A portable perfusion/oxygenation module includes respiratory gas driven dual positive displacement pumps coupled to a stacked membrane oxygenator unit for perfusion fluid oxygenation, a valving manifold to control perfusate flow-direction coupled to an organ chamber designed to enable easy installation of organ and maintenance of intra and extra organ fluid pressure. All of the components and oxygen cylinders are fitted into an insulated chest capable of sustaining perfusion and oxygenation for 24 hours. The perfusion/oxygenation apparatus requires no electrical power, is compact with the total weight including the perfusion fluids and organ weighing less than 50 pounds. With low cumulative weight and the extremely low flow rate of gas required to pump the perfusate, the oxygen supply is capable of sustaining pumping operation for 24 hours without gas cylinder change. The dual pumps have axially aligned, commonly connected pistons using adjustable linkages that provide a simple and robust means of adjusting perfusate volume and pumping rate. No movable membranes, diaphragms or electrical power are required to deliver oxygenated perfusate.

The ability to maintain organs by gravity-fed oxygenated perfusion fluids was described as early as 1907 by Locke. Perfusion of oxygenated, balanced salt solutions containing sugars to meet energy requirements was shown to be superior to earlier perfusion systems where no sugars nor oxygenation was employed. Living hearts have been maintained viable for 24 hours using those early systems. Preservation of hearts for subsequent transplantation into a recipient animal was also described in literature in 1960 as was the benefit of chilling the organs to 4.degree. C. in the storage condition.
The art and science of organ transplantation has developed rapidly since 1960, due largely to improved methods of suppressing immune rejection of the transplanted organ by the transplant recipient. Presently, donor organs are collected under sterile conditions and are transported to the operating room of a designated base facility where the transplant recipient is standing by. Transportation of the organ is done using portable insulated containers kept at 4.degree. C. by blocks of ice, the organ itself being suspended in a container bathed by the balanced, chilled solution. However, perfusion of fluid through the vessels or cavities of the organ is not practiced nor is oxygenation of the solutions, although the value of such procedures is established and widely recognized. Failure to apply these preferred methods is due to the excess quantity of oxygen required to circulate oxygenated fluid through the pressure dependent perfusion pumps.
Practical use of oxygenated perfusion requires that the organ transport apparatus be self-contained, pump for a minimum of 24 hours and have compact size and low weight so that one person can carry the entire apparatus unassisted. Its size should allow ready transport in standard vehicles such as small cars, helicopters, and jet aircraft. Since fluid oxygenation and organ perfusion are not presently used, the distance between donor and recipient is severely restricted as unperfused hearts progressively deteriorate. Four hours is regarded as the upper limit that a viable organ can be transplanted with a margin of anticipated success.
The ability to transport perfused and oxygenated organs over longer distances and/or for longer times would significantly improve the successful use of donor organs because (1) organs would be in better physiological condition; (2) a larger selection of donor organs might become available; (3) time for better donor matching could influence better organ acceptability; (4) potential recipients might not have to be restricted to a base site; (5) surgical teams could have more predictable scheduling; (6) recipients of better quality organs would likely have a shorter clinical recovery and thus better well-being as well as cost saving; (7) a world-wide network of donors and recipients would be feasible.
The use of perfused, oxygenated and nutrient-balanced salt solutions at a reduced temperature enhances the viability of the transplant organ in several ways: lowering of the perfusion fluid and organ temperature lowers the metabolic activity of the organ's cells and hence reduces the demand for physiologic oxygen levels and consumption of nutrients. Reduction in cell metabolism also reduces the rate of production of by-products of metabolism such as CO.sub.2 and lactic acid, thus further reducing tissue damage and stabilizing perfusate pH and osmotic balance. Lowering of the temperature reduces the demand for oxygen and hence protects against inadequate oxygen levels that could result in ischemic tissue. In whole blood perfusate, oxygen transport is enhanced as a consequence of the hemoglobin in red blood cells serving to load, transport, and unload the oxygen in tissues of lower oxygen concentration.
Since perfusion fluids typically do not contain red blood cells, oxygen transportation is a function of the direct solubility of the gas phase (oxygen) in the perfusate solution, also being dependent upon the partial pressure of the gas phase driving gas in the liquid perfusate. Hence, satisfactory oxygen transport is achieved by exposing the perfusate to a gas phase under pressure, the pressure available being limited by the design of the oxygenating chamber and also by the limits of perfusion pressure that can be applied within the vessels of the perfused organ without causing damage. Because of the low oxygen demand of chilled tissue, the solubility of oxygen in water under low partial pressure is adequate to supply cell-tissue needs for maintenance oxygen levels.

Portable perfusion/oxygenation module having mechanically linked dual pumps and mechanically actuated flow control for pulsatile cycling of oxygenated perfusate


A transmission control method includes sending or receiving, by a first device, first data to or from a second device through a first communication connection, detecting, by the first device when sending or receiving the first data to or from the second device through the first communication connection, that an error has occurred on the first communication connection, and sending, by the first device, error information of the first communication connection to the second device through a second communication connection, where the second communication connection is different from the first communication connection, and the error information indicates that the error has occurred on the first communication connection.

Wireless local area network (WLAN) technologies enable a user to conveniently access a network resource wirelessly anytime and anywhere. WI-FI is widely applied as a WLAN technology. After being connected to a WI-FI hotspot, a device may transmit data through a WI-FI network provided by the WI-FI hotspot.
However, in a process in which the device establishes a Wi-Fi connection to the Wi-Fi hotspot, if an error occurs on the Wi-Fi connection, the device can be reconnected to the Wi-Fi hotspot in response to a user's operation only after an error prompt is displayed. If the error occurs on the Wi-Fi connection, the device can re-establish the Wi-Fi connection only after the user's operation. Consequently, efficiency of establishing the Wi-Fi connection by the device is relatively low.
In addition, in a process in which the device transmits a file through the Wi-Fi network, an error that occurs on a Wi-Fi connection of either transmission party can cause a file transmission error. In this case, the other party cannot sense the file transmission error in time, and devices of both parties can re-establish the Wi-Fi connection to each other only after a user's operation, to continue to transmit the file.


A method, and a system for carrying out that method, for deterministically matching first elements of a first set of objects or events with second elements of a second set of objects or events. Matching first and second elements are associated with common values of an identification code pn having |pn| characters, and where the identification code can be insufficient to uniquely identify the first elements, and portions of the identification code values associated with the first and second elements can be unknown. The method includes the steps of: a) generating a mapping θ for the first set such that, for each element li of the first set θ(li) equals <ki, ppni>, where pni is at least a portion of the identification code value associated with the element li and ppni is defined as the first ki characters of pni, and ki is selected to be the minimum number of characters required to uniquely identify li in the first set, whereby values for ki greater than |pn| imply that the element li is not uniquely identified by the portion ppni; b) determining pnj for an element ej in the second set, where pnj is at least a portion of the identification code value associated with the element ej; and c) matching the element ej and the element li only if the first ki characters of pnj equal ppni and not matching the element ej and the element li if the element li is not uniquely identified in the first set by the portion pnj. The system can be controlled in accordance with program code on a computer readable medium. In one embodiment of the invention the first elements are letters and the second elements are events which occur during processing of the letters. In another embodiment of the invention the method includes a step of performing an additional consistency test and matching said letter li and event ej only if said consistency test confirms such match.

