A method and apparatus locates a periphery or "bounding box" of an image of a symbol located within an image stored by a reader. The symbol preferably has a recognition pattern with an longitudinally extending bar and at least one vertically extending reference bar, such as in the Code One symbology. The method locates the positions of landmark points within the stored image. Landmark points include points at the end of the longitudinally extending bar, points at the corner or root formed between the longitudinally extending bar and the vertically extending bar, and points at the ends of the vertically extending bars. Based on the locations of the landmark points, lines are projected between pairs of the landmark points to determine an amount, if any, of optical distortion to which the image of the symbol suffers. Based on the landmark points, lines projected therebetween and the angles of any distortion, one or more bounding boxes are constructed to determine the periphery of the symbol within the stored image.

Machine readable symbologies are widely used for data collection. The first bar code symbologies developed, such as UPC, EAN, Code 39 and Code 93 can be referred to as "linear" symbologies because the data in a given symbol was decoded along one direction or axis. The next generation of bar code symbologies, called stacked reader symbologies, such as Code 49 and PDF 417, increase the information density of the symbol by employing several adjacent rows, each row having several symbol characters defined by groups of multiple width bars and spaces.
A recently developed symbology, Code One, is a two-dimensional matrix symbology. As shown by a symbol 800 of FIG. 1, Code One symbols include a recognition pattern 802, a matrix of square data cells 804, rather than one or more rows of bars and spaces, vertical reference patterns 806, which extend away from the recognition pattern 802. The areas of square data cells 804 above the recognition pattern 802, and below the recognition pattern 802, respectively, are defined by an upper bounding box 808 and a lower bounding box 809. The recognition pattern 802 runs horizontally through the Code One symbol 800, while the vertical reference patterns 806 extend perpendicularly from the recognition pattern 802. These vertical recognition patterns 806 are used to help find the symbology, and determine the symbology's tilt and orientation to take into account any surface curvature of the symbol 800.
Each of the data cells 804 in the matrix encodes one bit of data: a white data cell represents a 0 and a black data cell represents a 1. Each symbol character in the Code One symbology is generally constructed from eight data cells in a rectangular array of two rows that each have four data cells. Each set of eight data cells in a Code One symbol character encodes an 8-bit byte of binary data. The ASCII values in the Code One symbology are equal to the standard ASCII values in the computer industry plus one.
In a given Code One symbol, the symbol characters are ordered in a row-wise fashion from left to right, and the "rows" of symbol characters are arranged from top to bottom in the symbol. Each row of symbol characters in a Code One symbol consists of a pair of adjacent rows of data cells. The first symbol character in the Code One symbol is in the top left corner of the symbol and the last symbol character is in the bottom right corner. A reader analyzes the symbol characters in a Code One symbol from the first symbol character in the symbol's top left corner rightward to the right edge of the top row, and then from the left edge rightward along the second row, and so forth. Assuming the reader encounters no difficulties, each symbol character analyzed in a Code One or other symbology is converted into corresponding data to be used by the reader, the user, or other peripheral equipment.
The recognition pattern 802 is comprised of a plurality of elements including bars 810 and spaces 812. The recognition pattern 802 is used to identify the version (i.e., the type) of Code One symbol being used. Further, the recognition pattern 802 is used to determine the X-dimension of the Code One symbol 800. For example, the X-dimension represents the smallest height (or width) of the data cells 804 in the Code One symbology. The X-dimension is used to determine the intended dimension that an area symbology is based on, regardless of printing errors, and is necessary for decoding the symbology.
The reader used to scan the Code One symbol 800 is a two-dimensional imaging device which detects all the spaces 810 and the bars 812 of the recognition pattern 802, as well as the vertical reference patterns 806 using a fast linear image search routine used in high-speed scanning applications. A memory stores the scanned image and includes an array of memory locations that correspond to and represent a pixel field of view of the reader (e.g., a rectangular array of 582 by 752 pixels). The stored image is referenced by a Cartesian coordinate system relative to the imaging device or memory so that the location of each pixel is represented by a pair of numbers indicating the horizontal and vertical position of the pixel in the stored image. For example, the first pixel in the top left corner of the stored image is assigned the Cartesian coordinates (0,0) while the bottom right-most pixel is assigned the coordinates (752,582). Therefore, data cells 804 associated with groups of pixels can be arithmetically located using known geometric and trigonometric properties based on the coordinate system.
In the prior art, as shown in FIG. 2, to determine the location of all the data cells 804 within the stored image, the image search routine was used to locate a long bar 814 of the recognition pattern 802, then the X-dimension was determined from the recognition pattern 802. Next, an angle 816 that the long bar 814 makes with the X axis of the Cartesian coordinate system of the overall image was determined. Finally, using the above X-dimension and angle 816, a bounding box 807 of the symbol 800 defined by the boundary lines of the symbol 800 was determined.
The prior method computes one bounding box 807 for the Code One symbol 800 enclosing the entire symbol 800. The boundary box 807 is the sum of upper bounding box 808, lower bounding box 809 and the center pattern recognition 802. To determine the size and location of the bounding box 807, an end point 818 of the long bar 814, i.e., ep.sub.1, was located and a path 820, substantially along the Y-axis of the Cartesian coordinate system, i.e., directed away from the recognition pattern 802, was traversed for a predetermined number of the X-dimensions. The direction of the path 820 was determined by the angle that is vertical to the long bar 814 (i.e., the angle 816) to establish an end corner point cp.sub.1 824 of the bounding box 807. The other corner point 828, i.e., cp.sub.2, of the bounding box 807, and the other corner points 842 and 844, i.e., cp.sub.3 and cp.sub.4, of the bounding box 807 were determined in a similar manner. With these corner points, the complete bounding box 807 was defined, and all square data cells 804 were assumed to lie within this region for purposes of information retrieval from the image when the size of the X-dimension and the version of the symbol were known.
Although the prior art method of determining the bounding box 807 of the Code One symbol is effective when the symbol 800 is in its proper position, and has no significant surface curvature, it becomes highly prone to errors when the symbology 800 is optically distorted, e.g., when an image of the symbol is stored when a reader is significantly tilted with respect to the symbol. In other words, when the upper and lower bounding boxes 808 and 809 do not have the same size and shape, and the X-dimension varies within the symbol, data can be lost during the decoding process.
For example, as shown by an optically distorted symbol 800' in FIG. 3, even a slight deviation between the angle the long bar 814 makes with an X axis of the Cartesian coordinate system causes the computed bounding box 807 defined by the dashed boundaries with four corners cp1, cp2, cp3, and cp4 to differ from the true bounding box for the symbol (shown as the solid line quadrilateral 830). Additionally, optical distortions causing the stored image of the symbol to appear trapezoidal or otherwise optically distorted, as shown in FIG. 3, causes the perimeter of the stored image of the symbol 830 to differ significantly from the bounding box 807 computed by the prior art method. As a result, information retrieval errors will result by sampling within the computed bounding box 807. Important data within the true bounding box 830 can be ignored, such as the information located in shaded areas 837 of FIG. 3. This is because when following an angle that has a slight error, the resulting positional error can be huge if the distance along the path is large enough. In other words, the error will accumulate to a significant degree using the prior art method, even if only a small amount of error is present in the direction of the path. Similarly, when there is a slight error in X-dimension, the total error will be larger if the distance is large enough. Thus, what is needed is a method of determining the bounding box that localized the data region and is free from error, and which will ensure that all the square data cells 804 fall within the true bounding box.

Method and apparatus for locating data regions in stored images of symbols


A sprayer attachment is designed for mounting upon a swather tractor and includes a central frame with a tank which can be carried upon the front arms of the swather tractor. Two masts each carry a respective one of a pair of booms, each for extending outwardly to a respective side of the tractor for movement with the tractor in a spraying action. Each boom includes an inner section, an outer section and a tip portion. In the folding action the outer section and tip portion are folded about a horizontal axis so as to move to a position overlying the inner section. The folded boom is then pivoted about a vertical axis at the mast to lie along side the side of the tractor. The tip portion includes a parallel cable in advance of the tip portion for impacting an obstacle with the cable actuating release of the latch and accelerating the tip portion away from the obstacle to prevent impact with the obstacle. The tip portion is also moved to the retracted position during the folding action so that the maximum height of the outer section during folding is reduced to avoid contact with power lines and the like. The booms are inclined outwardly and rearwardly in the extended position to move the center of gravity rearwardly. The tank has two recessed sides to receive the arms of the swather tractor and a front which is inclined forwardly and downwardly to improve vision. Each boom is movable vertically along a vertical supporting mast independently for height adjustment. A hydraulic and electrical coupling allows the existing control lever of the swather tractor to control the boom movement.

The present invention is particularly but not exclusively designed for use as a conversion system for mounting a sprayer kit including a tank and booms on a conventional swather tractor. A previous example of this type of arrangement has been manufactured and sold by Setter Manufacturing Division and shown in a brochure entitled "Setter's Swather Conversion High Clearance Sprayer" in which a tank and boom are provided as a separate assembly for mounting on the forwardly extending supporting arms of the conventional swather tractor.
A swather tractor of this type is manufactured by the present assignees Macdon and is shown in a brochure entitled "Premier 2900".
Examples of sprayers are shown in brochures by Tyler showing the "Patriot" Applicator; by Flexicoil showing the "65 Field Sprayer"; by Knight showing the KM100 Field Sprayer; by Melroe showing the "Spray Coupe"; by John Deere showing the 6500 self propelled sprayer; and by Hagie showing the 284 sprayer.
The above arrangement by Setter is the only known disclosure of a sprayer attachment for mounting on a swather tractor but this arrangement has a number of disadvantages concerning location of the center of gravity of the attachment and therefore the loading on the front wheels and concerning the adjustment of the boom heights. The attachment has therefore only achieved limited success in the marketplace.

