An exemplary auditory prosthesis system includes a sound processor module configured to process an audio signal and operate in accordance with a plurality of control parameters and an accessory header module configured to be selectively coupled to the sound processor module and facilitate external adjustment of one or more control parameters included in the plurality of control parameters while coupled to the sound processor module. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.

The sense of hearing in human beings involves the use of hair cells in the cochlea that convert or transduce audio signals into auditory nerve impulses. Hearing loss, which may be due to many different causes, is generally of two types: conductive and sensorineural. Conductive hearing loss occurs when the normal mechanical pathways for sound to reach the hair cells in the cochlea are impeded. These sound pathways may be impeded, for example, by damage to the auditory ossicles. Conductive hearing loss may often be helped by the use of conventional hearing aids that amplify sound so that audio signals reach the cochlea and the hair cells. Some types of conductive hearing loss may also be treated by surgical procedures.
Sensorineural hearing loss, on the other hand, is caused by the absence or destruction of the hair cells in the cochlea which are needed to transduce acoustic signals into auditory nerve impulses. People who suffer from sensorineural hearing loss may be unable to derive significant benefit from conventional hearing aid systems, no matter how loud the acoustic stimulus is. This is because the mechanism for transducing sound energy into auditory nerve impulses has been damaged. Thus, in the absence of properly functioning hair cells, auditory nerve impulses cannot be generated directly from sounds.
To overcome sensorineural hearing loss, numerous auditory prosthesis systems (e.g., cochlear implant systems) have been developed. Auditory prosthesis systems bypass the hair cells in the cochlea by presenting electrical stimulation directly to the auditory nerve fibers. Direct stimulation of the auditory nerve fibers leads to the perception of sound in the brain and at least partial restoration of hearing function.
Conventional auditory prosthesis systems include a sound processing unit worn on or behind the ear of a patient. The sound processing unit typically includes a microphone for detecting sounds in the patient's environment and audio processing circuitry for modifying, digitizing, and/or amplifying the detected sounds. As such, sound processing units worn behind or on the ear are often relatively large, cumbersome, and noticeable by others. They often lack desirable features (e.g., extended battery life and optimal sound processing capabilities) because such features would make them even larger and more cumbersome.

Modular auditory prosthesis systems and methods


A turban has an outer shell forming an enclosed interior space with an interior perimeter. At least one sleeve, which is open at its ends, is formed within the interior space along the interior perimeter. A malleable wire is threaded through the open ends of the at least one sleeve such that the wire extends around the interior perimeter of the outer shell, the wire having two ends bound together. The turban may be wrapped around the head of a user, for example as a fashion accessory, while being held in place by the wire.

The present invention relates to apparel, particularly fashionable turbans for women. Conventionally, such turbans are worn as wrapped headwear but it is to be understood that other arrangements, as provided herein or otherwise, may also be adopted. Such arrangements include use as a scarf.
Historically, turbans have been worn for religious purposes by men and women. Today, women have adopted the turban as a fashionable portion of their wardrobe. Yet, conventional wrapped turbans are difficult to wrap for many women and therefore use is limited to those with the skills and desire to learn the craft, or with someone available to assist them. Even then, there are limited manners in which the turban may be wrapped, thus resulting in predictable appearances.


The present invention generally relates to a fire barrier insulation blanket (5) having a first sheet of insulation material (10) and a second sheet of thermal reflective material (20) joined together to form a fire and thermal barrier (50). The barrier (50) is encapsulated by two wire mesh sheets (30,40). One mesh sheet (40) is corrugated to space the barrier (50) from the surface being insulated (100). The insulation (5) is stitched together along longitudinal edges (5a,5b) by a stainless steel thread (60). Two blankets (7,8) can be joined together along longitudinal ends (7a,7b,8a,8b) by hog rings (65).

The importance of heat and fire barriers for insulating from heat and for inhibiting and controlling the spread of fire in public and commercial buildings is widely known. Yet, the importance of these heat and fire barriers takes on even greater proportions when a nuclear power station is concerned. A control room operator must be able to safely and remotely shut down the reactor at all times.
Valves and equipment essential for shutting down the reactor are typically hooked up to a control room instrument panel via electric cables. These cables are supported and routed to the control room through electrical conduit, pull boxes, junction boxes, cable trays, etc., held by supports. These structures are insulated to protect the cables from excess heat and fire.
Cable tray insulation is typically applied around the outside of the cable tray and can take the form of a flexible blanket or rigid board. These flexible blankets or boards are composed of specific insulation materials and have a specific thickness. These flexible blankets and boards are typically pieced together, side by side, to surround the entire length of the cable tray, abutting blanket edges being caulked to prevent fire and heat from contacting or entering the cable tray. Typical fire protection insulations are rated for one or three hours and tested to ensure their performance.
Today, a variety of insulations exist for covering the electrical conduit, pull boxes, junction boxes and cable tray support structure. However, for added protection against heat and fire, there has grown a desire to supplement the existing installations. In particular, there is presently a need to retrofit existing insulation installations to further protect the structures just identified.
A problem with such an insulation is that the insulation should be capable of being installed over existing insulation because the cost of removing this existing insulation is oftentimes expensive. Such insulation must also be relatively flexible for conforming to the shape of the support structure and to various existing component configurations. The insulation must also be durable enough to withstand required tests and handling.
In addition, the insulation must provide a fire shield to prevent unwanted deterioration of the insulation. The insulation must also be capable of withstanding the forces produced by a pressurized stream of water generated by fire fighting equipment and, the insulation must be relatively thin to accommodate the tight clearances that often arise in power plant construction. For example, conduit and cable trays are often routed very close to other pipes, valves and equipment. Thus, an additional layer of insulation must be relatively thin to avoid the expense of rerouting the obstructing pre-existing equipment.
The present invention is provided to solve these and other problems and to overcome the obstacles just described.


A new and distinct Dischidia cultivar named ‘IDEAMINUBU’ is disclosed, characterized by strongly convexed, orbicularly shaped green leaves The new variety is a Dischidia, typically produced as an indoor or outdoor ornamental plant.

The new cultivar is the product of chance discovery. The new variety originated as a naturally occurring whole plant mutation of an unpatented, unnamed variety of Dischidia nummularia.
The new variety was discovered by the inventor, Thumrong Suphachadiwong, a citizen of Thailand, during 2004 in a commercial greenhouse belonging to the inventor in Chonburi, Thailand. After identifying the new variety as a potentially interesting selection, the inventor continued confidential testing and propagation of 'IDEAMINUBU' assessing stability of the unique characteristics of this variety.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar 'IDEAMINUBU' was first performed by cuttings during 2004 in a commercial greenhouse belonging to the inventor in Chonburi, Thailand. Access to all plants was restricted, as plants were kept in a location that is not open to the public. Through subsequent propagation by cuttings, multiple generations have been reproduced, which have shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.


The present invention provides a fixture for securing hardware to a shaped sheet. The fixture includes supports having sheet supporting surfaces generally corresponding to a desired elevational contour of selected portions of a sheet to be supported and a holder to support hardware to be secured to the supported sheet at a predetermined location and orientation corresponding to a desired location and orientation of the hardware when secured to a sheet shaped to a desired configuration. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the sheet supporting surfaces correspond to selected marginal edge portions of the supported sheet.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to securing hardware on a glass substrate and in particular to securing mounting hardware to the vehicle window in a manner that ensures proper positioning and orientation.
2. Technical Considerations
Automotive windows are often provided with arrangements to secure the window to mechanisms which raise and lower the window. These arrangements may include mounting brackets or frames secured to an edge of the window, e.g. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,132 to Gold; U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,179 to Horiki, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,259 to Yamagata et al., post members extending through the window, e.g. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,908 to Londeck, et al., or other types of attachment hardware. It is important that the hardware be secured to the window at the correct location and orientation so that they are properly aligned with the window moving mechanism. This is particularly important when the window glass is curved. Variations in the glass curvature at the connection area may result in improper orientation of the attachment hardware with respect to the moving mechanism. As a result, the shape of the glass is critical at the connection area to assure installation of the hardware at the proper orientation.
It would be advantageous to provide an arrangement for securing hardware to the windows that assures its proper position and orientation despite variations in the surface curvature.
The present invention provides a fixture for securing hardware to a shaped sheet. The fixture includes supports having sheet supporting surfaces generally corresponding to a desired elevational contour of selected portions of a sheet to be supported and a holder to support hardware to be secured to the supported sheet at a predetermined location and orientation corresponding to a desired location and orientation of the hardware when secured to a sheet shaped to a desired configuration. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the sheet supporting surfaces correspond to selected marginal edge portions of the supported sheet.
The present invention also provides a method of securing hardware to a shaped sheet comprising the steps of providing a sheet supporting surface generally corresponding to a desired elevational contour of selected portions of a sheet to be supported, holding hardware to be secured to the sheet at a predetermined location and orientation corresponding to a desired location and orientation of the hardware when the hardware is secured to a sheet having a desired configuration, positioning the sheet on the sheet supporting surface such that the sheet receives the hardware while maintaining the predetermined location and orientation of the hardware, and securing the hardware to the sheet such that the hardware maintains the predetermined location and orientation. In one particular embodiment of the invention, sheet supporting surface generally corresponds to a desired elevational contour of selected marginal edge portions of the sheet to be supported and adhesives are used to secure the hardware to the shaped sheet.


