A mouse which senses six degrees of motion arising from movement of the mouse within three dimensions. A hand-held device includes three accelerometers for sensing linear translation along three axes of a Cartesian coordinate system and three angular rate sensors for sensing angular rotation about the three axes. Signals produced by the sensors are processed to permit the acceleration, velocity and relative position and attitude of the device to be conveyed to a computer. Thus, a person may interact with a computer with six degrees of motion in three-dimensional space. Computer interface ports and unique address identification ensure proper communication with the computer regardless of the orientation of the mouse.

The present invention relates to a computer peripheral input device used by an operator to control cursor position or the like. More particularly, the invention is directed to an apparatus and method for inputting position, attitude and motion data to a computer in, for example, terms of three-dimensional spatial coordinates over time.
Most computer systems with which humans must interact, include a "cursor" which indicates current position on a computer display. The cursor position may indicate where data may be input, such as the case of textual information, or where one may manipulate an object which is represented graphically by the computer and depicted on a display. Manipulation of the cursor on a computer display may also be used by an operator to select or change modes of computer operation.
Early means of cursor control were centered around the use of position control keys on the computer keyboard. These control keys were later augmented by other devices such as the light pen, graphics tablet, joystick, and the track ball. Other developments utilized a device called a "mouse" to allow an operator to directly manipulate the cursor position by moving a small, hand-held device across a flat surface.
The first embodiment of the mouse detected rotation of a ball which protrudes from the bottom of the device to control cursor position. As the operator moves the mouse on a two dimensional surface, sensors in the mouse detect rotation of the ball along two mutually perpendicular axes. Examples of such devices are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,541,541; 3,835,464; 3,892,963; 3,987,685; and 4,390,873. U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,479 discloses a further development which utilizes optical sensing techniques to detect mouse motion without moving parts.
These mouse devices all detect and convey motion within two dimensions. However, with the increased use of computers in the definition, representation, and manipulation of information in terms of three-dimensional space, attempts have been made to devise techniques that allow for the definition of positional coordinates in three dimensions. Advances of computer graphical display and software technology in the area of three-dimensional representation of information has made desirable the capability of an operator to input and manipulate or control more than merely three-dimensional position information, but also three-dimensional motion and attitude information. This is particularly true in the case of modeling, simulation, and animation of objects that are represented in either two or three-dimensional space.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,445, issued to MacLeod et al., relates to a means for determining position of a target in three dimensions by measuring the time it takes for a number of light beams to sweep between reference points and comparing that with the time required for the beams to sweep between the reference points and the target.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,423, issued to Ono et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,829, issued to Ebina et al., disclose display and control devices and methods for controlling a cursor in a three-dimensional space by moving the cursor as if to maneuver it by use of joystick and throttle type devices to alter the direction and velocity of a cursor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,528, issued to Flinchbaugh, illustrates a cursor control system which utilizes movement of a mouse device upon a two-dimensional surface that contains logically defined regions within which movement of the mouse is interpreted by the system to mean movement in three-dimensional space.
None of the three-dimensional input devices noted above has the intuitive simplicity that a mouse has for interacting in two dimensions. A three-dimensional input device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,051 to Olson utilizes inertial acceleration sensors to permit an operator to input three-dimensional spatial position. However, the disclosed device does not consider input of either motion or "orientation", henceforth referred to herein as "attitude".
To determine changes in position within a plane, the Olson system senses translation from a first accelerometer. Rotation is obtained from the difference in translational acceleration sensed by the first accelerometer and a second accelerometer. This technique mandates precision mounting of the accelerometer pair, as well as processing to decouple translation from rotation and to determine both the rotational axis and rate. Thus, the device disclosed by Olson et al. requires extensive processing by the computer which may render the device incompatible with lower end computing devices. Additionally, this technique would require highly sensitive accelerometers to obtain low rotational rates.
In the Olson device, analog integrator circuits are used for the first stage of integration required to obtain displacement from acceleration. These integrator circuits have limits in dynamic range and require periodic resets to zero to eliminate inherent errors of offset and drift. The Olson device also constrains the use of the remote device to a limited range of orientation with respect to the computer in order to permit proper communication. Furthermore, no provision is made in the Olson system to prevent interference from signals originating from nearby input devices which control nearby computer work stations.
Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new and improved device that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of previous computer input techniques.
Additionally, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a means for an operator to input to a computer information which allows the computer to directly ascertain position, motion and attitude of the input device in terms of three-dimensional spatial coordinates.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved apparatus and method for controlling movement of a cursor, represented on a computer display in terms of three-dimensional spatial coordinates.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for providing input to a computer, position, motion, and attitude with a device which is intuitively simple to operate by the natural motion of a person, for the purpose of conveying a change in position or attitude, in a particular case, or a change in the state of variables, in the general case.

Computer apparatus input device for three-dimensional information


A rock raking apparatus which is adapted to be attached to a self-propelled vehicle and includes a rock raking unit with a toothed rotor and a rock collector bucket pivotably connected to the raking unit. The rotor is driven to propel rocks into the bucket. The raking unit includes a power-rotated brush positioned to deflect the propelled rocks into the rear of the bucket, to clean the surface of the rotor to prevent carryover and to prevent the formation of rock barricades at the entrance of the bucket to assure that the bucket is filled. The rotor is based on a cylindrical drum having a pattern of symmetrical radially extending teeth affixed to the peripheral surface thereof, with the pattern also being symmetrical so that the drum is reversible end for end when the leading edges of the teeth are worn. Double pivot mounts allow limited floating of the raking unit with respect to the bucket to accommodate uneven ground.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for raking up rocks from the ground and, more particularly, to apparatus adapted to be attached to a self-propelled vehicle and adapted to rake up the rocks as the vehicle travels over the ground.
In our prior application, Ser. No. 08/387,305 (hereafter our prior application) we disclosed and claimed apparatus for raking rocks which proved to be a highly effective advance in the art. This application is intended to describe and claim certain improvements therein. In one aspect, the rotor construction which was subsequently incorporated into the rock raking apparatus, has a new and improved structure. This application is also intended to describe at greater length certain important functional relationships between elements of the structure described in detail in our prior application. In other words, our prior application adequately described the structure, and how to make an apparatus capable of meeting the benefits of the invention. The present application better describes functional relationships between those disclosed structural elements.
In our prior application, the rotating brush was disclosed as being adapted to clean the surface of the rotor. That is an important function, but it will be found that the brush when positioned and operated as described in our prior application, performed several additional functions. One of those is the deflection of rocks propelled by the rotor, from the brush into the rear of the bucket. The second is the prevention of formation of a rock barricade at the entrance of the bucket, with the result being the ability of the apparatus to reliably fill the bucket. These functions, it will be found, are accomplished when one follows the structural disclosure of our prior application.
Rock raking apparatus is disclosed in Baskett U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,732. In general, the apparatus comprises a raking unit having a toothed rotor supported to rotate about a laterally extending axis by two laterally spaced side walls. A bucket is pivotally connected to one end of the raking unit and collects the rocks raked up by the unit. The bucket also is pivotally connected to lift arms of the vehicle and, by actuating such arms, the raking unit and the bucket may be lifted from the ground to a transport position. After the raking unit has been moved to a dumping location, an actuator between the vehicle and the bucket is operated to cause the bucket to pivot to an open position relative to the raking unit and enable dumping of the rocks. In order to enable lifting of the raking unit and opening of the bucket, additional actuators are required between the raking unit and the bucket.
The rotor of the raking unit of the Baskett patent is in the form of a hollow drum. Laterally extending and angularly spaced channels are welded to the periphery of the drum and each carries a plurality of laterally spaced specially shaped teeth. The teeth/channel assemblies are relatively complex and non-symmetrical, and can create problems in that small rocks and dirt tend to become trapped between the teeth and against the drum and are carried over the drum rather than being raked up.
Additional rock raking apparatus is disclosed in Baskett U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,023 and Erholm U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,434. Those devices, however, require extremely complex raking units in that the apparatus of the Baskett '023 patent utilizes multiple rotors while the apparatus of the Erholm patent utilizes endless chains to carry the raking teeth.


Ceiling fan operation control for tuning the fan on and off based on a passive infrared sensor, combined with a temperature sensor to regulate the speed of the fan. The passive infrared sensor, the temperature sensor and controls for both are in a housing directly mounted to the fan motor of the ceiling fan. The controls can be set screws covered by a removable cap. The passive infrared sensor can include a fresnal lens for sensing a 360 degree circumference beneath the fan, and a photo-optical sensor such as a photocell, which suspends ceiling fan control changes for allowing the fan to continue operation when the room is dark and occupants may be sleeping.

