It is an object of the present invention to provide an anticorrosive coating composition which uses a pollution-free (heavy metal-free) rust preventive pigment and exhibits anticorrosive performances equal or superior to those of lead compounds or chromic acid compounds even if the pigment is blended in various binder resins and also to provide an anticorrosive coating composition having excellent storage stability. The present invention relates to an anticorrosive coating composition comprising a binder resin and a pollution-free (heavy metal-free) rust preventive pigment containing a condensed calcium phosphate produced by baking a single substance or mixture of a calcium component and a phosphorous component in the following atomic ratio (Ca/P=m): 0.50<m<1.00, at 180 to 350° C.

Lead compounds and chromium compounds have been widely used as rust preventive pigments so far. These compounds have a high rust preventive effect, but, on the other hand, have toxicity problems and therefore, pollution-free rust preventive pigments are being enthusiastically developed. However, the developments of pollution-free pigments having the same durability as lead compounds or chromic acid compounds have been made only insufficiently.
There are a variety of coating systems and many coating forms corresponding to these systems. Therefore, rust preventive pigments to be formulated in these coatings differ depending on the coating form and the form of a binder resin.
When the binder resin is an alkyd resin or chlorinated rubber type resin, pollution-free rust preventive pigments reduced in surface activity are frequently used to prevent these pigments from reacting with the resin in lead suboxide, lead cyanamide and a coating. These pollution-free rust preventive pigments reduced in surface activity have an adverse effect on anticorrosive characteristics and therefore scarcely exhibit the same anticorrosive characteristics as a lead type or a chromium type. When the binder resin is an epoxy resin, polyester resin or acrylic resin, strontium chromate, lead chromate, zinc chromate, zinc phosphate or aluminum tripolyphosphate is used (see Patent Reference 1 and 2). The resin has a large effect on the cutoff of corrosive factors and the effect of the rust preventive is not significant. However, if the effect of the rust preventive pigment is significant, a highly durable coating is obtained, leading to the production of a thinner film and process savings that have been desired in coating fields.
Also, when these pollution-free rust preventive pigments contain zinc type pigments (see, Patent Reference 3), there is a problem concerning storage stability in an oil type or alkyd resin type binder. Specifically, the rust preventive pigment coagulates with time in the oil type or alkyd resin type binder. If such a coagulated anticorrosive coating composition is used, not only the condition of coating surface is impaired but also the rust preventive effect is eventually deteriorated. The reason of such a change with time is considered to be that a free fatty acid in the alkyd resin type binder adsorbs to the surface of the zinc type pigment and the zinc type pigments to which the free fatty acid is adsorbed are gradually associated and coagulated while the composition is stored.
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 8-283619
Patent Reference 2: JP-A No. 2003-113482
Patent Reference No. 3: JP-A No. 60-38471.


An apparatus is provided for extracting feature information from images of an object. The images of the object include a first in-focus image and a second soft focus image. The apparatus includes an optical system that includes at least one common image forming optical element. The optical system forms the first image and the second image of the object in different focus conditions. A photosensitive sensor converts the first image and the second image formed by the optical system to first and second image signals. An extracting feature device extracts the feature information of the object from a difference between the first image signals and the second image signals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for extracting a feature from images using a first image and a second image of an object.
More specifically the invention uses a first signal of the first image which is in relatively sharp focus and a second signal of the second image which is in relatively soft focus in order to extract a feature from the images.
2. Background Information
A feature extracting apparatus is commonly used with a system which stores data of an input image from a TV camera, and then extracts a feature of an object from the stored data using a two dimensional filtering processing. The two dimensional filtering process uses spatial filtering with Fourier transforms.
However, the foregoing two dimensional processing requires a lot of processing time. Faster processing can only be achieved using much larger memory capacity and faster, more expensive hardware.
An apparatus described in Japanese Non-examined Patent Publication No. 58-208875, takes an image of the object with two TV cameras, and stores data of the image. One image is in exact sharp focus, and the other image is out of focus. The apparatus then extracts edge information of the object using a differential operation of the image data taken by the two TV cameras.
However, if the view of one of the pair of video cameras is obstructed ("occluded"), it is impossible to extract edge or profile information of the object with the differential operation which relies on parallax to produce two images. Moreover, using two cameras introduce other inaccuracies in that the two cameras have slightly different characteristics both in their optics and electronics and in downstream processing circuits.
In the foregoing, if one camera is used to get two images of the object, the problem of parallax and possible image obstruction as well as different characteristics between the cameras is solved. But there are still problems in precise extracting of feature information because of changing a position of the principal point and varying the magnification with changing focal position.

Apparatus for extracting feature information from images of an object having different focus conditions


A vehicle system may include a thermal sensor; and a vehicle connectivity module in communication with the thermal sensor and a plurality of vehicle systems configured to receive an indication, from the thermal sensor, indicative of detection of a thermal event external to the vehicle, and responsive to the detection, utilize at least one of the plurality vehicle systems to perform at least one assistance feature to provide notification of the thermal event. A computer-implemented method may include activating a vehicle connectivity module responsive to detection of a thermal event external to the vehicle by a vehicle thermal sensor, confirming, by the vehicle connectivity module, the detection of the thermal event by utilizing other thermal sensor inputs of the vehicle, and responsive to the confirmation, commanding a vehicle system to perform at least one assistance feature to provide notification of the thermal event to a user.

Home fires and extreme cold often result in damage to property and harm to persons and animals. In some cases, such events may be substantially mitigated by detection of the event and early warning to specific personnel. Even though many homes are already equipped with some form of smoke and/or fire detection sensors, there are cases in which these sensors are ineffective with respect to detecting the event and warning such personnel.


Disclosed is a paper processing unit for a binding device that can improve moving efficiency of a sheet of papers and prevent side binding error of the sheet of papers. The paper processing unit comprises a paper aligning unit including a tray stacking the sheet of papers, a rotational stopper provided at the end of the tray, stopping the sheet of papers stacked on the tray, and a paper clamp gripping the sheet of papers stacked on the tray and moving them to the paper finishing unit when stopping of the rotational stopper is released, and a binding carriage having a lifting unit structured to support the sheet of papers and adjust the angle of the sheet of papers depending on the binding position while the paper clamp moves the sheet of papers to the paper finishing unit and the binding process of the sheet of papers is performed, wherein the angle of the sheet of papers of which binding is finished is adjusted to move them to the position of the receiving stacker and an open tray is extended to the end of the tray to close and open.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a binding device that binds papers ejected from a digital output device such as a printer and a copier by finishing them, and more particularly to a paper processing unit for the binding device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An example of a conventional binding device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-301504. The conventional binding device will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
The conventional binding device 1 includes a paper processing unit 5, a paper carriage 2, a tape feeder 6, a tape heating unit 7, and a receiving stacker 8. The paper processing unit 5 is provided with a paper aligning unit 3 and a binding unit 4. The tape heating unit 7 serves as a paper finishing unit.
The paper carriage 2 includes an inlet 9a and an outlet 9b. A plurality of rollers 10 are provided between the inlet 9a and the outlet 9b. A flapper 13 is provided at the inlet 9a so that papers are flapped to a paper carriage path 14 when binding papers. The papers flapped to the paper carriage path 14 by the flapper 13 are conveyed to the paper aligning unit 3.
The paper aligning unit 3 includes a tray 16 receiving papers, an aligning paddle 18 aligning conveyed papers, a rotational stopper 19 temporarily putting the papers in a standby state after aligning them, and a paper clamp 15 gripping the papers aligned in the stop finger 19 and moving them to the tape heating unit 7.
The rotational stopper 19 and the paper clamp 15 are designed to grip the papers stacked on the tray 16 to move them to the tape heating unit 7. Once the papers are moved to the tape heating unit 7, the papers are subject to the binding process so that a tape fed from the tape feeder 6 is adhered to the rear end and side of the papers. The bound papers are then stacked on the receiving stacker 8 by the binding carriage 4.

Paper processing unit for binding device


A system and method is provided for braking a vehicle having multiple wheels. The method includes applying friction braking and powertrain braking to the vehicle. The method includes reducing the powertrain braking by a predetermined amount. The method also includes compensating the friction braking in an amount that is substantially the same as the predetermined amount. The method further includes redistributing the friction braking to the multiple wheels and modulating the friction braking being applied to the multiple wheels, thereby reducing the occurrence of a wheel lockup by the multiple wheels.

Powertrain braking (also referred to as compression or engine braking) occurs when a powertrain of a vehicle delivers a braking torque (or force) that causes the vehicle to decelerate. Powertrain braking is typically produced as a result of the engine's compression losses during high engine revolutions per minute (RPM) and a low throttle position. It is well known that the amount of powertrain braking produced can cause the wheels of the vehicle to lockup on low friction surfaces, which is undesirable for a vehicle operator. Additionally, the conventional powertrain and friction braking systems lack efficient control and distribution of the powertrain braking produced to significantly reduce the occurrence of wheel lockup events.
The present invention was conceived in view of these and other disadvantages of conventional powertrain and friction braking systems.


