A bra-washing device includes a shell with an interior, the shell includes two shell portions, each with a rim. A latch holds the two shell portions closed and the latch may be opened to access the interior of the shell. A hinge pivotally couples the two shell portions to each other. The hinge includes at least one hinge knuckle extending from the rim of each shell portion, the hinge knuckles of the two shell portions in axial alignment, an internal bore extending into the hinge knuckles on each shell portion, a hinge pin inserted into the internal bore of the hinge knuckles, and a fastener extending at least partially through the internal bore near one end of the hinge pin to block the hinge pin from sliding out of the internal bore.

Brassieres are commonly made with two cups, two shoulder straps, two back straps, a latching mechanism (hooks and eyelets), optional padding (soft foam, air, water, gel, or silicone), and, optionally, two underwires. Padding can come as removable inserts or as an integral part of the bra. Some bras comprise extremely delicate fabric, such as lace, satin, silk, mesh, high-tech microfiber, stretch, and sheer fabric.
Thus, it is desirable to have a device which provides protection for the bra during a washing cycle in a conventional clothes washing machine. Preferably, the washing device also assists in maintaining the overall shape of the bra during a washing cycle. The washing device also preferably prevents any underwire from puncturing through the fabric of the bra and ruining the bra. One such bra washing device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,742,683. The washing device of this patent consists of an outer shell with two shell portions which are hinged together along one side of the shell portions and which have a latch along an opposite side of the shell portions. The shell can thus be opened to insert a bra to be washed, and then the shell can be latched in a closed condition prior to placing the washing device in the washing machine. When washing is completed, the shell can be opened via the latch to remove the washed bra.
The hinge structure of such a bra washing device includes knuckles or projections which extend outwardly along a portion of the mating edge of each shell portion. These knuckles have a small internal bore into which a metal hinge pin is inserted during manufacture of the device. Normally, a frictional fit between the internal bore and the hinge pin will keep the hinge pin in place in the internal bore. However, when the washing device is inserted into a washing machine, the water and detergent in the washing machine reduce the friction between the hinge pin and the internal hinge bore. Also, the pounding of he device by the agitator of the washing machine can dislodge the hinge pin and cause it to migrate out of the bore. Thus, the hinge pin may begin to slide partially or entirely out of the internal hinge bore. Of course, if the hinge pin is partially out of the hinge bore, it may catch or snag on other clothes with the potential to damage or ruin the clothes. On the other hand, if the hinge pin comes entirely out of the bore, the washing device may open far enough to discharge the bra out of the device during the wash cycle. If the hinge pin slides out of the internal hinge bore, damage could also result to the washing device, particularly around the latch of the device.
Various means have been tried to prevent the hinge pin from migrating out of the internal bore in the plastic hinge. For example, a raised knurl at the entrance to the internal bore may keep the hinge pin in place due to the greater friction against the hinge pin. However, manufacturing tolerances of the knurl and of the internal bore may cause excessive stress in the plastic material of the hinge, which may cause the plastic to crack at a later time. The cracked hinge may be unsightly, may cause damage to other clothing in the washing machine, and/or may nevertheless cause a reduction of friction with the hinge pin and permit the hinge pin to migrate out of the internal bore. Thus, knurling of the plastic material is not a satisfactory solution to keeping the hinge pin in its internal bore.
Heretofore, heat staking attempts were made to fill an end of the hinge pin bore to prevent or block the hinge pin from sliding out of the bore. For example, a similar or compatible plastic material to that of the washing device was melted about and into an end of the bore with a heat source, such as a soldering iron. Frequently, the plastic filling material did not properly adhere to the plastic about the end of the hinge pin bore. In other instances, the agitation which a bra washing device experiences in a washing machine caused the fusing of the plastic materials to fail. Thus, fusing of the plastic materials around the entrance to the internal bore has also proven to be an unsatisfactory solution to retaining the hinge pin in its bore.
Moreover, after melting plastic about the hinge pin bore to block the hinge pin from sliding out, the melted plastic was typically irregular, requiring further finishing of the appearance of the melted plastic. For example, sanding or grinding was frequently required to provide a presentable final product, and to remove any rough edges of the melted plastic which could damage other clothes in the washing machine. This manual melting and finishing work was time consuming, and, therefore, an expensive portion of the overall manufacturing cost of the washing device.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to prevent a hinge pin from migrating out of the internal bore of a hinge, especially in a washing device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of retaining a hinge pin in an internal bore of a hinge which is easy to teach and easy to accomplish, even by relatively unskilled production workers.
A further object of the present invention is to reduce the time and cost of manufacturing a bra washing device, thereby enabling greater efficiencies and higher volumes of manufactured product.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simpler method of retaining the hinge pin in the hinge of a washing device which facilitates outside sourcing of the manufacture of the washing device.

Hinge arrangement for a garment washing device


A method and apparatus to control and manage a power state in a related set of storage devices is described. In one example a method includes, determining an idleness measure at the file system, the idleness measure indicating availability requirements of the device set, and setting an idle state based on the idleness measure. The method also includes receiving the idle state setting at the storage subsystem, determining whether the idle state setting is different from a current state of the device set, determining whether to change the idle state of the device set if the idle state setting is different from the current state of the device set, the determining being based on information about the device set. The method also includes commanding the device set to change the current idle state to correspond to the idle state setting based on determining whether to change the idle state.

A digital data archival storage system stores large amounts digital data on some type of media. For faster data ingest, easier management, and quick retrieval presently hard disk drive arrays are used. Hard disk drives consume power when running and are subject to mechanical wear in the motors used for spinning the disks and for driving read and write heads. In addition, the mechanical activity of the motors and the drives produces heat. Additional energy is used to cool the drives. Some disk drives can be operated at different spin speeds. Higher speeds provide faster read and write operations, while lower speeds use less power and produce less heat. Some disk drives also have a standby state in which the disk stops spinning but the hard disk drive controller is still powered to receive read and write requests. Other types of mass digital storage devices have different reliability and latency characteristics but typically are affected by power cycling and low power modes.
Power consumption can be minimized by simply shutting down the hard disk drives whenever they are not in use. However, this first causes delays when accessing the disks because the disks must first spin up to full speed before being accessed. This can take as much as a minute. Second, turning the disk drives on and off increases the wear on the disk drive's mechanical system and makes a drive failure more likely. Reliability of the drives can be compromised if devices are put into a low-power or power-down state too often or for long periods of time.
A common power-management operation in storage systems is placing the storage devices into a low-power mode. Low-power mode can mean reducing spin speed and supply voltages, turning specific components in the drive off, or turning an entire hard disk drive off. Powering-off components within a storage device or powering-off the entire storage device can reduce the operational life of the device. In addition, leaving a storage device powered off for an extended period of time can also reduce the operational life and reliability of the device. As a consequence, storage device power management and reliability are at odds with one another.
One power management approach is to power down devices and to ensure reliability by periodically scrubbing each device individually. Spun-down disks are periodically activated and a small amount of data is read off the drive to check drive health. If the drive is deemed unhealthy, it can be proactively failed or it can be designated as not healthy enough for power management. Any read errors occurring during the scrub can be automatically fixed using intra-disk parity. This approach focuses on the health of individual drives and the cross-disk data integrity checks to test data integrity are typically done offline.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus to manage and control a power state of a device set based on availability requirements of corresponding logical addresses


Example three-dimensional signal interconnections for electromagnetic waves and methods for fabricating the interconnections are described. An example apparatus may include a first conducting layer including a plurality of through-holes, and a first layer between the first conducting layer and a second conducting layer. The first layer may include a plurality of through-holes, and the second conducting layer may also include a plurality of through-holes. The plurality of through-holes of the first layer may at least partially be aligned with the plurality of through-holes of the first conducting layer and the plurality through-holes of the second conducting layer. The apparatus may further include a second layer between the second conducting layer and a third conducting layer. The second layer may have a first waveguide channel and a second waveguide channel substantially perpendicular to and intersecting with the first waveguide channel.

In communications and electronic engineering, a transmission line may include a specialized cable designed to carry alternating current of radio frequency, that is, current with a frequency high enough that the wave nature of the current is taken into account. Transmission lines may be used for purposes such as connecting radio transmitter and receivers with their antennas, distributing cable television signals, and computer network connections, for example.

