Disclosed herein is a light field camera, where both a curved shape of a curved microlens array and a curved shape of a curved image sensor are the same as a curved shape of a wide-angle main lens, and a sum of a reciprocal of a vertical distance between the curved microlens array and the curved image sensor and a reciprocal of a vertical distance between the curved microlens array and a virtual image plane of the wide-angle main lens is equal to a reciprocal of a focal length of the curved microlens array, which resolves a problem of poor image quality such as blurring and distortion that is caused when a wide-angle main lens is used in a light field camera and a flat microlens array and a flat image sensor cannot match a curved virtual image plane of the wide-angle main lens.

A light field camera is a new imaging apparatus that can record both light intensity information and depth information (that is, complete light field information) of an object, and is widely used due to advantages such as digital refocusing. Currently, a light field camera mainly includes five parts: a main lens 1, a flat imaging array 2, a flat image sensor 3, an image processor 3, a drive 4, and a controller 5, as specifically shown in FIG. 1A.
The main lens 1 of the light field camera is generally a non-wide-angle lens, and the non-wide-angle main lens 1 images a shot object. A plane on which the image is located is an image plane (a plane a shown in FIG. 1A) of the non-wide-angle main lens 1. The image plane of the non-wide-angle main lens 1 is a virtual plane that is located between the non-wide-angle main lens 1 and the flat imaging array 2 and that is perpendicular to an optical axis. The optical axis is an axis parallel to a horizontal plane. An image distance (a distance b shown in FIG. 1A) of the non-wide-angle main lens 1 is a vertical distance between a side, near the flat imaging array 2, of the non-wide-angle main lens 1 and the virtual image plane a of the non-wide-angle main lens 1. An object plane (a plane c shown in FIG. 1A) of the non-wide-angle main lens 1 is a plane, near the side of the light field camera, of the shot object. An object distance (a distance d shown in FIG. 1A) of the non-wide-angle main lens 1 is a vertical distance between a side, near the shot object, of the non-wide-angle main lens 1 and the object plane of the non-wide-angle main lens 1.
A flat microlens array e includes multiple microlenses g, and the flat microlens array e needs to reimage an image generated on the virtual image plane a of the non-wide-angle main lens 1. A plane on which a reimaged image is located is a virtual image plane (a plane h shown in FIG. 1A) of the flat microlens array e. A plane including images generated by all the microlenses g is the virtual image plane h of the flat microlens array e. An image distance (a distance i shown in FIG. 1A) of the flat microlens array e is a vertical distance between a side, near the image processor 3, of the flat microlens array e and the virtual image plane h of the flat microlens array e. An object plane of the flat microlens array e is the virtual image plane a of the non-wide-angle main lens 1. An object distance (a distance j shown in FIG. 1A) of the flat microlens array e is a distance between a side, near the non-wide-angle main lens 1, of the flat microlens array e and the equivalent image plane a of the non-wide-angle main lens 1.
A relationship among the object distance j of the flat microlens array e, the image distance i of the flat microlens array e, and an equivalent focal length l of the flat microlens array e meets a formula 1/l=1/j+1/i. The flat microlens array e needs to reimage the image generated on the virtual image plane a of the non-wide-angle main lens 1. Actually, each microlens g in the flat microlens array e needs to reimage the image generated on the virtual image plane a of the non-wide-angle main lens 1. Therefore, each microlens g in the flat microlens array e also has a corresponding microlens object distance jn, a microlens equivalent image distance in, and a microlens equivalent focal length ln, and jn, in, and ln meet a formula 1/1n=1/jn+1/in, where n is a number of a microlens. In FIG. 1A, numbers of all the microlenses g in the flat microlens array e are sequentially a number 1, a number 2, a number 3, a number 4, a number 5, a number 6, a number 7, and a number 8 from top to bottom.
In an imaging process, after reimaging the image formed on the virtual image plane a of the non-wide-angle main lens 1, the flat microlens array e needs to record the image on a flat image sensor f. In this case, if the virtual image plane h of the flat microlens array e coincides with a plane on which the flat image sensor f is located, or a vertical distance between the virtual image plane h of the flat microlens array e and a plane on which the flat image sensor f is located falls within a preset range, a finally shot image has high quality and is relatively clear. That is, when an image formed by each microlens g in the flat microlens array e is on the flat image sensor f, or when a vertical distance between the virtual image plane h on which the formed image is located and the flat image sensor f falls within a preset range, a finally shot image has high quality and is relatively clear.
Currently, a wide-angle main lens can collect a light ray with a larger incident angle than a non-wide-angle main lens, that is, has a larger visual angle. For example, a wide-angle main lens may have a visual angle of 180° or even 270° and can shoot more objects in space. Therefore, it is extremely important to replace a non-wide-angle main lens used in an existing light field camera with a wide-angle main lens. As shown in FIG. 1B, when a non-wide-angle main lens 1 used in the existing light field camera is replaced with a wide-angle main lens 1′, an object plane of a flat microlens array e is a virtual image plane a′ of the wide-angle main lens 1′, a virtual image plane of the flat microlens array e is h′, and an equivalent focal plane of the flat microlens array e is k′. When the non-wide-angle main lens used in the existing light field camera is replaced with the wide-angle main lens, because all microlenses are the same, the microlenses have a fixed refractive index to a light ray, that is, focal lengths ln of all the microlenses in the flat microlens array e are the same. Because a virtual image plane of the wide-angle main lens is curved, distances between all the microlenses g in the flat microlens array e and the virtual image plane of the wide-angle main lens are different, that is, object distances jn of all the microlenses are different. It may be learned according to the relationship among the object distance of each microlens, the image distance of each microlens, and the focal length of each microlens that are shown in the foregoing formula that, object distances in of all the microlenses in the flat microlens array e are different. Because distances between all the microlenses g in the flat microlens array e and a flat image sensor f are the same, but image distances of all the microlenses g in the flat microlens array e are different, as specifically shown in FIG. 1B, after some microlenses g in the flat microlens array e reimage an image formed on the virtual image plane a′ of the wide-angle lens, a virtual image plane on which the formed image is located is on the flat image sensor f, or a distance between a virtual image plane on which the formed image is located and the image sensor f falls within a preset range, and after the other microlenses g in the flat microlens array e reimage the image formed on the virtual image plane a′ of the wide-angle lens, a vertical distance between a virtual image plane on which the image formed by reimage is located and the image sensor f has exceeded the preset range, thereby resulting in poor quality of a finally shot image and generating an aberration such as blurring or distortion.


There is disclosed an optical waveguide comprising a core portion made of a light propagating material and a cladding portion, a first dopant and a second dopant being induced into said core portion, the first dopant having a function of increasing a refractive index of the light propagating material and having a first thermal diffusion coefficient to said light propagating material, the second dopant having a function of decreasing the refractive index of said light propagating material and having a second thermal diffusion coefficient to the light propagating material larger than the first thermal diffusion coefficient under a predetermined temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical waveguide capable of converting a mode field diameter at a desired portion thereof, such as a mode field diameter conversion fiber and a planar light waveguide device.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional beam expanding fiber is disclosed in the reference titled as "Beam Expanding Fiber Using Thermal Diffusion of the Dopant" in Journal of Lightwave Technology. Vol. 8, No. 8 August 1990. The beam expanding fiber of the above reference has a core in which Ge is induced and the induced Ge is thermally diffused so that a spot size of the propagating mode, which corresponds to "mode-field diameter of the optical fiber", is partially expanded.
By increasing the mode field diameter at the end of the optical fiber as shown in the above reference, it is possible to insert an optical device between the fibers with the expanded mode fields without significant loss increase.
The above conventional fiber, however, includes a problem that a long time heating is needed to increase the mode field diameter.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A hydro-dynamic fluid-bearing assembly constituted by bearing members disposed around a rotary shaft with the interposition of a film of pressure fluid. At least one of the bearing members is subject when the shaft is stopped to the action of a resilient member generating a limited pre-loading strictly necessary for maintaining the assembly in its correct interrelationship, the said resilient means being subject during operation of the shaft to the action of pressure fluid bled from the film of fluid under pressure lying beneath the bearing member and such that the load on the bearing member increases with the pressure of the fluid film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydro-dynamic fluid bearing comprising bearing members subject to progressive pre-loading as the rotational speed of an associated shaft increases.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
Hydro-dynamic bearing assemblies are known of which the bearing members are subject to a constant pre-load or the hydrostatic bearing members of which the load can be adjusted. FR-A 2 116 141 relates to a hydrostatic bearing of the latter type according to which when stationary and at low speeds a light pre-load is produced solely by a spring while, when the rotational speed increases, the loading on the bearing member is automatically increased by means of an external fluid. In contrast, in accordance with the present invention, a hydro-dynamic bearing includes provision for progressive loading of the bearing members by making use of fluid under pressure bled from the fluid film lying beneath the bearing member itself. In practice, when the shaft reaches high speed rotation, it entrains the fluid which is interposed between the bearing members and the shaft, thus forming a lubricating film. Further, in accordance with the present invention, at least one of the bearing members is subject when the shaft is stopped to the action of a resilient member producing a pre-load limited strictly to that which is necessary for maintaining the assembly parts in correct relationship, the said resilient means being subject during operation of the shaft to the action of pressure fluid bled from the fluid film under pressure lying beneath the bearing member and so that the load on the bearing member increases with the pressure of the fluid film.

