A mobile radio station PS1 in a mobile radio communication system shown in FIG. 1 receives a signal at a first interrupt time interval T1 or a second interrupt time interval T2.. The mobile station PS1 sets an interrupt time interval and informs the interrupt time interval to a control station CS. The mobile station PS1 receives a signal at the set interrupt time interval.. Receiving an incoming call from a calling station addressed to the mobile radio station PS1 which receives a signal at the second interrupt time interval T2, in case that the control station CS determines the calling station requires a simplex communication, the control station CS stores data addressed to the mobile radio station PS1 in the storing server SV, in case that the control station CS determines the calling station requires a bi-directional communication, the control station CS transmits a signal to the mobile radio station PS1. The signal requires to change the second interrupt time interval T2 to the first interrupt time interval T1.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of a mobile radio communication system, such as a portable radio telephone system or a vehicle telephone system. The present invention also relates to a mobile radio communication network in said mobile radio communication system and a mobile radio station in said mobile radio communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a mobile radio communication system has an intermittent power-supply system. The intermittent supply system is used for extending a using time of a mobile radio station. The mobile radio station has a battery as a power supply unit. Each of mobile radio stations in said system receives a signal intermittently at an interrupt time interval. An alternate expression for interrupt time interval is interrupt time cycle. In said system, each of mobile radio stations receives radio frequency signals only in the period of its control channel. Receiving the signals only in the period of its control channel reduces the consumption of the electric power.
For example, a cellular radio telecommunication system generally has two or more radio areas, each of said radio areas is controlled by a base station. The base station controls a plurality of mobile radio stations, said each mobile radio stations are located in each said radio areas. Said mobile radio stations are connected to the base stations over radio channels.
FIG. 10 shows a frame of one of said radio channels.
The frame consists of a frame synchronization channel F and eight paging channels P1 to P8. In other words, the system which uses the radio channel shown in FIG. 10 has 8 base stations BS1 to BS8. The system has 8 radio areas G1 to G8. Accordingly, the base station BSi controls mobile radio stations which are located in the radio area Gi (i=1 to 8).
Said system uses said frame synchronization channel F to transmit a frame synchronous signal, a outgoing call control channel number, and other information in said system. Said frame synchronous signal makes a mobile radio station set a frame synchronization.
In said system, the base station BSi (i=1 to 8) uses said paging channel Pi (i=1 to 8) to transmit an incoming call to the called mobile radio station which is located in the radio area the base station BSi (i=1 to 8) controls.
Accordingly, each of mobile radio stations which is controlled by a base station BSi receives radio frequency signals only in the period of the frame synchronization channel F and its paging channel Pi.
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, each of mobile radio stations which is located in the radio area G1 supplies a electric power to a part which requires a electric power and receives radio frequency signals only in the period of the frame synchronization channel F and the paging channel P1. In other period, the mobile radio station stops supplying a electric power to the part which requires a electric power in the mobile radio station, and stops receiving said signals.
As same as above, each of mobile radio stations which is located in radio area Gi supplies a electric power to a part which requires electric power only in the receiving period of the frame synchronization channel F and the paging channel Pi, in other period, said mobile radio station stops supplying the electric power.
As mentioned above, as each of mobile radio stations in said system receives a signal intermittently at an interrupt time interval. Receiving a signal intermittently at an interrupt time interval saves a 7/9 electric power, compared as always receiving radio frequency signals. In above system, increasing a number of the radio area reduces further electric power supplied to a mobile radio station. However, it also extends an interrupt time interval.
As a bad result for extending an interrupt time interval, it costs a long time for a mobile radio station to receive a signal transmitted from a mobile radio communication network in said system.
In the system, furthermore, the mobile radio station never selects an interrupt time interval. The mobile radio station has to receive a signal at a fixed interrupt time interval. Accordingly, the mobile radio station receives useless signal because of receiving the signal at the fixed interrupt time interval.
Furthermore, when the control station in said system receives an incoming call addressed to the mobile radio station, the incoming call indicating that a calling station requests a simplex communication (for example, voicemail, facsimile, other data communication), the mobile radio station has to always receive data in accordance with said simplex communication because that the mobile radio communication network doesn't store the data. An alternate expression for simplex communication is one-way communication.

Mobile radio communication system, a mobile radio communication network and a mobile radio station in said mobile radio communication system


A rotary elliptically shaped head, free spinning, designed to be attached to a pressurized hose, fluid driven. When activated, the fluid is directed thru the head, striking internal longitudinal fins the cause the had to spin longitudinally, at high speed. The fluid is released thru holes in the head, which by the same centrifugal force driving the head along rows of bristles. When applied to a desire surface the head will scrub and clean the surface.

The prior inventions directed to clean, sand, grind, cut & polish, have had a more labor intensive process, as well as more complicated procedures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,717 to Lanzo, Jr. is directed to a liquid driven ball, set at a perpendicular angle and attached to a wand with the liquid flowing thru a mesh and porous foam material. U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,334 to Carbonell, sets forth a scrubber utilizing a motor powered rotary brush structure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,729 to Roman sets forth a scrubber having rotary blades mounted within a housing in fluid communication with a conduit as the individual matrix rotary brushes are mounted medially of a bottom wall of the housing. Accordingly, it may be appreciated there continues to be a need for a need for a new & improved rotary scrubber apparatus as set forth by the instant invention addressing both the problems of ease of use, as well as effectiveness in construction, durability, effecting the rotary cleaning of surfaces. The present invention substantially fulfills this need.


To provide a resin composition, wherein the resin composition is excellent in impregnation into a reinforcing fiber sheet as it contains a polyamide having a low viscosity number; wherein the resin composition can be molded into a film, a fiber, etc., even though it contains a polyamide having a low viscosity number; and wherein the resin composition can produce a fiber-reinforced molded product having excellent impact resistance; a molded product and a method for its production; and a fiber-reinforced molded product having excellent impact resistance and a method for its production.

Fiber-reinforced molded products have been employed in a wide range of applications including transport equipment (vehicles (automobiles, railway vehicles, etc.), aircrafts, etc.), building components, electronic devices, medical devices, etc. As matrix resins for the fiber-reinforced molded products, cured products of thermosetting resins have been commonly employed.
However, as for fiber-reinforced molded products using cured products of thermosetting resins as matrix resins, it takes time to cure the thermosetting resins, which cause problems such as poor productivity, low impact resistance, and poor prepreg storage stability. In order to solve these problems, a prepreg and a fiber reinforced molded product using a thermoplastic resin as a matrix resin have been proposed (Patent Documents 1 and 2).
However, the fiber reinforced molded product using a thermoplastic resin as a matrix resin is still insufficient in terms of impact resistance.
As a prepreg capable of obtaining a fiber reinforced molded product excellent in impact resistance, a matrix resin comprising a thermoplastic resin and a melt-processable fluororesin having at least one type of a functional group selected from a carbonyl group-containing group, a hydroxy group, an epoxy group, and an isocyanate group, has been proposed (Patent Document 3).

Resin composition, molded product and method for its production, prepreg and method for its production, and fiber-reinforced molded product and method for its production

Abstract: A resin composition comprising:                a polyamide having a viscosity number of from 100 to 170 determined by a method specified in ISO 307: 2007; and        a melt-processable fluororesin having at least one type of a functional group selected from the group consisting of a carbonyl group-containing group, a hydroxy group, an epoxy group and an isocyanate group, and having a melting point of from 100 to 325° C.


To improve the appearance of the steering apparatus and the operability of the horn operating cover in a steering apparatus mounted in a vehicle, a steering apparatus and airbag device are disclosed. In form of a steering apparatus, a module cover for operating a horn turns in a direction of the initial position and the horn operating position with respect to a fulcrum independently from the retainer which is fixedly mounted on the cover counter-surface of the steering wheel.

A conventional construction in which an airbag device and a horn mechanism are mounted in a steering apparatus is known (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-100832).
In a steering apparatus in the '832 Japanese Publication, when a vehicle occupant presses an airbag cover, a movable contact abuts a fixed contact and sounds a horn.
In particular, in the '832 Japanese Publication, the detailed construction of the steering apparatus in which the airbag device and the horn mechanism are mounted is known, but in the steering apparatus, it is strongly suggested that the appearance of the steering apparatus be improved by decreasing a gap between an outer peripheral portion of the horn operating cover and the steering wheel and the operability of the horn operating cover be improved by minimizing a pressing load in operating the horn. As a result, these matters should be considered in designing a steering apparatus.


The present invention is a hydrogen getter and method for formulating and using the getter. This getter effectively removes hydrogen gas typically present in many hermetically-sealed electronic applications where the presence of such gas would otherwise be harmful to the electronics. The getter is a non-organic composition, usable in a wide range of temperatures as compared to organic getters. Moreover, the getter is formulated to be used without the need for the presence of oxygen. The getter is comprised of effective amounts of an oxide of a platinum group metal, a desiccant, and a gas permeable binder which preferably is cured after composition in an oxygen-bearing environment at about 150 to about 205 degrees centigrade.

