A voltage regulator arrangement having a first voltage regulator, whose input connection is connected to the supply potential connection and whose output connection is connected to a first supply potential connection of a circuit arrangement, with the first voltage regulator supplying the circuit arrangement with a supply voltage in a rest state. A second voltage regulator is also provided, whose input connection is connected to the supply potential connection, and whose output connection is connected to a second supply potential connection of the circuit arrangement, with the second voltage regulator supplying the circuit arrangement with a supply voltage during its normal operation.

In the case of integrated circuits, a distinction is drawn between the internal supply voltage and the external supply voltage. The external supply voltage is applied to the input connection of the voltage regulator. The output connection of the voltage regulator, which can be connected to the circuit arrangement, applies the internal supply voltage to this circuit arrangement. The magnitude of the internal supply voltage is in this case governed by the requirements of the circuit arrangement. The internal supply voltage is normally lower than the external supply voltage. In consequence, the voltage regulator carries out the task of "transforming" the external supply voltage to the internal supply voltage. In this case, the internal supply voltage must be kept as constant as possible irrespective of voltage fluctuations of the external supply voltage, in order to make it possible to ensure the operation of the circuit arrangement that is to be supplied.
As the level of technological integration of the component of the circuit arrangement to be supplied increases, the internal supply voltage decreases. Since, at the same time, the maximum permissible external voltage range is extended on the basis of the predetermined standards (for example Global System for Mobile communication GSM or International Standard Organization ISO), the requirements for the voltage regulator to provide a constant internal supply voltage are becoming more stringent.
One problem in particular is to compensate for voltage spikes on the external supply voltage.
Firstly, the voltage spikes may increase as the external voltage range becomes wider. Secondly, a reduced internal supply voltage must be provided because of the technological integration level of the components of the circuit arrangement, as mentioned above. In this case, the same voltage fluctuations, that is to say their absolute value, produce greater effects as the internal supply voltage is decreased, since the relative change is then greater. Conventional voltage regulators are frequently therefore no longer able to generate a sufficiently constant internal supply voltage when major external voltage fluctuations occur and the required internal supply voltages are low.
In principle, two different types of voltage regulators are known from the prior art.
Firstly, there are integrated voltage regulators with p-channel series regulating transistors, which draw a small amount of current but are highly sensitive to voltage. The high voltage sensitivity is due to the fact that the external supply voltage is connected to the source connection of the p-channel series regulating transistor. p-channel series channel transistors are currently used in voltage regulators for integrated circuits for use in smart cards.
Furthermore, voltage regulators with n-channel series regulating transistors are known. These have little sensitivity to voltage, since the external supply voltage is connected to the drain connection of the n-channel series regulating transistor. However, this type has the disadvantage that the current draw is increased, due to the requirement for an additional oscillator and an additional voltage pump for driving the gate of the n-channel transistor. As a result of this, voltage regulators with an n-channel series regulating transistor require an increased current draw, particularly in a rest state. This results in contravention of the GSM and ISO standards mentioned above.


A computer-implemented method and system for automated customer business impact assessment upon a problem submission. A problem description of a problem with a product is received from a customer using the product. The problem description is automatically analyzed using natural language processing (NLP) to identify an issue including a subject. The issue and subject is compared with usage information stored in a repository for the customer. The method and system include predicting an impact of the problem to the customer, and prioritizing a solution to the problem based on the predicted impact.

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for computer implemented assessment responsive to a problem submission. For instance, the present disclosure relates to receiving a problem statement about a software application by a software provider or manufacturer, or a support team (e.g., a support group, help desk, or customer service), and generating a priority of the problem for a customer.
Typically, a user of a software application, whether used for an individual or by a corporate entity, can contact a support team (e.g., help desk) when a problem occurs with the software application. The problem can reflect a defect in the software application. It is often difficult for a support team to identify how a particular problem or defect can impact customers and users, and their respective organization if applicable. It also can be difficult for a user to assess the potential impact of a problem in their own organization. For instance, a user may not be aware of the extent of use of a product, or aware of plan to roll out an alternative product.
For example, a user can inform a support team for a software application of an issue or problem, and request assistance in resolving the issue. The resolution can require a significant amount of time for the customer or user, especially when the user or customer is relying on the software application for uses important to their business. Improvements are desirable to improve the user/customer experience (e.g., response time) when experiencing an issue or problem with a product. For example, improvements are desirable in responsiveness to a service call when a customer submits a problem to a support group for a product.

Automated customer business impact assessment upon problem submission

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines and methods for their use in the treatment of HIV infections, AIDS, and AIDS-related diseases, and in the treatment of BVDV infections are described herein. Also, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines are useful for the treatment of HIV infections, AIDS, and AIDS-related diseases. The compositions include one or more carriers, diluents, or excipients, or a combination thereof.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (1) is a disease caused at least in part by the retrovirus human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (2). AIDS and AIDS-related diseases cause a gradual decline of the immune system and leaves the HIV-infected individuals susceptible to opportunistic infections and to tumor formation that eventually leads to death. Current therapies for these diseases include antiretroviral therapy, which generally involves a cocktail of HIV protease and reverse transcriptase inhibitor drugs. It has been reported that the therapy affords a significant improvement in the general health and quality of life of many HIV-infected individuals. That recovery is also associated with a marked reduction in HIV-associated morbidity and mortality (3). Even so, the HIV protease and reverse transcriptase inhibitor drug cocktail does not cure the patient of the HIV infection nor does it prevent the return of AIDS, once the treatment is stopped. It has been reported that patients who withdraw from the therapy do not benefit from the life-saving treatment. Moreover, for a considerable fraction of AIDS patients this treatment achieves far less than optimal results due to a number of factors, including therapy intolerance, unwanted side effects, other infections, and most notably the development of drug-resistant HIV strains (4). There is a continuing need for additional treatments for AIDS, AIDS-related diseases, and HIV infections.
A member of the Flaviviridae family of positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses is the Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV). Infection with this virus brings about a severe mucosal disease in cattle and other ruminants as well as pigs. BVDV cattle infections are marked by nose, mouth and gastrointestinal mucosa ulceration, which cause continuous salivation, nasal discharge, coughing and/or diarrhea. As a result there is a quick virus spread among animals. The virus also causes calves to be still born, become persistently infected, or suffer growth retardation and/or display severe neurological malformations. The economic impact of BVDV is considerable, although it is difficult to precisely estimate its level since certain infections remain undiagnosed or the losses are not recognized as being due to the virus. (see for example, Buckwold et al., Antivirus Research 2003, 60, 1; Finkielsztein et al., 2010, Current Medicinal Chemistry 17, 2933; foregoing publications, and each additional publication cited herein, are incorporated herein by reference). Thus effective therapeutics will be useful for reducing the economic impact of BDVD. Other members of this Flaviviridae family of diseases include West Nile Virus and Dengue Fever.
It has been discovered herein that perhydro pyrrolopyridines are active anti-HIV agents. It has also been discovered herein that perhydro pyrrolopyridines are active against Flaviviridae viruses and related diseases. It has also been discovered herein that perhydro pyrrolopyridines are active anti-BVDV agents. It has also been discovered herein that perhydro pyrrolopyridines are active anti-BVDV agents. It has also been discovered herein that perhydro pyrrolopyridines are active anti-BVDV agents.
In one illustrative embodiment, described herein are substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines that are useful for the treatment of HIV infections, AIDS, and AIDS-related diseases. In another embodiment, described herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines that are useful for the treatment of HIV infections, AIDS, and AIDS-related diseases. Illustratively, the compositions include one or more carriers, diluents, or excipients, or a combination thereof.
In another embodiment, described herein are methods for treating HIV infections, AIDS, and AIDS-related diseases, where the methods include administering the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines and/or the pharmaceutical compositions including the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines. In another embodiment, described herein is the use of one or more of the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines and/or the pharmaceutical compositions including the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines in the manufacture of a medicament for treating a patient or host animal having an HIV infection, AIDS, and AIDS-related diseases.
In another illustrative embodiment, described herein are substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines that are useful for the treatment of BVDV infections. In another embodiment, described herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines that are useful for the treatment of BVDV infections. Illustratively, the compositions include one or more carriers, diluents, or excipients, or a combination thereof.
In another embodiment, described herein are methods for treating BVDV infections, where the methods include administering the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines and/or the pharmaceutical compositions including the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines. In another embodiment, described herein is the use of one or more of the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines and/or the pharmaceutical compositions including the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines in the manufacture of a medicament for treating a patient or host animal having a BVDV infection.
In another illustrative embodiment, described herein are substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines that are useful for the treatment of West Nile virus infections. In another embodiment, described herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines that are useful for the treatment of West Nile virus infections. Illustratively, the compositions include one or more carriers, diluents, or excipients, or a combination thereof.
In another embodiment, described herein are methods for treating West Nile virus infections, where the methods include administering the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines and/or the pharmaceutical compositions including the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines. In another embodiment, described herein is the use of one or more of the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines and/or the pharmaceutical compositions including the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines in the manufacture of a medicament for treating a patient or host animal having a West Nile virus infection.
In another illustrative embodiment, described herein are substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines that are useful for the treatment of Dengue fever. In another embodiment, described herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines that are useful for the treatment of Dengue fever. Illustratively, the compositions include one or more carriers, diluents, or excipients, or a combination thereof.
In another embodiment, described herein are methods for treating Dengue fever, where the methods include administering the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines and/or the pharmaceutical compositions including the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines. In another embodiment, described herein is the use of one or more of the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines and/or the pharmaceutical compositions including the substituted perhydro pyrrolopyridines in the manufacture of a medicament for treating a patient or host animal having a Dengue fever.