Realization of three-dimensional components for signal interconnections of electromagnetic waves


An image singal generating apparatus of the invention is an apparatus for generating an image signal. Quantized data is formed by quantizing the input image signal. The formed quantized data is sequentially distributed and supplied to a plurality of holding means each of which can hold the quantized data of one picture image. The quantized data held in each of the plurality of holding means is selectively sequentially generated. The quantized image signal is formed on the basis of the generated quantized data. Thus, the superfine quantized image signal can be generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image signal generating apparatus for generating an image signal.
2. Description of the Related Background Art
Hitherto, to display quantized image data, it is once stored into a memory, and when the image data stored in the memory is read out and displayed, the image data compressed by, for instance, a line offset is stored into the memory, and when the image data is read out of the memory, it is expanded by executing an interpolating process and is displayed.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the above interpolating process.
It is now assumed that the interpolating process of image data b which has been thinned out by the line offset is performed. Image data a and c existing on both sides of the image data b are compared. When the image data a and c are equal, the portion where the image data b is located is interpolated by the image data a. When the image data a and c are different, the portion where the image data b is located is interpolated by image data d locating on the line just over the line on which the image data b is located. That is, the image data b is determined by decision by majority of the image data a, c, and d.
In the conventional example, however, for instance, the image data is determined by interpolating the image data b by the logic of the decision by majority from the image data a, c, and d compressed by the line offset and is reconstructed. Therefore, in the case where the image data is expanded as mentioned above, the correct image data cannot always be reconstructed by the interpolation, so that there is a case where a request for the superfine image display cannot be satisfied.


Disclosed is an apparatus and method for searching for a video clip. The method for searching for the video clip in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of a) displaying a predetermined number of video clips on a screen of a video play apparatus which plays a video file, b) selecting a specific video clip among the displayed video clips by a user, and c) dividing frames constructing the selected video clip according to a predetermined division reference, and displaying the video clip constructed of the divided frame.

A user may stop playing a video file in the course of his/her watching the video file. Later the user may wish to watch again the video file as from the part stopped. In this regard, there are two methods: one is to search for the stopped part by playing it at a double speed from the beginning of the file, and the other is to divide the entire video file by several pages, each having a predetermined volume to be selected. FIG. 1 is a view showing the former method according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is a view showing the latter method according to the related art.
In FIG. 1, an apparatus (not shown) to play a video file provides a first user interface 120 which includes a display area 125 and an information area 130 to display information on video clips selected in the display area. At this time, each of the video clips is extracted from each of the video files stored in a video data storage medium 100 such as a CD, a hard disk and a memory card. When the user selects a first video clip form the first user interface 120, a video file corresponding to the selected video clip is played. At this time, the apparatus can provide a second user interface 140 to play the video file, and the second user interface includes an area 145 to play a screen and an area 150 to perform a play control function.
In a user interface structure shown in FIG. 1, when the user plays and watches a video file to a predetermined part and then wishes to play again the video file from that part, the user has to select and search for the video file by repeating forward and backward operations from the beginning to that part. In such a method, it takes a long time to make a search, thereby causing an inconvenience. Especially, when searching for the end of the video file, or when the amount of video data is very large, it causes much inconvenience to the user.
Meanwhile, in FIG. 2, the video file is divided and stored by a predetermined size (for example, a volume of 5 minutes), so that the user can more rapidly search for his or her desired part. At this time, each of the divided parts is called a chapter and a screen composed of a number of chapters is called a page, for the sake of convenience.
In other words, since the video file is stored in the unit of chapter, it is possible to have access to a desired part more rapidly compared with the method shown in FIG. 1. However, when the amount of video data increases, the number of the chapters also increases, and accordingly the number of the pages increases. As a result, it takes much time to search for many pages and function keys or function buttons should be used several times when moving the pages, thereby causing inconvenience. Also, since the user has to use the method shown in FIG. 1 to search for a precise position even though the user approached to a desired chapter, the method shown in FIG. 2 is not considered to be an efficient video clip searching method.
On the other hand, in the case of a user interface provided from software for playing a video file provided by a personal computer, it is possible to search for a desired video clip, with ease, using a slide-bar. However, a technical idea of the present invention can be applied to a video file playing apparatus which is operated by a remote control device such as a remote control, or a video file playing apparatus in which the slide-bar or a scroll bar cannot be used.

Apparatus and method for searching for a video clip


A layout area includes a clock interconnection consisting of an upward interconnection and a downward interconnection. The upward interconnection extends from the output terminal of a clock buffer which receives an external clock signal to a turning point while passing along the vicinity of a plurality of flip-flops. The downward interconnection extends from the turning point to a free end, reversing along the upward interconnection. Clock branch circuits are provided in the vicinity of the flip-flops. The clock branch circuits have a function of letting a third clock signal make a transition when the sum of the time integral of a first clock signal on the upward interconnection and the time integral of a second clock signal on the downward interconnection has become equal to the time integral for one pulse of one of the first clock signal and the second clock signal.

The present invention relates to a clock distribution circuit which distributes clock signals to a plurality of storage elements in a synchronous sequential circuit.
A synchronous sequential circuit is a logical circuit including storage elements such as flip-flops and delay elements which operate synchronizing with respective clock signals. An LSI (large-scale integrated circuit) chip on which such a synchronous sequential circuit is mounted must distribute clock signals to all the storage elements at a minimum time difference. The time difference between clock signals is called a clock skew, and a clock distribution circuit with zero clock skew has been sought.
The well-known grid type clock distribution circuit is mainly used in a gate array and provided with a mesh clock wiring interconnection which is installed on the entire chip, and a clock buffer which is disposed in the periphery of the chip or in the center of the mesh clock interconnection so as to drive the clock interconnection. This type of circuit has a drawback of increasing interconnection capacitance. The well-known tree type clock distribution circuit has a tree structure clock interconnection which is composed of a clock buffer as the root, and flip-flops as the ends of the branches. This type of circuit includes subsidiary buffers each disposed at a branch point so as to keep a balance between the delays of clock signals on both sides of the branch point. This type of circuit has a drawback that the design and adjustment are difficult.
In order to overcome these problems, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 4-229634 has suggested a clock distribution circuit which has the following structure. Two clock interconnections adjacent to each other are arranged in parallel on the chip and each interconnection is formed into a loop. One end of one clock interconnection is driven by a clock buffer and the opposite end of the other clock interconnection is driven by another clock buffer. The two clock interconnections are connected to a clock branch circuit at any position so as to mix and buffer the clock signals on both clock interconnections. The clock distribution circuit has succeeded in reducing a clock skew as the result that a flip-flop receives a clock signal which is generated by mixing the clock signals having a delay difference. The clock branch circuit is composed of two resistors to obtain the intermediate voltage of the clock signals on both clock interconnections, and PMOS and NMOS transistors each having a gate provided with the intermediate voltage. These transistors compose a CMOS inverter from which the generated clock signal is taken out.
However, the clock distribution circuit which is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 4-229634 still has a problem of requiring a large interconnection area to accommodate two loops which are formed by the two clock interconnections. In addition, the circuit is vulnerable to noise because clock signals on the two clock interconnections are applied to the common gates of the PMOS and NMOS transistors via each resistor.

Clock distribution circuit with clock branch circuits connected to outgoing and return lines and outputting synchronized clock signals by summing time integrals of clock signals on the outgoing and return lines

Matsushita Electronic Industrial Co., Ltd.


A magnetic tape head having an array of reader/writer pairs formed on a common substrate, each reader/writer pair being configured in a piggyback configuration such that the writer and reader of each pair are aligned in a direction parallel to a relative direction of media travel thereover. Each reader comprises a first shield, a second shield, a sensor positioned between the shields, and leads coupled to the sensor. Each writer comprises a first pole and a second pole. A charge clamp circuit electrically couples at least one of the reader shields to at least one of the leads. An electrical conductor operatively electrically couples the at least one of the shields to at least one of the poles.

