A digital servo control loop for a disk drive head position actuator implements a multi-rate notch filter in order to eliminate actuator resonances at frequencies above the sampling rate Nyquist frequency. The control loop includes circuitry responsive to the periodic digital position values sampled from embedded servo sectors which generates and puts out digital control values at the predetermined sampling rate for controlling the position of the actuator means. A digital multi-rate notch filter receives and filters the digital control values, and generates and puts out notch filtered digital control values to the actuator means at a rate comprising an integral multiple of the predetermined sampling rate.

One known way to realize a low cost, yet high performance, disk drive is to provide a head positioner servo control loop which operates upon positional samples periodically read by the head from servo sectors embedded within concentric data tracks formed on an adjacent rotating data storage surface over which the head is presently passing. In this example, cost savings are realized by avoidance of a dedicated servo data surface, servo transducer and dedicated servo data detection channel in the disk drive.
During track seeking operations, position information is sampled from the sectors as the head moves from a departure track to a destination track. During track following operations, successive servo samples are taken from the servo sectors of a single data track being followed by the head under servo loop control. The sampled positional information is then compared by the digital servo control system with predicted positional location, and any deviation or error results in a correction current applied to a voice coil actuator and resultant corrective movement of the head-carrying actuator structure.
Increasingly, sampled servo head positioners are implemented with digital signal processing techniques. One known technique is to employ state estimation techniques for estimating parameters of the head positioning process. One example of this approach is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,103 to Workman entitled: "Digital Servo Control System for a Data Recording Disk File". The Workman patent discloses a digital servo control system implemented with a microprocessor. The system receives a digital head position error signal and a digital signal corresponding to the head actuator current. The system responds to these inputs by generating and putting out a digital control signal which is converted to analog and amplified before being applied to drive the actuator. The control signal is calculated from estimated values of absolute head position, head velocity and an equivalent actuator current required to compensate for constant or very low frequency actuator bias forces. The estimated head position, velocity and acceleration for each digital sample are functions of the predicted head position, velocity and acceleration, the measured head position, and the measured actuator coil current. These predicted values are updated with each sample and are derived from functions based upon a physical model of the voice coil actuator structure, taking into account its rotary inertia, friction, etc.
In the implementation of this digital approach, a considerable number of calculational steps must be carried out in a processing interval related to the servo sample interval. For example, the method described by the Workman '103 patent involves the following digital processing steps for each servo error signal sample:
1. generating from the servo information a sampled head position error signal representative of the position of the head relative to a centerline of the nearest track;
2. estimating the absolute head position relative to a reference, and estimating the head's radial velocity;
3. estimating the equivalent actuator input signal required to compensate for bias forces acting upon the actuator structure;
4. measuring the actuator input current;
5. computing a commanded head velocity as a function of the distance from the estimated absolute head position to the destination head position at a target track;
6. estimating the head radial acceleration as a function of the measured actuator current and the estimated bias force;
7. generating a control signal as a function of the head velocity error, the estimated head acceleration and the control signal generated for the prior servo error signal sample; and applying the control signal via a digital to analog converter to an actuator power amplifier which powers the actuator coil;
8. storing the estimated absolute head position, the estimated head velocity, the estimated bias force equivalent actuator input current, the measured actuator coil current, and the control sample;
9. predicting the absolute head position and the head velocity as functions of prior control signals, the prior estimated absolute head position, the prior estimated head velocity, the prior estimated bias force equivalent actuator input current, and constraints representative of a physical model of the actuator structure, the predicted absolute head position and velocity for each servo error signal sample being used during the step of estimating the absolute head position and head velocity for the subsequent error signal sample; and
10. predicting the bias force equivalent actuator input signal as a function of the prior estimated bias force actuator input current, the predicted bias force equivalent actuator input current for each servo error signal sample being used during the step of estimating the bias force equivalent actuator input current for the subsequent servo error signal sample.
This process also typically includes digital notch filtering steps for filtering out any resonances in the actuator structure in order to stabilize the servo control loop. As is suggested by this extensive list of required steps, a considerable amount of computation and related data manipulation is required to implement the Workman method. Further elaboration and practical design examples of digital control theory applicable to servo control of head positioning in disk files are found in Franklin, Powell and Workman, Digital Control of Dynamic Systems, 2d Ed., Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, New York, N.Y. .RTM.1990, especially at pp 703-775: "Case Design: Disk-Drive Servo".
One performance improvement in the state estimator proposed in the Workman '103 patent (as it may be applied to embedded sector servo disk drives) is suggested in a paper by Wen-Wei Chiang, entitled: "Multirate State-Space digital controller for Sector Servo Systems", IEEE Proc. 29th Conf on Decision and Control. Honolulu, Hi. December 1990, pp. 1902-1907. This paper projects improvements in servo performance when the digital state estimator is made to operate at a rate which is an integer multiple (e.g. 2, 3, or 4 times) of the sector servo sample rate, so that the state feedback control of the actuator current may be computed and updated more frequently. One example of a practical disk drive design employing a multirate digital servo loop is provided in the present inventor's commonly assigned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/954,557, filed on Sept. 30, 1992, and entitled: "Disk Drive Having On-Board Digital Sampling Analyzer"; the disclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference.
From the foregoing, it is immediately apparent that the digital signal processor must inherently have sufficient processing power to carry out all of the process steps outlined above in multiple iterations within a single servo sampling interval. From a practical point of view, a multirate servo control process requires a high clock speed digital processor dedicated solely to making the computations and related data manipulations required to provide more frequent control signal updates. The significant signal processing capability required to realize a multirate servo loop may not be practical in lower cost disk drive designs which e.g. employ a single, multitasked digital microprocessor which divides its time between servo control functions and other functions such as supervision of data transfers and host-disk communications.
As suggested above, every servo actuator structure manifests a mechanical resonance at some frequency or frequencies. These vibrational modes, unless accounted for in the servo control design, can result in servo control loop instabilities. One known way to reduce the adverse effects of actuator resonance is to provide a notch filter in the servo control loop centered at the resonance frequency. A recent example of an analog notch filter providing some adjustability within a disk drive is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,806.
It is known that in a discrete time domain (sampling) system, the system control transfer function manifests a minimum value at the sampling frequency. This characteristic has been proposed for use as a notch filter function in a head position servo control loop in order to filter out head actuator resonance, see, e.g., Bauck U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,228 entitled "Method of Avoiding Resonance in Servo Controlled Apparatus". One apparent drawback of this approach is that the sampling frequency must be chosen strictly in relation to the mechanical resonance of the actuator. Such a selection may not be optimum, given other design constraints. For example, when the actuator structure is varied, as by changing the number of disks/heads in the drive, a different sampling frequency and different overall servo control loop design would be required, even within the same product family design. Another inherent drawback is the inability of the Bauck servo loop to sense and respond to e.g. seek arrival transients occurring at the sample frequency and resulting in off-track data writing operations.
It is also understood that in order to avoid spectral aliasing in a discrete servo control system, it is necessary to apply filtering at a frequency not in excess of one half of the servo sample and control frequency. The half-frequency limit in the sampling control system is known as the Nyquist frequency. In a given actuator design, while the mechanical resonant frequency may lie above the Nyquist frequency, it will appear as an alias in the control spectrum below the Nyquist limit. When a conventional notch filter is applied at the lower alias frequency, the notch filter desensitizes the control system to any tracking errors otherwise lying in the notched-out frequency spectrum. In addition, a low notch frequency may lie dangerously close to the servo loop crossover frequency, and result in degradation of control loop phase margin. What has heretofore been needed has been a notch filter which effectively operates to null out a resonance or disturbance at a frequency above the Nyquist frequency limit of the servo signal sample rate.

Digital multi-rate notch filter for sampled servo digital control system


A driver amplifier operative from a single DC voltage supply, coupled directly to the output load without the need for DC coupling capacitors used for preventing DC reaching the output load. An onboard power supply generates a negative voltage rail that powers the output amplifiers, allowing driver amplifier operation from both positive and negative rails. Since the amplifiers can be biased at ground potential (0 volts), no significant DC voltage exists across the load and the need for DC coupling capacitors is eliminated.

