An electronic logic driver circuit, for driving a capacitive load between supply potentials for example for use in driving logic circuit elements on or off a chip, is disclosed. The driver circuit comprises switching devices to switch current either to or from two main voltage supply sources and two coupled inductors that act to store energy derived from the voltage sources. In operation, the coupled inductors form an LC resonator with the load such that energy stored in the inductors can be transferred to or from the load to drive a change in the voltage of the load.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic logic driver circuit. More specifically, this invention relates to reducing power consumption of electronic logic circuits and the conditioning of signals within electronic logic circuits.
An electronic circuit consumes power in various ways. In particular, power is consumed when input signals to elements of the circuit change state. A contribution to this power consumption occurs because of the charging and discharging of parasitic capacitance associated with the input signals to circuit elements and with wires connecting these input signals to signal drivers. Power dissipation does not occur in the parasitic capacitance itself, but in the output resistance of the signal drivers. A modem digital integrated circuit (IC) typically drives a large number of off-chip signals, which, whilst having high capacitance loading, operate at a relatively low frequency and thus consume a significant (but nevertheless small) portion of the total power consumption of the IC. ICs also include many global on-chip signals, such as clock signals or address lines, which traverse the entire chip driving many internal inputs. These have high parasitic capacitance but in addition operate generally at very high speed. Consequently, such signals can consume a moderately high portion of the total power consumption of the IC. A driver circuit that reduces power dissipation capable of driving such on-chip signals at a speed comparable to conventional on-chip drivers would therefore be highly desirable.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows, for the purpose of illustration, a conventional CMOS IC inverter driver 10 that furnishes a driver output signal VD to an interconnect 12, which in turn furnishes interconnect output signal VO to a load 14. Where the driver 10 is used as an on-chip driver, the load 14 is typically constituted by inputs to further logic devices formed as part of the same IC and the interconnect 12 is formed in on-chip metallization layers. Due to their small dimensions, on-chip interconnects typically have low series inductance. Alternatively, where the driver 10 is used as off-chip driver, the load 14 is typically constituted by input pins to further IC's mounted on the same printed circuit board (PCB) and the interconnect 12 is constituted by a combination of lead-frame conductors within IC packages and conductors etched onto the PCB. Due to relatively large dimensions of PCB conductors, such interconnects have typically have appreciable series inductance.
The inverter driver 10 includes an NMOS transistor M1 serially connected to a PMOS transistor M2 between a positive supply rail VDD and a ground supply rail VSS. Since M1 is turned on by applying a positive voltage to its gate input and M2 is turned on by applying a ground potential to its gate input, normally only one of the two is conductive during steady-state conditions. Therefore, if the input signal VC is at a 'low' potential (i.e. near VSS potential) then the driver output signal VD is driven to a 'high' potential (i.e. near VDD potential), and conversely. During transitions of the input signal VC between high and low potentials, there is generally a brief period when both transistors M1 and M2 are simultaneously conductive.
In FIG. 2 there is shown a simplified electrical model of the circuit of FIG. 1. The output of the inverter driver 10 is modelled by a controllable switch SW in series with an output resistance R(ON). The output resistance represents the source-drain resistance of either transistor M1 or M2 in its 'on' condition. A capacitor C(IN) models the input (gate) capacitance of the transistors M1 and M2. The interconnect 12 is modelled by a series resistance RI and a series inductance L1 and a distributed capacitance CI. The distributed capacitance CI is typically smaller than the load capacitance CL so that, to a reasonable degree of accuracy, the distributed capacitance CI can be considered as forming part of load capacitance CL.
FIG. 3a shows how signals VD and VO in FIG. 1 typically change when an input signal VP is driven from 'high' to 'low' when the driver 10 is used as an on-chip driver. In this case, the current flow into load CL is effectively limited by the driver output resistance R(ON), so the driver output signal VD changes approximately exponentially from 'low' to 'high'. Since the interconnect inductance and resistance are comparatively small, the conductor output signal VO is only slightly delayed and overshoot is negligible. FIG. 3b shows how signals VD and VO in FIG. 1 typically change when input signal VP is driven from 'high' to 'low' when the driver 10 is used as an off-chip driver. In this case, the current flow into load CL is effectively determined both by the driver output resistance R(ON) and the interconnect inductance LI. Hence, although the driver output signal VD begins a transition from 'low' to 'high' quite quickly, the interconnect inductance causes the interconnect output signal VO to change in a damped sinusoidal manner with some degree of overshoot.
On-chip signals are generally required to operate at very high speed, therefore a low value of R(ON) is needed. This is achieved by making the channel width of the drive transistors within the driver 10 quite large. This means that the input capacitance C(IN) of driver 10 may be as much as one third the value of load capacitance CL. For the case off-chip drivers, R(ON) typically is made much larger in relative terms to limit the speed of the transition and to reduce the ringing and overshoot that would otherwise occur due to the appreciable inductance of the interconnect. Nevertheless, there is typically some overshoot as shown in FIG. 3b. Since a larger R(ON) is desirable, the channel width of drive transistors within the driver 10 can be made much smaller for a given load capacitance when driver 10 is an off-chip driver. Therefore, in this case the input capacitance C(IN) of the driver 10 is quite small compared to load capacitance CL. In both cases, the energy drawn from the supply (ignoring that used in charging and discharging C(IN)) is approximately equal to CV2, where V is the potential between VDD and VSS and C is the numerical value of CL. Similar waveforms occur when the output goes from 'high' to 'low', but in this case there is no power is drawn from the VDD supply. Therefore, the power drawn from the VDD supply when the output is driven at a frequency f is on average equal to fCV2. Much of this power is dissipated in the driver output resistance R(ON). The power dissipation cannot be reduced merely by making the value of R(ON) smaller since the only effect would be to increase the amount of overshoot and ringing.
In WO-A-97/09783, the present applicant showed that the power dissipation, especially of off-chip drivers, can be reduced typically by 75% by harnessing, as an energy storage mechanism, the ringing that occurs when load 14 is driven via an appreciable inductance such as PCB interconnect inductance. This was accomplished by replacing the driver 10 by an alternative driver 18 as shown in FIG. 4, in which the driver output voltage changes from 'low' to 'high' and vice versa, through an intermediate voltage. An input signal VC to the driver 18 feeds a control circuit that generates control signals V5, V6 and V7, which in turn connect, to the gate electrodes of NMOS transistors M3 and M4 and a PMOS transistor M5 respectively. The drain connections of these transistors M3, M4 and M5 are all connected to the output VS of the driver 18. The transistors M3 and M5 can connect the output signal VS to VSS and VDD respectively whilst the transistor M4 can connect the output to an intermediate voltage VHH. Generally, the transistor M4 is designed to have a lower 'on' resistance than either of the transistors M3 or M5 (or M1 or M2 in FIG. 1 when the driver 10 is used as an off-chip driver). The output signal VS is also connected to the load 14 via a PCB interconnect 12, which has been modelled as an inductor LR.
FIG. 5 shows the waveform that would result if signals VS and VO have been previously charged to a steady state VSS potential by the transistor M3 having been turned on, but with the transistor M3 now being turned off. At time t1, the transistor M4 is turned on indefinitely. The output VS of the driver moves quickly to VHH potential. Because the transistor M4 has a low 'on' resistance, the voltage of the interconnect output signal VO overshoots VHH potential and reaches almost the potential of VDD, and thereafter rings sinusoidally with a resonant frequency f(r) given by Equation 1.1 below.
                              f                                (            r            )                          =                  1                      2                        Π                                                      L                                                                                C                                                                        (        1.1        )
The current passing through the transistor M4 alternates in direction and also causes a very small voltage drop across the transistor M4, causing the output voltage VS of the driver to deviate slightly from VHH potential. Since a small amount of power is dissipated in the transistor M4 and in the also in the various loss mechanisms associates with the load, the amplitude of oscillations gradually decreases.
FIG. 6 shows how, if the sinusoidal oscillation depicted in FIG. 5 can be arrested at time t2 (i.e. after half of one complete oscillation). The required transition of interconnect output signal VO can be achieved with very low power dissipation. The driver output signal VS is held at or near VHH potential until the interconnect output signal VO reaches a first maximum. Then the potential of the signal VS is raised to that of VDD by switching off the transistor M4 and switching on the transistor M5. FIG. 6 also shows the required sequence of control signals V5, V6 and V7 in response to the input V1 for LOW-to-HIGH and HIGH-to-LOW transitions. The driver 18 then furnishes an output signal VS in the form of a two-step rising or falling staircase. By exploiting resonance between the interconnect inductance LR and load CL, this allows the interconnect output signal VO to largely complete each conductor output transition while the VS signal is held at an intermediate level. This means that greatly reduced current is drawn from the power supply. This general technique will be called "staircase resonant" driving of capacitive loads in this specification.
The staircase resonant driver 18 is useful for driving off-chip signals that have a relatively slow rise time and have inherent series inductance sufficient to produce resonance. On-chip signals generally have low inductance but on-chip inductors (for example spiral trace inductors) could be explicitly provided to furnish the required resonance inductance. However, on-chip signals must generally be driven at a speed typically an order of magnitude faster than off-chip signals. The peak current flowing in the transistor M4 in FIG. 4 is therefore an order of magnitude higher driving an on-chip load capacitance compared with driving the same off-chip load capacitance so that the "ON" resistance of the transistor M4 is made an order of magnitude lower to achieve the same level of resonant overshoot. Of course, the "ON" resistance of the transistor M4 can be reduced by increasing its channel width; but after a point it requires an excessive power consumption to operate or switch transistor M4 due to its increased gate capacitance such that the overall power dissipation is increased contrary to the desired effect which is to decrease overall power dissipation.
The driver 18 is may be unsuitable for driving high-speed on-chip signals because the transistor M4 has an "ON" resistance that is too high in relation to the power taken to switch it on and off. This is partly because the maximum gate-source voltage applied to the transistor M4 between times t1 and t2 in FIG. 6 is only half of the power supply voltage and because the time of rise and fall of the control signal V is now similar to the desired conductor output rise/fall time and the average gate-source voltage is even lower. Furthermore, the control voltage V makes two transitions corresponding to each transition of the output. This further limits the channel width of the transistor M4 that can be used without leading to excessive power consumption.
There is therefore a desire to provide a driver circuit having the low power advantages of the driver 18 whilst being capable of driving on-chip signals at high speed.


