The present invention relates to novel copolymers and contact lenses made from these copolymers comprising preformed silicone-containing acrylic star polymers, graft copolymers and macromonomers, preparation of these contact lenses and a therapeutic method for treating patients with visual impairment.. Described is a composition comprising at least about 10% by weight of a preformed silicone-containing acrylic copolymer and no more than about 90% by weight of a matrix formed from the random polymerization of a mixture of monomers. The mixture of monomers comprises at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least about 5% by weight of a polysiloxanylalkylester of an alpha, beta unsaturated acid and optionally, monomers selected from the group consisting of esters of alpha, beta-unsaturated acids and crosslinking monomers. The preformed silicone-containing acrylic copolymer is preferably copolymerized throughout the matrix. The final compositions are hydrated to a final water content of at least about 10% by weight.

Walter E. Becker, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,741 (1966), discloses polysiloxane polymers for use in elastomeric contact lenses exhibiting exceptionally high oxygen permeability.
Charles S. Cleaver, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,798 (1976), discloses random copolymers produced from the copolymerization of perfluoroalkyl alkyl methacrylates or fluorine-containing telomer alcohol methacrylates and methylmethacrylate for use in rigid gas permeable contact lenses.
N. E. Gaylord, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,178 (1974) and Re 31,406 (1983), discloses random copolymers of polysiloxanyl acrylates and alkyl acrylic esters made by free radical polymerization for use in contact lenses.
N. E. Gaylord, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,570 (1978), describes a method for treating patients with visual defects by fitting them with rigid gas permeable contact lenses made from random copolymers of polysiloxanyl acrylates and alkyl acrylic esters.
N. E. Gaylord, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,179 (1974) discloses random copolymers produced from the copolymerization of fluoroacrylates and esters of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid for use in rigid gas permeable contact lenses.
K. A. Andrianov, et al., Bull. Acad. Sci., USSR Chem., No. 4, pp 467-472 (1957) describes the synthesis and polymerization of Organosilicone Compounds containing a methacrylol group.
R. L. Merker, et al., Journal of Organic Chemistry, 21, 1537 (1956) describes the synthesis and physical characteristics of copolymers of silicone acrylates and methyl methacrylate.
E. J. Ellis et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,508 (1979), discloses copolymers of siloxanyl alkyl acrylates, an itaconate ester, and an ester of acrylic or methacrylic acid. The copolymers preferably include a cross linking agent and a hydrophilic monomer.
E. R. Martin, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,263 (1975), discloses polysiloxane polymers obtained by equilibrating a mixture containing an acrylate-functional silane or siloxanes and a cyclic organopolysiloxane in the presence of a base catalyst and an aprotic solvent.
G. D. Friends et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,248 (1981), disclose copolymers prepared from monomeric polysiloxanes end-capped with activated double bonds and polycyclic esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid.
W. S. Covington, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,069 (1981), discloses copolymers and terpolymers of an addition cross-linked polysiloxane and one or more acrylic or methacrylic esters of certain hydroxy or alkoxy alcohols.
W. G. Deichert et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,546 (1980), disclose crosslinked networks prepared from a poly(organosiloxane) monomer alpha, omega-terminally bonded through divalent hydrocarbon groups to free radical-polymerizable unsaturated groups. Homopolymers and copolymers are disclosed.
Deichert, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,153,641, 4,189,546, 4,208,506 and 4,277,595, disclose monomeric polysiloxanes end-capped with activated unsaturated groups which are copolymerized with acrylic acid and other monomers to form hydrophilic contact lens materials.
Mueller, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,712, disclose a contact lens copolymer containing polysiloxanes of uniform molecular weight containing a vinyl group connected to intervening alkylene urea or urethane linkages.
Mueller, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,577, disclose contact lens copolymers comprising polysiloxanes containing at least two terminal or pendant polymerizable vinyl groups.
Anan, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,406, disclose a contact lens article which is obtained by copolymerizing a silicone-containing monomer of defined structure, a fluorine-containing compound of defined structure and a polymerizable vinyl monomer.
Culberson, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,229, disclose contact lens copolymers formed by copolymerizing a siloxane-containing monomer and other monomers.
Nakashima, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,402, disclose a contact lens material comprised of N-vinylpyrrolidone, methacrylic acid and a silicone-containing (meth)acrylate.
A. Aoki et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,881 (1981), disclose the preparation of styrene/butadiene "living" polymers by anionic polymerization and coupling of these polymers by reaction with silicone tetrachloride to produce a 4-arm star polymer having a silicone atom as a core.
Yoshioka, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,561, disclose a wax composition prepared by polymerizing a mixture of a methylpolysiloxane(meth)acrylate compound containing one (meth)acryl group and three or more methylsiloxy groups with one or more vinyl monomer(s) to produce a copolymer which is copolymerized with an organic wax.
O. W. Webster, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,417,034 (1983) and 4,508,880 (1985) and W. B. Farnham and D. Y. Sogah in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,414,372 (1983) and 4,524,196 (1985) disclose the preparation of acrylic star polymers using group transfer polymerization by coupling "living" polymer with a capping agent having more than one reactive site or by initiating polymerization with an initiator which can initiate more than one polymer chain. Initiators that could produce acrylic star polymers with up to 4 arms were demonstrated.
H. J. Spinelli, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,659,782 and 4,659,783 issued (1987), teaches the preparation of acrylic star polymers with crosslinked cores and at least 5 arms, optionally having functional groups in the cores and/or the arms. Group transfer polymerization being preferably used to make the polymers is disclosed.
N. Novicky, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,989, discloses novel branched silicone acrylate monomers for use in making rigid and semi-rigid gas permeable contact lens compositions. Polymerization occurs by randomly polymerizing a number of monomers including the disclosed highly branched silicone acrylates, wetting agents, alkyl esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid and hydrophilic monomers.
Wittmann, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,884, disclose rigid gas permeable contact lenses obtained by the random polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated silicone esters, sterically hindered or bulky aliphatic esters of ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid and hydrophilic monomers. A method of polymerization to produce the contact lens compositions of Wittmann, et al. is also disclosed.
As is true for most bio-medical applications, polymers that are to be used in contact lens applications have very demanding requirements placed on them. For example, rigid gas permeable contact lenses, like other contact lenses, not only must be hard and machineable, but also highly oxygen permeable. In addition, these lenses must be comfortable to wear. Furthermore, these contact lenses should have the characteristics of good flex resistance, adequate wettability and non-adherence to the eye. It is also important that the lenses maintain their shape after extended use. Finally, the lenses should be resistant to deposits of proteins, lipids, and bacteria.
In the case of soft contact lenses, these should be oxygen permeable, drapeable, wettable, durable, have adequate "toughness" or tear-strength, clarity and resistance to deposits of proteins, lipids and bacteria.
Initially, contact lenses were made from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), a hard, easily machineable polymer. These lenses were reasonably comfortable to wear but were not sufficiently permeable to oxygen. Consequently, they could be worn only for limited periods of time. Wearing such lenses for prolonged periods of time sometimes resulted in serious eye damage.
The next generation of lenses were the soft lenses made from polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate (PHEMA) containing high concentrations of water. These hydrogels transport more oxygen than does PMMA because the polymers accommodate large concentrations of water, but the lenses are difficult to manufacture and handle because of their softness. The increased oxygen transport is associated with the solubility of oxygen in water rather than to the polymer per se. In order to increase permeability of soft contact lenses, attempts have been made to increase the water content of these lenses. However, an increase in water content has two disadvantages; the first is that with increasing water content the lenses tend to become less resistant to tearing; the second is that high water contact lenses tend to dehydrate rapidly when made thin. In addition to the above-described deficiencies as well as the fact that the lenses may be too soft and difficult to handle (deformable), the hydrogel soft contact lenses are very susceptible to deposits and lack tear resistance.
The most recent generation of lenses, the rigid, oxygen-permeable lenses, are made from random copolymers of silicone acrylates and methylmethacrylates such as TRIS(trimethylsiloxy)-3-methacryloxypropylsilane (TRIS) and methyl methacrylate. These lenses have a significantly higher oxygen permeability than lenses made from either PMMA or hydrogels. Lenses made from TRIS homopolymer have very high oxygen permeability but they are soft, lack wettability, do not resist deposits well, and are uncomfortable to wear. Using TRIS copolymerized with methyl methacrylate increases the durability and machinability compared to TRIS homopolymer, but there is a trade-off in other properties, most notably the oxygen permeability. The manufacturer can provide lenses with high silicone content that can be worn for extended periods of time but are very difficult to make or harder lenses with relatively high methyl methacrylate content that are more easily machineable but have reduced oxygen permeability.
Other monomers that have been used in making contact lenses often improve one property at the expense of others. For example, hexafluorobutyl methacrylate (HFBMA) gives excellent resistance to deposits but is less oxygen permeable than are the silicone acrylates. Lenses made from dimethylsilicone elastomers (polydimethylsiloxane- PDMS) have very high oxygen permeability but are very soft, and difficult to manufacture, extremely non-wettable, and very uncomfortable to wear.
One of the current processes for making materials for contact lenses involves the bulk free radical copolymerization of an alkyl (meth)acrylate, for example methyl methacrylate, with a polysiloxanylalkyl ester of acrylate or methacrylate (silicone acrylate), among others, for example TRIS, and an amount of a polyfunctional monomer, such as ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, to provide rigidity through crosslinking. As mentioned above, there results a trade-off in properties depending upon the relative proportions of the monomers used. It was originally believed that lens materials having high oxygen permeability and improved hardness and machinability could be made by incorporating a hard polymer such as PMMA in the bulk polymerization of a silicone acrylate with an alkyl acrylic ester. It has been found, however, that PMMA is not soluble in silicone acrylate monomers nor in their mixtures with alkyl acrylic esters; nor has it been possible to incorporate PMMA in the highly oxygen permeable dimethylsilicone elastomers.
Conventional soft contact lenses may be made by first polymerizing hydrophilic monomers, such as hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), glycerolmethacrylate (GMA), methacrylic acid (MAC) and N-Vinyl pyrrolidinone (NVP or VP), among others into a rigid "button", then lathing the button into a contact lens, which is finally hydrated into a finished product. Alternatively, these lenses may be cast-molded to produce semi-finished or completely finished lenses. Although the key properties of a soft contact lens are oxygen permeability, drapeability, deposit resistance and "toughness", conventional soft contact lenses have been quite limited in their ability to maximize all of these key properties. As in the case of rigid gas permeable contact lenses, trade-offs exist in soft contact lenses as well.
For example, the hydrophilic monomers which are normally used to make soft contact lenses are not oxygen permeable, and consequently soft contact lenses have had to rely strictly on water content to provide oxygen permeability. The more water that is present in a soft contact lens, the greater is the oxygen permeability. For example, contact lenses having water contents of less than about 40% tend to have low oxygen permeabilities (Dk<15.times.10.sup.-11), whereas contact lenses having water contents approaching 75% have higher permeabilities (Dk approximately 35.times.10.sup.-11). Although increasing the amount of water in a contact lens is an obvious way to increase the oxygen permeability in a contact lens, conventional contact lenses are limited in the amount of water that can be present or in the thickness of the lens. Attempts to increase water content to levels above about 40% or higher have resulted in dramatic losses in "toughness" or tear strength, greater susceptibility to cuts and tears and handling difficulties because of the flimsiness of the lenses. To compensate for the absence of "toughness" in high water content lenses, these lenses have had to be made thicker than many conventional lenses. However, this approach has resulted in a decrease in oxygen transmissibility (Dk/L) which is directly related to the amount of oxygen that reaches the cornea.
At present, the primary limitation in commercial soft contact lenses is their inability to provide adequate oxygen transmissbility to the cornea. This deficiency in the present practice may produce deleterious effects such as edema, corneal ulcers and related conditions. There is a clear need in the art to provide contact lenses with increased oxygen permeability without compromising drapeability, wettability, durability, "toughness" or tear-strength, clarity and resistance to deposits of proteins, lipids and bacteria.
Surprisingly, preformed macromonomers, graft copolymers and star polymers of the present invention can be used to enhance the characteristics of hard and soft contact lenses. These preformed acrylic macromonomers, graft copolymers and star polymers may be dissolved or dispersed in silicone acrylate monomers, wetting monomers such as hydroxyethylmethacrylate, glycerol methacrylate, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinylpyrrolidone and methacrylic acid, among others, and/or mixtures of such monomers with alkyl acrylic esters. Compositions containing preformed copolymers may be adapted for use in hard, flexible or soft contact lenses. It has been found that bulk polymerization of these mixtures gives products with attractive properties including optical clarity, suitable hardness (in the case of buttons for lathing soft contact lenses), suitable drapeability and wettability (in the case of soft contact lenses) and enhanced oxygen permeability.