A bearing is disclosed comprising an inner ring concentrically disposed with an outer ring with rotational elements therebetween adapted for allowing rotational movement of the inner ring relative to the outer ring. A flinger may be secured to the inner ring having an extension member formed from a resilient material. The extension member may extend radially outward from the flinger along an axial side of the bearing and engages a portion of a side face of the outer ring during operation of the bearing.

The instant application is directed to an extension member of a flinger of a bearing. The bearing comprises an inner ring concentrically disposed with an outer ring with rotational elements therebetween adapted for allowing rotational movement of the inner ring relative to the outer ring. A seal seals a space between the outer ring and inner ring. A flinger is secured to one of the inner ring and outer ring outboard of the seal. The flinger has an extension member that extends radially outward from the flinger along an axial side of the bearing and engages a portion of a side face of the other of the inner and outer ring.

Extension member for a flinger of a bearing


A digital camera includes a zoom function for supporting a user when performing a frame assist, and includes an operation switch for instructing startup and completion of the zoom function on an operation unit. A system control unit stores a zoom position in a memory and varies the zoom position in a wide angle position according to a preset zoom-out drive amount when an instruction to startup the zoom function is given by the operation switch. Then, when the instruction to end the zoom function is given by the operation switch, the system control unit executes a zoom-in operation by returning to the zoom position that is stored in the memory.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to zoom control in an imaging apparatus used for still images or moving images. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an imaging apparatus including an optical zoom function and an electronic zoom function.
Description of the Related Art
An imaging apparatus such as a digital camera or the like includes an optical magnification variation (optical zoom) function configured by driving of a zoom lens, and an electronic magnification variation (electronic zoom) function in which a portion of an image field is enlarged. In recent years, improvements to zoom lens performance have enabled imaging with the same lens from super-wide angle to super-telephoto, and increased pixilation in the image sensor has enabled imaging with sufficient resolution characteristics even at an enlarged magnification.
On the other hand, a so-called preset zoom function and a shuttle-shot zoom function are known as functions that enable high-speed movement to the angle of view used during imaging. The preset zoom function is a function for moving from an arbitrary zoom position to a zoom position that is pre-stored in a memory by operation of a switch by a user. In addition, the shuttle-shot zoom function is a function for enhance the preset zoom function, and has a function of returning to an original zoom position. In other words, when the user operates a switch, zooming is executed from an arbitrary zoom position to a zoom position that is pre-stored in a memory, and at that time, the original zoom position is stored in the memory to thereby enable returning to the original zoom position upon completion of the preset zoom operation.
Although enlarged imaging of a distant subject is possible by use of an optical zoom function or an electronic zoom function, there is a tendency for the subject to diverge from the angle of view as a result of movement by the subject or due to strong camera shake caused by the user. In this situation, a function has been proposed for re-entering the subject into the angle of view. For example, a function has been proposed in which an optical zoom or an electronic zoom are driven in a wide-angle configuration by a predetermined amount as a result of pressing a specific button when the subject deviates from the angle of view. In this manner, the widening of the angle of view facilitates searching for the subject that was previously lost from view. When the subject is relocated, a panning operation is executed with the camera so that the subject is placed in the center of the angle of view, and then the button is released from the depressed state. In this manner, the optical zoom or electronic zoom is driven in a telephoto direction and then returned to the original angle of view.
When an FA zoom operation switch is pressed during execution of an optical zoom in the telephoto direction and an enlargement with the electronic zoom, firstly, the enlargement of the electronic zoom is released. After completely releasing the enlargement by the electronic zoom, the optical zoom is driven in the wide-angle direction, and stopped at a predetermined zoom position. When the FA zoom operation switch is released at that position, firstly, the optical zoom is driven in the telephoto direction. Then, when the optical zoom has reached the telephoto direction, enlargement with the electronic zoom is performed, and the operation is stopped at the original angle of view. There is a need during a framing assist for rapid relocation of an subject that has been lost from view. Furthermore, there is a need to rapidly return to the original angle of view after relocation of the subject so that the photo opportunity is not lost. Therefore, the speed of the zoom drive during framing assist must be increased.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-50019 discloses a control apparatus related to a preset zoom function and a shuttle-shot zoom function. This apparatus enables a memory zoom operation with respect to the optical zoom area and the electronic zoom area from a first zoom state in a first zoom area to a second zoom state which is a second zoom area stored in a storage unit. The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-117153 enables the use of different fingers when operating a first operation member for selection of a storage operation on a zoom position by the preset zoom function and a replay operation to the stored zoom position, and a second operation member for execution of an operation that is selected by the first operation member.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-373368 discloses a method of driving the optical zoom and the electronic zoom at the same time when a zoom speed must be greater than the drive speed of an optical zoom.
The image apparatus provided with a super-high magnification zoom function may undergo a frame-out due to slight movement of the subject when adjusting the angle of view in a super-telephoto state. Furthermore, even when a user performs a small panning operation with the camera, the scope of the angle of view will undergo a large change. Under this type of super-telephoto condition, it is difficult to execute framing of a moving subject into a desired angle of view.
The preset zoom function and the shuttle-shot zoom function disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-50019 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-117153 require storage of the zoom position in a memory after the user performs an operation of moving the zoom position to the desired zoom position for imaging. As a result, when tracking and imaging an subject that is moving and is out of frame, or when there is a change in the size of the subject, time is required to update the stored details in relation to the zoom position, and there is the possibility that the user will lose the photo opportunity. Furthermore, the conventional technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-117153 requires user training in relation to operating methods in order to image the subject to be image at a predetermined size while tracking an subject that is out of frame. This operation requires storage of the zoom position while repeating the zoom operation with a plurality of operation members.
Furthermore, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-117153 may cause deterioration in image quality due to an enlargement by the electronic zoom even when the optical zoom is not at the telephoto end.

Imaging apparatus and control method for the same


An electrostatic precipitator unit used for the removal of coolant liquid and particles generated by a machine tool includes an electrostatic precipitator cell. The electrostatic precipitator cell includes power and collector ground fins and an ionizer grid positioned below the fins. The lower edges of the power fins are spaced above the collector ground fins to prevent contact of the liquid on the ground fins with the power fins. An electrical contact assembly for supplying electrical current to the ionizer grid and power fins is electrically isolated from all ground contacts by dielectric standoffs which define an insulating air gap. The likelihood of liquid tracking to ground is therefore eliminated.

Electrostatic precipitator devices are used with machine tools for removing and collecting liquid coolant and particles generated during operation of the machine tool. The electrostatic precipitator may be mounted on the machine tool and coolant and particles are entrained in a stream of air drawn through the electrostatic cell plates where the drops of coolant and particles accumulate and drain downwardly. The electrostatic precipitator device may also be mounted on the floor, ceiling, wall, etc. and ducted to the machine tool.
In conventional electrostatic precipitators the electric contacts to the cell plates or fins and cell ionizer are mounted on dielectric elements to insulate the conductive portion of the contact to ground. However, these contacts are susceptible to tracking by conductive fluid (coolant) to ground. This produces shorting and damage to the cell and loss of performance.
The power and ground fins of the cell are arranged vertically in alternating fashion and the air entrained ionized fluid and particles collect on the ground fins and flow downwardly by action of gravity. As the drops accumulate on the lower edge portions of the ground fins, the coolant drops may grow or agglomerate sufficiently to extend across and engage the adjacent power fins before dropping from the ground plate. This also produces shorting and damage to the cell and loss of performance.
The present invention is directed to improvement of the electrostatic precipitator unit for eliminating these problems.


