The present invention relates to a method and arrangements for updating the mapping of traffic in the form of a set of service level aggregate flows (SLS1, SLSM) to a set of partial resources (B1, BN) for forwarding the traffic in a communications network (21). Each service level aggregate flow corresponds to a service level associated with a set of service requirements. Information regarding traffic characteristics of each service level aggregate flow and performance of the set of network resources are obtained. Based on this information, the mapping of the set of service level aggregate flows to the set of network resources is updated to achieve a more efficient utilization of the set of network resources, while fulfilling the set of service requirements.

The Internet is a packet based network transporting many different types of telecommunications traffic, such as voice, data, and multimedia traffic, which originates from a large variety of applications. Different types of traffic have different quality of service (QoS) demands. For voice traffic a small and uniform packet delay is particularly important, while small packet loss is the most important requirement for data traffic. Furthermore, service providers are interested in offering services with different QoS that allow them to satisfy the varying needs of their customers and to maintain a differentiated pricing scheme. Therefore several mechanisms for providing different QoS to different users and traffic flows in packet based networks such as the Internet have been developed.
The international patent application WO02/25867 describes a radio access network that provides different priority classes to different packet data connections with a user equipment. The priority class of a data connection may be dynamically adjusted by a control node in accordance with a throughput criterion which is communicated to the control node by the user equipment.
The IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) has developed the Integrated Services (IntServ) architecture which is described in IETF RFC 1633. The IntServ architecture uses an explicit mechanism to signal per-flow QoS requirements to network elements such as hosts and routers. There are a number of drawbacks associated with IntServ. IntServ requires maintenance and control of per-flow states and classification. Network resources are reserved on a per-flow basis which introduces scalability problems at the core networks where the number of processed flows often is in the range of millions. Therefore it is only practical to use the IntServ architecture in small access networks where the number of flows is modest.
To overcome the scalability and complexity problems of IntServ the IETF introduced the Differentiated Services (DiffServ) architecture, described in IETF RFC 2475. Traffic through network core routers implementing DiffServ is treated on an aggregate basis. Traffic entering a network is classified and assigned to different behaviour aggregates. Each behaviour aggregate is identified by a single DS (Differentiated Services) codepoint. When the traffic is classified packets are marked with a particular DS codepoint which is placed in a DS field in the IP (Internet Protocol) header. Within the core of the network, a packet is forwarded according to a per-hop behaviour (PHB) associated with the DS codepoint of the packet. A PHB determines the externally observable forwarding behaviour (such as forwarding delay and packet loss) of a node at different load levels. PHBs are logical network resources that govern the use of underlying physical network resources. Thus a PHB can be seen as a partial network resource, which defines a subset of a total network resource.
The international patent application WO02/11461 is one example of a document that describes a DiffServ system. It discloses a method and arrangement for providing dynamic quality of service by means of a bandwidth broker in an IP Network that includes a DiffServ architecture. The bandwidth broker may obtain resource availability information by communication only with border routers of a DiffServ domain.
Another example of a document that discusses a DiffServ implementation is the international patent application WO02/080013, which describes dynamic resource allocation that provide differentiated services over a broadband communication network that includes a satellite.
When a service provider sells a bearer service to an end user the service is usually specified. The service may be specified by a Service Level Specification (SLS) that includes QoS requirements for the service. Thus SLSs may be used to define different classes or levels of service. In order to fulfil the QoS requirements of the SLS the allocation of resources assigned to the traffic associated with the SLS is crucial. Today the mapping of SLSs to network resources is usually made semi-permanently as part of the provisioning and configuration of a network, see IETF RFC 3086. The mapping is set up to suit an expected mix of traffic.
In traditional networks, the traffic characteristics are fairly well known. In future multi-service networks and multi-access networks, traffic characteristics will be dynamic due to changes in user behaviour, introduction of new applications, etc. Moreover, these changes imply that the network must be flexible in terms of resource allocation to different QoS classes. New techniques for managing networks efficiently will therefore be needed.

System and method for providing differentiated services


A total power demand including a wheel power demand may be observed. The wheel power demand may be modified to determine a modified total power demand including a modified wheel power demand if the total power demand falls within a target range of power values defined by upper and lower threshold power values such that the modified total power demand is generally equal to the lower threshold power value.

Certain hybrid electric vehicles may be caused to move by operation of an internal combustion engine and/or an electric machine. Typically, lower wheel power demands may be satisfied by operation of the electric machine (electric mode). Higher wheel power demands may be satisfied by operation of the internal combustion engine and electric machine (gas/electric mode).

