A lens injector includes a thin sheet-like lens glide member, mounted upon a tapered knife, that maintains a wedge-shaped opening in the cornea upon withdrawal of the knife. The lens is thereafter advanced under the cornea by a plunger in the injector that maintains the lens in place as the injector device is removed. A multiple point blade knife may simultaneously make a set of several small, connected incisions. The fact that each blade has only a limited depth means that the resulting wide incision can be created without the need to penetrate deeply into the cornea, as would be necessary with a single-point blade of the desired width. This is especially beneficial for creating Z-shaped incisions, which become self-sealing when internal pressure pushes the inner layer against the outer layer. This shortens the process significantly, which then results in less trauma to the eye and streamlines the entire procedure.

Implantation of lenses (Phakic intraocular lenses, or PIOLs) inside normal or phakic eyes to correct vision, while retaining the ability to focus up close, has been gaining favor and popularity. Recent improvements in the quality of the IOL and the discovery by many patients that they do not qualify for laser surgery on the cornea [such as LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis), or PRK (Photo Refractive Keratectomy)] mean that Phakic IOLs are increasingly in demand. In addition, it is becoming apparent that individuals qualified for both laser surgery and IOL implantation who require higher powers of correction are generally more satisfied with the Phakic IOL procedure, because it results in better quality of vision. One drawback to the Phakic IOL solution is the need for sutures to close a large incision in the cornea after implantation of a (nonfoldable) lens. Use of sutures is time-consuming and usually causes unavoidable astigmatism or blurry vision. It has been proven that a Z-stroke (Langerman) or multi-planar incision 1b in the cornea 1a (FIG. 1) creates an incision "flap" that, because of the eye's internal pressure, is self-sealing, eliminating the need for sutures. With currently available knife blades, incisions of this kind that are as much as 5-6 mm wide are successfully self-sealing (Koch, Shelton). However, current Phakic IOL implantation procedures necessitate larger 7-mm incisions. Using currently available instruments to create these larger incisions requires an inefficient process of making multiple strokes, and using multiple instruments, and the results have not yet been proven to be self-sealing.
At this time there are very few instruments designed to handle the larger-sized, (nonfoldable) Phakic IOLs, and no type of a device for injecting this type of lens or a variety of lens is available. Therefore, some new type of instrument is needed to create a large incision that is self-sealing, and then to place this lens into the eye more efficiently.
It has been proven that a Z-stroke (Langerman) or multi-planar incision 1b in the cornea 1a (FIG. 1) creates an incision "flap" that, because of the eye's internal pressure, is self-sealing, eliminating the need for sutures. With currently available knife blades, incisions of this kind that are as much as 5-6 mm wide are successfully self-sealing, Koch, Paul S., M.D. Converting to Phacoemulsification. Slack Inc., Thorofare, N.J., 1992, pp 3-29.
However, current Phakic IOL implantation procedures necessitate larger 7-mm incisions.
Current Surgical Procedure for Phakic IOLs (FIG. 2): About a week preoperatively, a (Nd:YAG) Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI) is usually performed to make a small hole in the iris to prevent acute glaucoma, a sudden rise in pressure, when this type of IOL is inserted. Just prior to surgery, pilocarpine (4%) drops are instilled to constrict the pupil, and anesthesia is then given. Surgery begins by making a side-port incision into the cornea and injecting viscoelastic fluid into the anterior chamber to make the eye firmer, which aids in making better incisions. The surgeon then makes a 7.0-mm incision into the cornea, usually using two or more instruments such as a forceps, microsharp, keratome, and possibly scissors. Usually a lens glide 2a is manually placed inside the eye with forceps to serve as a guide for positioning the IOL 2b and to protect the natural lens and iris during placement (FIG. 2). The surgeon then uses forceps in one hand to grasp and lift the corneal flap and to give counter-traction, while manipulating another forceps in the other hand to insert the IOL into the anterior chamber. After removing the lens glide, the surgeon uses forceps to position the IOL under the corneal shelf and into the proper angle between the iris and the cornea. Finally, the anterior chamber is irrigated to remove the viscoelastic material, and sutures are placed to close the corneal incision. This, procedure depends upon the skill of the surgeon, but usually requires about 20 minutes, 20 percent of which may be spent in placing sutures to close that incision. The fact that astigmatism results from the use of sutures is nearly unavoidable (Koch). The source for this current procedure was www.oii-iol.com.
Wishinsky (U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,476) and Lager (U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,477) propose dual widths of a surgical knife to make two precise and separate incisions for the phaco tip (3.2 mm) to remove the cataract and then for the IOL (5.2 mm) to be inserted. In a similar concept but for different purposes, a less tapered blade with a steeply tapered and very short point form two widths (FIG. 4) but for the purpose of allowing the surgeon to make the single, much larger IOL incision (6-7 mm) more easily and may optionally make the small side port incision (1 mm) with just the tip.
Praeger (U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,792) noted that a ridged lens glide provides better control than a flat lens glide and allows better exposure to manipulate the lens than an envelope-type lens glide. A semi-rigid lens glide with a tip that is flat and flexible, and a base that has a rigid bottom and similar ridged sidewalls allows for similar exposure but for greater maneuverability of the IOL once inside the eye. This semi-rigid lens glide also forms a wedge to efficiently open the incision for the insertion of the IOL.
For the purpose of "wicking" out fluid from the eye to lower the pressure in glaucoma patients, Simon (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,651,782 and 5,676,679) proposes a surgical knife with a wedged blade that makes an incision and inserts an artificial meshwork underneath the blade from behind the wedge. In a similar manner, a knife blade is wedge-shaped to open the incision on top to co-insert another instrument, the IOL Injector.
Rhein Medical, Inc. (US Patent RE37,304) describes a beveled blade of specified different taper on both faces where both sides or shoulders are slightly thicker than the center for the stated purpose of making an incision but not of any sufficient thickness or description to form a wedge for the intended purpose of co-inserting another device. The blades in this design may have different taper in the bevel to form a wedge, and/or may be thicker in the sides or shoulders for efficiency. However, these features are not essential to form a basic mechanical wedge involved in the present invention that functions to open the incision upward, allowing the insertion of the tip of the lens glide that lies in a "scooped-out valley" on the top of the blade and behind this wedge.

Surgical knives for large, self-sealing corneal incisions coupled to a universal intraocular lens (IOL) injector


Inferring operand types within an intermediate language is disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method first inputs an intermediate language code that has a first plurality of opcodes, including a type-indefinite opcode. The method resolves the type-indefinite opcode into a typed opcode, and generates a native code that has a second plurality of opcodes corresponding to the first plurality of opcodes, and which includes an opcode corresponding to the typed opcode. The method finally outputs the native code. An example of an intermediate language is Java.

This invention relates generally to intermediate languages, and more particularly to inferring operand types within such intermediate languages.
Intermediate language-type models for programming languages have become increasingly popular. In an intermediate language model, a source code is generally compiled into a desirably substantially platform-independent intermediate language. When the code is desired to be run on a particular platform, an execution engine on that platform then interprets or compiles the intermediate language to native code understandable by the platform. Examples of systems that use intermediate languages include the Java virtual machine.
As an example of native code, it is noted that processors such as x86-type processors known in the art generally require a separate instruction for an operation as the operation is applied to each different data type. For example, an xe2x80x9caddxe2x80x9d operation will usually have a separate xe2x80x9cadd integerxe2x80x9d instruction for integer data types, and an xe2x80x9cadd realxe2x80x9d instruction for real (i.e., floating point) data types. Other data types for which separate instructions may be required include xe2x80x9cshortxe2x80x9d integers, xe2x80x9clongxe2x80x9d integers, etc.
Execution speed and code size are important considerations in the usability of code written in any programming language in general, and in an intermediate language in particular. These two metrics in general are at odds with one another. For example, because intermediate language code generally is compiled to native code as it is being executed, its execution speed is usually slower than comparable programs already pre-compiled into native code. On the other hand, intermediate language code is also more likely to be stored in small consumer electronics device and more likely meant for transmission over the Internet as compared with more traditional computer programs, rendering code size a more important metric in the intermediate language code""s usability than compared with more native computer programs, which are usually stored, for example, on voluminous CD-ROM""s and hard disk drives.
Like most computer languages, intermediate languages have instruction sets, with each instruction having a corresponding xe2x80x9copcodexe2x80x9d that identifies the instruction. For expressiveness and ease of programming, a large number of instructions, and therefore corresponding opcodes, is desirable. However, having more than 256 instructions or opcodes means that more than one byte is necessary to identify each instruction. If more than 256 instructions are desired, then another byte must be added to uniquely identify each opcode.
Having more than 256 instructions, however, while allowing for a richer instruction set, is disadvantageous when execution speed and code size are considered. Having each instruction take up two bytes instead of one byte increases the size of the resulting code. Furthermore, the extra size implies more memory accesses (page faults) and thus generally takes longer than processing instructions that are shorter in length. There is a need, therefore, for a robust instruction set that nevertheless provides for the execution speed and code size advantages that one-byte opcodes provide. For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.
The invention relates to inferring operand types within an intermediate language. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method first inputs an intermediate language code that includes type-indefinite opcodes. The method transforms the input code into a second stream of opcodes, where the types of each type-indefinite opcode has been inferred contextually. The method finally generates native code from the type opcode stream.
In one embodiment, for example, a program already in intermediate language code may have an xe2x80x9caddxe2x80x9d instruction, to add two numbers like 4 and 5, or 4.5 and 5.5. In the former case, both of these numbers are integers, while in the latter case, both are real numbers. Therefore, one embodiment of the invention would note that in the first case the add instruction is adding two integers, and would resolve that instruction to a specific xe2x80x9cadd integerxe2x80x9d instructionxe2x80x94while in the latter case, the embodiment would note that the add instruction is adding two real numbers, and would resolve the instruction to a specific xe2x80x9cadd realxe2x80x9d instruction, which is a different instruction than the xe2x80x9cadd integerxe2x80x9d instruction. When generating native code, which is the specific code that is executed by a computer""s processor, for example, the method would thus generate a corresponding xe2x80x9cadd integerxe2x80x9d native opcode for the typed xe2x80x9cadd integerxe2x80x9d instruction, and a corresponding xe2x80x9cadd realxe2x80x9d native opcode for the typed xe2x80x9cadd realxe2x80x9d instruction.
The invention provides for advantages not found in the prior art. For example, the invention allows for a robust instruction set that still has a relatively small total number of opcodes. For example, rather than having an xe2x80x9caddxe2x80x9d instruction for each type of operandxe2x80x94e.g., an xe2x80x9cadd floating point (real)xe2x80x9d instruction, an xe2x80x9cadd short (integer)xe2x80x9d instruction, an xe2x80x9cadd long (integer)xe2x80x9d instruction, an xe2x80x9cadd integerxe2x80x9d instruction, etc.xe2x80x94an embodiment of the invention instead only needs a single xe2x80x9caddxe2x80x9d instruction, since the specific type of this instruction is later resolved by the invention. An instruction set can therefore still be robust, while nevertheless using only a single byte to identify each opcodexe2x80x94thus ensuring the speed and size advantages that result from using a single byte.
The invention includes computer-implemented methods, machine-readable media, computerized systems, devices and computers of varying scopes. Other aspects, embodiments and advantages of the invention, beyond those described here, will become apparent by reading the detailed description and with reference to the drawings.


