A method for cutting the edges of a continuous glass ribbon (10), moving at a speed VR, comprising a longitudinal marking stage which generates a marking line, in particular using a cutting wheel (11), a transverse marking stage, and a subsequent transverse breaking stage. The inventive method also comprises an intermediary stage between the longitudinal marking stage and the transverse marking stage consisting in generating at least one longitudinal fissure (32) through at least a substantial part of the thickness of the continuous glass ribbon, or through the entire thickness of the continuous glass ribbon, on the basis of the marking line (30), and in spreading said longitudinal fissure at a speed VF, which is more or less equal to but in the opposite direction to the speed VR of the moving continuous glass ribbon. The invention also relates to a device designed to carry out said method. The glass plates cut using the inventive method have edges, advantageously, without any major defects.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of the production of flat glass and relates more specifically to a method for cutting a continuous glass ribbon.
A continuous glass ribbon is to be understood as meaning a glass ribbon coming from a continuous forming process, particular a float process or a glass rolling process.
(2) Description of Related Art
In general, a continuous glass ribbon is produced from a glassmaking furnace into which vitrifiable raw materials are introduced and melted to form a viscous glass. This viscous glass is fed to a forming tool, such as a float for example, where the viscous glass is poured out onto a bath of molten tin held in a reducing atmosphere, or a rolling mill. This then yields, at the output from the forming tool, a continuous glass ribbon that has to be cut for later applications, particularly for applications in the field of building and/or the motor vehicle.
The traditional method used for cutting glass consists first of all in annealing the glass ribbon then in cutting it in the transverse direction into plates and then cutting the edges off these plates in the longitudinal direction.
The term "annealing" is given, in the usual way, to the operation that consists in causing the glass ribbon to undergo a controlled cooling cycle so as to progressively relieve the stresses induced by the forming step.
The "transverse direction" is the term given to an axis roughly perpendicular to the axis of travel of the glass ribbon leaving the forming tool.
The term "longitudinal direction" is given to an axis roughly parallel to the axis of travel of the glass ribbon leaving the forming tool.
The term "plates" is given to elements of the glass ribbon once it has been cut in the transverse direction.
The traditional method of cutting a continuous glass ribbon involves four main steps after the glass ribbon has been annealed:
first step: longitudinal marking, particularly using a cutting wheel, of a roughly continuous notch along each of the edges of one side of the ribbon in the longitudinal direction. This marking is performed a few centimeters to a few tens of centimeters away from the outside edge of the ribbon. Its purpose is to create surface defects on the glass to prepare for the subsequent cutting-off of the edges of the ribbon, an operation known as "edge trimming".
second step: marking a continuous notch along one side of the ribbon in the transverse direction. This marking is performed in particular with a cutting wheel which moves at an angle to the axis of travel of the glass ribbon, so as to obtain on the ribbon a marking perpendicular to the axis of travel.
third step: division of the ribbon at the transverse marking to form a plate from the continuous ribbon. This step is known as "transverse breakage". The plate thus formed is then generally transported by rolls at a rate very much higher than the velocity at which the continuous ribbon travels.
fourth step "edge trimming": separation of the region between the outside edge of the plate and the marked line, the region termed the "edge", from the remainder of the plate to obtain a plate which constitutes a finished or part-finished product which is then stored, generally roughly vertically, then dispatched to the customer on easels.
This fourth step, the edge trimming, first of all comprises a phase in which a shock is produced, for example using a metal wheel, at the top of the plate, at the location where the longitudinal marking was made. The shock creates an addition of energy such that a crack develops and follows the fault line of the marking. A crack generated under these conditions propagates very quickly, particularly at the speed of sound, namely about 1 000 m per second. The edge strip becomes detached therefore from the plate and is removed. In the case of thick glass, the propagation of the crack may be assisted with the use of hammers, particularly pneumatic ones, that generate regular impacts on the underside of the plate.
The transverse-breakage technique is described in particular in patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,259.
The edge trimming technique has been improved many times, these being set out, for example, in patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,830, U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,451, U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,562 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,870.
Those patents describe improvements to the conventional technique mentioned hereinabove, particularly and respectively the possibility of easing the edge trimming by local heating/cooling of the glass, of cutting off the edges from two parallel longitudinal markings on the same side, or from two longitudinal markings facing each other, on each side of the glass, of developing means to apply a moment to the edge strip by applying a load close to the outside edge of the edge strip so as to open up the crack starting from the marking.
It will be noted that all these improvements relate to means that come into effect after the continuous ribbon has been cut to form plates, that is to say after the transverse breakage.
These traditional edge-trimming techniques are relatively well suited to the industrial processes used to produce glass of standard thickness, particularly between 3 and 8 mm thick.
However, numerous problems arise in cutting the edges off when the thickness of the ribbon is either smaller than or greater than the thickness used in standard glass.
In the case of thin glass, particularly where the thickness is less than or equal to 1 mm, splintering is very often observed (see, for example: "lateral cracks", Fractography of Glass—Bradt, R. C.; Tressler, R. E., Plenum Press, New York, 1994) on the trimmed edge face using traditional techniques. This type of defect detracts considerably from the mechanical properties of the glass. Such defects are unacceptable to the customer and lead to very high reject rates.
In the case of thick glass, particularly where the thickness is greater than or equal to 10 mm, particularly greater than or equal to 15 mm, edge faces trimmed using the traditional techniques are found that have numerous defects. On the one hand, the edge faces are not generally perpendicular to the largest sides (the sides corresponding to the horizontal faces of the continuous glass ribbon) but cut at a bevel.
Numerous defects that may cause mechanical weakness are also found, particularly those known by those skilled in the art as flakes, burrs, broken corners, and branched cracks.
This type of defect needs to be eliminated so that the plates can be used as finished products, particularly in applications where it is desirable to toughen the glass because the toughening operation very highly stresses defects in the glass and often leads to breakage if defects are present.
It should be noted that most production of thick glass is intended for applications where the glass needs to be toughened.
To eliminate such defects introduced by the edge trimming using traditional techniques, a shaping step is performed, this consisting in removing material, particularly by abrasion, so as to straighten up the edges and obtain a face free of defects likely to lead to breakage during toughening. This operation is lengthy and expensive.