This invention generally relates to hermetically-sealed electronic devices and, more particularly, to compositions and methods for removing hydrogen and moisture from such devices.
Electronic assemblies for use in a variety of harsh environments, such as in space or marine applications, oftentimes are sealed from the outside conditions by use of gas-tight (hermetically sealed) containers. Such containers, while sealing out external dust, air and the like, trap in whatever is inside the devices.
Such hermetically sealed electronic assemblies generally contain semiconductor devices made from gallium arsenide (chemical symbol: GaAs) and/or indium phosphide (InP), and, in order to assure reliability and minimize failures in use, are test-operated at elevated temperatures (typically in the range of 125.degree. C.) for a period of time (typically 1,000 hours), generally referred to as burn-in and life testing. At such conditions, a loss of performance was found both in alternating current (AC), including radio frequency (RF), operating characteristics, as well as direct current (DC) operating characteristics. It was determined that hydrogen gas was the primary cause of the performance degrading. This degradation was later observed to be common to most GaAs semiconductor devices utilizing the industry standard gate metallization structures. (Structures made with titanium/platinum/gold (Ti/Pt/Au) or titanium/palladium/gold (Ti/Pd/Au) gates)(Kayali, "Hydrogen Effects on GaAs Device Reliability," 1996). The source of the problem has been determined to be hydrogen gas that was absorbed in the package metals (Kovar, etc.) or hydrogen generated by other materials such as RF absorbers inside the device package. Hydrogen gas desorbed or generated inside hermetically sealed devices has no clear path for escape, and its concentration can easily rise to 1-2% of the gas volume in gas-filled devices during initial operation.
The exact mechanism by which hydrogen degrades device performance, and the path by which hydrogen reaches the active area of a device is not well understood and is still a subject of investigation. However, it appears that the platinum group metals Pt and Pd used in gate structures play an important role in the degradation process (Camp et. al., "Hydrogen Effects on Reliability of GaAs MMICs," GaAs IC Symposium, 1989). These metals are catalysts for the dissociation of molecular hydrogen to atomic hydrogen which can diffuse into other areas of the device. Earlier research on GaAs transistors identified the diffusion of atomic hydrogen directly into the channel area of the device where it neutralizes the silicon donors as a possible mechanism (Chevallier et al., "Donor Neutralization in GaAs(Si) by Atomic Hydrogen," Appl. Phys. Lett. 47, pg 108, July 1985.) Whatever the precise mechanism of device degradation by hydrogen may be, it is clear that it has a direct impact on the performance and reliability of GaAs devices used for high reliability applications.
One typical means of addressing this problem is the use of compositions which scavenge the hydrogen, generally referred to in the art and herein as "hydrogen getters" or, simply, "getters." Microcircuit devices, and, thus, the getters may be required to function in a vacuum, or be air or inert gas filled devices. Furthermore, they typically are required to function at temperatures ranging from -55.degree. C. to 150.degree. C., or higher. Space inside such devices is limited and, thus, it is highly preferable that the getter may be easily formed into a thin film or similar shape to conform to the inside of the sealed device. Further, to be a viable remedy, the getter should lower hydrogen concentrations to the low parts per million level (100 PPM or lower is preferable) over the operating temperature range of -55.degree. to 150.degree. C. where GaAs or similar devices are commonly used. It also must not desorb any other materials that might degrade device performance. Ideally, it should be easily manufactured to any desired physical dimensions and have a hydrogen capacity which could be tailored for any particular application.
One type of prior art hydrogen getter consists of alloys of metals such as iron, nickel, titanium, vanadium, zirconium, chromium, cobalt, the rare earth metals, and other metals and alloys which react with hydrogen to form metallic hydrides. These metallic getters typically require high temperatures exceeding 300.degree. C. for activation and/or operation, and are frequently poisoned by the presence of oxygen, water vapor, or other contaminants such as chlorine gas and the like. Thus, this type of hydrogen getter may be undesirable where power or temperature constraints limit the hydrogen getter temperature or such contaminants are present. As with other metals, these alloys can be metal-worked to form thin films for insertion into sealed devices, although the metal-working machinery to perform such stamping may be unwieldy and shaping the alloys into complex forms may be difficult.
Another type of prior art hydrogen getter consists of a mixture of a platinum group metal, usually palladium for cost reasons, on a substrate, such as activated carbon, to increase active surface area and an unsaturated organic compound, such as diphenyl butadiyne or 1,4-bis(phenylethynyl) benzene. The platinum metal operates as a catalyst in the mixture to bind the hydrogen into the organics. This type of getter will function at low to moderate temperatures (less than 100.degree. C.) and is not poisoned by oxygen or water vapor. However, these materials have significantly high vapor pressures at temperatures above 100.degree. C. and may melt in that range, which may lead to material migration inside the device, which is very undesirable. Although this type of getter is not poisoned by the presence of water vapor, neither does it have any capabilities for absorption of water vapor. Any water vapor present or produced inside of an electronic enclosure is a potential source of corrosion, and circuit shorting and thus is undesirable. Typically, this type of getter is manufactured from a commercially-available palladium-on-activated-carbon powder which is mixed with the desired organic material in ajar mill or the like to form a finely-ground and well-mixed powder. The powder may then be molded into a pellet shape in a pellet maker. However, the resulting mixture is very brittle and, thus, is not suitable for molding into thin shapes.

Hydrogen and moisture getter and absorber for sealed devices


The present invention provides a process for producing lower olefins by catalytic cracking a feedstock comprising an olefins-enriched mixture containing C4 or higher olefins and optionally an organic oxygenate compound. The technical problem mainly addressed in the present invention is to overcome the defects presented in the prior art including low yield and selectivity of lower olefins as the target products, and short regeneration period of catalyst. The present process, which is carried out under the conditions of catalytic cracking olefins and adopts as a feedstock an olefins-enriched mixture containing one or more C4 or higher olefins and optionally an organic oxygenate compound, comprises the steps of: a) letting the feedstock firstly enter a first reaction zone to contact with a first crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst having a SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of at least 10, to thereby produce a first reaction effluent containing lower olefins; b) letting the first reaction effluent enter in turn at least one second reaction zone to contact with a second crystalline aluminosilicate catalyst having a SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of at least 10, to thereby produce a second reaction effluent containing lower olefins; and c) separating lower olefins from the second reaction effluent; wherein the reaction temperatures in the first and second reaction zones are controlled. The present process, which desirably solves the above technical problem, can be used in industrial production of lower olefins.

