To store a plurality of input bits, the bits are mapped to a corresponding programmed state of one or more memory cells and the cell(s) is/are programmed to that corresponding programmed state. The mapping may be many-to-one or may be an “into” generalized Gray mapping. The cell(s) is/are read to provide a read state value that is transformed into a plurality of output bits, for example by maximum likelihood decoding or by mapping the read state value into a plurality of soft bits and then decoding the soft bits.

The present invention relates to multi-bit-per-cell flash memories.
A simplified block diagram of a Multi-Bit-Per-Cell (MBPC) flash memory device 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, the two components of flash memory device 10 that are illustrated in FIG. 1 are a flash controller 12 and a flash memory cell array 18.
Flash controller 12 includes two blocks: an encoder block 14 that translates a stream of information bits that the user wishes to store in flash cell array 18 into a stream of states or voltage levels that should be programmed into the cells of flash cell array 18, and a decoder block 16 that translates a stream of cell states or voltage levels read from flash cell array 18 into the stream of information bits that was stored in flash cell array 18.
The cost of a MBPC Flash system is mainly influenced by the size of the flash memory cell array required in order to store a given amount of information, the number of flash cells required in order to store a given amount of information. It is convenient to use the number of information bits per flash cell (abbreviated as IBPC) as a normalized measure of the flash memory's cost efficiency:IBPC=(number of information bits stored in the flash memory)÷(number of cells in the flash memory)
One might argue that the IBPC of a MBPC Flash system can be increased simply by increasing the number of states or voltage levels that can be programmed in a flash cell. However a fair comparison should also take into account the MBPC flash reliability and the MBPC flash performance.
The main criterion of flash reliability is the ability of the controller to recover the stored information with high probability, i.e. with a negligible bit error rate. The states or voltage levels that are programmed into the flash cells are not always equal to the states or voltage levels that are read from the flash cells. This is doe to physical processes that occur inside the flash cell array that cause the charge stored in the flash cell to change. These harmful physical processes corrupt the information stored in the flash cells. Usually the flash reliability is a function of time and flash cell wear level. The flash reliability is determined primarily by the following factors:                1. Data retention: the expected amount of time that data can be stored in the flash cells and still be recovered with high reliability.        2. Program/Erase cycles: the expected number of times that the flash cells can be programmed and erased while allowing reliable storage of data.
The main criterion of flash performance is the flash read/write throughput, i.e. the throughput of writing data to the flash memory and reading data from the flash memory, measured in information bits per second.
Unfortunately, increasing the number of voltage levels that can be programmed in each flash cell has a negative effect both on the flash memory reliability and on the flash memory performance. For example, as the number of voltage levels increases, the expected data retention time of the flash memory decreases and the expected number of available program/erase cycles decreases, resulting in a lower flash memory reliability. Moreover, the rend/write throughput of the flash memory becomes slower with the increase of the number of flash cell voltage levels. Hence there is a tradeoff between the flash memory cost (the IBPC of the flash memory) and the reliability and performance of the flash memory. Obviously, one wishes to optimize this tradeoff. This can be done through an appropriate design of the flash controller.
A simple prior art flash controller uses a bijective mapping, i.e. a mapping that is one-to-one and onto, in order to directly map k information bits into a state or voltage level out of q=2k states of each flash cell. By allowing only a small number of states q to be programmed in a cell, the probability of the cell to make a transition out of its state is made negligible, providing a reliable flash memory device. Note that such a flash memory device can use only a number of states q in the cell that is a power of 2 because bits are directly mapped to cell states through a bijective mapping.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,847,550, issued Jan. 25, 2005 to Park and entitled "NONVOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY HAVING THREE_LEVEL MEMORY CELLS AND PROGRAM AND READ MAPPING CIRCUITS THEREFOR" (hereinafter "Park '550"); describes a method of trading-off Flash cost and reliability by using a non-bijective mapping, that is one-to-one but not onto, from information bits to the states of one or more flash cells. By using the non-bijective mapping, a number of cell states that is not a power of 2 can be used. In the example described in Park '550, three-state cells are used. This provides higher flash reliability compared to a flash memory device based on four-state cells (due to lower transition probability from state to state) and lower cost compared to a flash memory device based on two-state cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,469,931, issued Oct. 22, 2002 to Ban et al., entitled "METHOD FOR INCREASING INFORMATION CONTENT IN A COMPUTER MEMORY" (hereinafter "Ban '931"), provides a general framework for reducing the cost of a flash memory device while maintaining the reliability of the flash memory device. This is done by mapping large blocks of K information bits into large blocks of M cells with q states. The encoder block (e.g. encoder block 14 of FIG. 1) implements a mapping function, also known as an Error Correcting Code (FCC), that maps points from the vector space 2K onto points in the vector space qM. The mapping is not onto, i.e., not all configurations of cell states are used (2K<qM). The decoder block (e.g. decoder block 16 of FIG. 1) collectively decodes the M read cell states and determines the most probable legitimate configuration of cell states that was stored in the flash memory, which is then used for recovering the K stored information bits. It is well known from information theory and coding theory (R. Gallagher, Information Theory and Reliable Communication, Wiley, New York N.Y. USA, 1971) that increasing the dimensionality of the space of possible cell state configurations to which a block of information bits is mapped allows for more efficient storage of information. This way, if a good mapping function or ECC is used, more information bits can be mapped across a given number of flash cells, while the probability of the flash memory to make a transition from one legitimate configuration of states to another is kept arbitrarily small. However, it is not sufficient that the mapping function provide for a high IBPC. The mapping function should also allow low complexity implementation of the encoder and decoder blocks. Coding theory (S. Lin and D. J. Costello, Error Control Coding: Fundamentals and Applications, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs N.J. USA, 1983) provides a theoretical basis for designing such good ECCs.
In the example provided in Ban '931, a direct mapping function is used for mapping information bits into configurations of cell states. This method incurs high encoder complexity. A more common low complexity approach, shown in FIG. 2, is to divide encoder block 14 into two parts: 1) a binary ECC encoder block 20 that maps K information bits into N coded bits by adding N-K redundant bits and 2) a simple mapper block 22 that implements a one-dimensional bijective mapping function that maps the N coded bits into M cells by mapping each N/M bits into one of the q=2N/M states of a cell.
Decoder block 16 is also divided similarly into two parts: 1) a simple demapper block 24 that implements a one-dimensional bijective mapping function that maps the M read cell states into N bits by mapping each read cell state into N/M bits, and 2) an ECC decoder block 26 that decodes the N "noisy" bits received from demapper 24 and produces an estimation of the K information bits. An optimal decoder 26 returns the most probable K information bits given the N "noisy" bits.

Multi-bit-per-cell flash memory device with non-bijective mapping


An image pickup unit provided with an image pickup element is of structure capable of being detachably received in an endoscope body or a TV camera. After having been used in observation, the image pickup unit is dismounted, whereby disinfection processing and sterilization processing of the endoscope body from which the image pickup unit is dismounted, or the TV camera can be executed without inviting deterioration and the like of a characteristic of the image pickup unit by a disinfection unit, a sterilization unit or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic type endoscope having a dismounting mechanism for an image pickup unit including an image pickup element in which the image pickup unit is dismounted to execute disinfection/sterilization processing or treatment.
2. Description of the Related Art and Prior Art Statement
In recent years, endoscopes have been widely utilized in a field of medical processing art. Particularly, a medical processing instrument inserted into an organism, such as an endoscope or the like, is used which is sufficiently disinfected or sterilized such that an infection condition or the like does not occur. Further, after such a medical processing instrument has been used, a body fluid within an organism, solid matter and the like are adhered to the medical processing instrument. Accordingly, after the medical processing instrument has been cleaned to remove the adhered fluid and matter, the medical processing instrument is dipped in disinfection liquid and is disinfected.
In a case where a harmful material is used for sterilization processing, or for disinfection or sterilization by sterilization gas such as EOG or the like, the harmful material must be treated or processed after the sterilization processing. Accordingly, in recent years, it has been desirable to execute sterilization processing by using a reduced amount or quantity of such poisonous material or by the use of harmless steam without the use of a poisonous material.
An electronic type endoscope using a solid-state image pickup element as image pickup means, that is, an electronic endoscope and an outside mounted camera mounted on an optical endoscope, cannot withstand thermal sterilization processing apparatus using steam normally exceeding 100.degree. C., that is, autoclave processing, because of the characteristic of the solid-state image pickup element. On the other hand, a rigid endoscope belonging to an optical endoscope and having a hard inserting section has a resistance to the autoclave processing.
In this manner, there are endoscopes different from each other in resistance to disinfection and sterilization processing. A disinfection/sterilization unit for executing disinfection and sterilization processing at a hospital or the like is also used with conditions of disinfection and sterilization processing set, depending upon the used endoscopes. Furthermore, there may also be a case where a disinfection/sterilization unit is so used as to be capable of executing disinfection or sterilization processing with respect to existing endoscopes, or the existing endoscopes are in a disinfection/sterilization unit or disinfection/sterilization conditions in which more resistance is required.
An electronic endoscope provided with an image pickup element, or an outside mounted camera, has a low resistance to high temperatures when not protected by a heat-resisting or heat proof structure or the like. The electronic endoscope or the camera also have low resistance to humidity as well as to temperature. Accordingly, in a case where the electronic endoscope or the camera is disinfected or sterilized, it is required that the disinfection or sterilization processing is executed under a condition that the characteristic of the image pickup element is not deteriorated, or is not thermally destroyed. In this case, deterioration in the characteristic of the image pickup element due to disinfection or sterilization is high in probability whenever the deterioration is caused by repeated disinfection or sterilization processing, and there may be a case where recognizable deterioration does not occur for only one disinfection or sterilization processing cycle. For this reason, there may occur the following case. That is, disinfection or sterilization processing is repeatedly executed while the conditions of the disinfection or sterilization processing produce an environment suitable for another type endoscope having a higher resistance, without taking into account the fact that the conditions of disinfection or sterilization processing are set to an environment suited for the lower resistance of an electronic endoscope or an outside mounted camera. Thus, deterioration of the characteristic would occur.
Specifically, in a case where an electronic endoscope or an outside mounted camera is disinfected or sterilized, disinfection or sterilization processing must be executed carefully more than with other more resistant types of endoscopes. However, the electronic endoscope or the outside mounted camera is typically disinfected or sterilized without sufficient attention being paid to a resistance thereof. Thus, there may be a case where the characteristic of an expensive electronic endoscope or outside mounted camera deteriorates or fails completely.

