A thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator and method of producing same are provided. The thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator has a superior resonance characteristic (e.g., high-orientation and densification of a piezoelectric film), wherein the thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator that a local stress to a piezoelectric film is relaxed and improvement of productivity due to a stable structure without causing a crack of the piezoelectric film and high yield and a corresponding cost-reduction are realized, and the production method of the same, such as in an air bridge type thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator. In a region including a substrate, a support layer formed convexly on the substrate and a gap upper that the support layer, laminate of a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric film and a top electrode is formed, where the laminate is formed on the substrate and the support layer. The gap is formed between the support layer and the bottom electrode so that at least a portion of it is located upper than a surface of the support layer, and composes (makes up) a resonance region. For example, the support layer has a height of 20% or more of the maximum height from the support layer surface to the top of the gap.

The present invention relates to a thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator and the production method of the same.
A film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAR) excelling in a filter characteristic and making it possible to a miniaturization of the RF front-end module receives an attention as an element used in a circuit such as a transmission filter and a duplexer in a wireless communication system such as a mobile phone and a wireless sensing system.
As a structure and a production method of the above-mentioned FBAR, methods such as (1) a substrate topside-depression method, (2) a substrate backside-via-hole method, (3) an air bridge method, (4) a multilayer acoustic mirror method are known.
In the above, an air bridge method among the above-mentioned methods is known as one of a method having high possibility of a cost-reduction.
For example, there is a description that an air bridge can be formed with using a sacrificial layer composed of zinc oxide (ZnO) in a production method of an air bridge structure FBAR in an article entitled "An Air-Gap Type Piezoelectric Composite Thin Film Resonator", IEEE Proc. 39th Annual Symp. Freq. Control, pp. 361–355 (1985), by Hiroshi Satoh, Yasuo Ebata, Hitoshi Suzuki and Choji Narahara.
Further, there is a description that an FBAR having effective characteristics can be produced by adopting copper (Cu) for a sacrificial layer in a production method of an air bridge structure FBAR in an article entitled "Thin Film Bulk Acoustic WaveResonator", IEEE Transaction on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control (2002).
Further, it is described about a method improved for forming an FBAR and an FBAR formed on a substrate having more effective characteristics than a substrate used conventionally in Kohyo, Jpn. Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-509644.
On the contrary, it is described about a production method able to mount an FBAR on a semiconductor integrated circuit more effectively than related prior art by using a sacrificial layer composed of germanium (Ge) to form an air bridge in an article entitled "Aluminium Nitride Thin Film 2 Gz Resonator Using Germanium Sacrificial Layer Etching", MEMS Symposium 2002 Tohoku Univ, by Masayoshi Esashi and Motoaki Hara.
FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view showing composition of the above-mentioned air bridge structure FBAR according to a conventional example.
A bottom electrode 101, a piezoelectric film 102 and a top electrode 103 are laminated on a substrate 100.
Here, a predetermined gap G is placed between a bottom electrode 101 and a substrate 100 and it becomes a cavity as a resonance region enabling an oscillation of the piezoelectric film.
In the above-mentioned an air bridge structure FBAR, a convex surface ups and downs due to the gap G becoming a resonance region is characterized structurally. Consequently, a step shape due to a convex surface ups and downs is formed in a portion corresponding to a circumference edge Sa of the gap G for the piezoelectric film 102, and an accumulation and a concentration of an excessive film stress are arisen in the piezoelectric film 102.
Further, as a piezoelectric film formed in an FBAR, for example, it is desirable to adopt a ceramic piezoelectric material having a superior piezoelectric constant and an elastic constant to a bulk elastic device such as AIN, ZnO and PZT. However, these materials have remarkably high brittleness generally. Consequently, it includes a problem that a crack of a piezoelectric film by an accumulation and a concentration of a local stress to a piezoelectric film is raised easily.
A partial stress concentration to the ceramic piezoelectric films begins to raise a crack increasingly with adding an effect such as a physical impact, a heat treatment cycle and an interaction with an added piezoelectric film stress.
Environment loads of these slight processes induce defects of a piezoelectric film and those defects are clarified increasingly in subsequent processes.
On the contrary, a piezoelectric film having superior piezoelectric characteristics and elastic characteristics is desired for improving resonance characteristics of an FBAR. Now forming a film is performed with a sputtering technique usually to obtain those piezoelectric films, and it is necessary to obtain a dense film highly oriented to a C axis particularly in the case of AIN, ZnO and the like.
An internal stress of the film tends to become high as a film fills such characteristics. As a result, the high internal stress foments further a crack in a surface ups and downs portion in a region around a gap of an air bridge structure FBAR.
Further, mixed loading onto a semiconductor integrated circuit is the most advantageous composition because of compliance of a production process about an air bridge structure FBAR. However, a large restriction in mixed-loading on a semiconductor integrated circuit is a low-temperature film deposition system (e.g., a sputtering process in 400° C. or less) of a piezoelectric film.
This low-temperature sputtering process is similar to the above, an internal stress of a piezoelectric film tends to become high. As a result, the high internal stress foments further a crack in a surface ups and downs portion in a region around a gap of an air bridge structure FBAR.
Therefore, there is a large problem to realizing a provision of an FBAR having stable composition not causing a crack of a piezoelectric film, improvement of productivity and a cost-reduction due to heightening yield and more superior resonance characteristics (highly orientation and densification of a piezoelectric film) and relaxing a local stress concentration of this piezoelectric film for realizing a mixed loading process onto a semiconductor integrated circuit of such an FBAR.

Thin film bulk acoustic wave resonator and production method of the same


A drive device (10) includes a support (23), a first movable portion (21), a first magnet (41), a second magnet (42), a first coil (31), and a second coil (32). The first movable portion (21) is swingable in two axial directions with respect to the support (23). The first magnet (41) is positioned inside the first movable portion (21) when viewed from a first direction. The second magnet (42) is positioned outside the first movable portion (21) when viewed from the first direction. Magnetic flux from the first magnet (41) acts on the first coil (31). Magnetic flux from the second magnet (42) acts on the second coil (32).

In a measurement apparatus using light and the like, a small drive device capable of two-axis drive is required.
In Patent Document 1, a two-axis drive electromagnetic scanner including an outer drive unit and an inner drive unit is described. In the scanner of Patent Document 1, an outer drive coil is fixed to the outer drive unit, an inner drive coil is fixed to the inner drive unit, and a stage having a mirror surface and the inner drive unit are disposed inside the outer drive unit.

Drive device and distance measurement apparatus


A fixing device comprising an endless heating member which is adapted to be contacted with a fixable member to thereby enable an image on the fixable member to be thermally fixed, an electromagnetic inductive coil member disposed close to the endless heating member and inductively heating the endless heating member, and an AC power supply circuit supplying an AC current to the electromagnetic inductive coil member. The coil member is constructed such that in a state where the coil member is positioned in the fixing device, a ratio between an inductance L of the coil member and a load resistance R of the coil member meets a condition of L/R less than 50xc3x9710xe2x88x926 (H/xcexa9).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the fixing device for an image-forming device, and in particular, to the fixing device for an electrophotographic apparatus where induction heating is employed as a heating source.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the conventional fixing device of an electrophotographic apparatus, the fixing is generally performed as follows. Namely, a halogen lamp is employed as a heating source, wherein the halogen lamp is disposed inside a metal roller to heat the roller, and an elastic roller is pressed onto the metal roller, thereby press-contacting a fixable material (a material to be fixed) onto the metal roller. These rollers are then rotated and the fixable material is passed through an interface between these rollers. Alternatively, a method of heating the roller in a non-contact manner by making use of a flash lamp is also put to practical use.
According to the conventional fixing device of this system however, since the heating roller is heated by making use of a lamp, the heat efficiency thereof is at most about 70%. Additionally, since the heating roller is constructed such that it is heated from the inside thereof, the heating roller is accompanied with various problems that the temperature-rise characteristic is poor, that the structure thereof is rather complicated, and that it is difficult to miniaturize the heating roller.
With a view to improve the efficiency of the fixing device, there have been proposed a fixing device which is designed to be heated through the utilization of induction heating, wherein an exciting coil is disposed inside the heating roller, and high-frequency current is applied to the exciting coil to thereby heat the heating roller through the generation of eddy currents in the heating roller.
In the case of the fixing device utilizing the induction heating as mentioned above, it is desired that a stable and effective heating thereof is required to be achieved. However, there still remain various problems that should be sufficiently studied, particularly with respect to the kinds of parameters that must be taken into account as well as with respect to the kinds of apparatus to be employed for that purpose.
Additionally, it is generally required, in order to obtain a predetermined quantity of heat, to employ a transformer for amplifying the current to be fed to the exciting coil. However, the employment of such a transformer would lead to an increase in the manufacturing cost of the fixing device.
Further, it is stipulated by regulations that the magnitude of the electric field leak should be controlled to be not more than a prescribed value for the sake of safety. Therefore, it is now required to find out parameters to meet the stipulated regulations.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fixing device which makes it possible to perform a stable and effective heating, which can be cheaply manufactured, and which is capable of easily meeting the requirement stipulated by regulations with regard to the magnitude of the electric field leak.
According to the pre sent invention, there is provided a fixing device comprising an endless heating member which is adapted to be contacted with a fixable member to thereby enable an image on the fixable member to be thermally fixed; an electromagnetic inductive coil member disposed close to the endless heating member and inductively heating the endless heating member; and an AC power supply circuit supplying an AC current to the electromagnetic inductive coil member; wherein the coil member is constructed such that in a state where the coil member is positioned in the fixing device, a ratio between an inductance L of the coil member and a load resistance R of the coil member meets a condition of: L/R less than 50xc3x9710xe2x88x926 (H/xcexa9).
According to the present invention, there is provided a fixing device comprising an endless heating member which is adapted to be contacted with a fixable member to thereby enable an image on the fixable member to be thermally fixed; an electromagnetic inductive coil member disposed close to the endless heating member and inductively heating the endless heating member; and an inverter driving circuit supplying an AC current to the electromagnetic inductive coil member; wherein the coil member is constructed such that in a state where the coil member is positioned in the fixing device, a ratio between an inductance L of the coil member and a load resistance R of the coil member meets a formula of: L/R less than 50xc3x9710xe2x88x926 (H/xcexa9), and the inductance L and the load resistance R meet a formula of: V2/[(2 xcfx80fL)2+R2]xe2x88x92xc2xd greater than 600 under conditions where a supply voltage of the inverter driving circuit is in the range of 100 to 250V, and a frequency thereof is in the range of 20 to 50 kHz.
It is preferable in this fixing device that the coil member is constructed such that an electric current I which is represented by a formula of: I=(V/R)(1xe2x88x92exe2x88x921/f/L/R) meets a withstanding current of the switching element of the inverter driving circuit under the conditions where a supply voltage of the inverter driving circuit is in the range of 100 to 250V, and a frequency thereof is in the range of 20 to 50 kHz.
The fixing device which is constructed as described above may be provided with the following specific features.
1. The thickness of the endless heating member is in the range of 0.1 to 10 mm.
2. The endless heating member is cylindrical having a diameter ranging from 20 to 60 mm.
3. A gap between the endless heating member and the coil member is in the range of 1 to 4 mm.
4. The frequency of the AC current is in the range of 20 to 50 kHz.
5. The material comprised in the endless heating member has a relative magnetic permeability of not more than 200.
6. The material comprised in the endless heating member is selected from the group consisting of iron, stainless steel, aluminum and a composite material comprising stainless steal and aluminum.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.

