A method and apparatus are provided for allocating carriers from a list of carriers in a telecommunication network. Each of the carriers allow transmission of a transmission control frame, each of said transmission control frame has a data block corresponding to a data stream and an indication of the previous carrier allocated to the data stream. The method includes, for a transmission control frame and a carrier selected for allocation to the transmission control frame in the list of carriers, the steps of determining the number of binary bits needed to identify the number of carriers in the list of carriers, coding the indication based on the determined number of binary bits, and removing the allocated carrier from the list of carriers.

On one hand, 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the name given to a project within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to improve the UMTS mobile phone standard to cope with future requirements. Goals have included so far improving efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrum opportunities, and better integration with open standards. In another hand, International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT)-Advanced has aimed at providing enhanced peak data rates to support advanced services and applications (100 Mbit/s for high and 1 Gbit/s for low mobility were established as targets for research). Altogether, future 3GPP LTE-Advanced systems will require wider system bandwidth, e.g. up to 100 MHz, to achieve such high target peak data rates. However, it may become a challenge to find contiguous spectrum allocations that can accommodate such wide bandwidth, since the spectrum bands are limited. Furthermore, spectrum segments used by operators but not necessarily located contiguously or in the same frequency band may be considered. At the same time, backward compatibility towards LTE Release-8 (prior to LTE-Advanced) should be ensured. Carrier aggregation (CA) is a natural choice that could either meet the bandwidth extension requirement or ensure sufficient backward compatibility towards LTE Release-8. In Carrier Aggregation, multiple Component Carriers (CCs) are aggregated according to the desired LTE-Advanced system bandwidth. These CCs are either LTE Release-8 compatible or designed specially to support new LTE Advanced features. A LTE Release-8 user equipment may receive one of these component carriers, while an LTE-Advanced user equipment may simultaneously access multiple component carriers. Compared to other approaches, carrier aggregation does not require extensive changes of LTE physical layer structure, and can reuse the most of the existing implementations.
When Carrier Aggregation is implemented, existing Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request method is an important aspect. The Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (Hybrid ARQ, H-ARQ) is a variation of an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) error control method, which performs better ARQ, particularly over wireless channels. An example of HARQ, also referred to as Type I HARQ, combines Forward Error Correction (FER) and ARQ by encoding a data block and error-detection information (such as Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)) with an error-correction code (such as e.g. Reed-Solomon code or Turbo code) prior to transmission. When the coded data block is received, the receiver first decodes the error-correction code. If the channel quality is good enough, all transmission errors should be correctable, and the receiver may derive the correct data block. If the channel quality is not good enough and not all transmission errors can be corrected, the receiver detects this situation using the error-detection code, then the received coded data block may be discarded or stored and a retransmission is requested by the receiver, similar to ARQ. In practice, incorrectly received coded data blocks (i.e. erroneous data blocks) are often stored at the receiver rather than discarded, and when the retransmitted block is received, the two blocks are combined (chase combining) before being fed to the decoder of the error-correction code. This can increase the probability of successful decoding. An another existing solution is Type II/III HARQ, or incremental redundancy HARQ, where different (re)transmissions are coded differently rather than repeating the same coded bits as in chase combining. Performance is improved, since coding is effectively done across retransmissions. The difference between type III HARQ and type II HARQ is that the retransmission packets in Type III HARQ can be decoded by themselves. The HARQ method uses at least one HARQ process and some HARQ process entities, here under referred to, respectively, as set of transmission control frames and transmission control frames. Each transmission control frame may comprise one or more header and one or more data blocks. Each transmission control frames are transmitted between an emitter and a receiver in a telecommunication network. In other words, data blocks are transmitted using transmission control frames. Moreover, the plurality of carriers may be divided into time intervals or time slots, wherein each transmission control frame is transmitted on each carrier at each time interval (as described here under in reference to FIG. 3).
In wireless Carrier Aggregation (CA) systems, for example, one User Equipment (UE) may be scheduled simultaneously on multiple (i.e. a plurality of) Component Carriers (CCs). Therefore, re-transmission of data blocks may be allowed across CCs in order to better exploit frequency diversity. In other words, errors detected in a data block transmitted in a first carrier are less likely to happen in retransmission of the same data block on another carrier at a different frequency. HARQ process entities may be grouped into sets, each set being dedicated, for example, to a given user equipment or data stream. Multiple stop-and-wait HARQ process entities may be transmitted in parallel on the same or different CC(s) so that while one HARQ process is waiting for an acknowledgement for a given HARQ process entity other HARQ process entities may use the carrier(s) to send additional packets. For each user equipment, there may be one HARQ process or transmission control frame process, each comprising a plurality of HARQ process entities or transmission control frames. The number of HARQ process entities should be in accordance with the roundtrip time between the emitter and the receiver to allow for continuous transmission, including the respective processing time of the data blocks, HARQ process entities and HARQ process. For example, the emitter and the receiver may be a user equipment (UE) and a eNodeB (station or radio controller element of the 3GPP LTE network) or vice-and-versa. Using a larger number of HARQ process entities than required by the roundtrip time does not provide any gain, but rather introduces unnecessary delays between retransmissions. Since processing time of the of the data blocks, HARQ process entities and HARQ process for an eNodeB may differ among different implementations, the number of HARQ process entities may be configurable. For example, a set of eight HARQ process entities or transmission control frames may be used for a given component carrier or user equipment or data stream. When Carrier Aggregation is used, one HARQ process (i.e. a set of HARQ process entities) may be used per component carrier (called here under "carrier" for simplification purposes) to increase the number of HARQ process entities (and therefore the bandwidth) for one user equipment.
To perform operations such as soft combining (cohesion of data streams from multiple base stations or eNodeB that share a common time line and are operated according to it), in-sequence delivery and so on, the UE has to identify the HARQ process entities or transmission control frames of the carrier(s) it transmits on.
HARQ process sets may be flexibly mapped to carriers up-link and down-link. It allows retransmission across carriers, which may derive higher frequency diversity gain or flexible scheduling gain. However, additional bits are needed in the header (here under called transmission control frame indication) of each transmission control frame are needed to identify the previous carrier the transmission control frame was transmitted onto. This seems to be a large signalling overhead, especially when using many carriers. This indication may be used for instance by an emitter to inform a receiver of which HARQ process set has been used in a control channel (such as e.g. a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)). It may also be considered that flexible HARQ process sets mapping to carriers is allowed to a limited range only (e.g. only for retransmissions within carrier pairs, etc. . . . ) for signalling efficiency.
As described in document "3GPP TSG RAN WG1 #56, R1-090652, "HARQ mapping across aggregated component carriers", LG Electronics, 9-13 Feb., 2009" which is considered as the most relevant state of the art document: the simplest way is to list all of the possibilities and inform the destination, requiring thus n.[log2 n] bits of signalling. The major drawback with this method is that there is a need for much control signalling and, in particular, control signalling overheads are too big.
Today there is no solution to efficiently reduce signalling overhead that allow reducing signalling and thus improving efficiency of such wireless telecommunication systems.
Today there is a need for a control signalling solution that can be easily implemented on the existing communication infrastructures.


The invention relates to an electronic measurement device and a method for operating the electronic measurement device. The electronic measurement device comprises a signal generating unit which is configured to generate a signal that is applied to an input node of a device under test. The electronic measurement device comprises a controlling unit which is configured to control the signal generating unit in that the generated signal is at least adjustable in its signal frequency. Furthermore, the electronic measurement device comprises at least a receiving unit, wherein the receiving unit retrieves a signal from an output node of the device under test in time domain.

To generate a signal that is applied to a DUT, a signal source is necessary. Nowadays signal sources are used to apply the signal to the DUT. The output of the DUT is measured by an electronic measurement device. The signal source is physically separated from the measuring device. Since the electronic measurement device is separated from the signal source, elaborated alignment techniques are needed to align the applied signal with the received signal. Normally, trigger signals are used for such time-alignments.
Such testing equipment scenarios to analyze the specific DUT are expensive and increase the production costs of such DUTs in a mass production scenario. Thus, there is a need to reduce the production costs for DUTs but to ensure an analyzing of the DUTs with high accuracy.
In document US 2014/0111184 A1 a mixed-domain oscilloscope, short MDO, is described comprising a test signal output channel for applying a signal to a DUT's input node. The MDO further comprises an RF input channel to obtain an output signal of the DUT. A processing and controlling logic inside the MDO comprises an analog to digital converter, short ADC, and a Discrete Fourier transformation, short DFT, module to obtain a frequency response signal in the frequency domain. The frequency response signal is displayed on a display at the MDO.
Those MDO are expensive and comprise complex computing structures to obtain the frequency response signal from a DFT algorithm. Thus, those MDO are not applicable for testing the above mentioned DUTs in a cost-efficient manner.
There is a need to provide a low-cost measurement device useful to analyze and characterize the above-mentioned DUTs. The measurement device should be applicable to mass production scenarios in order to accelerate the production of such DUTs.