Electronic type endoscope in which image pickup unit is dismounted to execute disinfection/sterilization processing


Systems and methods utilizing water-vapor-partial-pressure-differential across a chemically-selective membrane to remove water vapor from a habitable spacecraft environment(s). The system preferably utilizes heat from an exothermic CO2 removal process to prevent condensation at the chemically-selective membrane.

This invention relates to providing a system for improved space humidity control. More particularly, this invention relates to providing a system for assisting the removal of metabolic water vapor from a habitable spacecraft environment.
Of all human endeavors, few are more demanding than manned spaceflight. Vehicles to support human spaceflight must necessarily comprise the characteristics of safety, high reliability, and operational simplicity. In practical terms, these space-operated apparatus must also strive to control development costs, operational costs, and vehicle mass, insomuch as these secondary criteria do not unduly impact safety and reliability.
A critical component of manned spacecraft is the environmental control and life support subsystem. Such subsystems are designed to support the physiological and metabolic needs of a human crew during mission operations. Included in this support is the maintaining of a habitable atmosphere through the control of temperature, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and humidity levels.
A need exists for new technologies to advance the capabilities of crew transport vehicles in the above-noted areas.


The invention relates to a system for the electronic commutation of a brushless DC motor (1) having three phase windings (u, v, w) which are electrically displaced by 120xc2x0, comprising a semiconductor bridge (4) consisting of six power semiconductors (S1 to S6), which drives the phase windings (u, v, w) for generating a rotating magnetic stator field, a control unit (6) which correspondingly drives the power semiconductors (S1 to S6), and a device for detecting the respective rotational position of a rotor exhibiting a permanent-magnetic magnet wheel, the device for detecting the rotor position being constructed as sensor-less evaluating unit (8), for evaluating the voltage induced by the rotating magnet wheel which can be measured at the winding terminal (U, V, W) of the motor which is not currently driven.

The present invention relates to a system for the electronic commutation of a brushless DC motor having three phase windings which are electrically displaced by 120xc2x0, comprising a semiconductor bridge of six power semiconductors, which drives the phase windings for generating a rotating magnetic stator field, a control unit which correspondingly drives the power semiconductors, and a device for detecting the respective rotational positions of a rotor exhibiting a permanent-magnetic magnet wheel, the device for detecting the rotor position being constructed as sensor-less evaluating unit, in such a manner that the voltage induced by the rotating magnet wheel, which can be measured in each case at the phase winding terminal which is currently not driven, is detected and evaluated.
For the electronic commutation of collector-less DC motors, the control unit driving the semiconductor bridge must, in principle, be supplied with information on the current rotational position of the permanent-magnetic rotor relative to the stator so that the respective suitable phase windings can be driven for generating a torque in the desired direction of rotation to generate by this means an optimum rotating stator field. In general, the rotor position is detected by rotor position sensors, especially Hall sensors by means of the permanent-magnetic rotor field. In many cases, however, the motor and its associated commutation electronics must be spatially separated from one another so that electrical connecting lines are required via which, on the one hand, current is supplied to the phase windings, and on the other hand, the signals of the rotor position sensors are transmitted to the control electronics. The connecting lines and the necessary connections, e.g. plug-in connections, however, lead to very high cost expenditure, especially for production (assembly) and material and in addition also increase the susceptibility to faults.
In contrast, a sensor-less detection of the rotor positions is provided in systems of the generic type as a result of which (Hall) sensors and corresponding separate line connections can be omitted. Instead, the polarities or polarity changes (zero transitions) of the voltages induced in the motor windings by the permanent-magnetic rotor field (internal voltage or, respectively, EMF=electromotive force) are detected via the respective non-driven currentless winding terminal and evaluated.
Such a sensorless commutation system is known, for example, from EP 0 881 761 A1. In this arrangement, the voltages at the three motor winding terminals are detected by an EMF detector circuit, and from this three corresponding binary output signals are generated for the sensorless rotor position determination. In this manner, six different combinations of these output signals are generated over one electrical revolution of the rotor which makes it possible to determine the rotor position in 60xc2x0 segments. Each combination or each rotor position segment, respectively, is associated with one switching state of the bridge semiconductors (one semiconductor being pulsed in a pulse-width modulated manner for setting the speed in the respective switching state). As a result, there are six different switching states at 60xc2x0 intervals over one electrical rotation. In this arrangement, the stator excitation (stator field) is commutated in six steps within one electrical rotation so that this is a 6-step commutation.
Similar commutation circuits with 6-step commutation are also described in documents EP 0 872 948 A1, DE 39 34 139 C2, DE 33 06 642 C2 and DE 36 02 227 A1.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,393, a commutation control for brushless DC motors is described, this also being a 6-step commutation in principle because one electrical rotation of the motor is divided into six basic steps with respect to the changing direction of stator excitation. Although each of these basic steps is subdivided into two sections, but between these there is only one change of the power semiconductor which is in each case pulsed in a pulse-width modulated manner. In each step, however, only two of the six semiconductor switching elements of the power bridge circuit are in each case active so that it is always only two of three winding terminals which are actively connected to the positive or negative terminal of the DC source via the switching elements. For this reason, there can be only six different directions of stator excitation so that this is clearly a 6-step commutation in the proper sense.
A prior art which is very similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,393 is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,992, according to which six times two switching states or switch combinations are also provided but there, too, the direction of the stator excitation is changed in only six steps (=6-step commutation).
The present invention is based on the object of creating a system of the generic type initially described, by means of which a reduction in running and commutation noises is achieved whilst maintaining the inexpensive and fault-insensitive sensorless rotor position detection.
According to the invention, this is achieved by the fact that the control unit drives the power semiconductors in twelve different switching states by means of a 12-step commutation beyond one electrical revolution of the DC motor in dependence on the rotor positions. This 12-step commutation according to the invention is effected in such a manner that each of these twelve switching states causes a different excitation state of the stator relating to the direction of the magnetic field generated in it. For this purpose, it is provided that, on the one hand, switching states in which two power semiconductors of the semiconductor bridge are driven and, on the other hand, switching states in which three power semiconductors are driven, continuously occur in an alternating manner. In contrast, the power semiconductors in a 6-step commutation are driven in switching states which exclusively lead to six different excitation states of the stator. In the 12-step commutation, the stator excitation is in each case commutated by smaller angular steps than in a 6-step commutation as a result of which a continuously circulating stator field is generated.
The invention is initially based on the finding that the application of a 6-step commutation leads to motor noises, the xe2x80x9ccommutation clickingxe2x80x9d, due to an abrupt change in the stator excitation during the commutation time. When the electric motor is used as drive unit for a ventilator or a blower, these commutation noises are very pronounced and disturbing, especially in the lower speed range in which the flow noises recede, and cannot, therefore, be accepted in many applications. According to the invention, by comparison, a clear reduction of these noises can be achieved (especially in motors with an external rotor) in that, instead of only six switching states, twice the number of switching states of the power semiconductors of the semiconductor bridge are now provided per electrical revolution, i.e. the stator excitation is commutated in twelve steps instead of six steps within an electrical angle of rotation of 360xc2x0.
Although such a 12-step commutation is known per se, this is, however, exclusively with separate sensors for detecting the rotor position. The reason for this is that, among experts, it has hitherto always been assumed that sensorless construction of a 12-step commutation is not possible because sensorless rotor position detection always presupposes that in each case one winding terminal is currentless, that is to say isolated from the DC source in order to be able to detect induced internal voltage (EMF) at all with a sensorless evaluating unit. In distinction from the 6-step commutation, however, this is not generally so with 12-step commutation because there are areas of winding current overlaps in which all three winding terminals carry current.
Thus, the present invention is based on the further finding that 12-step commutation is only possible if care has been taken that polarity changes or zero-transitions of the internal voltage occur precisely in those intervalsxe2x80x94severely shortened in the case of 12-step commutationxe2x80x94in which the corresponding winding terminal is in each case isolated from the DC source and can therefore be used for detecting the control-related magnitudes.
In real terms this is preferably achieved by the fact that EMF evaluating unit in each case detects and evaluates the internal voltage between a motor winding terminal and a common reference point. The reference point can here be either the actual neutral point of the motor, brought out via a line, if the motor windings are connected in a star connection, or an equivalent neutral point. It should be noted in this respect that, of course, a motor delta connection can also be fictitiously transferred into a star connection. According to the invention, the EMF evaluating unit accordingly, in practice, detects the respective phase voltage or xe2x80x9cphase EMFxe2x80x9d in the star system instead of the phase-to-phase xe2x80x9cconductor EMFxe2x80x9d which can be measured between two winding terminals and which, by comparison, is phase-shifted by 30xc2x0. It is due to this measure, according to the invention, that zero transitions of the internal voltage can be detected at all because they fall precisely into the steps in which a winding terminal is in each case currently currentless over a short range of 30xc2x0. In contrast, detection and evaluation of the voltage which is in each case between two motor winding terminals would not be suitable for 12-step commutation because, in this arrangement, the zero transitions of the induced internal voltage would always occur when all three winding terminals are carrying current, i.e. are connected to the DC source so that detection would not be possible at all.