A vehicular suspension system includes a liquid spring operatively interconnected between a vehicle frame and an associated wheel assembly to provide resistive spring and damping forces in response to relative vertical displacement between the frame and wheel assembly. The liquid spring includes a cylinder secured to the vehicle frame and having a compressible liquid-filled internal chamber in which a piston structure is reciprocally disposed and divides the chamber into bounce and rebound chambers. A rod is slidably and sealinqly carried by the cylinder for axial movement into and out of the chamber, the rod having an inner end anchored to the piston structure, and an outer end portion extending outwardly from the cylinder and secured to the wheel assembly. A flow passage extends through the piston and intercommunicates the bounce and rebound subchambers. An intermediate portion of the flow passage is defined by a valve chamber disposed within the piston structure and captively retaining a movable damper valve. The damper valve is operable to restrict liquid flow through the piston passage in a manner providing greater resistance to liquid flow in one direction between the bounce and rebound subchambers than in the other direction in response to axial rod movement into and out of the cylinder chamber. The directional liquid flow restriction differential of the damper valve may be conveniently reversed simply by reversing the orientation of the damper valve within the internal piston structure valve chamber.

The present invention relates generally to vehicular suspension systems, and more particularly relates to liquid springs utilized in such suspension systems.
In the past, various proposals have been made for replacing the conventional hydraulic shock absorber and exterior coil spring assemblies in vehicular suspension systems with more compact devices commonly referred to as liquid springs. A conventional liquid spring generally comprises a cylindrical housing having an internal chamber with a compressible liquid therein, a piston reciprocably disposed in the chamber and axially dividing it into bounce and rebound subchambers, a rod structure secured to the piston and axially movable into and out of the chamber, the rod structure having an external portion projecting outwardly from one of the housing ends.
With the liquid spring operatively interconnected between the vehicle frame and an associated wheel support structure, the compressible working liquid generates both spring and damping forces in the suspension system in response to relative axial translation between the rod structure and housing portion of the liquid spring in response to relative axial translation between the rod structure and the housing created by relative vertical displacement between the wheel structure and the frame.
The compressible working liquid permits the suspension system to exhibit a non-linear force/deflection curve. This non-linear force/deflection relationship is quite advantageous because it provides lower spring rates during normal operation and higher spring rates when the vehicle strikes a bump. Non linearity in the liquid spring-based suspension system is achieved via the compressibility of the silicone-based working liquid, which is approximately 1.5 to 2 times more compressible than conventional hydraulic fluid. In operation, the non-linear suspension system provides a spring rate which increases exponentially when the rod structure is moved from its normal static position relative to the cylinder housing to its fully retracted position within the cylinder housing. This increased spring force capability permits the liquid spring-based suspension system to easily absorb sharp bumps without bottoming out. In contrast, if the spring rate was linear, a substantially greater piston stroke would be required to enable the suspension system to absorb comparable bounce forces.
Conventional liquid spring suspension systems can be tuned and readily adjusted for differing vehicle weights (using the spring force of the liquid springs used in the suspension system), and for differing ride characteristics (using the damping forces of the liquid springs). It will thus be appreciated that liquid springs, via their utilization of a compressible working liquid to create both spring and damping forces, have a potential for significantly improved suspension performance compared to conventional hydraulic shock absorbers and associated exterior coil spring assemblies commonly used in vehicular suspension systems.
In an attempt to fully realize this potential, various improvements and refinements to the basic liquid spring structure described above have heretofore been proposed. One such proposed improvement, illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,735,402 and 4,877,222, has been to provide what may be termed differential damping between the bounce and rebound strokes of the liquid spring - i.e., causing the damping force of the liquid spring in its bounce mode to be less than the damping force in its rebound mode.
Under this concept, as illustrated in these two patents, a flow passage system is extended generally axially through the piston and intercommunicates the bounce and rebound subchambers. Accordingly, when the piston moves through its bounce stroke liquid in the bounce chamber is forced into the rebound chamber through the piston passageway system, and when the piston moves through its rebound stroke liquid in the rebound chamber is forced into the bounce chamber through the passageway system. To provide the desired bounce/rebound damping force differential, a damper valve is slidably mounted on the rod structure between the piston and the cylinder housing end closure member through which the rod structure slidably and outwardly extends. The valve cooperates with the piston passageway system to restrict liquid flow through the passageway system in a manner such that the resistance to liquid flow from the bounce subchamber into the rebound subchamber is less than the resistance to liquid flow from the rebound subchamber into the bounce subchamber.
While as a general proposition this differential damping valve is suitable for its intended purpose, due to its positioning within the liquid spring it is unavoidably subjected to high mechanical impact forces that tend to wear away its critical sealing surface portions thereby creating valve leakage and resulting undesirable deviation from the intended directional flow resistance differential provided by the valve. This mechanical impact to which the damper valve is subjected arises from its additional use as a sealing and pressure relief structure which, as the piston is driven to its rebound limit position, enters and bottoms out within a complementarily configured recess in the closure member to protect the rod seal structure from liquid pressure damage and resulting leakage. Because of this positioning and additional use of the slidable damper valve illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,735,402 and 4,877,222, the damper valve is forcibly slammed between the piston and the closure member each time the piston is driven through its maximum rebound stroke, thereby accelerating valve wear and leakage as described above.
In view of these problems and disadvantages associated with this conventional damper valve, it is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a liquid spring having an improved differential damping system which eliminates or at least substantially minimizes such problems and disadvantages.

Liquid spring having improved damper valve structure


A method and a system for decomposition of a multiple channel signal reflecting characteristics of a blood perfused fleshy medium is provided. This technique can be utilized for determination of at least one desired blood parameter. According to the method a portion of the medium is illuminated by amplitude-modulated light of more than two different optic channels having wavelength in a range where the scattering properties of blood are sensitive to light radiation. Further, a light response of the medium sensed, and the multiple channel signal is generated. Thereafter, the multiple channel signal is analyzed that includes: filtering the multiple channel signal and separating at least a part of multiple channels from each other, and providing time evolutions of the light responses of the medium for the part of said multiple channels. According to the invention, the amplitude-modulated light is activated in a composite mode regime employing a combination of parallel and serial modes. The filtering of said multiple channel signal and the separating of said multiple channels from each other both includes applying an adaptive resonator bank to the multiple channel signal.