Electronic measurement device and method for operating an electronic measurement device


An apparatus and method for monitoring structural changes of an electrode in a rechargeable battery include an in situ x-ray study electrochemical cell holder (30) comprising top and bottom cell holder members (32, 34) including at least one beryllium window element (36) for transmission of diffractometer x-radiation. A rechargeable battery cell (43) mounted within the x-ray cell holder enclosure comprises an electrolyte/separator element (68) interposed between positive and negative electrodes (64, 66). A current collector element (70) formed of an electrically-conductive open-mesh grid is disposed between the positive electrode and the separator to enable ion-conducting contact of the electrode and separator while maintaining electrical continuity between the electrode and an external x-ray cell holder terminal (54). As a result of this arrangement, the positive electrode need not contact the window element to establish an electrical battery circuit, but may be sufficiently spaced from the window to avoid electrolytic corrosion of the beryllium element. The in situ x-ray electrochemical cell holder and battery cell structure allow for continuous monitoring of the structural changes in electrode materials during charge/discharge cycling.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for monitoring structural changes of an electrode in a rechargeable electrochemical cell battery, and, more particularly, to an in situ x-ray study apparatus and method utilizing an electrochemical cell holder having a structure and orientation which eliminates corrosion of the beryllium window of the x-ray study apparatus. Even more particularly, the invention relates to a rechargeable electrochemical cell battery structure for use in an in situ x-ray study apparatus.
The battery-monitoring apparatus of the present invention generally includes an electrolytic, or electrochemical cell comprising polymeric film composition electrodes and separator membranes. In particular, the apparatus includes a rechargeable electrochemical battery cell comprising an intermediate electrolyte/separator element containing an electrolyte solution through which ions from a source electrode material move between cell electrodes during the charge/discharge cycles of the cell. The invention is particularly useful for studying the operation of such cells in which one or both of the electrodes comprises a material capable of intercalating mobile ions, e.g., of sodium, potassium, and particularly lithium, and the electrolyte/separator membrane comprises a polymeric matrix made ionically conductive by the incorporation of an organic solution of a dissociable salt which provides ion mobility. Electrolytic battery cells of this type are generally described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,192,629 and 5,296,318, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/160,018, filed 30 Nov. 1993 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,904, issued 24 Oct. 1995, each of which is assigned to the assignee of this application.
The rechargeable battery industry is rapidly promoting the use of rechargeable Li-ion technology. In the Li-ion cell, the positive and negative electrodes comprise lithium intercalation compounds which can be viewed as host structures able to reversibly accept guest lithium ions. The structure of the host compound normally includes vacant sites which determine the number of lithium ions that the material can reversibly accept. The more such vacant sites, the greater the capacity (ampere/gram) of a battery cell using such an intercalation electrode. Thus, it is important for researchers working in the rechargeable battery field to have means for determining the factors limiting the number of lithium ions in an intercalation compound, for instance, the structural changes in the host material induced by intercalation or deintercalation of lithium during charge/discharge cycling.
With a technique that provides this information, one may monitor structural changes of intercalation materials as a function of voltage or electrode composition. Additionally, one may directly monitor the self-discharge mechanism within a battery cell, e.g., a LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 /electrolyte/C Li-ion cell, caused by the intercalation of lithium ions into the pure .lambda.-MnO.sub.2 phase. Such a technique may also be used to adjust the ratio of positive to negative electrode materials to ensure the optimum composition and efficient operation of a Li-ion system, since continuously monitoring the lattice cell parameters of the positive and negative electrode permits one to know at any time and at any voltage the population of lithium ions in each electrode. As a result, one can adjust the weight ratio of the electrodes in order for the positive electrode to be completely delithiated when the negative is fully lithiated.
An in situ x-ray diffraction apparatus and technique for performing such studies have been described, for example, by Dahn et al., "in situ X-ray diffraction experiments on lithium intercalation compounds", Can. J. Phys., 60 (1982), 307-313. A variation of in situ electrochemical x-ray study apparatus has also been described by Tarascon et al., "Electrochemical, Structural, and Physical Properties of the Sodium Chevrel Phases Na.sub.x Mo.sub.6 X.sub.8-y I.sub.y (X=S, Se and y =0 to 2)", J. Solid Sate Chem., 66 (1987), 204-224. In these prior procedures, where it is desired to study the effect of ion intercalation into an electrode material, the electrode layer is preferably disposed as directly as possible in the path of incident x-radiation in order to obtain strong data responses and avoid diffraction data contamination by extraneous cell components. This end was readily accomplished in these earlier systems by placing the electrode layer upon or directly in contact with a beryllium film serving the dual role of x-ray diffraction apparatus window and electrochemical cell current collector by means of which continuous cell cycling could be studied.
As the search for higher capacity and optimization of electrode materials continues, intercalation compounds with high-voltage regions above about 4.3 volts are becoming more important, since, for many layered intercalation materials, up to forty-five percent of the theoretical capacity lies in the region above this 4.3 volt threshold. Unfortunately, however, the study and analysis of these materials necessary for improving capacity have not previously been available with an in situ electrochemical cell x-ray study apparatus. A major problem, as described by Li et al., "In situ X-ray diffraction and electrochemical studies of Li.sub.1-x NiO.sub.2 ", Solid State Ionics, 67 (1993), 123-130, arises from the fact that, particularly when a positive cell electrode layer under study is placed in contact with the diffraction apparatus window, the beryllium film suffers extreme corrosion at cycling potentials in excess of about 4.3 volts, thus severely limiting the utility of the apparatus.
Due to this limitation, the structural variations in these potentially useful intercalation materials could only be determined in isolation by delithiating a different sample at each voltage level in an operating cell cycle. Useful test results could only be obtained with great difficulty in this manner and could seldom be correlated with any degree of reliability. The continuous, high-voltage method and apparatus of the present invention, however, have obviated these limitations and have enabled effective study and development of high capacity electrochemical cell electrode materials.

Apparatus for in situ x-ray study of electrochemical cells


An optically active .alpha.-cyano-3-(4-halogenophenoxy)-benzyl 2-(4-chlorophenyl)isovalerate, which consists substantially of or is rich in (S)-.alpha.-cyano-3-(4-halogenophenoxy)benzyl (S)-2-(4-chlorophenyl)isovalerate; a method for preparing the same; and an insecticidal and/or acaricidal composition containing the same.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optically active .alpha.-cyano-3-(4-halogenophenoxy)benzyl 2-(4-chlorophenyl)-isovalerate of the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein X is a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom or a bromine atom, and * indicates an asymmetric carbon atom, which contains at least 60% of a compound of said formula having an (S)-configuration on both the acid and alcohol moieties; (S)-.alpha.-cyano-3-(4-halogenophenoxy)benzyl (S)-2-(4-chlorophenyl)isovalerate; a process for preparing the same; and an insecticide and/or acaricide containing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
.alpha.-Cyano-3-(4-halogenophenoxy)benzyl 2-(4-chlorophenyl)isovalerates are useful as insecticides and/or acaricides. These esters have one asymmetric carbon atom on each of the acid and alcohol moieties. An ester provided by the conventional method is a mixture comprising substantially equal amounts of four isomers.
These optical isomers are hereunder referred to as shown in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Abbreviations for Optical Isomers Acid Moiety (S)-Config- (R)-Config- Alcohol Moiety uration Racemic uration ______________________________________ (S)-Configuration A.alpha.-Isomer .alpha.-Isomer B.alpha.-Isomer Racemic A-Isomer "Racemate" B-Isomer (R)-Configuration A.beta.-Isomer .beta.-Isomer B.beta.-Isomer ______________________________________
However, no single optical isomer which is optically active on both the acid and alcohol moieties has yet been synthesized, and as a matter of course, the relationship between the physiological activity and configuration has not been known.

Process for preparing optically active .alpha.-cyano-3-(4-halogenophenoxy)-benzyl 2-(4-chlorophenyl)isovalerate


A supercharger for an internal combustion engine includes a supercharger chamber, a diaphragm, an inlet valve, an outlet valve, an exhaust gas line, and an actuator. The diaphragm is positioned in the supercharger chamber and divides the supercharger chamber into an intake chamber and an exhaust gas chamber. The inlet valve and outlet valve are positioned on the intake chamber. The exhaust gas chamber is connected to the exhaust gas line, and to the actuator. The actuator is electrically actuatable, is connected to the diaphragm, and is configured to change a resonance frequency of the diaphragm.

The present disclosure relates to a supercharger for charging an internal combustion engine, having a supercharger chamber which is divided in a gastight manner by a diaphragm.
Different configurations of superchargers are known from the prior art. For example, exhaust gas turbochargers in which charging air of an internal combustion engine is compressed by means of a compressor are known. In this case, the compressor is driven by means of exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine. As an alternative, electrical superchargers in which the compressor is driven by means of an electric motor are also known. However, exhaust gas turbochargers in particular are relatively sluggish at low rotation speeds. Electrical superchargers are relatively expensive and require additional electrical energy for operation. However, there is also a commercial requirement to charge relatively small internal combustion engines, having one or two cylinders, with fresh air in order to obtain the known advantages in respect of consumption and torque. However, small internal combustion engines of this kind require in particular a cost-effective and robust supercharger.