System for the electronic commutation of a brushless DC motor

Abstract: It is the object of the present invention to achieve a reduction of running and commutation noises whilst maintaining the inexpensive and fault-insensitive sensorless rotor position detection.

Abstract: For this purpose, the control unit (6) drives the power semiconductors (S1 to S6) in twelve switching states, which are different with respect to the magnetic field direction effected in each case, by means of a 12-step commutation over one electrical revolution of the DC motor in dependence on the rotor positions.


An object-sharing method used in a object sharing system is provided. The object-sharing method comprises the steps outlined below. An object-sharing request that intends to share an object in a first object storage to a second object storage is received. First and second object paths are compared. Whether a naming conflict condition occurs is determined. The second object storage receives the object and keeps the first object path when the naming conflict condition does not occur. The second object storage receives the object and merges the first and the second object paths when the naming conflict condition occurs and the first and the second object storages are from the same user. An alternative sharing destination is generated to receive the object when the naming conflict condition occurs and the first and the second object storages are not from the same user.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to object-sharing technologies. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an object sharing system, method and non-transitory computer readable storage medium for storing the method.
2. Description of Related Art
The ubiquity of computers and other digital devices like mobile smart phones and tablets are enabling digital data storage technologies to gradually replace conventional information preservation methods that traditionally use writing or printing, paper and physical storage. The advantage of digital data storage includes its convenient accessibility, large capacity and ability for long-term preservation of information. Also the rapid development of computer networks including the internet that can connect devices at almost anytime and anywhere make it easier to retrieve (download) and store (upload) information objects with high speed and reliability. Hence, the combination of digital data storage and globally accessible network communication have given rise to "cloud services" wherein users can store information artifacts (e.g. files) including such objects as e-mails, personal documents, photographs, audio and video recordings in "cloud services" that are provided by computers on the network and allow that information to be easily and quickly deposited, retrieved or shared with others. One particular form of sharing involves a process known as "synchronization" or "syncing" whereby information stored in a "cloud service" is copied (or replicated) either to or from one or more end-user accessible devices. Such "sync'ed" copies are made when devices are connected to the network and usually when the information in the "cloud service" or on a device is detected to have changed or is newly copied to or from a device. With this type of "synchronization" users may have access to information (copied to their device) even when the device is NOT connected to the network. Such "synchronization" is commonly used both by single users sharing information between multiple devices they own and use and/or multiple individuals sharing information for collaboration or communication. Typical "sync" implementations usually permit either individual files or collections of files (folders) to be designated as "shared".
However, when information is shared using this type of "synchronization" the process of copying the files is often complicated by the fact that the name of the object to be shared from a particular source, whether the object to be shared is a single file or a collection of files (a folder), is already in use at the sharing destination device. In most conventional "synching" implementations such naming "collisions" are usually resolved either by moving the copied object to a "special" location in the receiving devices storage naming hierarchy or by automatically renaming the object to be copied. However, such modification of the original name and hierarchy path may confuse end users and make information difficult to find and/or may eliminate valuable contextual clues about the nature of the information that is conveyed by the files location in the naming hierarchy.
Consequently, what is needed is a "synchronizing" object-sharing system, method and non-transitory computer readable storage medium for storing information that handles such naming conflicts and includes methods to efficiently maintain the original hierarchical naming contexts.

Object-sharing system, method and non-transitory computer readable storage medium for storing the method for maintaining hierarchical naming contexts in object sharing system


Novel yeast cell transformation vectors are manufactured and employed in securing expression of exogenous polypeptides in yeast cells. Vectors include promoter/regulator DNA sequences of yeast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene origins. In an illustrative preferred embodiment, novel immunologically active hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) preparations are isolated from yeast cells transformed with plasmid A.T.C.C. 40053. These HBsAg preparations of yeast origin may be incorporated into vaccine compositions useful in developing immunological responses protective against infection by hepatitis B virus.

The present invention relates, in part, to manipulation of genetic materials including the manufacture of specific DNA sequences useful in recombinant procedures to secure the production of proteins of interest by microorganisms. The present invention also relates to novel immunologically active substances produced by recombinant methodologies and, more particularly to novel preparations of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) of yeast cell origin.

Expression of exogenous polypeptides and polypeptide products including hepatitis B surface antigen in yeast cells


A combining device capable of being embedded into an object comprises: an embedding unit having a first end to be embedded into an embedded object and a second end having an elastic buckling means; a hollow coupling unit having an inner surface which is formed as a channel; wherein in assembly, the second end of the embedding unit is combined with a load and then the elastic buckling means is inserted into the channel of the hollow coupling unit so that the embedding unit is tightly engaged with the hollow coupling unit; and the first end is received in the embedded object so that the embedded object loading the weight of the load.

In the prior art, if it is desired to suspend a heavy object on a wall, in general, a hammer serves to nail nails to the wall. Then the heavy objects are suspended on the wall. In another prior art, holes are drilled on the wall first, then sleeves are embedded into the wall. Then steel nails or threaded nails are nailed into the sleeves for suspending heavy objects. Theses methods are generally used in lamps, ceiling lamps, suspending fans, cabinets, etc.
These conventional ways for suspending or retaining heavy objects have the following defects. First, it is often that many places are not allowed to nail nails or the places are difficult in work. The process of nailing will hurt the worker. The mails cannot be embedded deeply so that the supporting force is insufficient. It is difficult to detach the nails or as the nails are detached, the surface of the wall is destroyed.


A modular injection device for administration of dermal filler compositions is provided. The injection device may include a handheld injector unit including a drive unit, the drive unit configured to apply an extrusion force to a fluid; a control unit remote from the injector unit, the control unit configured to control the drive unit; and a cable configured to connect the control unit to the injector unit.