Petrochemical industry is an important supporting industry in national economy, and supplies a large quantity of chemical raw materials for various departments including industry, agriculture, communication and national defense, which is thus one of the industrial sectors taking correlative and leading action in national economy. Lower olefins are one of the most important basic raw materials constituting modern petrochemical industry.
For instance, propylene is mainly used for the production of polypropylene, cumene, oxo alcohol, acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, acrylic acid, isopropanol and etc., wherein polypropylene accounts for more than half of the demand for propylene in the world.
At present, 67% of propylene in the world is derived from by-products in the production of ethylene by steam cracking, 30% of which is derived from by-products in the production of gasoline and diesel oil by catalytic cracking unit (FCC) in refinery, and low amount of which (about 3%) is obtained from dehydrogenation of propane and metathesis reaction of ethylene-butylene. It is predicted that the demand of propylene in the future will be increased in a higher rate than the supply thereof. Considering the relatively higher rate of increase in term of demand of propylene, and the situation of "demand exceeds supply" presented in conventional production modes, it is necessary to recur to other various new techniques of increasing yield of propylene for the purpose of supplementing the demand of propylene.
In recent periods, under the influence of strong demand for polyolefins and alkyl aromatic compounds, the demand of lower olefins tends to be rapidly increased, while the conventional production modes of lower olefins cannot satisfy the rapidly increased demand of the market for lower olefins, thus it is necessary to recur to other various new techniques of increasing yield of lower olefins for the purpose of supplementing the demand of lower olefins.
On the other hand, there are quite a lot of raw materials of C4 or higher olefins in the world. Considering the influence of various factors including change of chemical product market and transportation cost, it is a preferable way to make use of these raw materials by subjecting them to deep processing on the spot. One hopeful process of which involves the conversion of C4 or higher olefins to lower olefins. The process not only can make use of raw materials of C4 or higher olefins being relatively surplus and having a lower accessory value, but also can obtain various lower olefins products having wide uses.
The reference document CN1490287A disclosed a process for production of ethylene and propylene by reacting a mixture containing C4 or C5 olefins in a fixed-bed reactor at a temperature of 350-500° C., a pressure of 0.6-1.0 MPa and a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 1-10 hr−1. It was focused on the modification of various types of catalysts and the reaction results, and the reaction raw materials are mainly directed to C4 and C5 olefins but not to C5 or higher olefins. Meanwhile, a single reactor configuration was used therein, thus it was impossible to assure that the catalyst kept a desirable stability and to obtain a desirable yield of the target products.
The reference document CN1274342A (counterpart to U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,117B1) disclosed a process for producing ethylene and propylene by catalytic conversion from a linear hydrocarbon feedstock containing 20% or more of at least one C4-C12 olefins, wherein zeolite in a zeolite-containing catalyst used therein satisfied the following requirements: said zeolite contained substantially no proton, said zeolite had a SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of from 200 to 5,000, and said zeolite contained at least one metal selected from the group consisting of metals belonging to Group IB of the Periodic Table, and said zeolite was an intermediate pore size zeolite, and the preferred zeolite belonged to the ZSM-5 zeolite family. The reaction was carried at a temperature of 400-700° C., a pressure of 0.1-10 atm and a WHSV of 1-1,000 hr−1. However, a single reactor configuration was similarly used therein, thereby resulting in relatively lower yields of ethylene and propylene with the highest yield of propylene being only 25.19%.
The reference document WO 00/26163 to Equistar Chemicals, L.P. disclosed a process for making propylene and ethylene from a feedstock containing at least 60 wt. % C4 and/or C5 olefins with a zeolite catalyst having an intermediate pore size. Zeolites useful in the invention included: zeolites having one-dimensional channel such as ZSM-23 and AlPO4-11 which had a pore diameter greater than 3.5 Å and a pore size index within the range of 14 to 28; and zeolites having interconnecting channels such as ZSM-57 and AlPO4-18 which included a primary channel that had a pore diameter greater than 3.5 Å and a pore size index within the range of 14 to 28, and a secondary channel that had a pore size index less than 20. The catalyst could be Na-type, H-type and etc., in which trace amounts of an oxidizing metal such as Pd or Pt could be added to promote coke removal during catalyst regeneration. The process was used generally with a fixed-bed reactor system, and the reaction was preformed at a temperature of 200-750° C., a pressure of 0.05-1 MPa and a WHSV of 0.5-1,000 hr−1. On the one side, the reference did not disclose concrete preparation method of the catalyst and reaction data. Meanwhile, a single reactor configuration was also used therein, which determined the results including non-ideal yields of ethylene and propylene and poor stability of the catalyst.
The reference document EP0109059A1 put forward a process for conversion of C4-C12 olefins to propylene. The catalyst used therein was ZSM-5 zeolite having a SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio equal to or lower than 300. The process was carried out at a temperature of 400-600° C., and a space velocity of olefins of higher than 50 hr−1. The influences of various formulated raw materials, reaction temperature and space velocity on catalytic cracking reaction were investigated in detail therein. However, it was not mentioned in this invention to use combined reactor configurations, thus the catalyst could not effectuate its advantage of optimum catalytic conversion, and the target product did not have satisfactory selectivity and stability.
The reference document U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,818 put forward a process for conversion of C4-C7 olefins to C3 and C4 olefins. The catalyst used therein was pentasil type zeolite catalyst having a SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of 10-200, a BET specific surface area of 300-600 m2/g, and a particle size of 0.1-0.9 μm. The reaction temperature was 380-500° C. One feature of this invention resided in blending a certain proportion of vapor into the feedstock, wherein the ratio of H2O/HC was 0.5-3 (by weight). It was said that the addition of vapor could alleviate carbon deposition on the catalyst to thereby increase stability of the catalyst. Likewise, it was not considered in this invention to use combined reactor configuration, which similarly could not effectuate the advantage of optimum activity and stability for the catalyst.

Process for producing lower olefins by using multiple reaction zones

Shanghai Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology Sinopec


A method and apparatus for updating motion vector memories used for prediction of motion vectors in a video compression coding/decoding method and system. For a frame composed of N macroblocks in the horizontal direction, only (2N+1) motion vector memories are used to store all motion vectors necessary to motion prediction, and only three memories per macroblock are used to update motion vectors, thereby reducing the size of a circuitry, the amount of computation and the amount of power consumed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the updating of motion vector memories used for prediction of motion vectors in a video compression coding/decoding method and system, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for updating motion vector memories wherein, for a frame composed of N macroblocks in the horizontal direction, only (2N+1) motion vector memories are used to store all motion vectors necessary to motion prediction, and only three memories per macroblock are used to update motion vectors, thereby reducing the size of a circuitry, the amount of computation and the amount of power consumed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, video signal compression coding and decoding can desirably reduce the capacity of a memory necessary for storing video information as well as enable the transmission of the video information over a low-rate channel. In this regard, such compression coding and decoding techniques occupy a very important part of the multimedia industry requiring a variety of video applications such as video storage, video transmission, etc. On the other hand, the standardization of such information compression techniques has been required for the enlargement of the multimedia industry and the compatibility of information. In order to meet this requirement, video standards have been proposed up to the present on the basis of a variety of applications. For example, representative video coding/decoding standards may be H.261 of ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union—Telecommunication Standardization Sector) for transmitting video information for a video phone, video conferencing and the like via an ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network), H.263 of ITU-T for transmitting video information via a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), MPEG-1 of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG11 (International Standardization Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission Joint Technical Committee 1/Sub Committee 29/Working Group 11) MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) for storage of video in DSM (Digital Storage Media), and MPEG-2 for high definition digital broadcasting such as an EDTV (Enhanced Digital Television), HDTV (High Definition Television) and the like. A representative standard of still image signal compression coding techniques may be, for example, JPEG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group) of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG1.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the construction of a conventional digital video compression coding system. For efficient video compression coding, the method generally used for estimating a motion vector by referencing a reference frame for the coding of a current frame, performing a motion compensation prediction operation using the estimated motion vector and coding the resulting prediction error. With reference to FIG. 1, the conventional video compression coding system comprises a transform unit 11 for performing a transform operation for a frame difference between an input current frame and a motion compensation prediction frame obtained by a motion compensation predictor 61, a quantizer 31 for quantizing transform coefficients from the transform unit 11 for data compression, a variable length coder 41 for performing a variable length coding (VLC) operation for the transform coefficients quantized by the quantizer 31, a dequantizer 51 and an inverse transform unit 21. In this coding system, the frame difference is reconstructed by the dequantizer 51 and inverse transform unit 21 and applied to the motion compensation predictor 61 so that it can be used to obtain a prediction frame related to the next frame. The motion compensation predictor 61 performs a motion vector estimation operation using the input current frame and the reference frame and finds the prediction frame using an estimated motion vector. The motion vector estimated by the motion compensation predictor 61 is transferred to the variable length coder 41, which then variable length codes and transmits it together with the transform coefficients quantized by the quantizer 31. An image information bit stream output from the variable length coder 41 is transmitted to a receiver or a multiplexer for its multiplexing with other signals.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the construction of a conventional digital video compression decoding system. As shown in this drawing, a variable length decoder 42 performs a variable length decoding (VLD) operation for the transform coefficients and motion vector bit stream transmitted from the video compression coding system. The transform coefficients variable length decoded by the variable length decoder 42 are reconstructed by a dequantizer 22 and inverse transform unit 52 and applied to a motion compensation predictor 62. Also, the motion vector information variable length decoded by the variable length decoder 42 is applied directly to the motion compensation predictor 62 for use in motion compensation prediction. In other words, the digital video compression decoding system is adapted to receive information transmitted from the coding system and reconstruct the original frame on the basis of the received information. In order to reconstruct the same frame as that in the coding system, the decoding system must decode a received motion vector and perform a motion compensation prediction for the decoded motion vector.
In a general video coding method and system, motion prediction and compensation operations are not performed on a frame basis, but in the unit of a predetermined number of picture elements or pixels (M pixels in the horizontal direction and N pixels in the vertical direction, typically indicated by M×N pixels). This group of pixels is typically called a macroblock. It is generally prescribed that the macroblock be sized with 16 pixels in the horizontal direction and 16 pixels in the vertical direction (referred to hereinafter as "16×16"). In the present invention, although the size of the macroblock is not limited to a specific value, it will be described as 16×16 as an example for the convenience of description. A motion vector is two-dimensional information indicative of the quantity of motion of an object in the previous and current frames on an X-Y coordinate plane. Namely, the motion vector consists of a transversal motion value and a longitudinal motion value.
On the other hand, the motion prediction and compensation operations are performed on a macroblock basis. Namely, pixels in one macroblock are compensation-predicted using the same motion vector. In this regard, one motion vector is transmitted for the compensation prediction of each macroblock. However, there has recently been a need for video coding transmission at a very low bit-rate, resulting in studies of methods for effectively coding videos of low resolution. Representative methods are to estimate a motion vector on a smaller pixel group basis instead of the assumption that pixels in one macroblock have the same motion. For the latest very low bit-rate video coding standard, or H.263 of ITU-T, one macroblock is partitioned into four blocks of the same size, and the motion estimation and prediction operations are performed for each of the partitioned blocks together with the existing method for compensating for each macroblock on the basis of one motion vector. In the present invention, a macroblock mode where one motion vector per macroblock is transmitted will be referred to hereinafter as a 16×16 mode, and a macroblock mode where four motion vectors per macroblock are transmitted will be referred to hereinafter as an 8×8 mode.
As stated previously, a motion vector obtained by the motion compensation predictor is variable length coded by the variable length coder. The variable length coder represents a value with a higher generation frequency as a shorter code and a value with a lower generation frequency as a longer code, respectively. A motion vector has a close correlation with the surrounding blocks or macroblocks because of image characteristics. Accordingly, the coding efficiency can be increased by variable length coding a difference vector between a current motion vector and a motion vector predicted using motion vectors of the surrounding blocks or macroblocks, rather than directly variable length coding the current motion vector. The reason is that the difference vector is 0 or a value approximating 0 at a significantly high frequency.
FIG. 3 is a view showing the position of a macroblock to be currently coded and the positions of the surrounding macroblocks used for the prediction of a motion vector of the macroblock to be currently coded. Generally, a predicted motion vector can be determined using adjacent motion vectors in the following manner. That is, the predicted motion vector is determined as the median value of motion vectors of three macroblocks, or the left macroblock MB_A, the upper macroblock MB_B and the upper right macroblock MB_C, around a macroblock (MB_X) to be currently coded. A difference vector between the determined predicted motion vector and the current motion vector is obtained and then variable length coded. This method is typically used in ITU-T H.263 and ISO/IEC MPEG-4.
FIG. 3 illustrates motion vectors of the left, upper and upper right blocks or macroblocks around a macroblock to be currently coded, when the current macroblock is in the 16×16 mode. In this drawing, MVa can be interpreted to be of two types. It represents a motion vector of the left macroblock if the left macroblock is in the 16×16 mode, and a motion vector of an upper right block of the left macroblock if the left macroblock is in the 8×8 mode. Similarly, MVb represents a motion vector of the upper macroblock if the upper macroblock is in the 16×16 mode, and a motion vector of a lower left block of the upper macroblock if the upper macroblock is in the 8×8 mode. Similarly, MVc represents a motion vector of the upper right macroblock if the upper right macroblock is in the 16×16 mode, and a motion vector of a lower left block of the upper right macroblock if the upper right macroblock is in the 8×8 mode.
FIGS. 4a to 4d are views illustrating the motion vectors MVa, MVb and MVc when the current macroblock in FIG. 3 is in the 8×8 mode. FIG. 4a illustrates the motion vectors MVa, MVb and MVc when a block to be currently coded is an upper left block of the current macroblock, FIG. 4b illustrates the motion vectors MVa, MVb and MVc when the block to be currently coded is an upper right block of the current macroblock, FIG. 4c illustrates the motion vectors MVa, MVb and MVc when the block to be currently coded is a lower left block of the current macroblock, and FIG. 4d illustrates the motion vectors MVa, MVb and MVc when the block to be currently coded is a lower right block of the current macroblock. The point of difference of the 8×8 macroblock mode from the 16×16 macroblock mode in FIG. 3 is that the motion vectors MVa, MVb and MVc are defined differently according to the position of the block (not a macroblock) to be currently coded and even the motion vector of the macroblock to be currently coded is used. Similarly to FIG. 3, in the case where the block to be currently coded is an upper left block of the current macroblock, the motion vector MVa represents a motion vector of the left macroblock if the left macroblock is in the 16×16 mode, and a motion vector of an upper right block of the left macroblock if the left macroblock is in the 8×8 mode.
The main object of the motion vector prediction is to efficiently code a current motion vector using a similarity among motion vectors of adjacent macroblocks or blocks. However, additional memories must be provided to reference motion vectors of the surrounding macroblocks or blocks. Further, complex processes are required to update and reference the memories. As a result, provided that the motion estimator and motion compensator are implemented into hardware modules or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) using the memories, the complexity and power consumption will be increased. Furthermore, in conventional techniques, for the updating of motion vector memories, motion vectors of all macroblocks of one frame are individually stored or all motion vectors of one slice (corresponding to a row of one macroblock) are stored at a time, thereby increasing the amount of computation in terms of software and the size and complexity of a circuitry and the amount of power consumed in terms of hardware.