Definitions:
S:"the set S"|S|:"the number of elements in S."|x|:"the number of characters in 'x'"S U s:"the addition of element s to S"<v1, . . . vn>:"the n-tuple of values vi"→:"maps to"
The subject invention relates to deterministic matching of objects or events in a first set with objects or events in a second set when the objects or events are not all uniquely identified. More particularly it relates to matching letters to events which occur during the delivery of such letters. By "deterministic matching" herein is meant matching of events (or elements in the second set) to letters (or elements in the first set) if and only if sufficient information is available to uniquely associate events with particular letters.
It is often useful to be able to match objects or events in a first set with objects or events in other sets. For example, a hypothetical automobile assembly process may require that a particular engine be assembled with a particular style body, paint color, etc. to produce a car as ordered. An effective way to achieve this is to associate codes with the objects or events to be matched so that objects or events which match are associated with the same code. This a relatively simple process where the codes suffice to uniquely identify the objects or events within each set. However, if the codes are not sufficient to uniquely identify the objects or events which match, the task of matching becomes much more difficult. Thus, in the automotive example given above, if order number 123456 calls for a high performance engine but the engine is coded 12345; either because of a mistake or because of a systematic problem (e.g. the engine encoder can only specify 5 digits) it may or may not be possible to deterministically match the engine to an order. Assuming that it is desirable that orders be filled in the normal process where possible, but more important that no unordered cars be assembled; the need for a deterministic matching method can be seen.
An actual example of a process in which a deterministic matching method can be used to good effect is the mail tracking program recently introduced by the United States Postal Service (hereinafter sometimes "USPS")under the trademark CONFIRM®. The CONFIRM program tracks mailpieces through the delivery process and provides the mailer with information about the status of the mailpiece in the delivery process.
FIG. 1 shows a simplified representation of the USPS mailpiece delivery process incorporating the CONFIRM mail tracking process. Mailers 10 deliver large mailings 12 to local postal facilities 14. Mailings 12 can comprise letters, flats, periodicals, or the like (sometimes hereinafter generally "letters") and are typically pre-sorted to various degrees by mailers 10 to obtain discounts offered by the USPS. (While the general principles of the CONFIRM process can be applied to any mailpiece or package, as currently implemented by the USPS it used for tracking large, typically pre-sorted, mailings and reply mail returned in pre-addressed and pre-coded business reply envelopes (sometimes herein "BRE's") sent out in such mailings.)
At facility 14 scanner 16 scans mailings 12 to establish the times at which mailings 12 entered the mail delivery process. Typically individual letters are not scanned at facility 14, though they can be if appropriate scanners are available, and accompanying documents(not shown) are scanned to establish the time and facility at which each of mailings 12 entered the delivery process and/or the times at which mailings 12 are sent on in the delivery process. This information is then sent to programmable data processing system (hereinafter sometimes server) 22 over one of communications links 20. (Links 20 connect various postal facilities to server 22 and can take any convenient form or forms; details of which form no part of the subject invention.) Mailings 12 and other mailpieces (not shown) are then grouped to form assemblies 28 which are then delivered to sectional postal center 30. At center 30 assemblies 28, together with other assemblies 28 from other facilities (not shown) are processed by conventional high speed scanner/sorters 32. As letters are sorted and otherwise processed at center 30 a POSTNET code (commonly known as a "zipcode" and hereinafter sometimes "pn") and a code used in the CONFIRM process known by the USPS trademark PLANET Code® (hereinafter sometimes "pc") are scanned from the letters. The pair <pn, pc> identify, though not necessarily uniquely identify, the letters within a set of letters, and events associated with those letters, as will be described further below. In accordance with USPS requirements the POSTNET Code and PLANET Code are printed as barcodes. As letters are scanned, typically for the first time at center 30, the values pn and pc are sent to sever 22 over one of links 20, where they are combined with information about mailings 12 from facility 14, as will be described further below. (Note that the PLANET Code for a letter will identify a corresponding mailing so that the time a letter entered the mail delivery process can be determined by sever 22 from information provided by facility 14.)
Sorted assemblies 36 are delivered to local postal facilities 38 for further sorting and delivery of letters l. Letters l can be scanned at facilities by scanners 40 and information including values for pn and pc sent to server 22 over one of links 20. BRE's included in mailings 12 can be returned by the receiving customers and are scanned, sorted and delivered in substantially the same manner as described above, except that BRE's are typically returned as individual letters and, of course need not follow the same path through the postal system as mailings 12.
As a letter moves through the delivery process and various steps or stages occur (hereinafter sometimes "events") and these events are recorded as an n-tuple <d, f, t, pn, pc> where:    d is the time at which the event occurred;    f is the facility at which the event occurred;    t is the type of event;    pn is the POSTNET (possibly partial) scanned from the letter when the event occurs; and    pc is the PLANET Code scanned from the letter when the event occurs.Server 22 is programmed to match these events with letters having corresponding values for the pair <pn, pc> and maintain database 24 of matched letters and events. Mailers 10 can then access database 24 through server 22 and network 42, or in any other convenient manner, to determine the status of letters in the mail delivery system. However the <pn, pc> data is often incomplete or inaccurate. Further, different letters may have the same values for <pn, pc>. Thus it is not always possible to uniquely match an event and a corresponding letter. Since mailers would rather have no tracking information than incorrect information, there is a need for a deterministic method and system which will match letters and events in the context of the USPS CONFIRM system. Current methods for matching letters and events attempt to match only those cases where the full (11 digit) POSTNET code and PLANET Code are scanned and allow matching of approximately 80 to 85% of events to letters; rejecting the remaining 15 to 20%.
Program code to control server 22 in accordance with the subject invention is provided on magnetic or optical disk 46-D and input through disk reader 46-R, or through any other suitable computer readable medium. The term "computer-readable medium" as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing program code to a processor for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, or random access read only memory. Volatile media includes random access dynamic memory. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications. By "program code" herein is meant sequences of indicia recorded on, or signals transmitted by, computer readable media, which, when input by a processor cause a processor to carry out a corresponding sequence of operations, i.e. execute the program code.
In FIG. 2 letter l includes a delivery address printed in block 50, a return address printed in block 52, a stamp or postal indicium indicating payment of postage 54, PLANET Code barcode 56, and POSTNET barcode 58. Letter l can be printed with additional markings which do not relate to the subject invention and can be arranged in somewhat different formats without affect on the teaching of the present application. Barcode 58 typically represents 5, 9, or 11 digits which specify delivery information with increasing precision. The code used is typically determined by the information available to mailer 10 or by the extent which mailer 10 wishes to pre-sort mailings 12. PLANET Code 56 can take on one of two formats, format 56-D to track delivery of letters in mailings 12 and format 56-0 to track BRE's returned by customers. Format 56-D specifies the service (e.g. first class letters, standard mail flats, etc.) subscriber (i.e. mailer) id, and mailing id. Typically there is one PLANET Code used in a mailing. Format 56-0 specifies the service and a customer id. The CONFIRM system relies on the BRE's POSTNET code to identify the mailer.
While generally the POSTNET and PLANET Code, i.e. the pair<pn, pc>, uniquely specify a letter it is apparent that this need not be so. For example, if a mailer 10 chooses not to sort a mailing 12, letters in that mailing may only have a 5 digit POSTNET code with many letters having the same value for pn. Or scanners at various facilities may not have a capability to scan a full 11 digit POSTNET code so that a event record can not always be uniquely associated with a letter record. More rarely, even the full POSTNET code will not distinguish all letters, as when two letters in a mailing are sent to the same address. (Since the CONFIRM system is relatively new it is believed all PLANET Code scanners can scan the full PLANET Code.)
(The above simplified description of the mail delivery process and the CONFIRM system is given to provide background and those skilled in the art will recognize that substantial differences from actual mail delivery can exist. Such differences however are not believed to affect the present teaching. Further details of the CONFIRM system are found in: The CONFIRM® System Customer Service Guide, United States Postal Service, publication no. 197, September 2002.)
Thus it is an object of the subject invention to provide a method and system for deterministic matching of objects and events, such as letters and events occurring as the letters are delivered, even though the letters and events are not necessarily uniquely identified.

Method and system for deterministic matching of objects and events which are not uniquely identified


A stripline RF transmission cable has a flat inner conductor surrounded by a dielectric layer that is surrounded by an outer conductor. The outer conductor has a top section and a bottom section which transition to a pair of edge sections that interconnect the top section with the bottom section. The top section, bottom section and the inner conductor may be provided with generally equal widths. An average dielectric constant of the dielectric layer may be lower between the inner conductor edges and the edge sections than between a mid section of the inner conductor and the top and the bottom sections and/or spacing between the inner conductor and the dielectric layer may be reduced proximate a mid section of the inner conductor.

