A lighting emitting diode (LED) lamp (100) includes a first LED array (60) and a second LED array (50). A rate of change of a relatively luminous intensity relative to the temperature of the first LED array is lower than that of the second LED array. A first heat sink (10) thermally attaches to the first LED array. A second heat sink (20) thermally attaches to the second LED array. A heat dissipation efficiency of the second heat sink is higher than that of the first heat sink. The heat dissipation of the second LED array is much quicker than that of the first LED array. The second LED array thus can be kept working at a much lower temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a light emitting diode lamp, and particularly to a heat dissipation device of the lamp.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, light emitting diodes (LEDs), because of being highly efficient light sources, have come to be widely used in such fields as automotive transport, display screens, and traffic control indicators.
It is well known that LEDs emit light within a relatively narrow-band spectrum. Therefore, LEDs are inherently suited as sources of colored light, whereas many applications require white light with a broad spectrum. Two basic approaches for producing white light rely on either partial or complete conversion of short-wave radiation from LED chips or using a variety of independently controlled primary colored LEDs. During operation, when the variety of colored LEDs give off light, heat is also produced, and thus the working temperature of the LEDs increases. However, rates of change of the luminous intensity of the variety of colored LEDs relative to their respective working temperature are much different from each other. For example, the luminous intensity of the red LEDs, the yellow LEDs or the orange LEDs decreases much more than that of the blue LEDs for equal increases in working temperature. Color, luminance, and color temperature of the white light thus are much affected by change of the red LEDs. Therefore a heat dissipation device is needed to keep the variety of colored LEDs working at different suitable working temperatures.
Therefore, a heat dissipation device for the LED lamp is desired to overcome the above describe shortcomings.


Systems, methods and computer storage apparatuses for synthesizing terrain elevations under overpasses are described herein. An embodiment includes identifying one or more spans across an overpass in an overpasses model, where the overpasses model includes information for one or more overpasses and respective locations and widths of the spans. The embodiment associates one or more terrain elevation values with the one or more identified spans, where the terrain elevation values can be included in an elevation model corresponding to the overpasses model. The embodiment further includes interpolating terrain elevation values for one or more points across the identified spans and updating the elevation model with the interpolated terrain elevation values.

1. Field
Embodiments generally relate to geographical terrain modeling.
2. Background Discussion
Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) are used for many applications in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) ranging from three dimensional (3D) terrain viewing applications to orthorectification (the geometric scaling of aerial photographs so they can be used as maps) and flood plain analysis. A DTM is a data file containing the elevation of the bare Earth (the terrain) at various points on the Earth's surface. As an example, elevations in a DTM can be specified in a square grid of cells with the grid represented in a coordinate system such as latitude and longitude. The elevation of terrain in a cell can be represented by an elevation value associated with the cell.
DTMs are commonly built with data gathered by remote sensing techniques such as photogrammetry or LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In addition to terrain elevations, these techniques also produce the elevations of features such as vegetation, buildings, bridges and road overpasses that are on or above the terrain. Since terrain elevations in DTM cells under a feature are occluded by the feature, various processing steps are used to locate the features and estimate the terrain elevations in the occluded cells. The estimation techniques might use valid terrain elevations in the neighborhood of the feature together with surface fitting (e.g., a Laplacian surface) to estimate the occluded terrain elevation values. In some cases, which could occur, for example, when the occluded terrain has sharp features and elevation changes rapidly, these estimates are not accurate enough and manual editing of estimated terrain elevation values is needed to achieve desired accuracy. This manual editing increases the cost of producing DTMs. Furthermore, because the estimates are not sufficiently accurate, features rendered using these estimates appear to merge with surrounding terrain gradations. This degrades user viewing experience. In other applications (e.g., erosion modeling, flood plain analysis) inaccuracies in estimated elevations can cause erroneous results.

Methods and systems to synthesize terrain elevations under overpasses


The invention is directed to physiologically active compounds of formula (I):

This invention is directed to tetrahydroisoquinoline derivatives, their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, and their pharmaceutical use in the treatment of disease states capable of being modulated by the inhibition of cell adhesion.
Cell adhesion is a process by which cells associate with each other, migrate towards a specific target or localise within the extra-cellular matrix. Many of the cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions are mediated by protein ligands (e.g., fibronectin, VCAM-1 and vitronectin) and their integrin receptors [e.g., α5β1 (VLA-5), α4β1 (VLA-4) and αVβ3]. Recent studies have shown these interactions to play an important part in many physiological (e.g., embryonic development and wound healing) and pathological conditions (e.g., tumour-cell invasion and metastasis, inflammation, atherosclerosis and autoimmune disease).
A wide variety of proteins serve as ligands for integrin receptors. In general, the proteins recognised by integrins fall into one of three classes: extracellular matrix proteins, plasma proteins and cell surface proteins. Extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen fibronectin, fibrinogen, laminin, thrombospondin and vitronectin bind to a number of integrins. Many of the adhesive proteins also circulate in plasma and bind to activated blood cells. Additional components in plasma that are ligands for integrins include fibrinogen and factor X. Cell bound complement C3bi and several transmembrane proteins, such as Ig-like cell adhesion molecule (ICAM-1,2,3) and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1), which are members of the Ig superfamily, also serve as cell-surface ligands for some integrins.
Integrins are heterodimeric cell surface receptors consisting of two subunits called α and β. There are at least fifteen different α-subunits (α1–α9, α-L, α-M, α-X, α-IIb, α-V and α-E) and at least seven different β (β1–β7) subunits. The integrin family can be subdivided into classes based on the β subunits, which can be associated with one or more α-subunits. The most widely distributed integrins belong to the β1 class, also known as the very late antigens (VLA). The second class of integrins are leukocyte specific receptors and consist of one of three α-subunits (α-L, α-M or α-X) complexed with the β2 protein. The cytoadhesins α-IIbβ3 and β-Vβ3, constitute the third class of integrins.
The present invention principally relates to agents which modulate the interaction of the ligand VCAM-1 with its integrin receptor α4β1 (VLA-4), which is expressed on numerous hematopoietic cells and established cell lines, including hematopoietic precursors, peripheral and cytotoxic T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, monocytes, thymocytes and eosinophils.
The integrin α4β1 mediates both cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Cells expressing α4β1 bind to the carboxy-terminal cell binding domain (CS-1) of the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin, to the cytokine-inducible endothelial cell surface protein VCAM-1, and to each other to promote homotypic aggregation. The expression of VCAM-1 by endothelial cells is upregulated by proinflammatory cytokines such as INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL4.
Regulation of α4β1 mediated cell adhesion is important in numerous physiological processes, including T-cell proliferation, B-cell localisation to germinal centres, and adhesion of activated T-cells and eosinophils to endothelial cells. Evidence for the involvement of VLA-4/VCAM-1 interaction in various disease processes such as melanoma cell division in metastasis, T-cell infiltration of synovial membranes in rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diabetes, collitis and leukocyte penetration of the blood-brain barrier in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, cardiovascular disease and multiple sclerosis, has been accumulated by investigating the role of the peptide CS-1 (the variable region of fibronectin to which α4β1 binds via the sequence Leu-Asp-Val) and antibodies specific for VLA-4 or VCAM-1 in various in vitro and in vivo experimental models of inflammation. For example, in a Streptococcal cell wall-induced experimental model of arthritis in rats, intravenous administration of CS-1 at the initiation of arthritis suppresses both acute and chronic inflammation (S. M. Wahl et al., J. Clin. Invest., 1994, 94, pages 655–662). In the oxazalone-sensitised model of inflammation (contact hypersensitivity response) in mice, intravenous administration of anti-α4 specific monoclonal antibodies significantly inhibited (50–60% reduction in the ear swelling response) the efferent response (P. L. Chisholm et al. J. Immunol., 1993, 23, pages 682–688). In a sheep model of allergic bronchoconstriction, HP1/2, an anti-α4 monoclonal antibody given intravenously or by aerosol, blocked the late response and the development of airway hyperresponsiveness (W. M. Abraham et al. J. Clin. Invest., 1994, 93 pages 776–787).

Abstract: wherein:    R1 represents optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, R3NH—Ar1—L2— or R3—NH—C(═O)—NH—Ar2—L2—; R3 represents aryl or heteroaryl; Ar1 represents a saturated, partially saturated or fully unsaturated 8- to 10-membered bicyclic ring system containing at least one heteroatom selected from O, S or N; Ar2 represents aryldiyl or heteroaryldiyl; L1 represents a linkage, such as an alkylene linkage; L2 represents an alkylene chain linkage; R2 represents hydrogen, halogen, C1-4alkyl or C1-4alkoxy; and Y is carboxy or an acid bioisostere;    but excluding compounds where an oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur atom is attached directly to a carbon carbon multiple bond of an alkenylene or alkynylene residue;    and the corresponding N-oxides and ester prodrugs thereof, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates of such compounds, and the N-oxides and ester prodrugs thereof.