Material spreader attachment for mounting on a tractor


A fastener removal tool includes a substantially planar body portion having first and second ends. A standoff portion extends from the first end. A handle portion extends from the second end. The body portion forms a slot therein for cooperation with the fastener head, whereby the slot may be engaged with the fastener head and the standoff portion used as a fulcrum for removing the fastener. The slot has narrow opposing ends to facilitate engagement with the fastener head as the tool is moved in either longitudinal direction.

Some assembly or disassembly operations require the capability of removing fasteners from difficult to reach locations in the assembly. For example, in an aircraft, snap fasteners are used for securing a liner to an aircraft frame in a cargo area. Such snap-fasteners must sometimes be removed during aircraft servicing without causing damage to the cargo liners or other fragile components, such as composite panels, etc.
Currently available fastener removal tools or nail pullers are incompatible for such an application because the concentrated loading provided by such nail puller designs tends to damage the liner. Also, these prior art nail pullers are often large, and are not designed for fastener removal in tight work spaces.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a fastener removal tool which is compatible for use in tight work spaces and which does not provide concentrated loading which would damage an adjacent support surface.


Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, and machine readable mediums for providing P2P lending through mobile wallets. The P2P lending may utilize a central registry or be a fully distributed P2P system. In some examples, the use of a network accessible P2P loan service may simplify the discovery and communication with other mobile wallets throughout the process of obtaining a loan.

A mobile wallet (also known as an electronic or digital wallet) refers to an application program executed by one or more computing devices (e.g., mobile devices such as a smartphone) and utilizing corresponding device memory which store and manage digital representations of elements (or items) typically found in a user's wallet or purse. These elements may comprise payment elements and non-payment elements. Payment elements are items which may be used in a financial transaction. Example payment elements managed by the digital wallet include digital representations of transaction cards, financial information, discount coupons, gift cards, subway passes, movie tickets, and so on. Example non-payment elements include digital representations of driver's licenses, passports, student IDs, library cards, membership cards, insurance cards, and so on. The mobile wallet application allows an individual to use the stored information to pay for items (either in person or in e-commerce transactions), provide for identification (e.g., producing a driver's license), transfer money to others, access bank accounts, collect discount coupons, submit subway passes, and the like. As another example, a mobile wallet may be used to verify the age of a buyer while purchasing alcohol. Exemplary mobile wallets include but are not limited to APPLE PAY®, ANDROID PAY®, GOOGLE WALLET®, CURRENT C® by MCX®, SAMSUNG PAY®, and peer-to-peer payment apps such as VENMO®, SQUARE CASH®, and TILT APP®.


In a battery wiring module that is attached to a unit cell group, a configuration that can inhibit noise propagation to signal lines is implemented in a more compact manner. A battery wiring module is attached to a unit cell group in which a plurality of unit cells are aligned. The battery wiring module includes: a wiring pattern configured as a signal transmission path on one side of a board main body portion; and a guard pattern that is formed in the vicinity of the wiring pattern on the one side of the board main body portion, and is kept at a predetermined reference potential while being insulated from the wiring pattern.

In electric vehicle or hybrid vehicles, a battery module is mounted in which a plurality of unit cells, each including a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal, are arranged, and the electrode terminals of adjacent unit cells are connected using a connection member such as a bus bar.
For example, JP 2011-124176A discloses a battery module in which a battery connection assembly is attached to a unit cell group that includes a plurality of unit cells that are connected in series. A plurality of wires (voltage detection lines) are electrically connected to the unit cell group, and the battery connection assembly includes a housing portion (voltage detection line housing portion) that holds the plurality of voltage detection lines.
In the battery module disclosed in JP 2011-124176A, the voltage detection lines are configured as independent wires, and the voltage detection lines are routed and held in a groove-shaped housing portion (voltage detection line housing portion) formed in the battery connection assembly. Accordingly, at least due to this portion, the size of the battery module may be increased.
There is also another problem in that, when signal lines (voltage detection lines or the like) are provided, the signal accuracy decreases due to the propagation of external noise to the signal line. As a measure to address this problem, wires that have shielding properties may be used as the signal lines, but the use of such wires leads to a further increase in size.
The present disclosure has been made under the circumstances described above, and it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a battery wiring module that is attached to a unit cell group, wherein a configuration that can inhibit the propagation of noise to signal lines is implemented in a more compact manner.


A dynamic-quantity sensor includes two piezoelectric vibrators which are arranged such that stresses generated by a dynamic quantity, such as acceleration, are applied in opposite phases to the piezoelectric vibrators. A current-voltage converting and signal adding circuit converts current signals flowing in the piezoelectric vibrators into voltage signals. A feedback signal processing circuit amplifies a combined signal of the two voltage signals and feeds back the combined signal to an acceleration sensing element, so that oscillation is performed. A self-diagnostic circuit including a series circuit including a switching circuit and a capacitor is provided between a reference potential (ground) and a node between one of the piezoelectric vibrators and a resistor in which a current of the one of the piezoelectric vibrators flows. Diagnosis is performed in accordance with whether or not a signal based on turning on and off of the switching circuit changes normally.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dynamic-quantity sensors for sensing a dynamic quantity, such as acceleration, angular acceleration, angular velocity, or load.
2. Description of the Related Art
The assignee of this application has proposed an acceleration sensor including a piezoelectric vibrator in Japanese Patent No. 3097464. The acceleration sensor includes a piezoelectric ceramic element for sensing acceleration, a signal processing circuit for processing an output signal from the piezoelectric ceramic element, and a fault self-diagnosing circuit for outputting a self-diagnostic signal to the piezoelectric ceramic element.
Also, an angular velocity sensor is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-267448. The angular velocity sensor includes a sensor element including a vibrating part and a sensing part for sensing angular velocity; and a driver circuit for supplying a driving signal to the vibrating part of the sensor element.
Also, the assignee of this application has proposed a dynamic-quantity sensor including a piezoelectric vibrator in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-326605. Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-326605 corresponds to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/329,507 filed on Dec. 27, 2002. The dynamic-quantity sensor includes two piezoelectric vibrators to which stresses generated by a dynamic quantity are applied in opposite phases, a voltage signal applying circuit for applying a common voltage signal to the piezoelectric vibrators, a current-voltage converting circuit for converting current signals flowing in the piezoelectric vibrators into voltage signals, and a phase-difference signal processing circuit for detecting a phase difference between the voltage signals output from the current-voltage converting circuit and for outputting a dynamic quantity sensing signal.
An example of the structure of the dynamic-quantity sensor described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-326605 will now be described with reference to FIG. 8. The dynamic-quantity sensor includes an acceleration sensing element 10, a current-voltage converting and signal adding circuit 11, a feedback signal processing circuit 12, a phase-difference voltage converting circuit 13, and an amplification and filter circuit 14.
The acceleration sensing element 10 includes piezoelectric vibrators Sa and Sb to which stresses generated by a dynamic quantity are applied in opposite phases. The piezoelectric vibrators Sa and Sb are connected in series with resistors RLa and RLb, respectively. The current-voltage converting and signal adding circuit 11 converts current signals flowing in the piezoelectric vibrators Sa and Sb into voltage signals to be output as an Sa signal and an Sb signal, respectively. Also, the current-voltage converting and signal adding circuit 11 outputs a combined signal created from both signals.
The feedback signal processing circuit 12 amplifies the voltage of the combined signal, limits the amplitude, and outputs a voltage signal Vosc to the acceleration sensing element 10. The voltage signal Vosc is applied to a node between the piezoelectric vibrators Sa and Sb.
The phase-difference voltage converting circuit 13 generates a voltage signal that is proportional to a phase difference between the Sa signal and the Sb signal, which are converted to the voltage signals.
The amplification and filter circuit 14 amplifies the voltage signal converted by the phase-difference voltage converting circuit 13 with a predetermined gain and eliminates components in an unwanted frequency range to output an acceleration sensing signal.
In the circuits shown in FIG. 8, both the resonant frequencies of the piezoelectric vibrators Sa and Sb are adjusted to be equal to the frequency of the voltage signal Vosc and stresses in different phases, namely, compression (or tension) and tension (or compression), are applied to the piezoelectric vibrators Sa and Sb, respectively, so that an output signal is captured from the amplification and filter circuit 14.
A circuit for determining the occurrence of a fault in accordance with a change of a sensor output by sending a self-diagnostic signal to a piezoelectric ceramic element is described in Japanese Patent No. 3097464. Also, a structure in which a self-diagnosis is performed by applying a signal synchronized with a sensor element driving signal upstream of a demodulator is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-267448. For example, if a dynamic-quantity sensor is used for vehicles, such a self-diagnostic function is essential for ensuring high reliability.
In the dynamic-quantity sensor described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-326605, however, current signals flowing in two piezoelectric vibrators to which stresses generated by a dynamic quantity are applied in opposite phases are converted into voltage signals and self-oscillation occurs due to a feedback circuit. Thus, the self-diagnostic circuit used in Japanese Patent No. 3097464 or Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-267448 cannot be used.


