern industrial controllers that are used in machine tools or robots, for example, a feed rate for the speed control of associated electric drives is generally preset block by block in subprograms. In order for the electric drives to operate at a speed that is consistent with the programmed feed rate, an actual feed rate must be able to be reduced in a timely manner. Unless the actual feed rate is reduced within a relatively short time, especially when block download disturbances occur, the electric drive will not be able to stop within a reasonable time from a high feed rate speed. The same problem also occurs when the programmed feed rate of a following data block of the subprogram calls for a reduction in the feed rate that is considerably lower than the current travelled feed rate speed. In this situation, because of the restricted acceleration capabilities of the electric drive, a proper lowering of the currently travelled feed rate speed to the programmed speed of the following block is no longer possible.
This problem of lowering the feed rate is further exacerbated when a feed rate override is provided in order to influence the speed control of the electric drive, especially when the electric drive has a braking path that is proportional to the square of the increase in speed (i.e., the braking path is multiplied fourfold in the case of a doubling of the speed). Such an override permits the programmed absolute feed rate to be varied proportionally in the range from 0 to, for example, 200%, in order to be able to adapt to changed technological circumstances during a machining process. When this feed rate override is used in conjunction with an electric drive having such a braking path relationship, the problem of lowering the current feed rate speed to the speed of the following block becomes exacerbated. Assuming that an intended speed profile is provided with 100% override, and that a reduction of the current feed rate to a lower programmed speed value of the following block is possible within the current block length, it would be impossible to achieve a proper braking if an increase in the override value and the associated quadratic extension of the braking path is implemented. Since the consequence of taking into account such override values over a plurality of blocks is a high computing requirement, it has been attempted to configure a speed control in such a way that a controller which is effective over a plurality of blocks operates rapidly and reliably, even in any override range.
The above-described conventional speed control methods are effective over a plurality of blocks and take into account any override value possibly present. Such conventional methods suffer from at least one of the following drawbacks: either they consider only a single subsequent block (in this regard, see the Siemens SINUMERIK 840 C controller) or else, in the block preamble, they take into account only the preset programmed intended speed profile at 100% override. Hence, on the one hand, anticipatory braking over a plurality of blocks is not possible, or else, in the second case, the override range which it is practical to cover is very severely restricted. Both methods, which are used in accordance with standard procedure, thus have the disadvantage that the efficiency of the electric drive used can generally be utilized only to a limited extent.

Speed control for any override range effective over a plurality of blocks


An occupancy sensor is provided for determining whether a room is occupied. The occupancy sensor integrates a battery-powered PIR motion detector and a battery-powered Hall Effect switch, each of which communicates wirelessly with a controller, in a single housing.

Many building owners, including the owners of apartments, offices and hotels, continue to seek methods to decrease their heating, ventilating and cooling ("HVAC") expenses. One method to do so is to select minimum and maximum setback temperatures for a room, which require less operation of the room's HVAC equipment, when the room is not occupied. This method requires an accurate occupancy sensor for the room.
In the past, motion detectors have been used as occupancy sensors. In particular, PIR motion detectors have been used. A PIR motion detector typically measures persons or objects that are both 1) showing a selected surface temperature difference from that of the room and 2) moving at a selected speed. For example, a PIR motion detector that measures 1) surface temperature differences of at least ±2° C. and motion of at least 10 cm/sec is commercially available from Bircher America, Inc.
However, the use of a PIR motion detector as an occupancy sensor does not produce an accurate indication of a room being occupied in situations in which an occupant remains motionless for an extended period of time, such as in sleeping, reading or watching television. The PIR motion detector is also not accurate in rooms in which the geometry of the room includes blind spots to the PIR motion detector such as alcoves or bathrooms.
The accuracy of occupancy information can be improved by using both a PIR motion detector and a magnetic door switch, which provides status information as to whether the access door to a room is open or closed. If the PIR motion detector detects motion in the room just after the access door has been opened and closed, it is safe to assume that the room is occupied until the door opens again regardless of whether further motion is detected. Conversely, if the PIR motion detector does not detect motion in the room just after the door has been opened and closed, it is safe to assume that the room is unoccupied until the door opens again. Typically, such magnetic door switches have been Hall Effect switches, the operations of which are well known to those skilled in the art. In operation, the Hall Effect switch is mounted on a door frame and a small magnet is mounted on the door so that it is in proximity to the Hall Effect switch when the door is closed.
In the past, when used together, a PIR motion detector and a magnetic door switch were either wired together, or were each separately wired to a controller, to communicate both information and power. This wiring is in many cases prohibitively expensive. As a result, more recently, occupancy sensing has been done through the use of a PIR detector and a magnetic door switch, in which one element was wired to a controller and the other element communicated information wirelessly to the controller. For example, Inncom International produces an e4 Smart Digital Thermostat that includes a PIR motion detector wired to the thermostat controlling a room's HVAC equipment and a magnetic door switch that wirelessly communicates information to the thermostat. This method mitigates, but does not completely solve, the cost of the additional wiring to install apparatus. It also does not address the case in which an individual thermostat is not needed in each room.
Another more recent method of occupancy sensing involves the use of a PIR motion detector and a magnetic door switch, which are separate units and each of which is battery operated and wirelessly communicates information. For example, Energy Eye, Inc. produces an Energy Eye system for occupancy sensing comprising two separate components: a PIR motion detector and a magnetic door switch, each of which communicates information wirelessly with a controller. The PIR motion detector is powered by a CR123A lithium camera type battery, with an expected battery life of two years, and the magnetic door switch is powered by a CR2450 lithium coin cell battery, with an expected battery life of five years. The stated advantage of this system is that because the components are separate, if one is damaged or breaks, the whole system does not need to be replaced. However, the separate components may be more noticeable to occupants of the room, and this system requires installation of multiple components in each room, and the changing of different types of batteries in the different components at different intervals, increasing expenses.
What is needed is an occupancy sensor that integrates a PIR motion detector and magnetic door switch, each of which wirelessly communicates information to a controller, and both of which are battery operated and located in a single housing. What is further needed is a single power source for the integrated PIR motion detector and magnetic door switch such that the single power source is one or more batteries of the same type located in the single housing.