Vehicle and method for controlling an electric machine and/or engine therein


A power plug assembly has: a protective casing having a cavity defined in the protective casing; a positive electrode prong terminal mounted in the cavity of the protective casing and extending out of the protective casing; a protecting assembly mounted in the cavity and having a bimetal contacting plate mounted in the protective casing and having a fixing end mounted securely in the cavity; and a free end being opposite to the fixing end and contacting the positive electrode prong terminal, wherein the bimetal contacting plate deforms and bends to make the free end separated from the positive electrode prong terminal when suffering sufficient heat; a negative electrode prong terminal mounted outside the protective casing; and a ground prong terminal mounted outside the protective casing. The negative electrode prong terminal and the ground prong terminal outside the protective casing would not negatively affect the bimetal contacting plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protector assembly, and more particularly to a power plug protector assembly has a prong mounted outside a casing to prevent a bimetal electrical contact in the casing from deforming when the prong terminal is inadvertently bent by excessive external force.
2. Description of Related Art
Power plugs are necessary components for all electronic devices and may be plugged to a power receptacle so that the electronic devices can be supplied with electrical power and operate. A conventional power plug has a casing, a positive electrode prong, a negative electrode prong, a grounding prong and a protecting assembly. The prongs are mounted partially the casing and partially extend out of the casing. The protecting assembly has a bimetal electrical contact having two ends. One end of the bimetal electrical contact is mounted in the casing and the other end contacts the positive electrode prong. The bimetal electrical contact is capable of bending and separating from the positive electrode prong when heated to make a break circuit such that excessive current would not damage the power plug and the electronic devices connected to the power plug. However, all prongs are inserted partially in the casing. If one of the prongs is inadvertently deformed due to improper plugging or unplugging operation, the casing will be pulled and broken and the bimetal electrical contact will inadvertently shift such that over current protection function of the bimetal electrical contact will fail.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a power plug protector assembly to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A monitoring apparatus connected to a TV set selects, from a plurality of internal sources, such as VHF/UHF and BS tuners and built in said TV, and a plurality of external sources connected to the TV set from the outside thereof, such as a CATV tuner and a VCR, the source of video currently displayed on a cathode-ray tube of the TV set by comparing a sync signal of the video signal applied to the cathode-ray tuber and a sync signal of the video signal output from each source. Then the monitoring apparatus determines the currently selected channel by comparing a sync signal of the video signal output from the currently selected source and a sync signal of a video signal of each of broadcast channels generated by reference receivers in the monitoring apparatus independently of the TV set. When the channels cannot be narrowed down to one currently selected channel by the comparison of sync signals, the video signals output from the currently selected source are compared with the video signals of the broadcast channels generated by the receivers to determine one of the channels as being currently selected.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a TV channel selecting status monitoring method and apparatus and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for determining a video/audio source and its broadcast channel to which the TV set is actually tuned.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
When a rating company monitors the channel tuning or selecting status of the TV set placed at each sample household for the purpose of audience measurement, a measuring apparatus called a TV sensor or audimeter is connected to the TV set so that the apparatus obtains TV set ON/OFF information and the number of the currently selected channel in association with time information and periodically sends them to a computer of the research center through a telephone circuit.
A source of video signals for display on the cathode-ray tube of the TV set and audio signals for output from its loudspeaker will hereinafter be referred to as a video/audio source, or simply as a source. A typical source is a VHF/UHF tuner built in the TV set. Other possible sources are a BS tuner, a CATV tuner, a CS (Communication Satellite) TV tuner, a VCR (Video Cassette Recorder), an electronic game machine, and so forth.
In the past when TV sets were usually used singly, it was necessary, for audience measurement, only to obtain the TV set ON/OFF information and the number of the channel actually selected by the VHF/UHF tuner in the TV set in association with time data. With the recent widespread use of a VCR and similar audio-visual (AV) apparatus and an AV/TV set (a TV set which has a plurality of video/audio input terminals and adapted to be used also as a monitor of an external apparatus such as a VCR), it has become necessary to detect the source actually selected by the TV set prior to the above-mentioned channel identification.
According to a conventional method (hereinafter referred to as a first conventional method) of searching for the actually selected source, audio signals to be applied from the VCR and similar sources to the TV set are each mixed with an identification signal of an inaudible frequency and are sequentially fed to individual video/audio input terminals, and a check is made to see if the identification signal is contained in each of audio signals obtained by picking up sounds from the loudspeaker of the TV set by a microphone. In this method, when the audio signal is decided as containing the identification signal, the video/audio input terminal corresponding thereto is specified as the video/audio input terminal currently selected for displaying video signals of the corresponding source on the TV set. Incidentally, when none of the video/audio input terminals are decided as being selected, it is determined that the broadcast waves are being received by the tuner in the TV set, if the TV set is ON and if the channel concerned can be specified.
On the other hand, there has been proposed a method (hereinafter referred to as a second conventional method) for detecting the channel on which video signals are actually displayed on the TV screen. This method detects a local oscillation signal of the tuner in the TV set to be monitored, and detects the currently receiving channel from the frequency of the oscillation signal through utilization of a one-to-one correspondence between them.
Another conventional method (hereinafter referred to as a third conventional method) is one that obtains an audio signal from the TV set and compares it with an audio signal of each channel played back by a reference receiver independently of the TV set, thereby identifying the currently selected by the TV set.
However, the first conventional method is applicable only to the TV set of the type that contains the VHF/UHF tuner alone, and is not applicable to TV sets of the type having incorporated therein one or more tuners as well as the VHF/UHF tuner, such as an AV/TV set containing a BS tuner and an AV/TV set containing a VCR built-in. The reason for this is, for example, that in the AV/TV set containing a BS tuner built-in, the BS broadcast wave bypasses video/audio input terminals and directly reaches the TV set. Accordingly, when no video/audio input terminals are selected, it is impossible to distinguish between the VHF/UHF and BS broadcasts although it is known that the actually selected source is either one of them. The same is true of the AV/TV set with a VCR built therein.
The second conventional method is applicable only to a TV set which receives analog broadcast waves alone, and is not suitable for application to a TV set which receives CS digital broadcast and like digital broadcasts as well. The CS digital broadcast digitizes video signals for data compression and transmits four to eight channels on a time-division multiplex basis through a single transponder. This makes it impossible to specify that one of the channels to which the tuner of the CS digital broadcast receiver is tuned, even if its channel selecting status is detected through utilization of the local oscillation frequency.
A third conventional method involves direct comparison of audio signals for the channel identification, and is applicable to such a digital broadcast as the CS digital broadcast as well as to the existing ground wave analog broadcast. With this method, however, it is often impossible to detect channels because there are cases where a silent period continues for a long time in TV programs.
A possible modification of the third conventional method is to use video signals in place of audio signals. That is, the video signal displayed on the TV screen is compared directly with the video signal on each of channels generated by reference receivers independently of the TV set; the channels selected by the reference receivers are changed until the both video signals coincide, and the channel for which the video signals coincide is specified as the channel currently selected. With this method, however, relatively much time is required for the comparison of video signals for each channel. Hence, the channel identification by the comparison of video signals for every channel inevitably consumes a large amount of time.
Moreover, the method by the direct comparison of video signals is based on the premise that the video signals for comparison can be generated in the monitoring apparatus independently of the TV set. Accordingly, in the CATV broadcast which uses video signals scrambled by suppression of sync signalsxe2x80x94recently widespread in urban areasxe2x80x94the video signals for comparison cannot be generated, and hence the channel identification is impossible. In the CATV broadcast, a pay channel is scrambled and a descramble signal is sent to contracted TV sets to descramble the video signals. However, the CATV receiver mounted in the monitoring apparatus is not formally contracted and hence is not supplied with the descramble signal; therefore, the video signals for comparison cannot be generated in the monitoring apparatus.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a TV channel selecting status monitoring method and apparatus which permits detection of which source is being selected in a TV set which contains a plurality of sources such as a BS tuner and a VHF/UHF tuner and is also adapted for use as a monitor of an external source such as a CATV tuner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a TV channel selecting status monitoring method and apparatus which, after the identification of a video/audio source actually selected by the user, permit efficient detection of that one of channels of video/audio source which is actually selected by the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a TV channel selecting status monitoring method and apparatus which, when candidate channels cannot be narrowed down to one particular channel actually selected by the user through the comparison of sync signals, permit ultimate detection of the actually selected channel by the comparison of video signals.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a TV channel selecting status monitoring method and apparatus which permit the detection of an actually selected channel of the CATV broadcast as well by direct comparison of video signals.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a TV channel selecting status monitoring method: for a TV set which has a plurality of video/audio sources built-in and at least one video/audio input terminal for inputting video and audio signals from at least one external video/audio source, said TV set being capable of providing a display and an acoustic output of -video and audio signals supplied from a user""s arbitrarily selected one of said video/audio sources, said method comprising the steps of: (a) detecting vertical and horizontal sync signals of a video signal applied to a cathode-ray tube of said TV set; (b) detecting video signals output from said plurality of video/audio sources built in said TV set; (c) detecting a video signal output from said video/audio source connected to said video/audio input terminal of said TV set; (d) sequentially selecting said video signals detected in said steps (b) and (c); (e) separating vertical and horizontal sync signals from each of said video signals sequentially selected in said step (d); (f) measuring the time difference between said vertical and horizontal sync signals detected in said step (a) and said vertical and horizontal sync signals selected in said step (e); and (g) correcting said time difference measured in said step (f) in accordance with a premeasured delay time inherent in each of said plurality of video/audio sources, and determining that that one of said video/audio sources for which said corrected time difference is minimum is the video/audio source currently selected by said user.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a TV channel selecting status monitoring apparatus for a TV set which has a plurality of video/audio sources built-in and at least one video/audio input terminal for inputting video and audio signals from at least one external video/audio source, said TV set being capable of providing a display and an acoustic output of the video and audio signals supplied from a user""s arbitrarily selected one of said video/audio sources, said method comprising: sync signal detecting means for detecting vertical and horizontal sync signals of a video signal applied to a cathode-ray tube of said TV set; internal video signal detecting means for detecting video signals output from said plurality of video/audio sources built in said TV set; external video signal detecting means for detecting a video signal output from said video/audio source connected to said video/audio input terminal of said TV set; an analog switch which is supplied with said video signals detected by said internal video signal detecting means and said video signal detected by said external video signal detecting means, and selectively outputs one of said video signals; first sync separating means for separating vertical and horizontal sync signals from said video signal output from said analog switch; time difference measuring means which is supplied with first and second vertical and horizontal sync signals, and measures the time differences between said first and second vertical sync signals and between said first and second horizontal sync signals; and control means which: inputs said vertical and horizontal sync signals detected by said sync signal detecting means, as said first vertical and horizontal sync signals, to said time difference measuring means; inputs said vertical and horizontal sync signals separated by said first sync separating means from said video signal of each of said video/audio sources selectively fed thereto from said analog switch, as said second vertical and horizontal sync signals, to said time difference measuring means; measures, by said time difference measuring means, the time differences between said vertical and horizontal sync signals detected by said sync signal detecting means and said vertical and horizontal sync signals of said each video/audio source; corrects said measured time differences in accordance with a premeasured delay time inherent in said each video/audio source; and determines that one of said video/audio sources for which said corrected time difference is minimum is the video/audio source currently selected by said user.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the method of the first aspect further comprises the steps of: (h) controlling a plurality of reference receivers to sequentially generate video signals of channels receivable from that one of said video/audio sources, which was determined to be currently selected by said user in said step (g), said plurality of reference receivers being capable of generating video signals of each channel of each TV broadcast independently of said TV set; (i) separating vertical and horizontal sync signals from each of said video signals generated in said step (h); (j) measuring the time difference between vertical and horizontal sync signals of said video/audio sources determined to be currently selected by said user in said step (g) and said vertical and horizontal sync signals separated in said step (i); and (k) correcting said time difference measured in said step (j) in accordance with a premeasured delay time inherent in each of said plurality of video/audio sources, and determining that a channel for which said corrected time difference is smaller than a predetermined threshold value is a candidate for a channel currently selected by said user.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the apparatus of the second aspect further comprises: a plurality of reference receivers for generating video signals of each channel of each TV broadcast independently of said TV set; second sync separating means for separating vertical and horizontal sync signals from each of said video signals generated by said reference receivers; and a selector for selectively outputting either said vertical and horizontal sync signals detected by said sync signal detecting means or said vertical and horizontal sync signals separated by said second sync separating means; wherein said control means: inputs a video signal of said that one of video/audio source determined as being currently selected by said user, to said first sync separating means via said analog switch; inputs vertical and horizontal sync signals separated by said first sync separating means, as said first vertical and horizontal sync signals, to said time difference measuring means; sequentially generates, by said reference receivers, video ""signals of respective channels receivable from that one of said video/audio sources determined as currently selected by said user, and applies said video signals to said second sync separating means one by one; inputs vertical and horizontal sync signals separated by said second sync separating means, as said second vertical and horizontal sync signals, to said time difference measuring means; measures, by said time difference measuring means, the time differences between vertical and horizontal sync signals output from that one of said video/audio sources determined as currently selected by said user and vertical and horizontal sync signals of each channel generated by said reference receivers; corrects said measured time differences in accordance with a premeasured delay time inherent in said each of said plurality of video/audio sources; and determines that a channel for which said corrected time difference is smaller than a predetermined threshold value is a candidate for a channel currently selected by said user.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the method of the third aspect further comprises the steps of: (l) when a plurality of channels are determined as candidates for said user""s currently selected channel in said step (k), controlling said plurality of reference receivers to sequentially generate video signals of the same channels as said candidate channels; and (m) comparing, at a plurality of sample points common thereto, a video signal generated from that one of said video/audio sources determined to be currently selected by said user in said step (g) and video signals sequentially generated in said step (l), and detecting said user""s currently selected channel based on the degree of coincidence between said video signals.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the apparatus of the fifth aspect further comprises: a first A-D converter/frame memory for digitizing and storing said video signal output from said analog switch; and a second A-D converter/frame memory for digitizing and storing said video signals output from said reference receivers; wherein when a plurality of channels are determined as candidates for said user""s currently selected channel by the comparison of said sync signals, said control means: controls said plurality of reference receivers to sequentially generate video signals of the same channels as said candidate channels, and inputs said video signals to said second A-D converter/frame memory; stores in said first A-D converter/frame memory a video signal generated by that one of said video/audio sources determined as the source currently selected by said user; compares those video signals at a plurality of sample points common thereto; and detects said user""s currently selected channel based on the degree of coincidence between said video signals.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the method of the fifth aspect further comprises the step of: (n) when said video/audio source connected to said video/audio input terminal of said TV set is a CATV tuner for CATV broadcast reception use, quasi-descrambling that one of video signals from a CATV receiver provided as said reference receiver which is of a pay channel scrambled by the suppression of sync signal; wherein said quasi-descrambling step (n) comprises the steps of: (n-1) generating vertical and horizontal blanking intervals from said vertical and horizontal sync signals detected in said step (a); (n-2) extracting signals in said vertical and horizontal blanking intervals in said scrambled video signal; (n-3) restoring said extracted signals to their original form before said video signal was scrambled; and (n-4) replacing said signals in said vertical and horizontal blanking intervals in said scrambled video signal with said restored signals to form descrambled video signals.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the apparatus of the sixth aspect further comprises: a CATV receiver as one of said reference receivers; and a suppressed sync signal quasi-regenerator which quasi-descrambles that one of video signals from said CATV receiver which is of a pay channel scrambled by the suppression of sync signal; wherein said suppressed sync signal quasi-regenerator comprises: interval generating means for generating vertical and horizontal blanking intervals from said vertical and horizontal sync signals detected by said sync signal detecting means; signal extracting means for extracting signals in said vertical and horizontal blanking intervals in said scrambled video signal generated by said CATV receiver; sync signal restoring means for restoring said extracted signals to their original form before said video signal was scrambled; and video signal generating means for replacing said signals in said vertical and horizontal blanking intervals in said scrambled video signal from said CATV receiver with said restored signals from said sync signal restoring means to form descrambled video signals.
According to the first and second aspect of the present invention, vertical and horizontal sync signals are separated from video signals which are output from all selectable or receivable video/audio sources, that is, a plurality of video/audio sources built in the TV set and a plurality of video/audio sources disposed outside the TV set, and the phase differences between the vertical and horizontal sync signals of each of the video-audio source and vertical and horizontal sync signals of video signals applied to the cathode-ray tube of the TV set are measured. For at least a short time, the phase of the sync signal in the video signal from each video/audio source remains unchanged, and the phases of the sync signals from different video/audio sources are very unlikely to coincide. Accordingly, the video/audio source whose vertical and horizontal sync signals are in phase with those of the video signals applied to the cathode-ray tube can be decided as a source actually selected by the user.
According to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, the phases of vertical and horizontal sync signals in the video signal from the video/audio source decided as being actually selected by the user are compared with the phases of vertical and horizontal sync signals of all receivable channels of the video/audio source decided as the actually selected source, generated by reference receivers independently of the TV set. For at least a short time, the phase of the sync signal in the video signal of each receivable channel of the video/audio source decided as being selected remains unchanged, and the phases of the sync signals from different channels are very unlikely to coincide. Hence, the channel actually selected can be identified by the comparison of sync signals in most cases. That is, that one of channels generated by the reference receivers independently of the TV set in which the vertical and horizontal sync signals coincide in phase with those in the video signal output from the video/audio source decided as being actually selected by the user can be decided as the actually selected channel.
According to the fifth and sixth aspects of the present invention, if the search for the actually selected channel by the comparison of sync signals fails to narrow down to one particular channel, the video signal from the video/audio source decided to be actually selected by the user is compared directly with :the video signal of each of the reference receivers corresponding to the channels narrowed down as candidates for the actually selected channel. Unlike the audio signal the video signal does not cease for a long time and the video signals on different channels are very unlikely to coincide. Hence, that one of channels generated by the reference receivers independently of the TV set in which the video signals coincide with those in the video signal output from the video/audio source decided as being actually selected by the user can be decided as the actually selected channel.
According to the seventh and eighth aspects of the present invention, when a video signal of the same channel as that of a scrambled video signal by the reference receiver is applied to the cathode-ray tube is fed to the cathode-ray tube of the TV set, vertical and horizontal sync signals of the video signal applied to the cathode-ray tube are used to quasi-descramble the reference video signal. Thus, the search for the actually selected channel by the direct calculation of video signals can also be made in the CATV broadcast using video signals scrambled by the suppression of sync signal.