Hydro-dynamic fluid bearing comprising bearing members subject to progressive pre-loading


A driving mechanism driving a first member and a second member relative to each other which includes a piezoelectric element that drives the first member, a base member that movably supports the first member with the piezoelectric element interposed therebetween, and an electrode portion that is supplied with a driving voltage of the piezoelectric element. The electrode portion includes an exposed portion exposed from the base member.

Driving mechanisms employing a piezoelectric element have been disclosed. As such a type of driving mechanism, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a driving mechanism that drives a driving target member by driving plural piezoelectric elements to cause a tip member coming in contact with the driving target member to move elliptically. In Patent Document 1, when an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set up, the driving target member is driven in the X axis direction with the elliptical movement of the tip member parallel to the XZ plane.

Driving mechanism, lens barrel, and camera


An electric motor actuator for a motor vehicle lock, with a reversible drive motor, an actuator drive which can be rotary driven by the drive motor. The actuator further includes an operating lever which is dynamically coupled to the actuator drive for switching the lock into an xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d operating state, an antitheft lever which is spring-loaded with a pretensioning spring and which is dynamically coupled to the actuator drive for holding the operating lever in the xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d operating state. An emergency actuating element is used for manually engaging an antitheft lever into an xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state to overcome a catch element on the actuator drive. The antitheft lever can be switched out of the xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state into an xe2x80x9cantitheftxe2x80x9d operating state through a pretensioning spring on the antitheft lever such that the antitheft lever is held in the xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state by a control crank on the actuator drive, and is held in the xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d operating state by the operating lever.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to an electric motor actuator for a motor vehicle lock for a side door lock, rear door lock, hood lock or the like. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an electric motor actuator for a motor vehicle lock and includes a reversible drive motor and an actuator drive which can be rotary driven by the drive motor. The electric motor actuator further includes an operating lever which is dynamically coupled to the actuator drive for switching the lock into an xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d operating state, an antitheft lever which is spring-loaded with a pretensioning spring and which is dynamically coupled to the actuator drive for holding the operating lever in the xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d operating state. An emergency actuating element is used for manually engaging an antitheft lever into an xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state to overcome a catch element on the actuator drive. The antitheft lever can be switched out of the xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state into an xe2x80x9cantitheftxe2x80x9d operating state through a pretensioning spring on the antitheft lever such that the antitheft lever is held in the xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state by a control crank on the actuator drive, and is held in the xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d operating state by the operating lever.
2. Description of the Related Art
German Patent DE 44 33 994 C1 discloses a conventional electric motor actuator for a motor vehicle lock including an actuator element comprising an actuator disk which is driven clockwise and counterclockwise by an electric drive motor, and therefore can be reversibly driven. Other prior art devices of the type mentioned above are disclosed in German Patent DE 33 19 354 C2, U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,277, and Published German Application DE 198 27 751 A1.
These prior art devices, however, fail to disclose a more detailed configuration of a combination including a drive motor and an actuator disk. An electric motor actuator having an actuator disk as the actuator element has proven to be compact and reliable. In one such motor vehicle lock, an actuator disk is regularly used with an actuating lever system and a locking lever system. Generally, the actuating lever system has an outer actuating lever and an inner actuating lever whereby the outer actuating lever is connected to an outside door handle, while the inner actuating lever is connected to an inner door handle. The locking lever system generally has at least one inner locking lever that is either made separately, for example, leading to an inside locking button, or can also be integrated with the inner actuating lever. On the front side doors of a motor vehicle and on the rear door of a station wagon there is also an outer locking lever which is connected to a lock cylinder and/or a remote control means.
The use of a xe2x80x9clocked-antitheftxe2x80x9d operating state means that the motor vehicle lock cannot be opened by undue application of force to the inner locking lever and/or the inner actuating lever. This unallowable application of force is possible after breaking a window, but should remain ineffective in the xe2x80x9clocked-antitheftxe2x80x9d operating state. The locking lever system of the motor vehicle lock is switched back and forth by means of the electric motor actuator between the operating states xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9clocked-antitheftxe2x80x9d. The operating lever of the actuator can be manually switched back and forth between the xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d operating states. If, however, the actuator is in the xe2x80x9clocked-antitheftxe2x80x9d operating state, the operating lever is blocked in the xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d operating state by way of the antitheft lever. If the electric drive motor fails in this operating position, actuation must be produced by way of a mechanical emergency actuating element which engages the antitheft lever, especially a key-actuated outer locking lever of the locking lever system. The antitheft lever with the actuator disk remains unchanged and can be mechanically/manually set back into the xe2x80x9cantitheft-offxe2x80x9d operating state. In this state, the operating lever is released, and can be mechanically/manually switched from the xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d operating state into the xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d operating state by actuating the inner locking lever and/or the inner actuating lever.
In the prior art devices, an emergency actuation function is implemented in that the antitheft lever is pretensioned in the xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state by a pretensioning spring or the like, and can be moved by means of a driver projection on the actuator disk into the xe2x80x9cantitheftxe2x80x9d operating state if the operating lever at this time is in the xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d operating state. In addition, driving by means of the actuator disk takes place via a catch which can be raised from the outer locking lever for emergency actuation. The antitheft lever then snaps back into the xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state under the force of the pretensioning spring.
In such electric motor actuators, manual unlocking when the central interlock drive fails can be accomplished easily, reliably and promptly. The construction of the antitheft lever necessary for this purpose with pretensioning springs and a raisable catch is, however, relatively complex in terms of mechanical construction. In addition, when the spring of the pretensioning spring for the antitheft lever breaks, emergency mechanical actuation is no longer possible. The arrangement of the actuator disk, the operating lever and the raisable catch in the above-explained electric motor actuator is such that the catch in the xe2x80x9cantitheftxe2x80x9d operating state must accommodate very high forces under certain circumstances. This high application of force to the catch can only be structurally accomplished with difficulty. Only with very high quality materials which are then correspondingly expensive can this be done. Kinematically, this arrangement has a defect in that the directions of rotation of the actuator disk are not unequivocal for throwing over the operating lever.
Based upon the design having a catch and pretensioning spring on the antitheft lever, it is necessary that the operating lever is thrown over once clockwise, another time counterclockwise into the same operating state, therefore, into a xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d operating state. Which direction of rotation is actually necessary is then determined by the respective position of the catch. Therefore a very intelligent, efficient electronic control is necessary; this again results in major costs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages in improving the design of the conventional electric motor actuator of the initially mentioned type with consideration of the requirements for emergency mechanical actuation.
This object is achieved in an electric motor actuator for a motor vehicle lock having an antitheft lever that is automatically controlled by an actuator drive, and thus not in conjunction with an operating lever. Control of the antitheft lever takes place such that the antitheft lever is pretensioned by means of a pretensioning spring or the like in the direction of an xe2x80x9cantitheftxe2x80x9d operating state, and therefore, can be switched from an xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state into an xe2x80x9cantitheftxe2x80x9d operating state. If the pretensioning spring breaks, the antitheft lever remains either in the xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state or can be manually/mechanically switched into an operating state by means of an emergency actuation mechanism. Moreover, an additional catch is not employed since the antitheft lever can be held by a control crank on the actuator drive or disk in the xe2x80x9cantitheft offxe2x80x9d operating state.
Other advantages are provided due to the elimination of an addition catch, and thereby an additional spring mechanism. In addition, control of the electric motor actuator can be made simple due to the overall construction causes the actuator disk to unambiguously activate the operating lever. Consequently, a single direction of rotation of the actuator disk is always assigned to the displacement of the operating lever into the same operating state. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, it is, however, advantageous that the desired manner of operation of the actuator be preserved and nevertheless the antitheft function has been integrated into the actuator itself.
Another advantage of the electric motor actuator in accordance to the present invention is also its compact structure which can be especially facilitated by the actuator disk or the like being made in three planes, specifically a middle plane for coupling the actuator disk to the electric drive motor, a lower plane for coupling the actuator disk to the operating lever, and an upper plane for coupling the actuator disk to the antitheft lever. The terms xe2x80x9clowerxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cupperxe2x80x9d are interchangeable and in this case according to the preferred teaching are defined such that xe2x80x9clowerxe2x80x9d means the position nearest the bottom of the housing and xe2x80x9cupperxe2x80x9d means the position farthest from the housing bottom.
The present invention will be better understood by those skilled in the art and the above objects will become more apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Electric motor actuator for a motor vehicle lock