Systems, methods, and computer program products for adaptive, imitation learning and applications to navigational assistance are disclosed. The inventive concepts include receiving a plurality of trajectories, each trajectory describing a path through a dynamic, complex physical environment; receiving a request for navigational assistance through the dynamic, complex physical environment; and in response to receiving the request for navigational assistance: generating a navigational assistance trajectory through the dynamic, complex physical environment, the navigational assistance trajectory being based at least in part on at least one of the plurality of trajectories; generating auditory instructions in accordance with the navigational assistance trajectory; and transmitting the navigational assistance trajectory and the auditory instructions to a mobile device from which the request for navigational assistance was received. A user receiving the navigational assistance trajectory and auditory instructions may navigate through the complex, dynamic physical environment without relying on visual cues.

The present invention relates to facilitating navigation through complex, dynamic indoor/outdoor environments and more particularly, this invention relates to facilitating navigation without relying on visual/optical input, e.g. for the visually impaired.
Navigation can be a very challenging task for the visually impaired, especially in complex environments where the individual might encounter dynamic obstacles such as new/rearranged furniture, other pedestrians, construction equipment, road/sidewalk blockages, standing water, etc.
Current approaches to navigation assistance for the visually impaired rely on very sophisticated or expensive devices and/or sensors, such as cameras and corresponding image processing capabilities (e.g. computer vision), position sensors (e.g. global positioning sensors), network sensors/equipment (e.g. Bluetooth sensors, Wi-Fi sensors, etc.), and audio sensors and equipment (e.g. speakers and microphones). These conventional approaches also typically rely on remote servers and knowledge bases, e.g. an information server to facilitate route planning, directional guidance, and speech recognition, and the Internet generally, e.g. for passenger information, maps, and service databases.
These systems are very expensive to maintain and utilize, both in terms of financial cost and computational cost. The image processing techniques required to render and interpret optical input from the camera are particularly expensive in terms of computational cost, and are not reliable for detecting objects without clearly defined edges, or about which the image processing algorithm does not have sufficient a priori knowledge (e.g. regarding the expected shape, dimensions, color, etc.). Moreover, and in part due to the relative expense of collecting and processing the image data, these conventional techniques generally do not provide sufficient updates/resolution to adapt the navigational assistance to dynamic changes occurring in the environment, e.g. rearrangement of furniture or appearance of obstacles caused by weather, traffic, or any other dynamic process.
Accordingly, it would be of great benefit to provide novel techniques for navigational assistance that do not rely on the expensive, unreliable optical techniques employed to-date. Moreover, it would be beneficial to provide navigational assistance capable of adjusting to dynamic changes in the environment over time.

Adaptive, imitative navigational assistance

International Business Machines Corporation


A display unit for a fluid delivery device which outputs water includes a printed circuit board, a diffuser supported by the printed circuit board, and a display screen electrically coupled to the printed circuit board. The display unit further includes a first light source electrically coupled to the printed circuit board, and a second light source electrically coupled to the printed circuit board. The first and second light sources define backlighting for the display screen. Operation of the first and second light sources is adjusted in response to a change in temperature of the output water of the fluid delivery device.

The present invention relates generally to a user interface for fluid delivery devices and, more particularly, to a display unit with a variable backlight which changes in response to a change in water temperature.
Fluid delivery devices may be used in both kitchen and bath applications. For example, a fluid delivery device for a kitchen application may include a faucet and/or a sprayer for use at a kitchen sink. Additionally, a fluid delivery device for a bath application may include a showerhead, a hand shower or sprayer, a tub faucet, and/or a lavatory faucet. Each fluid delivery device may include a user interface to control the flow and temperature of outlet water from the fluid delivery device. The user interface may also include a display unit to indicate various parameters and properties of the fluid delivery device, for example, water temperature, operating mode, current time and date, and/or other information about the fluid delivery device.
The present disclosure relates to a fluid delivery device which includes a display unit for indicating at least the temperature of the water delivered therefrom. The display unit may be configured to illuminate a portion of the display unit when indicating the water temperature. More particularly, the illustrative display unit may be configured with backlighting which changes color in response to the outlet water temperature.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a display unit for a fluid delivery device which outputs water comprises a printed circuit board, a diffuser supported by the printed circuit board, and a display screen electrically coupled to the printed circuit board. The display unit further comprises a first light source electrically coupled to the printed circuit board, and a second light source electrically coupled to the printed circuit board. The first and second light sources define backlighting for the display screen. Operation of the first and second light sources is adjusted in response to a temperature of the output water of the fluid delivery device.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a fluid delivery device configured to output water comprises a temperature sensor for detecting temperature of the output water, a controller electrically coupled to the temperature sensor, and a display unit electrically coupled to the controller. The display unit includes a first light source configured to be operated by the controller to adjust backlighting of the display unit. The controller is configured to receive a signal from the temperature sensor and send at least one signal to the first light source in response to the signal from the temperature sensor.
According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of controlling a backlighting output on a fluid delivery device configured to deliver water comprises the steps of providing a display unit on the fluid delivery device, electrically coupling a first light source defining a first color to the display unit, and electrically coupling a second light source defining a second color to the display unit. The method further comprises the steps of providing a controller configured to adjust an output of the first and second light sources, and sending a first signal from the controller to the first light source to adjust the backlighting output of the fluid delivery device to the first color when a temperature of the water is less than a first temperature. Additionally, the method comprises the step of sending a second signal from the controller to at least the second light source to adjust the backlighting output of the fluid delivery device to include the second color when the temperature of the water is greater than the first temperature.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

Color changing backlight for fluid delivery devices displaying temperature


Dual pigment compositions are provided that include a first pigment based upon a xanthene dye and a second pigment based upon a monoazo dye. The pigment compositions of the present disclosure may be combined with a binder resin to form a toner, in embodiments a magenta toner.

The present disclosure relates generally to pigments utilized in toners and, more specifically, to combinations of pigments possessing excellent color reproducibility and lightfastness.
Numerous processes are known for the preparation of toners, such as, for example, conventional processes wherein a resin is melt kneaded or extruded with a pigment, micronized and pulverized to provide toner particles. There are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,364,729 and 5,403,693, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, methods of preparing toner particles by blending together latexes with pigment particles. Also relevant are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,996,127, 4,797,339 and 4,983,488, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Toner can also be produced by emulsion aggregation methods. Methods of preparing an emulsion aggregation (EA) type toner are known and toners may be formed by aggregating a colorant with a latex polymer formed by emulsion polymerization. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,943, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, is directed to a semi-continuous emulsion polymerization process for preparing a latex by first forming a seed polymer. In particular, the '943 patent describes a process including: (i) conducting a pre-reaction monomer emulsification which includes emulsification of the polymerization reagents of monomers, chain transfer agent, a disulfonate surfactant or surfactants, and optionally, but in embodiments, an initiator, wherein the emulsification is accomplished at a low temperature of, for example, from about 5° C. to about 40° C.; (ii) preparing a seed particle latex by aqueous emulsion polymerization of a mixture including (a) part of the monomer emulsion, from about 0.5 to about 50 percent by weight, or from about 3 to about 25 percent by weight, of the monomer emulsion prepared in (i), and (b) a free radical Initiator, from about 0.5 to about 100 percent by weight, or from about 3 to about 100 percent by weight, of the total initiator used to prepare the latex polymer at a temperature of from about 35° C. to about 125° C., wherein the reaction of the free radical initiator and monomer produces the seed latex comprised of latex resin wherein the particles are stabilized by surfactants; (iii) heating and feed adding to the formed seed particles the remaining monomer emulsion, from about 50 to about 99.5 percent by weight, or from about 75 to about 97 percent by weight, of the monomer emulsion prepared In (ii), and optionally a free radical initiator, from about 0 to about 99.5 percent by weight, or from about 0 to about 97 percent by weight, of the total Initiator used to prepare the latex polymer at a temperature from about 35° C. to about 125° C.; and (iv) retaining the above contents in the reactor at a temperature of from about 35° C. to about 125° C. for an effective time period to form the latex polymer, for example from about 0.5 to about 8 hours, or from about 1.5 to about 6 hours, followed by cooling. Other examples of emulsion/aggregation/coalescing processes for the preparation of toners are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,290,654, 5,278,020, 5,308,734, 5,370,963, 5,344,738, 5,403,693, 5,418,108, 5,364,729, and 5,346,797, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Other processes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,832, 5,405,728, 5,366,841, 5,496,676, 5,527,658, 5,585,215, 5,650,255, 5,650,256 and 5,501,935, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Color toners are also within the purview of those skilled in the art. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,556,727, 5,591,552, 5,554,471, 5,607,804, 5,620,820, and 5,688,626, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, there is illustrated a combination of four color toners for the development of electrostatic latent images enabling the formation of a full color gamut image, wherein the four toners include a cyan toner, a magenta toner, a yellow toner, and a black toner. Each of these toners include a resin and pigment.
Improved methods for producing toner, which improve the reproducibility and the lightfastness of the color, remain desirable.