An insulated cosmetic case which can be attached to the visor of an automobile. The inside of the case contains a mirror and compartments that readily provide access to cosmetics that can be conveniently applied while the user is sitting in the passenger compartment of a car. The case has a first portion that is coupled to a second portion by a hinge, which allows the portions to be moved between a folded position and an unfolded position. Each portion contains a pocket constructed to hold a number of cosmetic items. The case has a hanging strap and dual zippers that can secure the first and second portions of the case in the folded position. The hanging strap has an aperture which can be attached to a hook or other similar structure. The cosmetic case also has a pair of outer straps adapted to attach the case to the visor of an automobile.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cosmetic case.
2. Description of Related Art
When traveling on an extended road trip, the occupants of an automobile typically store cosmetics and other items in the trunk of the car. The trunk of a car can become hot and possibly melt some of the cosmetics. Even if the cosmetics are carried in the interior of the car, the temperature of the passenger compartment may become elevated, especially if the automobile is parked in a hot environment. It would therefore be desirable to have a portable insulated cosmetic case.
The application of cosmetics usually requires a mirror. Passengers who use cosmetics typically carry the cosmetic items and a mirror in a purse which is kept in the passenger compartment of the car. When applying cosmetics, the passenger typically holds the mirror with one hand, while the cosmetics are applied with the other hand. Such a procedure requires a certain amount of coordination on the part of the passenger. Additionally, the purse may contain a number of items, such that the passenger is constantly searching through their purse to find the right cosmetic. It would therefore be desirable to have a cosmetic case that is insulated and allows the passenger to conveniently apply cosmetics within the passenger compartment of a car.

Cosmetic bag for hanging on the sun visor of an automobile


A control plane device in a cloud computing system executes a plurality of virtual machines for implementing network function virtualization (NFV). The control plane device is operable to manage implementation of a general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnel protocol (GTP) in a packet core (PC) of a third generation (3G) network having a split architecture where a control plane of the PC of the 3G network is in the cloud computing system. The control plane communicates with a data plane of the PC through a control plane protocol. The data plane is implemented in a plurality of network devices of the 3G network. The control plane device and the plurality of virtual machines are operable to communicate with other control plane devices in the cloud computing system and with the plurality of network devices of the data plane.

The general packet radios system (GPRS) is a system that is used for transmitting Internet Protocol packets between user devices such as cellular phones and the Internet. The GPRS system includes the GPRS core network, which is an integrated part of the global system for mobile communication (GSM). These systems are widely utilized by cellular phone network providers to enable cellular phone services over large areas.
The GPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) is an important communication protocol utilized within the GPRS core network. GTP enables end user devices (e.g., cellular phones) in a GSM network to move from place to place while continuing to connect to the Internet. The end user devices are connected to the Internet through a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN). The GGSN tracks the end user device's data from the end user device's serving GPRS support node (SGSN) that is handling the session originating from the end user device.
Three forms of GTP are used by the GPRS core network. GTP-U is used for transfer of user data in separated tunnels for each packet data protocol (PDP) context. GTP-C is used within the GPRS core network for signaling between GGSN and SGSN. GTP′ is used for carrying charging data from Charging Data Function (CDF) of the GSM or UMTS network to the charging gateway function (CGF), which provides requisite end user device usage information to a billing system. GTP′ uses the same message structure as GTP-C and GTP-U.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Implementing a 3G packet core in a cloud computer with openflow data and control planes


An open protection circuit (300) for a backlight module includes a PWM (350) with a control port (351) to disable the PWM. A switch (371) has a gate and a source connected to the control port. A plurality of first input circuits (330) includes first diodes (331), each of which has a first positive terminal connected to the gate and a negative terminal connected to ground. A plurality of second input circuits (340) include input resistors (341) connected to the control port. A plurality of detecting circuits (310, 380) are connected to the fluorescent lamps (311) and the first and second input circuits respectively. Each detecting circuit includes a sampling resistor (313) connected to one of the negative terminals of the first diodes, thereby the control port of the PWM is pulled low when either one of the fluorescent lamps are open-circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protection circuits, and in particular to an open protection circuit for a backlight module that uses fluorescent lamps.
2. General Background
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) generally have the advantages of lightness in weight, a thin profile, flexible sizing, and low power consumption. For these reasons, LCDs are widely used in products such as laptops, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, and so on.
An LCD typically includes an LCD panel and a backlight module. The backlight module commonly includes fluorescent lamps, and acts as a light source for the LCD panel. Thereby, liquid crystal in the LCD panel can provide images for a display screen of the LCD panel. Conventional backlight modules for LCDs generally utilize pulse width modulators (PWMs) to control working currents of the fluorescent lamps. An open protection circuit is also provided to protect the PWM from damage when one of the fluorescent lamps fails or when an open circuit occurs for some other reason.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of a conventional open protection circuit of a backlight module that uses four fluorescent lamps. The fluorescent lamps are typically cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs). The open protection circuit 100 includes four detecting circuits 110, an input circuit 130, a PWM 150, and a switch 170.
Each of the detecting circuits has an output port 112, and is connected to a respective one of the fluorescent lamps 111. The input circuit 130 has four branches which correspond to the four fluorescent lamps 111. Each branch input circuit includes a bias resistor 132, a filtering capacitor 133, and a transistor. The transistors of the four branch circuits are designated 1331, 1332, 1333, 1334. The source terminal of the first transistor 1331 is connected to the drain terminal of the second transistor 1332. The source terminal of the second transistor 1332 is connected to the drain terminal of the third transistor 1333. The source terminal of the third transistor 1333 is connected to the drain terminal of the fourth transistor 1334. The source terminal of the fourth transistor 1334 is connected to ground. The drain terminal of the first transistor 1331 is utilized an output port of the input circuit 130.
The gate terminal of the first transistor 1331 in the first branch of the input circuit 130 is connected to ground via a bias resistor 132 and a filtering capacitor 135, which are arranged in parallel. The positive terminal of the diode 131 in the first branch acts as one of the input ports of the input circuit 130. The second, third, and fourth transistors 1332˜1334 in the other three branches are respectively connected to the other three bias resistors 132, filtering capacitors 135 and diodes 131 in similar arrangements to that of first branch. The positive terminals of the diodes 131 in the other three branches act as the other three input ports of the input circuit 130, in similar fashion to the diode 131 in the first branch.
The PWM 150 has a control port 151. The PWM 150 can be turned off or disabled when a low voltage level is provided to the control port 151 thereof.
The switch 170 includes a fifth transistor 171 and a current restriction resistor 172. The source terminal of the fifth transistor 171 is connected to ground, and the drain terminal of the fifth transistor 171 is connected to the control port 151 of the PWM 150. The gate terminal of the fifth transistor 170 and the drain terminal of the first transistor 1331 are both connected to a 5V power source provided by a pin of the PWM 150 via the current restriction resistor 172.
When the fluorescent lamps 111 are ignited and function normally, the four output ports 112 of the detecting circuits 110 are in a high voltage state. Thereby, the four output ports 112 enable the first through fourth transistors 1331˜1334, and pull the gate terminal of the fifth transistor 171 into a low voltage state. Simultaneously, the fifth transistor 171 is disabled. The control port 151 of the PWM 150 maintains a high voltage level, which keeps the PWM 150 functioning.
When any one of the fluorescent lamps 111 has an open circuit, the output port 112 of the corresponding detecting circuit 110 is pulled to a low voltage state, which disables a corresponding one of the four transistors 1331˜1334. The gate terminal of the fifth transistor 171 is then enabled by a high voltage provided by the 5V power source from the PWM 150. Simultaneously, the control port 151 of the PWM 150 is pulled to a low voltage state, and the PWM 150 is disabled.
At least one transistor 1331˜1334 and many passive electronic components are required for each one of the fluorescent lamps 111 in order to implement the open protection circuit 100. That is, the open protection circuit 100 is complicated and costly. This problem is even more pronounced in the case of a backlight module that has more than four fluorescent lamps 111. Hence, there is a need for a simpler and inexpensive open protection circuit for a backlight module.

Open protection circuit for backlight module


Systems, methods, and computer program products for efficiently storing and accessing graph-oriented information retrieved from disparate sources using an interface that effectively emulates a graph database to access a set of indexed, column-oriented tables. One embodiment is a system that includes a server and a plurality of storage nodes. The server retrieves graph-oriented social networking data for multiple users, identifies vertices, edges and associated properties within the data and stores this information in key-value lookup tables within a column-oriented database. The server can receive graph-oriented queries, convert the graph-oriented query to corresponding key-value lookup queries, and search the tables of the column-oriented database using the key-value lookup queries. The results of the lookup queries can be converted to a graph-oriented representation and presented to a user.