Compositions and methods for treating viral diseases


A method and system may determine the estimated location of a vehicle, measure a location of an object relative to the vehicle using a sensor associated with the vehicle, and determine an updated vehicle location using the measured relative object location in conjunction with previously stored object locations. The estimated vehicle location may be determined using a system different from that associated with the sensor, for example a GPS system. The object location may be measured relative to a sub-map corresponding to the location of the vehicle.

Many vehicle active safety features, and other vehicle applications, rely on accurate vehicle position data. For example, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure analysis, including forward collision alert, and enhanced traffic light violation alert, require an accurate vehicle position to be determined in order to properly alert the driver about potential threats. Lane departure warning, adaptive front lighting, traffic light violation alert, and lane centering, require accurate lane geometry measurements, which are based on location data such as GPS location data. Thus, the proper functioning of many vehicle active safety features is directly limited by the accuracy of the vehicle location measurement. Current GPS location methods available for non-military use are only accurate to within, in some cases, 3 meters, and GPS position accuracy may be further diminished when less than a minimum number of satellites are in view of the vehicle. As a result, the accuracy and reliability of current location methods are insufficient for many vehicle active safety features.
A method and system to enhance the accuracy of the vehicle location measurement, for example using GPS systems, is needed.

System and method for sensor based environmental model construction


A downhole magnetic latching tool includes at least one permanent magnet deployed on a non-magnetic tool body. A magnetically permeable housing is deployed about the permanent magnet. The magnetic latching tool provides an attractive magnetic force between a drill string and a cased target wellbore.

The present invention relates generally to subterranean well intercept operations commonly utilized in oil and natural gas exploration and production. In particular, this invention relates to an apparatus and method for intercepting and penetrating a cased target well, for example, during near-parallel well intercept operations.
Wellbore intercept operations are common in various downhole drilling operations, for example, in well kill operations, relief well operations, and coal bed methane (CBM) drilling operations in which a horizontal well is intended to intercept multiple vertical pilot wells. Well intercept operations have also been proposed for certain well abandonment operations. When oil and gas wells are no longer commercially viable, they must typically be abandoned in accordance with local government regulations. These regulations vary from one jurisdiction to another, however, generally require one or more permanent barriers to isolate the wellbore. More recently certain jurisdictions have proposed and/or required that additional isolation be employed in some previously abandoned wells. The additional isolation required can vary (e.g., it may include the deployment of a cement plug in the well), but generally requires access to the well. One significant difficulty in these operations is that there may be no longer surface accessibility to many of these wells.
Well intercept operations (also referred to in the art as well interception operations) have been used with some success to obtain access to the previously drilled wells. However, many well intercept operations fail due to the difficultly in positioning the drilling well in the correct location and orientation adjacent to the target well. This difficulty is magnified in well abandonment operations due to the requirement that the drilling well penetrate the target well casing. The invention disclosed herein is intended to address these difficulties.

Magnetic latching device for downhole wellbore intercept operations


A lamp includes a first housing, a second housing, a bulb base and a positioning part. The first housing has a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The first sidewall is perpendicularly connected to the second sidewall and has a first surface and a first assembling tank penetrating through the first surface. The second sidewall has a first cave. The second housing is detachably assembled to the first housing and has a second cave. These two caves form a first opening. The bulb base is embedded into the first opening. The bulb base has a base opening and multiple slots. The slots are disposed on an inner sidewall of the base opening along a circular direction. The positioning part is disposed in the first assembling tank and suitable to move along a normal direction of the first surface. The positioning part has a first push button and a latch hook.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a lamp. Particularly, the invention relates to a lamp in which a housing of the lamp is capable of rotating relative to a bulb base.
2. Description of Related Art
In daily life, people usually use a table lamp to illuminate an area lacking of indoor light. For example, an area with inadequate illumination such as a desk or a table can be reinforced by using a table lamp, so that a user can read or engage in other works without worrying deterioration of eyesight caused by inadequate working environment light.
In order to enhance evenness of a light source, a commonly used table lamp in the market generally includes an optical plate, and the optical plate is assembled with a light-emitting device to form a module. A most easy manner of assembling the module to a base is to respectively configure a thread portion on the module and the base, and then the module is manually screwed to the thread portion. However, after the module is screwed to a fixed position, if an angle of a light-emerging surface of the table lamp is not an irradiation angle required by the user, the lamp is required to be reassembled, or is forcibly rotated to a desired position, which is inconvenient in utilization and is liable to cause a damage of the base.

Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limited


A toner that includes toner base particles including a binder resin and a colorant, wherein the toner base particles have a surface roughness (Ra) of 18 nm to 50 nm and a standard deviation (RMS) of the surface roughness of 0.5 nm to 9.9 nm. A developer, a developing apparatus, a process cartridge, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming method can all use a developer including the toner.

An image forming method by electrographic process generally comprises: a charging process of charging by electric discharge the surface of a photoconductor which is an image bearing member; an exposing process of forming a latent electrostatic image by exposing the charged photoconductor surface; a developing process of developing a toner image by supplying a toner to the latent electrostatic image formed on the photoconductor surface; a transferring process of transferring the toner image on the photoconductor surface onto the surface of a transferring member; a fixing process of fixing the toner image on the surface of the transferring member; and a cleaning process of removing the toner left on the surface of the image bearing member after the transferring process.
Recently, in association with the broad propagation of color image forming apparatuses using the electrographic process and easily available digitized images, it is desired to make an image to be printed with higher definition. While higher resolution and gradation of images are being examined, regarding the improvement of a toner which visualizes a latent image, it has been studied to further ensphere the toner and reduce the particle size in order to form an image with high definition. Since the toners produced by pulverizing methods have limited properties thereof, polymerized toners produced by a suspension polymerization method, an emulsification polymerization method and a dispersion polymerization method capable of ensphering the particles and reducing the particle size are being employed.
A toner with high sphericity is easily affected by electric lines of force in an electrostatic development method, and a toner image is closely developed along the electric lines of force of the latent electrostatic image on the photoconductor. The toner is easily arranged densely and uniformly, and the reproducibility a thin line becomes high when a latent image of fine dots is reproduced. In addition, since the toner has high particulate flowability due to its smooth surface and small adhesive strength among the toner particles or between the toner particles and the photoconductor; Therefore, the electrostatic transferring method has high transfer ability since the toner is easily affected by the electric lines of force, and the transfer is easily performed faithfully along the electric lines of force.
However, the toner with high degree of sphericity has a smaller surface area compared to an amorphous toner of the same particle diameter. This means that the surface available for frictional charge by contact with a frictional charging member such as a magnetic carrier and developer regulation member is small. When the toner is spherical, it easily slides on the surface of the above frictional charging member. Thus, the charging speed and the charging level are low. Therefore, more than a certain amount of a charge controller is required on the surface of the toner.
Additionally, the smaller the toner particle diameter is for enhancing the reproducibility of a fine dot, the more the frictional charge property is reduced. Thus, it is a critical issue to simultaneously satisfy the charge property, developing property and transfer property.
Regarding the spherical toner and the toner having a small particle diameter, various proposals to control their shapes have been made. Shape Factors SF-1 and SF-2 are often used as indicators representing the toner shape. The shape factor SF-1 is an indicator that represents the degree of roundness of a toner particle, and SF-2 is an indicator that represents the degree of convexoconcave of a toner particle. For example, Patent Literatures 1 to 3 attempt to control the shape of the particles by defining the ranges of the shape factors SF-1 and/or SF-2 in order to simultaneously satisfy the charge property, developing property, transfer property, or cleaning property even with a spherical toner and a toner having small particle diameter.
Patent Literature 4 describes a technology which defines the range of the shape factor of toner particles as well as a surface area ratio represented by the following formula:Surface area ratio=ρ×D50p×S where ρ is a specific gravity (g/cm3) of the toner particles, D50p is a number average particle diameter (m) of the toner particles, and S is BET specific surface area (m2/g) of the toner particles.
This surface area ratio is a different measure that represents the degree of convexoconcave of the toner particle from the foregoing shape factor. When the value of the surface area ratio exceeds a given range, the degree of convexoconcave on the surface of the toner particle becomes large. This allows an external additive added externally with time to the toner particles to enter in the depressing portions of the toner particles, and thus it becomes impossible to maintain the charge property and the transfer property over a long period of time.
In Patent Literature 5, the toner surface is defined by an atomic force microscope. However, the degree of convexoconcave in Patent Literature 5, i.e., the degree of surface roughness (Ra), the degree of standard deviation of Ra (RSM) and the number of projective portions having difference of elevation of 20 nm or more, is not sufficient for a cleaning system with higher durability and stability. It was desired that more enhanced cleaning property, by further increasing the degree of convexoconcave in the toner shape reduced cleaning blade abrasion and hence improved the image stability in printing with time.
The technology described in Patent Literature 5 is characterized by having a fine convexoconcave on the toner surface for the purpose of particularly improving the charge property, developing property and transfer property. However, the irregular shape property (large convexoconcave) of the toner as a whole is not sufficient since fine particles such as organosilica are not suitably used for changing the shape. Therefore, it was absolutely insufficient for solving a problem of an stability of the cleaning over time.
As described above, despite many attempts to enhance the charge property, developing property, transfer property or cleaning property by controlling the shapes of the toner particles, a toner having sufficiently satisfactory performance and the related technology have not yet been provided because all the attempts only have a rough view of the surface shape of the toner particle, and none of them grasps the microscopic state of concavoconvex for simultaneously satisfying the charge property, developing property, transfer property and cleaning stability with time.
Patent Literature 1Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open(JP-A) No. H09-179331Patent Literature 2JP-A No. H10-142835Patent Literature 3JP-A No. H11-327197Patent Literature 4JP-A No. 2001-51444Patent Literature 5JP-A No. 2004-246344