A control instrument for a system for generating acoustic output which includes a processor for receiving user input signals and control the acoustic output in response to the user input signals. The control instrument includes an instrument body, and at least one sensor element carried by the instrument body. The sensor element generates user input signals upon tactile actuation of the sensor element by a user. The user input signals indicate the location of contact and amount of force applied to the sensor element by the user. A music synthesis system and a sound processing system each including the control instrument are also provided.

Electronic music instruments including keys, strings or other input devices and synthesizer systems for converting the user input into electrical signals and producing music and other acoustic signals in response to the electrical signals are well known. The instruments, which are typically patterned after traditional instruments, take many forms such as electronic keyboards, electronic guitars, electronic drums and the like.
The main component of an electronic keyboard is a bank of keys which resemble the keys of a piano. The keyboard also typically includes a number of buttons for selecting various options and sliders and/or wheels which may be used to control various parameters of the sound produced by the synthesizer. The keys are used to generate two different signals--a MIDI note-on event when the key is pressed which sends a note and velocity data pair to the synthesizer and a MIDI note-off event when the key is released. The keys provide only limited control over other parameters such as timbre, pitch and tone quality, the control being restricted to altertouch signals produced by the application of additional pressure on a depressed key. The aftertouch signal can occur per-note or across all notes, but can only occur when at least one key is depressed and must be linked to the note number of the active keys. Instead, some degree of control over the other parameters is provided by separately operating the sliders or wheels of the keyboard. However, even when slides or wheels are used, the amount of user control over the resulting sound parameters is considerably less than the control experienced with traditional instruments. Moreover, the number of slides, buttons and keys which can be simultaneously manipulated by the user is limited, restricting the number of different parameters which may be controlled at any instant through the use of wheels or slides. Simultaneously actuating the selected keys and manipulating the sliders or wheels can be awkward and difficult, further reducing the realism of the experience.
Electric and electronic guitars typically include strings which are actuated by the user to generate notes. Knobs or other controls are provided to control volume and tone. As with the electronic keyboard, the amount of control provided over various sound parameters is limited.
Electronic percussion instruments typically include one or more drum pads which are struck using traditional drum techniques. Sensors detect the force of impact with the generated signals being used by the synthesizer to produce the sound. Some later versions include sensors which also detect the location of contact, with contact in different zones of the drum pad producing different sounds. Thus, considerable control is provided over the resulting percussion sounds. However, the number of parameters which contribute to the sound of percussion instruments is more limited than the variable sound parameters of keyboards and string and wind instruments.
One new type of music synthesizer uses digital physical modeling to produce the sound, providing more sonic realism. An example of such a synthesizer is the Yamaha VLI-M Virtual Tone Generator (Yamaha and VLI are trademarks of Yamaha). In addition to improved sonic realism, greater parametric control over the resulting sound is available with the digital physical modeling system. However, the limitations of the existing electronic instruments in receiving user input prevent the user from taking advantage of the increased amount of control which is available with the new synthesizer.
An electronic instrument which allows the user to create and/or control sounds while simultaneously and continuously modifying many of a music synthesizer's parameters is desirable. An instrument which takes advantage of the greater flexibility over parameter control offered by devices such as a digital physical modeling synthesizer or a sophisticated sound processor is also desirable. Similarly, an electronic instrument which simulates the realistic music experience of traditional music instruments is desirable.


The synchronous memory device includes a data transfer control circuit including a pipeline control circuit which, when serial access is started in a cycle corresponding to two cycles of a clock BCK, does not separate all of the first to third pipeline stages from each other and brings the first pipeline stage and the second pipeline stage into a through state. When serial access is started in a cycle departing from the two cycles of the clock BCK, the pipeline control circuit separates all of the first to third pipeline stages from each other.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data transfer system for transferring data in synchronization with system clock and a synchronous semiconductor memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern semiconductor device systems have been improved so as to be capable of processing large quantity data and at high data processing speed.
With this situation, the data processing speed of MPUs is getting faster at a good pace. In contrast, the data processing speed of memory devices has been improved at a slower pace than the MPUs, although their storage capacity is getting larger at a good pace. As a result, the difference in data processing speed between the MPUs and the memory devices is steadily getting wider.
To eliminated such a difference in speed, a memory device has been developed which controls the operation of the system by a method different from the control method of conventional memory devices and thereby improves the data transfer rate. This is a synchronous memory device. A typical synchronous memory device is a dynamic RAM that is controlled in synchronization with the system clock.
Hereinafter, this type of dynamic RAM is referred to as a synchronous DRAM in this specification and is abbreviated as an SDRAM. The basic operation of an SDRAM has been disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-2873. A concrete SDRAM product was announced in SHINGAKU GIHO SDM93-142, ICD93-136 (1993-11).
In the present specification, explanation of the specifications for the SDRAM will not be given. What is important to the SDRAM is to read the serially accessed burst data as fast as possible. The specifications for the SDRAM and the architecture to realize them are roughly divided into those for a pipeline type and those for a register type.

Data transfer system for transferring data in synchronization with system clock and synchronous semiconductor memory


A method for differentiating heart failure risk scores that includes receiving a current data transmission and acquiring patient metrics from a remote device, determining a daily heart failure risk score for each day occurring during a time period from a previous received data transmission to the current received data transmission based on the acquired patient metrics, determining a maximum daily heart failure risk score of the determined daily heart failure risk scores during a lookback window prior to the current received data transmission, determining a heart failure risk status alert for the received data transmission based on the temporal proximity of the determined maximum heart failure risk score and receipt of the current data transmission, selecting a type of notification based on the heart failure risk status differentiation, and indicating the transmission heart failure risk status and the heart failure risk status differentiation via the selected type of notification.

Chronic heart failure (HF) occurs when a heart is unable to consistently pump blood at an adequate rate in response to the filling pressure. To improve the ability of the heart to pump blood, congestive heart failure patients, classified as having New York Heart Association (NYHA) class status of II to IV HF, may require therapy, such as may be provided by implantable medical devices (IMDs) such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), pacemakers, and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices that, in some cases, include defibrillation capability (CRT-Ds). Despite using IMDs to improve heart function, some HF patients may require hospitalization. Global health care systems incur billions of dollars each year due to heart failure hospitalizations (HFHs). Identifying patients at risk of HFH to enable timely intervention and prevent expensive hospitalization remains a challenge.
IMDs may be configured to acquire data for a variety of diagnostic metrics that change with HF status and collectively have the potential to signal an increasing risk of HFH. Diagnostic parameter data collected by IMDs include activity, day and night heart rate (NHR), atrial tachycardia/atrial fibrillation (AT/AF) burden, mean rate during AT/AF, percent CRT pacing, number of shocks, and intrathoracic impedance. Additionally, preset or programmable thresholds for diagnostic metrics, when crossed, trigger a notification, referred to as device observation. Each device observation is recorded in an IMD report.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Differentiation of heart failure risk scores for heart failure monitoring