Business, science and entertainment applications depend upon computers to process and record data, often with large volumes of the data being stored or transferred to nonvolatile storage media, such as magnetic discs, magnetic tape cartridges, optical disk cartridges, floppy diskettes, or floptical diskettes. Typically, magnetic tape is the most economical means of storing or archiving the data. Storage technology is continually pushed to increase storage capacity and storage reliability. Improvement in data storage densities in magnetic storage media, for example, has resulted from improved medium materials, improved error correction techniques and decreased areal bit sizes. The data capacity of half-inch magnetic tape, for example, is now measured in hundreds of gigabytes on 512 or more data tracks.
The improvement in magnetic medium data storage capacity arises in large part from improvements in the magnetic head assembly used for reading and writing data on the magnetic storage medium. A major improvement in transducer technology arrived with the magnetoresistive (MR) sensor originally developed by the IBM® Corporation. The MR sensor transduces magnetic field changes in an MR stripe to resistance changes, which are processed to provide digital signals. Data storage density can be increased because an MR sensor offers signal levels higher than those available from conventional inductive read heads for a given bit area. Moreover, the MR sensor output signal depends only on the instantaneous magnetic field intensity in the storage medium and is independent of the magnetic field time-rate-of-change arising from relative sensor/medium velocity. In operation the magnetic storage medium, such as tape or a magnetic disk surface, is passed over the magnetic read/write (R/W) head assembly for reading data therefrom and writing data thereto.
The quantity of data stored on a magnetic tape may be increased by increasing the number of data tracks across the tape. More tracks are made possible by reducing feature sizes of the read and write elements, such as by using thin-film fabrication techniques and MR sensors.
The interleaved R/W magnetic tape head with MR sensors allows increased track density on the tape medium while providing bi-directional read-while-write operation of the tape medium to give immediate read back verification of data just written onto the tape medium. Tape recording systems may alternatively implement arrays of "piggyback" R/W pairs, where the writer and reader in each pair are aligned in the direction of tape travel.
Tape and other magnetic heads in particular suffer from adverse tribological interactions, which include electrical discharge, tape changes, head wear, head erosion, debris buildup, chemical conversion, head MR shorting, etc.
Tape and other magnetic heads in particular suffer from head-tape interactions caused by motion of the magnetic recording tape. Repeated passes of the tape medium over the wear-resistant tape head surface may eventually produce head-tape interface changes, which can impair head performance. This can be a particular problem for thin-film magnetic heads where the thin-film layer structure sees intense exposure to large regions of tape with brief operation, giving a higher risk of such effects as accumulation, corrosion, wear, shorting, etc. which in turn reduce the effective lifetime of the magnetic head assembly. Practitioners in the art may provide wear-resistant layers on the air bearing surfaces of magnetic heads to inhibit these interactions, for example, a sputtered layer of diamond-like carbon or hard aluminum oxide, but such layers are also very thin, being perhaps 20 nanometers thick to minimize tape-to-head spacing loss, and must generally be deposited onto pre-recessed heads.
While tribological mechanisms are not perfectly understood in the art, one problem is believed to arise from accelerated tribological interactions in line with the write gap, which is disadvantageous for head-assembly life-expectancy. The interactions are typically media-dependent and can be severe enough to make certain media incompatible with such head assemblies.
In piggyback heads, because of the close proximity of the reader and the writer in each R/W pair, tribological effects are believed to be caused by voltage swings on electrically floating writer poles. The relative motion between the head and recording medium may produce huge voltage swings on the writer poles, which are electrically isolated in current piggyback heads. Large voltages are strongly implicated in unfavorable tribological processes such as wear, accumulations and corrosion. For example, the high potentials generated on the writer poles can aggravate electrochemical reactions, poletip corrosion, and electrostatic accumulation of debris.
Additionally, in piggyback heads, one write pole is in very close proximity to the nearest reader shield, separated therefrom by only a thin insulator that may be less than 1 micron thick. The voltage differences between the adjacent reader shield and writer pole tip is problematic due to their close proximity. Electric potentials generated on the writer pole tips create huge potential gradients, i.e., large electric fields. This can potentially lead to electrostatic discharge from the writer pole tip to the reader shield, which in turn causes a noise spike in a readback signal. The noise spike in turn results in a readback error. Worse, the electric fields are implicated in aggravated accumulation of conductive materials that can actually short the MR sensor to its shields.
Consider the following example. Suppose reader shield S2 and writer pole P1 in a piggyback R/W pair are only separated by a thin insulator. Suppose S2 is at 1.5 V, and P1 is at 6.5V. The difference is 5 V. If the space between them is 0.5 microns, the electric field (gradient) is 10V per micron, which is a huge gradient at those dimensions. For comparison, a spark from a sweater occurs from a gradient of 1V per micron. In the example presented, the gradient is 10× that. Other unusual effects have been observed, including formation of solid water (essentially ice) at room temperature in the effect of a very high electric field. This problem is less of an issue in interleaved heads, where the writer poles and reader shields are hundreds of microns apart.
Several solutions have been contemplated in the prior art, but are not favorable. These solutions include connecting each writer pole directly to ground, possibly via a resistor or resistors, or to a separate power supply, or to a bus bar connected to ground, possibly via a resistor, or to a power supply or voltage controller. Connecting each writer pole to ground clamps voltages of all the writer poles in a multi-track head to one value. But the voltages of the companion reader shields generally vary from track to track and change depending on drive operation. This produces writer pole-reader shield voltage differences which are smaller but still unfavorable from a triobological as well as electrostatic discharge standpoint. In addition, such writer pole grounding methods require additional processing steps and wafer real estate, which may not be available. Finally, heads with write poles tied to ground may malfunction when there is a single point conductive defect between the write coils and poles.
There is accordingly a clearly-felt need in the art for a wear-resistant piggyback read/write head assembly with improved tribological characteristics. These unresolved problems and deficiencies are clearly felt in the art and are solved by this invention in the manner described below.

Conductive pairing for piggyback magnetic head

International Business Machines Corporation


A control apparatus for a vehicle including: an internal combustion engine that generates a driving force; and a motor connected to the internal combustion engine via an elastic body to allow torque transmission, wherein the control apparatus performs a specific control that controls a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine by a generated torque of the motor, and the control apparatus performs a control so that, even when the strength of the generated torque accompanied with releasing elastic energy accumulated in the elastic body in the specific control is required to be changed, the strength is not changed when an absolute value of a torque change ratio which is the amount of change per unit time is larger than a predetermined change ratio threshold and an absolute value of the elastic energy is larger than a predetermined elastic energy threshold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine and a motor and a control method therefor.
2. Description of Related Art
A hybrid vehicle having both an internal combustion engine and a motor for vehicle driving (hereinafter, simply referred to as "vehicle") has been known. The vehicle has a power dividing mechanism such as a planetary gear train in order to combine a torque generated by the internal combustion engine and a torque generated by the motor to transmit the combined torque to an axle. In order to absorb fluctuation of a torque generated on a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, a torsional damper in which two shafts provided on both ends are connected via an elastic body (hereinafter, simply referred to as "damper") is interposed between the internal combustion engine and the power dividing mechanism.
In a vibration suppression apparatus of a drive unit (hybrid drive unit) disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-136605 (JP 2001-136605 A), since a torque fluctuation caused by intermittent explosive combustion of an internal combustion engine is transmitted to a motor with a predetermined delay due to elastic deformation of a damper. Accordingly, in order to offset this torque fluctuation, the motor generates a periodically fluctuating torque.
Incidentally, generally a control apparatus of a vehicle selectively performs, based on a driving situation of a vehicle, the residual amount of a battery SOC (State of Charge) and the like, an engine driving mode for driving only by a torque generated by an internal combustion engine, a motor driving mode for driving only by a torque generated by a motor while the internal combustion engine is stopped and a motor assist mode for driving by a torque of both the internal combustion engine and the motor. That is, during the driving of the vehicle, the control apparatus appropriately switches actuation and stopping relating to an operation state of the internal combustion engine.
This control apparatus stops fuel injection when it moves the operation state of the internal combustion engine from actuation to stopping. At this time, in order to avoid vibration and/or occurrence of a noise due to reduction of the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, the control apparatus needs to set the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine to "0" in a short time. Accordingly, the control apparatus allows the motor to generate "a torque in the direction that stops the rotation of the internal combustion engine" (hereinafter, referred to as "inhibition torque").
In a vehicle (hybrid vehicle) disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-274627 (JP 2009-274627 A), when an internal combustion engine is stopped, a motor generates an inhibition torque. After that, the vehicle performs the control that the speed of reducing the inhibition torque, that is, a change ratio of the inhibition torque is once decreased to prevent the occurrence of shock due to twist of a damper during a process of reducing the inhibition torque.