Method and apparatus for updating motion vector memories


A semiconductor package includes a semiconductor die attached to a substrate and a magnetic field sensor included as part of the same semiconductor package as the semiconductor die and positioned in close proximity to a current pathway of the semiconductor die so that the magnetic field sensor can sense a magnetic field produced by current flowing in the current pathway. The magnetic field sensor includes a first magnetic field sensing component galvanically isolated from the current pathway and positioned so that a magnetic field produced by current flowing in the current pathway impinges on the first magnetic field sensing component in a first direction. The magnetic field sensor also includes a second magnetic field sensing component galvanically isolated from the current pathway and positioned so that the magnetic field impinges on the second magnetic field sensing component in a second direction different than the first direction.

Power packages include one or more power semiconductor dies such as power transistor and/or power diode dies attached to a substrate such as a lead frame or ceramic substrate having a patterned metallized surface. In each case, accurate current and/or temperature measurements are needed to ensure reliable and safe operation of the power package. Some current/temperature sensors are implemented using external components such as resistive shunts which are highly precise, but and complicate the package design. Other conventional approaches integrate an electrical-type sensor in the power semiconductor die. This approach reduces the complexity of the package design, but at the expense of reduced precision. Typical integrated electrical-type sensors such as a diode whose voltage is representative of temperature or current have poor sense accuracy e.g. +/−28%. The sense accuracy can be improved e.g. to +/−2% with customer calibration, but this requires calibration effort which increases cost. Some applications run with a defined safety margin or shut down feature in order to avoid over-current/heat and damage of the power semiconductor devices.

Semiconductor package with integrated magnetic field sensor


The invention provides antibiotics designated LL-E19020 Epsilon and LL-E19020 Epsilon.sub.1 which are derived from the microorganism Streptomyces lydicus ssp. tanzanius NRRL 18036.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to new antibiotics designated LL-E19020 Epsilon and LL-E19020 Epsilon.sub.1, to their production by fermentation and to a process for their recovery and purification.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Antibiotics LL-E19020 Alpha and LL-E19020 Beta are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,688, The Journal Of Antibiotics, 41(10), 1511-1514 (1988) and The Journal Of Antibiotics, 42(10), 1489-1493 (1989). Antibiotic LL-E19020 Alpha has a trisaccharide attached at C-21a, a phenylacetate ester group attached at C-23 and has the structure: ##STR1##
Antibiotic LL-E19020 Beta has a trisaccharide attached at C-21a, a phenylacetate ester group attached at C-24 and has the structure: ##STR2##
A process for purification of the antibiotic LL-E19020 Alpha by reversed phase HPLC purification is described in J. of Chrom. 484, 381-390(1989). Antibiotics LL-E19020 Alpha and LL-E19020 Beta are also useful for increasing the growth rate of meat producing animals and for treating respiratory disease, fowl cholera and necrotic enteritis as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,276 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,493.
A related family of compounds, the phenelfamycins, is reported in The Journal Of Antibiotics, 41(10), 1293-1299 (1988); The Journal Of Antibiotics, 41(10), 1300-1315 (1988); The Journal Of Antibiotics, 39(10), 1361-1367 (1986); The Journal Of Antibiotics, 42(1), 94-101 (1989); Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 33(3), 322-325 (1989); Program and Abstracts Of The 27th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents Chemotherapy, No. 995, p 270, New York, Oct. 4-7 1987.

Antibiotics LL-E19020 Epsilon and LL-E19020 Epsilon.sub.1


A liquid crystal display (LCD) and a driving method thereof are disclosed. The LCD includes: an LCD panel, a grayscale voltage output portion and a grayscale voltage adjusting portion. The LCD panel includes a deformation area formed by bonding of a driver integrated circuit, and the deformation area includes a first subpixel. The grayscale voltage output portion is configured to output a first grayscale voltage to the first subpixel. The grayscale voltage adjusting portion is configured to adjust the first grayscale voltage into a second grayscale voltage, so that a brightness of the first subpixel at the second grayscale voltage is less than a brightness of the first subpixel at the first grayscale voltage.

Liquid crystal display (LCD), as one of flat panel displays, has been widely applied in various fields and has the advantages of low power consumption, thin and light weight, etc. For example, the LCD includes an LCD panel. The LCD includes an array substrate, an opposing substrate which is cell-assembled with the array substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the array substrate and the opposing substrate. The array substrate may include a pixel electrode. A common electrode may be formed on the array substrate or the opposing substrate. A color filter (CF) may be disposed on the opposing substrate. The pixel electrode and the common electrode may be configured to form an electric field to drive liquid crystal molecules to rotate, so the transmittance of incident light can be controlled, and then the bright and dark control of the LCD panel can be realized, and finally image display can be realized.