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Toner, and developer, developing apparatus, process cartridge, image forming apparatus and image forming method


A process for continuous production of methyl mercaptan by catalytic reaction of methanol and hydrogen sulfide. Significant improvements in the pretreatment of the feed gas mixture and in utilization of the heat of reaction and the heat content of the product gas mixture. The energy required to vaporize the methanol is derived partly from utilization of the heat of compression of the hydrogen sulfide gas and from the heat content of the product gas leaving the reactor. The heat of reaction is utilized to heat the feed gas mixture to the reaction temperature, with the help of an external gas heater.

The present invention relates to a process for continuous production of methyl mercaptan by reacting an educt gas mixture of methanol and hydrogen sulfide in the vapor phase at a reaction temperature between 300.degree. C. and 500.degree. C. and under an operating pressure of 5 to 15 bar over a catalyst bed containing aluminum oxide, with subsequent separation of the methyl mercaptan from the gas mixture by absorption and distillation, with recycling of the unconsumed methanol and hydrogen sulfide, as well as removal of inert gases and waste water and replacement of consumed methanol and hydrogen sulfide.
Methyl mercaptan is an important industrial intermediate for synthesis of methionine and for production of dimethyl sulfoxide and dimethyl sulfone. At present it is produced predominantly from methanol and hydrogen sulfide by reaction at an aluminum oxide catalyst. Methyl mercaptan is usually synthesized in the gas phase at temperatures between 300.degree. C. and 500.degree. C. and at pressures between 1 and 25 bar. The catalyst is usually doped with potassium tungstate as an activator to increase its activity and selectivity. The reaction of hydrogen sulfide and methanol to produce methyl mercaptan is an exothermic process which releases 28,500 kJ per kmol methanol reacted.
The product gas mixture resulting from this known process contains not only the methyl mercaptan and water which are formed but also the unreacted starting materials, methanol and hydrogen sulfide, the byproducts dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl ether, and small proportions of polysulfides. The product gas mixture also contains gases which are inert in this reaction: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen and hydrogen.
The methyl mercaptan produced is separated from the product gas mixture in several distillation and washing columns at temperatures between 10.degree. C. and 140.degree. C., as shown in German Patent 17 68 826. Other product streams contain excess hydrogen sulfide, methanol, the inert gases, and wastewater. Methanol is used preferably as the washing liquid.
Excess hydrogen sulfide is returned to the pressurized reactor as "recycled gas". The recycled gas contains not only hydrogen sulfide but also methanol, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide, and other components of the product gas mixture. The proportion of these components in the recycled gas depends on the quality of the separation process. The unconsumed methanol is also recycled into the feed gas mixture. The recycled methanol, like the recycled gas, also contains other components. The hydrogen sulfide and methanol that are consumed are replaced by adding fresh materials.
The overall process of methyl mercaptan production can be divided into two parts. The first part includes pretreatment of the feed gas mixture and its conversion to methyl mercaptan. The second part includes the separation of the product gas mixture to recover methyl mercaptan, recycling of unconsumed methanol and hydrogen sulfide, and disposal of wastewater and waste gases. This invention is concerned with improvements in the first part of the production process.
The nature of the pretreatment of the feed gas mixture, its heating to the reaction temperature, and the subsequent cooling of the product gas mixture to condense and separate the methyl mercaptan have substantial effects on the economics of the overall process. High electrical power is required to operate the compressor, and large heating and cooling capacities are needed.
German Patent 17 68 826 has very little information about this first part of the production process. It can be seen from the process schematically presented that the recycled gas, together with the hydrogen sulfide make-up gas, is heated by the hot product gas mixture in a heat exchanger. The product gas mixture is cooled at the same time. The methanol required for the reaction is mixed into the hydrogen sulfide to produce the feed gas mixture after the hydrogen sulfide has been heated in the heat exchanger, shortly before entry into the reactor. The methanol washed from the product gas mixture is removed from the circulating wash liquid for that purpose. The amount removed from the circulating liquid is replaced with make-up methanol.
According to French Patent 2 477 538, make-up hydrogen sulfide gas for methyl mercaptan production is compressed in a compressor to 11 bar. Then recycle gas from the process, which contains hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, methanol, and small proportions of methyl mercaptan is added to the compressed hydrogen sulfide to produce the feed gas mixture. The temperature of the feed gas mixture is raised to 510.degree. C. in a preheating furnace. circulating wash liquid, which contains methanol and dimethyl sulfide, is added to the feed gas mixture before it enters the first of up to ten reactors connected in cascade. That reduces the reactor inlet temperature to 450.degree. C. More methanol is injected into the gas stream, partly as liquid and partly as gas, before the second and subsequent reactors. All or part of the heat released in the reaction can be absorbed by the heat of vaporization needed for the methanol.
German Patent 11 34 368 describes use of a multitude reactor to produce methyl mercaptan. The multitude reactor comprises a cylindrical container in which the catalyst tubes are arranged parallel with each other. The catalyst tubes are welded to tube sheets at the top and bottom, as in multitude heat exchangers. The spaces between the tubes are filled with heat-transfer liquid. Each catalyst tube has, for example, a screen at its lower end which holds the particulate catalyst. The feed gas mixture flows upward through the reactor.
The catalyst comprises activated aluminum oxide in the form of spherical particles of mesh size 8 to 14. It is preferable for the catalyst to be diluted with inert material, such as silica or fused aluminum oxide, in the lower section of the catalyst tubes, so that the inert materials make up about 75% of the particles in the lower third of the tubes. The proportion of inert material decreases from this height up to the upper section of the tubes, so that there is pure catalyst in the upper part of the tubes. The gradually reduced dilution of the catalyst in the direction of flow gives a more even evolution of heat, which simplifies temperature control.
German Patent 11 34 368 uses a eutectic mixture of diphenyl ether and diphenyl as the heat-transfer liquid. This cooling liquid is vaporized by the heat of reaction, and is condensed into a coolant tank and returned to the reactor. According to German Patent 11 34 368 the feed gas mixture is heated by heat exchange with the hot product gas mixture and the hot coolant vapors.
An object of this invention is to improve the process for producing methyl mercaptan and an enhancement of the economics of the overall process, with respect to both the capital cost and the operating power costs, through improved pretreatment of the feed gas mixture and better utilization of the reaction heat.