The micromirror device of the present invention comprises a reflective deflectable mirror plate and an addressing electrode provided for deflecting the mirror plate, wherein the addressing electrode is displaced along a direction perpendicular to the length of the hinge such that a portion of the addressing electrode is extended beyond the mirror plate.

Micromirrors and micromirror array devices are a type of microelectromechanical devices. A typical micromirror generally has a reflective and deflectable mirror plate that is attached to a hinge such that the mirror plate can rotate along a rotation axis. The rotation of the mirror plate can be achieved through an application of an electrostatic force derived from an electrostatic field that can be established between an addressing electrode and the mirror plate.
It is generally advantageous to drive the mirror plate with as large a voltage as possible. For example, a large actuation voltage increases the available electrostatic force available to move the mirror plate. Greater electrostatic forces provide more operating margin for the micromirrors—increasing yield. Moreover, the electrostatic forces actuate the mirror plate more reliably and robustly over variations in processing and environment. Greater electrostatic forces also allow the hinges of the micromirrors to be made correspondingly stiffer; stiffer hinges may be advantageous since the material films used to fabricate them may be made thicker and therefore less sensitive to process variability, improving yield. Stiffer hinges may also have larger restoration forces to overcome stiction. The switching speed of the mirror plate from an angle to another may also be improved by raising the drive voltage.
The application of a high-voltage, however, is often limited due to many facts, such as the limitation of the addressing electrode. In current micromirrors, establishment of the electrostatic field used for driving the mirror plate is accomplished by applying a voltage to the addressing electrode, and the voltage on the addressing electrode is determined by an output voltage of a circuit, such as a memory cell fabricated on a semiconductor wafer. Due to the limited output voltages of the circuitry on the semiconductor wafer, the voltage applied to the addressing electrode is constrained within a certain range. As a result, the electrostatic force derived from the electrostatic field that results from the voltage on the addressing electrode is limited within a certain range. In addition, a high voltage can be disadvantageous to the micromirror device. For example, a high voltage may cause unfavorable charging accumulation on the micromirrors.
Therefore, what is needed is a micromirror device wherein the electrostatic force is maximized for a given voltage on the addressing electrode of the micromirror.

Micromirror having offset addressing electrode


Disclosed herein is a method for generating “clean” electricity from carbonaceous material, and producing high-pressure CO2 which can be easily sequestered or utilized for a beneficial purpose, such as fuel production. This method utilizes a reformation process that reforms carbonaceous fuel with superheated steam into a high-pressure gaseous mixture that is rich in carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas. This high-pressure gas exchanges excess heat with the incoming steam from a boiler. Once cooled, the high-pressure gas goes through a CO2 separator, after which the CO2-rich gas is sequestered underground or beneficially re-used. The remaining hydrogen-rich gas is used to generate power in a power generation subsystem, such as a gas turbine or a fuel cell. Therefore, carbon-free power is produced from coal, biomass, natural gas, or another carbon-based feedstock.

The world's power demands are expected to rise 60% by 2030. With the worldwide total of active coal plants over 50,000 and rising, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that fossil fuels will account for 85% of the energy market by 2030.
World organizations and international agencies like the IEA are concerned about the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels, and coal in particular. Electricity generation using carbon-based fuels is responsible for a large fraction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide; and for 41% of U.S. man-made carbon dioxide emissions.
Increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere assist climate change including global warming; concern over the rate of climate change has led to targets to stabilize or reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by between 25 and 40% by 2020. Fossil fueled, especially coal-fired, plants make reductions difficult. Emissions may be reduced through more efficient and higher combustion temperature and through more efficient production of electricity within the cycle. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) of emissions from coal-fired power stations is another alternative but the technology is still being developed and will increase the cost of fossil fuel-based production of electricity using existing technologies. Existing CCS technologies may not be economically viable, unless the price of emitting CO2 to the atmosphere rises. (Portions cited from Wikipedia.org).
The inventors have recognized a unique solution to the above mentioned issues as well other problems and difficulties associated with carbon capture from prior art power plants. Accordingly, the inventors have devised the present invention which allows generating clean electric power from carbonaceous material such as coal, biomass, natural gas, etc.
It is against this background that various embodiments of the present invention were developed.

Methods for generating electricity from carbonaceous material with substantially no carbon dioxide emissions


The present invention is based in part on the discovery that the upstream open reading frame (uORF) in the extended 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) argininosuccinate synthase (AS) mRNA species is functional, and when functional, limits overall AS expression as well as nitric oxide (NO) production. Thus, the extended 5′-UTR AS mRNA species is a mechanism for regulating AS expression and NO production, and provides a target for the treatment of pathophysiological conditions associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction and characterized by impairment of NO production, such as heart failure, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, and diabetes.