Method and apparatus for monitoring TV channel selecting status


A local positioning system uses a power delivery network throughout a facility to easily deploy inexpensive electromagnetic receivers for capturing location fingerprints from the transmission of wireless devices. These captured fingerprints are then compared with a database of similar fingerprints compiled from a facility surveying process. Location of the wireless device is inferred from the known location corresponding to that survey-derived fingerprint that is most highly correlated with the fingerprint derived from the wireless device. The known location may then be used to provide a logical mapping of the wireless device within facility floor plans or the like.

Position location solutions typically implement a receiver on the mobile device for which the location is to be determined. The receiver on the mobile device receives signals transmitted from known stationary points (e.g. geosynchronous satellites, terrestrial wireless base stations). The characteristics of the signals received at the mobile device (i.e. time of arrival, signal strength) are used to determine the location of the mobile device relative to the stationary transmitter locations. The location of the mobile device is determined is by calculating the distance of the device from each of the known stationary transmitters and then, with a previously known relationship between the stationary transmitters, using triangulation to isolate the position of the mobile receiver.
Stationary transmitters implemented in the form of geosynchronous satellites have the advantage of providing a very large coverage area, however, the low-power signal employed and the ever-changing contour and center of gravity of the earth requires continuous correction of reference distances between satellites and a sophisticated receiver on the mobile device. In addition to the sophisticated receiver requirements, the satellite signals are difficult to receive within buildings making it challenging to provide accurate location determinations when not outdoors. The difficulty of receiving satellite signals inside building is compounded by limitation of the resolution of position location using satellite positioning which is typically in the 3 to 10 meter range at best indoors.
For indoor applications, the low accuracy resolution makes it difficult to distinguish the location between adjacent rooms and floor levels in the facility. A 10-meter resolution, for example, might only isolate the mobile device location to one of any of six adjacent rooms each on one of three floors within a multi-story multi-room facility such as a patient ward in a hospital.
Terrestrial wireless transmitters such as wireless local area network access points (WLAN AP) and wireless wide area network base stations (WWAN BS) have been used for implementing the stationary transmitters for position location. These have the advantage of being compatible with relatively simple receivers in the mobile devices when compared to the geosynchronous satellite implementation alternatives and also have the benefit of providing data and voice communications services in addition to location. The disadvantage of WLAN AP and WWAN BS stationary transmitter-based position location systems is that the resolution accuracy is equal to or less than that of the geosynchronous satellite solutions making indoor applications difficult to implement.
A key inhibitor of the WLAN AP and WWAN BS transmitter-based position location systems is the use of signal strength as the primary determination of the distance from an individual stationary transmitter to the mobile receiver. Because of multi-path transmission and shadowing issues, the use of received signal strength to calculate distance results in, at best, 3 meter accuracy of these solutions and, consequently, in the same ambiguous mobile receiver location determination and restricted marketable applications of these types of solutions.
Significant improvements in the sophistication of WLAN AP and/or WWAN BS solutions for Local Positioning would need to be made coupled with advancements in the mobile device sophistication to provide a power-efficient, low-cost Local Positioning Solution that delivers location resolution fine enough to achieve room-by-room level location within a facility.

Method and apparatus for a local positioning system


An amphoteric compound based on a sterol skeleton, the 3-position of the sterol ring system being substituted by one or more amphoteric groups having an isoelectric point of between about 4 and 9, together with liposomes containing such compounds and their uses.