Field of the Invention
RF Transmission systems are used to transmit RF signals from point to point, for example from an antenna to a transceiver or the like. Common forms of RF transmission systems include coaxial cables and striplines.
Description of Related Art
Prior coaxial cables typically have a coaxial configuration with a circular outer conductor evenly spaced away from a circular inner conductor by a dielectric support such as polyethylene foam or the like. The electrical properties of the dielectric support and spacing between the inner and outer conductor define a characteristic impedance of the coaxial cable. Circumferential uniformity of the spacing between the inner and outer conductor prevents introduction of impedance discontinuities into the coaxial cable that would otherwise degrade electrical performance.
An industry standard characteristic impedance is 50 ohms. Coaxial cables configured for 50 ohm characteristic impedance generally have an increased inner conductor diameter compared to higher characteristic impedance coaxial cables such that the metal inner conductor material cost is a significant portion of the entire cost of the resulting coaxial cable. To minimize material costs, the inner and outer conductors may be configured as thin metal layers for which structural support is then provided by less expensive materials. For example, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,809, titled "Coaxial Cable and Method of Making Same", by Moe et al, issued Oct. 5, 2004, hereby incorporated by reference in the entirety, discloses a coaxial cable structure wherein the inner conductor is formed by applying a metallic strip around a cylindrical filler and support structure comprising a cylindrical plastic rod support structure with a foamed dielectric layer there around. The resulting inner conductor structure has significant materials cost and weight savings compared to coaxial cables utilizing solid metal inner conductors. However, these structures incur additional manufacturing costs, due to the multiple additional manufacturing steps required to sequentially apply each layer of the structure.
One limitation with respect to metal conductors and/or structural supports replacing solid metal conductors is bend radius. Generally, a larger diameter coaxial cable will have a reduced bend radius before the coaxial cable is distorted and/or buckled by bending. In particular, structures may buckle and/or be displaced out of coaxial alignment by cable bending in excess of the allowed bend radius, resulting in cable collapse and/or degraded electrical performance.
A stripline is a flat conductor sandwiched between parallel interconnected ground planes. Striplines have the advantage of being non-dispersive and may be utilized for transmitting high frequency RF signals. Striplines may be cost effectively generated using printed circuit board technology or the like. However, striplines may be expensive to manufacture in longer lengths/larger dimensions. Further, where a solid stacked printed circuit board type stripline structure is not utilized, the conductor sandwich is generally not self supporting and/or aligning, compared to a coaxial cable, and as such may require significant additional support/reinforcing structure.
Competition within the RF transmission line industry has focused attention upon reducing materials and manufacturing costs, electrical characteristic uniformity, defect reduction and overall improved manufacturing quality control.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a coaxial cable and method of manufacture that overcomes deficiencies in such prior art.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Low attenuation stripline RF transmission cable


A door, such as a fire door or a security gate, for blocking a throughway or opening in an exterior or interior wall of a building, such as a doorway or countertop window, has an open position and a closed position. A force, such as gravity, a counter weight or a spring, tends to move the door toward its closed position. In the case of the fire door, a disengageable stop holds the door in its open position. The disengageable stop includes a brake actuator for releasing a brake. An expandable linkage, having a normal length and having an elongate length when an external force is applied thereto, has a first end connected to the brake actuator. A second end of the expandable linkage is connected to a fire condition sensitive device, which releases the second end upon a fire indicative condition. With the fire door, or any other type of door, a DC generator is connected to the door and produces power as the door moves from its open position to its closed position. A DC motor is also connected to the door and has an ability to move the door from its closed position to its open position. A first power terminal is connected to the motor, and adapted to receive a second terminal of a portable, rechargeable DC battery.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control device for closing and opening a door. More particularly, the present invention relates to mechanisms for facilitating various control operations of a door.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Doors which close in response to a predetermined condition, such fire doors, are well known in the background art. A fire door serves as a barrier to the spread of fire, smoke or fumes through an opening or throughway in a building interior or exterior wall. Fire doors can be stored in a ceiling, wall or floor of a building, and close downwardly, sidewardly, or upwardly, respectively, to close the throughway automatically upon a sensed condition, such as excessive heat or smoke.
A rolling fire door is usually constructed of a plurality of interconnected fire-resistant slats, which are rolled up and stored on a rotating pipe over, under, or next to a throughway. Fire doors may also be of other designs. For example, a fire door could be a solid section or a combination of solid and rolling sections. Rolling overhead fire doors and other configurations can weigh from as little as a few hundred pounds to more than a thousand pounds.
Some fire doors are designed to sit open, ever vigilant for a detected fire condition. Other fire doors are operated (e.g., opened and closed) often for security and environmental reasons. These other fire doors are usually motorized, or have a manual chain hoist, in order to facilitate the opening and closing of the fire door. Most all fire doors have one or more fire links that will allow the fire door to close when excessive heat is detected. Some fire doors are also connected to smoke detector systems and alarms, so that the fire door is closed in response to excessive smoke or a fire alarm.
Rolling fire doors typically come in four types: manual push up; manual chain hoist; electric motor operated, non-automatically resetting; and electric motor operated, automatically resetting. Each type has inherent drawbacks associated with its design. The first three types are older designs, and have similar drawbacks. The fourth type is a newer design with different drawbacks, and therefore will be discussed separately.
Because a fire condition is often accompanied by a loss of electrical power, fire doors typically rely on gravity for closing, except in the case of a lightweight door, where a spring may provide a supplemental force to assist the door in closing. Side-closing, up-closing, and flat-closing fire doors also rely on springs to provide a force in the closing direction of the fire door.
Various mechanisms have been employed to slow and control the closing rate of a fire door, such as friction brakes, counter wound torsion springs, ratcheting systems and even a hydraulic resistance system (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,452). It is important to control the closing rate, since fire doors are mandated to drop at a rate of six to twenty-four inches per second, by fire codes.
The electric motorized types and the manual chain hoist type of fire door have a mechanism, usually a gear, held in place by a frangible fire link chain. The gear drops out of the motor gearing or chain hoist (e.g., when excessive heat is detected), so that the fire door can close independent of the motor and raising/lower mechanism. To test these types of fire doors, it is necessary to disconnect the fire link chain, so that the gear drops out.
A qualified door mechanic must reset the mechanism after a door is deployed in response to a fire condition or tested. Access to the mechanism is often limited, when the mechanism is buried in the ceiling, amid ducts, wires, and pipes. Therefore, testing and resetting of fire doors can be a costly endeavor. Fire codes require an annual testing of the fire doors. Further, many industrial plants require a monthly testing to meet the conditions of their insurance policies. The required testing is not only expensive, but also time consuming to oversee, manage, and reset the fire doors.
An additional disadvantage is that these mechanisms are prone to failure in many ways. For example, the fire door may not drop at all, resulting in major losses for insurance companies when a fire occurs. As another example, these mechanisms often do not accurately control the drop rate of the fire door, causing the fire door to crash into the floor, resulting in damage to the door, and a safety risk to anyone unlucky enough to be under the fire door when it drops. Repairing the damaged door adds to the expense associated with fire door testing, and adds to the down time associated with repairing and resetting the fire door.
The electric motor operated, automatically resetting type of fire door can be tested without disconnecting the fire link chain. This type of fire door relies on a centrifugal brake. This type of fire door has no overrun control, and, in fact, the motor acts like a flywheel, increasing the overrun. The motor can freewheel at 1800 RPM, and cause damage to the top slats of the fire door, especially on smaller doors, after only a few test drops. Additionally, there is no control on the drop speed of the fire door, other than the rate of close control, determined by the centrifugal brake, since the unit is designed to work in a no power condition.
In the electric motor operated, automatically resetting type of fire door, power must be constantly provided to the motor control mechanism in order to hold the fire door open. If power is lost to the motor control mechanism, the fire door will automatically close, even if the power outage is brief, such as during an electrical storm. If the power remains off, this type of fire door cannot be reopened for emergency personnel or emergency egress. One attempt to overcome these drawbacks has been to include an expensive battery backup system for the motor control mechanism.
Another drawback of the electric motor operated types of fire doors is the requirement of a constant source of AC power. AC power lines must be ran to each fire door. This is an expensive installation. For example, in a warehouse, where a 277 volt lighting system is the only power used, the cost of running additional high capacity power lines to the fire door controllers can exceed the cost of the actual fire doors themselves. The alternatives to these motor operated types of fire doors are the manual types of fire doors (the first and second types, above), which are difficult to test and reset, as noted above.
Both electric motor operated types of fire doors (the third and fourth types) are driven down or closed by the electric motor. Since these door controllers are designed to raise the fire doors, often when the springs are unwound, the motors have sufficient torque to cause damage to, or destroy, the door slats, if the door slats become jammed or cannot travel freely to the closed position. Often the motors will run to their bottom limit with the fire door still in the open position, while twisting, jamming, and ripping the slats in the process. This condition is also possible with other types of rolling doors, such as security grills, etc.
In summary, a general drawback of the background art""s fire doors is that the typical fire door, once it closes, is difficult or impossible to open for emergency egress or to allow emergency personnel or equipment to enter. The electric types can be reopened, but only if power is still available, which is not always the case. If firemen cut a hole through the fire door to gain access, and the fire overruns their position, integrity is lost since the fire door is not and cannot be fully closed. Mechanical types of fire doors are prone to failure, and testing and resetting of the fire door is a costly operation because of the complexity of the mechanism, and the hindrance in gaining access to the operating mechanism. Electrical types of fire doors are easier to reset, but the installation of the equipment is expensive; continuous AC power is needed to keep the door open (or an expensive battery backup system); the drop rate control under a no-power situation is likely to result in damage to the door or persons in the vicinity; when powered down or closed, if the fire door does not run smoothly, the motor torque will do damage to the door slats; and once dropped, the fire doors cannot be easily reopened for egress or emergency personnel.
The present invention has as a primary object to improve on the mechanisms of the background art or to solve one or more of the drawbacks associated with the mechanisms of the background art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat or smoke actuated device, including a fire link, for actuating a fire door, wherein the device can be tested without breaking or disconnecting the fire link, and wherein every closing of the fire door constitutes a testing of the device.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved control and operating system for any type of automatically closing door, which can be opened, closed, tested, reset and controlled without the provision of any hard-wired power source.
It is an even further object of the present invention to provide a device, which harnesses energy generated by a closing door to control the closing of the door.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device, which harnesses energy generated by a closing door to power auxiliary operations.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for controlling the closing speed of a door.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to improve the resetting characteristics of a powerless door.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to improve the operational characteristics of any motor operated door.
Other objects and further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.