Method for cutting the edges of a continuous glass ribbon, a device for implementing said method, and a glass plate cut using said method


The present invention comprises an improved two-way dynamic shaft-sealing member for a fluid transport system having a butterfly valve with an inflatable seal with the improved shaft-sealing member including a rigid race secured to and carried by the interface portion of the inflatable seal to maintain the integrity of the interface portion of the seal with a compressible sealing ring located in the race and held in confinement by the race to hold the sealing ring in a sealing condition against the inside of the race and the outside of the shaft to prevent fluids from escaping therepast as the shaft is moved or the inflatable seal is inflated or deflated.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,499 shows a butterfly valve with a shaft sealing member located in the inflatable seal and, more specifically, around the portion of shaft of the butterfly valve extending through the resilient portion of the inflatable seal that forms an interface between the transport line and the inflation chamber of the inflatable seal. Tyically, butterfly valves are used to open or close lines that transport fluids that may contain liquids and or solids. One of the features of most butterfly valves is that the shaft, which extends through the inflatable seal, must be statically and dynamically sealed against the side walls of an opening extending through the resilient portion of the inflatable seal to prevent fluids from escaping therepast. This sealing is more critical if the transport system is to handle liquids and the like that remain under pressure whether the butterfly valve is open or closed. One of the difficulties in making an effective static and dynamic chamber seal is that the physical integrity of the sealing member around the shaft should be maintained or the effectiveness of the inflatable seal may be compromised. Unless the static and dynamic shaft seal is effective one cannot prevent the fluids being transported from contaminating the fluids used to inflate the seal as well as prevent the fluids used to inflate the seals from contaminating the transported fluids. This problem is particularly acute if the fluid transport lines remains pressurized when the butterfly valve inflatable seal is deflated since without an effective shaft seal the pressurized transport fluids leaks out along the shaft and into the inflation chamber of the inflatable seal.
Thus one of the problems in sealing the transport lines from the inflation chamber of the inflatable valves is that the shaft-sealing member is located around the shaft of a butterfly valve that extends through a resilient member that forms part of an inflatable seal which expands and contracts in response to pressurization of the inflatable seal. The two-way static and dynamic shaft-sealing member must be such that the liquid pressures from the transport line cannot force fluid out of the transport line and into the inflation chamber of the inflatable seal nor can the pressures used to inflate the inflatable seal force fluids from the inflation chamber into the transport line. In addition the two-way sealing relationship of the shaft-sealing member to the shaft must be maintained under both static conditions and dynamic conditions that occurs as the shaft rotates from one location to another within the opening extending through the inflatable seal. In addition the shaft-sealing member must also maintain its sealing relationship to the shaft as the shaft-sealing member slides axially along the shaft in response to pressure changes occurring during opening and closing of the butterfly valve. U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,499 patent shows a shaft sealing member located in the massive portion of the inflatable seal comprising a series of circular ridges and grooves. If fluid transport pressure is high the series of ridges and grooves do not prevent liquids from passing through the ridges and grooves when the inflatable seal is in a deflated condition. U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,499 also shows a liquid sealing member for sealing the portion of the inflatable seal behind the inflation chamber with the seal comprising two annular seals that have legs with the legs of the seals located parallel to the axis of the shaft and facing in opposite directions with the annular seals radially held in position by an annular band located in the inflatable seal.
Generally, inflatable seals for valves and more particularly inflatable seals for butterfly valves are well known in the art. To be effective in sealing the transport lines the inflatable seals should be durable for use in abrasive environment and should not contain recesses that become contaminated with the particles being transferred thus requiring periodic flushing of the valve.
The contamination problem is particularly troublesome if food materials are being transported since the accumulated food particles can contaminate the food and produce health risks. A butterfly valve inflatable seal should provide an effective seal around the periphery of the butterfly disk and still provide a valve that can be easily opened or closed. While inflatable seals have eliminated shaft sealing problems by having the axis of rotation of the valve offset from the valve seal, it has been found that such offset valves are prone to accumulation of material along the edges of the valve which may produce contamination in the system. Furthermore, valves with the axis of rotation offset from the seal provide for difficulty in opening or closing since the forces of the material acting on the valve surface create force imbalances making it difficult to oftentimes open and close the valve. In addition, such offset valves do not provide for equal flow since they provide a high profile that oftentimes interferes with the flow of material through the valve. Furthermore, such valves are often bulky and not suitable for use in high pressure large diameter material transportation systems. The present invention provides an improved two-way static and dynamic shaft seal that retains the physical integrity of the inflatable seal while being carried by the resilient portion of the inflatable seal that forms an interface between the transported fluids and the fluids used to pressurize the inflatable seal.