Silicone-containing polymers, compositions and improved oxygen permeable hydrophilic contact lenses


A three-dimensional force and torque converter unit for measuring an external force or torque applied to the unit and converting it into a signal, whereby the signal may be used to control a system or device incorporating the converter unit. The converter unit includes a controller formed with four spaced apart arms having six or more degrees of constraint. A force or torque may be applied to the tip portions of each of the arms via a gripping means. Sensors are used to measure the deflection of the arms under an applied loading or torque and an output signal is generated.

The present inventor is also an inventor of inventions in this field relating to three dimensional force and torque sensing devices which are the subject of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,811,608; 5,222,400; 5,706,027 and 5,798,748.
A further prior published proposal in the field is U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,810 Heindl et al.
In recognising this other prior published material, the inventor does not admit that any of these other proposals are necessarily known to persons working in the field or of that of common general knowledge in any particular country.
The inventors prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,608 discloses a six arm device where the arms are orthogonally arranged and responses in the arms to force or torque with respect to any axis in three dimensions are monitored using sensors.
The inventor has now appreciated that new and useful alternatives to his own prior art and other prior art items disclosed above would be highly advantageous and the present invention is concerned with such alternatives.

Three-dimensional force and torque converter with tetrahedral array


A durability assessment system may receive a request, from a computing system, for a durability index describing an entity. The durability assessment system may determine the durability index based on information about the resource usage by the entity, such as a resource availability score or a resource allocation score. The durability assessment system may compare the obtained resource availability score and resource allocation score to ranges associated with a set of durability indices. Based on the comparison, the durability assessment system may determine a durability index for the entity. The durability index may indicate an ability of the entity to return accessed resources. In some cases, the durability assessment system may provide the durability index to an allocation computing system that is configured to determine whether to grant access to resources based on the durability index.

Resource access control becomes more and more challenging as various resources, such as computing resources, storage resources, network resources, interactive computing environment, or other types of resources, can be more conveniently acquired and accessed. For example, a user can acquire an online storage resource through online transactions with a resource provider of the online storage resource, and access the online storage resource over the Internet. Similarly, a consumer can obtain the resource or a token representing the resource through an online request and gain access to an online interactive computing environment associated with the resource.
As resources are limited and are generally shared by multiple resource users or entities, access control is typically performed to prevent intentional or unintentional resource access or overuse. For example, malicious users may try to withhold the resource to take advantage of a resource provider system or to attack the resource provider system to prevent the resource provider system from functioning normally. But, conventional resource provider systems may lack the capability to or be unable to determine, with accuracy, whether a requesting entity is a legitimate entity, which can reliably return or release the accessed resources. Thus, the conventional resource provider systems may inappropriately grant resource access to a remote computing system or its associated entity.

Automated decision techniques for controlling resource access


In embedded licensing from multiple license sources, a hardware device sends a capability request when a new licensed capability or modification to an existing licensed capability is desired. The hardware device transmits a first capability request to a first server and receives a first capability response from the first server. The hardware device then transmits a second capability request to a second server and receives a second capability response from the second server. When the first server and the second server are the same, regenerative licensing is activated by the hardware device, and an authorized capabilities list of the second capability response replaces an authorized capabilities list of the first capability response. When the first server and the second server are distinct, cumulative licensing is activated by the hardware device, and an authorized capabilities list of the second capability response is added to an authorized capabilities list of the first capability response.