The term "lipids" summarizes three classes of natural materials which can be isolated from biological membranes: phospholipids, sphingolipids, and cholesterol, including its derivatives.
These substances are of technical interest in the production of liposomes. Inter alia, such liposomes can be used as containers for active substances in pharmaceutical preparations. In such uses, efficient and stable packaging of the cargo and controllable release of the contents are desirable. Both of these requirements are not easy to combine: the more stable and compact the packaging, the more difficult the release of the entrapped active substance therefrom. For this reason, liposomes changing their properties in response to an external stimulus have been developed. Thermosensitive and pH-sensitive liposomes are well-known. The pH-sensitive liposomes are of special interest, because this parameter undergoes changes even under physiological conditions, e.g. during endocytotic reception of a liposome in a cell, or during passage of the gastrointestinal tract. According to the prior art, pH-sensitive liposomes particularly comprise cholesterol hemisuccinate (CHEMS).
Cholesterol hemisuccinate, in mixture with phosphatidyl ethanolamine, is used to produce pH-sensitive liposomes (Tachibana et al. (1998); BBRC 251, 538-544, U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,208). Such liposomes can enter cells by endocytosis and are capable of transporting cargo molecules into the interior of cells on this route, without doing damage to the integrity of the cellular membrane.
One substantial drawback of CHEMS is its anionic character. Liposomes produced using same have a negative overall charge, being taken up by cells with low efficiency. Despite the transfer mechanism described above, they are barely suitable for the transport of macromolecules into cells.
In WO 00/59474, the prior art describes compounds having a membrane anchor and a cationic and anionic head group, the anionic group being linked to the basic structure via a disulfide bridge. The disulfide bridge can be reduced under physiological conditions, e.g. by contact with the cytosol, the anionic head group then is liberated, and the overall molecule assumes a positive charge, thereby enabling fusion with the cell membrane. The toxicity profile and storage stability of the compounds disclosed in WO 00/59474 are disadvantageous, because cleavage of the disulfide bridges results in free cationic lipids. Disadvantageously, these compounds are known to have a cytotoxic effect.
For the transport of active substances into cells (transfection), the art uses cationic liposomes having a preferably high and constant surface charge. The positive overall charge of such particles leads to electrostatic adherence to cells and subsequently to efficient transport into same. The use of these compounds and of liposomes produced using same remains restricted to in vitro or ex vivo applications, because such positively charged liposomes result in uncontrolled formation of aggregates with serum components.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A reproduction system reproduces interlaced video data in a deinterlaced form. The system selects a deinterlacing algorithm used to process the interlaced video data. The deinterlaced video data is sent to a display device. The reproduction system responds to a manual or automated input that selects a deinterlacing algorithm.

1. Priority Claim
This application claims the benefit of priority from European Patent Application No. 04 028 606.4, filed Dec. 2, 2004, which is incorporated by reference.
2. Technical Field
The invention relates to a system that processes video data, and more particularly, to a reproduction system that processes interlaced video sequences.
3. Related Art
Digital versatile discs (DVDs) may be used to store video data. Video data may be stored on DVDs in an interlaced video sequence having many subsequent fields. With an interlacing technique, a screen displays a sequence of fields rather than a sequence of frames. One field contains odd-numbered lines only (odd field) and the next field contains only even-numbered lines (even field). The odd field and the even field are not displayed at the same time, but human eyes may perceive pairs of fields simultaneously as a full frame.
Video sequences may differ depending on a television standard. Video sequences that comply with Phase Alternation Line (PAL) television standard, which is European format, may include 50 fields per second. National Television System Committee (NTSC) video sequences may comprise 60 fields per second. Both television standards may also differ in the number of lines that make up a complete image. While the PAL standard defines each complete image to include 575 lines, a complete NTSC image include 480 lines.
Many video sequences may be recorded on DVDs in an interlaced form. When displayed, only half of the pixel information of a complete image may be provided to display each field. To improve picture quality, DVDs may output interlaced video data in a progressive form. The progressive form may allow each field to be converted into a complete frame. Progressive images may be permitted to display about 50 frames per second for PAL video sequences instead of 50 fields (60 frames/fields for NTSC video sequences). Therefore, a need exists for a system that converts interlaced video content into a progressive form.


An organic electroluminescent device (OELD) and a method of manufacturing the OELD are provided. The OELD includes a substrate, an anode electrode stacked on the substrate, an organic light emitting layer that is stacked on the anode electrode and has a plurality of protrusions on the organic light emitting layer, and a cathode electrode that covers the protrusions formed on the organic light emitting layer and is formed of a metal.

1. Field of the Invention
The apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to an organic electroluminescent device (OELD), and a method of manufacturing the OELD, and more particularly, to an OELD that has increased luminance efficiency and lifetime, and a method of manufacturing the OELD.
2. Description of the Related Art
An OELD is a display device that displays images using light emitted from an organic light emitting layer by a combination of holes, supplied from an anode electrode, and electrons, supplied from a cathode electrode, in the organic light emitting layer formed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. Due to the excellent display characteristics of the OELD, such as a large viewing angle, high speed response, thinness, low manufacturing costs, and high contrast, the OELD is expected to become one of the next generation flat panel display devices.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a related art OELD. Referring to FIG. 1, an anode electrode 12 is formed on a transparent substrate 10 using a transparent conductive material such as indium tin oxide (ITO). An organic light emitting layer 14 is formed on the anode electrode 12 using an organic material, and a cathode electrode 16 is formed on the organic light emitting layer 14 using a metal. In the above structure, when a predetermined voltage is applied between the anode electrode 12 and the cathode electrode 16, visible light is emitted from the organic light emitting layer 14, and visible light displays an image by emitting externally through the anode electrode 12 and the transparent substrate 10. However, in the OELD having the above mentioned structure, a portion of visible light emitted from the organic light emitting layer 14 is not able to pass through interfaces between layers and is lost since the transparent substrate 10, the anode electrode 12, the organic light emitting layer 14, and the cathode electrode 16 having different refractive indexes from each other are stacked in a planar structure. More specifically, there is a drawback in that approximately 40% of visible light emitted from the organic light emitting layer 14 is lost at an interface between the organic light emitting layer 14 and the anode electrode 12 due to a total reflection at the interface, and another 40% of visible light is absorbed by the cathode electrode 16 and absorbed as heat due to a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon occurring at a flat interface between the organic light emitting layer 14 and the cathode electrode 16, which is formed of a metal.