A method is disclosed for sorting textiles, as is a system that operates in accordance with the method. The method includes steps of (a) providing a plurality of textiles to be sorted, each of the textiles comprising a portion that includes an electromagnetic radiation emitting and amplifying material; for each textile, (b) illuminating at least the portion with laser light that exceeds a threshold fluence; (c) detecting a narrow band laser-like emission of at least one wavelength from the portion in response to the step of illuminating; and (d) sorting the textiles based on the detected laser-like emission. In one embodiment the textile has at least one stitched-in thread, the thread comprising a substrate material and the electromagnetic radiation emitting and amplifying material in combination with scatterers for providing the laser-like emission. In another embodiment the textile has an applied patch containing the electromagnetic radiation emitting and amplifying material. In this case the scatterers can comprise the material of the textile either alone or in combination with the material of the patch. The emission wavelength(s) are selected so as to encode desired information, such as a customer identification, a date the textile was first placed into service, an identification of the vendor of the textile, an identification of the type and/or size of the textile, etc.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,582, issued Sep. 5, 1995, entitled "Optical Sources Having a Strongly Scattering Gain Medium Providing Laser-Like Action", the inventor disclosed a multi-phase gain medium including an emission phase (such as dye molecules) and a scattering phase (such as TiO.sub.2). A third, matrix phase may also be provided in some embodiments. Suitable materials for the matrix phase include solvents, glasses and polymers. The gain medium is shown to provide a laser-like spectral linewidth collapse above a certain pump pulse energy. The gain medium is disclosed to be suitable for encoding objects with multiple-wavelength codes, and to be suitable for use with a number of substrate materials, including polymers and textiles.
A problem exists in the field of sorting garments and textiles, such as rented work uniforms, sheets, towels, surgical covers and wraps, and similar materials. For example, it may be desirable to mass wash and press a large number of rented shirts, and then to sort the shirts for delivery to a number of different customers. If the shirts are marked with a customer-identifying indicia, such as lettering and/or a bar code, using an ink, after several washings the indicia may become unreadable to human or optically based scanners. Also, it may be difficult to properly align the indicia with an optical reader, thus impairing the recognition accuracy. This is especially true when the garments are moving relative to the scanner, such as when they are attached to a moving rail or placed on a conveyor belt. In such an application an output of the reader, such as a bar code scanner, can be used to operate a mechanical diverter, so as to route the sorted garments to different locations. If the recognition accuracy is not optimum the end result is incorrectly sorted garments.
This problem is even more pronounced if soiled garments or textiles are to be scanned, sorted and/or accounted for when returned by customers. The presence of dirt, grease, and other materials may obscure the indicia, making accurate recognition even more problematical.