Device manufacturers commonly sell products into different markets or at different price points, though the products' hardware devices may have similar bills of material and/or manufacturing costs. One way in which the device manufacturer can differentiate hardware devices is by the capabilities each device offers. For example, a hardware device having fewer capabilities may sell for a lower price than the same hardware device with additional or more sophisticated capabilities. These capabilities can be enabled by one or more licenses that are stored locally on the hardware device. Traditionally, licensed rights have been defined on a host and licensed software has been tied to a particular hardware device identity, thereby limiting a user's ability to upgrade capabilities or substitute one hardware device for another.
As described by U.S. Pat. No. 8,103,804, a device manufacturer may elect to implement an embedded regenerative licensing system if license requests are to be served by a single license server. That is, a regenerative licensing system can accurately update and maintain one or more licenses only if a hardware device transmits license requests to, and receives responses from, a single licensing source, e.g. server. Problems arise when two or more licensing sources, e.g. multiple licensing servers, are necessary to respond to license requests transmitted by a hardware device.

Methods and systems for embedded licensing from multiple license sources


Method for controlling the deposition of organic contaminants from the pulp and papermaking systems using water soluble aminoplast ether copolymers is described herein. The aminoplast ether copolymer can be used alone or in combination with one or more additives. The pulps to be treated include mechanical, chemical, semi-chemical pulps; sulfide pulp; recycled old newspapers; mixed office wastes; corrugated boxes; and their combinations. The use of water soluble aminoplast ether copolymers to control or prevent pitch and stickies deposition improves down stream performance of papermaking equipment increasing mill efficiency and improving paper quality.

Organic contaminants in the pulp and papermaking processes cause serious problems for both paper quality and pulp and paper making efficiency. These contaminants generally include naturally occurring wood pitch or wood resin and synthetic materials such as stickies found in fibers from recovered fiber sources or from mill processes. Wood pitch includes triglycerides, fatty acids, resin acids, steryl esters and sterols. Wood resins, as well as other extractives such as lignans, pectins, and phenols, are the major components of pitch deposits. During the mechanical pulping process and subsequent treatments, the wood pitch is released from the surfaces of fibers and accumulates in the whitewater in the form of colloid particles. The pitch can also contain inorganic compounds such as calcium carbonate, talc, clay, titanium oxide and alum hydroxide or reaction products of resin or fatty acids with metal ions.
Stickies generally refer to the undesirable organic contaminants present in the recycled fibers. Stickies often contain the same natural materials found in pitch deposits as well as synthetic materials including adhesives such as styrene-butadiene copolymer, polyacrylate and polyethylene, hot melts such as ethylene vinyl acetate and polyvinyl acetate, waxes, mineral oils, styrene-acrylate, and wet-strength chemicals such as melamine-formaldehyde. Since stickies are composed mainly of synthetic materials, they are more inclined to deposit on equipment surfaces containing plastic materials such as paper machine wires, wet felts, dryer felts and dryer cans.
Pitch and stickies have a detrimental impact on the pulp and papermaking process, reducing paper machine efficiency and paper quality. Wood pitch and stickies have very low surface energy and tend to deposit on pipe surfaces, chest walls, wires, uhle boxes, doctor blades, fabrics, wet felts, dryer felts, dryer cans and calendar stacks. Deposition of pitch and stickies results in operational difficulties and the malfunctioning of mill equipment. When recycled paper is used, the stickies in the waste paper can accumulate on mill equipment resulting in similar problems. When mechanical pulp is co-present with recycled paper, the combination of wood pitch and stickies generally increases the amount of deposition. Accumulated pitch or stickies particles contaminate the paper sheet when they break free from metal, ceramic, and plastic surfaces of mill equipment causing off quality paper and paper machine breaks. The increased use of recycled fiber can significantly aggravate the problem.
Conventional techniques for pitch and stickies control include dispersion, detackification, adsorption and cationic fixation. Dispersion chemicals include surfactants, polymers, and inorganic dispersants such as polyphosphates. Adsorption materials include talc which interacts with pitch or stickies surfaces to render them less tacky. Talc can be effective for synthetic stickies materials, particularly stickies particles, by adsorbing the particles which aids in dispersing the pitch in the stock and whitewater system and reduces the deposition of pitch on the machine wires and felts.
Various kinds of surfactants and water soluble polymers have been investigated to control the deposition of organic contaminants contained in the fibers of the pulp and papermaking processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,249 to Farley discloses a chemistry for preventing the deposition of adhesive pitch particles on pulp-making equipment using anionic vinyl polymers containing at least 25-85% of hydropobic-olephilic linkages selected from styrene, isobutylene, methyl styrene, ally stearate, octadecyl acrylate, octadecene, dedecene, n-octadecylarylamide, vinyl stearate and vinyl dodecyl ether and at least 15-75% hydrophilic acid linkages selected from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and maleic acid, itaconic acid, acrylamidoacetic acid, maleamic acid and styrenesulfonic acid. The copolymers are anionic in nature.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,871,424, 4,886,575, and 4,956,051 describe the use of water soluble polyvinyl alcohols having 50% to 100% hydrolysis to inhibit pitch deposition from pulp in paper-making systems. The polymer is a water-soluble copolymer having recurring entities of nonionic hydrophilic units of vinyl alcohol and hydrophobic units of vinyl acetate. The molecular weight of the polyvinyl alcohol ranges from 90,000 to 150,000. It is preferred that the degree of hydrolysis is in the range of 85% to 90% and that the polymer has a molecular weight around 125,000. Polyvinyl alcohol is often used as an industry standard for comparing different organic contaminant control chemicals.
EP 0568229A1 describes the use of hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose (HMHEC) for preventing the deposition of pitch and stickies.
WO2004/113611 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,192 to Steeg describe methods for controlling pitch and stickies by adding HMHEC and cationic polymers to a cellulosic fiber slurry.
The prior art describes the use of different surfactants and polymers in the prevention of pitch and stickies. Each of those chemistries has their own limitations, however, and is only effective for a narrow range of organic contaminants.
There exists a need for improved materials and methods for the prevention and/or control of pitch and stickies deposition.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide materials and methods for the control and/or prevention of pitch and stickies deposition.
It is a further object of the invention to provide materials and methods for preventing and/or controlling pitch and stickies deposition wherein the materials and methods are effective for a variety of pitch and stickies components.

Method of controlling organic contaminants in pulp and paper making processes


A bright video line select display for a waveform monitor is achieved by storing a selected line from a video frame of a digital video input signal. The stored selected line is iteratively substituted for a plurality of video lines during the vertical interval of the digital video input signal. When line select mode is selected, those video lines during the vertical interval are displayed as a waveform, resulting in a brighter display of the selected video line.

The present invention relates to video waveform monitors, and more particularly to a bright video line select display for a video waveform monitor that enhances the visibility of a selected line of a video signal.
A common method of operation of a waveform monitor, such as the 1740A, 1750A and 1760 series of waveform monitors manufactured by Tektronix, Inc. of Wilsonville, Oreg., United States of America, is known as "line select" mode. In this mode only one or two video lines out of each video frame, i.e., out of 525 or 626 lines, is used for the display, resulting in a dim display on an economical cathode ray tube (CRT) display. The horizontal sweep rate is diminished by a factor of from 262 to 625, and the dimness is further worsened when the horizontal sweep time is divided in order to provide an expanded horizontal scale along the X-axis. The dimness of the display makes it difficult for an operator to observe the characteristics of the line selected for display, which difficulty is further compounded if the operator is observing the waveform monitor display from some distance. Thus the utility of this feature is limited by the display brightness.
What is desired is a method of providing a bright video line select display for a waveform monitor without corrupting the video signal that is displayed on a picture monitor.


A signal receiving device, and a radio transmission device and radio transmission method utilized a code sequence extracting circuit for receiving transmission data that is information data to be transmitted having a code sequence of a fixed bit length, formed based on prescribed identification data, and for extracting the code sequence from said transmission data received, a comparison circuits for comparing the code sequence previously allocated to the receiving side with the code sequence of the transmission data extracted by the code sequence extracting circuit, and a control unit for conducting control based on the information data of the transmission data when the comparison result of said comparison circuit shows identity.

