A mobile station will sort wireless coverage sectors in order of distance of the sectors from the mobile station, and the mobile station will then scan for pilot signals from the sectors in the sorted order. The invention can be applied advantageously to provide an order of scanning remaining set sectors in a mobile station operating according to a code division multiple access protocol.

Cellular wireless is an increasingly popular means of personal communication in the modern world. People are using cellular wireless networks for the exchange of voice and data over cellular telephones, Personal Digital Assistants ("PDAs"), cellular modems, and other devices. In principle, a user can seek information over the Internet or call anyone over a Public Switched Telephone Network ("PSTN") from any place inside the coverage area of the cellular wireless network.
In a typical cellular wireless system, an area is divided geographically into a number of cell sites provided by a radio access network (RAN). The RAN typically comprises one or more base transceiver stations (BTSs), each of which has one or more antennas that radiate to define a radio frequency (RF) radiation pattern. The BTS(s) of the RAN may then be coupled with a base station controller (BSC) or radio network controller (RNC), which may in turn be coupled with a telecommunications switch or gateway, such as a mobile switching center (MSC) or packet data serving node (PDSN) for instance. The switch or gateway may then provide connectivity with a transport network, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or the Internet for instance.
When a mobile station (such as a cellular telephone, a wirelessly equipped PDA or personal computer, or another suitably equipped device) is positioned in a cell, the mobile station communicates via an RF air interface with the BTS of the cell. Consequently, a communication can be established between the mobile station and another entity, via the air interface and the RAN.
With the explosive growth in demand for wireless communications, the level of call traffic in most cell sites has increased drastically over recent years. To help manage the call traffic, most cells in a wireless network are usually further divided geographically into a number of sectors (which can be visualized ideally as pie pieces), each defined respectively by radiation patterns from directional antenna components of the respective BTS, or by respective BTS antennae. As such, each sector has an azimuth, which is understood to be the general direction of radiation of the sector, such as the direction the antenna of the sector is pointing.
In a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless network and perhaps in other types of networks, each cell employs one or more carrier frequencies, and each sector is distinguished from adjacent sectors by a pseudo-random number offset (PN offset). Further, each sector may concurrently communicate on multiple different channels, distinguished by "Walsh codes". When a mobile station operates in a given sector, communications between the mobile station and the BTS of the sector are carried on a given frequency and are encoded by the sector's PN offset and, perhaps, a given Walsh code.
According to well known industry standards, a mobile station can communicate with a number of "active" sectors at a time. Depending on the system, the number of active sectors may be up to three or six, for instance. The mobile station receives largely the same signal from each of the active sectors and, on a frame-by-frame basis, may select the best signal to use.
A mobile station maintains in its memory a list of the sectors in its "active" set. In addition, it maintains in its memory a list of "candidate" sectors (e.g., up to six), which are those sectors that are not yet in the active set but that have sufficient signal strength that the mobile station could demodulate signals from those sectors. Further, the mobile station maintains a list of "neighbor" sectors, which are those sectors not in the active set or candidate set but are in close vicinity to the mobile station. All other possible sectors are members of a "remaining" set.
In existing systems, to facilitate a determination of which sectors should be in the mobile station's active set, all base stations emit a pilot channel signal on each sector, typically at a power level higher than other downlink signals. A mobile station then constantly measures the strength (Ec/Io, i.e., energy versus spectral density) of each pilot that it receives and notifies the RAN (e.g., a BSC serving the mobile station) when pilot strength falls above or below designated thresholds. The RAN, in turn, provides the mobile station with an updated list of active pilots.
In one arrangement, for instance, the RAN may initially transmit to the mobile station (e.g., over a downlink control channel or traffic channel) a Handoff Direction Message (HDM), containing parameters such as (i) the PN offsets of the sectors in the active set and (ii) the following handoff parameters that relate to pilot signal strength:                T_ADD: Threshold pilot strength for addition to the active set (e.g., −14 dB)        T_COMP: Difference in signal strength from an active set pilot (e.g., 2 dB)        T_DROP: Threshold pilot strength for removal from the active set (e.g., −16 dB)        T_TDROP: Time for which an active set pilot falls below T_DROP to justify removal from the active set (e.g., 2 seconds)Additionally, the RAN may initially provide the mobile station with a Neighbor List Update Message (NLUM), which identifies the "neighbor" sectors for the current active set.
The mobile station may then monitor all of the pilot signals that it receives, and the mobile station may determine if any neighbor pilot exceeds T_ADD by T_COMP. If so, the mobile station may add the pilot to its "candidate" set and send a Pilot Strength Measurement Message (PSMM) to the base station, indicating the estimated Ec/Io for the pilot, with the pilot designated by PN offset. Depending on current capacity and other issues, the RAN may then agree to allow the mobile station to hand off to the designated sector. Accordingly, the RAN may reserve a channel resource (such as a Walsh code) in the sector and may send to the mobile station an HDM listing the pilot as a new member of the mobile station's active set and directing the mobile station to use the reserved channel resource in the added sector. Further, the RAN may send to the mobile station a new NLUM, designating a new neighbor list corresponding to the mobile station's revised active set.
Upon receipt of the HDM, the mobile station would then add the pilot to its active set as instructed, and the mobile station would send a Handoff Completion Message (HCM) to the RAN, acknowledging the instruction, and providing a list of the pilots (PN offsets) in its active set, thereby completing the handoff.
Similarly, if the mobile station detects that the signal strength of a pilot in its active set drops below T_DROP, the mobile station may start a handoff drop timer. If T_TDROP passes, the mobile station may then send a PSMM to the RAN, indicating the Ec/Io and drop timer, and similarly designating the pilot by PN offset. The RAN may then respond by sending an HDM to the mobile station, without the pilot in the active set. And the mobile station may then receive the HDM and responsively move the pilot to its neighbor set and send an HCM to the RAN. Further, the base station may likewise send a new NLUM to the mobile station to update the mobile station's neighbor list.
In typical practice, the neighbor list that the RAN provides to the mobile station will list neighbor sectors in a priority order, with sector priorities usually defined in advance (e.g., by network engineers) based on the likelihood of handoff to the sectors. For instance, if a neighbor sector is directly adjacent to a sector in the mobile station's active set, the neighbor sector may have a higher priority and may therefore be listed higher in the priority ordered neighbor list. On the other hand, if a neighbor sector is more distant from the sectors in the mobile station's active set, then it may have a lower priority in the list. When the RAN generates a neighbor list to send to a mobile station, the RAN may programmatically sort the list based on these handoff priorities with respect to the members of the mobile station's active set.
In operation, a mobile station will then cyclically scan for pilot signals from the various sectors in its active, candidate, neighbor, and remaining sets. In particular, the mobile station will usually (i) scan all of its active and candidate sectors and then scan a first (highest priority) sector from its neighbor set, (ii) scan all of its active and candidate sectors again and then scan a next (next priority) sector from its neighbor set, and so forth until the mobile station has scanned all of its neighbor set sectors. At that point, the mobile station will then scan one of its remaining set sectors. In turn, the mobile station will then repeat the process, scanning another remaining set sector, and so forth.
Under current procedures, as a mobile station carries out this scanning process, the mobile station will scan the remaining set sectors in numerical PN-offset order, merely for purposes of keeping track of which sectors have been scanned so far.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for scanning sectors in order of distance from mobile station


A processor 2 includes an execution cluster 10 having multiple execution units 14, 16, 18, 20. The execution units 14, 16, 18, 20 share result buses 22, 24. Issue circuitry 12 within the execution cluster 10 determines future availability of a result bus 22, 24 for an instruction to be issued (or recently issued) using a known cycle count for that instruction. The availability is tracked for each result bus using a mask register 32 storing a mask value within which each bit position indicates the availability or non-availability of that result bus at a particular processing cycle in the future. The mask value is left shifted each processing cycle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to data processing systems. More particularly, this invention relates to data processing systems including a plurality of execution units for executing data processing operations to generate processing results to be carried by result paths within said processor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide data processing units incorporating multiple execution units. For example, a processor may include multiple execution clusters and each of these execution clusters, such as an ALU cluster, a load/store cluster and the like, may include multiple execution units capable of performing processing operations in parallel to generate processing results. The processing results which are generated need to be carried to other points within the processor. For example, the processing results may be needed by another execution unit in another execution cluster as a consequence of a dependency between a processing result generated by one execution unit and an input operand required by another execution unit.
It is known to provide processors in which each execution unit has its own result bus with which it can carry its processing results to other portions of the processor. However, this approach requires a large amount of circuit overhead associated with the result bus routing and selection mechanisms which must be provided for each of the result buses. Another approach is to share result buses between execution units and stall an execution unit when it has completed its execution if a result bus is not available to carry away the processing result. A disadvantage of this approach is that stalling execution units necessarily impacts processing performance as the execution unit is then not available to perform other processing operations until its stall condition is removed.