Organic electroluminescent device and method of manufacturing the same


A sample-and-hold circuit includes two capacitors connected to an input signal line through respective analog switches for holding an input signal. An amplifier circuit of the sample-and-hold circuit includes two input terminals for receiving voltages held in the respective two capacitors and for amplifying the received voltages. The amplifier circuit alternately amplifies the voltages received through the two input terminals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sample-and-hold circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a known sample-and-hold circuit is shown in FIG. 5. This circuit is used for an active-matrix liquid crystal display device, for example. As shown, an analog signal such as a video signal to be sampled and held is entered from an input signal line 25. Elements 13 and 17 are capacitors (including stray capacitance of the circuit), which serve to hold the voltge of the analog signal Y. Each one end of the capacitors is connected to the ground. The other ends of the capacitors are connected so that the analog signal Y can enter the capacitors through analog switches 12, 16, respectively. The voltages held in the capacitors 13, 17 are inputted to a non-inverting input of an operational amplifier 19 through analog switches 14, 18, respectively. A capacitor 15 and an analog switch constituted by an MOS transistor 21 are connected between the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 19 and the ground. Element 22 is a MOS transistor connected between an output of a buffer 20 and the ground. A control signal R is inputted to the gates of the transistors 21, 22 through a signal line 10.
The operational amplifier 19 is composed of a differential amplifier as shown in FIG. 6. Herein, N41 and N42 each denote an n-channel MOS transistor. The MOS transistor N41 has a gate connected to the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier 19 and the MOS transistor N42 has a gate connected to the inverting input of the operational amplifier 19. The transistor N41 is connected between an n-channel MOS transistor N43 connected to the ground and a p-channel MOS transistor P41 connected to a power supply VDD. The transistor N42 is connected between the transistor N43 and a p-channel MOS transistor P42 connected to the power supply VDD. A contact between the transistors N42 and P42 serves as an output of this operational amplifier.
When the input signal Y is sampled and held at predetermined periods, the sample-and-hold circuit arranged as described above receives control signals R and S1 to S4 as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 7. In response to the control signals, the circuit functions as follows. When a high level control signal S1 is inputted to the circuit at a timing point T1, the analog switch 12 is switched on so that the signal Y is applied to the capacitor 13. Hence, the capacitor 13 is charged. Then, the signal S1 falls to the low level and the analog switch 12 is switched off, and the capacitor 13 holds the voltage D1 of the signal Y immediately before the fall. Next, the high level control signal R is supplied to the circuit, whereby the transistors 21, 22 turn on so that the output of the buffer 20 falls to the ground level. Hence, the capacitor 15 is discharged. When the control signal S3 rises to the high level, the analog switch 14 is switched on, so that the charges of the capacitor 13 are moved to the capacitor 15. As a result, the voltage at the terminals of the capacitors 13 and 15 is made to be a value D1' defined depending on a capacitance ratio of the two capacitors. This voltage is outputted through the operational amplifier 19 and the buffer 20.
When a high level control signal S2 is supplied to the circuit at a timing point T2, the analog switch 16 is switched on so that the signal Y is applied to the capacitor 17. Hence, the capacitor 17 is charged with the signal Y. Thereafter, when the signal S2 falls to the low level and the analog switch 16 is switched off, the capacitor 17 holds the voltage D2 of the signal Y immediately before the fall. Then, the high level control signal R is supplied to the circuit. In response to the high level signal R, the transistors 21, 22 are switched on so that the output of the buffer 20 becomes the ground level and the capacitor 15 is discharged. When the control signal S4 rises to the high level, the analog switch 18 is switched on so that the charges of the capacitor 17 are moved to the capacitor 15. As a result, the voltage at the terminals of the capacitors 17 and 15 is made to be a value D2' defined depending on a capacitance ratio of the two capacitors. This voltage is outputted through the operational amplifier 19 and the buffer 20. By alternately switching on the analog switches 12 and 16, the voltages D3, D4, . . . of the signal Y are sampled and held in the capacitors 13, 17, and 15. Then, the voltages D3', D4', . . . corresponding to the voltages D3, D4, . . . are outputted from the circuit.
The known sample and hold circuit arranged as described above serves to move part of the charges of the capacitors 13, 17 to the capacitor 15. Therefore, the voltages (D1, D2, . . .) of the sampled signal Y are attenuated. For example, assuming that the charges of the capacitor 13 is denoted as Q0 and the electrostatic capacitance of the capacitor 13 is denoted as C1, the voltage V0 at the terminal of the capacitor 13 is defined by the following expression. EQU V0=Q0/C1
When the analog switch 14 is switched on while keeping the charges of the capacitor 13 at Q0, since the capacitors 13 and 15 are connected in parallel, the voltage V1 at the both terminals of the capacitors is defined by the following expression. EQU V1=Q0/(C1+C2)
wherein C2 denotes an electrostatic capacitance of the capacitor 15. As is apparent from the above expression, V1<V0 is given. Hence, the voltage inputted to the operational amplifier is lower than the voltage held in the capacitor 13. This holds for the capacitor 17. That is to say, when the analog switch 18 is switched on and the capacitor 15 becomes connected in parallel to the capacitor 17, the voltaage drops. Hence, the voltage inputted to the operational amplifier is lower than the voltage held in the capacitor 17.


A brassiere is provided with a front piece forming the breast cups and with two side pieces extending around the upper body of an individual, the first ends of which are fastened to the front piece and the second ends of which can be connected in the back area of the wearer. Each side pieces has a support piece forming an outline of the side pieces with an upper edge and a lower edge. On the outside of the side pieces an outer textile blank is provided, which is connected with the supporting element in the area of the upper edge and the lower edge. The outer textile blank is folded over twice with its edge, over the upper edge and the lower edge, wherein the first fold, travels directly along the upper or lower edge and the second fold travels between the support piece and the first fold.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a brassiere.
2. Description of the Background Art
Brassieres of this class are commonly known, and are available in a multitude of variations all over the world. They have a front section, which essentially comprises two bra cups, which come in a wide variety of different shapes, and which are joined together by a center strip. Connected to the respective outer lateral edges of the front section is a side panel, the free ends of which can be joined at the back of the person wearing the brassiere with a back closure. The side panels can be sewn to the front section, or they can be one piece. For additional support, shoulder straps can be provided, which connect the bra cups with the side panels in the rear. The essential function of such brassieres is bearing the weight, supporting, and shaping the bust. At the same time, such brassieres are expected to provide high wearing comfort and an appealing look.
Generally, brassieres of this class have support bands, piping, or trimming ribbons along their edges, which are most often attached with zigzag seams. In practical application, however, it was found that on the one hand, these seams can stand out against the outer wear, which has a negative effect on the overall appearance. On the other hand, these seams come in direct contact with the skin of the person wearing the brassiere, which can lead to skin irritation, especially with people having sensitive skin, thus impacting the wearing comfort in a negative way. This is particularly true for the seams in the area of the side panels because a well-fitting brassiere requires an appropriate tightness of the side panels, whereby the side panels are pressed against the upper body of the person wearing the brassiere.


The present invention discloses a prosthetic bone implant made of a hardened calcium phosphate cement having an apatitic phase as a major phase, which includes a dense cortical portion bearing the majority of load and a porous cancellous portion allowing a rapid blood/body fluid penetration and tissue ingrowth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a prosthetic bone implant made of a hardened calcium phosphate cement having an apatitic phase as a major phase, and in particular to a prosthetic bone implant comprising a dense cortical portion bearing the majority of load and a porous cancellous portion allowing a rapid blood/body fluid penetration and tissue ingrowth.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is advantageous if a prosthetic bone implant is bioresorbable and is supportive at the same time. Accordingly, an article made of calcium phosphate will be preferable than that made of a metal, if the former has strength which is comparable to a human cortical bone. One way of making such a bone implant is by sintering a calcium phosphate powder, particularly a hydroxyapatite (HA) powder, into a block material at a temperature generally greater than 1000° C. Despite the fact that the high temperature-sintered HA block material has an enhanced strength, the bioresorbability of the material is largely sacrificed, if not totally destroyed, due to the elimination of the micro- and nano-sized porosity during the sintering process.
The conventional spinal fusing device is composed of a metallic cage and a bioresorbable material disposed in the metal cage, for example the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,598. An inevitable disadvantage of this fusion device is the sinking of the metallic cage sitting between two vertebrae to replace or repair a defect spinal disk, because the hardness and the relatively small size of the cage wear out or break the bone tissue, and in particular the endplate of the vertebra.

Dual function prosthetic bone implant and method for preparing the same


A system and method for an automatic conversion of web pages to shared structured web pages. An input web page is augmented with syntactic elements of a server-based software tool to create and customize group-writeable web pages. Sub-regions of the web page that are to be individually-editable items are identified, and syntactic elements are added to show where these editable regions begin and end, and where clickable buttons will appear that trigger the editing of an individual item, the addition of a new item, or other editing features. Also, syntactic elements are added that act as templates for the layout of any item to be added or modified. The conversion process includes parsing the Web page into an intermediate structure, adding information to individual tokens about the structures in which the tokens play a part, and them generating the new page while making one or more final passes through the intermediate structure from beginning to end.

1. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to systems and methods for managing web pages.
2. Description of Related Art
Creating and updating web pages, managed and created by page authors, may rely on systems that support group work by allowing group members to view and modify shared information from their individual workstations. Group members may be required to install several types of software tools, where each tool manages a different type of information, in order to share group context that is needed to perform group activities. Therefore, group members require training to understand each tool. Since each tool often runs a separate window, group members must also manage limited screen space while copying content between applications.
There has been other work on recognizing structures in HTML. For example, a number of authors have described work on extracting information from tables and lists in HTML documents. However, these systems focus on extracting information from web pages for use in databases and data mining, while this invention uses the extracted information instead for the automatic construction of Web-writeable pages.
There are many existing approaches to keeping web pages up to date. A user, page author or group member can use a direct manipulation web page editor, such as, for example, Microsoft's FrontPage® or Macromedia's Dreamweaver®, a collaboration server, such as, for example, Wiki®, or a database-driven web application builder, such as, for example, Zope®. However, all of these approaches either require leaving the web browser used to access or view the web page, require learning a mark-up language and/or the like, cause access and version control problems and/or require writing custom software. Sparrow Web, which is a web page managing tool available from Xerox, provides an attractive alternative, particularly for authors who need to make frequent small changes to pages, or for group members who share responsibility for updating and/or managing a web page.

Systems and methods for automatically converting web pages to structured shared web-writable pages


A heat sink embodiment has at least one anti-rocking tab that extends outwardly and downwardly from an edge of the body portion of the heat sink. A leading lower edge of the anti-rocking tab is above a top surface of the motherboard when the heat sink is being affixed to the motherboard over a flip chip. During installation of the heat sink to the motherboard, a travel distance limit is imposed by the leading lower edge of the anti-rocking tab, thereby limiting a force that is applied to the die of the flip chip so that an edge and/or a corner of the die of the flip chip is not crushed, or such that the die of the flip chip is not cracked.

