Apparatus for levitating a magnetic body. The apparatus includes a structure (10) comprised of a material that is superconductive below a critical temperature. The structure includes at least one Josephson junction device (14) for passing a variable current therethrough for controlling an amount of magnetic flux penetration into the structure. At a first current flow magnetic flux generated by a magnetic body (12) is excluded from the structure and the magnetic body is levitated above a surface of the structure. At a second current flow the magnetic flux penetrates the structure, causing he levitating magnetic body to approach a surface of the structure. Controllably applying a current to an array (30) of superconductive tiles (34), forming Josephson tunnel junctions (38), is shown to provide a lateral motion of, or a rotation of, the magnetic body relative to the surface.

The levitation of a magnet above a superconductor has been demonstrated, particularly with regard to high temperature superconductors. When the magnet is levitated above the superconducting plane, the superconductor operates to exclude the magnet's field in accordance with the Meissner effect. Eddy currents occur in the superconductor such that a mirror image effect is produced and the magnet is repelled. This phenomenon is demonstrated in FIG. 1 where a magnet 1 is levitated above a superconducting plane 2.
The magnitude of the flowing current (I) in the superconducting plane is limited by the critical current of the superconducting material employed to fabricate the superconducting plane 2. In FIG. 1 the height at which the magnet 1 is levitated above the superconducting plane 2 is not controlled, and assumes an equilibrium position.
The following chronologically ordered U.S. Patents and journal articles are referenced as describing various aspects of superconductor-induced levitation and related issues.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,265, issued Jun. 20, 1967, entitled "Superconductive Device for Causing Stable and Free Floating of a Magnet in Space", van Geuns et al. describe a suspension system that suspends a permanent bar magnet over a plate of superconductive material. The plate includes apertures 3 and 4 that locally eliminate a mirror-image effect for attenuating the induced magnetic field near the poles of the magnet.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,074, issued Apr. 20, 1976, entitled "Secondary Lift for Magnetically Levitated Vehicles", Cooper discloses an arrangement of magnets for providing a secondary lift effect for a magnetically levitated vehicle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,386, issued Jan. 10, 1989, entitled "Superconductor-Magnet Induced Separation", Gyorgy et al. describe superconductivity-magnetic induced separation in which a need for geometry and/or ancillary elements for lateral stabilization are said to be avoided. Superconducting elements are made of Type II superconductors such as barium-yttrium copper oxide. A magnet is levitated over a superconducting support body and induces vortices 5 and 6 for laterally stabilizing the magnet.
In an article entitled "Levitation of a Magnet over a Flat Type II Superconductor", Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 63, pages 447-450 (Jan. 15, 1988) F. Hellman et al. disclose the levitation of a magnet over a Type II superconductor in a manner similar to that described in the immediately preceding U.S. Patent.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,504, issued Jun. 27, 1989, entitled "Superconductor Devices Useful for Disk Drives and the Like", Barnes describes superconducting materials for use in magnetic recording devices. Superconducting Josephson junction devices are shown to be used for detecting magnetic field changes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,537, issued Nov. 7, 1989, entitled "Magnetic Suspension and Magnetic Field Concentration Using Superconductors", Marshall et al. describe a device for suspending a load by the use of a magnetic field and superconductive material. A magnetic is suspended over a superconductor so as to provide a magnetic field that penetrates the superconductor. A superconducting disk is comprised of a Type II superconductor comprised of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x and the magnet is comprised of Neodymium-Iron-Boron. In col. 3, a discussion is made of levitation forces for a Type II superconductor, as described by F. Hellman et al. in the above referenced Journal of Applied Physics article.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,863, issued Jan. 9, 1990, entitled "Electric Machinery Employing a Superconductor Element" Agarwala describe a superconductor bearing comprised of Type I or Type II superconducting material.
In an article entitled "Observation of Enhanced Properties in Samples of Silver Oxide Doped YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x " Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 52, pages 2066-2067 (Jun. 13, 1988), P. N. Peters et al. describe the addition of silver oxide to YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x to provide a material that exhibits attractive forces in gradient magnetic fields, both normal and tangential to the surfaces, which are more than twice the sample weight. This is shown to enable the suspension of a sample of this material below a rare earth magnet.
In an article entitled "Magnetic Hysteresis of High-Temperature YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x AgO Superconductors: Explanation of Magnetic Suspension", Modern Physics Letters B, Vol. 2, pages 869-874 (August, 1988) C. Y. Huang et al. discuss in greater detail the characteristics of the silver oxide doped YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.x superconductor described in the immediately preceding article. The presence of extremely strong pinning centers in the superconductor is discussed.
In an article entitled "Levitation Effects Involving High T.sub.c Thallium Based Superconductors" Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 53, pages 1119-1121 (Sep. 19, 1988) Harter et al. describe a stabile levitation equilibria exhibited by the superconductor Tl.sub.2 Ca.sub.2 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.10.
In an article entitled "Friction in Levitated Superconductors" Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 53, pages 1554-1556 (Oct. 17, 1988) E. H. Brandt describes the levitation of Type I and Type II superconductors above a magnet. The author points out that, in contrast to Type I superconductors, levitated Type II superconductors with flux pinning exhibit a continuous range of stable positions and orientations.
In an article entitled "Magnetic Suspension of Superconductors at 4.2K" Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 53, pages 2346-2347 (Dec. 5, 1988) R. Adler et al. describe suspension at low temperature for a Type II superconductor such as Nb.sub.3 Sn.
And, in an article entitled "Flux Penetration in High-T.sub.c Superconductors: Implications for Magnetic Suspension and Shielding" Applied Physics, Vol. A48, pages 87-91 (January, 1989) D. Marshall et al. describe two phenomena which result from flux penetration and pinning in a superconductor. These phenomena include magnetic suspension, wherein a magnet is suspended stably beneath another magnet with a superconductor interposed between the two magnets, and the intensification of magnetic flux upon passing through a superconductor.
What is not taught by this prior art, and what is thus an object of the invention to provide, is the active control of the levitation of a magnetic body relative to a superconductor.
A further object of the invention is to provide a superconducting structure comprised of Josephson junction devices that enable the controlled levitation and positioning of a magnetic body relative to the superconducting plane.
Another object of the invention is to provide a superconducting plane that includes a plurality of electrically addressable devices to enable the precise control of levitation height and a position of a magnetic body above a superconductor.

International Business Machines Corporation


An electronic device includes a first circuit, a second circuit, and a power on control (POC) circuit. The POC circuit includes an enable terminal electrically connected to a first output of the first circuit, a first input terminal electrically connected to a first voltage supply, a second input terminal electrically connected to a second voltage supply, and an output terminal. The second circuit includes a biasing-sensitive circuit, and a logic circuit including a first input terminal electrically connected to a second output of the first circuit, a second input terminal electrically connected to the output of the POC circuit, and an output terminal electrically connected to an enable terminal of the biasing-sensitive circuit.

The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due to improvements in the integration density of a variety of electronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from shrinking the semiconductor process node (e.g., shrinking the process node towards the sub-20 nm node). As device dimensions shrink, voltage nodes also shrink, with modern core device voltages trending toward less than 1 Volt, and input/output (I/O) device voltages under 2 Volts.
Non-volatile memory (NVM), a type of memory that retains stored data while not powered, is often embedded in complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) logic processes, and typically requires high voltage for programming, and low voltage for reading. Non-volatile memory is but one example of circuits that operate in multiple power domains. Power on control (POC) circuits are often used to ensure proper operation of circuitry in the multiple power domain environment.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multiple power domain electronic device and related method