Abstract: Such compounds have valuable pharmaceutical properties, in particular the ability to regulate the interaction of VCAM-1 and fibronectin with the integrin VLA-4 (α4β1).


A torque converter including a turbine, an output shaft, and a damper having at least one cover plate radially fixed to the turbine, a flange driven by the damper and non-rotatably connected to the output shaft, the flange having an axially extending surface centering the cover plate.

In FIG. 1, a prior art torque converter 10 contains a cover 12, an impeller 14, a turbine 16, a stator 18, a lock-up clutch 20, and a damper 22. Torque converter 10 is driven by an engine connected with studs 24, 26. Impeller 14 is rigidly attached to cover 12. Turbine 16 is rigidly attached to a turbine hub 28 with, for example, rivets 30. Turbine hub 28 is non-rotatably attached to an output shaft 32 with, for example, spines 34. Turbine hub 28 centers turbine 16 around output shaft 32.
A piston 36 and a piston hub 38 of lock-up clutch 20 may move axially on an outer hub 40 of turbine hub 28 according to the controlled pressure difference between regions 42, 44 on either axial side of piston 36. When piston 36 is not contacting cover 12 at a surface 46, torque is transferred from the engine to output shaft 32 through the hydraulic fluid in torque converter 10. When piston 36 is contacting cover 12 at surface 46, torque is transferred from the engine to output shaft 32 through springs 48 in damper 22. U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,222 is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Torque converter damper flange with turbine centering feature


Device and process for cleaning a circulating belt, the device using a cleaning device having at least one nozzle. The process includes feeding a pressurized fluid to the at least one nozzle, and subjecting the circulating belt to the pressurized fluid via the at least one nozzle. The pressurized fluid has a temperature in a range of between approximately 90° C. and approximately 160° C.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process and a device for cleaning a circulating belt, in particular a wire or felt belt, of a paper machine.
2. Discussion of Background Information
A process and a device of this type are described, e.g., in DE-C-195 07 938.
However, in such customary high-pressure cleaners of this type, the water temperature is lower than 90° C. and the pressure is approximately between 100 and 500 bar.

Process and device for cleaning a circulating belt


A power transmission tool for the installation and removal of a spanner nut (15) on a threaded end of a drive shaft (27) comprises a torque reactor plate (32) with a central threaded aperture (35,37) for threaded engagement with a wrench shaft (39). The pitch of the wrench and reactor plate threads (37,39) is the same as the pitch of the drive shaft and spanner nut threads. The reactor plate (32) is fastened (60,63,65) to a drive flange (20), the flange being mounted on an end of the drive shaft and having splines to prevent relative movement therebetween. An aperture (73) is formed in the torque reactor plate for receiving a bar which is used to react the torque applied to the drive shaft/flange combination by the wrench via the nut, thereby preventing rotation of the flange and shaft combination when torque is applied to the wrench.

Aeronautical spanner nuts are used to secure power transmission drive flanges to the input and output ends of power transmission drive shafts on helicopter tail rotor drive systems. Each drive flange and the drive shaft are provided with splines to prevent relative movement therebetween, and a spanner nut holds the flange on the drive shaft.
To properly torque a spanner nut on the threaded end of a drive shaft, up to several thousand inch pounds of torque must be applied. Because of the location of the spanner nut within the drive flange, special power transmission tools have been developed to apply the proper torque when attaching the spanner nut, and for applying torque to remove the spanner nut. Referring to FIG. 1, present tools used to attach aeronautical spanner nuts typically include a cylindrical wrench 10 which is concentrically piloted within a torque reactor plate 12. An aperture 13 in the torque reactor plate and the surface of the wrench act as a bearing and hold the wrench in alignment with a spanner nut 15. During installation or removal of the spanner nut, the torque reactor plate 12 is mounted to a drive flange 20 with a plurality of fasteners 23. An aperture 25 is formed in the reactor plate to receive a bar or other tool (not shown) to react the torque applied to the wrench 10, thereby preventing the transmission shaft 27 and flange 20 combination from rotating when torque is applied to the wrench 10, e.g., using a standard torque wrench. Two operators are required during removal or installation of the spanner nut in the field because of the torque involved; one person to operate the torque wrench and one person to apply torque to the reactor plate via the bar.
A problem associated with the present method of installing and removing a spanner nut on the end of a drive shaft is that when torque is applied to the wrench 10, the wrench tends to jump out of and away from the slots of the spanner nut 15. This results in several problems. First, the tangs which project from the wrench for engagement with the spanner nut become rounded or damaged, and the slots in the spanner nut which receive the tangs tend to become rounded. Therefore, the wrench and the spanner nut may become unusable and lead to a great deal of problems in trying to remove the spanner nut 15 without damaging the power transmission shaft 27 and flange 20. Additionally, if the wrench breaks free from the spanner nut when the wrench operator is applying up to several thousand inch pounds of torque, the wrench and/or reactor operator could be injured by the tool or by a fall.

Positive engagement power transmission tool


A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels which detects radiation are arrayed to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, a detection circuit which detects information having correlation to a radiation dose to the pixel array and output a detection signal corresponding to the information, and a control unit which detects radiation irradiation to the pixel array based on a plurality of integrated values obtained by integrating one of the detection signal and a result of processing applied to the detection signal in a plurality of integral intervals and control the pixel array in accordance with the detection.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation imaging apparatus and a radiation imaging system.
Description of the Related Art
An radiation imaging apparatus performs an imaging operation in synchronism with radiation irradiation by a radiation generation apparatus. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-264085 describes a radiation image capturing apparatus that detects radiation irradiation and starts accumulating charges in accordance with the detection. The radiation image capturing apparatus includes a plurality of radiation detection elements arrayed in a matrix, and a plurality of bias lines each connected to the radiation detection elements of a corresponding column. The plurality of bias lines are connected to a connection. The radiation image capturing apparatus includes a current detection means for detecting a current flowing to the connection, and a control means for judging exposure to radiation based on the current detected by the current detection means.
The output of the radiation detection element is decided by the product of the intensity and irradiation time of radiation to irradiate a subject. The radiation irradiation time generally falls within the range of 1 ms to several hundred ms. For example, a portable radiation generator or a radiation generator included in a cart for round visits tends to use a long irradiation time because the radiation output is weak. On the other hand, a stationary radiation generator tends to shorten the irradiation time to prevent image blurs caused by a subject motion. In a case in which radiation irradiation is detected using the integrated value of the bias current, when the integral interval is made long, the time required until detection of radiation irradiation becomes long. Hence, when a subject is irradiated with strong radiation for a short irradiation time, the time from the end of radiation irradiation to detection of radiation irradiation is long, and an artifact readily occurs in an image. On the other hand, with a short integral interval, detection of radiation irradiation may fail if the subject is irradiated with weak radiation for a long irradiation time.

Radiation imaging apparatus and radiation imaging system


An apparatus and method for controlling memory requests in an information processor is capable of generating an effective address for a first operand and a second operand, both of which are part of an instruction used to transfer data from a first memory location to a second memory location. The first operand indicates the first memory location and the second operand indicates the second memory location. By changing, in response to address overlap of the first and second operands, control of requests for memory accessing by changing the read address of a control memory, useless memory accessing is avoided resulting in faster processing.

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for controlling memory requests during operation of an information processor.
Control of memory requests in the operation of an information processing apparatus may be accomplished, using a system of MOVE instructions by which data on a memory indicated by a first operand, are transferred byte by byte to a storage location on another memory, indicated by a second operand. In the execution of these MOVE instructions, the actual transfer of data takes place a plurality of bytes at a time, in order to improve the performance of the information processing apparatus.
In such a system, the presence or absence of destructive overlap between the two operands is detected according to the difference between the leading address of the first operand and that of the second operand. In response to the detection of operand overlap, a read address for the control memory is generated corresponding to the extent of the overlap lag, and an address, which references the control memory in order to determine which step to be executed next, is altered to demand memory access accordingly.
As an example of such a system by the prior art, reference may be made to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,991, which discloses a system having a calculating unit for calculating the difference between addresses from the transfer originating side address storing unit and addresses from the transfer receiving side address storing to calculate the duplication lag between the effective address of the transfer originating side data and that of the transfer receiving side data and thereby calculating the difference between the transfer originating side data and the transfer receiving side data. In this calculating operation, the address difference is calculated by the calculating unit after the addresses are stored into the address storing unit. For this reason, an information processing apparatus capable of generating the address of operand data by address qualification, such as base qualification or index qualification, can calculate the difference between the transfer originating side data and the transfer receiving side data only after subjecting both data to address qualification and generating effective addresses.

Apparatus and method for controlling memory requests in an information processor


A gas/liquid separator assembly for use in a tubing string located in a borehole of a well is provided. The separator assembly includes a tubular outer conduit having a lower inlet for introducing gas and liquids within the interior of the outer conduit. The outer conduit has an upper outlet to allow fluids to pass to the exterior of the outer conduit. A tubular inner conduit is disposed within the interior of the outer conduit. The inner conduit has a flow passage and an inlet for introducing liquids discharged from the outer conduit into the flow passage. The inner and outer conduits are rigidly joined together at a first end. An adaptor engages the inner and outer conduits at a second end to prevent lateral movement of the second end of the inner conduit within the outer conduit, while allowing relative longitudinal movement of the outer and inner conduits from longitudinal compression or tension forces applied to the outer conduit.