Overhead ceiling fans have become very popular over in recent years. Problems have developed as to the operations of the fans. For example, traditional fans are often left on when occupants leave rooms with overhead ceiling fans. Thus, the fans can consume unnecessary power in unoccupied rooms. Another problem occurs when newly arriving occupants to new rooms and/or to darkened rooms have to search for hard to find wall toggle switches and/or overhanging chains to turn on the ceiling fans. Warm and/or stuffy rooms can be very uncomfortable to newly arriving occupants, who would have to wait for the rooms to cool down and circulate airflow. Further, turning on and off several fans in a home or building is often so inconvenient that fans are left on.
In prior art searches several patents were cited as of general interest in the art, but still fail to overcome the problems cited above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,632 to Hart et al. describes a "remote load selector", title, that allows for both a ceiling fan motor and a built-in light fixture to be selectively controlled from a single two-conductor hardwire cable connection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,458 to Fukuda et al. describes an "air conditioning apparatus", title, that senses temperatures via an infrared sensor to vary the air conditioner air flow pattern rather than to modify the fan motor speed of a ceiling fan.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,409 to Hart et al. describes an "electrical appliance control system" which manually activates a ceiling fan from a remote controlled outlet
U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,204 to Baldwin et al. describes a ceiling mounted passive infrared intrusion detector with a dome shaped lens.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,722 to Clayto describes a Fresnel lens capable of transmitting infra-red energy rays.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,213 to Teal describes a "ceiling fan electrically heating environmental air" where the devices heats the air in a room by resistance heaters located on the fan blades, which are activated by a thermostat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,737 to Kirihata et al. describes a "person-number detecting system" for using infrared sensors to detect the numbers of people per room.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,908 to Tung describes a "remote power control for dual loads" for supplying power to a ceiling fan and light kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,113 to Wang describes an "Infrared Receiver System For A Remote Control Ceiling Fan", title. The Wang devices describes an attachment device for positioning a infrared sensor beneath the fan for receiving an infrared signals for a remote control ceiling fan.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,566 to Hu describes a shutoff circuit for a light sensor controlled switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,472 to Hart et al. describes a "remote control system for combined ceiling fan and light fixture", title using a wall mounted thermostat to send radio signals to alter fan speed and energization.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,393 to Hu describes a combination type sensor using both passive infared(PIR) and ultrasonic sensing, as an automatic sensor controlled switch that can detect motion in a room to turn on or off lights, for instance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,173 to Hu describes an occupancy sensor that senses ambient light levels to control the dimming of lights.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,273 to Chang describes a "ceiling fan and light assembly control method", title, using a sounding detector to tan on and off a ceiling fan and light kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,943 to Chang describes a "single throw switch circuit controlling a ceiling fan" that controls ceiling fan speed using a manual switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,406 to Chang describes a "ceiling fan and light assembly control circuit with remote controller single-throw switch optional controls" that uses an infrared remote sending unit to send a signal to a receiving unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,527 to Mehta describes a "thermostatically controlled remote control for a ceiling fan and light" using household wiring to send signals to alter fan speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,040 to Kim et al. describes an "infrared object detector" that uses an infrared sensor to detect the distance between persons and an air conditioner to adjust air conditioner fan speed and baffled air direction.
None of the cited patents adequately and sufficiently overcome the problems previously described above, particularly the problem of ceiling fans being inadvertently left on for long periods of time when no one is present.

Automatic occupancy and temperature control for ceiling fan operation


There is provided an information processing apparatus including an image acquisition part configured to acquire an image captured by an imaging part, and a display controller configured to cause a virtual object to be displayed in accordance with a recognition result of a real object shown in the image. The display controller controls the virtual object on a basis of a size of the real object in a real space.

The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a recording medium.
A technology called augmented reality (AR) has recently been drawing attention, which shows a user a real space having additional information superimposed thereover. The information shown to the user in the AR technology may be visualized using various forms of virtual objects such as text, icons, or animation. The placement of annotation over an AR space is generally executed on the basis of recognition in three-dimensional structure in the real space shown in an image.
A structure from motion (SfM) technique and a simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technique are known as techniques for recognizing a three-dimensional structure in the real space. In the SfM technique, multiple images are captured from different viewpoints, and, from those images, a three-dimensional structure in the real space shown in the images is recognized using parallax. The SLAM technique is described in Andrew J. Davison, "Real-Time Simultaneous Localization and Mapping with a Single Camera", Proceedings of the 9th IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision Volume 2, 2003, pp. 1403-1410. JP 2009-237845A discloses a technique for recognizing three-dimensional positions of feature points, which are selected for initialization in the SLAM technique, by using the SfM technique.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and recording medium


Implementations of the present disclosure are directed to a method, a system, and an article for binding computer languages. An example computer-implemented method includes: operating an application on at least one computer in a first computer language; operating a platform for the application on the at least one computer in a second computer language; binding the first computer language with the second computer language; and communicating between the application and the platform using the binding of the first computer language and the second computer language.

The present disclosure relates to communications between two or more computer languages on one or more computers and, in some examples, to systems and methods for binding two computer languages together to achieve such communications.
In general, it can be desirable to communicate between computer programs written in different languages. In some instances, for example, a software application written in one language may be required to obtain information from or send information to another software application written in a different language. One of the software applications in such an instance can operate or provide certain functions or features (e.g., a database) for the other software application.
Attempts have been made to bind certain computer languages together to facilitate communications. Such attempts have been difficult or unsuccessful for some language combinations, however, particularly when the languages treat data types differently (e.g., first-class or second-class data types) and/or provide different support for coroutines or multi-tasking.

System and method for encapsulating computer communications


An extruded molding trim for vehicles, appliances and the like, which has a one piece integral construction including a longitudinally extending strip-like upper portion and longitudinally spaced apart leg portions extending perpendicularly downwardly therefrom either in a single or a double row, the portions having outwardly extending tabs disposed on opposite sides or on only one side thereof for attachment to a part of a vehicle, appliance and the like, the molding trim being formed from an extruded plastic strip. The upper portion and the leg portions are fabricated from either a rigid or a resilient flexible plastic material, with the tabs being fabricated from either a rigid or a resilient deformable or flexible plastic material. The tabs are pointed or elongated fingers, directed upwardly towards the upper portion, or each of the tabs can include adjacent outwardly and inwardly inclined outer surfaces to provide a point extending transversely outwardly from each leg portion, where each leg portion may include numerous tabs, aligned pairs of associated tabs, or staggered tabs. The upper portion can encapsulate a metallic strip therein, can be provided with longitudinally extending parallel grooves in an upper surface thereof, or can be provided with at least one downwardly extending longitudinal side flange preferably having a metallic strip disposed around the side flange, and a protective transparent plastic strip disposed over the metallic strip.

The invention relates to molding trim, and more particularly, to an extruded molding trim for vehicles, appliances and the like, which has a one piece integral construction including a longitudinally extending upper strip-like portion and spaced apart leg portions 14 extending perpendicularly downwardly therefrom, the leg portions having outwardly extending tabs, for attachment to an underside of a part of a vehicle, appliance and the like, when the leg portions are inserted through slots in the part to secure the extruded molding trim to the part.
Molding trims, including extruded molding trims, are well known in the art, where usually separate fastening means are used to secure a molding trim to a part of the vehicle, and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,400 discloses a metal dart clip for securing a rubber or plastic impact strip on a vehicle bumper, where U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,839 discloses an engaging member, similar to the above dart clip, secured to a rocker, side or hood trim strip for engaging the trim strip to the surface of an automobile. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,444 discloses a molding support assembly for mounting a molding strip on an automobile body including an intermediate piece connected to the molding strip and support pegs secured to the intermediate piece whereby the support pegs are attached to the base wall of the automobile body by snapping into attachable linings mounted in the base wall to secure the molding strip to the automobile body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,664 discloses an elongated extruded strip adapted to be mechanically secured to a slotted sheet-like substrate, the strip being provided with longitudinally spaced apart teeth which are forced through the slots of the substrate. Heat is then applied to the portions of the teeth which project through the slots to form a head or bead on the ends of the teeth and thereby mechanically secure the strip to the substrate. The strip includes a resilient adhesive tape on the inner wall thereof to allow the strip to deform when pressed against the substrate to force the teeth to project further through the slots to ensure a tight securement. The teeth may have an arrowhead at the free end thereof when the substrate is of uniform thickness, where the arrowhead is forced through the slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,328 discloses fastener means for an interior trim panel including a pushed-in stud which is secured to a panel to secure the panel to a retainer. The stud includes a shank provided with a tapered free end and bar-like projections so that one set of the projections engages the lower surface of the retainer 50. The projections are annular rings which are made to extend only from opposite sides of the shank to provide flat shank portions therebetween to facilitate turning of the shank to effect assembly of the stud head to the panel. The stud displaces the retainer in a longitudinal direction to effect axial alignment between the stud shank and the hole in the retainer.
Accordingly, there is presently a need for an extruded molding trim that can be easily and inexpensively manufactured, and which provides a simple and quick method for attaching the extruded molding trim to a part of a vehicle, appliance and the like, in which the attachment means thereof are an integral part of the extruded molding trim, in that the extruded molding trim and the attachment means are formed in a one piece construction.