Supercharger of an internal combustion engine with a diaphragm having an electrical actuator controlled resonant frequency


A reduced metallic catalyst or pre-activated catalyst is formed by contacting a precursor catalyst or a reduced metallic catalyst with a modifier solution in the presence of a source of hydrogen and heat treating the precursor catalyst or the reduced metallic catalyst at super-atmospheric pressure to obtain the reduced metallic catalyst from the precursor catalyst or the pre-activated catalyst from the reduced metallic catalyst. A method of hydrogenating a hydrogenatable precursor includes providing a reduced metallic catalyst or the pre-activated catalyst prepared with modifier buffer and contacting the reduced metallic catalyst or pre-activated catalyst with the hydrogenatable precursor in the presence of hydrogen and, optionally, in the presence of a modifier solution.

Dicarboxylic acids, such as adipic acid, malic acid, fumaric acid and succinic acid are potential precursors for numerous chemicals. For example, succinic acid can be converted into 1,4-butanediol (BDO), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) by hydrogenation reactions. Conventional methods may use gas phase hydrogen and deionized (DI) water as the medium for preparing reduced or pre-activated metallic catalysts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,008,384, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a process for preparing metallic catalysts using deionized water during the reduction procedure.
However, a variety of by-products, such as cyclic or linear ethers, acetals and low molecular alcohols, may be formed during the hydrogenation of some dicarboxylic acids to the corresponding diols. In the case of maleic, succinic and fumaric acids, such conventional methods results in the formation of significant amounts of THF or other by-products rather than the desired BDO. This necessitates additional separation steps to isolate the desired product from by-products, loss of yield and increased production cost.
Accordingly, there is a need for a means to achieve further improved selectivity in hydrogenation of hydrogenatable precursors to the desired product that avoids the formation of unwanted by-products.

Preparation of catalyst for selective hydrogenation of hydrogenatable precursors


A synthetic resinous rack construction formed entirely from planar molded sections having resiliently flexible interlocking means to maintain the component parts in assembled condition. As contrasted with prior art metallic construction, interconnecting component parts results in immediate maintenance of correct mutual angular relation thereby facilitating the further assembly of the remaining component parts.

This invention relates generally to the field of stationery racks and similar devices commonly used in offices or other places of business for intermediate filing and temporary storage of blank stationery, printed literature and forms which permit ease of assembly, capability for expansion and improved safety on the part of the assembler.
In the traditional construction of these devices, it is usual to form the component parts from stamped sheet metal, which parts are interconnected using bendable laterally extending edge located tabs into corresponding elongated openings to form a right angle interconnection between a floor member and a side wall member or a rear wall member. This type of interconnection, while fairly secure, is not rigid, and permits relative movement between the parts, once interconnected, so that further interconnection of the interconnected wall and floor members with other component members is difficult since it is necessary to maintain proper angularity between the interconnected parts in order to join them with other parts. The assembly procedure is further complicated by the ffact that metallic constructions from stamped sheet material are bordered by relatively sharp edges which tend to cut the fingers of the assembler unless great care is taken. Once the rack frame is assembled, it still lacks a desired degree of rigidity and requires either further bracing, or the insertion into an outer frame or housing, which frame requires nut and bolt assembly as well.


A strain gauge joystick with an enabling push-button comprises a support part (1). A thin-wall cylindric tube (5) is rigidly fixed, at a first extremity (4), to the supporting part (1). Strain gauges (8a-8d) are fixed on the tube near its first extremity (4). A hand lever (6) connected to the other extremity (7) of the tube transmits to the tube the radial force (9) exerted by a user, and also constitutes a push-button movable along the longitudinal axis (10) of the tube when activated by the user. A control device (13) accommodated inside the tube can be activated by the longitudinal displacement of the hand lever.

The present invention generally relates to a strain gauge joystick supplying signals representative of a manipulation force liable to be exerted in any radial direction with respect to the joystick and further including an enabling button.
In various applications, for example in some interactive electronic games, a control joystick, designed to be operated with one hand and liable to be moved in any radial direction, is provided. In some applications, it is further useful to associate to such a joystick a push-button that can be activated at any time, with the same hand, for example for enabling a specific manipulation.
Such a joystick is generally constituted by a supporting part in which is embedded a solid flexible stick comprising at its free end a control lever and bearing four strain gauges circumferentially arranged at regularly spaced points. The four strain gauges are usually bridge-connected and supply electric signals representative of the displacement of the hand lever in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hand lever.
The flexible stick is generally relatively stiff, so that its flection remains low when manipulated at the maximum allowed strength. Generally, one uses a steel stick having a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in length, thus forming a joystick having the shape of a small-diameter and small-length lever that can be held within one hand.
It is known to associate to such joystick a unit constituted by an enabling push-button and a switch activated by this push-button. The push-button is then arranged at the end of the stick and the switch is positioned at the side of the stick. Therefore, the joystick does not have a symmetrical shape with respect to the longitudinal axis of the flexible stick, because of the lateral position of the switch. Such an arrangement causes manufacturing problems due to the fact the push-button eccentrically activates the switch and causes assembly difficulties because the laterally arranged switch increases the overall size of the unit.
It is generally provided to accommodate the unit formed by the flexible stick and the switch in a fixed cylindric envelope, the flexible stick and the cylindric envelope being coaxially arranged. With this cylindric envelope, the external shape of the joystick is cylindrical, ensuring a physical protection of the switch. The inner diameter of the cylindric envelope has a minimum size equal to twice the size of the switch in the radial direction, not including the diameter of the flexible stick. This arrangement involves that either the cylindric envelope has a relatively large diameter which impairs its mounting, or the switch, and the possible intermediate parts transmitting the motion of the push-button to the switch, must be highly miniaturized, which causes extra costs or a decreased reliability of the joystick.
For example, the joystick can be associated to a plane control handle. The handle has to be highly reliable and have a small size, despite the numerous control devices provided thereon.
An object of the invention is to provide a strain gauge joystick equipped with an enabling push-button, in the form of a small-size cylindric lever with a reduced diameter and length.
Another object of the invention is to provide a joystick with minimum complexity and higher reliability.


An erecting equal-magnification lens array plate includes a stack of a plurality lens array plates built such that pairs of corresponding lenses form a coaxial lens system, where each lens array plate is formed with a plurality of convex lenses on both surfaces of the plate. The plate receives light from a substantially straight light source facing one side of the plate, and the plate forms an erect equal-magnification image of the substantially straight light source on an image plane facing the other side of the plate. A light shielding member operative to shield light not contributing to imaging is formed in the neighborhood of a position in the intermediate plane in the erecting equal-magnification lens array plate where an inverted image of the substantially straight light source is formed. The main lens arrangement direction of the convex lenses differs from the main scanning direction of the erecting equal-magnification lens array plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to erecting equal-magnification lens array plates used in image reading devices and image forming devices and to image sensor units and image reading devices using the erecting equal-magnification lens array plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some image reading devices such as scanners and image forming devices such as LED printers are known to use erecting equal-magnification optics. Erecting equal-magnification optics are capable of reducing the size of devices better than reduction optics. In the case of image reading devices, an erecting equal-magnification optical system comprises a line light source, an erecting equal-magnification lens array, and a line image sensor. In the case of image forming devices, an erecting equal-magnification optical system comprises a line light source, an erecting equal-magnification lens array, and a photosensitive drum.
A rod lens array capable of forming an erect equal-magnification image is used as an erecting equal-magnification lens array in an erecting equal-magnification optical system. Normally, a rod lens array comprises an array of rod lenses in the longitudinal direction (main scanning direction of the image reading device) of the lens array. By increasing the number of columns of rod lenses, the proportion of light transmitted is improved and unevenness in the amount of light transmitted is reduced. Due to price concerns, it is common to use one or two columns of rod lenses in a rod lens array.
Meanwhile, an erecting equal-magnification lens array plate could be formed as a stack of a plurality of transparent lens array plates built such that the optical axes of individual convex lenses are aligned, where each transparent lens array plate includes a systematic arrangement of micro-convex lenses on one or both surfaces of the plate. Since an erecting equal-magnification lens array plate such as this can be formed by, for example, injection molding, erecting equal-magnification lens arrays in a plurality of columns can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.
An erecting equal-magnification lens array plate lacks a wall for beam separation between adjacent lenses. Therefore, there is a problem of stray light wherein a light beam diagonally incident on an erecting equal-magnification lens array plate travels diagonally inside the plate and enters an adjacent convex lens, creating a ghost image as it leaves the plate.
Patent document No. 1 discloses a technology to address stray light whereby a light shielding wall is provided on the surface of an erecting equal-magnification lens array plate and a partition having a slit opening is provided around the erecting equal-magnification lens array plate. Patent document No. 2 discloses an imaging optical system provided with a light shielding means on an intermediate imaging surface of an erecting equal-magnification lens array plate.    [patent document No. 1] JP 2005-37891    [patent document No. 2] JP 2005-122041
In the case of the imaging optical system disclosed in patent document No. 1, however, it is difficult to reduce the size and weight of the optical system due to the partition having a slit opening and provided around the erecting equal-magnification lens array plate.
In the case of an imaging optical system disclosed in patent document No. 2, stray light in the sub-scanning direction (lateral direction of the erecting equal-magnification lens array plate) can be eliminated by the light shielding means. Our study revealed, however, that it is difficult to eliminate stray light in the main scanning direction.