Result path sharing between a plurality of execution units within a processor


A disk brake wherein the engagement portions of a return spring are prevented from coming out of respective retaining holes formed in the backing plates of friction pads, and at the same time the spring function portion of the return spring is prevented from interfering with the disk. After the caliper has been mounted on the carrier, the return spring is supported at three portions at each end thereof. The spring function portion is contacted by the protuberance, while the proximal end of each engagement portion is contacted by the entrance portion of the associated retaining hole. Further, the distal end of the engagement portion is contacted by the innermost portion of the retaining hole. In addition, the spring function portion of the return spring is bent radially outward of the disk along a recess formed on the inner side of the caliper.

The present invention relates to a disk brake used for a vehicle or the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk brake that employs a return spring to bias friction pads away from the disk for the purpose of preventing dragging.
In one known form of disk brake, two friction pads have retaining holes respectively provided in their backing plates, and a return spring has at both ends thereof engagement portions which are inserted into the retaining holes, respectively. A portion of the return spring that is defined between the two engagement portions operates as a spring function portion.
In such a disk brake, the retaining holes lie outside the disk pass portion of the caliper. There is therefore possibility that the engagement portions of the return spring will come out of the retaining holes in the backing plates of the friction pads due to vibration or the like. If the gap between the disk and the disk pass portion of the caliper is reduced in order to minimize the possibility of the engagement portions coming out of the retaining holes, the spring function portion of the return spring may interfere with the disk.


System and method for correlating multiple frames of data associated with a single call into a call record. One embodiment comprises correlating data in a radio access network by capturing data passing to and from a radio network controller, identifying ATM Adaptation Layer type 5 (AAL5) frames within the data, assigning a first call identifier to the AAL5 frames, identifying ATM Adaptation Layer type 2 (AAL2) frames within the data, assigning a second call identifier to the AAL2 frames, and combining AAL2 frames and AAL5 frames having a same first call identifier and a same second call identifier into a call record. The data passing to and from the first radio network controller may be data passing over an Iub interface between a Node B and the radio network controller or data passing over an Iur interface between two radio network controllers.

The Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third-generation (3G) mobile phone technology standardized first by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and now by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). UMTS carries both circuit switched (CS) and packet switched (PS) traffic using Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) as its air interface. The description of the network components and protocols used in UMTS are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and are available to the public from 3GPP, ETSI, and other sources. The UMTS network architecture consists of three domains: Core Network (CN), UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), and User Equipment (UE).
The Core Network provides switching and routing for user traffic and provides network management functions. The Core Network architecture is based on the GSM network with GPRS. The UTRAN provides the air interface access to subscribers' UE. Base stations in the UTRAN are referred as Node-Bs, and the control equipment for the Node-Bs is called a Radio Network Controller (RNC). The UMTS User Equipment communicates via the WCDMA air interface to the Node-Bs. The UE may be attached to either the PS domain or CS domain or both. The UE is capable of simultaneously using PS services and CS services.
The Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is used for data transmission in UMTS. The ATM layer multiplexes and demultiplexes and routes ATM cells, and ensures their sequence from end to end. The ATM Adaptation Layers (AAL) are responsible for the creation and reception of payloads through the lower layers of ATM on behalf of different applications. ATM Adaptation Layer type 2 (AAL2) handles circuit-switched connections and packet connection protocol AAL5 is designed for data delivery.
One disadvantage of the prior art is the difficulty in evaluating service levels for individual subscribers. Because multiple UEs are communicating with Node Bs and RNCs at the same time, thousands of data and control messages per second can be passed between a Node B and an RNC and between RNCs. These messages follow several different protocol formats depending upon the purpose of the message. As a result, the messages passing on interfaces in the UTRAN do not provide sufficient information to determine which messages are related to the same subscriber.
A second disadvantage of the prior art is the lack of a capability to compile messages for a specific UE call into a single call record in real-time or near real-time.

System and method for real-time correlation of AAL2 and AAL5 messages for calls in UTRAN


A direct multilateration target tracking system is provided with the TOA time stamp as an input. A technique of tracking targets with varying receiver combinations is provided. Methods of correlating and combining Mode A, Mode C, and Mode S messages to enhance target tracking in a passive surveillance system are provided. A direct multilateration target tracking system is provided by TOA tracking and smoothing. A technique for selecting best receiver combination and/or solution of multilateration equations from a multitude of combinations and/or solutions is provided. A technique for correcting pseudorange values with atmospheric conditions is provided. A technique for improving height determination for regions of poor VDOP in a 3D multilateration system is provided.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires all passenger carrying aircraft over 30 seats be equipped with so-called "Mode S" transponders. Mode S transponders are capable of transmitting a number (e.g., 25) of formats of coded data. This coded data includes such information as a unique 24-bit binary address for each aircraft.
The aircraft registration number may be derived from this 24-bit binary address. The coded Mode-S data also includes such information as aircraft altitude and may be transmitted continuously throughout a flight at a minimum rate of 1 Hz (i.e., once per second). Coded Mode-S data may be collected passively without any connection to air traffic control equipment.
The FAA has endorsed the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) system, which uses various data link technologies including the VHF communication band, HF and SATCOM along with a ground station network to allow aircraft to transmit and receive messages of coded data. Many domestic and international carriers have equipped their aircraft with ACARS equipment.
ACARS equipment is capable of transmitting a number of types of coded data. ACARS currently uses frequency shift keying (FSK) as a modulation scheme, however, other modulation schemes including minimum shift keying (MSK) and time division multiple access (TDMA) are being evaluated for future improvement of ACARS. ACARS data includes such information as the aircraft registration number and airline flight identification number (flight number).
ACARS transmissions from a single aircraft may be sent at varying intervals from as little as no transmissions in a single flight to several transmissions per minute. ACARS transmissions may be collected passively without any connection to air traffic control equipment.
Triangulating on an aircraft's transponder signal may require decoding real-time transponder replies at several locations, time-stamping them and sending them to a central location for matching. Matching would attempt to pair up the transponder signals that had emanated from the same target.
An example of a Prior Art method for triangulating on an aircraft's transponder is disclosed in Wood, M., L., and Bush, R., W., Multilateration on Mode S and ATCRBS Signals at Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport, Lincoln Laboratory Project Report ATC-260, 8 Jan. 1998, incorporated herein by reference. In that method, triangulation on an aircraft's transponder relied on each remote sensor time-stamping all or most received transponder signals and passing them along to the central location for matching.
It was deemed necessary to do this since the remote sensor could not know which particular reply would be used by the central server for the matching process. This meant that a relatively high bandwidth communications medium was required between each remote sensor and the central server.
Such Prior Art methods used active interrogations to elicit the transponder replies, which allowed for some form of expectancy time for the replies. By scheduling interrogations the system estimated when replies might be received at each of the receivers and the system could then use windows in which to "listen" for replies. All replies received within these windows would then be time-stamped and then sent to the central server for matching.
This approach helped in some form to manage the required bandwidth on the link between the receiver and the central server. However, a relatively high bandwidth link is still required using this approach. Because of the practical bandwidth challenges in managing the link between the receivers and the central server it was generally thought in the Prior Art that using a completely passive approach for triangulation and multilateration would be impossible.
Multilateration and ASDI may be augmented with airline flight information available from an airlines flight reservation system. Dunsky et al, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/136,865, filed May 1, 2002 (Publication Number 2003/0009261 A1, published Jan. 9, 2003) entitled "Apparatus and method for providing live display of aircraft flight information", incorporated herein by reference, describes the integration of Megadata's Passive Secondary Surveillance Radar (PASSUR) and airline flight information.
Multilateration may be used for a number of purposes. Flight tracks may be recorded and displayed for informational purposes for airlines, the general public, or for government agencies. Thus, an airline or consumers may be able to determine location of aircraft, or a government agency may be able to track aircraft for noise measurement purposes. Airports may be able to use such multilateration techniques to track landings and takeoffs and for billing landing fees. Multilateration may also be used to track ground vehicles or other targets.
Multilateration may be used to create a 2-D or 3-D track, depending upon application. In some applications, a 3-D track (including altitude) may not be required, such as for gross tracking of aircraft for an airline or the like. For other applications, such as noise measurement or landing fee tracking, a 3-D track (including altitude information) may be required.
When generating aircraft tracks from multilateration data, situations may occur in which multiple tracks are generated for the same aircraft. Due to the plethora of transponder types and formats (e.g., Mode A, Mode C, and Mode S), multiple transponder signals and signal types may be generated in response to interrogations from ground equipment or as the result of squawks and the like. A multilateration system may interpret these multiple signals as being from different aircraft, due to the different formatting of the signal types, and generate multiple tracks for the same aircraft. Thus, it remains a requirement in the art to detect such multiple tracking and combine track data into a single track for each aircraft.
In a multilateration target tracking system, not all sensors are able to supply a TOA (data time stamp) value for every single reply message of any target. Because of geographical placement of sensors and the statistic nature of TOA measurement noise, these diverse sets of sensor TOA combinations yield raw multilateration equation solutions that spread all over the place, even from one message to the next. In order to accurately track a target, it may be necessary to use different combinations of receivers to generate a complete target track. A technique is thus required to determine which combination of receivers to use in order to generate the most accurate possible target track.
Thus, it remains a requirement in the art to provide a multilateration system which can more accurately track aircraft or other vehicles by eliminating the inaccuracies noted above as well as other effects that affect accuracy of multilateration data as will be discussed in more detail below.