Electronic devices are available to perform a variety of functions. Generally, the electronic devices have a plurality of electronic components therein that are physically attached to, or mounted on, a structure referred to as a "motherboard" or a "circuit board." During assembly, the motherboard is secured within a protective housing, chassis or the like. Depending upon the nature of the electronic device, various user interface devices (buttons, knobs, switches, displays or the like) and connection interfaces to other electronic devices are disposed on the outside surfaces of the protective housing, chassis or the like.
One commonly encountered electronic component is the Integrated Circuit (IC). The IC has a die therein which is an electronic chip comprising a plurality of semiconductor elements therein which form one or more electronic circuits. Typically, many dies are fabricated onto a relatively large silicon wafer. Individual dies are then cut (diced) away from the silicon wafer, and are then individually packaged onto a carrier structure to form an IC. The carrier structure of the ICs includes a plurality of electrical connectors that provide electrical connectivity between the electronic circuits of the die and connectors on the motherboard, thereby providing a means for electrical connectivity to other electronic components also attached to the motherboard. The IC may be attached to the motherboard in a variety of manners, such as by using solder type connections or push pin connectors.
Of particular interest to the electronic industry is a particular type of IC known as a "flip chip" IC package, or the flip chip. The flip chip is based on a fabrication process wherein during fabrication of the die on the silicon wafer, one or more electrical contacts are directly fabricated into the silicon wafer material. These electrical contacts provide an electrical connection from a formed semiconductor electronic circuit of the die to the outside surface of the die (which is typically to the top surface of the dies formed on the silicon wafer). Once formed, small solder bumps, solder balls or the like are affixed to the surface of the die at each of the electrical contacts that are exposed on the top of the die surface.
Then, the die is "flipped" over and placed onto a carrier structure with electrical connectors fabricated therein. When placed upside down on the carrier structure, the solder bumps, balls or the like are aligned with and are in contact with corresponding electrical connectors of the carrier structure. When a soldering process is performed, the upside down die becomes secured to the carrier structure. Then, an underfill material that fills in the areas under the die between the carrier and the solder bumps, balls or the like is applied. Accordingly, the carrier structure and underfill material provides physical protection and support to the relatively fragile die. The carrier structure facilitates attachment to the motherboard since the carrier structure electrical connectors are readily accessible for connecting to the corresponding electrical connectors of the motherboard. This upside down die attached to the carrier substrate is referred to as a flip chip.
Some types of ICs, during operation, generate undesirable levels of heat which must be transferred away from the IC to prevent damage to the IC and/or to other nearby electronic components. A heat absorbing and dissipating structure, referred to herein as a heat sink, may be placed in thermal contact with the heat-generating IC. The heat generated by the IC is absorbed by the heat sink, is thermally conducted away from the IC and to another portion of the heat sink, and then is dissipated out from the heat sink as thermal energy. Such heat sinks are typically added after the IC has been attached to the motherboard.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view 100 of a legacy heat sink 102 being affixed over a flip chip 104 that is secured to a motherboard 106. The flip chip includes the carrier structure 108, the upside down die 110, and the underfill 112. The legacy heat sink 102 is secured to the motherboard 106 using a plurality of suitable fasteners, such as the example push pin connector assemblies 114. Each example push pin connector assembly 114 includes a head 116, a retainer pin 118, a lock tab structure 120, and a coiled spring 122.
The legacy heat sink 102 is affixed to the motherboard 106 by a person or machine. The lock tab structure 120 of each of the push pin connector assemblies 114 is aligned with a corresponding bore 124 (a hole) that extends through a top surface 126 to a bottom surface 128 of the motherboard 106. When the lock tab structure 120 is aligned with the respective bore 124, a downward force is exerted on the heads 116 of the push pin connector assemblies 114, thereby moving the lock tab structure 120 through the respective bore 124. When the lock tab structure 120 has passed through the bore 124, the lock tab structure 120 engages the bottom surface 128 of the motherboard 106 so as to become non-retractable, and thereby affixing the legacy heat sink 102 to the motherboard 106. The coiled spring 122, which has been compressed while the lock tab structure 120 is passing through the bore 124, maintains a force or pressure so that the bottom surface of the legacy heat sink 102 remains in thermal contact with the top of the flip chip 104. Thus, heat generated by the operating flip chip 104 can be absorbed and dissipated by the legacy heat sink 102.
FIG. 1 further illustrates a problem often encountered when a legacy heat sink 102 is affixed to the motherboard 106. The problem arises when the lock tab structure 120 of a plurality of push pin connector assemblies 114 are not evenly pushed through their respective bores 124 of the motherboard 106. That is, and as illustrated in FIG. 1, the legacy heat sink 102 may be at some point be disposed at an angle θ1 relative to the orientation of the motherboard 106.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, when the legacy heat sink 102 is affixed to the motherboard 106 at an example angle θ1 (illustrated as being approximately 15°), the bottom surface of the legacy heat sink 102 will be in contact with an edge of the top surface of the die 110 of the flip chip 104. In such situations, an undesirable amount of force and/or pressure may be applied to this edge of the die 110. Such applied force or pressure may be sufficient to cause damage to the relatively fragile die 110. For example, the edge and/or a corner of the top surface of the die 110 may become crushed, and/or a crack may be caused through the die 110. If sufficient damage occurs to the die 110, the die 110 may become inoperable.
Accordingly, there is a need in the arts to provide a system and method for limiting the travel distance, and hence the angle, of a heat sink when the heat sink is affixed to the motherboard 106 over the flip chip 104.

Apparatus, systems and methods for limiting travel distance of a heat sink


An apparatus for cleaning a hole or bore in a work piece has a reel, a switch, a mandrel, a cutting edge and a cleaning material. The cleaning material is driven by the first reel and extends over the mandrel. The trigger causes the first reel to pull the cleaning material over the mandrel to clean the hole or bore.

The skin of an aircraft is typically composed of multiple, individual pieces that must be securely attached to both one another and/or to a support structure. During the manufacture and assembly process, the aforementioned individual skin pieces are drilled with holes so that they may be via fasteners and/or rivets. It is oftentimes required to prepare the holes of these components prior to attachment. This preparation of the holes typically requires that the holes be cleaned prior to rivet insertion, because they may contain residual dirt and contaminants, such as lubricant and/or solvent.
Preparation techniques currently used in the art include inserting or pushing a swab of gauze through an open fastener hole using a tool or poking device such as a screw driver. Other techniques currently utilized in the art entail inserting a cotton tipped stick or swab through an open fastener hole. Prior to insertion into the holes, the gauze or cotton tipped stick of the aforementioned techniques are oftentimes soaked or saturated in Methyl Propyl Ketone (MPK) or other cleaning solvents to aid in the removal of contaminants and dirt from the holes.
The above-described hole preparation techniques have drawbacks however. For example, hole preparation, specifically the cleaning of the hole prior to fastener installation, accounts for a significant amount of time, manpower and resources during the aircraft assembly process. Furthermore, the aforementioned hole preparation techniques can be somewhat tedious and fatiguing to the mechanic operator performing the task. In addition, waste is generated as a result of the techniques currently employed to prepare holes which must be disposed of properly, adding additional cost to the assembly process. Therefore, given the number of holes on a standard commercial aircraft, and given the fact that typically, each and every hole must be manually prepared, it would be desirable if hole preparation techniques were made more efficient in terms of time consumption and cost.
The hole preparation process is typically a multi-step process. During the process the mechanic or technician may prepare upwards of 1000 holes during his or her shift. This process is oftentimes preceded by a process of saturating the cotton swabs or gauze with cleaning solvents prior to insertion into the hole to aid in the removal of contaminants, which requires additional time. Next, the swab is forced or inserted into the hole. The force required by the mechanic or technician to pass a cotton swab through an individual hole can oftentimes be significant, making the process laborious when repeated many times. Once the swab is passed through the hole, the next step the mechanic or technician performs is to analyze both the hole and swab for dirt and contaminants to determine if an additional treatment is required. Oftentimes a second pass with a new swab is required to ensure the hole is, in fact, clean. As a result, hole preparation sometimes requires a significant amount of time due to the number of holes on an aircraft structure and the multiple steps involved to insure they are prepared properly, requiring the employment of multiple operators or technicians.
Furthermore, as previously mentioned, the current preparation techniques can generate large amounts of waste. Each time a piece of gauze or a cotton swab is passed through a hole, waste is generated. Also, as previously mentioned, a single gauze swab may not be enough to thoroughly clean a hole, necessitating multiple passes through a hole using multiple swabs. Thus, to thoroughly and correctly clean holes prior to rivet or fastener insertion, a large amount of waste material may be generated. In addition, the gauze or cotton is typically treated with solvents, and therefore may require additional disposal steps.
Also, another drawback typically associated with the above-described techniques is that as a swab is pushed through a hole, it exits out the opposite site of the hole where it typically drops onto the factory floor or another section of the aircraft structure. When the swab contacts the aircraft or after exiting the hole, it can transfer contaminants to the other aircraft structure. As a result, the aircraft must be cleaned to remove the contaminants that were possibly transferred and the used swabs that have accumulated as a result of the cleaning must be collected and disposed of, both of which can contribute additional time and manpower to the preparation process.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a cleaning apparatus and method that allows for convenient and efficient preparation and cleaning of holes prior to rivet or fastener insertion. Also, there is a further need for an apparatus and method for preparing holes prior to fastener insertion that reduces the amount of waste produced during the preparation process.