The problem of tracking and recovering multiple sinusoids from an optic multiple-wavelength signal is of high practical importance. For example, this problem arises in the non-invasive measurements of various blood parameters, e.g., blood oxygenation, that employ the detection of light transmitted or reflected from the location on the patient's body under measurement, and indication of the presence of various blood constituents based on known spectral behaviors of these constituents. Most of these techniques utilize a measurement optical device or probe attached to the patient's finger, which includes an optical assembly including a block of light emitting devices (e.g., LED) for irradiating the finger with light, and a photodetector (PD) for detecting the finger's light response. One of the conventional devices of the kind specified, such as a pulse oximeter, which is the generally accepted standard of everyday clinical practice, provides for measuring enhanced optical pulsatile signals caused by the changes in the volume of a blood flowing through a fleshy medium (e.g., finger). In conventional pulse oximeters as well as in other plethysmographic devices, an optical, amplitude-modulated light passes through the investigated sample (e.g., finger) at several (usually 2–3) different carrier wavelength (channels). Thereafter, a relationship between the intensities of the corresponding light responses is measured for determining the corresponding blood parameters. This technique utilizes the fact that different wavelength optic signals (channels) are transmitted differently, when passing through the sample, in accordance with the scattering and/or absorbing properties of the blood. In such techniques, the intensity of the signal obtained from the blood measurements (e.g., the intensity of photo-plethysmographic signal (PPS)) for the particular optical wavelength is obtained by means of a modulation-demodulation (M-D) procedure. For this purpose, the light emitting devices are switched on and off at a presumed rate (e.g., about 3–10 kHz), providing thereby a sequence (train) of light pulses for modulation of the corresponding carrier waves. The total pulsatile optical signal is detected by the photodetector and demodulated. The wavelength-related intensities are then derived from the demodulated optical signals.
In such conventional techniques, LEDs usually operate in one of two regimes, serial or parallel. In the serial mode regime, the operation of LEDs is separated in time. On the other hand, in the parallel mode regime, the LEDs are activated concurrently, but with the diverse modulation rates, or, in other words, the LED signals are separated in the frequency domain. The demodulation procedure used for separating different optic channels from each other is usually based on employing a bank of frequency-selective filters arranged either in cascade or parallel configurations.
More specifically, in the serial operation mode regime, each LED oscillates over a certain, relatively long period (including about 10–30 on-off LED ignition cycles), while the other LEDs are kept inactive over this period. An output signal, sensed by the photodetector, is then demodulated and associated with the corresponding wavelengths. Such a procedure is repeated for the next LED, et cetera.
In fact, the complexity of the modulation-demodulation technique rapidly increases with the number of the desired optical channels. Because of this, a majority of the commercial oximeters utilize few, e.g., 2–3 wavelengths. When such a relatively small number of optical channels is used, one can conduct PPS measurements for different optic channels in series, one by one. In such a case, as described above, each LED is activated serially over a certain period, used for demodulation, thus outputting a modulated signal related to the particular wavelength.
However, there are several critical points behind the serial mode regime. As the number of channels increases (e.g., close to ten), then the serial order comes into conflict with the required access rate. In other words, the physical and chemical processes, e.g., aggregation of red blood cells, occurring in the measured sample can be different for the time periods corresponding to the activation of different LEDs.
One of the shortcomings associated with the serial operation mode regime is the phase shift between the optical channels. Thus, the train of pulses (provided by a generator for LEDs' activation) switches between different LEDs by means of a multiplexer (MUX) such that only a single LED operates at a time. To this end, the longer LED operation period the higher delay between the different channels.
On the other hand, decreasing periods of LED activity restricts the demodulator selectivity and accuracy. So, in the serial mode, the demodulator selectivity and accuracy are in contradiction with the measuring process simultaneity.
Moreover, the serial mode regime yields various problems in signal processing. In this connection, it should be noted that the signal obtained from the blood measurements is usually affected by the electrical 50 Hz interference, lamp-induced 100 Hz optical noise, RF, and other disturbances. Hence, in the serial operation mode, the continuous interference and trends, that affect the output of the photodetector, cannot be rejected properly, because each channel, containing a part of the interference, is processed periodically and independently. A conventional prefiltering of the photodetector's output (in order to enhance the integral signal before the channel separation) breaks the independence between the consequent signal frames.
Replacing the serial order in optic by a parallel order in the conventional techniques leads to classical frequency-separation methods. In the parallel operation mode regime, all LEDs are activated concurrently, however with different switching rates. The further recovering of different optic channels from the composite signal (when the number of channels is small) is usually performed by means of a frequency-selective filter-bank.
It should be noted that in parallel mode regime, prefiltering as well as other conventional signal enhancing methods may generally become feasible. Nevertheless, in spite of the flexibility and universality, this regime becomes impractical when the number of wavelengths increases significantly, e.g. more than three.
For example, in the parallel operation mode regime the frequency spectrum lines (optic channels) should preferably be placed as far as possible from each other. This requirement can be hardly satisfied in practice for the case of a large number of LEDs. More specifically, a modulation-demodulation concept should meet the given technical restrictions. In practice, the modulation process is formed by triggering the LEDs at a certain rate. Thus, on the one hand, the LED triggering rate is restricted, for example, by the transient of the photodetector circuitry. On the other hand, it should be taken into account that the resulting signal may be of a rather complex form and a care should be taken that the spectra do not intersect. In particular, since the output LED signals are non-sinusoidal (i.e., nearly square waves), some harmonies of the low-rate LEDs may interfere with the fundamentals belonging to high-rate LEDs. In other words, the first and second harmonics of the slowest LED determine the interval of possible modulation rates. Hence, all the other triggering rates should be distributed properly within his restricted interval. For instance, if the lowest modulation rate is defined at 2000 Hz, then (for example for the case of ten optic channels) the remaining nine on-off LEDs' rates should be placed in the interval between 2000 Hz and its second harmonic 4000 Hz. Thus, for the nine channels the frequencies can be placed over equally spaced 200 Hz increments at points such as: 2200, 2400, . . . , 3800 Hz. It should therefore be appreciated that as a number of the optic channels increases, the frequency distance between the modulated signals decreases, thereby causing the interference problem. Thus, in the case of multiple optic channels, the parallel operation mode may result in a "crowd" signal with closely spaced and strongly coupled components.
Moreover, due to the deviations from linearity in the signal acquisition and transformation tract all harmonics may interfere in the multi-channel system, thus producing the difference and sum of the frequencies. In practice, the signal spectrum comprises not only the first and higher harmonics, but their combinations as well, i.e., multiple sub-harmonics. The latter may fall close to the fundamental frequency, thus increasing the complexity of the signal decomposition in the parallel mode.
Next, the parallel mode regime may yield a corresponding extra complexity of the circuitry of the multi-channel system, because the number of the wires coupled to the probe grows in direct proportion with the number of the optic channels.
Moreover, the concurrent run of several LEDs can cause the overloading (saturation) of the photodetector, thus restricting the signal-to-noise ratio for each particular wavelength.
Another difficulty associated with utilization of the conventional parallel mode regime in signal decomposition techniques is in the fact that the sensed optical intensity may crucially differ for different channels. Thus, the channel separation problem can be compounded by the interference between the closely spaced strong and weak signals.
Due to the aforementioned disadvantages and also other known in the art reasons, a utilization of the pure parallel mode regime in multi-channel optical systems is impractical.
Concluding the above consideration, neither pure serial operation mode regime nor parallel mode regime alone is a reasonable and practical candidate for the system that intend to use a large number of wavelengths. Hence, when a multi-channel signal acquisition is of interest, a more sophisticated technique should be advantageous.

Method and system for decomposition of multiple channel signals


Methods and systems are provided for producing a light effect on a touchpad or other position sensor. In one aspect, a position sensor for detecting a position of an object suitably includes a sensor, a light source, and a light conductor at least partially located between the sensor and the object. The light conductor is configured to transmit light from the light source to produce a light effect that alters the appearance of the position sensor. Because the light conductor is located between the sensor and the object, the sensor need not be made from transparent or translucent material, thereby significantly reducing the cost of the sensor. In a further aspect, the position sensor includes at least one marking or pattern in proximity to the light conductor such that the marking can be made visible by at least a component of the light to produce an image of a soft control, logo, ornamental design, status indicator or the like.

Position sensors are used as input devices for computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), media players, video game players, consumer electronics, cellular phones, payphones, point-of-sale terminals and the like. One common type of position sensor is the touchpad-type sensor, which can be readily found, for example, as an input device on many notebook-type computers. A user generally operates the touchpad by moving a finger, stylus or other pointer near a sensing surface to move a cursor or other indicator on a display screen. A capacitive or inductive proximity sensor and/or a resistive touch sensor within the device senses the position of the finger or pointer, and suitably relays an electrical and/or electronic indication of the position to the computer or other host. One example of a touchpad that is based on capacitive sensing technologies is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,411, which issued to Gillespie et al. on Mar. 9, 1999. Position sensors have also been combined with liquid crystal display technologies to create touch sensitive displays for notebook-type computers, PDAs, point of sale terminals, automatic teller machines, kiosks and the like.
Although position sensors have been widely adopted, designers continue to look for ways to improve the sensors' appearance and functionality. In particular, difficulties have long been realized in illuminating or otherwise producing light effects on the sensor. Some touch-sensitive displays have been illuminated with backlighting from a fluorescent lamp or other source. This technique has several inherent disadvantages, however, most notably that the sensors used in such devices must typically be made transparent or translucent so that light is able to pass through the sensor to the observer's eye. Although such sensors may be fabricated from materials such as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), these materials have generally been found to be disadvantageous in terms of cost, manufacturability, design flexibility, performance and the like. Moreover, ITO can be somewhat absorptive, thereby partially obscuring the display. Even further, ITO is frequently subject to wear and cracking in use, thereby limiting the lifetime of the sensor.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a position sensor that is capable of producing a light effect that modifies the appearance of the position sensor. In addition, it is desirable to produce the light effect without requiring a transparent or translucent touch sensor. Moreover, it is desirable to create a position sensor that provides position-sensitive soft control and/or status indicator regions without requiring a liquid crystal or other display. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Methods and systems for changing the appearance of a position sensor with a light effect


A multi-channel input signal is downmixed to a multi-channel output signal by one of four downmixing routines. The downmixing routines compute the output channels by multiplying each of a number of coefficients by one of the input channels, and then accumulating the resulting products to form the output channels. For efficiency, the four downmixing routines perform various different computations on the input channels using different combinations of coefficients. For a given combination of input and output channels, a downmixing routine is chosen that will perform all of the necessary computations for downmixing the input to the output, while minimizing the number of computations performed with zero-valued coefficients. As a result, computational efficiency is increased by avoiding unnecessary computations, while at the same time, programming effort and program size are maintained at reasonable levels.