Method and apparatus for accurate aircraft and vehicle tracking


The peptidoglycan layer is a vital component of the bacterial cell wall, which comprises 4→3 and 3→3 transpeptide cross-linkages, the formation of which are catalyzed by D,D- and L,D-transpeptidases, respectively. Methods for the treatment of bacterial infections with agents that inhibit L,D-transpeptidases, either alone or in combination with D,D-transpeptidase inhibitors, are provided herein. Also provided are methods for the treatment of chronic stage tuberculosis with agents that inhibit enzyme with L,D-transpeptidase activity.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to methods for treating bacterial infections by inhibition of L,D-transpeptidases and more specifically to methods for treating tuberculosis by inhibiting a Mycobacterium tuberculosis L,D-transpeptidase.
2. Background Information
Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major public health threat around the world The estimate that more lives will be lost in 2009 due to TB than in any year in history is alarming. An increasing number of cases reporting infection with multi-(MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of M. tuberculosis has diminished our capability to respond effectively against this threat. A recent study reporting high mortality rates of patients co-infected with HIV and XDR-TB illustrates the need for new drugs to treat TB. It is speculated that poor patient compliance to treatment regimen, as the current therapy requires a combination of drugs to be taken daily for 6 months or more, is a major reason for emergence of drug resistance in TB. While >99% of M. tuberculosis bacilli are killed within 2 weeks of therapy, it takes the remainder of the therapy to effectively kill the surviving population. These bacilli, broadly termed 'persisters', are able to transiently tolerate drugs. The phenomenon of persistence is poorly understood. In vitro models designed to mimic the physiology of persisters are based on exposure to nitric oxide and depletion of oxygen and nutrients as these conditions are thought to prevail in a persisting infection in vivo.
A higher percentage of bacilli are able to survive exposure to drugs at stationary phase compared to exponential phase of growth. The bacterial cell wall, as an interface between the pathogen and the host, regulates diffusion, influx and efflux of drugs and metabolites. Integrity and permeability of this interface is highly significant to effective targeting of M. tuberculosis with drugs. Little is known about changes in the cell wall during chronic phase of infection and whether it regulates persistence of M. tuberculosis in the host. The mechanism by which M. tuberculosis maintains 3→3 cross-linkages in the peptidoglycan layer is poorly understood. An understanding of the factors involved in the regulation of cell wall physiology is crucial for developing drugs that effectively target and kill the persisters by interfering with this process.

Methods for treatment of bacterial infections

Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale


A multistable liquid crystal device having liquid crystal molecules in one or more cavities, wherein at least one liquid crystal region of high distortion (100, 110) is formed in each cavity, the distortion region (100, 110) being switchable between at least two stable states on application of an electric field, the device being such that at least one of the stable states may be utilized as a reflective mode.

Liquid crystal materials (LCs) consist of rod-like molecules that prefer to align parallel to each other and are capable of being aligned by applied electric fields. The long-range order caused by the local alignment of molecules enables the "director", the average molecular direction, to be defined. The long and short axes of these molecules exhibit different optical properties and certain molecular orientations can therefore alter the polarisation and intensity of incident light. These reorientation and polarisation effects can be utilised in conjunction with optical elements such as polarising and reflective layers to produce optical devices such as optical switches, changeable phase gratings or displays.
Existing LC devices commonly have two transparent substrates, with semi-transparent electrodes that may be patterned into pixels on the inner side of each substrate, sandwiching a liquid crystal (LC) material between them. A reflective coating may be placed at one substrate if the device is to be used to reflect incident light once it has passed through the liquid crystal layer rather than in a transmissive mode. Optical polarisers are usually placed on the outer surface of one or both substrates. Between the liquid crystal layer and each electrode/substrate an alignment layer is used to specify the orientation of the LC molecules close to the substrate. Each pixel may be addressed "passively" using a voltage applied across the pixel row and column electrodes or "actively" using thin film transistors to selectively apply an electric field across a single pixel. This electric field may be used to switch the liquid crystal molecules between two orientational states, each with a different effect on the light passing through the LC layer such that, depending on the state, the light may either be transmitted through or blocked by the polariser(s).
One method of achieving this is through the use of twisted nematic configurations. In these devices, alignment layers are used to orient the LC molecules close to opposing substrates in perpendicular directions to each other. In the state where no electric field is applied across a pixel, the perpendicular LC alignment close to the substrates results in a 90° twist in LC orientation as one moves from surface to surface. This has the effect of rotating the polarisation of the light through 90°. When polarisers are placed parallel to the alignment directions at each substrate, incident light becomes initially polarised by the first polariser in one direction, then the polarisation direction of the light is rotated 90° by the LC to coincide with the second polariser at the other substrate, such that light is output from the pixel. Coloured filters may be placed over the pixel to produce coloured pixels. When a voltage is applied between the electrodes of a pixel, the LC aligns with the direction of the field, i.e. perpendicular to the plane of both substrates. In this state, as the LC molecules are aligned parallel to the direction of the propagation of the light, no change in polarisation of the light due to the LC configuration takes place. Thus, polarised light from the first polariser is blocked by the second polariser in the perpendicular direction. This type of device is "transmissive" since the incident light passes through the device from a light source (i.e. a backlight in a display module) on one side to the observer on the other.
An alternative method of displaying information using a liquid crystal device is through the use of a "reflective" LC device. A typical reflective device is constructed in a similar way to a transmissive device except the polariser furthest away from the observer is replaced by a reflective element. Light is incident from the same side of the device as the observer and is initially polarised by the polariser in one direction. One of the possible LC configurations is such that the polarisation direction of the light is rotated by 45° by the LC, before it is reflected by the reflective element and then rotated again by 45° by the LC. The total rotation of the polarisation of light by 90° means that the light is blocked by the polariser. When a voltage is applied between the electrodes of a pixel, a reorientation of the LC occurs such that the LC configuration does not affect the polarisation of light and the incident light is polarised, transmitted through the LC, reflected and transmitted through the LC again with no change in polarisation direction, so that the polariser allows the light to be emitted and observed. Coloured filters may be placed over the pixel to produce coloured pixels.
LC displays have many advantages such as being very flat, light and robust when compared with other display types such as cathode ray tubes. As such they are ideal for small portable devices such as mobile phones and PDAs. However, they have a high-energy demand due to the need for constant power to be applied to hold a pixel in one state. Furthermore, transmissive displays typically require backlighting from a light source to achieve a bright picture with high contrast, which in turn further increases the power consumption, leading to a shortened battery life. In addition, since these systems employ out of plane switching, where the LC molecules align themselves perpendicularly to the plane of the substrates in the presence of the electric field, birefringence effects can lead to a loss of contrast when viewed from the side. The resultant geometry may also lead to colour distortion due to parallax effects.
Some of the problems associated with the devices described above are addressed by multistable or, specifically, reflective bistable liquid crystal technology. In a multistable liquid crystal device, the LC has more than one stable director configuration. As such, once switched into a stable state, the LC remains in that state until an electric field is applied to change the configuration. This type of operation requires less power since power is only supplied to change states and not supplied continuously to maintain a state. The reflective aspect of such a technology removes the need for a backlight, further reducing the power consumption.
In Thurston et al. IEEE Transactions on Electronic Devices Ed-27, no. 11, pp. 2069-2080 1980, LC devices having a number of possible multistable systems are described. In particular, zenithal multistable devices are described which produce distortion out of the substrate plane. In-plane multistable devices are also described that rely on patterned alignment regions on the substrates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,708 describes an example of a bistable LC device having a number of multistable modes that involve the motion of singular points or "disclinations" lying parallel to the device substrates. EP 0,517,715 and WO92/00546 describe other examples of bistable LC devices, in which surface treatments (evaporation of SiO) are used to produce a bistable surface alignment layer. This surface exhibits two possible director configurations. By switching the director at the surface with the application of a suitable voltage waveform, switching between the two states is possible.
Another possible bistable device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,459. This has substrate surfaces that have been treated so that bigratings exist on one or both substrates. This bigrating arrangement creates two different possible angular directions in which the LC molecules can lie. WO 97/14990 describes a further example of a bistable device. This has a surface alignment monograting on at least one of the substrates. The surface monograting has a groove height to width ratio that leads to approximately equal energy for two director alignment arrangements. The director alignment arrangements differ from each other primarily by angle of the director from the plane of the substrate. The device is switched using appropriate voltage pulses.
Yet another approach to producing bistable liquid crystal devices involves having an array of either posts or holes placed on one of the substrates. Devices of this type are described in EP 1,271,225 and EP 1,139,151. The presence of posts or holes allows multiple director orientations to be stable. The difference between the director orientations is primarily in the difference in director angle from the main plane of the substrates. Switching between these states is achieved using appropriate voltage pulses coupling to the molecular dipoles.
In all of the above devices, each stable state has a different effect on the polarisation of light and this can be used in conjunction with suitably oriented polarisers to allow or block the transmittance of light. These systems may be used with light transmitted through the device or reflected from a surface at the back of the device. Variations in surface treatments on the sub-pixel level may be used to achieve greyscale. Whilst these provide some advantages over more conventional arrangements, they suffer from the fact that the switching is out of plane, which can lead to loss of contrast at oblique viewing angles and colour deformations due to parallax errors.
Some of the devices described above may contain LC defect regions. When LCs are enclosed within a container, the molecular direction is influenced by the container surfaces. This can lead to conflicts at certain regions, resulting in defects. In these defect regions, the molecules align themselves in such a fashion so that a high distortion energy structure, associated with a reduction in molecular order, is formed, as discussed by Repnik et al. in European Journal of Physics, Vol. 24, pages 481-492 (2003). Depending on factors such as the dimensions and shape of the container, topography of the surface, temperature, applied electric field and the surface energy of the walls, several configurations of the liquid crystal molecules may be possible. Each configuration may have varying defect positions and alignment of bulk liquid crystal molecules. Defects are, however, generally regarded as undesirable as they lower device efficiency. Hence, in most known devices steps are taken to remove such defects or avoid their formation altogether.