Liquid crystal display and driving method to compensate a deformation area thereof

CHONGQING BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Method of purification by extraction of at least one substance to be isolated from a liquid medium, comprising an addition to the latter of an organic compound, entrainable by a vapor, which has a molecule with an acidic-basic character in the Lewis sense due to at least one atom of N, O and/or S forming one or more active sites provided with a free electron pair, this pair or these pairs being in resonance with at least one other pair carried by the molecule, this addition being carried out in a quantity sufficient to give rise to a product of an equilibrium reaction between the organic compound and the said at least one substance to be isolated, and sufficient to cause a precipitation of this equilibrium reaction product, a filtration of the precipitate and an entrainment by vapor of the organic compound from the precipitate, with a yield of the substance to be isolated in purified form.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of purification by extraction of at least one substance to be isolated from a liquid medium.
2. The Prior Art
Many of the industrial methods of purification now practised are included in the following list, with their disadvantages in parentheses: salting-out (distillation of the agent modifying the solubility), precipitation (acid or base from displacement of the precipitating agent and distillation sometimes azeotropic), liquid/liquid extraction (sometimes with two expensive solvents, with regeneration and progressive loss of efficiency of the solvents), ionic flotation (long and costly), ion-exchange resins (difficult to apply in acid media) and electrolysis (not very efficient, high energy consumption).
In the special case of the production of pure or extra-pure phosphoric acid, if synthesis is excluded, this is now made principally by two methods: either by the "dry" method, with high energy consumption, using "ore-coke-silica" furnaces at more than 1000.degree. C. followed by bubbling through H.sub.2 O of the P.sub.2 O.sub.5 extracted from it; or by the "wet" method using attack by an acid, mainly sulphuric acid (whose evolution of heat is quite considerable), but also nitric acid (corrosive with release of noxious NOx), hydrochloric acid (very corrosive), or perchloric acid (danger of explosion), on phosphate ores given prior treatment (by calcination, crushing, screening) yielding a crude phosphoric acid solution. The Ca salts formed following the acid attack are removed by crystallisation of the sulphates (from 80.degree. C. to 110.degree. C.) or the nitrates (at a temperature <-5.degree. C. and with a low filterability) or again by carrying out a liquid/liquid extraction of the phosphoric acid, leaving the calcium chlorides untouched. The crude acid solutions are then concentrated by evaporation (noxious vapours) up to a 40% or 50% P.sub.2 O.sub.5 content (crude solution, sometimes called "green" or "black" acid in the case of attack using sulphuric acid).
The wet method using sulphuric acid, which covers the majority of the world tonnage of economically valuable phosphates, then directs the green acid either to the production of phosphate salts (for example, of superphosphates and nitrogenous phosphates for fertilisers) or to purification leading to pure or extra-pure phosphoric acid.
The aim of the method according to the invention is to overcome the disadvantages, indicated in parentheses, of the aforesaid present industrial methods of purification.
Methods are also known for the purification of aqueous acid solutions, such as crude phosphoric acid solutions, in which a substance is introduced which, with the acid, forms a precipitate in the form of a phosphate. Known examples are the addition of urea to obtain urea phosphate crystals (Chemical Abstracts 84:152820 of DE-A-2511345), that of melamine to form melamine phosphate (Chemical Abstracts 10: 138052) and that of 1,4-dioxan to form an addition product (salt) of this substance and H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 (Chemical Abstracts of the Japanese patent application Kokai JP 51143597).
These methods turn out to be relatively complicated when it comes to separating the phosphoric acid from the salt or from the adduct formed. Use is generally made of nitric acid to displace the phosphoric acid and to form a nitrate of the precipitating substance. In other cases, through elution using an aqueous ammonia solution, ammonium phosphate is produced, isolating the substance used for the precipitation and thus enabling it to be recycled.
A Moroccan patent no 23439 is also known, in which the phosphoric acid is subjected to the action of an MSA compound of unspecified composition which puts the phosphoric acid into a form which can be purified by simple filtration. The phosphoric acid and the MSA compound are then recovered separately in regeneration reactors. The regeneration step is not indicated in this document either.
In Cellulose, Lignin and Paper-23, 1957, column 18606, a description is given of the precipitation, using aniline, of aniline-H.sub.3 PO.sub.4 from a solution containing dissolved phosphates. Once again this adduct is treated by NH.sub.3 in order to produce ammonium phosphate and the aniline can be extracted and purified from the reaction medium only after several operations, including a purification with Ca(OH).sub.2 and an extraction with benzene.
In Chemical Abstracts, vol 60, column 6515, a description is given of a method for recovering phosphoric acid from a solution containing phosphoric acid or phosphates by treatment with an aromatic amine, particularly aniline or p-toluidine, by heating to 102.degree. C. This gives an amine phosphate of high purity. However, this reference does not explain how to recover pure phosphoric acid from the amine phosphate.
All these methods describe an operation which is generally well known, that of a joint precipitation of the substance added to the liquid medium to be treated and of a substance which occurs in the treated liquid medium. These methods are then used to produce a derivative (a salt, for example) of the acid contained in the liquid medium or of the precipitating agent, without managing to produce this substance (the acid) in the pure state, and simultaneously to recover the precipitating agent in a recyclable manner. The formation of new salts necessitates the introduction of new substances, such as HNO.sub.3 or NH.sub.3, into the liquid medium.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems of cost, pollution and energy consumption associated with most of the methods for separating substances from a liquid medium.

Liquid medium extraction purification method


A battery module is provided, including: a plurality of battery packs teach being provided with an anode terminal and a cathode terminal; a plurality of coupling units each having ends coupled to the anode terminal and the cathode terminal of an adjacent battery pack, respectively, to couple the plurality of battery packs in series; an operation unit that is provided on one end of the coupling unit and ascends in accordance with an increasing internal pressure of the battery pack to open a coupling between the one end of the coupling unit and the terminals of the battery pack by raising the one end of the coupling unit; and a bypass unit having one end disposed over the one end of the coupling unit and the other end coupled to the other end of an adjacent coupling unit to maintain the other battery packs coupled in series, except for the battery packs the internal pressures of which have increased, when the one end of the coupling unit ascends by the operation unit.

(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a battery module capable of maintaining contact with other battery packs connected in series except for the failed battery packs when some battery packs are failed.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, a battery module of a large capacity mounted to a vehicle, for example, has been used in which a plurality of battery packs are coupled in series. However, each respective battery pack has a slight difference in its durability life due to manufacturing allowances, and further the battery packs are deteriorated or worn out separately in accordance with driving conditions.
In conventional lithium ion secondary batteries or a battery pack thereof, a physical power cut off principle using volume inflation by swelling is applied in order to ensure safety in case of a short circuit and over-charging.
As a representative example of a battery module, in Korean Publication No. 10-0914839, it is disclosed that a middle-large battery pack includes: a battery module of a high output and a large capacity in which a plurality of battery cells or unit modules are connected in series in a lamination state where they are in close contact or adjacent each other, the battery module is fixed to maintain the lamination state of the battery cells or the unit modules even when the battery module varies in their volumes while charging/discharging the battery, and further a part of a coupling portion of the electrode terminals is formed with a fragile structure so that the coupling portion of electrode terminal is ruptured to cut off power when inflation stress caused from a swelling of a battery cell is concentrated on the coupling portion of electrode terminals of the battery cells or the unit modules and the swelling value becomes a predetermined value or more; a battery management system (BMS) for detecting an operation state and controlling it; and a power cut off portion that is disposed between the battery module and an external input-output circuit and connects them in accordance with an operation order from the BMS wherein the plurality of battery modules are fixed by a frame member, outermost battery modules are surrounded by a sealing member fixed to the frame member, and a cutting portion or a notch portion shaped for inducing partial deformation of a swelling battery module is formed on a portion of the sealing member adjacent to the coupling portion of the electrode terminal such that the battery modules are shut off from the power cut off portion independently from the BMS in an abnormal operation condition.
However, according to the related art as described above, since the physical power cut off is induced, a battery system operation stops, and thus it is possible that another risk such as a collision may be caused as the result of an unexpected vehicle stop during driving.
When an auxiliary unit for ensuring additional safety for a vehicle is designed, it is preferred that a battery system can be operated constantly by bypassing an abnormal battery cell and using a normal battery cell, with a pressure switch for sensing gas generation due to swelling conditions of the respective battery cells being mounted to the battery system. Through such an improved configuration, even when the battery system has its power cut off while a vehicle is driven, a secondary collision that may be caused from a vehicle stop before a driver takes an action in advance can be prevented.
The description provided above as a related art of the present invention is just for helping understanding the background of the present invention and should not be construed as being included in the related art known by those skilled in the art.