Fixing device using induction heating as a heating source


Embodiments herein disclose a method performed by a wireless device (10) for handling connections in a wireless communication network, wherein the wireless device (10) is configured with a split signaling radio bearer to a first radio network node (12), being a master radio network node, and a second radio network node (13), being a secondary radio network node. The wireless device detects a radio link problem to the first radio network node (12); and transmits a failure report to the first radio network node (12) over the split signaling radio bearer via the second radio network node (13). The failure report indicates the radio link problem to the first radio network node (12).

In a typical wireless communication network, wireless devices, also known as wireless communication devices, mobile stations, stations (STA) and/or user equipments (UE), communicate via a Radio access Network (RAN) to one or more core networks (CN). The RAN covers a geographical area which is divided into service areas or cell areas, with each service area or cell area being served by radio network node such as an access node e.g. a Wi-Fi access point or a radio base station (RBS), which in some networks may also be called, for example, a "NodeB" or "eNodeB". The service area or cell area is a geographical area where radio coverage is provided by the radio network node. The radio network node operates on radio frequencies to communicate over an air interface with the wireless devices within range of the radio network node. The radio network node communicates over a downlink (DL) to the wireless device and the wireless device communicates over an uplink (UL) to the radio network node.
A Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a third generation telecommunication network, which evolved from the second generation (2G) Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). The UMTS terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) is essentially a RAN using wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) and/or High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) for communication with user equipments. In a forum known as the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), telecommunications suppliers propose and agree upon standards for present and future generation networks, and investigate enhanced data rate and radio capacity. In some RANs, e.g. as in UMTS, several radio network nodes may be connected, e.g., by landlines or microwave, to a controller node, such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), which supervises and coordinates various activities of the plural access nodes connected thereto. The RNCs are typically connected to one or more core networks.
Specifications for the Evolved Packet System (EPS) are also handled by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G and 5G networks. The EPS comprises the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), also known as the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) radio access network, and the Evolved Packet Core (EPC), also known as System Architecture Evolution (SAE) core network. E-UTRAN/LTE is a 3GPP radio access technology wherein the access nodes are directly connected to the EPC core network. As such, the Radio Access Network (RAN) of an EPS has an essentially "flat" architecture comprising access nodes connected directly to one or more core networks.
With the emerging 5G technologies such as New Radio (NR), the use of very many transmit- and receive-antenna elements is of great interest as it makes it possible to utilize beamforming, such as transmit-side and receive-side beamforming. Transmit-side beamforming means that a transmitter can amplify the transmitted signals in a selected direction or directions, while suppressing the transmitted signals in other directions. Similarly, on the receive-side, a receiver can amplify signals from a selected direction or directions, while suppressing unwanted signals from other directions.
In order to detect radio link failures (RLF) a wireless device implements a radio link monitoring (RLM) mechanism, which is described in 3GPP TS 36.331 v.14.0.0. RLM parameters are configured by Radio Resource Control (RRC). For this purpose the wireless device evaluates the radio link and upon a number, e.g. N310, consecutive "out-of-synchronization" (OOS) indications received from lower layers (see 3GPP TR 36.133 v.14.0.0 for details), the wireless device starts a timer referred to as T310, see FIG. 1A. The timer may be stopped upon another number, denoted N311, consecutive "in-synchronization" indications. After expiry of the timer T310 the wireless device may declare RLF to be detected and start an RRC reestablishment procedure by transmitting RRCConnectionReestablishmentRequest to try to recover the RRC connection with the network. Once an RRC connection is restored, the wireless device may send an RLF report to the radio network node to give radio network node more detailed information.
The interruption time due to RRC connection re-establishment procedure is a bit long as the wireless device need to wait for the timer T310 to expire, which may typically be 1-2 seconds, in order to avoid false RLF detections. It turns off its transmitter for 40 and then performs a cell reselection, and after that it sends an RRC connection re-establishment request message to the Network (NW). The interruption duration in average may e.g. be 70 ms.
In LTE Rel-12, dual connectivity (DC) was introduced, where a wireless device could connect to two different radio network nodes, such as eNBs, simultaneously. One of the radio network nodes would be the master eNB (MeNB) where the control plane terminates and the other radio network node would be the secondary eNB (SeNB) which provides additional capacity (bandwidth) to the wireless device. The wireless device is also configured with two different cell groups, a Master cell group (MCG) and a Secondary cell group (SCG) associated to the MeNB and the SeNB respectively.
The wireless device will send measurement reports on the cells when specific criteria are fulfilled, e.g. neighbor cell is a threshold better than serving cell, or neighbor cell is better than a threshold, and the network may reconfigure the wireless device to be handed over to another cell if that cell is sufficiently better. This may be done independently for both the MCG and the SCG. However, since the security in the SeNB is derived from the MeNB, any change in MeNB will require an update of the SeNB.
If the SCG fails, e.g. due to overload, poor signal quality, time-out, or similar, the wireless device generates an RLF report containing information regarding e.g. neighbor cells and signal strengths, which it sends to the MeNB. The MeNB may either release all SCG configurations or reconfigure the wireless device with a new SeNB. If the MCG fails both the MeNB and the SeNB are released and the wireless device attempts to perform a reestablishment to the MeNB (or another cell).
During LTE Rel-12, it was proposed to introduce a concept known as RRC-diversity where a wireless device could have signal radio bearers (SRB) between the wireless device and the SeNB. Similar to the data radio bearers (DRB) this may be realized with two separate bearers (with independent RRC entities), or with a split SRB where the RRC messages are generated by the MeNB but may be forwarded (or duplicated) via the SeNB as can be seen in FIG. 1B, wherein Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Link Control (RLC) and Medium Access Control (MAC) entities are shown. When the wireless device is configured with dual connectivity (DC), it is connected to a master eNB (MeNB) and a secondary eNB (SeNB). If the connection to the MeNB deteriorates, the wireless device declares RLF resetting connections, which will cause a long interruption of the connectivity leading to a reduced or limited performance of the wireless communication network.

Radio network nodes, wireless device, and methods performed therein for handling connections in a wireless communication network


A dynamic semiconductor memory device for storing a signal corresponding to two bits of digital data in a single memory cell. A memory cell consisting of two transistors and one capacitor is formed. Logic is provided to convert two bits of data to two levels of charge with two different polarities. The result is a memory device which requires only 11/2 elements per bit of storage in contrast to the two elements per bit of storage needed in conventional memory cells.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved dynamic semiconductive memory device, and more particularly to a dynamic semiconductive memory device capable of storing more than one bit in a cell.
2. Background Information
Although high integration techniques have permitted increasingly dense topographies in dynamic semiconductor memory fabrication, the constitution of the memory cell employing two elements consisting of one transistor and one capacitor per bit has not changed.
A typical dynamic semiconductor memory device is shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 indicates a memory cell in a conventional dynamic semiconductor memory system. Memory cell 20 comprises a storage capacitor 21, a storage node 23 and a transfer gate transistor 22 for use in selecting the memory cell.
Reductions in the size of a memory cell such as cell 20 are limited by the capacitance required in capacitor 21 to avoid excessive soft errors due to alpha particles. Therefor further integration has been marked by attempts to reduce the area covered by a capacitor 21 while keeping its capacitance approximately the same. These attempts have led to three-dimensional structures such as grooves or stacks.
However, there are many problems in the production of such a three-dimensional memory cell and the development time needed to develop such a cell is burdensome.