A number of medical and cosmetic applications involve the controlled injection of substances into the body.
A medical syringe is a simple piston pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a cylindrical barrel. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside the barrel, allowing the syringe to take in and expel a fluid through an orifice at the distal open end of the barrel. The distal end of the syringe is typically fitted with a hypodermic needle to transdermally introduce the fluid in the barrel into the body of a patient. Syringes are often used to administer injections. Surprisingly, other than the materials used to make them, the typical, conventional disposable syringes used for administering the advanced injectable substances or medicaments of today, are much the same as the very earliest syringe designs.
Unfortunately, the classic syringe/needle system is far from optimal for the administration of today's injectable aesthetic compositions. Hydrogel-based dermal fillers can be quite difficult to inject using the conventional syringe/needle system or conventional injection techniques. Many dermal fillers are by their nature highly viscous, thus requiring relatively high extrusion forces, especially when injected through preferred fine gauge needles. Moreover, these materials are typically injected into the face to correct wrinkles, including fine wrinkles as well as other minor defects in skin, and are therefore must be sometimes injected in trace amounts, and always with very high precision. Interestingly, these dermal fillers are commonly introduced into skin using quite standard needle and syringe combinations.
Using a traditional syringe, physicians are required to supply possibly significant force, which may reduce the practitioner's ability to control the syringe. Further, traditional syringes typically require the user's hand to be placed a significant distance from the site of the injection in order to operate the plunger, which may also lead to inaccuracy. Automated injection machines, which supply the force required to perform the injection using a motor, may reduce some of these problems. However, some motorized injection devices have the disadvantage that they may be heavy and bulky, requiring, for example, a battery which may add significantly to the weight of the device. This added bulk and weight may lead to a lack of control because of user fatigue, etc.
Systems have been developed and described for facilitating injection of dermal fillers. One such system is described in Mudd, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/994,568, filed Jan. 24, 2011, commonly owned herewith, the entire disclosure of which being incorporated herein by this reference. Mudd describes a handheld, motorized dermal filler injector that is capable of dispensing viscous injectable material at a low flow rate, for example, in some instances, a flow rate of only 0.001 ml/sec, at the high pressures necessary to extrude the fluid though a fine gauge needle.
The present invention provides an improved system for injecting dermal fillers, or other materials into skin, for example.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A low noise amplifier circuit includes a first amplifier including a first transistor and a second transistor that are cascode-connected to each other; a second amplifier including a third transistor and a fourth transistor that are cascode-connected to each other; a source terminal matcher connected to a source of the first transistor and a source of the third transistor; and an input matcher providing input that is impedance-matched by a first inductor and a second inductor to a gate of the first transistor and providing input which is impedance-matched by the first inductor to a gate of the third transistor. The circuit is able to operate in a dual-band and provide impedance matching, while being simpler than alternative circuits.

1. Field
The following description relates to a low noise amplifier circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
In accordance with an increased demand for a transmission and reception system that supports a multiband for improving wireless communications speed, the importance of an integrated circuit (IC) design technology that is capable of supporting the multiband and multimode operation in a single IC has increased.
Accordingly, research into a low noise amplifier circuit capable of processing a dual-band signal in a single IC has been actively conducted.
Performance of such an above-mentioned low noise amplifier circuit generally depends on a structure of the amplifier circuit and characteristics of transistors constituting the amplifier circuit, and the low noise amplifier circuit which is generally used has a cascode structure that uses two transistors. For example, a cascode structure may be a two-stage amplifier composed of a transconductance amplifier followed by a current buffer.
Meanwhile, since a dual-band low noise amplifier circuit for processing the dual-band signal includes impedance matching elements for the low noise amplifier circuit to amplify each band, the impedance matching elements act as an issue when miniaturizing the low noise amplifier circuit.


A method for manufacturing a load bearing structure involves providing a panel; providing a first set of split stiffening elements on a surface of the panel, wherein the split stiffening elements of the first set have bottom surfaces and central portions with open top clearances, respectively, spaced apart from each other; providing a second set of stiffening elements having bottom surfaces and top surfaces and central portions, respectively; inserting the stiffening elements of the second set into respective open top clearances of the split stiffening elements of the first set and providing the second set of stiffening elements on the surface of the panel for forming a grate structure; and attaching top surfaces to the split stiffening elements of the first set for forming complete profiles.

Aircraft manufacturers continuously attempt to improve aircraft performance by reducing both weight and manufacturing costs while maintaining or improving structural strength. One well-known method for increasing aircraft performance is to reduce airframe weight through the use of materials such as composites having relatively high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios. Composite materials are generally described as being materials that include reinforcing fibers, such as carbon fibers, embedded in a polymeric matrix, such as an epoxy resin.
Generally, load bearing structures of an aircraft comprise longitudinal stiffening elements called stringer members and circumferential stiffening elements called frame members. These stringer members and frame members are positioned on the skin panel of the fuselage of an aircraft by intersecting each other in order to form a grate structure. The skin panel, the stringer members and the frame members are usually made of the above-mentioned fiber reinforced composite materials or of aluminum.
In the intersection areas in which the stringer members and frame members are intersecting each other, one stiffening element runs across the other stiffening element. Additional elements like clips or shear webs are used in order to attach one stiffening element to the skin and the other stiffening element at these intersection areas.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 8,079,549 B2 describes structural panels for use in manufacturing fuselage bodies wherein a monolithic integrated structural panel is configured to include a skin, an array of stringer members and an array of frame members which are preferably arranged in a mutually orthogonal layout. The junctions of the frame and stringer members are fabricated from several single preformed modular junction elements. Additional bridge elements are provided for realizing the intersection areas.

Method for manufacturing a load bearing structure and such a load bearing structure


An SSO provider—i.e., a provider of user accounts that a number of other online services accept as a sign-on technique—identifies the online services to which its users sign on, as well as the digital content items that those users access. The SSO provider uses this information to associate particular content items with particular online services, or combinations of online services. The SSO provider can then use the associations to make recommendations of content items to users based on the services to which the users have signed on.

1. Field
The described embodiments generally relate to the field of digital content items, and more specifically, to making user recommendations of digital content items based on knowledge of prior user sign-ons to online services.
2. Background
The ability of a digital content provider—such as a provider of digital videos, audio, or books—to anticipate the particular digital content items in which a user might be interested, and to provide recommendations of those digital content items to the user, greatly increases the value of the digital content provider to the user. Unlike in the physical world where consumers rent or purchase books, movies and other tangible content items in discrete packages from a constrained supply, in the digital world substantially greater content is available, typically at low or no cost, and the ability to recommend content to a consumer is particularly important. That is, the availability of resources enabled by the Internet creates problems without an offline analogue, and which require solutions that, equally, have no offline analogue. One challenge for the digital content provider is to identify the type of information about a user that will allow the content provider to predict the content items that would be of interest to that user, and to properly process that information in order to generate recommendations.
The figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the invention described herein.

Using status of sign-on to online services for content item recommendations


Disclosed herein is a lens actuating module. In the lens actuating module, a housing has an installation space therein. A lens barrel is disposed in the installation space of the housing. The lens barrel includes a lens. An actuating means is provided at a first position in the installation space of the housing in an optical axial direction. The actuating means is connected to the lens barrel to move the lens barrel. A base magnet is provided at a second position in the installation space of the housing. A lens magnet is mounted to the outer surface of the lens barrel at a position facing the base magnet to generate a repulsive force between the lens magnet and the base magnet.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a lens actuating module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, digital cameras are devices which store an image in such a way as to convert light entering a lens into a digital signal using an image sensor (CCD & CMOS) and output the stored image. The digital cameras are applied to various fields, for example, mobile devices, etc.
Typically, for the sake of convenience when used, such a digital camera has various functions, such as an auto-focusing (AF) function, an optical zoom function, an auto-shutter function, an anti-shaking function, etc. In particular, in the case of a digital camera installed in a mobile device, corresponding to the increase in the number of pixels, research into auto-focus and optical zoom has mainly been conducted.
Meanwhile, a lens actuating module used in a camera according to a conventional art includes a housing, a lens barrel which is provided with a lens, an actuating means which moves the lens barrel in an optical axial direction, and a spring which couples the lens barrel to the actuating means.
In the lens actuating module, a stepping motor, a VCM motor, a piezoelectric ultrasonic motor, etc. can be used as the actuating means. The piezoelectric ultrasonic motor is operated in such a way that it converts vibrations of the piezoelectric actuator, including expansion and contraction, generated when electricity is applied thereto into circular or linear motion using friction between a stator and a mover (or rotator). The piezoelectric ultrasonic motor has high energy density, rapid response speed and high position accuracy, compared to an electromagnetic drive motor. Furthermore, the piezoelectric ultrasonic motor has an off-power holding function. In addition, the piezoelectric ultrasonic motor does not generate noise when operating and is not affected by electromagnetic waves.
The piezoelectric ultrasonic motor which is used as the actuating means is oriented in the direction corresponding to the optical axial direction of the lens barrel. Thus, when an ultrasonic signal is applied to the actuating means, the piezoelectric ultrasonic motor expands or contracts in the optical axial direction, thus moving the lens barrel for conducting auto-focusing function.
The spring provides a preload for stable coupling between the lens barrel and the actuating means and reliable operation thereof. The spring is supported by a housing and biases the lens barrel towards the drive means such that an appropriate preload is applied therebetween.
However, in the conventional structure in which a preload is applied between the actuating means and the lens barrel by the spring, mechanical coupling is complicated, and mechanical deformation may be induced.


Novel cyano substituted diphenoquinones of the formula, ##STR1## wherein X is a bromine atom or a cyano group, are useful as oxidizing agents and electron acceptors in charge-transfer complex formation owing to their high redox potentials. They may be easily prepared by oxidizing the corresponding cyano substituted biphenols with dinitrogen tetraoxide in an inert organic solvent.