Direct drive amplifiers are used in a variety of applications. These include a host of applications where miniaturization is important, such as video and audio applications. The following background discussion focuses on prior art related to headphones, but the limitations described below are common to all prior art direct drive amplifiers. In particular, prior art direct drive amplifiers that operate from a single power supply require series output capacitors or other costly and space inefficient schemes.
PRIOR ART FIG. 1A illustrates a typical headphone connectivity diagram 8. The right headphone lead 12 and the left headphone lead 14 couple to the right and left headphone speakers respectively represented here by a headphone load 10 to the rest of the system. Each headphone load 10 as well as the overall system is connected to a common ground 16.
PRIOR ART FIG. 1B illustrates a prior art stereo headphones system 11 using a 3-way "jack socket" design for connecting a pair of headphones to a stereo system. As shown in FIG. 1B, the 3-way jack-socket design 11 is made of three electrically isolated portions 22, 26, and 28, dividers 24 and 29, and a body 23. The design of the 3-way jack socket allows for the use of a single jack socket 11 to connect a pair of headphones via the leads 12 and 14 and the common ground lead 16. As illustrated herein PRIOR ART FIG. 1A, the 3-way jack-socket system 11 includes the tip 22, which couples the left headphone speaker to the stereo system via the lead 12. Similarly, the middle portion 28 of the jack socket 23 couples the right headphone speaker to the stereo system via the lead 14. A rear portion 26 of the jack socket 23 connects the common return for the left and the right headphones to a common ground 16 that may be connected to the stereo system chassis to form a common ground. Dividers 24 and 29 electrically isolate from each other, the various electrically charged portions 22, 26 and 28 of the 3-way jack-socket.
Each headphone may be represented by a resistive headphone load to be driven by the incoming signals. Typical value for the resistive load of a headphone speaker is in 16 to 32Ω (ohm) range.
PRIOR ART FIG. 2 illustrates a typical headphone driver amplifier circuit 30. The headphone driver amplifier circuit 30 includes a pair of headphone amplifiers 32 and 34, a pair of DC coupling capacitors 40 and 42, and a pair of outputs leads 12 and 14 connecting the headphone amplifiers to the headphone speakers represented by the headphone load 10.
As shown in PRIOR ART FIG. 2, the incoming (driving) signals are amplified before reaching each headphone. In the cases where the headphones are used with portable electronic devices such as portable cassette players or portable CD players, a single positive power supply such as a battery is the only source of power. In a typical portable device, headphone driver amplifiers are from a single supply (e.g. a 5 volts or 3.3 volts battery). In order to accurately reflect the incoming signals amplified by the headphone amplifiers 32 and 34, the outputs of the headphone amplifiers 32 and 34 are biased at mid-rail (VDD/2) allowing for the generation of both positive and negative going signals without clipping. As a result, the output of the amplifiers 32 and 34 are at a higher DC voltage with respect to ground.
In order to prevent high currents from flowing through the headphones and having the headphones in a continuously on state, direct current (DC) coupling capacitors such as 40 and 42 are inserted in series with the output of the amplifiers 32 and 34, in order to prevent a DC current from reaching the headphones. The DC coupling capacitors 40 and 42 act as a high pass filter preventing DC and very low frequency signals from reaching the headphones. In order to reproduce low frequency input signals into the 16-32Ω (ohm) load of a typical headphone, the value of these DC coupling capacitors needs to be in the 100-470 μF (micro Farad) range. However, the physical size of a 100-470 μF capacitor is prohibitively large and prevents miniaturization of the headphone circuitry. The physical size and cost of these DC blocking capacitors 40 and 42 is of a greater importance in the design of portable equipment and therefore implementing an amplifier topology that either completely eliminates the DC blocking capacitors or reduces their value and size is desirable.
Returning to PRIOR ART FIG. 2, the incoming signal I is input to the two power amplifiers 32 and 34. In order to generate positive and negative going incoming signals without signal clipping, the amplifiers 32 and 34 are typically biased at mid-rail (VDD/2), and thus the positive and negative power supply terminals of the two amplifiers 32 and 34 are connected to the positive power supply VDD and ground (VSS) respectively. As a result, the outputs 36 and 38 of the input amplifier 32 and 34 need to be coupled to the left and right headphones through DC blocking capacitors 40 and 42 respectively. As previously discussed, in order to reproduce low frequencies into the typical 16 to 32 ohm headphones, the size of the DC blocking capacitors has to be in 100 to 470 μF range. The physical dimensions for these internal capacitors is very large and the size prevents the much desired miniaturization of the headphone driver amplifier circuit 30.
PRIOR ART FIG. 3 illustrates one prior art solution eliminating the need for DC coupling capacitors. A prior art driver amplifier circuit 43 includes a pair of headphone amplifiers 32 and 34 directly coupled to a headphone load 10 through a pair of leads 36 and 38, and a third amplifier 44 connected to the headphone load 10 via the lead 16. The headphone load 10 (representing the headphones) is biased between ground (GND) and the supply voltage VDD. With both headphone amplifiers biased to approximately the same DC value, very little DC current flows through the headphones, and the third amplifier sinks or sources current as necessary. Although the circuit depicted in PRIOR ART FIG. 3 eliminates the need for large DC coupling capacitors, this system has the disadvantage of having a common return 16 that must now be isolated from the equipment chassis since it has a DC voltage on it. This isolation introduces additional problems such as possible circuit damage if the electrical isolation of the common return from the rest of the system fails.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a direct drive amplifier system that operates from a single voltage supply, and which does not require the usual large DC coupling capacitors or need the physical isolation of the common return of the amplifier.


A system and method of identifying a source of a software distribution between portable computer systems. A user of a first hand held computer may transfer software, for example operating system extensions, application programs and data sets etc. to a second hand held computer. This transfer may occur wirelessly. An identification token which may identify the source of the software distribution may also be transferred, and further transferred from the second hand held computer to an “e commerce” web site in an automatic manner. In this novel manner, the sources of software distribution of respective files among many hand held computer users, may be identified to the website. This may result in wider distribution of both information about available software and the software itself, and a multi-order multiplication of economic effects in the hand held industry, while overcoming many deficiencies in the prior art of software distribution for hand held computers.

The success of the hand held computer has resulted in an explosion of available software programs for use on hand held computers. For example, Palm, Inc. reports that over 11,000 commercial software applications are available for use on hand held computer systems running the Palm operating system. These applications are available from a large number of different sources.
Unfortunately, finding a particular application program to fit one's needs can be an arduous process. Typically, a user may access, via a web browser on a desktop computer, a website devoted to hand held application software. A search engine with access to information on some of the 11,000 application titles may help a user to narrow the available choices based on various criteria. If the user discovers an interesting application, he or she may select to preview a trial or demonstration version of the program. However, using this software distribution channel has drawbacks. Firstly, it is difficult to locate the desired software through the vast amount of titles offered. Secondly, the download and synchronization process can be challenging to novice users and involves an intermediate desk top computer system.
Generally, the program files may be downloaded from the website to the user's desktop computer. If the user has all of the appropriate software (e.g., expansion utilities and synchronization software) installed on the desktop computer, the application program files may be scheduled to load at the next synchronization session between the desktop computer and the hand held computer.
The user generally must then synchronize the desktop computer and the hand held computer. As a part of this process, the application program files may be transferred to the hand held computer. Importantly, the synchronization process is general, and typically transfers a wide variety and vast amount of information between the two computer systems. The information transferred is not limited to the application program files, but may also include, for example, data such as address list and date book entries that have changed on either system since the last synchronization. Consequently, the synchronization session may take longer than would be required simply to transfer the application program files.
The requirement of the desktop computer system in this scenario places numerous obstacles in the path between a user wanting a function and an application program which may provide for those needs. First, the desktop computer must have the appropriate software installed and operational (e.g., web browser, synchronization software, expansion software, web connectivity). Secondly, the desktop computer must be connected to the internet. For the majority of users, this remains a relatively slow dialup connection. The speed of the connection may serve to impede a user's acceptance of this process. Additionally, downloading software from the internet and installing it onto a hand held computer is not presently an automated process. A user must manually control a number of steps to perform this task, which is a barrier to many users. Further, the shear number of applications competing for exposure makes it difficult to find the "good" ones.
Moreover, retail sale of software for hand held computers does not always apply or is not always effective because software for hand held computers tends to be a relatively low priced product. A retail market must change a high mark-up on software to cover the retail overhead. As a result, retailers usually don't have the motivation to reserve valuable shelf space for low priced software for hand held computers.

Method of software distribution among hand held computers via file sharing with link references to a web site for complete software versions


In one embodiment, a method for processing an e-mail message addressed to an e-mail client is disclosed. The method comprises receiving at a mail server an e-mail message addressed to the e-mail client, the e-mail message including an attachment which is characterized by a size; reducing the size of the attachment to create a reduced size attachment; preparing a formatted message, which includes the reduced size attachment and a link to the attachment, wherein the attachment is downloadable from the mail server using the link; and delivering the formatted message to the e-mail client for display on a computational device.