Since the first widespread introduction of home electronics, efforts have been made to make home entertainment systems closer to live entertainment, or to commercial movie theaters. Among other improvements, efforts have been made to increase the number of sound channels to enhance the home-theater experience to produce more enveloping and convincing sound reproduction. This trend has been accelerated in no small part by the advent of digital signal transmission and storage, which has widely increased the options and alternatives available.
A recent standard for digital audio is known as AC-3, promulgated by Dolby Laboratories and currently anticipated for wide use in connection with digital television and audio transmissions, as well as digital storage media. The AC-3 standard provides for delivery, from storage or broadcast, of up to six channels of audio information, specifically, left, right and center channels, as well as left surround, right surround, and low frequency effect channels. Further information on the AC-3 standard can be found in "Digital Audio Compression (AC-3) Standard", published by the United States Advanced Television Systems Committee, Dec. 20, 1995, and C. Topp et al., "AC-3: Flexible Perceptual Coding for Audio Transmission and Storage", AES 96.sup.th Convention (February 1994).
Although the AC-3 standard allows for up to five channels of wideband audio information, plus a single channel of low frequency effects, in many cases a given audio program may include fewer than five wideband and one low frequency channel. For example, a typical older stereo program may include only left and right channels. The AC-3 standard provides for such situations by defining 8 different audio coding modes, known as "ac-modes" in which the five wideband channels may be stored or transmitted compatibly with the AC-3 standard. (In addition, the digitally stored or transmitted program may, or may not, further include a sixth low frequency channel.) The number and nature of the wideband channels provided by seven of the eight ac-modes, are described in the following table:
______________________________________ ac-mode channels wideband channel descriptions ______________________________________ 1 1 Center 2 2 Left, Right 3 3 Left, Center, Right 4 3 Left, Right, Surround 5 4 Left, Center, Right, Surround 6 4 Left, Right, Left Surround, Right Surround 7 5 Left, Center, Right, Left Surround, Right Surround ______________________________________
In addition to the seven input modes identified in the preceding table, there is also an eighth audio coding mode, known as ac-mode0. When audio is received in ac-mode0, special output formats may be invoked, as discussed in detail below.
The number of channels that can be reproduced at a particular installation will vary. Because many sound systems are not equipped with a full complement of speakers capable of delivering the channels that may be encoded under AC-3, the channels provided by an AC-3 formatted signal must be "downmixed" for delivery via fewer than a full complement of speakers.
Specifically, when the input signal to an AC-3 compatible sound system uses one of ac-modes 1-7 identified by the above table, the output signal may be produced in one of eight output modes, known as "output.sub.-- modes". The eight output.sub.-- modes, and the number and nature of the channels produced under each mode, are described in the following table:
______________________________________ output.sub.-- mode channels channel descriptions ______________________________________ 2/0 2 Left, Right 1/0 1 Center 2/0 2 Left, Right 3/0 3 Left, Center, Right 2/1 3 Left, Right, Surround 3/1 4 Left, Center, Right, Surround 2/2 4 Left, Right, Left Surround, Right Surround 3/2 5 Left, Center, Right, Left Surround, Right Surround ______________________________________
In addition to these output modes, as noted above, special output modes are available when an input signal is delivered in ac-mode 0. Specifically, when the input is delivered in ac-mode 0, the output format is selected by identifying (a.) the number of front speakers (1, 2 or 3), whether the output should be in a stereo format (DUAL.sub.-- STEREO), a monophonic format derived from the left channel (DUAL.sub.-- LEFTMONO), a monophonic format derived from the right channel (DUAL.sub.-- RIGHTMONO), or a monophonic format derived from a mixture of both stereo channels (DUAL.sub.-- MIXMONO).
For each combination of an input mode (ac-mode value) and an output mode (output.sub.-- mode value or, in the case of ac-mode 0, number of front speakers, and STEREO/MONO settings, as described above), the output channels are generated by collecting samples from the wideband input channels into a five-dimensional vector i, and premultiplying the vector i by a 5.times.5 downmixing matrix D, to form a resultant five-dimensional vector o containing the corresponding samples of the output channels. Specifically, the downmixing equation is: EQU o=D.multidot.i
Where i is a five-dimensional vector formed of samples from the Left, Center, Right, Left Surround and Right Surround input channels, i.sub.L, i.sub.C, i.sub.R, i.sub.LS, i.sub.RS, respectively: ##EQU1## o is a five-dimensional vector formed of corresponding samples from the Left, Center, Right, Left Surround and Right Surround output channels, O.sub.L, O.sub.C, O.sub.R, O.sub.LS, O.sub.RS, respectively: ##EQU2## and D is a 5.times.5 matrix of downmixing coefficients: ##EQU3## The reader will appreciate that this matrix computation involves multiplying each of the coefficients d.sub.** in the downmixing matrix D by one of the input channel samples to form a product. These products are then accumulated to form samples of the output channels.
Various values of coefficients d.sub.** in the downmixing matrix D are used for downmixing in each of the 71 possible combinations of input and output modes supported by AC-3. In some cases, the downmixing coefficients d.sub.** are computed from parameters stored or broadcast with the AC-3 compliant digital audio data, or parameters input by the listener. The appendix to this application describes the values of the coefficients in downmixing matrix D, for each of the 71 permitted combinations of input and output modes, for reference.


A lightweight butterfly valve having a disk maintained in a fixed position on a compound shaft through an interlocking relation ship between each of the individual shafts of the compound shaft and the disk as the disk is moveable between an open or closed position with the butterfly valve may having other features such as an electric drive to quickly rotate the compound shaft to provide for rapid opening and closing the butterfly valve, a disk position indicator and a shaft stop to prevent the disk from being driven past a full open condition.

Butterfly valves are known in the art and typically comprise a circular disk that is rotateable from a first closed position where the disk extends across a circular opening in the butterfly valve to block flow of materials therethrough to a second open position where the circular disk extends edgewise across the circular opening to permit flow of materials through the circular opening in the butterfly valve.
Examples of butterfly valves include U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,659, which shows a butterfly valve having shaft seals to prevent leakage therepast as the circular disk is rotated from an open position to a closed position or vice versa.
Another butterfly valve is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,499, which includes a two-way dynamic annular inflatable disk seal that deflates to permit opening the valve and inflates to seal around the edges of the disk to prevent leakage therepast when the valve is in a closed condition.
A butterfly valve for handling hot materials is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,256,448. The valve includes an annular inflatable elastomer seal that seals around the edges of the disk to prevent leakage therepast. The seal is coupled with a housing that protects the seal from contact with hot materials that may exceed a temperature that could cause breakdown or rupture of the elastomer seal.
Still other butterfly valves, which may be used to handle bulk materials that are corrosive or abrasive, contain relative massive metal disks made from noncorrosive materials. Typically, the butterfly valves with metal disks enable one to move the disk from a no flow condition to a flow condition under a variety of temperature and pressure conditions by pivoting the disk about a diametrical shaft, which supports the metal disk.


A method and apparatus to perform a soft demapping in a rotated quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) based communication system is described. The method and the apparatus include pre-processing a symbol based on a priori information and performing a one-dimensional (1D) soft demapping on the pre-processed symbol, continuously.

1. Field
The following description relates to a method and an apparatus configured to perform a soft demapping in a rotated quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) based communication system.
2. Description of Related Art
A wireless communication system and a broadcasting system may use a rotated quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) transmission technology. For example, a digital video broadcasting (DVB) standard, for example, a digital video broadcasting-second generation terrestrial (DVB-T2) standard, requires use of the rotated QAM.
During wireless signal reception and transmission, a wireless channel may experience fading in a wireless communication system. The fading refers to attenuation of a wireless signal during transmission of the wireless signal. To combat such fading-related issues, a diversity method may be employed. For example, the diversity method includes spatial diversity and frequency diversity.
Also, to prevent fading, a signal-space diversity method is used by a great number of technologies, including the DVB-T2 standard. As an example, a rotated QAM constellation may be used to implement the signal-space diversity method.
However, when a transmitter uses the rotated QAM, a receiver would be configured to be complex and would be required to perform a soft demapping. Accordingly, research is continuously conducted reduce structural and functional complexity required to perform the soft demapping at the receiver.