The present invention relates to novel cyano substituted diphenoquinones which are useful as oxidizing agents and electron acceptors in charge-transfer complex formation and to a process for preparing them.
Charge-transfer complexes are well-known to be utilized as electron materials in the electrophotography and electrostatic record fields. As the representative complex, there is known one composed of the electron acceptor tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) and the electron-donor tetrathiafulvalene (TTF). The phenomenon of high electrical conductivity of 1.47.times.10.sup.-4 .OMEGA..sup.-1 cm.sup.-1 at 66.degree. K. in this complex was reported by D. O. Cowan et al in 1973 (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 95, 948-949 (1973) and has aroused intense interest.
It is also known that the electrical conductivity of the charge-transfer complex is greatly dependent on the electron-acceptor, especially it is closely related to the molecular structure (flatness and symmetry), electron-transfer power (redox potential) and large transfer integral (size of molecule) of the electron acceptor.
We have engaged in studies on the syntheses and electronic structures of diphenoquinones substituted by electron-withdrawing groups and previously reported that 2,2',6,6'-tetrachloro or tetrabromodiphenoquinone and 2,6'-dicyano-2',6-dibromodiphenoquinone are useful as electron acceptors because of their higher redox potentials in comparison with the generally employed electron acceptors such as chloranil and TCNQ (see, Abstracts 10th Synposium on Structural Organic Chemistry, pages 164-167 (1977)).

Cyano substituted diphenoquinones and a process for preparing them


Methods and apparatus for automatically grouping user-specific information items (400) in a mobile station (102) are disclosed. In one illustrative example, a method includes the steps of reading a first user-specific information item (404, 406, 408, or 410) associated with a first file or application of the mobile station (102); storing the first user-specific information item (404, 406, 408, or 410) in a user information file or message (402) of the mobile station (102); and repeating the acts of reading and storing for at least a second user-specific information item (404, 406, 408, or 410) associated with a second file or application of the mobile station (102), so that the first and the second user-specific information items are grouped together as user information in the user information file or message (402). Examples of user-specific information items (400) include a user name (404) associated with an end user of the mobile station (102), a telephone number (406) (e.g. an IMSI) of the mobile station (102), an e-mail address (408) associated with an e-mail communication application of the mobile station (102), and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) (410) of the mobile station (102). The user information file or message (402) containing the user-specific information items (400) may easily be transmitted from the mobile station (102) to one or more recipients through a wireless communication network (104) in a message such as an e-mail or PIN message.

1. Field of the Technology
The present application relates generally to mobile stations which communicate voice and data through wireless communication networks, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for automatically grouping user-specific information in such mobile stations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Present-day wireless communication devices, such as cellular mobile stations, are capable of making and receiving telephone calls and communicating messages and data through wireless communication networks. Such mobile stations are known to facilitate services such as wireless e-mail and Internet access as well as voice telephony. Several applications may be provided in these mobile stations, including a voice telephony application, an e-mail application, an address book application, and a calendar/scheduling application, as some examples. Various user-specific information items associated with these applications (a user name, a telephone number, an e-mail address, etc.) are independently stored and maintained as separate items in the mobile station. Since these items are independently stored and maintained, it is often difficult for the end user or subscriber of the mobile station to personally manage or communicate this information as a whole.
Accordingly, there is a resulting need for methods and apparatus that overcome the deficiencies of the prior art.

Methods and apparatus for automatically grouping user-specific information in a mobile station


The control system disclosed herein regulates a centrifugal compressor which has inlet guide vanes adjustable to vary the compressor capacity. A variable speed motor is connected to drive the compressor, and variation of this motor speed provides another input for regulating the compressor capacity. A control system achieves optimum energy efficiency, while avoiding surge, by the manner in which the motor speed and the inlet guide vane positions are regulated. To do this, a control signal must be derived to indicate the compressor head value. This signal is achieved by providing two signals, one related to the absolute condenser pressure, and the second related to the absolute evaporator pressure. The control system operates on these two signals to provide a third signal which is a function of a ratio, in which the numerator is the difference between the condenser and evaporator pressures, and the denominator is the evaporator pressure. Alternative measurement and processing techniques are described. This signal affords a very good indication of the compressor head and thus achieves increased efficiency of system operation, with consequent energy conservation, especially at lighter loads and low heads.

Various control schemes have been devised to regulate large capacity compressors, particularly those having adjustable guide vanes. An early showing of such an arrangement, with an associated electronic control system, is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,355,906--Newton, entitled "Refrigeration System Including Control For Varying Compressor Speed," which issued Dec. 5, 1967 and is assigned to the assignee of this invention. The method of control there disclosed included providing signals related to the discharge pressure and to the suction pressure of the compressor, and deriving a control signal related to the ratio of these pressures. This signal was then used in regulating the speed of the electrical motor driving the compressor. Later considerable work was directed to the refinement of the control arrangement, particularly the interaction between the compressor's inlet guide vanes and the speed regulation of the electrical motor driving the compressor. A significant step forward in this art using the improved control system is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,725--Kountz, Erth and Bauman, entitled "Control System for Regulating Large Capacity Rotating Machinery," which issued May 1, 1979 to the assignee of this invention. In the disclosed arrangement the compressor head value was inferred from the difference in two temperatures, one of which is related to the saturated refrigerant vapor leaving the evaporator, and the other the refrigerant in the condenser discharge line. Even with this significant step forward, operation of the system there described did not produce as great a saving at light loads and at low heads as was desired. Considerable analysis was directed to the problem, and it appears at this time that the assumed linearity of the function between the isentropic compressor head parameter, shown as .OMEGA., and the difference between the condensing and evaporating refrigerant temperatures was not applicable over system operation at light loads and at low heads. In addition there are thermal lags involved in measuring the compressor head through inference, by utilizing refrigerant temperatures and taking the difference as described, as contrasted the determination of the head value from refrigerant pressures.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved control system for such large capacity, rotating machinery which is more effective than the known systems, including those in the referenced patents, and especially shows improvement in system operation at light loads and at low heads.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to derive a new control signal, from quantities readily measurable in existing systems, which will more precisely identify the compressor head value at light loads and low heads, and thus lead to improved operation and energy conservation under these conditions.