Erecting equal-magnification lens array plate, image sensor unit, and image reading device


A method for process monitoring during die casting or vacuum thixoforming of metals in a mold, wherein the time lapse of temperature (T) is continuously measured on at least one point of the system and the temperature progression of the system is calculated in real time using a program. The time lapse of the heat flow (W) is calculated from the temperature progression of the system and the time lapse of the energy (U) of the system and the solidification heat portion (UE) of the metal solidified in the mold are calculated from the heat flow. At a given time, the calculated values are used as monitoring parameters.

The invention relates to a method for process monitoring during die-casting or thixo-forming of metals in vacuum in a mould.
The automobile industry is placing ever increasing demands with respect to tolerances on the mechanical properties of diets and thixo-formed parts. As a means of achieving these high quality requirements, great importance is attached to the maximum possible monitoring of the process characteristics and their reproducibility. One essential factor, which directly determines the mechanical properties of a part manufactured by die-casting or thixo-forming, is the sequence in which the metal solidifies in the mould.
The object of the invention is to provide a process of the kind mentioned at the start by means of which the manufacture of die cast and thixo-formed parts can be monitored continuously and reliably under production conditions.
The object of the invention is achieved by way of the invention in that the change in temperature as a function of time is measured continuously at one place in the system and the change in temperature of the system is calculated in real time by means of a program and that, from the change in temperature of the system, the change in heat flow as a function of time and from the change in heat flow the change in the energy of the system and the magnitude of the heat of solidification of the metal in the mould is calculated, whereby the values calculated at a given time are used as characteristics for monitoring purposes.
The amount of heat exchanged between the metal to be cast and the mould halves determines the rate of solidification of the part manufactured by die-casting or thixo-forming. As the characteristics of this exchange directly contribute to determining the mechanical properties of the die-casting or thixo-formed part, it is essential that the solidification of the metal in the mould is monitored in order to achieve a high quality standard.
Determining the amount of heat conducted away by the mould makes it possible to detect whether the solidification occurs completely within the mould, whether pre-solidification occurs or what ratio of solid to liquid is present in a thixo-material.
A major fraction of the heat that is exchanged during solidification comes from the latent heat of fusion released during solidification. The magnitude of the latent heat depends in turn greatly on the fraction of liquid metal present on filling the mould. The amount of latent heat released via the mould halves depends in turn on the metal to be cast or on the alloy employed, and can be influenced by the temperature of the mould or mould halves, by the pressure applied, by the speed of the piston and by the thickness of the layer of lubricant.
The exchange of heat occurring during the different phases of solidification is calculated with the aid of a program The calculations are based on temperature measurements on the mould, whereby preference is given to measuring temperatures in the mould wall, and the change in temperature at the shape-giving surface of the mould is calculated. To that end, sensors are employed attached to the walls of the mould halves a distance of e.g. 1 mm from the surface. The program takes into account the inverse conduction of heat and calculates in real time the temperature at the shape-giving surface of the mould halves and the heat exchange between the solidifying metal and the mould. By means of temperature sensors arranged in this manner, it is possible to monitor in real time the uniformity of the cooling process and the thermal equilibrium at the surface of the mould during the successive phases of casting and cooling. The sensors are therefore preferably arranged where the thermal equilibrium and the solidification can be readily registered.
The index i.e. characteristic for the amount of heat conducted away at a given time lies preferably between approx. 20% and 100%, in particular between approx. 50% and 100% of the maximum heat of solidification
In practice it has been found useful to calculate, as die-casing characteristic, the heat of solidification at a given time of 0.1 to 2 s, preferably 0.3 to 0.8 s and, in particular, approx. 0.5 s.
A further characteristic that may be employed is the temperature calculated for the mould surface immediately before each shot.
From the change in temperature it is possible to calculate the change in the heat exchange coefficient. The calculated value of heat exchange coefficient at a given time e.g. the maximum value in the solidification or cooling phase, or the overall plot in values may be employed as further characteristics.
From the change in the energy of the system it is also possible to employxe2x80x94as an additional characteristicxe2x80x94the difference between the energy values at the start of filling the mould on successive shots.
From the change in temperature of the system it is possible to calculate the change in length of solidification as a function of time. By the length of solidification is to be understood the thickness of solidified metal measured from the mould surface. The length of solidification at a given time may be employed as a further characteristic.
Further possible characteristics are the minimum pressure, which is determined from the measurement of the change in pressure in the mould interior, and the minimum relative humidity measured in the mould interior immediately before a shot.
For the purposes of process monitoring the calculated or measured characteristics as actual values can be compared with the intended values, whereby provision may be made for an alarm signal being made when the actual values deviate too much from the intended values within a tolerance range and, when the tolerance range is exceeded, the die-casting or thixo-forming process is interrupted.
The intended value for the amount of heat of solidification removed is specified e.g. as an average value with a standard deviation. The standard deviation may e.g. be fixed as the first tolerance limit, which if exceeded by the actual value causes an alarm signal to be given.
Adhering to the intended values of the characteristics results in a uniformly high quality standard. Deviations from the intended values are registered in real time with the result that the appropriate corrective measures can be taken quickly.
A particularly interesting field of application for the described method is that of die-casting and thixo-forming, in particular as applied to aluminium and magnesium alloys, for example for manufacturing safety parts for the automotive industry.

Method for process monitoring during die casting or thixoforming of metals


A laser rangefinder includes a laser emitter for emitting parallel laser beams, a micro electro mechanical system reflector including a plurality of micro reflecting units and configured for reflecting the parallel laser beams toward different points on an object, a micro electro mechanical system photoreceiver configured for receiving the laser beams reflected by and from the different points on the object, a time interval counter configured for recording the time intervals between a first time when the laser emitter emitting the parallel laser beams and second times when the laser beams are received by the micro electro mechanical system photoreceiver, and a processor configured for calculating the distances to the different points of the object based on the time intervals.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to distance measurement technologies, and particularly, to a laser rangefinder.
2. Description of Related Art
A laser rangefinder is preferred for determining distance of an object. During the process of determining distance of the object, the object is treated as a point. If the object has a rough and uneven reflecting surface, the points on the reflecting surface have big distance differences, the object cannot be treated as a point. Therefore, the previous mentioned laser rangefinder cannot precisely measure the distance of the rough object.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a laser rangefinder, which can overcome or at least alleviate the limitations described.


A device for ensuring proper installation of a helical insert is provided. The device includes a head portion, a body portion, and at least one thread-forming member. The body portion has a first section and a second section, and the first section of the body portion depends from the head portion. The second section of the body portion is longer than the length of the helical insert. The at least one thread-forming member is located on the first section of the body portion such that a radial extent defined by the at least one thread-forming member is greater than a radial measure to the inner diametrical surface of the helical insert. A method of using the device is also provided.

Threaded inserts are used in a variety of situations to provide a reliable threaded hole for a fastener. For instance, threaded inserts are used in workpieces that are too soft to provide reliable threads, in workpieces that are too thin to accept threads, or in a workpiece with damaged or stripped threads. The threaded insert can be inserted into an opening in such a workpiece so that the workpiece can still receive a threaded fastener.
A particular variety of threaded insert is a helical insert, which can be seen in prior art FIG. 8. As can be seen in the semi-sectional portion of FIG. 8, the helical insert 10 is a coil of wire that typically has a diamond or hexagonal shaped cross-section such that exterior and interior v-shaped edges are created on the insert. In that way, when the coil is compressed, the cross-section allows the exterior set of v-shaped edges 13 to engage the workpiece 14 (not shown). The inner set of v-shaped edges 15 then serves as the threads to receive a threaded fastener. The downstream end of the helical insert 10 features a medially projecting tail 17, referred to as a tang. The tang 17 aids in installation of the helical insert. On the final coil of the helical insert, proximal to the tang 17, is a notch 19. As described below, the notch 19 allows the tang 17 to be removed after installation of the helical insert.
Installation of a helical insert on a manufactured part is typically accomplished in four steps. First, the receiving hole is drilled into the workpiece. Second, threads for receiving the helical insert are tapped into the hole. Third, the helical insert is installed in the workpiece using an installation tool. The installation tool is a cylindrical rod having a diameter of a size to accommodate the helical insert. The end of the installation tool has a stepped surface to engage and drive the tang of the helical insert during installation, and the portion of the installation tool immediately superior to the end has threads to receive the helical insert. In the installation step, the helical insert is wound onto threads at the end of the installation tool until the tang contacts the flat end of the tool. Then, the installation tool is inserted into the hole in the workpiece and rotated in a first direction to feed the helical coil into the hole until the proper depth is achieved. Then the installation tool is rotated in a reverse direction to release the helical insert in the hole. In the final step, another tool having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the helical insert is inserted through the helical insert until it contacts the tang. A hammer is used to strike the tool, which breaks the tang from the helical insert at the location of the notch.
When manufacturing parts that require a helical insert, correctly installing the helical insert into the part is important to assure the quality of the final product. When working on a high volume of parts, a significant number of those parts can fail to contain a helical insert or fail to have the tang removed from the helical insert. Such part defects can cause delays and increased costs for customers, who have to spend time and money to fix these parts or order new ones.
Thus a need exists in the art for a device that a manufacturer can use to check the quality of manufactured parts that include helical inserts.