In a remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus for a fuel tank which is suited to the fuel tank designed to suppress generation of fuel vapor, a CPU actuates a piston to supply a prescribed amount of air into a pressure adjusting chamber, thereby increasing the pressure within the pressure adjusting chamber. From the Boyle's law, the increasing rate of air before air supply is inversely proportional to the volume V of the pressure adjusting chamber. Therefore, the CPU, referring to the pressure within the pressure adjusting chamber before and after the air supply, acquires the volume V of the pressure adjusting chamber, and subtracts the volume V of the pressure adjusting chamber from the internal volume of a tank body to acquire the volume of a fuel chamber, i.e. remaining fuel amount.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring the amount of fuel remaining in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to a remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus which is suited for the fuel tank designed to suppress generation of fuel vapor.
Generally, the motor vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine includes a fuel tank. Reflecting the rising in consciousness of environmental conservation of earth in recent years, some fuel tanks have been proposed which are designed to suppress fuel vapor from dispersing into the atmosphere.
The fuel tank, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Sho 56-128221, includes an inside space of a tank body sectioned into a fuel chamber containing fuel and a pressure adjusting chamber communicating with the atmosphere by a shielding member so that the fuel stored in the fuel chamber is separated from contact with the atmosphere, thereby suppressing fuel vapor from generating.
The fuel tank generally includes a remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus for measuring the amount of fuel remaining in the tank. The above Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. sho 56-128221 describes an example of the application of a conventional remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus to a fuel tank designed to suppress the generation of fuel vapor. This remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus includes a shielding member which moves vertically in accordance with the vertical movement of a fuel liquid surface, a swinging rod which is provided with a roller in contact with the upper surface of the shielding member at the tip thereof and swings in accordance with the vertical movement of the fuel liquid surface as a fulcrum of a rod shaft provided on the upper side of the fuel tank. The fuel tank further includes a wiring resistor and a contact arm which is coupled with the swinging rod and slides on the wiring resistor at a fulcrum of the rod shaft. The remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus detects the position of the shielding member, i.e., fuel liquid surface in terms of an electric resistance of the wiring resistor. The detected liquid amount is indicated on a fuel meter located in a vehicle chamber so that a driver can know the remaining fuel amount by an indication on the fuel meter.
However, the above conventional remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus has a problem that the remaining fuel amount may be erroneously indicated on the fuel meter because of a change in a vehicle profile due to acceleration/deceleration and vibration of the vehicle, tilt of road, etc.
The reason is as follows. The surface of fuel liquid contained in the fuel tank largely swings in response to the change in the vehicle profile. This is attended with the vertical movement of the shielding member. Accordingly, the electric resistance of the wiring resistor indicative of the liquid amount changes.
In order to obviate such an inconvenience, some techniques of retarding the response of an indicator of a fuel meter have been proposed which include provision of a silicon damper with high viscosity at an indicator driving section of the fuel meter and of successively integrating the input electric resistance in converting the electric resistance into a remaining fuel amount to acquire the fuel amount on the basis of the integrated value of the electric resistance in a prescribed time.
However, retarding the response of the indicator of the fuel meter by using these techniques gives rise to a new problem of impairing the response of the indicator of the fuel meter, for example, a time is required for the indicator of the meter to indicate a correct indicated value at the time of full supply of fuel.
Further, the conventional remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus obtains an electric resistance which is a base of the measurement of the fuel amount by sliding a contact arm on a wiring resistance. However, poor contact between the wiring resistance and contact arm leads to an electric resistance not corresponding to a correct remaining fuel amount. This may make it impossible to measure the fuel amount at high accuracy for a long term.
The conventional remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus inherently having these plural problems is not preferably applied to the fuel tank designed to suppress the production of fuel vapor. Therefore, development of a new remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus suited to this kind of fuel tank has been demanded eagerly.

Remaining fuel amount measuring apparatus for a fuel tank


A lamp system with a very soft high-intensity output is provided over a large area by water cooling a long-arc lamp inside a diffuse reflector of polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) and titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) white pigment. The water is kept clean and pure by a one micron particulate filter and an activated charcoal/ultraviolet irradiation system that circulates and de-ionizes and biologically sterilizes the coolant water at all times, even when the long-arc lamp is off.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heating equipment and methods and more particularly to semiconductor wafer heating systems that use arc lamps for uniform surface heating in device fabrication.
2. Description of Related Art
There exists many prior art examples of processing equipment that use arc lamps to heat semiconductor wafers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,825, issued Aug. 29, 1995, to Moslehi, et al., describes a high-performance multi-zone illuminator module (130) for directing light and heat onto a semiconductor wafer (60) in a device fabrication reactor to improve overall semiconductor wafer processing uniformity. A housing connected to the wafer processing reactor has a reflector mounted to the bottom side with a plurality of concentric circular zones (190, 192, 194 or 270, 262, 266, 264) for reflecting heat and light that include a plurality of circularly distributed lamp sockets (185). Within the lamp sockets (185) are point-source lamps (196) for directing light to the semiconductor wafer (60) surface. The point-source lamps (196) have reflectors (184 and 186 or 276 and 277) for directing light toward the wafer. The lamps within each circular zone provide a continuous and diffused light ring at the semiconductor wafer (60). The multiple circular lamp zones and the center zone can be controlled independently to allow real-time wafer temperature uniformity slip-free control for uniform device processing over a wide range of wafer temperatures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,654, issued Jul. 5, 1988, to Crowley, et. al., describes a semiconductor wafer heating chamber that has an optical element between a light source and a wafer for redistributing the light from the light source. The optical element is constructed in such a manner as to produce the desired illumination (and thus heating) pattern on the semiconductor wafer from the light source. Preferably, the light source is a long-arc lamp mounted above a base plate of a heating chamber. A primary reflector is mounted above the long-arc lamp and is shaped to produce a substantially uniform light distribution on the base plate. A quartz window is mounted between the arc lamp and the base plate. The quartz window acts as a lens to redistribute the light from the lamp and the reflector on a wafer. The window can be constructed as a diffraction grating with a series of lines formed by etching into the window or depositing material on the window to produce a diffraction pattern which gives the desired illumination pattern on the wafer. Interchangeable quartz windows are used to produce different illumination patterns which are appropriate for different size wafers and different types of heating processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,906 Apr. 11, 1989 Stultz, describes a long arc gas-discharge lamp for rapidly heating a semiconductor wafer. The spectral output of the lamp is specifically matched to the absorption characteristics of the particular semiconductor wafer being heated by choosing an appropriate gas or mixture of gases. The electrodes of the long arc lamp are separated by a distance greater than the largest dimension of the semiconductor wafer to insure that the entire wafer is illuminated at one time. In addition, the lamp has a high power density to raise the temperature of the semiconductor wafer to the required process temperature. Large diameter metal electrodes are used to conduct more heat from the ends of the lamp. The electrodes contain a low work function metal such as thorium oxide to increase the electron emission. The enclosing glass capillary has thin walls between the electrodes for improved heat dissipation. The glass capillary is cooled to carry the heat away from the lamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,182, issued Dec. 16, 1986, to Moroi, et. al., describes a system for generating a high-intensity light using a short arc lamp equipped with a cooling device capable of effectively cooling the arc lamp and the reflectors. The system comprises a high intensity lamp. A reflector is provided with a reflecting face that surrounds the lamp and further provided at an end with a window for transmitting the light from the reflecting face and at the other end with an aperture for passing a part of the lamp. A casing houses the reflector and the lamp and provides a ventilating hole to the exterior. An air guide connects the ventilating hole with an air path connecting the light transmitting window of the reflector with the aperture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,824, issued Aug. 29, 1995, also to Moslehi, describes a chuck (82) for lamp-heated thermal and plasma semiconductor wafer (38) processing that comprises a surface (171) for absorbing heat and light from an illuminator module (84) that transforms the electrical energy into heat and light. Chuck (82) includes an absorbing surface (171) that absorbs heat and light and distributes the resultant thermal energy. From the absorbing surface, a contact surface (168) conducts the heat energy to semiconductor wafer (38) and uniformly heats the semiconductor wafer (38) over a large area with the distributed thermal energy. Chuck (82) not only provides significantly improved process temperature uniformity but also allows for the generation of RF plasma for plasma-enhanced fabrication processes as well as for in-place chamber cleaning and etching. Additionally, chuck (82) provides at least two methods of determining semiconductor wafer temperature: a direct reading thermocouple (112) and association with the pyrometry sensor of illuminator module (84). The chuck (82) is thermally decoupled from the thermal mass of fabrication reactor (50) for purging optical quartz window (80) surface and semiconductor wafer (38) backside in order to prevent deposition on wafer backside and the quartz window.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,670, issued Jul. 24, 1984, to Celler, et. al., describes dielectrically isolated regions of a single crystal silicon that are subjected to a melting process. A substrate with single crystal silicon regions contacting non-single crystal silicon regions that overlie a dielectric material are treated. In particular, the entire region(s) of non-single crystal silicon is melted using primarily radiant energy. Cooling is then initiated and the molten silicon is converted into a region of single crystal material. Isolation is completed by removing the appropriate regions of single crystal silicon.

Lamp system with conditioned water coolant and diffuse reflector of polytetrafluorethylene(PTFE)


A method, device, and system in which radio links between relays and users are optimized separately from the links between relays and base stations and in which multiple simultaneous data streams between relays and base stations are created. The system includes transceivers of at least three kinds with two kinds of radio interfaces. The first kind of transceiver, a base station (BS), is connected to the core network with a link of wire line quality. The second kind, a relay station (RS), is connected to the BS with a first radio interface, and to the third kind, the user equipment (UE), with a second radio interface. The first and second radio interfaces can operate, at least in part, using the same frequency bandwidth. The UE can also connect directly to the BS using the second radio interface if the BS is closer than any RS.