A network topology collection device determining a network topology which indicates a connection state of a route prepares opposed topology information which indicates the connection state between a collection node to which the network topology collection device itself belongs and opposed nodes which respectively terminate routes terminated by the collection node, collects opposed topology information of a node directly or indirectly routed to the collection node, and determines a topology of an entire network based on the opposed topology information collected. Also, in a hierarchized route, the collection device determines a network topology of a route in a specific hierarchy based on opposed topology information in the hierarchy and opposed topology information of a route in another hierarchy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network topology collection device, and in particular to a network topology collection device for determining a network topology which indicates a connection state of a route.
Recently, with a rapid advancement of a communication technology and a growing demand for communication, the number of nodes (transmission devices) and routes (links) which compose a network has been increasing, a communication rate has been enhanced, the routes in the network have been hierarchized (multiplexed), and a network topology has been complicated.
In such a complicated network, recognition (determination) of a network topology when the nodes and routes are added/changed/removed at the time of a network construction or after the construction has been more and more important for enhancing the reliability of communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recognition of the prior art network topology such as a recognition of a connection state after a network construction in an SDH/SONET trunk transmission system requires verifications based on network composition data, which much rely on manual works, resulting in a possibility of wrong network construction.
In order to solve this problem, "Generation method of network composition data and network system using the same" disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.2000-4227 has proposed a method/system for performing verifying works in real time.
The method and system are characterized in that transmission information carried by transmission part information added thereto is transmitted between interfaces of transmission devices (nodes) mutually connected, the transmission part information received on the reception side and reception part information which receives the transmission part information are stored, and the stored transmission part information and the reception part information are combined to be outputted as device information required from a processor connected to the outside of the transmission device.
When the method and the system are applied to an SDH/SONET network, for example, a connection state of a section can be collected since the collected network composition data are an aggregation of pairs of the transmission part information and the reception part information. However, a connection state of a line and a path may not be collected. Namely, in this method and system, there is a problem that only a network topology of a section within a route where a section, a line, and a path are hierarchized ("multiplexed" in the SDH/SONET network) can be recognized.
Also, the processor is connected to the outside of the transmission device with another transmission line different from one through which communication service information passes. The network composition data are collected through this different transmission line. Accordingly, there is a problem as follows: When the different transmission line through which the network composition data pass is abnormal, the processor can not properly collect the network composition data. Therefore, although the transmission line through which the communication service information passes is normal, the topology of the network composed of the normal transmission line and the transmission device can not be determined.
Furthermore, since the network composition data are collected in real time in the method and the system, the transmission device is always required to keep transmitting the transmission part information and to keep transmitting the network composition data to the processor. The processor is always required to update the network composition data, and to determine the network topology. Accordingly, there is a problem that information transmitted/received between the transmission devices and between the transmission device and the processor is increased, thereby complicating the processing of the processor.


A staple sorter comprising a large-capacity non-sort tray. Sheets are stacked one by one on a plurality of bins so as to make collated sets of sheets (sort mode), and each set is stapled by a staple unit. A sheet conveyer gate has rollers and is capable of moving vertically. The sheet conveyer gate takes a stapled stack of sheets out of a bin with the rollers when lowered, and ejects the stack onto the non-sort tray after elevated. When ejecting, the gate is elevated to a position which is higher than the uppermost surface of the sheets stacked on the non-sort tray.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for stacking and storing sheets and particularly to an apparatus for stacking and storing a large amount of sheets ejected from a copying machine, a printer or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, an image forming system such as an electrophotographic copying machine and a laser printer is provided with an apparatus for stacking and storing sheets on which images have been formed, either directly or after performing a stapling process on the sheets. In recent years, the capacity of such an apparatus has become larger. In a sheet storing apparatus having a large capacity, a sheet stacking tray can be elevated and lowered, whereas ejecting rollers for ejecting a sheet onto the tray are fixed at an established height. In order to stack on the tray neatly, there is provided a sensor for detecting the uppermost surface of the stack of sheets on the tray, and the tray is lowered so that the uppermost surface of the stack of sheets is detected at a constant height by the sensor.
Lowering a tray loaded with a large a mount of sheets, which have a considerable weight, requires a high-output motor, a sturdy power train and a sturdy support structure, thus increasing the size and cost of the apparatus.

Apparatus for stacking and storing sheets


A method for performing differential interference contrast microscopy on a specimen includes collecting at least two images with illumination respectively having first and second beam-shear directions relative to a rotational orientation of the specimen, determining data associated with an intensity distribution of each of the collected images, and calculating values having a spatial distribution that is substantially independent of the rotational orientation of the specimen. A differential interference contrast microscope includes a beam-shearing assembly that includes a beam-shearing component. The beam-shearing assembly is configured to provide a variable shear vector without a movement of the beam-shearing component. A microscopy system can include the microscope and an imaging-control unit.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to light microscopy, and, more particularly, to differential interference contrast microscopy.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Differential interference contrast (DIC) light microscopy is commonly employed to observe structure and motion in unstained living cells and isolated organelles. DIC microscopy utilizes a beam-shearing interference system in which an illumination beam is sheared into two beams having a spatial separation typically less than the resolution of the microscope. The two beams are recombined after passing through a specimen to produce an interference image related to optical phase gradients of the specimen.
A DIC microscopy can produce a monochromatic shadow-cast image of a specimen that displays a lateral gradient of the optical path presented by the specimen, i.e., a lateral phase gradient associated with the specimen. Those regions of the specimen where the optical path increases along a reference direction can appear brighter, while regions where the path differences decrease appear in reverse contrast. As the gradient of the optical path grows steeper, image contrast is increased.
Images are typically dependent on beam-shear direction because specimen gradients in a direction perpendicular to a beam-shear direction generally do not contribute to image contrast. A type of reflection microscope, which includes two DIC microscopes operating at different wavelengths, but sharing a single objective through a beam splitter, can help to reveal more specimen detail.
Video-processing techniques can be utilized to enhance contrast and/or remove background signals (such as fixed image noise due to dust particles or other imperfections in the optical system) by subtraction of a reference image with no specimen.

Orientation independent differential interference contrast microscopy technique and device