1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to a signal receiving device, and a radio transmission device and a radio transmission method, and more particularly, is suitably applied to the radio network system that realizes data communications between electronic devices which are connected by radio waves in the house.
2. Description of the Related Art
The radio network system constructing the radio local area network (LAN) system by connecting electronic devices, such as televisions (hereinafter referred to as TV), video tape recorders (hereinafter referred to as VTR) and a personal computer used in a house, has begun to be popular.
In such a radio network system, a VTR is set as a host device and a personal computer and TV are set as non-host devices. These non-host devices such as the personal computer and TV are installed at the optional positions each being a fixed distance from the host device VTR, and data can be transmitted by radio to the host device equipped with a transceiver from a transceiver provided in each non-host device.
Accordingly, in the radio network system, in the case of sending and receiving transmission data between the electronic devices, the receiving side receives the transmission data only when the receiving side recognizes the other party""s electronic device.
Thus, in the case of conducting recognizing between electronic devices, it is common that its reliability is made higher by using encryption, and the transmission message is encrypted by a secret key and transmitted. More specifically, the electronic devices exchanging the transmission data each other have the common secret key, and when one device receives the transmission data, the device executes recognizing by conducting the arithmetic operation by decipher algorithm using the secret key. And then, the transmission message can be obtained by separating the secret key and the transmission message.
However, in the radio network system thus constructed, in the case of conducting recognizing, the complicated arithmetic operation should be conducted with the decipher algorithm, and it caused the problem that the circuit construction became complicated and large in size.
Furthermore, export controls are imposed on the encryption itself and in the case of producing products considering its expansion on the world market, it is difficult to adopt the common encryption standards in the whole world. And since it is sufficiently considered that each country should adopt its own encryption standard, the encryption standards should be changed depending on the country at the manufacturing stage and thus, it caused the problem in increasing and complicating the manufacturing process.
Furthermore, in a state where the radio network system is constructed in the house and an identical radio network system is constructed in the neighboring house, it has the possibility of interference between these systems and of tapping when interference occurs and thus, it caused the infringement of privacy.
In view of he foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a signal receiving device, a radio transmission device and a radio transmission method capable of executing recognizing safely, certainly and quickly with a simple construction and method.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of a signal receiving device, a radio transmission device and radio transmission method. And we provide a code sequence extracting means for receiving transmission data that is information data to be transmitted having code sequence of the fixed bit length, formed based on the prescribed identification data, added and for extracting the code sequence from said received transmission data, a comparison means for comparing the code sequence previously allocated to the receiving side to the code sequence of the transmission data extracted by the code sequence extracting means, and a control means for executing control based on the information data of the transmission data when the comparison result of said comparison means shows conformity.
By comparing the code sequence of the transmission data received to the code sequence previously allocated to the receiving side and recognizing the desired transmission data to be received when the comparison result shows identity, the recognizing can be conducted certainly and quickly by the simple processing just to compare and simultaneously, when identity is showed, the control based on the information data of the transmission data can be executed.
Furthermore, this present invention provides the radio transmission device for conducting data transmission between electronic devices by connecting a plurality of electronic devices by radio. Each of the plurality of electronic devices comprises a code sequence adding means for forming a code sequence having a fixed bit length based on prescribed identification data and for adding the code sequence to information data to be transmitted, a transmission means for transmitting the transmission data that is the information data having the code sequence added, to a plurality of electronic devices, a code sequence extracting means for extracting the code sequence from the data received through the signal receiving means, a comparison means for comparing the code sequence previously allocated to the receiving side to the code sequence of the received data extracted by the code sequence extracting means, and a control means for recognizing the received data as the transmission data transmitted from any one of the plurality of electronic devices when the comparison result of the comparison means shows identity and for executing control based on the information data of the transmission data.
Each electronic device transmits the transmission data that is information data to be transmitted having the code sequence of the fixed bit length, formed based on the prescribed identification data, added, to a plurality of electronic devices, compares the code sequence extracted from the data received through the signal receiving means to the code sequence previously allocated to the receiving side, and when the comparison result shows identity, recognizes that the received data is the transmission data transmitted from any one of the plurality of electronic devices, so that recognizing can be conducted certainly and quickly by the simple processing just to compare and control based on the information data of the transmission data can be conducted only when identity is showed.
Furthermore, the present invention provides the radio transmission method of conducting data transmission between the electronic devices by connecting the plurality of electronic devices to each other by radio. Each of these plurality of electronic devices adds the code sequence with the fixed bit length formed based on the prescribed identification data to the information data to be transmitted, transmits the transmission data that is the information data having the code sequence added, to a plurality of electronic devices, extracts the code sequence from the data received through the signal receiving means, compares the code sequence previously allocated to the receiving side to the code sequence of the received data extracted, recognizes that the received data is transmitted from any one of the plurality of electronic devices when the comparison result shows identity, and executes control based on the information data of the transmission data.
Each of the plurality of electronic devices transmits the transmission data that is information data to be transmitted having the code sequence of the fixed bit length, formed based on the prescribed identification data, added, to the plurality of electronic devices, compares the code sequence extracted from the data received through the signal receiving means to the code sequence previously allocated to the receiving side, and recognizes that the received data is the transmission data transmitted from any one of the plurality of electronic devices when the comparison result shows identity, so that recognition can be conducted certainly and quickly with the simple processing just to compare and only when identity is showed, control based on the information data of the transmission data can be executed.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.

Signal receiving device and radio transmission device and radio transmission method


In a vehicle body front structure, a crash box provided in a front part of a front side member is broken by applying pressure due to a collision load, so that a second load transmission member moves backward toward a first load transmission member. This allows the second load transmission member to abut with the first load transmission member, thereby making it possible to transmit the collision load input into the second load transmission member, to a body portion of the front side member via the first load transmission member. Besides, since the second load transmission member is not provided in a bumper reinforcement, it is possible to replace the bumper reinforcement separately from the second load transmission member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle body front structure.
2. Description of Related Art
In a vehicle body front structure of a vehicle described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-228907 (JP 2012-228907 A), a side impact beam is provided with a first projecting portion extending outwardly in a vehicle-width direction from its side portion. Further, a bumper beam is provided with bumper-beam extension portions extending outwardly in the vehicle-width direction from right and left side portions thereof. The bumper-beam extension portion includes a second projecting portion extending in a vehicle-body rearward direction toward the first projecting portion of the side impact beam.
In the vehicle body front structure as described above, when that outside part of a vehicle body front portion which is placed on an outer side relative to the side impact beam in the vehicle-body width direction collides head-on into a collision object such as other vehicles (in a case of a so-called short overlap collision), the bumper-beam extension portion moves backward due to a collision load, which allows the second projecting portion to abut with the first projecting portion of the side impact beam. Hereby, the collision load to the bumper-beam extension portion can be efficiently transmitted to the side impact beam via the second projecting portion and the first projecting portion, thereby making it possible to effectively absorb an impact energy by effectively deforming the side impact beam.
However, in the vehicle body front structure as described above, the second projecting portion is provided in the bumper-beam extension portion. In view of this, when the bumper-beam extension portion is replaced, it is necessary to replace the second projecting portion at the same time. Thus, there is room for improvement in terms of reducing repair cost.