Currently, most computer users (hereinafter also referred to as "users") receive e-mail messages through a connection between a computer and an e-mail server. The e-mail server holds the received e-mail messages for the user, and may be installed at as ISP (Internet Service Provider), for example. Such servers usually operate according to the POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) protocol or alternatively according to the IMAP4 (Internet Message Access Protocol, version 4) protocol. The computer of the user must operate an e-mail client, which is a software program for communicating with the e-mail server in order to download the e-mail messages, and then for displaying these e-mail messages to the user. The e-mail client communicates with the e-mail server according to the POP3 or IMAP4 protocol for receiving e-mail messages, and SMTP (Simple Message Transfer Protocol) for sending (or forwarding) e-mail messages.
The e-mail messages are typically encoded in the standard MIME multi-part message format, which enables the message to optionally also include one or more attachments, for example. Each part of the multi-part message may be separately and differently encoded, for example for plain text messages, as opposed to attached word processing documents, image files, video data, audio data and so forth. Such a multi-part message may be very large because of the size of the attachment(s).
Unfortunately, the e-mail client currently downloads the entire multi-part e-mail message when connected to the e-mail server for receiving messages. Since such a multi-part message may be very large, the process of downloading each message may require a significant period of time. Furthermore, the user cannot view each message with attachment(s) if any, until the entire message has been downloaded. If the computer of the user is connected to the e-mail server through a relatively slow, low bandwidth connection, such as a dial-up modem for example, then this process can be frustratingly slow.
The process is further slowed by the requirement for encoding the attachments in BASE64, in order to prevent the exposure of any control characters in the attachments to any servers which pass the e-mail message through the Internet. The BASE64 encoding method represents every 24 bits of the attachment with 32 bits, thereby increasing the size of the encoded attachments by about one third. Thus, the currently available mechanism for downloading e-mail messages clearly has a number of drawbacks.
An improved solution to this problem would enable the user to review e-mail messages before downloading them, or at least before downloading the complete multi-part message with attachment(s), as text-only e-mail messages are relatively small and quick to download. The user would still be able to download attachments of interest. In addition, the improved solution would provide for a streaming process for downloading e-mail attachments, in order for the user to be able to view the e-mail message as it is being downloaded. Unfortunately, such a solution is not currently available.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A geography teaching apparatus has two working surfaces, such as on opposing sides of a substrate such as paper. The first working surface contains graphical images representing the outlines of countries, such as in a map of a continent. The second or opposing working surface contains graphical images which are identical in size and shape to the graphical images on the first surface, and are positioned in relative positions on the second surface which are identical to the relative positions of the graphical images on the first surface. The second surface also contains text such as the names of each of the countries shown and other information about the countries. Students study the second surface in an attempt to learn the textual information, and then turn the apparatus over to the first working surface and attempt to write down all the information they studied. The relatedness of the visual images reinforce the teaching process and improve memory retention.

The invention disclosed herein relates to a teaching apparatus and, in particular, to an apparatus for teaching geography which uses visual associations to help students remember geography.
Studies show that many Americans have a woefully inadequate knowledge of geography. Recent advances in computers and telecommunications have made it even more imperative for Americans to learn about their world and be familiar with the names and locations of countries and cities as well as various other information about the nations of the world and their lifestyles.
In this computerized age, students are increasingly becoming accustomed to learning through a highly visual and interactive environment. In fact, the use of visual images associated with textual information in an interactive environment, such as can be provided by a computer, is an effective method of helping students learn and remember facts. In addition, students tend to learn even more effectively when they are taught through games or other testing devices which challenge them and gauge their performance.
However, many schools are on tight budgets and can not afford to provide every student access to a computer. Also, it has been shown that writing words down allow for longer memory retention than simply clicking on a mouse to select an answer choice. Furthermore, computer programs, books, or atlases which are used to teach geography quickly become outdated in this fast-changing global environment. Therefore, a relatively inexpensive and easily replaceable mechanism is needed for teaching students geography. To the best of the inventor's knowledge, no such mechanism is currently commercially available. The present invention provides the heretofore missing geography teaching apparatus which provides students a fun, visually associative, interactive way of learning and memorizing geography, and which is relatively inexpensive and easily replaceable.


This invention relates to non-aqueous electrolytes, in particular, a non-aqueous electrolyte for lithium-ion secondary batteries. The electrolyte comprises regular organic solvents and electrolyte saline. The special characteristics are: the electrolyte also comprises mixed additives, said mixed additives comprising at least one of those of compound group A, at least one of those of compound group B, and one of those of compound group C wherein: compound group A are selected from inorganic saline including Li2CO3, Li2SO4, Li2SO3, LiNO3; compound group B are selected from vinylene carbonate, propylene carbonate; and compound group C are selected from ES, PS, DMS, DES, DMSO. The weight ratio can be A:B:C=0.1%-3.0%:0.5%-4.0%:1.0%-5.0%.

As the demand for lithium-ion batteries increases, the requirement for the technology is higher as well, such that the batteries manufactured can have greater energy density and better electrochemical properties to meet the market demand. Here, enhancing the capacity of the lithium-ion batteries, their cycling performance, and the electrochemical properties at high and low temperatures is the trend for current and future technical improvements of the batteries.
Adding additives to the electrolyte to improve the properties of lithium-ion secondary batteries has been a research emphasis during the recent years. Since the SEI membrane (formed in the reactions between active matters and the electrolyte during the initial charging process) can suppress solvent from co-intercalating into the graphite and has no negative effects on the transmission of Li+, the characteristics of the additives are important factors in affecting the properties of a battery. Thus they have become an emphasis and focus for research. Currently, quite a few property-improving additives optimize the SEI membrane. For example, U.S. Patent 2004091786 discloses that by adding propylene sulfite (PS), a stable SEI membrane can be formed on the surface of the carbon negative electrode. This membrane will not break at high temperatures, blocks the reaction between the electrolyte and the negative electrode, restricts the creation of gases, and improves properties at high temperatures. A. Naji has discovered that by adding ethyl sulfite (ES) in a propylene carbonate (PC) electrolyte system, the co-intercalation phenomenon of PC in graphite is suppressed (see Electrochim. 2000, (145):1893). Chinese Patent CN1260850 discloses that by adding ES, the cycle life of batteries is improved. In addition, inorganic membrane-forming additives including carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide can improve certain aspects of the properties of batteries. Many different researches show that by adding vinylene carbonate (VC), a passivation film can be formed on the surface of electrodes. The reduction potential of VC is higher than that of the solvents including ethylene carbonatediethyl carbonate (EC), PC, diethyl carbonate (DEC), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), etc. Thus VC can be reduced first on a carbon negative electrode and forms stable SEI membrane, thereby improving the stability of a battery in the cycle process, especially the stability at high temperatures (see J. Electrochem. Soc., 2001, 148:1341˜1345). U.S. Patent 2004062995 discloses that by adding VC, a surface film can be formed, thereby preventing the dissolution of electrolyte and improving the cycle life.
Although by merely adding the above additives, the properties of the batteries can be improved to a certain degree, but the effect is not very distinctive. Often, a certain property is improved and the others are not affected. Since the additives are often costly, and some of the additives are used in a large amount when it is used by itself, the costs are greatly increased. As the market and customers increase their demand for high capacity and usability properties in different operating conditions, the industry is pushed for better products. Therefore, it is distinctively important to find an additive with good overall properties, or a combination of additives which can improve various properties of batteries. In addition, it is important that the cost of the additives must be within an acceptable range.


An apparatus comprising:                at least one processor; and        at least one memory including computer program code,        the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:        identify a preferential use setting of a communications device, the preferential use setting being associated with a remote contact, or with a use pattern of the communications device, and being configured to provide a supplementary communication function during communications; and        automatically activate the identified preferential use setting of the communications device when the communications device is used to communicate with the associated remote contact, or to communicate in accordance with the associated use pattern of the communications device.

Electronic devices may be configured to allow communication, such as audio communication, with other electronic devices. Some electronic devices are configured to apply default settings when the communications are ongoing (e.g. volume of the speaker). These default settings affect the default behaviour of the electronic device.
The listing or discussion of a prior-published document or any background in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document or background is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge. One or more aspects/embodiments of the present disclosure may or may not address one or more of the background issues.

Communications devices, associated apparatus and methods


An in-circuit emulator (ICE) for hardware/software development and debugging microprocessors. Program execution reconstruction is extracted from an on-board cache memory. An external ICE enclosure interfaces to a target system microprocessor via a cable and a buffer/interface pod. A control program directs a non-intrusive emulation and a monitor program resides in a personal computer host and supports ICE commands. The monitor program allows a user to follow a target system's program flow, to capture related processor information, to make program modifications, and allows the user to restart programs. An on-line disassembler presents a display so as to allow the designer to examine memory, using instruction mnemonics rather than hexadecimal values, thus improving the designer's ability to read program memory. A bit trace buffer records the state of each the microprocessor's signals during each cycle of each instruction. Multiple breakpoints allow a system developer to control a program in ROM, as well as one resident in RAM. An external-range hardware breakpoint and up to sixteen software breakpoints are provided and these allow a designer to display, set and reset breakpoint addresses.