Control apparatus for hybrid vehicle and control method therefor


An absorption cycle based system is disclosed for using waste heat from a vehicle and providing selective heating, cooling, and dehumidifying to a vehicle compartment. The system includes a waste heat loop in thermal communication with a power generating unit of the vehicle, and a vapor absorption subsystem. The vapor absorption subsystem may include a thermal compressor in thermal communication with the waste heat loop, a radiator unit, a condensing unit for heating the vehicle compartment, an evaporating unit for selectively cooling and dehumidifying the vehicle compartment, and a plurality of valves configured to selectively direct refrigerant through the vapor absorption subsystem. The vehicle compartment may include at least one of a passenger cabin, an electronics housing, a battery pack, an engine compartment, and a refrigeration compartment.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it may be described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present technology.
Historically, the fundamental components and operation of automotive heating and air conditioning systems for internal combustion engines have been designed to be independent from one another. For example, the energy needed for heating purposes is commonly taken from an engine coolant, while the energy needed for cooling purposes is commonly taken from a refrigeration cycle. Typical air conditioning systems may further require a compressor unit that draws power from a drive shaft or other electrical system. Compressor based air conditioning can significantly impact fuel economy, as well as tailpipe emissions, of both conventional and hybrid electric vehicles. It has been shown that certain air conditioning systems reduce the fuel economy of high fuel economy vehicles by as much as 50%. Similarly, the fuel economy of mid-sized vehicles can be reduced by more than 20%, while at the same time increasing NO emissions by up to 80%, and CO emissions by up to 70%.
Renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly important. Various benefits can be obtained when waste heat is captured and converted into a form of usable energy. Secondary waste heat or low-grade heat (generally less than 150° C.) is abundant and often available as discharged heat from vehicles. Often, however, conventional thermal energy collecting and storage systems may not work well when used with low-grade heat, and this abundant resource is not able to be utilized to its potential.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a further optimized conversion of waste or low-grade thermal energy for use with combined heating and cooling systems.

Absorption-based system for automotive waste heat recovery

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


An instrument for measuring voltage harmonics and current harmonics on AC (alternating current) power systems. The instrument includes the ability to determine when threshold limits have been exceeded for harmonics. The instrument also includes timing thresholds whose inputs are activated when the harmonic thresholds are exceeded. A single harmonic threshold is applied to measurements from multiple phases on poly-phase systems by comparing the square rot of the sum of the squares of measurements from each phase to the harmonic threshold. Three indicators show when voltage harmonic limits are exceeded, current harmonics limits are exceeded, or both voltage and current harmonic limits are exceeded simultaneously.

Electric power is ordinarily delivered to residences, commercial facilities, and industrial facilities as AC (alternating current) voltage that approximates a sine wave with respect to time, and ordinarily flows through a residence or facility as an AC current that also approximates a sine wave with respect to time. The electric power distribution system operates most efficiently and most safely when both the voltage and current are sine waves. However, certain kinds of loads draw current in a non-sinusoidal waveform, and, if, these loads are large relative to the distribution system source impedance, the system voltage can become non-sinusoidal as well.
These non-sinusoidal voltage and current waveforms may be conveniently expressed as a Fourier series (a sum of sinusoidal waveforms of varying frequency, amplitude, and phase angle). Under most circumstances, the Fourier series for AC power system voltage and currents consists of a fundamental frequency, typically 50 Hertz or 60 Hertz, plus integer multiples of the fundamental frequency. These integer multiples of the fundamental frequency are referred to as "harmonics".
Instruments for measuring AC power system voltage and current harmonics are well known to those skilled in the art. One such commercially available instrument is the model 3030A PowerProfiler available from Basic Measuring Instruments, Foster City, Calif. Another commercially available instrument is the Model HP3588A Spectrum Analyzer available from the Hewlett Packard Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif. These instruments provide rapid, accurate assessment of the level of harmonic voltages and currents on an AC power system.
With the growing popularity of non-linear electric power loads such as adjustable speed drives, personal computers, and arc furnaces, it is often desirable to determine and record whether the level of voltage harmonics or current harmonics exceed some limit. As a general rule, the supplier of electricity is responsible for ensuring that the voltage harmonics are below some threshold, and the consumer of electricity is responsible for keeping harmonic currents below some other threshold. Harmonic thresholds are thus used to assign responsibility for eliminating voltage and current harmonics.
Table 1 below represents an example of a desired set of limits on voltage harmonics that apply to the provider of power. The Bus Voltage is measured at the point of common coupling (PCC) and the Total Harmonic Voltage Distortion (THD) is calculated as a percentage of the nominal fundamental frequency voltage.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Voltage Distortion Limits Individual Harmonic Total Harmonic Voltage Distortion Voltage Distortion Bus Voltage at PCC (%) THD (%) ______________________________________ Below 69 kV 3.0 5.0 69 kV to 138 kV 1.5 2.5 138 kV and above 1.0 1.5 ______________________________________
Table 2 below represents an example of a desired set of limits on current harmonics that apply to the consumer of power. The Maximum Harmonic Current Distortion as a percentage of the maximum demand load current (I.sub.L) at the fundamental frequency measured at the PCC is presented for odd harmonics in different ranges of the maximum short circuit current (I.sub.SC) measured at the PCC divided by I.sub.L. The column at the far right of the table represents the Total Demand Distortion (TDD) harmonic current distortion as a percentage of the maximum demand load current. The even harmonics are limited to 25% of the odd harmonic limits in the table.
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ Current Distortion Limits Maximum Harmonic Current Distortion in % of I.sub.L Harmonic Order (Odd Harmonics) 11 .ltoreq. 17 .ltoreq. 23 .ltoreq. I.sub.SC /I.sub.L <11 h < 17 h < 23 h < 35 35 .ltoreq. h TDD ______________________________________ <20 4.0 2.0 1.5 0.6 0.3 5.0 20 < 50 7.0 3.5 2.5 1.0 0.5 8.0 50 < 100 10.0 4.5 4.0 1.5 0.7 12.0 100 < 1000 12.0 5.5 5.0 2.0 1.0 15.0 >1000 15.0 7.0 6.0 2.5 1.4 20.0 ______________________________________
Commercially available instruments such as the Basic Measuring Instruments model 3030A can be equipped with a feature that allows a user to program a threshold for a voltage harmonic, and program a second threshold for a current harmonic, then receive an alarm if these thresholds are exceeded. However, these independent thresholds fail to take into account the fact that increased harmonic currents may cause increased harmonic voltages. Consequently, independent voltage and current harmonic thresholds are not optimal for assigning responsibility for harmonic problems.
Commercially available power system harmonic instruments, such as the Basic Measuring Instruments model 3030A and the Model 8000 Power Analyzer available from Dranetz Technologies of Edison, N.J., apply each harmonic threshold independently to each phase on poly-phase systems. For example, if the user selects a 4% threshold on the fifth current harmonic, these instruments will sound an alarm if the fifth current harmonic on Phase A of a three phase system exceeds 4%, or if the fifth current harmonic on Phase B of a three phase system exceeds 4%, or if the fifth current harmonic on Phase C of a three phase system exceeds 4%. This method of applying harmonic thresholds fails to accurately assess the physical impact of the harmonic levels on polyphase distribution systems.
Commercially available instruments such as the BMI Model 3030A and the Dranetz Technologies Model 8000 offer the ability to chart harmonic levels over time. This approach is useful for analyzing a harmonic problem; however, it cannot provide a yes or no answer to the question: does this measurement location have a harmonics problem? Simpler instruments, such as the one disclosed by Grassel et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,055, offer the ability to take a snapshot of harmonic levels. Although this method can provide a yes or no answer to the question posed above for one instant in time, harmonic levels typically fluctuate widely with time of day, types of loads turned on, and other factors, so it cannot provide an answer over a period of time.
It is an object of this invention to provide a simple, direct indication of whether there is a harmonics problem at a measurement location that takes into account the variation in harmonic levels over time. It is a further object of this invention to apply harmonics thresholds to poly-phase power systems in a way that more accurately reflects the physical impact of harmonics on AC power distribution systems. It is a further object of this invention to apply harmonic thresholds to AC power systems in a way that acknowledges that increased harmonic currents can cause increased harmonic voltages.