Method and apparatus for soft demapping in rotated quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) based communication system


A multimedia projector comprises a optical frame that mounts, from back to front, a light source, a back fresnel lens, a back polarizer, an LCD display object, a front polarizer, a front fresnel lens, and a front lens group for projecting images formed by the LCD display object. To provide contrast adjustment, a contrast adjustment mechanism is attached to the back polarizer to permit the manual selective tilting of the back polarizer about an axis extending perpendicular to the front polarizer, in order to optimize contrast of images projected by the front lens group.

Projections systems have been used for years to project motion pictures and still photographs onto screens for viewing. More recently, presentations using multimedia projection systems have become popular for purposes such as sales demonstrations, business meetings, and classroom sessions. In a common mode of operation, multimedia projection systems receive analog video signals from a personal computer (PC). The video signals represent still, partial-, or full-motion display images of the type rendered by the PC. The analog video signals are converted into digital video signals to control a digitally-driven display object, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) using thin film transistors (TFT), which form display images.
A popular type of multimedia projection system is a projector that incorporates a light source and optical path components upstream and downstream of the LCD to project the display images onto a display screen. An examples of an LCD projector is sold under the trademark LITEPRO by In Focus Systems, Inc. of Wilsonville, Oreg., the assignee of the present application.
Significant effort has been invested into developing projectors producing high-quality images. However, the optical performance of conventional projectors is often less than satisfactory. For instance, image degradation due to keystone distortion and low image contrast occurs in many conventional projectors.
Keystone distortion occurs when a projector is oriented at an angle to the horizontal during projection. Often such angled orientation causes the width of the projected image field to vary linearly from top to bottom (hence the term "keystone"). Keystone distortion distorts projected images, especially adjacent the top and bottom of the image field, and appears unprofessional. While some conventional projectors have a set keystone correction built into the projector based on a preferred projector mounting angle, such correction does not work when the projector is mounted at an angle other than the preferred. No projector offers convenient, manually operated keystone correction.
Image contrast is also often less than optimal in conventional projectors. Image contrast is defined as the ratio of brightness between the whitest and blackest portions of an image. Degraded contrast often results from polarizing sheets being misaligned with respect to the LCD during projector manufacture. Misaligned polarizers degrade contrast by lightening black areas of an image while darkening white areas. To optimize contrast, some projectors include polarizing sheets that are permanently built into the LCD assembly in an optimal orientation adjacent the LCD. While such LCD assemblies provide improved contrast, they tend to create waste in that the entire LCD assembly is scrapped when one component fails. Thus, in the event of LCD failure, the functional polarizing sheet would also be scrapped.
Thus, in light of these disadvantages, it is a principle object of the present invention to provide a projector with a keystone distortion correction mechanism that can be conveniently adjusted by a projector user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a projector with a contrast optimization mechanism that can be conveniently adjusted during manufacture or servicing of the projector.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a projector with a contrast optimization mechanism that permits replacement of individual components of the LCD assembly, without requiring that the entire LCD assembly to be scrapped in the event of component failure.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a multimedia projector is provided with an optical frame that mounts, from back to front, a light source, a back fresnel lens, a back polarizer, an LCD display object, a front polarizer, a front fresnel lens, and a front lens group for projecting images formed by the LCD display object. To provide keystone distortion correction of projected images, the front fresnel lens is manually and selectively tiltable about an axis extending parallel with the plane of the LCD display object. The selective tilting is accomplished by a manually movable fresnel actuator with a cammed surface. A control arm extends between the fresnel actuator and the fresnel lens, and rides on the cammed surface such that a relatively large movement of the fresnel actuator produces a relatively small adjustment in tilt of the fresnel lens in order to permit fine adjustment of the fresnel lens tilt.
In another aspect of the present invention, manual contrast adjustment is provided by a contrast adjustment mechanism attached to the back polarizer. The adjustment mechanism permits the manual selective tilting of the back polarizer about an axis extending perpendicular to the front polarizer, in order to optimize contrast of images projected by the front lens group.

Multimedia projection system with image quality correction


A collector ring for transferring electrical current between a non-rotatable member and a rotatable member. The collector ring comprises a first support which is fixed to the non-rotatable member and which has at least one conductive metal ring member mounted thereon which is electrically insulated from the non-rotatable member. An input terminal is electrically connected to each of the ring members for connection to a source of electrical energy. A second support is rotatably mounted on the first support with the second support being adapted to operatively mechanically connected to the rotatable member whereby rotation of the rotatable member with respect to the non-rotatable member will cause the second support to rotate with respect to the first support. An electrically conductive, flexible metal belt frictionally and movably embraces each of the ring members with the belts being mechanically connected to the second support so that rotational movement of the rotatable member will cause the belt to frictionally move with respect to the ring member. An output wiring connector is connected to the second support and is electrically connected to one of the belts whereby electrical current may be transferred from the input terminal, through the ring member, and through the belt to the output wiring connector.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a collector ring assembly and more particularly to a collector ring assembly which may be used for transferring electrical current from a non-rotatable member to a rotatable member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Collector ring assemblies have been provided for many years for transferring electrical current between a non-rotatable member and a rotatable member which is commonly required in mining shovels, crane pivots, rotational molding machines, steel turret ladles, etc. Heretofore, many different types of collector ring assemblies have been provided, but, in large part, the prior art collector ring assemblies include one or more electrically conductive collector rings which are normally fixed to the non-rotatable portion of the associated equipment and which are electrically connected to a source of electrical power. The prior art collector ring assemblies normally include some sort of supporting structure which is connected to the rotatable member and which has one or more carbon brushes supported thereon which are in electrical contact with the collector rings. The use of carbon brushes requires that the collector ring assembly be continuously maintained. Further, the carbon brushes leave brush dust on the collector rings which affects current capabilities, voltage drop, etc. Additionally, the collector ring assemblies are frequently used on heavy equipment which impart shock and vibration to the collector ring assemblies, which sometimes results in circuit interruption.

Metal belt and collector ring assembly for transferring electrical current to a rotating body


An adjustable inside applicator including an attachment body to attach the applicator to a source of compound to be applied to a joint, the attachment body having a bore including an inlet and at least two outlets, a pair of faces angularly disposed relative to one another with at least one outlet located in each of the pair of faces, and a pair of floating application guide heads mounted pivotably to the attachment body and biased towards a straight angle between the floating application guide heads but movable against the bias into an angle which is less than straight, each floating application guide head having an opening therein in communication with a respective at least one outlet of the body.

The tools conventionally available for the application of joint compound to a joint with an interior angle between two surfaces include an application hand with a pair of lateral portions which are at a fixed angle relative to one another with that angle matching the angle between the two surfaces. A container or compound tube of joint compound is typically attached to the head and a channel is provided from the opening of the container to an outlet relative to each of the lateral portions to apply the joint compound to both sides and the apex of an internal angle between two surfaces when a horizontally or vertically prior to applying paper tape by hand.
The surfaces to which the joint compound is applied are rarely finished with sufficient precision that the application of the joint compound requires no touchup work after application. Normally, at least some touchup work is required in order to ensure that all surfaces and sometimes the apex of the internal angle are properly covered with joint compound to allow the paper tape to adhere properly.
Existing applicator devices are available which apply the compound but only to walls at angles of either 90° to one another or 135° to one another. Splayed internal walls are quite often not at either of these angles and the angle between two walls may differ substantially.
It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.


An inkjet printer includes an inkjet head that ejects ink droplets, and a sub tank that stores an ink to be supplied to the inkjet head, where the sub tank is provided with an ink outflow port through which the ink flows out from the sub tank, and an ink inflow port through which the ink that flowed out from the ink outflow port and passed through a predetermined circulation path flows toward the sub tank. In the inkjet printer, the ink is flowed out from the ink inflow port and the ink that passed through the circulation path is flowed into the sub tank from the ink outflow port at a predetermined timing.

An inkjet printer that ejects ink droplets to performs printing on a print medium is conventionally known (see e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-156859, i.e., Patent Literature 1). The inkjet printer described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-156859 includes an inkjet head, a carriage on which the inkjet head is mounted, and an ink supply system that supplies ink to the inkjet head. The ink used in the inkjet printer described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-156859 is an ink containing ink fine particles such as a pigment, and is, for example, white ink, metallic ink, pearl ink, or the like.
In the inkjet printer described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-156859, the ink supply system includes a main tank, a sub tank, a first ink flow path connecting the main tank and the sub tank, a second ink flow path connecting the sub tank and the inkjet head, a third ink flow path connecting the sub tank and the first ink flow path, and a liquid feeding pump that feeds the ink in the third ink flow path from the sub tank toward the first ink flow path.
Furthermore, in the inkjet printer described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-156859, at a timing when the inkjet printer is in a standby state, the liquid feeding pump is driven to execute a circulation control for circulating ink in an ink circulation path configured by an ink chamber in the sub tank, the third ink flow path, and the first ink flow path. Therefore, in the inkjet printer described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-156859, the ink fine particles are prevented from being deposited (precipitated) in the ink chambers in the sub tank, and the decrease in the concentration of ink ejected from the inkjet head can be suppressed.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-156859

Inkjet printer and control method for inkjet printer


Provided is a chemical injection system for connection to a chemical tank and a process line. The system includes a pump box configured to attach to the tank, the pump box including a body defining an interior, a pump assembly disposed within the interior of the body of the pump box, and an injection assembly configured to be fluidly coupled to the pump box. The injection assembly includes an injection lance having a flange and a stem, a first seal abutting a first side of the flange of the injection lance, and a second seal abutting a second side of the flange of the injection lance.