A magnetic card reader receives a magnetic card with a magnetic stripe through an entrance port, transports the magnetic card along a transport path by transporting unit, carries out a process of reading and writing information out of and to the magnetic stripe of the magnetic card by magnetic read/write unit located facing the transport path, cuts the magnetic card into at least two cards in the direction orthogonal to the card transporting direction by a cutter unit located in the transport path, and guides those cut cards to a card discharge path or a collector path, both being continuous to the transport path, by first path-selector unit located at the intersection of the card discharge path and the collector path. In the magnetic card reader, a distance between the magnetic read/write unit and the cutter unit is the sum of the length of the cut card which is the shortest of all of the cut cards when viewed in the transport direction and a braking distance of the transporting unit in a time from a constant transporting state of the transporting unit to a stop state of the transporting unit by a stop signal.

The present invention relates to a magnetic card reader for processing a thin and flexible magnetic card, such as an ATB (automatic ticketing/boarding) pass of an airline ticket.
In the ATB pass as an typical example of the thin and flexible magnetic card, a magnetic stripe for recording information is formed along one side thereof. Information stored in the magnetic stripe is updated if necessary. The ATB pass consists of a pass and a coupon, which are separated by a perforation. During the processing of the ATB pass, it is parted into the pass and the coupon along the perforation. For processing the ATB pass, a magnetic card reader is used which is provided with a magnetic head, a cutter unit and a stamper unit.
The magnetic card reader, since it must handle a long magnetic card, linearly transports a magnetic card by a card transporting means and reads information from the magnetic card by a magnetic head. To alter the information recorded in the magnetic card or to retry to read information from the magnetic card, the card transporting means is turned in the reverse direction to return the magnetic card to the entrance slit. To prevent such a situation that the returning magnetic card passes the magnetic head and part of the magnetic card is protruded from the entrance slit, a distance from the entrance slit to the magnetic head is longer than the entire length of the magnetic card. Further, the cutter unit and the stamper unit are disposed for the respective functions along the card transport path in the card insertion direction. Therefore, a long card transport path is required, and much time is taken for processing the magnetic card.
A curved transport path is used for transporting a magnetic card in the conventional magnetic card reader. The transport path is constructed with a drive belt and a follower belt, and forwardly and reversely transports a magnetic card in a manner that the card is nipped between the drive and follower belts. However, a transport speed of the magnetic card when it is transported in the forward direction is greatly different from that of the magnetic card when it is transported in the reverse direction. As a result, the operation of reading and writing information out of and to the magnetic card are inexact.
The magnetic card is parted into a pass and a coupon in the magnetic card reader, and the pass is held in the stacking unit, located at the exit slit of the card reader, and transferred to a passenger. The coupons are collected in the card reader. For parties of passengers or families, it is convenient to transfer the passes enbloc to each party or each family. In this respect, it is desirable for the magnetic card reader to have such a function as to transfer coupons enbloc.

Kabushiki Kaisha Sankyo Seiki Seisakusho


A clean burning pre-combustion chamber system and method for modifying existing "dirty" natural gas engines to meet modem exhaust emissions standards includes a number of small, water-cooled pre-combustion chambers which can be threaded into the existing spark plug holes, of which there are two per cylinder. A specially shaped ignition chamber within each pre-combustion chamber enhances fuel flow and virtually eliminates the "knocking" which is typically found in pre-combustion chamber modified engines. The inventive system allows existing engines to be economically converted with minimal or no structural changes to the cylinders, heads or valve covers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a pre-combustion chamber system for improving the ignition efficiency of an existing internal combustion engine. More particularly it relates to such a system and method in which a pair of specially designed, water cooled pre-combustion chambers are attached to a slow speed reciprocating natural gas engine via the existing cylinder head spark plug holes to provide a pair of high efficiency torch ignition sources for each cylinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Internal combustion engines which use high volatility fuels such as gasoline or natural gas have traditionally relied upon spark ignition systems. Such spark ignition systems provide adequate ignition energy for most internal combustion engine operating conditions and are particularly effective when the engine is operating at or near full load. However, for certain engines, particularly large, static, natural gas fired engines, traditional spark ignition systems prove inadequate when these engines are operating at less than full load. During operations at less than peak capacity, their fuel governing systems automatically lean out the fuel/air mixture supplied to their cylinders, yielding a fuel mixture with a high ration of air to fuel. Traditional spark ignition systems simply do not provide sufficient ignition energy to ignite such lean mixtures. As a result, large natural gas fired engines operating at lean mixtures tend to experience detonation, misfire, poor fuel economy, and higher emissions of NO.sub.x such as nitric oxide NO and nitrogen dioxide NO.sub.2.
One method for countering the undesirable effects of operating large gas fired engines at lean mixtures involves the use of a pre-combustion chamber, often referred to as a torch ignition source. Pre-combustion chambers typically intake a rich fuel air mixture and ignite it using an ordinary spark plug. The result is a burning fuel mixture which is thrust out an exhaust port and into the engine cylinders at high velocity, much like a blow torch. The high velocity flame ignites the lean fuel air mixture within the cylinder.
These pre-combustion chambers for internal combustion engines have been in use for some fifty years. Pre-combustion chambers are relatively small volume chambers which are placed in communication with a corresponding cylinder in the engine. Pilot fuel is provided to the pre-combustion chamber to enrich the fuel-air mixture therein, which is then ignited via the spark plug. The resulting explosion in the pre-combustion chamber then provides the above-described blow torch effect to completely ignite the fuel-air mixture in the engine cylinder.
In the past, the primary purpose of such pre-combustion chambers was to promote more complete combustion of the fuel and thereby increase the fuel efficiency of the engine.
Recently, the increasing emphasis on improving air quality, and more particularly, the Congressional Clean Air Act which takes full effect in 1995, have resulted in pre-combustion chambers being examined for the purpose of improving engine exhaust gas emissions. One of the industries most impacted by the exhaust gas emissions limits imposed by the new law is the natural gas pipeline industry.
The pipeline industry is comprised of a number of companies with a nationwide grid of gas pipelines. The companies act as carriers for natural gas producers by pumping natural gas through their pipeline networks from the producers to the ultimate consumers. Most, if not all of these pipeline companies use natural gas fired internal combustion engines to drive compressors in pumping stations to push the gas through their pipelines. A very large number of these engines are "dirty" slow speed reciprocating engines manufactured prior to 1970. Emissions standards mandated under the National Clean Air Act mentioned above, and equivalent or even more restrictive standards being mandated under a number of individual State Clean Air Acts would render these engines obsolete unless they can be modified to comply. Replacement of each existing engine with later manufactured "clean" engines entails a cost of about 2 million dollars. Replacement of all of the "dirty" engines in the nationwide pipeline network would require an investment of billions of dollars. Therefore, pre-combustion chambers are being actively investigated by a number of companies for their potential in permitting these older engines to be modified to meet the new emissions standards.
Prior art attempts to produce compatible pre-combustion chambers have generally involved a substantial modification of the existing engine cylinder heads to accommodate relatively large single pre-combustion chambers. Often the existing spark plug holes, of which there are two per cylinder in most engines, are plugged and the air start hole is used to connect the pre-combustion chamber. This technique not only necessitates a greatly modified and expensive cylinder head, but also means that the engine so modified cannot be air started. The cost per cylinder of modifying a dirty engine using these techniques can run $100,000 or more, thus costing $500,000 to modify a single, five cylinder engine.
It is clear then, that a need exists for an alternative system and method of modifying existing dirty engines to meet current exhaust emissions standards. Such a system and method should preferably require little modification of the existing engine cylinder heads and should be relatively inexpensive. At the same time, the system must be reliable and capable of a long operating life, should require minimal engine down time to install and should result in substantial emission reductions for the engines so modified.