Circuit for the generation of two symmetrical buses of tension with respect to the negative of the feeding tension, comprising supply means able to supply a power step-up circuit comprising an inductor, a switch, a diode and a condenser, an LC filter being arranged in cascade to said power step-up circuit, a pair of switches with relevant re-circulation diodes being connected in cascade to said LC filter, whose peculiar aspect is that said supply means comprise a single supply source, and a circuit branch consisting of a condenser and a diode connected in series the one to the other and in parallel to said switch and said condenser of said power step-up circuit, a further inductor with diode in series being connected between the anode end of said circuit branch diode and a condenser connected symmetrically with respect to the condenser of said power step-up circuit.

More specifically the invention refers to a circuit able to realise two power buses symmetric with respect to the power voltage negative, without the need for a central socket in the power supply itself and without the need for feedback on the negative bus.
As is known, in the case of electronic circuits, it is often necessary to reconstruct an alternate voltage starting with a direct one.
The direct voltage at input has to be transformed into two direct voltages symmetric with respect to the central point that joins the positive of one voltage to the negative of the other. This occurs, for instance, in half-bridge inverters that realise the two positive and negative half waves, taking the respective direct voltages at the ends of two buses, symmetric with respect to the central zero and connected to the above-described polarities.
The two buses normally have a higher power voltage than the available source and a power step-up circuit is therefore required which, starting with the lower voltage, is able to generate the two high bus voltages symmetrically with respect to the central zero.
Considering that at output, power draw occurs at the same time as the half wave involved, each of the two buses must be able to provide this power in a fully independent way from the other bus, otherwise there would be a strong rise in the power voltage of one when power is drawn from the other and vice versa.
A typical circuit diagram showing an inverter circuit able to reconstruct the alternate mains voltage starting from the direct voltage at input is shown in FIG. 1.
As can be seen from this figure, the direct power source practically consists of two distinct sources VA and VB connected in series with central zero so the circuit itself can be easily doubled into two single circuits, one for the negative voltage and the other for the positive voltage.
The two circuits are completely symmetrical with each other.
The drawback of this solution however is that the overall voltage which has to be used is double with respect to that necessary in absolute value, apart from its non-optimal use.
In fact, alternate use is normally made of half at a time of the power actually available at the positive and negative output half wave respectively.
The circuit in FIG. 1 comprises a step-up circuit made up of an inductor 3, a switch 6 and a diode 7, as well as a condenser 10, designed to stabilise the voltage of the positive bus V1.
The inductor 3 and the diode 7 are arranged in series respectively, while the switch 6 is in parallel to the condenser 10 and supply source VA.
A similar step-up circuit is provided for the second supply source VB and comprises in this case an inductor 4, a switch 5, a diode 8 and a condenser 9, corresponding respectively to inductor 3, switch 6, diode 7 and condenser 10 of the step-up circuit described above.
The output voltage of the circuit is drawn at the ends of a condenser 16 which is connected at a central node between the condensers 9 and 10.
The step-up circuits described above therefore make it possible to raise the voltage VA to the voltage of the positive bus V1 and the voltage VB to the voltage of the negative bus V2.
The two voltages thus obtained are used by two further switches 11 and 12 which, suitably operated at high frequency (normally above the hearing interval) and with the aid of the re-circulation diodes 13 and 14, connected in parallel respectively to the switches 11 and 12, reconstruct the low-frequency sinusoid (typically 50 or 60 Hz).
An LC filter consists of previously described condenser 16 and an inductor arranged in series to this and this filter eliminates the residual high-frequency component from the output voltage VOUT.
In this configuration, the voltage available at the ends of the condensers 10 and 9 depends on the relation between the "on" and "off" time of the respective switches 6 and 5, as well as obviously on the load applied to their ends.
Considering that, as was said before, the absorption from the two buses alternates following the wave shape of the alternate voltage VOUT obtained by them, the control of the two switches 5 and 6 must be independent and each tied to the value of the corresponding bus voltage.
A further drawback of the circuit of FIG. 1 is the fact of having to pilot the two switches 5 and 6 which are at opposite polarities with respect to the central zero, normally used as negative by the control logic. In fact, while it is relatively easy to pilot the switch 6 which is at positive voltage with respect to the zero and therefore "at the same side" of the control logic, piloting the switch 5 which is at negative voltage with respect to the control logic is a little more complicated.
The circuit of FIG. 1 is simply an example of many circuit solutions of known type, all of which have in common a double direct supply source, connected in series the one to the other, together with relevant electronic circuitry, used to make two high-voltage buses, these too connected in series the one to the other.