Control system for regulating large capacity rotating machinery


A method of processing an aqueous feed liquid to precipitate at least one metal (e.g., copper, nickel or a combination thereof) in a form to make the metal subsequently removable from the feed liquid by filtration, comprises the initial step of mixing (i) an aqueous feed liquid containing a soluble salt of the metal to be removed, (ii) oxalic acid in excess of that required to react with metal, and (iii) a pH-adjusting liquid in a quantity sufficient to lower the pH of the feed liquid to a point between that at which the feed liquid becomes slightly supersaturated with respect to the oxalate of the metal and that at which precipitation of the metal oxalate is initiated. The mixture is then allowed to stand (either at room temperature or heated to elevated temperatures) for a period of time sufficient to form metal oxalate, and finally the formed metal oxalate is separated from the feed liquid to leave an aqueous liquid suitable for discharge to a sewer line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for removing particular metals from a feed stream, and more particularly for removing nickel and copper from a spent electroless deposition bath.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For a variety of technological reasons, electroless deposition of nickel and copper have come into widespread usage. These electroless baths, unlike more common electroplating baths, do not have a continuing life and are depleted as "spent baths" after a short period of time. Typically, after a very limited number of plating cycles (e.g., 5 to 10) the plating rate of an electroless bath will slow sufficiently to become marginal, and the bath has to be discarded as spent. A large percentage (e.g., about 50% of the nickel content) of the original formulation remains in the spent bath. For example, a nickel content of 10,000 ppm may be present in the spent electroless bath, a relatively high concentration as compared to, for example, the typical 1,000 ppm found in a spent rinse used to remove nickel plating solution from plated parts.
Since April, 1984, restrictions on the discharge of seven metals, including nickel and copper, have come into effect in the United States and the "dumping" of the spent baths is prohibited by law. In order to comply with the 1984 regulations, many users of electroless baths simply dosed their wastes with caustic soda to precipitate the metals as hydrous oxides, whereupon the hydrous oxides were filtered off, drummed, and sent off to landfills. Precipitation as a hydrous oxide is a technique which precipitates all but the alkali metals, but in a form which is highly unmanageable. A major chemical problem associated with such treatment develops from the presence of chelating agents in many electroless baths (such as citrates, lactates, glycine or EDTA), which elevate metal levels well above discharge limits at typical alkaline pH's. The addition of flocculants to spent baths to assist in the settling of the hydrous oxides often makes this mass "gummy" and difficult to manage. A major economic problem associated with such treatment is the need for a user to spend thousands of dollars in order to bury even more thousands of dollars worth of metal in landfills, only to achieve the dubious distinction of assuming perpetual liability for that portion of the landfill so occupied. However, as a result of the August, 1988 "landban" regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prohibiting the placement of metallic hydroxides (hydrous oxides) into landfills in the United States, even if alkaline precipitation methods were capable of being perfected, the disposal of the product in landfills is now precluded as a matter of law.
Notwithstanding the above problems associated with the removal of metals from a spent electroless bath as metallic hydroxides, the technique of precipitation to remove metallic compounds from a spent electroless bath remains sound. Precipitation followed by filtration is a preferred technique for metal removal, far less costly than the newer techniques of liquid-liquid extraction or ion exchange. When properly practiced, the technique of precipitation can yield the purest of crystalline products. The formation of crystals of a substance by precipitation from homogeneous solution is an exclusionary process; in order to exclude foreign matter from the product, it is usually only necessary to ensure that the precipitate is crystalline rather than amorphous.
Precipitation from homogeneous solution comprises a category of separation techniques which eliminates the problem caused by the mixing of the solution containing the material to be precipitated with the precipitating agent. (Upon adding the precipitating agent to the feed stream, a "zone of chaos" is temporarily created where the precipitate is poorly formed and often occludes all sorts of impurities.) Use of a precipitating agent which produces a metastable precipitation zone enables the formation of the precipitate to be delayed until the precipitating solution and the solution of the material to be precipitated become homogenous, so that the resultant formation of solids is orderly and exclusionary.
Homogeneous precipitation, as a practicable process, is usually achieved in one of two ways. In the first of these two ways, the precipitating agent is generated in situ by a chemical reaction--that is, the precipitating agent appears gradually from a precursor by a chemical reaction. For example, precipitation of barium sulfate by the addition of a sulfate ester to a barium solution can be effected in this manner. The purity and crystal size of barium sulfate so generated are greatly enhanced. In the second of these two ways, a chemical system is selected to have certain metastable solubility characteristics--that is, the difference in the value of the supersaturation and saturation limits at a given temperature for a given substance (that is, the so-called "metastable" region, a region where precipitation will eventually take place but only with the passage of time) is selected so that the period of time during which the metastable condition exists is considerable so that precipitation is from a homogeneous solution. See Santhanam et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,539 for an example of such a system. Systems where the metastable region are large are usually characterized by having orientational requirements for crystal formation, whereas those systems where the metastable regions are small lack these orientational requirements. The hydrous oxides which are conventionally generated to remove metals from solution have little or no metastable regions and so precipitation is rapid and chaotic, and the precipitate is impure and difficult-to-harvest.
The chemistry of the metal oxalates has received much attention historically in analytic and inorganic chemistry, e.g., the classical method of separation of the lanthanides (rare earth elements) is based on the fractional crystallization of the double oxalates, and the classical simultaneous determination of calcium and magnesium by gravimetric means is as oxalates. Oxalates of such widely divergent metals as Tl, Pb, Ca, Be, Al, Cr, Ti, V, and Mn are well known. It has been reported that all nonalkali metals excepting beryllium form insoluble oxalates. Jordan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,876 relates to oxalate precipitation in alkaline media.
The analytical chemical approach to the precipitation of metal oxalates is to treat it as simple insoluble salt formation following the stoichiometric relationship: EQU mM.sup.n+ +nA.sup.m- =M.sub.m A.sub.n [Equation 1]
For oxalate precipitation, the following equation applies: EQU 2M.sup.n+ +C.sub.2 O.sub.4.sup.2- =CaC.sub.2 O.sub.4 [Equation 3]
For example, with calcium oxalate, the Equation 2 would be: EQU Ca.sup.2+ +C.sub.2 O.sub.4.sup.2- =M.sub.2 (Cphd 2O.sub.4)n [Equation 3]
The solubility product equation for Equation 3 is: [Ca.sup.2+ ][C.sub.2 O.sub.4.sup.2- ]=K.sub.sp =2.3.times.10.sup.-9 [Equation 4]
The effect of pH on the equilibrium ionization of oxalic acid is that the addition of acid will suppress the concentration of free oxalate ion and therefore increase the solubility of the metal. Learned treatises and scientific literature in this area specifically indicate that all the insoluble metal oxalates are soluble in mineral acid, owing to the removal of free oxalate ion. For example, it has been reported that "all oxalates are soluble in mineral acid." Treadwell and Hall, Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 1, p. 383 (6th Ed., John Wiley & Sons). Cadmium and lead, both of which have oxalates that are more insoluble than those of nickel and copper, apparently do not form insoluble oxalates under conditions of hyperacidity (The oxalate pK.sub.sp 's are Ni 7.0; Cu 7.5; Cd 7.8; and Pb 11.1). Insoluble calcium oxalate has been shown to resolubilize in acid solution as well. See Hearon et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,878.
In Feld et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,297, cobalt oxalate is said to be sparingly soluble in hydrobromic acid. The presumption is that acid will dissolve some cobalt oxalate. Wood, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,185 recognizes that copper can be precipitated as an oxalate from a moderately acidic solution. Precipitation from a hyperacidic solution, however, is not contemplated by the teachings of the Wood, Jr. patent. Oxalic acid has heretofore not been considered as suitable for use as a precipitant of the metals to be removed from an acidic solution such as a spent electroless bath.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of processing an aqueous feed liquid (such as a spent electroless bath) to precipitate a metal therein in a form suitable for filtration so as to leave the feed liquid suitable for discharge to a sewer line.
Another object is to provide such a method which precipitates the metal in a purified form without the occlusion of impurities.
A further object is to provide such a method which precipitates from the feed liquid any nickel and copper metals dissolved therein.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a method which facilitates the separation of the two metals in a feed liquid both from the feed liquid and each other.
It is another object to provide a bath suitable for use in such a method.

Method of processing spent electroless bath and bath for use therein


Provided is a hydroelectric power generator for a pipeline that is installed at a position in a pipeline to generate electricity using a rotating turbine by inducing a flow velocity of water therein and uses environment-friendly energy through the water velocity while varying in size in accordance with the size of a pipeline to generate electricity even at a low-speed stream. The hydroelectric power generator for a pipeline generates electricity with high efficiency by increasing an angular speed at the same flow speed by adjusting the number and radius of turbine blades.

As the types of power generation, generally, there are thermal power generation, nuclear power generation, hydroelectric power generation, solar power generation, wind power generation, tidal power generation, etc. That is, thermal power generation and nuclear power generation generate electricity by rotating a turbine in a power generator using vapor produced by heat, and hydroelectric power generation generates electricity by rotating a turbine using a head drop of water stored by a dam.
However, thermal power generation uses fossil fuel such as coal or oil as an energy source. The construction expense of a power plant is relative low, but the reserves of fossil fuel are limited, so there is a problem of exhaustion of the energy source and environmental contamination.
Nuclear power generation, which uses a large amount of heat that is produced by nuclear fission of a radioactive material such as uranium, can generate a large amount of electricity, but causes severe environmental contamination due to radioactivity.
Accordingly, there has been much research on hydroelectric power generation that can generate electricity without environmental contamination, and on actual systems for the hydroelectric power generation.
However, hydroelectric power generation systems use a topology having a high head drop, so geometrical environments were used or huge structures were required to obtain a high head drop from a dam.
Due to the structural barrier of providing a large head drop, the ecological connection is necessarily broken between the upstream side and the downstream side of a power plant. Further, existing hydroelectric power plants are usually constructed among the mountains with slopes that are far from cities where most users dwell, so large costs are required to construct facilities for transmission electricity.
Accordingly, a technology that can be used for a low head drop and a low flow speed has been disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2010-0104694 (published on Sep. 20, 2010), in which a rotary unit that is rotated at a low head drop and a low flow speed of water is disposed between support members installed on the ground to generate electricity, so power generation may be performed with high efficiency, but the installation place is limited to the ground, so usability is low.
Meanwhile, various floating hydroelectric power generators that are available for a low head drop and a low flow speed have been proposed, but the actual use is limited due to the following problems.
Korean Utility Model No. 20-0329785 (registered on Oct. 1, 2003) has proposed a configuration that mounts a plurality of water turbines on a floating structure and generates electricity with the water turbines submerged in water by a half or less, but the efficiency of the water turbines is necessarily lower than a floating facility, so it is inefficient.
Korean Utility Model No. 20-0415733 (registered on May 1, 2006) has proposed a configuration that installs floats at both sides on water and installs a water turbine between the floats to generate electricity, so the costs for the facility is relatively low and high-efficiency power generation is expected, but the configuration for fixing the floats and structurally combining the floats with the water turbine is not proposed in detail in terms of structural stability and practical use, so there are many unstable factors.
Korean Utility Model No. 20-0415748 (registered on May 1, 2006) has proposed a configuration that installs a water turbine on a structure floating on water such as a barge and generates electricity using the torque produced by the portion of the water turbine under the water, so the floating barge looks stable, but it is difficult to fix the barge and this configuration is inappropriate to a place keeping a small amount of water.
As described above, hydroelectric power generation systems using water turbines mounted on a floating structure may be considered as being somewhat insufficient in terms of actual use and efficiency including the costs for constructing the floating facility, and a loss of power due to the floats.
Recently, many hydroelectric and tidal power generation facilities have been developed to solve this problem. It may be considered that many hydroelectric power generation facilities using a head drop provided by an artificial reservoir to save costs of energy for generating electricity have been constructed for this reason.
In particular, since rivers on a gentle slope flow slow, it is so difficult at present to generate electricity using the rivers, and those power generation facilities have low efficiency. Accordingly, there are few power generation facilities of this type.
Accordingly, it is required to research and develop a hydroelectric power generation system that can appropriately deal with various environmental changes using a slowly flowing river and the width of the river at an area with a relatively small head drop.
Further, various pipelines such as a water supply pipe, a drain pipe, and a rainwater pipe are used to delivery water or fluid to various positions and places and various streams are generated through the pipelines, but it is difficult to efficiently generate electricity using the streams and it is also difficult to efficiently generate electricity from a low-speed streams and various positions.