As is known, engineers and scientists strive to develop wireless communication systems that achieve high data rates at relatively low costs. High data rates are often attainable by design but cannot be implemented because costs are prohibitive.
In fourth-generation wireless systems (known as "4G" systems), capacities of 1 Gbps for a local area and 10 Mbps for wide area coverage have been envisioned. However, even with very wide bandwidths on the order of 100 MHz, the spectral efficiencies needed for these capacities are extremely high. One way of achieving these spectral efficiencies is the use of multiple antennas to transmit and receive multiple simultaneous data streams, i.e. MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) transmissions. Also, due to lack of free spectrum in the lower frequencies, carrier frequencies around 5 GHz have been discussed. Even if the spectral efficiency requirements can be fulfilled, though, such systems would still have short ranges, due to the attenuation of high frequency signals. This combined with the limitations on transmit power and the requirements for high data rates, make communication cell ranges small, thus increasing the overall cost of the network. To combat the problem of small cell ranges, researchers have proposed the use of a multi-hop network architecture. For example, Otsu, Aburakawa, and Yamao discuss multi-hop systems in "Multi-hop wireless link system for new generation mobile radio access networks," IEICE Trans. Comm., Vol. E85-B, No. 8, Aug. 2002. Multi-hop architecture refers to the use of relay stations, without connection to fixed network, in addition to the normal base stations. Provided that the relays can be made considerably cheaper than normal base stations, such an arrangement may help with the range problem.
Even assuming that such multi-hop relays are able to use higher order modulations than the mobile stations, the combination of very high data rates and wide area coverage is still a problem. Multiple antennas can be used at the relays to increase the range to the next relay or base station or to increase the data rate, but to achieve both simultaneously is not an easy task. Capacity of the channel gives the maximum data rates which are possible to transmit reliably over the channel. However, in practical systems, a discrete set of modulations are used, and the maximum data rate can be limited by the modulations rather than the capacity. In particular, higher order modulations, such as M-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation), where the cardinality of the modulation M is high, may not be used in practical systems. As the cardinality of the modulation increases the transmission gets less reliable. This can be compensated either by increasing the transmit power or by using a more complex receiver. But since the transmit power is limited and the cost of implementation of the receiver needs to be kept as low as possible, there is a strict upper limit for the cardinality of the modulation.
As an example of the contradicting requirements of high data rate and long range, consider a user equipment (UE) device having four transmit antennas in propagation conditions which allow for spatial multiplexing with three parallel streams. Assuming that the highest order modulation possible is 16-QAM, i.e. 4 bits/stream, the total data rate is 12 bits per channel use. Between relay and base stations, higher order modulations may be possible, such as a 128-QAM transmission. However, 128-QAM corresponds to only 7 bits/stream, meaning that at least two streams would be needed to transmit the same information between the relay and base station. Therefore, such a relay topology would require multiple stream transmission between all relay stations in a cell and the base station. Such a topology may not be possible in all environments, or the range will suffer. High rate multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) transmission requires rich scattering environments to work well, but in these kinds of environments the attenuation is strong and consequently the range is small.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,599 describes a distributed transmission, directive reception system that applies macroscopically distributed MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) transmission using wireline links to distribute the streams to the macroscopically separated transmitters. However, the spatially distributed transceivers in this system are connected with wireline to the base station, making it very expensive to deploy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,290 describes a system with distributed transmission of multi-streams to/from one user equipment (UE) to multiple base stations (BSs). However, in such a system, coverage becomes a problem as deploying wired BSs is very expensive. In addition, macro diversity and multiplexing in this system requires extensive signaling between BSs over the core network.
Thus, there is a need for improved high data rate transmission in multiple input, multiple output (MIMO)networks. Further, there is a need for a wireless multi-hop system with macroscopic multiplexing. Even further, there is a need to achieve high data rates in wireless communication systems at relatively low costs.

Wireless multi-hop system with macroscopic multiplexing


The present disclosure discloses a padlock, comprising a lock cylinder and a lock housing. The lock cylinder is rotatable between a lock position and an unlock position with rotation of a key. The a lock housing comprises a sleeve shaped to fit with and for receiving the lock cylinder, a first prong extending outward from the sleeve and having a first recessed portion and a second prong extending outward from the sleeve and having a second recessed portion; wherein when the lock cylinder is rotated into the lock position/the unlock position, the through holes are aligned with the first recessed portion/the second recessed portion, the first pins/second pins are movable in the through holes and the first recessed portion/the second recessed portion, allowing the removal of the key from the keyhole.

Padlocks are very widely used worldwide, due to their high security feature in self-storages, etc. Currently, various padlocks available in the markets would allow a key to be removed from the padlock when the padlock is locked, but the key cannot be removed from the padlock when the padlock is in an unlock position. However, when the padlock is in the unlock position with the key left in, especially when it is left on a floor or in an open area in storages, the padlock could be easily stepped on accidentally, causing the key to be broken and partially stuck inside the keyhole and hard to be removed without tools. As a result, the padlock is no longer functional with the broken key stuck inside. There is a growing expressed need from existing customers to conveniently remove the key not only when the padlock is in the lock position, but also in the unlock position.


A fuel control system for an internal combustion engine having an intake passage, a compressor provided in the intake passage, a throttle valve disposed downstream of the compressor, a bypass passage connecting an upstream side of the compressor to a downstream side of the compressor, and an air bypass valve provided in the bypass passage. An intake air flow rate of the engine is calculated based on the engine rotational speed and the intake pressure, which are detected when the air bypass valve is determined to be in the opening operation state. An amount of fuel supplied to the engine is then controlled according to the calculated intake air flow rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel control system for an internal combustion engine and, particularly, to a fuel control system for an internal combustion engine having a turbocharger, a bypass passage bypassing a compressor of the turbocharger, and an air bypass valve for opening and closing the bypass passage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. H08-61073 discloses a turbocharging device for an internal combustion engine having a compressor for pressurizing intake air, a bypass passage for bypassing the compressor, and an air bypass valve for opening and closing the bypass passage. According to the device, the air bypass valve opens when the throttle valve is closed, and a portion of the intake air is recirculated to the upstream side of the compressor. The recirculation of the intake air reduces a rotating load of the compressor and increases the intake air flow rate to prevent the surging.
In the condition where the air bypass valve opens and the intake air passing through the compressor is recirculated to the upstream side of the compressor, the intake air flow rate detected by an intake air flow rate sensor on the upstream side of the region in which the bypass passage opens to the intake air passage may pulsate depending on a relationship between a timing at which the throttle valve closes and a timing at which the air bypass valve opens corresponding to the closing operation of the throttle valve. Further, since the intake air is recirculated, the flow rate of air actually supplied to the combustion chamber differs from the output of the intake air flow rate sensor. The amount of fuel supplied to the engine is usually calculated according to the output of the intake air flow rate sensor. However, if the fuel amount supply is calculated according to the output of the intake air flow rate sensor in the condition where the air bypass valve opens and the intake air passing through the compressor is recirculated to the upstream side of the compressor, the air-fuel ratio in the combustion chamber may deviate from a desired value, wherein the exhaust characteristics of the engine degrade.