Process for continuous production of methyl mercaptan


A computer-implemented method of transcribing an audio stream can include transcribing the audio stream using a first transcribing instance having a first predetermined transcription size that is smaller than the total length of the audio stream. The first transcribing instance can provide a plurality of consecutive first transcribed text data snippets of the audio stream and the size of the first transcribed text data snippets can respectively corresponding to the first predetermined transcription size. The audio stream can also be transcribed using at least a second transcribing instance having a second predetermined transcription size that is smaller than the length of the audio stream. The second transcribing instance can provide a plurality of consecutive second transcribed text data snippets each corresponding to the second predetermined transcription size.

In prior art, transcription services are known which convert speech, either in real-time (real-time transcribing services as a first category) or recorded speech data (non real-time transcribing services as a second category), into written form or an electronic text document. The first category of transcribing services offers an Application Programming Interface, API, for transcribing an active audio stream, whereas transcription services of the second category offer an API for uploading previously recorded audio files.
For example, such transcribing services may be utilized for the purpose of real-time transcription of audio/video conferences, but just as well for 1-to-1. In this context, the expectation is that the conversation between the participants of a conference or a call is transcribed in real-time and displayed to the participants with as less delay as possible.

Computer-implemented method of transcribing an audio stream and transcription mechanism


The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device, a pixel structure and a driving method. The first scanning line of the first scanning line transmits a scanning signal of the first switching unit, charging the pixel electrode, after the charge, when the pixel electrode is in the state of holding power, the second scanning line transmits the second scanning signal to turn on the second switching unit, the common electrode line provides the common voltage to the pixel electrode, in order to rise the pixel electrode voltage to the common voltage. Through the above ways, on one hand the present invention can ensure the charging time of the pixel electrode and the resolution of the liquid crystal display device, on the other hand inserting the black image, achieving the inserting black image technique, reducing the 3D cross talk.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of display techniques, and in particular to a liquid crystal display, a pixel structure and a driving method.
2. The Related Arts
The 3D Shutter Glass technology commonly has a problem that cross talk is too large, in order to solve this issue, currently, there are two common solutions in the present technique:
The first solution is BLU Scanning Mode, the basic frequency is 120 Hz; the second one is Black Insertion, namely, it is BLU Blinking Mode, which is achieved by inserting a black image during the signals of the right and left eyes switching, for example, after the end of the frame in the right eye, inserting a black image, and scanning the frame in the left eye. However, these two methods have certain limitations currently.
Wherein, the first solution is limited by its scanning method, BLU is required being single-short or double-short design, and the effectiveness of improving cross talk is poor. The second solution needs inserting a black image during the signals of the right and left eyes switching, so it is requires the higher refresh rate, which is commonly 240 Hz, it will reduce the charging time to half of 120 Hz, making the panel be at the risk of insufficient charge, furthermore, leading the emergence of mura, extremely affecting the quality of liquid crystal display device.

Pixel structure having multiple switching units, liquid crystal display using the same, and driving method of the same

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd


A power control system (12) for a satellite (10 includes a high power amplifier circuit (28) that receives a saturated power output adjustment signal. The amplifier circuit (28) includes a programmable circuit (70). An electronic power conditioner (56) is coupled to the programmable circuit (70) and is configured to reset an operating set-point of said high power amplifier circuit (28) in response to the saturated power output adjustment signal. A high power amplifier (46) has a variable output power range and amplifies a received signal in response to change in the operating set-point. A channel amplifier (44) is coupled to the programmable circuit (70) and is configured to gain offset the received signal in response to change in the operating set-point.

Communication satellite payloads typically use high power amplifiers to increase power of received signals. The high power amplifiers are grouped together in redundancy rings, such that each high power amplifier within the ring has the same operating frequency range, bandwidth, and output power. For example, a commercial satellite may have forty 32 Ku-Band 120 W traveling wave tube amplifiers, 24 C-Band 40 W traveling wave tube amplifiers, and 38 90 W Ka-Band traveling wave tube amplifiers. Each high power amplifier is required to meet down link power or effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) requirements equivalent to adjacent high power amplifiers contained within a redundancy ring. However, different paths through the redundancy ring have varying amounts of loss and not all of the high power amplifiers have identical EIRP requirements. Therefore, extra power is provided to high power amplifiers that have lower EIRP requirements. This is not power efficient.
Additionally, current high power amplifiers are limited in that they are designed and manufactured for one specific performance application. A performance application may be associated with providing service to a specific service area or serving or providing backup to a particular business service plan. Differing performance applications require different output RF power levels.
In conventional satellite payloads a high power amplifier typically includes a power supply that monitors cathode current of a high power amplifier and adjusts anode voltage to maintain a constant cathode current via an analog feedback loop. Over time, as a cathode of the high power amplifier degrades, the power supply compensates for this change by adjusting anode voltage to maintain a constant cathode current for a single designed performance application.
U.S. patent application entitled "On Orbit Variable Power High Power Amplifiers for a Satellite Communications System" provides a power system for a satellite that determines minimum EIRP for a high power amplifier and adjusts saturated power output of the high power amplifier to the minimum EIRP, thereby reducing power consumption of the system. Reducing the amount of power consumed by various components is desired since it not only conserves energy but also allows additional transponders to be placed upon a satellite to generate additional revenue.
Unfortunately, although, the above stated application provides a high power amplifier with variable output power that may be externally adjusted when in orbit it does not provide a technique for maintaining constant overall gain of the amplifier, thus also limiting its use for multiple performance applications. For example, when RF power of a high power amplifier, such as a flexible traveling wave tube as used in the stated application, is increased by a factor of two (3 dB), gain of the amplifier can increase by a factor of thirty-two (15 dB). Magnitude difference of this gain change is too large to handle in an analog environment and as such limits and potentially prevents the high power amplifier from being used in multiple performance applications.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a high power amplifier system that has reduced operating power consumption, that has an externally controllable variable RF power output, and that is capable of being used for multiple performance applications.

Variable high power amplifier with constant overall gain for a satellite communication system


In some implementations, an authorization device generate a decision to reject an authorization request that includes a credential associated with a user based on one or more inconsistencies between entity information provided in the authorization request and authorized entity information associated with the credential. The authorization device may transmit, to a biometric-enabled device associated with the user, a message that causes the biometric-enabled device to display a prompt indicating the one or more inconsistencies between the entity information provided in the authorization request and the authorized entity information associated with the credential. In some implementations, the prompt may further enable the user to provide a biometric input to authorize the entity information provided in the authorization request. The authorization device may grant the authorization request based on receiving information indicating that the user provided the biometric input to authorize the entity information provided in the authorization request.

In information security, authentication refers to techniques used to prove or otherwise verify an assertion, such as the identity of a user. For example, in some cases, authentication may be performed using biometrics, which generally include body measurements and/or calculations that relate to distinctive, measurable human characteristics. Biometric traits that are used for authentication are typically universal (e.g., every person possesses the trait), unique (e.g., the trait is sufficiently different to distinguish different individuals), and/or permanent (e.g., the trait does not significantly vary over time). Accordingly, because a biometric identifier is unique to a specific individual, biometrics can provide a more reliable and secure mechanism to verify a user identity and determine whether to grant the user access to systems, devices, and/or data relative to passwords and/or security tokens that may be lost, forgotten, or otherwise compromised (e.g., stolen or guessed by a malicious user).

Biometric override for incorrect failed authorization


Baked, wheat-based, chip-like snacks having a plurality of surface bubbles comprising air pockets extending both above and below the substantially unleavened, adjacent portions of the snack are obtained with a pregelatinized waxy starch, pregelatinized potato starch, and optional modified potato starch. The pregelatinized potato starch produces a crisp, crunchy texture in the baked snack. The pregelatinized waxy starch is at least substantially uniformly hydrated prior to baking for producing bubbles during baking and for retaining the bubbles. The pregelatinized potato starch is at least substantially uniformly hydrated prior to baking for controlling bubbling caused by the pregelatinized waxy starch and for controlling texture of the bubbled and unbubbled portions of the snack chips. Use of the gluten-containing wheat flour and bubble-forming amounts of the pregelatinized waxy starch provides for the production of a cohesive, non-sticky, extensible, continuously machinable dough. A modified potato starch which is activated during baking may be used to enhance surface bubbling and crispiness of the bubbled portions and unbubbled portions. The pregelatinized waxy maize starch may be used in an amount of from about 3% by weight to about 20% by weight, and the pregelatinized potato starch may be used in an amount of from about 1.5% by weight to about 20% by weight, each based upon the weight of the wheat flour. The weight ratio of the amount of the pregelatinized waxy starch to the total amount of the potato starches may be from about 0.45:1 to about 1:1. Non-fermented and fermented reduced fat, low-fat, and no-fat baked products, as well as full-fatted non-fermented and fermented baked products, may be produced with a bubbled surface, and a crispy, crunchy, non-mealy, chip-like texture, but with a wheat cracker flavor.