A pump for use in a filtration process for a deep fryer is disclosed. The pump includes a drive shaft linked to a motor or motor drive shaft. The drive shaft passes through a seal assembly before passing into the pump chamber. The seal includes an outer seal housing that accommodates a lip seal. The lip seal is fabricated from PTFE. A combination oil filtration and supply system for a deep fryer is also disclosed that includes a motor linked to the drive shaft. The drive shaft passes through a supply pump and a filter/return pump. The supply pump includes an inlet in communication with a fresh oil reservoir and an outlet in communication with the filter/return pump. The filter/return pump includes an inlet in each communication with an oil filtration system and an outlet in communication with the outlet of the supply pump and an inlet to an oil distribution network. The oil distribution network includes a plurality of outlets, each in communication with an inlet of a vat. Each vat each includes an outlet in communication with the oil filtration system. The supply pump further includes a bypass valve that closes the inlet to the supply pump when flow from the fresh oil reservoir is cut off by closing a fresh oil supply valve. The bypass valve permits continuous circulation of fresh oil in the supply pump chamber and around the seal to prolong the life of the seal.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to pumps for cooking oil and, more specifically, pumps for delivering unsaturated and/or non-trans-fat cooking oils. Still more specifically, this disclosure relates to improved pump and seal mechanisms for pumps intended to deliver cooking oils. The disclosed seal mechanisms and pump designs provide improved wear characteristics and therefore require less maintenance and longer operating times between servicing and replacements than existing seal mechanisms. Further, this disclosure relates to pumps and distribution systems for filtering and recirculating oil and for adding fresh oil to deep oil fryers using a single motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Trans-fat is the common name for a type of unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acid(s). Trans-fats may be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. Most trans-fats consumed today are created industrially through partial hydrogenation of plant oils through a process developed in the early 1900s. The goal of partial hydrogenation is to add hydrogen atoms to unsaturated fats, making them more saturated, i.e. fewer double bonds between carbon atoms. These more saturated fats have a higher melting point, which makes them attractive for baking and extends their shelf-life. For example, the hydrogenated vegetable oil or trans-fat added to shelf-stable peanut butter that replaces natural peanut oil enables such shelf-stable peanut butters to be stored without refrigeration and without the trans-fat separating from the other components of the peanut butter. In contrast, natural peanut butters have shorter shelf lives and the peanut oil naturally separates from the heavier components of peanut butter.
Unlike other dietary fats, trans-fats are neither essential nor even nutritious. In fact, the consumption of trans-fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. Health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans-fat be reduced to trace amounts. In sum, trans-fats from partially hydrogenated oils are widely regarded as being less healthy than naturally occurring oils.
Chemically, trans-fats are made of the same building blocks as non-trans-fats, but have a different arrangement. In trans-fatty acid molecules, the hydrogen atoms bonded to pairs of double-bonded carbon atoms (characteristic of all unsaturated fats) are in the trans rather than the cis molecular arrangement. This results in a straight, rather than kinked, shape for the carbon chain, more like the straight chain of a fully saturated fat. The trans and cis versions of a fatty acid having the same chemical formula have different chemical and physical properties owing to the slightly different bond configuration. Notably, the trans-fat has a much higher melting point, due to the ability of the trans molecules to pack more tightly, forming a solid that is more difficult to break apart and that it is a solid at human body temperatures.
Prior to 2006, Americans consumers could not determine the quantity of trans-fats in food products. This information could only be inferred from the ingredient list, notably from the partially hydrogenated ingredients. According to the FDA, the average American consumes 5.8 grams of trans-fat per day or about 2.6% of an average caloric intake. On Jul. 11, 2003, the FDA issued a regulation requiring manufacturers to list the trans-fat content on food labels. However, unlike many other countries, trans-fat levels of less than 0.5 grams per serving can be listed as 0 grams trans-fat on the food label. Though this is a small amount, multiple servings can exceed recommended levels. Thus, many consumers do not know how to interpret the meaning of trans-fat content on the nutrition facts panel. In fact, without specific prior knowledge about trans-fat and its negative health effects, consumers, including those at risk for heart disease, may misinterpret nutrient information provided on the panel. However, there is no requirement to list trans-fats on institutional food packaging, thus bulk purchasers like schools, hospitals, and cafeterias are unable to evaluate the trans-fat content of commercial food items.
The FDA defines trans-fats as containing one or more trans linkage that are not in a conjugated system. This is an important distinction, as it distinguishes non-conjugated synthetic trans-fats from naturally occurring fatty acids with conjugated trans double bonds, such as conjugated linoleic acid.
Critics of the FDA have expressed concern that the 0.5 gram per serving threshold is too high to refer to a food as free of trans-fat and that consumers should be warned about the presence of naturally occurring trans-fats in processed foods. Some US cities are independently acting to reduce consumption of trans-fats with public education campaigns and requests to restaurant owners to voluntarily eliminate trans-fat from their offerings.
Therefore, pressure from consumers and public health advocates to convert from cooking oils containing trans-fats to cooking oils free of trans-fats is present now and will only increase in the future. It is anticipated that corn, soybean and canola oils will be the primary substitutes for trans-fat oils.
Deep fryers are a necessity of the food service industry and particularly for the fast food service industry. Deep fryers use a substantial amount of shortening or oil during the cooking process. During the cooking process much of the oil is absorbed by a food product, resulting in loss of oil volume. The remaining oil can become filled with debris due to constant use. Accordingly, as more expensive oils that are free of trans-fats are being used, there is a need to extend the usable life of the unabsorbed oil and to keep the unused oil clean during the cooking process. Accordingly, there is a need for a deep fryer that efficiently filters used oil.
Further, with respect to hot oil or "deep" fryers, improved pump designs are needed as manufactures replace trans-fat oils with zero trans-fat oils. More specifically, a typical deep fryer requires at least two pumps: first, a filter/return pump for drawing used cooking oil from the cooking vat through a filter system and then pumping the filtered oil back into the cooking vat; and second, a supply pump for "topping-off" the cooking vat with clean or fresh oil as the oil level in the vat decreases. However, many deep fryers include multiple cooking vats. As a result, the distribution system to direct the flow from the filter/return and supply pumps to the various cooking vats of a typical deep fryer is complex and cumbersome.
Further, currently available pumps, used for use in food manufacturing and in food preparation, are prone to frequent seal failure when used to pump natural, unsaturated and trans-fat-free oils such as corn, soybean and canola oils. For example, pumps are used in hot oil filtration process of deep fryers used in the manufacturing or preparation of French fries, fish, and chicken. During the transition between trans-fat oils and zero trans-fat oils, it has been found that seal failure has become commonplace. Accordingly, an improved seal design for pumps intended for pumping a hot trans-fat-free oils is needed and a seal design that particularly avoids the use of the currently employed material—fluoropolymer elastomers or fluoroelastomers.
Fluoroelastomers are commonly used in O-rings and other molded or extruded goods. Fluoroelastomers are part of a family comprising copolymers of hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and vinylidene fluoride (VDF or VF2), terpolymers of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), vinylidene fluoride (VDF) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) as well as perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE) containing specialties. The fluorine content of the most common fluoroelastomers varies between 66 and 70%. As noted above, the failure rate of fluoroelastomer seals in pumps used to pump zero trans-fat oils is unacceptably high.
The fluoroelastomer lip seals are failing in a timeframe as little as six months when used with zero trans-fat oils. The failure is due to tearing of the fluoroelastomer material as the oil "varnishes" out onto the shaft thereby causing the seal to stick and then abrade away in a short period of time. Therefore, new pumps and new seals for use in pumps are needed for reliably pumping zero trans-fat oils.

Pump system for deep fryers using trans-fat-free cooking oil


A method of transitioning between an active mode and a power-down mode in a processor-based system includes saving a state of the active mode, detecting the occurrence of one or more interrupt events during a transition between the active mode and the power-down mode, and responding to the detected interrupt events.

The present invention relates, in general, to power saving in processor-based systems, and more particularly, to a transition between an active mode and a power-down mode in processor-based systems.
Recently, there has been an increase in the demand for power-saving techniques in processor-based systems such as mobile phones, laptop computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), cameras, and the like. Power gating is a very effective and widely used power saving technique. In power gating, a state of the processor-based system is saved in a memory and the power supply to at least a part of a processor-based system is cut off. The state of the processor-based system can include the state of the processor, the processor pipelines, the processor registers, the processor peripheral registers, the cache registers, the read-only status registers, the cache state registers, the processor memory, and so forth. The state of the processor-based system can be restored from the memory on the detection of a wake-up event, for example, an interrupt event.
One technique for saving the state of the processor-based system includes software-based save-restore. One prior art application of software-based save-restore technique includes using a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) based save-restore, which is further coupled with a higher level save-restore. The higher level save-restore handles special processor modes such as a user mode and a kernel mode. Another prior art application of software-based save-restore technique includes partitioning the memory into isolated and non-isolated regions. Other techniques include scan-based save-restore and balloon circuit-based state retention.
In existing techniques, once a transition between the active mode and the power-down mode entry is initiated, the processor-based system does not respond to interrupt events. These interrupt events are either explicitly masked off or the transition between the active mode and the power-down mode is triggered by a non-maskable interrupt event, and therefore cannot be interrupted.
Most of the above-mentioned techniques also require significant design changes in the processor-based system. The scan-based save-restore requires design changes to provide an interface between the scan chains and the memory. This technique also requires high-speed scan shifting in order to minimize the time taken for saving and restoring. However, high-speed scan shifting can result in a high current drain. The high current drain can cause electro-migration and degrade the reliability of the processor-based system. The balloon circuit-based save-restore requires the creation of new balloon circuit cell libraries for sequential cells and may also require design changes. Balloon cells are larger in size than regular sequential cells and this may also result in area overheads.
Existing software-based save-restore techniques do not respond to interrupt events once the transition between the active mode and the power-down mode is initiated. This causes delays in the response to interrupt events that arrive after the transition between the active mode and the power-down mode is started. The interrupt events also can be lost if the source of the interrupt events is not available by the time the processor-based system enters the active mode. Further, multiple interrupt events can be served in a different order from the one in which they arrived. In addition, there is an energy overhead associated with the transition between the active mode and the power-down mode when the interrupt events that are wake-up category interrupt events arrive during the transition between active and power-down mode. Moreover, these existing software save-restore techniques do not provide a comprehensive technique for restoration of the read-only registers through software, which can result in incomplete state restoration.