In oil and gas wells, both liquids and gases may be produced from the same well. In such wells, it is often desirable to separate gases and liquids so that the liquids may be more efficiently pumped or lifted to the surface. Gases that may be entrained or evolved from hydrocarbon liquids when such liquids are pumped to the surface may interfere or reduce the efficiency of the pumping operations, decreasing or slowing production.
There have been a variety of different methods and devices used for such downhole separation of liquids and gases. One such separator device 10 is shown in FIG. 1 and includes a tube 12 that is positioned within and welded at one end by means of a plate or annular ring 14 to the interior of a larger diameter tube 16. The larger diameter tube 16 is subsequently attached (screwed) at its upper end to a tubing string that extends into the well borehole from the surface. The larger diameter or outer tube 16 may be ported or slotted at its upper end to allow liquids and gases that are introduced into the outer tube to escape into the borehole or casing. The lower end of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14 are coupled together by a sub or coupling 18, which may, in turn, couple to a packer (not shown) that anchors the tubing string within the well. The packer forms a sump area where liquids, which fall back into the wellbore after being discharged from the outer tube 16, are drawn through a port 20 into the inner tube 12 and pumped to the surface.
In the arrangement described above, tension may be pulled from the surface on the tubing string, which is anchored in the wellbore. Such tension is pulled to eliminate buckling and flexing of the tubing string. Such tension may also result in the premature wear and failure of the pumping components.
When tension is pulled on the tubing string, prior art separator devices, such as the one described, are prone to failure. In particular, the inner tube is prone to fracture because of its rigid attachment to the outer tube. Additionally, because the inner tube is welded or permanently joined to the outer tube, repair or replacement of components of the device may be difficult or impractical.

Downhole gas/liquid separator and method


A process for the removal and causticisation of sodium oxalate and/or sodium sulphate from a Bayer process liquor containing sodium carbonate and one or both of sodium oxalate and sodium sulphate in an alumina refinery is described. The process is based on the observation that to efficiently causticise sodium oxalate solutions, it is first necessary to remove the aluminate ion from solution, optionally with recovery of the aluminate ion in some later step. This is effected by removing aluminate ions from the Bayer liquor through the formation of a carbonate bearing hydrocalumite and/or sulpha-bearing hydrocalumite. The liquor may then be treated with sufficient lime to remove and causticise any residual carbonate ions and some or all of the oxalate ions present so that any reacted lime solids thus formed can be separated and safely disposed of. The process may include a pre-causticisation step in which the Bayer liquor is first causticised to reduce the concentration of carbonate ions, prior to the step of removing aluminate ions. The invention provides an effective process for the removal of sodium sulphate and a practical method for the recovery of soda from sodium sulphate. The efficiency of lime utilisation can also be dramatically increased from about 20% to 80% (if sulphate removal is not the objective) wherein alumina losses can be minimised. The oxalate concentration of the process liquor is also substantially lower than can usually be achieved in processes based on sodium oxalate-crystallisation.

In the Bayer process for the production of alumina, bauxite is digested in a caustic liquor, generally under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure. A variety of organic and inorganic impurities are invariably extracted at the same time, reacting with caustic soda to form their sodium salts. In addition, some of the organic compounds can undergo degradation, ultimately producing sodium carbonate and the sodium salts of a range of simple carboxylic acids. The formation of these impurities represents a major loss of caustic from the refinery's liquor streams. This caustic must either be replaced, or recovered in some way from the impurities.
The recovery of caustic from sodium carbonate is a commonplace activity in most alumina refineries. The causticisation of sodium carbonate is generally effected by the addition of lime, which reacts with the sodium carbonate to form calcium carbonate, thereby liberating sodium hydroxide. An improved version of this process is described in our co-pending International Application No. PCT/AU99/00757, filed on the 25 Sep. 1999 and entitled "Improved Bayer Causticisation". The contents of PCT/AU99/00757 are incorporated herein by reference.
Of the other impurities, sodium oxalate and sodium sulphate are among the most significant. The presence of sodium oxalate in Bayer process streams is problematical owing to its very limited solubility. This creates a number of well-known problems within the alumina refinery. Sodium sulphate is much more soluble, and can accumulate to very high concentrations. This causes a different set of problems, particularly with respect to the refinery's productivity. The problems associated with this impurity in Bayer process liquors, and a process for its separation, have been described in Australian patent No. 673306.
Many prior art processes have been described for the removal of sodium oxalate and sodium sulphate from Bayer liquors. Some of these processes remove both impurities concurrently. In most cases, these processes advocate that the impurity is discarded after removal from the liquor stream. However, a small number of the above processes also provide a means for the recovery of soda from sodium oxalate. None describe a practical method for the recovery of soda from sodium sulphate, requiring that it be discarded. However, disposal of sodium sulphate is not straightforward.
Environmental considerations preclude disposal of sodium sulphate into natural water systems, and since it is highly soluble, it must be disposed in a suitably lined or otherwise isolated sanitary landfill if it is not to enter groundwater systems. In the alumina refinery, disposal of sodium sulphate to the red mud residue disposal areas results in the eventual return of most of the sodium sulphate to the process liquor stream with the recovered lake water.
Whilst it is preferable to utilise the sodium sulphate in some way, for example by conversion into useful products, options for this are extremely limited. Electrolytic cells are commercially available which convert sodium sulphate into sodium hydroxide and either sodium bisulphate or sulphuric acid. However, these are generally restricted to reasonably pure solutions in which scales are unlikely to form, because the membranes used in the cells are sensitive to fouling. Other processes have been investigated including reductive processes such as the Leblanc process, and the Peniakoff process for production of gibbsite from bauxite. These latter processes are not currently practised, as they are inefficient, costly and produce environmentally unacceptable by-products.
Thus, there is a significant need for an economic process for the processing of sodium sulphate into more useful products, and/or for the immobilisation of the sulphate anion in an environmentally acceptable, insoluble material.
Most alumina refineries practice some form of oxalate removal process. In general, these processes are based on variations of the following two procedures:    1. Sodium oxalate is permitted to coprecipitate with gibbsite in the refinery's gibbsite precipitation circuit. The co-crystallised oxalate reports to the refinery's gibbsite seed preparation facility, where it is removed by washing with water or dilute liquor. The oxalate-rich washings are then further treated to remove oxalate either by seeding and evaporation to recrystallise sodium oxalate or, by reaction with lime, as calcium oxalate.    2. Oxalate co-crystallisation is avoided by crystallising and removing sodium oxalate in a side-stream of one of the refinery's main process strearns (usually a spent liquor stream). The side stream is evaporated to increase the supersaturation of the sodium oxalate and directed to a series of oxalate crystallisers where it is seeded with recycled sodium oxalate crystals. After solid/liquid separation, the clarified and now oxalate-depleted liquor is returned to the process. A portion of the solid sodium oxalate is recycled to act as seed, while the remainder is either discarded or processed to recover soda. An example of this process is outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,571.
Most processes for the recovery of the soda values from sodium oxalate are based on reactions with lime. In some processes, the separated sodium oxalate cake is first burnt in a kiln to produce sodium carbonate, which is subsequently causticised by reaction with lime. This process is costly to operate, and the conversion to sodium carbonate is not always complete.
In other processes, a solution rich in sodium oxalate, such as the washings from the seed circuit of a refinery that practices coprecipitation of oxalate, is directly reacted with lime to form calcium oxalate. However, whilst very low oxalate concentrations can be achieved in the treated stream in this way, the efficiency of lime utilisation is very poor, due to the formation of calcium aluminates such as tricalcium aluminate (TCA), unless the stream is very low in caustic and sodium aluminate. Consequently, this process can only be applied to dilute liquors.