Multi-level memory cell with increased read-out margin


A harness for positioning and securing an infant to a reflux wedge. The harness includes a crotch support having a front flap and a rear flap connected to each other by a transverse section. Two straps extend upward from the rear flap. An infant is placed in the harness and secured to the reflux wedge. The infant's position (up or down) on the surface of the reflux wedge is fully adjustable. The straps are affixed to a horizontal slit found in the main body of the reflux wedge by hook and pile material. The straps are attached to each other by a material section. The harness prevents the infant from slipping down the slope of the wedge. The unique design of the wedge and harness allows for either prone or supine positioning of the infant. Infant shoulder protraction is facilitated in either the prone or supine position when the infant rests within the harness attached to the wedge.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to harnesses. Specifically, and not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to a harness for securing an elevated recumbent infant to an infant reflux wedge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, also know as GERD, is a common ailment which results from a back flow (reflux) of acid from the stomach into the esophagus. This acid can irritate or even damage the delicate lining on the inside of the esophagus. The usual symptom is heartburn, which is an uncomfortable burning sensation behind the breastbone. In some individuals this reflux is frequent enough to cause more significant problems, resulting in GERD. Thus, GERD is a clinical condition that occurs when reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus is severe enough to impact the patient's life and/or damage the esophagus. Infants are susceptible to GERD and suffer tremendously from its effects.
Standard protocol for alleviating the symptoms of an infant with GERD is to elevate the recumbent infant approximately 30 to 45 degrees. The infant is often placed on a wedged-shaped mattress. The infant is positioned at an inclined angle to reduce the volume or amount of refluxed gastric fluid. The infant is held in place by a sling or harness device. The elevated positioning of the infant is very helpful. Typically, the infant is laid face down in a prone position for improved gastric emptying or for more effective results. However, simply laying an infant on either his back or stomach on a flat surface results in some very significant musculoskeletal problems associated with the prolonged use of the elevated mattress. In particular, the shoulders of the infant tend to retract backwards. With the prolonged use of the elevated mattress, the infant is not able to protract (move forward) his shoulders. The lack of an ability for the infant to protract his shoulders is detrimental to the musculoskeletal development of the infant. A device is needed which enables the infant to enjoy the benefits of the inclined position on a wedge apparatus without positioning the infant in such a manner as to encourage retraction of the shoulders.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,931,683 to Elkin et al. (Elkin) discloses a novel advanced infant reflux wedge which solves the problems associated with existing devices. However, to provide a hygienic and comfortable apparatus, the wedge is preferably covered in a smooth medical grade vinyl material. Because of the smoothness of the material and the elevation of the wedge, the infant often slides down the wedge, thus defeating the purpose of the wedge. A device is needed to secure the infant on the wedge and prevent the infant from sliding down the slope of the wedge.
Although there are no known prior art teachings of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency and shortcoming such as that disclosed herein, prior art references that discuss the subject matter bears some relation to matters discussed herein is U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,763 to Tucker (Tucker). Tucker discloses a bedding article for supporting an infant with gastroesophageal reflux. A covering is placed over the crib mattress and forms a tensile load carrying connection band. An infant support sling is then connected to the band. The Tucker sling and elevated mattress can cause the aforementioned problem of shoulder retraction. The sling disclosed in Tucker also suffers from several other disadvantages. The Tucker sling requires attachment to a bedding article such as a mattress cover which is not available for the wedge disclosed in Elkin. In addition, the sling disclosed in Tucker does not provide for adjustment in height to properly align the infant in the wedge. The Tucker sling merely provides a device to secure an infant in an elevated bed. The Tucker sling cannot be utilized on the reflux wedge disclosed in Elkin.
Thus, it would be a distinct advantage to have a fully adjustable harness which safely and comfortably secures an infant to a reflux wedge such as disclosed in Elkin. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus.

Harness for securing an infant to reflux wedge


An apparatus for preparing a beverage includes a housing, and one or more swirl-inducing sections positioned within the housing. A beverage medium, such as instant infant formula powder or a flavored drink mix, can be contained within the housing. Each swirl-inducing section can include a substantially arcuate channel having an entrance opening and an exit opening. When a liquid, such as water, is introduced into the housing, it can flow into the arcuate channel, which produces a swirling movement of the liquid that helps to thoroughly break up and evenly disperse the beverage medium throughout the liquid to produce a thoroughly mixed beverage that is ready for consumption.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for facilitating the mixing of a liquid and a substance, such as solid particles. One embodiment of the invention comprises a beverage mixing cartridge that facilitates the mixing of a solid beverage medium, such as infant formula powder, in a liquid such as water or milk.
Cartridges adapted for brewing a single serving of coffee are known in the art. Such cartridges are typically comprised of a plastic housing that contains enough ground coffee to brew about one serving of coffee. The cartridge is typically positioned in a brewing apparatus that pierces the cartridge and injects an amount of hot water into the cartridge to produce a single serving of coffee. Such systems may be adequate to produce a satisfactory serving of coffee as the extremely hot water produced by the coffee brewing machines is conducive to mixing with the ground coffee. Also, coffee steeps, which makes it easier to produce a substantially homogenous beverage mixture. However, many beverages other than coffee, such as infant formula and soft drinks, are not steeped and are served at room temperature or colder. As the temperature of water or other liquid decreases, so does the solubility of most solids. As such, it can be particularly difficult to thoroughly disperse solid particles within a single serve beverage cartridge using water that is room temperature or colder.

Beverage mixing cartridge and method of using same


Adeno-associated liquid and lyophilized pharmaceutical compositions are provided herein. In exemplary aspects, the pharmaceutical compositions comprise about 5 mM to about 25 mM L-histidine, about 0 mM to about 150 mM sodium chloride, about 0.001% (w/v) to about 0.01% (w/v) polysorbate 80 (PS80), and about 1% to about 10% (w/v) sucrose, trehalose, or combination thereof to AAV. In exemplary aspects, the pharmaceutical compositions further comprise glycine or mannitol. Methods of preparing a pharmaceutical composition comprising AAV, methods of treating a bleeding disorder in a subject, and methods of storing AAV compositions are also provided.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a small, non-enveloped virus that packages a linear single-stranded DNA genome. AAV belongs to the family Parvoviridae and the genus Dependovirus, since productive infection by AAV occurs only in the presence of a helper virus, such as, for example, adenovirus or herpes virus. Even in the absence of a helper virus, AAV (serotype 2) can achieve latency by integrating into chromosome 19q13.4 of a host human genome. It is the only mammalian DNA virus known to be capable of site-specific integration (Daya and Berns, Clinical Microbiology Reviews, pages 583-593 (2008)).
For AAV to be safely used in the clinic, AAV has been genetically modified at several locations within its genome. For example, the Rep gene, which is required for viral replication, and the element required for site-specific integration have been eliminated from the AAV genome in many viral vectors. This recombinant AAV (rAAV), exists in an extrachromosomal state and have very low integration efficiency into the genomic DNA. The possibility of rAAV inducing random mutagenesis in a host cell is thus reduced, if not eliminated altogether. Because of these properties and the lack of pathogenicity, rAAV has shown great promise as a gene therapy vector in multiple aspects of pre-clinical and clinical applications. New serotypes and self-complementary vectors are being tested in the clinic. Alongside these ongoing vector developments, continued effort has focused on scalable manufacturing processes that can efficiently generate high titer quantities of rAAV vectors with high purity and potency.
AAV research also has focused on AAV formulations intended for human administration. It is understood that such AAV formulations should be not only safe, sterile, and of good manufacturing practice (GMP) grade, these formulations should also exhibit and promote the long-term stability of the AAV, minimizing loss of AAV potency during the manufacture, packaging, and storage processes. The formulations should furthermore prevent adsorption to the surfaces of the containers in which the AAV are packaged and stored and of the machinery used during manufacture. Though the efforts to design such AAV formulations have been great, there still remains a need for improved AAV formulations.


The present invention is to provide a production technology by which an optically active 2-[6-(hydroxymethyl)-1, 3-dioxan-4-yl]acetic acid derivative, which are of value as pharmaceutical intermediates, can be produced from inexpensive and readily available starting materials without using any extraordinary equipment such as an ultra-low-temperature reactor.

The hitherto-known technology for producing 2-[6-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-dioxan-4-yl]acetic acid derivatives includes the following processes.    (1) A process starting with 3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone to synthesize a 3,5,6-trihydroxyhexanoic ester derivative via a 3,5-dihydroxyhexanoic ester derivative (JP-A-04-173767).    (2) A process starting with 3,4-dihydroxybutyronitrile acetonide to synthesize a 3,5,6-trihydroxyhexanoic ester derivative via a 3,5-dihydroxyhexanoic ester derivative (JP-A-02-262537).    (3) A process starting with a 4-chloroacetoacetic acid ester to synthesize a 3,5,6-trihydroxyhexanoic ester derivative through benzyloxylation, reduction, chain extension and like steps. (JP-A-06-65226).    (4) A process starting with a 4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyric ester to synthesize a 3,5,6-trihydroxyhexanoic ester derivative through chain extension, reduction and like steps. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,313).    (5) A process starting with malic acid to synthesize a 3,5,6-trihydroxyhexanoic ester derivative via a 2,4-dihydroxyadipic acid derivative (JP-A-04-69355).
However, these processes involve ultra-low temperature reactions around −80° C. in some stage or other of the respective production processes (1, 2, 4 and 5) or a high-pressure hydrogenation reaction requiring a pressure of as high as 100 kg/cm2 (3), thus invariably requiring extraordinary reaction equipment. Moreover, expensive starting materials are used in some or other stages, so that none of the processes are efficient enough for industrial-scale production.