Optically-based methods and apparatus for sorting garments and other textiles


Attractive furniture which encloses a speaker system for improved functionality of both the furniture and speaker system. The furniture is hollow and can be lamps, tables or other pieces, allowing placement of a speaker system unobtrusively and attractively within a room. The speakers are arranged vertically within the hollow furniture, emitting sound vertically upwards and or downwards. Sound directing devices having parabolic surfaces are placed adjacent the speakers to redirect the sound horizontally over a 360 degree range. The furniture may enclose a single speaker and sound directing device or multiples of the same so as to achieve the desired sound output and aesthetic appearance.

The present invention relates generally to speakers for providing audio output for sound systems. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for providing omni-directional sound and for incorporating the speakers into unique furniture designs.
Prior speaker systems have traditionally been directional and are located along one or more walls of a room. Typical speakers are box-like and often detract from the decor of a room due to their utilitarian appearance. Furthermore, speakers occupy a large volume of space in rooms where space is often limited. Previous attempts to incorporate speakers into furniture or lighting means have met with limited success.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,747 to Cheng discloses a hollow spherical desk lamp which houses a speaker. In this disclosure, the speaker is oriented vertically upward and emits sound from an opening in an upper aspect of the sphere. Cheng does not disclose multiple speakers or venting means.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,363 to Weber discloses multiple speakers housed within a chandelier for suspension from the ceiling of a room. Weber combines a speaker system within a chandelier for the purpose of centralizing the controls for devices in a single location. The speakers are located in the arms of the chandelier and emit sound horizontally. Weber uses a series of speakers arranged about the chandelier to accomplish a 360 degree range of sound emission.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,549 to Berlant discloses a loudspeaker system for providing sound output throughout a 360 degree range which is housed in a rectangular cabinet having four triangular vertical corner vents. Berlant further discloses a pair of speakers mounted within the cabinet along a vertical axis and uses a sound reflection device to redirect the emitted sound to a horizontal direction. However, the patent to Berlant is directed to a loudspeaker system and does not consider placement of the system within a hollow furniture item. The current invention, in contrast, is directed to an attractive piece of furniture which has increased functionality due to its combination with a speaker. The current invention also provides a novel venting means designed to enhance its aesthetic appearance.


A system for automatic transfer of electronic mail which can set and modify the automatic mail transfer operation without requiring users to learn the operating method or requiring the system manager to set up the transfer. The mail handler retrieves the user address books of the intended receivers of a mail message using an automatic transfer destination name as a keyword and transfers the message to the user corresponding to the automatic transfer destination name when the keyword exists in the user's address book.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic transfer system for electronic mail and, more particularly, is directed to an e-mail system that automatically alters destination addresses when a senders address book includes a transfer indication keyword.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automatic transfer of electronic mail (e-mail) allows mail sent from a sender to one user to be automatically transferred to another user. The need for automatic transfer arises, for example, when an electronic mail user cannot attend to received electronic mail due to a long term absence in which case the user's mail needs to be forwarded to another user who has been appointed as a proxy.
To effect an automatic transfer of mail, typically either the user or system manager must set up the transfer operation using a specialized method or program. In general, the need to set up an automatic transfer of electronic mail arises infrequently. Thus, the user typically has no or very little experience in setting up the automatic transfer operation. It is also difficult for a user who has no previous experience in automatically transferring mail, to learn for the first time the method required for setting-up the automatic transfer of e-mail. An additional burden can also be placed on the e-mail system manager who must in certain cases set up the operation and collect the user's data. In conventional electronic mail systems, the set up operation for initializing the transfer of e-mail to a different destination is done manually using a program specialized for the task.