Harmonic measuring instrument for AC power systems with a time-based threshold means


A system includes a first apparatus which transmits identification information to a second apparatus and records management information from the second apparatus, the second apparatus which, if the management information has been received, compares the management information with management information recorded, and if the management information acquired from the first apparatus is different, transmits the management information to the first apparatus, if the management information has not been received, transmits an issuance request of management information to the information processing apparatus, and transmits the management information received from the information processing apparatus to the first apparatus, and records the transmitted management information and the received identification information, and an information processing apparatus which generates the management information and transmits the management information to the second apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique in which the user makes settings about an apparatus for using a network service in an apparatus for providing the network service by using a communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, when making settings about an apparatus for using a network service, the user transmits a mail address from his/her terminal to a server, and the server provisionally registers the received mail address. The server transmits, to the provisionally registered mail address, mail in which a registration format is described. Upon receiving information input according to the registration format from the terminal of the user, the server formally registers the provisionally registered mail address by recording the mail address in association with the received information. After registration, the server provides the corresponding service when the user inputs the formally registered mail address from the terminal (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-195307).
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-195307 described above, however, the user needs to input various kinds of information according to the registration format from the terminal before the mail address is formally registered, resulting in heavy load. Furthermore, before completion of input of various kinds of information, the user cannot use the service using the terminal.

Communication apparatus, information processing apparatus, control methods therefor, and system


A method for controlling a communication port of a computer by an application running on the computer is disclosed. The application interfaces with an external device through a cable connected to the communication port. While interfacing with the external device, the application looks for an identification signal on the communication port. When the identification signal is detected, the application relinquishes control of the communication port so that another application can use the communication port. Such a method does not require user intervention when switching between the applications using the communication port.

This invention relates to a method of sharing a communication port between two applications. More particularly, this invention relates to a method of automatically relinquishing control of a serial communication port by an application so as to allow another application to have control over it.
Handheld personal computers (H/PC) have become very popular as personal organizers. These H/PCs are generally small and light, making them very handy for a mobile user. One of the applications on such H/PCs is the appointment application. This appointment application allows a user to enter and maintain information regarding meetings and things to do. Such information requires constant updating throughout the day. The information is usually entered using a keyboard on a H/PC. Although such a keyboard is adequate for entering small amount of data, it is an impediment to the quick entry of large amounts of data. The small size QWERTY keyboard on such a H/PC does not allow typical typing speeds achievable on a standard size QWERTY keyboard. As such, to ease the entry of large amount of data, the manufacturers of such a H/PC device usually provide an accompanying appointment application that runs on a desktop personal computer (PC). The standard size keyboard on the desktop PC then allows quick entry of data. Once the data is entered, the data can be downloaded onto the H/PC. Such a process is known as synchronization. To allow synchronization, the H/PC is connected via its serial communication port to the desktop PC by a synchronization cable. Software on both the H/PC and desktop PC communicate via the synchronization cable to synchronize data on both ends. After synchronization, the same data is maintained on both the desktop PC and the H/PC. Other data which can be easily entered on the desktop PC such as a word processing document can also be downloaded onto the H/PC through this synchronization cable. A user typically carries out such a synchronization process several times a day. Due to the relatively small size and cost constraint of a H/PC, usually only a single serial communication port is made available on the H/PC. This serial communication port which can also be used for communicating with other external devices will have to be shared. As such, when switching between using the serial port for communication with an external device and using the port for synchronization, a user would have to perform extraneous steps to facilitate such switching. The user would have to disconnect the external device and connect the synchronization cable to the serial communication port of the H/PC. The user will also have to cause the application using the external device to relinquish control of the serial communication port to allow a synchronization software on the H/PC to acquire control of the serial communication port. The user performs such a step by either manually activating a suitable command in the application or manually shutting down the application entirely. Similarly, when synchronization is complete, the user will have to reconnect the external device and manually cause the associated application to acquire control of the serial communication port once again to resume use of the port to communicate with the external device. For a user who needs to perform synchronization regularly, such manual steps are cumbersome.
From the foregoing, the prior art therefore has a need for a method of automatically allowing the application software to relinquish and reacquire control of a serial communication port when switching between using an application for communicating with an external device and performing synchronization.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a method for controlling a communication port of a computer by a first application running on the computer. The method involves the first application acquiring control of the communication port. Thereafter, the first application uses a first cable connected to the communication port for interfacing with an external device. While interfacing with the external device, the first application looks for an identification signal on the communication port. The first application relinquishes control of the communication port when the identification signal is detected so that a second application can use the communication port.
Preferably, the first application also looks for the removal of the identification signal on the communication port. When this condition occurs, the first application can resume control and use of the communication port to continue interfacing with the external device.