Advances in communications technology often change how people communicate and share information. More recently, social networking sites are providing new ways for users to interact and keep others abreast of their personal and business dealings. The growth of social networking sites is staggering. New sites are emerging daily and new users are joining in droves. Today, social networking sites are being used regularly by millions of people around the globe, and it seems that social networking via websites will continue to be a part of everyday life at least in the United States.
Social networking services offered to users by social networking sites may provide various ways for users to interact and keep others abreast of their personal and business dealings. For example, these services may provide means to stay in touch with friends, communicate with other users, provide information about themselves or their businesses, identify common friends, recommend others' products or services, and so on. These services may be useful to individuals, personally, and to entrepreneurs and businesses that are trying to expand their customer bases.
For some users, there is a great deal of information available through social networking services that may be helpful on both a personal level and on a professional level. The vast amount of information, however, may be difficult to manage and may be as confusing as it is useful. Often, the different services may store duplicate, but possibly inconsistent information (e.g., the same contact may be stored on different services, but each service may have a different phone number stored for the contact). Further, while the different social networking sites may have provide similar services, such as the ability of users to identify friends and business contacts, they also have differences, such as the types or formats of information that may be retained for friends and contacts. These differences may make it difficult to consolidate information from the different services.
In addition to the potential difficulties in managing the information associated with the different social networking services, some businesses may have concerns about the exchange of information between employees, clients, vendors, etc. These concerns may relate to the nature of the activities in which users are engaged, the type of information that is being communicated, the specific information being disclosed, whether malicious or otherwise damaging material is being accessed or allowed onto the business's computers, and so on. Because the information that is the basis of these concerns is distributed across the different social networking sites and is stored in different ways, it may be difficult for a business to examine and audit the information for purposes of determining compliance with the policies of the business.
It would therefore be desirable to provide systems and methods for consolidating the information that is available to users through social networking services and providing means to efficiently store and access the consolidated information, thereby improving the ability of users to make use of the information and improving the ability of businesses to assess compliance with their policies.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for storing graph-oriented data on a column-oriented database


The present invention discloses an integral air-conditioner of which an indoor portion and an outdoor portion are connected elastically, the air-conditioner includes an indoor portion (1), an outdoor portion (3), and a means for elastically connecting the indoor portion and outdoor portion integrally. The integral air-conditioner according to the present invention retains all the advantages exhibited by the window air-conditioner and the divided air-conditioner in the prior art, meanwhile overcomes their drawbacks. The integral air-conditioner according to the present invention can be easily mounted and maintained, and has a lower noise intensity which is only 1/2 of that of the window air-conditioner in the prior art. The air-conditioner according to the present invention is an ideal air-conditioning apparatus.

Room air conditioners are used widely throughout the world, typical types of which are window air conditioners and separate air conditioners. Window air conditioner generally consists of an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor centrifugal blower, a sound absorbing plate, a motor, a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor axial fan. It is easily mounted and is very reliable and economic, however the high operating noise can make people difficult to sleep or work. A separate air conditioner has been developed to overcome the drawbacks of the window air conditioners, which consists of an indoor heat exchanger, an indoor motor, an indoor crossflow blower, pipes for connecting the indoor unit and the outdoor portion, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor motor, a compressor, low and high pressure valves, and an outdoor axial fan. While this kind of separate air conditioner overcomes drawbacks of the window air conditioner, such as high noise, mounting is very complicated. In particular, the pipeline system and power supply line are difficult to fit and connect in tall buildings, and this results in high cost.

Integral air conditioner of which an indoor unit and an outdoor unit are connected with vibration dampers


A fluid tank includes a tank main body that contains a fluid and a bubble removing device that is provided inside the main body and removes bubbles in the fluid. The main body includes a partition and a delivery port through which the fluid is fed to outside. The bubble removing device has an outflow port through which the fluid from which the bubbles have been removed flows to the inside of the main body and a bubble exhaust port through which the bubbles which have been removed are discharged to the inside of the main body. The delivery port is provided adjacent to the outflow port relative to the partition. The partition partitions the inside of the main body into a side in which the outflow port and the delivery port are provided and a side of the bubble exhaust port.

In a conventional constriction machine, a portion of work equipment such as a cylinder is typically driven by a hydraulic fluid. Consequently, the construction machine is provided with a hydraulic circuit for driving the cylinder or the like. The hydraulic circuit is provided with, for example, a hydraulic tank and a pump for pumping the hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic tank. In addition, the hydraulic circuit is sometimes provided with a bubble removing device for removing bubbles in the hydraulic fluid because bubbles generated in the hydraulic circuit may damage the pump. Since demands for size reduction of components equipped on construction machines have been on the rise, a lot of construction machines are provided with a bubble removing device in a hydraulic tank in recent years.
The hydraulic fluid from which bubbles have been removed by the bubble removing device in the hydraulic tank flows out through an outflow port of the bubble removing device to the hydraulic fluid in the tank. The hydraulic fluid is fed out through a delivery port of the tank, and then, is pumped back to the hydraulic circuit by the pump. The bubbles removed by the bubble removing device are discharged to the hydraulic fluid in the tank through a bubble exhaust port provided on the bubble removing device independently of the outflow port. With this arrangement, since the bubble exhaust port of the bubble removing device and the delivery port of the hydraulic tank are closely disposed on account of the size reduction of the hydraulic tank, the hydraulic fluid containing the bubbles discharged from the bubble exhaust port may unfavorably be fed out from the delivery port together with the hydraulic fluid from which the bubbles have been removed.
To prevent this problem, a hydraulic tank including a guide portion that separates a side of the outflow port for the hydraulic fluid from which the bubbles have been removed and the delivery port of the tank from a side of the bubble exhaust port for the bubbles and guides the hydraulic fluid to the delivery port, the hydraulic fluid being substantially limited to the fluid that comes out from the outflow port, has been known (e.g., Patent Document 1).
Another tank has been known which includes a complex bubble removing device formed by covering with a closure plate a whole of several juxtaposed bubble removing devices, the complex bubble removing device being connected to the delivery port of the tank by a return pipe (e.g., Patent Document 2).
Furthermore, another tank is known which includes an inner chamber connecting a return port for the hydraulic fluid in an upper portion of the tank and a delivery port in a lower portion of the tank, the inner chamber housing a spiral baffle, the baffle being provided with a hollow shaft along a central axis of the baffle, the hollow shaft being provided with ventilation holes on a circumferential wall of the hollow shaft (e.g., Patent Document 3). In the tank disclosed in Patent Document 3, flow of the hydraulic fluid on the spiral baffle in the inner chamber generates a swirl, so that hydraulic fluid containing bubbles that are drawn to the central portion of the inner chamber is discharged through the hollow shaft in the central portion of the inner chamber to the outside of the tank.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-84923
Patent Document 2: JP-A-08-318103 (FIGS. 9 and 10)
Patent Document 3: U.S. Pat. No. 2,316,729


A piston for an internal combustion motor has a skirt with a surface, which is at least partially polished and thereafter coated with a coating having a hardness of greater than 8 GPa and having a coefficient of friction of less than 0.20. The piston has an increased performance, a longer lifetime and a reduced friction.

On the one hand, pistons are widely known and used in internal combustion motors. The motors often operate with a frequency of several thousands rotations per minute at elevated temperatures. A lot of attention has been given to the working of those pistons, and more particularly to the reduction of friction of the piston inside the cylinder bore. Incremental reductions in friction or incremental improvements in lubrication may increase substantially the efficiency of the motor.
On the other hand, coatings such as diamond-like coatings are well known in the art, amongst others, for their hardness, for their corrosion resistance and for their low coefficient of friction. Diamond-like coatings have been applied successfully on various automotive components such as valve heads, rods, shafts, piston rings, and cylinder head.
Despite the widely spread use of pistons of internal combustion motors and despite the existence of hard coatings such as diamond-like coatings, application of hard coatings such as diamond-like coatings to the skirts of pistons has proved to be unsuccessful and not in line with other applications of diamond-like coatings.