Helical insert inspection device including thread-forming member


A computing system for managing a multi-modal communication session in an enterprise is disclosed. The computing system includes a monitoring module for monitoring activities associated with the multi-modal communication session between a customer and an agent, wherein the customer and the agent communicate over a first communication modality. The system further includes an analysis module for analyzing the activities to initiate communication between the customer and the agent over a second communication modality within the multi-modal communication session, wherein the communication over the second communication modality operates along with the communication over the first communication modality. The system further includes a notification module for generating notifications for notifying information associated with the first communication modality, the second communication modality, or a combination thereof to a supervisor.

Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system and method to manage communication sessions in an enterprise and particularly to a system and method for managing multi-modal communication sessions in an enterprise.
Description of Related Art
Contact centers are employed by many enterprises to service, inbound and outbound contacts or customers. A primary objective of contact center management is to ultimately maximize contact center performance and profitability. An ongoing challenge in contact center administration is monitoring and optimizing contact center efficiency usage of its available resources. The contact center efficiency is generally measured by metrics such as Service Level Agreement ('SLA'), Customer Satisfaction ('CSAT'), and match rate. Contact center resources may include, agents, communication assets (e.g., number of voice trunks, number and bandwidth of video trunks, etc.), computing resources (e.g., a speed, a queue length, a storage space, etc.), and so forth.
Service level is one measurement of the contact center efficiency. Service level is typically determined by dividing the number of contacts accepted within a specified period by the number accepted plus number that were not accepted, but completed in some other way (e.g., abandoned, given busy, canceled, flowed out). Service level definitions may vary from one enterprise to another.
Match rate is another indicator used in measuring the contact center efficiency. Match rate is usually determined by dividing the number of contacts accepted by a primary skill level agent within a period of time by the number of contacts accepted by any agent in a queue over the same period. An agent with a primary skill level is one who typically may handle contacts of a certain nature more effectively and/or efficiently as compared to an agent of lesser skill level. There are other contact center agents who may not be as proficient as the primary skill level agent, and those agents are identified either as skill level agents or backup skill level agents. As can be appreciated, contacts received by a primary skill level agent are typically handled more quickly and accurately or effectively (e.g., higher revenue attained) than a contact received by a secondary or even backup skill level agent. Thus, it is an objective of most contact centers to optimize match rate along with the service level.
In addition to service level and match rate performance measures, contact centers use other Key Performance Indicators ('KPIs'), such as revenue, estimated, actual, or predicted wait time, average speed of answer, throughput, resource utilization, resource performance, resource responsiveness and the like, to calculate performance relative to their Service Level Agreements ('SLAs'). Operational efficiency is achieved when the KPIs are managed near, but not above, SLA threshold levels.
Throughput is a measure of the number of contacts/contact requests or communication sessions that may be processed in a given amount of time. Resource utilization is a measure of how efficiently the resources' time is being used. Customer service level is a measure of the time customers spend waiting for their work to be handled. Company contact center customers wish to provide service to as many requests as possible in a given amount of time, using the least number of resources to do so, and minimizing the wait time for their customers.
Typically, when a new contact arrives into a contact center, a most suitable agent to provide services is selected by the contact center. However, all agents are not at same level within the contact center. Some of the agents of the contact center are very skilled agents, also called as gold rated agents, but some of the agents are not very skilled, but having some minimum skills, also called silver rated agents. Hence, it is necessary to monitor communication sessions managed by agents, such as silver rated agents in order to maintain the business goals. These communication sessions are monitored by supervisors of the contact center. The supervisor is allowed to listen to a conversation between a customer and an agent on an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), monitor textual conversation going back and forth on a web chat session, or pre-approve an agent's response emails before communicating to customers, to name a few examples. However, most of the communication sessions are multi-modal communication sessions.
Multi-modal communication sessions are communication sessions in which customers and agents are already in communicating with each other, for example, a voice communication session, a video communication session, a web chat communication sessions, etc., and the customer and agent further desire to add a new communication within the communication session. For example, an agent is on a web chat with a customer, and a cellphone voice communication is added. Then a co-browse communication, and then a WebRTC communication is added along with the initial web chat session between the customer and the agent.
Traditional monitoring techniques are modality centric, for example, how a particular modality is managed by an agent, and therefore, the efficient monitoring of different communication modalities added to a communication session becomes difficult. Further, the supervisor can monitor only an initial communication associated with a communication session and when another communication is added within the communication session then the supervisor has to manually figure out which communication is associated with the communication session, which is a time consuming and cumbersome process.
There is thus a need for a system and method for managing multi-modal communication sessions in an enterprise in a more efficient manner.

System and method for managing multi-modal communication sessions


Techniques and devices are disclosed for utilizing passively received audio signals to determine proximity of devices to other objects. In one embodiment, a method of passive proximity detection is provided that includes sensing a first sound wave using a first audio transducer and generating a first signal representative of the first sound wave. A second sound wave is also sensed and a second signal is generated. The method includes comparing characteristics of the first and second signals using a processor to determine if differences between the first and second signals indicate the first audio transducer is proximately located to another object.

Proximity detection can be useful in a variety of contexts. For example, proximity detection may be utilized to activate certain devices and/or features of those devices. In particular, a speaker volume and/or display activation may be operatively related to detection of the speaker or display being proximately located with an object. Generally, proximity detection in computing devices and mobile electronic devices has been implemented utilizing infrared (IR), light sensors or, even, active sonar based sensing. However, each of these techniques may include dedicated components which may increase the size, weight and/or cost of manufacture of the devices in which they are implemented.


There are provided a light control device, a method for manufacturing the light control device, and a display device comprising the light control device. The light control device includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other, and a plurality of liquid crystal units between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the plurality of liquid crystal units includes a first liquid crystal unit including a droplet including a first liquid crystal and a polymer and a second liquid crystal unit which is disposed on or under the first liquid crystal unit and configured as a polymer networked liquid crystal (PNLC) including a second liquid crystal, a coloring member, and a network.

Recently, as the world entered the information age, display devices for processing and displaying a large amount of information have been rapidly developed. Accordingly, various display devices have been developed and have attracted a lot of attention.
Specific examples of the display devices may include a liquid crystal display device (LCD), a plasma display panel device (PDP), a field emission display device (FED), an electroluminescence display device (ELD), and organic light emitting diodes (OLED). These display devices generally have excellent properties of a thin profile, light weight and low power consumption and thus their application fields have been increased continuously. In particular, in most of electronic devices or mobile devices, the display device has been used as one of a user interface.
Also, studies of transparent display devices through which a user may see objects or images located on the opposite side are being actively conducted.
The transparent display devices may have advantages of better use of space, interior and design, and may have various application fields. The transparent display devices may solve spatial and temporal restrictions of electronic devices as compared with conventional display devices by implementing a display device with functions of information recognition, information processing and information display as a transparent electronic device. Such transparent display devices may be used for a smart window, which may be used as a window of a smart home or a smart car.
Particularly, an LCD may be implemented as a transparent display device by applying an edge type backlight thereto, but a transparent display device based on LCD has a problem in that a transmittance ratio is very low and transparency is decreased by a polarizing plate used for implementation of black and also has a problem with outdoor visibility.
Further, a transparent display device based on OLED has higher power consumption than the transparent display device based on LCD and has difficulty in displaying a true black. Also, the transparent display device based on OLED has no problem with a contrast ratio under a dark environment, but has a disadvantage of reduction in a contrast ratio in a normal environment with light.
Therefore, in order to implement a transparent mode and a light shielding mode, there has been suggested a method for utilizing a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) and a polymer networked liquid crystal (PNLC) for a light control device of the transparent display device based on OLED. The polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) or the polymer networked liquid crystal (PNLC) may be formed by mixing a monomer with a liquid crystal and then irradiating ultraviolet (UV) rays thereto.
Particularly, the polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) has a structure in which a liquid crystal is formed within a droplet, and the polymer networked liquid crystal (PNLC) has a structure in which a polymer is distributed in a network structure on a liquid crystal.
If an electric field is applied to the polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) or polymer networked liquid crystal (PNLC), an alignment of the liquid crystal is changed, and, thus, light incident from the outside can be scattered or transmitted. That is, a device using the polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) or polymer networked liquid crystal (PNLC) can scatter or transmit light without a polarizing plate, and, thus, can be used as a light control device of a transparent display device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Light control device, method for manufacturing light control device and display device comprising light control device


This invention relates to the preparation of molds for the production of contact lenses and other ophthalmic articles. By using an inorganic material to coat the optical surfaces and sidewalls of mold parts made from clear-resin materials, manufacturers can produce lens molds with greater dimensional stability and chemical resistance. In addition to protecting the clear resin from interaction with otherwise reactive monomers from which the molded article is made, such coatings can also be used to achieve preferential release of the molded article. The resulting mold is especially useful for providing an economical way to improve manufacturing quality of contact lenses.