A time adjustment device having a reception unit that receives satellite signals transmitted from positioning information satellites; a time information generating unit that generates internal time information; a time information adjustment component that corrects the internal time information; and a reception controller that controls operation of the reception unit; wherein the satellite signal contains satellite time information that is kept by the positioning information satellite; the reception unit can select a first reception mode for receiving first information including the hour, minute, and second data in the satellite signal, and a second reception mode for receiving second information including the hour, minute, and second data, week information for the current year, month, and day, and satellite health information in the satellite signal; the time information adjustment component includes a time adjustment recording component that records whether or not the time was adjusted using the second information received in the second reception mode after the internal time information was initialized, a first time information adjustment component that controls the reception unit by way of the reception controller in the first reception mode to receive the first information, and sets the hour, minute, and second values of the internal time information based on the received first information, and a second time information adjustment component that controls the reception unit in the second reception mode to receive the second information, and sets the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second values of the internal time information using the received second information; the first time information adjustment component operates when it is recorded in the time adjustment recording component that the time was adjusted using the second information; and the second time information adjustment component operates when it is not recorded in the time adjustment recording component that the time was adjusted using the second information.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a time adjustment device that corrects the time based on signals from a positioning information satellite such as a GPS satellite, to a timepiece that has the time adjustment device, and to a time adjustment method.
2. Description of Related Art
The Global Positioning System (GPS) for determining the position of a GPS receiver uses GPS satellites that circle the Earth on known orbits, and each GPS satellite has an atomic clock on board. Each GPS satellite therefore keeps the time (referred to below as the satellite time or satellite time information) with extremely high precision.
Electronic timepieces that adjust the time using this GPS satellite time information (satellite time information) are known from the literature.
In an electronic timepiece that uses GPS satellite time information (satellite time information), the reception unit that receives signals (navigation messages) from the GPS satellites must receive the TOW signal and the WN signal that are contained in the GPS satellite signals in order to get the time information from the GPS satellite. The TOW (Time of Week) signal is also referred to as the Z count and is a GPS time value that restarts every week and denotes the number of seconds from the beginning of the GPS week. The WN (Week Number) signal is the number of the GPS week in which the current GPS time is contained.
Power consumption increases greatly if the electronic timepiece constantly receives the GPS satellite signals.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-H10-82875 therefore teaches an electronic timepiece that switches between a full-power mode in which the CPU and other parts are driven to receive the GPS satellite signal and acquire the navigation message, and a sleep mode in which the CPU is stopped and the signal is not received, and thus reduces power consumption by intermittently receiving signals from the GPS satellites.
The electronic timepiece taught in JP-A-H10-82875 enters the full-power mode when the power is turned on and when the sleep mode ends to drive the CPU and other parts and acquire the navigation message. The timepiece then extracts the time information contained in the navigation message and adjusts the time.
The time when the next navigation message is acquired, or more specifically the time for correcting the time, is then determined from the relationship between the precision of the crystal (crystal oscillator) that produces the reference clock signal of the electronic timepiece and the required accuracy of the timepiece.
The timepiece then operates in the sleep mode during which the CPU is stopped until it is time to receive the navigation message again. Operation then returns to the full-power mode after this sleep mode period passes to acquire the next navigation message and adjust the time based on the time information extracted from the navigation message.
The electronic timepiece described above enters the full-power mode and acquires the navigation message after the power turns on and when the sleep mode ends. In the full-power mode, the electronic timepiece then acquires time-related data including the Z count, the week number, the UTC parameters, and the satellite signal correction amount.
The Z count can be received every 6 seconds in the GPS satellite signal, but because the week number and other information is carried in subframe 1, which is transmitted every 30 seconds, more time is required when receiving data other than the Z count than when acquiring only the Z count.
This means that each navigation message acquisition process executed in the full-power mode is time-consuming and increased power consumption becomes a problem. As a result, when reducing power consumption in order to increase battery life is desirable such as in a wristwatch, high power consumption in the full-power mode makes it difficult to achieve the desired effect even if power consumption is reduced by inserting a sleep mode.
If much time is needed to acquire the navigation message in a mobile electronic timepiece such as a wristwatch, there is a strong possibility that movement of the electronic timepiece while the signal is being received will change the orientation of the antenna or result in the GPS satellite being hidden by a building. This increases the likelihood of a navigation message acquisition failure, and a corresponding increase in power consumption.
One conceivable solution is to inform the user that the navigation message is being received and direct the user to not move the timepiece during this time, but the timepiece must remain stationary for a relatively long time and ease of use is thus impaired.

Time adjustment device, timepiece with a time adjustment device, and a time adjustment method


An image generation system for developing three-dimensional electronic models of objects includes a scanner and a computing system. The scanner may be selectively positioned adjacent to an object in different geographic positions. The scanner may provide scanner position information and image data representative of the object to the computing system. The computing system may generate a three-dimensional electronic model of the object from the image data and the scanner position information. The three-dimensional electronic model may be stored and utilized in other applications, such as an electronic navigational map.

1. Technical Field
The invention generally relates to an electronic representation of an object, and more particularly, to a system for generating models of three-dimensional objects in an electronic form.
2. Related Art
Navigational maps may be displayed in an electronic form. Some navigational maps are electronically displayed in two-dimensions. As such, a user of a navigational map may have difficulty in orienting himself to a location on the display. Navigational maps displaying objects in three dimensions may overcome these drawbacks by displaying objects as a user would observe them in the surrounding environment.
Three-dimensional electronic representations of an object may be created using a digital camera. Another technique uses artists to manually create three-dimensional views of objects. Still another technique uses lasers. With the laser technique, a laser beam is reflected off an object to measure distances. The distances may be used to map the shape of an object and create an electronic representation. Existing laser techniques measure distance from reference points, such as metal targets that must be installed on the object. The targets may therefore be included in multiple scans of the object. The multiple scans may be manually combined into a three-dimensional representation using the targets. Known laser techniques generate only geometric shapes of objects.
In electronic navigational maps, accurate electronic representations of large multi-structural objects, such as office complexes or shopping malls may provide a bearing for one's surroundings. Visual details and other features of large objects may be needed for a user to accurately compare a displayed object to an observed surrounding. Unfortunately, electronic representations with a digital camera requires manually combining multiple electronic images that still may not provide sufficient visual details and features. Electronic representations created manually by an artist may be inaccurate, time-consuming, and costly, and may undesirably add significant data to the electronic navigational maps. Further, electronic representations with lasers require reference points on large objects that may be difficult to install and/or maintain while scanning the object. There are therefore technical problems related to accurately and efficiently creating an electronic model representative of a large object. In addition, there are technical problems related to techniques to convert each of multiple scans into a three-dimensional representation of the object.
Therefore, a need exists for systems for generating electronic representations of three-dimensional objects for use in navigational maps or other systems that overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

System for generating three-dimensional electronic models of objects


A method may include storing access rights with respect to a plurality of shared data ledgers, wherein each respective shared data ledger of the plurality of shared data ledgers comprises: a plurality of data portions; and at least one data record stored within a data portion of the plurality of data portions; receiving a request, from a requesting computing device, the request including: a requesting identifier stored in a data record of a first shared data ledger; and a request for information, associated with the requesting identifier, stored in a second shared data ledger; determining that the requesting computing device is authorized to access the information stored in the second shared data ledger based on the stored access rights; and based on the determining: accessing the information associated with the requesting identifier from the second shared data ledger; and transmitting at least a portion of the accessed information.