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A medical monitor includes a lanyard and an electronic package supported in the manner of a pendant. The lanyard includes integral electrodes or other sensors for making physiological measurements, auxiliary components and connectors for electrically connecting the electrodes or sensors to the electronic package. The physiological measurements may be stored in the monitor for later readout, or may be transmitted, before or after processing, to a remote location.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a medical monitoring device. More particularly, the invention relates to a patient-worn electronic monitoring device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modern medical practice makes extensive use of electronic vital signs monitoring. As technology has progressed, electronic monitoring devices have become more compact, easier to use, and have been made available to larger segments of the patient population. Today, most electronic monitors are what are termed "bedside monitors." A bedside monitor consists of an electronics and display unit placed in close proximity to a patient bed. Cables connect the monitor to various sensors attached to the patient. While such arrangements have become highly developed, and permit comprehensive monitoring of the patient, the disadvantages are obvious. A patient can only be monitored when confined to bed, or otherwise restricted to the immediate vicinity of the monitor, as dictated by the connecting cables.
Portable or transportable monitors have been developed to allow the patient to be moved within the hospital, or even between healthcare facilities. Such monitors are quite similar to traditional bedside monitors, but are made somewhat smaller and lighter in weight, and have provision to operate for some time from internal battery power. But such devices remain sufficiently heavy and bulky that they require special attention to move along with the patient. Often, the monitor is provided with a bracket or other arrangement allowing it to be attached to the wheeled bed occupied by the patient during transport. While such an arrangement makes it possible to relocate a patient while continuing monitoring, it does not permit normal ambulation of the patient.
In many cases, patients are sufficiently able-bodied that they may ambulate normally, and are not confined to bed, yet it is desired to continuously monitor their condition. Indeed, in some cases ambulation of the patient is a necessary part of medical care, as in the case of a heart patient where the exertion associated with walking and other normal activity may be necessary to reveal an underlying heart condition. To serve these cases, patient-worn monitoring devices have been developed. Often, such devices are limited to monitoring a single vital sign. As the heart may be considered the most vital organ, the usual parameter to be monitored is the electrocardiogram, or ECG.
Patient-wearable devices used to monitor a patient's ECG take two general forms. One form of device, often known as a holter monitor, simply records the patient's ECG signal for later analysis. The particular advantage of this sort of device is that monitoring can take place at any location, while the patient is going about normal daily activities. However, an obvious disadvantage is that there is no immediate indication of a deterioration in the patient's condition. Therefore, an alternate device, known as a telemetry monitor, has been developed. Such a device acquires the patient's ECG signal, and transmits it by radio link to a central monitoring and display location, where the ECG signal can be observed by clinical personnel and automated analysis systems. Any change in the patient's condition requiring clinical intervention is therefore immediately apparent and medical assistance can be dispatched to the patient. The disadvantage of telemetry systems is that they are operable only within premises where suitable receiving equipment is provided.
Current ambulatory ECG monitors found in clinical applications use electrodes of a type and configuration based on bedside monitor practice. Generally three to five adhesive electrodes are attached to the body in locations disposed on the chest. These electrodes are connected by leadwires or a cable to the monitor electronics. The monitor electronics is arranged in a wearable housing, generally supported by means of a pouch, sling, or belt clip. This arrangement is somewhat inconvenient, due to the presence of the leadwires and the bulk, weight, and method of support of the monitor electronics. Further, some skill is necessary to properly attach the electrodes, connect the leadwires and set the monitor in action. As such, monitoring devices of this type are only used in such clinical cases where the inconvenience and cost of the skilled application are justified.
Electrocardiogram devices using conventional electrode configurations can yield considerable information about the condition of the heart by skilled interpretation of the ECG waveforms produced. However, in many cases, even in clinical practice, such interpretation is not performed, and the monitor is used only to measure the patient's heart rate. This is always the case in certain non-clinical ECG applications, such as when the ECG signal is used to determine the pulse rate during exercise. In this case, conventional placement of electrodes can be abandoned, in favor of electrode configurations which facilitate convenient application of the monitoring device. Exercise ECG monitors are often configured as a small electronics housing secured by a belt tightened around the wearer's chest. The housing contains a pair of electrodes which contact the chest and acquire an ECG signal. The electronics trigger on each heartbeat and transmit a signal to a nearby readout device. The readout device counts the trigger signals within a unit time and displays the pulse rate.
While such exercise monitors are far simpler to apply and lack the objectionable leadwires and separate electronics box of clinical ambulatory monitors, they do not answer fully to clinical purposes, even where it is only desired to measure the heart rate. The electronics, signal processing and signal transmission used by these devices are not well adapted to clinical requirements. These defects, however, can be remedied by modification of the electronics in well-known ways. Of greater importance is the fact that the encircling belt is not well adapted to long term wear. In order to secure the device against accidental displacement, the belt must be tightened to a degree that proves objectionable over an extended period. If the belt is loosened one runs the risk of a temporary loss of electrode contact during exercise or while the patient is laying or shifting in bed. Further, the electrodes used in commercial exercise monitors often depend on some degree of perspiration to reduce the electrical resistance of the electrode contact. While perspiration is inevitably present in exercise sufficiently strenuous to merit pulse rate monitoring, its presence cannot be assumed in the clinical setting. Finally, even if tension and electrode issues were resolved, the position of the device across the chest is not optimal for patient and clinician convenience. Application of the device to this region can in some cases constitute an insult to patient dignity. More importantly, the position of the belt may interfere with the application of defibrillator electrodes, the placement of a stethoscope, or other common medical procedures.
It is desirable to expand clinical electronic monitoring to a greater population of patients. This is only practical if an arrangement less unwieldy than traditional clinical ambulatory monitors is adopted. While commercial exercise monitors considerably simplify the monitoring arrangement, they still do not answer well to the needs of such expanded clinical monitoring.


A detection and location-based active protection method for flexible DC distribution systems with multi-terminal distributed photovoltaic sources is disclosed. The disclosed protection method actively utilizes the coordinated control between local protection and the converters in the DC distribution system. The converter can then be modified to become an injection source with characteristic signal, providing a known fault signal to build a clear protection boundary. The disclosed protection method can distinguish the correct faulted area by calculating the harmonic impedance of the characteristic signals. Compared with existing DC protection techniques, this disclosed method does not require additional injection equipment and modification of the DC distribution system configuration, nor does it need high data sampling frequency. The disclosed technique is also unaffected by measuring noise and cable-distributed capacitance. The disclosed protection method is therefore feasible for industry application in a large and complex DC network.

Multi-terminal and distributed DC power systems have been studied and developed extensively. They display numerous advantages over existing alternating current (AC) networks, including higher energy efficiency and power quality, as well as improved reliability, energy system integration, and eco-friendliness. Moreover, DC distribution systems have the potential to support future smart grids by facilitating a high penetration of distributed renewables and DC loads. While the advantages of DC architecture are significant, providing adequate protection for multi-terminal and distributed DC systems is inhibited by factors including a lack of accurate fault detection, location, and fast isolation of faulted areas, along with no distinct standards and guidelines.

Photovoltaic direct current distribution system having a fault detection and location-based active protection system


A method and apparatus are provided for measuring selected patient heartbeat parameters such as heartrates and amplitude variations, for processing the measured parameters to place them in more usable form and for analyzing measured and processed heartbeat parameters to obtain certain useful information concerning the condition of the patient's cardiac function. Measurement preferably involves detection and storage of at least two of the P, R and T pulses for each heartbeat and the conversion of such information into time series for selective heartrates. Indicators .delta..sub.j are computed for selected ones of the time series for selected values of j and the computed .delta..sub.j 's are then compared against stored .delta..sub.j values to obtain a measure of the state of cardiac function. The time series are preferably notched, detrended and normalized prior to being analyzed.

Normal human heart function results from a complex interplay of a large number of the biological subsystems which comprise the human organism. Despite the considerable amount of information which has been accumulated over many years in the field of cardiology, a complete understanding of this interplay is still lacking. In its place, however, there exists a sophisticated body of knowledge which relates many of the deviations from nominal heart function to specific pathologies of one or more of these subsystems. The search for reliable diagnostic tools to detect aberrant cardiac behavior, because of its obvious relevance to human health, has always been at the forefront of medical research.
In the majority of situations, the prediction of serious cardiac malfunction proceeds by necessity in an indirect, statistical fashion by assigning risk factors associated with other known pathologies (diabetes and hypertension are two examples), or behavioral traits (such as smoking or heavy alcohol consumption), which medical experience relates to a possible eventual cardiac dysfunction. A different category of risk factors are those associated with a subject's prior history of heart disease or possible genetic predisposition to it. In those cases where none of the usual risk factors indicate the probable occurrence of future heart disease, the characterization of the state of health of the human heart using standard techniques is, at present quantitatively imprecise.
Non-invasive techniques, such as those based on the display of electric surface potentials by an electrocardiograph (ECG), have been developed and perfected over the years to provide a physician with an often clear view of many of the more serious existing cardiac function abnormalities. These methods, however, are not sufficiently powerful to be able to predict future cardiac dysfunction, except in the statistical sense described above, and then only in a relatively small fraction of cases.
Further information about the state of cardiac health of a subject can be obtained through use of other, invasive techniques. While often the invasive techniques provide more detailed information about some aspects of cardiac function, these involve surgical procedures which entail a measure of risk for the subject, and require a generally elaborate clinical setting and the intervention of a highly skilled specialist, generally resulting in very high costs. For these reasons, non-invasive techniques are generally preferred over invasive ones, and a need clearly exists for new non-invasive cardiac-analysis methods to increase the amount of relevant information which can be gathered and presented to the clinician for diagnosis.
In addition, clinical diagnosis using the standard methods of electrocardiography typically proceeds through the identification of the shape of various heartbeat amplitude waveforms, as well as through the identification of abnormally long or short duration of various characteristics of such waveforms. This type of analysis, with the ensuing identification of abnormal function, generally requires evaluation by an experienced physician who has an extensive knowledge of possible waveforms, and the analysis is therefore, to an extent, a subjective process. In some cases, automatic identification of some of the most common abnormalities which can be seen in the shape of these waveforms is possible by comparing the waveform corresponding to an average heartbeat with a database of stored waveforms, but in most cases a skilled physician is required to analyze such waveforms.
Thus, the outputs from ECG equipment have not heretofore been put in a form or analyzed in a way so as to permit reasonably reliable conclusions to be reached automatically or semiautomatically. Further, such analysis is only able to detect existing abnormalities rather than being able to predict the occurrence of serious cardiac dysfunction. For example, when heart measurements are being made on a patient during surgery or in critical care, an alarm sounds only when the patient is experiencing some type of crisis, rather than when the heart starts reacting in a manner which might be indicative of an oncoming crisis so that appropriate emergency procedures could be initiated to prevent the crisis situation from arising.
A need therefore exists for improved techniques for performing cardiac diagnosis and analysis which technique can be practiced non-invasively, for example by use of a standard ECG machine, while providing substantial information concerning the cardiac condition of the patient. Such procedures should preferably generate outputs which can be automatically recognized as indicative both of existing heart or heart related problems, preferably at an early stage in the onset of such problems before physical symptoms are apparent, and of cardiac conditions which are precursors of a future heart or heart related problem. To increase the usefulness of such information, and to reduce costs, such information should be provided in a form which may either be automatically analyzed by a computer or other equipment or which may be easily read and deciphered by relatively inexperienced medical personnel.