Process for the removal of oxalate and/or sulphate from bayer liquors


A heel mounted reversible fin assembly for propelling kick boats and float tubes in water. The assembly includes a base mounting mechanism (1) which secures the assembly on a user's boot heel, and an inter-connected generally perpendicularly inclined fin member (4) which extends below the user's boot sole. Apertures (52) extending through the fin blade (50) adjacent to cleavages (46) in ribs (47) define a hinge portion (49) about which the blade (50) flexes to feather on return kicks in the direction of the rear surface (48) of the blade (50). Raised ribs (47) extending generally perpendicularly outward from the rear surface (48) of the fin blade (50) inter-connect, providing a stop mechanism to retain the blade (50) in a generally rigid configuration on power kicks in the direction of its front surface (51). The deep under sole position of the fin blade (50) and flexure limiting ribs (47) co-operate to provide a “quiet” stealthy progress in water without the rebound splashing (SPL) and surface disturbances caused by conventional fins. In the preferred embodiment the mounting member (2) and fin member (4) are separate inter-connecting components by which the fin member (4) is reversible on the mounting member (2) to selectively propel either in a forward or backward direction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to foot fins used for propelling float devices such as kick boats (aka. pontoon boats) and float tubes which are commonly used in fishing and other aquatic pursuits. Specifically, the present invention relates to improvements to known propulsion devices whereby a heel mounted fin assembly which is adaptable to propel forward or backward can be attached to and removed from a user's boot while the user is seated on a float device, floating in shallow water.
2. Description of Prior Art
Most fins used for propelling float tubes and pontoon boats are similar to swim fins in which the fin blade extends in front of the user's toes. This forward extension restricts ankle movement, necessitating that a user of such fins must walk and wade backward with the inherent risks of tripping and falling exacerbated by the clumsiness of also carrying a float tube and related equipment while walking and wading backward. Paradoxically, while such forward extending fins propel an outstretched prone swimmer forward in the water, they propel a person seated on a float tube in a backward direction. While users of pontoon boats on moving streams prefer to propel backward to follow a course in the water, this is generally opposite the direction of movement preferred by still water fishermen who wish to move forward in casting and moving about on a body of water. Further, conventional fins create undesirable surface disturbances and splashing when their blades rebound from a flexed position at the end of each power kick.
Prior inventions have sought to overcome these problems by providing for forward movement in walking, wading, and propelling in water by utilizing various retractable and pivotal fin members, fin members mounted laterally to the sides of the user's legs and ankles, or in front of or behind the users legs or feet. Although it is necessary to provide retractable or laterally extending fins to allow users of torus or "donut" shaped float tubes to walk and wade with fin assemblies mounted to their boots, this provision is unnecessary for users of open-ended float tubes and kick boats who can simply wade to an appropriate depth of water, sit on the float device, and then mount the present fin to the heels of their boots.

Heel mounted direction reversible stealth fin


This application provides a motor cooling system of an electric vehicle. In the cooling system, a coil cooling oil passage includes a first oil outlet that is at an end portion of a stator core. A core cooling oil passage and the coil cooling oil passage are sequentially connected. In this case, cooling oil first enters the core cooling oil passage, and then enters the coil cooling oil passage. The core cooling oil passage extends in a circumferential direction of the stator core. The coil cooling oil passage extends in an axial direction of the stator core. A power apparatus drives the cooling oil to enter the core cooling oil passage from an oil inlet, flow through the core cooling oil passage, and enters the coil cooling oil passage from an oil through port. The cooling oil flows back to an oil return groove from the first oil outlet.

With the development of electric vehicles, there are increasing requirements for miniaturization of motors in their powertrains. Specifically, a power density of a motor needs to be increased from 5.7 kW/L at present to 50 kW/L. With the increase in the power density, improving heat dissipation efficiency of the motor becomes a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently.
In the current technology, a water-cooled heat dissipation technology is usually used to dissipate heat for a motor. However, a power density of the water-cooled heat dissipation is comparatively low, and cooling water cannot be directly in contact with a motor assembly because the cooling water has no insulation, resulting in a comparatively high thermal resistance of a water-cooled link. In addition, a water-cooling technology requires comparatively high structural precision of motor components. To overcome the foregoing problems, an oil-cooled heat dissipation technology may be used to dissipate heat for the motor. In the oil-cooled heat dissipation technology used in the current technology, a flow passage for heat dissipation of a stator core and an end portion of a stator coil that are of the motor is in a parallel processing manner. To be specific, one part of cooling oil pumped by an oil pump is used to dissipate heat for the stator core, and one part of the cooling oil pumped by the oil pump is used to dissipate heat for the end portion of the stator coil, resulting in comparatively small flow amounts of both parts of the cooling oil and a comparatively poor cooling effect. In addition, in the current technology, the cooling oil is usually pumped to a comparatively high position by using the oil pump, and the cooling oil flowing out of an oil outlet flows down by gravity, which easily causes uneven oil amount distribution. Cooling effects in different areas are different, which easily leads to local overheating.

Stator core, housing, motor cooling system of electric vehicle, and electric vehicle

Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd.


An ordering system includes a video display unit operable for displaying contents of a plurality of selectable menu screens and an input pad operable for capturing at least one gesture of a user in at least one direction over the input pad. The gestures are used to select from a plurality of selectable menu screens for display by the video display unit.

In drive-through establishments, such as quick-service restaurant (QSR) environments, a customer drives up to an outdoor location proximate the physical building and is presented with a plurality of menu boards displaying the menu items or the items that can be ordered for pick up at a window or some other location at the establishment. The menu boards are located at the appropriate drive-through lane that usually also includes an ordering system with a speaker/microphone, and possibly a small display screen, to allow the customer to interact with an employee of the restaurant and place an order. Usually, such menu boards are presented with a series of static signs or screens mounted at the drive-through lane. A customer reads information from the various signs, and speaks with the employee taking an order through a microphone/speaker system. The employee enters the order into the system of the establishment for ultimate delivery to a customer. The items that are selected for the order might then be displayed on a small text screen to confirm with the customer what has been ordered. The customer would then proceed to a window for payment and/or pickup of the ordered items.
Such static menu screens simply display the menu items and other information, such as price, combinations, and/or current deals with the menu items. The user reads between the plurality of static signs to find what they want and then makes an order. The static signs must be manually changed if menu items are added to, or removed from, the drive-through menu. Furthermore, as deals and prices and combinations change, further signage changes are necessary. If the number of menu items is particularly large, multiple signs are necessary, creating a somewhat large land footprint at the drive-through lane. Still further, the multiple signs, labor for revisions/signage changes and other maintenance make current systems expensive to install and use.
Accordingly, it is desirable to improve upon existing drive-through order systems for more efficient engagement with a customer, and ordering of the desired items.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the sequence of operations as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes of various illustrated components, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment. Certain features of the illustrated embodiments have been enlarged or distorted relative to others to facilitate visualization and clear understanding. In particular, thin features may be thickened, for example, for clarity or illustration.

Outdoor ordering system with interactive menu elements


A scanning system for writing, printing, direct imaging, plotting, computed radiography, and scanning includes an optical system contains at lest one modulatable radiation source for emitting radiation, a movable collimating lens, a reflector, and a focusing lens and a mechanical system containing a first mechanical carrier spinning about a first axis. A second mechanical carrier spins about a second axis. The second axis is mounted on the first mechanical carrier and is arranged to rotate about the first axis. A third mechanical carrier spins about a third axis. The third axis is mounted on the second mechanical carrier and is arranged to rotate about the second axis. The system also has a movable surface. The collimating lens is arranged to receive the radiation from the one radiation source and to convert it into at least one collimated beam which propagates along an optical path from the collimating lens to the surface via the reflector and the focusing lens to form at least one focused radiation spot on the surface. The mechanical system is arranged to cause the third mechanical carrier of the mechanical system to carry the reflector and the focusing lens of the optical system to move the one focused radiation spot on the surface along a straight line.

1. Field
The fields of optical linear scanning and computed radiography systems include optical scanning systems for reading, inspecting, writing, and printing at high speed with high resolution and across wide ranges or formats.
2. Prior Art
Scanning at a very high speed along very wide scan ranges (on the order of magnitude of up to 1 m and even more) with very high resolution is needed in the fields of reading, inspecting, writing, and printing of and on Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), flat panels, High Definition Televisions (HDTVs) and plasma displays which are have a very wide format and need to be written and inspected with very high resolution.
The current systems for direct writing and imaging include a very large lens that covers the whole scanning area. Such a lens must have very high quality to enable high resolution and is extremely expensive. Accordingly, a scanning system that includes a small moving lens has an advantage. However, such a scanning system that scans at a very high speed along very wide ranges is not available yet.
The requirement for linear scanning at a high speed along wide ranges dictates the need for moving system that can work with the high accelerations associated in the direction changes of the scan when the scanning head moves back and forth.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,005 to Karin et al., entitled "Cartesian scanning system", May 11, 2004, discloses a linear scanning system including a moving head that receives collimated beam to reflect this beam as a focused beam onto a scanned surface.
US published patent application of Karin et al., entitled "Scanning mechanism for high-speed high-resolution scanning", May 11, 2004, Nr. 2004/0165923, discloses a mechanism for the moving system of the scanning head of the Karin et al. US patent.
While these scanning systems include a moving head consisting of a small lens, they are not suitable for high speed scanning along very wide format for the following reasons:                1. They use linear sliding which is associated with vibrations, motions that may not be smooth, and may entail grinding of the linear slide along the scanning range.        2. They were designed for the field of wafer inspection. In this field the spatial resolution of the moving scanning head should be in the range of sub-micrometers and thus is not capable of scanning along a very wide scanning range since such a spatial resolution of the position of the head cannot be achieved along a wide scanning range.        3. They are much slower than is needed for scanning wide ranges.        4. They can not adjust and hold the high accelerations that occur when the wide scanning systems change the direction of the scan.        5. They can not balance the vibrations produced at very high speeds.        6. They do not work with a smooth motion.