Multistable reflective liquid crystal device


A method for producing a soft magnetic powdered core includes preparing a mixture of a soft magnetic powder and a resin powder, compacting the mixture into a predetermined shape so as to obtain a compact, and heating the compact. The resin powder has a median size of not more than 30 μm, a maximum particle size of not more than 100 μm, and a specific surface area of not less than 1.0 m2/cm3, and the additive amount thereof is 0.005 to 2 vol %.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technique for producing a soft magnetic powdered core, preferably used for soft magnetic motor cores, rotors and yokes of motors in home appliances and industrial instruments, solenoid cores (stator cores) for solenoid valves installed in an electronically controlled fuel injector for a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, and the like, which require high magnetic flux density.
2. Background Art
Iron loss is a very important consideration in soft magnetic cores used in various actuators; it is defined by eddy current loss relating to a specific electric resistivity value of a core and hysteresis loss affected by strain in a soft magnetic powder, which is generated in a production process of the soft magnetic powder and subsequent processing steps. The iron loss W can be specifically defined by a sum of eddy current loss, We, and hysteresis loss, Wh, as shown in the following formula (1). In the formula (1), the first term represents eddy current loss We, and the second term represents hysteresis loss Wh. In this case, "f" represents the frequency, "Bm" represents the exciting magnetic flux density, "ρ" represents the specific electric resistivity value, "t" represents the thickness of a material, and "k1" and "k2" represent coefficients. Formula 1W=(k1Bm2t2/ρ)f2+k2Bm1.6f   (1)
As is clear from the formula (1), while the hysteresis loss Wh is proportional to the frequency f, the eddy current loss We is proportional to the square of the frequency f. Therefore, in a high frequency area, decrease of the eddy current loss We is effective in decreasing the iron loss W. In order to decrease the eddy current loss We, the specific electric resistivity value ρ should be increased so as to limit the eddy current in a small area. In this case, in a soft magnetic powdered core made from powder, for example, nonmagnetic resin can exist between soft magnetic powder particles such as iron powder. Therefore, the specific electric resistivity value ρ is increased, and the eddy current loss We can thereby be decreased. A conventional technique for producing a soft magnetic powdered core is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application of Laid-Open No. 2002-246219, in which a mixture of a soft magnetic powder and a resin powder is used, and compacting and heating are performed. In the soft magnetic powdered core disclosed in Japanese Patent Application of Laid-Open No. 2002-246219, resin exists between soft magnetic powder particles, whereby electrical insulation between the soft magnetic powder particles is specifically ensured. As a result, the eddy current loss We is decreased, and the soft magnetic powders are tightly bound, whereby strength of the soft magnetic powdered core is improved.
Conventionally, such a soft magnetic powdered core has been widely used because it is easily produced. When the above-described soft magnetic powdered core is used in a high frequency area, the electrical insulation is insufficient, whereby the specific electric resistivity value ρ is decreased, and the eddy current loss We is increased. The increase in the eddy current loss We causes heat generation, whereby resin binding the soft magnetic powders is deteriorated. Therefore, the soft magnetic powdered core has a disadvantage in that sufficient durability cannot be obtained. On the other hand, for example, when the resin amount is increased in order to improve the electrical insulation, the amount of the soft magnetic powder contained in the magnetic core (space factor) is decreased, whereby the magnetic flux density is decreased.
The soft magnetic powdered core may be used for electromagnetic actuators such as solenoids and motors. High attraction power and high responsiveness are required in an electromagnetic valve used in a fuel injector of a diesel engine. High magnetic flux density, high magnetic permeability, and small eddy current loss We in a high frequency area are preferable in stator core materials using the soft magnetic powdered core. Such a solenoid core is a soft magnetic powdered core obtained by compacting a mixture of iron powder and resin powder, and it is required to have high density and to have favorable electrical insulation between iron powder particles so as to increase the magnetic flux density and to decrease the iron loss.
On the other hand, reduction in size and high efficiency are required in various motors, and high magnetic flux density and small eddy current loss We in a high frequency area are preferable in rotor and stator materials using a soft magnetic powdered core. That is, required properties for a soft magnetic powdered core used in various electromagnetic actuators are substantially the same as those (specifically, iron loss) for a transformer core. In this case, a high magnetic flux density is required in the core of actuators because high attraction power is essential compared to the transformer core.
High density is necessary to obtain a soft magnetic powdered core with high magnetic flux density, and compacting pressure must be at least two times the pressure for producing ordinary sintered alloys. In a soft magnetic powdered core having a complicated shape or a thin shape, durability of a compacting die assembly would be deteriorated. Therefore, a soft magnetic powdered core having a shape similar to a solenoid core, a soft magnetic powdered core compacted to a simple cylindrical shape or a column shape is processed to have a predetermined shape and dimensions by machining. Alternatively, a soft magnetic powdered core compacted to a shape close to a product shape is machine finished at portions at which dimensional precision is specifically required. Therefore, the soft magnetic powdered core is required to have a good machinability, whereby wear of cutting tools can be minimal, and breakage and chipping of the material in machining can be prevented.
In view of the above circumstances, in order to decrease eddy current loss We and improve magnetic flux density B, various methods have been suggested (for example, see Japanese Patent Application of Laid-Open No. 2002-246219, Japanese Patent No. 3421944, Japanese Patent Application of Laid-Open No. 11-251131, and Japanese Patent Application of Laid-Open No. 2004-146804). In these methods, eddy current loss We is decreased by preliminary forming an insulating film on the surface of soft magnetic powders so as to ensure electrical insulation between the soft magnetic powder particles.
Since a magnetic flux density of a soft magnetic powdered core depends on the material density thereof, atomized iron powder is used as an iron powder so as to obtain high density, and the surface of the iron powder is coated with a film of phosphate compounds so as to decrease iron loss of the soft magnetic powdered core. As resin powders mixed with the iron powder, it is proposed to use a resin such as phenol, polyamide, epoxy, polyimide, and polyphenylenesulfide. For example, Japanese Patent Application of Laid-Open No. 2002-246219 discloses a soft magnetic powdered core obtained by adding 0.15 to 1 mass % of resin such as polyphenylenesulfide and thermosetting polyimide to atomized iron powders coated with phosphate compound. Japanese Patent No. 3421944 discloses a soft magnetic powdered core obtained by adding 2 mass % of thermosetting polyimide resin to atomized iron powder coated with phosphate compound. Moreover, in Japanese Patent Application of Laid-Open No. 11-251131, thickness of phosphate compound film is set to be not less than 10 nm and to be not more than 100 nm so that specific electric resistivity value ρ is not less than 2 Ocm and iron loss W is fixed. Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application of Laid-Open No. 2004-146804, higher probability of resin powder existing between soft magnetic powder particles can be obtained by using resin powders having a small median size (median size of 30 μm or less), thereby obtaining soft magnetic powdered core having resin uniformly interposed between soft magnetic powder particles after heat treatment. The soft magnetic powdered core has eddy current loss We which is sufficiently small even when magnetic flux density B is improved by decreasing an additive amount of resin powder to 0.01 to 5 vol %.
As mentioned above, in a soft magnetic powdered core, eddy current loss We is decreased by improving electrical insulation, whereas magnetic flux density is improved by decreasing the additive amount of resin, and the soft magnetic powdered core has therefore been widely used recently. Furthermore, soft magnetic powdered cores, in which magnetic flux density is further improved while eddy current loss We is small, are needed.