An evaluation method for calculating an identification signal by using PRML, comprises a table storing true patterns and ideal signals thereof, false patterns corresponding to the true patterns and ideal signals thereof, and Euclidean distance between the true pattern and the false pattern, a calculating unit, when a recording signal synchronized with an identification signal coincides with any pattern of the table, calculates a distance between Euclidean distance between the ideal signal of the true pattern and a reproduction signal and Euclidean distance between the ideal signal of the false pattern and a reproduction signal, and an evaluation unit which evaluates an identification signal by using an average and standard deviation of difference. A table for patterns is created for a likely mistaken pattern, whereby calculating an evaluation value with high precision, of a signal quality, with a small amount of calculation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information recording and reproducing apparatus and evaluation method and an information recording medium, and more particularly, to improvement of an information recording and reproducing apparatus and an evaluation method for reproducing a signal recorded in an information recording medium and evaluating the reproduction signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Signal processing in an information recording and reproducing apparatus includes PRML (Partial Response and Maximum Likelihood) identification scheme. A technique associated with evaluation of a signal quality in a system using the PRML identification scheme includes SAMER (SAM Error Rate) available from Sharp Co., Ltd., disclosure information ISOM' 01 (International Symposium On Optical Memory 2001) Technical Digest P272).
In the PRML identification scheme, the PR (Partial Response) characteristics according to recording and reproducing characteristics are employed. As an example, a description of PR (1, 2, 2, 1) characteristics will be given below. In the case of the PR (1, 2, 2, 1) characteristics, a 4-tap FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filter whose tap coefficient is 1, 2, 2, 1 is employed. When a series of 00010000, for example, is input to the FIR filter, the output is obtained as 00012210. Similarly, when 000110000 is input, 000134310 is output. When 0001110000 is input, 000135531 is output. When 00011110000 is input, 00013565310 is output. These outputs are ideal signals in the bit series. Next, a Viterbi decoder compares an equalized signal output from the filter (equalizer) and an ideal signal with each other, and selects the closest series. A concept of Euclidean distance is introduced. A Euclidean distance E2 indicates a distance between signals, and if signals SA and SB are assumed, they are defined as follows.E2=Σ(SA−SB)2
Now, a more specific description will be given by using numerals. Assume that the following reproduction signals S1 and S2 are PR equalized.
S1=[5.9 6.1 5.9 4.9 2.9 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.1]
S2=[5.8 6.0 5.8 4.7 2.7 1.1 0.2 0.1 0.2]
Euclidean distance between the ideal signals of all patterns is calculated in response to the two reproduction signals S1 and S2. As a result of comparing Euclidean distance, assuming that the ideal signal of which Euclidean distance between S1 and S2 is minimal is obtained as [6 6 6 5 3 1 0 0 0] (this is an output of the above FIR filter of [1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0]), and the next minimum ideal signal is obtained [6 6 5 3 1 0 0 0 0] (similarly, an output of [1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0], Euclidean distances respectively are obtained as follows.
                              With                                                              respect                                                              to                                                                          S            1                                                                                E          min          2                =                                                                            (                                  6                  -                  5.9                                )                            2                        +                                          (                                  6                  -                  6.1                                )                            2                        +                                          (                                  6                  -                  5.9                                )                            2                        +            …            +                                          (                                  0                  -                  0.1                                )                            2                                =          0.08                                                  E          next          2                =                                                                            (                                  6                  -                  5.9                                )                            2                        +                                          (                                  6                  -                  6.1                                )                            2                        +                                          (                                  6                  -                  5.9                                )                            2                        +            …            +                                          (                                  0                  -                  0.1                                )                            2                                =          8.88                                                  With                                                              respect                                                              to                                                                          S            2                                                                                E          min          2                =                                                                            (                                  6                  -                  5.8                                )                            2                        +                                          (                                  6                  -                  6.0                                )                            2                        +                                          (                                  6                  -                  5.8                                )                            2                        +            …            +                                          (                                  0                  -                  0.2                                )                            2                                =          0.36                                                  E          next          2                =                                                                            (                                  6                  -                  5.8                                )                            2                        +                                          (                                  6                  -                  6.0                                )                            2                        +                                          (                                  6                  -                  5.8                                )                            2                        +            …            +                                          (                                  0                  -                  0.2                                )                            2                                =          7.76                                                                                where                                                                                S                  1                                                                                is                                                                                E                  next                  2                                            -                                                                                E                min                2                                      =            8.8                    ,                                                    and                                                                                S                  2                                                                                is                                                                                E                  next                  2                                            -                                                                                E                min                2                                      =                          7.4                                                                        .
As a result, it can be said that S1 is more hardly mistaken than S2 because it is large. In this way, SAM calculating device carries out calculation in accordance with the above described procedures every time a reproduction signal is input from the equalizer. Then, the calculation result of Enext2−Emin2 is accumulated, and its distribution is calculated, thereby carrying out signal evaluation.
On the other hand, the SAMER calculating device calculates an expected bER (bit error rate) from the SAM distribution. As described above, the SAM distribution is obtained by Enext2−Emin2. Since the Viterbi decoder selects an ideal signal which is the closest to an equalization signal input from an equalizer, a relationship between Enext2 and Emin2 is always obtained as Enext2>Emin2. However, an identification error occurs in the case where Enext is mistakenly selected instead of Emin. At this time, a relationship is obtained as Enext2<Emin2. In the SAM distribution, this range is unlikely to be established. However, assuming that a portion of distribution which is lower than "μ" is a normal distribution, the standard deviation "σ" and average "μ" are approximated by Gaussian probability density function, thereby estimating a range of Enext2<Emin2.
A problem of SAM and SAMER is, when a group of bit series whose Euclidean distance is minimal is created in response to a bit series, Euclidean distance which is minimal for each group is different from another. Thus, when a distribution of Enext2−Emin2 has been calculated, such distribution is divided in plurality, and is not occasionally obtained as an evaluation value. Further, in the range of "μ" or less of SAMER, there may be a case in which the normality of distribution is destroyed, and there is a possibility that an error occurs between bER estimated at this time and actual bER. In addition, every time a 1-channel reproduction signal is input, the ideal signals of all series and its Euclidean distance are calculated, and a calculation quantity for selecting the minimum value and next minimal value is increased.

Information recording and reproducing apparatus, evaluation method, and information recording and reproducing medium


A latch device for heat dissipation component includes a main body, a first and a second elastic member, a first and a second rotary unit. Two sides of the main body are respectively formed with a first and a second perforation. The first and second elastic members are fixedly disposed on one face of a motherboard. A first and a second hook/latch section respectively protrude from the first and the second elastic members corresponding to the first and second perforations. By means of a first and a second hook/latch member, the first and second rotary units are correspondingly hooked/latch with the first and second hook/latch sections. Then, the first and second rotary units are rotated to pull upward the first and second hook/latch members; further the first and second hook/latch sections can fix the main body. Hence, a user can assemble/detach the main body without using any hand tool.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a latch device for heat dissipation component, and more particularly to a latch device for heat dissipation component, with which an operator can directly barehanded install the heat dissipation component on a motherboard or detach the heat dissipation component from the motherboard without using any tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic apparatus includes numerous electronic components. In operation and calculation, the electronic components will generate heat. When the heat generated by the electronic components exceeds a limit, the processing efficiency of the electronic apparatus will be affected or even the lifetime of the electronic apparatus will be shortened. Therefore, various heat dissipation components such as heat sinks, radiating fins, heat pipes and vapor chambers are often used to conduct and dissipate the heat of the electronic apparatus. These heat dissipation components cannot be directly fixed with the electronic components and it is necessary to use a latch device, a latch member or a holding device to fix the heat dissipation components on the electronic components to dissipate the heat.
The heat sinks and radiating fins mainly serve to increase the heat dissipation area so as to quickly conduct the heat generated by the electronic components and dissipate the heat and avoid accumulation of the heat. The heat pipe is mainly used for remote end heat dissipation. The heat pipe is able to conduct the heat generated by the electronic components to a remote place far away from the electronic components to dissipate the heat. Therefore, the heat generated by the electronic components is prevented from accumulating at the center of the electronic apparatus. The vapor chamber serves to face-to-face conduct the heat by large area. The vapor chamber is mainly disposed between a heat source and the heat dissipation component to enhance the heat conduction efficiency therebetween. All the above heat dissipation components necessitate the latch device, latch member or holding device to be fixedly mounted on the electronic component. In general, the heat sink is fixedly connected with the electronic component by means of screws, which must be tightened or untightened with a tool. In the case that an operator has no tool at hand, it is impossible for the operator to tighten or untighten the screws. Therefore, it is quite inconvenient to install/detach the heat sink.
It is therefore tried by the applicant to provide a latch device for heat dissipation component. With the latch device, an operator can directly barehanded install the heat dissipation component on a motherboard or detach the heat dissipation component from the motherboard without using any tool.

Latch device for heat dissipation component


A toe angle detecting apparatus includes a wheel supporting device for supporting thereon each wheel attached to a vehicle. The wheel supporting device is rotatably mounted on a vertical support shaft. A toe angle detecting device is rotatably mounted on the support shaft and provided with a pair of contact shoes spaced horizontally at a predetermined distance from each other. The toe angle detecting device is rotatable independently of the wheel supporting device. The contact shoes are displaceable vertically and displaceable radially with respect to the support shaft, and are brought into contact with the wheel at predetermined portions thereof to rotate the toe angle detecting device about the support shaft toward a toe direction of the wheel. An angle detector is provided for detecting an angle at which the toe angle detecting device is rotated about the support shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toe angle detecting apparatus capable of detecting the individual toe angles of each wheel attached to a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
The accurate alignment of vehicle wheels is extremely important for the maintenance of running stability of a vehicle. Therefore, there have been proposed various devices used to measure or check respective states of alignment of the wheels.
As an apparatus for measuring toe angles of wheels, for example, there is known one in which a sensor is brought into contact with side portions of a tire of each wheel so as to detect angular displacements of the wheel with respect to the direction in which each wheel runs forward. However, vehicles as objects to be measured vary in size. Therefore, there are proposed wheel supporting means for supporting the wheels, which can be displaced in the directions of the length and width of a vehicle in order to meet the respective sizes.
However, there is a tendency for positional displacements of the sensor with respect to the wheel supporting means if the apparatus is constructed in this way. As a result, the sensor cannot be reliably brought into contact with each wheel supported by the wheel supporting means, thereby making it unable to detect the toe angle with high accuracy.
On the other hand, any tire varies in shape even when the sensor can be accurately brought into contact with the side portions of the wheel tire. Therefore, the value of the toe angle detected cannot be determined. Even when the tire is temporarily positionally adjusted using the value of the toe angle detected by the sensor, subsequent tire reproducibility is also poor. While the vehicle is running after completion of its adjustment, directional stability characteristics of the vehicle become poor or the angle of a spoke of a steering wheel becomes inappropriate.