Process for preparing optically active 2-[6-(hydroxy-methyl)-1,3-dioxan-4-yl] acetic acid derivatives

Abstract: The present invention is a production process of an optically active 2-[6-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-dioxan-4-yl]acetic acid derivative                which comprises reacting an enolate, prepared by permitting a base or a 0-valent metal to act on an acetic acid ester derivative with (S)-β-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone at a temperature not lower than −30° C. to give a dihydroxyoxohexanoic acid derivative,        treating the same with an acylating agent in the presence of a base to produce a dihydroxyoxohexanoic acid monoacyl derivative,        reducing this compound with a microorganism to produce a trihydroxyhexanoic acid monoacyl derivative,        treating this compound with an acetal-forming reagent in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce an acyloxymethyldioxanylacetic acid derivative, and        finally, subjecting this compound to solvolysis in the presence of a base.


When a drive power demand Pv* is greater than 0, the control procedure of the invention sets the greater between an engine speed demand Nereq and a lower engine speed limit Nemin to a target rotation speed Ne* of an engine (step S160). The engine speed demand Nereq represents a rotation speed of the engine at a specific drive point that ensures efficient output of an engine power demand Pe*. The lower engine speed limit Nemin represents a rotation speed of the engine at another specific drive point for a constant-speed drive of a hybrid vehicle at a current vehicle speed V. When the drive power demand Pv* is equal to 0, the control procedure of the invention cuts fuel supply to the engine and sets the lower engine speed limit Nemin to the target rotation speed Ne* of the engine (step S190). The engine is accordingly driven at the rotation speed of not lower than the lower engine speed limit Nemin and has a quick response to a demand for output power increase from the engine. This arrangement desirably reduces the loading of a battery and prevents premature deterioration of the battery.

One proposed hybrid vehicle has an engine, a planetary gear unit including a carrier and a ring gear respectively linked to a crankshaft of the engine and to a drive shaft, a first motor connected to a sun gear of the planetary gear unit, a second motor connected to the drive shaft, and a battery capable of transmitting electric power to and from the first motor and the second motor (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 11-93727). In this proposed hybrid vehicle, the first motor is driven and controlled to regulate the rotation speed of the engine.

Hybrid vehicle, control method of hybrid vehicle, and power output apparatus


This invention relates to metallocene compounds represented by formula:

Various processes and catalysts exist for the homopolymerization or copolymerization of olefins. For many applications, it is desirable for a polyolefin to have a high weight average molecular weight while having a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution. A high weight average molecular weight, when accompanied by a narrow molecular weight distribution, provides a polyolefin with, among other things, high strength properties.
Traditional Ziegler-Natta catalysts systems—a transition metal compound co-catalyzed by an aluminum alkyl—are typically capable of producing polyolefins having a high molecular weight, but with a broad molecular weight distribution.
More recently a catalyst system has been developed wherein the transition metal compound has two or more cyclopentadienyl ring ligands—such transition metal compound being referred to herein as a "metallocene—which catalyzes the production of olefin monomers to polyolefins. Accordingly, titanocenes, zirconocenes and hafnocenes, have been utilized as the transition metal component in such "metallocene" containing catalyst system for the production of polyolefins and ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymers.
Organometallics 1998, 17, 2155 discloses phosphorus bridged bis-cyclopentadienyl ligands with four bonds to the phosphorus bridge. Group 4 metals are not used.
J. Mol. Cat. A. 1998, 128, 245 discloses phosphorus bridged ligands with three bonds to the phosphorus ligand. Compounds include PhP(fluoreyl)(cyclopentadienyl)ZrCl2, PhP(fluorenyl)2ZrCl2, 1,1′-PhP(2-methyl-4-phenylindenyl)2ZrCl2 (bridged in the one position), 1,1′-iso-propylP(PhP(2-methyl-4-phenylindenyl)2ZrCl2 (bridged in the one position), 1,1′-PhP(indenyl)2ZrCl2 (bridged in the one position).
J. Organomet. Chem. 1998, 568, 127 discloses phosphorus bridged ligands with three bonds to the phosphorous ligand. Compounds include PhP(fluorenyl)2ZrCl2, and PhP(fluorenyl)2HfCl2. The paper also discloses some additional ligand preps, but not with bridges in the 2-position of the indenyl ligand. Polymerization data is included.
Organometallics 1999, 18, 6 discloses phosphorous bridged bis-cyclopentadienyl Group 4 metallocenes with three or four bonds to the phosphorous ligand (e.g. Cp*2PMe, Cp*2PMe(E) with S═O, S, Se). There is a note in the paper stating that the compounds are active polymerization catalysts when activated by MAO.
Z. Naturforsch., B 1999, 54, 482 discloses phosphorous bridged bis-cyclopentadienyl complexes.
Organometallics 2000, 19, 5155—Discloses phosphorous bridged bis-cyclopentadienyl Group 4 metallocenes with 4 bonds to the phosphorous ligand (e.g. Cp*2PMe2). This makes the metallocene ionic as in [Me2PCp*2ZrCl2]+[I]−. There is no mention of polymerization.

Phosphorus bridged metallocene compounds for olefin polymerization

Abstract: wherein    M is a group 3, 4, 5 or 6 transition metal atom, or a lanthanide metal atom, or actinide metal atom;    E is a substituted or unsubstituted indenyl ligand that is bonded to Y through the two position of the indenyl ring;    A is bonded to Y, and is a substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl ligand, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclopentadienyl ligand, a substituted or unsubstituted indenyl ligand, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroindenyl ligand, a substituted or unsubstituted fluorenyl ligand, a substituted or unsubstituted heterofluorenyl ligand, or other mono-anionic ligand, or A may, independently, be defined as E;    Y is a phosphorus containing group that is bonded to both E and A, and is bonded via the phosphorus atom to E; and    X are, independently, univalent anionic ligands, or both X are joined and bound to the metal atom to form a metallocycle ring, or both X join to form a chelating ligand, a diene ligand, or an alkylidene ligand.


A projector includes a main body, a lens unit and a lens cover. The main body includes a housing and a groove formed on a bottom face of the housing. The lens unit is provided to the main body. The lens cover is configured to cover the lens unit. The lens cover is further configured to be fitted to the groove so that the lens cover rotatably supports the main body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a projector. More specifically, the present invention relates to a projector having a lens cover configured to be fitted to a lens unit of a main body.
2. Background Information
A conventional projector includes a main body, a lens unit and a lens cover. The lens unit is provided to the main body. The lens cover is fitted to the lens unit and connected to the main body with a cord. When the lens cover is removed from the lens unit and the conventional projector is moved, the lens cover ends up underneath the projector. Then, the projector gets unbalanced and susceptible to damage. With the conventional projector, the lens cover is used only for covering the lens unit of the main body.
Another conventional projector (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-109359, for example) includes a main body case and a protective cover. The protective cover covers at least part of the main body case of the projector. A convex component is formed on the bottom face of the main body case. A circular through-hole is formed in the protective cover. The convex component has an arced cross sectional shape and is fitted into the through-hole. When the projector is used, the protective cover is used as a stand for holding the main body case. When the main body case is placed on the protective cover serving as a stand, the main body case is allowed to be inclined vertically and rotated horizontally. With the conventional projector, the protective cover having the circular through-hole is required to have a rotating mechanism for rotatably supporting the main body case.
Another conventional projector (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H11-14958, for example) includes a main body, a lens unit, a lens protection device having a lens cover and a handle. The lens unit is provided to the main body. The handle is provided to the lens cover. When the main body is carried by grasping the handle, the lens cover automatically rotated or slid over the lens unit, thereby blocking off the lens unit. Therefore, there is no worry about forgetting to attach a lens cap or the like, and the lens unit is protected. When the conventional projector is to be used, the lens unit can be uncovered by moving the lens cover. The lens cover is merely used to protect the lens unit. The conventional projector has no rotating mechanism for rotatably supporting the main body.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved projector. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