Forming extruded molding trim for vehicles and appliances


The suction ports of a hot air blowing heater are arranged in a zigzag shape crossing the direction of travel of a printed circuit board, and hot air discharge nozzles project from inside or alongside the suction ports. Accordingly, in the reflow furnace according to the present invention, hot air discharged from the hot air discharge nozzles does not collide with hot air sucked into the suction ports, and turbulence does not take place.

Soldering of printed circuit boards and electronic parts to each other using a solder paste is usually carried out using a reflow furnace. A reflow furnace is constituted by a tunnel-shaped muffle having a preheating zone, a main heating zone, and a cooling zone inside it. A heating means is installed in the preheating zone and the main heating zone, and a cooling means is installed inside the cooling zone.
Heating means used in reflow furnaces include infrared heaters and hot air blowing heaters. With an infrared heater, infrared rays penetrate to the interior of crevices in a printed circuit board and electronic parts and melt the solder paste applied to portions to be soldered. However, infrared rays travel in a straight line, so an infrared heater has the problem that it cannot sufficiently heat portions to be soldered located in the shadows of electronic parts.
With a hot air blowing heater, hot air undergoes convection inside a muffle and penetrates to portions in the shadows of electronic parts and narrow crevices. Therefore, it has the advantage over an infrared heater that it can more uniformly heat the entirety of a printed circuit board than can an infrared heater, and it is much used today in reflow furnaces.
A hot air blowing heater installed in a conventional reflow furnace has hot air discharge ports with a large area along with hot air suction ports with a small area formed in the vicinity of the hot air discharge ports in the same plane. A large amount of hot air is blown out of the hot air discharge ports having a large area toward a printed circuit board such that a large area of the printed circuit board is heated at the same time.
It has been thought that a printed circuit board can be uniformly heated by blowing hot air in this manner from discharge ports having a large area. However, in recent experiments, it was found that a printed circuit board cannot be uniformly heated even if hot air is blown from discharge ports having a large area. Namely, after a printed circuit board is heated with hot air blown from hot air discharge ports having a large area, the printed circuit board advances and reaches the suction ports, where not only is the printed circuit board not struck by hot air, but suction of hot air into the suction ports causes the printed circuit board to cool. If the temperature profile in a reflow furnace having hot air discharge ports with a large area adjoining hot air suction ports having a small area in this manner is graphed, it is found that the temperature rises at the hot air discharge ports but decreases at the suction ports.
If the temperature in the preheating zone and the main heating zone fluctuates in this manner, a printed circuit board is not uniformly heated, and local overheating or underheating may take place to such an extent that electronic parts undergo thermal damage or solder paste is unmelted.
In light of such problems of reflow furnaces in which hot air is discharged from discharge ports having a large area, reflow furnaces have been proposed in which a large number of hot air discharge ports having a small area are provided along with a large number of hot air suction ports located in the vicinity of the hot air discharge ports (Patent Documents 1-7).
However, in the reflow furnaces of Patent Documents 1, 2, 4, and 5, for example, although the entirety of a printed circuit board can be uniformly heated because of discharge ports having a small area which are scattered, hot air which is blown from the large number of discharge ports is sucked in by suction ports in many locations since the suction ports are also scattered. As a result, the hot air which is discharged and the hot air which is sucked in strike against each other, and turbulence sometimes occurs in the muffle. The occurrence of turbulence in the muffle may cause heating irregularities, and in the case of an inert atmosphere using nitrogen gas, it may cause the oxygen concentration of the atmosphere to fluctuate due to infiltration of oxygen from outside the furnace.
The reflow furnace of Patent Document 3 has a series of discharge ports and a series of suction ports provided alongside the discharge ports, and therefore turbulence is not caused by hot air which is discharged from the discharge ports colliding with hot air which is sucked in by the suction ports. However, the reflow furnace of Patent Document 3 has a series of discharge ports arranged in the shape of an X or a Z or in a zigzag shape with respect to the direction of travel of a printed circuit board, and there are locations in which no discharge ports are present. Therefore, a printed circuit board is not adequately heated in locations where discharge ports are not present, and heating irregularities may end up developing.
Patent Documents 6 and 7 merely disclose hot air discharge nozzles which are provided so as to project from a suction plate having suction ports.
Patent Document 1: JP H02-303674 A1
Patent Document 2: JP 2001-144426 A1
Patent Document 3: JP 2001-144427 A1
Patent Document 4: JP 2001-326455 A1
Patent Document 5: JP 2002-198642 A1
Patent Document 6: JP 2002-331357 A1
Patent Document 7: JP 2003-332725 A1


Provided is an image sensor. The image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, photodiode structures, color filters, and microlenses. The semiconductor substrate includes a first region having pixel regions and a second region around the first region. The pixel regions are arranged in a matrix configuration. Each of the photodiode structures has a photodiode in each of the pixel regions. The color filters are disposed on or over the photodiode structures, the color filters correspond to the pixel regions, respectively, and have different areas corresponding to incident angles of light.

A related art image sensor includes color filters and microlenses arranged to correspond to respective photodiodes. In the related art image sensor, plane areas of the microlenses may be substantially the same as those of the color filters. Also, the microlenses of the related art image sensor have a convex lens shape to condense incident light.
However, since the areas of the microlenses are generally the same as those of the color filters and the microlenses have a convex lens shape, light incident to the microlenses is refracted by the microlenses, passes through the color filters, and can be incident to adjacent photodiodes, which generates crosstalk.
The crosstalk is frequently generated at or near pixel edges, or at or near the outermost peripheral pixels of an image sensor, rather than the central portion of the image sensor. The reason crosstalk is generated in the outermost pixels or pixel edges, rather than the central portion of the image sensor, is that the slope of light incident to the edges of the pixels (or the pixel area of the image sensor) is greater than that of the light incident to the central portion.

Image sensor and method for manufacturing the same


[1,2,4]Triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives represented by formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are provided, which have adenosine A.sub.2A receptor antagonism and are useful for the treatment or prevention of various diseases induced by hyperactivity of adenosine A.sub.2A receptors (for example, Parkinson's disease or senile dementia): ##STR1##. wherein R.sup.1 represents substituted or unsubstituted aryl, or the like; R.sup.2 represents hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, or the like; R.sup.3 represents hydrogen, halogen, XR.sup.10 (wherein X represents O or S; and R.sup.10 represents substituted or unsubstituted aryl, a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic ring, substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl, lower alkyl, or hydroxy lower alkyl), or the like; and Q represents hydrogen or 3,4-dimethoxybenzyl.

It is known that adenosine shows attenuation of the activity of neurotransmitters via an A.sub.2A receptor [European Journal of Pharmacology, 168: 285 (1989)]. Consequently, adenosine A.sub.2A receptor antagonists are expected as remedies or preventives for various diseases induced by hyperactivity of adenosine A.sub.2A receptors, such as a remedy for Parkinson's disease, an anti-dementia drug, a remedy for depression, and the like. Furthermore, the above antagonists are expected to show therapeutic and symptom-improving effects upon Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, AIDS encephalopathy, propagative cavernous encephalopathy, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, multiple system atrophy, cerebral ischemia, somnipathy, ischemic heart disease, intermittent claudication, or the like.
On the other hand, [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]-pyrimidine derivatives are disclosed as compounds having diuresis activity in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 13792/85, as compounds having antiasthma activity in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 56983/85, and as compounds having bronchodilation activity in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 167592/84.
However, adenosine receptor antagonism of [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives and their activity on the central nervous system are not known.

[1,2,4] triazolo [1,5-C] pyrimidine derivatives


Disclosed is a heat treatment apparatus for performing a heat treatment on a coating film formed on a substrate. The apparatus includes a placing unit provided within a processing container, and configured to place the substrate thereon; a heating unit configured to heat the substrate placed on the placing unit; a gas supply port provided along a circumferential direction outside the substrate on the placing unit in a plan view, and configured to supply gas into the processing container; an outer circumferential exhaust port provided along the circumferential direction outside the substrate on the placing unit in a plan view, and configured to exhaust an inside of the processing container; and a central exhaust port provided above a central portion of the substrate on the placing unit, and configured to exhaust the inside of the processing container.