Cohesive, machinable doughs which can be sheeted, stretched, and cut into pieces may be produced at room temperature when the doughs possess a high content of wheat or other gluten-containing flour. The baking of conventional wheat-based doughs into crackers provides a lamellar structure with generally uniform small cells and a tender, mealy, leavened texture. Upon mastication, the conventional crackers generally disperse more rapidly than does a chip. They do not provide a crunchy texture and a sensation of breaking into pieces with low molar compaction before dispersion as does a chip. Additionally, crackers are generally dockered to prevent pillowing and to provide a generally flat bottom surface and a blistered top surface. Oyster or soup crackers and snack crackers which have a pillowed appearance may be produced from wheat-based doughs by the elimination of dockering holes. However, these products still possess a leavened, tender, mealy texture and a cracker appearance, rather than a crisp, crunchy chip-like texture and chip-like appearance.
Filled baked crackers or snacks obtained by needle injection of fillings into hollow expanded snacks made from wheat flour are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,536 to Dogliotti, U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,508 to Shishido, U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,493 to Moriki, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,968 to Szwerc et al. Production of a chip-like snack having surface bubbles and surrounding crisp, thin regions is not disclosed in these patents. The doughs are formulated and processed to retain a puffed or pillowed shape after piercing of the baked, hollow piece.
A cellular structure is obtained by the use of egg white in the shell of the pastry product of U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,536 to Dogliotti.
In the process of U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,508 to Shishido, hard dough biscuits are prepared by baking a dough having 10-30 parts by weight of sugar, 10-25 parts by weight of edible fat or oil, 1.5-4.0% leavening agent, and 20-35 parts by weight of water per 100 parts by weight of cereal flour to obtain a degree of leavening of at least 280%.
The baked hollow expanded snacks in the form of a figure such as an animal or vehicle of U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,493 to Moriki are produced from a farinaceous raw mixture. The raw mixture is prepared by mixing from 60-95 parts by weight of at least one low swelling-capacity farinaceous material and 40-5 parts by weight of at least one high swelling-capacity farinaceous material. The low swelling-capacity material may be a non-glutinous cereal such as wheat, rye, maize, non-glutinous rice, sago, sorghum, triticale, millet and beans, or starches separated from these sources. The high swelling-capacity material may be potato, taro, tapioca, arrowroot, sweet potato, glutinous rice, waxy corn, or starches derived from these sources having their cell walls broken. The farinaceous raw mixture is partly gelatinized prior to rolling into a smooth sheet by the addition of hot water or by the action of steam, so as to raise the temperature of the farinaceous raw mixture to 65.degree. C. to 90.degree. C. According to Moriki, upon baking, the starch in the surface of the dough pieces is gelatinized, thereby forming a skin having good gas-holding capacity and excellent stretchability. Water and volatile materials in the dough pieces push the skin outward upon heating, so that the dough pieces expand and are internally split into two layers or shells, forming a hollow space therebetween.
The filled crackers of U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,968 to Szwerc et al. are produced from a dough containing proteolytic enzymes. The enzymes hydrolyze proteins of the flour, which relaxes the dough and thereby permits a hollow center to be formed, rather than a cellular center, as the cracker expands under the influence of the leavening agent during baking. This, it is disclosed, strengthens the shell of the cracker and permits the cracker to be filled by means of an injection needle piercing the surface of the cracker.
The production of chip-like, starch-based snacks having a crispy texture and surface blisters from starch-based compositions which have little or no gluten, such as potato flour or corn flour, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,873,093 and 4,834,996 to Fazzolare et al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,429,834 and 5,500,240 to Addesso et al. Starch-based compositions which have little or no gluten, when mixed with water, do not form a dough that is cohesive at room temperature and continuously machinable or sheetable. Machinability of doughs made from ingredients having little or no gluten may be improved by forming a dough under elevated temperature conditions, such as by steaming the ingredients, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,873,093 and 4,834,996 to Fazzolare et al.
In the process of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,429,834 and 5,500,240 to Addesso et al, use of a pregelatinized waxy starch provides for the production of cohesive, extensible, continuously machinable doughs from starchy materials or ingredients having starch with no or low gluten. These machinable doughs may be formed at room temperatures without the need for steaming or heat treatment to develop cohesiveness, extensibility, and machinability.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,931,303 and 4,994,295 to Holm et al disclose that in the production of fabricated snack products having controlled surface bubbling, the dough sheet must have cohesive properties which permit the surface or surfaces of the dough or preform to stretch relatively uniformly when forming bubbles during frying. The highly cohesive, non-adhesive dough, it is disclosed, can be made by adjusting the quantity of free gelatinized starch, the degree of retrogradation of the starch (thereby affecting the water absorption of a given quantity of the starch), and the concentration of any starch-complexing emulsifiers present. In the Holm et al process, a dough may be formed comprising, e.g., potato solids or corn solids, raw or pregelatinized starches, modified starches, flavorings, oils, and the like. For producing potato snacks, the preferred major ingredient in the potato dough is a dehydrated potato flake with high water-absorption capability. The dry ingredients are placed in a mixer and blended with water to obtain a dough having a moisture content of from about 30% to about 55%. According to Holm et al., higher moisture content means higher oil absorption during frying. It is further disclosed that doughs containing less than about 30% moisture are generally too dry, after the Holm et al. drying step, to create adequate bubbles. In the Holm et al. process, substantial moisture reduction of the dough is achieved by frying. During frying, the dough moisture content of about 30% to about 55% is reduced to obtain a fried product with a moisture content of about 1-2%.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,569 to Ivers discloses that in the production of a dough-based fried food product, a processed starch in either gelatinized or ungelatinized form is frequently added when a low-starch flour or flake is employed. Water, it is disclosed, is required to soften the flour, and depending upon the protein content of the flour, to form a network of protein (gluten), which is the framework of the product. According to Ivers, starch, which is present in flours, is used as a binder and is required for the unleavened product to expand upon frying. Dough stickiness and hardness of the cooked product may be controlled by the addition of oil to the dough to control the extent of the protein framework. The dough is prepared by adjusting the ratios of components and the mixing time to allow it to sheet uniformly at the desired thickness without sticking or tearing. According to Ivers, addition of a small amount of a lecithin-in-water suspension to the formulation of the dough-based fried snack foods improves the transfer, sheeting and cutting, and significantly reduces clumping during frying, without the rapid buildup of free fatty acids and without significant darkening of frying oil, normally associated with the frying of foods containing lecithin.
In the production of wheat-based baked snacks, it has been found that the inclusion of a pregelatinized starch in the dough to create surface bubbles tends to result in a styrofoam-like or compressible texture, rather than a highly crisp, crunchy texture. Also, if the pregelatinized starch is not sufficiently hydrated prior to baking, bubbles created during baking tend to collapse.
In the present invention, wheat-based, chip-like snacks having a crisp, crunchy chip-like texture and bubbles distributed over their surfaces are produced from cohesive, machinable, sheetable doughs, without using a frying step for substantial moisture reduction of the dough, thereby resulting in products having low fat content. Surface bubbles comprising air pockets which extend from opposing surfaces are created and maintained during baking. The bubbles are maintained in portions of the baked dough, even though surrounding or adjacent portions of the dough have been dockered or punctured before baking. A pregelatinized waxy starch provides an extensible surface film prior to baking, which helps to temporarily trap moisture below the expandable film surface upon baking. A pregelatinized potato starch, which is also activated (i.e. sufficiently hydrated) prior to baking, helps to reduce or control bubbling and to avoid a styrofoam-like texture. It produces a crispy, crunchy, substantially unleavened texture in portions of the snack adjacent to the bubbled portions, as well as in the bubbled portions. In addition, the machinable, continuously sheetable, wheat-based dough may be produced at low temperatures. Sufficient hydration of the pregelatinized waxy starch and pregelatinized potato starch may be achieved by premixing them with hot water or by providing sufficient dough lay time for hydration to occur. The crispy, bubbled, wheat-based snacks of the present invention include non-fermented and fermented reduced fat, low-fat, and no-fat baked products, as well as full-fatted non-fermented and fermented baked products.