In the metallic gasket according to the present invention, beads are formed on the circumferential portions of the first cylinder bore-aligned holes in the base member, and folded portions are formed on the auxiliary member by merely folding back the inner edge sections of the second cylinder bore-aligned holes therein so as not to embrace the bead-carrying base member, the auxiliary member being laminated on the side of the base member from which the beads project. In this metallic gasket, the folded portions of the auxiliary member restrict the deformation of the beads to minimize the occurrence of fatigue and cracks in the beads, whereby the sealing function of the gasket is improved with uniform and proper surface pressure distribution maintained. Soft members are provided between the main portion of the auxiliary member and the folded portions thereof so as to secure proper surface pressure distribution in the metallic gasket in accordance with the rigidity of the cylinder head.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a metallic gasket for use in sealing a clearance between the opposed surfaces of a cylinder head and a cylinder block in a multicylinder engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a recent internal combustion engine, the increasing of the level of an output and the reducing of the weight have been demanded. Accordingly, a cylinder head and a cylinder block have been formed to smaller dimensions since the distance between adjacent cylinders, i.e. the distance between adjacent cylinder bores have increasingly been reduced. The distance between adjacent cylinder bores which is measured on the cylinder block is recently around 6 mm. Moreover, in order to further reduce the weight of an engine, the cylinder head and cylinder block tend to be produced out of an aluminum material having a low specific gravity. The low rigidity of an aluminum material and the small distance between adjacent cylinder bores have caused the rigidity of a cylinder head and a cylinder block of a recent internal combustion engine to tend to lower.
In view of such a tendency, a metallic gasket shown in FIG. 10 has been proposed. This metallic gasket has a base member 21 consisting of an elastic metallic material and provided with cylinder bore-aligned holes, i.e. combustion chamber-aligned holes 23 and beads 24 surrounding the combustion chamber-aligned holes 23, and is adapted to seal the clearance between the cylinder head and cylinder block. In the metallic gasket 20, an auxiliary member 22 is laminated on the side of the base member 21 which is on the opposite side the surface thereof from which a bead 24 projects, and the edges of the auxiliary member 22 which are on the sides of the combustion chamber-aligned holes 23 are folded back onto the surface of the base member 21 so as to wrap the edge portion of the base member 21, whereby compensating portions 25 of a predetermined thickness are provided in positions on the side of the combustion chamber-aligned holes 23 and away from the beads 24. The metallic gasket 20 formed as described above prevents a combustion gas pressure and engine heat from causing the clearance between the opposed surfaces of the cylinder block and cylinder head to be widened and narrowed, and decreases the alternating load working on the bead 24, whereby the stress on the bead 24 is reduced. Since the surface pressure is dispersed to the compensating portions, the fatigue of the metallic gasket is prevented. The compensating portions constituting primary seals function as stoppers against the deformation of the bead 24 constituting a secondary seal. Since the portions around the combustion chamber-aligned holes 23 are sealed with both the compensating portions 25 and bead 24, the leakage of a combustion gas is prevented more reliably. The metallic gaskets having the above-described structure include metallic gaskets disclosed in, for example, the specifications and drawings of Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 155376/1987 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,540.
In the metallic gasket 20, a compensating portion 25 constituting a grommet consists of a total of three layers including the base member 21 and a folded auxiliary member 22, i.e. a two-layer auxiliary member 22. On the other hand, a bead consists of two layers having a closed hollow space therebetween, and the portion which is between the compensation portion 25 and bead 24 consists of two layers composed of the base member 21 and auxiliary member 22 contacting each other. Accordingly, the portion of an auxiliary member 22 which is positioned on the upper side of a folded portion thereof, and a folded portion, i.e. a compensating portion 25 are exposed directly to the variation of load and vibration occurring between the cylinder head and cylinder block. Therefore, when an auxiliary member 22 formed to a small thickness is used for a long period of time, a folded portion becomes ready to be cracked. Conversely, when an auxiliary member 22 formed to a large thickness is used, a tightening load occurring when the cylinder head is tightened with respect to the cylinder block is apt to be comparatively concentrated on a three-layer compensating portion 25, so that uniform surface pressure distribution cannot be secured around the cylinder bore-aligned holes. Consequently, an excellent sealed condition cannot be maintained for a long period of time.
The conventional metallic gaskets also include a metallic gasket shown in FIG. 11. This metallic gasket 30 includes in the upper part thereof a metallic upper member 31 provided with beads 34 surrounding cylinder bore-aligned holes 33, and in the lower part thereof a lower member 32 laminated on the lower surface of the upper member 31 and bent at its edge portions on the side of the cylinder bore-aligned holes 33 toward the upper member 31 to form the cylinder bore-aligned holes 33 with shims 36 of a high rigidity provided in the spaces surrounded by the inner edge portions of the upper member 31 and the bent portions of the lower member 32. When such a metallic gasket 30 is pressed by the cylinder head and deformed to a level not lower than a predetermined level, the cylinder head contacts the shims 36. Since the shims 36 have a high rigidity, the metallic gasket 30 is not deformed any more, and it is expected that the beads 34 does not fatigue. This type metallic gaskets include a metallic gasket disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 134966/1987.
In the metallic gasket 30, the shims 36 are provided immovably in the spaces surrounded by the inner edge portion of the upper member 31 and the bent portions 35 consisting of the edge portions of the lower member 32 which are on the side of the cylinder bore-aligned holes 33, and turned up toward the upper member 31. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the shims 36 additionally, and the number of parts for manufacturing the metallic gasket 30 and the cost of manufacturing the same increase. The main portion of the lower member 32 and the portions thereof which are wrapped around the shims 36 contact the cylinder head and cylinder block as in the previously-described prior art metallic gasket. Accordingly, when the lower member 32 is formed to a small thickness, cracks are liable to occur, and, conversely, when the lower member 32 is formed to a large thickness, uniform surface pressure distribution cannot be secured around the cylinder bore-aligned holes 33.
A metallic gasket shown in FIG. 12 has also been proposed. A metallic gasket 40 consists of a base member 41 composed of an elastic metal plate, and provided thereon with a bead 44 surrounding a cylinder bore-aligned hole 43, to seal the same hole 43. An auxiliary member 42 the thickness of which is larger than that of the base member 41 is laminated on the side of the base member 41 which is opposite to the side thereof on which the bead 44 is formed, and the edge portion of the auxiliary member 42 which is on the side of the cylinder bore-aligned hole 43 is folded back on itself to form a compensating portion 45 of a predetermined thickness around the cylinder bore-aligned hole 43 with the inner end of the base member 41 and the end of the compensating portion 45 spaced from each other by a predetermined distance. Accordingly, although the bead 44 in the base member 41 is compressively deformed when the cylinder head is tightened onto the cylinder block, the folded portion 45 is not damaged and broken since the end surface of the inner circumferential portion of the base member 41 is not in contact with the folded portion 45 of the auxiliary member 42. Consequently, it can be expected that the lifetime of the metallic gasket 40 is prolonged. This type of metallic gaskets include a metallic gasket disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 211660/1989.
In the metallic gasket 40, the thickness of the auxiliary member 42 laminated on the base member 41 provided with the bead 44 surrounding the cylinder bore-aligned hole 43 is larger than that of the base member 41. Therefore, when the cylinder head is tightened with respect to the cylinder block, a tightening load is apt to be comparatively concentrated on the compensating portion 45, so that uniform surface pressure distribution cannot be secured around the cylinder bore-aligned hole 43. The reasons reside in that, if the thickness of the bead-carrying member and that of the auxiliary member are set equal, a tightening load is not necessarily be concentrated on the folded compensating portion. It is in any case necessary in this metallic gasket 40 that the thickness of the auxiliary member 42 be set larger than that of the base member 41. Since the thickness of the auxiliary member 42 is large, the processability thereof is low, and cracks are liable to occur in the folded portion, the manufacturing cost becoming high. Moreover, a total thickness of the metallic gasket becomes large. Since the thickness of the auxiliary member 42 is large, it is difficult that the surface pressure distribution on the side of the auxiliary member 42 (cylinder block surface, for example, when the auxiliary plate 42 is disposed on the side of the cylinder block) be set proper, and it is impossible to generate the concentration of surface pressure in a predetermined position. Consequently, the surface pressure disperses more than necessary, and excellent sealed condition cannot after all be maintained.


A refractory composition is described, containing niobium, silicon, titanium, and at least one of rhenium and ruthenium. The amount of silicon in the composition is at least about 9 atom %, and the amount of titanium present is less than about 26 atom %, based on total atomic percent. Turbine engine components formed from such a composition are also disclosed.

This invention can be characterized in the general field of refractory compositions which contain niobium and silicon.
Turbines and other types of high-performance equipment are designed to operate in a very demanding environment. In a typical gas turbine engine, air is compressed in a compressor, and mixed with fuel and ignited in a combustor, for generating hot combustion gases. The gases flow downstream through a high pressure turbine (HPT) having one or more stages, including a turbine nozzle and rotor blades. The gases then flow to a low pressure turbine (LPT) which typically includes multi-stages with respective turbine nozzles and rotor blades.
Choice of a particular metal to be used in a gas turbine engine depends in large part on the projected temperature-exposure of the engine component, along with other specified requirements—strength, creep resistance, oxidation resistance, environmental resistance, weight requirements, and the like. Nickel-based superalloys are often the materials of choice for the "hot" sections of the turbine, where metal temperatures as high as about 1150° C. are typical. Titanium alloys, which are lighter than the nickel alloys, are often used in the compressor sections of the turbine engines, where temperatures are lower, e.g., less than about 600° C.
Although nickel-based superalloys are still the standard for many turbine components, the desire for materials with even higher temperature capability has been described in many sources. Examples of these materials are the refractory metal intermetallic composites (RMIC's). Many of these are based on niobium (Nb) and silicon (Si), and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,033 (Jackson and Bewlay); U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,055 (Jackson and Bewlay); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,765 (Jackson, Bewlay, and Zhao). These materials usually have a multi-phase microstructure, and possess a number of very desirable properties. For example, they often combine high-temperature strength, low-temperature toughness, and relatively low density, as compared to many nickel alloys. Moreover, the RMIC's often have melting temperatures of up to about 1700° C. For these reasons, such materials are very promising for use in applications in which the temperatures exceed the current service limit of the nickel-based superalloys.
The gas turbine engines mentioned above include a number of components, each of which is exposed to a different environment during operation. Thus, each component often has different requirements, in terms of strength, creep resistance, oxidation resistance, toughness, fracture resistance, fatigue resistance, wear resistance, and the like. While many RMIC materials are often superlative in one or two of these characteristics, they may not always meet the specification for other characteristics.
As an illustration, the composites may generally possess some beneficial mechanical and chemical properties, but they may not adequately balance oxidation resistance with strength, toughness and creep resistance. As a specific example, the constituents of an RMIC-based airfoil material can be adjusted to increase oxidation resistance, but often at the expense of strength and creep performance. As another illustration, some promising RMIC composites exhibit good strength, low density, and high stiffness at elevated temperatures, e.g., above about 1000° C. However, those same materials may exhibit inadequate damage tolerance and very low fracture toughness at lower temperatures (about 600° C.-1000° C.), e.g., the temperature conditions often associated with low-pressure turbine sections.
In view of the discussion above, it should be apparent that additional niobium-silicide alloys which exhibit an improved balance of properties for selected temperature-based applications would be welcome in the art. In general, the materials should exhibit good low-temperature toughness and good high temperature strength and creep resistance. Materials which provide good performance at the intermediate operating temperatures, e.g., about 600° C.-1000° C., would also be of considerable interest. Moreover, the materials should be lighter than many of the nickel-based superalloys which are commonly employed for turbine components.