Method and apparatus for the measurement and analysis of cardiac rates and amplitude variations


A light-emitting device includes a substrate, an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer; wherein the active layer is a multi-quantum-well (MQW) active layer with a predetermined n-type doping profile. More specifically, the MQW active layer is doped with n-type dopants in the region near the p-type semiconductor layer and the n-type semiconductor layer, and the central region is not doped with the n-type dopants.

A light-emitting diode (LED) is an important type of solid-state devices that convert electric current to light. It comprises an active layer of semiconductor material located between two oppositely doped layers, one being p-type and the other being n-type. A drive voltage is applied across electrical contacts on the doped layers causing electrons and holes to be injected from the doped layers into the active layer. The electrons and holes then recombine to generate light that emits omni-directionally from the active layer and escapes from all the surfaces of the LED. Generally, the active layer is a single-quantum-well (SQW) layer or multi-quantum-well (MQW) layer. The MQW active layer is expected to achieve an improved device characteristic such as higher output as compared to an SQW active layer because the MQW active layer can emit light efficiently at a small current due to a plurality of mini-band structure.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional LED device having an MQW active layer with good efficiency and output. As shown in FIG. 1, the light-emitting device 10 comprises an MQW active layer 15 between a p-type nitride semiconductor layer 14 and an n-type nitride semiconductor layer 13. All the barrier layers, except the barrier layer next to the p-type nitride semiconductor layer 14, of the MQW active layer 15 are doped with n-type dopants. Moreover, there is another conventional LED device 20 as shown in FIG. 2. The light-emitting device 20 comprises an MQW active layer 25 between a p-type nitride semiconductor layer 24 and an n-type nitride semiconductor layer 23. Only several barrier layers near the n-type nitride semiconductor layer 23 of the MQW active layer 25 are doped with n-type dopants.


Techniques for cache management involve accessing, when a first data block to be accessed is missing in a first cache, the first data block from a storage device storing the first data block; selecting, when the first cache is full and based on a plurality of parameters associated with a plurality of eviction policies, an eviction policy for evicting a data block in the first cache from the plurality of eviction policies, the plurality of parameters indicating corresponding possibilities that the plurality of eviction policies are selected; evicting a second data block in the first cache to a second cache based on the selected eviction policy, the second cache being configured to record the data block evicted from the first cache; and caching the accessed first data block in the first cache. Such techniques can improve the cache hit rate, thereby improving the access performance of a system.

In a storage system, frequently accessed data is usually stored in a cache to improve the efficiency of data access. When there is new data to be added to a cache but the cache is full, old data in the cache needs to be swapped out based on an eviction policy, so that the new data can be added to the cache. In conventional schemes, cache eviction policies are usually fixed, such as a policy based on the first-in-first-out (FIFO) algorithm which evicts data that first enters a cache, a policy based on the least recently used (LRU) algorithm which evicts data that has not been accessed for the longest time, or a policy based on the least frequently used (LFU) algorithm which evicts data that has been least frequently accessed over a period of time. These eviction policies are generally applied in different scenarios, and therefore, it is often difficult to achieve high cache utilization with a single eviction policy.

Method, electronic device and computer program product for managing cache


There is provided a linear drive ultrasonic motor of which, a size can be made small, and in which, it is possible to guide assuredly while reducing a transfer resistance and a frictional resistance of a driven member.

As a conventional linear drive ultrasonic motor, a vibration apparatus described in Patent Literature 1 can be cited as an example (FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B). Here, FIGS. 18A and 18B are diagrams showing a structure of a conventional linear drive ultrasonic motor, where, FIG. 18A is an exploded perspective view and FIG. 18B is a vertical cross-sectional view.
The vibration apparatus shown in FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B includes a case 906 which accommodates a vibrating body 901, a mobile object 904 which passes through the case 906 and makes a contact with the vibrating body 901, and a pressing spring 905 which generates thrust (bias) which brings the mobile object 904 and the vibrating body 901 in a pressurized contact. The pressing spring 905 is installed at an outer side of the case 906. An opening portion is formed in a side of the case 906, facing the vibrating body 901, and the thrust of the pressing spring 905 acts on the vibrating body 901 through the opening portion. In other words, this vibration apparatus has a structure in which, the pressing spring 905 is installed on the outer side of the case 906 while covering the opening portion of the case 906, and a deformed portion (a flat surface portion covering the opening portion) of the pressing spring 905 which generates the thrust, is exposed.
As in the vibration apparatus described in Patent Literature 1, making a unit structure in which, main structural components are packaged, is effective from a point of generality and stabilizing of characteristics. However, in an ultrasonic motor apparatus, small-sizing, and high output have been sought.    Patent Literature: Japanese Patent No. 3524248 Specification

Abstract: A linear drive ultrasonic motor includes at least, an ultrasonic vibrator having a piezoelectric element, a driven member which is driven by a frictional force between the driven member and the ultrasonic vibrator, a pressing member which presses the ultrasonic vibrator such that a frictional force is generated between the ultrasonic vibrator and the driven member, a rolling member having a spherical shape, which makes a contact with the driven member, and a base member which movably supports the driven member via the rolling member, and the rolling member makes a contact with the driven member at a first contact point, and makes a contact with the base member at two second contact points, and lengths of two straight lines connecting the first contact point and two second contact points are substantially same.


An apparatus and method for automated casting of an item such as a plumbing fixture is disclosed. Female and male mold portions provide a spacing for molding the desired item between them. A fluid release system is operatively positioned inside one of the mold portions so as to assist in separating the formed item from a mold portion in a controlled and uniform manner so as to minimize damage to the cast item. In a preferred form, a liquid is ejected into the corners of a male mold. By diffusion the liquid travels to the periphery of the mold piece so as to drive the formed part off the mold.

A. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for automating the process of casting articles. It appears to be especially well suited for use in automating the removal of a plurality of castings in the form of plumbing fixtures.
B. Description Of The Art
It is known in the art to utilize a manually drivable "stripper" ring to assist in separating a molded part from a mold member. This is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,908. The art has also provided an inflatable hose as a driving means to drive a stripper ring for releasing molded parts (U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,007). However, further improvement is desired in automating the casting process, especially with respect to plumbing fixtures and the like where extremely fragile castings must be removed from the mold.
In this regard, manually drivable stripper rings are time consuming to use, and may damage the contact surface of the molded product. They do not provide sufficient control over the amount of pressure the fragile casting edges are exposed to. Existing systems are also deficient in the areas of automating the process of separating the mold halves. If not properly done, the fragile molded part can, on occasion, be damaged during this process (aside from the excessive time required to undo multiple manual clamps and to manually separate mold halves.
Other existing systems require the use of extra costly components such as stripper rings and inflatable hoses. Thus, an improved molding apparatus and method are needed.


Method for manufacturing sealed monolithic electrochemical systems, which method comprises the following method steps:                application of electrolyte to a pattern of a porous structure located on a substrate, which structure constitutes a monolithic electrochemical electrode and comprises a working electrode, an insulating layer and a counterelectrode        application of a sealing material surrounding said porous structure to form a laminate comprising a front plane consisting of said substrate and the porous structure and a rear plane consisting of the sealing material.