Piston with a skirt having a low coefficient of friction


A pull-up circuit includes a pull-up transistor of a P-channel type having a drain coupled to a bus via a terminal, a source, a gate and a back gate, and a control circuit controlling the pull-up transistor so that no currents flow in a first current path formed from the drain to the back gate and a second path formed from the drain to the source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pull-up circuit which raises the potential of a given node in a circuit to a given level and a semiconductor device having such a pull-up circuit.
Semiconductor devices can operate with a reduced power supply voltage in advance of the production process thereof. Under the above situation, there is a case where a system is configured by using semiconductor devices that operate with different power supply voltages.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system in which semiconductor devices operating with different power supply voltages are connected together through a bus. The system shown in FIG. 1 is formed on a circuit board. Semiconductor devices A and B are connected together through a bus 10, via which data is transferred therebetween. The semiconductor devices A and B operate with different power supply voltages. For example, the semiconductor device B operates with a power supply voltage of 5 V, and the semiconductor device A operates with a power supply voltage of 3.3 V. When the semiconductor device B outputs data to the bus 10, it drives the potential of the bus 10 to 0 V or 5 V in accordance with the data to be output. When the high potential and low potential of the bus 10 are respectively denoted as Vh and Vl, the semiconductor device B drives the bus 10 so that Vh=5 V and Vl=0 V. Similarly, when the semiconductor device A outputs data to the bus 10, the semiconductor device A drives the bus 10 so that Vh=3.3 V and Vl=0 V.
Generally, the semiconductor devices A and B are equipped with pull-up circuits located in interface parts thereof. In FIG. 1, the internal structure of the semiconductor device A is illustrated for the sake of simplicity. The semiconductor device A has a connection terminal 16 to which the bus 10 is connected. An internal circuit of the semiconductor device A is electrically connected to the bus 10 via the terminal 16. The semiconductor device A has a buffer 12 and a pull-up circuit 14, which are connected to the terminal 16 and form an interface with the bus 10. The buffer 12 is, for example, an input buffer or an output buffer and may be an input/output (bidirectional) buffer. Data on the bus 10 is latched in the buffer 12 via the terminal 16, and is supplied to an internal circuit (not shown) of the semiconductor device A.
The pull-up circuit 14 functions to pull up the potential of the terminal 16 to the power supply voltage of the semiconductor device A. In the case where the semiconductor device A operates with a power supply voltage of 3.3 V, the pull-up circuit 14 pulls up the potential of the terminal 16 to 3.3 V (=Vdd). Hence, it is possible to prevent the potential of the terminal 16 from being at an intermediate level between 0 V and 3.3 V due to a certain factor. If the potential of the terminal 16 becomes such an intermediate level, the buffer 12 and/or the internal circuit may malfunction or wasteful power may be consumed therein.
As shown in FIG. 1, the pull-up circuit 14 is formed of a P-channel MOS transistor (hereinafter, simply referred to as PMOS transistor) or an N-channel MOS transistor (NMOS transistor). When the pull-up circuit 14 is formed of the PMOS transistor, the source thereof is supplied with the power supply voltage Vdd (=3.3 V in the above example), and the gate thereof is fixed at a potential Vss (equal to, for example, 0 V). The drain of the PMOS transistor is connected to the terminal 16. Hence, the PMOS transistor is ON, and pulls up the potential of the terminal 16 to the power supply voltage Vdd. When the NMOS transistor is used, the gate thereof is fixed to the power supply voltage Vdd so that it is ON.
However, the conventional pull-up circuit 14 has the following disadvantages.
As has been described previously, the potential of the bus 10 can be set to 5 V. For example, the semiconductor device B drives the bus 10 to its power supply voltage equal to 5 V. At that time, the potential of the terminal 16 becomes equal to 5 V. If the pull-up circuit 14 is formed of the PMOS transistor, the drain thereof is supplied with a voltage of 5 V. Generally, the back gate voltage of the PMOS transistor is fixed to the power supply voltage, which is equal to 3.3 V in the present example. That is, the drain of the PMOS transistor of the pull-up circuit 14 is at 5 V, while the back gate thereof is at 3.3 V. Hence, a current path directed to the back gate (an N-type well) from the drain is formed. In other words, a diode is connected between the drain and back gate of the PMOS transistor in the forward direction. A current flows in the above current path from the bus 10 to the power supply Vdd. Such a current degrades the reliability of the PMOS transistor and decreases the potential of the bus 10.
There is also a case where another current flows from the drain of the PMOS transistor to the power supply Vdd via the source thereof. When the drain of the PMOS transistor is at 5 V and the source thereof is at 3.3 V (=Vdd), a current path from the drain to the source. When such a current is also considered, the thickness of an oxide film of the PMOS transistor may be increased, or a specific pull-up circuit may be provided to pull up the potential of the bus 10 to 5 V. However, these means may be not practical in terms of the production cost and are not capable of preventing the occurrence of the current itself.
When the pull-up circuit 14 is formed of the NMOS transistor, the source potential thereof is higher than the drain potential thereof, and thus the occurrence of the above currents flowing from the bus 10 can be prevented. However, the NMOS transistor has only a capability of pulling up the bus 10 to a voltage defined by subtracting the threshold voltage of the NMOS transistor from the gate potential (set equal to the power supply voltage Vdd) thereof. Hence, the pull-up circuit 14 formed of the NMOS transistor cannot sufficiently perform the pull-up operation. For example, if the power supply voltage Vdd which is normally equal to 3.3 V is temporarily decreased to 3.0 V, the NMOS transistor can pull up the bus 10 to only 2.5 V with the threshold voltage thereof equal to 0.5 V. Such an intermediate potential functions as an indefinite potential with respect to an internal circuit connected to the buffer 12, and the internal circuit may malfunction.

Pull-up circuit and semiconductor device using the same


A safety torque intensifying tool has a housing, a torque intensifying unit providing at least two modes of operation including a first mode in which the tool operates with a high speed and a low torque and a second mode in which the tool operates with a low speed and a high torque, a grip to be held by a tool operator, an additional element acting as a handle for better gripping in the first mode in which the tool operates with the high speed and low torque and also as a reaction arm to abut against a stationary object to stop the housing from turning in the second mode when the tool operates with the low speed and the high torque, and a switching unit for switching the tool between the first and second modes and configured so that when the operator does not act on the switching unit the tool is in the second mode of operation with the low speed and the high torque, and when the switching unit is switched by the operator while the additional element acts as a handle, the tool is switched to the first mode of operation with the high speed and the low torque, until the operator stops acting on the switching unit and the tool is switched itself back to the second mode of operation.

The present invention relates to torque intensifying tools.
Torque intensifying tools may have several different applications in several different fields. One typical field of application relates to industrial torque wrenches for the fastening and loosening of nuts and bolts.
When torque intensifying tool is used in connection with the fastening or loosening of industrial nuts or bolts, the torque intensifying tool typically will have at least two modes of operation. In a first mode of operation the torque intensifying tool will operate with a high speed and a low torque. This is normally accomplished by deactivating some of the multiple gear cages within the tool. A second mode of operation will take place when the torque intensifying tool operates with a low speed but a high torque. This is normally accomplished when all gear cages are rendered operational.
In bolting applications, the high speed/low torque mode is used, for example, to run down a bolt until it is fully inserted into an object and its head abuts the object to which it is to be affixed.
The low speed/high torque mode is then used in the final operation of tightening the bolt in the object wherein higher torque and lower speed is required.
At high speed/low torque, the torque intensifying tool creates a reaction force which is transmitted to the handle, held by the operator, connected to the tool housing. The reaction force is relatively low and will normally be absorbed by the operator holding the handle.
Accordingly, a tool operator may normally be able to hold the tool handle provided that the handle is not subject a torque in excess of 5 ft. lbs. This means that in the tool, in which the torque intensifying means may create a torque of up to 50 in. lbs at the high speed the operator holding the handle can stop the housing from rotation.
In the second mode of operation when the torque intensifying tool is operated with a high speed/low torque, the handle of the tool is typically switched from a perpendicular position relative to the housing to a position corresponding to the general direction of the housing, to abut against a stationary object and thereby to stop the housing from turning in the opposite direction to the active force of the tool.
In a high speed/low torque mode of operation the handle must be held in its perpendicular position relative to housing in a stationary manner by the operator, so as not to permit the housing to rotate at high speed. In such operation the inertia created by the weight of the arm and the speed could injure the operator if the operator's hands were to be in the way of handle rotation.
One improvement of the subject invention is to provide for at least two modes of operation, one high speed/low torque and one low speed/high torque, in which it is assured that while the tool is used at high speeds/low torque, operator injury as a result of twisting the arm or moving parts at high speed or hitting against the stationary object can be avoided.


Amines endowed with chain extension activity for formulations such as polyureas are disclosed, which have the general formula: ##STR1## wherein n is 0-1000; R.sub.1 =R.sub.2, and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are from the group --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --; --CH.sub.2 --C(CH.sub.3)H--; and --C(CH.sub.3)H--CH.sub.2 --; and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, --CH.sub.3, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.3, --CH.sub.2 OH, and --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --OH.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel derivatives of tris(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethane (THPE), to processes for preparing them, to polymer compositions which contain the novel compounds, and to the use of said compositions for a wide variety of end use applications.
2. Description of Related Art
The following prior art references are disclosed in accordance with the terms of 37 CFR 1.56, 1.97, and 1.98.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,542, issued May 18, 1971, to Meyer et al. discloses 4,4',4"-trishydroxytriphenylmethymethane endowed with laxative (cathartic) properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,879, issued Sep. 12, 1978, to Jones et al., discloses pharmaceutical compositions containing 4,4'-dihydroxy-3,3'-triphenylmethanedicarboxylic acids.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,496, issued Jul. 19, 1983, to Paul G. Schrader discloses polyglycidyl ethers of tris(hydroxyphenyl) alkanes, their blends with other epoxy compounds, and their cured products.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,408, issued Sep. 22, 1987, to Kuo Y. Chang, discloses processes for preparing tris(p-hydroxy-disubstituted phenyl)methanes from 2,6-disubstituted phenols and salicylaldehyde.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,580, issued Aug. 16, 1988, to Martin et al., discloses processes for preparing epoxy resins employing 1,1,10-tri(hydroxyphenyl)-alkanes or -alkenes, as the phenolic reactant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,598, issued Feb. 12, 1991, to Strutz, discloses processes for the purification of 1,1,1,tris(4"-hydroxypheiiyl)ethane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,467, issued Jul. 14, 1992, to Mott et al., discloses novel compositions of matter, which are mono-, di-, or tri-acrylate esters of 1,1,1-trishydroxyphenylethane and processes for preparing the same.
All of the above-cited prior art patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.