Apparatus and methods are provided for first expanding a body lumen of a body vessel or organ and then deploying a prosthesis to maintain the lumen patent. The apparatus includes a catheter having a balloon member formed of a biocompatible material, a balloon cutting element, and a thermally activated shape memory alloy prosthesis disposed within the balloon. The prosthesis is formed of nickel-titanium alloy having a reduced diameter in the martensite phase, and an expanded diameter in the austenite phase. The balloon member is inflated using a first fluid having a temperature below the martensite transition temperature to expand the body lumen and a second fluid having a temperature sufficient to cause the prosthesis to transition to the expanded diameter, trapping the material of the balloon member against the body wall. A cutting device disposed on the catheter then severs balloon member to release the prosthesis.

In recent years a number of prostheses have been developed for deployment in body lumens to maintain the patency of a vessel or organ following a mechanical dilatation procedure. Typically, a guide wire is routed to the area to be treated. A dilatation device, usually a balloon catheter, is then inserted transluminally along the guide wire to the site of the passage and inflated to expand the vessel. The balloon catheter is then withdrawn and a delivery system carrying an expandable prosthesis is delivered to the site of the former blockage by inserting it transluminally along the guide wire. The delivery system is then actuated to deploy the prosthesis, thereby retaining the lumen patent. The insertion of both catheters to the site of the blockage or narrowing is monitored using fluoroscopy or dye techniques.
For example, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is commonly used today as an alternative treatment to traditional coronary artery bypass grafting. Typically, such procedures involve the insertion of the balloon catheter within a coronary artery, and dilation of the balloon to crack plaque lining the artery, thus increasing the diameter of the artery and restoring flow therethrough. It is common practice to then deploy a vascular prosthesis, such as the Palmaz Stent.RTM. sold by Johnson & Johnson Interventional Systems, Inc., to maintain the expanded diameter of the vessel. That stent comprises a slotted metallic tubular member that is plastically deformed using a balloon catheter to maintain the patency of the vessel, and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,762.
Similar methods and apparatus are known for dilating other body organs, such as the urethra, in response to blockages or narrowing caused, for example, by hypertrophy of the prostate gland. Rosenbluth U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,128 describes a balloon deployable prosthesis which is expanded to both dilate the urethra and to simultaneously implant the prosthesis.
A drawback of many of the previously known dilatation and prosthesis delivery systems is that they require either. the use of two separate catheters, as in the Palmaz system, or cannot adequately expand the body lumen during a simultaneous dilatation and prosthesis delivery step. In the two-catheter systems, a first catheter is required for dilating the vessel, and a second catheter is required for delivering the prosthesis. Moreover, the clinician must take care when inserting the prosthesis delivery system to ensure that the prosthesis is properly aligned with the portion of the body lumen dilated during the dilatation step of the procedure. Otherwise, the prosthesis may be delivered to an incorrect location within the body lumen, and the unsupported portion of the vessel may quickly restenose. With single catheter, single step systems, such as described in the Rosenbluth patent, it is not possible to fully dilate the vessel prior to, and separately from, the step of delivering the prosthesis.
It accordingly would be desirable to provide a single catheter arrangement for both fully dilating the body lumen and for delivering the prosthesis to the affected area, so as to reduce the cost and complexity of previously known procedures.
It also would be desirable to provide a combined dilatation and delivery system that would enable a clinician to reduce the time required to perform the procedure, by eliminating the need to insert and withdraw multiple catheters along the guide wire.
It further would be desirable to provide a combined dilatation and prosthesis delivery system that would enable the clinician to separately deploy the prosthesis after the dilatation procedure without requiring intermediate movement of the catheter, thereby ensuring that the prosthesis is delivered to the correct location within the body lumen.

Apparatus and method for dilatation of a body lumen and delivery of a prosthesis therein


A multi-blade fan includes a spirally-shaped housing which has a bell-mouth orifice on one side, a sucking inlet and an exhausting outlet, an impeller which is placed in a housing and has a plurality of blades supported by a main plate and a lateral plate at both the axial ends, and a motor for driving the impeller. A cross section, cut along vertically with respect to a rotary shaft of the impeller, of each one of the blades has a given shape which allows a main air stream to flow along a back face of each one of blades.

Conventional multi-blade fans used in homes or offices are disclosed in, e.g. Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-168194. One of these conventional multi-blade fans is described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13.
FIG. 12 shows a general view of a conventional multi-blade fan, of which spirally-shaped housing 1 has bell-mouth orifice 2 on the upper side at the center. Housing 1 also has sucking inlet 3 and exhausting outlet 4. Housing 1 includes impeller 5 therein, which is driven by motor 6. Impeller 5 has a number of blades 9 supported by main plate 7 and lateral plate 8 at both the axial ends of respective blades. Air sucked from inlet 3 works as inflow stream 10 as the arrow mark in FIG. 12 shows and is guided to impeller 5.
FIG. 13 shows a sectional view cut along the direction vertical with respect to the rotary shaft of blades 9. A number of blades 9 in identical shape are annularly arranged at equal intervals. Each one of blades 9 shapes like as shown in FIG. 13, and has leading edge 11, trailing edge 12, and protrusion 14 on back face 13.
The air guided by orifice 2 flows like inflow stream 10 and exhausting stream 15 marked with the arrow marks. Separation vortices from back face 13 are suppressed by protrusion 14, thereby generating smaller vortices, which lower turbulent noise.
In the conventional multi-blade fan, however, blades 9 of impeller 5 still generate large vortices, so that the noise generated by impeller 5 is not yet satisfactorily suppressed, and needs to be lowered.