Production of crispy wheat-based snacks having surface bubbles


A lamp for a moving vehicle which can function as a headlamp and as a lower-brightness running lamp includes a single light emitting device, a power regulator, a first lampshade, a light guiding element, a lifting device, and a number of first reflecting covers. The first lampshade is arranged facing the light emitting device. The light guiding element gathers light from the light source and emits the light from a lower part of the moving vehicle and the power regulator can supply full power or reduced power to the light source. The lifting device holds the light guiding element and can raise it up or down so that emitted light reaches either the first lampshade or reaches first reflecting covers depending on the lighting function required.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to traffic signal lamps.
2. Description of Related Art
Motor vehicles usually include a variety of traffic signal lamps, such as a headlamp and a daytime running lamp, configured for increased visibility to other road users, and reducing a probability of traffic accident. Brightness of the headlamp is generally greater than the daytime running lamp. The daytime running lamp is mainly used during driving in bad weather, and the headlamp is used at night with no other lamps illuminated. However, the daytime running lamp and the headlamp have their own light sources, this will lead to a high cost.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a traffic signal lamp that can overcome the above-mentioned problems.


According to one embodiment, a monitoring device includes a detector unit including an image transfer element comprising an incident surface which allows light to enter from a light-transmissive base material on which a microbody is placed and an emission surface which emits the light entering from the incident surface, which transfers two-dimensional image data of the microbody to a semiconductor optical sensor, and the semiconductor optical sensor which receives light from the emission surface.

For observing cells on a culture container (such as a flask, a dish or a multi-well plate), generally, a phase contrast method or a differential interferometry is employed, because in an ordinary bright view field, cells are substantially transparent and poorly visible and a contrast cannot be obtained. However, microscopes, which are used in these methods, require manual techniques including focusing and machine controls therefor. Moreover, they involve large devices (optical systems such as lenses), which are not suitable for being used in parallel and hard to contain in a box for transportation.
For the reason provided above, the phase contrast method and differential interferometry are not suitable for observation of cells placed in, especially, an incubator, a transportation box, a plate of stacked culture plates or the like.
The lens-less imaging method, which observes objects to be measured by bringing the object into contact with a semiconductor optical sensor such as the CMOS image sensor, involves small apparatus as compared to the phase contrast method or the differential interference method because the apparatus does not include an objective lens. Further, with this method, a microscopic observation image of a measuring object can be obtained merely by placing the culturing container, but in many cases, the semiconductor optical sensors easily malfunction, and therefore it is unsuitable for repeated use.
Under these circumstances, there is a demand of a simple monitoring device which can perform monitoring and imaging of cells without a manual operation.
Thus, an object of the embodiments is to obtain a monitoring device which can image microbodies with high viewability.


This invention relates to an F figure wrench that comprises a holding rod, a moving part, a turning rod and a driving part. At one end of the holding rod, a concavity is made and two lugs are implemented; the concavity is made as a guide hole to accommodate the moving part, the lug holes of the two lugs are used as pivot holes for the driving part to be pivot-connected with the holding rod. Furthermore, a penetration is made on the holding rod and the moving part concentrically, and intersects through the concavity for installation of the turning rod. A cam eccentric to the turning rod axis is implemented on the turning rod; when the turning rod is turned, the moving part is pushed by the eccentric cam and moving along the guide hole in the holding rod. There is at least one clutch part on the end of the moving part and at least one match part on the driving part to match with the clutch part; with turning the turning rod, the match of the moving part with the driving part is under control, thereof the driving part is able to be adjusted or locked in position relatively to the handle of the wench.

The generally recognized F figure wrench, as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,220,125 FIG. 3, has an angle adjusting device functioning so a cam 8 implemented on a rod body 9 pushes an arresting member 10 to retain a driving head 11, thereby position of the driving head that has been adjusted can be locked in; to release the locked-in driving head position, the rod body will need to be turned and then the arresting member will no longer retain the driving head, then the angle of the driving head will be free to be adjusted; to lock the driving head in position again, the rod body will need to be turned to have the cam push the arresting member to retain the driving head in desired position. Nevertheless, the angle adjusting device of the generally recognized F figure wrench is in an unstable situation when its arresting member 10 is not in contact with its rod body, which will create fault function and damage to the parts of the wrench, therefore improvement on the angle adjusting device is presumed required.


An object is to provide a driving device capable of smoothly shifting from a starting state to a sensor-less vector control, in a case where the device drives a motor by the sensor-less vector control, and the device includes a voltage detecting circuit which detects an induced electromotive voltage of the motor. A control circuit starts the motor by rectangular wave control. A magnetic pole position of a rotor is detected based on an induced electromotive voltage of one remaining phase of the motor detected by the voltage detecting circuit. The control circuit controls a main inverter circuit based on the detected magnetic pole position, and accelerates the motor by the rectangular wave control. In a case where a predetermined shift revolution speed is reached, the control circuit shifts to vector control by the sensor-less in which the magnetic pole position detected during the rectangular wave control is used as an initial value.

The present invention relates to a driving device which controls a motor by a sensor-less vector control system without using any magnetic pole positional sensor.
Heretofore, in a case where a permanent magnet synchronous motor is operated by a sensor-less vector control, it is necessary to estimate a magnetic pole position of a rotor without using any sensor. As an estimating method, there are a method based on a fundamental wave of an induced electromotive voltage and a method based on a high harmonic wave, but the method based on the fundamental wave can only be applied to a medium to high speed region. That is, the induced electromotive voltage is small in a stop position and a low-speed region, it is difficult to detect the voltage, and a high-frequency voltage or current is injected to generate the high harmonic wave of the induced electromotive voltage and estimate the magnetic pole position. Therefore, in a sensor-less system for a high speed, the fundamental wave of the induced electromotive voltage is utilized. In a sensor-less system for a low speed, there is utilized a method of injecting the harmonic.
In an actual vector control, with respect to a d-q axis which the magnetic pole position of the rotor of the synchronous motor is a rotary position at a real angle θd, a dc-qc axis is supposed in which an estimated angle θdc is obtained in the control system. An axial error Δθ between the axis is estimated and calculated. So as to set this axial error Δθ to zero, the estimated magnetic pole position is feed back and corrected, and this allows an actual magnetic pole position to meet a controlled magnetic pole position.
According to such a vector control, it is possible to ideally control a torque generated in the motor by an inverter in accordance with load conditions, and it is possible to realize a control of the revolution speed of motor with high efficiency and precision. Since there is not any sensor-less vector control system that is usable at low to high speeds, however, there is proposed a method and the like in which, for example, after the motor is started under a constant V/F control without the necessity of detecting the magnetic pole position, the control is shifted to the vector control using a preset initial magnetic pole position at a predetermined revolution speed (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-48886).
Moreover, there is also a system in which after starting the motor, the sensor-less vector control for the low speed is executed, and the control is shifted to the sensor-less vector control for the high speed. In this case, there is proposed the use of the magnetic pole position obtained by weighted-averaging the positions detected for the low and high speeds in the vicinity of the switching between the low speed and the high speed (see, e.g., Japanese Patent No. 3612636).
Thus, there are proposed various control systems after the motor starts until the motor reaches the predetermined revolution speed at which the detection of the magnetic pole position (estimation of the magnetic pole position using the induced electromotive voltage in the sensor-less vector control for the high speed) is possible in a case where the sensor-less vector control for the high speed is performed. However, if an axial error is large between the actual magnetic pole position immediately after the control has shifted to the sensor-less vector control and the initially set magnetic pole position, there rises a danger that the motor runs out of step and fails in starting in the feedback control.
Moreover, even in the system in which the sensor-less vector control for the low speed shifts to the sensor-less vector control for the high speed as described above, the motor easily runs out of step immediately after the shifting. Furthermore, in a case where a load torque is larger or, for example, a case where a difference between a high pressure and a low pressure of a refrigerant circuit becomes large in the motor for a compressor to thereby increase fluctuations of the load torque, the motor easily runs out of step especially during the shift to the sensor-less vector control described above.


A fishing apparatus comprising a flat, essentially vertical game board, a fish support mounted behind the game board, one or more flat, relatively thin fish-shaped members releasably mounted on the fish support, each fish-shaped member having a tapered mouth at on end thereof and a circular snare opening connecting to the mouth through a first slot, a casting line, a plug adapted to be connected to the end of the casting line so that the plug and line can be cast over the fish-shaped members, each plug being made of resilient material and being provided with a nose piece adjacent to the connection of the line to the plug, the nose piece being receivable in the snare opening, the game board having a second slot therein which is in alignment with the first vertical slot in the fish-shaped member, the second vertical slot in the game board being associated with a pair of doors which are mounted on hinge axes for swinging movement when a fish-shaped member is pulled against the doors, whereby, when the plug is pulled into the circular snare opening and the line is pulled thereafter, the fish-shaped member will spring out through the hinged doors in a manner simulating the catching of fish in actual water.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus or device which can be used to simulate fishing. More particularly, the apparatus of the present invention includes one or more artificial fish which are temporarily retained on a support and which are removed from the support using an operation which is similar to the action of fishing by casting a plug.
2. Prior Art
There are numerous games or devices wherein "fish" are involved as game pieces or tokens. However, the prior art does not disclose a fishing device or apparatus of the type disclosed herein.