Different entities (e.g., companies, industries, lines of business within a company) often use different data types and data structures to store relevant data. One data type from a first entity may reference data from a second entity, which in turn references data from a third entity, and so on. There are many potential problems that may arise from this type of arrangement. For example, the first entity may not be authorized to access data from the third entity and thus must rely on the veracity of the information from the second entity. However, if the second entity has changed the data, the first entity has no way of verifying the data is valid.

System of managing data across disparate blockchains


Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for identifying affiliated domains. A method includes identifying a plurality of domains, where each domain is associated with a particular hostname and each domain includes one or more resources, identifying a set of one or more linked domains, designating one or more domains within the set of linked domains as being affiliated with the first domain, and storing the domain affiliation information. Linked domains are domains from the plurality of domains that are linked to the first domain, and a second domain is linked to the first domain if one of the first or the second domains includes resources containing navigation links to resources of the other domain.

This specification relates to identifying affiliated domains.
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a string of characters that identifies a resource (e.g., an addressable web document or file) on a computer network. A URL provides a means for locating a resource by describing the resource's location on the network. Each URL includes a hostname. A hostname is a unique name by which a network naming system identifies a particular device or group of devices that are attached to the network. Hostnames are used by naming systems for various networks (e.g., the Internet or local area networks) to identify devices that are attached to the network.
The network naming system used by the Internet, the Domain Name System (DNS), associates each hostname with a particular Internet Protocol (IP) address. An IP address can be associated with one or more distinct hostnames. For example, the DNS can map the different hostnames www.domain1.com and www.domain2.com to the same IP address. In this case, if a user inputs either hostname, by, e.g., entering the names into a web browser, the user will be routed to the same network location—the location identified by the single IP address.
In this specification, the term "domain" will be used to refer to those Internet resources that are addressable through URLs sharing the same hostname. A domain may include a very large number of resources and IP addresses, or it may include only a few resources and a single IP address. Under this definition, a domain will always be identified using its hostname: the hostname www.random.com, for example, will be used to indicate the collection of resources addressable through that hostname.
Each hostname ends in a top-level domain name. The top-level domain name can be, for example, a generic top-level domain name, e.g., .com or .gov. Alternatively, the top-level domain name can be a country code top-level domain ("ccTLD") name, e.g., .fr or .ca, which identifies the country in which the name was registered. Hostnames also include a second-level domain name immediately to the left of the top-level domain name. The second-level domain name can indicate a particular organization that is associated with the content on the domain. For example, the hostname www.random.com may indicate that the content is associated with an organization named Random, Inc. Hostnames having the same second-level domain name but different top-level domain names may be unrelated: for example, www.random.be and www.random.com may well be associated with distinct organizations.
A number of hostnames can belong to the same organization. For example, an organization can register hostnames in different countries (i.e., with a ccTLD name) in addition to registering a non-geographic hostname. The organization Random, Inc. might decide to register domain names www.random.ca and www.random.co.uk (registrations in Canada and the United Kingdom, respectively) in addition to a hostname www.random.com. The organization's websites may include substantially similar content, despite being found under different hostnames.
Search results presented to a user (e.g., in response to a search query) can include results corresponding to different resources, found on different domains, that can be considered substitutes for each other. A typical user may consider the resources on different domains belonging to the same parent organization—for example, on www.random.co.uk and on www.random.ca—to be similar enough that search results from both are redundant. The presence of such repetitive results can obscure other, unique resources identified within the search results, detracting from the effectiveness of the search algorithm.


A method and apparatus for assessing fertility in mammalian females comprising sampling cervical-vaginal fluid, measuring one or more of the sample's viscoelastic properties, and evaluating the measurement to determine fertility. Preferable embodiments of the current invention may utilize measurement of the viscoelastic property of die swell ratio, or other viscoelastic properties of cervical-vaginal fluid.

1. Field of Invention
The present application relates generally to medicine and veterinary practice, and, more particularly, methods and apparatus useful for assessing the level of fertility in mammalian females.
2. Background of the Invention
Methods and devices for assessing the level of a woman's, or female mammal's, fertility are important for primarily two reasons: contraception and, conversely, improving the likelihood of conception.
Contraceptive use in the United States is virtually universal among women of reproductive age: 98% of all women who ever had intercourse had used at least one contraceptive method in a 2002 survey (W D Mosher et al., "Use of Contraception and Use of Family Planning Services in the U.S.: 1982-2002", Advance Data, 350:1-36, Dec. 10, 2004, Center for Disease Control (CDC)). The CDC statistics show a high rate of experience with non-chemical and non-barrier methods of contraception. In 2002 the percentage of women 15-44 years of age who have ever had sexual intercourse and who have ever used calendar rhythm was 13.9-16.6%, periodic abstinence/natural family planning was 1.9%-4.7%, and withdrawal was 47.2-59.7% (WD Mosher et al., Advance Data 350:1-36, Dec. 10, 2004, CDC). These data suggest that there is an interest in more "natural" methods of family planning. Fertility experts feel there is a need for "safer, more effective, and more user-friendly contraceptives." (V F Strauss and M. Kafrissen, "Waiting for the second coming", Nature 432: 43-45, 2004).
The other issue of family planning—improving the rate of pregnancy—is not addressed by hormonal or barrier contraception. Sexual intercourse is unlikely to result in conception unless it occurs during the 6-day fertile interval ending on the day of ovulation (D B Dunson et al., Human Reproduction 14:1835-1839, 1999; A J Wilcox et al., NEJM 333:1517-1521, 1995). A problem with fertility is defined as a year of unprotected coitus without conception. This affects 10-15% of couples of reproductive age, and is largely due to improperly timed attempts at conception. Thus, a family planning method that could be used to determine a woman's level of fertility, and thereby increase the probability of pregnancy, would be extremely useful.
Over the past several years there has been much interest in developing methods to predict and detect the time of ovulation and measure the level of fertility throughout the human menstrual cycle. For various health, religious, and philosophic reasons there is a great interest in natural methods of birth control which utilize biologic indicators of fertility to define an interval of sexual abstinence (G Freundl et al., Gynaekologe, 31:398-409, 1998; The European Natural Family Planning Study Groups, Adv Contraception 15:69-83, 1999).
One such method of using biological indicators to assess female fertility, described in U.S. Patent Application #20050171454, employs analysis of a urinary metabolite of estrogen (estrone-3-glucuronide) and luteinizing hormone (LH). One of the primary drawbacks of this method is practicality, as this test is expensive and requires considerable reagents. Additional impracticability, and inaccuracy, may abound in that the levels of urinary estrone-3-glucuronide may be variably connected with the level of fertility depending on the quality of cervical-vaginal secretions. Thus the biological indicator employed in that test may be a derivative, and a step removed, from the primary indicator of cervical-vaginal secretion quality. Other methods of measuring various hormones, such as progesterone, have similar issues of cost, reliability and accuracy.
Many of the other natural methods of family planning in current use (e.g., Billings Method) depend on indicators such as the texture and sensations of cervical mucus and cervical-vaginal secretions to predict the fertile phase of the cycle (J J Billings, The Ovulation Method Manual, Family of Americas Foundation, The Liturgical Press Collegeville, Minn., 1994). These methods are individualistic and subjective, and thus lack quantifiable and objective data for determining the level of a female's fertility.
Some female fertility assessment methods attempt to quantify the various qualities of the cervical mucus, based on the strong correlation between the quality of this fluid and the fertility of a female. Some of the these methods include using a refractomeric device to measure the refractive index of cervical mucus (U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,591), or using acoustic waves to measure the viscosity of cervical mucus (U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,714). Both of these methods again have problems of consistency and accuracy. Additionally, and importantly, both of these methods are impractical for personal use, as it is extremely difficult for women to obtain pure cervical mucus on their own.
The volume of cervical-vaginal secretions has also been employed as a biological indicator of female fertility. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,362, a Volumetric Vaginal Aspirator has been developed to allow women to take and read the volume of a daily sample of their cervical-vaginal secretions, and observe the timing of a volume peak that occurred approximately simultaneously with the peak in serum estradiol that precedes ovulation—thus predicting fertility. However, tests have shown that this volumetric analysis was able to predict fertility consistently in only a small proportion of women (A M Flynn et al., Human Reproduction 12: 1826-1931). Additionally, many women may not obtain sufficient cervical-vaginal fluid during the fertile period to register a significant enough change indicative of ovulation. Thus, volumetric analysis of cervical-vaginal fluids is also hampered by relatively low sample volumes (˜0.2 ml. at volume peak) in some women.
Other devices have attempted to measure the electrical resistance of vaginal fluid. However, again it appears that the measurement phenomena are not always demonstrably reliable.