1. Field the Invention
The invention relates generally to microcomputer systems and more particularly to instruments that enable the development and debugging of the hardware and software in target machines by the emulation and control of the target CPU within the target environment.
2. Description the Prior Art
In circuit emulation (ICE) of microcomputers for target system development is popular and well known in the microcomputer system industry. ICE development tools have been available for several years from Step Engineering (Sunnyvale, Calif.), Intel Corporation (Santa Clara, Calif.), Motorola Microsystems (Tempe, Ariz.), and others.
Microprocessor chips are complex devices requiring that both their hardware and software environments to be near perfect for proper operation. When a new microcomputer chip is first introduced, for example the i960 RISC processor by Intel or the 68040 CISC processor by Motorola, compatible hardware and software target environments do not exist and must be developed rapidly. This poses some difficulty because the timing is such that this coincides with a time when expertise in those particular environments is low. Since the chip is new, a very limited number of engineers have any direct experience with it. The job of designing a new system that uses the latest microprocessor is extremely difficult and often paces the ability of a manufacturer to compete effectively in its respective market. ICE system tools help get new designs off the ground by allowing incremental hardware and software development and a convenient cross-assembler and downloading mechanism for target object modules.
As the microprocessor art has advanced, clock speeds have become relatively faster and word widths wider. An early ICE from Intel, sold as the MDS ICE-85 in the late 1970s, had an eight-bit data width and a five-megahertz clock. In the 1990s, data widths of 32 bits are routine, and clock speeds around 50 MHz. Initially, target processors could be relocated in the ICE and attached to the target system via an umbilical of woven or twisted wires. When clock speeds got too high for this, the target processors were left in the target systems, and had adaptors that plugged between the target processor and the target system to intercept and/or sense key signals. These signals were then buffered by a buffer box located at the target end of a cable extending back to the main unit of the ICE. Most flat cables do not work well at high speeds and some attempts were made to use coaxial cables. But with over 100 signals to communicate, use of coax cables is not practical. A few systems use flexible printed circuits with buried ground planes to interconnect the main chassis of an ICE system umbilically to its target processor buffer box. These prior art systems suffer from poor mechanical and electrical transitions between the processor and the flex, the flex and the buffer box, and the flex between the main chassis and the buffer box.
Wider data and address widths have also caused a competition between data, address, and control signals and processor status for pinouts in the device package. System designers decoded these pins to track program execution in real-time. Internal cache memories have fundamentally obfuscated the visibility system designers once had into the internal operations of a microprocessor. For those reasons, microprocessor manufacturers have produced special "bond-out" chips that resemble the standard versions of their respective parts, but the bond-outs have special pins, and sometimes whole buses, that give a system developer some visibility into the internal workings of the processor (and inside the cache). The view, however, is not as clear as one would hope for, and special devices and programs are needed to decode and give meaning to the hints provided at the special bond-out interfaces.

High speed microcomputer in-circuit emulator


An image projection apparatus includes a light source configured to cause a light-emitting material to emit light by an electric discharge between a pair of electrodes; an image forming unit configured to form an image by modulating intensity of the light emitted from the light source; a receiving unit configured to receive a power-off input that triggers stopping power supply to the image projection apparatus; and an electric-power control unit configured to increase electric power supplied to the electrodes before stopping power supply to the image projection apparatus when the receiving unit receives the power-off input.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates an image projection apparatus, a method for controlling the image projection apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
High-pressure mercury-vapor lamps are widely used as light sources for projectors. The high-pressure mercury-vapor lamp causes vaporized mercury (light-emitting material) sealed in an arc tube to emit light by utilizing an arc discharge between a pair of electrodes arranged in the arc tube. When the projector is powered off, the vaporized mercury returns to its liquid state. However, liquid mercury can stick to the pair of electrodes in this process, resulting in undesirable short circuit between the electrodes. This phenomenon, referred to as "mercury bridging", can be a cause of failure of the projector to light up.
Mercury bridging occurs due to the following two properties: 1) liquefied mercury is likely to stick to a low-temperature portion; and 2) because the electrode unit is more prone to temperature change than the inner bulb unit (arc tube), the temperature of the electrode unit is likely to be lower than the temperature of the inner bulb unit after the projector is powered off. In particular, there is correlation between the temperature of the electrodes and lamp power (electric power supplied to the electrodes). Accordingly, when the projector is powered off in a state where the lamp power is low, difference in temperature between the electrodes and the inner bulb unit widens, and probability of occurrence of mercury bridging increases by leaps. There are conventionally-known techniques that lessen the probability of occurrence of mercury bridging by narrowing the temperature difference between the electrodes and the inner bulb unit by applying after-cooling. The after-cooling is, more specifically, continuing cooling the lamp over a predetermined period of time even after the projector is powered off. For example, Japanese Patent No. 4070420 discloses a technique for preventing mercury bridging at power-off of a projector by powering off the projector after maintaining a lamp-power-low state for a predetermined period of time.
However, a cooling fan keeps rotating in the projector that needs the after-cooling even after a user that has completed a projector job powers off the projector to put it away. Therefore, the projector is disadvantageous in the following ways: the user cannot put away the projector immediately; noise of the fan interferes with conversation; and the user can mistake the after-cooling as a failure and make a customer complaint. Although the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4070420 does not require after-cooling, this technique maintains the lamp power in the low state until the temperature of the inner bulb unit drops to the boiling point of mercury or lower. Accordingly, this technique is disadvantageous in that the projector is not brought to a complete stop immediately after the projector is powered off, and, furthermore, the projector cannot be put away immediately because it takes long time for the temperature of the inner bulb unit to drop to the boiling point of mercury or lower. Thus, the conventional techniques have sacrificed user's convenience.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an image projection apparatus capable of improving user's convenience, and a method for controlling the image projection apparatus.

Image projection apparatus, control method, and computer-readable storage medium


Delivering a page including a plurality of modules is disclosed. A plurality of candidate modules are selected. A corresponding module score for each of the modules in the plurality of candidate modules is evaluated. A plurality of modules is selected from the plurality of candidate modules to be displayed on a page. The position of each module on the page is based at least in part on that module's module score.

In addition to traditional text-based content, users are increasingly seeking out other forms of relevant content, such as images, videos, and maps. One way that entities such as search companies determine what types of results to provide is to construct whitelists. If the query provided by the user includes a term appearing on a whitelist, then results of the content type for which the whitelist was constructed will be among those returned. For example, a search company might manually maintain a list of celebrities, famous locations, and the names of other things that users might want images of. If a user includes a whitelisted term in a query (e.g., "Coliseum"), a mixture of image and text results will be provided. If the query does not include a word on the whitelist, only text results will be provided. Unfortunately, maintaining a whitelist is typically a cumbersome and error prone process. It is infeasible to list every possible concept in each of the appropriate whitelists. And, if no entry is included in the whitelist for a term, then no image results will be returned even if though relevant images may exist and be desirable to the user. Another approach is to maintain a list of several different content repositories (e.g., a text repository, a video repository, and a photograph repository) and whenever a query is received, to perform a search on each of those repositories. One problem with such an approach is that it requires the maintaining of and access to vast repositories of content. It is also potentially very inefficient. An additional problem with both approaches is that it can be difficult to arranges results of different content types.


A compressor with no moving parts in the traditional sense having a housing having an inlet end allowing a low pressure fluid to enter and an outlet end allowing a high pressure fluid to exit. Within the compressor housing is at least one compression stage to increase the pressure of the fluid within the housing. The compression stage has a quantity of magnetic powder within the housing, is supported by a screen that allows passage of the fluid, and a coil for selectively providing a magnetic field across the magnetic powder such that when the magnetic field is not present the individual particles of the powder are separated allowing the fluid to flow through the powder and when the magnetic field is present the individual particles of the powder pack together causing the powder mass to expand preventing the fluid from flowing through the powder and causing a pressure pulse to compress the fluid.

Compressors are used to increase the pressure of a wide variety of gases and vapors for a multitude of purposes. A common application is the air compressor used to supply high-pressure air for conveying, paint spraying, tire inflating, cleaning, pneumatic tools, and rock drills. The refrigeration compressor is used to compress the gas formed in the evaporator. Other applications of compressors include chemical processing, gas transmission, gas turbines and construction.
Compressors can be classified as reciprocating, rotary, jet, centrifugal, or axial-flow, depending on the mechanical means used to produce compression of the fluid, or as positive-displacement or dynamic-type, depending on how the mechanical elements act on the fluid to be compressed. Positive displacement compressors confine successive volumes of fluid within a closed space in which the pressure of the fluid is increased as the volume of the closed space is decreased. Dynamic-type compressors use rotating vanes or impellers to impart velocity and pressure to the fluid.
New compressors under development include an oilless compressor for Joule-Thompson cryocoolers. Existing high-pressure compressors use oil as a lubricant and to remove heat, but the result is a waste-effluent problem and possible contamination that could clog the Joule-Thompson restrictor. Also under development is a magneto hydrodynamic compressor. The gas is compressed by a liquid gallium slug reciprocating in a narrow gap between the poles of a permanent magnet. An alternating current is fed through the gallium slug in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. The interaction between the current and the magnetic field generates a force on the slug normal to the plane formed by the current and field vectors. This force is aligned with the axis of the channel and causes the slug to reciprocate back and forth at the same frequency as the input current. The motion of the liquid gallium slug is used to compress the gas. Intake and discharge ducts are connected through check valves to both ends of the compressor channel. The purported advantages of the liquid gallium compressor are no contamination of the working fluid, high reliability, good efficiency, high pressure ratio capability, ease of vibration cancellation and small size and weight.
A new type of refrigerator compressor under development is a compressor that uses resonant sound waves. In a conventional refrigerator compressor, an oil-lubricated piston-and-cylinder device mechanically compresses refrigerant gas to produce cooling. In this new compressor, an acoustic drive, which functions somewhat like a bass loudspeaker, uses electrical power to set up resonant sound waves with pressure amplitudes up to 100 pounds per square inch. The sound waves then compress the refrigerant when they pass through a pair of high speed, 340-cycles-per-second, one way valves.
All of the above mentioned compressors have one serious drawback; they all contain moving parts, either pistons, valves, rotating vanes, etc. The present invention will go one step beyond the current compressor technology to eliminate moving parts in the traditional sense.