A tank agitator connects to a low head feed and causes agitation by discharging through a port that might rotate, oscillate, or otherwise issue a pulsing stream. This agitator has a housing with a turbine plenum and an exhaust plenum. A turbine in the turbine plenum spins by the flowthrough of the feedwater and exhausts to the exhaust plenum. A hollow drive shaft is spun by the turbine and extends through the exhaust plenum and to terminate outside the housing. It has an aperture that allows water in the exhaust plenum to flow into its lumen. A nozzle caps the shaft and is bent such that the discharge issuing therefrom sweeps in circles with the spinning of the drive shaft. A variant form of the agitator includes a drive train that incorporates a drag link to convert the spinning input of the turbine into an oscillating output in the drive shaft. In another variant form, the discharge is pulsed. To do this, the exhaust plenum lies between an opening to the turbine plenum and a port in the housing wall to the outside. A blocker door is coupled to and driven by the spinning turbine to cycle between uncovering and covering one of the exhaust opening and the discharge port. Given the foregoing, the discharge stream issuing from the discharge port will pulse between alternating phases of flow and quiescence.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to agitators or circulators for inducing currentsxe2x80x94or waves if that is preferredxe2x80x94in a given tank. One example illustrative use environment for the invention involves salt water aquariums in which it is desirable to generate a wave and/or current environment similar to an actual reef so that filter-feeding organisms like coral are given plenty of plankton circulated by them to feed on. Other example use environments include without limitation process industries like the chemical, food, or water treatment industries and so on, for use in mixing tanks to mix dissolving chemicals or blend fluids or the like, including suspending or dispersing particles, bubbles, droplets, fluid clumps and so on.
Additional aspects and objects of the invention will be apparent in connection with the discussion further below of preferred embodiments and examples.
2. Prior Art
Waves at the surface of fluids appear as a variation of the familiar sine curve in mathematics. The amplitude and frequency of the wave are analogous to its mathematical counterpart. The amplitude of a surface wave can be best described as the height of the crest of the wave. The period of the wave is the time in seconds for successive crests to pass a fixed point. The frequency of the wave is the inverse of the period. The amplitude of the wave (height of the crests) is directly proportional to the force with which the water/fluid hits stationary objects. Waves with large crests (amplitude) carry a large volume of water which, when decelerated by stationary objects, produce large forces. Correspondingly, waves with small amplitudes produce small forces.
Surface waves in nature, aquariums and tanks vary from the sine analogy in that they are three dimensional. Surface waves in nature have eddy currents, back pressure from the previous wave meeting the shore or reef, undercurrents, etc., which change the shape, amplitude and frequency of the wave.
Waves below the surface can be described as an increasing and a decreasing of the mass flow rate through a given volume of fluid. This increasing and decreasing of flow requires a corresponding increasing and decreasing of pressure. The amplitude of the wave can be described as the flow rate over a given volume. The period is the time needed for the flow to switch from ON to OFF and back ON. The flow can also be pulsed from high to low. As previously stated, the frequency is the inverse of the period.
For surface and below surface waves, the fluid carries energy which can be dissipated in many ways. Two of the more prominent are:xe2x80x94(i) the energy is dissipated in the fluid by shear, and (ii) the energy is dissipated in the fluid by contact with a stationary object. In the ocean, stationary objects include irregular terrain, ocean floor, boulders, vegetation, shoreline, and so on. In a tank, stationary objects include the sides, bottom, bulkheads, fixtures, and so on. Steady streams also loose energy by shear or by contact with stationary objects. Most of the energy losses in a steady stream occur at the boundaries of the flow.
The dissipation of energy in large volumes of fluid, whether from a wave or a stream, causes turbulence. Turbulence along with a substantial flow rate are the desired components for a thriving aquarium or for an efficient fluid mixer.
In tank environments, pumping operations, engines, fuel systems, hydraulic systems or any fluidized system, filters are generally used to remove sediment, waste, debris, impurities, and so on. Most filters use a meshed media to trap particles of a certain size. The smaller the opening or pore, the smaller the particle it can retain. As filters trap particles, the available area to pass fluid is reduced. When this happens, the flow rate and pressure down stream from the filter are substantially reduced. This, in turn, causes a decrease in system performance and an increase in operating costs.
Pumps used in aquariums are generally magnetic drive pumps. Submersible magnetic drive pumps (e.g., as available from Horvath) are used extensively inside the aquarium. The Horvath-type pump and the submersible pumps commercially available today differ only in the following:xe2x80x94the submersible pump has a sealed stator assembly and the 90xc2x0 exit for the pressurized stream is straight. Pumps used outside of the tank or in chemical/food processing have a permanent magnet in the impeller. The impeller is encased, on bushings, in its housing and it is driven by coupling the encased magnet with a motor driven magnet. The motor driven magnet is outside the housing so there are no seals. This type of pump is used to prevent fluid from leaking out of the drive shaft seals or to prevent contamination of the fluid from bearing grease, and so on. The magnetic drive pumps are quiet, reliable and almost never leak. The main drawback to these pumps is the weak coupling between the magnets. The magnetic coupling cannot transfer motor torque to the impeller efficiently. These pumps rely on impeller speed to transfer energy to the fluid and they generally have a high flow, low pressure (3 to 30 psi) discharge. Small changes in motor speed, from minor voltage fluctuations causes significant changes in the pump output. While this type of pump recirculates water and low viscosity fluids without any problem, it has little value for high viscosity fluids. For the work they perform, magnetic drive pumps consume more power than direct drive pumps.
As mentioned above, the dissipation of energy stored in the fluid stream causes turbulence in the tank. Because energy stored in a fluid stream is proportional to pressure, pumps with a low pressure discharge generally store little energy. While the flow from magnetic drive pumps may seem substantial, the energy is dissipated rapidly, through shear, into the stationary fluid and its effect over the entire tank is minimal. Most of the turbulence occurs near the pump discharge or at the boundaries of the fluid stream.
Since fluid at a high flow rate and high pressure creates the most amount of turbulence, high-pressure/high-volume pumps are the drivers for fast and efficient mixing and processing of fluids. High-pressure/high-volume pumps are also the drivers for creating high amplitude waves in aquariums or cleaning the pores of media used in filters.
Mixers for a slurry or solids, such as beaters, food processors, blenders and so on, all rely on a rotating impeller(s) (e.g., beaters, chopping blades, whisks and the like) to perform mixing, blending, chopping, and so on. Some devices rotate the mixing bowls under the mixing head. The mixers operate by spinning the impeller at a high speed and relying on gravity, centrifugal force and pressure from the impeller to mix the ingredients. The larger the impeller diameter, the more torque is required to mix the ingredients. Most commercial and industrial mixers are scaled such that container size, bowl size, tank size and so on, are chosen after the impeller and motor size has been determined. Most mixers use a bowl that is slightly larger than the impeller diameter so the mixing head will be close to the boundaries of the bowl and the mixing will be automatic. If the user needs to mix a large volume, a larger bowl or container is needed or multiple batches must be prepared. With the larger container, the user is forced to move the container around on the stationary impeller, move the mixer or stop the motor and move the unmixed ingredients toward the impeller. With multiple batches, more mixers or an increased preparation time is required.
It is an object of the invention to provide agitators or circulators for inducing currents or stirring in a given tank, given a feedwater stream having a relatively low head but perhaps relatively substantial flowrate.
It is an alternate object of the invention to provide such agitators or circulators for salt water aquariums where it is desirable to slosh the water around real thoroughly, which allows reef organisms like filter-feeding coral to get plenty of chance at catching and feeding on plankton that drifts at the whim of the currents set up in the tank.
It is an additional object of the invention to configure such agitators so that they operate passively on the return line of the filter water drawn off from the tank, which return line might indeed be very low head. Configuring the agitators for this kind of use environment affords them to be submersible, to plug-in on the terminus of the return line, and operate worry free.
These and other objects and aspects in accordance with the invention are provided by tank agitators which are connected onto the terminus of a generally steady flow, low head feedwater line and causing agitation in the tank by the discharge of the feedwater through a given discharge port.
In one basic form of the invention, the discharge port rotates. To achieve this, the tank agitator comprises some of the following aspects. That is, the tank agitator has a housing having an inlet for connection to the feedwater line and defining a turbine plenum and an exhaust plenum. It also has a turbine mounted in the turbine plenum and driven to spin by the flowthrough of the feedwater. The turbine exhausts to the exhaust plenum. There is also a hollow drive shaft driven to spin by the turbine and extending partially within the exhaust plenum and through a seal in the housing to terminate outside the housing. The hollow drive shaft is formed with an aperture that allows water in the exhaust plenum to flow into the lumen of the shaft. Given the foregoing, a nozzle is attached on the end of the shaft and defines a discharge port angled off the axis of the lumen such that the discharge stream issuing therefrom sweeps in circles with the spinning of the drive shaft.
In a variant form of tank agitator in accordance with the invention, the agitator causes agitation in the tank by pulsing the discharge through the discharge port between alternating phases of flow and quiescence. This form of the agitator comprises a housing having an inlet for connection to the feedwater line and defining a turbine plenum and an exhaust conduit extending between an opening to the turbine plenum and a port in the housing to the outside. A turbine is mounted in the turbine plenum and driven to spin by the flowthrough of the feedwater. The turbine exhausts to the exhaust plenum. A blocker door is coupled to and driven by the spinning turbine to cycle between uncovering and covering one of the exhaust opening and the discharge port. Given the foregoing, the discharge stream issuing from the discharge port pulses between alternating phases of flow and quiescence.
In still another variant form of the tank agitator in accordance with the invention, it causes agitation in the tank by the discharge of the feedwater through a discharge port that oscillates back and forth between angular extremes. This other variant form comprises a housing having an inlet for connection to the feedwater line and defining a turbine plenum and an exhaust plenum. A turbine is mounted in the turbine plenum and driven to spin by the flowthrough of the feedwater. The turbine exhausts to the exhaust plenum. A hollow drive shaft is mounted to oscillate and extends partially within the exhaust plenum and through a seal in the housing to terminate outside the housing. The hollow drive shaft is formed with an aperture that allows water in the exhaust plenum to flow into the lumen of the shaft. A nozzle is placed on the end of the shaft and it defines a discharge port angled off the axis of the lumen such that the discharge stream issuing therefrom sweeps in back and forth arcs with the oscillation of the drive shaft. To complete the foregoing there is included a drive train that incorporates a drag link interconnecting the spinning turbine with the oscillating drive shaft such that the spinning input of the turbine is converted into an oscillating output in the drive shaft.
The above-sketched basic forms can be combined, modified and permutated in numerous respects and aspects as will be apparent in connection with the discussion further below of preferred embodiments and examples of the invention.
More general remarks are provided next in the succeeding extended passage.
The devices in accordance with the invention allow for the following. They allow the varying, making, positioning and control of waves, both amplitude and frequency, and of steady stream flows in an aquarium, tank, pool, vat, any fluid storage/mixing container or in a filter for the express purpose of creating turbulence in the fluid contained in an aquarium, tank, pool, vat, any fluid storage/mixing container or filter. They allow the movement, including velocity and positioning, of wave-makers/mixers, impellers, pump heads, and so on, or any combination of the above in the aquarium, tank, pool, vat, filter box and so on, for the purpose of creating turbulence, or mixing fluids or a slurry. They allow for the movement, including velocity and positioning, of impellers, beaters, chopping blades, whisks, and so on or any combination of the above in a tank, bowl, container and so on, for the purpose of mixing, chopping, blending, and so on, solids or a slurry.