Method for producing soft magnetic powdered core


A system-on-chip may include a plurality of power domains each of which may have a different operating frequency and include a monitoring unit. A power supply may supply power to each of the power domains. A clock generator may output a reference clock to each of the monitoring units. A controller may set a target operating frequency in response to a target frequency set, control the clock generator to generate a reference clock corresponding to the target operating frequency, and generate a control signal for adjusting voltage levels of the power domains based on operating status information from the monitoring units.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a system-on-chip, which may include a plurality of power domains, for example, a system-on-chip capable of adjusting a voltage level and a method for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
With higher integration, larger numbers of transistors may be formed in smaller areas and plurality of IP (intellectual property) blocks may be integrated into a single chip.
However, performance of an entire chip may be determined by the IP block with a critical performance because various IP blocks used in designing a system-on-chip may have different performances. In addition, or alternatively, power consumption may be not reduced or significantly reduced even though higher performance IP blocks performance may run at a lower frequency (e.g., a frequency lower than a maximum operating frequency). This may result in inefficient use of power (e.g., power may be wasted).
In one example, if the chip including a plurality of IP blocks has one power domain, a target frequency may be set to an operating frequency of the IP block with the worst performance (e.g., a critical operating frequency). Consequently, other IP blocks may operate at lower speeds (e.g., speeds lower than a maximum speed).
When the IP blocks with various performances are integrated into one system-on-chip, it may be necessary to consider the performance difference between the IP blocks or modules in the IP blocks so as to improve and/or optimize the performance of an entire chip and its power consumption.

System-on-chip having adjustable voltage level and method for the same


A method for controlling a powered wheelchair is disclosed. The method may comprise receiving first information from at least one user sensor coupled to a user of the wheelchair, said first information indicating the movement of the user; receiving second information from a reference sensor coupled to the wheelchair, said second information indicating the movement of the wheelchair; using the first information and the second information to prepare at least one instruction to move the wheelchair; and using the at least one instruction to move the wheelchair.

Machines can assist people who do not have the ability to walk. Certain machines, like manual wheelchairs, allow a person to move by pushing the wheels of the chair with their arms. Powered wheelchairs allow a person to move using a powered motor. A powered wheelchair may have a joystick, which directs the movement of the wheelchair. This allows the user to move the wheelchair without relying on the user's strength from his or her arms.
Some people are paralyzed, and have suffered the partial or total loss of use of all their limbs and torso. Some people with tetraplegia retain the limited use of the upper portion of their torso, but may not be able to use their arms to move a joystick of a powered wheelchair.
People with tetraplegia often retain some level of mobility of the upper body. A person's residual mobility may be used to enable control of computers, wheelchairs and other assistive devices. A control device is needed based on wearable sensors that adapt their functions to the users' abilities.
In the prior art, one system uses cameras to track infrared light sources to control a machine for a tetraplegic user. However, fluctuations in ambient and natural light compromise the functionality of the system. Another system is known in the prior art that relies on a single sensor placed on the head of the machine user. However, that system is compromised by head movements that affect the direction of gaze, does not rely on the residual mobility in the upper body of the machine user, which is usually more robust than the mobility of the head alone.

Body signal control device and related methods


A system and method for receiving an origin file corresponding to source code, modifying the source code to create a modified source code, creating a modified file corresponding to the modified source code and comparing the modified file to the origin file. A system having an editor for editing source code to create a modified source code and a patch aware editor storing an origin file corresponding to the source code and creating a modified file corresponding to the modified source code, the patch aware editor comparing the origin file to the modified file and displaying conflicts between the files.

Open source projects such as Linux typically involve integration of multiple pieces of source code called upstream sources that are generated by an open source project. These sources (sometimes referred to as a pristine source) are then modified by a set of patch files provided by a distributor. The patch files provide corrections to fix bugs, apply an individual feature, etc. If a developer then wants to make further changes, the changes are made to the patched code. Once changes are made, the patched file is saved and the origin of the individual patches is lost. Sometimes a new patch file does not apply cleanly to a given pristine source or current collection of patch files, e.g., due to creating the patch file against a slightly different source tree. The process of resolving these problems can often require tedious work in rearranging the patch order, manually fixing the patch paragraph (also known as hunk) offsets, etc. In addition, this process is prone to error and may lead to loss of information if the original offsets become relevant later.


Methods and apparatuses for updating a forecast model quantifying the marketing of to the demand for a product and/or service are described. An original forecast model created at a reference M is used. An error of the forecast model is determined based on data including an original data and an additional data. At least one parameter is identified to be changed in value in, added to, or removed from the original forecast model. The forecast model is then modified to reduce the error of the forecast model by changing the value of the identified parameter in the forecast model, adding the identified parameter to the original forecast model, and/or removing the identified parameter from the original forecast model.

For many companies, it is desirable to forecast the financial future of a product or service offered by the company. For example, a company may want to know the approximate change in future sales, growth, and profit of the product or service. In addition, many companies want to know the effects of changes in causal events (e.g., marketing, advertising, and/or pricing changes) on forecasted data (e.g., sales volume, growth, and/or profit) and how these changes affect future of the offered product or service. As a result, many companies use a forecast model encompassing many pieces of causal data to predict forecasted data.
To obtain a forecast model, companies hire a marketing scientist or firm to create a new forecast model from previously collected data (causal and dependent). As time progresses and situations in the company and its atmosphere change, the created forecast model becomes less reliable and thus out of date. Therefore, many companies will ask the scientist or firm to create a new model every one or two years.
One problem with periodically creating a new model is the cost associated with creating a new model. Creating a new forecast model is extremely resource (e.g., computer resources) and time intensive. As a result, the cost of creating a new forecast model can be prohibitive for many companies.
Another problem is that the forecast models may become inaccurate over time, and thus become unable to forecast changes in demand for products or services under time sensitive or new marketing operations. For example, a medium for advertising that has not before been entered by a company would not be handled well by the forecast model in predicting the new medium's effectiveness for advertising. In a specific example, a new advertising medium beginning to take shape is advertising on online game arcade websites or within video games sold for PC's and console machines (e.g., Microsoft's® Xbox360® and Sony's® Playstation® series). If Coca-Cola® wishes to pursue the possibility of advertising in an upcoming Xbox360® game and has only recently begun advertising in other games (i.e., after the last forecast model was created), then the forecast model would not be able to predict the effectiveness of advertising in the upcoming Xbox360® game.
Another problem is that use of an older forecast model diminishes the confidence of the user and company in the forecast model's results. Thus, greater indecisiveness in marketing decisions could be created through the growing mistrust in the older forecast model.
Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus and method for updating an existing forecast model.


A plastic snap hinge having a lower part and a cap connected to each other by a single or multi-part main hinge and a flexible element which generates a snap action. The flexible element is connected to the lower part and the cap by film hinges integral with the lower part and the cap. The flexible element has a shape which is folded repeatedly and which is such that a straight line penetrating the flexible element intersects the flexible element at least at three points. The construction allows the design of plastic tops with a flat, cap having an extremely large angle of opening and a strong snap action.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a single piece plastic closure with a snap hinge having two parts connected by at least one hinge, and a flexible element generating the snap action, which is hingedly connected to the two parts of the closure.
2. Description of Prior Art
Plastic snap hinges for closures can be roughly classified into two types, namely those where the snap effect is generated by a tension element and those where it is generated by an elastically flexible element. This invention relates to a closure with a plastic snap hinge of the second type.
Conventional elastically flexible elements have a shape in the form of a letter "U" or "L", as, for example, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,324 or U.S. Pat. No. 2,630,239. The size of the elements is essentially determined by the spring path and the desired spring force. However, particularly in connection with the use of plastic tops, other marginal conditions which greatly affect the geometry of a plastic snap hinge are opposed to this. Conventional flexible elements cannot be used, particularly when employing tops with relatively large pouring spouts and a relatively flat lid. In the case of an L-shaped flexible element, the leg extending through the cover of the lid cannot be made sufficiently long, because otherwise it would extend into the sealing area of the pouring spout. A U-shaped flexible element cannot be made sufficiently large, because the low height of the lid does not provide enough space to accept the flexible element.
Another solution is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,629,901 where the elastically flexible element is parted in two sections of U-shape form as corrugated hinge strips, while an intermediate inflexible section remains. Such a hinge has its most relaxed position when the corrugated hinge strips are at least curved. This condition occurs in a position between opened and closed.