A method for providing add-on services responsive to an email transferred via a distributed computer network. The method includes receiving via the distributed computer network the email at an add-on service system. The method further includes ascertaining from the email whether a recipient of the email subscribes to at least one of the add-on services. If the recipient subscribes to the at least one of the add-on services, the method includes forming a post add-on service email, which includes performing, using the add-on service system, the at least one of the add-on services on at least a first portion of the email. Furthermore, the method includes forwarding the post add-on service email, after the performing, to the email system, thereby rendering the post add-on service email accessible to the recipient through the email system.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing add-on services to emails transferred via a distributed computer network. More particularly, the present invention relates to techniques for providing add-on services responsive to emails received at an email system, which techniques require little change to the email system itself.
Emails and email systems for providing computer users with email communication via a distributed computer network, such as the Internet, have been around for some time. In a typical Internet-based email system, a computer user typically employs an Internet-based email application program (e.g., Yahoo™ mail or another email front end that is accessible via a web browser) or a desktop-based email application program (e.g., Outlook™ by Microsoft Corp.), to compose an email. To direct the email to reach the intended recipient, the sender may provide a unique recipient email address, which typically includes the recipient's user name and a domain name. Together, the recipient's user name and the domain name comprise a unique email address.
Once the sender or a program (generically referred herein simply as the sender to simplify discussion) issues the command to send the composed email to the specified unique email address, the email message, with the unique recipient email address as its header, is sent via the distributed computer network, e.g., the Internet, to an email service provider that services the specified domain. Along the way, the email typically passes through a plurality of mail relay stations, using the store-and-forward paradigm. Once the email arrives at the email service provider that services the specified domain, the email system may notify the recipient that he has an email waiting to be retrieved, or the email system simply waits until the recipient logs in to check his email folder to inform him of the existence of a new email to be read.
To facilitate discussion, FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified representation of a typical email arrangement which allows email senders 102 and 104 to transmit emails to an email recipient 106. With reference to FIG. 1, email sender 102 may employ an email front end 108, which as mentioned earlier may either be a browser-based email application program or a desktop-based email application program that has a gateway to the Internet, to compose the desired email message and to specify the unique address of the email recipient. If the email system is HTTP-based (as in the case of front end 108A), a web-server 190 is typically employed to permit the email to be transferred in the SMTP format. If the email front-end employs the SMTP format (as in the case of front end 108B).
After the email is composed, email sender 102 may command email front end 108 to transmit the email to email recipient 106 by issuing a send command. When email front end 108 receives the send command, it forwards the composed email message, including the recipient email address as its header, to distributed computer network 110, which in this case is the Internet. Internet 110 is represented, as is conventional, by a cloud. Within this cloud that symbolically represents the Internet, the email system that provides email service for the domain specified in the email address resides. In the example of FIG. 1, such an email system is illustrated by an email system 130. Since email system 130 resides in the distributed computer network, the email message typically arrives at email system 130 through a plurality of connecting legs and relay facilities. To simplify the illustration, these relay facilities, which are distributed within Internet 110 between email front end 108 and email system 130, is illustrated by a relay cloud 132.
In the current art, emails relayed through the Internet also typically employ a suitable email protocol to allow the emails to be efficiently relayed to the appropriate destination. One such protocol is SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). In the example of FIG. 1, the transmitted email is first received at email system 130 by an SMTP server 140. SMTP server 140 then ascertains whether the recipient is indeed one who is serviced by email system 130. Assuming that the email recipient is associated with a domain (e.g., "abc.com") which is serviced by email system 130, SMTP server 140 then forwards the email message to a database facility 142, which stores the received email message in an appropriate mail box accessible by the intended recipient of the email message.
Thereafter, email recipient 106 may employ an appropriate email front end 150 to access Internet 110 and ascertain, via web server 152 of email system 130, whether there is an email message waiting for email recipient 106 within database facility 142. If there is, email recipient 106 may access the email message by sending a command via email front end 150 to email system 130 to request the email message to be sent from email system 130 to email front end 150 to be displayed thereon.
If email front end 150 is implemented in a web browser that displays HTML-formatted pages or a similar protocol, an HTML converter facility 158 or an appropriate protocol converter facility may be employed to convert the email message to an appropriate format prior to sending the email message to email front end 150 via web server 152. The arrangement of FIG. 1 is conventional and may include other implementational details and variations, which are well known to those in the business of providing email service and will not be discussed in great detail here for brevity's sake.
As Internet revenue models evolve, email service has become one of the loss leader services that many portals or web businesses are expected to provide. In other words, many users expect free email service from their portals as a condition for their patronage. As a result, many providers of email systems have been forced to turn to advertisement revenue to operate and maintain their email systems. FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified exemplary prior art technique for providing advertisement-based emails using the basic architecture of FIG. 1. In the example of FIG. 2, an advertisement insertion module 170 interfaces with HTML converter facility 158 to insert an appropriate advertisement banner into the email message prior to sending the email message to email front end 150. In this manner, the emails are received by the recipients with advertisements inserted by the email system. This arrangement results in payment from the advertisers to the email system operator, which provides a revenue base for the provider of email system 130 to operate and maintain the email system.
As the Internet evolves further, email users begin to demand even more sophisticated services from their email system providers. By way of example, many email users nowadays demand the ability to redirect their emails to other domains to allow all their emails to be centralized at one email system. Another service that many email users also desire nowadays is auto-reply, wherein the email system automatically notifies the sender with a preselected message (e.g., "I am away for two weeks," "I got your message and I will get back in touch with you shortly," or the like). Some email users may desire to receive their emails in the form of voice or facsimile while they are on the road and may accordingly require these capabilities from their email system. Other security-related services, such as anti-spamming services, virus-scanning services, are also popular on the list of desirable features among email users.
For many email system providers, these demands represent a significant challenge. For one, most email services are provided to email users free of charge, which makes it difficult for email system providers to find the necessary financial resources to update their email systems to provide such services. More significantly, given the speed at which products and services associated with the Internet evolves, many email systems may have been designed earlier without advance knowledge of future services and features that users may eventually demand. As such, many existing email systems may have been designed without the necessary scalability and/or flexibility to allow these additional features to be readily and efficiently integrated. Even if such integration is possible, the task of integrating the new features into the legacy email systems may take an unacceptably long period of time, which may result in a loss of users and negative economic consequences for the portal operator.
By way of example, integrating a new feature into an existing legacy email system may require the staff of the email system to design codes implementing the new feature, to integrate the new codes into the existing software architecture, and to test/debug the updated email system prior to roll out. This assumes, of course, that the staff of the email system has the necessary expertise to implement the new feature and is knowledgeable about their legacy email system, which is often not the case if the operator merely leases the codes from a third party software developer (in which case, the email service operator may not even have access to the source code). Of course the email service operator may always negotiate with the third party software developer to have additional features implemented. However, this is also time-consuming, and the result depends for the most part on the willingness and expertise of the third party software developer to implement the new desired features.
Still further, it is oftentimes the case that by the time the email system operator realizes the need for a new feature, such new feature may have already been implemented elsewhere by another third party developer. In the typical situation, users often are aware of the existence of a new feature from other sources first and push for their own email system operators to offer the same feature. In such cases, it may be more efficient for the email service provider to lease or license the already implemented codes instead of writing new codes. However, if the email service provider wishes to integrate the codes representing the desired features with the codes of the legacy email system, compatibility, scalability, testing, and debugging issues still require time to resolve. Unless email system providers can find a way to quickly and efficiently integrate the new services and features into their legacy email systems, as well as find a way to finance the new services and features, they may lose users and/or suffer serious financial consequences.
In view of the foregoing, there are desired improved techniques for providing new services and features to users of an existing email system in a way that requires little change to the existing email systems and at little cost.