The devices in accordance with the invention break down into eight basic categories. In one category, there are devices which pulse flow from a pump, ON and OFF, and distribute it through an exit port or ports which control the volume and shape of the pulsing flow. These devices control the amplitude, frequency and location of the pulse. A controller can be used to vary the amplitude, frequency and location of the pulse with respect to time. The controller can be manual, preset or programmable.
In a second category, there are devices which rotate or sweep fluid from a pump thru an arc or an arc segment and distribute it through an exit port or ports which control the volume and shape of the rotating flow. These devices control the amplitude, frequency, and location of the sweep. A controller can be used to vary the amplitude, frequency and location of the sweep with respect to time. The controller can be manual, preset or programmable.
In a third category, there are included pumps or mixing impellers (i.e., a mixing impeller in this case is simply a pump without a housing) which, through use of a controller attached to the motor thereof, increase and decrease flow rate to create a pulsing effect. For pumps, the flow is exited through a port or ports which control the volume and shape of the flow. The controller can be manual, preset or programmable.
In a fourth category, there are pumps which, through use of a controller attached to an automatic valve, divert the flow from one exit port to another, causing a pulsing effect in the discharge of each exit port. The controller can be manual, preset or programmable.
In a fifth category, there can be any combination of the above.
In a sixth category, there can be any of the above devices or a pump which are additionally mounted on tracks or similar guides which move the devices to various locations in the tank. The position and velocity of the devices (as they move in the tank) can be fixed along a set track with a set velocity or the movement can be set by a controller. The movement can be along one axis or multiple axes. The controller can be manual, preset or programmable.
In a seventh category, any of the above devices, used individually or in combination, can be situated inside a filter, filter canister or filter box to keep the filtered particles suspended in the fluid and away from the meshed filter media pores.
Any of the above devices use in any combination and packaged separately or as a unit.
The pulsing devices in accordance with the invention create turbulence by turning flow ON and OFF or alternating the flow from high to low and distributing it over the desired volume. When the pulsing wave-maker/mixer or pump is pulsed ON, it allows fluid to flow over a volume for a set period of time. During this time, the flow is a steady stream with most of the turbulence at the boundaries of the stream. When the device is pulsed OFF, the energy from the fluid stream is dissipated into the stationary fluid. This creates turbulence across the entire volume and not just at the boundaries of the flow. Low frequency pulsing gives the fluid more time to dissipate its energy, whereas higher frequency pulsing gives the fluid less time.
The sweeping devices in accordance with the invention create turbulence by sweeping the flow over a large volume. As the devices sweep or oscillate, the flow is turned ON and OFF at any fixed location along the flow path. This creates a pulsing effect over any fixed volume that is encompassed by the fluid path from the sweeping or oscillating discharge. As the fluid stream enters and exits the fixed volume, the energy from the fluid is dissipated into the stationary fluid. This creates turbulence across the entire volume and not just at the boundaries of the flow. Low frequency rotating or oscillating gives the fluid more time to dissipate its energy: higher frequency rotating or oscillating gives the fluid less time.
The sweeping devices that discharge fluid in a 360xc2x0 circle have an additional use. If this device is placed vertically in a tank near an edge or corner of the tank with the discharge near the surface of the fluid, the device makes an exceptional surface wave in the tank. The device works as follows. As the discharge sweeps toward the side or corner of the tank, the pressure holds fluid up against the side of the tank. As the discharge rotates back toward the center of the tank, the fluid that was pushed up against the side is released and gravity pushes it down and back toward the center of the tank with the fluid that is continuing to discharge from the wave-maker/mixer. The result is an excellent surface wave. A large discharge area combined with a high discharge flow and pressure produce a large amplitude wave. The faster the device rotates, the higher the frequency and the slower the device rotates, the lower the frequency of the waves. Other factors that affect the amplitude, frequency and shape of the wave are:xe2x80x94size, shape and volume of tank; fill factor; position, attitude and depth of wave-maker/mixer; density of fluid; and location, size, and relative placement of fixtures in tank. Pulsing devices also create a surface wave when the discharge is placed near or at the surface but the rotating device has more impact at the surface of the tank for the same discharge flow and pressure.
The devices that (i) both sweep and pulse (ii) pumps or pump heads that pulse ON and OFF (with or without built in wave-makers/mixers), (iii) pumps or pump heads with automatic valves that switch flow between two or more exit ports or wave-makers/mixers, (iv) or any of the moving or stationary devices outlined above that work in fluids or a slurry, operate on a combination of previously outlined principles. In aquariums, where a high pressure, steady stream flow can affect the livestock (e.g., fish), the pulsing, sweeping, oscillating, or moving wave-makers/mixers allow for the use of a high pressure pump. The pulsing, sweeping, oscillating or moving breaks up a high pressure stream so it can still reach a greater distance into the aquarium from the discharge but not injure the livestock. The turbulence helps create a more natural marine ecosystem. The moving systems have the added benefit of ensuring water movement over an exact volume of the tank. These devices also ensure rapid, thorough and cost effective mixing of chemicals, foods, and so on.
Any of the sweeping or pulsing devices, or any combination of devices mentioned above when placed inside a filter, filter canister or filter box, work by creating turbulence in, and a washing down of the filtering media from inside. The result is the suspension of particles in a slurry inside the filter or a washing of the particles to a holding area which keeps them from clogging up the pores of the filter media. The particles still cannot pass the filter media, but their suspension inside or placement away from the filter will keep the pores open and allow for greater flow and pressure. This, in turn will increase system performance, reduce filter changes and save energy.
The devices that depend on movement, including velocity and positioning, of rotating impellers, beaters, chopping blades, whisks, and so on, in a tank, bowl, container and so on, work by moving the rotating impeller to various positions in the tank to ensure thorough mixing, chopping, blending, and so on, of the solids or the slurry. By moving the impeller and motor on a track in a programmable routine, significant improvements are made to the process. The motor can be optimized for power use, for the diameter of the impeller and for the intended use. Various container sizes can be used. The mixing will be thorough. And the process will require minimal operator attention. In short, the process will be efficient, less time consuming and cost effective.
Now what follows is a discussion of various applications for the devices in accordance with the invention and various aspects relating thereto.
A major application of the invention involves making waves or currents in or effecting filtering in aquariums.
Another application includes use for aeration and pumps. In this regard, various objects include making surface waves, creating currents and turbulence in tank, aeration, sweeping debris and waste and sediment off bottom of tank and transport it to the suction side of pump for removal by filter, and also, keeping canister filters from clogging up and reducing flow to tank.
There are current-producing applications to generate waves/turbulence. These include switch boxes which incorporate several outlets to switch multiple pumps ON and OFF at preset intervals (the pumps can be set at various locations in tank); a motor driven oscillating platform to mount a submersible pump to; a non-submersible motor driven oscillating outlet (only outlet is in water) which requires a separate pump (e.g., an xe2x80x9caquagatexe2x80x9d), dump buckets and siphon buckets.
In chemical mixing and filtering applications, various purposes therefor are to facilitate chemical reactions by mixing and agitating components, aid in dissolving of solids, prevent solutions from separating, and so on. Another application includes making waves in swimming and wading pools.
Additionally, applications for devices in accordance with the invention include industries such as waste and sewage treatment, food and beverage processing, photo processing, machining (e.g., wire EDM, grinding, honing or lapping), any hydraulic machinery or hydraulic system which uses a filter or sump, any process where a sump or filter is used cool or lubricate or carry away debris from a process, any filter which uses meshed media to remove particulate matter from a stream or container or open or closed fluid system (e.g., engine oil filter and fuel filters), and the like.
The drawings show embodiments which are direct drive wave-makers and mixers. In these, the turbine or motor turns at same speed as the operative wave-making/mixing components which may be the rotor(s) rotator, pulser, rotating pulser, two port pulser, omni pulsers, any multiple port pulsing or rotating wave-maker or mixer and any dual combination of the above; as well as any multiple discharge, multiple inlet or manifold grouping of the above; and/or any modular housing or assembly into which any of the above devices can be grouped.
In the embodiments shown by the drawings, the pump is separate from the operative wave-maker/mixer. That is, the wave-maker/mixer can be driven by a turbine or by an electric motor. The turbine housing can be integral to wave-making/mixing plenum or separate from wave-making/mixing plenum and connected to wave-making/mixing rotor by a shaft. The shaft can be solid, hollow or flexible. The two chambers can be separate or the hollow shaft can be utilized to transfer fluid Between the two chambers.
A high-pressure/high-volume pump can be used to power multiple wave-makers/mixers. A metering orifice can be inserted to limit the flow to each wave-maker/mixer. This eliminates the need for multiple pumps to drive each wave-maker.
If the two plenums are separate from each other (e.g., no fluid passes between the plenums), then a different pump and or fluid can be used to drive the turbine (e.g., an air-driven turbine mixing salt water). Using a different pump to drive the turbine separates the wave-making/mixing rotor speed and torque, from the discharge pressure and flow rate of the fluid being mixed.
The turbines can be radial, axial or mixed flow, it being preferred that they are radial flow as shown by the drawings. The turbines can be designed to be used with a variety of pumps or can be customized to meet pump, speed and torque requirements for a specific application. A reaction-type turbine (e.g., think of a common lawn sprinkler) can be used to propel the wave-making/mixing rotor or can be used alone as a rotator. This type of rotator is less effective than what has generally been shown by the drawings because, opposite and equal are the (i) velocity of the wave-making/mixing rotor at the discharge and (ii) the fluid velocity. This minimizes the amplitude of the wave.
The agitators in accordance with the invention also allow incorporation of a motor controller, which is added to the pump to vary the speed of the pump impeller. This, in turn, will vary the volume and pressure output from the pump with respect to time. By varying the flow into the wave-maker/mixer from the pump, a user can vary the wave-maker/mixing rotor speed and the discharge volume and pressure with respect to time. If separate pumps are used to drive the turbine and feed the wave-maker/mixer, then the controller can be used to vary the speed of both pump heads independently. This allows the speed and torque of the wave-making/mixing rotor to vary with respect to time and separately from the discharge flow rate and pressure of the wave-maker/mixer. This results in an additional pulsing effect in the tank.
A motor can be used to drive the wave-maker/turbine rotor. The motor can be submersible, magnetic drive, or can be out of the tank and connected to the wave-maker/mixer rotor by a shaft. The shaft can be solid, hollow or flexible a controller can be added to the motor to enable the operator to vary the wave-maker/mixer rotor speed with respect to time.
A motor controller allows the operator to pre-program a wave making/mixing profile with respect to time or to manually select motor-speeds/pump-flow rates as desired. Manual controllers (rheostats and so on) can be used in lieu of a controller.