Plastic snap hinge with a flexible element generating the snap action


Compositions and methods for catalytic buffering of enzymatic decontamination reactions are provided. Enzymatic decontamination of organophosphorus or organohalogen compounds generates acidic reaction products that precipitously reduce the pH of the medium, thus impairing activity of the decontaminating enzymes. Catalytic buffering, that is, the use of an enzyme to produce ions from a substrate to modulate pH, can provide effective pH control. The compositions provided here include urease enzymes with mutations in the alpha subunit of the urease holoenzyme. These mutant ureases maintain urease activity in the presence of fluoride ions, which are organophosphorus and organohalogen hydrolysis products that otherwise inhibit urease activity. The fluoride-resistant ureases act as effective catalytic buffers during organofluorophosphorus hydrolysis reactions. Methods for using the fluoride-resistant ureases in enzymatic decontamination are also provided. Catalytic buffering afforded by fluoride-resistant ureases facilitates the application of safe and effective enzymatic methods for decontamination of personnel, equipment and the environment.

Biohazardous agents encompass a wide range of chemical compounds used in agricultural, military and industrial applications. Some organophosphorus compounds used in agricultural and military applications are highly toxic and hazardous to both human health and the environment. Organophosphorus compounds comprise the active ingredient in pesticides such as parathion and in G-type nerve agents such as Sarin, Soman and VX, developed for chemical warfare. The nerve agents, which can be absorbed through both skin contact and inhalation, exert their lethal effects by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme critical for neurotransmission. Halogenated compounds (organohalogens) which are commonly found in solvents and pesticides present both acute and long term hazards to the environment and human health. In light of the serious health risks posed by both organophosphorus compounds and organohalogens, it is essential to be able to detoxify these molecules and to decontaminate surfaces and substances contaminated with these agents.
Chemical based decontamination solutions such as DS2 have toxic and corrosive properties. Enzymatic techniques, using hydrolytic enzymes, are water-based and distinguished by low toxicities, making them relatively non-hazardous to personnel, equipment and the environment Control of pH is essential for enzyme-based chemical warfare agent decontamination and other hydrolytic systems. Conventional chemical buffers have limited capacity to maintain the pH near the optimum for the organophosphorus or organohalogen hydrolyzing enzymes. Catalytic buffering, in contrast, relies upon enzymes to produce ions from a substrate in order to regulate the pH of a solution. Effective catalytic buffering of enzymatic decontamination reactions requires that the catalytic buffering enzyme be active under the reaction conditions required for the organophosphorus hydrolyzing enzymes.

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


Apparatus and methods for cooling a mixture of hot gas and liquid received from a compressor and simultaneously separating the gas from the liquid, the apparatus comprising a receiving inlet, a header unit, a collector, and a plurality of conduits comprising turbulators which creates turbulence and heat-exchange surfaces to simultaneously separate the liquid from the gas and cooling both the liquid and the gas, and the method comprising receiving the mixture from the compressor through a receiving inlet; directing the mixture into a plurality of conduits; and in each of the plurality of conduits, simultaneously separating the liquid from the gas and cooling both the gas and the liquid.

Gas compressors typically comprise a kinetic energy source, such as an electrical motor, diesel engine, gasoline engine, and/or the like and a suitable mechanism which uses the kinetic energy to compress and pressurize gas. There are a variety of types of known compressors having different types of mechanisms for using the kinetic energy of the energy source to compress and pressurize gas. One class of gas compressors is a liquid-injected gas compressor.
Liquid-injected gas compressors involve the injection of liquids, such as lubrication oil, into the mechanism used to compress and pressurize the gas. Like gas compressors generally, liquid-injected gas compressors may have a variety of mechanisms for compressing and pressurizing the gas. As the gas is compressed in a liquid-injected gas compressor, the gas and the injected liquid heat up, forming a mixture of hot gas and liquid. In some applications, there is a desire to cool the heated mixture. In some applications, there is a desire to separate the mixture (i.e. to separate the gas from the liquid). For example, where the liquid-injected gas compressor is an air compressor, there can be a desire to separate the compressed air from the lubricating oil prior to using the compressed air, to cool the lubricating oil prior to re-using the lubricating oil in the compression and/or to cool the compressed air prior to using the compressed air.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a prior art technique for separating lubricating oil from a mixture of heated air and lubricating oil received from an air compressor and for cooling the separated air and oil. Air 1A is directed into the compressor mechanism 1 and is compressed. As discussed, lubrication oil 1B is also introduced into compressor mechanism 1, such that a mixture of hot air and oil is produced during compression. From the output of compression chamber 1, the mixture 2 of hot air and oil is directed to primary oil separator 3, which includes an oil separator 3A and an oil reservoir 3B. Primary oil separator 3 separates hot oil 4 from hot air-oil mixture 2, and hot oil 4 is collected by oil reservoir 3B. From reservoir 3B, hot oil 4 is transferred to oil cooler 5, where oil 4 is cooled prior to being re-used in compressor mechanism 1. Oil separator 3A also outputs hot air 6 (which may include a small amount of residual oil vapor). Hot air 6 is transferred to coalescer 7, where residual oil vapour is removed as hot scavenge oil and optionally returned to compressor mechanism 1. Coalescer 7 outputs hot air 8 that is substantially free of oil vapor and this hot air 8 is directed to air aftercooler 9. Aftercooler 9 cools hot air 8 and outputs cooler compressed air 10. Cool compressed air 10 may be used for a variety of purposes, such as, powering pneumatic tools, for example.
The FIG. 1 system includes discrete components for both a primary oil separator 3 (where oil 4 and air 6 are separated from air-oil mixture 2) and separate oil cooler 5 (where hot oil 4 is cooled). This multi-step, multi-component process may necessitate a number of discrete components and associated interconnection fittings and may suffer from large physical geometries and higher associated costs, complexities and risk of oil leakage.
The desire to address some of these issues has been recognized in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,769 (Hutchinson et al.) describes an integrated lubricant separator and cooling apparatus alleged to overcome these limitations.
There is an on-going desire for improved methods and apparatus for separating and cooling mixtures of hot gas and liquid ejected from a gas compressor.

Methods and apparatus for simultaneously cooling and separating a mixture of hot gas and liquid


An automated machine for transferring solution from a source microwell plate to a destination microwell plate. A plurality of pins is used for transferring the solution. The pins are attached to pin assemblies. The pin assemblies are attached to the circumference of a circular dial that is rotatably connected to the automated machine. The circular dial rotates the pins form a solution removal position to a solution transfer position and then to a pin cleaning position. Solution is removed from individual wells at the solution removal position and the solution is transferred to individual wells at the solution transfer position. The pins are cleaned at the pin cleaning position. A computer is programmed to control the automated machine and the transfer of solution. In a preferred embodiment, the computer is programmed to: 1) execute a saved transfer list, 2) accept a customized input list from an operator, 3) execute the customized input list, and 4) save the customized input list for later execution. In a preferred embodiment, the automated machine is utilized for transferring variable volumes of solution from the source microwell plate to the destination microwell plate.

Microwell plates, also known as microplates, are a standard product and are regularly used in the laboratory. Microwell plates play a very important role in genomic research as well as other medical, chemical and biological pursuits. Microwell plates have greatly improved the sample handling capabilities of high throughput genomic research labs. However, their increased popularity and usage in the laboratory has often proved difficult for the hands of a technician. For example, just as tubes were being juggled by technicians 10 years ago, microwell plates are now also being juggled. In response, there has been an effort in recent years to construct automated machines to more effectively and efficiently handle microwell plates.

Automated machine for transferring solution from a source microwell plate to a destination microwell plate


Examples of the disclosure are directed to a method of, after hitting a UVLO threshold, rebooting an electronic device in a low power mode having a lower UVLO threshold, such that the device can continue to be used past the first UVLO threshold. For example, in a high power mode, the device may be capable of a number of functionalities of a modern portable electronic device, such as network access, the ability to run applications, Bluetooth connections, etc. In a low power mode, the device may only be able to check and display a current time, play an alarm sound at a predefined time, perform near field communication (NFC) transactions/payments, among other possibilities described herein. The limited functionality and reduced usage of peripherals in the low power mode may prevent the battery from experiencing peaks in current level that may be problematic at relatively low levels of voltage.