Clean burning pre-combustion chamber system and method for internal combustion engines


The contacts of a conventional molded case residential circuit breaker are opened and closed in relay fashion by a remotely controllable operator module. The operator module, utilizing the compliance of the breaker operating mechanism in its ON condition, acts directly on the breaker movable contact arm to effect a separation of the movable contact from the stationary contact sufficient to switch rated current.

The present invention relates generally to electric circuit breakers and particularly to a remotely controllable residential circuit breaker-relay combination utilizing a single set of circuit interrupting contacts.
As electrical power distribution systems become more sophisticated, greater demands are being placed on the components thereof. This trend is most evident in industrial power distribution systems, where industrial circuit breakers are being equipped with more and more accessory functions. That is, industrial circuit breakers are increasingly being called upon to perform control and signal functions, in addition to their traditional circuit protective function. Thus, industrial circuit breakers are equipped with motor operator mechanisms to afford the capability of opening and closing the breaker contacts from a remote location automatically in response to conditions unrelated to circuit protection.
Recently, due largely to the concern for energy conservation, increasing emphasis is being placed on adding sophistication to residential and office power distribution systems. Computer-aided management of energy consumption in large buildings has been shown to be effective in dramatically reducing energy costs. A related concern is the limited electrical generating capacity which, at least in certain localities, is outstripped by consumer demands during peak times. Thus, utilities are considering the feasibility of widespread load shedding schemes enabling the utilities to controllably shed on a mass scale non-critical residential and office branch circuits at the onset of peak demand periods. Obviously, with such load shedding schemes in place, not only is energy conserved, but utilities and consumers alike are saved the high expense of additional generating capacity merely to satisfy the peak demand periods which typically are only several hours in duration.
To accommodate such a load shedding scheme, it is necessary to incorporate in each of the non-critical residential and office branch circuits to be shed some sort of remotely controlled switching device actuatable by the utility independently of the consumer to switch out the branch circuit load at the onset of a peak demand period and then switch in the branch circuit load when the peak demand period has subsided. Obviously, a conventional relay could be implemented to function as such a remotely controllable switching device to be selectively actuated in response to utility generated signals transmitted over power lines or phone lines. In many instances however, the branch circuits to be shed are already equipped with a form of switching device, that is, a circuit protective, residential molded case circuit breaker. It would therefore be manifestly desirable, both from standpoints of component cost and installation expediency, to adapt a residential molded case circuit breaker to serve both as a circuit protective device and a remotely controllable switching device.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a combination circuit protective residential circuit breaker and remotely controllable switching device.
An additional object is to provide a combination automatic residential circuit breaker-switching device of the above character which utilizes a single set of circuit interrupting contacts.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a circuit breaker-switching device combination of the above character, wherein the single set of circuit interrupting contacts are the stationary and movable contacts of a conventional residential molded case circuit breaker.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a circuit breaker-switching device combination of the above character wherein the remotely controlled actuation thereof may be manually over-ridden.
A still further object is to provide a circuit breaker-switching device combination of the above character which is conveniently installable in existing service entry panelboards.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.

Remotely switchable residential circuit breaker


A flat bed knitting machine includes a pair of needle beds arranged in a hape and at least one cam carriage arranged for movement relative to the needle beds. A thread readying device is movable independent of the cam carriage on a rail.

Textile machines of this type are generally known and are described for example, in the context of a flat bed knitting machine, in DE-C 36 41 182. With these textile machines, there is a difficulty in processing the thread at a constant tension, for example when knitting up or when inserting it as the final thread, in such a way that uniform, optically appealing textile goods can be produced, especially where certain requirements are desired of the product e.g. uniform stretching properties. If the tension is not even, then accordingly fewer or more of the threads will be processed in one area of the textile article whereby irregularities will occur in the textile goods so that the properties of the product such as its structure, the occurance of stretching or the impression it gives as regards colour will not be uniform. This disadvantage occurs especially when processing elasticated or rubberised yarns because, to a certain extent, differing quantities of elasticated yarn are processed due to a variation in the tension of, or to a different degree of tugging on, the elasticated yarn. A variation in the tension of the thread being processed occurs, in particular, with flat bed knitting machines, this being due to the cam carriage, and thus the yarn carrier boxes including the yarn guides and the feeder wheels, being moved first in the one and then in the other direction whereby the tugging on the thread being processed varies considerably.

Textile machine with movable thread readying device

Universal Maschinenfabrik Dr. Rudolf Schieber GmbH & Co. KG


A process of controlling the gloss of a thermal dye transfer image comprising:. (a) imagewise-heating a dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye in a binder, the dye-donor being in contact with a dye-receiving element, thereby transferring a dye image to an image-receiving layer of the dye-receiving element to form the dye transfer image; and PA1 (b) thermally transferring a protection layer on top of the transferred dye image, the protection layer being applied from an element which contains unexpanded synthetic thermoplastic polymeric microspheres, the microspheres having a particle size in the unexpanded condition of from about 5 to about 20 .mu.m, the protection layer being transferred using a given energy level in order to expand the microspheres until a desired gloss level is obtained.

In recent years, thermal transfer systems have been developed to obtain prints from pictures which have been generated electronically from a color video camera. According to one way of obtaining such prints, an electronic picture is first subjected to color separation by color filters. The respective color-separated images are then converted into electrical signals. These signals are then operated on to produce cyan, magenta and yellow signals. These signals are then transmitted to a thermal printer. To obtain the print, a cyan, magenta or yellow dye-donor element is placed face-to-face with a dye-receiving element. The two are then inserted between a thermal printing head and a platen roller. A line-type thermal printing head is used to apply heat from the back of the dye-donor sheet. The thermal printing head has many heating elements and is heated up sequentially in response to one of the cyan, magenta and yellow signals. The process is then repeated for the other two colors. A color hard copy is thus obtained which corresponds to the original picture viewed on a screen. Further details of this process and an apparatus for carrying it out are contained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,271, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Thermal prints are susceptible to retransfer of dyes to adjacent surfaces and to discoloration by fingerprints. This is due to dye being at the surface of the dye-receiving layer of the print. These dyes can be driven further into the dye-receiving layer by thermally fusing the print with either hot rollers or a thermal head. This will help to reduce dye retransfer and fingerprint susceptibility, but does not eliminate these problems. However, the application of a protection overcoat will practically eliminate these problems.
In a thermal dye transfer printing process, it is desirable for the finished prints to compare favorably with color photographic prints in terms of image quality. The look of the final print is very dependent on the surface texture and gloss. Typically, color photographic prints are available in surface finishes ranging from very smooth, high gloss to rough, low gloss matte. However, applying a thermal image to a rough surface would result in uniformity problems and drop-outs.
If a matte finish is desired on a thermal print, it has been previously been accomplished by using matte sprays or by matte surface applications through post printing processors. However, both of these solutions are costly and add a degree of complexity to the process.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,556,934 and 3,779,951 disclose the use of microspheres in a paper and subjecting it to temperatures sufficient to cause the particles to expand within the paper sheet. However, there is no disclosure in these patents of using such microspheres in a dye-donor element for a thermal dye transfer system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,573 relates to the a dye-donor element with a transferable protection overcoat containing particles in order to reduce iridescence. However, there is a problem with these particles in that they do not appreciably roughen the receiver surface to reduce the image gloss.
It is the object of this invention to provide a process for controlling the gloss of a thermal dye transfer image.