A length adjusting device for fastening straps of a mask includes an oblong elastic thin plate with a plurality of stepped hook portions. One strap of fastening straps of the mask is to be detachably fitted at a base end portion of the elastic thin plate and another strap of the mask is to be engageably fitted on the stepped hook portions. The elastic thin plate may have a piercing hole at its base end portion, into which the strap of the mask is to be detachably fitted, and/or have opposing hook portions which opposingly project from both its upper and lower sides and incline toward the base end of the elastic thin plate. The piercing hole may have a cut and the cut may extend slantingly toward a tip side of the elastic thin plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a length adjusting device for fastening straps of various masks, and in particular a length adjusting device suitable for a dustproof mask in which decreasing a gap between the mask and its wearer's face is required for preventing intrusion of harmful materials such as dust.
2. Prior Art
A conventional mask of this type is, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, provided with a mechanism for adjusting the length of fastening straps 12 at fitting portions of the straps 12 to the mask 11. This adjusting mechanism includes extruding pieces 13 respectively provided at upper and lower portions on both lateral sides of an edge portion of the mask 11, each of which has a through hole 16 with a notch 15 continued from a guiding groove 14, and a stopper 17 with an inlet and an outlet 17a on both sides, the stopper 17 bridging over the notch 15. A tip portion of the strap 12 of the mask 11 is inserted into the through hole 16 from thereunder, stretched over the stopper 17, into the inlet and outlet 17a thereof in the direction from the guiding groove 14 along the notch 15 and back again into the through hole 16, so that the fastening strap 12 is kept there immovably by the stopper 17. The length of the fastening strap 12 of the mask 11 is adjusted by the extent of insertion of the tip portion of the fastening strap 12 which is inserted through the through hole 16 from below.
Another known mask of this type that is capable of adjusting the length of straps includes a strap 12 provided with an engaging member 18 as shown in FIG. 12. Referring to FIG. 13, this engaging member 18 includes retaining holes 19 through which the fastening strap 12 of the mask 11 is inserted and by which the engaging member 18 is retained there, and an engaging portion 20 with which the other fastening strap 12' of the mask 11 is to be engaged. The engaging member 18 is fitted to the fastening strap 12 of the mask 11 that has passed through the retaining holes 19 before the fastening strap 12 is fixed to the extruding pieces 13 provided at the edge portion of the mask 11.
As stated above, conventional adjusting mechanisms for fastening straps of masks have complicated structures, are difficult to produce and entail rather high production costs, which are problems to be solved. Furthermore, the complicated structures cause the adjustment of the fastening straps 12 to a suitable length to be cumbersome. Therefore, even though the space between the mask 11 and a wearer's face could be narrowed, there still remains a problem to be solved; i.e. the straps 12 are likely to be fastened too tight or too loose and a comfortable fit is difficult to obtain.
It is further not sufficient to adjust the straps 12 to a suitable length by simply adding only the engaging member 18 to the adjusting mechanism for fastening straps of the mask. Moreover, since the engaging member 18 is designed to be fitted to one of the fastening straps 12 of the mask 11 in a manner that the strap 12 pierces through the retaining holes 19 of the member 18 before the fastening strap 12 is fixed to the extruding members 13 provided on the edge portion of the mask 11, the engaging member 18 cannot be removed from the fastening strap 12 readily even when the member 18 is not necessary.

Length adjusting device for fastening straps of a mask


An electric ballast attached to the outside of a lighting system. The system comprises a lamp housing with front and rear openings, a front lens closing the front opening, a discharge lamp put in the housing, and a reflector that reflects light of the lamp toward the lens. The ballast comprises: a ballast housing which closes the rear opening and is connected with frame ground via at least one of the lamp housing and the reflector; a lamp socket and an igniter, put in the front of the ballast housing; and a power converter put in the ballast housing. The output of the converter is connected with the socket, which directly connects with the lamp, and the igniter is connected between them. Heat generating parts of the converter are put in the rear of the ballast housing, and the rear functions as a radiator.

A prior art device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-338506 includes an electric ballast for a vehicle lighting system that comprises a lamp housing with front and rear openings, a front lens closing the front opening, a discharge lamp put in the housing, and a reflector put in the housing to reflect light of the lamp toward the lens. The ballast is formed of a ballast housing closing said rear opening, and an inverter and an igniter which are put in the ballast housing. The ballast is also electrically connected with the lamp via a wire harness (wires and connectors) and a lamp socket.
Another prior art device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-367414 includes an electric ballast for a vehicle lighting system that comprises a lamp housing with front and rear openings, a front lens closing the front opening, a cap closing the rear opening, a discharge lamp put in the housing, and a reflector put in the housing to reflect light of the lamp toward the lens. This ballast is formed of an inverter mounted on the inner face of the cap, and an igniter put in a lamp socket within the lamp housing. These inverter and igniter are electrically connected each other through a wire harness including wires.
In these prior art devices and other similar prior art devices (e.g., France Patent Publication No. 2776365, U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,515 and Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2001-101908 and 2002-343128), the wires within a lamp housing need be covered with a costly sheath shield such as a mesh shield or the like in the same way as, for example, a device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-195685. Because there is a possibility that noise generated from a discharge lamp caused by polarity inversing of a lamp current enters each portion of a ballast through the wires to cause wrong operation of devices.
Other prior art devices described in Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2001-101909 and 2003-317535 are provided with a ballast housing that includes a lamp socket or a discharge lamp in addition to an inverter and an igniter. According to these devices, the need of said sheath shield is eliminated. However, if the ballast housing does not have a shield function, said possibility of the wrong operation remains. In the latter, especially, a seal member (insulating member or elastic moulding) exposed from the inside of the ballast housing touches the lamp housing. The former also has the ballast housing inside the lamp housing, and accordingly its ballast is exposed to high temperature within the lamp housing, so that heat generating parts (high temperature parts) of the ballast become extremely high temperature.
It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need of a shield sheath in a lamp housing, and also to protect heat generating parts of an electric ballast from high temperature in the lamp housing.


Described herein are alkali-free, boroalumino silicate glasses exhibiting desirable physical and chemical properties for use as substrates in flat panel display devices, such as, active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs) and active matrix organic light emitting diode displays (AMOLEDs). In accordance with certain of its aspects, the glasses possess excellent compaction and stress relaxation properties.