Nitric oxide (NO) synthesized from arginine by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a potent vasodilator and a critical modulator of blood flow and blood pressure. In addition, it mediates vasoprotective actions through inhibiting smooth muscle proliferation, platelet aggregation, and leukocyte adhesion (Bredt, D. S. and Snyder, S. H. Annu. Rev. Biochem., 1994, 63:175-195; Gow, A. J. and Ischiropoulos, H. J. Cell. Physiol., 2001, 187:277-282; Vallance, P. and Chan, N. Heart, 2001, 85:342-50). Under pathophysiological conditions associated with endothelial dysfunction, such as heart failure (Sharma, R. and Davidoff, M. N. Congest. Heart Fail., 2002, 8:165-172), hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis (Maxwell, A. J. Nitric Oxide, 2002, 6:101-124), and diabetes (Goligorsky, M. S. and Gross, S. S. Drug News Perspect., 2001, 14:133-142), the ability to produce NO seems to be impaired. One suggested reason for this impairment has been the reduced availability of the substrate arginine, despite saturating levels of intracellular and extracellular arginine.
The present inventors have previously shown that, under normal conditions, the essential arginine available for NO production is derived from the recycling of citrulline back to arginine, catalyzed by two enzymes, argininosuccinate synthase (AS) and argininosuccinate lyase (AL) (Flam, B. R. et al. Nitric Oxide, 2001, 5:187-197; Pendleton, L. C. et al. J. Biol. Chem., 2002, 277:25363-25369; Goodwin, B. L. et al. J. Biol. Chem., 2004, 279:18353-18360). Although these two enzymes have been studied extensively in the liver where they participate in the urea cycle (Morris, S. M., Jr. Annu. Rev. Nutr., 1992, 12:81-101), it was not until the discovery of NO that their function in non-hepatic tissue was clarified.
Because AS catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the citrulline-NO cycle (Xie, L. and Gross, S. S. J. Biol. Chem., 1997, 272:16624-16630), the present inventors' initial studies have focused on the molecular basis for the functional role of endothelial AS. Endothelial and hepatic AS appear to have the same primary structure (Pendleton, L. C. et al. J. Biol. Chem., 2002, 277:25363-25369; Freytag, S. O. et al. J. Biol. Chem., 1984, 259:3160-31662), but differ in cellular location and level of expression (Flam, B. R. et al. Nitric Oxide, 2001, 5:187-197; Pendleton, L. C. et al. J. Biol. Chem., 2002, 277:25363-25369). Hepatic urea cycle AS and AL are associated with the mitochondria (Cohen, N. S. and Kuda, A. J Cell. Biochem., 1996, 60:334-340), while in endothelial cells, AS and AL co-localize with eNOS in caveolae (Flam, B. R. et al. Nitric Oxide, 2001, 5:187-197).
AS expression in liver also differs from AS expression in endothelial cells as demonstrated by the diversity of 5′-UTR AS mRNA species in endothelial cells (Pendleton, L. C. et al. J. Biol. Chem., 2002, 277:25363-25369). Three transcription initiation sites identified in endothelial cells result in overlapping 5′-UTR regions of 92, 66 and 43 nucleotides (nt). The longer forms make up ˜7% of the total AS message, with the shortest 43 nt 5′-UTR AS mRNA being the predominant species in endothelial cells, and the only detectable form found in liver. The extended 92 and 66 nt 5′-UTR AS mRNAs contain an out-of-frame, upstream overlapping ORF that is terminated by a stop codon 70 nt past the in-frame start codon for the downstream ORF encoding AS. Previously, the present inventors reported that in vitro translation of AS mRNA containing the extended 5′-UTRs was suppressed compared to the shortest and most predominant 43 nt 5′-UTR AS mRNA species (Pendleton, L. C. et al. J. Biol. Chem., 2002, 277:25363-25369). Moreover, it was also showed that the translational efficiency of the extended 5′-UTR AS mRNA species was restored to short form levels when the uAUG was mutated to AAG, thus eliminating the uORF (Pendleton, L. C. et al. J. Biol. Chem., 2002, 277:25363-25369).
Upstream ORFs can act as cis-acting factors affecting the translation of a downstream ORF in a variety of ways (Morris, D. R. and Geballe, A. P. Mol. Cell. Biol., 2000, 20:8635-8642). In higher eukaryotes, initiation of translation generally occurs at the first AUG that resides in a favorable context. When the first AUG context is suboptimal, a portion of the scanning ribosomes may continue past the first AUG and initiate translation downstream at subsequent AUGs via leaky scanning (Kozak, M. Gene, 1999, 234:187-208). In this context, a significant number of eukaryotic mRNAs have now been reported that contain one or more upstream ORFs shown to affect the translational efficiency of the main, downstream ORF (Morris, D. R. and Geballe, A. P. Mol. Cell. Biol., 2000, 20:8635-8642). Depending on conditions such as intercistronic length and secondary structure, scanning ribosomes, upon initiation at the uAUG, can either translate the uORF and reinitiate downstream or stall on the mRNA during elongation, thus preventing initiation at other sites (Morris, D. R. and Geballe, A. P. Mol. Cell. Biol., 2000, 20:8635-8642). In other cases, partial translation of the nascent peptide prevents downstream re-initiation by interaction of the peptide with a protein or RNA in the ribosome preventing termination from proceeding efficiently (Gaba, A. et al. Embo. J., 2001, 20:6453-6463). Another less common event is for the uORF to be translated and for the peptide product to affect translation of the downstream cistron via a trans mechanism (Parola, A. L. and Kobilka, B. K. J. Biol. Chem., 1994, 269:4497-4505).
RNA interference (RNAi) is a polynucleotide sequence-specific, post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanism effected by double-stranded RNA that results in degradation of a specific messenger RNA (mRNA), thereby reducing the expression of a desired target polypeptide encoded by the mRNA (see, e.g., WO 99/32619; WO 01/75164; U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,559; Fire et al., Nature 391:806-11 (1998); Sharp, Genes Dev. 13:139-41 (1999); Elbashir et al. Nature 411:494-98 (2001); Harborth et al., J. Cell Sci. 114:4557-65 (2001)). RNAi is mediated by double-stranded polynucleotides as also described hereinbelow, for example, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), having sequences that correspond to exonic sequences encoding portions of the polypeptides for which expression is compromised. RNAi reportedly is not effected by double-stranded RNA polynucleotides that share sequence identity with intronic or promoter sequences (Elbashir et al., 2001). RNAi pathways have been best characterized in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans, but "small interfering RNA" (siRNA) polynucleotides that interfere with expression of specific polynucleotides in higher eukaryotes such as mammals (including humans) have also been considered (e.g., Tuschl, 2001 Chembiochem. 2:239-245; Sharp, 2001 Genes Dev. 15:485; Bernstein et al., 2001 RNA 7:1509; Zamore, 2002 Science 296:1265; Plasterk, 2002 Science 296:1263; Zamore 2001 Nat. Struct. Biol. 8:746; Matzke et al., 2001 Science 293:1080; Scadden et al., 2001 EMBO Rep. 2:1107).
According to a current non-limiting model, the RNAi pathway is initiated by ATP-dependent, cleavage of long dsRNA into double-stranded fragments of about 18-27 (e.g., 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, etc.) nucleotide base pairs in length, called small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) (see review by Hutvagner et al., Curr. Opin. Gen. Dev. 12:225-32 (2002); Elbashir et al., 2001; Nyknen et al., Cell 107:309-21 (2001); Zarnore et al., Cell 101:25-33 (2000)). In Drosophila, an enzyme known as "Dicer" cleaves the longer double-stranded RNA into siRNAs; Dicer belongs to the RNase III family of dsRNA-specific endonucleases (WO 01/68836; Bernstein et al., Nature 409:363-66 (2001)). Further, according to this non-limiting model, the siRNA duplexes are incorporated into a protein complex, followed by ATP-dependent unwinding of the siRNA, which then generates an active RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) (WO 01/68836). The complex recognizes and cleaves a target RNA that is complementary to the guide strand of the siRNA, thus interfering with expression of a specific protein (Hutvagner et al., supra).
In C. elegans and Drosophila, RNAi may be mediated by long double-stranded RNA polynucleotides (WO 99/32619; WO 01/75164; Fire et al., 1998; Clemens et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:6499-6503 (2000); Kisielow et al., Biochem. J. 363:1-5 (2002); see also WO 01/92513 (RNAi-mediated silencing in yeast)). In mammalian cells, however, transfection with long dsRNA polynucleotides (i.e., greater than 30 base pairs) leads to activation of a non-specific sequence response that globally blocks the initiation of protein synthesis and causes mRNA degradation (Bass, Nature 411:428-29 (2001)). Transfection of human and other mammalian cells with double-stranded RNAs of about 18-27 nucleotide base pairs in length interferes in a sequence-specific manner with expression of particular polypeptides encoded by messenger RNAs (mRNA) containing corresponding nucleotide sequences (WO 01/75164; Elbashir et al., 2001; Elbashir et al., Genes Dev. 15:188-200 (2001)); Harborth et al., J. Cell Sci. 114:4557-65 (2001); Carthew et al., Curr. Opin. Cell Biol. 13:244-48 (2001); Mailand et al., Nature Cell Biol. Advance Online Publication (Mar. 18, 2002); Mailand et al. 2002 Nature Cell Biol. 4:317).
siRNA polynucleotides may offer certain advantages over other polynucleotides known to the art for use in sequence-specific alteration or modulation of gene expression to yield altered levels of an encoded polypeptide product. These advantages include lower effective siRNA polynucleotide concentrations, enhanced siRNA polynucleotide stability, and shorter siRNA polynucleotide oligonucleotide lengths relative to such other polynucleotides (e.g., antisense, ribozyme or triplex polynucleotides). By way of a brief background, "antisense" polynucleotides bind in a sequence-specific manner to target nucleic acids, such as mRNA or DNA, to prevent transcription of DNA or translation of the mRNA (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,168,053; 5,190,931; 5,135,917; 5,087,617; see also, e.g., Clusel et al., 1993 Nuc. Acids Res. 21:3405-11, describing "dumbbell" antisense oligonucleotides). "Ribozyme" polynucleotides can be targeted to any RNA transcript and are capable of catalytically cleaving such transcripts, thus impairing translation of mRNA (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,272,262; 5,144,019; and 5,168,053, 5,180,818, 5,116,742 and 5,093,246; U.S. Ser. No. 2002/193579). "Triplex" DNA molecules refers to single DNA strands that bind duplex DNA to form a colinear triplex molecule, thereby preventing transcription (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,996, describing methods for making synthetic oligonucleotides that bind to target sites on duplex DNA). Such triple-stranded structures are unstable and form only transiently under physiological conditions. Because single-stranded polynucleotides do not readily diffuse into cells and are therefore susceptible to nuclease digestion, development of single-stranded DNA for antisense or triplex technologies often requires chemically modified nucleotides to improve stability and absorption by cells. siRNAs, by contrast, are readily taken up by intact cells, are effective at interfering with the expression of specific polynucleotides at concentrations that are several orders of magnitude lower than those required for either antisense or ribozyme polynucleotides, and do not require the use of chemically modified nucleotides.

Polynucleotides targeted against the extended 5′-UTR region of argininosuccinate synthase and uses thereof


A processing device comprises an instruction execution unit, a memory agent and pinning logic to pin memory pages in a multi-level memory system upon request by the memory agent. The pinning logic includes an agent interface module to receive, from the memory agent, a pin request indicating a first memory page in the multi-level memory system, the multi-level memory system comprising a near memory and a far memory. The pinning logic further includes a memory interface module to retrieve the first memory page from the far memory and write the first memory page to the near memory. In addition, the pinning logic also includes a descriptor table management module to mark the first memory page as pinned in the near memory, wherein marking the first memory page as pinned comprises setting a pinning bit corresponding to the first memory page in a cache descriptor table and to prevent the first memory page from being evicted from the near memory when the first memory page is marked as pinned.

In a processing system, certain devices have expected performance standards. These performance standards are satisfied by the retrieval of requested data from memory in a sufficient amount of time so as not to interrupt the operation of the requesting devices. Retrieval of data within the prescribed time can be accomplished by maintaining all of the data that the requesting devices may need to access in high performance, high speed memory with low latency for data accesses. This, however, can significantly increase the cost of the processing system because potentially a large amount of expensive high-speed memory would be needed.

Isochronous agent data pinning in a multi-level memory system


A basic required manipulated variable Mfbdmd_a is determined on the basis of a state amount error, which is the difference between a state amount of a motion of an actual vehicle 1 and a reference state amount, then a driving/braking force manipulation control input Fxfbdmd_n of a wheel is determined on the basis of the above basic required manipulated variable. At this time, a change in a driving/braking force operation control input Fxdmd_n of a front wheel and a rear wheel, respectively, of a particular set is made to be proportional to a change in the basic required manipulated variable Mfbdmd_a, and the ratio (gain) of a change in Fxdmd_n with respect to a change in Mfbdmd_a is made to change on the basis of gain adjustment parameters, such as side slip angles βf_act and βr_act. This makes it possible to properly control a motion of the actual vehicle to a desired motion by properly manipulating a road surface reaction force acting on a front wheel of the vehicle and a road surface reaction force acting on a rear wheel.