Fuel control system for internal combustion engine


A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture provide the ability to display and use object manipulators in a computer graphics program. In some embodiments, an object manipulator (i.e., a button object manipulator or traditional object manipulator) is displayed on a graphics object and activated. In response to the activation, a property of the graphics object is directly modified. Various forms and properties of the object manipulator provide additional capabilities that may assist the user in the graphics program.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer graphics programs, and in particular, to a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for using object manipulators in a computer graphics program.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of graphics programs such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) application programs is well known in the art. CAD drawings often have many components (referred to as objects or graphics objects) that together define the drawing. In most computer applications that create and modify graphic objects, an object manipulator is a standard mechanism used to modify the geometric properties of the graphic object. However, the nature and use of object manipulators in the prior art is limited to that of modifying an object's geometric properties. Such limitations are undesirable and reduce the flexibility and usability of computer graphics applications. These problems may be better understood by describing prior art drawing programs, object properties, object manipulators, and property modification techniques.
Drawing Programs
CAD applications are often used to create drawings used in the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. The drawings are often defined by a collection of one or more graphical elements (referred to as objects), such as lines, circles, polylines, text, or dimensions. For example, a collection of various lines may make up a door or window object. CAD programs may treat each object as a single element for creation, manipulation, and modification. Some CAD programs may also provide objects that are special entities with predefined behaviors and display characteristics. Thus, the objects in a CAD program may be object-oriented objects having various methods/behaviors and properties (including display characteristics).
Information relating to an object may be entered and defined in one or more properties of the object. For example, users may have the capability to enter information about the style, dimensions, location, schedule data, display information and/or other important characteristics of an object.
Object Properties
To edit and maintain an object and/or properties of the object, various methodologies may be available. For example, a properties window may provide a common "one stop" location where a user can manage object properties without having to use individual typed commands. Such a properties window may list the current settings for all object properties, and allow the properties to be viewed alphabetically or by category. To change a property, the property may be selected from the list and a new value may be selected or entered.
Object Manipulators
As described above, an object manipulator is a prior art mechanism used to modify the geometric properties of a graphic object. Other names for object manipulators are handles, or grips. An object manipulator is typically implemented as a glyph or symbol, such as a small square, displayed at some geometrically meaningful point on the object to be manipulated.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art rectangle 100 that is selected for modification, with object manipulators 102 displayed as filled squares located at each vertex. Activating and dragging one of the object manipulators 102 modifies the position of the vertex, and thus the width and height properties of the rectangle.
The typical way to interact with an object manipulator 102 is to place an identifier (e.g., a cursor) controlled by a pointing device (e.g., a computer mouse) over the manipulator 102, activating the manipulator 102 by clicking a physical button on the pointing device, dragging the pointing device to change the position of the manipulator 102, and finally clicking the pointing device again to set the desired value of the object feature being manipulated. However, in the prior art, object manipulators 102 may only be used to alter the geometric properties (e.g., vertex position, shape, etc.) of an object by dragging the manipulator.
Buttons
To adjust object properties other than geometric properties, the prior art may rely on the use of buttons. As illustrated in FIG. 2, in standard computer user interfaces, a button 200 is a common control used to initiate an action to modify some aspect of the state of the interface. The button 200 displays text (e.g., "SAVE") or icon graphics to provide information to the user as to the results of activating the button 200. The typical way to interact with a button 200 is to place an identifier (e.g., a cursor) controlled by a pointing device (e.g., a computer mouse) over the button 200, and activating the button 200 by clicking a physical button on the pointing device. Once activated, an action is performed or the state of the interface is modified.
Accordingly, what is needed is the capability to edit an object's properties (geometric and otherwise) in an intuitive, easy, and understandable manner.


The present invention is directed toward a bioremediation product, its method of manufacture and method of use. A blend of microorganisms, cleansers and surfactants is disclosed which is non-toxic and solvent free, and which has the ability to accelerate the breaking down process of oils, materials such as benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTEX); petroleum hydrocarbon fractions F1-F4 (as defined by CCME2000), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), paraffin waxes, volatile organics, molds, and the like; while simultaneously providing a biological component which is effective to reduce the total petroleum hydrocarbon levels to zero at an accelerated rate. The product is useful for bioremediation and as an oil dispersant composition useful in treating oil spills, and for cleanup of the shoreline, animals, plants, and equipment.

The oil industry's preferred method of marine spill response in the United States is the use of chemical dispersants. The use of such dispersants serves a useful purpose since it does cause the oil to sink out of sight, eliminating the severity of surface associated phenomenon such as oil soaked birds and the like. Unfortunately, many of the dispersants listed in the EPA National Contingency Plan's Product Schedule have inherent toxicity issues, which often times exacerbate the problem. As a result of their application, the oil/dispersant mixture is brought to much lower depths, where the presence of this toxic blend causes a variety of problems over time.
The problem with dispersants is illustrated by what has been occurring in the Gulf of Mexico subsequent to the BP oil spill. The testing authorities often use outdated and minimal testing procedures for dispersants, which results in an underestimation of the chemicals' impacts to marine and human life. Many of the reported chemicals in dispersants are known human health hazards; as are many of the proprietary chemicals incorporated therein. Dispersants have been linked, or heavily implicated, with the widespread occurrences of lesions and maladies in fish and shellfish, dolphin deaths, and dramatic decline in populations of some Gulf species such as shrimp and killifish.
As a result of past catastrophic events such as the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, and the recent oil spills that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, we have all become aware of the dire need to properly address the situation without further damaging the environment and destroying animal and sea life.
This long felt need for a non-toxic, solvent free dispersant has been provided by the instant inventors as disclosed in related U.S. Pat. No. 8,415,286, which issued on Apr. 9, 2013. The unique dispersant product of the '286 patent, designated DXR-02™ has been shown to efficiently breaks down grease, grime and crude oil at the molecular level, by breaking down the hydrocarbon chains and preventing the oil molecules from ever reforming again.
Once DXR-02™ comes in contact with the oil, any agitation (such as motion of the waves and currents in the ocean) will accelerate the breaking down process of the oil, leaving DXR-02™ to biodegrade within 9 to 12 days. After this process is completed, the dispersed oil will be naturally absorbed back into the environment, without any further damage or danger to nature.
In order to provide an improved product having superior capabilities for degrading both hydrocarbons and lipids, the instant inventors have determined strains of microorganisms which are compatible with the DXR-02™, and have the ability to enhance the action of the surfactant, for example in soil remediation, by providing a microbial degradation function for hydrocarbons, lipids, and combinations thereof.
DXR-02™ is a clear, slightly yellow liquid that is formed from a proprietary blend of cleansers and surfactants and a high dilution of pure water. The unique blend of ingredients exhibit the ability to break down the hydrocarbon chain and prevent any reconnection, thereby resulting in a unique oil dispersant utility. The pH of about 8.5 renders it non-alkaline, which in turn makes it good for the environment. Water being the catalyst, the more water you use the better it works. DXR-02™ represents a 50% dilution of DXR™, which is the concentrate. Depending upon the application, a choice can be made as to use of the diluted or more concentrated product. For mixtures with microbes for soil remediation and the like, DXR™ is generally used.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Composition and method for hydrocarbon and lipid degradation and dispersal


The present invention relates generally to detection of occult blood. In particular, the present invention provides a device and methods for the simultaneous detection of hemoglobin and transferrin in fecal samples, which permit a more sensitive diagnosis of occult blood in fecal sample and a differential diagnosis of bleeding of the upper GI tract versus the lower GI tract.

Fecal occult blood ("FOB") is a good indicator for monitoring bleeding from the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Since it may take several years for some colon polyps to transform into colorectal cancers, the detection of bleeding colon polyps is an effective way to screen for colorectal cancer at an early stage. The implementation of a procedure to screen for occult blood in fecal samples for adults of 50 years or older has reduced the incidences of colorectal cancer by 20% and mortality by 30%.
Currently available FOB tests include a chemical test that detects hemoglobin metabolites in fecal samples. The test employs an oxidizable substrate (such as guaiac) that produces a colored product in the presence of peroxide and hemoglobin. Since most animal heme molecules, plant ingredients and common vitamins can also catalyze the hydrogen peroxide reaction, diet control is critical to specificity of this type of chemical test. A strict diet control poses a serious patient compliance problem. On average, a compliance rate of lower than 10% is not unusual. Further, chemical tests generally have a limited sensitivity. For example, a FOB test using guaiac as substrate has a test sensitivity of 50 μg/ml, with an improved version having a test sensitivity of 20 μg/ml.
A sandwich immunoassay for hemoglobin has been developed, which provides improved test sensitivity and specificity as compared to chemical tests. The need for diet control is also eliminated for such immunoassay.
Hemoglobin is a labile protein; it degrades rapidly in human GI system. Hemoglobin is also susceptible to degradation during shipping and storage after fecal samples are collected. All these sample degradation problems affect the test accuracy of hemoglobin assays.
Transferrin is another biomarker for detecting fecal occult blood. In normal human blood the concentrations of transferrin and hemoglobin are 3 mg/ml and 150 mg/ml, respectively. On the other hand, the hemoglobin versus transferrin ratio in fecal samples is approximately 5, which is much lower than the ratio (approximately 50) in blood. This observation indicates that transferrin is about 10 times more stable than hemoglobin in the GI tract. It has been reported that certain diseases may affect the levels of transferrin in blood and fecal samples to the extent that an FOB test based on transferrin alone may produce false negative results. A combination test for detecting both hemoglobin and transferrin may improve test sensitivity without sacrificing test specificity.
Another challenge for developing an FOB assay is that very few automated analyzers currently on the market can handle fecal samples. Therefore, a rapid onsite FOB test is desirable and in demand.

Methods and device for the detection of occult blood


Bubble detection apparatus and method for a liquid dispensing system includes temperature compensation for increasing accuracy of the bubble detection as temperature of the liquid varies. In one embodiment, temperature changes cause corresponding changes in the liquid viscosity. A reference value or pressure signal that is used in a comparator circuit is adjusted or compensated for temperature changes of the liquid. The comparator compares pressure signals to the reference to detect bubbles in the liquid being dispensed.

Liquid dispensing systems are used for applying liquid materials to a substrate or surface. In many applications, the presence of an air bubble can compromise the quality of the liquid bead that is applied. Accordingly, various techniques have been employed to detect bubbles in the liquid material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,938 (the "'938" patent hereinafter) describes method and apparatus for detecting bubbles in a liquid dispensing system, the entire disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.