Chemical injection systems can be provided to inject a chemical, such as sodium hypochlorite, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, etc. into a process stream under pressure. The systems can include a pump connected to a source of the chemical to pump the chemical through a conduit, such as PVC piping, and to the process stream.

Chemical injection system for connection to a chemical tank and a process line


In a network system S, which includes an agent server LS that is located between the Internet IN and a terminal T and that relays a connection request from the terminal T to the Internet IN, the agent server LS requests the establishment of a connection between the terminal T and the agent server LS and transmits to the terminal T a request signal that includes identification information for the agent server LS. The terminal T receives the request signal and examines the agent server LS based on the identification information included in the received signal. When it is concluded that the agent server LS that transmitted the request signal is one to which the terminal T should be connected, a connection is established with the agent module LS that transmitted the request signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to technical fields for a network system, a network operation method, an agent module, a terminal device, and a information recording medium and a program therefor. More particularly, the present invention relates to technical fields for a network system for transmitting information between an agent module and a terminal device and an operation system therefor and for an information recording medium for operating the agent module, the terminal device, and the network system and program therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has recently become common practice for information processing apparatuses to exchange information therebetween via networks, such as the Internet, to which the information processing apparatuses are connected. In order for a terminal device, including a personal computer installed in an ordinary home, to be connected to a network, a connection is first established between the terminal device and an agent device disposed in an agent, such as an Internet Service Provider and then the terminal device is further connected to a network via the agent device.
In this case, according to the related art, in order to establish connection between the agent device and the terminal device, an terminal device side first attempts connection to the agent device (attempt so called dial-up), and whereby connection including the network, the agent device, and the terminal device are established.
However, according to the above connection establishing method, a terminal device is neither connected to an agent device, nor to a network, so long as the terminal device does not attempt to establish the connection via an agent device positively. Therefore, when the operator of the terminal device is not present at the location where the terminal device is installed, it is not possible for the terminal device to connect to the agent device nor to the network to enable the terminal device to perform various processes.
The invention has been made to solve the above problems. It is an objective of the present invention to provide a network system that enables an agent device to control a terminal device and an information processing apparatus connected thereto, even when no operator is present at a place where the terminal device is installed, an operating method therefor, and an program for operating the agent device, the terminal device, and the network system and an information recording medium in which the program is recorded.

Network system, network operation method, agent module, terminal device, and information recording medium and program therefor


A magnetic part including: a coil that generates a magnetic flux when a current flows through the coil; a core that is formed of a magnetic substance that forms a magnetic path of the magnetic flux; a support member that supports the core; and a fixing member that fixes the core to the support member. The core includes a column portion that is vertically provided with respect to a surface where the core is in contact with the support member. The fixing member presses the column portion of the core against the support member. The support member has a recess in a portion of a facing surface that faces the core, where the portion of a facing surface does not face the column portion.

For example, an electronic apparatus such as a DC-DC converter is provided with a magnetic part such as a choke coil or a former. Generally, such a magnetic part includes a coil and a core.
A coil is electrically connected to a board, an electrical wiring, or the like of an electronic apparatus, as disclosed in JP-A-2004-303816, JP-A-2011-181804, and JP-A-2009-303285, and generates a magnetic flux when a current flows through the coil. The core is formed of a ferrite magnetic substance material, or the like, and is provided to cover a most part of the coil. Further, the core forms a magnetic path of the magnetic flux generated by the coil.
As disclosed in JP-A-2004-303816, JP-A-2011-181804, and JP-A-2009-303285, the magnetic part is disposed on a support member such as a housing or a metallic plate provided in the electronic apparatus, and is fixed to the support member by a fixing member such as a fixing tool, a screw, or an adhesive.
When the current flows through the coil, the coil or the core radiates heat. Particularly, the amount of radiated heat of a coil or a core provided in a choke coil, a transformer, or the like in which a very high current flows is large. In a case where a temperature of the core exceeds a limit temperature due to the heat, the core does not function as a magnetic substance, and enters a state called thermal runaway, which causes deterioration of performance of the magnetic part.
As a solution, in the related art, for example, a configuration in which a support member is formed of a heat radiator and a core of a magnetic part is in close contact with the support member has been proposed. Further, JP-A-2011-181804 discloses a configuration in which leg portions are provided in a casing that is integrated with a core, the leg portions are fixed to a support member (housing) using screws, and a heat radiation space is provided between the core and the support member. Further, JP-A-2009-303285 discloses a configuration in which both end portions of a lower surface of a magnetic part are supported by a heat transfer layer and projection portions provided on an upper surface of a support member (metallic plate) and the thickness of an adhesive that causes the magnetic part to adhere to the support member is formed to be thin.


An algorithm is disclosed for performing channel balancing on channels between optical network elements within an optic-fiber communications system. The algorithm groups at least a portion of the channels into channel pairs, differentially adjusts the transmitter output power level of each of the channel pairs until the bit error ratio (BER) of at least one channel in each of the channel pairs exceeds a threshold, and records a respective power margin for each of the channels as the difference between the initial and final power levels. From the recorded power margins, a mean power margin is determined that is used to shift the transmitter output power level of each of the channels.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to communication systems, and in particular, to wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) fiber-optic communication systems.
2. Description of Related Art
In fiber-optic communication systems, wavelength-division multiplexing is commonly used to multiplex multiple optical carrier signals (channels) onto a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths (colors) of laser light to carry different signals. This enables networks to not only add capacity, but also to provide bidirectional communication independent of traffic protocol or speed over one strand of fiber. In long haul WDM systems where the optical link is greater than 50-100 km, optical amplifiers are typically used to overcome fiber span losses. Optical amplifiers can be operated in either a constant-gain mode or a constant-power mode. In constant-power mode, the amplified output power is regulated to a fixed value, largely independent of the input signal power.
As the WDM channels propagate through the system, the gain and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise applied to each of the constituent WDM channels varies slightly. While this variation is generally relatively small for signals passing through a single amplifier or fiber section, the effect becomes significant for a cascaded series of amplifiers typically found in WDM networks. Without some form of compensation, the cumulative effect produces an output spectrum with widely varying optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) and power levels associated with each of the constituent WDM signals. Consequently, some WDM channels will reach the far end of the network with relatively poor operating margins, while others will arrive with significantly more margin than necessary.
Therefore, in many WDM systems, channel balancing is performed to adjust the relative input power levels (transmitter output power levels) of the constituent WDM channels until all of the associated outputs have nearly the same OSNR with optical power levels that satisfy the dynamic range requirements of the receivers. In other words, the input signal levels are adjusted to achieve relatively balanced OSNR levels across the WDM channels at the far end receivers. The process is also referred to as "pre-emphasis", because the power levels are "pre-emphasized" at the transmitters to anticipate the variations in additive noise and gain across the spectrum as the signals pass through the optical amplifiers to the far end receivers.
One way of performing channel balancing is to use an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) to directly measure the OSNR of each of the optical channels. However, OSA equipment is relatively expensive. In addition, the purpose of channel balancing is not necessarily to achieve balanced OSNR, but to provide optimal and consistent margin against bit errors across all of the constituent WDM channels. However, a channel balancing exercise based on Bit Error Ratio (BER) requires a significant amount of time that increases linearly with channel count since existing automatic pre-emphasis techniques measure the operating limits of each channel by modifying the operating point of one channel at a time to minimize the change in over all loading of the system during the balancing process. Therefore, what is needed is a cost-effective channel balancing mechanism with minimal time requirements.


The present invention concerns a process that maintains a second (or "replica") set of alignment marks during existing processing steps used in manufacturing a semiconductor device or integrated circuit, including CMP and other planarization methods. The present invention avoids alignment problems encountered in conventional CMP processes, particularly tungsten CMP. All alignment steps can be realized through one or more subsequent second (or "replica") alignment marks, set and preserved throughout the remaining process steps, thus maintaining alignment integrity. The present method and apparatus concerns a new alignment mark that may be "printed" in a metal layer on the wafer, for example, a local interconnect or contact layer. The new alignment mark is generally not subjected to planarization or to an "open frame" process. The new alignment mark may also be used to re-etch other alignment marks directly onto the layer conventionally causing alignment problems, such as those created following CMP.