A vehicle, such as an automobile, is provided with systems, including a driving/braking system that transmits a driving force from a propulsive force generating source, such as an engine, to wheels or imparts a braking force thereto, a steering system (steering control system) for controlling the steering control wheels of a vehicle, and a suspension system that elastically supports a vehicle body on wheels, as main mechanisms. Furthermore, in recent years, there has been known a vehicle provided with a variety of electric or hydraulic actuators to actively (positively) control the operations of the actuators according to a traveling condition of the vehicle or an environmental condition or the like as well as passively operating the systems in response to operations (man-caused operations) of a steering wheel (driver's wheel), an accelerator (gas) pedal, a brake pedal and the like performed by a driver, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-41386 (hereinafter referred to as patent document 1).
Patent document 1 proposes a technique in which the feedforward target value of a rear wheel steering angle is determined on the basis of a front wheel steering angle, the feedback target value of the rear wheel steering angle is also determined on the basis of a difference between a reference state amount (a reference yaw rate and a reference lateral acceleration) and an actual state amount (a yaw rate detection value and a lateral acceleration detection value), and then the rear wheel steering angle follows the sum of the target values. In this case, the reference state amount is set on the basis of a front wheel steering angle. Further, the parameters or gains of transfer functions of a feedforward controller, a feedback controller, and a reference state amount determiner are adjusted on the basis of an estimated value of a friction coefficient of a road surface.
However, according to the technique disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document 1, the influence of a moment about the center-of-gravity point of a vehicle produced by a road surface reaction force acting on a front wheel of a vehicle and a road surface reaction force acting on a rear wheel is not adequately taken into account although the friction characteristic of a road surface is taken into account. For this reason, there are cases where an appropriate moment for bringing the actual state amount close to the reference state amount cannot be generated about the center-of-gravity point of the vehicle even when a rear wheel steering angle is feedback-controlled.
Meanwhile, to control a motion of a vehicle to a desired motion, it is considered desirable to properly control a road surface reaction force as an external force acting on the vehicle. In this case, a moment in the yaw direction generated about the center-of-gravity point of the vehicle can be manipulated by manipulating, for example, a driving/braking force to be applied to each wheel from a road surface. Hence, the driving/braking force to be applied to each wheel from the road surface could be manipulated to control the behaviors of the vehicle such that an actual state amount related to a motion in the yaw direction approximates to a reference state amount.
However, in this case, it is desired to manipulate the road surface reaction force (especially the driving/braking force component and a lateral force component) acting on a front wheel of the vehicle and the road surface reaction force (especially the driving/braking force component and a lateral force component) acting on a rear wheel while properly taking the characteristics of the road surface reaction force into account.
The present invention has been made in view of the background described above, and it is an object thereof to provide a vehicle control device capable of properly controlling a motion of an actual vehicle to a desired motion by properly manipulating a road surface reaction force acting on a front wheel of a vehicle and a road surface reaction force acting on a rear wheel. Further, it is an object to provide a vehicle control device capable of properly controlling a vehicle motion by enhancing the robustness against disturbance factors or changes therein.


The present invention discloses a backlight control circuit, and a method for controlling light emission devices. The method comprises: providing a plurality of light emission device paths connected in parallel; and setting a total current of the paths connected in parallel to a constant.

In a liquid crystal display (LCD), a backlight control circuit is used which controls LEDs to illuminate from the back side of an LCD screen, so that a user can observe an image from the front side of the LCD screen.
In early days, LED backlight is used only in a small size screen, which does not require high backlight brightness. Therefore, the LEDs can be connected all in series or all in parallel. FIG. 1 shows a prior art circuit wherein all LEDs are connected in series. As shown in the figure, a backlight control circuit 10 comprises a voltage supply circuit 11 converting an input voltage Vin to an output voltage Vout which is supplied to a plurality of LEDs L1-LN connected in series. A resistor R is provided on a path of the LEDs connected in series, and a voltage at a node Vsense1 is compared with a reference voltage Vref to check whether a current through the path satisfies a predetermined condition. If the current is lower than a predetermined value and the voltage at the node Vsense1 decreases, an error amplifier circuit 13 sends a signal 15 to the voltage supply circuit 11 to pull up the output voltage Vout, so that the current flowing through the LEDs increases. Moreover, to prevent the voltage supply circuit 11 from unlimitedly increasing the output voltage Vout (for example, when the error amplifier circuit 13 malfunctions, or when the path of the LEDs is open), an over voltage protection circuit 12 is provided in the backlight control circuit 10, which detects the output voltage Vout and sends a signal to stop the voltage supply circuit 11 from increasing the output voltage Vout if the output voltage Vout is excessively high. (Depending on circuit design, the voltage supply can be totally stopped, or kept at an upper limit value. The latter is more popular in a backlight control circuit.)
FIG. 2 shows a typical structure of an over voltage protection circuit 12, wherein the output voltage Vout is monitored by comparing the voltage at the node Vsense2 with a reference voltage Vovp. The result of comparison determines a signal for controlling the voltage supply circuit 11.
The above arrangement wherein all LEDs are connected in series has several drawbacks. An obvious drawback is that, due to series connection, if one LED shuts down, all the other LEDs are shut down; the LCD will be in complete darkness.
Referring to FIG. 3, it shows a conventional backlight control circuit with LEDs all connected in parallel. As shown in the figure, in a backlight control circuit 20, the currents passing through LEDs L1-LN are respectively controlled by the current sources CS1-CSN. The backlight control circuit 20 comprises a lowest voltage selection circuit 21 (Lowest V. Sel. Ckt.) which chooses a lowest voltage value among all voltages at cathode ends of the LEDs L1-LN, and the error amplifier circuit 13 compares the lowest voltage value with a reference voltage to generate a signal controlling the voltage supply circuit 11. Thus, the output voltage Vout is under control so that all current source circuits are provided with sufficient operating voltage for normal operation, and all LEDs can illuminate normally thereby.
Similarly, the backlight control circuit 20 can further comprise an over voltage protection circuit 12 as the one described above.
In the arrangement where all LEDs are connected in parallel, although an over voltage protection circuit or other means can be employed (for example the under current detection circuits as described in a co-pending patent application filed by the same assignee on the same filing date under the same title) to prevent the overall circuit from completely shut down because of one or a few inoperative LEDs, the overall brightness of the LCD still drops. Besides, as the size of the LCD screen becomes larger which requires higher backlight brightness, a series-parallel connection circuit as shown in FIG. 4 is probably used to increase the number of LEDs to be connected. In this arrangement, if one of the LED paths is inoperative, the backlight brightness will drop more severely.
Thus, a backlight control circuit with low backlight brightness variation when some of the LEDs do not properly operate, is desired.

Backlight control circuit with low brightness variation when light emitting devices not operating


A latch protection clip for a connector mounted at an end of a cable and having a latch extending from a connector housing to a distal end includes a clip body having fingers configured to engage the cable directly behind the connector housing to secure the clip body to the cable. The latch protection clip also includes a trigger extending from the clip body. The trigger has a lever arm extending from the clip body and a trigger handle at an end of the lever arm opposite the clip body. The trigger handle has an outer surface and at least one pocket recessed inward from the outer surface. Each pocket is configured to receive the distal end of a corresponding latch. The trigger is configured to actuate the latch in an actuation direction when the trigger handle is deflected toward the connector housing. The pocket restricts lateral movement of the latch in a direction transverse to the actuation direction of the latch.

The subject matter herein relates generally to data communication connectors, and more particularly, to a latch protection clip for such connectors.
Various types of data communication connectors have been developed for connecting various components together and for transmitting data therebetween. For example, copper conductor connectors have been developed for connecting copper cables to system components or other copper cables. Additionally, fiber-optic connectors have been developed for connecting optical cables to optical system components such as active or passive devices or to other optical cables. One type of fiber-optic connector is known as a RJ-type connector, which includes a cantilevered latch extending at an angle from an outer surface of a housing to engage a receptacle into which the connector is placed to secure the connector in place. The distal end of the latch extends generally backwardly (that is, away from the "front" end of the connector to be inserted into the receptacle and thus "back" in the direction of the cable). Well-known examples of RJ-type connectors include common telephone cord connectors and LC-type optical fiber connectors. Copper conductor connectors have similar latching features, also known as RJ-type connectors.
One drawback of RJ-type connectors is that if a cable on which the connector is mounted is pulled backwards after the connector is removed from the receptacle, such as to remove the connector and cable from behind the receptacle, the latch can get caught, thereby preventing further movement of the cable without potentially damaging or breaking the latch or the associated connector. Various devices have been proposed to overcome such features of RJ-type connectors. For example, a second cantilevered element similar to the latch, and often called a "trigger", has been included as part of RJ-type connector housings. One example of an RJ-type connector having a trigger element is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,474. The trigger functions as an anti-snag feature for the latch. The trigger also functions to actuate the latch when pressed down. RJ-type connectors having such triggers are not without disadvantages. For instance, because such triggers are formed integral with the housing, the presence of the trigger undesirably lengthens and enlarges the housing somewhat as compared to a comparable LC connector without a trigger. Also, the more complicated housing including the trigger can be more difficult and expensive to mold.
One known solution to such problems is to couple a separate trigger component to the fiber-optic cable. One example of such a separate trigger component is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,262. The trigger component has a circular geometry that attaches to the fiber-optic cable separate from the housing. Such trigger components suffer from the disadvantage of relative movement occurring between the housing, and thus the latch, and the trigger component. In some situations, the trigger component may become misaligned with the latch and potentially cause damage to the latch. For example, if the trigger component is actuated when misaligned with the latch, the trigger component may torque the latch or otherwise cause the latch to move in an abnormal direction, potentially causing damage to the latch.