Process for controlling the gloss of a thermal dye transfer image


A cache system is described which is adapted for staging data between host memory and a disk array comprising a plurality of disk storage devices plus associated controller unit, data being storable across the disks of the array in the form of strides, each stride comprising a multi-sector `stripe` of data on each of two or more devices of the array and an associated multi-sector parity block on a further array device. The cache system includes means for linking the data and associated parity making up a stride within the cache as a cache data unit which is manipulated in the cache as a single entity. References from the host to data held within the cache causes the referenced cache unit to move to the head of a list of cache units. Using such a cache system, when a cache unit at the bottom of the list is committed to disk, there is an increased likelihood that most or all the data making up a stride will be in the cache and therefore the number of redundant accesses to the disk needed to generate parity data will be reduced or eliminated.

In recent years, there has been a growth in interest in disk arrays. Disk arrays consist of a number of disk drives connected to a host system via one or more controller elements which control the transfer of data between the host and disk drives. A disk array is designed to provide high capacity data storage, high reliability and high data transfer rates to and from the using system.
A number of different array architectures have been proposed. A paper entitled `A Case for Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive disks (RAID)` (ACM SIGMOD conference proceedings, Chicago, IL., Jun. 1-3, 1988, pp.109-116) details five levels of array (RAIDS 1 to 5) which provide different levels of data management. Each of the RAID levels permits users to increase their data storage capacity by linking together a number of inexpensive disk drives. The RAID system provides protection against loss of data through the failure of a drive by either storing two copies of the data on two drives (RAID 1) or by splitting the original data into a number of subsections and striping the data across two or more drives of the array. The parity data for the striped data is calculated and stored in a dedicated parity drive (RAID-4). In the event that one of the data holding drives fails, it is possible using the parity data and the remaining data of the stripe to reconstruct the data on the failed drive (RAIDs 2 to 5). The architecture of RAIDs 2 to 5 thus allows an increase in data throughput, assuming that these data transfers are allowed a degree of concurrency. This speed-up depends upon the degree of concurrency, the overheads of partitioning the original data transfer into many, shorter, sub-transfers, and the parameter selection regarding the relationship between average transfer length and size of sub-transfer. Further details of the RAID 4 and RAID 5 configurations may be found in the above referenced conference proceedings.
The provision of parity/checksum in a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID-5) system confronts the system architect with many problems. These include error-recovery, data-loss protection, system performance, and implementation complexities. One penalty of employing a RAID system is the potential problem of reduced reliability. The reliability of a RAID system reduces as the number of devices increases, since any single device failure results in a complete array failure. To avoid this unacceptable degradation in system reliability, a method of providing data recovery in the event of a (single) device failure occurring has proven to be necessary. This is achieved by introducing `redundancy` into the array, in that a `second` copy of the data is stored as a parity or checksum on a device separate to the associated data devices (e.g. in the RAID 4 configuration). Thus the data is never stored in a single location, since the generation of the parity allows subsequent recovery of lost data resulting from a (single) device failure.
During normal Read operations, there is no performance impact encountered by supporting parity generation. However, during Write operations, the generation of parity becomes a concern. This is due to the fact that any alteration to a data area must have an associated update of the parity data relevant for that data area. Furthermore, the likelihood of system failure between writing the new data and writing the new parity must be minimised, or else data recovery would be impossible. This last requirement is conventionally met by generating and storing the parity on the device in conjunction with the Host storing the data on the device, as and when the data becomes available.
This method poses potentially large overheads, since the parity device is associated with a number of data devices. This poses no superfluous overheads provided all devices associated with a particular parity device are written to concurrently, the resulting parity being a composite of all data devices. This will generally not be the case, since relatively short accesses will not incur access to all devices. In this case, parity generation involves retrieving either the existing data from the unaddressed devices, or reading the existing parity for that data group together with the data prior to writing the new data.
In certain situations, the overhead of parity update due to short transfer lengths becomes unacceptable. This is also the case with longer transfers that are split into sequences of shorter transfers (the Host Filing System may do this).

System and method for managing data in a cache system for a disk array

International Business Machines Corporation


An information recording medium on which a plurality of stream groups are multiplexed and recorded by a unit of packet, which is a physically accessible unit, each of the stream groups including one video stream, the information recording medium provided with: an object data file for storing object data which comprises a plurality of packets; and an object information file for storing correspondence definition information for controlling the reproduction of the object data. The object data is divided by a divisional unit in at least one portion of a reproduction section, which is provided with the plurality of packets and corresponds to one of the plurality of stream groups. The object information file stores unit address information indicating an address of each of divisional units, as the reproduction control information.

DVDs become common as optical discs onto which various information is recorded, such as content information, which is video information, audio information, sub-picture information, or the like, and reproduction control information and so on. According to a DVD standard, the video information (video data), the audio information (audio data) and the sub-picture information (sub-picture data) are packetized each with the reproduction control information (navigation data), and are multiplexed and recorded onto a disc in a program stream format of MPEG 2 (Moving Picture Experts Group phase 2), which is a high performance encoding technology. Among them, the video information has data, which is compressed in a MPEG video format (ISO 13818-2), by one stream in one program stream. On the other hand, the audio information is recorded in a plurality of formats (i.e. linear PCM, AC-3, MPEG audio and so on) and has data for up to 8 streams in one program stream. The sub-picture information is defined by a bitmap, and is compressed and recorded in a run length method, and has data for up to 32 streams in one program stream.
In the case of the DVD, as described above, a plurality of streams of the selectable audio information (e.g. streams of a stereo sound, a surrounding sound, an original English sound, a dubbed Japanese sound, and the like) and a plurality of streams of the selectable sub picture information (e.g. streams of Japanese subtitle, English subtitle, and the like) are multiplexed and recorded, by using the program stream format, with respect to one stream of the video information in one movie or film, for example.
On the other hand, a transport stream format of MPEG2 standard has been recently standardized, which is suitable for larger-capacity and higher-speed data transfer. According to the transport stream format, a plurality of elementary streams are transferred at the same time at a much higher transfer speed than that of the above-mentioned program stream format. For example, a plurality of programs, such as a plurality of satellite digital broadcasting TV channels in one satellite radio wave, are transmitted at the same time in a TDM (Time Division Multiplex) scheme. Namely, in the transport stream format, a plurality of elementary streams of the video, each having a large data amount, can be time-division-multiplexed and transmitted at the same time. For example, a plurality of movies recorded on a plurality of DVDs can be transmitted at the same time.
Incidentally, in the present application, a signal video stream existing in a stream group which can be multiplexed and recorded and which can be synchronously reproduced, such as the above-mentioned program stream for example, or a situation that there is a single video stream in the stream group, is referred to as a "single video stream" as occasion demands.