Bubble detection with temperature compensation


Improved die arrangements are provided whereby both an upper die and a lower die can easily be loaded into and unloaded from their respective die holders in a die exchanging operation. An improved die apparatus in a pressing machine in which an upper die set is securely loaded in an upper die holder fastened to a slide side for a pressing operation, comprises an arrangement whereby the upper die set is held in the upper die holder so that the upper die set can be extracted downwards from the upper die holder, wherein the upper die holder is provided with stopper means adapted to engage with the upper die set to hold the upper die set in place and adapted to disengage from the upper die set to allow the upper die set to disengage from the upper die holder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a die apparatus and a die exchanging method in a pressing machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A die apparatus in a pressing machine comprises a lower die unit in which a lower die set containing lower die members is received in a lower die holder and an upper die unit in which an upper die set containing upper die members is received in an upper die holder. And, with the lower and upper die holders securely fixed to a lower and an upper die plate, respectively, which are in turn securely fixed to a bolster and a slide, respectively, the lower and upper die units are securely held by the bolster and the slide, respectively.
An existing die apparatus of this type, in which the lower and upper die units are each dealt with as an assembly, has been so designed that when the lower and upper dies are each exchanged, the lower and upper die units each with its die holder must wholly be removed from the bolster and slide, respectively, and in the outside of the machine each of the lower and upper dies must, by means of a chain hoist or the like, be extracted upwards from the die holder, together with a plate in which it is circumferentially fitted and must then be decomposed.
Thus, in the conventional die apparatus, since it is necessary to remove two such die units together with their respective die holders into the machine's outside each time a lower and an upper die are exchanged and further to extract upwards each of the lower and upper dies from its die holder, together with a plate in which it is circumferentially fitted, respectively, there has been encountered the problem that quite a time-consuming die exchanging operation is required.

Die apparatus and die exchanging method in pressing machine


An apparatus and method for correcting corrupted data. Access logic accesses a memory. Error detection logic generates an error signal for each data value output by the memory to indicate whether the data value has a correctable error. Correction logic requests the access logic to write to the memory a corrected version of each data value indicated by the error signal to have a correctable error.

Some modem computers use error recovery techniques to automatically correct corrupted data read from a memory subsystem. In one error recovery technique, for example, error correction codes (ECCs) are stored in the memory subsystem along with each data value. When a data value is written to memory in a computer system that uses an ECC-based error recovery technique, the data value is passed through combinatorial logic to generate an ECC value. The ECC value may be thought of as a signature that corresponds to the original data value and is stored in memory along with the data value. Later, when the data value is read from memory, the ECC value is output along with the data value and both the ECC and data values are input to a syndrome generator. The syndrome generator generates a value called a syndrome that is typically zero-valued if the data value has not become corrupt and non-zero otherwise. (Herein, a corrupt data value refers to a data value in which one or more bits have become inverted relative to their correct state.)
The syndrome is input to flip vector generator where it is used to index a table of values called flip vectors. In a system that is capable of correcting a single bit error, the table of flip vectors typically includes one entry for every possible bit position in a data value, with each entry having a single set bit in a different bit position than the other entries. Thus, by exclusive-OR combination of a data value having a single bit error and the appropriate flip vector, the failed bit is flipped to recover the original data value. Because the error correction typically takes place in the transmission path between the memory and the consumer of the data value (e.g., a processor, graphics accelerator, etc.), the error correction is transparent to the consumer.
One limitation to the above-described error recovery technique is that, if the source of data corruption is the value stored in memory (due, for example, to a transient event during transfer of the data value to the memory or while the data value is stored in the memory), then correction of a single bit failure when the data value is read from the memory does not correct the corrupted value in the memory itself. In other words, even though a recovered data value is delivered to a consumer, the data value in the memory subsystem remains corrupted. This is significant because many computer systems employ error recovery techniques that can correct a single bit error, but not a multiple bit error. Consequently, in such systems, if one or more additional bits of an already corrupt data value are erroneously flipped, the data value will have become irrecoverably corrupt.

Method and apparatus for automatically correcting errors detected in a memory subsystem


A method for simultaneously brazing adjacent conductor joints comprises the steps of arranging at least two pair of conductor joints in a row placing a brazing compound between the pairs of joints desired to be electrically connected placing a conductive spacer between the pairs not to be brazed and passing an electrical current through the row of conductors until the brazing compound melts joining the conductor joints. The spacer can then be removed thereby maintaining the proper spacing between the pairs of brazed conductor joints. The multiple rows of conductor joints can be arranged adjacent one another so that they can be moved between brazing electrodes sequentially thereby allowing a continuous brazing operation of multiple rows of conductor joints. The brazing compound may be a continuous ribbon of brazing compound which extends between the multiple rows of conductor joints.

The present invention relates to a method for simultaneously resistance brazing multiple conductor joints and more particularly for the method of simultaneous resistance brazing of adjacent conductor joints in the windings of stators for alternators, generators, and dynamo-electric machines.
It is extremely difficult to perform resistance brazing of adjacent parts which are arranged in multiple rows and columns because of the difficulty in acquiring tooling of the proper size, shape and strength for the electrodes of a resistance welder/brazer within the small spaces that typically exist between such rows and columns particularly in stator windings for electrical alternators, generators and motors.
Because of the costs and difficulty of fabricating stator cores and other windings in electrical generators and alternators using a single continuous wire in the winding process, such windings are typically fabricated from a multiplicity of individual conductor segments or "hairpins" which are preformed and adapted to be placed into slots or grooves in, for example, a stator core. These hairpin conductors must be joined to one another at their end portions to form the stator winding for the dynamo-electric machine. Various prior art methods have been used to join the end portions of the conductors to form the stator winding including soldering, welding, and brazing. For example, U.S. Patent Application No. US2002/0041129A1-Oohashi, et al., published Apr. 11, 2002 demonstrates a number of such techniques. As illustrated in the Oohashi application, the respective end portions of the conductors are brazed by placing a brazing compound between the respective joints and then applying an electrical current through electrodes so that the brazing compound is heated and melted to join the conductors together.
Oohashi also discloses that a technique of brazing multiple joints arranged in rows by placing a brazing compound between the joints to be brazed and then pressing the entire row together between electrodes so that the electrical current flows through the entire row melting the brazing compound and joining the respective conductive joints. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6 of Oohashi adjacent pairs of contacts are pressed together with the electrodes to form an electrical path for the resistance brazing of the joints. One disadvantage of the method disclosed in Oohashi is that the pressure applied by the electrodes necessary to form an electrical connection through an entire row of electrodes can cause the metal of the conductors to bend or deform so that there is an undesirable electrical contact between adjacent pairs of the conductors which results in improper operation of the stator core. It is important to maintain the proper spacing between adjacent pairs of conductors so that the electrical current does not flow between the respective pairs during operation of the dynamo-electric machine.
Thus, it would be a desirable advance in the art to provide a method of simultaneously brazing multiple pairs of conductor end portions arranged in a row simultaneously without bending or distorting the spacing between the respective pairs of conductor end portions.

Method for simultaneous resistance brazing of adjacent conductor joints


A method of shaping an aspherical optical element is provided that includes the steps of fastening an optical element blank to a ring, the blank presenting an optical surface that is to be shaped and a surface referred to as a rear surface; applying forces and moments to the ring in order to deform the optical element and its optical surface, which element is fastened to the ring; using abrasion to shape said deformed optical surface so as to restore a spherical or planar shape thereto; and extracting the blank from the ring so as to release the stresses deforming said shaped optical surface so as to allow it to acquire the desired aspherical shape. The method also includes the step of fastening the blank to the ring is performed by bonding the optical surface or the rear surface to a surface of the ring with a layer of adhesive.