Method of transitioning between active mode and power-down mode in processor based system


A robotic system and a related method for reproducing a real person's facial expression and speech simultaneously and synchronously is provided herein. The robotic system comprises at least a robotic head which in turn comprises a speaker, a plurality of face actuators, and a computing engine. The robotic head drives the speaker and the face actuators synchronously based on a speech segment and a sequence of time-stamped control vectors so that the robotic system could mimic a real person's facial expression and speech. The speech segment and the sequence of time-stamped control vectors are retrieved from a storage device of the robotic system, or from an external source via an appropriate communication mechanism.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to robotic systems, and more particularly to a robotic system and a related method for reproducing a real person's facial expression and speech synchronously and simultaneously.
2. The Prior Arts
Recent robotic researches have shifted from traditional autonomous robots designed to operate as independently and remotely as possible from humans to humanoid robots that can communicate in a manner that supports the natural communication modalities of humans such as facial expression, body posture, gesture, gaze direction, voice, etc.
One such humanoid robot currently under development is the Kismet robot by the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kismet has a 15 degree-of-freedom robotic head whose ears, eyebrows, eyelids, lips, jaw, etc., are driven by actuators to display a wide assortment of facial expressions. For example, Kismet has four lip actuators, one at each corner of the mouth, so that the mouth can be curled upwards for a smile or downwards for a frown. Similarly, each eyebrow of Kismet can be lowered and furrowed in frustration, or elevated upwards for surprise. More details about Kismet could be found in the article "Toward Teaching a Robot 'Infant' using Emotive Communication Acts," by Breazeal, C. and Velasquez, J., in Proceedings of 1998 Simulation of Adaptive Behavior, workshop on Socially Situated Intelligence, Zurich, Switzerland, pp. 25-40, 1998.
Another similar research is the Tokyo-3 robot by the Hara Laboratory of Tokyo University of Science. The Tokyo-3 robotic head has a facial skin made of silicone so its facial expression is more resembling to that of real human. The actuators of Tokyo-3 robotic head drive 18 characteristic points of the facial skin to imitate various human expressions such as happiness, anger, sadness, resentment, surprise, horror, etc. More details about the Tokyo-3 robot could be found in the article "Artificial Emotion of Face Robot through Learning in Communicative Interactions with Human," by Fumio Hara, JST CREST International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, Kurashiki Ivy Square, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan, Sep. 20, 2004.
The focus of these foregoing researches is to engage the robot into natural and expressive face-to-face interaction with human. To achieve this goal, the robot usually perceives a variety of natural social cues from visual and auditory channels, and, in response to these sensory stimuli, delivers social signals to the human through gaze direction, facial expression, body posture, and vocal babbles autonomously. On the other hand, researches in seemingly unrelated areas such as pattern recognition and computer animation and modeling suggest an interesting application of the humanoid robotic head. For example, Pighin et al. (in the article "Synthesizing Realistic Facial Expressions from Photographs," by Pighin, F., Hecker, J., Lischinski, D., Szeliski, R., and Salesin, D. in SIGGRAPH 98 Conference Proceedings, pp. 75-84, ACM SIGGRAPH, July 1998) presents a technique for creating highly realistic face models and natural looking animations. Pighin et al. generates a 3D face model of a person by deriving feature points on several 2D images of the person's face from different viewpoints and using the feature points to compute the positions of the remaining face mesh vertices. Separate face models corresponding to the person's different facial expressions could be produced in this way. Pighin et al. then create smooth transitions between different facial expressions by 3D shape morphing between these different face models. It should be obvious that the technique of Pighin et al. could be readily adapted to the humanoid robotic head, for example, by locating the feature points at where the face actuators is positioned and using 3D shape morphing to guide the operation of the actuators. The result would be a humanoid robotic head, instead of generating generically human-like expressions, but actually reproducing a specific real person's facial expression in very high degree of resemblance. Many similar facial expression interpretation techniques such as using neural networks, multiple point integrations, etc. could be found in the literature.
Besides facial expressions, another social signal delivered by the humanoid robotic heads of recent researches is the voice. For example, Kismet is equipped with a synthesizer that models the physiological characteristics of human's articulatory tract. By adjusting the parameters of the synthesizer, Kismet is possible to convey speaker personality as well as adding emotional qualities to the synthesized speech. Despite that, the humanoid robotic heads by recent researches are still made to deliver generically human-like voice, not a specific real person's voice. Following the thought of making a humanoid robotic head to reproduce a specific person's facial expression, it would make an even more interesting application if the person's own voice is pre-recorded and then played synchronously along with the humanoid robotic head's delivery of the person's facial expression.

Robotic system for synchronously reproducing facial expression and speech and related method thereof


A vehicle electronic device, an electronic device and information receiving and sending methods thereof, a server and a communication system. The vehicle electronic device includes: a first processing component and a first storage component connected with the first processing component. First password information and vehicle information are stored in the first storage component. The first processing component Is configured to generate a second dynamic password according to the first time for receiving a connection request and the first password information and the vehicle information stored in the first storage component when receiving the connection request including a first dynamic password sent by an external electronic device, and to receive information sent by the external electronic device when determining that the second dynamic password is matched with the first dynamic password.

In modern life, driving is becoming more and more popular, and various types of vehicle electronic devices applied in motor vehicles increasingly show a high-end and intelligent trend.
At present, when a vehicle is parked illegally, a traffic police usually manually attach a paper traffic ticket on a vehicle shell. When handling annual check and/or insurance affairs, the vehicle needs to be driven to an appointed vehicle management administration to manually attach paper annual check and/or insurance bar codes. The driver needs to pay parking fees manually with a car park manager after parking in the car park, causing the problems of low interaction efficiency and complex and time-consuming process when the vehicle interacts with an external device.

Vehicle electronic device, electronic device, information receiving and sending methods thereof, server and communication system


Apparatus and associated methods relate to a one-piece structure for a solid electrolyte chemical sensor (SECS) having a first surface defining a cavity (210, 305, 415) designed to receive a substrate (215, 350, 410) that retains a solid electrolyte (365, 440), an internal water impermeable coating (425) on at least a portion of the first surface, a second surface that is substantially coplanar with an adjacent peripheral edge of a top surface of the substrate (215, 350, 410) when the substrate (215, 350, 410) is received in the cavity (210, 305, 415), and a plurality of electrical contacts (335, 340, 345, 450a-450b) disposed on the second surface adapted to electrically couple with the electrodes (435a-435c) on the substrate (215, 350, 410) when the substrate (215, 350, 410) is received in the cavity (210, 305, 415) and electrical paths are provided between respective electrical contacts (335, 340, 345, 450a-450b) and electrodes (435a-435c).

Sensors are used to detect a wide variety of physical parameters. Such parameters may include pressure, temperature, and vibration, among other things. Sensors have assorted sizes and form factors, and are customized for different applications. For example, a current sensor is a device that detects electric current (AC or DC) in a wire, and generates a signal proportional to it. A magnetometer is sensor that measures magnetization of magnetic material (like a ferromagnet), or the direction, strength, or the relative change of a magnetic field at a particular location. Active-pixel sensors are image sensors consisting of an integrated circuit containing an array of pixel sensors, each pixel containing a photodetector and an active amplifier.
Electrochemical engineering is the branch of chemical engineering dealing with the technological applications of electrochemical phenomena. Electrochemical engineering combines the study of heterogeneous charge transfer at electrode/electrolyte interphases with the development of practical materials and processes. Electrochemical engineering considers current distribution, fluid flow, mass transfer, and the kinetics of the electro reactions in order to design efficient electrochemical reactors.

Electrochemical gas sensor housing having a one-piece design


An aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a seal assembly for a turbo machine. The seal assembly includes a fluid bearing wall including a bearing face in which the bearing face defines a fluid opening through the fluid bearing wall. The seal assembly further includes a seal body extended circumferentially relative to a centerline axis. The seal body defines a cavity extended at least partially circumferentially through the seal body. A fluid passage is defined through the seal body in fluid communication with the fluid opening through the fluid bearing wall.

Non-contact seals, such as aspirating face seals, may be included between static and rotating components of gas turbine engines to provide a fluid bearing surface between a static structure and a rotor assembly. Such seals may operate at relatively tight clearances without contacting the rotor assembly, thus providing relatively little wear.
However, under certain operating conditions of the rotor assembly and the turbo machine, insufficient or transient changes in flow providing the fluid bearing at the seal assembly may result in contact at the rotor assembly, or other damage, deflection, or deformation at the seal assembly.
As such, there is a need for an improved seal assembly that improves seal assembly performance, durability, and mitigates damage due to rotor assembly contact or seal assembly deflection.


An illuminated running board for a vehicle includes a running board body and at least one light-emitting device installed in the running board body. The running board body includes two lateral ends and an outer end portion extending between the lateral ends. The light-emitting device includes a light guide bar and at least one illuminant. The light guide bar is held inside the outer end portion and includes a plane facing the outer end portion for development of a luminous surface. The illuminant is adjacent to an end face of the light guide bar and projects light rays which are guided into the light guide bar through the end face and emitted from the outer end portion, so that the running board can be clearly observed by passengers and other vehicle drivers for better security of the running board in service.

The present invention relates to a running board and, more particularly, to an illuminated running board adapted to be installed on a vehicle's lateral side.
In general, a vehicle with a large height (e.g., a support utility vehicle, van, etc.) is laterally provided with running boards on which passengers tread to get on or off the vehicle. For improved security of passengers getting on or off a vehicle, light-emitting devices have been installed in running boards of some vehicles. When a vehicle is parked or a car door is opened, an illuminant (consisting of light emitting diodes) in the light-emitting device is activated and projects light rays on a top of the running board which can be treaded by a passenger.
However, a passenger to get on or off a vehicle may stumble his/her leg against a running board and be hurt, because light rays projected on the top of the running board are not spread to the ground on which the vehicle is parked or because a parking lot provides insufficient lighting at night. In addition, a protruded running board of a parked vehicle is difficult to observe and collided with accidentally by other running vehicles. Moreover, a conventional illuminated running board, which is not known for its sealing, allows moisture to permeate inside and damage any light-emitting device.