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


Molten matter is discharged from a cold crucible induction melting furnace provided with a furnace body disposed within a high-frequency coil for heating the furnace body. A metallic discharging nozzle extends downwardly from an inner bottom portion of the furnace body and can be electrically insulated from the furnace body. A high-frequency coil for heating the discharging nozzle is disposed around the nozzle. An electric circuit for removing high-frequency noise generated from the high-frequency coil for heating the furnace body is disposed in the high-frequency coil for heating the nozzle. High reliability and high controllability can be achieved without electric short-circuits between the furnace body and the nozzle and noise interference between the high-frequency coils.

This invention relates to a molten matter discharging apparatus for efficiently and reliably discharging molten matter formed inside a furnace when substances to be melted such as metals are induction-heated by using a cold crucible induction melting furnace.
A cold crucible induction melting furnace has a construction in which a divided, water-cooled metallic cold crucible is disposed inside a water-cooled high-frequency coil. When substances to be melted such as metals are charged into such melting furnace and a high-frequency current is supplied to the high-frequency coil, the metals are induction-heated and are converted to molten matter. In this instance, a floating force acts on the molten matter itself due to an electromagnetic field, and the molten matter does not come into direct contact with a furnace body of the melting furnace. Therefore, such induction melting furnace has the capability that materials having high melting points can be melted and erosion of the furnace body by the molten matter scarcely occurs. Furthermore, because the furnace body itself is cooled with water, high temperature melting of the substances to be melted can be achieved without being limited by the heat-resistant temperature of the furnace body. For these reasons, the cold crucible induction melting furnace has been utilized at present for melting special metals in the iron and steel industry.
On the other hand, a method for collectively and conveniently melting radioactive miscellaneous solid wastes including a variety of substances such as combustibles, metals, glass and other non-combustibles generated from nuclear facilities and the like by using such a cold crucible induction melting furnace has been proposed. (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,264 corresponding to Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 7-63895/1995; hereinafter referred to as "prior art method".)
In this prior art method, when the radioactive miscellaneous solid wastes are charged into the cold crucible induction melting furnace and a high-frequency current is supplied to the high-frequency coil, conductive substances contained in the miscellaneous solid wastes, such as metals, are first induction-heated and are melted. Due to the heat generated at this time, the remaining miscellaneous solid wastes having a low conductivity surrounding the metals also are indirectly heated. In other words, the metals function as a starting source of heating and the miscellaneous solid wastes are entirely melted.
By the prior art method, the molten metal does not come into direct contact with the furnace body because the floating force acts on the molten matter due to the operation of the electromagnetic field as described above. Also in the case of glass melting, the contact surface of the molten glass with the furnace body is cooled and is converted to a solid layer (skull layer), so that the direct contact of the high temperature molten glass with the furnace body does not occur. Thus, high temperature erosion of the furnace body does not occur, and high temperature melting of the substances to be melted becomes possible.
In order to carry out a continuous melting operation by using the cold crucible Induction melting furnace described above, the high temperature molten matter must be discharged from the furnace. Conventional methods of discharging the molten matter include a system which allows the molten matter to overflow from the furnace top by tilting the melting furnace itself, a system which allows the molten matter to flow down from an outflow port at the furnace bottom portion by pressurizing the inside of the furnace, and the like. However, the former system requires a moving structure for tilting the furnace body, and the latter requires a gas-tight structure of the furnace body.
On the other hand, a nozzle heating system (a freeze valve system) has been employed in the past for a glass melting furnace used in vitrification of high-level radioactive wastes. This system has a construction wherein heating means is disposed around a discharging nozzle extending downwardly from the furnace bottom portion. Since the molten glass inside the nozzle is solidified when the discharging nozzle is not heated, the molten glass inside the furnace does not flow down and is not discharged. To discharge the molten glass inside the furnace, the discharging nozzle is heated so as to melt the solidified glass inside the nozzle and allow it to flow down by gravity, and at the same time, the molten glass inside the furnace can be discharged.
As nozzle heating means in such nozzle heating system, there has been proposed a high-frequency heating means wherein a high-frequency coil is disposed around a metallic discharging nozzle and a high-frequency current is supplied to this coil to heat the nozzle. However, when this nozzle heating system is adopted as a molten matter discharging apparatus in a cold crucible induction melting furnace and the nozzle is heated by high-frequency heating, there remain the problems that the metallic furnace body and the metallic discharging nozzle are electrically short-circuited, and noise interference occurs between the high-frequency heating system for heating the furnace body and the high-frequency heating system for heating the discharging nozzle.

Apparatus for discharging molten matter from cold crucible induction melting furnace

Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute


Polypeptides and other compounds that can bind specifically to the CH2-CH3 cleft of an immunoglobulin molecule, and methods for using such polypeptides and compounds to inhibit Fc-mediated immune complex formation, are described.

Humoral immune responses are triggered when an antigen binds specifically to an antibody. The combination of an antibody molecule and an antigen forms a small, relatively soluble immune complex. Antigens either can be foreign substances, such as viral or bacterial polypeptides, or can be "self-antigens" such as polypeptides normally found in the human body. The immune system normally distinguishes foreign antigens from self-antigens. "Autoimmune" disease can occur, however, when this system breaks down, such that the immune system turns upon the body and destroys tissues or organ systems as if they were foreign substances. Examples of this process include the destruction of joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the destruction of the kidneys in lupus nephritis. Larger immune complexes are more pathogenic than small, more soluble immune complexes. The formation of large, relatively insoluble immune complexes can result from both the interaction of antibody molecules with antigen and the interaction of antibody molecules with each other. Such immune complexes also can result from interactions between antibodies in the absence of antigen.
Antibodies can prevent infections by coating viruses or bacteria, but otherwise are relatively harmless by themselves. In contrast, organ specific tissue damage can occur when antibodies combine with antigens and the resulting immune complexes bind to certain effector molecules in the body. Effector molecules are so named because they carry out the pathogenic effects of immune complexes. By inhibiting the formation of large, insoluble immune complexes, or by inhibiting the binding of immune complexes to effector molecules, the tissue damaging effects of immune complexes could be prevented.

Methods for inhibiting immune complex formation in a subject


Concealed object detection using electromagnetic and acoustic multistatic imaging systems and methods. A method of simultaneously screening plural subjects for concealed objects includes transmitting a signal into a screening area where there is at least one subject to be screened having an associated object, receiving a reflected signal from the object when the object is located within the screening area, processing the reflected signal using multistatic Fourier space sampling and tomographic reconstruction to generate a three-dimensional image of the object and displaying the three-dimensional image. The transmitting and receiving are performed using a multi-directional array including at least three sensors. An object detection system includes a screening area, a multi-directional array including at least three sensors, a processor configured to execute multistatic Fourier space sampling and tomographic reconstruction and a display.

1. Field
The subject matter presented herein relates to concealed object detection using electromagnetic and acoustic multistatic imaging systems and methods.
2. Description of Related Art
Concealed object detection can be a challenge to, for example, the law enforcement and loss prevention communities. Detecting concealed objects, including objects concealed on a person, can involve more than metal detectors. Known people screening systems usually can involve cooperative subjects, can screen one person at a time, and can involve a large number of operators.


The present invention includes at least two variable-resistive devices, such as transistors, coupled to a resistive device, such as a resistor. The transistors are configured so that feedback voltage generated by respective currents of the transistors is applied to the gate of at least one of the transistors. The electrical characteristics of the other transistor changes proportionately greater than the characteristics of the one transistor. With this configuration, a variation-compensated current device is provided.