A cover assembly for enclosing data connections on a monitor that is mounted to a tubular support arm that has data cables extending therethrough. The cover assembly includes a sleeve surrounding a portion of the tubular support arm. The sleeve defines a passage between the sleeve and the tubular support arm for the cables to extend therethrough. A shield is connected to the second end of the tubular support arm. The shield has an arcuate outer surface with an aperture therethrough. The aperture is dimensioned to receive one end of the sleeve. A cover having an inner arcuate surface mounted to the monitor to be movable therewith. The cover encloses the shield with the arcuate outer surface of the shield facing the arcuate inner surface of the cover. The sleeve extends through a slot in the cover, wherein the monitor is rotatable about a first axis and further is rotatable about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

Video monitors are used in surgical theaters to display information relating to a patient's physical condition, and to display images produced by a camera, such as for example, an endoscopic camera, used during medical procedures. Such monitors are typically mounted to tubular support arms that are suspended from a ceiling mount. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,817,585 and 6,743,046 disclose examples of a ceiling-mounted light and monitor systems for use in a surgical theater.
Data transfer cables and wires are connected to the monitor through the tubular support arm. These data cables and wires exit the arm near the monitor for connection to connectors on the back of the monitor. The exposed data wires and cables, i.e., the portion of the data wires and cables outside the tubular support arm, must be sufficiently long to allow articulation of the monitor. In this respect, it is desirable to mount the monitor to the support arm so as to allow the monitor to be rotated between a landscaped position and a portrait position, so as to allow information and images to be displayed in different ways. It is further desirable that the monitor be able to tilt forward and back to optimize viewing orientation for the surgical staff. One problem with the exposed wires and electrical connections is that it is difficult to sterilize, disinfect or clean the individual cables and wires after a medical procedure.
The present invention provides a cover for enclosing the electrical connection on the back side of a video monitor suspended by a support arm, and at the same time, allows articulated motion of the electrical device relative to the support arm.


A planar illumination device for illuminating a liquid crystal display panel provided with a polarizing plate on a light incident side, includes: a light source unit for emitting light having a specified polarization direction; and a light irradiating member for deflecting light emitted from the light source unit and irradiating the liquid crystal display panel with the deflected light, wherein the light irradiating member deflects the light emitted from the light source unit such that the polarization direction of the light emitted from the light source unit substantially coincides with a transmission axis direction of the polarizing plate of the liquid crystal display panel.

Conventionally, backlight illumination devices utilizing a cold cathode fluorescent tube have been widely used in liquid crystal display devices using liquid crystal display panels. In recent years, attention has been focused on backlight illumination devices using three color light emitting diodes (LED devices) of red, green and blue lights for the reproduction of more clear and natural color tones, and the development thereof has been vigorously promoted.
A planar illumination device of the lateral light source type so-called edge light type in which light from a light source is incident through a side surface (light incident surface) of a light guide plate and light is emitted from one principal surface (light output surface) of the light guide plate for illumination is used as a backlight illumination device with a relatively small size. On the other hand, a direct illumination device in which cathode fluorescent tubes or LED devices are arranged in a planar manner is used for backlight illumination requiring a large size and a high luminance.
A demand for liquid crystal display devices with thin and large screens such as wall mounted TVs is thought to increase in the future. However, in order to realize this, direct illumination devices have a problem of being difficult to be thinned and edge light type illumination devices using conventional light sources have a problem of being unable to ensure a sufficient luminance if screens are large.
To realize a liquid crystal display device with a thin large screen, researches have started on an edge light type backlight using a laser light source, which provides high luminance and which is suited for a high power output.
Furthermore, in order to realize a still higher luminance and lower power consumption, the methods for better utilization of a backlight illumination has been considered. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method improving the light utilization efficiency of a liquid crystal display device by providing LEDs with polarization anisotropy.
However, the foregoing conventional structure of Patent Document 1 has the following drawbacks. That is, according to Patent Document 1, since a light is incident on a light guide plate from only one direction, a problem of non-uniform luminance is liable to occur when applied to a large size screen. A problem of non-uniform color is also liable to occur due to differences in absorption when three color lights, i.e., red, green and blue lights propagate in the light guide plate.
As described above, the enlargement of thin flat displays represented by plasma displays and liquid crystal displays have been promoted at a rapid pace in recent years. A direct illumination device in which cathode fluorescent tubes are arranged in a planar manner has been conventionally used as a backlight of a liquid crystal display device requiring a large size and a high luminance. Power consumption thereof tends to increase substantially in proportion to the screen size. Furthermore, the power consumption of the backlight accounts for the large proportion of the total power consumption of the liquid crystal display device, and the problem of the power consumption has been a curtail issue for the liquid crystal display device.
In recent years, attention has been also focused on backlight illumination using light emitting diodes (LED devices) of three primary colors for the reproduction of more clear and natural color tones. Incidentally, a planar illumination device of the lateral light source type, a so-called "edge light type" has been used as a conventional backlight illumination device with a relatively small size wherein a light emitted from a light source is incident on the light guide plate through a side surface thereof and a light is outputted from one principal surface of the light guide plate to be used for illumination. Here, an attempt has been made to apply the foregoing edge light type illumination device to a thin large screen by adopting high-output laser light sources. However, such applications adopting the light-output laser light sources have a drawback in that the required power consumption is larger than that of cathode fluorescent tubes at present, and a reduction in power consumption is therefore a critical issue.
In response, various methods have been proposed to realize a reduction in power consumption. examples of which includes the method of reducing the power consumption by controlling the backlight luminance by limiting the maximum luminance of the backlight, or the method of reducing the power consumption by improving the utilization of the backlight luminance utilizing polarized lights (for example, Patent Document 1).
However, there still exists a strong demand for a reduction in power consumption, and with the foregoing conventional methods, the power consumption cannot be reduced to a sufficient level to meet such demands.
Patent Document 1:
    Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-40639

Planar illumination device and liquid crystal display device using the same


An exhaust header modeling apparatus includes a plurality of interchangeable straight and curved short cylindrical segment members which are selectively and releasably joined together end-to-end manually and rotated relative to one another to form a full-scale three-dimensional model of a desired engine exhaust header design or configuration. The segments are provided in sets having outside diameters corresponding to the outside diameters of conventional exhaust header tubing and have a circumferential scale at each end to visually determine the relative rotation between one segment and an adjoined segment. When assembled, the model provides optimum header layout and pathways to accurately fit within an available space, and provides accurate dimensions to aid in cutting forming sections of the exhaust headers from pre-bent metal tubing sections and the proper relative rotation between them.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus and methods used in the design and manufacturing of exhaust header assemblies for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an exhaust header modeling apparatus and method for designing and manufacturing exhaust header assemblies from typical industry-standard metal tubing sections.
2. Background Art
Development of high performance and racing automobile internal combustion engines requires the design, manufacturing and fabrication of special engine components with specific dimensions and shapes. In some instances, these parts are produced in very limited volumes due to the level of involvement, cost and work required.
Exhaust systems fall into this category, more particularly the tubular exhaust headers, which are custom-made exhaust manifolds of equal length constructed of welded sections of straight and bent metal tubing whose purpose is to achieve higher power output by maximizing the evacuation and scavenging of the exhaust gases out of each individual cylinder of the internal combustion engine. Maximum performance is accomplished through the precise and optimized dimensioning of the individual tubing sections, known as the primary runners, such as the overall length of the pipes, their outside diameter and the wall thickness, among others. These dimensions are critical to meet the specific performance and power requirements set for the particular engine design, and the intended application or applications.
For example, racing teams touring different tracks during a racing season may have to tailor their engines' power curves (and gearbox ratios among other options) specifically for each event. Slow speed tracks require strong mid-range torque engines to exit the turns fast. This particular feature in the power curve of an engine is facilitated by exhaust headers having long pipes or primary runners. On the other hand, high-speed raceways demand high rpm horsepower for sustained constant high speeds, which requires relatively short exhaust header primary runners. Sport exhaust headers sold commercially for street vehicles follow many of these same design principles.
During the actual exhaust header design process, some key dimensions are initially calculated, or inferred from experience, such as the outside diameter and length of the primary runners. Later, after prototypes are built, these parameters may be fine-tuned during actual engine testing sessions on a dynamometer or at the track before the final configuration is obtained.
The construction of these exhaust header prototypes pose a significant challenge to the designer and engine builder. Since the location of the endpoints of the primary runners is usually set and fixed early in the process (for example, one end placed at the exhaust ports of the engine and the other end at the primary runner collector section somewhere in the chassis), exploring the numerous possible pipe pathways between such endpoints can become an overwhelming, time consuming and expensive task. The designer needs to find the optimum pipe layout for each cylinder, which also has to fit precisely in the available space, typically using cut sections of pre-bent tubing commercially available and welding them together.
Many prior art methods exist that attempt to find the best pipe routing. A typical method is to approximate the pathway of the pipes using flexible tubing as a model. Then, the resulting shape is divided into sections than can be obtained from existing pre-bent metal tubing. However, this method is inaccurate because it relies entirely on the precision of manually bending the flexible tubing multiple times (which tends to naturally spring back), to simulate the curves of the actual metal tubing. Imprecision in the bending of the model by hand will render the metal prototype useless as soon as the first mismatch is encountered during the process of welding the actual metal tubing sections.
Another prior art method is to utilize wire to create the ideal centerline of the tubing pathways. This approach not only carries the inaccuracies of the previous method, but also fails to take into consideration the interference that will very likely occur by omitting the volume occupied by the pipes themselves. This situation may result in layouts that are impossible to build.
There are several patents directed toward complex and expensive tube bending fixtures and jigs and apparatus for aligning sections of pipe.
Clark et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,476 discloses a computer aided adjustable tube checking fixture system made up of a template placed on a flat metallic surface, and a series of adjustable holding fixtures places at selected positions along the template. The template has a computer aided layout of a plan view of a formed tube inscribed on a film with selected check points along the layout showing the height and angle of the tubing above the check point. Each holding fixture is adjustable as to height and angle, is indexed to align to the check point, and has a switchable on-off magnet in the base to secure the fixture in position.
Rogers et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,016 discloses a system for repairing pipeline, such as underground fuel, gas or water pipeline systems, which have been damaged by explosives, wherein the ruptured sections have been misaligned. Quick-connect fittings are attached to the misaligned pipe ends after trimming and a bridging conduit system is interposed between the fittings having adjustable portions for accommodating the misalignment. Rotative angular sections provide universal adjustment while retaining the fluid-tight integrity of the apparatus.
Lebourg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,720 discloses a method and apparatus for installing a spool between misaligned underwater pipeline sections to effect connection thereof, which is based upon the precise determination of the spatial relation between the pipe ends and the determination of an angle of entry of the spool in a direction to avoid binding between the pipe and spool ends.
The present invention provides a solution that offers the designer a simple way to safely and inexpensively build and modify full-scale 3D models as many times as required before any metal cutting or welding takes place. It also yields the exact dimensions to cut each of the required pre-bent metal tubing sections, and the relative rotation between them when the approved prototype is finally welded together.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by an exhaust header modeling apparatus that includes a plurality of interchangeable straight and curved short cylindrical segment members which are selectively and releasably joined together end-to-end manually and rotated relative to one another to form a full-scale three-dimensional model of a desired engine exhaust header configuration. The segments are provided in sets having outside diameters corresponding to the outside diameters of conventional metal tubing typically used for exhaust heater tubing construction, and have a circumferential scale at each end to visually determine the relative rotation between one segment and an adjoined segment. When completed, the model provides an optimum header pipe layout and pathway for a particular engine that accurately fits within an available space, and provides accurate dimensions to aid in cutting and forming sections of the exhaust headers from pre-bent metal tubing sections. It also displays the proper relative rotation between the sections.