In semiconductor or integrated circuit manufacturing, large scale integration (LSI) or very large scale integration (VLSI) techniques may be used to fabricate complex electrical circuits on a silicon substrate. The design and manufacture of many devices have been made possible by the reduction in the memory cell dimensions. A photolithography step is frequently utilized to transfer an electrical pattern from a photomask to a silicon wafer. Various photolithographic systems use a variety of transfer techniques, including step-and-repeat processes, to gradually transfer a mask pattern from a macroscopic prototype to a microscopic implementation.
As device memory cell dimensions continue to shrink, the overlay measurement accuracy (to compensate for processing inaccuracies) generally requires alignment marks to be created in the silicon substrate to be used as a reference coordinate. The alignment marks are created by various processing steps. Global alignments between masking layers are generally done by measuring contrasts in light intensities reflected back from the steps created by the elevated portions of the alignment marks. Generally, as long as the step heights in the alignment marks are preserved through subsequent processing steps, global alignment in masking steps (compared to the masking layers) can be achieved. As critical dimensions (CD) of individual transistors transferred from a mask pattern shrink in extremely dense devices, global planarization at the wafer level therefore becomes quite advantageous.
Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is an industry recognized process for making silicon wafers flat. The CMP process is used to achieve global planarization (planarization of the entire wafer). Both chemical and mechanical forces produce the desired polishing of the wafer. The CMP process generally includes an automated rotating polishing platen and a wafer holder. The wafer holder is generally used to hold the wafer in place while the platen exerts a force on the wafer. At the same time, the wafer and platen may be independently rotated. A polishing slurry feeding system may be implemented to wet the polishing pad and the wafer. The polishing pad bridges over relatively low spots on the wafer, thus removing material from the relatively high spots on the wafer. Planarization occurs because generally high spots on the wafer polish faster than low spots on the wafer. Thus, the relatively high portions of the wafer are smoothed to a uniform level faster than the other, relatively low portions of the wafer.
After CMP, the various portions of the wafer, including the alignment marks, become relatively flat. Planarizing the alignment marks creates problems for providing proper alignment during subsequent masking steps.
One typical way to get around planarizing the alignment marks is to perform a processing step called "open frame" which reproduces the step height in the alignment marks.
Tungsten deposition and CMP are typically used to fabricate tungsten contacts. Thus, Tungsten CMP (WCMP) is one notable variation of CMP. Tungsten is generally preferred to aluminum for contacts due to step coverage problems that arise in high aspect ratio holes during aluminum deposition. After tungsten CMP, the original alignment marks may be covered with a layer of tungsten film. The grain quality of the tungsten film typically produces poor light reflection quality and therefore makes alignment of the mask pattern difficult to control. As a result, alignment marks may be rendered ineffective after tungsten CMP.

Alignment process compatible with chemical mechanical polishing


Fuser assemblies, xerographic apparatuses, and methods of fusing toner on media in xerographic apparatuses are disclosed. An embodiment of the fuser assemblies includes a fuser belt having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, at least a first roll and a second roll supporting the fuser belt, and a radiant heater facing the inner surface of the fuser belt. The radiant heater is adapted to emit radiant heat onto the inner surface of the fuser belt to increase the temperature of the outer surface of the fuser belt opposite the inner surface heated by the radiant heater.

Fuser assemblies, xerographic apparatuses, and methods of fusing toner on media in xerographic processes are disclosed.
In a typical xerographic printing process, a toner image is formed on a medium, and then the toner is heated to fuse the toner on the medium. One process for thermally fusing toner onto media uses a fuser assembly including a pressure roll, a fuser roll, a nip between these rolls, and a rotatable fuser belt positioned between these rolls. During the fusing process, a medium with a toner image is fed to the nip, where heat and pressure are applied to the medium to fix the toner image to the medium.
It would be desirable to provide fuser assemblies including fuser belts that can provide energy-efficient operation when used for mixed-media print jobs.

Fuser assemblies, xerographic apparatuses and methods of fusing toner on media


A restriction sensor system for identifying the existence of blockages in exhaust conduits of clothes dryers. The restriction sensor system may be used as a retrofit system that is capable of being installed on existing clothes dryers. The restriction sensor system may include a fitting configured to be coupled to an exhaust conduit of a clothes dryer and a blockage indicator housing positioned remote from a clothes dryer. The pressure sensing device may be capable of determining changes in air pressure in the exhaust conduit. Once the air pressure present in the exhaust conduit exceeds a threshold air pressure, the pressure sensing device may send a signal to an indicator to generate an alarm, which may be a visual alarm or audible alarm, or both.

Conventional clothes dryers are constructed of a tumbler configured to hold clothes, a motor for rotating the tumbler, a heating element for heating air, a fan for blowing the heated air across the clothes while the clothes are in the tumbler, and an exhaust conduit for venting the heated air from the dryer. The heating element may be electric or gas powered. Because a clothes dryer includes a heating element, a fire risk always exists.
Conventional clothes dryers include many different safety devices for reducing the likelihood of a fire, particularly if lint builds up in the dryer. For instance, a conventional clothes dryer often includes a lint screen for removing lint from the air coming from a tumbler. The lint screen is often placed in an easily accessible location, such as in a slot in a top surface of the clothes dryer, or adjacent the door of the dryer, and covers an exhaust conduit where the conduit leaves the tumbler. The lint screen collects lint from the air that has been picked up from the clothing in the tumbler. Most, if not all, manufacturers of clothes dryers recommend that lint screens be cleaned after each load of clothes is dried. Otherwise, an unacceptable amount of lint may build up on the lint screen and pose a fire hazard and prevent efficient operation. However, not all users may be conscientious about cleaning the lint screen after each use. Additionally, lint screens are typically not capable of removing all the lint from the exhaust air, and thus it is almost inevitable that some lint will enter the exhaust conduit.
Clothes dryers also typically contain heat sensors, such as thermocouples, for preventing dryers from overheating and causing fires. Most clothes dryers position a thermocouple proximate to a heating element of the clothes dryer. In this position, the thermocouple is capable of monitoring the area surrounding the heating element and can be used to determine whether the air surrounding the heating element is exceeding a predetermined threshold temperature. If the air becomes too hot, the thermocouple breaks a circuit, which thereby turns the dryer off and prevents the dryer from operating. The temperature of the air surrounding the heating element is monitored because the air surrounding the heating element often becomes too hot for safe operation when an exhaust conduit contains a blockage, for example, caused by a lint build-up. Blockages in the exhaust conduits are dangerous because the blockages can cause the heating element to overheat and ignite lint near the heating element.
A problem exists with dryers in that many exhaust hoses or conduits for clothes dryers are incorrectly installed such that the exhaust conduits have internal diameters that are too small, or are restrained by having to extend through an angle to reach an exhaust vent or are placed in a restricted location. Such configurations accelerate lint collection on inside surfaces of the exhaust conduits, which may eventually result in partial or total blockage of the exhaust conduit. Such accumulation of lint may occur relatively quickly or over a longer period, such as a few years, and may go unnoticed by a homeowner. Such conditions can be extremely dangerous.
While the conventional configuration of locating a thermocouple proximate to heating elements in a dryer has undoubtedly prevented many fires, dryers having this configuration remain susceptible to fires. Additionally, thermocouples can and do break down and become inoperable, rendering the safety device incapable of shutting down the dryer when a dangerous condition exists. In fact, dryers remain one of the most dangerous household appliances. Thus, a need exists for a system for improving the safety of clothes dryers.

Remote restriction detecting system for clothes dryer exhaust systems


A hair control device for pools/spas and a method for using the same includes a grate disposable in the pump inlet of a pool/spa with a plurality of elongate flow channels extending between a first end of the grate and a second end of the grate. The elongate flow channels are isolated from one another so as to decrease turbulence and to prevent hair from tangling or knotting behind the grate in such a manner that a person's head is held under water. Preferably, the channels of the grate will be at least 18 inches long. The channels can be linear, or can be disposed in a helical pattern through the housing of the grate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hair control device for pools and spas. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drain which prevents hair from becoming trapped in a pool/spa drain and potentially injuring users thereof and damaging the recirculating pump which is connected to the drain.
2. State of the Art
Over the last decade, there has been tremendous growth in the popularity of spas, pools and the like. In particular, spas which may be placed in a deck or even within a home have become more popular due, in large part, to the decrease in cost. As the use of spas has increased, however, there has been a rise in the number of drownings associated therewith.
Many people like spas because the high pressure streams of warm water sooth aches and pains, and assist in general relaxation. The recirculating pumps must withdraw a significant amount of water from the spas to generate the high pressure streams which are recirculated back into the water containment area. Unfortunately, the suction pressure generated by these pumps to draw sufficient water out of the water containment area has been the cause of numerous drownings. In one recent case, the suction generated by the pump was sufficient to hold a young girl under the water until someone was able to terminate the power supply to the pumps. Unfortunately, the young girl died.
In addition to the power of the pumps, many drownings are caused by the hair of a user passing through the drain grate and into the water recirculating line. The turbulence in the water causes the hair to tangle and knot in the water recirculating line after it has passed through the drain grate. The tangled/knotted hair cannot be withdrawn because the grate is fastened to the shell of the pool/spa. Unless someone is able to cut the tangled hair, the person will typically drown. If the person is able to pull free, the tangled/knotted hair is left in the recirculating line to be carried with the water flowing therethrough. Unless some additional screen is provided, the tangled/knotted hair will eventually end up in the pump where it may cause a considerable amount of damage.
There have been numerous attempts to overcome these concerns and make pools and spas safer. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,041, there is disclosed a device which is configured to automatically turn off the pump in the event that flow into the recirculating line is blocked. Likewise, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,878, there is taught a safety drain arrangement which disables the ability of the pump to maintain a high suction state. Other devices for interrupting the pump when there is an obstruction are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,347,664 and 5,499,406.
While each of these devices prevents or substantially lessens the likelihood of accidental drowning due to a person being held against the drain grate, they do not address the concern of a person drowning because his or her hair has become tangled or knotted in the recirculating water flow line.
Thus there is a need for an apparatus and method for reducing the risk of drowning due to hair being caught in a recirculating water flow line of a pool or spa. Such an apparatus should be inexpensive to purchase and easy to install. Such a device should also not interfere with the proper operation of the recirculating pump or pumps.