The production of liquid crystal displays, for example, active matrix liquid crystal display devices (AMLCDs) is very complex, and the properties of the substrate glass are extremely important. First and foremost, the glass substrates used in the production of AMLCD devices need to have their physical dimensions tightly controlled.
In the liquid crystal display field, thin film transistors (TFTs) based on poly-crystalline silicon are preferred because of their ability to transport electrons more effectively. Poly-crystalline based silicon transistors (p-Si) are characterized as having a higher mobility than those based on amorphous-silicon based transistors (a-Si). This allows the manufacture of smaller and faster transistors, which ultimately produces brighter and faster displays. One problem with p-Si based transistors is that their manufacture requires higher process temperatures than those employed in the manufacture of a-Si transistors. These temperatures range from 450° C. to 600° C. compared to the 350° C. peak temperatures typically employed in the manufacture of a-Si transistors. At these temperatures, most AMLCD glass substrates undergo a process known as compaction. Compaction, also referred to as thermal stability or dimensional change, is an irreversible dimensional change (shrinkage) in the glass substrate due to changes in the glass' fictive temperature. "Fictive temperature" is a concept used to indicate the structural state of a glass. Glass that is cooled quickly from a high temperature is said to have a higher fictive temperature because of the "frozen in" higher temperature structure. Glass that is cooled more slowly, or that is annealed by holding for a time near its annealing point, is said to have a lower fictive temperature. When a glass is held at an elevated temperature, the structure is allowed to relax its structure towards the heat treatment temperature. Since the glass substrate's fictive temperature is almost always above the relevant heat treatment temperatures in thin film transistor (TFT) processes, this structural relaxation causes a decrease in fictive temperature which therefore causes the glass to compact (shrink/densify).
It would be advantageous to minimize the level of compaction in the glass because compaction creates possible alignment issues during the display manufacturing process which in turn results in resolution problems in the finished display.
There are several approaches to minimize compaction in glass. One is to thermally pretreat the glass to create a fictive temperature similar to the one the glass will experience during the p-Si TFT manufacture. There are several difficulties with this approach. First, the multiple heating steps employed during the p-Si TFT manufacture create slightly different fictive temperatures in the glass that cannot be fully compensated for by this pretreatment. Second, the thermal stability of the glass becomes closely linked to the details of the p-Si TFT manufacture, which could mean different pretreatments for different end-users. Finally, pretreatment adds to processing costs and complexity.
Another approach is to increase the anneal point of the glass. Glasses with higher anneal will have a higher fictive temperature and will compact less than when subjected to the elevated temperatures associated with panel manufacture. The challenge with this approach, however, is the production of high annealing point glass that is cost effective. The main factors impacting cost are defects and asset lifetime. Higher anneal point glasses typically employ higher operational temperatures during their manufacture thereby reducing the lifetime of the fixed assets associated with glass manufacture.
Yet another approach involves slowing the cooling rate during manufacture. While such an approach has merits, some manufacturing techniques such as the fusion process result in rapid quenching of the glass sheet from the melt and a relatively high temperature structure is "frozen in". While some controlled cooling is possible with such a manufacturing process, it is difficult to control.

Glass with improved total pitch stability


An electrical system in a vehicle has a battery is configured to supply electrical current when a driver ignition key is in a Key-Off state. A. A plurality of electrical loads are each configurable to receive the electrical current flowing from the battery during the Key-Off state depending upon predetermined Key-Off-Load (KOL) Modes. A vehicle locator determines a geographic location of the vehicle. A sleep-time database records daily Key-On and Key-Off events according to changes between the Key-On state and the Key-Off state, wherein each Key-Off event is associated with a respective geographic location from the vehicle locator. An analyzer identifies Key-Off events sharing a repetitive time span and a common geographic location. A scheduler activates a timed KOL sequence according to the identified Key-Off events so that repetitive time slots of vehicle usage can be used to reduce battery drain during times when vehicle usage is less likely.

The present invention relates in general to battery power management in an automotive vehicle, and, more specifically, to manipulating the timing of various power states of electrical loads (e.g., vehicle sleep states) in order to avoid depletion of a vehicle battery while a vehicle is parked and to reduce battery drain that may accumulate during times that the vehicle is left unused for significant amounts of time while providing a fast response time for reactivation of the loads when a driver accesses the vehicle.
A typical automotive electrical system relies on a storage battery to power electrical system loads during times when a main electrical power source is inactive/inaccessible. In a gas-powered vehicle, the main electrical power source typically includes an alternator/generator driven by an internal combustion engine (which is started by a starter motor that is also powered by the storage battery). In an electric propulsion vehicle, the main electrical power source typically includes a high voltage/high capacity battery pack (also known as a high-voltage traction battery, which is electrically isolated when the vehicle is off, and which becomes accessible during driving by closing high voltage contactors or relays which are energized using the storage battery). Typically, the high voltage battery for vehicle propulsion supplies up to several hundred volts and has a capability of multiple-tens or hundreds of kilowatts-hour energy storage. The storage battery is a low-voltage battery, typically a 12 v battery (which may be identical to storage batteries used in a combustion engine vehicle). The storage battery has a finite charge capacity which is much smaller than the high-voltage propulsion battery, and it is important to maintain sufficient energy storage to start up the vehicle (e.g., start the combustion engine or close the high voltage contactors).
In a typical electric propulsion vehicle, a DC-to-DC converter is used to couple the high-voltage electric bus (powered by the high-voltage battery) to a low-voltage bus which supplies most conventional electrical loads (e.g., radio, cooling fan, lighting, and almost all ECUs used for vehicle control). The DC-to-DC converter also transfers electric energy from the high-voltage battery to the low-voltage storage battery when the low-voltage battery SOC (State-of-Charge) is lower than a certain threshold to recharge the low-voltage battery and restore its ability to support electrical loads on the low-voltage bus when the electric propulsion system is Off. A relay, which is powered by the low-voltage battery, can be used to turn the DC-to-DC converter On and Off. For example, the converter is turned off during vehicle sleep. The converter may be automatically turned On when it is detected that the low-voltage battery SOC is lower than the threshold, so that the low-voltage battery can be charged to a higher value.
In this scenario, the DC-to-DC converter may be frequently turned On during vehicle sleep in order to charge the low-voltage battery. Consequently, the remaining SOC of the high-voltage battery will be reduced (whereby the vehicle driving distance before recharging the high-voltage battery is also reduced). In addition, charging/discharging throughput of the low-voltage battery will be increased with the frequent discharging (by the KOL with higher current draw) and frequent recharging. Battery failure rate is directly proportional to the battery lifetime-accumulated charging/discharging throughput, and battery warranty will be increased for vehicles with high KOL.
Many modern electronic vehicle systems operate continuously even when the vehicle is in a parked, unattended state when the storage battery is the only available power source. Examples of electronic modules that must be powered at all times include those that perform functional operations while parked (e.g., antitheft systems and remote entry systems) and those that just need a reduced amount of power to maintain memory contents or monitor/measure various conditions or electrical communication signals (e.g., in a sleep mode). Other modules may continue to operate for a specified time after the driver shuts off the vehicle, but can be powered off after the specified time (e.g., courtesy lighting).
Since a vehicle may remain parked for long periods of time, it is important to limit battery drain so that a sufficient battery state-of-charge is still available to activate the vehicle (e.g., start the engine or close the contactors) when the user returns. Therefore, the vehicle manufacturer specifies limits for the current drawn by various modules under each of the conditions which may arise. In particular, quiescent current limits are set for the modules which apply during times that the vehicle ignition switch has been OFF for a specified time and there has been no user activity. On the other hand, some loads such as a large screen driver information system (e.g., the Ford Sync® system) may take an undesirably long time to activate (e.g., boot up) if they have been put into a fully depowered state or low-powered (sleep) state so that a driver has to wait to use the device as intended. Therefore, multiple levels of sleep states (e.g., from a light sleep state to a deep sleet state) can be used which drop to progressively lower current levels after longer periods of time as a tradeoff between quick availability of a driver information system and the preservation of sufficient battery power for restarting the vehicle.
To increase the time spans for which a light sleep mode can be maintained, a storage battery having a larger charge capacity is sometimes used. The bigger battery allows a higher draw for a certain period of time, but the time available for the light sleep mode is still limited. Furthermore, various penalties are incurred with respect to vehicle cost, packaging space, weight, and warranty costs.
In a multi-level Key-Off-Load management system, there may be a first (deepest) KOL Mode referred to as KOL-1 which allows a maximum quiescent current of no more than 8 milliamps (mA). KOL-1 is typically used only in a newly manufactured vehicle during a vehicle transport mode when it is being delivered to a dealership. A next deepest KOL Mode referred to as KOL-2 may allow a maximum quiescent current of no more than 20 mA. This may be considered to be a normal sleep state in which some modules are still partially powered (e.g., to provide capability of entry keypad detection and other vehicle normal monitoring operations) during the Key Off condition. A KOL-3 Mode may be provided which allows a maximum quiescent current of up to 50 mA in order to allow full activation of some features. For example, luxury vehicles may operate a Welcome function such as welcome lighting based on detection of the approach of the user to the vehicle (e.g., polling to detect a wireless device on the user). A KOL-4 Mode may be provided which allows a maximum quiescent current of up to 500 mA. This higher level of current draw may be used to keep large display panels or other ECU and computerized systems partially powered during vehicle sleep to provide for a quick bootup (e.g., a few seconds instead of 30 seconds or more for a depowered display system). Even with enhanced storage battery capacities, a KOL-4 Mode can typically be maintained for only about 14 to 24 hours. It should be noted that not all four of the above modes would necessarily be implemented in any particular vehicle, and a fewer number of modes can be used. For example, the KOL-3 Mode and KOL-4 Mode as described above may be combined into a single mode (i.e., a Welcome function and fast-bootup mode of a display system can be controlled together). Furthermore, the KOL modes are subsets of one another, such that when KOL-4 is On then KOL-1, KOL-2, and KOL-3 are also On, when KOL-3 is On then KOL-1 and KOL-2 are also On, and when KOL-2 is On then KOL-1 is also On. In other words, a higher mode may activate certain loads at a higher current draw but any loads other than the ones specifically modified for that mode continue to operate as defined at the lower modes.
In view of the disadvantages of known power management schemes, it would be desirable to manage key-off-loads in a manner that better preserves battery capacity while improving the duration of time over which fast bootups can be obtained.