This invention is directed to improved lens molds for the production of contact lenses, intraocular lenses, and other ophthalmic products. In particular, the invention involves protective coatings for allowing for the use of mold materials having improved dimensional stability and/or increased light transparency. The invention is also directed to a method of making the improved lens molds and their use in the manufacture of contact lenses.
The molds used in the manufacture of soft (hydrogel) contact lenses have been made from a variety of rigid thermoplastic resins. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,410 to Lust et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,557 to Widman et al. disclose mold halves made from polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, copolymers of polystyrene with acrylonitrile and/or butadiene, acrylates such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylontrile, polycarbonate, polyamides such as nylons, polyesters, polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene and copolymers thereof, polyacetal resins, polyacrylethers, polyarylether sulfones, and various fluorinated materials such as fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymers and ethylene fluoroethylene copolymers. Polystyrene is preferred by Widman et al because it does not crystallize and has low shrinkage. An earlier patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,573 to Ratkowski et al, discloses, for the processing of fluorosilicone copolymers into extended wear lenses, molds formed of polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, Teflon(copyright), glass, or aluminum having its mold surfaces coated with Teflon(copyright) polymer.
The manufacturers of soft contact lenses have discovered that if the molds used to make the lenses are sufficiently inexpensive, it is more economical to discard the molds after production of the lenses from the molds than it is to clean the molds to be reused. Polypropylene is a good example of an inexpensive resin that has been used to make molds that can be discarded at minimal cost. Another advantage of polypropylene is that unlike many resins, polypropylene can resist interaction with the monomers used to make the contact lenses. The ability to resist chemical interaction prevents the lens and the mold from adhering to each other and simplifies their separation following lens production.
Despite these benefits, however, polypropylene lens molds also suffer from several known disadvantages. One disadvantage is polypropylene""s relatively low dimensional stability. As mentioned by Widman et al, polypropylene partly crystallizes during cooling from the melt and is, therefore, subject to shrinkage, causing difficulties in controlling dimensional changes after injection molding. To improve dimensional stability, manufacturers can make polypropylene lens molds thicker. However, while thicker polypropylene molds can have greater stability, they also require additional cooling time. The additional time needed to cool the thicker molds decreases the number of molds that can be made per machine per unit of time. Furthermore, thicker and therefore larger polypropylene molds can limit the number of molds per machine, thereby reducing product throughput. Finally, polypropylene""s relatively poor dimensional stability limits manufacturing yield, because the molds may need to be stored before use, for periods of up to several weeks in some cases, and many polypropylene molds fail to maintain dimensional stability over time to a degree that eventually renders them unfit for lens production.
In addition to having relatively poor dimensional stability, polypropylene has other disadvantages. Polypropylene is a translucent resin that reduces the transmission of light. Typically, polypropylene allows only about ten percent of light to pass through it. Poor light transmission reduces the speed of polymerization. Furthermore, the absorption of oxygen by the molds, commonly experienced with polypropylene molds, can influence lens quality. When the absorbed oxygen diffuses out, during lens molding, polymerization can be affected, and lens surface quality can suffer as a result.
Several alternative resins offer greater dimensional stability and light transmittance than polypropylene. For instance, polycarbonate and polystyrene are more amorphous resins and, therefore, have greater dimensional stability than polypropylene. Moreover, these and other xe2x80x9cclearxe2x80x9d resins generally transmit at least 50% and often more than 70% of light.
Although polycarbonate and polystyrene resins offer greater dimensional stability and light transmittance, they are vulnerable to chemical interaction with the monomers used in many soft contact lenses (for example, N-vinylpyrrolidone and N,N-dimethylacrylamide, used in many conventional contact lenses). Chemical interaction between the lens monomers and the lens molds can cause the lens and the mold to adhere to each other and, in a worst case scenario, the lens and the mold can become permanently joined. Moreover, in addition to being susceptible to chemical interaction, many clear resins are more expensive than polypropylene and are, therefore, too costly to discard.
Molds for making soft contact lenses have been treated to affect their surface properties. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,292 discloses the use of silicone wax, steric acid, and mineral oil as additives for plastic mold compositions to improve the release of the contact lens from the plastic molds. U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,865 discloses an internal mold release agent such as waxes, soaps, and oils, including a polyethylene wax having a molecular weight of 5,000 to 200,000 or a silicone polymer having a molecular weight of 2,000 to 100,000. U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,510 to Kindt-Larsen discloses a surface-applied surfactant in the form of a uniform layer or very thin film or coating to assist in the release from each other of mold components of a multi-part mold employed in the molding of hydrophilic contact lenses. Polymeric surfactants that can be used include polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono-oleates which are applied to a non-optical surface of the mold, but do not cover the optical surface of the mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,557 to Widman et al discloses hydrophilic contact-lens molds that are transiently modified with a removable surfactant to provide a low water dynamic contact angle. This was found to reduce lens hole defects in lens manufacture. Widman et al discloses various polysorbates, ethoxylated amines, or quaternary ammonium compounds that can be applied to the mold surface by swathing, spraying, or dipping.
Mueller et al, in European Patent Application EP 0 362 137 A1, discloses the coating of molds with a co-reactive hydrophilic polymer like polyvinylalcohol, ethoxylated PVA, or hydroxyethyl cellulose, in order to provide a permanent hydrophilic coating on the lens. The mold coating copolymerizes with the lens material in the mold. Similarly, Merill, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,033, discloses coating the surface of a mold with polyvinylpyrrolidone to form a coating that is later to come into contact with a previously crosslinked silicone lens. Merill teaches spreading a coating solution over the mold while held in a chuck, thereby achieving a fairly uniform coating of several thousandths of an inch, after which the wet film is allowed to dry to form a hard glassy polymer layer of about 1 to 5 thousandths of an inch. Finally, monomeric N-vinyl pyrrolidone is dissolved in the coating ready for contact with the silicone lens. As one other example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,943 to Enns et al. discloses coating a mold with a hydrophobic latent-hydrophilic material, after which a lens material is molded therein. During curing, the mold coating is apparently transferred to the lens surface. The lens is then treated to convert the coating to a hydrophilic form.
It is an object of our system to provide the manufacturer of contact lens and other ophthalmic articles placed on or in the eye with an improved way to mold them, by providing molds with greater light transparency or dimensional stability which can be stored for an extended period of time while, concurrently, maintaining the chemical resistance of the molds to a variety of monomers used in making the ophthalmic articles. This combination of mold properties can be economically achieved by use of the present invention, and may even be achieved in molds that are discarded after a single use.
Our system uses clear-resin lens molds with protective coatings for the production of contact lenses, intraocular lenses, delivery devices, and other such ophthalmic articles. Clear resins are not only more amorphous and, therefore, more dimensionally stable than polypropylene, but are also capable of transmitting a greater percentage of actinic light. Various clear resins are suitable for contact lens molding purposes, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, polysulfone, polyacrylate/polymethacrylate, polycarbonate, and polystyrene.
Polycarbonate, polystyrene, or polyacrylate materials are particularly preferred. These resins offer great dimensional stability and light transmittance; but unlike many other clear resins, they are also relatively inexpensive. Despite the advantages associated with clear-resin lens molds, it is commonly known that clear resins have a tendency to interact with monomers used in contact lens production. Until now, manufacturers have only been able to develop a limited number of clear-resin lens molds that can effectively resist chemical monomer interaction. Unfortunately, existing clear-resin lens molds may be too expensive, especially to discard after single-use, or may only offer resistance to limited kinds of monomer materials used in the manufacture of ophthalmic articles.
The present invention is directed to clear-resin molds and methods of producing clear-resin molds, used for making ophthalmic articles, having a permanent (non-transient), dense, uniform, and continuous protective inorganic coating on the surface of the mold, including at least the optical surfaces thereof, to prevent adverse monomer chemical interactions. Although several coating techniques are capable of applying such a coating, including evaporation, sputtering, spraying, and photo-chemical vapor deposition, the preferred embodiment for applying a protective coating to the mold employs plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) or other plasma glow discharge techniques, which make such coatings generally uniform, continuous, dense, and pinhole free. The coating, during molding of the ophthalmic article, is essentially inert or non-reactive with the lens monomers or lens surface that is formed in the mold assembly. On the contrary, the purpose of the coating is to prevent chemical interaction of the mold with the polymerizable monomers used in making the opthalmic article.
A variety of inorganic coating materials that can be used to prevent monomer chemical interaction with the underlying mold surfaces. Suitable coatings include silicon and metal oxides, carbides, and nitrides. Of these, SiOx, SiON, Si3N4, TiO2, Ta2O5, and Al2O3 have been found to be particularly effective. These inorganc coatings, which do not contain carbon as a principal element, can have minor amounts of carbon or H and may be formed from carbon-containing compounds or precursors.
Although the above-listed coating materials are preferred because of their ability to transmit actinic radiation and to protect against monomer interaction, there are other materials that, despite their diminished capacity to transmit light, can be used to prevent monomer interaction. Furthermore, materials for contact lenses, for instance, can also be cured by sources of energy other than light (for example, by heat or microwave energy wherein transmission of light is unnecessary for curing). In such cases, metal nitrides such as TiN or AlN or metal carbides such as TiC or SiC, which do not transmit light, can be used to protect against monomer interaction with the mold material. Moreover, even when employing light to cure a lens material, it may not be essential that light be able to transmit through both female and male mold parts since light is generally directed from only one side of the lens mold. Therefore, in cases where light for curing a lens or other article only needs to be directed from one side, mold materials with limited light transmittance can be applied only to the mold cavity surfaces through which light transmission is not essential. For example, by coating one mold part with a light-transmitting coating material and the other with a coating material having poor light transmittance, manufacturers can produce a clear-resin lens mold that is well suited for contact lens production.
Although a single coating can be used to protect the cavity surfaces of mold parts, multiple coatings formed from different materials can also be used. Even if more costly to apply multiple coatings to the mold cavity surfaces, the presence of multiple layers may provide enhanced protection against monomer interaction and may facilitate release of a molded article from the mold. For example, anywhere from one to five layers or more of an inorganic coating can be economically applied to a mold part. Also, besides preventing monomer interaction with clear resins used to make mold parts, additional advantages of significance can also be obtained by use of mold coatings according to the present invention. For example, mold coatings according to the present invention can also be used to improve mold separation, prevent adhesion, and achieve preferential release.
By eliminating the risk of chemical interaction, manufacturers can mold contact lenses or other ophalmic products using clear-resin molds with improved dimensional stability and light transmittance. Moreover, the application of a coating to the mold cavity surfaces can also accomplish preferential release. For example, our system simplifies and economizes lens production by reducing mold cycle time, increasing product throughput, improving lens quality, and increasing the speed of polymerization.
These and other objects of the invention can be better understood by reference to the Sole Figure in combination with the following detailed description of the invention.