Die swell fertility assessment for humans and other mammals: apparatus and method


Resource allocation in a contact center can be performed using a network of nodes. Such a network of nodes can be organized according into resource nodes, domain nodes, and service nodes, with paths from the domain nodes, through the service nodes, to the resource nodes being used in the allocation.

Often, in order to handle contact center resource allocation, the prior art has utilized sophisticated rules engines to place contacts into a queue from which they would be dequeued as appropriate resources become available. These rules engines can be beneficial because they allow the implementation of queuing strategies which are fine tuned to a particular business' needs. However, while these rules engines can be used to implement queuing strategies, they suffer from many drawbacks. For example, in prior art rules based systems, the rules engine itself creates a bottleneck, where any processing must take place using the rules engine. This can make it difficult for prior art rules based systems to adapt to changing conditions because continuously re-evaluating rules in order to requeue contacts as might be necessary can place a significant processing burden on the rules engine, thereby increasing the response time necessary for the engine to allocate incoming contacts to a queue. To avoid this result, in many cases, prior art rules based systems will not requeue contacts once they have been assigned. However, this has the negative effect of reducing those systems' flexibility. Thus, there is a need in the art for a queuing system which can allow contacts to be intelligently queued among multiple queues, while also avoiding the drawbacks of known rules engine based systems.

Method and system for hierarchy based contact routing


A child-restraint seat is provided including a seat shell adapted to be coupled to a vehicle seat by a seat anchor coupled to the vehicle, a child-restraint harness coupled to the seat shell, a harness-control panel for adjusting the height of the harness, and a panel height adjustment mechanism coupled to the harness-control panel. The seat shell includes a bottom seat portion and a back support portion. The harness-control panel is mounted on the seat shell for up and down movement relative to the seat shell to raise and lower the shoulder belt portions of the child-restraint harness with respect to the bottom seat portion to harness small-sized children and large-sized children in a restrained position in the seat shell. The harness-control panel includes a belt-receiving opening for receiving a shoulder belt portion of the child-restraint harness. The panel-height adjustment mechanism of the seat includes a handle bar having a first arm coupled to the harness-control panel and a second arm spaced-apart from the first arm and also coupled to the harness-control panel, and a belt support bar movably coupled to the first and second arms of the handle bar to engage and disengage a panel height locator on the seat shell to secure the harness-control panel at a desired height.

The present invention relates to seats for use by children in vehicles and, particularly, to seats having child-restraining harness belts and to seats configured to seat older children in a restrained fashion using adult vehicle lap and shoulder belts. More particularly, the present invention relates to a child vehicle seat with a child-restraint harness adjustment mechanism and to a child vehicle seat with a headrest adjustment mechanism.
Many child car seats are formed to include several sets of shoulder belt-receiving apertures in a back wall of the car seat so that the car seat can be adapted by a user to restrain children of different sizes. To accommodate an infant, the two shoulder belts are uncoupled from other portions of the car seat harness, passed through a lowest pair of shoulder belt-receiving apertures formed in the back wall of the car seat, and then recoupled to the car seat harness.
As the infant grows, the caregiver must repeat the belt installation procedure described above using other higher sets of belt-receiving apertures formed in a higher portion of the back wall of the car seat to enlarge the child car seat harness to accommodate the growing child. U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,047 to James M. Kain, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses a car seat that is adaptable to hold infants, toddlers, and juveniles and, in particular, is adaptable to adjust the size of the child-restraint harness quickly and easily to accommodate children of various sizes in the child car seat.
In accordance with the present invention, a child-restraint seat includes a seat shell adapted to seat a child, a child-restraint harness coupled to the seat shell, and a harness-control panel formed to include a belt-receiving opening receiving a shoulder belt portion of the child-restraint harness. The harness-control panel is mounted on the seat shell for up and down movement relative to the seat to raise and lower the shoulder belt portion of the child-restraint harness with respect to a bottom seat portion of the seat so as to harness both small-sized and large-sized children properly in a restrained position in the seat.
The child-restraint seat further includes a panel-height adjustment mechanism coupled to the harness-control panel and provided to move the harness-control panel up and down relative to the seat shell. The panel-height adjustment mechanism includes a handle bar, a belt support bar coupled to the handle bar, and a first and second spring each coupled to the belt support bar and the handle bar. The handle bar includes a first arm coupled to the harness control panel, a second arm spaced-apart from the first arm and coupled to the harness-control panel, and a grip member coupled to and positioned to lie between the first and second arms of the handle bar. The belt support bar is coupled to and positioned to lie between the first and second arms of the handle bar. The belt support bar is also movable in a generally horizontal direction relative to the harness-control panel.
In preferred embodiments, the harness-control panel includes a back plate having a front side and a back side which is positioned to lie adjacent the seat shell. The harness-control panel further includes two posts coupled to the back side of the back plate. Each post forms a cavity for receiving one of the first and second arms of the handle bar therein. Each of the first and second arms, therefore, is positioned to pass through one of two guide slots formed in a back support portion of the seat shell to guide the up and down movement of the harness-control panel and panel-height adjustment mechanism relative to the seat shell.
A middle portion of the first shoulder belt passes through a first slot in the back panel and a matching first channel in the back support portion and connects to the height-adjustment apparatus. Likewise, a middle portion of the second shoulder belt passes through a second slot in the back panel and a matching second channel in the back support portion and connects to the height-adjustment apparatus. By operating the panel height-adjustment mechanism it is possible at the option of a caregiver either to raise the harness-control panel higher above the bottom seat portion, thereby raising the shoulder belts higher so as to accommodate and harness a larger-sized child or to lower the harness-control panel closer to the bottom seat portion, thereby moving the shoulder belts lower so as to accommodate and harness a smaller-sized child.
Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

Child vehicle seat with child-restraint harness adjustment mechanism


A localized surface area of an open foam type metal substrate of an electrochemical cell electrode, where the substrate is filled with active material and compressed, is subjected to light pressure scrubbing by a heated soldering iron tip subjected to ultrasonic vibration to quickly dislodge the active material network of the open foam type metal substrate. Compressed air at approximately 100 psi is blown through the open foam type metal substrate to remove dislodged active material particles from the foam type metal substrate to permit effective welding of a metal terminal connection to the substrate at the localized area after cleaning. Alternatively, both opposite surfaces of the open foam type metal substrate at the localized area may be brushed to initially dislodge the active material from the pores of the open foam type metal substrate and the dislodged particles blown through the substrate from one surface to the other. Preferably, suction is applied to the opposite surface of the substrate from that subjected to the compressed air blowing to facilitate the removal of dislodged particles of active material.