Automatic transfer for electronic mail using an automatic transfer name as a keyword


In an electronic control device that includes two or more kinds of lead-insertion-type parts, including at least a coil and a capacitor, the parts are installed on a support that has a wiring, a terminal structure and mechanically fixing portions; the leads of the above parts are respectively inserted in and electrically connected to holes formed in the wiring portion of the support; the parts and the support are fixed to each other with an adhesion material for fixation; the upper surfaces of the parts are attached to a metallic chasis with a thermally conductive material of a low elasticity modulus interposed in between; the mechanically fixing portions of the support are fixed to the metallic chasis; and the terminal structure of the support is electrically connected to a circuit board that mounts at least a controlling element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic control device, used in an automobile, a robot and the like, having a battery as a power source, a built-in boost circuit, and built-in lead-insertion-type parts such as coils and capacitors.
With regard to automobiles, advanced electronic control is used from demand for mileage, tightening regulations for exhaust gas, safety, amenity, and quietness. For such advanced electronic control, an automobile uses a variety of electronic parts, and the high performance and high output power of these electronic parts increase the amount of heat release. Accordingly, cooling technology becomes important for those electronic parts.
There are disclosed the following cooling technologies for such electronic parts.
An engine controller cooling technology by interposing a heat radiation seat between a substrate on which electronic parts are mounted and a lid is known as indicated in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-119533.
As shown in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-245149, a power converter is known in which: a high-heat-conductive sheet is disposed between a capacitor and a base; and a high temperature conduction member is installed on the back side of a capacitor-mounting side of the base.
As illustrated in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-350400, a power converter is known in which: a high-heat-conductive sheet is disposed between a lid portion that thermally comes in contact with a smoothing capacitor and a base; and a high temperature conduction member is installed on the back side of a capacitor-mounting side of the base.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, actuators are frequently used for automobiles, and electronic control devices tend to be made highly powerful. On the other hand, from the viewpoints of environmental problems, attention is paid to direct injection gasoline engines that are capable of reducing the amount of exhaust nitrogen oxide and of achieving fuel saving. This engine is designed to inject a combustible high density fuel only into the vicinity of a sparking plug, and to burn the fuel super-sparsely as a whole in the cylinder. An injector is used for this fuel injection. This injector must have a high output power since it needs to use a fuel pressurized in a high pressure. Generation of a high output power needs a large electric power that is determined by the product of current multiplied by voltage. An electric current for automobiles is supplied from a battery of about 12 V, which is a low voltage, and thus generation of a high output power with an increase of the current has limitation. This is because an increase of the current remarkably increases the amount of heat release by wire resistance since the amount of heat release is proportional to the second power of the current amount. Hence, there is a need for the generation of a voltage of 50 V or higher by means of a boost circuit.
Here, although the engine control unit for a direct injection gasoline engine has been illustrated as the example, an electronic control device using a battery as a power source, as in the case of the direct injection gasoline engine, has been increasingly requiring a boost circuit to be added to existing functions in order to achieve a high output power.
This boost circuit needs a coil and a capacitor that can endure voltage and current after boost. An electrolyte needs to be thickened to increase the pressure resistance of the capacitor, whereby the size of the capacitor will be enlarged even for the same capacity. For the coil, a troidal coil that uses ferrite or dust core is frequently used because a large amount of current is passed through the coil.
Such a coil and a capacitor are electronic lead-insertion-type parts, having a problem that automatic mounting of the lead-insertion-type parts on a circuit board requires considerable time and efforts, and also increases the frequency of error occurrence. In particular, a troidal coil is low in size precision, and shows a dimensional tolerance of about ±1 mm.
Because of this, the addition of a boost circuit to a conventionally used electronic control device poses problems that: a capacitor and a coil need to be attached outside; a great structural change is needed; and productivity is remarkably worsened. In addition, such a coil and a capacitor generate heat or are low in heat resistance, so that they need to be cooled. Hence, the coil and the capacitor have a problem that the cooling structure becomes complex when they are dispersedly mounted on a circuit board.
Because a heat radiation seat is interposed between a printed wiring board and a lid in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-119533, it is difficult to apply this technology to lead-insertion-type parts. Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Publications Nos. 2005-245149 and 2004-350400 do not relate to the lead-insertion-type parts, but relate only to the cooling technology for capacitors that are large-scale and fixed by screw clamps or the like. Additionally, since the above patent documents are based on the object to cool capacitor parts of the same, their application to various parts with different shapes and sizes is difficult.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems and aims to provide a small, low-cost electronic control device that includes built-in lead-insertion-type parts such as a coil and a capacitor used for a boost circuit or the like, and its manufacturing method.

Electronic control device using LC module structure


Systems, assemblies, and methods include features for selecting a fan speed priority setting to facilitate dehumidification of a space while maintaining a comfortable temperature in the building across a range of cooling loads. In one example, an electronic assembly may operate a multi-speed fan at a lower fan speed or higher fan speed based, at least in part, on a current cooling load on the cooling system of the building and a dehumidification high fan speed priority setting entered by a user.