Disclosed is an aminopyrrolidine compound represented by the formula [I] or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compound or the salt is useful as a prophylactic/therapeutic agent for mode disorder such as depression, anxiety disorder, anorexia, cachexia, pain and drug dependence, whose action relies on the MC4 receptor antagonistic effect.

It has been reported that melanocortins (α, β, γ-MSH, ACTH) are biosynthesized in the brain by processing pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), a precursor thereof and involved in various physiological functions. Melanocortins express their physiological functions by binding to their specific receptors. Currently, the melanocortin receptors (MC receptors) are classified into five subtypes, MC1 to MC5. Of these receptors, the MC4 receptor is expressed specifically in the brain and extensively distributed in the brain.
Reports have suggested an association between the MC4 receptor and appetite and obesity. It has been reported that animal experiments using peptide agonists and antagonists selective to the MC4 and MC3 receptors show a potent inhibitory action on appetite in fasting mice and various obesity model animals (refer to Non-Patent Document 1).
Furthermore, marked increases in body weight and increases in blood insulin and glucose levels were observed in MC4 receptor knockout mice, suggesting that the MC4 receptor has an inhibitory action on eating behavior and obesity.
Meanwhile, in the brain, the MC4 receptor is widely distributed in the limbic system such as the hippocampus and the amygdala as well as raphe nuclei, the nuclei of origin of serotonin neurons, in addition to the hypothalamus, which is closely related to eating behavior. Furthermore, animal experiments have shown that ACTH and α-MSH act on regulation of body temperature, blood pressure, the neuroendocrine system, learning, memory, and arousal. Furthermore, it has been reported that they cause anxiety-like symptoms and activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary gland-adrenal gland system.
Recent reports have shown that MC4 receptor antagonists exhibit anxiolytic-like and antidepressant-like effects (refer to Non-Patent Document 2). Furthermore, since it has been suggested that HS014, an MC4 receptor antagonist, has efficacy in the stress-induced anorexia animal model (refer to Non-Patent Document 3), and the MC4 receptor is associated with functions regulating eating behavior and body weight, it is thought that MC4 receptor antagonists are effective for the treatment of cachexia in patients with cancer or AIDS or eating disorders such as stress-induced anorexia.
Furthermore, there have also been reports suggesting an association of the MC4 receptor with drug dependence (refer to Non-Patent Document 4) and pain (refer to Non-Patent Document 5).
The above findings are summed up that MC4 receptor antagonists are expected to be used as anxiolytic agents and antidepressants as well as therapeutic agents for eating disorders such as cachexia and anorexia or prophylactic or therapeutic agents for pain, drug dependence, and the like.
As MC4 receptor antagonists, piperazine derivatives have been reported (refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Meanwhile, aminopyrrolidine derivatives have been reported in Patent Documents 3 and 4. However, aminopyrrolidine compounds encompassed in the technical scope of the present invention have not been reported, and relations between these compounds and the MC4 receptor have not been reported.    [Patent Document 1] WO02/00259    [Patent Document 2] WO03/053927    [Patent Document 3] WO03/028641    [Patent Document 4] WO02/068409    [Non-Patent Document 1] Nature, 385, 165, 1997    [Non-Patent Document 2] J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 04(2), 818, 2003    [Non-Patent Document 3] Eur. J. Pharmacol., 369, 11, 1999    [Non-Patent Document 4] Eur. J. Neurosci., 21(8), 2233, 2005    [Non-Patent Document 5] Anesth. Analg., 93, 1572, 2001