Attempts have been made to successfully bond a metal strip connector to an electrode incorporating a foam type substrate for an electrochemical cell, particularly applicable to electrochemical cells having an alkaline electrolyte with at least one of the electrodes taking the form of a porous metal substrate containing active material. Typically, such substrate functions as a porous support or lattice structure, and wherein similar to a sponge, voids are interconnected in a three-dimensional network classically referred to as "foam". Such lattice structure substrate prior to being filled with active material has a porosity in excess of 95%. After filling of the pores with active material, the electrode is compressed to a design thickness to facilitate assembly and proper cell operation after manufacture of the cell.
In investigations undertaken by the applicant and the corporate assignee of this application, it was determined that considerable problems arise when connecting nickel connector strips, conventionally called "Ni-tabs" to the foam type substrate electrodes, conventionally termed "Ni-foam electrodes". The investigations resulted in an appreciation that it is not possible to weld onto foam containing active material. Attempts made to ultrasonically weld the Ni-tab directly to the Ni(OH).sub.2 pasted foam failed due to the resistivity of the paste. In the investigations, effort was concentrated on the removal of a Ni(OH).sub.2 paste off a Ni-foam porous substrate and to perform the weld. Air jets applied locally on a limited area of the Ni-foam substrate at 100 psi compressed air pressure failed to remove the paste. Initial efforts at ultrasonic paste removal were also unsuccessful.
Subsequent to the making of the claimed invention herein, the applicant became aware of the existence of U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,969, issued Feb. 11, 1992 and entitled "METHOD OF BONDING A METAL CONNECTION TO AN ELECTRODE HAVING A FOAM TYPE SUBSTRATE FOR AN ELECTROCHEMICAL CELL, AND AN ELECTRODE OBTAINED BY THE METHOD" to Jean-Marc Guerinault and Joel Brunarie of France, and assigned to SAFT of Romainville, France, the parent of the corporate assignee of this application, SAFT AMERICA, INC.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,969 recognizes a common bonding problem in this art and solves that problem by a different bonding method for bonding a metal strip connector to an electrode having a compressed foam type substrate filled with active material. The bonding method comprises forming at least one hole through the compressed active material filled foam type substrate and a surrounding zone, causing a metal tongue to penetrate superficially into a first face of the electrode and welding a metal strip connector to the metal tongue from the opposite face of the electrode, with welding being effected through the hole in the electrode. Preferably, the metal strip connector includes a boss sized to and received in the hole to facilitate welding of the connector to the tongue from the end of the boss penetrating the hole.
While such bonding of the metal strip connector to the foam type substrate is successful, it requires the incorporation of a separate metal tongue or backing member, thereby increasing the thickness and bulk of the connection at the substrate, it reduces the active area of the active filled porous substrate available and tends to stiffen the cell structure in the vicinity of the active area of the substrate.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved, low cost, high-speed method of removing the Ni(OH).sub.2 active material within a localized area, preferably throughout a foam type substrate from one face to the other, which method is applicable to fully automated process manufacturing of electrochemical cells, which readily permits subsequent direct welding of a Ni-tab to the Ni(OH).sub.2 paste-free foam at the localized area of paste removal, which eliminates the need for a tongue or backing member and which neither destroys nor deforms the Ni-foam substrate in the localized area effected by the cleaning process and the subsequent welding or areas outside thereof, and which effects a connection between the Ni-tab and the Ni-foam electrode of satisfactory strength and of low electrical resistance.

High-speed non-destructive cleaning of metal foam substrate of electromechanical cell electrodes


Apparatus and method are disclosed for minimizing performance degradation in a laser device having a laser cavity operating in a predetermined spatial mode having predetermined light beam wavefronts within the laser cavity mode. An optically transmissive unit is placed within the laser cavity and has at least one intracavity optical surface that may be positioned at or provides one end of a laser medium that is within the laser cavity with the intracavity optical surface being coincident with the laser mode wavefronts in order to minimize power losses in the laser device due to contamination buildup at the intracavity optical surface. The optic unit may also include a second optical surface that is less exposed to contamination and has a configuration suitable for providing needed focal properties for the optic unit, and one or more of the optical surfaces may have a reflection coating thereon. Contamination buildup on the optical surfaces causes a change in reflectance with an increase in reflectance resulting in power losses in the laser cavity. The effect of increased reflectance is minimized by curvature and/or orientation selection of the intracavity optical surface such that the light reflected from the surface is maintained within the laser cavity as occurs when the surface is coincident with the light beam wavefronts.

Laser devices are now well known, and it is likewise well known that laser devices can provide relatively high power outputs. In addition, it is known that transmissive optics can be utilized intracavity in a laser device, and such use is shown, by way of example, in FIG. 1, illustrating, typically, a laser 5 having a laser cavity 7 extending between mirrors 9 and 11 with lens 13 positioned in the laser cavity between mirror 9 and Brewster window 15 of a laser medium 17 (shown in FIG. 1 as a gas laser medium within the laser cavity).
Power degradation in laser devices due to contamination buildup on intracavity optical surfaces has, however, been a serious problem in many applications, and often dictates the service interval for current commercial instrumentation that is based on low-loss laser devices.
It has been observed that mirror surfaces, for example, show lower apparent degradation rates than anti-reflection coated surfaces of transmissive optics, even when in similar environments. This observation is consistent with the contamination that consists of substantially non-absorbing (or dielectric) Material that condenses to form relatively uniform films oil intracavity surfaces.
A dielectric film deposited on a mirror surface will typically degrade its nominally high reflectance only a small amount, while a dielectric film deposited on an anti-reflection coated surface, or on a Brewster surface, normally raises its nominally low reflectance, and at least in some cases, does so quite dramaticaly.
Currently, increased reflectance on the surfaces of transmissive optics has been ignored, or at least inadequately handled, in laser based devices, and this has caused degradation of the performance of such devices. In particular, the curvature and orientation of surfaces of transmissive optics are now commonly chosen without regard to how light reflected from the surface propagates with respect to the cavity mode, and hence the light reflected from the surface is lost from the laser cavity, resulting in power losses.

Apparatus and method for minimizing performance degradation in a laser device


An optical transmitter includes a light-emitting element, a driving circuit, a temperature detection unit, a storage device and a control circuit. The driving circuit causes, based on an input signal, the light-emitting element to emit an optical signal having a pulse shape. The temperature detection unit detects an ambient temperature of the light-emitting element. The storage device stores temperature characteristics information of the light-emitting element. The control circuit controls the driving circuit based on the ambient temperature detected by the temperature detection unit and the temperature characteristic information stored in the storage device, so that an extinction ratio of the optical signal having the pulse shape becomes substantially constant.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an optical transmitter for performing communication by generating optical signals having a pulse shape from a light-emitting element; an optical communication system; and a method for adjusting the optical transmitter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the optical communication, in order to assure transmission quality, it is necessary to maintain an average light properly in the optical transmission.
FIG. 7 shows examples of waveforms of output signals having a pulse shape emitted from a light-emitting element. FIG. 7A shows ideal waveforms. FIG. 7B shows waveforms in the case where an extinction ratio is lowered although an average light intensity of the output signals is the same as that in FIG. 7A.
The output signals having the pulse shape emitted from the light-emitting element take either an H level or an L level. As shown in FIG. 7A, an average value of a light intensity P1 corresponding to the H level and a light intensity P0 corresponding to the L level constitutes an average light intensity. As the average light intensity is larger, the optical signals are less susceptive to noise. However, it has been known that even through the average light intensity of the output signals is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, when an extinction ratio "re" of the output signals is lowered, the transmission state of communication deteriorates. Here, the extinction ratio "re" is expressed by the following formula,re=10×log(P1/P0)   (1)
FIG. 8 illustrates relationships between a driving current and a light intensity. As shown in FIG. 8, light-emitting characteristics of the light-emitting element includes a spontaneous emission region 5a where light intensity does not almost increase even if the driving current is increased and a stimulated emission region 5b where light intensity greatly increases with an increase in the driving current. Further, the light-emitting characteristics of the light-emitting element has such a temperature dependency that an inclination of the curve (slope efficiency η) in the simulated emission region 5b varies in response to temperatures. When the slope efficiency η varies, the extinction ratio "re" also varies. Further, the extinction ratio "re" also varies depending upon variations of respective elements in a driving circuit.
The slope efficiency η stands for a ratio ΔP/ΔI of an increase ΔP in the light intensity to an increase ΔI in the current in the stimulated emission region 5b shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the slope efficiency η decreases when the temperature increases, and increases when the temperature decreases.