Flow from pumps can be controlled by automatic valves. These valves can be manually operated or regulated by a controller and used to limit flow from a pump or switch between multiple wave-makers/mixers. Use of a valve to control flow from a pump would eliminate the need to vary the speed of the pump motor. A controller-operated automatic valve can switch between wave-makers and cause a pulsing between two wave-makers.
One or more ports can be added to the body of the wave-maker/mixer (see, eg., FIG. 29a) to allow for the injection of a second chemical, gas or air. This injection port (eg., shown in FIG. 29a) can be fed fluid from another pump (e.g., a mixing or dosing pump), compressed gas, air from a compressor and so on. If the additional, injection port is placed near the fluid discharge, it can take advantage of the venturi effect and naturally draw air or fluid into the stream for mixing.
For pulsing models with discharge ports integrated in the sidewall of the upper housing, port width and height can be adjusted by use of a ring with a slot in it (see, e.g., FIG. 29). The ring fits around the exit port and can be adjusted to modify exit shape and area. Various other types of constrictors, such as a cover with adjustment slots that is screwed into upper Housing, can be used to modify the shape and area of the discharge.
For pulsing models with threaded exit ports, special fan shaped, variable orifice, or fixed orifice fittings can be screwed into port to modify discharge shape, flow and area.
For turbine driven pulsing models with connected plenums, the partition ports can be of any shape or size and the blocker doors can be any length or width as long as the flow is sufficient to keep the turbine turning. If the blocker doors are too big or the partition port(s)""s area too small, the turbine will stop. For motor-driven or turbine-driven versions with separate plenums for the turbine and wave-making/mixing rotor, the blocker door(s) and the partition ports can be of any size or shape to give the desired pulsing effect. A wide blocking door(s) or narrow partition port(s) cause a low frequency pulse and a narrow blocking door(s) with a wide partition port(s) cause a high frequency pulse.
The blocker doors can function axially, with respect to the turbine""s main axle, so that the partition ports are located at the ends of hollow main axle and the blocker doors are positioned to open and close off the partition ports, as shown in the drawings. Alternatively, the partition ports can be positioned radially along the turbine""s hollow main axle and the blocker doors positioned radially to open and close off the partition ports. Any combination of radial and axial partition ports and corresponding blocker doors can be used. As previously stated, a xe2x80x9cpartition portxe2x80x9d allows flow between the lower and upper plenum.
As shown by the drawings, the inlet of any agitator can be right- or left-handed by disassembling the upper and lower housing, flipping the lower housing, and reassembling the housings. The housings can be designed with threaded inlets on both sides and the inlet fitting can be threaded into either side wherein the other side would be plugged. Housings can be manufactured with multiple inlets to allow several fluids to be pumped simultaneously into the wave-maker/mixer. This allows for better mixing of two fluids.
For outlets in the top or bottom (pulser, rotary pulser, omni pulser and so on) the exit port can be rotated with respect to the inlet by removing screws, rotating inlet, and reinserting screws. For models that are snapped together the inlet can be rotated at will. Pulser models with blank exit ports can be fabricated to allow a user to customize the exits to meet his or her needs.
All wave-makers/mixers allow use submerged in fluid, requiring no seals between housings, or tops and bottoms or partition walls and the rotor. But if housings or turbines are not submerged, O-ring seals, gaskets or any conventional sealing method can be used to seal the plenum or plenums. If seals are used on the wave-making/mixing shaft, the turbine or motor should supply enough torque to overcome the friction between the rotor and the seal.
Extensions (eg., one such extension or riser is indicated as 293 in FIG. 29a) can be added to the rotator or the rotating pulser wave-making/mixing rotor to allow the rotating exit port to operate away from the turbine/pulsing housing. While this has its advantages for wave-making/mixing there are practical limits to how high the extension can get. The extension reduces flow to the rotating exit port (friction), increases wear on the bearing and requires more torque from the turbine or motor.
Inlets can be threaded, or allow a xe2x80x9cslip fitxe2x80x9d for hoses and clamps, or grooved for a coupling, and so on, as required for application.
The rotary pulser can sweep in any direction with respect to the inlet by tightening the exit fitting on the wave-making/mixing rotor.
All models work in any position.
All models scale up or down in size with adjustments for friction, pump pressure, pump volume, and so on. The large diameter housings can accept more exit ports. With a large diameter feed pipe, the user must decide to use one large model or break up the feed into several smaller feeds and use several smaller units.
The various models can be supported in many ways, including as follows: xe2x80x94suspended from the pump outlet, pipe or manifold; suspended from tank sides, bottom, bulkhead or top using suction cups or angle brackets with suction cups; screwed, clipped, snapped, bolted, bonded (etc.) to tank sides, bottom, bulkhead or top; manufactured integral to tank; given supports to straddle side of tank; and so on.
It is presently preferred that the units are specially designed to be used on low pressure/high volume magnetic drive pumps. These pumps dominate the chemical processing and aquarium fields. The unique design uses energy stored in the fluid to turn the turbine, thereby creating the pulsing or rotating effect, but it returns most of the energy back into the fluid stream as it exits the wave-maker/mixer thru centrifugal force. This action ensures the fluid stream will still have enough energy to have an effect in the tank.
The wave-makers/mixers in accordance with the invention can be designed to handle suspended solids of various sizes. The turbine or motor must generate more torque and the port and discharge sizes must be increased to allow for the solid to pass.
Gear trains are generally includable in the wave-makers and mixers rotator, pulser, rotating pulser, two port pulser, omni pursers, oscillator, any multiple port pulsing, rotating or oscillating wave-maker or mixer and any two sided combination of the above, any multiple discharge, multiple inlet or manifolded grouping of the above, and/or any modular housing or assembly into which any of the above devices can be grouped.
Gear trains allow for more control over wave-making/mixing rotor or oscillating rotor speed. Gears trains allow for greater torque for the rotating/oscillating rotor while minimizing the turbine or motor size. Motors can be optimized for power consumption, noise and so on, or turbines can be optimized for a particular pump and the desired rotating/oscillating rotor speed can be obtained through the use of gears. (On single pump systems, gears enable high discharge volume and pressure while keeping rotor speed slow.) Gear reductions can vary depending on turbine or motor speed versus desired wave-making/mixing rotor speed.
Oscillating rotors can be used for pulsing by alternately blocking and opening exit ports with blocker doors.
Multiple gear drives can be used off of the same turbine to drive different wave-making/mixing rotors at different speeds, or drive oscillating and rotating rotors from the same turbine.
The degree of rotation for oscillating rotors can vary by changing the distance from the drag link pivot to the center of the oscillating rotor or the distance from the center of the driven gear to the other end of the drag link.
Generally, the amplitude and frequency for the wave-makers/mixers listed are affected by the following factors:xe2x80x94flow rate and pressure at discharge; discharge shape and area; viscosity of fluid or slurry; speed of wave-making/mixing rotor; shape and size of tank, bulkheads or fixtures; and location and attitude of wave-maker/mixer in tank.
Motor- or turbine-driven pumps or mixing impellers where the pump head (impeller and housing) or mixing impeller are submersed in tank and motor or turbine are hidden under, on side of or on top of tank and connected to the pump head or mixing impeller through shafts, gears, and so on. Pump head, shaft bearings, housings and motor mounts/vibration isolators can be built integral to the tank or manufactured to add on to any tank. Multiple pump heads or mixing impellers can be run off of the same Shaft.
Motor controllers can be added to control the speed of the mixing impeller or the pump impeller. By controlling the speed of the pump impeller, the operator can vary the output pressure and volume of the pump with respect to time. This creates a pulsing effect in the tank.
Impeller-type pumps can be axial, radial or mixed flow. Piston pumps, diaphragm pumps, gear pumps, peristaltic pumps (n.b., peristaltic pumps naturally create a pulsing action), progressive cavity, rotary vane, rotary lobe, flexible liner, flexible impeller or any type of similar pump head can be used. Pumps can also contain multiple stages if required.
Wave-makers and mixers built integral to pump head (impeller and housing) and driven directly or through gears off of the impeller shaft, or driven by pressure from the pump. The pump can be submersible.
Mixing impeller(s), pump head(s), submersible pump(s), or any of the above wave-makers/mixers fed from a separate pump or manufactured integral to a pump or pump head can be fixed to tracks which allow motion along a single or multiple axes. Rectangular or square tanks could use x, y, z coordinate axis or circular tanks a r,xcex8,z axis, but any coordinate axis system could be used. (Systems could use as few as one axis or as many as practically possible.)
The coordinate axes can be driven off of the pump impeller shaft, mixing impeller shaft, wave-maker/mixer rotor or wave-maker/mixer turbine shaft or they can be separately driven by one or more motors (servo or stepper motors), turbines or hydraulic cylinders (one motor, turbine or hydraulic cylinder can be used for each axis). Gears, shafts, flexible shafts, timing belts or chains and sprockets, xe2x80x9cGenevaxe2x80x9d mechanisms, belts or cables and pulleys, ratchets, eccentrics, cams and followers, crank arms, drag links or any common motion transfer or speed reduction components can be used to effect the design. Guides for each axis can be rack and pinion, V- or square-grooved slides, rods with bearing followers, or any commercially available or custom designed linear or circular motion guide system, and so on. The guides can be submersed in liquid or installed out of tank. Guides can be an add-on device or manufactured integral to the tank.
In addition, a motion controller can be added to the drive system for the coordinate axes to vary the speed and position with respect to time of the mixing impeller(s), pump head(s), submersible pump(s), or any of the above wave-makers/mixers fed from a separate pump or manufactured integral to a pump or pump head. Having all components connected to a controller allows a user to pre-program a wave-making/ mixing profile which controls wave-making/ mixing rotor speed, discharge pump flow rate and pressure, mixing impeller speed and position and velocity of all wave-making/mixing or pumping components in the tank with respect to time.
Any of the above devices, used individually or in combination, situated inside a filter, filter canister or filter box to keep the filtered particles suspended in the fluid and/or away from the meshed filter media pores.
In regards to construction and materials, the wave-makers/mixers and pumps can be manufactured from a wide variety of plastics, metals and ceramics. Factors in selection of materials are:xe2x80x94reactivity of materials with chemicals, affect of materials on living organisms (toxicity), corrosion resistance and friction and so on. Covers and parts shown as assembled with screws can be snapped, welded, press-fit, screwed, bonded or held together using other common assembly techniques.
Motors can be of any numerous types, including AC (single or 3 phase), DC, permanent magnet, servo, stepper and so on, depending on the application, power and efficiency requirements, torque, speed, control requirements, and so on. Motors can have built-in or added-on gear drive units.
As shown in the drawings, gears, planetary gear sets, shafts, flexible shafts, timing belts or chains and sprockets, xe2x80x9cGenevaxe2x80x9d mechanisms, belts or cables and pulleys, ratchets, eccentrics, cams and followers, crank arms, drag links or any common motion transfer or speed reduction unit and so on, can be used to transfer motion or to create the desired movement. Gear shafts are shown as screws for ease of assembly and replacement, but shafts can be molded integral to the shelf (plastic or casting) or attached using standard machine assembly techniques. The spirals of the screw threads helps lubricate the gears. If solid shafts are used, grooves or splines can be molded in the gears to help the operating fluid lubricate the gears. Gears that are shown as screwed to rotors or turbine can be molded integral to the rotor or turbine (screws are used to facilitate gear replacement).
Radial and thrust bearings are shown as molded integral to the housings shelves and end caps. The bearings can be manufactured from a different materials and inserted in housings, shelves and end caps using standard machine assembly techniques. Thrust washers can be added to decrease friction and wear on the rotors, turbines and housings.
Additional aspects and objects of the invention will be apparent in connection with the discussion further below of preferred embodiments and examples.