A cooling system for use in a vehicle drive assembly having an electric drive with a rotor and a stator is disclosed. The cooling system is adapted to cool the rotor via a liquid coolant or by directing a cooling air flow between the rotor and stator using an independent control capable of independent operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integral, brushless permanent magnet drives; and in particular to cooling systems for integral, brushless permanent magnet drives used to power vehicles such as watercraft, aircraft, automotive, commercial and industrial vehicles or other industrial equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most contemporary vehicles are driven by internal combustion engines. These engines convert potential energy stored in a fossil fuel into kinetic energy. As a byproduct of producing energy from combustion of a fossil fuel, these engines tend to generate large amounts of excess heat which can cause the engine to overheat and ultimately fail. In order to keep the temperature of these engines within a safe operating range, these engines are often cooled by an external cooling system.
In the case of automotive vehicles (and many aircraft engines), coolant is pumped through the engine in a fluid conduit. Heat is extracted from the engine into the coolant. The heated coolant is then pumped out of the engine and through a heat exchanger where the heated coolant is cooled by air or an external fluid coolant. In the case of outboard internal combustion engines used in watercraft, the engine is cooled by pumping water from the body of water on which the watercraft is located through the engine. The heated water is then discharged back into the body of water.
Although internal combustion engines and their associated cooling systems have operated effectively for their intended purpose, they also have several drawbacks. During the combustion of a fossil fuel, a majority of the stored energy is lost to heat, friction, or discharged as uncombusted fuel in the exhaust. Typically, internal combustion engines average around 30% efficiency. Secondly, internal combustion engines cannot be used in a bidirectional energy conversion system. Once the fossil fuel has been converted into kinetic energy, the kinetic energy cannot be converted back into a fossil fuel to store the potential energy. Another drawback to using fossil fuels is that a fossil fuel may be accidentally ignited if not handled properly. They are also poisonous to humans and discharge hazardous chemicals into the environment when combusted.
To overcome many of the disadvantages present in internal combustion engines, various electric drives have been suggested either in combination with internal combustion engines (hybrid electric vehicles) or alone to completely replace the internal combustion engine (electric vehicles). Electric drives provide several advantages over internal combustion engines. Electric drives do not discharge harmful exhaust gases into the environment. With the selection of an appropriate battery, the battery is not combustible and does not require direct human contact and thus less hazardous to the user.
An electric drive converts potential energy stored in a battery into kinetic energy when operated in the motor mode. Ideally, these drives also have a second mode in which the drive converts kinetic energy from rotating the rotor into potential energy stored in the battery. Electric drives are particularly well suited for these bidirectional or energy recapture systems because they can reach efficiencies approaching almost 90%. The most common DC drives used in these recapture systems are controlled induction drives, permanent magnet drives, and switched reluctance drives. Controlled induction drives can reach approximately 90% efficiency; switched reluctance drives can reach approximately 92% efficiency; and, permanent magnet drives can reach approximately 94% efficiency. Although the differences in efficiency between these drives appears to be relatively small, even small differences can be quite significant in a bidirectional energy conversion system especially when large integral horsepower drives are used.
As can be seen from the above, brushless permanent magnet drives ("BPMD's") are capable of the highest idealized maximum efficiency. However, BPMD's have a variety of losses which prevent these motors from reaching this level of efficiency when large integral horsepower motors are used. The losses experienced by BPMD's come from windage losses due to spinning the rotor, friction losses in the moving parts such as the bearings, copper losses due to generating heat in the stator windings, and iron losses due to generating heat in the stator. The two most significant losses in these motors are the iron losses and copper losses. Aside from these direct efficiency losses, in large horsepower BPMD's, the heat generated by these loses can result in an additional parasitic losses due to a decreased magnetic force capacity in the magnets. For instance, in Five (5) horsepower and larger motors, the temperature of the interior of the motor can reach in excess of 100 to 120 degrees Celsius. The stator components such as the varnish coating, wire insulation, etc. can typically withstand temperatures up to approximately 200 degrees C. It is desirable to use high capacity magnets such as Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets because of their high energy product. However, high efficiency Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets can withstand temperatures of only 100 degrees Celsius. At temperatures above, 100 degrees Celsius, the magnets begin to irreversibly degrade.
Effective cooling systems are necessary when used on integral horsepower motors. One approach described in the art is the use of a fan attached to the shaft of the motor which either pushes or pulls air through the air gap between the rotor and the stator. These cooling systems provide a cooling airflow to the motor; however, they lack efficiency which is critical in bi-directional vehicle applications. The fan is coupled to the rotor shaft and rotates at the same RPM as the rotor. At low motor speeds or when the rotor is stopped, this may prove to provide insufficient cooling to the rotor magnets. Alternatively, at high speeds, the fan may be spinning too fast and result in cooling the rotor magnets more than is necessary.
Another solution known in the art is to use an external cooling system. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,808 to Adames discloses a motor having a rotor, a stator, and a drive housing. The drive housing includes an independent cooling system including a conduit embedded in the housing and connected to a heat exchanger. Cool fluid is pumped through the housing and heated. The heated fluid is then returned to the heat exchanger and cooled down before returning to the drive housing.
Although having an external cooling system has advanced the art, even this device has drawbacks. For instance, this cooling system does not have an independent control. Although a separate pump is disclosed, the pump appears to be operated at a constant speed much like the coupled fans discussed above. In addition, the device described in the '808 patent, does not have a feedback loop to provide for a closed-loop control. Accordingly, this device has many of the same drawbacks found in the fans coupled to the rotor. The cooling system may either overcool the rotor magnets and waste energy or under cool the rotor and risk irreparably degrading the magnet quality. In any event, the cooling system does not have any way to determine the amount of cooling needed. Another drawback to this device is that cooling conduits are located in the housing. Aside from the manufacturing difficulties this presents, this location distances the maximum cooling capacity from the rotor and rotor magnets, which are the most temperature sensitive components in integral brushless permanent magnet drives. In order to provide an adequate amount of cooling to the rotor magnets utilizing this system may require excessive operation of the cooling system to compensate for being distanced from the rotor magnets.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a high efficiency integral electric drive. It would also be desirable to have a high efficiency integral drive capable of high torque without magnet degradation due to overheating. It would be further desirable to have a cooling system for an electric drive which is configured to cool the rotor magnets. It would be still further desirable to have a cooling system for an electric drive which has a control which is independent of the motor operation.

Cooling system for a vehicle drive assembly


A method is provided that includes accessing information associated with at least one service or application in a social network. The method also includes detecting at least one event relating to the information associated with the at least one service or application within the social network and modifying the information associated with the at least one service or application in response to the at least one event.

The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Computer networks, television networks, and telephony networks are experiencing an unprecedented technological expansion, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users. One area in which there is a demand to increase the ease of information transfer and convenience to users relates to provision of information sharing in P2P networks. A P2P network is generally considered a network that relies primarily on the computing power and bandwidth of the devices (i.e., peers) within the network. Accordingly, P2P networks generally do not concentrate computing power and bandwidth within servers. Rather each of the peer devices is capable of simultaneously functioning as both a client and a server to other nodes of the P2P network. The architecture of P2P networks typically involves connecting nodes via largely ad hoc connections over which participant nodes can, for example, share content files containing audio, video, data, or virtually anything in a digital format. Accordingly, data such as real time data or telephony traffic could be shared using a P2P network.
Given the ubiquitous nature of mobile terminals, such as mobile phones and numerous other mobile electronic devices, P2P networks are becoming more common for sharing content and services between individuals of social groups or social networks. These social networks may center on a group of friends, relatives, co-workers, business associates, or people who share a common interest. Each individual (i.e., node) within a social network may invite other individuals to join. As such, although any particular node may generally communicate with a given group of other nodes within the social network, each of the other nodes may subsequently communicate with yet other nodes. Accordingly, within a social network, each node may be defined in terms of a degree of separation from each other node. For example, if user A invites user B to view a particular file on user A's device, and user B subsequently invites user C to view the particular file, user B may be considered to have one degree of separation from user A, while user C may be considered to have two degrees of separation from user A. Accordingly, some originating nodes may place limits on the degree of separation a node may have from the originating device in order to gain access to the content.
Current session initiation between social network members generally requires manual work by each user (e.g., group creation, device scanning, pairing, connection approvals, etc.). In addition, use of any Internet-based service hosted by a member for social networking use cases requires the other members of the social network to manually configure the access levels in order to gain access to the particular service. If the members wish to benefit from all services provided by the social networks at different access levels (e.g., degree of separation (2nd, 3rd, 4th etc. level of members)), the amount of manual configuration needed increases.
The introduction of applications for mobile devices requires configuration of settings and parameters in order for the applications to operate properly on the mobile devices. Currently, operators and service providers offer various types of device management services to manage device settings remotely by using SMS provisioning. In addition, mobile device manufacturers are introducing systems that enable remote access to mobile device settings by establishing a real-time connection between the mobile device and help desk operators over a GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA-connection. In many cases these services are not sufficient when the user of the mobile device faces malfunction in the device management system or is not technically skilled to configure the applications. Thus, when the malfunction in introducing an application occurs and when a current device management system can't assist the user, the user may be required to locate the nearest operator's shop or otherwise request assistance from a friend.
In the mobile domain, social network members typically utilize several separated applications like phone, email, SMS, MMS, instant messaging, push-to-talk, file sharing and location sharing to communicate or perform different tasks. Currently, each mobile user may be required to manually configure all necessary applications in his/her device. This means in practice that the user defines application settings and, for example, creates groups, mail lists, or macros that ease the daily usage of the applications. Another possibility is to utilize a centralized device management system, but this system is rarely available for ordinary users. Since social networks typically change often and in many cases are short-lived (e.g., ad hoc groups), manual configuration of the user's device in order to use particular applications can be time consuming and tedious for the user.
Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a method of automatically configuring services within a social network. In addition, it may be advantageous to provide a method for automatically configuring applications on a user's mobile terminal for particular applications the user desires to use within a social network. Furthermore, it may be desirable to provide a method for allowing a member of a social network to remotely access another member's mobile terminal for facilitating configuration of applications on the mobile terminal.

System, method, and computer program product for service and application configuration in a network device


Supported chromium catalysts are prepared by loading the support material with chromium compounds and calcining at from 400 to 1100.degree. C., and then treating the catalyst with a water-containing inert gas mixture.

Supported chromium compounds have long been known as catalysts for the polymerization of .alpha.-olefins (see, for example, M. P. Mc Daniel, Adv. Cat 33, (1985) 47-98). The preparation of such supported chromium catalysts is usually carried out in two stages. In a first step, the support material is first brought into contact with a soluble chromium compound in a suitable solvent. Subsequently, in a second step, the mixture of support and chromium compound is calcined in a stream of air or oxygen at high temperatures, for instance from 400 to 1100.degree. C. (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,915).
It is known that the chromium catalysts can very easily be inactivated by catalyst poisons during the polymerization reaction. In EP-A-0 640 625, for example, states that it is extremely important to thoroughly remove such catalyst poisons such as moisture, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and acetylene from the polymerization gas and that, for example, 2 ppm of carbon monoxide are sufficient to dramatically impair the polymerization.
The catalyst and polymer properties are influenced significantly by the composition of the support, the support structure (pores volume, mean pore radius, etc.), the calcination temperature and the chromium content. High polymer molecular weights can be achieved, for example, by a lower calcination temperature, although an often undesired broadening of the molecular weight distribution results.

Preparation of supported chromium catalysts