From WO97/16838, a method for manufacturing monolithic photoelectrochemical cells is previously known. In this method, photoelectrochemical cells are formed by virtue of patterns of conductive material being applied to an electrically insulated transparent material. A porous structure is then applied by successive application of a ply of a porous semiconductor, a ply of a porous insulator and a ply of a porous conductor. After application of the porous structure, the porous structure is provided with a liquid electrolyte. The porous structure is also covered by an insulating cover layer.
It has been found, however, that a number of problems arise in the sealing of monolithic electrochemical systems. On the one hand, it has been found that the cells are sensitive to moisture and impurities because the presence of moisture and impurities has a considerable effect on the long-term stability of the system. On the other hand, it is important that the sealing along the outer edge of the cells effectively prevents leakage or dissipation of, on the one hand, electrolyte from inside the cells and, on the other hand, impurities and moisture from the outside into the cells.
In order to seal monolithic electrochemical systems, in which electrolyte is in place on sealing, various methods have been tried, such as gluing and joining together by pressing between two rollers. None of the methods tried previously has resulted in electrochemical systems with sufficiently good long-term characteristics and with a sufficiently low degree of impairment of the performance of the cell in the sealing process, which has also resulted in cost-effective industrial manufacture of electrochemical systems being made more difficult.


A zoom lens system capable of correcting a secondary spectrum is disclosed. The zoom lens system includes a first lens unit with a positive optical power, a second lens unit with a negative optical power, an aperture stop, and a rear lens component including at least one lens unit in an order from an object side to an image side. In the zoom lens system, during zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, an interval between the first lens unit and the second lens unit increases, and an interval between the second lens unit and the aperture stop decreases. Then, a material satisfying the following conditions:νd1n<35θgF1n <−0.0027νd1n+0.680is used for the negative lens in the first lens unit. Herein, νd1n represents an Abbe number, and θgF1n represents a partial dispersion ratio.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens system, which is preferably used as an image taking optical system for a silver film camera, a digital still camera, a video camera and the like.
2. Related Background Art
Along with the enhancement in resolution of a digital still camera, i.e., an increase of the number of pixels in the digital still camera, there is a demand for correcting a monochromatic aberration and sufficiently correcting a chromatic aberration in a zoom lens as an image taking optical system for a solid-state image pickup element with a high resolution. In particular, when the focal length at a telephoto end of a zoom lens increases as a result of an increase in a zoom ratio or an imaging magnification, there is a demand for the reduction in a secondary spectrum, as well as the primary achromatism, regarding a chromatic aberration.
Conventionally, in order to correct a secondary spectrum of an axial chromatic aberration (longitudinal chromatic aberration) at a telephoto end, a number of zoom lenses using anomalous dispersion (extraordinary dispersion) glass have been known. Furthermore, as a zoom lens configuration suitable for a high zoom ratio, there is a positive lead type in which a lens unit closest to an object side has a positive refractive power.
For example, JP H06-43363 A and JP H03-58490 B (counterpart: U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,997) disclose an example using glass having anomalous dispersibility for a zoom lens in which three lens units having positive, negative, and positive refractive powers are arranged in this order from the object side.
For example, JP 3097399 B, JP 2002-62748 A (counterpart: U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,087), JP H08-248317 A, and JP 2001-194590 A (counterpart: U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,561) disclose an example using glass having anomalous dispersibility for a zoom lens in which four lens units having positive, negative, positive, and positive refractive powers are arranged in this order from the object side.
For example, JP 2001-350093 A (counterpart: U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,433) discloses an example using glass having anomalous dispersibility for a zoom lens in which five lens units having positive, negative, positive, negative, and positive refractive powers are arranged in this order from the object side.
Any of the above-mentioned conventional examples use glass having an Abbe number exceeding 80 for a positive lens in a first lens unit having a positive refractive power. In general, low dispersion glass having an Abbe number exceeding 80 has anomalous dispersibility. The use of such glass for a positive lens in a first lens unit of a positive lead type is effective for reducing a secondary spectrum at a telephoto end.
However, the above-mentioned documents disclose no example using a material having anomalous dispersibility for a negative lens in the first lens unit, which are focused on only the reduction in a secondary spectrum by use of the anomalous dispersion characteristics of a positive lens. In order to further reduce a secondary spectrum amount with such a configuration, it is considered to use a material having high anomalous dispersibility such as fluorite or to increase the number of positive lenses in the first lens unit. The former has a problem in terms of cost, and the latter has a problem in terms of enlargement.

Zoom lens system and image pickup apparatus having the same


A pharyngeal retractor device and implantation methods are provided for use in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The device includes a retracting element and a tissue engaging element that promotes tissue ingrowth around or onto the retracting element. The device is implanted in tissue space beneath the pharyngeal wall to alter the shape of the wall. The device may be implanted through the oral cavity alone or by using a trocar or a hand-held delivery system to deliver the device through the pharyngeal wall. Alternatively, the device may be implanted using an open, direct visualization approach from the side of a patient's neck.

Several forms of sleep apnea have been identified. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the throat collapses and closes during sleep. Less common forms of sleep apnea include central sleep apnea (CSA), wherein the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe, and mixed apnea which, as the name implies, is a combination of OSA and CSA.
As shown in FIG. 1a, an air passage 140a of a patient 101a is open while the patient is in the awake state. The soft tissue components, including the soft palate 130a and the pharyngeal walls 132a of the air passage are supported by the underlying musculature to maintain the passageway in the open condition. During an obstructive sleep apnea event, illustrated in FIG. 1b, the air passage 140b of a patient 101b is partially or completely blocked by surrounding soft tissue 130b, 132b, which has collapsed due to the relaxation of the supporting musculature and has been displaced during sleep by gravity or other forces.
With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses the sleeping person in order to resume breathing, but sleep is consequently extremely fragmented and of poor quality. Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment, motor vehicle crashes, and marital discord.
According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep apnea is very common, as common as adult diabetes, and affects more than twelve million Americans. The factors that increase the risk of having OSA include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority of patients remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.
Attempts to provide an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea have yielded unsatisfactory results. For example, electrical stimulation of the soft palate has been suggested to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Such a teaching is found in Schwartz et al., "Effects of electrical stimulation to the soft palate on snoring and obstructive sleep apnea," J. Prosthetic Dentistry, pp. 273-281 (1996). Devices to apply electrical stimulation are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,284,161 and 5,792,067. Electrical stimulation to treat sleep apnea is also discussed in Wiltfang et al., "First results on daytime submandibular electrostimulation of suprahyoidal muscles to prevent night-time hypopharyngeal collapse in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome," International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, pp. 21-25 (1999). Such devices are appliances requiring patient adherence to a regimen of use as well as subjecting the patient to discomfort during sleep and repeated arousals during deep sleep.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) has recently been adopted as a useful, albeit cumbersome, means of preventing sleep apnea. CPAP delivers air into the airway through a specially designed nasal mask or pillows. The mask does not breathe for the patient; the flow of air creates enough pressure when the patient inhales to keep the airway open. In effect, a pneumatic splint is formed in the airway. CPAP is considered the most effective non-surgical treatment for the alleviation of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Compliance, however, is only 50%, as patients complain about discomfort from the mask, hoses, etc. and that the equipment requires maintenance. Additionally, patients complain of discomfort such as bloating, nasal drying, and dry eyes.
Surgical treatments have also been employed. One such treatment is uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). UPPP is discussed, for example, in Harries et al., "The surgical treatment of snoring," Journal of Laryngology and Otology, pp. 1105-1106 (1996), which describes removal of up to 1.5 cm of the soft palate. The use of UPPP in the treatment of snoring is assessed in Cole et al., "Snoring: A review and a Reassessment," Journal of Otolaryngology, pp. 303-306 (1995). In that procedure, about 2 cm of the trailing edge of the soft palate is removed through the use of a scalpel, laser or other surgical instrument, thereby reducing the tendency of the soft palate to flutter between the tongue and the pharyngeal wall of the throat. The procedure is frequently effective to alleviate snoring but has demonstrated limited effectiveness in moderate or severe apnea. The procedure is painful and frequently results in undesirable side effects. In particular, the reduction of the soft palate compromises the ability of the soft palate to seal off nasal passages during swallowing and speech. In an estimated 25% of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty patients, fluid escapes from the mouth into the nose while drinking.
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) may involve lasting discomfort. For example, scar tissue on the soft palate may present a continuing irritant to the patient. In addition, UPPP is not reversible and may induce adverse side effects not justified by the benefits of the surgery. Furthermore, UPPP is targeted to the correction of deficiencies associated with the palate only and does not address issues associated with the collapse of the tongue and lateral pharyngeal walls.
Radiofrequency ablation of the soft palate, or SomnoplastySM, is similar in concept to the Laser Assisted Uvulopalotopharyngoplasty (LAUP), although a different energy source is used, and thermal lesions are produced within the tissues, rather than using a laser to ablate the tissue surface. For that reason, radiofrequency ablation appears to be growing in popularity as an alternative to LAUP. The SomnoplastySM device is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for radiofrequency ablation of palatal tissues for simple snoring and radiofrequency ablation of the base of the tongue for OSA. In some situations, radiofrequency ablation of the soft palate and base of tongue are performed together as a multi-level procedure. To date, the treatments alone or in combination have failed to provide relief to more than 50% of patients.
Another device intended to treat snoring or obstructive sleep apnea is comprised of several braided PET cylinders that are implanted to make the tissues of the tongue or uvula more rigid and less prone to deflection against the pharyngeal wall. The Pillar™ Palatal Implant System, marketed by Restore Medical of St Paul, Minn., is an implantable device that has been cleared by the FDA 510(k) process. The device is a cylindrical-shaped segment of braided polyester filaments that is permanently implanted submucosally in the soft palate. The labeled indication of the device is as follows: "The Pillar™ Palatal Implant System is intended for the reduction of the incidence of airway obstructions in patients suffering from mild to moderate OSA (obstructive sleep apnea)." The device has been associated with a number of adverse side effects, including extrusion, infection, and patient discomfort.
The Repose™ device, marketed by Influent Medical LLC of Concord, N.H., involves the use of a titanium screw that is inserted into the posterior aspect of the mandible at the floor of the mouth. A loop of suture is passed through the tongue base and attached to the mandibular bone screw. The Repose™ procedure achieves a suspension or hammock of the tongue base making it less likely for the base of the tongue to collapse against the posterior pharyngeal wall during sleep. The reported duration of beneficial effects afforded by the implant is less than a year. Due to the high activity of the tongue during wakefulness, the suture component of this device has been shown in some cases to act as a "cheese cutter" to the tongue, causing device failure and requiring subsequent removal.
Magnets have also been considered as implants for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. These devices are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. One serious complication than can potentially occur with these implants is implant migration or flipping of the magnets which can cause acute airway closure.
In summary, electrical stimulation of the musculature within the airway is ineffective since it arouses the patient from deep sleep. CPAP effectively manages OSA but has a very low patient compliance (less than 50% of patients continue the treatment). Surgical techniques and implants have also been evaluated, yet still do not provide a satisfactory and lasting solution. No one device seems capable of treating the multi-causal problem of obstructive sleep apnea. What is needed are methods and devices that reduce the burden of managing obstructive sleep apnea through a minimally invasive approach that provides long term and effective results. Ideally, the treatment should be adjustable and removable if necessary. The inventions described herein provide such treatments that offer long-term relief of OSA.