An electronic device may require a power supply, such as a battery. Further, the electronic device may require that the power supply have a certain minimum voltage in order to function properly. For example, a battery may not be able to sustain peaks in current level when the voltage drops below a certain level. Accordingly, an electronic device may monitor the voltage of its power supply and power down when the voltage falls below threshold.


A method of simulating a telecommunications network may include providing a database including status information for a plurality of virtual network elements. More particularly, the status information for each of the plurality of virtual network elements may include a respective network element identifier. A communication including a received network element identifier may be received. If the received network element identifier does not correspond to a network element identifier included in the database, status information for a new virtual network element may be added to the database and the status information for the new virtual network element may include the received network element identifier. After adding the status information for the new virtual network element, a communication regarding the new virtual network element may be transmitted. Related systems and computer program products are also discussed.

A telephone system is a type of communications network, and a telephone system may include Network Elements (NEs) such as central offices or groups thereof in which telephone computer systems control corresponding portions of a telephone switching network in accordance with subscriber requirements and subscriber line configurations.
Subscriber services information may include such items as class of service (e.g., business or residential), call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, the billing plan desired, the long distance carrier desired, the maintenance plan desired, etc. Subscriber line configurations may include such items as the number and types of lines at the subscriber's home or business, which equipment at the subscriber's home or business is owned by the subscriber and which equipment is owned by the telephone company, the type and location of the equipment, information as to leased lines, etc. In a typical telephone system many parameters (for example, well over a hundred, and sometimes a few hundred parameters) may be needed to describe the services and line configurations for a single subscriber.
To provide a more responsive interface between one or more (in some cases as many as several hundred) central offices of a telephone network and telephone company customer service representatives or other telephone company personnel or systems, an Element Management System (EMS) may be used. Such an EMS may maintain subscriber data in a database which can more quickly and accurately respond to queries from telephone company personnel or automated systems without significantly degrading the switching performance of the telephone network.

Methods of providing simulation for communications systems and related systems and computer program products


Provided is an information processing system that includes a server and a client device. The server stores identification information and associated content in memory, and transmits the identification information, using light that varies over time as a communication medium. The client device continuously senses and decodes the light varying in time into the identification information, transmits the decoded identification information to the server, receives content transmitted from the server in response to the transmission of identification information, and displays received content. A controller included in the client device detects an operation on the displayed content from an input device, and applies control to transmit process details according to the detection to the server. The server additionally executes the process details transmitted from the client device, and updates the content to content that includes the execution results.

In the related art, there exists a system that presents, on a screen of a client device, information such as media content captured by continuously capturing an optical signal transmitted by visible light communication.
For example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-286846, also filed by the applicant of the present application, discloses an information providing system made up of a transmitting device, a client device, and a server. In this information providing system, the transmitting device modulates identification information that identifies content, and transmits the modulated information using light as a communication medium. The client device receives the modulated information by capturing the transmitting device, and acquires the identification information by conducting a decoding process. The client device transmits the identification acquired from the transmitting device to the server, receives content identified by the identification information from the server, and displays the received content on a display screen. Thus, the information providing system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-286846 provides a user with a function of viewing information with a simple operation.

Information processing system, information processing method, client device, and recording medium


Apparatus is provided for bending hosels of metal wood golf club heads to alter the characteristics of golf clubs incorporating the heads. A club head is clamped into a rigid clamping framework using a pair of clamps which engage the top and the back of the club head. A bending bar having an adjustable throat for engaging the hosel of the club head is then used to bend the hosel as required. The throat of the bending bar is defined by material which is softer than the golf club head to substantially eliminate marring of the club head. The back of the club head is engaged by an elongated pad of polymeric material formed to receive the back of the club head and the top of the club head is engaged by a pair of club head gripping areas formed to spread the top head gripping forces over two relatively large areas. The top gripping areas are formed as a single polymeric pad which is bifurcated to define the gripping areas. The top gripping areas are also separated from one another by a distance which places the gripping forces substantially over the toe and heel portions of the club head which are better able to withstand the application of force without denting or crushing.

The present invention relates generally to "wood-type" golf club heads which are molded of one of a number of metals such as steel or aluminum and, more particularly, to apparatus for bending the hosels of such golf club heads to adjust their lie and face angles for fitting a golf club to an individual golfer. These "wood-type" metal golf club heads will be referred to herein as metal wood golf club heads.
Custom fitting golf clubs can substantially improve a golfer's performance by adjusting characteristics of the clubs to take advantage of or compensate for intrinsic characteristics of a golfer's swing. For example, a series of apparently identical golf clubs can be made to perform in a range of differing manners by selecting a corresponding range of face angles for the clubs. For a series of identical clubs with the same loft, as the face angle is opened, moved toward an open (slice) face angle, the clubs will hit the ball progressively lower than the clubs preceding it in the series which have less open or more closed (hook) face angles.
The lie and face angle of a wood-type golf club having a wood head can be defined by selecting the drill angle on the hosel or neck of the wood head. The neck is then turned in alignment with the drilled hole. Unfortunately, for metal wood golf club heads, drilling and turning operations to determine the face angle and possibly the lie angle are impractical. While it would be possible to form a variety of metal wood heads having varying lie angles and varying face angles, the mold costs and inventory problems are prohibitive. Accordingly, alternate approaches have been used.
In one approach disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,184, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference, runners are formed on the soles of the metal wood heads. The runners are ground down to select lie and/or face angles for clubs using the heads. With improvements in currently available metal wood golf club heads, it is also now possible to bend the hosels of these club heads to select lie and/or face angle.
For hosel bending, the club heads must be securely clamped in a stable position. The hosel is then engaged by a bending tool and force is applied via the bending tool to bend the hosel as desired. Unfortunately, problems are frequently encountered when the hosels of metal wood club heads are bent using known bending apparatus. In particular, metal wood golf club heads have thin wall thickness due to the weight limitations for these clubs and often dent or crush when being clamped for hosel bending operations. Further, the application of a bending tool to the hosels of metal wood golf club heads can mar the heads during the bending operation.
It is thus apparent that there is a need for improved apparatus for bending the hosels of metal wood golf club heads to adjust the lie and face angles of the club heads with reduced risk of denting, crushing and marring the club heads during the bending operation.

Apparatus for bending metal wood golf club heads


A request is received to schedule a new software process. Description data associated with the new software process is retrieved. A workload resource prediction is requested and received for the new software process. A landscape directory is analyzed to determine a computing host in a managed landscape on which to load the new software process. The new software process is executed on the computing host.

A significant portion of costs associated with running a software process ("process", "service", "application", "task", or "app") in a data center is associated with hardware resources. However, software process typically do not fully utilize all hardware resources. In traditional on-premise deployments, hardware resources are adjusted to suit specific needs of software processes executing on particular hardware. In cloud-computing environments, adjustments are difficult due to differing software process requirements. Modern cloud-computing architectures permit elastic reactions to workload, but not all software processes are configured to leverage this functionality. A balance is needed between workload distribution and orchestration to ensure no hardware capacity limits are reached and to maximize hardware utilization.

Optimizing distribution of heterogeneous software process workloads


The present invention is directed to an image pick-up apparatus adapted for picking up image of object, which comprises a solid-state image pick-up device (1) for performing photo-electric conversion in accordance with a received image pick-up light, a switching unit (10) for performing switching between first mode serving as image pick-up mode where charges stored in the solid-state image pick-up device (1) are read out every n (n is natural number) frames and second mode serving as image pick-up mode where charges stored in the solid-state image pick-up device (1) are read out every m (m is natural number) fields to add odd charges and even charges which are adjacent in a vertical direction of the charges which have been read out while changing the combination thereof every m fields to provide an output, and a control unit (9) for controlling the switching unit (10) in such a manner to switch the image pick-up mode into the first mode in accordance with image pick-up request at low output sensitivity, and to switch the image pick-up mode into the second mode in accordance with image pick-up request at high output sensitivity.