Game simulating the catching of fish by plug casting


A method for fabricating and forming a continuous covered area, such as a sidewalk or patio, employing vertically interlocking tessellated components. One embodiment, termed PORTAPAVE™, achieves this interlocking via an array of uniquely configured two-sectioned pavers. Each paver has a first section of a first shape and a second section of a second shape impressed upon the first section and bonded together. In one embodiment, first sections of pavers are installed in a bottom layer to form a cavity between them having the same shape as the second section of a paver that is inverted onto the pavers of the bottom layer, thus providing a top layer. Each inverted paver in this top layer is fitted to interlock in that cavity formed between the un-inverted pavers in the bottom layer.

Heretofore, providing a lateral attachment between laterally adjacent elements in a paving system has been a problem. U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,253, Rigid Grating Mat with Unidirectional Elements, to Bedics, Oct. 8, 1991, describes a system for building a mat that has separate plank-like elements that are joined laterally by a tongue and groove construction. This makes for a complicated extrusion that is difficult to construct and is easily extended laterally only in one direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,451, Grid Matrix System Including Interconnected Revetment Blocks, to Pettee, Jul. 4, 1995, describes a grid matrix system that has interconnected revetment blocks. These square or hexagonal blocks have alternate recesses and locking protrusions (or ears). A disadvantage of this construction is that it can be easily vandalized because the individual blocks or elements can be lifted vertically. Further, casting the units in concrete presents problems because the ears and edges of the locking recesses can be relatively easily broken.

Method for fabricating and employing a paving system using arrays of vertically interlocking paving blocks

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


A method, device and system for producing preselected products, (either finished products or preselected intermediary products) from biobased precursors or CO2 and/or bicarbonate. The principal features of the present invention include a method wherein a binary culture is incubated with a biobased precursor in a closed system to transform at least a portion of the biobased precursor to a preselected product. The present invention provides a method of cultivation that does not need sparging of a closed bioreactor to remove or add a gaseous byproduct or nutrient from a liquid medium. This improvement leads to significant savings in energy consumption and allows for the design of photobioreactors of any desired shape. The present invention also allows for the use of a variety of types of waste materials to be used as the organic starting material.

Rising fuel prices and global climate change concerns have revived the interest in renewable sources of energy. Using solar energy to grow photosynthetic microorganisms is one of the most attractive ways to produce transportation fuels. Successful implementation of biodiesel via seed crops is one example of employing plant-based photosynthesis for fuel production. However, recent assessments of crop-based fuel economy showed that it can lead to food stock deficiency and drive lifecycle emissions of greenhouse gases up through increased land usage. Utilization of photosynthetic microorganisms for primary biomass production has many advantages over growing crops. In particular, arid regions of the western U.S., for example, could be used for large-scale production excluding the competition with food-producing agriculture.
Cultivation of photoautotrophic microorganisms for metabolite and/or biomass production can be accomplished in various types of cultivation systems including open ponds and enclosed bioreactors. Each system has various advantages and limitations. Open ponds, for example, are designed to utilize natural sunlight while most of the enclosed bioreactor systems do require artificial illumination which results in additional energy expenditures. Open pond systems, however, are more prone to fouling by external contamination and are not suited to grow genetically modified organisms. In contrast, enclosed bioreactors provide highly controlled conditions, protection against external contamination, and higher growth rates and biomass/products yields while allowing use of genetically modified strains. Cultivation of photosynthetic organisms is also associated with several general problems which arise from the necessity to deliver CO2 into liquid medium and remove excess O2 produced as a result of photosynthesis in order to maintain desired growth conditions. The current practice is to continuously or periodically purge the system which adds significantly to the operating costs and results in frequent changes of cultivation conditions and reduction in efficiency. Removal of O2 by most other known methods such as by chemical catalysis is typically prohibitively costly. What is needed therefore is a solution that enables continuous operation under controlled conditions such as within an enclosed bioreactor without the need for venting as is required by the prior art. The present invention meets this need.

Production of bio-based materials using photobioreactors with binary cultures


Lithography aperture lenses, illumination systems, and methods are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a lens includes a substantially transparent material and an electro-optical material disposed proximate the substantially transparent material, wherein the lens is a lens for an illuminator of a lithography system.

Generally, semiconductor devices are used in a variety of electronic applications, such as computers, cellular phones, personal computing devices, and many other applications. Home, industrial, and automotive devices that in the past comprised only mechanical components now have electronic parts that require semiconductor devices, for example.
Semiconductor devices are manufactured by depositing many different types of material layers over a semiconductor workpiece, wafer, or substrate, and patterning the various material layers using lithography. The material layers typically comprise thin films of conductive, semiconductive, and insulating materials that are patterned and etched to form integrated circuits (ICs). There may be a plurality of transistors, memory devices, switches, conductive lines, diodes, capacitors, logic circuits, and other electronic components formed on a single die or chip, for example.
For many years in the semiconductor industry, optical lithography techniques such as contact printing, proximity printing, and projection printing have been used to pattern and alter material layers of integrated circuits. Optical photolithography involves projecting or transmitting light to expose a layer of photosensitive material on a semiconductor workpiece through a pattern comprised of optically opaque or translucent areas and optically clear or transparent areas on a lithography mask or reticle. After development, the photosensitive material layer is then used as a mask to pattern or alter an underlying material layer of the semiconductor workpiece.
There is a trend in the semiconductor industry towards scaling down the size of integrated circuits, to meet the demands of increased performance and smaller device size. As features of semiconductor devices become smaller, lithography processes become more difficult.
Thus, what are needed in the art are improved lithography systems and methods for patterning and processing material layers of semiconductor devices.

Optical components, illumination systems, and methods


Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems, and methods for controlling the operating status of a power converter during, a standby mode, a powered mode, and a transition from the standby mode to the powered mode is described. For at least one embodiment, a power converter includes a primary controller and a secondary controller wherein the primary controller includes a first circuit configured to initiate a transition from standby mode to powered mode upon receipt of a wake-up signal and wherein the first circuit is powered during standby mode. For at least one embodiment, the first circuit is powered during a transition from a standby mode to a powered mode by voltages induced in a third coil of a transformer by a device battery powering a second coil of the transformer.

Today, power converters are commonly used in conjunction with various devices such as mobile phones, tablets, computers, and other adaptive and non-adaptive devices (hereafter, each an "adaptive device") to convert line voltages, such as the U.S. standard 120 volts AC, into various output voltages and currents (hereafter, each a "load request") then desired by an adaptive device. Power converters commonly operate in at least two modes, powered mode and standby mode. During powered mode, power converters commonly convert input voltages and currents, such as those provided from an electrical circuit provided in a house, business or otherwise (an "input power"), into the voltages and currents requested by an adaptive device (a "load"). However, while power converters often remain connected to a source, adaptive devices are not always connected to or acting as a load to the power converter—such non-connected/non-load mode of operation for a power converter being referred to herein as "standby mode." While in standby mode, power converters today typically continue to draw power from the source and convert such input power into low-level voltages and currents needed by the power converter itself to remain responsive to a later arising load.
While the continual powering of a power converter during standby mode enables the power converter to be highly responsive to load requests, it wastes energy. In some existing implementations, as much as 20-30 milliwatts of power is wasted during standby mode (hereafter, "standby power"). Over extended periods of time and in view of the millions of power converters in present use today, such power losses from standby power can be substantial.
One type of power converter commonly used today is a switch mode power supply. Switch mode power supplies commonly include a transformer having a first (primary) coil, a second (secondary) coil, and a third (sensing) coil. The primary coil is commonly connected to the input power source and the secondary coil is commonly connected to the adaptive device. During power mode, the primary coil, secondary coil, and sensing coil operate per design and often efficiently convert input power into the desired load. During standby mode, however, the primary coil connected to the input power source typically operates to maintain an output voltage at a constant voltage (such as 5 volts) although no load is connected. This providing of the 5 volts to the secondary coil enables the power converter to respond quickly to load demands. But, as discussed above, this approach wastes power.
While it is appreciated that a primary coil can be powered down by opening a circuit between the primary coil and the input power source, it is to be appreciated that such an approach often involves human intervention to reactivate the primary coil. That is, per such an approach, the connecting of an adaptive device (or the generation of a new load request from an already connected adaptive device) commonly requires human intervention to power on the primary coil as no known mechanism exists today for automatically activating a primary coil of a powered down power converter.
Accordingly, a power converter is needed that has a primary coil that can be powered down during standby mode and thereby not waste power, but, can be automatically awakened and responsive to new load requests, as needed.
The various embodiments of the present disclosure address the above and other concerns by providing for highly sophisticated control of standby mode of power converters and, in particular, switch mode power converters, by providing a secondary side control circuit that is capable of receiving a new load request from a connected adaptive device, and is configured to respond to such new load request by activating a primary side of the power converter without human intervention.