In a semiconductor manufacturing process, since resist patterns easily collapse with miniaturization of circuit patterns, various measures have been considered. As one of the measures, a technique has been conducted, in which a resist pattern is transferred to an underlayer film formed on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a "wafer"), and the pattern of the underlayer film is used as an etching mask to perform an etching of the wafer. For the underlayer film, high plasma resistance and high etching resistance are required. For example, a spin-on-carbon (SOC) film, which is formed by spin coating, has been used as the underlayer film.
The wafer coated with the SOC film is heated after a coating processing, so that a solvent remaining in the coating film is dried or a crosslinking reaction by a crosslinking agent is facilitated. At this time, a sublimate is generated from the coating film. As a heat treatment apparatus for performing such a heat treatment, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-124206 discloses an apparatus in which a periphery of a hot plate that heats a substrate is blocked by a ring shutter, an inert gas is introduced into a processing space from a periphery of the ring shutter, and an heat treatment is performed while exhausting the inert gas from an upper side of a central portion of the wafer.
Recently, it has been requested that the carbon content in the SOC film be increased in order to enhance the plasma resistance of the SOC film. As a measure for increasing the carbon content, heating is performed at a temperature (350° C. to 400° C.) higher than the conventional heating temperature (300° C.). However, in a case where the heating temperature is increased, since a low molecular weight polymer is also scattered in addition to the sublimate that sublimates from the crosslinking agent contained in the SOC film, the amount of the sublimate increases. Thus, it is necessary to increase an exhaust amount in order to suppress the sublimate from leaking out from the processing container to the outside. In that case, however, an air flow reaching the central portion on the wafer surface may be increased, and the coating film may be swollen. Therefore, an in-plane uniformity of the film thickness may be deteriorated.

Heat treatment apparatus, heat treatment method, and storage medium


A multi-frequency wireless transmitter is provided for use in automated security systems. The multi-frequency wireless transmitter transmits a message over a plurality of frequencies, thus diminishing the effects of noise interference. The transmitter includes a frequency generator capable of selectably generating a plurality of frequencies lying within the 260 to 470 MHz frequency band. An RF power amplifier having multiple power output values selectable to match with the selected generated frequency regulates the transmit power.

The present invention relates generally to security systems used in residential, commercial, industrial and government applications. More specifically, the present invention provides an FCC Part 15 compliant multi-frequency wireless transmitter for use in security systems.
Security systems have steadily increased in complexity over the years, beginning with the simple lock to the modern electronic security systems. Current security systems are not only designed to protect a home or commercial property from unauthorized intrusion but also to provide status of environmental conditions, such as temperature, air quality, fire warnings, carbon monoxide warnings, etc. Such systems include a myriad collection of sensors ranging from video cameras, infrared sensors, motion detectors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, smoke detectors, and various air quality sensors. These sensors are distributed throughout a property and usually linked to a centralized security monitoring system.
These sensors are in communication with the monitoring system by various methods. Hard wiring is the most common means, wherein the sensors are physically wired to the monitoring system. However, hard wiring numerous sensors can be daunting when the security system is being installed in an already established site. Such wiring would necessitate cutting through walls to pass the wires from the individual sensors to the monitoring system.
This problem, for the most part, has been overcome with the advent of wireless communication technologies utilizing Radio Frequency (RF). RF frequencies generally extend from about 9 KHz to well over 100 GHz in the electromagnetic spectrum—frequencies above 3 GHz are generally referred to as microwave spectrum. The RF range of frequencies includes bands used for broadcast television (VHF, UHF), cordless phones (MHz-GHz range), cellular phones (GHz), wireless networking, remote control devices, etc. Usage of RF bandwidth is, largely, regulated by the FCC to ensure safe and interference-free operation.
The RF band of particular interest for communication between sensors and a monitoring system are in the 260 MHz to 470 MHz range. These frequency bands are regulated by Part 15 of the FCC Regulations, specifically 47 C.F.R. § 15.231. Under the Part 15 rules, these RF bands are available to the public without any licensing requirements, however there are strict guidelines that must be followed nonetheless. For example, power output must not exceed certain limits which are dependent on the specific broadcast frequency—e.g., for a frequency of 260 MHz, the radiated field strength shall not exceed 3,750 μV/m, while for a frequency of 470 MHz the radiated field strength shall not exceed 12,500 μV/m. The radiated field strength for the remaining frequencies lying between 260 MHz and 470 MHz can be calculated by interpolation. The complete rules governing the use of these frequency bands are available in 47 C.F.R. Part 15 published by the U.S. Government Printing Office.
RF transmitters incorporated into security system sensors and remote activation devices transmit in one of two ways. The simplest transmission method employs a single frequency as a carrier frequency. However, single frequency transmission is susceptible to interference from background noise produced by other RF devices.
An alternative transmission method relies on what is called frequency hopping, also known as spread spectrum. In frequency hopping, many frequencies are used to transmit a signal. While frequency hopping offers more reliability over single frequency, frequency hopping is more complex and costly to implement. The basic idea behind frequency hopping is simple—instead of transmitting on one frequency, a frequency hopping system switches rapidly from one frequency to the next. The choice of the next frequency is random, so it is nearly impossible for someone to eavesdrop or jam the signal. In frequency hopping, only packets containing a small portion of a message are transmitted on each frequency. However, keeping both the transmitter and receiver synchronized is the challenge, which requires accurate clocks and pseudo-random number generators.
A need exists for an RF transmitter with better reliability than single frequency RF transmitters, while still being inexpensive and relatively simple in design compared to frequency hopping RF transmitters, but yet be in compliance with FCC Part 15 regulations.


A battery device designed so that a plurality of battery modules (1) are arranged in rows at given spaces in a enclosure (2). Turbulence accelerators (5), such as dummy battery units or the like, are provided in a position on the uppermost-stream side of the enclosure in which air flows in the direction of arrangement of the battery modules. The heat transfer ability for the battery modules in the upper-stream position is enhanced by the turbulence accelerators which disorders the airflow introduced into the enclosure. Auxiliary coolant intake ports (7) for the introduction of a coolant are provided in the middle of an airflow path, whereby the heat transfer ability on the lower-stream side is enhanced, so that battery temperature differences between the battery units arranged in the enclosure can be restrained. Thus, a simple-construction battery device is realized enjoying improved quality and operation stability.