Techniques for providing add-on services for an email system


A ribbon cable or discrete wires, having a layer of thermally stable, crush resistant, fibril microporous heat sealable thermoplastic crystallizable polymer dielectric surrounding said conductor. The thermoplastic dielectric having a void volume in excess of 70%, a propagation velocity of the insulated conductor greater than 85% the propagation velocity in air and the crush resistance being the recovery rate of the material after being under a 500 gram weight for 10 minutes greater than 92% of the initial thickness.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved electrical cable and process for making the subject cable having a low dielectric constant, and in particular, a flexible cable having one or more conductors having improved transmission line characteristics, improved crush resistance, and capable of mass termination.
2. Description of Prior Art
There already exists in the marketplace multiconductor flexible, mass terminable cables having transmission line characteristics such as controlled impedance, crosstalk, propagation delay, etc. It is well known that by lowering the effective dielectric constant of the cable by including air in the dielectric, the signal speed can be increased.
Providing porosity in a dielectric suitable for cables is known. Foamed polyethylene insulative materials are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,340, where the foam coated conductors were placed in a sheath which is shrunk onto the foam covered conductors. Another patent is U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,423, disclosing a foam-type insulation such as polypropylene or polyethylene surrounding conductors, which foam covered conductors are then embedded within an insulating material such as polyvinyl chloride. The foamed insulation is said to contain a large percentage of air trapped within the material. The insulating material is used to hold the conductors in a parallel configuration and provides strength to the cable when subjected to compression.
Another patent describing a foamed insulative material for conductors includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,998, issued May 5, 1992 describing an ultramicrocellular foamed polymer structure formed from suitable polymers including the class of synthetic, crystalline and crystallizable, organic polymers, e.g. polyhydrocarbons such as linear polyethylene, polypropylene, stereo-regular polypropylenes or polystyrene, polyethers such as polyvinylidene fluoride, polyamides both aliphatic and aromatic, and the list goes on, but concludes the polymers should have a softening point of at least about 40.degree. C. This foamed material, because of the high degree of orientation of the closed polyhedral cells, contributes to the strength of the structures.
Further, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. sells cable made with "Gortex" dielectric films, a porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Polytetrafluoroethylene is not a conventional thermoplastic and is not easily processed and is costly. Various patents have been assigned to W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. of Newark, Delaware including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,953,566 and 4,187,390 relating to the process for making a porous polytetrafluoroethylene polymer; 4,443,657 relates to the manufacture of a ribbon cable using two layers of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as insulation, and 4,866,212 relating to a coaxial electric cable formed of an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.
High speed cables of the prior art generally utilize expanded PTFE dielectrics such as those sold by W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. or foamed perfluoro polymers. Such cable structures have lower crush resistance as compared to solid dielectrics. This lower crush resistance results in reduced transmission line performance as a result of damage caused by normal routing or handling of cables made from these conventional dielectrics.
The lack of crush resistance of known dielectrics used for cable insulation, which contain large percentages of air voids, has long been a problem for use as high speed dielectrics. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,088 assigned to Junkosha Co., LTD., Japan, the solution for improving crush resistance was reinforcing expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) by the use of a laser beam or a hot metal rod. The piercing of the soft insulation by the beam or rod caused a unique phenomenon to occur to the porous PTFE called sintering. In this case, the sintering causes the soft dielectric to form a solid skin of PTFE on the inside wall of the created hole. Since sintered PTFE has many times the structural strength of the unsintered porous dielectric, the cylinders so created function like beams to resist crushing forces. An alternate method disclosed, used heated rolls to put grooves in the surface of the insulation. The sole purpose of both methods is to increase the crush resistance of the insulation. Both solutions suffer from the creation of discontinuities in the dielectric which add to signal speed variation as the electrical fields encounter these discontinuities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,657, assigned to W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc., demonstrates a means of bonding sheets of PTFE using a sintering process. The softness of the unsintered core dielectric forces the inventor to place a solid layer of insulation over the top of the unsintered core resulting in significant reductions in electrical performance of the finished cable due to the solid dielectric.
Because of the very high processing temperatures of traditional PTFE cables, cables made in ribbon format with polytetrafluoroetylene generally have silver plated or nickel plated conductors to avoid the oxidation of the conductors during processing. Use of either of these plated conductors causes significant cost increase. In addition, if nickel is used, difficulty in soldering to the conductors is encountered.
It should be noted that lamination and fusion of thermoplastic insulations to make ribbon cables has been taught in the prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,844 assigned to David J. Crimmins, et. al. and U.S. Pat. No. 2,952,728 assigned to Kyohei Yokose, et. al. The Crimmins patent teaches lamination of solid dielectrics around variably spaced wires. This method will not work with air filled dielectrics without collapsing the air filled structure. Similarly, the Yokose patent teaches lamination of solid dielectrics around conductors. However, the tool or roller design employed will cause excessive melting and destruction of the fibril structure of the material in the present invention. Both of the methods employed in the prior art would not work with the materials presented herein. The process and materials of the present invention teach lamination without significant destruction or collapse of the air filled structure adjacent the conductors.
The prior art demonstrates that many attempts have been made to provide electrical cables with lower dielectric constant and/or fixed shield-wire spacing to improve electrical characteristics. The prior art cables, even the foamed materials, sacrifice durability and crush resistance to achieve lower dielectric constant and faster propagation velocities. U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,998, describes a foamed structure for use as an insulative material for individual conductors smaller than 1.27 mm and annular insulation thickness less than 0.51 mm. The insulative material is flash spun over a moving wire in air at ambient temperature and pressure or by an extrusion spinning method. The crush resistance of the material is described in column 3 lines 64 to column 4 line 9. The recovery rate is not considered sufficient to provide good electrical properties to signal wire and the material is not suitable for making ribbon cable.
The present invention provides a product having improved crush resistance over unsintered expanded polytetrafluoroethylene without the time consuming and expensive process of forming sintered cylinders or grooves in the dielectric as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,088 assigned to Junkosha Co., LTD, Japan.
The product of the present invention in addition to having the improved electrical properties at substantially reduced cost and with improved crush resistance, does not have the dielectric discontinuities associated with the formation of sintered shapes as with prior art. The process used to form this product also can be accomplished at substantially reduced temperatures permitting conductors to be used with or without plating which provides additional cost reduction. The unique crush resistant properties of the subject product result since the polymers employed to make the insulation do not have the uncharacteristic changes caused by sintering as with PTFE but rather have the improved properties immediately upon cooling thus eliminating the costly and time consuming sintering processes.
Prior expanded materials, have also lacked this characteristic, in part due to the necessity to employ polymer structures which are inherently soft or weak in their structural integrity.
The prior art demonstrates that many attempts have been made to provide electrical cables with lower dielectric constant to improve electrical characteristics and to provide crush resistance to high speed dielectrics.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A multipath transmission system of this invention includes a plurality of multiplex nodes connected in parallel to three common signal transmission lines. The multiplex node includes a transmission control circuit which is allotted to a corresponding one of devices, receives a multiplex signal from the device in response to a transmission request of another multiplex node and transmits the multiplex signal to the signal transmission line. It includes a voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage generated in at least one of the transmission lines, a reception control circuit for specifying the transmission state of the signal transmission line according to a voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit, a communication control device for communicating with the multiplex nodes to detect fault, and a voltage setting circuit for changing a voltage of the signal transmission line when fault is detected by the communication control device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multipath transmission system for transmitting data among multiplex nodes connected to common signal transmission lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
This type of multipath transmission system includes a transmission system of LAN (Local Area Network) utilizing a CSMA/CD (Carrier Senser Multiple Access/Collision Detection) with an NDA (Non Destructive Arbitration). A typical example of the LAN is a CAN (Controller Area Network) used for data transmission in cars, for example.
In the multipath transmission system utilizing the CAN, terminal resistors R.sub.E, R.sub.E are connected to both ends of two signal transmission lines A and B and a plurality of multiplex nodes are connected in parallel with the signal transmission lines A and B.
Each of the multiplex nodes is constructed by a communication control device, a transmission circuit for receiving a transmission signal from the communication control device and transmitting the same to the signal transmission line, and a reception circuit for receiving a signal from the signal transmission line and transmitting the same to the communication control device.
The reception circuit outputs a signal received from the signal transmission line to a comparator of the communication control device. An adequate threshold voltage is applied to the comparator to reduce the amplitude of the transmission signal to a permissible level so that the range of an input voltage in the common mode of the reception circuit can be widen and influence by noises can be reduced.
The transmission circuit includes two field effect transistors (FET) and the FETs are connected to the signal transmission lines.
Therefore, when the multiplex nodes are set in the passive state, that is, when a recessive bit is output in the transmission system of (CSMA/CD+NDA), each FET is set in the OFF state, no potential difference occurs between the signal transmission lines and a high impedance state is set the output terminal. Further, when the multiplex nodes are set in the dominant state, that is, when a dominant bit is output in the transmission system of (CSMA/CD+NDA), each FET is set in the ON state, a current is supplied to one of the transmission lines and a current is drawn from the other signal transmission line. Therefore, in the dominant state, a potential difference occurs between the signal transmission lines and the reception circuit connected to the signal transmission line detects the potential difference and converts this signal in order to recognize the signal face. As a result, the communication control device can detect the dominant state.
With the above transmission system, when an accident such as an open circuit or short circuit occurs in one of the signal transmission lines, for example, and thus when fault occurs in the transmission system, a potential between the signal transmission lines is changed from a transmissible value so that a signal cannot be correctly transmitted between all of the multiplex nodes associated with the signal transmission line.


For determining mode spectra of an optical property of a device under test (DUT) in dependence on a spectral parameter, with the mode spectra corresponding to the device's principal states of polarization (PSPs), minimum and maximum envelope values are determined for the optical property, or other measured values from which the envelope values can be determined with respect to possible state of polarization of light that is incident upon the DUT, whereby the minimum envelope values and the maximum envelope values are determined for a spectral range of interest of the spectral parameter. The mode spectra are derived for the optical property for at least one of the PSPs as a function of the spectral parameter for the spectral range of interest, whereby a partial correspondence of the mode spectra with the minimum and maximum envelope values is used for deriving the mode spectra.

The present invention relates to the determination of an optical property of a device under test in dependence on a spectral parameter for specific polarization states of the incident light which are known as the "principal states of polarization" (PSPs). The invention concerns devices that are used or tested by applying light to the device. The optical property can characterize light that then emerges from the device or characterize another response of the device to the input light, such as an output electrical signal.
In the product note "PDL Measurements using the Agilent 8169A Polarization Controller" by Christian Hentschel and Siegmar Schmidt, it is described how the minimum and maximum insertion loss as well as the polarization dependent loss (PDL) can be obtained by means of the scrambling technique, and by means of the Mueller method that is based on a determination of the Mueller matrix of the device under test (DUT). The document "PDL Measurements using the Agilent 8169A Polarization Controller" is herewith incorporated into the description of the present application.