High-speed, high resolution, wide-format Cartesian scanning systems


A CO2 recovery device includes an advanced desulfurization-cooling column that removes sulfur oxides in an exhaust gas and reduces a temperature of the exhaust gas; a CO2 absorption column that removes CO2 in the exhaust gas by bringing the CO2 into contact with a CO2 absorption liquid; and a regeneration column that recovers the CO2 by causing the CO2 absorption liquid to release the CO2 while regenerating the CO2 absorption liquid, and feeds the regenerated CO2 absorption liquid to the CO2 absorption column, where the advanced desulfurization-cooling column includes a circulating line that supplies and circulates a desulfurization-cooling circulation liquid used in order to conduct desulfurization and cooling from a lower part to an upper part of the advanced desulfurization-cooling column, a deep SOx recovery packed bed, and a first cooler that cools the circulation liquid.

Various methods of removing and recovering acidic gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur oxides contained in fossil fuel combustion exhaust gases and the like have heretofore been proposed. Among them, there is a method of recovering sulfur oxides and CO2 by subjecting an exhaust gas after undergoing a desulfurization treatment further to an advanced desulfurization treatment so as to remove the sulfur oxides from the exhaust gas, then cooling the exhaust gas, and then removing CO2 from the exhaust gas by bringing the exhaust gas into contact with a CO2 absorption liquid such as an alkanolamine aqueous solution.
Sulfur oxides and a circulation liquid that is used in the advanced desulfurization treatment remain in the exhaust gas subjected to the advanced desulfurization treatment, and are accumulated in the CO2 absorption liquid on the downstream for absorbing CO2. Moreover, the exhaust gas needs to be cooled in the light of CO2 absorption performance of the CO2 absorption liquid. As a device to meet this need, there is known a device configured to conduct the advanced desulfurization treatment and the cooling treatment on the exhaust gas in a one-step method (Patent Document 1, for example). On the other hand, there is also known a device configured to conduct the advanced desulfurization treatment and the cooling treatment separately in two-step methods (Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, for example).

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, Ltd.


A semi-monolithic ring cavity for a second harmonic generation of laser frequency including a nonlinear crystal, an input mirror, an output mirror, a first point, at which a fundamental wave is incident onto the input mirror, a second point, at which the fundamental wave is incident onto the output mirror along with a second harmonic wave, and a third point, at which the fundamental wave reflects totally from a side surface of the nonlinear crystal. One of the input and output mirrors is coated with a dielectric and separated from the nonlinear crystal whereas the other mirror is formed on the nonlinear crystal. The fundamental wave forms a ring cavity in such a manner that the second harmonic wave is generated only along an axis extending through the first and second points. The semi-monolithic ring cavity exhibits a stable frequency characteristic and a high transform efficiency when a second-harmonic generation of continuous-wave laser frequency is carried out. Accordingly, the semi-monolithic ring cavity is expected to provide desired effects in a variety of technical fields. Using the high frequency tuning characteristic of the semi-monolithic ring cavity, it is also possible to develop an optical frequency standard exhibiting a frequency stability higher than those of conventional optical frequency standards.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semi-monolithic ring cavity for a second harmonic generation of laser frequency which includes normal mirrors and a nonlinear crystal, and more particularly to a semi-monolithic ring cavity for a second harmonic generation of laser frequency which includes a nonlinear crystal, an input mirror, an output mirror separated from the input mirror, a first point, at which a fundamental wave is incident onto the input mirror, a second point, at which the fundamental wave is incident onto the output mirror along with a second harmonic wave, and a third point, at which the fundamental wave reflects totally from a side surface of the nonlinear crystal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, the efficiency of a second harmonic generation of continuous-wave laser frequency is very low. For this reason, an external power build-up cavity is arranged at the outside of a laser. Known configurations of external cavities for a second harmonic generation of laser frequency are classified into three types as follows:
1) Discrete Open Cavity PA1 2) Monolithic Cavity PA1 3) Semi-monolithic Standing-wave Cavity
A discrete open cavity is illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the discrete open cavity includes three or four mirrors (In the illustrated case, four mirrors M1 to M4) which constitute an external cavity. These mirrors M1 to M4 are separated from a nonlinear crystal 5. A fundamental wave is maintained in the form of a ring in the external cavity.
Since such a discrete open cavity includes three or four mirrors separated from a nonlinear crystal and individually mounted to different optical mounts, its external cavity has a size very larger than those of monolithic ring cavities and semi-monolithic standing-wave cavities. Furthermore, it is difficult to obtain a dynamically stable cavity. Where the TEM.sub.00 mode of the discrete open cavity is locked at the frequency of the fundamental wave, this locking is easily broken due to a variety of surrounding noise. The polarized beam of the second harmonic wave is perpendicular to the fundamental wave upon the matching of the first phases on both incident surface of the nonlinear crystal 5. A beam scattering phenomenon occurs on the mirrors M1 to M4. As a result, the optical loss caused by the reflection is large, thereby degrading the second-harmonic wave transform efficiency.
In FIG. 2, the reference numeral 10 denotes a laser, 11 a reflecting beam of the fundamental wave, 12 a piezo-electric drive element for modulation, 13 a piezo-electric drive element for control, and 14 an isolator. The reference character BP denotes a brewster plate arranged for the compensation for an astigmatism.
This monolithic cavity includes two mirrors constituting an external cavity. These mirrors are integral with a nonlinear crystal adapted to generate a second harmonic wave. The formation of the mirrors is achieved by directly machining the nonlinear crystal and coating a dielectric on the machined portions of the nonlinear crystal. In the external cavity, a fundamental wave is maintained in the form of a ring.
Such a monolithic cavity has no drawback involved in the above-mentioned discrete open cavity. That is, the monolithic cavity is very stable in terms of dynamics because the external cavity thereof is integral with the nonlinear crystal. The monolithic cavity also has a high second-harmonic wave generation (namely, transform) efficiency, as compared to the discrete open cavity. However, such a monolithic cavity is problematic in that it involves a very low frequency response speed and a limited continuous frequency tuning range. This is because although the frequency of the monolithic cavity should be tuned simultaneously with the frequency of the fundamental wave while being locked at the frequency of the fundamental wave, the frequency tuning depends on the control for the temperature of the nonlinear crystal in the monolithic cavity.
This semi-monolithic standing-wave cavity includes two mirrors constituting an external cavity. One of the mirrors is a general laser mirror whereas the other mirror is integral with a nonlinear crystal adapted to generate a second harmonic wave. The latter mirror is formed by directly machining one surface of the nonlinear crystal and coating a dielectric on the machined surface of the nonlinear crystal. In the external cavity, a fundamental wave exists in the form of a standing wave.
One of the mirrors in such a semi-monolithic standing-wave cavity corresponds to one mirror surface of the above-mentioned monolithic cavity which is replaced by a general mirror separated from the nonlinear crystal. This mirror is arranged on a piezo-electric drive element capable of achieving a high-speed frequency tuning. Accordingly, the semi-monolithic standing-wave cavity has a high frequency stability and a continuous frequency tuning characteristic. However, this semi-monolithic standing-wave cavity inevitably involves a frequency disturbance of the fundamental wave laser due to the feedback of the fundamental wave which reflects from the incident surface of the semi-monolithic standing-wave cavity and then returns to the laser. For this reason, the semi-monolithic cavity should use an expensive optical isolator. In this semi-monolithic standing-wave cavity, second harmonic waves are generated which travel in the same direction as the travel direction of the fundamental wave and in the opposite direction to the travel direction of the fundamental wave, respectively. Accordingly, it is required to match the phases of the second harmonic waves travelling in both directions in order to obtain a high second-harmonic wave transform efficiency. Under this condition, a second harmonic wave is generated in the same direction as the travel direction of the fundamental wave. Accordingly, it is also required to use a polarization beam splitter in order to separate the generated second harmonic wave from the fundamental wave.