Hydroelectric power generation device for pipeline


A stacker for flat material sheets unfolds dog-eared sheets to facilitate stacking. The rotating stacker drum has a cut out preceding the sheet adhering suction openings with an unfolding face and a run-in face.

The invention relates to a stacker for flat sheet material such as banknotes, bankpapers, receipts and the like with a cylindrical stacker drum and a transport system, placed tangentially with respect to the stacker drum, and the stacker drum is designed for taking up the sheet material by way of a line of suction openings at its front or leading edge, for pulling the material out of the transport system by turning, moving the material as far as a drum clearer and lastly freeing it for forming a stack, and the leading edge part is pushed flatly by a pushing plate elastically and springingly against the stacker drum.
Such a stacker is part of the prior art, as may be seen, for example, from the German Offenlegungsschrift specification No. 2,555,306. The sheet material, for example banknotes, is run to the stacker drum by way of a belt transporter system tangentially. The leading edge of the banknote is taken up by suction holes, placed in a line on the outer face of the drum, moved round on the drum and out of the transport system and run on to a takeup stack. The stacking is undertaken by moving the leading edge of the banknote as far as a clearing unit stretching up to the outer face of the drum. The clearing unit is used for gripping and stopping the banknote while the drum goes on turning. While stacking is taking place, the stack formed so far is pushed by an elastic pushing plate near the front or leading end of the stack with a low degree of force against the turning stacker drum.
The stacker drum and the transport rollers of the belt transport system are supported on a plate, which may be vertical or horizontal. In the case of a horizontal system, the takeup stack has one long-edge resting on the plate or on a guide of the necessary design.
Dependent on the condition of the banknotes to be stacked, it may be that one or more corners are bent or crumpled forming "dog's ears". If such bent corners are at the leading edge of the banknote in question, that is to say that edge, which is run up against the clearing unit, the stacking of the notes coming after it may be unorderly. The bent corner is in fact something getting in the way of the leading edge, gripped by the suction openings of the stacker drum, of the next banknote, so that the banknote will go into a position at an angle to its desired position, or be turned upwards, before going to the clearing unit. More specially, if the bent corner is at the side, resting on the support plate, of the stack (that is to say the lower edge in the case of a horizontally placed plate), there will be a danger of one or more of the banknotes moved by the stacker drum towards the clearing unit, being hooked by the dog's ear near the lower edge end, because near the top edge they are further transported without anything in their way, at the back they will be turned upwards. Dependent on the size of the bent corner, the trailing end of the banknote will be positioned sticking out of the stack to a greater or lesser degree. On further processing of the stack of banknotes or, for example, on placing label bands round them, such sticking out parts of notes will be the cause of much trouble.

Stacker for flat sheet material such as banknotes, bank papers, receipts and the like

GAO Gesellschaft fur Automation und Organisation mbH


An apparatus for assembling a lens module and an image sensor to form a camera module. The apparatus comprises i) a positioning system for adjusting a relative arrangement between the lens module and the image sensor; and ii) an inspection system operative to view fiducials of the lens modules and the image sensor. In particular, the positioning system is configured to align the lens module and the image sensor based on a relative alignment of the respective fiducials of the lens module and the image sensor as viewed by the inspection system. A method of assembling a lens module and an image sensor to form a camera module is also disclosed.

Operational requirements of camera modules for use in mobile devices such as cell phones, tablets, and laptop computers are rapidly advancing in respect of sharper image resolutions and more sophisticated auto-focus capabilities. At the same time, dimensions of camera modules are also becoming smaller to meet consumer demand. Consequently, the operational performance of such camera modules is becoming extremely sensitive to the relative arrangement of the lens module and the image sensor—that is, a slight misalignment of the lens module with respect to the image sensor might result in a significant drop in the operational performance of these camera modules. Accordingly, conventional open-loop pick-and-place devices can no longer provide the required alignment accuracy between the lens module and image sensor to meet the desired operational performance of these camera modules.
In addition, the assembly of the camera modules does not take into consideration the respective optical characteristics of the lens module and the image sensor. Accordingly, the assembled camera modules may differ with regard to operational performance since the differences in optical characteristics among the various components of the camera modules are ignored.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to seek to address the above problems encountered during the assembly of these camera modules.

Apparatus for assembling a lens module and an image sensor to form a camera module, and a method of assembling the same


A locking arrangement for the selector lever 1 of an automatic transmission locks the selector lever in the neutral positions P and N by the form-locking engagement of a selector-lever-fixed locking member in indentations of a rotatable pawl. An actuating force, which is applied to the selector lever in the locked condition, by way of curved contact surfaces of the locking member, at a contact point, is introduced into steep flanks bounding the indentations. A resulting low supporting force exercises so little stress on two rollers supporting the pawl that, by means of a lifting magnet, one roller, despite the acting actuating force, can easily be displaced in a position which releases the pawl and unlocks the selector lever.

This application is related to application Ser. No. 07/901,036, filed on even date, and based on German Patent Application P No. 41 20 382.8; and application Ser. No. 07/901,225 filed on even date, and based on German Patent Application P No. 41 20 380.1.
The present invention relates to a locking arrangement for a selector lever of an automatic motor vehicle transmission. A locking member arranged on the selector lever form-lockingly engages in corresponding indentations of an adjustable pawl when the brake is not operated so that the selector lever is locked in the neutral positions (P and N).
In vehicles having the above-described arrangement, after the engine is started, the selector lever must be moved out of a neutral position {P (Parking) or N} into a driving position in order to be able to drive the vehicle. The vehicle may start to drive, although this is not intended, when, while the engine is running, the selector lever is inadvertently moved from the neutral position into a driving position. An unintended abrupt acceleration may also occur during the warmup phase of the engine, when the idling speed is increased, when the selector lever is brought into a driving position.
In order to avoid such disadvantages, it is known from German Patent Document DE 39 11 570 C1 to provide a locking arrangement for the selector lever of an automatic motor vehicle transmission in which a locking member arranged on the selector lever, in a form-locking manner, when the brake is not operated, engages in corresponding indentations of an adjustable pawl so that the selector lever is locked in the neutral positions {P (Parking) or N}. The adjusting of the pawl takes place by means of an actuating element which, in one embodiment, as a lifting magnet, is connected to an electric circuit controlled by a logic circuit. By means of several sensors and switches, the circuit processes information concerning, for example, driving speed, ignition key position and brake pedal operation.
It is an object of the invention to provide a locking arrangement of the above-mentioned type which permits a secure unlocking even when there are inappropriately high operating forces on the locked selector lever.
This and other objects are achieved by the present invention which provides a locking arrangement for a selector lever of an automatic motor vehicle transmission comprising a locking member arranged on the selector lever, and an adjustable pawl. The adjustable pawl has indentations into which the locking member form-lockingly engages when the brake is not operated so that the selector lever is locked in neutral positions. The pawl has steeply extending flanks which bound the indentations in which the locking member rests when the selector lever is locked and an actuating force is applied to the selector lever. The actuating force is introduced into the flanks of the pawl via contact surfaces of the selector lever at a contact point of the flanks. The flanks determine a substantially horizontal force component and a substantially vertical force component of the actuating force.
The locking arrangement according to the invention permits a secure unlocking when there are high operating forces on the locked selector lever since the locking member is arranged on the selector lever and is provided with contact surfaces and comes to rest in a contact point against steeply extending flanks which bound indentations in the pawl. By way of this contact point, the actuating force applied to the selector lever is introduced into the pawl. On the steep flanks, the introduced force disintegrates into an almost horizontal component pointing in the direction of the pivot of the pawl and into a downward-directed component which acts as an almost vertical supporting force. In this case, the steep flanks have the effect that this supporting force has a low range which is clearly exceeded by the horizontal component. As a result, the supporting force can act upon the components holding the pawl in the locked position only with a low power. As a result, the components can be removed from the pawl by low forces, whereby the pawl, while unlocking the selector lever, disengages from the locking member.
In an advantageous development, convexly curved contact surfaces, together with linearly extending flanks, ensure a single contact point which can be determined precisely with respect to its position. The steep-flanked design has the effect that the horizontal component is relatively large and points past the pivot of the pawl at a narrow distance. The extent of the supporting force is therefore small.
The components which hold the pawl in the locking position are constructed as rollers, one roller acting as a supporting member, which is stationarily arranged in the housing, and a second roller acting as a blocking member, by means of an actuating element being moved from a first position into a second position. In the second position, the respective indentation of the pawl is brought, by means of the actuating element, which may, for example, be a lifting magnet, into an engagement by way of the blocking member with the locking member which locks the selector lever. In this position, the supporting force is supported on the supporting member by means of the blocking member. Because of the small amount of this supporting force, the blocking member can be displaced into the second position by low forces. This is promoted by the development of the locking and the supporting member as low-friction rollers.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Locking arrangement for a selector lever of an automatic motor vehicle transmission