The present invention relates to a plastic abrasion resistant protective sleeve for covering a radiator hose. The sleeve of the invention has an annularly corrugated external surface comprising a plurality of projections and troughs formed in said sleeve. The projections are substantially evenly distributed and have a substantially uniform size. The sleeve has a slit along its longitudinal axis which provides for easy application to or removal from the hose, and is made of plastic that is substantially unaffected by high temperatures. A method of using said protective sleeve for protecting a radiator hose from abrasion also is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plastic abrasion-resistant sleeve for protecting hose and a method for protecting hose.
2. Prior Art Statement
Because of fluctuations in the supply of energy, automobiles have been made increasingly more compact. Due to the downsizing of engine compartments, many underhood components are located in close proximity to the radiator hose. To prevent wear on such radiator hose due to contact with underhood components, an integral abrasion-resistant EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene-monomer) rubber oversleeve has been used in some prior applications to protect the radiator hose. In such prior applications, the protective rubber oversleeve is disposed around the radiator hose during construction of such hose. However, the disposal of such rubber oversleeve is labor intensive and increases the chance that the hose will be scrapped since gases are sometimes trapped between the hose and the oversleeve. Trapped gases expand during vulcanization and sometimes cause delamination of the hose.
Also, since the water carried by the radiator hose, under running conditions, becomes very hot, and rubber loses abrasion resistant properties when subjected to heat over a period of time, the abrasion resistance of the EPDM abrasion resistant sleeve diminishes with age.
It is known in the art to provide a helical rubber protector for a hose as is illustrated by Patterson in U.S. Pat. No. 1,977,775.
It is known in the art to provide a protective cover for an insulated pipe bend comprising a corrugated band material, which is formed on the pipe bend and which is cut lengthwise into two or more parts as illustrated by Aleniusson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,985.
It is known in the art to provide an abrasion resistant flexible hose which employs a number of rubber bumpers distributed on the hose, as illustrated by Brunelle et al in U.K. Patent 1,327,659.
It is known in the art to provide a plastic conduit having a slit therein for protecting electrical wires in an automobile.
It is also known in the art to provide a plastic protective sleeve, having a slit, over hose carrying ambient temperature fluid on an automobile engine.
Langner, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,671 illustrates a corrugated pipe having an internal liner which is used for deep water applications.
Corrugated pipe used for other applications are also illustrated by Stearns, U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,496 and Jousson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,466.

Plastic abrasion-resistant protective sleeve for hose


An accelerometer includes a fixing unit and a movable unit. The fixing unit has a plurality of first electrode parts and a plurality of second electrode parts. The movable unit is connected with the fixing unit and includes a body having an opening, a plurality of third electrode parts and a plurality of fourth electrode parts. The third electrode parts are disposed at an outer side of the body with respect to the first electrode parts, respectively. The fourth electrode parts are disposed at the inner side of the body in the opening, and are disposed respectively with respect to the second electrode parts, respectively.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an accelerometer and, in particular to a capacitance accelerometer.
2. Related Art
An accelerometer is used to measure the acceleration caused by an external force. For example, it can be applied in a vehicle automatic safety system for collecting the information such as the kinetic energy of the vehicle or the external force applied on the vehicle. Due to the development of micro electromechanical system (MEMS), the semiconductor technology may integrate the mechanical devices and circuits to manufacture the accelerometer. The accelerometer manufactured by the semiconductor technology has the advantages of low cost, decreased size and weight, and enhanced reliability.
According to the different measuring methods, the accelerometers include the piezoresistive accelerometers, the capacitance accelerometers, and the piezoelectric accelerometers. Herein, the capacitance accelerometers calculate the acceleration according to the capacitance variation. Regarding to the structure, the capacitance accelerometer may provide an out-of plane measuring mechanism or an in plane measuring mechanism. The out-of plane measuring mechanism utilizes large area planer electrode plates for measuring, and the in plane measuring mechanism utilizes comb electrodes, which are arranged interdigitatedly, for measuring.
Hereinafter, a conventional capacitance accelerometer 1 using the in plane measuring mechanism will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional capacitance accelerometer 1 includes a proof mass 10, an elastic part 11, a first comb electrode 12, and a second comb electrode 13. The proof mass 10 is connected with a fixing block 14 by the elastic part 11. If there is no external force, the proof mass 10 stays at a static position. In this case, the first comb electrode 12 is connected with the proof mass 10, and the second comb electrode 13 is disposed with respect to the first comb electrode 12 and located at another fixing block 15. When the external force is applied, the proof mass 10 moves up and down along the direction of arrow D. In this case, the distance between the first comb electrode 12 and the second comb electrode 13 changes, and then the capacitance variation between the electrodes 12 and 13 is measured for estimating the corresponding acceleration.
To increase the sensitivity of the capacitance accelerometer 1, the numbers of the comb electrodes 12 and 13 are increased, or the distance between the first comb electrode 12 and the second comb electrode 13 is decreased. However, if the numbers of the comb electrodes 12 and 13 are increased, the entire area of the accelerometer 1 must be increased, which is undesired for the trend of product minimization. In addition, the present manufacturing machines have their limitations while decreasing the distance between the electrodes 12 and 13.
Therefore, it is an important subject of the invention to provide an accelerometer having high sensitivity and small size.


A mounting tool and method for mounting a tire onto a rim, the tool including a working end having a tip insertable between the tire's beads and the rim and adapted to lift the beads on to the rim, a body portion extending upward relative to the tip to hold the bead as it is stretched on to the rim, and an extension connecting the tip and body portion to the handle. The extension has a first portion having a radial extent adapted for receipt between the beads of the tire as the working end is rotated, and a second portion defining a second clearance that opens axially inward to receive the second bead therein as the working end is rotated to mount the first bead. With the first portion received between the first and second beads and the second portion providing a clearance for the second bead, the handle is rotated radially outward relative to the rim and body weight applied downwardly to the handle to mount the first bead. Using the leverage created by the extension, the second bead is mounted by inserting the tip between the second bead and the rim, and rotating the handle radially outward and downward to force the second bead on to the rim.

Pneumatic tires require repair or replacement from time to time because of sustained wear or damage. To effectuate such repair or replacement, it is generally required that the defective tire be removed from its associate wheel rim and a new or repaired tire remounted to the rim.
A variety of tools of varying configurations have been developed for providing a user with mechanical advantage in mounting a tire to a wheel rim. Such tools typically comprise an elongate bar having a handle at one end and an opposite working end adapted for insertion between the bead of a tire and its associate wheel rim.
To utilize the implement, the tool working portion is inserted manually by the user between the bead of the tire and its associate wheel rim. Thereafter, the user applies pressure on the handle, making a lever of the tool and utilizing the wheel rim as a fulcrum. Pressure upon the handle causes the tool to engage the tire bead and move a segment of the bead inward, whereby disengaging the bead segment from the rim. The tool is then redeployed along the tire to an adjacent location, and the procedure is repeated upon a corresponding adjacent bead segment. Repeated redeployment and utilization of the tool about the periphery of the tire pulls a sufficient length of the tire bead inward until the tire is free for removal from the rim in its entirety. In more recent years, machines have been developed which rotate the tire in conjunction with the use of the tool to alleviate the need for moving the tool.
While the prior art is replete with mounting tools, the basic design has not changed significantly over the years. Known designs, while working well to an extent, have proven less than satisfactory in providing an optimally functional tire mounting implement. Some known devices mount tubeless truck tires by using separate tools for each tire bead. A first mounting tool is used to pull the first bead of the tire into the rim. Thereafter, a second mounting tool is inserted to press the second bead behind the rim to complete the mounting procedure. Separate implements, however, increase cost and complicate the tire changing procedure.
Other known designs use a straight bar having a tip that angles downwardly from the longitudinal plane of the tool. The downwardly-turned tip, while providing an advantage in creating a pronounced fulcrum, makes insertion of the tool between the tire bead and wheel relatively more difficult. Moreover, dislodging the angled tip of such a tool is frequently problematic and laborious. A further deficiency in such known tools is that their configuration does nothing to inhibit migration of the tire upwardly along the handle during use. With pressure being applied to the sidewall, the bead of the tire tends to move away from the rim and upward along the tool, decreasing the applied leverage of the tool. The profile of known straight tools does not inhibit this undesirable consequence.
A further deficiency exists in known tire mounting tools. To force the bead of a tire below a rim flange, a substantial segment of the sidewall must be compressed inward a significant extent. Such a deflection requires substantial force. To compensate, the user generally must progress about the tire in small increments, pressuring adjacent small portions or bites of the bead below the rim flange. As the user progressively moves the tool around the rim mounting the bead in a series of bites, the bead becomes progressively more taut and difficult to manipulate. Toward the end of the mounting process, the bead is extremely taut about the rim and difficult to manipulate, making insertion of the tool increasingly difficult. Known tools are typically difficult to insert and remove from between a taut tire bead and a wheel rim.
Moreover, known tools that incorporate a bend proximate the tire mounting tip experience a further difficulty. As the bend of the tool working end is pressed against the front edge of the bead to work the tool underneath the bead, the tool often catches on the rim flange. In order to avoid catching on the rim flange, the tool must be inserted by the user beneath the bead with the tool working end angled upward. Such an angle of insertion, however, is generally not available because the tool handle typically exceeds the rim diameter, and the handle cannot be brought below the level of the bead without striking the rim. Also, when mounting the first bead, the tool's radial progress is impeded by contact with the second bead. Finally, a further disadvantage exists in that the tool impinges against the sidewall of the tire during leverage activity.