Information recording medium, information recording apparatus and method, information reproducing apparatus and method, and computer program for record or reproduction control


A liquid jet recording head includes a liquid path member having a plurality of liquid flow paths, each of the liquid flow paths being filled with a recording liquid, an orifice being formed at an end of each of the liquid flow paths, and a heater base member having a plurality of heater members and a plurality of radiator members. The heater base member is connected to the liquid path member, each of the heater members having a heater portion, the heater portion generating heat in accordance with a power supplied to it. Each of the radiator members is thermally coupled to the heater portion of one of the heater members so that the amount of heat transmitted from the heater portion to the recording liquid on the heater portion changes in a predetermined direction. When a power is supplied to the heater portion, a bubble is generated in the recording liquid and located at an area on the heater portion, the area having a size corresponding to the power supplied to the heater portion, the bubble causing a recording liquid droplet to be jetted from the orifice.

The present invention generally relates to a liquid jet recording head, more particularly to a liquid jet recording head capable of recording a gradational image.
In a non-impact recording method, a noise generated at the time of recording is exceedingly small. In a so called ink jet recording method which is an example of the non-impact recording method, it is possible to record an image without providing a particular process where an image is fixed on a normal paper. This ink jet recording method is particularly useful so that various recording systems using this method have been proposed.
In the ink jet recording method, droplets of recording liquid, so called ink, is jetted so as to fly from a nozzle, and then the droplets are adhered to a recording member such as a recording sheet. Because of this, an image is formed on the recording member. The ink jet recording method is classified into various systems based on the method used to generate droplets of recording liquid and to control the flying direction of the droplets.
A first system is, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,429. This system is called the "Tele Type system". In the first system, droplets are generated due to an electrostatic force, an electric field between deflecting electrodes is controlled in accordance with the recording signal so that flying droplets are selectively adhered to the recording member.
A second system is, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,596,275, U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,030 and the like. This second system is called the "Sweet system". In this second system, droplets are generated by a vibrator such as a continuously vibrating piezo-electric vibrator, and then the each of droplets is charged in accordance with the recording signal. The charged droplets fly between the deflecting electrodes between which the constant electric field is formed so that each of the flying droplets is adhered to a position according to the image signal on the recording member, that is, the image is formed on the recording member.
A third system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,153. This third system is called the "Hertz system". In this third system, the electric field is formed between the nozzle and a ring-shaped electrode, and droplets of the recording liquid are generated and atomized by the continuously vibrating vibrator. That is, the intensity of the electric field between the nozzle and the electrode is controlled in accordance with the recording signal so that the tomizing state of each of the droplets is controlled. Then the gradational image corresponding to the atomizing state of each of droplets is recorded on the recording member.
A fourth system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120. This fourth system is called the "Stemme system". The A principle of this fourth system essentially differs from each of the principles of the three systems described above. That is, in this fourth system, a piezo-electric vibrator is provided corresponding to each of the nozzles jetting droplets of recording liquid in the recording head, and then image signals are selectively supplied to the piezo-electric vibrators. Each of the piezo-electric vibrators converts the recording signal into a mechanical vibration, and droplets of the recording liquid are jetted so as to fly from each of the nozzles in accordance with the mechanical vibration of a corresponding piezo-electric vibrator.
In the first, the second and the third systems, the main energy for generating droplets of recording liquid is electrical energy and each of the droplets is deflected due to the controlling of the electric field. Therefor, in the first system, the structure of the recording head is simple, however it is necessary to supply a high voltage to the electrodes for generating droplets, and it is difficult to provide a recording head having a multinozzle structure so that this system is unsuitable for quickly recording an image.
In the second system, it is possible to provide the recording head having the multinozzle structure so that this system is suitable for quickly recording an image, however the structure of the recording head is complicated, and it is necessary to perform an advanced controlling operation for generating droplets. In addition, satellite dots which are positioned around the regular dot are formed in the image on the recording member with ease.
In the third system, droplets of the recording liquid are atomized so that it is possible to form an excellent gradational image, however it is difficult to control the atomizing state of each of the droplets, and images easily overlap with each other. In addition, it is difficult to provide the recording head having the multinozzle structure so that the third system is unsuitable for quickly recording an image.
In the fourth system, the structure of the recording head is simple, and only droplets corresponding to dots making up the image are jetted and fly from the nozzle (the on-demand system) so that it is unnecessary to draw back droplets of recording liquid which are unused for recording image. In the first, the second and the third systems, it is necessary to draw back droplets of recording liquid which are unnecessary for recording an image. In addition, it is unnecessary to use the conductive recording liquid for recording an image so that it is possible to select variouse type of recording liquids. However, it is difficult to make the recording head. It is also extremely difficult to miniaturize the piezo-electric vibrator having a required resonance frequency so that it is difficult to provide the recording head having the multinozzle structure. Droplets of the recording liquid are jetted and flown from the nozzle by a mechanical energy such as the mechanical vibration of the piezo-electric vibrator so that the fourth system is unsuitable for quickly recording an image.
An ink jet recording system in which the disadvantages of the first through the fourth systems described above are eliminated is proposed. This ink jet recording system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-9429. In the disclosed ink jet recording system, ink in a liquid cavity is heated so that a bubble is generated and pressure in the ink suddenly increases. Then, due to the increasing of the pressure in the ink, a droplet is jetted from a narrow capillary nozzle.
Furthermore, an improved ink jet recording system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-31943. In the improved ink jet recording system, electric heat conversion elements each having a heating portion and being capable of controling the amount of heat generated are provided. A signal having the gradational information is supplied to each of the electric heat conversion elements so that each of the heating portions heats the ink in accordance with the signal. As a result, the gradational image is recorded on a recording medium such as a recording sheet.
A description will now be given of the structure of one of the electric heat conversion elements described above. The structure of one of the electric heat conversion elements is, for example, shown in FIGS. 1 through 7.
In FIGS. 1 through 5, a heat reserve layer 72 and a heater layer 73 are stacked on a base 71.
A pair of electrodes 74 and 75 are formed on the heater layer 73. There is a gap .DELTA.l between the pair of electrodes 74 and 75. A protection layer 76 is formed so as to cover the heat layer 73 and the pair of electrodes 74 and 75. A set of layers positioned in the gap .DELTA.l forms a heater portion.
In the structure shown in FIG. 1, the thickness of the protection layer 76 in the heater portion (.DELTA.l) decreases in the direction going from an end (B) of the electrode 74 to an end (A) of the electrode 75. Therefore, the amount of heat supplied to the liquid through the surface of the heater portion (which is the surface of the protection layer 76) to the liquid for a predetermined time increases in the direction going from the end (B) of electrode 74 to the end (A) of the electrode 75. That is, in the amount of heat supplied through the surface of the heat portion to the liquid, the thermal gradient is generated.
In the structure shown in FIG. 2, the thickness of the heat reserve layer 72 in the heater portion (.DELTA.l) decreases in the direction going from the end (A) of the electrode 74 to the end (B) of the electrode 75. Therefore, the amount of the heat radiation from the heater layer 73 to the base 71 increases in the direction going from the end (A) of the electrode 74 to the end (B) of the electrode 75. As a result, the amount of heat supplied to the liquid for the predetermined time increases in the direction (B) to (A).
In the structure shown in FIG. 3, the thickness of the heater layer 73 in the heater portion (.DELTA.l) decreases in the direction going from the end (B) of the electrode 74 to the end (A) of the electrode 75. Therefore, the resistance of the heater layer 73 increases in the direction going from the end (B) of the electrode 74 to the end (A) of the electrode 75 so that the amount of heat generated by the heater layer 73 increases in the direction going from (B) to (A). As a result, the amount of heat supplied to the liquid for the predetermined time increases in the direction (B) to (A).
FIGS. 4 through 7 also show plan views of the structures of the electric heat conversion element disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-31943. In each of the structures shown in FIGS. 4 through 7, an electrode 82 is connected to an end of a heater portion 81 and an electrode 83 is connected to another end of the heater portion 81.
In FIG. 4, the planar structure of the heater portion 81 is rectangular. An area where the electrode 82 and the heater portion 81 are connected with each other is narrower than an area where the electrode 83 and the heater portion 81 are connected with each other. In each of the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the heater portion 81 has a planar structure in which the width of the center of the heater portion 81 is narrower than each of the widths of both ends thereof. In an example shown in FIG. 6, the planar structure of the heater portion 81 is a trapezoid. Each of the edges of the heater portion which are non-parallel with each other is connected to one of the electrode 82 and 83.
In an example shown in FIG. 7, the heater portion 81 has a planar structure in which each of the widths of both ends of the heater portion 81 is narrower than the width of the center thereof. In each of the examples shown in FIGS. 4 through 7, the current density in the heater portion 81 decreases in the direction going from a position (A) to a position (B). Therefor, the level of the power supplied to the heater portion 81 is controlled so that the area where the bubble is generated by the heating function of the heater portion 81 is changed. As a result, the size of the bubble is controlled so that the size of the droplet jetted from the nozzle is controlled. Thus, it is possible to record the gradational image.
However, In the examples shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, it is very difficult to form the structure in which the thickness of the heat portion changes by the thin film forming process. Even if possible, the cost of production would be very high. In the device having the structure in which a pattern of the heater portion changes as shown in FIGS. 4 through 7, the pattern can be broken at the narrowest portion thereof with ease so that the durability of the heater portion is poor.
A gradational image recording system recording the gradational image is also disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 63-42872. In this recording system, it is difficult to produce the heater portion in the same manner as the examples described above. In addition, a gradational image recording system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-46358, Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-46359, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-48585. In this type of recording system, a plurality of heater elements are provided on one liquid path or one nozzle so that the number of control electrodes connected to the plurality of heater elements increases and it is difficult to increase density of the nozzles. A recording system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 59-124863 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 59-124864 has a heater portion for jetting droplets and another heater portion and bubble generator for generating bubbles. Therefor, it is difficult to increase the density of nozzles. Furthermore, in another recording system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 63-42869, the number of generated bubbles is controlled so that the amount of ink jetted from a nozzle is controlled. It is generally impossible to supply much power to the heater element in the bubble jet type recording system. Thus, in this type of recording system, durability is poor.
As has been described above, in the conventional liquid jet recording system, there are disadvantages from the point of view of the durability of the system and the increase in the density of the nozzles in the system and so on.