Exhaust header modeling apparatus and method


The present invention discloses an assembly and process for creating a co-extruded pipe which includes the steps of extruding a first elongated component exhibiting an open interior. Additional process steps include co-extruding at least one, and typically a pair, of additional elongated components each having an arcuate or lobe cross sectional shape or profile. The additional components are bonded to exterior locations of the first component to establish a pair of additional open interiors between the components and prior to cooling and hardening.

Geothermal heat recovery operations (also termed as a geothermal heat pump or ground source heat pump) are known in the art and which can provide for either of heating or cooling by pumping heat to or from a subterranean zone beneath a ground surface and by which the relevant assembly employed uses the earth as a heat source (in the winter) or a heat sink (in the summer). In application, geothermal systems are designed to take advantage of the moderate temperatures in the ground to boost efficiency and reduce the operational costs of heating and cooling systems. Ground source heat pumps are also known as "geothermal heat pumps" although, strictly, the heat does not come from the centre of the Earth, but from the Sun. They are also known by other names, including geoexchange, earth-coupled, earth energy systems.
Depending on latitude, the temperature beneath the upper 6 meters (20 ft) of Earth's surface maintains a nearly constant temperature between 10 and 16° C. (50 and 60° F.), if the temperature is undisturbed by the presence of a heat pump Like a refrigerator or air conditioner, these systems use a heat pump to force the transfer of heat from the ground. Heat pumps can transfer heat from a cool space to a warm space, against the natural direction of flow, or they can enhance the natural flow of heat from a warm area to a cool one.
The core of the heat pump is a loop of refrigerant pumped through a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle that moves heat. Seasonal variations drop off with depth and disappear below 7 meters (23 ft) due to thermal inertia. Like a cave, the shallow ground temperature is warmer than the air above during the winter and cooler than the air in the summer. A ground source heat pump extracts ground heat in the winter (for heating) and transfers heat back into the ground in the summer (for cooling). Some systems are designed to operate in one mode only, heating or cooling, depending on climate.

Assembly and process for creating an extruded pipe for use in a geothermal heat recovery operation


With a conventional disk changer, it takes a long time with poor operability to directly and visually confirm which tray has a disk or which tray has which disk in a device. A disk changer of the invention includes a tray transfer unit for shuttling trays between a standby position and an attaching/detaching position and between the standby position and a recording/reproducing position, a tray gear unit engaged separately with the trays, and a tray driving unit for driving the trays separately via the tray gear unit, so that the trays can be separately moved from the standby position to the attaching/detaching position via the tray gear unit and the trays can be protruded to the attaching/detaching position while being arranged like steps. Hence, it is possible to directly and visually confirm which tray has a disk or which tray has which disk in a device with a simple operation in a short time.

Conventionally, a disk changer disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-282520 has been known.
In the conventional configuration, a plurality of trays including a sub tray for loading a disk and a main tray for movably holding the sub tray are stacked in a vertical direction. Further, a tray moving mechanism is provided in which specified main tray and sub tray are selected and moved by vertical movement.
With the tray moving mechanism, the main tray is moved between an exchanging position where the main tray is, protruded to the outside of a device together with the sub tray to exchange a disk and a standby position where a disk is stored in the device. By connecting and disconnecting engagement with the main tray, the sub tray is moved between the standby position and a reproducing position where a disk is recorded and reproduced by a reproducing mechanism provided in the device. The reproducing mechanism can move vertically in accordance with a vertical position of a selected disk.
Then, an instruction is provided to exchange a disk by moving a selected main tray to the exchanging position by using a tray moving mechanism. Thereafter, the main tray is returned to the standby position in the device and a disk is stored. Next, recording and reproduction of a disk are performed as follows: the reproducing mechanism is vertically moved and is aligned with a vertical position of a selected disk, and a selected sub tray is moved from the standby position to the reproducing position by the tray moving mechanism together with the disk.
However, in the conventional disk changer, in order to directly and visually confirm which tray has a disk or which tray has which disk in the device, the operation of "moving a selected tray from the standby position to the exchanging position for confirmation and thereafter moving the tray from the exchanging position to the standby position" needs to be performed on all the trays in turn, resulting in a time-consuming operation and poor operability.

Disk changer having provision for visibility of stored disk

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An operating device has a pair of linear members (43, 44) made of a shape memory alloy and contracting axially due to heat generated by electrification and generating tension in the contracting direction, a drive lever (19) supported to pivot about a pivot shaft (19a), a pair of drive rods (33, 34) respectively connected to both sides of the drive lever (19) with the pivot shaft (19a) being disposed between the sides of the drive lever (19), and a power supply circuit for selectively electrifying the linear members (43, 44). One end of each of the linear members (43, 44) is fixed to a stationary member, and the other end is connected to each of the drive rods (33, 34).