Lens molds with protective coatings for production of contact lenses and other ophthalmic products


A forging press has a stationary cross head which carries a lower die, and a movable frame with an upper die carried in the part of the frame above the stationary cross head. A positioning piston/cylinder unit, operated by low pressure fluid, moves the frame to a predetermined position relative to the stationary cross head. The frame is then locked in position by pressurizing oppositely acting piston/cylinder units, and the upper die is moved to carry out a forging operation by a piston/cylinder unit located in the top of the frame and operated by high pressure fluid.

The most widely used constructional form of the underfloor forging press is the above ground type of construction.
In the above ground type of forging press, the drive is located between the upper cylinder cross head and the moving cross head which has an upper tool arranged below it. As known, this type of press has a relatively great structural height and, in consequence of the upper drive location, has a relatively high centre of gravity, which, taken together, also imply a relatively high workshop structure. On the other hand, the moving mass consists in this case only of the moving cross head with the upper tool and the plunger preferably connected therewith.
To lower the centre of gravity of the press and to reduce the structural height of the workshop, the underfloor-type construction of forging press was introduced, in which the drive is located below floor level between the fixed cross head, which also carries the lower die, and the bottom cross head--preferably constructed as the cylinder cross head. The bottom cross head, together with connecting members--usually columns--and the top cross head form a frame which carries the upper die. With each forging stroke, this frame is moved as a whole, whilst the fixed cross head remains stationary. The advantage of this construction is a low centre of gravity and the low structural height of the press above ground, which in turn implies lower and thus cheaper workshop structures. However, owing to the overall frame motion, the moving mass is greater than in the aboveground-type construction.
Thus, depending on the type of construction, the two types of press offer different advantages, but also different serious drawbacks.
For these reasons, in an open-die forging press of the underfloor type (German Patent Specification No. 1 259 180) an improvement was attempted to enable work to be carried out with high stroke frequency and low accelerations, at least during precision and high speed forging. This was achieved by means of a precision-forging or high-speed forging device accomodated in the head of the press frame. With this device, the press-frame itself need not be moved during precision and high-speed forging, so that the moving masses are substantially smaller. However, for hammer and percussion forging, with the corresponding greater stroke heights and pressing forces, the whole frame has still to be moved, whilst the drive itself is located below floor level. On the other hand, the risk of eccentric forging is particularly great precisely in hammer and percussion forging, owing to which the frame guides in the fixed cross head are subjected to particularly high stresses; furthermore, the foundation suffers owing to the high mass accelerations and decelerations producing corresponding shocks, quite apart from the intensive noise and vibrations produced even in the surroundings of the foundation.


This invention relates to the new use of the compound 2-(R)-(4-Fluoro-2-methyl-phenyl)-4-(S)-((8aS)-6-oxo-hexahydro-pyrrolo[1,2-α]-pyrazin-2-yl)-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid [1-(R)-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-ethyl]-methylamide (orvepitant) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and pharmaceutical compositions containing it and one or more therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic cough, including chronic refractory cough and to combinations for such a use.

WO2003/066635 describes a number of diazabicycle derivatives as antagonists of tachykinin receptors, also known as substance P (SP) receptors or NK receptors and in particular NK-1 receptors, including the 2-(R)-(4-Fluoro-2-methyl-phenyl)-4-(S)-((8aS)-6-oxo-hexahydro-pyrrolo[1,2-α]-pyrazin-2-yl)-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid [1-(R)-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-ethyl]-methylamide (otherwise known as orvepitant).
Orvepitant, otherwise known as 2-(R)-(4-Fluoro-2-methyl-phenyl)-4-(S)-((8aS)-6-oxo-hexahydro-pyrrolo[1,2-α]-pyrazin-2-yl)-piperidine-1-carboxylic acid [1-(R)-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-ethyl]-methylamide has the following chemical structure (I).

Hereinafter any reference to orvepitant refers to the compound (I).
Orvepitant may also be known as:
CAS Index name
1-Piperidinecarboxamide, N-[(1R)-1-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethyl]-2-(4-fluoro-2-methylphenyl)-4-[(8aS)-hexahydro-6-oxopyrrolo[1,2-α]pyrazin-2(1H)-yl]-N-methyl-, (2R,4S)
and
IUPAC name:
(2R,4S)—N-{(1R)-1-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethyl}-2-(4-fluoro-2-methylphenyl)-N-methyl-4-[(8aS)-6-oxohexahydropyrrolo[1,2-α]pyrazin-2(1H)-yl]-1-piperidinecarboxamide.
A preferred salt of the compound (I) is its hydrochloride salt which is otherwise known as orvepitant hydrochloride.
A further preferred salt of the compound (I) is its maleate salt which is otherwise known as orvepitant maleate.
WO2009/124996 describes a new crystalline form of orvepitant maleate namely anhydrous crystalline form (Form1).
The compound (I), pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are described in the aforementioned specifications as antagonists of tachykinin receptors, also known as substance P (SP) receptors or NK receptors and in particular NK-1 receptors, both in vitro and in vivo and are thus of use in the treatment of conditions mediated by tachykinins, including SP and other neurokinins.
Particularly, the compound (I), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts or solvates thereof are described as useful in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders.
We have now surprisingly found that the compound (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are also useful in the treatment of chronic cough.
Particularly, we have found that the compound (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are useful in the treatment of refractory chronic cough.
Refractory chronic cough also known as chronic refractory cough, chronic unexplained cough, chronic undiagnosed cough, chronic idiopathic cough, cough hypersensitivity syndrome, chronic intractable cough or chronic treatment-resistant cough is defined as a chronic cough of 8-weeks for which either no objective evidence of an underlying cause can be determined after routine clinical investigation or a cough that did not respond to standard treatment for the identified underlying cause.
Cough is a defensive reflex action of the respiratory system that is activated to clear the upper airways (Chung & Pavord, Lancet 2008; 371:1364-74). However, excessive coughing is the commonest reason for patients seeking medical care (Burt & Schappert, Vital and health statistics. Series 13, Data from the National Health Survey 2004; (157):1-70; Schappert & Burt, Series 13, Data from the National Health Survey 2006; (159):1-66) and has a significant impact on patient quality of life (French et al., Archives of internal medicine 1998; 158(15):1657-61; French et al., Chest 2005; 127(6):1991-8).
Coughing is most commonly associated with viral upper respiratory tract infections, where this symptom usually resolves spontaneously within a 3 week period. Chronic coughing (in which persists in a troublesome form for more than eight weeks duration) however may affect up to 12% of the UK population (Ford et al., Thorax 2006; 61(11):975-9) and 18% of the US (Barbee et al., Chest. 1991; 99(1):20-6), afflicts women more often than men and generally has an onset from middle age (Ford et al., Thorax 2006; 61(11):975-9; Irwin et al., The American review of respiratory disease 1981; 123(4 Pt 1):413-7; Irwin et al., Chest 2006; 129(1 Suppl):1S-23S; Janson et al., The European respiratory journal: official journal of the European Society for Clinical Respiratory Physiology 2001; 18(4):647-54).
Chronic coughing may be associated with many conditions including interstitial lung diseases (also called parenchymal diseases) such as: emphysema, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and sarcoidosis; airway diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic postnasal drip, eosinophilic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; chronic infections such as: bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis; lung tumours such as: bronchogenic carcinoma, alveolar cell carcinoma, benign airway tumours, mediastinal tumours; cardiovascular disease such as: left ventricular failure, pulmonary infarction, aortic aneurysm; other diseases such as: reflux oesophagitis, recurrent aspiration, endobronchial sutures, postnasal drip syndrome or rhinosinusitis; drug related such as: administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (Chung & Pavord, Lancet 2008; 371:1364-74).
Chronic coughing has been shown to have significant physical, social and psychological consequences (Birring et al., Thorax 2003; 58(4):339-43; French et al., Chest 2002; 121(4):1123-31). Patients often suffer complications such as chest and abdominal pains, retching and vomiting, urinary incontinence and even cough syncope. Many are embarrassed and stigmatised by this symptom and therefore avoid public places and social gatherings. Depression scores in this patient population have been found to be comparable to those seen in other serious chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis and sickle cell disease (Dicpinigaitis et al., Chest 2006; 130(6):1839-43).
Clinicians cannot identify a treatable cause for chronic cough in about 40% of patients (Hague et al., Chest 2005; 127(5):1710-3); as a result the treatment options for these chronic treatment-refractory cough patients are very limited (Gibson & Vertigan, BMJ. 2015; 351:h5590). To date the only drug therapies that have been shown to be effective in randomised controlled trials in this patient group are morphine (Morice et al., American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine 2007; 175(4):312-5) and gabapentin (Ryan et al., Lancet. 2012; 380(9853):1583-9). Other studies have suggested treatments such as amitriptyline and pregabalin (Halum et al., The Laryngoscope 2009; 119(9):1844-7) may be of help, but all these available pharmacological treatment choices are frequently associated with intolerable side effects such as drowsiness, tiredness, gastrointestinal disturbances, and some of these agents, such as for example morphine, are also addictive.
Thus there is an urgent need to identify new, effective and well-tolerated therapies for this debilitating condition to alleviate patient suffering.