Methods and devices for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea


A template designed to prepare various fabrics for the attachment of a decorative crocheted edge. The transparent triangular shaped template contains holes at equally spaced intervals with uniform distance from the edge of the template. The corner of the template has been designed with a radial edge for use as a pattern to cut fabric. This is done with a rotary cutter. An awl is inserted into each hole of the template piercing the fabric leaving it with exposed holes to affix the decorative crocheted edge. A marking instrument can be inserted into the holes to mark a consistent layout on the fabric for future piercing. Further, the template can be used for squaring and trimming the fabric prior to the piercing process.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the method of preparing various fabrics for the installation of a decorative crocheted edge. To be more specific, the invention relates to a template used to guide a piercing, cutting or marking instrument as part of the preparation process.
2. Prior Art
Crafters have been putting decorative edgings on handcrafted or purchased articles for many years. For example, adding a decorative crocheted edge onto blankets, towels, bed linen, table linen, window dressings and many others. There are numerous patterns and books of instruction on how to make many styles of crocheted edgings, however, very few indicate a method to affix the edging onto the article. The few books and patterns that do indicate a method of installation instruct the consumer to pierce the article using the sharp end of a barbecue skewer, ice pick, the tip of scissors or other such pointed instrument. None that would provide consistency in spacing or a tool or method that would be safe for the consumer. What is needed is a template that would provide a safe and consistent method of preparing the article to receive the decorative edging.
3. Objectives and Advantages
The main objective and advantage of the invention is that it provides the consumer with a unique and convenient template with which to prepare an article that is to receive a decorative edging. The preparation method allows for holes to be safely pierced at consistent intervals that will be utilized to crochet or otherwise sew the edging to the article. Additionally, the invention can be used in the squaring and trimming processes of fabric or materials. Additional objectives and advantages will become apparent from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings.

Template and method to prepare various fabrics to receive a decorative edging


A sub-frame of a motorcycle is attached to the rear end of a main frame of the motorcycle and extends rearward. An AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) mechanism is attached to the sub-frame which prevents direct conduction of heat and vibrations generated by an engine on the main frame to the AMT. The AMT mechanism includes a hydraulic clutch actuator, a hydraulic shift actuator, an accumulator, a valve block, a pump, and an oil tank.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motorcycle that has a clutch driving device for driving a clutch and a shift driving device for driving a transmission.
2. Description of the Background Art
The AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) mechanism is conventionally proposed as a system that automates the switching (shifting) of the gear ratio of the transmission of a motorcycle and the connecting and disconnecting of the clutch. The AMT mechanism involves a shift actuator for driving the transmission and a clutch actuator for driving the clutch (see JP 2003-320861A).
In the motorcycle having the AMT mechanism disclosed in JP 2003-320861A, the shift actuator and the clutch actuator are positioned behind the cylinder block of the engine and above the transmission. Positioning the actuators near the engine in this way prevents the actuators from touching the ground during cornering of the motorcycle. This avoids reduction of the bank angle during cornering and prevents damage to the AMT mechanism when the motorcycle falls over.
However, in this conventional motorcycle, the provision of the shift actuator and clutch actuator near the engine allows direct cause heat and vibrations generated by the engine to be conducted to the actuators.
In particular, with a hydraulic shift actuator, the shifting operation is achieved by rotating the shift spindle of the transmission by predetermined angles with the pressure of the operating oil. Smoothly performing the shifting operation requires rotating the shift spindle accurately by the predetermined angles. However, when heat and vibrations are applied to the actuator, temperature and pressure variations of the operating oil and vibrations of mechanical components vary the timing and amount by which the actuator drives the shift spindle, which lowers the accuracy of the control of the shift spindle by the actuator. This makes it difficult to achieve the shifting operation smoothly. Also, heat and vibrations promote deterioration of the actuator.
With an electrically-driven shift actuator, the shifting operation is achieved by rotating the shift spindle of the transmission at given angular intervals with power from an electric motor. Smoothly performing the shifting operation requires accurately controlling the electric motor through signal lines to rotate the shift spindle accurately at the given angles. However, when heat and vibrations are applied to the actuator, the signal lines may be cut by vibrations and the signals may be varied by heat, and the efficiency of the electric motor is lowered by heat and vibrations. Furthermore, heat and vibrations promote deterioration of the actuator.
As a result, the operation of the actuator becomes unstable and the durability of the actuator is reduced.
Furthermore, the piping and wiring for the shift actuator are provided around the engine, which complicates the piping and wiring structure around the engine and involves troublesome work in attaching the actuator and fitting the piping and wiring. Moreover, the complicated piping and wiring structure around the engine increases the weight of the motorcycle.

Shift actuator mounting arrangement for motorcycle


In an array substrate, a first pixel is arranged at one end of an active area, and a second pixel is arranged adjacent to the first pixel more inside of the active area than the first pixel. A common electrode extends to the first and second pixels, and an insulating layer is formed on the common electrode. First and second pixel electrodes are formed on the insulating layer in the first and second pixels. The pixel electrodes include electrode portions forming slits facing the common electrode. A second substrate includes a shield layer arranged outside the active area. The first pixel electrode is formed more widely than the second pixel electrode, and extends to outside of the active area. The first pixel electrode includes an extending portion extending to outside of the active area and facing the shield layer.

A liquid crystal display device is used in various fields of OA equipments such as a personal computer and a television set, taking advantage of the features such as light weight, thin shape, and low power consumption. In recent years, the liquid crystal display device is used also as displays for a portable remote terminal such as a cellular phone and a PDA (personal digital assistant), a car navigation equipment, and a game machine.
Generally, the liquid crystal display panel in Fringe Field Switching (FFS) mode includes an array substrate equipped with a pixel electrode and a common electrode, a counter substrate and a liquid crystal layer held therebetween. In the FFS mode, alignment of liquid crystal molecules is controlled using the fringe electric field formed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode.
Technology for arranging a dummy pixel in a non-display area covered with a shield layer is proposed as an example in the FFS mode. While the structure of the dummy pixel is substantially the same as the pixel in a display area, the dummy pixel is constituted so that electric field may not be impressed to the liquid crystal layer. The dummy pixel is used in order to form a protection device against static electricity which invades from the outside.