The present invention relates to a battery device including a plurality of battery units, such as battery cells, battery modules, or battery packs, incorporated in a desired enclosure and adapted for use as a power source for an electric vehicle, for example.
Various attempts have been made to develop a battery device (battery assembly) for use as a driving energy source for an electric vehicle or the like, in which a plurality of battery units are connected in series and/or parallel with one another. Each battery unit is provided as a battery cell (single battery), a battery module formed of a plurality of battery cells connected in series with one another, or a battery pack including the battery module and an electronic circuit, such as a charge/discharge control circuit, incorporated therein.
In the case where a battery device is constructed by using a plurality of cylindrical battery modules 1 each comprised of battery cells connected in series with one another by welding or the like and externally covered by a protective heat-shrinkable tube, for example, these battery modules 1 are generally arranged at given spaces in a matrix in a box-shaped enclosure 2, as shown in FIG. 1. In this case, the enclosure 2 serves to receive and hold the battery modules 1 therein and to define therein an airflow path through which air (coolant or cooling medium) flows along the respective peripheral surfaces of the individual battery modules 1. In the battery device specifically shown in FIG. 1, the battery modules 1 are cooled by a forced air flow flowing between one and the other end openings of the enclosure 2 and produced by a fan 3 attached to the one end opening.
More specifically, as shown in the schematic plan view of FIG. 2A, the battery modules 1, e.g., 18 in number, are arranged at given spaces in the airflow direction in a 3-column, 6-row rectangular matrix in the enclosure 2. Air introduced through an opening 2a of the enclosure 2 is caused to flow along the respective peripheral surfaces of the battery modules 1 in the direction of arrangement thereof via the spaces between the battery modules 1 and between the wall of the enclosure 2 and the battery modules, whereby the battery modules 1 are cooled.
Although air (coolant) is forced to flow in the enclosure 2 in the above manner to cool the battery modules 1, there inevitably occur differences in battery temperature between the battery modules 1. The temperature differences may cause a variation in charge/discharge state and individual differences in battery life, residual battery capacity, etc. between the battery modules 1, thus arousing problems on quality and stability.
In order to minimize a temperature increase attributable to a charge or discharge action of the battery modules 1, thereby lessening the temperature differences between the battery modules 1, the rate of airflow produced by a fan 3 may be increased. Since pressure loss increases as the airflow rate increases, the fan 3 is expected be of a high-power, large-sized type, so that the battery device is large-scaled, and besides, there is a problem that constitutes a hindrance to energy conservation.
The present invention has been contrived in consideration of these circumstances, and its object is to provide a simple-construction battery device, capable of reducing battery temperature differences between a plurality of battery units arranged in an enclosure and enjoying improved quality and operation stability.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple-construction battery device in which a plurality of battery units arranged in an enclosure can be uniformly cooled without regard to their locations.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a battery device having a structure such that a plurality of battery units can be efficiently cooled by means of air that is introduced into an enclosure and caused to flow along the respective peripheral surfaces of the battery units.
The present invention is based on the following findings. In a battery device having therein a plurality of battery units arranged in rows at given spaces in an enclosure and a coolant flow path extending around the battery units in the direction of arrangement thereof, as shown by way of example in FIG. 2A, the temperature of air (coolant) that flows in the direction of arrangement of the battery units (battery modules) increases from the upstream side to the downstream side, as shown in FIG. 2B. Further, the ability of heat transfer (cooling efficiency) between air and the battery modules in the individual rows is low in the first row or on the uppermost-stream side of the airflow path and higher in a second row and its subsequent rows. In association with the coolant temperature and the cooling efficiency, the battery temperatures of the battery modules are low in the second and third rows and high in the first row.
Thus, the present invention is based on findings that the ability of heat transfer (cooling efficiency) between the coolant and the battery modules in the individual rows, including a plurality of battery units arranged in a multistage fashion, is associated intimately with turbulence of the coolant flow, and the heat transfer ability of the coolant flow for cooling the battery units increases in the second and subsequent rows with the increase in distance from the first row since the coolant flow is disordered by the battery units on the upper-stream side. In particular, the present invention is based on findings that the increase, observed between the first and second rows, of the heat transfer ability for the battery units is much greater than the increase of the ability of heat transfer between other rows, and that the coolant flows more positively from the first row to the second row than between other rows.
In a battery device according to the present invention, one or more turbulence accelerators, formed of dummy battery units, battery components such as capacitors, or dedicated cylindrical bodies, are provided in a position on the upper-stream side of the battery units disposed on the uppermost-stream side of the coolant flow path. Coolant flows (airflows) guided to the respective peripheral surfaces of the first-row battery units are disordered by the turbulence accelerators, thereby providing a battery device in which the heat transfer ability (cooling efficiency) for the first-row battery units is enhanced.
According to the present invention, moreover, there is provided a battery device constructed so that the battery units located in a plurality of rows on the upper-stream side of the coolant flow path are arranged in an in-line rectangular matrix, and the battery units located on the lower-stream side of the coolant flow path are arranged in a staggered triangular matrix, whereby the coolant flows can be disordered to a higher degree on the lower-stream side than on the upper-stream side so that the coolant temperature on the upper-stream side increases, and the heat transfer ability (cooling efficiency) for the battery units located on the lower-stream side is enhanced correspondingly.
According to the present invention, furthermore, there is provided a battery device constructed so that the arrangement pitch, as viewed in the coolant flow direction, of the battery units on the upper-stream side of the coolant flow path is shorter than the arrangement pitch, as viewed in the coolant flow direction, of the battery units on the lower-stream side of the coolant flow path. In other words, there is provided a battery device constructed so that the coolant temperature on the lower-stream side is increased by widening the arrangement pitch of the battery modules on the lower-stream side, whereby the heat transfer ability (cooling efficiency) on the lower-stream side is enhanced correspondingly.
According to the present invention, moreover, there is provided a battery device constructed so that an enclosure surrounding the battery units arranged in rows and defining the coolant flow path is provided, the coolant flow path having a sectional area which is reduced from the upper-stream side to the lower-stream side, whereby the flowing speed of the coolant on the lower-stream side is increased so that the coolant temperature on the lower-stream side is increased to enhance the heat transfer ability (cooling efficiency) correspondingly.
According to the present invention, moreover, there is provided a battery device constructed so that the wall of an enclosure surrounding the battery units arranged in rows and defining the coolant flow path is formed with auxiliary coolant intake ports through which the coolant is introduced into intermediate portions of the coolant flow path, whereby the coolant temperature on the lower-stream side is lowered, and the heat transfer ability (cooling efficiency) on the lower-stream side is enhanced by utilizing pressure differences in the coolant.
According to the present invention, furthermore, there is provided a battery device constructed so that the enclosure is provided with a bypass channel through which the coolant is introduced into the auxiliary coolant intake ports, whereby a low-temperature coolant can be securely introduced into the region on the lower-stream side.
According to the present invention, moreover, there is provided a battery device constructed by combining the above-described structures.
Preferably, according to the present invention, the sectional area of the coolant flow path defined by the enclosure is narrowed on the lower-stream side by reducing the width of the enclosure, surrounding the battery units arranged in rows and defining the coolant flow path, from the upper-stream side to the lower-stream side, and the battery units in the individual rows in the coolant flow direction are arranged in regions of the enclosure at which regions the width of the enclosure is divided equally. Further preferably, according to the present invention, a dummy for keeping the width of the coolant flow path around the individual battery units substantially uniform is provided in the region for the staggered triangular arrangement of the battery units, whereby the coolant flow path can be prevented from being undesirably widened by the staggered triangular arrangement.


Methods and systems for modifying a display of a field of view of a robotic device to include zoomed-in and zoomed-out views are provided. In examples, the robotic device may include a camera to capture images in a field of view of a robotic device, and distance sensors which can provide outputs that may be used to determine a distance of the robotic device to an object in the field of view of the robotic device. A display of the field of view of the robotic device can be generated, and as the distance decreases, the display can be modified to include a zoomed-in view of the object. As the distance increases, the display can be modified to include a zoomed-out view of the object. An amount of zoom of the object may be inversely proportional to the distance.

In many situations, it is desirable to get "close" to an object without moving physically closer. A zoom control on a camera enables capture of images in which objects in the images can be magnified to obtain closer images of the objects. The zoom control on a camera also enables capture of images using a wide angle of view.
Cameras today often include a zoom lens, which includes a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which a focal length (and thus angle of view) can be varied, as opposed to a fixed focal length (FFL) lens. Using a zoom lens, objects in images can be made to appear larger than actual size. A zoom lens can be used with still images, video, motion picture cameras, projectors, some binoculars, microscopes, telescopes, and other optical instruments.
There are two types of zoom features that are generally used. Optical zoom uses mechanical optics (e.g., lens) of a camera to bring an object closer, for example, by moving the lens farther from an image sensor inside the camera body to increase zoom since a smaller portion of a scene will strike the image sensor, resulting in magnification. In contrast, digital zoom processes captured images to enlarge a portion of an image, and thus, simulate optical zoom. In examples, the camera crops a portion of the image and magnifies a result of the cropping. The magnification process is called interpolation. To make the cropped area bigger, digital zoom makes up, or interpolates, pixels to add to the image, which may give less than satisfactory results. In so doing, image quality can be lost. Using the digital zoom allows magnification of objects while sacrificing image quality to capture the moment.


A system for generating from the incoming digital data signal the timing data required for sampling the data signal. A shift register is provided to phase the sampling clock with the incoming digital signal and generate a phase difference signal which is applied to a variable-frequency or variable phase oscillator so as to control its output frequency or phase, thereby synchronizing the sampling clock pulse with the incoming data signal. The output from the oscillator is used as the sampling clock.

The present invention relates to a timing data reproduction system for a digital receiver.
In digital communications utilizing frequency shift keying (FSK), only the digital signal is transmitted so that the timing data required for sampling the incoming data signal must be generated in a receiver so as to decode the incoming data signal correctly.
To this end, there has been devised and demonstrated a system using a pilot tone signal. That is, when a telephone circuit or line is used for data transmission, the carrier is modulated in a suitable manner so as to transmit the data. A pilot tone is transmitted on an idle frequency band which is not used for the data transmission. At the receiving side, in response to this pilot tone the timing data for sampling is received.
Since the data and the pilot tone are sent by different frequency bands, in addition to a data receiver an additional receiver for receiving the pilot tone must be provided. Thus the pilot tone system is disadvantageous in that it is very complicated in construction.
There has also been devised and demonstrated a system wherein the zero-crossings of the received base-band signal are directly detected or the transition points of the two-valued signal obtained by the reshaping of the received signal so as to control the frequency or phase of a local oscillator which generates the sampling timing clock, thereby synchronizing the sampling clock with the incoming data signal. This system has also some problems as will be described below.
In the zero-crossing detection system, all of the signals to be processed cannot be digitized because the analog signal must be used for the zero-crossing detection. In the system wherein the transitions of the two-valued signal, the differentiation of the signal is needed for the direct transition detection. In order to overcome this problem, there may be considered to detect the transition time points by means of the digital sampling, but this is possible only at a considerably high sampling frequency. Furthermore, in the case of the ultra-high speed data transmission through for instance an optical transmission line, it would be extremely difficult to obtain directly the time relationship between the zero-crossings and the sampling time points. Even in the case of the low-speed data transmission through telephone networks with FSK modes, the incoming data signal must be sampled at a frequency considerably higher than the baud rate of the incoming data signal in order to detect the baud timing data. If it is attemped to process all these operations with the use of a microcomputer in full-digital manner, the overhead of the microcomputer would be inhibitively increased. For instance, assume that the transmission speed be 600 bauds and 16 samplings be made for one baud. Then one sampling must be executed in such a short time as 1/(600.times.16).apprxeq.104.times.10.sup.-6 seconds. Such high sampling speed surpasses even a highest processing speed of the microcomputer.
There is also known a timing data reproduction system of the type using a squaring circuit and a narrow-band filter. However the narrow-band filter must have a high Q and must be correctly tuned to the frequency of a predetermined baud rate. When the Q factor is too low, the reproduced timing signal will be considerably adversely affected by jitter. When the narrow-band filter is not correctly tuned, off-set of the phase of the reproduced timing signal will occur, resulting in phase error. In addition, in order to attain in the form of an analog circuit a narrow-band filter which has a high Q factor and is correctly tuned, the timing data reproduction system needs component parts which must operate at an extremely higher degree of accuracy in an extremely highly reliable and dependable manner. In addition, the system would require a large number of ALUs, thus increasing the cost.