History-based and location-based control of vehicle key-off loads


The invention provides a handle for a rotational atherectomy device, the handle including a guide wire clamp and a turbine brake operatively interconnected with the guide wire clamp so that the brake automatically prevents rotation of the turbine when the guide wire is unclamped. The brake is movable from a brake-released position to a brake-engaged position, in which position the brake prevents rotation of the turbine. A manual override is also provided, permitting unclamping of the guide wire independent of the position of the brake.

A variety of techniques and instruments have been developed for use in the removal or repair of tissue in arteries and similar body passageways. A frequent objective of such techniques and instruments is the removal of atherosclerotic plaque in a patient's arteries. Atherosclerosis is characterized by the buildup of fatty deposits (atheromas) in the intimal layer (i.e., under the endothelium) of a patient's blood vessels. Very often over time what initially is deposited as relatively soft, cholesterol-rich atheromatous material hardens into a calcified atherosclerotic plaque. Such atheromas restrict the flow of blood, and therefore often are referred to as stenotic lesions or stenoses, the blocking material being referred to as stenotic material. If left untreated, such stenoses can cause angina, hypertension, myocardial infarction, strokes and the like.
Several kinds of atherectomy devices have been developed for attempting to remove some or all of such stenotic material. In one type of device, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,134 (Auth), a rotating burr covered with an abrasive cutting material, such as diamond grit (diamond particles or dust), is carried at the distal end of a flexible, rotatable drive shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,438 (Shturman) shows another atherectomy device having a rotatable drive shaft with a section of the drive shaft having an enlarged diameter, at least a segment of this enlarged diameter section being covered with an abrasive material to define an abrasive segment of the drive shaft. When rotated at high speeds, the abrasive segment is capable of removing stenotic tissue from an artery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,407 (Auth) shows details of a type of handle which may be used in conjunction with rotational atherectomy devices of the type shown in the Auth '134 and Shturman '438 patents. A handle of the type shown in the Auth '407 patent has been commercialized by Heart Technology, Inc. (Redmond, Wash.), now owned by Boston Scientific Corporation (Natick, Mass.) in the rotational atherectomy device sold under the trademark Rotablator.RTM..
The Rotablator.RTM. device is depicted in FIG. 1, and includes a compressed gas driven turbine located inside a handle housing A. The compressed gas driven turbine is connected to a drive shaft B having an abrasive coated burr C at its distal end. The drive shaft and the burr are rotated at high speeds, typically in the range of, e.g., about 150,000 to about 190,000 rpms. The drive shaft is designed to be advanced over and rotated around a guide wire D. For most of its length the drive shaft is disposed inside a catheter E. The guide wire D must be clamped in some fashion to prevent it from rotating when the turbine and drive shaft are rotated, because uncontrolled rotation of the very flexible distal end portion of the guide wire could cause damage to the artery. For that purpose the Rotablator.RTM. device includes a pneumatic guide wire clamp built into the proximal end portion of the handle housing A. Compressed gas is supplied to the pneumatic guide wire clamp by a flexible gas supply tube F. This gas supply tube F is connected to a rigid conduit G (shown in FIGS. 3-5) that extends through the handle housing A and is connected to a flexible U-shaped tube H which supplies compressed gas to the turbine.
Under certain circumstances, however, it is desirable to override the guide wire clamp and release the guide wire from the clamp even when the turbine and the drive shaft are rotated. For example, it is useful to do so when both the drive shaft and the catheter are advanced over the guide wire to a position within a human artery or when they are removed from the human body. Sometimes it is also useful to override the guide wire clamp to permit advancement or retraction of the guide wire within the rotating drive shaft.
The proximal end portion of the handle of the Rotablator.RTM. device is shown in FIG. 2, and the details of the pneumatic guide wire clamp are shown in FIGS. 3-5. The clamp includes a pair of clamping blocks I on opposite sides of the guide wire. Each clamping block has an inner surface for engaging the guide wire D. Each clamping block also has an outer, tapered surface. A movable pneumatic piston L is provided within the handle, the piston having a proximal end with a central tapered portion in alignment with the outer tapered surfaces of the clamping blocks I.
A coil spring M is provided to normally bias the piston L distally away from the clamping blocks I, thus releasing the guide wire D from the clamp. FIG. 3 shows the clamp in this released position. When compressed gas is provided to a piston chamber N on the distal side of the piston L, the compressed gas urges the piston L proximally, overcoming the force of the spring M and moving the piston into the position shown in FIG. 4. (In FIGS. 4-5 the path of the compressed gas is shown by arrows.) As can be seen in FIG. 4, the tapered proximal end of the piston L presses against the complementary tapered surfaces of the clamping blocks I, resulting in a compression force exerted by the clamping blocks I against the guide wire D. Thus, when compressed gas is supplied to the piston chamber N, the clamping blocks I clamp the guide wire D to prevent rotation or longitudinal movement of the guide wire D. When the supply of compressed gas to the Rotablator.RTM. atherectomy device is interrupted and, as a result, the gas pressure is released from the piston chamber N, the spring M returns the piston L to its distal position (FIG. 3), releasing pressure on the clamping blocks I and the guide wire D.
The Rotablator.RTM. device is constructed so that the piston chamber N is connected pneumatically to the compressed gas tube F that powers both the pneumatic guide wire clamp and the rotatable turbine. The compressed gas supply tube F is connected on one side of the handle housing A to the conduit G positioned inside the handle housing. The conduit G conducts the compressed gas across the handle housing into the flexible U-shaped tube H which supplies the compressed gas to the turbine. Fittings P are used to connect the gas supply tube F and the U-shaped tube H to the conduit G. The conduit G in the handle housing is pneumatically connected to internal passageways which conduct the compressed gas to the piston chamber N. Thus, whenever compressed gas is provided through gas supply tube F to rotate the turbine (and, therefore, the drive shaft of the atherectomy device), the compressed gas is also provided to the piston chamber N to clamp the guide wire D.
An override mechanism is provided to permit the user to release the guide wire clamp even when the compressed gas is supplied to the Rotablator.RTM. atherectomy device and the drive shaft is rotating. This override mechanism consists of a movable spool-type valve R which can be moved from the position shown in FIGS. 3-4 to the position shown in FIG. 5 by pressing on the override button S. In the position shown in FIG. 5, one end of the spool valve R has been moved to a position where it interrupts the supply of compressed gas pressure to the piston chamber N. In this position the spool valve R also vents the piston chamber N to the surrounding atmosphere, releasing the pressure on the piston L and allowing the spring M to return the piston L to its distal position, releasing the clamp even though compressed gas is supplied to rotate the turbine. The spool valve R is biased by a valve spring T to return to the position shown in FIGS. 3-4 when manual pressure on the override button S is released.
The Rotablator.RTM. device's drive shaft begins to rotate very quickly when compressed gas is supplied to the turbine. Because its guide wire clamp can be activated only by supplying compressed gas to the turbine, the drive shaft may begin rotating, and may cause the guide wire D to begin to rotate, before the clamp has been fully activated (i.e., before the force of the spring M has been overcome and the piston L has been moved a sufficient distance to engage the clamping blocks I tightly against the guide wire D to prevent it from rotating). Thus, the Rotablator.RTM. clamp is not always as fast in its action as would be desirable. Moreover, the Rotablator.RTM. device does not provide a brake to prevent the rotation of the turbine and drive shaft when the guide wire clamp is released.