A resonator mounting apparatus for use in a circuit (10) captively secures and positions a resonator (40) within a resonator cavity (15). The resonator mounting apparatus uses a pedestal (60) attached to the base (12) of the resonator cavity and a web support (50) attached to a cover (30) for the resonator cavity. Both the pedestal and the web support slip fit into corresponding holes in either the base or the cover. The distance between the pedestal and the web support is chosen to secure the resonator therebetween. The pedestal includes a resonator engagement means such as a peg (70) which extends into the resonator cavity to engage a complementary hole (42) in the resonator. Alternately, a circumferential lip (64) extends from the pedestal to engage the resonator. The web support is designed to flex when engaging the resonator. The resonator mounting apparatus is preferably assembled by an automated assembler without the use of glue or epoxy.

Resonating circuits are important in microwave radar and communication circuits for generating, filtering and selecting frequencies in oscillators, amplifiers and tuners. Some microwave oscillators employ a small slab of dielectric material, referred to as a dielectric resonator, adjacent to an electrical conductor in order to create resonance at a selected frequency of current carried by the conductor. The resonant frequency of the dielectric resonator is dependent upon the geometry of the conductors in its vicinity. The resonant frequency of the dielectric resonator may be manually adjusted by altering the resonator's proximity or orientation with respect to the chamber within which it is located. Therefore, the apparatus for mounting a dielectric resonator within a resonator cavity is of primary importance.
Typically, the resonator is glued in position within the resonator cavity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,841 to Sparagna discloses a "Dielectric Resonator Filter" in which a puck-shaped dielectric resonator is bonded directly to the base of the resonator cavity by a thin film of adhesive. The resonator is positioned by a plastic screw which engages a centrally located, threaded aperture in the resonator. The screw further engages a similar aperture in the base of the resonator cavity.
There are several problems with this prior art method. First, the epoxy or glue must cure before the part can be moved down the manufacturing line, thereby increasing manufacturing cycle time. Second, the epoxy thickness will vary, affecting the resonator frequency. Third, the dielectric constants of the resonators vary from lot to lot, requiring precise adjustments in resonator height. Such precise adjustments are difficult to accomplish with adhesives involved. Last, the application of adhesives is not easily accomplished in an automated procedure.
Mechanical means to constrain and position a resonator have also been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,711 to Hendrick et al. discloses a "Dielectric Resonator Support System for a Waveguide". A dielectric resonator is held in position using support posts or rods. The support rods are made from a suitable dielectric material, and slip-fitted in holes provided at ninety degree intervals around the periphery of the dielectric resonator. The support rods are affixed to the waveguide, by gluing or being screwed in place. The support rods are slip-fitted such that they are allowed to expand, due to temperature, without being affixed to its supporting structure. However, placement of these rods and their connection to the resonator are delicate operations which are unsuitable for an automated assembly system.
Another example of mechanical resonator constraint means is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,489 to Gueble et al. entitled "Filter Having A Dielectric Resonator." This filter comprises at least one cylindrical cavity containing a cylindrical dielectric resonator whose axis of symmetry is collinear with the axis of the cavity. The resonator is held in a longitudinally asymmetrical position inside the cavity by a mandrel system which clamps around the cylindrical portion thereof and which includes at least one spoke for fixing it to said cavity while leaving play relative to said cavity. Again, however, this mandrel apparatus requires extensive manual installation and adjustment and is unsuitable for use in an automated process.
A need exists for an apparatus and method for mounting a resonator in a resonator cavity. The method should not require the use of epoxies or glues to constrain the resonator in position. The apparatus should allow for precise, positive placement of the resonator within the resonator cavity and yet be suitable for use in an automated assembly process. Such a resonator mounting system must also produce consistently desired resonator behavior.


A two-point phase modulator and a method of calibrating conversion gain of the same are provided. The two-point phase modulator locks an output frequency signal by charging and pumping charge in a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit at the beginning of operation, opens a loop of the PLL circuit for a period of time, and applies a step signal, thus calibrating conversion gain of a modulation signal that controls the output frequency signal. Thus, the conversion gain may be accurately calibrated by the calibration operation at one time.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a phase modulator, and more particularly, to a two-point phase modulator and method of calibrating conversion gain of the two-point phase modulator.
2. Description of Related Art
A phase modulator using a phase-locked loop (PLL) has been widely used. The phase modulator using the PLL may convert modulation data into a desired frequency signal by adjusting a division ratio of a divider provided in the phase modulator using a sigma-delta modulator. However, when the phase modulator is implemented using the PLL, a data rate may be limited by a bandwidth of the PLL.
In order to overcome the limitations of the phase modulator, a two-point phase modulator is provided to adjust the division ratio of the divider of the PLL by applying a digital modulation signal and to expand the bandwidth of the PLL by additionally applying analog modulation data to an adder of the PLL, thereby increasing the data rate.

Two-point phase modulator and method of calibrating conversion gain of the same


Each of nodes in a communication system includes a pull-up circuit connected between a power source and a transmission line and a switching portion connecting and disconnecting the transmission line and a ground line. One of the nodes is a master node, and the others of the nodes are slave nodes. The driver circuits are driven so that the master node constantly outputs the transmission code of logic 1 and the slave node outputting the transmission code of logic 0 extends the width of the low level of the transmission code of logic 1 on the transmission line. The master node further includes a current limiting section limiting an electric current that flows to the transmission line via the pull-up circuit based on at least a signal level of the transmission line.

In a communication system mounted in a vehicle, a communication system that uses a PWM code as a transmission code has been known (see, for example, SAE International J1850). In a case where a high level of a signal level on a transmission line is set as recessive and a low level of the signal level on the transmission line is set as dominant, the transmission line is configured so that the signal level on the transmission line becomes dominant when any one of nodes outputs a signal of dominant. In this case, it can be considered that the communication system is configured so that a waveform of the transmission code is determined by superimposing the signals output from the respective nodes.
In other words, a PWM code of a small ratio of the low level is associated with logic 1 and a PWM code of a large ratio of the low level is associated with logic 0, and one of nodes (master node) outputs the PWM code of logic 1 in a bus idle state in which any node does not communicate. A node (slave node) other than the master node outputs such a signal that the transmission code on the transmission line becomes a desired PWM code when superimposed on the PWM code of logic 1 output from the master node.
Specifically, for example, when the slave node outputs the PWM code of logic 1, the PWM code of logic 1 can be actualized by outputting a signal at the high level over the whole period of the code. On the other hand, when the slave node outputs the PWM code of logic 0, the PWM code of logic 0 can be actualized by outputting a signal that rewrites a part of the PWM code of logic 1 output from the master node from the high level to the low level.
In general, a driver circuit of a node is formed using a transistor that connects and disconnects the transmission line and the ground line. In other words, the transistor is turned off when an output signal of the node is set to be recessive, and the transistor is turned on when an output signal of the node is set to be dominant.
Thus, in a case where the PWM code is rewritten to logic 0 by the slave node as described above, an output signal of an driver circuit of the master node is changed from the low level to the high level when an output signal of a driver circuit of the slave node is maintained at the low level. Then, at the moment, electric current flows from the master node to the driver circuit of the slave node that rewrites the code (i.e., the slave node that outputs the signal at the low level), and noise may be generated due to a rapid current change.


A cable manager which secures cables and constrains their movement in a controlled fashion. An example cable manager includes a flexible sheet. The flexible sheet includes a support section for supporting a cable along a portion of a length of the cable, the support section including a first end and a second end. A first cable retainer section wider than the support section is adjacent the first end, the first cable retainer section including first retainer sides which interlock. A second cable retainer section wider than the support section is adjacent the second end, the second cable retainer section including second retainer sides which interlock, and the second cable retainer section being separate from the first cable retainer section.

Providing adequate cable management between moving parts can prove to be costly and difficult. Example moving parts may include currency cassettes and other devices mounted on telescoping rails that must be racked in and out for servicing. Cables may be damaged if they are not managed well. Cable damage has a negative impact on device reliability and may also have a negative impact on safety. Damaged cables may create a fire hazard or produce unexpected device operation.
It would be desirable to provide an alternative cable management solution which addresses these issues.


A processing system for a capacitive input device is described. The capacitive input device includes a plurality of sensor electrodes configured to detect input objects in a sensing region. The processing system configured to transmit a signal on a transmitter sensor channel of the capacitive input device. The processing system is also configured to receive the signal on a receiver sensor channel of the capacitive input device, wherein the receiver sensor channel is coupled with an amplifier. The processing system is also configured to determine if a level of interference has been received by the receiver sensor channel in conjunction with receipt of the signal.