Agitators for wave-making or mixing as for tanks, and pumps and filters


Apparatus for managing a transaction using a transaction terminal having a manual code reading device, such as a barcode reader, for reading a data code printed on a visual medium. A transaction program forming part of the system includes at least one page of a visual medium having a first and second sets of data codes printed thereon. The first set of data codes in printed in a prearranged sequence and comprises a predetermined sequence of program commands for carrying out all of the steps of a prearranged transaction, including a subset of program commands associated with a corresponding subset of data entry steps. The second set of data codes is printed on the same or another page of said visual medium. Each of the data codes in the second set comprises a prearranged item of transaction data for use in said data entry steps. The transaction terminal includes a computer means interfaced to said manual code reading means. This computer means including a program storage device and a data storage device. The program storage device stores both a command management program for managing the sequential entry and execution of said program commands and a set of command execution routines. Each of the command execution routines is associated with one of said program commands. The set of command execution routines including at least one data entry routine which, in turn, includes program steps for reading one of said second set of said data codes and storing the transaction data contained therein in said data storage means. The terminal has a modem for communicating the stored transaction data to a remote host.

The basic concept of using a point of transaction terminal communicating with a host computer to automate credit verification as an alternative to manual verification via a voice telephone call goes back to the 1960s.
Goldman U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,246, entitled "Status Indicating System," discloses a credit verification system related to check cashing information using card reader to identify the person with the terminal on line to central station where information on the persons credit activity and check cashing activity is kept.
In February 1966, Jones U.K. Patent Specification 1,019,702, entitled "Apparatus for Use in Connection with the Sale of Articles" was published. This British application discloses a local sales terminal networked to central processing computer station and included a card reader at the terminal used for credit card reading and a TAG reading device relating to goods being sold. The TAG reading operation results in code sent to central unit for price look up (PLU) and central unit sends back description and price for printing on a sales receipt. The credit card reader provides customer credit data and the terminal communicates with the central unit which has negative file storage for checking credit card data against a "blacklist" which is now typically called a "negative file."
Although the concept of credit transaction automation or credit verification using a local terminal communicating with a remote host has been around for several decades, it wasn't until the mid-1980's that a low cost credit verification terminal was developed, as shown in Chang et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,420. This terminal promoted the widespread use of on-line credit verification by making the point of sale terminals affordable to small businesses.
POS terminals of this general type were developed for various applications, including one that integrated a wand type bar code reader for use in industrial applications like taking inventory.
Various concepts for use of a transaction terminal in the home shopping or home transaction environment are disclosed, for example, in DeAngelis U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,482, Schlafly U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,858, and Gorog U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,028, and Bianco U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,614. In each of these cases the home shopping terminal is preprogrammed with fixed program steps for automating each of a particular type of home transaction like ordering merchandise or food from a home shopping catalog or bill paying. In order to add other programs to the terminal, the program memory in the terminal must be altered or replaced, either by replacing the memory device such as a PROM that stores the application program or by downloading a new or modified program via the modem communication channel. Neither of these approaches is convenient for the home transaction environment. These approaches involve permanent loading of new or altered programs which are then utilized to operate the terminal to carry out the sequence of steps required for a particular home transaction.
It is well known in the art to use a bar code reader to enter the steps of a new program into a computer or calculator or to enter data into a computer or calculator. For example, Winter et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,247 shows the use of bar codes and a bar code reader to enter a program into the memory of a computer for subsequent execution. Musch et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,270 illustrates the use of bar codes to enter program commands or data into the memory of a programmable calculator. Awane et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,487 shows the use of bar codes to input operational commands and control information like prices into an automatic vending machine. Poland U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,058 discloses the use of bar codes to configure operation of a computer device by loading operating or program parameters into memory.
It is believed that there is a need for an improvement in home transaction terminals which makes it easy to provide new transaction programs for use by the customer without requiring steps to modify the program stored in the terminal itself.

Apparatus and method for managing transactions


A speed detection method. A range finder acquires a specific number of distance measurement samples of an object during a period of time. A new unit of measurement larger than respective movement distances of the object in a first period and a second period is acquired. Rough measured distances D1 and D2 respectively corresponding to the locations of the object in the first period and the second period are calculated by comparing portions of the distance measurement samples corresponding to the first period and the second period utilizing the new unit of measurement. A scope is determined based on the D1 and D2 for filtering the distance measurement samples. The speed of the object is calculated based the filtered distance measurement samples.

The invention relates to electronic devices, and in particular, to speed detection methods and devices.
An optical range finder calculates distance by measuring the time during emitting a laser pulse at an object and receiving the reflected laser pulse. The pulse hits the object and is reflected back to the range finder. The speed of a moving object can be determined by acquiring two distances thereof at different times and dividing distance difference by the time difference. FIG. 1 is an ideal schematic diagram of laser reflected pulses by a moving object for distance measurement pulses to a moving object. Assuming the object is measured 200 times, FIG. 1 shows only a portion of distance measurements thereof. The horizontal axis in FIG. 1 represents distance, and the vertical axis represents the orders of reflected laser pulses, i.e. the distance measurements. The orders of reflected pulses have fixed intervals. Each reflected signal corresponds to a distance derived by a distance formula. The speed of the object can be calculated utilizing the reflected pulses distributed in FIG. 1. Reflected pulses may comprise noise due to sun light or other interference factors. Thus, the actual distribution of reflected signals received might be as shown in FIG. 2 (only a portion is shown). For getting the speed information from FIG. 2, it is necessary to filter the noise therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6466307 B2 discloses a signal processing method and device for laser range-finder, taking the properties that the distribution of actual number of reflected laser pulses directed at an object is stable while noise is randomly distributed, and the actual reflected pulses are accordingly retrieved by statistics. A distance measurement by a conventional range finder, however, requires a certain period of time, such as 0.5 seconds, during which the moving object may continuously change locations, causing the distribution of actual reflected pulses to be unstable and disadvantageous to reflected pulse extraction.
Additionally, a speed measurement by a speed detector must also be acquired in a short time, such as 0.6 seconds, which is insufficient for two distance measurements by a typical range finder. Thus, a typical range finder has difficulty in acquiring two measured distances to determine speed.