Determining mode spectra for principal states of polarization


Renewable fuel cells that produce hydrogen gas, on demand, are used to power a vehicle. When the usable volume of hydrogen gas produced by the fuel cells is depleted, the magnesium anode is converted into magnesium hydroxide precipitate. The magnesium hydroxide precipitate is removed and collected for recycling and the magnesium anode and salt water electrolyte is replaced, thus easily and conveniently re-energizing the fuel cell. The magnesium hydroxide precipitate is recycled to recapture the magnesium which is then formed into new magnesium anodes. The primary power source for the recycling is derived from solar energy. The only waste product produced by the operation of the fuel cell is non-polluting water.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for using a plurality of renewable fuel cells (hydrogen gas generators) to propel a vehicle, and re-energizing these fuel cells by replacing their depleted anodes with new anodes manufactured from materials recovered and recycled from the depleted fuel cells. This method incorporates the use of solar energy to provide the primary recycling energy requirements and also to provide a non-polluting, economic method of recycling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention comprises a process wherein certain conventional apparatus or known process steps are used n a unique combination to achieve the objectives of this invention. The prior art neither teaches nor suggests the methods, i.e. combination of steps, of the present invention.
Prior art which may be relevant to a particular process of this invention is described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,925,455, to Eldensohn, discloses a continuous-feed two stage primary battery system. In the first stage, an electrochemical reaction of an active metal with water continuously generates electrical energy and simultaneously generates a gas used as a reactant in a second stage to produce additional electrical energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,141, to Goldenberg, discloses a magnesium galvanic cell comprising a magnesium or magnesium alloy anode, an aqueous electrolyte, and an inert cathode.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,142, to Goldenberg, discloses an improved magnesium galvanic cell in which magnesium reacts with water to produce magnesium hydroxide, hydrogen gas and electricity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,043,898, to Miller, et al.. discloses a gas depolarized battery comprised of a number of gaseous depolarized, metal primary cells cemented together in a series and provided with tension means to compress the cells as the metallic anodes are consumed. This compression maintains the distance between the electrode surfaces constant and thus maintains a constant voltage output.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,218,195, to Corren, discloses methods and apparatus for producing electricity intermittently upon demand, or continuously in a galvanic cell by a chemical reaction effected at the electrodes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,238,070, to Porter II, discloses a secondary battery comprising a circulating electrolyte and a plurality of individual cells arranged to form this battery. The cells are formed of a zinc-oxygen electrochemical couple.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,247,042, to Tamminen, discloses a galvanic battery capable of delivering large currents without appreciable voltage declines for prolonged periods. This patent teaches that circulation of the electrolyte increases the use of a depolarizing substance and reduces the internal resistance of the battery and thus decreases the inherent voltage drop during discharge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,504, to Fidelman, discloses the production of hydrogen by reacting magnesium with water, the reaction being accomplished by galvanically coupling magnesium with an active inert metal in saline water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,598, to White, et al., discloses a sea water battery with an electrolyte recirculation circuit which requires no auxiliary energy source for operation. This invention also maximizes the utilization of the plates during operation of the battery.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,653, to Pacheco discloses a galvanic hydrogen generator that uses a magnesium electrode in a salt water solution to produce hydrogen gas both by electrochemical reaction and by electrolysis. Hydrogen gas is produced when an electrical load is connected between the electrodes. The resulting current flow is produced by an electrochemical reaction in which a magnesium electrode is decomposed to produce hydrogen gas. This current flow also decomposes water contained in the electrolytic solution to produce hydrogen gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,719 to Terry et al. discloses a power system comprising a reactor in which a hydride absorbs hydrogen at low pressure and low temperature, and then heating the hydride at constant volume so as to release large quantities of hydrogen at high temperatures and pressure. This released hydrogen is used to produce power and yield refrigeration. Electrical power can be generated by expanding the released hydrogen through a turbine or other power producing devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,962 to Terry discloses a hydrogen-hydride absorption system comprising a sequential method of reversibly combining hydrogen with a hydride-forming material, heating the hydride at constant volume, and means for conveying hydrogen between the reactors. In the power or heat pump cycle, the hydride in a first reactor is heated to desorb hydrogen gas. The gas flows to a second hydride bed in a second reactor where it is absorbed at a temperature lower then the temperature of desorption of the first hydride bed. Absorption of the hydrogen by the second reactor releases the heat of absorption. This heat of absorption is typically removed by a heat exchanger. In the heat pump mode of operation, the above cycle is sequentially repeated through a series of reactors so that the heat of absorption is sequentially added to the heat exchange fluid.
In conjunction with the above, a plurality of reactors are operated in a refrigeration mode of operation and in such a manner that the reactors of the heat pump cycle are in a phase compatible with an opposing reactor of the refrigeration system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,361 to Terry et al., discloses improved-power cycles for using the hydride-dehydride-hydrogen (HDH) power cycle to produce hydrogen gas continuously at high pressure and elevated temperatures. This gas can be used to produce power and refrigeration. The hydrogen gas can be passed directly to an expansion device, such as a turbine, or the hydrogen gas can be the working fluid used to transfer heat to a secondary system. Terry discloses using the HDH cycle to continuously produce hydrogen gas to drive an expansion device such as a turbine.
K.K. Kelly, Energy Requirements And Equilibria And The Dehydration, Hydrolysis And Decomposition Of Magnesium Chloride, Technical Paper 676, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1945, discloses the dehydration reaction and hydrolysis of magnesium chloride.
Magnesium and Magnesium Alloys, The International Magnesium Association, Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Volume 14, discloses various commercial processes for producing magnesium.
The Chemical Process Industries, 2nd Edition, Shreve, 1956 pp. 223-227, 319-323, discloses various commercial methods for producing magnesium.
Warming Trend, Cook, Forbes, Feb. 20, 1989, pp. 68-69 discloses solar energy system applications.
,. . . The Optics of Non-Imaging Concentrators, Light and Solar Energy, Welford et al. (1978), discloses solar energy concentration applications, considerations and power yields.
Sun Master Corporation sales brochure, solar-thermal energy collector, discloses a commercial solar concentrator based upon a compound parabolic concentrator reflector.
Small Community Experiment #1, Ossage City, Kans., Barber, Proceedings of the Distributed Receiver Solar Thermal Technology Conference, Apr. 24-25(1985) pp. 13-20, discloses the experience gained from a one hundred KW electric solar plant using a solar concentrator.
Automobiles, New Age EVs, Shuldiner, Popular Mechanics, September 1991, pp. 27-29, discloses possible oil savings and environmental considerations in using all electric or hybrid electric vehicles.
Battery Chargers, Allen, Popular Mechanics, September 1991 (pp. 30-31, 102), discloses the use of electric batteries to propel vehicles.
Unique Mobility, Inc., Sales Brochure (1990) discloses commercially available electric propulsion systems with range extenders.
V 160 Stirling Engine Program Update, Johansson et al., SAE Technical Paper Series 880542, International Congress and Exposition, Feb. 29-Mar. 4, 1988, discloses the progress made in developing a vehicular engine that can operate from a multitude of different fuels -liquid, gaseous, or solid.
Kaylor-Kit Electric R 100 MPG Hybrid Car Sales Brochure (1990), discloses a gas-electric replacement unit for an original VW power plant.
EV Engineering Guidebook: Electric Vehicle Conversion for the 1980's, Shipps, 3E Vehicles, pp. 21-25, 49-52, 1981, discloses advantages, methods and problems of converting a vehicle to an electric motor propelled vehicle and/or to a hybrid vehicle that uses both electric motors and a combustion engine to propel the vehicle.

Method for renewing fuel cells using magnesium anodes


A carriage system for a printing apparatus is disclosed. The carriage system includes a movable carriage for carrying at least one ink pen, a carriage rod on which the carriage is rotatably mounted, an anti-rotation rail that is adjacent to one end of the carriage to prevent the rotation of the carriage in one direction, and a spring-loaded preloader coupled to an underside of the carriage to prevent the rotation of the carriage in the opposite direction and to urge the carriage against the anti-rotation rail. The preloader includes a preloader body made of a nonmetallic material, a roller operable to roll along a surface below the carriage, and a resilient spring.

In many conventional printing apparatuses, such as inkjet printers, a pen carriage is moved relative to the print medium to perform printing. The carriage carries one or more ink cartridges (called "pen" by those in the art), which eject ink drops onto the print medium during printing. Typically, the carriage glides (or "scans") back and forth on a carriage rod that is mounted substantially orthogonal to the moving direction of the print medium. Some inkjet printers further include an anti-rotation mechanism to limit the rotational movement of the carriage about the carriage rod axis. One known anti-rotation mechanism is in the form of an anti-rotational roller mounted under the front end of the carriage. This type of roller runs along a track surface below the carriage during printing to prevent the carriage from rotating about the guide rod axis.
Another anti-rotation mechanism is in the form of an elongated guide or rail arranged parallel to the guide rod and adjacent to a distal end of the carriage. In inkjet printing, it is important that the carriage glides smoothly along the guide rod with minimum vibration so that ink dots can be accurately placed on the print medium. As printing speed increases, the tendency for the carriage to rock about the guide rod increases. The prior art anti-rotation mechanisms are not sufficient to prevent uncontrolled rocking of the carriage during high-speed printing, e.g. at 60 ips or more. There exists a need for a carriage system with mechanisms that are low-cost yet effective for stabilizing the carriage dynamics during printing, especially during high-speed printing.