Power converter responsive to device connection status

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC


The present invention relates to a handpiece for spraying on a fluid jet with a handpiece casing in which a nozzle element for forming the jet geometry of the fluid jet is accommodated. The present invention is based on the object of specifying a handpiece for spraying on a fluid jet which can be produced in a more simple and inexpensive manner, and proposes to satisfy the object in that a nozzle element be fixedly connected to an integrally formed nozzle holder which sealingly abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle element and is fixed relative to the handpiece casing.

Such a handpiece is known, for example, from EP 2 251 142 A1. The present invention relates in particular to a handpiece for spraying on a fluid jet in the context of debridement by use of a fluid jet. In this method, a micro-fluid jet is sprayed onto the wound surface of a wound of a living being, usually a human being, in order to remove tissue or secretion. A fluid jet is generally a treatment fluid which is formed, for example, predominantly or exclusively from water or a physiological saline solution. The fluid jet must fulfill special requirements. It must have a small beam diameter and extend in a coherent manner over a relatively long distance in order to impact as targeted or focused as possible onto the wound and at a predetermined jet pressure. The nozzle elements used for this purpose are accordingly very small. They have an outer diameter of typically no more than 4 mm. There are various possibilities of forming the nozzle element. EP 2 251 142 A1 discloses a nozzle block which is inserted into a recess of a cylindrical nozzle body. Disposed in an annular gap between the nozzle block and the nozzle body is an O-ring which is to seal the nozzle against the nozzle holder. On its outer circumferential surface, the nozzle holder also comprises several O-rings that are provided with an axial spacing, i.e. one behind the other in the direction of flow.
The known structure is complex. Moreover, it cannot provide a satisfactory solution for pressure of up to 150 bar acting when using debridement by way of a fluid jet. Furthermore, the assembly is complicated because the relatively small nozzle block must be manipulated and inserted into the recess of the nozzle body and be sealed therein.

Handpiece for spraying on a fluid jet and insertion member for this handpiece


There is disclosed a currency transfer system and method which utilizes the existing ATM network but which provides for the temporary assignment of a PIN number and the temporary establishment of a credit limit within an existing account. Using the system a customer can, by using a temporary PIN at an ATM machine, withdraw an amount equal to or less than the temporary credit limit. In one embodiment, a depositing customer can establish the temporary credit limit by the transfer of funds from an existing account and in another embodiment the depositing customer can purchase temporary ATM cards which have contained within them programmed credit limits which are then read into the system under an assigned temporary PIN number.

The concept of using Automated Teller Machines (ATM's) has, in the past few years, become commonplace for the withdrawal of funds from a person's checking or savings account at any time, whether or not the bank is open or closed. Using an ATM, a person can even obtain cash from his or her credit card at any time of the day or night.
The several ATM systems in the USA, and indeed around the world, have been interlinked so that a person can travel to virtually any place and by inserting a card in an ATM machine and, supplying a preassigned Personal Identification Number (PIN) password, can request an amount of money from the account associated with the inserted card. Other transactions can also be performed during the same session, all by interaction with the ATM system.
In order to accomplish the desired transaction, the user enters numbers on a key pad, or pushes other buttons, all in response to displayed prompts. The prompts can be in English or in other languages selected by the user.
One basic concept of the present systems are that they require the user to have a preestablished account with a preissued card and with a preexisting PIN. The account can be a bank savings or checking account or can be a money market account or it can be a credit (or debit) card account, or it can be any one of a variety of other account types. With some of the accounts, the user already has an established sum of money in the account, and with others, the money is deposited (credited) when the user makes a withdrawal from the account.
One problem that the new system and method solves is based on the proposition that a particular user desires to transfer money to someone else (a child, for example) in a distant city where neither the user nor the child has an account.
A second problem that the new system solves supposes that the user does have an account which is accessible from an ATM machine but the child in the distant city does not have an ATM card for that account.
A third problem is presented by those who are traveling but do not wish to buy and carry travelers checks and also do not wish to carry large amounts of cash. This problem assumes the traveler does not have (and does not wish to establish) a preestablished ATM account. The existing ATM system does not presently solve any of these problems which are but a symptom of the more general problem of currency transfer. Today, in order to move currency from one place to another, the systems and methods do not differ much from those of many years ago. For example, a person can take cash to a wire transfer office (such as are maintained by western Union) and have money wired to a wire transfer office in the city where the recipient is located. This supposes that one even knows where such offices are located and that the offices are open. Since emergencies do not obey 9 to 5 (or even 7 to midnight) hours, and since people without funds tend also to be without a means of transportation to get to the nearest wire transfer office (even assuming they could find one), the present wire transfer systems are, at best, cumbersome. These problems are compounded under the existing systems by time zone differences.
The cost to establish an electronic network similar to the existing ATM network is enormous. Thus, any solution to the problem must rely, to some extent, on the existing ATM network which does not, today, accommodate those without accounts and without valid ATM cards.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a currency transfer system which will allow any person to instantly and electronically transfer currency to any other person even if neither person has a preestablished account and even if neither person has a preissued ATM card.
A further need in the art is for a system which will allow for the instant transfer of currency between distant people without preestablished ATM accounts and ATM cards while still taking advantage of the existing ATM network.


A method and apparatus for automatically adapting a mobile unit to the communications requirements of a particular country or geographic region is provided. A wireless data communication network located in a particular country or geographic region includes one or more access points for communicating with the mobile unit. The mobile unit receives from an access point an announcement message broadcast. The message has a unique frequency characteristic associated with the geographic location of the access point from which it was broadcast. The mobile unit then determines an allowable frequency set for use in the country or geographic location associated with the access point. The mobile unit adjusts its frequency set to operate o the allowable frequency set. The mobile unit may also adjust others of its operating parameters in a similar fashion.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to data communication systems, and more particularly to a wireless local area network (LAN) communication system in which mobile units associate with stationary access points having communications characteristics defined by the particular country in which the LAN is installed.
2. The Background Art
A wireless LAN may be implemented by remote mobile units that send messages to and receive messages from base stations or Stationary Access Points using wireless infrared or radio communication links. Each Stationary Access Point covers a limited area, so a typical network may have several Stationary Access Points.
One protocol that may be used is the IEEE 802.11 Standard that defines physical and data link layers for wireless local networks. The standard defines, among other things, the wireless LAN medium access control (MAC) and physical (PHY) layer specifications.
For a message to be transmitted, a mobile unit first becomes associated with a Stationary Access Point. Association refers to the process of synchronizing a mobile unit with a Stationary Access Point for communication, and is initiated by the mobile unit. The mobile unit first listens to the broadcasts over the airwaves and determines which Stationary Access Points are within range of the mobile unit, and then requests association with a particular Stationary Access Point according to certain criteria. At any point in time, a mobile unit is typically associated with only one Stationary Access Point. A single Stationary Access Point can be associated with multiple mobile units.
With the ever-growing global market, it is common for users to travel from country to country. A problem therefore occurs, in that one country may allocate a different portion of the frequency spectrum to wireless communications than another country. Additionally, different countries may have different regulations regarding power output of wireless communications. These allocations and regulations may prevent a mobile unit which is designed for use in one country from working (or being allowed to work) in another country.
What is needed, then, is a system and method for allowing a mobile unit to meet regulatory requirements and adapt to and communicate with Stationary Access Points having different communication characteristics.
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for automatically adapting a mobile unit to communication requirements of a particular country or geographic region. To achieve this capability, a method operates on a wireless data communications network including a mobile unit and one or more access points, wherein the method includes the steps of: receiving in the mobile unit announcement messages broadcast by one or more of the access points, each of said messages having a unique frequency characteristic associated with the geographic location of the access point from which it was sent; determining, in said mobile unit, an allowable frequency set in the geographic region associated with the access point from which each of said messages was sent; and adjusting the frequency set of the mobile unit to send messages on said allowable frequency set. The invention may then adjust other operating characteristics in a similar fashion.

Apparatus and methods for adapting mobile unit to wireless LAN