A semiconductor light-emitting device is disclosed in which the lifetime of the device is increased by preventing deterioration of a current blocking layer interface caused by contamination during fabrication. The light-emitting device includes a substrate having a first surface and a stepped surface extending at an angle from the first surface formed by etching through the substrate. One of the surfaces is a (100) oriented surface and the other surface is a (111)B oriented surface. A current blocking layer is deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on the (100) oriented surface and the active layers of the device are deposited on the (111)B oriented surface. The (111)B oriented surface thereby becomes the current flow channel where oscillation occurs to generate light.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a cross-sectional view of a conventional (prior art) semiconductor laser 10. Semiconductor laser 10 comprises a substrate 12 of n-type conductivity GaAs having a pair of opposed surfaces 14 and 16. On the surface 14 is a current blocking layer 18 of p-type conductivity GaAs having a central opening 20 therethrough. The current blocking layer is about 1 micrometer in thickness and is doped with beryllium of a concentration of 1.times.10.sup.18 impurities/cm.sup.3. On the current blocking layer 18 and within the opening 20 is an n-type conductivity cladding layer 22 of Al.sub.0.7 Ga.sub.0.3 As. The cladding layer 22 is about 2 micrometers in thickness and is doped with silicon to a concentration of 1.times.10.sup.18 impurities/cm.sup.3. On the cladding layer 22 is an active layer 24 of n-type conductivity GaAs which is 0.1 micrometer in thickness and is doped with 5.times.10.sup.17 impurities/cm.sup.3 of beryllium. On the active layer 24 is a cladding layer 26 of p-type conductivity Al.sub.0.7 Ga.sub.0.3 As of a thickness of 2 micrometers and doped with 1.times.10.sup.18 impurities/cm.sup.3 of beryllium followed by a cap layer 28 of p-type conductivity GaAs of a thickness of 2 micrometers and doped with 5.times.10.sup.17 impurities/cm.sup.3 of beryllium. A negative electrode 30 of AuZn is on the surface 16 of the substrate 12 and a positive electrode 32 of AuGe/Ni is on the cap layer 28.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, there are shown sectional views illustrating a known (prior art) method of making the semiconductor laser 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the current blocking layer 18 is first epitaxially depositing using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on the surface 14 of the substrate 12. Then, as is shown in FIG. 3, the opening 20 is formed in the current blocking layer 18 by etching away specific portions of the current blocking layer 18. As shown in FIG. 4, cladding layer 22, active layer 24, cladding layer 26 and cap layer 28 are then deposited in succession using molecular beam epitaxy. This is followed by the deposition and alloying of the negative electrode 30 and the positive electrode 32.
In the operation of the semiconductor laser 10, the application of a reverse bias to the current blocking layer 18 and the cladding layer 22 prevents current from flowing through the current blocking layer to the substrate 12. The current only flows through the portion of the cladding layer 22 which is in the opening 20. Thus, the opening 20 serves as a current channel with an oscillation region being limited to the current channel provided by the opening 20.
A drawback with this conventional semiconductor laser 10 results from the fact that wet or dry etching of the current blocking layer 18 is required to form the current channel. To carry out the etching step, it is necessary to remove the substrate 12 from a vacuum chamber in which the semiconductor layers are grown. This gives rise to contamination caused by oxidation of the current blocking layer interface or the adhesion of impurities to the resist used to masking the current blocking layer 18 for etching the opening 20. This degradation of the current blocking layer interface shortens the life of the device.

Semiconductor light-emitting device having substantially planar surfaces


A device for connecting to the end of a cable, having stranded wires including a sleeve nut. The sleeve nut has threads at one end. The cable is placed through the sleeve nut with the threads facing towards the end of the cable. A sleeve is provided with gripping means. The cable is placed through the sleeve after the sleeve nut. The gripping means are in contact with the outer insulated surface of the cable and prevent the cable from sliding out of the sleeve. An outer support ring having threads and including a pointed contact is provided. The pointed contact penetrates the stranded wires of the cable as the sleeve nut threads and the outer support ring threads engage and are rotated. This causes the sleeve nut and the outer support ring to move together, radially compressing the sleeve, so that the gripping means prevent the cable from sliding out of the sleeve.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for connecting the end of a cable to a plug, a jack or an electrical device. More particularly, the device has at least one terminal contact which has a sharpened end which penetrates into the stranded wires of the cable. The device also includes a sleeve into which the cable is inserted. The sleeve is radially compressed to prevent the cable from being removed from the connection device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a device is known, for example, from German Patent DE-OS 25 10 299. In this known device, a complicated special tool is needed to produce the connection. The special tool presses the cable end against the plug element and holds it in place. The terminal contact is made during a subsequent work step, by a sharpened metallic contact, which is screwed through the plug element into the cable end by another separate screwdriver-type tool. Finally, in the last work step, the sleeve is pressed over the contact point by means of a hexagonal press. The known device therefore requires several special tools for making a connection to a cable end, and several consecutive work steps.
A similar device is also known from German Patent DE-GM 79 03 554. However, this patent does not show a sleeve which can be squeezed radially to hold the cable in place. Instead, radial pressure forces are exerted on the outside insulation of the cable end by the housing of the plug element. In this device, the bluntly cut cable end must first be pushed by hand onto the sharpened contact or contacts. Subsequently, the housing, which is divided into half sections, is placed around the cable end, and pressed together with great force, in order to generate the required radial pressure forces. In this connection, special care is necessary to ensure that the terminal contacts, which are at first only loosely inserted in the cable end, do not slip out of the cable end before the necessary force is exerted by the housing. If this is not done carefully, the quality of the terminal contact produced in this way can be compromised.

Device for connecting to the end of a cable


A charging circuit and method for charging a power storage device in a power over Ethernet environment are necessary to prevent unnecessary power consumption. Power sourcing equipment continuously supplies power to a connected device after determining that the device is compatible. In order to prevent supply of power after a power storage device attains full charge, a charging circuit may include an interface for supplying electric power; a sensing circuit including a switch in series with a resistor; and a voltage detection circuit. The voltage detection circuit may communicate with the sensing circuit and may output a first signal that turns the switch OFF when the voltage of the power storage device is greater than or equal to a first voltage and may output a second signal that turns the switch ON when the voltage of the power storage device is less than or equal to a second voltage.

Many modern network-connectable, electronic devices require data connectivity as well as connection to power supplies. IP telephones, wireless LAN access points, Bluetooth access points, web cameras, digital still and video cameras, computers, tablets, liquid crystal displays, point-of-sale kiosks, network intercom systems, cellular telephones, security systems, gaming systems, etc. are examples of devices that require both data connectivity as well as connection to power supplies. Traditionally, each of these electronic devices had separate cables for data connectivity and power supply. With the advent of implementation of IEEE 802.3.af and IEEE 802.3.at standards, which are extensions of the existing Ethernet standard, power over Ethernet capability (i.e., supplying power over Ethernet cables) has become more common.
There are many advantages to supplying power over Ethernet. For example, power over Ethernet may result in more flexible network design because the powered devices can be situated in areas without access to power outlets. This may also result in cost savings because it removes the need to install additional power outlets. In addition, power over Ethernet may be safer because there is no need to deploy AC main power throughout the network. Thus, additional electronic devices will be designed to receive power over Ethernet for the reasons above, as well as because of higher power supply capabilities permitted under the standards. This is especially the case because the cost of adding power supplies to Ethernet switches is relatively low.
According to the existing standards, power sourcing equipment (PSE) executes a discovery process to determine whether a compatible device is connected to it before supplying power in order to prevent damage to the connected device. The PSE makes this determination by applying a relatively low voltage to the network cable and checking for the presence of a sensing resistor in the connected device. The PSE only supplies the full voltage after detecting the sensing resistor in the connected device. However, if the connected device includes a chargeable power storage device, the PSE continues to supply the full voltage so long as the PSE senses the sensing resistor, even after the power storage device attains full charge. This results in unnecessary power consumption.

Apparatus and method for controlling a charging circuit in a power over ethernet device