It is an object of the present invention to improve the compression ratio of a color image and to clearly display the outlines of characters and the like. A hue cluster classifying/unifying unit reduces the number of hue values of each pixel in a color image, based on a hue histogram, allocates the number-reduced hue value to each pixel and classifies pixels with the same hue value into one cluster. Furthermore, the unit unifies clusters whose hue values are below a predetermined value. The unit also traces the outline of a cluster whose size is below a reference value and determines that a cluster that has a lot of change points belongs to a character area. An encoding unit determines the characteristic of each cluster, based on both an area determined by an area determining unit and whether the cluster belongs to a ruled line area or a character area, and encodes pixels in each cluster by a coding method suitable for the characteristic of the cluster.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color image compressing method for compressing color images read by a scanner or the like and a device thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
JPEG (joint photographic coding experts group) coding is conventionally known as an image compressing method. JPEG coding divides an image into a plurality of blocks, performs discrete cosine transform (DCT) and quantizes/encodes the obtained values.
JPEG coding is suitable for compressing images, such as a photograph and the like. However, since image information is compressed by coarsely quantizing its RF element, the edge of a character that has a large change in brightness and color and the like becomes unclear, which is a problem.
In order to solve such a problem, Patent reference 1 discloses a technology for transmitting/receiving images superior in reproducing black edges by extracting the black edge of a color image, encoding the location of the black edge, transmitting it together with a color image encoded by a JPEG method and compensating for the pixel of the black edge, based on the black edge information decoded on the receiving side.
Patent reference 2 discloses an area determining unit dividing an image into character area data and photograph area data, and extracting both data, a photograph image encoding unit encoding photograph area data, and a monochrome image encoding unit encoding digitized character area data.
If a manuscript including characters and the like is read by a scanner, the outline of a character area takes neutral tints and no sharp edges exist. Therefore, no clear area determination can be conducted, which is another problem. In order to solve such a problem, Patent reference 3 discloses an outline correcting unit compensating for a pixel recognized as neutral tints, based on the color difference between its adjacent pixels.
However, since in the method of Patent reference 1, data indicating the location of a black edge must be transmitted separately from color image data, it is difficult to improve a data compression ratio.
In the compression method of Patent reference 2, although a photograph area and a character area are distinguished, this distinction depends on the fact that at the edge of a character area, a pixel with a high density level and a pixel with a low density level adjoin each other.
In the method of Patent reference 3, area determination accuracy is simply improved by replacing the value of a pixel with neutral tints in the outline of an area, with the value of its adjacent pixel whose color difference is a minimum.
All the above-mentioned conventional compression methods realize compression by reducing the redundancy of image data after being read by a scanner and the like, and can not reduce redundancy caused when the scanner and the like reads a manuscript, by extracting the features of the ruled lines, characters or the like of the original manuscript. Therefore, a color image including a ruled line, a character and the like cannot be compressed at a high compression ratio and also the outline of a character and the like cannot be clearly displayed.
Patent Reference 1:
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-279913
Patent Reference 2:
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-298589
Patent Reference 3:
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-61062
Patent Reference 4:
                Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-16793

Color image compressing method and device


A method for wireless communications includes reducing transmission power, by a femto base station, at its radio frequency (RF) transmitter, and cancelling a transmitted data signal of the RF transmitter at its network listen (NL) receiver. The reduction occurs in response to: occurrence of a network listen process; and/or a signal quality of the local macro coverage area exceeding a threshold quality. Additionally or alternatively, the femto base station may detect quality of its macro coverage area, and respond to the signal quality being below the threshold quality by: suspending reduction of transmission power and cancellation of the transmitted data signal; suspending the RF transmitter during transmission gaps assigned to user equipments (UEs); and triggering an NL operation in response to suspension of the RF transmitter, wherein the NL operation occurs within the duration of each of the transmission gaps.

1. Field
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to femto base stations having network listen with self-interference cancellation.
2. Background
Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, etc. These wireless networks may be multiple-access networks capable of supporting multiple users by sharing the available network resources. Examples of such multiple-access networks include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, and Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks.
A wireless communication network may include a number of eNodeBs that can support communication for a number of user equipments (UEs). A UE may communicate with an eNodeB via the downlink and uplink. The downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from the eNodeB to the UE, and the uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from the UE to the eNodeB.
In a heterogeneous wireless network operating with macro and femto base stations, femto base stations may listen for neighboring macro base station downlink signals in order to determine time and frequency synchronization. The network listen (NL) process conducted by the femto base stations may either be out-of-band, in which the NL transceiver operates in a different frequency band than the femto transceiver, or in-band, in which the NL and femto transceivers operate in the same frequency band. An in-band NL process results in substantial interference because of the RF coupling between the femto transmitter and NL receiver. To alleviate this interference, the femto transmitter may be suspended while the femto is performing the NL process through the NL transceiver. However, suspending the femto transmitter may result in degradation of quality of service for both voice and data services either through voice quality degradation or loss of data packets for data calls. Due to stringent latency requirements, this degradation may more severely impact voice quality for UEs conducting voice calls in communication with the femto base station.

Network listen with self interference cancellation


An angle attachment is attached to a drill without removing the drill chuck by securing the shaft of a coupler in the drill chuck and seating the coupler on the nut of either shaft of the angle attachment, securing the angle attachment to the drill with a sleeve, and threading an attachment chuck onto the shaft of the angle attachment which is not coupled to the drill chuck

The invention couples an angle attachment to a drill without removing the drill chuck from the drill.
Existing drill angle attachments are coupled to a drill by removing the drill chuck from the drill output shaft, linking the nut on either angle attachment shaft to the corresponding nut on the drill output shaft, securing the body of the angle attachment to the body of the drill by tightening a sleeve connector, and attaching the drill chuck to the shaft of the angle attachment not linked to the drill output shaft. This method has several disadvantages. Removing and reattaching the drill chuck consumes valuable time. Removing the drill chuck can be very difficult when the chuck has been very firmly attached by use of the drill. Many workers resolve these difficulties by keeping two drills--one with an angle attachment secured and one without. A better solution is provided by this invention. This invention preserves securing the angle attachment to the drill by a sleeve connector and preserves the ability to couple either shaft of the angle attachment to the drill, but does not require removing the drill chuck.
Inventions related to angle attachments shown in prior art do not suggest this solution. The devices shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,348,266 Selby, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,465,309 Happe, and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,589,822 by Kostka do not allow a drill output to be linked to either shaft of the angle attachment. Also these devices are not attachable to a drill body by a sleeve connector. A drill output can be linked to either shaft of the angle attachment with the device shown in U.S. Pat. No 2,604,795 by Ristow, and this device is secured to the drill body by a sleeve connector, but this device requires that the drill chuck be removed which is the problem to be overcome. This problem is also present in the devices shown by Keesling in U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,362 and shown by Babcock in U.S. Pat. No. 2,780,942.
None of the prior art devices suggest coupling either shaft of an angle attachment to a drill without removing the drill chuck while securing the angle attachment to the drill using a sleeve connector.


A kit structure includes a plurality of utensils, each having an ellipsoidal head, with each head having a planar body side wall arranged in a parallel spaced relationship relative to an axis of the head coincident with a major axis of the head that in turn is aligned with an associated handle shaft. The handles are formed of resilient material arranged to remove residue component portions within a jar.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to jar utensil structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved jar utensil kit wherein the same is arranged to provide utensils of variously progressively sized heads and handles for access within jar structure for removal of compositions and components therewithin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Jars of various sizes are utilized for the storage and subsequent dispensing of various components therefrom, such as creams, lotions, and the like. Removal of such components in the prior art has typically been difficult due to the relatively non-conforming geometric configuration of spoons and such. The instant invention attempts to overcome such deficiencies by providing for an array of spoon members, each including an ellipsoidal head having a planar side wall providing access to various configurations within a jar, wherein the head structure is formed of resilient material and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


In a manufacturing method of a golf club head, when a portion close to the outer edge of the inserting end of the face body is press-fitted and inserted into the recess being plastically deformed along the bottom section of the recess, the probability of occurrence of blow holes in the dented section formed in the recess is low compared with the conventional head body; the engaging strength of the face body with the recess of the head body is enhanced compared with the conventional head body; and further it is easy to manufactured the club head.