In recent years, magneto-optical recording/reproducing apparatuses have become compact with higher performance, in which reading and reproducing are performed by optical pickups on optical discs acting as recording mediums. Portable MD recorders using MiniDisc (MD) have become generally available as such portable magneto-optical recording/reproducing apparatuses with smaller size and higher performance.
A conventional magneto-optical recording/reproducing apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-32938. Referring to FIGS. 35 to 42, the magneto-optical recording/reproducing apparatus will be discussed below.
As shown in FIG. 35, in the magneto-optical recording/reproducing apparatus, an electric circuit 102 and a mechanical mechanism 103 are stored in a body cabinet 101. The magneto-optical recording/reproducing apparatus has a lid 104 covering the opening of the body cabinet 101. The mechanical mechanism 103 comprises a mechanical base 105 and a mechanical part 106 placed on the mechanical base 105. A mini disc 107 loaded in a storage space between the mechanical base 105 and the mechanical part 106 has an optical disc 109, on which signals such as a music signal can be recorded and reproduced, in a cartridge 108. The optical disc 109 is a known disc such as a magneto-optical disc.
Referring to FIG. 36, the following will discuss various components placed on a holder 110 of the mechanical part 106. A lifter 111 has a hinge shaft 112 which is engaged with a hinge bearing 113 formed on the holder 110, so that the lifter 111 swings up and down. A drive rod 114 is slidably placed on the holder 110. A wedge 115 of the drive rod 114 is engaged with and removed from a wedge receiving portion 116 formed on the lifter 111.
A driving gear 118 is placed on a motor 117 screwed onto the holder 110, and a reduction gear 119 engaged with the driving gear 118 is rotatably placed on the holder 110 via a shaft 120. A transmission gear unit 122 is placed between the reduction gear 119 and an SW piece 121 provided on the drive rod 114. The transmission gear unit 122 is made up of a worm wheel 124 and a feed gear 125 which are rotated together via a shaft 123. As shown in FIG. 37, a worm 126 is integrally placed on the reduction gear 119. The worm 126 is engaged with the worm wheel 124 and the feed gear 125 is engaged with an engaging claw 127 of the SW piece 121.
A magnetic head unit 128 has a magnetic head 129 which can swing up and down. The base end of the magnetic head unit 128 is screwed onto a head angle 130, the head angle 130 is screwed onto a base 131, and the base 131 is placed on the mechanical base 105. As shown in FIG. 38A, when the lifter 111 swings to a lower position and does not support the magnetic head 129, the magnetic head 129 comes into a recording state where the magnetic head 129 is in sliding contact with the optical disc 109. When the lifter 111 swings to an upper position and lifts the magnetic head 129, as shown in FIG. 38B, the magnetic head 129 comes into a reproduction state where the magnetic head 129 is separated from the optical disc 109. As shown in FIG. 39, a spindle motor 132 for rotating the optical disc 109 is provided on the mechanical base 105.
In this configuration, the driving gear 118 is rotated by the driving of the motor 117, the reduction gear 119 engaged with the driving gear 118 is rotated with the worm 126 by the rotation of the driving gear 118, and the worm wheel 124 engaged with the worm 126 is rotated with the feed gear 125 via the shaft 123 by the rotation of the worm 126.
The SW piece 121 engaged with the feed gear 125 via the engaging claw 127 is moved with the drive rod 114 in the axial direction of the shaft 123 by the rotation of the feed gear 125. The moving direction of the drive rod 114 is determined by the rotation direction of the motor 117. The drive rod 114 is moved forward and backward in response to the normal and reverse rotations of the motor 117.
For example, FIGS. 40A and 40B show the reproduction state. As shown in FIG. 40A, the wedge 115 of the drive rod 114 presses up the wedge receiving portion 116 of the lifter 111 and keeps the lifter 111 at the upper position. Since the lifter 111 lifts the magnetic head 129, the magnetic head 129 is separated from the optical disc 109.
In this state, as shown in FIG. 40B, when the driving gear 118 is rotated counterclockwise by the driving of the motor 117, the feed gear 125 rotates via the reduction gear 119, the worm 126, the worm wheel 124, and the shaft 123, and as shown in FIG. 41B, the engaging claw 127 is moved to the right of FIG. 40B together with the SW piece 121 and the drive rod 114 by the rotation of the feed gear 125. With this configuration, as shown in FIG. 41A, the wedge 115 is moved in a direction separating from the wedge receiving portion 116 of the lifter 111. The magnetic head 129 moves close to the optical disc 109 as the lifter 111 swings to the lower position.
When the engaging claw 127 reaches one end of the feed gear 125 as shown in FIG. 42B, the wedge 115 moving with the SW piece 121 and the drive rod 114 reaches a position where the wedge receiving portion 116 of the lifter 111 is not pressed as shown in FIG. 42A. The lifter 111 is placed on the lower position and the magnetic head 129 is brought into sliding contact with the optical disc 109.
As described above, in the conventional magneto-optical recording/reproducing apparatus, the motor 117 is mounted on the holder 110 as shown in FIG. 37 as a mechanism for driving the lifter 111, and the turning force of the motor 117 is transmitted through the driving gear 118, the reduction gear 119, the worm 126, the worm wheel 124, and the feed gear 125. Thus, the upper part of the holder 110 requires a relatively large height to place these components.
This height is determined by one of a value obtained by adding the thickness of the body of the motor 117 and the thickness of the driving gear 118, a value obtained by adding the thickness of the body of the motor 117, the thickness of the reduction gear 119, and the height of a gap between the motor 117 and the reduction gear 119, and a value obtained by adding the diameter of the worm wheel 124, the thickness of the reduction gear 118, and the height of a gap between the worm wheel 124 and the reduction gear 118. Since it is difficult to reduce this height, a portable MD recorder has a large thickness.
Further, the structure becomes large because of the complicated reduction mechanism in which the turning force of the motor 117 is reduced by two or more gears and then transmitted. Moreover, the motor is expensive. For this reason, the number of components increases and the manufacturing cost rises. The control of an electric signal also tends to become complicated in order to improve trackability for the electric signal.
Similar problems rise even if a plunger is used instead of the motor 117. The size of the mechanism is determined by the size of the plunger and the plunger causes high cost.

Operating device, position-switching device, and magneto-optical recording/reproducing apparatus


A sport bottle defining a cavity with top open end to contain a liquid. A cap closes the cavity, the cap having a body with a spout. A conduit extends transversely through the cap and opened on opposed sides of a circumference of the body of the cap, the conduit being in fluid communication with the spout and having a passage in fluid communication with the cavity. A valve is formed of two pistons disposed onto a shaft, the pistons being sized to sealingly define with the conduit an interstitial space. The valve is displaceable by pressing the ends between a closed configuration in which the pistons block liquid from the cavity from entering the interstitial space, and a dispensing configuration in which the interstitial space is aligned with the passage and the spout to allow liquid from the cavity to reach the spout.

Athletes engaged in sport activities have for a long time recognized the need to stay constantly hydrated. Liquid containers, such as sports bottles, provide an easily accessible liquid source for athletes and other persons engaged in various strenuous activities. Conventionally, sport bottles have had caps of multiple shapes and sizes that allow the athlete to gain easy access to the contents of the liquid container without fully removing the lid or the cap of the bottle, by way of valves of different type. There has also been an increasing trend in bottle design and innovation to adapt these bottles for greater integration with the athletes' activity and optimal ease of access to a hydration source without disturbing the activity substantially.
For pouring the liquid out of a conventional sports bottle, the cap can be screwed off, and the liquid poured out of the mouth of the bottle. Manually openable valves are also known, which can open the liquid conduit of the sports bottle by pulling on the valve mouthpiece with the fingers. In some instances, when the athlete's hands are occupied at other tasks, for instance maneuvering a bicycle, teeth or lips of the athlete may be used while the bottle is held in one hand. Further opening mechanisms requiring a certain level of dexterity or manipulations have also been explored, such as pop-out spouts which in most cases necessitate a firm grip on the bottle with one hand and another hand free for opening the spout.
However, these liquid release and sport bottle opening mechanisms can be inconvenient in many situations, particularly during strenuous activities such as cycling or running. If the cap is fully removed from a conventional sports bottle, the liquid is more likely to spill out of the bottle. Since the mouth of a conventional sports bottle has a relatively large diameter, the liquid is thus prone to fall out of the sides of the bottle and splatter onto a person's face and clothes.
Manually-actuated release mechanisms are also disadvantageous during some activities, in that they require both hands to be available, or in that the mouthpiece come in contact with the athlete's mouth, sometimes at high velocity. They can also sometimes be difficult to access properly without using the athlete's vision, causing him or her to disturb the activity to focus on the cap mechanism. Other liquid release and opening mechanisms requiring a greater degree of dexterity for manipulation also have the same limitations.


Methods of employing and using a hybrid transponder system to determine the size, extent, and orientation of a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir, are provided. An exemplary method can include the steps of inserting a plurality of transponders into a fluid, injecting the fluid carrying the transponders through casing perforations and at least one fracture aperture in a wellbore and into a hydraulic fracture, actuating each of the transponders by a reader to provide an acoustic return signal to the reader, determining a three-dimensional position of each of the transponders, mapping the location of the each of the transponders, and determining characteristics of the hydraulic fracture responsive to the three-dimensional position of each of the plurality of transponders. The method can be implemented utilizing a reader including an RF transmitter and one or more acoustic receivers along with typically a substantial plurality of transponders each containing an RF receiver and an acoustic transmitter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of hydrocarbon production, and in particular, to methods related to mapping the size and shape of hydraulic fractures in hydrocarbon reservoirs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydraulic fractures are frequently employed to improve reservoir contact and production rates in the oil and gas industry. Hydraulic fracturing has been used for over 60 years in more than one million wells. Hydraulic fracture stimulation is commonly applied to wells drilled in low permeability reservoirs. An estimated 90% of the natural gas wells in the United States use hydraulic fracturing to produce gas at economic rates. Successful hydraulic fracturing is generally considered vital for economic production of natural gas from shale beds and other 'tight gas' plays.
A hydraulic fracture is formed by pumping a fluid into the wellbore at a rate sufficient to increase the pressure downhole to a value in excess of the fracture gradient of the formation rock. The pressure causes the formation to crack, allowing the fracturing fluid to enter and extend the crack further into the formation. To keep this fracture open after the injection stops, a solid proppant is added to the fracture fluid. The proppant, which is commonly sieved round sand or other porous material, is carried into the fracture. This sand is chosen to be higher in permeability than the surrounding formation, and the propped hydraulic fracture then becomes a high permeability conduit through which the formation fluids can flow to the well.
Determining the size and orientation of completed hydraulic fractures is quite difficult, expensive, and inaccurate. Accordingly, the inventors have recognized that improved means are sorely needed. Existing methods which employ tiltmeters or microseismic detectors are used despite their limitations because some information, even imperfect information is valuable. Tiltmeter arrays, deployed on the surface or down a well, for example, provide a technology for monitoring the fracture geometry. The tiltmeters measure the horizontal gradient of the vertical displacement with great precision (up to one nanoradian), and an array of tiltmeters properly situated over a reservoir can be used to extract the surface deformation that is taking place because of processes occurring deep underground. With microseismic monitoring microseismic activity is measured by placing an array of geophones in a nearby wellbore or at the surface. By mapping the location of small seismic events that are associated with the growing hydraulic fracture during the fracturing process, the approximate geometry of the fracture can be inferred. The microseismic monitoring relies upon the detection of individual microseismic events associated with discrete fracture opening events, which can be located in three dimensions by triangulation, which is based on comparing acoustic arrival times at various sensors in a receiver array.
The distance that rock faces are separated during a hydraulic fracture is called the fracture width. Practical fracture widths range from about one millimeter up to about one centimeter. The sands, or similar materials, are used to "prop" open hydraulic fractures are, therefore, typically about one millimeter in diameter or less. Accordingly, recognized by the inventors is that there exists some significant physical constraints on mapping devices which would be deployed within a hydraulic fracture. For example, recognized by the inventors is that any transponders to be used for mapping hydraulic fractures and reservoir parameters must be able to physically fit into the fracture, not just adjacent the opening, but deeply therein, and therefore, should not be not more than about one millimeter in at least one dimension, to help ensure passage.
The use of conventional radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponders was explored. RFID is a technology that uses communication via electromagnetic waves to exchange data between a terminal and an object such as a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification and tracking. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader. RFID involves readers (also known as interrogators) and transponders (also known as tags). Most RFID tags contain two primary components. The first is an integrated circuit for storing and processing information, modulating and demodulating a radio-frequency (RF) signal, and other specialized functions. The second is an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal. There are three types of RFID tags: passive RFID tags, which have no power source and require an external electromagnetic field to initiate a signal transmission; active RFID tags, which contain a battery and can transmit signals once an external source ('Interrogator') has been successfully identified; and battery assisted passive (BAP) RFID tags, which require an external source of sufficient power to "wake up" the tag and have significant higher forward link capability providing a greater range than that of purely passive tags.
In general, the read range of typical passive RFID systems is limited to a few meters. In principal, the antenna size and power of the RF field of the reader can be increased arbitrarily. This will increase the range for transmitting energy to passive tags and will increase the read range somewhat by increasing the sensitivity of the readers' antenna. Recognized by the inventors, however, is that even under ideal conditions, only approximately 30 meters would be achievable. Ideal conditions, however, are seldom the norm. Also recognized by the inventors is that such arbitrary scaling on the transponder side would not generally be possible for tags that would be required to fit through open hydraulic fractures, and thus, would face significant size limitations, especially in applications where the form factor is especially constrained. To fully map hydraulic fractures, a read range on the order of 100 meters or so can be required. Accordingly, recognized by the inventors is the need for methods and systems which provide transponders or tags that are small enough to be deployed through open or opening hydraulic fractures and which have a communication range with a reader-interrogator of up to 100 meters or more when deployed within a hydraulic fracture of a reservoir.