A rounding device for rounding food dough is provided with a conveyance device (9) which conveys the food dough (7) and a pair of forming plates (11, 13), which, on the upper face of the conveyance device (9), are arranged so as to extend along the conveyance direction (R) of the conveyance device (9). The forming plates (11, 13) at least opposed sloped surfaces (18B, 22B). The sloped surfaces are tilted outward from the lower side to the upper side so that the gap between the sloped surfaces is narrow on the lower side and wide on the upper side. The rounding device rounds the food dough using the sloped surfaces (18B, 22B) of the pair of the forming plates (11, 13). The pair of the forming plates (11, 13) has longitudinal components which move longitudinal relative to each other in the opposite directions, and the pair of forming plates (11, 13) also has a lateral component which move relative to each other in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction so as to approach and separate from each other. The pair of forming palates (11, 13) can move along a movement path in which the distance of movement according to longitudinal components is greater that the distance of movement according to the lateral component.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technique for rounding pieces of food dough, and, in particular, relates to a machine and a process of rounding the pieces of food dough with a pair of opposing shaping plates.
Background of the Invention
In a process for manufacturing rounded pieces of food dough having a viscosity, as, for instance, that of bread dough, a sequence in which kneaded food dough is divided into predetermined quantities, and then each divided food dough piece is rounded, is provided.
Conventionally, there is a rounding machine that is provided with a pair of movable guiding plates in which the respective plates are opposed to each other such that they approach, and retract from, each other, above a base or above a conveying device for supporting and conveying divided food dough pieces. In this machine, while the respective food dough pieces are pressed between the opposed guiding plates when they are close to each other, the dough pieces are rounded by having the guiding plates swing in opposite directions, as is, for instance, disclosed in Patent Literature 1 and 2.
Further, in this conventional rounding machine, the paired guiding plates are positioned to incline outwardly from the lower side to the upper side thereof such that the distance between the opposed guiding plates is narrower at the lower side and wider at the upper side. For the respective guiding plates, the angle of installation therebetween and the distance between the installation points can be adjusted such that an angle therebetween may be smaller when the predetermined quantity of each divided dough piece is smaller, while it may be larger when the predetermined quantity of each divided dough piece is larger.

Food dough rounding device and food dough rounding method


A connector system is provided in which a branch connector may be secured in a pre-wired power and data network. The branch connector is designed to interface with existing network connections to provide at least one additional interface point for added or temporary devices. The connector may be designed to interface with existing connectors in a manner similar to existing cable assemblies, and may present sockets or similar interfaces which are substantially identical to the interface to which the connector is applied. Expanded network connectivity is thus provided for additional devices or temporary devices, such as programming, logging, system configuration and troubleshooting, and similar applications.

The present invention relates generally to the field of industrial control and monitoring networks, and to network connections within such environments. More particularly, the invention relates to a branch connector designed to permit devices to be coupled independently to a network for receiving control and monitoring signals, as well as power signals, without interruption of similar signals to other devices of the network.
A range of networks are known and are currently in use throughout industrial, consumer, and other applications. In many networks, data signals and power signals are transmitted separately to network devices. That is, the devices are coupled to computers or other data processing equipment or peripherals, and are separately coupled to a source of electrical power, such as a wall outlet. In industrial settings, specialized networks are often used which supply both data and power in a single set of connections. For example, in a network system of a current design, direct current power is available via a network cable, as are data signals. The cabling permits both power and data signals to be transmitted to and from the network devices. Thus, input and output modules can serve to apply control signals to network devices, or to receive feedback signals from the devices for carrying out complex control and monitoring functions.
In control and monitoring networks of the type described above, particular problems arise in the permanent or temporary addition of devices to the network. In a prefabricated enclosure, for example, specific connection points may be provided for the various original devices, with individual cable assemblies being routed from the connection points to the devices for normal operation. In general, it has been found desirable to route such cabling independently, so as to permit devices to be connected to the network or removed from the network without affecting application of power of data signals to downstream devices. However, after initial assembly or installation it may be found that an inadequate number of connection points may be available within the system or enclosure.
By way of example, when a new device or a temporary device is added to a control and monitoring network, a special connection may be required in addition to those already provided. The connection thus would require that the existing cabling be cut or tapped for terminating the new connector. Such procedures may be undesirable in settings where control and monitoring functions are carried on in real time and where making the connections may affect overall processes, such as manufacturing, material handling, and so forth. Certain industrial networks also enable monitoring functions to be carried out on temporarily connected devices, such as laptop computers, human interface modules, and the like. Where a connection is not available for such devices, however, a special connection may be installed as before, or one or more of the devices of the network may need to be disconnected to accommodate the temporary connection. Again, such interruption of service is often undesirable.
In addition to the foregoing considerations, certain enclosed systems, such as motor control centers, may include a series of bays with different types of equipment or networked devices installed in each bay. Certain of the devices may be coupled to higher voltages, such as for supplying power to specific loads controlled by the system. Even where additional connections are available in such bays, it may be desirable to add devices, or to service the system via temporary devices in a different bay where no additional connection is available.
There is a need, therefore, for a straightforward technique for accommodating additional or temporary connections in control and monitoring networks. There is a particular need for a connector system which will permit back-compatibility to existing systems, while enabling rapid and reliable connections to be made for additional or temporary devices without interrupting data and power signals to existing network devices.

System for providing data and power signals to networked devices


A locking tubing system includes a length of tubing lying in any geometric complexity including a substantially straight line and a first fitting body having a securing member rotationally locked thereto. The first fitting body is affixed to one end of the length of tubing. The system also includes a first nut having a plurality of openings in cooperative relation to engage the securing member, a second fitting body having a securing member rotationally locked thereto, the second fitting body is affixed to the other end of the length of tubing and a second nut having a plurality of openings in cooperative relation to engage the securing member. The first nut and the second nut are threaded onto corresponding mated fittings, each securing member being engaged with at least one of the openings of the respective nuts thereby locking each of the nuts to the respective fitting body.