Semi-monolithic ring cavity for second harmonic generation of laser frequency

Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science


An amplifier circuit includes a first FET of an enhancement type having a gate supplied with an input signal and a gate bias voltage and a drain via which an amplified output signal is output, and a second FET of the enhancement type having a drain connected to a drain voltage source, a source connected to the drain of the first FET, and a gate supplied with a control signal for controlling the drain voltage supplied to the first FET.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to amplifier circuits which employ field effect transistors (FETs).
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a part of a conventional portable telephone set. The portable telephone set includes an input/output circuit part 1, a baseband circuit part 2, a high-frequency circuit part 3, an antenna 4 and a power supply part 5.
The input/output circuit part 1 includes a keyboard, a display part, a microphone and a speaker. The baseband circuit part 2 converts an analog voice signal supplied from the microphone of the input/output circuit part 1 into a digital signal. Then, the baseband circuit part 2 performs voice coding, channel coding, scrambling, and digital modulating processes. Finally, the baseband circuit part 2 converts the processed digital signal into an analog signal, which is supplied to the high-frequency circuit part 3. Further, the baseband circuit 2 converts an analog signal supplied from the high-frequency circuit part 3 into a digital signal. Then, the baseband circuit 2 performs digital demodulating, descrambling, channel decoding and voice decoding operations. Then, the baseband circuit part 2 supplies the resultant analog voice signal to the speaker of the input/output circuit part 1.
The high-frequency circuit part 3 modulates the analog signal from the baseband circuit part 2 and performs a power amplifying operation on the modulated signal. Also, the high-frequency circuit part 3 amplifies a signal received via the antenna 4 and demodulates the amplified signal. The power supply part 5 supplies electricity to the input/output circuit part 1, the baseband circuit part 2 and the high-frequency circuit part 3.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the configuration of the high-frequency circuit part 3. The high-frequency circuit part 3 includes a transmit circuit part 7, a receive circuit part 8 and a switch circuit 9. The switch circuit 9 connects an output terminal 7A of the transmit circuit part 7 to the antenna 4 at the time of transmitting a signal, and connects an input terminal 8A of the receive circuit part 8 to the antenna at the time of receiving a signal.
The transmit circuit part 7 includes a modulator 10, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 11, a multiplier 12, an amplifier 13, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter 14, and a power amplifier 15. The modulator 10 modulates the signal supplied from the baseband circuit part 2. The VCO 11 generates a signal necessary to perform an up conversion of the signal output by the modulator 10. The multiplier 12 multiplies the signal from the modulator 10 by the signal from the VCO 11 so that the modulated signal is changed to a high-frequency signal. The amplifier 13 amplifies the high-frequency signal output from the multiplier 12. The SAW filter 14 functions as a band-pass filter and filters the amplified high-frequency signal. The power amplifier 15 performs a power amplifying operation on the amplified high-frequency signal.
The receive circuit part 8 includes an amplifier 16, a SAW filter 17, a VCO 18, an amplifier 19, a multiplier 20 and a demodulator 21. The amplifier 16 amplifies the signal received via the antenna 4. The SAW filter 17 functions as a bandpass filter and filters the amplified received signal. The VCO 18 generates a signal necessary to perform a down conversion on the signal from the SAW filter 17. The amplifier 19 amplifies the signal output by the VCO 18. The multiplier multiplies the signal from the SAW filter 17 by the amplified signal from the amplifier 19 so that the baseband signal of the received signal can be retrieved. The demodulator 10 demodulates the output signal of the multiplier 20 and reproduces the original signal.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the power amplifier 15. The power amplifier 15 is formed in a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) formation, and is comprised of two amplifier circuits 24 and 25, an input terminal 23 and an output terminal 26. An input signal IN is applied to the input terminal 23, and an output signal OUT is output via the output terminal 26.
The amplifier circuit 24 includes a depletion type Shottky gate field effect transistor (so called D-type MESFET) 27, which functions as an amplifying element, and a capacitance element (capacitor) 28 preventing a DC component from being applied to the amplifier circuit 25. The amplifier circuit 24 includes a drain voltage input terminal 29 supplied with a positive drain voltage VDD1 from a drain voltage source. The voltage VDD1 is equal to, for example, +4 V. The amplifier circuit 24 includes a gate bias circuit 30, which supplies the gate of the D-type MESFET 27 with a negative gate bias voltage VGB1 equal to, for example, -1.5 V. The amplifier circuit 24 includes a gate bias source voltage input terminal 31 supplied with a negative gate bias source voltage VGG1 from a gate bias source. The voltage VGG1 is equal to, for example, -4.0 V. The amplifier circuit 24 includes resistors 32 and 33, which divide the gate bias source voltage VGG1 to thereby generate a gate bias voltage VGB1.
The amplifier circuit 25 includes a D-type MESFET 34, which functions as an amplifying element, and a capacitance element (capacitor) 35 preventing a DC component from being applied to the output terminal 26. The amplifier circuit 25 includes a drain voltage input terminal 36 supplied with a positive drain voltage VDD2 supplied from a drain voltage source. The voltage VDD2 is equal to, for example, +5.8 V. The amplifier circuit 25 includes a gate bias circuit 37, which supplies the gate of the D-type MESFET 34 with a negative gate bias source voltage VGG2 equal to, for example, -4.0 V. The amplifier circuit 25 includes resistors 39 and 40, which divide the gate bias source voltage VGG2 to thereby generate a gate bias voltage VGB2.
The portable telephone set as described above employs the power amplifier 15 of the transmit circuit part 7 of the high frequency circuit part 3, the power amplifier 15 using the D-type MESFETs 27 and 34. This structure requires the positive power sources respectively functioning as the drain voltage sources for the D-type MESFETs 27 and 34 and the negative power sources respectively functioning as the gate bias sources for the D-type MESFETs 27 and 34. In practice, a DC-DC converter is used to realize the positive and negative power sources. This increases the production cost and prevents down sizing.

Amplifier circuit and multistage amplifier circuit


One embodiment of the present invention illustrates a high-speed PON converter (“HPC”) configured to be a pluggable high-speed PON conversion device used for coupling a user equipment (“UE”) to an optical network. HPC, in embodiment, includes a passive optical network (“PON”) interface, a high-speed electrical (“HSE”) interface, and a conversion component. The PON interface, which is coupled to an optical network via an optical fiber, is able to receive optical information from the optical fiber. The HSE interface is configured to be pluggable to the UE, such as a personal computer (“PC”), laptop, or tablet via a predefined removable connector. The conversion component converts and transmits signals between the HSE and PON interfaces.

With increasing demand for more information to be supplied to homes and/or businesses, many network communication providers are switching or upgrading their networks to optical communications network. Optical communications networks typically offer high-speed voice, video, and data transmission to/from homes and/or businesses. Conventional exemplary optical networks include fiber to the node/neighborhood ("FTTN"), fiber to the curb ("FTTC"), fiber to the building ("FTTB"), fiber to the home ("FTTH"), fiber to the premises ("FTTP"), or other edge location to which a fiber network extends.
To transmit optical signals from a source to a destination over a Passive Optical Network ("PON"), for example, the optical signals typically travel through multiple passive optical components such as fiber cables, optical splitters and attenuators that make up the optical distribution network ("ODN"). In one example, ODN and PON are the same or similar component and they can be described fiber network between an optical line terminal ("OLT") and optical network terminals ("ONTs"). PON typically can be considered as a specific type of ODN.
OLT and ONTs, for example, convert user data between electrical form and optical form to facilitate the user data to travel over the ODN. PON is referred for residential as well as commercial use. Similar PON technology used for enterprise LAN solutions is generally known as Optical LAN. PON is capable of serving multiple points or premises based on a single optical fiber. For example, PON may be able to individually distribute information from one optical fiber to multiple locations. A typical PON may be able to serve anywhere from one (1) to 128 locations and/or nodes.
To process optical information, optical data (or signals) typically needs to be converted to electrical data before the information can be processed. Conventional optical and electrical conversion in a PON uses either a large MDU (multi dwelling units) with up to 24 Ethernet output ports installed in a telecommunication closet or a sizable conventional ONT (PON interface) with one to four Ethernet ports placed near user's personal computer ("PC") and/or vicinities. A problem, however, associated with a large MDU is that it requires relatively long cables to reach the end user. Depending on the applications, long cables such as copper or coaxial cables can impair quality of connection and degrade network performance.
Another drawback associated with a sizable or large size of conventional ONT device is that it can consume additional power. As a result, a dedicated power supply may be employed for such conventional ONT devices. Another shortcoming for conventional ONTs is that their Ethernet ports are limited to 1 Gigabit data rates.

Method and apparatus for providing optical networking using a pluggable high-speed interface


A rotor system for rotor aircraft comprises a rotor hub comprising a plurality of rotor blades, a rotatable rotor mast coupled to the rotor hub, a swashplate assembly comprising a non-rotating ring engaged with a rotatable ring, a plurality of pitch links mechanically coupling the rotatable ring to the plurality of rotor blades, and a swashplate actuator system. The rotatable ring is configured to rotate with the rotor mast, and the non-rotating ring is configured to engage and guide the rotatable ring. The pitch links are configured to control the pitch angle of each rotor blade. The swashplate actuator system consists of: a first actuator and a second actuator, where the first actuator and the second actuator are mechanically coupled to a stationary surface and the non-rotating ring.

A tilt rotor aircraft can have wing mounted rotatable nacelles that can be selectively rotated between a helicopter mode and an airplane mode. In the helicopter mode, the nacelles can be rotated to an approximate vertical position so that the tilt rotor aircraft can take off, land, and hover similar to a conventional helicopter. In the airplane mode, the nacelles can be rotated to an approximate horizontal position so that the tilt rotor aircraft can fly similar to a fixed wing aircraft.