Optical transmitter, optical communication system and method for adjusting optical transmitter


A razor that includes a handle having an axis, at least a first and a second shaving head, and a drum that includes the first and second shaving head. The drum is pivotally mounted onto the handle about an axis substantially perpendicular to the edges of the blades, the pivoting of the drum allowing at least a first configuration in which the first shaving head projects at a front end of the handle to allow shaving while the second shaving head is at least partly covered by the handle. In a second configuration, the positions of the first shaving head and second shaving head are reversed.

International application No. WO 97/27030 discloses a razor with a reversible blade unit, in order to extend the useful life of the blade unit.
The blade unit is engaged into a housing and is provided with turning knobs, located at either end of the blade unit. Upon the dulling of the cutting edges on one side of the blade unit, the user turns the knobs such that the dulled cutting edges are rotated to the rear of the housing while the still sharp, unused cutting edges are rotated such that they are exposed at the front of the housing and are then ready for use.
One disadvantage of such a razor is that, when the user wants to turns the knobs, his soapy hands might slip on the knobs, thereby preventing him from turning the blade unit in a single movement.
Another disadvantage of such a razor is that it is quite dangerous for the user, for as the knobs are thin and located near the blades, any wrong move might result in the user cutting his fingers.

Razor equipped with several rotating shaving heads


A flush tank water conditioner includes an elongate water-soluble solid chemical compound column adapted to be suspended in the overflow tube of a conventional toilet reservoir tank. The overflow tube located column dries between toilet operations to conserve conditioning chemicals and to prevent over concentration. A dye material embedded at the center of the disinfectant column is released as an end-of-useful-life indicator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a flush tank water conditioner of the type consisting of compressed water soluble disinfecting chemicals adapted for placement in the reservoir tank of conventional flush toilets and, more particularly, to a block of disinfectant composition placed in the refill tube of the reservoir tank to dissolve only during the flushing and refilling phase of the toilet operation and to signal impending depletion by the release of a dye material.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Stains and rings formed in porcelain toilet bowls as a result of water, frequently mineral rich, standing at a fixed level and disturbed only by irregular flushings creates a sanitary and aesthetic problem. A number of alternative approaches have been developed in the prior art to introduce disinfectant detergent agents into the elevated reservoir tanks of typical flush toilets to subsequently wash through the bowl to neutralize, condition and/or disinfect the toilet bowl water and thus to overcome this difficulty. Typically, ported dispensers containing water soluble treatment compounds are suspended within the toilet reservoir tank to automatically release a metered quantity of concentrated solution into the tank and/or bowl each time the water level within the tank is lowered and raised by the flushing sequence.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,854 (Nielsen), a pair of electrolytically-reactive elemental metals, such as zinc and copper, are formed into chips and placed in a perforated container that hangs on the side of the toilet reservoir tank to submerge and activate the metals in the reservoir water producing a biocidal solution fatal to bacteria and algae yet not unsafe for human beings.
An analogous method of disinfecting toilet flushing water is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,410 (Kosti) wherein water soluble chemical agents are suspended in a mesh basket in the main drain tube below the drain closure valve between the toilet reservoir tank and the bowl rather than in the tank itself. Access for replacement is impractically difficult in this arrangement.
A closed container or tank that is inserted into the flow line between the float valve and overflow pipe houses a disinfectant disc or tablet and directs the flow of afterfill inlet water over and around the tablet after the toilet flushing operation is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,570,934 (Foster). The tablet container is clamped into position between the toilet tank top and the upper portion of the overflow pipe and access for tablet replacement is provided by a removable cover plate.
Passive dosing dispensers rely on the alternating cycles of flooding and syphoning of tank water through a chamber containing soluble disinfecting chemicals. These devices are dependent on the intervals between flushes to control concentrations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,421 (Nyquist et al) among others describes such a passive toilet tank dispenser that is immersed in the tank reservoir and receives water into an internal receptacle as the reservoir water level rises after a flush sequence. The internal receptacle is isolated from the tank by an air lock when the tank is full, and the entrapped water contacts a water soluble disinfectant cake to create a concentrated solution within the receptacle that is released to the toilet tank when a subsequent flush sequence lowers the tank level and breaks the air lock.
Dyes have been used to indicate the presence of disinfectant, as exemplified by the deep blue hue that accompanies water treated by a popular reservoir cleaning tablet, or to indicate the impending depletion of the disinfecting agent, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,101 (Herring) wherein an indicator dye is enclosed in soluble disinfectant and released when the disinfectant dissolves to a predetermined level.
The prior art toilet tank water conditioner dispensers have generally suffered from one or more common disadvantages, namely a propensity to continuously dissolve between flushings causing wasteful over-concentration of treatment chemicals, unsightly support mechanisms visible outside the tank, awkward and inconvenient refill and replacement requirements, reliance on somewhat exact placement with respect to tank water levels and/or persistent discoloration of bowl water to indicate continuing disinfection.


A cervical brace has a cervical anterior base (16) with an anterior distal neck-chin plate (1, 27) and a posterior-distal neck-chin plate (9, 28) that are extended over designedly wide areas of a user's shoulders (22) and joined together to provide broad-base support for an anterior-proximal neck-chin plate (2) and an inclined posterior-proximal neck-chin plate (10) with which cervical vertebrae (25) are held desirably in place from the cervical anterior base. A rigid thoracic bar (5) is extended adjustably upward from a chest plate (6) that is strapped to the user. Designedly cushioned and washable pads (3, 4, 7, 11, 12) are detachably fastened to the neck-chin plates and the chest plate. A selectively neck supporting method employs an incline action against a reciprocally inclined back of a person's head by forcing a front portion and a rear portion of the cervical anterior base together to provide a highly weight-supportive base on a broad portion of the person's shoulder area simultaneously.

This invention relates to neck braces for selectively holding and maintaining injured cervical spine inclusive of vertebrae, discs, muscles, ligaments and nerves of people during healing convalescent time.
A wide variety of cervical restraints, collars and braces have been devised to position injured necks and heads of people properly for the healing convalescent time or permanently if necessary. None, however, have provided a complete shoulder base, adjustability of straightening means and convenience of use in manner taught by this invention.
Examples of different but related cervical supports are described in the following patent documents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,377, issued to Boughner, et al., taught a head brace attached to a back brace. U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,698, issued to Garth, described a two-piece front-and-back cervical collar with edges that terminated vertically on top of the clavicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,877, issued to Druskoczi, taught a replaceable lining for a surgical collar. U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,413, issued to Thune, taught a double-strap supporting device. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,515,153 and 4,677,969, issued to Calabrese, taught front-and-back stabilizer plates for a cervical collar, the latter of which had a tracheal-access orifice.


An automobile glass pane is provided with a frame molding of a polymer. The molding has a portion with a U-like cross section. In this portion, an adhesive bead is introduced, the bead serves for bonding the glass pane to the attachment flange of the window opening in the vehicle bodywork. The lateral limbs of the U-like portion of the molding are internally provided with anchoring projections for mechanically holding the adhesive bead in place between the limbs without any separate adhesive or bonding.

The invention relates to a glass pane adapted for bonding to the attachment flange of a window opening and more especially an automobile glass pane. Prior constructions include a frame-like polymer molding, which is arranged in the edge part of the pane with a portion directed towards the attachment flange. This portion has a U-like cross section; and an adhesive bead is arranged in the portion of U-like cross section The lateral limbs of the U-like portion internally have anchoring projections.
Such a specially adapted automobile glass pane is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,248. In the case of this known automobile glass pane the connection of the specially adapted glass pane with the attachment flange is basically performed using the adhesive joining effect of the bonding material with the framelike polymer molding. The term molding is used herein in the sense of a strip with a specially contrived cross section manufactured for instance by extrusion or by injection molding. The anchoring projections in this case serve to further improve the adhesive joint between the bonding composition and the polymer molding, since in addition to the adhesion there is an interlocking mechanical anchoring effect between the molding frame and the bead of bonding material.
The frame-like polymer molding consists- in the case of this known automobile glass pane, of polyurethane and is produced either using a moisture curing single component polyurethane system or using a twin component reactive mixture by extrusion onto the glass pane. U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,248 further discloses systematic adjustment to get a low adhesive effect, or even suppressing such adhesive effect completely, between the polymer molding and the assembly bonding material with the result that the connection is only produced by the interlocking mechanical anchoring action. The prevention of an adhesive join is in this case ensured by the use of a release agent

Automobile glass pane adapted for bonding to a window frame and a method for the production thereof