Methods of employing and using a hybrid transponder system for long-range sensing and 3D localizaton


The invention relates to stable vancomycin hydrochloride powder for oral liquid formulations. Also provided herein are methods of using vancomycin oral liquid formulations for the treatment of certain diseases such as Clostridium difficile pseudomembranous colitis and Staphylococcal enterocolitis as well as kits and related products thereof.

Clostridium difficile, commonly referred to as C. diff., is a bacterium best known for causing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The bacterium is known to cause infection when competing bacteria in the gut have been wiped out following the use of antibiotic treatment. Some people infected with C. diff. are asymptomatic, while others infected may experience severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and a distinctive foul stool odor. C. diff infections are the most common cause of pseudomembranous colitis and in rare cases can progress to a life-threatening condition such as toxic megacolon. To date, C. diff is the most prevalent cause of infectious diarrhea and colitis in the United States.
C. diff was first described in 1935 as Bacillus difficilis following the analysis of fecal samples of healthy newborn infants, in a study conducted by Hall and O'Toole. The species name "difficile" remained due to the difficulty involved in the isolation and study of these bacteria. C. diff was later described as an obligate anaerobic, spore-producing, gram-positive rod, belonging to an ancient group of bacteria called the Clostridia, giving the name Clostridium difficile. Clostridia are motile bacteria that are especially prevalent in soil, but a commensal bacterium of the human intestine. In 1977, Bartlett identified it as an anaerobic bacterium, potent human pathogen and the etiologic agent responsible for antibiotic associated pseudomembranous colitis and recognized it as the major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. C. diff. has since been recognized as a hospital-acquired infection (HAI) pathogen, inflicting morbidity in infected individuals triggered by the widespread use of the antibiotic clindamycin. Over the following years, the antibiotics in the penicillin and cephalosporin families contributed to the C. diff epidemic.
C. difficile spores can live outside the body for long periods of time, and can be easily spread from patient to patient in healthcare facilities. Therefore, hospital patients, nursing home residents and individuals taking antibiotics are at higher risk for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) due to the increased chance of exposure. The transfer of C. diff occurs via fecal-oral route where the spores pass through the stomach and ultimately end up in the colon. Once antibiotics are introduced, the normal enteric flora is suppressed making an environment in which C. diff can proliferate and produce Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) through toxins A (enterotoxin) and B (cytotoxin). In terms of C. diff., approximately 3% of healthy adult stools test positive where the frequency of stool carriage increases to 16-35% in hospital patients.
When CDI is suspected, a test varies from institution to institution-stool culture, cytotoxin assay, PCR, ELISA, Latex agglutination assay for glutamate dehydrogenase or endoscopy are performed. The most common test used to diagnose C. diff is ELISA to detect toxin A and B. Once CDI is diagnosed, treatment is administered. The top three medications prescribed are metronidazole, vancomycin, and fidaxomicin. First-line therapy, for mild to moderate C. difficile diarrhea, is restricted to metronidazole. Second-line therapy for severe infections and/or treatment failure is vancomycin. Intravenously-administered vancomycin should not be used for the treatment of C. difficile due to its inability to penetrate the colon and reach therapeutic concentrations via this route of administration. However, orally-administered vancomycin reaches very high concentrations in the colon (generally 500-1000 μg/mL) and cannot be absorbed; thus, oral vancomycin is a favorable choice for the treatment of C. difficile pseudomembranous colitis and Staphylococcal enterocolitis by being confined to the site of infection, and is then excreted fecally.

Composition and method for vancomycin oral liquid


Aspects of the present invention relate to methods, systems and computer products that guarantee the availability of basic services to subscribers during the failure of a Proxy-Profile Gateway. An independent module equipped with monitoring probes for tracking the actual location of the end-customer, an interface for controlling the Gateway availability, and an active SS7 signaling interface are also provided, in order to initiate the recovery procedures, along with a database for storing the relevant information necessary to apply the restoration procedures.

Many mobile operators today are deploying or have deployed signaling gateway based value-added services in their core network. These signal gateways often need to store the user profile for delivering the expected services. Since these gateways play a role of HLR in regard to VLR and VLR in regard to HLR, it is hereafter termed as "Proxy Profile Gateway".
As is know in the art (see, e.g., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/782,681 titled "Providing multiple MSISDN numbers in a mobile device with a single IMSI," filed Feb. 18, 2004, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/700,964 titled "Method and System for Keeping all Phone Numbers Active While Roaming With Diverse Operator Subscriber Identity Modules," filed Feb. 1, 2007, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/918,644 titled "Multiple IMSI with Multiple/Single MSISDN (MIMM) Service in a Single SIM for Multiple Roaming Parties," filed Aug. 13, 2004), Signal Gateways for multiple numbers have been developed and deployed for mobile operators to offer multiple country numbers for a subscriber with a single IMSI of a home operator, multiple numbers of the same operator for a subscriber with a single IMSI, multiple devices or IMSI with a single number of the same operator, multiple devices and multiple country numbers for a subscriber of a home operator, etc. In all these solutions, the signal gateway doubles as a virtual HLR to the real VLR and a virtual VLR to the real HLR. This is to ensure that the signal gateway can control and offer value added services for the subscribers, located either at a home network or roaming. However, the above approach suffers from a serious drawback in that mobile terminated services (e.g., calls, and SMS) will not be available to subscribers when the gateway goes down until the subscribers change VMSC/VLR locations. Although the intended service offered by the signal gateway may not be available, it is critical that the subscribers continue to have basic services available.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/979,537 titled "Method and system for providing roaming services to inbound roamers using visited network gateway location register," filed Nov. 5, 2007 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/979,538 titled "Method and system for providing roaming services to outbound roamers using home network Gateway Location Register," filed Nov. 5, 2007, the entirety of each of which is incorporated by this reference herein, propose an advanced gateway location register on the GLR standard [3GPP 23119] to deal with the fail-over effects of GLR and to handle stuck handsets due to traffic steering. A Gateway Location Register is a core network element that aims to optimize the signaling exchange between different networks. It is fully described in the ETSI standards (ETSI-TS.129.120 and TS.123.119). It is usually deployed in a VPMN network and doubles as a virtual HLR to the real VLR and a virtual VLR to the real HLR. These disclosures use a one-on-one mapping between a GLR GT and a real VLR GT for the virtual VLRs to the HPMN HLRs and another one-on-one mapping between a GLR GT and a real HLR GT for the virtual HLRs to the VPMN VLRs. This helps at least for an inbound roamer to receive MT services when the GLR goes down, as long as the roamer has not changed VLR/VMSC location since its first registration with the VPMN network. Of course, subsequent to GLR going down, any new VMSC/VLR changes will naturally restore the MT service. However, these disclosures do not entirely solve the problem of an inbound roaming receiving MT services when the GLR goes down, even though the roamer has changed VLR/VMSC location since its first registration with the VPMN network.
It is recognized that when the proxy gateway goes down, some enhanced services offered by the gateway will not be available to subscribers. However at least, the subscribers' basic services (excluding the enhanced ones provided by the gateway) should still be available. Therefore, there remains a need in the art for improving the state of the art for assuring the availability of the basic subscriber services, even during a downtime of the Proxy Gateway. Further, there remains a need in the art for improving the mechanisms for stopping a Proxy-Profile Gateway activity, as may be required for operations and maintenance purposes.

Method and system for ensuring service continuity in case of a proxy profile gateway failure or interruption