Tiltrotor control system with two rise/fall actuators


The invention relates to a bistable actuator device (1) for providing at least two actuator positions comprising:                an elastic bending element (2) supported at at least one attachment point (31, 32, 34) such that, by applying a switching torque at the attachment point (31, 32, 34), elastic deformation of the bending element (2) results in a change from a first actuator position to a second actuator position; and        at least one actuator element (41, 42) formed with a shape memory wire, the shape memory wire causing a pulling force by heating and being coupled to a portion of the bending element (2) at the attachment point (31, 32, 34) so that the pulling force causes the switching torque at the attachment point (31, 32, 34) to move the bending element (2) from the first actuator position to the second actuator position.

Shape memory materials are already used in many ways for actuator devices. In particular, many actuator devices use a force resulting from the length reduction of a previously stretched wire made of shape memory material (shape memory wire) when exposed to heat. For such wires, however, there must always be a restoring force in order to stretch the wire, which has been shortened by thermal activation, back to its previous length. This is often done by a spring force, by the force of an activated additional shape memory wire or by a weight force of a mass.
In particular in actuator devices with a shape memory wire as actuator element and with a return spring, a certain position of the actuator device can only be held by the actuator element as long as a corresponding activation temperature of the shape memory wire is maintained. This is usually done by electrically energizing the shape memory wire. If the actuator device is to be held in this position for a longer period of time, this can be very energy-intensive as the higher temperature of the shape memory wire needs to be maintained.
With such an actuator device, the restoring force of the return spring acts permanently on the shape memory wire; this can lead to critical stresses and accelerated aging of the shape memory wire due to the permanent load. Furthermore, a large construction space is required to achieve appreciable deflections by the shape memory wire, as the achievable deflection depends on the length of the shape memory wire.
In order to avoid these disadvantages, an actuator device can be provided which can assume bistable actuator positions without a permanent load being exerted on an actuator element in one of the actuator positions. The publication DE 10 2012 217 246 A1 provides for a bistable device in which an elastically deformable plate is arranged between fastening elements. The plate is deformable into one of two stable deformed positions by exerting a compressive force, whereby the compressive force can be exerted by means of a shape memory alloy or piezo actuator element.
An actuator with a housing in which a leaf spring is arranged is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,858 publication. The leaf spring is connected to two shape memory wires which, when activated, move the leaf spring to a first position or to a second position.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an actuator device in which a bending element can be bistably deformed into at least two actuator positions, whereby the actuator elements made of shape memory materials are not subject to any permanent load in the non-activated state. Furthermore, a switching of the actuator element is to be achieved already with small actuator deflections.

Bistable actuator device having a shape memory element


An electric-motor furniture drive includes a power supply device, a manual control for moving movable furniture components relative to each other, and an electric motor with reversible rotation direction. A speed-reducing transmission is connected downstream of the electric motor and an additional transmission is connected downstream of the speed-reducing transmission. The power supply device has a mains connection, transforms the mains-side input voltage into at least one output-side low voltage and is configured for galvanic isolation between the mains-connected input side and the output side for operating the electric-motor furniture drive. The power supply device is designed as a switched-mode power supply and has an intermediate circuit, a control device for controlling the switched-mode power supply, and a secondary unit. The power supply device provides an output-side operating voltage at the output thereof in an operating state and provides an output-side idle voltage at the output in an idle state.

The invention relates to an electric-motor furniture drive having a power supply device for adjusting movable furniture components relative to one another.
Such electric-motor furniture drives are known in various embodiments. They are implemented as linear drives having a linearly adjustable output element or as rotational drives having a rotating output element and have proven themselves extremely well in practice. The linear drives have one or a number of electric motors, wherein a speed reduction gear is connected downstream from each motor and a further gear, for example, in the form of a threaded spindle gear, is connected downstream from the speed reduction gear, which further gear generates a linear movement of the output element from the rotational movement of the motor. The rotational drives have at least one speed reduction gear connected downstream from the respective electric motor, wherein the last gearing element forms the output gear. The output element of the respective electric-motor furniture drive is connected to a fixed furniture component and/or to a movable furniture component, so that the movable furniture components are adjusted relative to one another in the event of operation of the electric motor. The furniture can be implemented as a slatted frame, worktable, bed, recombinant surface, treatment couch, hospital or healthcare bed, and also a lifting device for persons such as lifters or patient lifters.
Switched power supplies have proven themselves best as the power supply devices for operating the electric-motor furniture drives. The power supply device has an operating state "off" in the event of disconnection from the network and an operating state "operation" in regular operation. The switched power supplies have a isolation transformer switched at high frequency by a control module, which can also be designated as a transformer or as a high-frequency transformer, which is turned on and off by an upstream semiconductor switch on the primary side at a high switching frequency. For this purpose, a separate intermediate circuit is assigned to the control module, which has a power source of the control module and supplies the control module with electrical power.
Document DE 10 2006 049 715 A1 illustrates a power supply for motorized drives, which is implemented in a plug housing as a switched power supply.
The prior art of a network circuit breaker or a higher-order network circuit breaker will also be discussed. The network circuit breaker, e.g., of an apartment, is introduced between the apartment installation and the public power supply network and detects whether an electrical consumer, e.g., a light, is switched on or off. The apartment installation means the electrical wiring of the apartment for the network voltage. When an electrical consumer is no longer still turned on, the network circuit breaker disconnects the apartment installation from the public power supply network. The network circuit breaker then generates a test voltage, e.g., a harmless DC voltage of a specific level, and switches it to the apartment installation. If a consumer is now switches on, it recognizes the test voltage and causes the network circuit breaker to connect the apartment installation to the public power supply network again. Such a network circuit breaker can also be used regionally or respectively for a room.

Electric-motor furniture drive having a power supply device


Techniques for superimposing highlights and shadows onto a background in order to simulate a brush texture graphical style within a software application's component window. The techniques include decoding a user-selected base-color into its individual color components, performing a contrast operation on the individual color components to determine highlight and shadow colors, and superimposing the highlight and shadow colors onto the user selected background.

Many software applications today offer a single variable background color that can be set upon execution of the application. For example, the software application includes a color palette from which the user can select a background color. The application then applies the user-selected color to the background of the application's component window. The graphical style created by these single variable background color applications may not be responsive to the needs of users looking to create a unique graphical style for their software.
Unique graphical styles are effective marketing tools for software applications. Visibly different and aesthetically pleasing software applications standout and enable users to distinguish among different software applications. Also, unique graphics such as highlight and shadow lines, enable software designers to direct the user's eyes to specific locations and, thus, control where the user focuses his attention. Software applications implementing the foregoing technique may be easier to use and understand than software applications that offer only generic graphics.
Oftentimes, software designers use identifiable colors to direct the user's eyes to specific locations. However, using only identifiable colors may not direct color deficient users to specific locations because they may unable to identify certain colors. However, color deficient viewers may be able to identify lines created by highlight and shadow contrasts. Software designers may direct color deficient users to a specific location by using unique graphics such as highlight and shadow lines and, thus, make software applications easier to understand and use.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a new apparatus and method for creating and superimposing highlights and shadows onto the background of software applications' component windows and, thus, creating a brush texture graphical style within the windows. Using this apparatus and method, software designers can offer a graphical style that includes backgrounds having subtle to bold brush texture graphics superimposed thereon, rather than simply providing a flat background color. The present invention enables users to create unique graphical styles for their software.

Brush texture simulating apparatus and method


An identification system for file folders having a front panel and a rear panel with a fold therebetween forming a pocket into which paper may be placed includes a rail disposed in the vicinity of a top edge of the rear panel of the file folder and extending across a width thereof, and a tab, including a pocket for inserting a file identifier, supported in frictional engagement with the rail for sliding motion on the rail across the width of the file folder. This permits easy adjustment of tabs as file folders are inserted and removed.

The present invention relates to the identification of files in general and more particularly to an improved identification system in which identifiers on file folders are moveable to accommodate the insertion of a new file folder into an existing set of file folders.
It is common practice to identify file folders, such as hanging file folders, using tabs. Currently, the tabs which label the folder are typically fixed to the folder by inserting both left and right ends of the lower portion of the tab into vertical "slots" (measuring less then 1 inch in length) which are cut into the inside of the folder. These slots are evenly space across the top inside portion of the folder, in one case about 11 of them, so that the tab can be located at a number of positions from left to right. In a filing system, a tab may be staggered with reference to the folders before and after it. Thus, the user easily sees all the labels.
However, a problem arises when the user want to add or remove (permanently) a folder. If, for example, a folder were added, and the label were put in order based on the preceding file folder, the label would be blocked from view because of the label on the folder in front of it. To maintain the order of the entire file (usually alphabetical or numerical order) and the neat appearance of the staggered nature of the file folders, numerous other tabs would have to be relocated by the cumbersome task of removing, repositioning and re-inserting the tabs which were in back of the newly inserted folder. This is due to the cascading effect one newly inserted folder has on the rest. The tabs therefore, have to go out of and then back into the folders.
There have been some attempts to provide movable or adjustable tabs in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,393 to Laurie is entitled "Sliding File Tab and Compatible File Folder." However this is not truly a sliding tab. This is because it depends on an adhesive, which must be unstuck before the tab can be moved across the top of the folder and then 're-stuck'.
Another type of index tab is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,917 to Harper. Here a clamp-type tab is disclosed. The tab has a pair of depending legs contacting over a substantial area and forming a nip. The legs are inserted over the top edge of the file folder, which is gripped between the two legs. Obviously, repositioning is possible by sliding or removing and replacing. However, as noted in Harper some such clamp-type tabs have difficulty being inserted over thick files. Furthermore, the legs can lose their gripping power with time and or be knocked of the edge of the file folder.
Thus, there is a need for an improved tab adjustment system which provides a simpler adjustment procedure, while still maintaining a reliable connection of the tab to the file folder when, for example, a new file folder is inserted and tab positions must be adjusted.