The present invention relates to self-securing fasteners to prevent unwanted loosening of a fastener, and more particularly to a locking device for securing a nut to a fitting assembly of a fluid-coupling.
A problem associated with the use of nuts with fasteners and couplings is that of the nut backing out or loosening. The problem has been associated with vibrational, environmental, and other dynamic factors, which cause short-term loss of pre-load and nut back-off.
This problem is particularly apparent in the aircraft industry. In a study conducted by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), 22% of fluid fittings that contained leakage were attributed to loose fittings due to nut back-off.
The prior art includes products which have tried to address the problem. For example, locking washers, spring washers, prevailing torque threads, deformed threads, plastic thread inserts, anaerobic adhesives, double-nutting, and locking pins have been used for fasteners. For fluid fittings and the like, the most common method of preventing nut loosening is by using a xe2x80x9csafety wirexe2x80x9d, in which a length of stainless steel wire is attached to the nut of the fluid coupling via a small hole. The other end of the wire is tied to a nearby component such that the nut rotation in the loosening direction is resisted by the wire.
The safety wire device, however, is costly, since it is extremely labor intensive. A mechanic must take an extra step to insure the nut stays put by affixing the safety wire device to a nearby component after tightening the nut. Thereafter, an additional step must be taken to twist the wire to eliminate the slack. The method is also prone to produce dangerous foreign object damage, since the wires must be trimmedxe2x80x94the excess of which can end up in moving components causing damage. In addition, since the wires must be cut if the particular fitting requires maintenance and/or routine re-tightening, the cutting produces sharp wire ends which may snag other objects or a mechanic""s hands. The wires also may break while being twisted to remove slack.
Attempts have been made to improve on the safety wire method by attempting to secure the nut to the mating half (the male half) of the coupling. One such convention device is a Moeller fitting, which provides torque resistance to the nut by positioning a pattern of torque xe2x80x9cbumpsxe2x80x9d along the male end of the coupling and corresponding recesses positioned along the interior surface of the nut to receive these bumps when mating the male and female halves. This system, however, requires that both the male and female coupling components conform to the Moeller design; i.e., one must replace both the male and female halves in using the Moeller design.
The present invention presents a new and unique device for providing a nut that locks to the female coupling half of a fitting assembly. By including a nut-locking device on the female half of the fitting assembly, it can be used with standard male fittings made by all manufacturers and also retrofitted on fittings used in previously installed fluid systems. Thus, the more expensive, bulky components can remain intact and retrofitted with new locking female assemblies according to the present invention.
The present invention seizes on the concept of locking the nut to the female coupling half on which it is normally a component part. Thus, all manufacturing design dimensions, materials of construction and component pre-assembly are within the manufacturer""s control, insuring a high-quality assembly.
By locking the nut to the female component, reactional forces from a mated fitting are transmitted to and directly resisted by a length of tubing affixed to the rear end of the female assembly. The forces are transmitted to the length of tubing via the nut and a securing member used to secure the nut to the female assembly.
In addition, with the female assembly component being most often immovably affixed to the rigid tubing to which it is attached by welding or other affixing means, resistance to loosening is realized from the rigid tubing itself. The rigid tubing provides additional rotational resistance about the axis of the end fitting. This is especially true where the geometry of the tubing includes bends and clamps.
In situations where two fitting assemblies utilizing the nut-locking device according to the present invention are used at either end of any geometric complexity of tubing, including a substantially straight run of tubing, any loosening torque encountered at one end fitting is directly resisted by the nut-lock fitting at the other end. This scenario is depicted in FIGS. 9A and 9B. Loosening torque (negative rotation) from vibration or other dynamic effects applied to the nut of the female assembly at one end fitting actually tightens (provides positive rotation) the nut from the female assembly on the male counterpart on the other end fitting.
Thus, although the nut-locking device according to the present invention operates sufficiently to resist loosening in a single fitting assembly on the end of a bent-tube, or the like, the present invention more preferably operates as a complete system where a nut-locking, fitting assembly is affixed to both ends of a length of tubing (especially on straight runs of tubing).
The present invention can also be used with many types of fittings including beam seal fittings, swivel wire type and slip-on type, flared and flareless fittings.
It is a feature of the locking mechanism according to the present invention to provide more resistance to loosening of the nut from the fitting assembly, and more preferably at least 2.5 times the amount of back-off torque supplied by the existing safety wire method of preventing nut back-off.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a locking device for a fluid fitting assembly.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fitting assembly in which the nut resists back-off.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a locking device for a fluid fitting assembly which can be retrofitted to existing male-ended fittings.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a locking device for a fluid fitting which is simple in design, lighter, and smaller in size than the prior art devices.
To accomplish the foregoing objects and advantages, one aspect of the current invention provides a locking mechanism for a fitting assembly of a fluid coupling including a fitting body, a securing member rotationally locked to the fitting body and a nut having a plurality of openings in cooperative relation to engage the securing member. When the nut is threaded onto a corresponding mated fitting, the securing member is engaged with at least one of the openings thereby locking the nut to the fitting body.
In another aspect of the present invention, a locking mechanism for a fitting assembly for a coupling includes a fitting body having an outer surface and a central axis, a spring member affixed to the outer surface, the spring member having a pawl projecting from the outer surface, and a nut having a plurality of ratchet teeth in cooperative relation to engage the pawl when the nut is threaded onto a corresponding mated fitting. The nut is restrained by the fitting body from rotating in a thread loosening direction by the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet teeth.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a locking mechanism for a tubular fluid fitting assembly includes a fitting body having an outer surface and a central axis, a spring member affixed to the outer surface, with the spring member having a pawl projecting from the outer surface, and a nut having a plurality of ratchet teeth in cooperative relation to engage the pawl when the nut is threaded onto a corresponding mated fitting. The nut is restrained by the fitting body from rotating in a thread loosening direction by the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet teeth. The locking mechanism according to this aspect also includes a release member rotatably affixed to the nut where the release member includes an internal diameter for surrounding the spring member and/or said fitting body. The internal diameter includes a recess for receiving the pawl in an extended state. The locking device according to this aspect further includes a sleeve slidably affixed to the female assembly and surrounding a portion of the nut, the sleeve includes a helical recess for receiving a guide member positioned on the outer surface of the release member, an alignment member rotatably affixed to the release member, the alignment member including a sleeve guide which is received in a corresponding slot within the sleeve and includes an internal diameter having a fitting body guide member positioned thereon for being received by a corresponding recess on the fitting body and/or the spring member. Forcing the sleeve away from the mated fitting in a direction substantially parallel to the central axis results in the guide member traveling within the helical recess thereby rotating the release member in a pawl-disengaging direction to disengage the pawl from the ratchet teeth.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a locking tubing system includes a length of tubing lying in any geometric complexity including a substantially straight line, a first fitting body having a securing member rotationally locked thereto, the first fitting body affixed to one end of the length of tubing, a first nut having a plurality of openings in cooperative relation to engage the securing member, a second fitting body having a securing member rotationally locked thereto, the second fitting body affixed to the other end of the length of tubing, and a second nut having a plurality of openings in cooperative relation to engage the securing member. When the first nut and the second nut are threaded onto corresponding mated fittings, each of the securing members are engaged with at least one of the openings of the respective nuts thereby locking each nut to the respective fitting body.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a locking mechanism for a fitting assembly of a coupling includes a fitting body having a central axis, a nut having a plurality of ratchet teeth positioned parallel to the central axis and positioned on a rear portion of the nut, a sleeve having a front side and a back side. The sleeve surrounds a portion of the fitting body, slidably attached thereto allowing for substantially linear movement only, and includes a plurality of recesses adjacent the front side. The recesses include a shape substantially corresponding to a shape of the ratchet teeth of the nut and are positioned in cooperative relation to engage the ratchet teeth when the nut is threaded onto a mated fitting. Threading of the nut onto the male fitting allows the ratchet teeth of the nut to move relative to the recesses of the sleeve and restrains the nut from moving in a loosening direction.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a locking mechanism for a tubular fluid fitting assembly includes a fitting body having a central axis, a nut having a plurality of openings positioned thereon, a sleeve surrounding a portion of the nut, the sleeve including a rear end having an internal diameter for receiving the fitting body and the rear end including an inner surface having a securing member projecting out therefrom in a direction toward the nut and substantially parallel to the central axis of the fitting body. The securing member is received within one of the plurality of openings after the nut has substantially engaged a mated fitting.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for locking a nut of a female assembly of a fluid coupling to a fitting body of the female assembly when the female assembly is mated to a corresponding male fitting. The female assembly also includes a securing member rotationally locked to the fitting body for engagement with a plurality of openings provided on the nut when the nut is threaded onto the male fitting. The method includes the steps of threading the male fitting into the nut and engaging the securing member with at least one of the plurality of openings.
These and other aspects and objects, and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated and understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompany drawings.


In an integrated process an air separation unit A receives compressed air from the compressor S of a blast furnace B and the compressor K of a gas turbine C. Nitrogen enriched air N from the air separation unit is sent to the gas turbine and oxygen enriched air O from the air separation unit is sent to the blast furnace.

The invention related to an integrated process wherein an air separation unit is integrated with a gas turbine and a unit consuming oxygen enriched air, such as a blast furnace.
The standard method for increasing the oxygen content of the blast sent to a blast furnace is to add relatively pure oxygen to a pressurised air stream. The oxygen comes from an air separation unit as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,482, U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,489 and EP-A-0531182. In terms of energy, the cost of 1 Nm3/h of oxygen produced using a mixing column is 0,32 KWh/Nm3 of oxygen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,646, U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,351, U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,019 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,862 describe processes in which air from the compressor of a gas turbine is fed to an air separation unit. The oxygen produced by the air separation unit is sent to a blast furnace.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,040 describes a process in which a blower supplies air to a blast furnace and to an air separation unit which, in turn, provides oxygen for the blast furnace.
Air is also sent to the air separation unit via a dedicated compressor and nitrogen from the air separation unit is sent to a gas turbine.
The present invention is intended to provide particularly low cost oxygen on a site where an air separation unit, a gas turbine and a blast furnace (or similar oxygen enriched air consuming unit) are present. Using the invention, the value of the oxygen in terms of energy falls below 0,2 KWh/ Nm3.
All pressures mentioned are absolute pressures, all percentages are molar percentages and enriched fluids are enriched in the component mentioned with respect to air.

Integrated process and installation for the separation of air fed by compressed air from several compressors

L""Air Liquide-Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l""Etude et l""Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude


Method of enhancing the water solubility of dry zinc methionine complex salts by reacting in water soluble zinc salt with mentionine in the presence of ferric ion with the amount being between about 15 mole percent and 30 mole percent of the amount of zinc present.