Liquid jet recording head having improved radiator member


A tubular string is advanced with a bottom hole assembly as the hole is drilled and reamed in a desired direction with the aid of directional drilling equipment adjacent the bit. When the advanced tubular forms the desired lap to the existing tubular, the assembly can be configured to cement the tubular and expansion can then be accomplished to fill the annular space and enhance the cement bonding. The expansion equipment can create a bottom bell on the expanded tubular and expand the top end into a bell of the existing tubular so that a monobore is created as the process is repeated with each added string. Numerous variations are contemplated for each single trip including but not limited to the direction of expansion, whether cementing or expansion occurs first, reforming folded tubing in the hole as well as the nature of the expansion tool and pressure control when drilling.

Drilling a hole and advancing casing or liner as the hole is drilled and reamed are known as described in U.S. patent and published applications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,845,722; 6,196,336; 6,419,033; 2003/0056991; 2003/0106688; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,095; 6,371,203; 2002/0040787; 2002/0189863; 2004/0011534; 2005/6854533; 2007/0144784; 2007/0175665; 2007/0267221; 2008/0135289; 2009/0090508 and 2010/7784552.
Some of the art also has a focus on hole orientation while drilling such as US Publication 2009/0056938 and 2005/0126825. Casing drilling with expansion is discussed in US Publication 2007/7287603. Other prior art discusses drilling a wellbore and forming a monobore, such as US Publication 2006/0196663; 2011/0114336; 2010/0032167 and 2008/7383889. Drilling and cementing is discussed in UP Publication 2009/0107675. Expanding and cementing is covered in US Publication 2012/0061097. Using folded tubulars and reforming them in a wellbore coupled with further expansion as a possibility is discussed in 2011/0265941.
The present invention seeks to make drilling and completion more efficient by enabling in some embodiments the drilling and reaming of a borehole while advancing casing, liner or a patch with the further ability to expand and cement in either order. The expansion device can be run top down or bottom up when using a swage that can be built to multiple diameters for creating a bottom bell on the tubular advanced with the bottom hole assembly (BHA), expand the tubular and fixate the tubular to an existing tubular through which the expanded tubular has just been run. Cementing can be accomplished before or after expansion and expansion can be accomplished with an inflatable instead of a swage. A monobore can be created with an expansion tool that adapts to several diameters. The BHA can be driven by a fluid motor such as a Moineau pump and supported by rigid or coiled tubing. The tubular can be solid, with single or multiple walls or slotted 101. The swage can be advanced with a hydraulic anchor/stroker tool alone or with force delivered through the running string or combinations of the two. Steering tools can be incorporated in the BHA as well as sensors to determine the location of the string being advanced. Drilling pressure at the bit can be controlled with adjustable chokes associated with the tubular being drilled in. The swage can be used as a tubular support during running in and drilling. A folded liner can be advanced and then made round with a swage or by application of internal pressure. The string can be rotated during cementing to distribute cement with the downhole motor to do the rotation if coiled tubing is used for the running string. Expansion can also be accomplished with roller expanders, conical swages or internal pressure in the string. Expansion direction can be top down or bottom up. Cementing can occur bottom up or top down and can occur before or after expansion. Expansion can also occur at one end or another first and then proceed from the opposite end or with a middle section expanded first followed by opposed ends. Top down expansion can be aided by adding string weight by setting down weight at the surface. Those skilled in the art will better appreciate these and other aspects of the present invention from a review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be found in the appended claims.

One trip casing or liner directional drilling with expansion and cementing


Systems and methods are provided for improving medical instruments and devices. One system includes a surgical instrument associated with an instrument identifier, and an electrosurgical generator operably coupled to the surgical instrument. The electrosurgical generator is associated with a generator identifier and is configured to receive and store data associated with an operating mode of the surgical instrument, receive data associated with the instrument identifier from the surgical instrument, generate a unique identifier based on a time and date at which the surgical instrument is operably coupled with the electrosurgical generator for the first time, the generator identifier of the electrosurgical generator, and the instrument identifier, and associate the unique identifier with the stored data associated with the operating mode of the surgical instrument.

Current medical procedures, typically, require use of multiple complex medical instruments and devices. However, identifying areas of improvements in these complex medical instruments and devices is inefficient and ineffective because sufficient real-world empirical data to precisely identify an area of improvement that will improve the likelihood of successful outcomes of the medical procedure is unavailable.
For example, in electrosurgery, surgical instruments configured to perform electrosurgery are plugged into and supplied energy by an electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical generators and instruments provide a plurality of operating modes, which allow precise control over the supply of current to surgical instruments when utilized by a clinician. Inputs to electrosurgical generators or surgical instruments connected to the electrosurgical generators typically cause them to operate in one of the operating modes over another. The electrosurgical generators capture information about the different inputs. The information about the different inputs may be made available to a medical device manufacturer. However, such information alone is insufficient for the medical device manufacturer to effectively and efficiently identify instruments or devices that need to be improved or even identify areas of improvement within a particular instrument or device because such information does not indicate whether the medical procedure performed using these different inputs to the electrosurgical generator or surgical instruments was successful.