FIG. 1 shows a bias current generator 100 that can be used in a current mirror circuit. As illustrated, a power supply (not shown) is coupled to a source lead 105 of a p-channel transistor 110. A gate lead 115 and a drain lead 120 of transistor 110 are coupled together via a lead 125. Transistor 110 functions as a diode in this arrangement. Drain lead 120 is coupled to a resistor 130, which is coupled to a reference voltage supply 140 via a lead 135.
Current generator 100 operates by having a power supply voltage V.sub.DD applied to source lead 105. This causes a current I.sub.110 through transistor 110 and a voltage drop V.sub.110 across transistor 110. Since transistor 110 is in saturation, voltage drop V.sub.110 will be a function of current I.sub.110. The voltage at node 145 (V.sub.145) will be constant due to this voltage drop, and equal to V.sub.DD -V.sub.110.
All of current I.sub.110 is applied to resistor 130 to cause a voltage drop across resistor 130 (V.sub.130) equal to I.sub.110 .times.R.sub.130. Yet I.sub.110 .times.R.sub.130 must equal the constant voltage V.sub.145 (V.sub.DD -V.sub.110) at node 145. Any variation of the voltage V.sub.145 will be applied through lead 125 to gate lead 115 to adjust the "turn-on" level of transistor 110. As a result, current I.sub.110 will change so that, eventually, I.sub.110 .times.R.sub.130 equals the voltage at node 145. Hence, a constant current source is provided.
The operation of current generator 100 discussed above is ideal. In other words, variations in power supply voltage, temperature or the fabrication processes will cause current generator 100 to provide different current amounts. In particular, one disadvantage of current generator 100 is that the voltage from a power supply (e.g., V.sub.DD), the temperature or the process variations can cause as much as a threefold change in the value of current I.sub.110. This can cause inconsistent and possibly erroneous operation of a circuit that utilizes current generator 100.
For example, a device including current generator 100 may be used in an environment where the power supply voltage is susceptible to noise. This noise will alter the current provided by current generator 100. Also, that device may be used in applications where the ambient temperatures can be between minus 55.degree. C. to positive 125.degree. C. These temperature variations can cause a change in the current provided by current generator 100, which can have an adverse affect on device performance.
To illustrate, the operation of current generator 100 will be explained for two ambient temperatures. For temperature 1, a steady-state current I.sub.110 ' will be generated. For a temperature 2 that is greater than temperature 1, the resistance of transistor 110 will increase. As a result, the current I.sub.110 will decrease, causing the voltage V.sub.145 to decrease. The decreased voltage V.sub.145 will be applied to the gate of transistor 110 to turn that transistor on harder. Current I.sub.110 will then increase, but still be less than the steady-state current I.sub.110 '. Thus, a constant current will not be generated over a range of temperature variations.
A band gap circuit-based current source can be used to overcome this disadvantage. One such circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,611 to McIntyre entitled "CURRENT GENERATOR CIRCUIT FOR GENERATING SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT CURRENT." The drawback to such current source is that it is a physically large circuit due to its use of many circuit elements. See FIG. 2 in the referenced patent. This is unacceptable since silicon area of integrated circuits is costly.
A need exists for a device that will provide a substantially constant current source or sink despite voltage, temperature and process variations. The present invention meets this need.

Variation-compensated bias current generator


An undersea logging device has a pressure sensor and at least one environmental parameter sensor. The data measured by the sensors is logged and is wirelessly transmitted when a preset value of pressure is detected by the pressure sensor.

Monitoring of the environmental parameters of the sea is important for various meteorological, oceanographic, and fishing activities. For example, successful tracking and harvesting of lobsters requires knowledge of temperatures, salinity, and other parameters as a function of depth, and mapping of these parameters can provide valuable predictive information for fishermen. There are known technologies to remotely monitor and report temperature in the open sea. For example, fixed buoys can be anchored in certain positions in the sea and continuously measure and report temperature at a certain depth corresponding to the immersion depth of the temperature monitoring device attached to the a fixed buoy. On the other hand, drifting buoys can be released in a body of water and move with the currents over a period of days, weeks, or months, with on-board electronics typically transmitting a radio signal that is detected by a satellite network, giving sensor data and location of the buoy.
These known techniques only enable measurement of the temperature at a fixed depth. In order to measure temperature at different depths and over range of time, a manual measurement typically involving an operator and ship present at the location are needed, whereby a temperature sensing device is immersed in the ocean and measurements are performed as a function of the immersion depth. This procedure is expensive, time consuming, and not practical.
Dataloggers incorporating devices/sensors that are capable of measuring salinity, temperature, depth (pressure), and conductivity, and are designed as archival tags for analyzing fish migration, distribution, and feeding behavior, are also known in the art. The dataloggers can be attached to fish as tags or used as stand-alone monitors for sampling in the ocean. They can be also fastened to fishing gear as temperature and pressure monitors. The disadvantage of these devices is difficulty of retrieving and timely reporting the information collected by fish-attached tags or by stand-alone monitors. As a result the information is not being collected at a scale it is needed, and there are significant delays in analyzing the information and providing such information to fishing industry. Wireless transmission of data from undersea autonomous dataloggers is impossible due to high depth and consequent attenuation of the signal. The transmission of the data is only practical once an autonomous probe or a datalogger is on the sea surface. However activating the transmission requires extensive device handling, such as retrieval of the device, cleaning, connection to data collection ports, etc., which may require a dedicated operator which is impractical on a ship. Some currently known sea-bottom sensors must be disconnected from fishing gear or trap, cleaned to expose the infra-red (IR) port, inserted into a reader connected to a PC and then reattached to the fishing gear or trap. Depth and position must be recorded separately and can confound the temperature data if records are inaccurate or incomplete. These procedures, when performed on a fishing vessel by working fishermen and on multiple probes, are complicated and not practical.
Devices that attempt to continuously wirelessly transmit the data will suffer from very quick depletion of the undersea probe power supply and hence require either battery replacement, re-charge, or installation of a new probe, which is expensive and impractical. As a result, the data collected using existing devices is uploaded only infrequently and is not available in real time.
There is a need for fully automated collection and reporting of undersea environmental parameters as a function of depth, time, and location using low cost, easy to use, autonomously powered devices.

Undersea data logging device with automated data transmission


A speech recognition system includes a parameter extracting section for extracting a speech parameter of input speech, a first recognizing section for performing recognition processing by word-based matching, and a second recognizing section for performing word recognition by matching in units of word constituent elements. The first word recognizing section segments the speech parameter in units of words to extract a word speech pattern and performs word recognition by matching the word speech pattern with a predetermined word reference pattern. The second word recognizing section performs recognition in units of word constituent elements by using the extracted speech parameter and performs word recognition on the basis of candidates of an obtained word constituent element series. The speech recognition system further includes a recognition result output section for obtaining a recognition result on the basis of the word recognition results obtained by the first and second recognizing sections and outputting the obtained recognition result. The speech recognition system further includes a word reference pattern learning section for performing learning of a word reference pattern on the basis of the recognition result obtained by the recognizing result output section and the word speech pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speech recognition system including a first word recognizing section based on matching in units of words and a second word recognizing section based on matching in units of word constituent elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following two methods have been conventionally known as standard methods of word recognition. The first word recognition method is based on matching in units of words, i.e., word-based matching. In this method, input speech is extracted in units of words, and word recognition is performed by word pattern matching of the entire words. The second word recognition method is based on matching in units of word constituent elements. In this method, input speech is segmented in units of word constituent elements such as phonemes or syllables, and phoneme or syllable recognition is performed by pattern matching in units of the word constituent elements, thereby recognizing a word input speech from a series of the recognized word constituent element candidates.
In the former system, since matching of entire words is performed, input speech need not be decomposed into smaller recognition units as in the latter method. Hence, the former recognition method is simple. In addition, since matching of entire words is based on dynamic time-frequency spectral information of utterance, the recognition accuracy is generally high. On the other hand, in the former system, when the number of words to be recognized is increased, registration of the reference patterns for all the words becomes difficult, and hence the recognizable vocabulary size is undesirably limited. Furthermore, since learning of reference patterns requires a large amount of word speech patterns, the vocabulary cannot be easily changed or increased.
In contrast to this, in the latter system, since the number of phonemes or syllables is much smaller than that of words, the number of types of reference patterns to be prepared is at most a hundred. In addition, the vocabulary can be changed by a simple method of, e.g., entering a character string. In this method, however, recognition processing consists of the following steps, e.g., segmentation, labelling (phoneme or syllable recognition) and word recognition, and hence the processing is complex. In addition, errors in segmentation, in conversion of a pattern into a phoneme or syllable series, or in estimation of a word from the phoneme or syllable series degrade the recognition rate.
In addition to the above-described two methods, a method of performing word recognition by using both pattern matching of entire words and a network of a series of labels attached to the respective frames of a speech pattern has been proposed (Proc. Seventh ICPR pp. 1232-1235, 1984). The above-described problems of difficulties encountered in registration of reference patterns and expansion of a vocabulary still remain unsolved in this method.
As described above, in the conventional speech recognition systems, if the word recognition method based on matching in units of words is used, registration of reference patterns or expansion of a vocabulary is laborious. If the word recognition method based on matching in units of word constituent elements is used, a processing amount is greatly increased, and a recognition error tends to occur.