An optical navigation chip. The optical navigation chip is appropriate for an optical pointing device and used for calculating a displacement of the optical navigation chip relative to an operating surface. The optical navigation chip comprises a photo sensor array driven by a photo sensor control circuit for detecting an image of the operating surface, a signal readout circuit coupled with the photo sensor array for reading out the image in analog format, an analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) circuit coupled with the signal readout circuit for converting the image from analog format to digital format, an image qualification circuit coupled with the ADC circuit for determining quality of the image and outputting a quality index accordingly, and a motion detection circuit for outputting the displacement according to the quality index.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical navigation chip, and in particular to an optical navigation chip appropriate for an optical pointing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mouse is a commonly used input device. A wheel mouse processes a displacement signal, a button signal, and an interface signal and communicates with a computer via a PS2 interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, or a wireless communication interface using the mechanical structure of its wheel and a micro-controller chip. An optical mouse replaces the mechanical structure of the wheel mouse with a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) photo sensor chip capable of optical navigation. Capable of digital signal processing (DSP), the CMOS photo sensor chip is able to integrate with the functionality of the micro-controller chip of the wheel mouse, thus becoming a system-on-chip (SoC) chip offering reduced cost and power consumption.
Moreover, the CMOS photo sensor chip calculates a correlation between images captured at different times for determining a displacement of the optical mouse. Therefore, the quality of images can influence the calculation result. The quality of images is affected by environmental noise, focus errors, and un-uniform light sources. Thus, an additional circuit is necessary on the SoC chip for determining quality of the images.


A process and a system for providing a user with a plurality of periodic retirement income payments is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of receiving an input including two of a retirement date, a minimum retirement income amount and a defined premium payment amount for payment over a plurality of preset payment intervals. The process also includes the steps of calculating the other one of the retirement date, the minimum retirement income amount and the defined premium payment amount for an accumulation period defined by the retirement date and a current age of the user; receiving a premium payment amount from the user during the accumulation period; investing the received premium payment amount in an account in a manner consistent with one or more predefined objectives during the accumulation period to realize a retirement income amount. The process further includes the step of transmitting the retirement income amount to at least one of the user and a designated receiver at a designated time after the end of the accumulation period. The retirement income amount includes a predetermined guaranteed minimum retirement income if the received premium payments are received according to a preset premium payment schedule.

Up until about 1870, more than half of the United States′ adult workers were farmers. These adult workers were typically engaged in their occupations until their death or until their health prevented them from continuing their occupations. It was uncommon to have a prolonged retirement period before a worker's death.
After 1870, however, industry developed rapidly and the economy tended increasingly to be characterized by industrialization and urbanization. The result was that workers increasingly were employed in more industry-related jobs and became more dependent upon a continuing flow of monetary income to provide for themselves and their families. Additionally, the average life expectancies of workers began to increase significantly. It became more common for workers to retire from employment and to survive for longer periods of time following their retirements. Retirement programs began to take hold. The Social Security program was introduced in 1935 and had an old age insurance component which provided a lump sum benefit for workers at age 65. At that time, the average life expectancy of a worker was 68.
Currently, however, half of male workers reaching age 65 can expect to still be alive at age 82 and half of female workers reaching age 65 can expect to be alive at age 86. The Social Security program is not keeping pace with such changes. The number of employees entering the workforce has been less than the number of new retirees for the last several years and this trend is expected to increase as the "Baby Boomers" age. The Social Security Administration ("SSA") projects a shortfall in its trust fund which provides benefits to retirees beginning in 2013. The SSA believes that an immediate and permanent increase of social security payroll taxes is necessary in order to enable it to pay for the full amount of old age benefits it currently provides retirees. Now, employees and employers contribute approximately 12.4 percent of salaries to the Social Security trust fund. The SSA projects that contributions must be increased to at least 38 percent in order for its trust fund to remain fully funded. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly uncertain whether the Social Security program will continue to remain viable until the time that today's workers are ready to retire. Moreover, many retirees have found that the amount of retirement benefits to which they are entitled under the Social Security program is insufficient to enable them to maintain a desired level of comfort in their retirement. They have found a need to supplement such Social Security benefits with income from other sources.
In addition to the institution of the Social Security program in the 1930s, beginning in the early 1900s, it became increasingly more common for employers to provide their workers, or employees, with some sort of retirement benefits or pensions. These retirement benefits or pensions were originally designed, in part, to reward an employee for his/her long career with a company and to help provide an income once such employee retired. Such retirement benefits or pension plans therefore required minimum periods of employment before an employee's entitlement to the pension amount became vested. However, many such retirement benefits or pensions are not portable. In other words, if an employee leaves the employ of an employer, that employee may lose all entitlement to such retirement benefit or pension if the employee terminates his/her employment prior to the expiration of the vesting period. This was not a problem when employers first instituted such retirement benefits or pension plans as employees tended to remain employed with one employer for their entire career until they retired.
However, in today's mobile society, employees do not tend to remain employed by one employer for their entire careers. Many employees therefore lose some or all of their projected retirement benefits which may have accrued during their employ by their employers when they leave the employ of such employers.
Furthermore, in addition to the trend of a more mobile society and an increased level of employment changes, many employers are decreasing the numbers of their employees and are instead increasingly turning to non-employee labor in part to cut expenses resulting from employee benefits such as costs related to funding employee retirement plans. Thus, many individuals in the workforce today are technically not considered "employees" but instead are independent contractors for whom employment benefits such as retirement benefits are not provided. Additionally, many employers are ceasing to offer defined benefit plans altogether because of the costs. In fact, according to statistics published by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, defined benefit pension plans of employers have decreased by more than 60 percent since 1985, with the number of U.S.-based employers that offer such defined benefit pension plans decreasing from 114,000 in 1985 to less than 40,000 in 1999. Only 21.3 percent of working family heads are currently covered by an employer-funded defined retirement benefit or pension plan.
Because of the decrease in the number of employers that offer defined retirement benefit pension plans, the decrease in the number of workers entitled to employer-funded retirement benefits and also because of the increased mobility of the workforce resulting in the loss of such employer-funded benefits, many workers have started to fund their own retirement savings plans. Tax laws have enabled workers to realize tax benefits from deferring their income by putting amounts from their paychecks into such retirement savings plans. Increasingly, such employee-self-funded retirement savings plans are becoming the primary sources of income on which employees survive following retirement.
However, one disadvantage of the increased reliance upon employee-self-funded retirement savings is that these plans do not provide a level of retirement income that is guaranteed for the employee. In addition, many employees do not have any idea of an amount required to be saved in order to achieve a desired level of income to ensure a comfortable lifestyle upon their retirement. Thus, they do not contribute a sufficient amount of their salaries towards such retirement savings to provide an adequate income level to maintain the standard of living they desire upon retirement. Based on the results of the Retirement Confidence Survey sponsored by the Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI), the American Savings Education Council (ASEC), and Matthew Greenwald and Associates, 22 percent of all employed adult workers have saved less than $10,000 towards retirement, 50 percent have saved less than $50,000 and only 25 percent of adult workers over the age of 55 have accumulated more than $100,000.
Retirement income needs may increase in the event such retirees suffer from health-related problems. In fact, many employees today express concern that they will not have adequate funds saved to provide for themselves during their retirement in the event they suffer health-related problems after they retire. They are currently seeking some means to ensure a higher level of income saved for such crises.
Employees often do not participate in their employer-sponsored retirement savings plans which will increase the level of their savings through interest income or a return on investment. Also, many individuals lack the sophistication needed to determine the appropriate type of investment vehicle which will offer them a high return on their investment but which is also secure enough so that their savings are not placed at risk by a high-risk type of investment vehicle.
Thus, there is a need for an investment vehicle which will provide a minimum retirement income which is portable so that a worker will not lose any income vested in a fully funded investment vehicle if the worker leaves the employ of an employer or changes jobs.
There is also a need to provide a defined retirement benefit which will guarantee an individual a minimum defined income level upon the individual's retirement.
Additionally, there is a need for a retirement investment vehicle which may provide a guaranteed minimum level of retirement income and also may afford an individual an opportunity for an increase in value of the benefits provided if market performance of the retirement vehicle exceeds a predefined benchmark.

Method and system for portable retirement investment