Method of treatment of chronic cough administering orvepitant in combination with other therapeutic agents


A softbox for a spotlight includes a device for mounting the softbox to the spotlight such that in operation, the spotlight shines through the softbox. For limiting the emerging angle of the light shining through the softbox, a light control grid is mounted at the light emitting aperture of the softbox. For mounting the light control grid to the light emitting aperture of the softbox, a frame surrounds the light emitting aperture of the softbox. The control grid for being mounted to the softbox is manufactured by fixing adjacent strips of a light absorbing material to one another.

The present invention relates to a softbox for a spotlight source, comprising an attachment device and a light control grid, and to the latter devices as such.
Light diffusion boxes, also known as softboxes, have long been used by photographers and camera crews to provide diffused lighting and to prevent hard shadows. Collapsible or otherwise disassemblable softboxes are especially useful for location shooting, because they are lightweight and transportable. Typically, they comprise a supporting structure of flexible rods over which a cloth is stretched. The inside surfaces of such softboxes may be coated with reflective material, as disclosed in German translation DE 698 09 374 T2 of European patent EP 0 917 668 B1. As compared to the actual spotlight source, such softboxes provide an enlarged light emission area so that each illuminated object point is struck by light beams from a larger solid angle range. Shadow borders thus blur to gradual black-white transitions.
It is known that the light emission from such softboxes is unsatisfactory insofar as the entire object environment is also illuminated by the same. In order to remedy this deficiency, control grids made of cloth are known which are positioned at the light emission side of the softbox and serve to absorb such light beams which exit from the same at large angles relative to the direction of illumination.
One such light control grid is disclosed in patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,186.
A softbox is attachable to the spotlight source by means of a mounting structure as it is described in international application WO 2004/031849 A1.
Attachment of known softboxes to the spotlight source is not yet fully satisfactory and, moreover, the illumination effect attainable with conventional control grid is perceived to be still insufficient.
It is thus the object of the present invention to obviate these and other disadvantages.


An apparatus assembly for cutting a foodstuff has a conveyor and a carrier affixed to the conveyor for transporting a foodstuff, a cutting device having a circular blade and a pusher for positioning a foodstuff in the carrier for cutting. The carrier is separated into two,portions by a gap and has a hinged cover which extends from a position adjacent the gap for covering one portion of the carrier between the sidewalls. The cover is configured for holding the foodstuff in position in the carrier during cutting of the foodstuff, as the carrier passes a blade of the cutting device which passes through the gap from one sidewall to the other for cutting the foodstuff into pieces, and the cover also is configured for allowing, prior to cutting, the foodstuff to be pushed for positioning an amount of the foodstuff under the cover for cutting.

The present invention relates to a machine and process for cutting a frozen foodstuff into pieces of a predetermined size.
The cutting of frozen foodstuffs involves severe problems because it is extremely difficult to hold the frozen foodstuffs in a fixed position during the cutting operation and, therefore, the cut pieces are not always of the desired size.

Cutting of foodstuff transported in a carrier


A power switching apparatus comprising a current transformer with coupled primary and secondary windings, the primary windings being adapted for series connection between alternate current power source and load, the primary windings comprising first and second sub-primary windings of different number of turns of windings and respectively of a larger and a smaller core diameter, a current conduction path being provided from intermediate the first and the second sub-primary windings to the power switching means so that upon detection of a current exceeding the current rating of the second sub-primary windings, current will be caused to flow from alternate current power source to load via a current loop comprising the power switching means and the first sub-primary windings only.

Electronic controlled power switching apparatus provide useful alternative to conventional rocker-type switches so that power switching, for example, switching of electrical appliances and lighting apparatus, can be done by remote or wireless controlled switching, non-contact switching, touch switching or other intelligent or more sophisticated switching methods.
Electronic controlled power switching apparatus are typically controlled and operated by electronic control means which comprise, for example, a microprocessor. The electronic control means operate the making or breaking of an electronic controllable power switching device inside the power switching apparatus upon receipt of a control command or upon fulfilment of certain prescribed conditions. In order to provide an economical and relatively maintenance-free electronic controlled power switching apparatus, it is highly desirable that the power for operating the control and other peripheral circuitry of the switching apparatus is obtained from the alternate current (AC) power source to which the power switching apparatus is connected so that batteries are not essential to its operation. In many power distribution wiring networks, for example, networks at home or offices, extra power supply lines are not readily available to cater for the operating power requirements of an electronic controlled power switching apparatus.
To obviate the need of additional wirings for supplying operating power to the electronic control circuitry, electronic controlled power switching apparatus with power coupling means, which comprise a current transformer and a voltage transforming circuitry (such as voltage clamping circuitry) for coupling operating power from the AC power source to the rectifying circuitry of the power switching apparatus respectively during the "ON" and "OFF" states, are known. The primary windings of the current transformer are usually connected in series with and between the AC power source and the load. Because of the serial connection, a high current rating current transformer, typically with windings of copper wire of a large core diameter, will be required for a high load current rating, since copper wire of a large cross-section is desirable for reducing adverse heat generation. On the other hand, for an electronic controlled power switch with a low load current rating, a current transformer with a large number of turns in the primary winding is necessary to maintain sufficient operating power to the control and peripheral circuitry. Hence, an electronic controlled power switch with a large current rating range using conventional design would mean that a current transformer with primary windings comprising a large number of turns of a large core copper wire would be necessary.
This dual requirement has been a major obstacle preventing electronic controlled power switching apparatus with a large operating current range from being used in practical applications, especially in applications in which a compact design is desired. Hence, it is not surprising that electronic controlled power switching apparatus adapted for mounting in wall-sockets rarely provides a current rating range of between 0 to 10 AX (amperes) due to the size of the current transformer required for such a load current rating range. Hence, it is highly desirable if there can be provided electronic controlled power switching apparatus with a relatively large current rating range while maintaining a reasonably compact size to enhance the practical utility of electronic controlled power switching apparatus.
For power switching apparatus with a relatively large current rating, electronic controlled relays with mechanical means for making and breaking the electrical connection between the current conducting terminals of the relays are commonly used. However, the problem of electric arcing during the breaking of the mechano-electrical contacts of the relays, especially in a highly inductive circuit, may cause premature wear-out or even failure of the relays, for example, due to carbonization of the contacts. Furthermore, during the making and breaking transitions, bouncing may occur at the relay contacts and causes arcing. In order to factor in the adverse effect of electrical arcing, relays of a higher power handling rating (and therefore a significantly larger size) are frequently used to provide additional safety margins. For example, a 4 kVA rated relay at 250 Vac voltage rating may be required for a 250V 5 A application at 0.4 power factor to cater for possible arcing due to back EMF during breaking of the contacts, even though the maximum switching voltage which may appear across the current conducting terminals under normal operating conditions would be small.
Likewise, when used in a capacitive circuit, the in-rush current during the making of the relay contacts can be very high and the current rating of a relay may far exceed the "carry current" of a relay, which is the steady state current flowing through the current conducting terminals of the relay under normal operating conditions in order to provide additional safety margin during the making of the current conducting terminals. For example, in a highly capacitive circuit, the in-rush current can be as high as 1000 A even though the steady state operating current may be as low as 10 A.
Hence, it will be beneficial if there can be provided electronic controlled power switching apparatus with relays and with means to alleviate the need of relays of excessive power rating to provide for an adequate safety margin which will inevitably result in a larger apparatus size.


A hand to mouth bite counting device is provided that may be worn on a hand, wrist or arm of a user to silently and continuously count the number of bites of food taken by the user. The bite counting device may include a sensing device that collects data corresponding to a sensed movement, and a processor that implements an algorithm to process the collected data and determine whether data collected within a given interval of time corresponds to a bite of food taken by the user. The processor derives a set of attributes from the data collected within the given interval of time to define the sensed movement. The device also provides feedback, goal setting functionality, and long-term statistics to serve as a dietary aid.

Personal electronic devices may be used for scientific as well as non-scientific applications. For example, individuals seeking to monitor physical activity may use a personal electronic device to monitor physical activity, to track/document progress, and to provide motivation for increased physical activity. The capability to monitor and track food and beverage intake using a personal electronic device, in an effective and affordable manner, may be advantageous in achieving weight control goals.

Adaptive hand to mouth movement detection device