Shaping optical elements that are not only aspherical but that are also of large dimensions is a process that is lengthy, difficult, and expensive because of the requirements in terms of accuracy and surface smoothness. A particularly advantageous method of proceeding is a method of polishing under stress that is known as "stressed mirror polishing (SMP)". It is described in detail in the following articles:                "Stressed mirror polishing. 1: A technique for producing non-axisymmetric mirrors", Jacob Lubliner and Jerry E. Nelson, Applied Optics, Vol. 19, Issue 14, pp. 2332-2340 (1980); and        "Stressed mirror polishing. 2: Fabrication of an off-axis section of a paraboloid", Jacob Lubliner and Jerry E. Nelson, Applied Optics, Vol. 19, Issue 14, pp. 2341-2352 (1980).
The general principle consists in machining a spherical structure on a stressed blank so as to obtain a surface that is aspherical once the stress is released. The intended purpose is to obtain an optical surface that is aspherical while performing the shaping on a surface that is spherical, because the tools used for shaping a spherical surface provide very high performance, in particular when shaping surfaces of items of large dimensions. Thus, a feature of polishing under stress is how to implement the stress.
In order to implement the method, an appropriate blank is generally in the form of a plate, i.e. with one of its dimensions that is significantly smaller (by one or more orders of magnitude) than its other two dimensions. Typically, the blank may have thickness of the order of 10 millimeters (mm) to 100 mm, e.g. 50 mm, and a diameter of the order of 1000 mm to 2000 mm, or even more. Thus, the plate has two faces, which are referred to as main surfaces, and a side surface.
One of the two main surfaces is the "optical" surface that needs to be shaped. Preferably, its original shape is spherical or planar. The term "blank" is used herein to mean the optical element in its state prior to being shaped under stress.
The other main surface of the blank is the rear surface behind the optical surface.
In the conventional SMP technique, radially-oriented arms are fastened to the side surface of the blank, e.g. by adhesive. In the above-mentioned articles by J. Lubliner et al., it is shown that deformation appropriate for the intended purpose can be obtained by subjecting said arms only to shear force that are oriented parallel to the surface.
As explained above, the forces applied to the blank are selected so as to give the optical surface a spherical shape complementary to the desired shape. The deformation (departure from a spherical shape) may reach values of several hundreds of micrometers; and it may be monitored accurately by performing interferometric measurements on the optical face itself or on the rear face of the blank.
Thereafter, a method of shaping by abrasion is performed in order to make the deformed surface planar or spherical. Finally, releasing the stresses allows the blank to relax, and the shaped surface takes on the desired aspherical shape.
That method suffers from imperfections. The forces and the moments are applied by means of arms, thereby giving rise to stresses at the periphery of the blank that are not uniform. On its outer perimeter, stress fluctuates between local maxima at the root end of each arm and local minima between arms. After shaping, this gives rise to serrations, i.e. undesirable geometrical modulation of the optical surface at the periodicity of the arms.
The method described in patent EP 2 144 093 remedies that unwanted effect by fastening a blank of an optical element having an optical surface that is to be shaped to a ring. FIGS. 1 and 2 show such fastening of the optical element 1 to the ring 2. FIG. 1 shows in particular a ring 2 of diameter dl that surrounds an optical element 1 and that is itself surrounded by a multitude of arms 4. It is these arms that apply the stress to the ring, which in turn stresses and deforms the optical element 1. The forces are thus applied by the arms to the perimeter 23 of the ring 2 in order to deform it in controlled manner, and also deform in controlled manner the optical element 1 that is fastened thereto, and thus deform its optical surface 10. That ring distributes the stresses uniformly within the optical part and makes it possible to avoid generating defects of high spatial frequency. Finally, the last step of the method consists in extracting the blank 1 from the ring 2 so as to release the stresses deforming said optical surface that has been shaped by abrasion in order to enable the surface to acquire the desired aspherical shape.
FIG. 2 shows more precisely the prior art method of fastening the optical element 1 to the ring 2. It consists in:                inserting the optical element 1 inside the ring 2: the outside surface 12 of the optical element faces the inside surface 33 of the ring; and        using a layer of adhesive 3 for fastening the optical element to the ring before applying stresses.
That method presents the following drawbacks:                requiring a strict match between the size of the ring and the size of the blank;        making use of high levels of stress in the layer of adhesive; and        occupying a large amount of space around the completed assembly as a result of the presence of the arms.

Method of shaping an optical element that is elastically deformed by an adhesively-bonded ring


The purpose is to provide an ultrasound transducer and ultrasound probe without the complexity of the manufacturing process of the non-conductive acoustic matching layer while ensuring the electric conductive path. Pluralities of two-dimensionally arranged piezoelectrics are comprised in the ultrasound transducer. Electrodes are provided for each piezoelectric. Furthermore, the non-conductive acoustic matching layer with the first surface on the electrode side and the second surface on the opposite side of the first surface is comprised in the ultrasound transducer, and moreover, the electric conductive acoustic matching layer arranged on the second surface side of the non-conductive acoustic matching layer is comprised in the ultrasound transducer. Moreover, the substrate arranged on the opposite side of the non-conductive acoustic matching layer is arranged with respect to the electric conductive acoustic matching layer. The plurality of grooves penetrating the non-conductive acoustic matching layer, leading up to mid-way of the piezoelectrics of the first surface side or mid-way of the electric conductive acoustic matching layer of the second surface side is formed between the first surface and the second surface of the non-conductive acoustic matching layer. Moreover, the electrode and the substrate are electrically conducted via the groove.

The ultrasound probe has a plurality of piezoelectric bodies and an electrode to apply voltage between the piezoelectric bodies. There are various ways of deriving electricity from electrodes on the piezoelectric bodies. For example, there is a method of conductive the electrode with FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits), the electrode being arranged in front of the ultrasound radiation direction side of piezoelectric bodies. Signals derived from FPC are transmitted to a transmitter-receiver circuit.
Generally, the acoustic impedance of polyimides used as the base material of the FPC is approximately 3 Mrayl. Moreover, the acoustic impedance of piezoelectric bodies is 30 Mrayl or more. Due to such large differences, acoustic mismatching occurs when the FPC is directly connected to the piezoelectric bodies. When acoustic mismatching occurs, ultrasound beams are reflected in a boundary with great variance in acoustic impedance. One of methods to solve this is to provide an acoustic matching layer as an intermediate layer to efficiently propagate ultrasound waves between the FPC and the piezoelectric bodies.
Moreover, in order to reduce the acoustic mismatching mentioned above, a plurality of acoustic matching layers are sometimes configured. In said configuration, a plurality of acoustic matching layers are stacked in stages, the acoustic matching layers having different acoustic impedance between the acoustic impedance of FPC (for example, 3 Mrayl) and the acoustic impedance of piezoelectric bodies (for example, 30 Mrayl).
In said configuration, for example, if the acoustic impedance preferred for the first layer of the acoustic matching layers is approximately 9 to 15 Mrayl, a material having such acoustic impedance may be a machinable ceramic. Machinable ceramics are mainly composed of mica and are non- conductive.
Here, a configuration that electrically conducts from the electrodes of the piezoelectric bodies to FPC (conductive path) must be formed. Accordingly, when arranging the non-conductive acoustic matching layer on the first layer, the conductive path must be provided on said non-conductive acoustic matching layer.
For example, in a two-dimensional array ultrasound transducer, electrodes must be derived to the FPC from each of a huge number of elements. Therefore, conventionally, an ultrasound transducer configured with an open hole with electric conductivity is provided in correspondence with the number and arrangement of the piezoelectric bodies in the layering direction with respect to the non-conductive acoustic matching layer. In said ultrasound transducer, several open holes are provided on the acoustic matching layer and all surfaces of said open hole are, for example, plated in order to ensure the conductive path.
Moreover, there is conventionally a method of manufacturing the ultrasound transducer having: forming a board with the non-conductive material provided with a conductive film on both surfaces, and overlapping both surfaces of the conductive film of the board thereof to form the non-conductive acoustic matching layer. As an example, a board of the non-conductive material having the same width as the pitch of piezoelectric bodies is formed, and the conductive film is provided on both surfaces thereof. These boards are overlapped in a number corresponding to the number of columns or rows of the piezoelectric bodies to form several blocks, and to further overlap the blocks to form the acoustic matching layer. The acoustic matching layer formed by these processes allows the board and a overlapped surface of the board to function as the conductive path between the electrode and the FPC.

Ultrasound transducer, ultrasound probe and manufacturing method of ultrasound transducer


A processing system processes a mesh of triangles represented by a triangle list. A list optimization module rearranges the triangles in the triangle list such that triangle indices for adjacent triangles are stored as sequential entries in the triangle list. For each triangle in the triangle list, a triangle processing module determines whether a current triangle can be treated as a continuation of an current triangle strip. If the current triangle can be treated as a continuation of the current triangle strip, then a single vertex is added to the current triangle strip. The single vertex added to the current triangle strip is the vertex of the current triangle that is not already contained in the current triangle strip. If the current triangle cannot be treated as a continuation of the current triangle strip, then the current triangle strip terminated. After terminating the current triangle strip, a new triangle strip is created starting with the current triangle. All three vertices of the new triangle are processed at the start of the new triangle strip. The processing system determines whether the current triangle can be treated as a continuation of the current triangle strip by comparing a specific pair of triangle indices of the current triangle to a specific pair of triangle indices of the previous triangle.