Systems and methods for improving medical instruments and devices


A media playing device is provided. In an exemplary form, the media playing device includes a housing having a cylindrical end with an opening. The media playing device also includes a hollow turning knob. The knob has two protrusions on its inside surface. The media playing device additionally includes a PCB disposed inside the housing with a micro controller unit (MCU) and a pair of switches. The medial playing device further includes an attachment means for attaching the knob to the cylindrical end of the housing and allowing the knob to rotate with respect to the cylindrical end. When the knob is rotated in clockwise direction or counterclockwise direction, one of the two protrusions moves within the opening and can be moved to a position to contact one of the two switches to activate the switch. The activated switch sends a signal to the MCU and the MCU execute an operation.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to media playing devices, especially to a media playing device having a rotatable control knob.
2. General Background
FIG. 9 shows a conventional music player 1, the conventional music player 1 has an LCD 11 and a 5 way navigation button 12. The 5 way navigation button 12 is provided for being pushed up, down, left, right, and in, to operate the conventional music player 1.
Although having many advantages, the navigation button 12 has disadvantages too. In some cases, the navigation button 12 is too sensitive and responds to unintentional light touches to result in unintended operations being executed. Users have to take time to get accustomed to the 5 way navigation button 12. Another problem with the 5 way navigation button 12 is that it is sometimes a little difficult to press it in. Users need to press hard to force the navigation button 12 with their thumbs, which may result in injury to the user or damage to the button 12.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an easily operated media playing device.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A method and system for reducing a reflection coefficient below a predetermined value thereby reducing jitter by the variation of the effective impedance of a driver appearing to be bounded during state transitions. The driver may include a pull-up driver and a pull-down driver. In the pull-up driver, the transistors may be switched from a first state to a second state in a staggered fashion where the first state is complementary to the second state; In the pull-down driver, the transistors may be switched from a second state to a first state in a staggered fashion. By staggering the switching of the transistors in the pull-up driver and the pull-down driver, a portion of the current may flow from the pull-up driver to the pull-down driver thereby causing the variation of the effective impedance of the driver to appear to be bounded during state transitions.

The present invention relates to the field of output drivers, and more particularly to producing an effective impedance of the output driver with a bounded variation during state transitions that sufficiently reduces a reflection coefficient below a predetermined value thereby reducing jitter by reducing reflections on the transmission line.
Microprocessor core fabrication technology is still evolving rapidly, and advancing at a much faster rate than fabrication technology of other devices. Device geometries within the core logic of microprocessors are shrinking, and power supply voltages must be lowered to accommodate small device geometries. Current silicon technology, using CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistors, has reduced the required junction threshold voltage to approximately zero volts. The current low voltage logic standards are 1.8 volts and 3.3 volts. Presently available ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) interface and support circuits have relatively high voltage requirements due to device geometries.
For example, it is possible for normal operating voltages in a microprocessor to range between zero volts and 1.8 volts, while normal operating voltages in other devices range between zero volts and 3.3 volts. In such a situation, a logic one state is represented by 1.8 volts in the microprocessor and by 3.3 volts in the other devices. In either case, a logic zero state is represented by zero volts.
Presently, in order to communicate a logic high state between the processor and other devices, system busses transfer a signal of, nominally, 3.3 volts for a logic one. For this reason, the processor includes driver circuitry for translating a 1.8 volt logic high signal from the core logic within the microprocessor into a 3.3 volt signal for communicating a logic high through the system bus. Likewise, the microprocessor includes driver circuitry for translating a 3.3 volt logic high signal from the system bus into a 1.8 volt logic high signal for use elsewhere within the microprocessor. Such driver circuitry may commonly be referred to as an output driver.
Conventional output drivers may interface with various input/output (I/O) devices such as ASICs, SRAMs (Static Random Access Memories), etc. A bus, which is a transmission line, may couple the output driver with the I/O device. In conventional output drivers, data may be transmitted at a single data rate. That is, output drivers may transmit one bit per cycle on the bus to the I/O device. When the output driver is ready to transmit another bit on the bus to the I/O device, the current in the bus may have been eliminated. Since there may be no current in the bus, there may not be a reflection of the data signal.
However, if output drivers transmit data at a higher data rate, i.e., at a rate of multiple bits per cycle, on the bus to an I/O device, reflections may occur. Since more than one bit per cycle is being transmitted on the bus, the current in the bus may not be eliminated prior to the output driver transmitting another data signal. Subsequently, the data signal may be reflected from the I/O device towards the output driver. The reflected data signal may not be terminated at the output driver end since the effective impedance of the output driver may appear to be substantially higher than the characteristic impedance of the bus, i.e., the transmission line, during the transition of the output driver, i.e., when the output driver switches from high to low or from low to high. Thus, the reflection coefficient may approach the value of one so that all of the energy in the reflected data signal gets reflected back towards the I/O device. That is, the reflected data signal may not be terminated but reflected back to the I/O device.
When the reflected data signal gets reflected back against the I/O device, Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) may be said to occur. ISI may refer to the reflective noise on the cycle interfering with the next cycle or cycles. Subsequently, the data signal may become distorted where the distortion of this type may commonly be referred to as jitter.
However, if the effective impedance of the output driver appears finite so that the reflection coefficient is sufficiently less than one, then the reflected data signal may be terminated and hence jitter may be reduced.
It would therefore be desirable to produce an effective impedance of the output driver during state transitions that does not appear to be substantially greater than the bus characteristic impedance, i.e., appears to have a bounded variation, thereby reducing jitter by reducing reflections on the transmission line. That is, it would be desirable to produce an effective impedance of the output driver with a bounded variation during state transitions that reduces the reflection coefficient below a predetermined value so that the reflections on the transmission line may be reduced thereby reducing jitter.
The problems outlined above may at least in part be solved in some embodiments by allowing a portion of the current to flow from a pull-up driver through the impedance of the output stage of the driver to a pull-down driver thereby causing the effective impedance of the driver to not appear to be substantially higher than the characteristic impedance of a bus thereby reducing jitter. That is, the variation of the effective impedance of the driver may be bounded during state transitions thereby producing a reflection coefficient that is below a predetermined value. When the reflection coefficient is less than a predetermined value, then a signal reflected from a receiver, coupled to the driver via a bus, may be terminated at the driver. That is, when the reflection coefficient is less than a predetermined value, then not all of the energy in the reflected signal gets reflected back towards the receiver. The predetermined value may establish the maximum tolerable jitter.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a driver may be coupled to a receiver, e.g., Input/Output (I/O) device, via a bus. The driver may be configured to receive a data signal that results in the driver driving a pad to a logic high voltage level, referred to as a logic 1, or to a logic low voltage level, referred to as a logic 0. The pad may refer to an interface between circuitry external and internal to a driver. The driver may comprise slew rate controllers configured to control the slew, i.e., rate, at which the pad switches. The driver may further comprise two series connected pull drivers, a pull-up driver and a pull-down driver. The pull-up driver may be configured to drive the pad to a logic high voltage level; whereas, the pull-down driver may be configured to drive the pad to a logic low voltage level.
Both the pull-up driver and the pull-down driver may comprise a plurality of segmented transistors. In the pull-up driver, the transistors may be switched from a first state, e.g., deactivated state, to a second state, e.g., activated state, in a staggered fashion where the first state is complementary to the second state. That is, each transistor may be switched to the second state at a different point in time. In the pull-down driver, the transistors may be switched from a second state, e.g., activated state, to a first state, e.g., deactivated state, in a staggered fashion. That is, each transistor may be switched to the first state at a different point in time.
Each transistor in the pull-up driver may be associated with a particular transistor in the pull-down driver. Upon switching a particular transistor in the pull-up driver to the second state, the associated transistor in the pull-down driver may switch to the first state at substantially the same time. By staggering the switching of the transistors to the second state in the pull-up driver and hence staggering the switching of the transistors to the first state in the pull-down driver, a portion of the current may flow from the pull-up driver through the impedance of the output stage of the driver and then through the pull-down driver. The other portion of the current may flow from the pull-up driver through the impedance of the output stage of the driver and then out to the pad. By allowing a portion of the current to flow from the pull-up driver to the pull-down driver, the effective impedance of the driver may not appear to be substantially higher than the characteristic impedance of the bus thereby reducing jitter. That is, the variation of the effective impedance of the driver may appear to be bounded during switching of the pad thereby producing a reflection coefficient that is below a predetermined value. When the reflection coefficient is less than the predetermined value, then a signal reflected from the receiver, e.g., I/O device, may be terminated at the driver. That is, when the reflection coefficient is less than the predetermined value, then not all of the energy in the reflected signal is reflected back towards the receiver.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention.

Dynamically producing an effective impedance of an output driver with a bounded variation during transitions thereby reducing jitter

International Business Machines Corporation