The present invention relates to a golf club head in which a metallic face body is press-fitted into a recess formed on a ball hitting surface of a face section of a metallic head body. Also, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing the golf club head.
The above golf club head and the method of manufacturing the golf club head are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 5-337222 and 6-182006.
In the golf club head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-337222, on the inner circumferential surface of the recess formed on the ball hitting surface of the face section of the metallic head body, there is provided a dented section composed of a linear inclined surface protruding outward as it comes from the opening edge of the recess to the rear surface of the head body. In the above dented section, at a position closest to the rear surface of the head body, there is formed a bottom section protruding inward from the opening edge.
When the conventional golf club head is manufactured, the metallic face body is press-fitted into the recess of the head body. Due to the foregoing, a portion close to the outer edge portion of the inserting end of the face body is plastically deformed along the bottom section of the recess. When the inserting end of the face body enters the recess in this way, the metallic face body can be engaged with the recess.
In the golf club head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-182006, on the inner circumferential surface of the recess formed on the ball hitting surface of the face section of the metallic head body, there is provided a dented section including an engaging section once dented outward from the opening edge of the recess and a perpendicular extending section which extends substantially perpendicularly to the ball hitting surface toward the rear surface of the head body. Further, in the above dented section, at a position closest to the rear surface of the head body, there is provided a bottom section protruding inward from the opening edge. Furthermore, in a portion close to the outer edge of the inserting end of the metallic face body press-fitted into the recess of the head body, there is provided a protrusion which protrudes substantially perpendicularly to the ball hitting surface of the face body.
In the case of manufacturing the conventional golf club head, when the metallic face body is press-fitted into the recess of the head body, a protrusion in the portion close to the outer edge at the inserting end of the face body is plastically deformed in such a manner that the protrusion is bent along the bottom section of the recess. In this way, the protrusion enters the recess so as to attain the engagement with the recess.
In the golf club head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-337222, a portion close to the outer edge of the inserting end of the face body enters the dented section in such a manner the portion is plastically deformed along the bottom section of the recess of the head body. First, this portion close to the outer edge of the inserting end of the face body fills a region in the recess close to the bottom section which is most distant from the opening end of the recess. Then, the portion comes toward the opening edge along the inner circumferential surface of the recess. When the portion gradually comes inward, it comes close to the opening edge. In this way, the portion close to the outer edge of the inserting end of the face body fills the residual region of the dented section. The portion close to the outer edge of the inserting end of the face body, which has been plastically deformed along the bottom section of the recess of the head body, finally reaches a region close to the opening edge of the recess in the process of the above plastic deformation. Accordingly, blowholes tend to occur in a region close to the opening edge of the recess. When a large number of blow holes are generated, an abnormal sound is caused in the case of hitting a golf ball with the ball hitting surface of the face body. Further, there is a possibility that the original performance of the face body can not be exhibited and the face body comes off from the recess of the head body. For the above reasons, when a large number of blow holes are found in the above region in the process of final inspection conducted in the process of manufacturing the golf club head, the golf club head is thrown into the discard.
In the golf club head disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-182006, a protrusion in the portion close to the outer edge of the inserting end of the face body is plastically deformed and fed into the above dented section along the protrusion in the recess of the head body. Accordingly, the mechanical strength of the protrusion, which has been plastically deformed, is so low that the engaging strength of the face body with respect to the recess of the head body is low. When the protrusion is previously formed in the portion close to the outer edge of the inserting end of the face body, it requires a complicated work in the process of manufacturing the golf club head.

Golf club head and method of manufacturing thereof


An apparatus and method are provided for guiding steel bands of a continuously operating press about a longitudinal axis during operation of the press without overstretching one side of the steel bands. First and second bands are guided, via driving drums and return drums, around a pressing ram and a pressing table, respectively. The steel bands are supported, with an adjustable pressing gap, on a plurality of co-rotating steel rods which are guided, with their axes of rotation extending transversely to the direction of travel of the bands, against abutment lugs of the table and the pressing ram. The axis of at least one of the drums is altered in a first direction through an angle .beta.. The altering step comprises the steps of temporarily relieving pressure in short-stroke pressure cylinders which are located on one longitudinal side of a high-pressure region of the press, and then applying a pressure which opposes the pressure imposed by the pressure cylinders and overcomes the pressures imposed by those of the pressure cylinders which are located on the one longitudinal side, thus adjusting the position of the one longitudinal side and altering the axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and a device for guiding steel bands about the longitudinal axis of a continuously working press for the production of particle boards, fiber boards, and plywood boards. More particularly, the claimed invention relates to such a press in which first and second bands are guided, via driving drums and return drums, around a pressing ram and a pressing table, respectively, and are supported on a plurality of co-rotating rods with an adjusting pressing gap therebetween.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In heated-plate presses of this type, the pressing ram and the press table consist merely of web plates and transverse ribs connecting these web plates (see, for example, DE-A1-3,149,243, and DE-A1-3,702,995 the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference). In this type of press, a plurality of web plates having transverse ribs are welded together to form individual spars which, in turn, by virtue of their arrangement next to one another and their attachment of heated plates, constitute the length of the pressing ram and the pressing table and thus of the heated-plate press. The lugs or projections protruding from the web plates on the left and on the right act as abutments for the tension frame press uprights in order to lift and lower the pressing ram. In addition, short-stroke pressing cylinder/piston arrangements are arranged between the upper crossheads and the lugs of the pressing ram.
The practical use of continuous presses, whether hydrostatic or rolling supports having rolling rods are employed, has shown that with the provision of increasingly long presses in order to achieve greater outputs, it is no longer possible to ensure the necessary steel-band control. The limit is a press length of about 28 m. With increasing lengths up to 40 m and more slight disruptions occur, for example:
a) disruptions caused by lubricating the steel bands and rolling rods; and
b) disruptions arising in the event of uneven bulk density distribution.
These disruptions have a disruptive effect on an on-line control of the press. Consequently, it is not always possible to guide the steel bands back into the center by an angular adjustment of the driving drum axes and the return drum axes in accordance with the prior art centering techniques. In the heated-plate region of the press, and in particular in the first one-third of the high-pressure zone, the steel bands are firmly clamped as in a vise. On adjustment of the drum axes over the adjusting path, a somewhat greater elongation results in the intake region than in the clamped region, since in the intake region the steel band is not clamped. The same effect applies to the delivery end. The ratio of the clamped distance in the high pressure region of the increasingly long presses is thus more and more unfavorable in comparison to the intake and delivery sections. In order to avoid a one-sided overstretching of the steel bands on adjusting the course of the steel bands, the press has to be stopped and all the attendant disadvantages endured.

Maschinenfabrik J. Dieffenbacher GmbH & Co.


A front end loader tactical boom apparatus providing a means of penetrating walls for the purposes of gathering intelligence and the dispensation of suppression agents. The tactical boom apparatus my be readily assembled at a given site with varying boom lengths and attachments including a claw head equipped with a camera and a means for delivery of tear gas, flash grenades and the like.