This invention relates to image processing. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method of processing a list of triangles that represent a surface of a three-dimensional object image.
Image processing systems are capable of converting graphical object data into an image that is viewed by a user or observer of the image processing system. Graphical object data may be stored in a variety of different formats, including various compressed formats. The type of data format used to store the graphical object data varies depending on the type of image processing system that receives and processes the data, the type of image being produced (e.g., two-dimensional or three-dimensional), and the type of equipment used to generate and store the graphical object data.
In three-dimensional graphics applications, graphical objects are typically defined, processed, and provided to the rendering hardware as a series of adjoining triangles. Each triangle is defined by three points or vertices. Because the triangles adjoin each other, a single point might be a vertex of several different triangles.
Each point or vertex of each triangle may have various associated information, such as location coordinates (i.e., coordinates in the x, y, and z directions), ambient color, reflective color, texture coordinates, fogging and alpha blending components, etc. Since each vertex may have a significant amount of associated data, operations such as moving, storing, and reading vertices can become a significant part of the image rendering process.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary rendering module 10 that receives graphical object data and generates a rendered image. Rendering module 10 receives graphical object data 12 from a data source. The rendering module 10 processes the graphical object data 12 and generates a rendered image 14. The rendered image 14 can be displayed on a computer monitor or other display device or may be transmitted to another location for display.
FIG. 2A illustrates a series of five triangles, labeled T1-T5. Each triangle has three vertices, labeled xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9c3xe2x80x9d. Adjacent triangles share vertices with one another. For example, triangles T1 and T2 share two verticesxe2x80x94vertex 2 of triangle T1 is shared with vertex 2 of triangle T2 and vertex 3 of triangle T1 is shared with vertex 1 of triangle T2.
A series of triangles, such as the series shown in FIG. 2A, can be represented in several formats: a non-indexed list, a non-indexed strip, an indexed list, and an indexed strip. A non-indexed list identifies three separate vertices for each triangle in the series. For example, in the series of triangles shown in FIG. 2A, a non-indexed list is represented as:
T1: T1V1, T1V2, T1V3
T2: T2V1, T2V2, T2V3
T3: T3V1, T3V2, T3V3
T4: T4V1, T4V2, T4V3
T5: T5V1, T5V2, T5V3
Where, for example, T1V1 defines vertex xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d of triangle T1 and T1V2 is vertex xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d of triangle T1. Each entry in the list (T1V1, T1V2, etc.) represents a triangle vertex and has associated information, as discussed above (i.e., screen coordinates, color, etc.). This non-indexed list requires three separate vertex entries to define each triangle. Further, the non-indexed list does not consider the common relationships between certain vertices (e.g., in FIG. 2A, T1V2 is the same vertex as T2V2, and T1V3 is the same vertex as T2V1). Thus, when processing the non-indexed list, the system will process both vertices T1V2 and T2V2, even though they are the same vertex. This results in unnecessary vertex processing, which reduces the performance of the image processing system. However, the list format is advantageous in that a single list is able to store an entire mesh of triangles (discussed below).
In a non-indexed strip of triangles, a list of vertices represents a single triangle strip. Each vertex in the non-indexed strip (starting with the third vertex) defines a triangle along with the two previous vertices. FIG. 2B illustrates the same five triangles illustrated in FIG. 2A, but each of the seven vertices has a single identifier (labeled 1-7). The five triangles in FIG. 2B can be represented by the following triangle strip:
V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6, V7
where V1 through V7 each define a single vertex. This triangle strip represents triangles (V1, V2, V3), (V3, V2, V4), (V3, V4, V5), (V5, V4, V6), and (V5, V6, V7). A strip of triangles is an efficient way to represent a series of adjacent triangles. However, the triangle strip format cannot generally represent an entire mesh of triangles as a single strip. Instead, multiple strips are required to represent the triangle mesh. Each time the strip reaches a triangle with no other adjoining triangle, the current strip terminates and a new strip is started.
Using an indexed list notation, a list of three indices is associated with each triangle and a pool of vertices is referred to by the indices. For example, using an indexed list to identify the five triangles in FIG. 2B, the indexed list is represented as:
V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6, V7
and the associated indices:
i1, i2, i3
i3, i2, i4
i3, i4, i5
i5, i4, i6
i5, i6, i7
In this notation, xe2x80x9cV1xe2x80x9d defines a first vertex and the indices xe2x80x9ci1 i2, i3xe2x80x9d define the first triangle as having vertices V1, V2, and V3. The indexed list vertices can be processed once into a separate buffer so that the indexed accesses can read pre-processed vertices. Using this process, each distinct vertex is processed exactly once. Another advantage of the indexed list is its reduction in storage size (an index is very small (e.g., two bytes) compared to a vertex (e.g., 32 bytes).
Finally, an indexed strip of triangles identifies a strip of indices and a pool of vertices referred to by the indices. For example, using an indexed strip to represent the five triangles in FIG. 2B produces a sequence of vertices:
V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6, V7
and associated indices:
i1, i2, i3, i4, i5, i6, i7
Using this notation, xe2x80x9cV1xe2x80x9d defines a first vertex of a triangle in the strip and the first three indices xe2x80x9ci1, i2, i3xe2x80x9d define the first triangle in the strip. The indexed strip of triangles provides a simplified notation for representing triangle strips.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example mesh of triangles 20 (also referred to as a xe2x80x9ctriangle meshxe2x80x9d). In a typical mesh of triangles, each vertex is usually shared by six triangles. Rather than processing the same vertex six times (once for each triangle associated with the vertex), known techniques simplify the processing by: (1) processing the mesh of triangles using indices to refer to vertices in a pool of unique vertices so that each vertex only needs to be transformed (or processed) once, and (2) if a sequence of adjacent triangles exists (such as a mesh), treating the sequence as a xe2x80x9ctriangle stripxe2x80x9d instead of a xe2x80x9ctriangle list.xe2x80x9d Using the second technique, the first triangle is defined by three vertices. All subsequent triangles are defined by a single new vertex and the last two vertices of the previous triangle in the strip. These two techniques can be used separately or together so that existing graphics systems can handle the following combinations: Non-Indexed List, Non-Indexed Strip, Indexed List, and Indexed Strip.
Using these known techniques, many vertices are processed only once for all associated triangles, rather than repeatedly processing the same vertex for different associated triangles. Thus, many existing systems attempt to process triangles in strips instead of individual triangle lists. However, in many situations, it is easier to define and maintain the triangles in a triangle list format instead of a strip format. For example, a mesh may include physically disconnected groups of triangles that otherwise share similar features (such as similar texture). These triangles can be grouped together in a list but cannot be connected as a strip because the triangles are not physically adjacent to one another (a requirement to form a strip of triangles). Additionally, it is generally difficult to define an entire mesh of triangles as a single strip. The shape of the mesh may prevent creation of a single strip or may require the insertion of xe2x80x9cdummyxe2x80x9d triangles to convert the mesh into a single strip.
The image processing begins when an application passes the graphical object data 12 (FIG. 1) to the rendering module 10 through an interface method. The available interface methods expect to receive data in one of the formats discussed above. Another problem associated with the use of triangle strips is caused by existing application programming interfaces (APIs) that can only process a single strip of triangles in one function call to the rendering module 10. Thus, a mesh that could be represented as a single list of triangles is instead passed through the API as multiple triangle strips, each of which incurs a function call overhead.
The invention provides an improved mechanism for converting a mesh of triangles represented as a list of triangles into one or more strips of triangles. Graphical object data (in triangle list format) is provided to a list optimization module, which rearranges the list of triangles to improve the generation of triangle strips from the triangle list. After rearranging the list of triangles, the list optimization module provides the rearranged list to a triangle processing module. The triangle processing module converts the list of triangles to multiple triangle strips. The multiple triangle strips are then processed by a rendering module to generate an image.
The invention described herein is capable of representing an entire triangle mesh as a single triangle list. The triangle list format, which provides for easier data manipulation, is maintained for most of the processing. However, the list optimization module rearranges the triangles in the indexed list and reorients the triangle indices by rotating the indices, as necessary, to optimize the processing of the indexed list of triangles. Specifically, the triangles are rearranged in adjacent strips even though they continue to be listed and stored in a non-strip format. The triangles are then provided to a triangle processing module in an indexed list, non-strip format, through the use of a single function call. The triangle processing module then converts the indexed triangle list into one or more triangle strips, which is made possible by the previous re-ordering of the listed triangles. Using this method, the benefits of strip processing can be obtained without incurring the overhead of multiple function calls. The triangle strips are easier to process by the rendering module or other rendering hardware due to the reduced number of vertices that require processing (as a result of the sharing of vertices between adjacent triangles). The rendering module uses the strips of triangles to generate an image on a display device, such as a computer monitor or a television.
In a particular implementation of the invention, the single vertex added to the current triangle strip is the vertex of the current triangle that is not already contained in the current triangle strip.
In another implementation of the invention, after terminating the current triangle strip, a new triangle strip is created starting with the current triangle. All three vertices of the new triangle are processed at the start of the new triangle strip.
In one embodiment of the invention, the triangle processing module determines whether the current triangle can be treated as a continuation of the current triangle strip by comparing a specific pair of triangle indices of the current triangle to a specific pair of triangle indices of the previous triangle. If the previous triangle in the current triangle strip is an odd triangle and the current triangle is an even triangle, and if the second index of the previous triangle matches the first index of the current triangle and the third index of the previous triangle matches the third index of the current triangle, then the current triangle is added to the current triangle strip. If the previous triangle in the current triangle strip is an even triangle and the current triangle is an odd triangle, and if the second index of the previous triangle matches the second index of the current triangle and the third index of the previous triangle matches the first index of the current triangle, then adding the current triangle to the current triangle strip.

Method and apparatus for processing a mesh of triangles