Hitherto, there are used image pick-up apparatuses using CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type image pick-up device as solid-state image pick-up device. The image pick-up apparatuses of this kind are adapted to control read-out timings of charges stored (accumulated) in the CCD image pick-up device to thereby increase charge storage time of charges stored in the CCD image pick-up device to perform long time exposure thus to have ability to pick up an image of an object at high density.
For a time period during which charges are being stored into the CCD type image pick-up device for the purpose of performing long time exposure, it is impossible to read out charges from the CCD type image pick-up device. Accordingly, images temporarily stored in a memory are outputted for charge storage time period of the CCD type image pick-up device to perform complementary processing of such image.
Techniques as described below are proposed in regard to complementary processing of image for long time exposure period.
First, in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 1997-168118 publication, there is proposed a technique of reading out charges on one field basis from the CCD type image pick-up device to store images of one field (one even field or one odd field) into a memory (field memory), and to read out images of one field from the memory for a long time exposure period to perform complementary processing of such image.
Moreover, in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 1997-252423 publication, there is proposed a technique of reading out charges on one frame basis by the so-called frame read-out operation from the CCD type image pick-up device to store images of one frame into a memory (frame memory) to read out images of odd field from the memory at a timing where image of odd field is outputted for a long time exposure period to perform complementary processing of such image, and to read out images of even field from the memory at a timing where image of even field is read out during such time period to perform complementary processing of such image.
In the technique described in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 1997-168118 publication, images of even field or odd field are stored into a field memory to read out the images of even field or odd field stored in the field memory at the time of long time exposure to perform complementary processing thereof. Accordingly, in the case where this technique is applied to equipments based on the existing television standard in which interlaced scanning is performed, there is the problem that since the same images would be outputted both at even field and at odd field as image at the time of long time exposure, vertical resolution is halved so that this technique is not practically useful with respect to moving images.
In addition, at both the techniques described in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 1997-168118 publication and the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 1997-252423 publication, since it is necessary for picking up image of object at a high sensitivity to elongate charge storage time of the CCD type image pick-up device, there would result image having large movement or vibration with respect to moving object. Even if focusing adjustment is made, or adjustment of brightness is performed in order to eliminate such movement or vibration, time lag with respect to adjustment takes place because complementary processing is performed by stored images. Thus, adjustment becomes very difficult. As a result, it is impossible to acquire an image having picture quality such that user expects even if sensitivity is raised.


A winding on a stator of a rotary electric machine is constructed by welding end portions of a plurality of segments. A plurality of pairs arranged on an end of the stator are welded by a welder. In a welding stage, the pairs are held by a plurality of insertion rods of a circumferential side holding tool. The insertion rods are radially disposed. The insertion rods are movable in a radial direction. The insertion rods are moved back toward a radial outside to release a holding of the pairs after ball-shaped welding marks are formed. Holding is released without damage on the welding mark.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 11-89790 filed on Mar. 30, 1999 and No.Hei 11-366258 filed on Dec. 24, 1999 the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a rotary electric machine, particularly, to a method for manufacturing a winding thereof. This method is preferable for manufacturing a stator of a vehicular AC generator mounted on a vehicle, a truck or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, in the art of the rotary electric machine, it is known that an entirety of a winding wound and disposed on a core is constructed from a plurality of segments. In such a construction, a plurality of segments are fitted on the core. After that, the winding is manufactured by joining these segments. Soldering, welding, brazing or the like is used as a joining method. In the case of welding, arc welding, laser welding, electron beam welding or the like may be used.
In a case that joining process for a plurality of points are executed in the manufacturing method of the rotary electric machine, it is required to execute a large number of joining at high speed. Additionally, to improve an industrial productivity, it is necessary to execute a large number of joining reliably and speedily. Specifically, it is necessary to fix and hold a plurality of joining points in desired position efficiently, to execute the joining work under a holding condition and to release the holding condition without a damage on the joining portion.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a manufacturing method of a rotary electric machine for joining a plurality of joining points at high speed.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a manufacturing method of a rotary electric machine for joining a plurality of joining points reliably.
It is another object of this invention to provide a manufacturing method for holding a plurality of joining points efficiently, and for releasing a holding condition without a damage on the joining point after joining, even in a case that the joining work is executed on the plurality of joining points.
According to the present invention, a plurality of holding tools are disposed in between pairs of end portions to be joined, and the holding tools are moved back in a direction crossing an extending direction of the end portions to release holding. It is possible to hold the plurality of pairs to be joined efficiently, and to prevent a damage on a joining mark. The moving direction of the holding tool may be at a right angle against the extending direction of the end portion.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

Method for manufacturing rotary electric system


A method of electrochemically reducing CO2 comprises introducing a first feed stream comprising H2O to a positive electrode of an electrolysis cell comprising the positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a proton conducting membrane. A second feed stream comprising a solvent and a non polar form of a switchable polarity material is directed into a CO2 capture apparatus. A third feed stream comprising CO2 is directed into the CO2 capture apparatus to interact with the second feed stream and form a first product stream comprising the solvent and a polar form of the switchable polarity material. The first product stream is introduced to the negative electrode. A potential difference is applied between the positive electrode and the negative electrode to convert the polar form of the switchable polarity material into CO2 and the non-polar form and to form products from the CO2 and the solvent. A CO2 treatment system is also described.

Increased combustion of fossil fuels (e.g., coal, crude oil, natural gas, etc.) and increased gasification of biomass feedstocks (e.g., wood, paper, food waste, municipal solid waste, etc.) driven by increased global energy demands has resulted in augmented CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, and CO2 emissions are projected to increase in the future. Concern over the possible negative effects (e.g., global warming effects) of escalating atmospheric CO2 concentrations have compelled new approaches toward reducing, sequestering, storing, and/or utilizing emitted CO2.
CO2 can be utilized to synthesize a variety of commodity chemicals. For example, CO2 can be reacted with hydrogen (H2) gas in the presence of at least one catalyst produce one or more of carbon monoxide (CO) (e.g., through conventional Bosch and/or Boudouard reaction mechanisms) and formic acid (CH2O2) (e.g., through conventional hydrogenation reaction mechanisms), which may, in turn, be used to produce desirable commodity chemicals (e.g., formaldehyde, methanol, other alcohols, formates, carboxylic acids, esters, methylated amines, formamides, aldehydes, other hydrocarbons, etc.) through conventional reaction mechanisms. Unfortunately, conventional processes (e.g., conventional adsorption processes, conventional membrane gas separation processes, etc.) of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) for sequent utilization can be inefficient and costly. In addition, producing commodity chemicals from captured CO2 can be energy intensive (e.g., generating more CO2 than that consumed to produce the commodity chemicals) and/or prohibitively expensive (e.g., employing costly catalyst materials to effectuate desirable reaction kinetics).
It would be desirable to have new methods, systems, and apparatuses for the electrochemical reduction of CO2. It would further be desirable if the new methods, systems, and apparatuses facilitated increased CO2 capture and conversion efficiency, and were relatively inexpensive and simple in operation.

Methods and systems for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide using switchable polarity materials


The present invention is an infrared traffic sensor with feature curve generation to derive empirical information for determining traffic patterns. A real-time IR image camera is positioned over an automobile and truck traffic thoroughfare for collecting video image data of the traffic thoroughfare. Data in the form of a video signal taken by the infrared video camera is received by a signal processing unit for processing the data. The processed data is used to generate statistical feature curves from which the empirical traffic information such as the number of vehicles, the speed of the vehicles, and the classification of the vehicles are determined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to in general an infrared traffic sensor, and in particular a system and method for generating feature curves to derive empirical information for determining traffic patterns.
2. Related Art
Traffic sensing systems are used to collect traffic data in order to measure the flow of traffic on a roadway or thoroughfare. Typically, equipment of the traffic sensing system is placed in close proximity to the roadway or thoroughfare to physically track vehicles traveling on the roadway or thoroughfare.
One traffic sensing system is a direct contact counting device which includes one or more pneumatic tubes placed across the roadway pavement. Each vehicles traveling on the roadway crosses over the pneumatic tube to actuate a switch that operates a counting device, thereby counting every vehicle that crosses over the tube. Permanent direct counting devices can be actually embedded in the pavement during construction of the roadway. These devices utilize wire loops instead of pneumatic tubes to sense vehicles through magnetic induction.
However, direct contact counting devices are limited in their use. For example, they are not practical for accurately calculating the speed of vehicles or the speed flow of traffic. In addition, pneumatic tube direct contact counting devices are susceptible to miscounts due to multi-axile vehicles, misalignment of the tubes, or proper upkeep. Also, permanent wire loop systems are not practical because they cannot be used for temporary purposes, have accuracy problems similar to the pneumatic tube direct contact counting devices, and are very expensive and usually impractical to install after the roadway is completed.
Other types of traffic sensing systems include camera monitoring systems. These systems typically include a camera placed over a thoroughfare or roadway and collect data in the form of tracked conditions on the roadway. The tracked conditions are sent to a processor which processes the data to calculate characteristics of the traffic conditions.
However, these system are limited because they do not accurately determine the number of vehicles, the speed of the vehicles, and the classification of the vehicles. In addition, many of these systems do not contain signal processing algorithms that can derive empirical information for determining traffic patterns and measure lane density accurately.
Therefore, what is needed is an infrared traffic sensor for generating accurate feature curves to determine the number of vehicles, the speed of the vehicles, and the classification of the vehicles. What is also needed is a traffic sensor and a signal processing algorithm that can derive empirical information for determining traffic patterns. What is further needed is a traffic sensor that can measure lane density accurately.
Whatever the merits of the prior techniques and methods, they do not achieve the benefits of the present invention.

Infrared traffic sensor with feature curve generation