This invention relates to an improvement in the properties of dry powder complexes of zinc and manganese with methionine in the 1:1 ratio. In that sense it represents a significant improvement over the process disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,633, and as well, over commonly owned and now expired U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,818 issued Mar. 2, 1976 entitled "1:1 ZINC METHIONINE COMPLEXES", and U.S. Letters Pat. No. 3,950,372 issued Apr. 13, 1976, and entitled "1:1 MANGANESE ALPHA AMINO ACID COMPLEXES". Thus U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,818 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,372 relate to 1:1 complexed salts per se of zinc and manganese with the amino acid methionine. These salts, as identified in the earlier patents, have the useful feature of being highly body absorbable nutritional supplements for animals that provide readily available sources of zinc and manganese on the one hand, and the essential amino acid methionine on the other.
The common assignee of both of these patents makes a variety of transition metal complexes with alpha amino acids for sale. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,815 relating to metal lysine complexes and methods for producing metal lysine complexes, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,329 for L-form 1:1 metal methionine complexes.
Complexes of lysine are very easily soluble in water. However, complexes of metals such as zinc and manganese and methionine are less soluble in water than the complexes of metals and lysine.
In Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,633, an improvement in the complexing process is disclosed wherein the complexing of either zinc or manganese ions with methionine is conducted in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of ferric ion. The amount of ferric ion described is about 2% to about 10% based on the dry weight basis of the methionine, preferably from about 4% to about 8% based on the dry weight basis of the methionine.
For effective feed supplements, the supplement must be in a powdered, dry form, and it must be readily soluble in the gut of animals; otherwise, much of the supplement will not be absorbed into the blood stream. It also is useful to have water soluble supplements so that the user may administer them through aqueous systems.
While U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,633 enhances the amount of complexation, it does not enhance the solubility of the final dry product.
Accordingly, there has been a real and a continuing need for the discovery of a process which will enhance the solubility characteristics of the dry 1:1 complexes of zinc and manganese with methionine.
This invention has as its primary objective the fulfillment of this need in order that dry 1:1 manganese methionine complexes and dry 1:1 zinc methionine complexes have enhanced solubility in comparison with those prepared as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,818 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,372.
For details of the desirability and the utility of 1:1 manganese methionine complexes, see the previously referred to U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,372 which is incorporated herein by reference. For details of the desirability and the utility of 1:1 zinc methionine complexes, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,818, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The method of accomplishing each of the above objectives of this invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention which follows hereinafter.

Enhanced solubilization of zinc and manganese methionine complex salts by addition of ferric ion


Operation of an arbiter in a hardware design is verified. The arbiter receives a plurality of requests over a plurality of clock cycles, including a monitored request and outputs the requests in priority order. The requests received by and output from the arbiter in each clock cycle are identified. The priority of the watched request relative to other pending requests in the arbiter is then tracked using a counter that is updated based on the requests input to and output from the arbiter in each clock cycle and a mask identifying the relative priority of requests received by the arbiter in the same clock cycle. The operation of the arbiter is verified using an assertion which establishes a relationship between the counter and the clock cycle in which the watched request is output from the arbiter.

Many hardware designs, such as memory sub-systems, contain resources that can receive more requests in a particular clock cycle than can be executed in a clock cycle. For example, a memory cache may have four requestors simultaneously requesting access to the cache, but the cache may only be able to execute or process one request per clock cycle. In these cases an arbitration scheme is required to determine the order in which the requests will be processed. In many cases the arbitration is done based on priorities assigned to the requestors so that requests from higher priority requestors are granted before requests from lower priority requestors. However, other arbitration schemes may also be used to prioritize the requestors and/or requests according to a specified arbitration policy.
Before a design is implemented in silicon the design is verified. This includes verifying that the design correctly implements the arbitration—i.e. prioritizes the requests according to the specified arbitration policy. Typically arbitration schemes are verified using dynamic simulation-based verification which involves applying input stimuli to the design implementation and comparing the output to a known reference output. However, dynamic simulation-based verification becomes difficult as the number of requestors grows since the number of cases and possible arbitration combinations becomes too large to test exhaustively.
The problem is exacerbated when requests can arrive both serially and concurrently. For example, a memory cache that is able to process only one request per clock cycle may receive two requests in a first clock cycle and then another two requests in a second clock cycle. The cache will not have processed both of the initial two requests before it receives the subsequent two requests. Accordingly, the arbitration scheme must implement a form of first-come-first-served selection in addition to priority selection. Exhaustively verifying that the arbitration is correct with respect to both selection parameters using dynamic simulation-based verification becomes an intractable task for a system with only a dozen requestors.
The embodiments described below are provided by way of example only and are not limiting of implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known arbitration verification systems.


The present invention relates to a method of performing inter System radio measurements in compressed mode. A communication device, camped on a first radio communication network, performing the method determines whether a given measurement gap coincides in time domain with a measurement position defined by the communication device. In case the measurement position coincides with the position of the measurement gap, then the communication device performs consequently during the measurement gap a first type of measurement with respect to the first communication network and a second type of measurement with respect to a second communication network.

In radio communication systems, such as third generation (3G) wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) based systems, using continuous transmission and reception, the compressed mode, often referred to as the slotted mode, is needed to make measurements from another frequency without a full dual receiver terminal. The compressed mode means that transmission and reception are halted for a short time period, e.g. few milliseconds, in order to perform measurements on the other frequencies. The aim is not to lose data but to compress the data transmission in the time domain. The compressed mode is needed both for inter-frequency and inter-system handovers.
By taking a specific example, 3GPP technical specification 25.215 v8.3.0 (2009-03) Chapter 6 gives further details on compressed mode regarding universal terrestrial radio access (UTRA) frequency division duplex (FDD). On command from the universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), a user equipment (UE) terminal shall monitor cells on other FDD frequencies and on other modes and radio access technologies that are supported by the UE (i.e. time division duplex (TDD), global system for mobile communications (GSM), evolved UTRA). To allow the UE to perform measurements, UTRAN shall command that the UE enters in compressed mode, depending on the UE capabilities.
The UE capabilities define whether a UE requires compressed mode in order to monitor cells on other FDD frequencies and on other modes and radio access technologies. UE capabilities indicate the need for compressed mode separately for the uplink and downlink and for each mode, radio access technology and frequency band.
A UE shall support compressed mode for all cases for which the UE indicates that compressed mode is required. A UE does not need to support compressed mode for cases for which the UE indicates that compressed mode is not required. For these cases, the UE shall support an alternative means of making the measurements.
The UE shall support one single measurement purpose for one transmission gap pattern sequence. The measurement purpose of the transmission gap pattern sequence is signalled by higher layers.
The UE shall support simultaneous compressed mode pattern sequences which can be used for different measurements. The following measurement purposes can be signalled from higher layers:                FDD;        Time division duplex (TDD);        Global system for mobile communications (GSM) carrier received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement;        Initial BSIC identification;        Base station identification code (BSIC) re-confirmation; and        Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA).
The UE shall support one compressed mode pattern sequence for each measurement purpose while operating in FDD mode, assuming the UE needs compressed mode to perform the respective measurement. In case the UE supports several of the measurement purposes, it shall support in parallel one compressed mode pattern sequence for each supported measurement purpose where the UE needs compressed mode to perform the measurement. The capability of the UE to operate in compressed mode in uplink and downlink is given from the UE capabilities.
3GPP TS 25.133 v8.6.0 (2009-03), Section 184.108.40.206 gives details on UE measurement capabilities when high-speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) discontinuous reception is not ongoing. In CELL_FACH state, the UE shall be able to monitor up to                32 intra frequency FDD cells and        32 inter frequency cells, including                    FDD cells distributed on up to 2 additional FDD carriers and            Depending on the UE capability, TDD mode cells, distributed on up to 3 TDD carriers, and                        Depending on the UE capability, 32 GSM cells distributed on up to 32 GSM carriers.        Depending on the UE capability, the UE shall be able to monitor up to 16 intra frequency cells during idle period down link (IPDL) gaps.
The standard specification further specifies how the measurements on different systems and modes are performed given the time allocated to that system. The requirements are based on an assumption that the time during the measurement occasions that is allocated to each of the different modes and systems shall be equally shared by the modes which the UE has capability for and that are in the monitored set signalled by the network.
Section 220.127.116.11 gives details on GSM measurements when HS-DSCH discontinuous reception is not ongoing. To support cell reselection the UE shall always perform BSIC verification in Cell_FACH state.
In CELL_FACH state when measurement occasions are provided by the UTRAN, the UE shall continuously measure GSM cells and search for new GSM cells given in the monitored set.
In section 18.104.22.168 the split of measurements between different modes and systems is defined. Every second measurement occasion scheduled for GSM measurements, as given by 126.96.36.199 shall be allocated for GSM initial BSIC identification.
The remaining measurements occasions scheduled for GSM measurements shall be used as follows. 3 occasions out of 4 shall be allocated for GSM carrier RSSI measurements and 1 out of 4 shall be allocated for GSM BSIC reconfirmation. The scheduling of measurement occasions between GSM carrier RSSI measurements and GSM BSIC re-confirmation is up to the UE.
The 3GPP standard provides some minimum requirements that must be fulfilled by a UE. But some field test conditions can require going beyond the 3GPP nominal requirements.
For instance by taking a specific example of GSM carrier measurements and BSIC re-confirmation measurements, it can be realised that these second generation (2G) measurement purposes indicated in the 3GPP standard have different timing constraints: while a GSM carrier RSSI measurement can be performed at any time, the BSIC re-confirmation must be performed at a specific time instant (frame number+quarter bit position).
So as the network defines some generic gap purpose patterns, this means that a gap purpose with BSIC re-confirmation does not always match with the BSIC re-confirmation of one UE and so the BSIC re-confirmation is delayed and can lead to a loss of synchronisation with a 2G cell.
It is thus the object of the present invention to overcome the above-identified difficulties and disadvantages by proposing an improved solution for performing radio measurements.

Method and apparatus for performing inter radio access technology measurements