Refractory metal intermetallic composites based on niobium-silicides, and related articles


A hearing assistance system having adjustable bulk delay for cancellation of a time varying acoustic feedback path. The hearing assistance system including an FIR filter, coefficient update module, and delay rules module for programmable adaptive filtering. The hearing assistance system adjustable for continuous bulk delay adjustments. The hearing assistance system providing a number of coefficient update routines, including, but not limited to an LMS coefficient update process and a normalized LMS coefficient update process.

Hearing aids are prone to acoustic feedback problems since any time a microphone can receive output from a sound emitter, such as a receiver (also known as a speaker), the system can resonate at a feedback frequency. Workers in the hearing assistance area have worked on this problem for years with varying degrees of success.
One problem associated with hearing aids is that the cancellation algorithms used are frequently very system-dependent and are typically calibrated infrequently to minimize setup problems. Such devices may not adapt to changes in the use of the device, such as a user placing a telephone to his ear or a change in position of the hearing aid.
What is needed in the art is an acoustic feedback cancellation system which provides ongoing cancellation with a minimal loss of signal quality for the user. The system should be adaptable to a number of time varying acoustic feedback conditions.

Method and apparatus for a hearing assistance system with adaptive bulk delay


An image forming device includes a recording head including a nozzle face, in which the recording head is configured to dispense ink onto a recording medium to form an image thereon. The device also includes a supporting member which faces the nozzle face and is configured to support the recording medium, and an ink receiving portion which is positioned on the supporting member and faces the nozzle face. The ink receiving portion includes a first plurality guides, and a second plurality of guides. Each of the first plurality of guides and each of the second plurality of guides includes a guide face and is configured to guide the ink dispensed from the recording head. Moreover, the guide face includes a first portion and a second portion, and a first distance between the first portion and the nozzle face is less than a second distance between the second portion and the nozzle face. In addition, each of the first plurality of guides is configured to guide the ink dispensed from the recording head in a first ink flowing direction, and each of the second plurality of guides is configured to guide the ink dispensed from the recording head in a second ink flowing direction opposite the first ink flowing direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates generally to an inkjet image forming device and more specifically, to an inkjet image forming device having a supporting portion, such as a platen, suitable for marginless image forming on a recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
In a known inkjet type image forming device, a recording head is positioned to face a platen and ejects ink onto a recording medium conveyed on the platen in a sub-scanning direction while moving in a main scanning direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction. When the image forming device performs marginless image forming, the recording head ejects ink beyond edges of the recording medium, thereby forming an image which reaches the edges of the recording medium, such that there are no margins.
In such marginless image forming, ink that is ejected from the recording head beyond the edges of the recording medium onto the platen may adhere to the platen. When an edge, e.g., a lead edge or a trail edge, of the recording medium is bent over the platen and contacts the adhered ink, the back side of the recording medium may be stained with the ink.
Another known image forming device, such as the image forming device described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-35685, is configured to prevent a recording medium from being stained with ink adhered to a platen. In this known image forming device, the platen has upstream ribs and downstream ribs with respect to a recording medium conveying direction, and a marginless recording area is provided between the upstream ribs and the downstream ribs. First ribs, second ribs, and third ribs are formed in the marginless recording area at suitable intervals in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveying direction so as to support the lead and trail edges of the recording medium. Grooves are formed between the first, second, and third ribs to extend in the recording medium conveying direction and to communicate with an ink absorber positioned on a bottom plate of the platen.
In this known image forming device, if a distance between a nozzle face and an ink receiving surface defined by the grooves is too great, ink discharged into the grooves may transform into an ink mist and may float above the platen. Ink mist may be generated from the ink that has not yet reached the ink receiving surface after being ejected from the recording head, or may be generated from the ink accumulated on the ink receiving surface. Such ink mist may adhere to and stain the back side of the recording medium.
On the other hand, if the distance between the nozzle face and the ink receiving surface defined by the grooves is reduced to prevent the generation of such ink mist, a lead edge and a trail edge of the recording medium may contact the ink receiving surface. If the ink is accumulated on the ink receiving surface without being drained quickly therefrom, the ink may adhere to and stain the recording medium.


A stand-by power control device includes a power block unit that receives a driving power voltage and a non-driving power voltage from a power supply unit and that selectively provides the driving power voltage or the non-driving power voltage as a supply voltage, a stand-by power generation unit that receives the supply voltage and that outputs a stand-by voltage generated by reducing the supply voltage, a power selection unit that receives the supply voltage and the stand-by voltage and that selectively outputs the supply voltage or the stand-by voltage as an operating voltage, and a state detection unit that receives a state detection voltage from the power supply unit and that controls the power block unit, the stand-by power generation unit, and the power selection unit based on the state detection voltage.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure of invention relates generally to a display device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a stand-by power control device, a liquid crystal display device including the stand-by power control device, and a method of controlling stand-by power for the liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of Related Technology
Recently, according to data processing and mobility convergence trends, demand has soared for a mobile device that includes a plurality of function modules which perform various functions (e.g., communication functions, camera functions, etc) while size, weight of the mobile device become smaller and time between required battery rechargings becomes larger. However, since the mobile device is manufactured to have a small size, and thus its internal battery generally also needs to be of small size, it is difficult to increase the inter-recharge capacity of the battery. This is particularly true in cases where the battery is used for providing a plurality of different internal voltages for application to respective internal components of the mobile device (e.g., volatile memory components, nonvolatile data storage components, user interface components, and/or other such function modules). In other words, since the mobile device is required to perform various functions using limited power (i.e., battery), an optimized battery power management technique is increasingly important for the mobile device in order to increase the inter-recharge capacity of the battery.
It is noted here that power consumption in the typical mobile device mostly includes that of the graphics display functions of the mobile device. More specifically, the graphics display functions are often provided by a liquid crystal display (LCD) device. Generally, the LCD device includes a display panel and a back-light unit for providing light to the display panel. However, a conventional LCD device provides the same voltages to the display panel and to the back-light unit irrespective of whether the user is currently using the mobile device or not. As a result, unnecessary power may be drawn from the battery due to a design that calls for continued generation of same power supply voltages irrespective of whether the user is currently using graphic display features of the mobile device or not.
It is to be understood that this background of the technology section is intended to provide useful background for understanding the here disclosed technology and as such, the technology background section may include ideas, concepts or recognitions that were not part of what was known or appreciated by those skilled in the pertinent art prior to corresponding invention dates of subject matter disclosed herein.

Stand-by power control device, liquid crystal display device including the same, and method of controlling stand-by power


Disclosed is a scratch pad memory management device and a method thereof. The scratch pad memory management device divides a scratch pad memory into a plurality of unit blocks, maintains a memory allocation table corresponding to indices of the plurality of unit blocks in a main memory, and manages the scratch pad memory.