An instrument supporting arm is consistently uniformly counterbalanced over its entire excursion of adjustment with springs and spring holder guided by cams which alter arm length-to-moment ratio and force angles to compensate for spring extension forces.

1. Field of the Invention
Counterbalancing mechanisms with particular reference to a spring counterbalance for an adjustable instrument supporting arm.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Ophthalmic instrument supporting arms and the like which are raised and lowered on instrument stands to various working heights are commonly spring balanced in an intermediate position of adjustment. As the arm and instrument or other load carried thereby is raised or lowered, the springs are caused to extend or retract rendering the arm unbalanced and in need of friction breaking or other such means to maintain desired positions of arm adjustment above or below the intermediate or other preselected position of balance. Thus, manipulation of such an instrument supporting arm over the full excursion of its adjustment requires variable forces, the greatest usually being adjacent points where frictional breaking is maximum, i.e. at points furthest from actual balancing. This "feel" of unevenness of arm operation can be disconcerting to the practitioner desiring to avoid jerky or otherwise uneven arm adjustments particularly when aligning an ophthalmic instrument with the face or eyes of a patient.
Attempts to avoid the drawbacks of conventional spring biasing of instrument stand arms and the like have included the use of balancing weights and pulleys. While such means may offer relatively uniform counterbalancing at most positions of arm adjustment, their large space requirements and general ungainliness usually outweigh advantages.
An object of the present invention is to accomplish substantially constant counterbalancing of a spring biased instrument supporting arm over its entire excursion of adjustment.
More particularly, the objective is to provide spring counterbalancing of an instrument stand arm or the like with automatic compensation for inherent variations of spring extension forces.
Another object is to provide a mechanism for adjustable arm counterbalancing which is adaptable to light, intermediate or heavy load carrying apparatus.
Still another object is to accomplish the above with maximum mechanical simplicity and compactness.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.


In a mobile communications system that provides packet data services, a packet data connection is established between a mobile station and a radio access network. The state of the connection specifies one of plural different types of radio channels bearing the connection over the radio interface. The connection state preferably also may specify other parameters including for example, one of plural different mobility management schemes tailored to the selected channel type or channel bit rate(s). The connection is dynamically adapted to an optimal state based on one or more conditions relating to the connection. For example, one or more traffic parameters are determined for the connection and used to predict a future value of that parameter. Based on the predicted parameter value or values, an optimal connection state is determined and implemented. If the traffic parameter value changes later in the connection, another connection state may be dynamically selected that is better suited in accordance with the newly predicted parameter.

The present invention relates to mobile communications, and in particular, to dynamically adapting a data communication connection to an optimal state.
In current and future mobile radio communication systems, a variety of different services either are or will be provided. While mobile telephone systems have traditionally provided voice services, packet data services are also becoming increasingly important. Example packet data services include e-mail, file transfers, and information retrieval using the Internet. Because packet data services often utilize system resources in a manner that varies over the course of a packet data session, the flow of packets is often characterized as xe2x80x9cbursty.xe2x80x9d FIG. 1 is a graph that illustrates packet bursts communicated over time and interspersed over periods where no packets are transmitted. In general, the xe2x80x9cdensityxe2x80x9d of packets is high for short time periods and often very low for long periods.
Mobile communication systems must be able to accommodate both circuit-switched services well suited for applications like voice as well as packet-switched services well suited for bursty data applications like e-mail, and at the same time, those services must efficiently use the limited radio bandwidth. In the context of these different types of services, mobile communication systems should provide different types of channels and different schemes for keeping track of the mobile location hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9cmobility management.xe2x80x9d
The Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) offers two categories of services including circuit-switched services via a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) node and packet-switched services via a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) node. For circuit-switched, guaranteed service, e.g., High Speed Circuit-Switched Data (HSCSD), statically-dedicated traffic channels are employed. For packet-based, best effort service, another set of packet data channels are allocated from a pool of resources on a per packet basis using a media access control protocol or scheduling policy. Mobile communication systems in North America based on IS-95 standard offer packet data services by supporting variable rate transmission on an established, dedicated channel.
There are significant drawbacks with these current approaches which statically map a connection-oriented or a connectionless-oriented service onto a specific channel type. Inevitably, such static mapping results in a non-optimal use of system resources. Packet-switched services, in particular, require variable bandwidths and delays. A high-bandwidth, short-delay packet service like packet-switched audio and video benefits from using a dedicated channel reserved during the connection. But other packet services like messaging and e-mail do not require high bandwidth or short delay. In fact, the bursty nature of e-mail and messaging services underutilize a continuously reserved channel. The present invention overcomes these drawbacks and achieves optimal use of system resources by dynamically determining and allocating a best connection state depending on the packet data to be currently transmitted. In one embodiment, the connection state may specify the type of radio channel. In other embodiments, the connection state may specify additional characteristics. For example, an optimal channel type and a mobility management scheme best suited for that particular channel type may be dynamically allocated.
In a mobile communications system, a connection is established between a mobile station and a radio access network. A xe2x80x9cconnectionxe2x80x9d refers to a service provided by the radio access network to permit communication of information over a radio interface between the mobile station and the radio access network in both uplink (from the mobile) and downlink (to the mobile) directions. Such a connection may be established in response to the mobile station or by a core network connected to the radio access network. A connection may remain established even though the mobile station changes geographic cells/areas, i.e., a handover. The state of the connection specifies one of plural different types of radio channels to carry or bear the connection over the radio interface. The connection state preferably may also specify other characteristics such as one of plural, different mobility management schemes tailored to the selected channel type, channel bit rate(s), etc.
The connection is dynamically adapted to an optimal state based on one or more conditions relating to the connection. For example, one or more traffic parameters are determined for the connection and used to predict a future parameter value. Based on a predicted parameter value, an optimal connection state is determined and implemented. If the traffic parameters value changes later in the connection, another channel type may be dynamically selected that is better suited for the newly predicted parameter. Example traffic parameters are the amount of data to be sent in the future over the mobile data packet connection, packet arrival time, and packet density. A connection state may specify a radio channel type. Example channel types include a dedicated radio channel carrying data packets associated with only one mobile station and a shared radio channel carrying data packets associated with more than one mobile station. In addition, the shared radio channel type includes a temporary dedicated radio channel, a random access channel, and a paging channel. Taking the current amount of data in queue as an example traffic parameter, if the amount of data in the queue exceeds a threshold, it may be optimal to employ a dedicated channel to carry that high volume of data. Otherwise, it may be optimal to employ a shared channel.
The selected connection state may also specify one of plural mobility management (MM) schemes. In a first MM scheme, the mobile station""s location is monitored on an individual cell basis. In a second MM scheme, the mobile station""s location is monitored on a routing area basis, where a routing area includes plural cells. Still further, the connection state may specify the bit rate or bit rates. The bit rate may be fixed or, in the case of a variable rate channel, a maximum permitted rate or set of allowed bit rates. Of course, other and/or additional connection state parameters may also be employed.
In a preferred example embodiment, an optimal connection state is dynamically selected for a packet data connection from a plurality of connection states based on a predicted traffic parameter, where each connection state specifies a particular radio channel type and a particular mobility management scheme. In this example, the traffic parameter may be packet arrival time, and a non-linear, neural network-based predictor may be used to predict a next data packet arrival time over the connection using data packet arrival times of most recent data packet arrival times. In addition to a single traffic parameter, e.g., next packet arrival time, a next connection state may also be based on other additional factors and considerations including, for example, a desired bearer service, a current connection state, a current radio interference level, and a current amount of data in a queue associated with the connection.

Method and apparatus for dynamically adapting a connection state in a mobile communications system