Capacitive sensor devices, otherwise known as touch sensor devices or proximity sensors are widely used in modern electronic devices. A capacitive sensor device is often used for touch based navigation, selection, or other input, in response to a finger, stylus, or other object being placed on or in proximity to a sensor of the capacitive sensor device. In such a capacity, capacitive sensor devices are often employed in computers (e.g. notebook/laptop computers), media players, multi-media devices, remote controls, personal digital assistants, smart devices, telephones, and the like.
Such capacitive sensor devices are often operated, at least in part, by a controller component such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The inputs and/or outputs of the controller component are typically used to drive the portions of the sensor devices and to measure capacitance(s) from the sensor devices. The measurements may include multiple inputs and/or outputs (e.g. receivers, transmitters and guards, etc.) and can include absolute and transcapacitive measurements.
With respect to transcapacitance, some capacitive implementations utilize transcapacitive sensing methods based on the capacitive coupling between sensor conductors. Transcapacitive sensing methods are sometimes also referred to as "mutual capacitance sensing methods." A transcapacitive sensing method operates, for example, by detecting the electric field coupling one or more transmitting sensor conductors with one or more receiving sensor conductors in a sensor array. Proximate objects may cause changes in the electric field, and produce detectable changes in the transcapacitive coupling. Sensor conductors may transmit as well as receive, either simultaneously or in a time multiplexed manner. Sensor conductors that transmit are sometimes referred to as the "transmitting sensor electrodes," "driving sensor electrodes," "row drivers," "transmitters," or "drivers"—at least for the duration when they are transmitting. Other names may also be used, including contractions or combinations of the earlier names (e.g. "driving electrodes" and "driver electrodes." Sensor conductors that receive are sometimes referred to as "receiving sensor electrodes," "receiver electrodes," "column receivers," or "receivers"—at least for the duration when they are receiving. Similarly, other names may also be used, including contractions or combinations of the earlier names. In one implementation, a transmitting sensor electrode is modulated relative to a system ground to facilitate transmission. In another implementation, a receiving sensor electrode is not modulated relative to system ground to facilitate receipt.
With respect to a controller, the inputs/outputs of the controller may be configured at different times to measure different capacitances from the sensor device. For example, a grid of capacitive sensor elements of a capacitive sensor device's sensor array can be scanned to determine individual transcapacitances that can be integrated to capacitively image an input object or objects that are touching or proximate to the capacitive sensor array of the capacitive sensor device.

Capacitive sensor interference determination


In one embodiment, a folding knife comprises a handle portion and first and second nesting blades pivotally coupled to the handle portion for pivoting movement between respective open and closed positions. The second blade in one embodiment is formed with a recess or notch which is sized and shaped to receive the first blade, allowing both blades to pivot within a common plane. The knife can also include a locking mechanism that is operable to retain the blades against pivoting movement when the blades are in their respective open positions. In particular configurations, the locking mechanism comprises a resilient locking arm configured to lock both blades in their open positions or first blade alone in its respective locking position. In certain embodiments, a folding tool comprises plural nesting tool elements other than knife blades.

One form of conventional sport or work knives comprises a handle and multiple folding blades, which provide cutting edges of different sizes or textures. In order to accommodate the numerous blades, most folding knives of this type couple the blades to the handle on a common pivot pin or separate pivot pins, with each blade being separately pivotable in its own plane. While this construction allows the knife to present multiple blades for use, the knife must be thick enough to accommodate the thickness of each blade. This can require a knife with a thicker profile than would otherwise be desirable. This is true even though in a typical knife no more than one blade can typically be used at once.
An additional feature of conventional knives is the use of a locking mechanism which makes use of a resilient locking element which extends longitudinally through the knife handle and is spring biased to snap into position adjacent to the hinged end (tang) of the blade when the blade is opened. As long as the locking element is retained in the locked position behind the blade, the locking element prevents the blade from pivoting to the closed position. In some implementations, this type locking mechanism is known as a "liner lock". Liner locks are widely used in the knife industry. Unfortunately, the use of liner locks is believed to have been limited to single blade knives.
Accordingly, there remains much room for improvement in the prior art.


A legged robot and a legged robot walking control method are disclosed, which enable stable walking without force sensors on leg tips. A legged robot of the present invention comprises a torso, a leg link, which is swingably connected to the torso, storing means 210 for storing leg tip gait data describing a time-series change in a target leg tip motion, storing means 210 for storing torso gait data describing a time-series change in a target torso motion, which realizes a target ZMP following the change in the target leg tip motion, torso motion detection means 218, 220 for detecting an actual torso motion, deviation calculation means 312 for calculating a deviation of the actual torso motion from the target torso motion, correction quantity calculation means 308 for determining a correction quantity from the calculated deviation based on a prescribed transfer function, and correction means 306 for correcting the target torso gait data based on the determined correction quantity.

Legged robots are being developed that walk by changing the relative postures among the left leg link, the torso, and the right leg link.
Data that instructs the movement of the left leg tip, the torso and the right leg tip is required to make a legged robot walk. Of these, the position of the torso must be a suitable value relative to the positions of leg tips, and when this value is not suitable, the robot falls down.
In order to obtain a torso position that will not cause a legged robot to fall down, complicated calculations that take into account the robot's dynamics are needed. This calculation process is summarized below.
(1) Specify time-series data for instructing the positions of the left leg tip and right leg tip of the robot.
(2) Specify a position wherein a ZMP of the robot must be located, taking into account the positions of the leg tips. ZMP (Zero Moment Point) refers to the point on the ground with respect to which the moment of the resultant force of the gravitational force, ground reaction force and inertial force acting on a robot constitutes zero. If the ZMP is within the area where the sole of the leg tip comes into flat contact with the ground, the robot will not topple over. Vice versa, to prevent the robot from falling down, the ZMP must be within the area where the sole of the leg tip comes into flat contact with the ground. Accordingly, set a target ZMP that will satisfy the following relationship, taking into account the position of the leg tip that is making contact with the ground. That is, set the ZMP such that while the one leg link (for example, the left leg link) is off the ground, the target ZMP exists within the area of the sole of the leg tip making contact with the ground (right leg tip), and when this one leg link (left leg link) makes contact with the ground, constituting a state wherein both leg links are in contact with the ground, the ZMP begins to shift to within the area where the sole of the leg tip of the newly grounded leg link (left leg link), and completely shifts to within the area where the sole of the leg tip of the newly grounded leg link (left leg link) before the leg link that had been in contact with the ground up until this point (right leg link) is lifted off the ground. A ZMP, which is set like this, will be called the target ZMP. If the actual ZMP shifts in accordance with the target ZMP, the robot will continue walking without falling down.
(3) When a target ZMP, which changes in association with the changes of positions of the leg tips, is to be specified, calculate the dynamics of the robot by hypothesizing a time-series change in the torso position. Since the leg tip trajectory is specified when calculations are made, the posture of the robot will be determined once the torso position is hypothesized. When the posture of the robot is determined, it becomes possible to calculate the position of the ZMP for this posture. In order to calculate the ZMP position, the affects of the inertial force acting on the robot, as well as static factors, must be taken into consideration. By including the hypothesized time-series change in the torso position into the calculation, it becomes possible to calculate the location of a ZMP that takes into account the dynamics of the robot. Since the position of the ZMP can be calculated by hypothesizing a time-series change in the torso position (torso trajectory), it is possible to seek a torso trajectory (a time-series change in the torso position) that realizes a ZMP that coincides with the target ZMP.
Data indicating a time-series change in a torso position sought as described above is called torso gait data, data indicating a time-series change in an originally specified leg tip position is called leg tip gait data, and the general term given to both is called gait data. If a robot walks in accordance with gait data, the actual ZMP will coincide with the target ZMP, and the robot will be able to continue walking without falling down.
Gait data is provided as changes in position relative to time. Since position, velocity and acceleration are related to each other and one of these quantities can be calculated from another of these quantities, the gait date may be provided as changes in any of position, velocity or acceleration. In this specification, since gait data will be described in terms of any of position, velocity or acceleration, it will be called as data for describing motion.
A method for calculating torso motion, which causes a ZMP that coincides with a target ZMP, is a typical example of a method for calculating a time-series change in target torso motion that enables a robot to continue walking following changes in target leg tip motion, but it is not limited to this. Generally speaking, a legged robot comprises a torso, and a leg link, which are swingably connected to the torso, and when leg tip gait data describing a time-series change of a target leg tip motion is instructed, calculates torso gait data describing a time-series change of a target torso motion, which enables continuous walking following the change of the target leg tip motion, and uses the instructed leg tip gait data and calculated torso gait data to walk. The calculated torso gait data can also comprise data related to the tilt angle of the torso, in addition to data related to the torso position (If the tilt angle of the torso is set in advance in accordance with a prescribed pattern, it may not be necessary to calculate the tilt angle.) Data related to the position and the tilt angle of the torso can be the position and the angle themselves, or a rate of change thereof, or acceleration thereof.
An unanticipated disturbance force can act on a robot. An unanticipated disturbance force resulting from unexpected bumps on the ground can affect a robot, and an external force which pushes or pulls the robot can be applied to the robot from the outside. If a robot deviates from its gait data due to structural bending in the robot, backlash in the robot's joints, or the delayed response of the robot, the effect is the same as when an unanticipated disturbance acts on the robot.
When an unanticipated disturbance force acts on a robot, the robot will lose its balance. Accordingly, the walking control apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 5-305579 is proposed.
In the walking control apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 5-305579, the ZMP position is measured by measuring the ground reaction force or ground reaction moment, which act on the robot. The measured ZMP position is compared against the target ZMP position, and walking is stabilized by providing deviation of ZMP position as feedback to the posture and target positions of the soles of both leg tips.

Legged robot and legged robot walking control method