Speech recognition system having word-based and phoneme-based recognition means


A debris collection device with a self cleaning retention system that is designed for powered tools such as a sander. One embodiment of the system has an inflatable collection bag and a bag retention system, which further includes an integral bag adapter nozzle for retaining the collection bag to the debris exhaust of a tool such as a sander. For one embodiment of the debris collection device, the retention system can also has a tube, pipe or bracket which connects the adapter to powered tool such as a sander.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to debris collection devices for hand held power tools and, more particularly, to detachable dust collection bags for sander machines and the like.
2. Background Art
There are various debris collection devices for powered tools or appliances that exhaust intake and exhaust debris as part of its operation. For example a vacuum cleaner vacuums up dust and particles and debris and coveys them along a vacuum channel or hose with exhaust and/or supplemental air to a collection device attached to the exhaust end of the vacuum channel or hose. The collection device can be a cloth bag attached to the exhaust end of the vacuum channel or hose. The cloth bag can have an opening sufficiently size to fit of the exhaust opening of vacuum channel. A string, band, clamp or other like component or external securing device can be cinched about the cloth around the bag opening to fix the bag opening to the exhaust end of the vacuum channel. This dust bag retention method requires the external securing device such as a band, which can be time consuming to remove and install when removing and installing the collection bag.
Similarly, for example, powered sanding apparatuses have been known and used in the sanding or grinding operation to provide a substantially smooth surface to a material or for removing finishes from such material. These types of sanding devices have the problem of controlling or collecting the wood dust or other particulate matter generated due to the sanding or grinding operation. Controlling and containment of dust and particulate materials generated during a sanding operation are often desirable for safety and reducing clean up. A plurality of devices have been used made for controlling and containing the debris from the wood sander. One type of collection device for a sander is a cloth bag having an opening for placing over the exhaust of the sander. However the same method and problems associated therewith exists for retention of the bag to an exhaust channel.
One type of securing device is a draw string that is hemmed into the attachment end of the dust bag about the opening that fits over the exhaust nozzle of the sander. For example, the opening is sufficiently sized to fit over a flare opening in the dust extraction conduit (channel/nozzle). The string is cinched and tied to the conduit. Retention is achieved against a flare. Also, it is typical that the entire external securing device is wholly separate from the collection bag, such as a clamp, band or clip, thus the securing device may be more prone to damage or getting lost. The retention method also tends to allow debris to be released around the opening. Debris also has the tendency to rest within the folds around the opening of the dust bag where it is cinched or gathered around and retained on the exhaust channel, which will allow wood dust to be released into the atmosphere when the securing device is removed.
A better bag design and retention apparatus is needed for retaining such bags to an exhaust channel because current methods for attaching and detaching collection bags to and from sanding machines require external securing devices. The act of attaching and detaching these securing devices such as bands and draw strings requires unnecessary time and effort and often debris escapes from the cinched portion of the bag when the securing device is detached.

Collection device with self sealing retention system


A seat including a power recliner, a power slide mechanism, a seat back; and a walk-in lever that releases the power recliner so that the seat back may rotate. The seat configured so that rotation of the seat back after being released by the walk-in lever in a forward direction by a predetermined amount releases the power slide mechanism so that the seat may slide in a fore-aft direction.

1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary aspects of the present invention relate to a manually operated walk-in system of a powered vehicle seat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Seats of a vehicle such as an automobile may be provided with a reclining mechanism that allows the seat back to pivot at a base portion thereof. These seats may also be provided with a sliding mechanism that allows the seat to travel in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle. Both the reclining mechanism and the sliding mechanism may be operated using individual manual levers, typically located on the vehicle seat. Also the reclining mechanism and the sliding mechanism may be replaced by a powered actuator that performs the sliding and reclining functions without additional effort from the user. Seats equipped with these features are typically called power seats or power assisted seats.
Seats may also include a walk-in feature that assists the egress and ingress of the vehicle. Typically, the walk-in feature allows one to more easily enter a space behind the seat by moving the seat forward and by rotating the seatback forward. Therefore, the walk-in feature has a recliner function and/or a slide function. These walk-in functions can be powered or manually actuated.

Power seat with complete manual walk-in system


A magneto-based, variable-timing ignition system for an internal combustion engine is provided that maintains at least one operating parameter of the engine within a predetermined limit. An electronic controller sets the timing of spark events based on engine performance criteria such as the temperature of the engine's cylinder head, speed and manifold pressure. If the values of one of these parameters, such as engine temperature, extends beyond a predetermine limit, the electronic controller retards the advance timing of the spark events to draw back within the limit the values of the parameter. The timing of spark events is ordinarily under electronic control. If the electronic control fails, the system provides spark events whose timing are fixed and synchronized to the mechanical rotation of the crankshaft of the engine.

Magneto-based ignition systems are well known and are often used with internal combustion engines in applications where batteries are not practical. Magnetos are robust devices that are typically highly reliable. As such, magneto-based ignition systems have been historically used with internal combustion engines for aircraft applications. In a typical magneto-based ignition system for an aircraft internal combustion engine, redundant ignition systems are employed for safety purposes. Also, with safety in mind, the magneto-based ignition systems for aircraft are typically mechanically timed to ensure highly reliable operation. In this connection, it is not uncommon for small aircraft to experience malfunctions of their electrical systems. Because of the obvious need to ensure high reliability of the ignition systems for internal combustion engines in aircraft applications, such ignition systems have historically avoided electronic ignition control mechanisms for advancing and retarding spark timing, even though such electrical control devices are commonly used in automotive applications.
Because magneto-based ignition systems in aircraft applications employ mechanical linkage to time the spark events, the timing of the spark event for each piston is at a fixed advance with respect to the "top-dead-center" (TDC) position of the reciprocating piston. The advance is typically selected for optimum performance under take-off conditions. Unfortunately, during different parts of a flight, the engine is operating in different conditions. Therefore, the advance and total energy of a spark event that provides the most efficient combustion and energy conversion varies during the flight. In the past, the small aircraft industry has sacrificed engine performance in order to ensure safety by maintaining the fixed mechanical advance of the spark event for all engine operating conditions. As a result of the fixed mechanical advance of the magneto-based ignition systems for small aircraft, the engines operate at less than optimum fuel economy and exhaust more pollutants.
There have been attempts to provide variable ignition timing of spark events in magneto-based ignition systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,234 to Koketsu et al. describes an electronic circuit for controlling the timing of the spark event and a mechanism for defaulting to a mechanical timing when the regulated voltage supply for the electronic circuit is inadequately regulated. In this system, however, the sole source of energy for the spark event is the rotating magnet of the magneto. Unfortunately, the power curve of the magneto is mechanically fixed and the mechanical advance for the ignition is usually selected to occur at the peak of the magneto's power curve. The power curve of the magneto is such that the energy output from the rotating magnet to the primary coil of the magneto is a bell-shaped curve, which is typically centered at the mechanical advance provided by the breaker points of the magneto. Therefore, changing the timing of the spark event relative to the mechanical setting results in a reduction in the energy of the spark event.
The problems exemplified by the foregoing patent to Koketsu et al. were overcome by a dual-mode ignition system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,633 to Mottier et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference. The ignition system of the '633 patent operates in first and second modes. The first mode employs magneto and battery energy sources to electronically control the timing and total energy of each spark event. Alternatively, the second mode is a fail-safe mode of operation that employs only the magneto energy source to provide fixed mechanical timing of the spark event in case of a failure in the electrical system of the engine. In both modes of operation, the conventional primary and secondary coils of the magneto are used to generate and discharge energy to the spark plugs of the engine.
In the first mode of operation, engine conditions such as speed and manifold pressure are used to either advance or retard the timing of the spark event relative to a fixed mechanical setting. If a failure in the electrical system occurs, the ignition system defaults to the fixed mechanical setting of the second mode, which is provided by the mechanical interconnections of the engine and the ignition system.
When the ignition system is in the first mode, the primary coil of the magneto receives its input energy from both the rotating magnet of the magneto and the battery of the electrical system of the engine. When the timing of the spark event is either advanced or retarded with respect to the mechanical setting as set by the magneto, the battery of the engine's electrical system supplements the decreasing power to the primary coil from the rotating magnet of the magneto. In contrast, the adjustable timing provided by the ignition system of the Koketsu et al. patent uses only the rotating magnet of the magneto as a source of power, resulting in the timing of the spark event quickly moving off the peak of the magneto's power curve such that the energy provided to the spark plug is seriously compromised.
In keeping with the '633 patent, the timing of spark events is advanced or retarded so as to maximize engine efficiency in accordance with changing engine conditions as measured by parameters such as speed and manifold pressure. However, operation at maximum efficiency may cause operating parameters of the engine to exceed those that are specified by agencies or organizations that qualify the engine for aircraft applications--i.e., the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States Federal Government. For example, internal combustion engines for aircraft often require customized installation configurations to ensure that cylinder head temperatures remain within limits acceptable to the qualifying agency. When an ignition system with variable ignition timing of the type described in the '633 patent is incorporated into an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head temperature of the engine may exceed its maximum limit when the ignition timing is advanced much beyond the fixed mechanical setting.