Carriage preloader and carriage system having a preloader

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A method and system for a programmable image transformation is disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for transforming an image comprises rotating an image by a predetermined angle. The image is copied from a first memory location associated with a first location of a display device to a second memory location associated with a second location of a display device.

Two types of 2-D image transformations include translation and rotation. Any point in the (x,y) plane may be translated to a new position by adding translation amounts to the coordinates of the point. For each point P(x,y) to be moved by dx units parallel to the x axis and by dy units parallel to the y axis to the new point P′(x′,y′), x′=x+dx and y′=y+dy. Because each line in an object is made up of an infinite number of points, however, the translation process would take an infinitely long time. All points may be translated, by translating the line's end points and by drawing a new line between the translated endpoints.
Any point in the (x,y) plane may be rotated through an angle θ about the origin. A rotation is defined mathematically by x′=x cos θ−y sin θ, y′=x sin θ+y cos θ. Positive angles are measured counterclockwise from x towards y. For negative (clockwise) rotations, the identities cos (−θ)=cos θ and sin(−θ)=−sin θ may be used.
Prior art rotational transformations rely on software to perform the rotation. For example, a processor performs cosine and sine functions as described above to calculate the rotated coordinates. Performing advanced trignometric functions requires extensive computational processor cycles to complete a single pixel transform.
In one prior art direct rotation approach, a new location is calculated for each pixel by appropriate trigonometric function, thereby rotating the image through the desired angle. However, the direct calculation approach is much too slow for use in screening stored images in which each output pixel is computed from a scanned input image as the source image. It is inefficient as well, because direct calculation requires a large memory bandwidth because of single pixel access and memory page breaks, without sequential access to memory address space. The prior art direct rotation calculation of a rotated image can require many computational cycles per image scan line, which increases the cost of rotation systems.
Direct calculation approaches are additionally defective in computer display applications, especially in mobile computing and handheld computing devices. These devices may only need a limited transformation, for example rotation by fixed amounts, such as 0°, 90°, 180°, or 270° and, therefore, direct mathematical rotations may be very inefficient and costly.

Method and system for a programmable image transformation


The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for estimating at least one of timing, gain, and offset errors of a time-interleaved ADC. The apparatus has a first ADC, a second ADC, a converter, an estimator, and a compensator. The converter has a Fourier Transform converter and a calculator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analog to digital converter (ADC), and more particularly, to a correlation circuit for an ADC.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As communication systems advance quickly, ADCs with broad bandwidth and high resolution are required. Time-interleaved ADCs, a.k.a. parallel ADCs, are thereby introduced. This kind of ADC utilizes M parallel ADCs having a sampling frequency fs and an n-bit resolution. Sample timings of these M ADCs are distributed uniformly within one period T=1/fs. In other words, assuming that the sample timings of the first ADC, ADC0, are (0, T, 2T, . . . ), the sample timings of the second ADC, ADC1, will be (T/M, T+T/M, 2T+T/M, . . . , and the sample timings of the (i+1)th ADC, ADCi, will be (iT/M, 1T+iT/M, 2T+iT/M, . . . ). As a result, the bandwidth of the original ADC is expanded to M multiple and the n-bit resolution is maintained.
Some errors may occur due to mismatch among ADCs. These potential errors include timing error, gain error, and offset error. Any one of combination of the three errors may degrade the efficiency of the time-interleaved ADC. The timing error affects the efficiency most. Structure of unique sample and hold (S/H) circuit for all ADCs is usually adopted to reduce the timing error. This S/H circuit must be having a very high speed sampling frequency and very accurate circuit.
There are several other methods to estimate the above-mentioned errors. One of them is to input a test sine wave to time-interleaved ADC, and to individually analyze the phase and the amplitude of the output signal of each ADC to obtain information about the timing error and gain error. However, the frequency of the test sine wave is constrained to (1+s) fs, where −0.5<s<0.5, and the phase and the amplitude of the output signal can only be estimated in the time domain. Another method is to estimate the timing error of a test sine wave in the frequency domain. However, a highly complicated calculation of DFT/IDFT is necessary in the digital domain. A background compensation method has also been introduced. Before being received by the S/H circuit, an input signal is added to an analog ramp function signal having a period ts=1/Mfs. If the average (DC component) of the input signal is zero, the information of timing error will hide in the DC component of each ADC output due to the ramp function. This method assumes that the average of the input signals is zero and no offset error exists between ADCs. Still another method is based on a signal statistics principle. If a timing error occurs, a mean square difference between two adjacent ADCs includes information about the timing error. Although this method is a background compensation method and no extra analog signals are required, complicated calculation in the digital domain cannot be avoided.

Estimation circuit for time-interleaved ADC and method thereof


In digital data transmission and storage, binary data strings are encoded into symbols from a quaternary alphabet by a specific inventive use of finite-state machines. The novel, high-rate quaternary codes offer spectral shaping properties together with a significant increase in noise margin when used on channels which lend themselves to partial-response shaping. In principle, the encoding occurs in three steps: a u-state transition diagram generates quaternary symbols whose running digital sum assumes values from a given set; the u-state transition diagram is converted into a v-state machine, each of the v states being associated with a number of transitions sufficient to encode the input data bytes into output code words; finally, the v-state machine is switched into a next state depending on its current state and the last encoded input data byte.

The present invention relates generally to the encoding of data strings, here the encoding of sequential binary data, for digital transmission or recording systems. In particular, the novel coding technique employs high-rate quaternary codes that offer advantageous properties for transmission over metallic cables or optical fibers and for recording in storage media. Further, the present invention is directed to an encoder utilizing the novel coding technique and to new codes, and to a transmission or recording system employing the above method of encoding and the new codes.
In the prior art, many digital transmission or recording systems require the use of codes which impose restrictions on the channel input sequences. Such codes, often termed constrained, modulation, or channel codes, are mainly used to improve timing and gain control in the receiver (or decoder in a recording system), to reduce intersymbol interference, and to shape the spectrum of the transmitted or recorded sequences so that the spectrum matches the frequency characteristics of the channel. In particular, many line codes were designed to suppress the spectral components of encoded sequences near the zero frequency. Such codes are instrumental in reducing the effects of baseline wander in a receiver.
Codes of that kind are DC-free, i.e., have a first order spectral null at zero frequency, if, and only if, the running digital sum (RDS) is bounded. The number of values N that the RDS can assume determines the low frequency content of the code spectrum. For example, the modified version of the ternary MS43 line code described by P. A. Franaszek in "Sequence-State Coding for Digital Transmission", Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 47, pp. 143-157, January 1968, which was adopted by the German Bundespost as a standard for an ISDN transceiver, is based on a bounded RDS constraint with N=6.
Binary and multilevel codes with a spectral null at zero frequency possess desirable distance properties in addition to their spectrum shaping properties and can therefore be used to improve the reliability of transmission over noisy channels. In particular, they can be used to increase the Euclidian distance at the output of partial-response channels which are often encountered in digital recording and wire transmissions.
Binary Codes for partial-response channels that expand bandwidth by using convolutional codes with good Hamming Distance properties have been considered, e.g., by J. K. Wolf and G. Ungerboeck in "Trellis Codes for Partial Response Channels", IEEE Trans. Commun., Vol. COM-34, pp. 765-773, August 1986. Binary codes that expand bandwidth by enforcing a spectral null have been given, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,775 by R. Karabed and P. H. Siegel, issued in 1989. All these coding schemes are binary, and are well suited for applications such as saturation recording.
Multilevel coding schemes, as discussed, e.g., by G. D. Forney and A. R. Calderbank in "Coset Codes for Partial Response Channels; or Coset Codes with Spectral Nulls", IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, Vol. IT-35, pp. 925-943, September 1989, achieve higher immunity against noise by expanding the signal alphabet and using trellis or known coset codes adapted for partial-response channels. Low rate (R less than or equal to 1 bit/symbol) quaternary trellis codes for partial response channels have also been constructed using concatenated coding schemes and set partitioning of the channel output signal set. Multilevel coding schemes are well suited for applications such as bandwidth efficient digital transmission and AC-bias recording.

Coding method and apparatus using quaternary codes

International Business Machines Corporation


An ion implantation system includes a beamline configured to direct an ion beam toward an end station configured to hold or support a workpiece, and a scanning system. The scanning system is configured to scan the end station past the ion beam in a two-dimensional fashion comprising a first scan axis along a first direction and a second scan axis along a second direction that is different than the first direction. The system further includes a supplemental scanning component operably associated with the scanning system, and configured to effectuate a scanning of the ion beam with respect to the end station along a third scan axis having a third direction that is different than the first direction.