The present invention relates to a front end loader attachment for use primarily in conjunction with utility skid steer loaders. More specifically, to such a front end loader attachment being comprised of a plurality of specifically designed tools which can be mounted to an outwardly extending boom and employed in a variety of differing situations all of which stem from the unique requirements of dealing with the threatening or dangerous situations faced by bomb squads, police force SWAT teams, certain military forces, and arson investigations teams.
In recent years the use of skid steer loaders has become very popular in many industries. Skid steer loaders are small vehicles, typically having four wheels or a pair of tracks, which steer the vehicle by varying the speed of each individual wheel or track. Due to the unique steering method, skid steers are easily maneuverable in tight quarters. Thus, skid steer loaders have proven to be very efficient and necessary in many work situations having limited space.
As skid steers have increased in popularity, manufacturers have found it profitable to make large numbers of attachments for the front of skid steer loaders. These attachments include snow blowers, sandbagging devices, log moving equipment, buckets, hole drilling equipment, and the like. The various attachments are limited only by the ability of the skid steers and the user's needs. However, a potential use for these skid steer loaders and their numerous attachments is in certain dangerous circumstances often encountered by members of the police force, some military personnel, and arson investigators.
One of the problems often encountered by these types of forces is the necessity of entering an enclosed building or other hidden area while lacking an exact knowledge of what, or who, is within that space. This problem has been dealt with in the past by the development of specialized tactics by which a group of highly trained individuals stormed the space. This process is completed by this force occupying and securing the space thereby removing or neutralizing any threat contained therein.
While this method of securing these hidden spaces has proven effective over time it is far from perfect. First, it places the members of the infiltration force at a relatively high degree of personal risk. No matter how highly trained such a group may be, unforeseen circumstances can, and sometimes do, lead to losses in the group's members mostly stemming from the lack of knowledge of what is actually contained within the hidden space. Additionally, in part due to the inherent dangers involved in this type of maneuver, the turn over in the individual members comprising the group is often quite high. This turn over can then lead to more mistakes being made during the interdiction process thereby increasing the risks to the participants. Finally, unnecessary collateral damage can also occur within the hidden space during the storming process. As above, the collateral losses are also mostly attributable to the lack of knowledge of exactly what and who is concealed within the space prior to the beginning of operations.
A number of solutions for these problems have been proffered with varying degree of success. Most of these deal with the introduction of a remote control vehicle equipped with a camera into the hidden space to provide a reconnaissance function. While this is an effective method of obtaining information it suffers from two primary drawbacks. The first is that such systems tend to be expensive both in the necessary equipment and in the specialized training necessary for its proper operation. This expense tends to make these systems impractical in all but a very few of the possible applications. Secondly, the remote vehicles used in these systems are very difficult to protect and are therefore subject to interference by those that are the intended subjects of the surveillance. Thus, the use of remote vehicles for the reconnaissance of hidden areas suffers from flaws which to date, make them impractical for the uses described above.
Additionally, other similar problems exist in many of the situations encountered by these types of forces including the need to form large breaches in walls to provide access to the area behind it, the placement of shaped charges against walls or doors to again breach these structures, the removal of reenforced gates or fences, or other similar operations. As with the situation described above, there are methods employed by these groups which allow these circumstances to be overcome. However, there is at this time no one tool or unified system available that provides a means by which these obstacles can be overcame. Instead, it is necessary to either overcome them with specialized tactics and human force or with equipment specially designed for each circumstance. In the former approach the lives of the participants of these exercises are placed at risk or the procurement and maintenance of the of the specialized equipment in the latter places an extreme burden on the governmental body involved.
The specialized situations described above provide an opportunity for the use of a skid steer loader (or other similar vehicles) to position a specially designed apparatus into such hidden areas, to breach a wall, or to tear down a fence or gate. Especially when these hidden areas are potentially highly dangerous containing threats from unknown sources and of unknown quantities or the nature of the job itself (breaching a wall) has inherent dangers. The use of such vehicles in this application would provide solutions to many of the problems described above in a cost effective manner and would require little if any additional training to be operated by the general population of the groups involved.
Therefore, from the above discussion it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide a method of obtaining information from a hidden space, to breach a wall, or to remove a reenforced section of fence or gate without subjecting the members of a special operations force to the dangers inherent in the forceful occupation of such an area. Additionally, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide such a mechanism that could be easily attached to the forward end of a common skid steer loader thereby allowing for its successful operation by any person obtaining the skill necessary to operate the skid steer. Further, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide such a mechanism that would allow for the remote removal of potentially dangerous material from a site that would allow for thorough investigation without endangering the operator. Still further, it can be seen that it would be desirable to provide such a mechanism which is equipped with an observational device such as a still or video camera which can be controlled from a remote location. Finally, it can also be seen that it would be desirable to provide such a mechanism which is capable of delivering suppression devices such as tear gas from a safe and remote position.

Front end loader tactical boom apparatus


A method and machine for transferring packets, whereby, as a continuous line of packets is fed in a first direction, the first packet in the line is transferred in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, while the line and the first packet continue travelling in the first direction; the first packet is subsequently conveyed in the second direction along an output path.

In automatic machines for transferring packets of cigarettes, a continuous line of packets of cigarettes is fed in a feed direction to a transfer station. The line of packets travelling in the feed direction is arrested when the lead packet, i.e. the first packet in the line, intercepts an end wall at the transfer station; at which point, the lead packet is transferred in a transfer direction substantially perpendicular to the feed direction to separate the lead packet from the line; and, once transferred, the lead packet is further conveyed along an output path. The above operations are obviously repeated for each packet occupying the lead position in the line.
In modern automatic machines, the line of packets is fed to the transfer station at relatively high speed to permit high output rates and prevent gaps forming between successive packets in the line. As a result, the lead packet contacts the end wall with fairly considerable force capable of damaging the lead packet. Moreover, as it is being fed in the transfer direction, the lead packet slides against the end wall, thus possibly undergoing further damage.

Method and machine for transferring packets


A navigation system includes a controller that compresses at least one of a plurality of information portions, each one of the plurality of information portions having a priority, wherein each of the at least one of the plurality of information portions is compressed based on its priority; and a transmitter that transmits the at least one compressed information portion to a navigation device. A navigation device includes a receiver that receives at least one of a plurality of information portions, each one of the plurality of information portions having a priority, wherein each of the at least one of the plurality of information portions is compressed based on its priority.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation system, user terminal, navigation device, and information recording method.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional navigation device, a current position of a vehicle is detected by means of GPS (global positioning system). At the same time, a vehicle direction is detected based on the vehicle's angular velocity detected by a gyro sensor. A map screen is formed on a display of a display section. A current position, a surrounding map, and the vehicle direction are indicated on the map screen. Therefore, an operator, can drive a vehicle following the current position, surrounding map and the vehicle direction indicated on the map screen.
If the driver sets a target destination and a search condition, a route from the current position up to the target destination is searched for based on the search condition. Then, the searched route is displayed on a search route display screen formed on the display or audibly output by an audio output section communicate. Therefore, the driver can drive a vehicle along the searched route.
The navigation device includes a communication section, and is capable of receiving traffic information, for example, congestion information through the communication section and displaying the received congestion information on the map screen.
A navigation system has been proposed in which the user transmits route guidance data to the navigation device before the user operates the vehicle. When the user operates the vehicle and starts driving, the route guidance can start following the transmission of the route guidance data (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 6-243395). In this case, the route guidance data is obtained by operating a personal computer at a home or in an office to input, for example, a target destination and/or search condition and route guidance data is transmitted to the navigation device while the vehicle is parked.
However, according to this conventional navigation device, if a time necessary for transmitting the route guidance data to the navigation device (hereinafter referred to as "required communication time") is long, the navigation device needs to be turned on during that period. Therefore, electric power consumed by the navigation device is increased and a load applied to a battery mounted on the vehicle is increased tremendously.

Navigation system, user terminal, navigation device, and information recording method


A casing of a hedge clipper which is a portable tool is provided with a power source housing in which an electric motor is housed and a main handle held by a worker, and blades serving as a tip tool are provided to the casing. An operation display panel is provided on the main handle, and a driving information display unit which displays a battery remaining capacity and a rotation speed of an electric motor as a plurality of pieces of driving information is provided on the operation display panel. The selection of the information to be displayed is switched by the operation of an operation switch unit provided in the operation display panel.

A portable tool in which a tip tool is driven by a power source such as an electric motor includes a hedge clipper, a round saw, a driver, an impact driver, a hammer, a hammer drill, a jigsaw, a grinder, a blower and others. The hedge clipper has a pair of blades as a tip tool and is used for pruning the branches and leaves of shrubs and trees, and it is also referred to as a hedge trimmer. The round saw has a disk saw blade as a tip tool and is used for cutting workpieces and milling grooves. The driver has a driver bit as a tip tool and is used for turning screws such as bolts and nuts. A type of driver which is designed to apply an impact force to a tip tool is referred to as an impact driver, an impact wrench or a hammer drill. The jigsaw has a reciprocating saw blade as a tip tool and is used for making a curve cut or a straight cut on a processed object. The grinder has a grind stone as a tip tool and is used for polishing and grinding workpieces. The blower is used for propelling air out of a nozzle to collect withered leaves and others.
A portable tool using an electric motor as a driving source and having a battery pack for supplying power to the electric motor is provided with an operation display panel for displaying driving information such as remaining capacity of the battery pack. In the case where a speed of an electric motor corresponding to a speed of a tip tool and the like other than the remaining capacity of the battery pack are displayed as driving information on an operation display unit, a switch operated when the remaining capacity of the battery pack is displayed by lighting on a capacity display unit and a switch operated when other information is displayed by lighting are separately provided on an operation display panel.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-229763 describes portable tools such as a round saw, a hammer drill, and a jigsaw in which a tip tool is driven by power supplied from a battery pack. On an operation display panel unit of the round saw, a switch operated when a remaining capacity of a battery pack is displayed by lighting on a capacity display unit and a switch operated when life of a brush of an electric motor is displayed by lighting on a life display unit are separately provided.
As described above, when a plurality of switches for displaying mutually different functions are separately provided on an operation display panel unit of a portable tool, the operation display panel unit has to be enlarged. Further, when a plurality of display units for displaying mutually different functions are separately provided on an operation display panel unit, the operation display panel unit has to be enlarged.
If the operation display panel unit is enlarged, a worker is required to select and operate a specific switch from among a plurality of switches provided on a large operation panel unit for displaying a specific function, and a problem in operability arises. Further, since a control board on which the large operation display panel unit is attached also has to be enlarged, the number of component parts is increased, so that the portable tool is enlarged in size and the manufacturing cost thereof is increased.
An object of the present invention is to provide a portable tool capable of improving the operability thereof.