Internal combustion engine with temperature dependent timing of spark event


An elevator arrangement for an elevator includes a hoisting machine and a maintenance panel. The hoisting machine is arranged in an elevator hoistway, and configured to move an elevator car within the elevator hoistway via a hoisting rope arrangement. The maintenance panel includes components for at least one of control and service of at least one operation of the elevator arrangement. The maintenance panel is configured to slide out from a landing wall into a landing doorway of the elevator arrangement.

In conventional European configurations for machine room less (MRL) elevators, all controller components (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), advance door opening board (ADON), optional boards (OPTs), rectifier boards (REC), drive, transformers, etc.) are inside the elevator hoistway. A maintenance access panel (MAP) including extra devices is used to communicate with the controller components inside the elevator hoistway. When the elevator is in operation, only the MAP, not the controller components inside the elevator hoistway, are accessible by a maintenance technician. Unfortunately, national safety codes for elevators in North America do not permit use of these conventional European configurations.

Elevators and elevator arrangements with maintenance cabinet in landing wall


Jitter and waveform are improved by reducing the wavelength spectrum width of a laser beam pulse. In a laser pulse generating apparatus according to the present invention, a semiconductor laser device, a polarization maintaining optical fiber, an optical reflection filter having bandpass characteristics using an FBG whose passband can be changed by changing a tension, and an optical isolator are connected via an optical fiber. A driving circuit drives the semiconductor laser device to generate a pulse. The optical reflection filter performs filtering by transmitting a specific component of the wavelength spectrum of the pulse, reflects a portion of the optical power, and outputs the remaining optical power except the reflected portion to the outside via the optical isolator. The reflected pulse is fed back to the semiconductor laser device to thereby reduce the wavelength spectrum width of the laser beam, and improve the jitter and waveform.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a laser pulse generating apparatus for feeding a portion of emission light back to a semiconductor laser by using a polarization maintaining optical fiber.
Also, for example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses an accurate measurement method of OFDR (Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry) using an optical feedback path length where polarization is maintained by using a polarization maintaining FBG (Fiber Bragg Grading).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-35661 [Non-Patent Document 1] Omichi et al., "Polarization Division Multiplexing Measurement of Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry Using Polarization Maintaining Fiber Bragg Grating" Proceedings 1 of the 2008 IEICE General Conference, Kitakyushu, C-3-78, Mar. 18 to 21, 2008

Laser pulse generating apparatus and method


A method and system for making a dental prosthetic includes, for example, arranging a first virtual tooth image relative to a second virtual tooth image on a virtual denture set and locating a first actual prosthetic tooth relative to a second actual prosthetic tooth in a manner corresponding to the arranged first and second virtual images. The method also may include performing at least one Boolean operation to remove a portion of the first virtual tooth image and the second virtual tooth image and machining the first actual prosthetic tooth and the second actual prosthetic tooth to remove a portion correspond to material removed by the Boolean operation performed on the first and second virtual tooth images.

For over 70 years pre-fabricated denture teeth have been used to construct dentures. The teeth are manufactured from porcelain, plastic or composite materials. Many different shapes of teeth have been developed and patented to address specific treatment requirements. Construction of dentures with pre-fabricated teeth has many advantages over custom hand made teeth. The teeth are manufactured from specific molds and are of a consistent shape and quality. The porcelain or plastic materials can be made under controlled manufacturing conditions. The aesthetic appearance of the teeth is consistent and does not require carving the tooth form by hand. Unfortunately, there are problems with pre-fabricated teeth because the teeth are not custom made for each patient. As a result, hand grinding of the biting surfaces is often required to properly position the teeth for any given patient. It is also frequently necessary to grind the retentive surfaces of the teeth to allow them to fit to the shape of the residual alveolar ridge after natural teeth have been removed. Hand grinding is also required if the denture teeth are to fit to implant retained components. Denture teeth also frequently move during the process of packing and processing the denture base material to the denture teeth. This movement is called "processing error" and is corrected by hand grinding the teeth after processing.
Conventional Dentures
The selection of pre-fabricated denture teeth is usually based on the aesthetic requirements of the patient along with the form of the residual ridge and the muscular co-ordination of the patient. Some common types of teeth are: zero degree mono-plane teeth, anatomic teeth or teeth designed for "lingulalized occlusion." In the process of making dentures, a master impression is made of the upper and lower residual ridge and a dental cast is made by pouring a plaster type material into the impression to create a dental cast or model of the patient's mouth. This cast is then used to make record bases. Record bases are made of a light cured composite resin or autopolymerizing acrylic resin to provide a base to position and hold the artificial teeth in wax. In present art, each type of tooth is hand ground and set in a specific relationship to the residual alveolar ridge and the dental technician must carefully place each tooth in wax to maintain its ideal "set-up." This is a time consuming process well known in the art. If the teeth are to be set to a flat plane then a flat metal or plastic plate is used to position the biting surface of the tooth. If a balanced "lingualized occlusion" is used, teeth with prominent upper lingual cusps are set to a curved template with a radius of around 4 inches. Many different mechanical and anatomic reference points, planes and surfaces have been used to position artificial teeth by hand. The teeth are set in wax to maintain their position in relation to the record bases and to allow for a wax "try-in" which is an opportunity to try the tooth set-up in the patient's mouth to evaluate aesthetics and the position of the teeth. Wax is soft and can change shape when heated. Frequently denture teeth imbedded in wax will move even after being set in an ideal position. After the wax "try-in," the dentures are made by investing the teeth, wax and record base in a flask and heating it in a water bath to remove the wax and record base. The remaining space is filled with a heat or autopolymerizing denture base material. Processing the dentures causes the denture teeth to move during curing and after the base material has been processed to the teeth, a technician hand grinds the teeth to correct processing errors.
Immediate Dentures
Immediate dentures are made for patients that have many of their natural teeth, but the teeth are "hopeless" and will need to be surgically removed. Since most patients do not want to go without teeth during the period of healing, immediate dentures are made before the natural teeth have been extracted and are inserted at the time of surgery. The "set-up" of the artificial teeth can not be tried in the patient's mouth since the natural teeth are still present and the proper spatial position of the teeth in relation to the midline, anatomic landmarks and the opposing teeth is more difficult to determine. When making immediate dentures, the dental technician hand grinds the plaster cast of the patient's mouth to selectively remove the plaster teeth. This creates a cast that has a shape similar to the patient's mouth at the time of surgery after the teeth have been removed. The present laboratory process has some "guess work" since the dental technician does not know the shape of the bone supporting the teeth under the gum. These problems make immediate denture construction less predictable and more complex than conventional denture construction.
Conventional methods of constructing dentures may be labor intense, complex, and imprecise. There is a need for an improved denture tooth system and method that addresses these or other shortcomings in the prior art.

Computer machined dental tooth system and method


In the case where a chip is made of wide band gap semiconductor, a power conversion apparatus is obtained in which a component having a low heat resistant temperature is prevented from receiving thermal damage by heat generated at the chip. In a configuration including: a chip portion (20) including a chip (21) made of wide band gap semiconductor and a member (22, 23) having a heat resistant temperature equal to or higher than that of the chip (21); and a peripheral component (25) arranged in the vicinity of the chip portion (20) and having a heat resistant temperature lower than that of the chip (21). The chip (21) and the peripheral component (25) are thermally insulated from each other so that the temperature of the peripheral component (25) does not exceed the heat resistant temperature of the peripheral component (25).

As a power conversion apparatus, such as an inverter for converting a DC voltage to an AC voltage and a converter for converting an AC voltage to a DC voltage, there has been known a power conversion apparatus performing power conversion by a plurality of switching devices, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. Patent Document 1 discloses that with the use of devices made of SiC semiconductor as main switching devices, the carrier frequency for PWM control can be increased, and the efficiency can be improved when compared with the conventional ones.
Wide band gap semiconductors, such as the above SiC semiconductor have dielectric breakdown fields approximately 10 times as high as the conventional Si semiconductors to facilitate implementation of increased breakdown voltages of the devices. Accordingly, an apparatus having the same breakdown voltage can be thinner than that using Si semiconductor. Hence, conduction loss can be minimized, and the device can be compacted.
Since the wide band gap semiconductors are operable at high speed and at high temperature (e.g., 300° C.), high speed operation can achieve high efficiency of the apparatuses as a whole, and such devices can operate under a high temperature situation caused by chip size reduction, thereby reducing the size of the apparatus.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-42529