1. Field
The example embodiments relate to a scratch pad memory management device and a method thereof, and particularly to a technology that manages the scratch pad memory by using a memory allocation table maintained in a main memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
A processor has a fast internal memory to store data. A processor for an embedded system may use a scratch pad memory having a simple configuration instead of a cache memory, and may process data transmission between an external main memory and the scratch pad memory by using a direct memory access (DMA). The main memory is an on-off chip memory, and may include a DRAM, an SDRAM, and the like.
However, conventionally, an allocation scheme based on a compiler has been used for utilizing the scratch pad memory. The allocation scheme analyzes an application program when compiling is performed, divides the scratch pad memory by using a result of the analysis, and statically allocates to each task. In this instance, the task may use only an allocated area, and thus, when the task operates, an allocated area of another task may be wasted. Also, the scheme may not be used in an environment where a task is dynamically generated.
Accordingly, there is desire for a dynamic memory management scheme appropriate for the scratch pad memory, and a method thereof.

Apparatus and method for scratch pad memory management


A magnetic disk comprises a magnetic layer and a protective layer sequentially formed on a disk-shaped substrate and has a principal surface to which data is recorded, and a side surface portion both of which are coated with the protective layer. The protective layer on the side surface portion is thinner than the protective layer on the principal surface. Preferably, the side surface portion includes a side wall surface, and a chamfered surface lying between the side wall surface and the principal surface, and at least the protective layer on the chamfered surface is thinner than the protective layer on the principal surface.

The present invention relates to a magnetic disk to be mounted on a magnetic disk device, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) and the like, for recording information, and the manufacturing method thereof.
Conventionally, with a magnetic disk device, at a halt stage, a CSS (Contact Start and Stop) method has been employed wherein a magnetic head is kept in contact with an inner circumferential region surface for contact sliding on the magnetic disk. At a start-up stage, the magnetic head is slightly raised while sliding in contact with this inner circumferential region surface to start recording/reproduction at a region for recording/reproduction outside of the inner circumferential region surface for contact sliding. With this CSS method, the region for contact sliding needs to be secured on the magnetic disk separate from the region for recording/reproduction.
Also, with the CSS method, a protruding/recessed shape having certain amount of surface roughness, which is called texture, has been provided on the magnetic disk principal surface to avoid a state wherein the magnetic disk and the magnetic head are subjected to contact adsorption at the halt stage. Further, with the CSS method, countermeasures have been devised such as coating the magnetic disk surface with a protective layer to protect the magnetic disk from contact sliding of the magnetic head (e.g., Japanese Patent No. 3058066).
On the other hand, recently, an LUL (Load/Unload) method, which can realize high recording capacity, has been employed. With the LUL method, at the halt stage, the magnetic head is evacuated to a tilting table called a ramp positioned outside of the magnetic disk. At the start-up stage, the magnetic head is loaded to a load zone on the magnetic disk surface from the ramp following the magnetic disk starting rotations, following which recording/reproduction is performed. Accordingly, the magnetic head is not subjected to contact sliding on the magnetic disk.
With this LUL method, the region for contact sliding of the magnetic head needs not to be provided on the magnetic disk surface unlike with the CSS method, the area of the region for recording/reproduction can be widely secured as compared with the CSS method, thereby providing an advantage wherein the recording capacity of the magnetic disk can be increased.
Also, with the LUL method, the magnetic disk is not in contact with the magnetic head, so that texture needs not to be provided, unlike with the CSS method, and the magnetic disk surface can be further subjected to smoothing. Accordingly, the LUL method also provides an advantage wherein the recording density of the magnetic disk can be improved by reducing flying amount of the magnetic head (e.g., 10 nm or less) lower than the case of the CSS method.
Incidentally, even with the magnetic disk to be mounted to a magnetic disk device employing the LUL method, a protective layer is provided to protect a magnetic layer formed on the disk substrate from corrosion and abrasion. The film thickness of this protective layer is preferably thick from the perspective of abrasion resistance, but spacing losses need to be reduced to achieve high recording density in recent years, and accordingly, reduction has been required for the film thickness of the protective layer as well.
The protective layer is formed on the magnetic layer normally using the sputtering method or the plasma CVD method, and the principal surface of the magnetic disk, i.e., the principal surface on which data is recorded, and the side surface portion are coated with the protective layer respectively. In this case, with the principal surface and the side surface portion of the magnetic disk, the protective layer is formed with generally the same film thickness. However, according to the studies of the present inventor, the present inventor found that with the side surface portion of the magnetic disk, the surface roughness is rougher than the principal surface highly subjected to accurate mirror surface formation in many cases, so even with the same film thickness of the protective layer as the principal surface, the adherability of the protective layer readily deteriorates. Accordingly, with the protective layer formed on the side surface portion of the magnetic disk, particles tend to occur due to contact, friction, and so forth with other members. The occurred particles may protrude as protrusions or cause contamination of the magnetic head, by adhering to the surface of the magnetic disk, for example.
Also, high smoothness of the magnetic disk surface is necessary in order for reducing flying height (flying amount) necessary for realizing high recording density of the magnetic disk. Due to further decrease of the flying amount of the recording head according to introduction of the recent LUL method, even with extremely low flying amount of 10 nm or less, for example, stable actions of the magnetic disk have been required. However, upon the magnetic head being subjected to flying flight on the magnetic disk surface with such an extremely low flying amount, there has been a problem in that fly-stiction frequently occurred. Fly-stiction is an obstacle wherein the flying attitude of the magnetic head suddenly becomes unstable during recording/reproduction, causing abnormal fluctuation in recorded signals and reproduced signals. This fly-stiction especially readily occurs with the magnetic head which performs flying with an NPAB (negative pressure air bearing surface) slider, i.e., a negative pressure slider. The magnetic head including a negative pressure slider has an advantage wherein stable flying flight can be performed even at a low flying amount of 10 nm or less, but this causes strong negative pressure upon the magnetic head undersurface (i.e., surface facing the magnetic disk). Accordingly, this readily causes fly-stiction.
Incidentally, with the LUL method, the flying amount of the magnetic head is greatly narrowed as compared with the conventional one, so that a serious problem readily occurs even with a surface defect (e.g., protruding defect) which has not been seen as a problem at all conventionally existing on the surface of the magnetic disk to be mounted on an HDD, for example. In particular, with a small-diameter magnetic disk to be mounted on a small HDD, the above problem becomes more serious. This is because occurrence of trouble is particularly concerning since such a small-diameter magnetic disk having an outer diameter of 30 mm or less, for example, is mounted in a mobile HDD such as a cellular phone, digital camera, and so forth, and is used under various harsh environments wherein impulsive force such as falling, collision, vibration, or the like exists consistently. Accordingly, improvement of the durable reliability of the magnetic disk has been further required.

Magnetic disk and manufacturing method thereof


A tissue puncture access assembly that includes a sheath and a dilator. The sheath is operable between an expanded position with a first maximum outer diameter, and a collapsed position with a second maximum outer diameter that is less than the first maximum outer diameter. The dilator is insertable through the sheath and has a leading end positionable distal of a distal end of the sheath. The sheath is operated into the collapsed position prior to and during insertion with the dilator into a tissue puncture. The sheath is operated into the expanded position once positioned in the tissue puncture.

Various surgical procedures are routinely carried out intravascularly or intraluminally. For example, in the treatment of vascular disease, such as arteriosclerosis, it is a common practice to access the artery and insert an instrument (e.g., a balloon or other type of catheter) to carry out a procedure within the artery. Such procedures usually involve the percutaneous puncture of the artery so that an insertion sheath may be placed in the artery and thereafter instruments (e.g., catheters) may pass through the sheath to an operative position within the artery. Intravascular and intraluminal procedures unavoidably present the problem of stopping the bleeding at the percutaneous puncture after the procedure has been completed and after the instruments (and any insertion sheaths used therewith) have been removed. Bleeding from puncture sites, particularly in the case of femoral arterial punctures, is typically stopped by utilizing vascular closure devices.
While there are a variety of prior art devices and techniques for closing such punctures, one aspect of interest in the ability to access the puncture prior to closing the puncture. An insertion sheath is commonly inserted into the puncture to create an access port for the closure device used to close the puncture. A dilator is often used with the sheath to dilate or enlarge the puncture at the time of inserting the sheath. The dilator typically extends distal of a distal end of the sheath. The maximum size (e.g., diameter) of the sheath may be greater than the size of the puncture, which presents a challenge to avoid damaging the tissue surrounding the puncture when inserting the sheath.

Collapsible sheath and tapered dilator for tissue puncture access