In the semiconductor industry, various manufacturing processes are typically carried out on a substrate (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) in order to achieve various results on the substrate. Processes such as ion implantation, for example, can be performed in order to obtain a particular characteristic on or within the substrate, such as limiting a diffusivity of a dielectric layer on the substrate by implanting a specific type of ion. In the past, ion implantation processes were performed in a batch process, wherein multiple substrates were processed simultaneously by being placed on a disk and rotated at high speed past a stationary ion beam to constitute one dimension of the scan, while the rotating disk itself was translated to provide a second scanning axis. Later implantation system employed a serial process, wherein a single substrate is individually processed.
In a typical serial process an ion beam is either scanned in a single axis across a stationary wafer, wherein the wafer is translated in one direction past a fan-shaped, or scanned ion beam, or the wafer is translated in generally orthogonal axes with respect to a stationary ion beam or "spot beam".
Translating the wafer in generally orthogonal axes requires a uniform translation and/or rotation of the wafer in order to provide a uniform ion implantation across the wafer. Furthermore, such a translation should occur in an expedient manner, in order to provide acceptable wafer throughput in the ion implantation process. Due to the slower reciprocating motion of the workpiece, the two dimensional scanning system is not capable of the same scanning speeds as the batch tools. Further, because of this slower scan speed the number of scan lines across the wafer is reduced, and therefore the micro-uniformity of the dose across the wafer is an issue to be considered.
One prior art attempt to address the micro-uniformity issue was to select the pitch of the scan lines based on a beam measurement and prediction of the resultant uniformity. Although this solution can be effective for controlling uniformity, it has a disadvantage that the decreasing the pitch of the scan lines increases the total implant time because of the corresponding greater number scan passes required to completely scan the workpiece. Thus the prior art solution provides for sufficient uniformity, but such improvement comes at the expense of a decrease in the productivity of the tool.
Accordingly, there is a need for improvement in two dimensional scanning systems.

Use of beam scanning to improve uniformity and productivity of a 2D mechanical scan implantation system


A method of controlling a power driver for LED illumination may include receiving, by a power correction unit, an AC voltage from the outside, rectifying the received AC voltage into a DC voltage, and correcting a power factor of the rectified DC voltage; and receiving, by a DC/DC converter unit, the DC voltage from the power factor correction unit and converting the received DC voltage into a DC voltage which has a magnitude different from the received DC voltage and is supplied to an LED module. A skip control unit, which is disposed in the DC/DC converter unit, may be fed back with a current flowing in the LED module driven by receiving the output from the DC/DC converter unit to detect a magnitude of the current and output a signal for a skip mode control depending on the detected magnitude of the current.

1. Technical Field
Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a power driver for light emitting diode (LED) illumination and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a power driver for light emitting diode (LED) illumination and a control method thereof which may have a wide output voltage range by performing, for example, but not limited to, a skip mode control.
2. Description of the Related Art
A power driver for LED illumination may supply a constant current to an LED module by a control of current. In this case, an output voltage may be determined by a LED forward voltage Vf of the LED module. When Vf of the LED is out of the output voltage range of power, the current may not be controlled and thus the LED may not emit light.
The power driver for LED illumination constantly controls an output current in terms of characteristics of the LED module and the output voltage is designed to meet Vf of the LED module. If the output voltage range is narrow, as illustrated in FIG. 1, each of the power drivers 101b to 103b for illumination may need to be designed to correspond to each of the LED modules 101a to 103a. Therefore, the inconvenience that one power driver may not be used in the plurality of LED modules may be caused. Further, since each of the power drivers corresponding to each of the LED modules is provided, costs may be increased.

Power driver for light emitting diode illumination and control method thereof


A power conditioning unit includes unit a rectifier having an input terminal coupled to a power transfer unit output terminal and a regulator having an input terminal coupled to an output terminal of the rectifier. The power conditioning unit also includes an energy buffer coupled to an output terminal of the regulator. The power conditioning unit includes an inverter having an input terminal coupled to the energy buffer and having an output terminal configured to couple to a load.

Aircraft flight testing is performed to ensure that an aircraft meets design specifications and certification standards. During flight testing, flight test monitoring equipment can be added to the aircraft in order to gather flight test data. Generally, the flight test monitoring equipment is powered by a power bus of the aircraft under test. During some flight test operations, the power bus can be deactivated (e.g., intentionally as part of a test procedure), or power levels provided by the power bus can fluctuate. Such power disruptions can lead to loss of flight test data.


Methods and apparatus for the provision of differentiated services in a packet-based network may be provided in a communications device such as a switch or router having input ports and output ports. Each output port is associated with a set of configurable queues that store incoming data packets from one or more input ports. A scheduling mechanism retrieves data packets from individual queues in accord with a specified configuration, providing both pure priority and proportionate de-queuing to achieve a guaranteed QoS over a connectionless network.

A communications network may be characterized as "connection-oriented" or "connectionless." A connection-oriented network is conceptually similar to a telephone network. First, a source entity opens a connection using a call-setup protocol to create a circuit with a destination entity. Using the connection, the source entity transmits data to the destination entity, which receives the data in the order it is transmitted. The bandwidth associated with this connection is reserved while the connection is open and is therefore unavailable for other connections, even if the circuit is idle.
Due to this bandwidth reservation requirement, connection-oriented networks are ill-suited to carry bursty data communications. The bandwidth of a connection is wasted when it idles between bursts of communications and, when the network is congested, idle bandwidth reserved for other connections typically cannot be commandeered to alleviate the congestion.
In contrast, the transmission of data over a connectionless network is analogous to sending parcels through the mail: each packet of data on the network is labeled with a destination address and processed independently of any other packet sent across the network. The bandwidth associated with a connectionless link is not reserved and may be allocated to other entities on a first-come, first-served basis. This routing model permits the efficient use of network resources since bursty data traffic only uses bandwidth as needed and, in congestion scenarios, packets may be dropped if network resources (such as buffer memory) become full. The Internet carries data according to the connectionless model using a packet-based protocol called "internet protocol" (IP).
A problem arises when an application requires data transfer with a guaranteed minimum quality-of-service (QoS) using a connectionless network such as the Internet or a private packet-based network. For example, a source entity transmitting data associated with voice, videoconferencing, or other real-time communications applications may require that all the data packets it sends arrive in order in a relatively-constant, predetermined time frame. In this case, the same routing flexibility that permits the efficient use of network resources on the connectionless network also hinders the provision of a guaranteed QoS, as packets sent over the network may arrive out of order, may arrive late, or not arrive at all. Therefore, there is a need for techniques that facilitate the provision of a guaranteed QoS over a typical connectionless network.

Methods and apparatus for differentiated services over a packet-based network


An electric operation apparatus includes a high-frequency generating device which generates high-frequency current for treating the body anatomy, an active electrode which supplies to the body anatomy, the high-frequency current generated by the high-frequency generating device, a solution supply device which supplies a conductive solution around the active electrode, a return electrode which returns, via the conductive solution supplied by the solution supply device, the high-frequency current supplied to the body anatomy from the active electrode in the conductive solution, a sensor which detects a conductive state of the high-frequency current that flows between the active electrode and the return electrode, and a control device which determines a state of bubbles generated around the active electrode and which changes an operation mode, based on the conductive state of the high-frequency current detected by the sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric operation apparatus which is used in a conductive solution and performs electric operation, e.g., resects, transpires, and discharges and coagulates the body anatomy, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an electric operation apparatus uses a resectoscope, and is used in a conductive solution and performs electric operation, for example, resects, transpires, and discharges and coagulates the body anatomy.
Generally, the resectoscope is used for transurethral resection and transcervical resection, and mainly comprises an optical scope as an endoscope for observation and an electrode unit for cauterizing the anatomy in an elongated and hollow sheath inserted in the coelom.
Upon observation using the resectoscope, a solution is supplied in the coelom through the sheath and the field of view is ensured.
Conventionally, the solution supplied to the coelom is a non-conductive D-sorbitol solution or the like. High-frequency current is collected by a collecting electrode which is extracorporeally arranged via the electrode and the body anatomy.
Here, in the conventional electric operation apparatus, the high-frequency current stimulates the nervus, thereby causing the muscular reflex.
Thus, the conventional electric operation apparatus needs the blocking of high-frequency current against the nervus. The D-sorbitol solution is not supplied in the coelom for a long time and therefore the operation time is limited.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-201946 discloses a technology which uses physiological saline, as the conductive solution, that is sent to the coelom of the body for a long time, collects the high-frequency current by using the sheath in place of the collecting electrode, and reduces the stimulation of nervus.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,281 discloses a technology which applies electric energy to a target position in the body or of the structure on the body by applying a high-frequency voltage between an electrode terminal and a return electrode.

Electric operation apparatus and control method thereof