Heating, Ventilation, and/or Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are often used to control the comfort level within a building or other structure. Such HVAC systems typically include an HVAC controller that controls various HVAC components of the HVAC system in order to affect and/or control one or more environmental conditions within the building. In some cases, an HVAC system may include a cooling system with a multi-speed fan. To reduce the humidity level in the building, the speed of the multi-speed fan may be reduced, which slows the flow of air across the cooling coils, which lowers the temperature of the air and increases the condensation of water from the air. The result is conditioned air that is cooler and less humid than if the multi-speed fan were operated at a higher fan speed. A difficulty that can occur in such systems is that when operating at the lower fan speed to reduce humidity, the fan speed is too low to effectively drive conditioned air to the far reaches of the building. This can leave some areas of the building not sufficiently cooled and thus uncomfortable to the occupants. This undesirable effect can increase as the cooling load on the building increases. What would be desirable is a system that can achieve reduced humidity using the cooling system of the building while also maintaining a comfortable temperature in the building at increased cooling loads.


A system for a gaseous-fueled engine, comprising: a gaseous fuel tank, a first pressure regulator comprising: a high pressure chamber coupled to the gaseous fuel tank, a low pressure chamber coupled to an engine fuel rail, and a reference chamber; a second pressure regulator coupled to the reference chamber; a first valve controlling fuel flow from the gaseous fuel tank to the engine fuel rail; a second valve controlling fuel flow from the second pressure regulator to the reference chamber; and a controller including memory with instructions therein for adjusting the valves based on a desired fuel rail pressure. In this way, the system enables at least two different fuel rail pressures such that peak fuel demand can be satisfied without maintaining peak fuel rail pressure at all times.

Alternate fuels have been developed to mitigate the rising prices of conventional fuels and for reducing exhaust emissions. Gaseous fuels such as natural gas are emerging as appealing alternative fuels. For automotive applications, natural gas may be compressed and stored as a gas in cylinders at high pressure. A pressure regulator may then be used to supply the compressed natural gas (CNG) at lower pressures to an engine's intake port or engine combustion chamber. The pressure regulator may provide this gaseous fuel at a fixed, constant pressure to the engine, or it may be a variable pressure regulator which can provide gaseous fuel at varying pressures to the engine.
Fixed pressure regulators are commonly used in gaseous-fueled vehicles, but have several disadvantages. Supplying fuel at a fixed, constant pressure limits the dynamic range of the associated fuel injector. As such, even at low fuel demands, the quantity of fuel injected remains the same. This causes the fuel injector to be exposed to high pressures throughout operation, affecting the durability of the injector. In contrast, by using a variable pressure regulator, the dynamic range (or turn down ratio) of the injector can be increased. Providing a lower fuel pressure during low fuel demand allows for a longer fuel injection pulse width, which in turn allows for injections of lower, repeatable mass. Further, varying the pressure of gaseous fuel enables use of a lower pressure of gaseous fuel during engine cold start when only a marginal voltage may be available to open the injectors. Additionally, varying the pressure may allow rare, peak fuel demands to be satisfied without having to subject the injector to the durability challenge of injecting high pressure gaseous fuel at all times.
Despite these potential advantages, known variable pressure regulators are costly and prone to instability. For example, in some systems, variable pressure regulation is achieved by exposing the reference chamber of the regulator to intake manifold pressure. However, this dependency on intake manifold pressure limits the operability of the pressure regulator when intake manifold vacuum is not within a certain range. In other systems, pressure variability is achieved by changing the reference pressure via a valve from the high pressure source. As another example, one known variable pressure regulator varies the pressure of gaseous fuel by duty cycling a main valve between the regulator and the fuel rail. However, systems which rely on a single valve to perform pressure regulation, where the valve is subject to a flow of high pressure gaseous fuel, may not be adequately robust. Further, such systems require electronic pressure feedback to actuate the valve.
In one example some of the above issues may be addressed by a system for a gaseous-fueled engine, comprising: a gaseous fuel tank, a first pressure regulator comprising: a high pressure chamber coupled to the gaseous fuel tank, a low pressure chamber coupled to an engine fuel rail, and a reference chamber; a second pressure regulator coupled to the reference chamber; a first valve controlling fuel flow from the gaseous fuel tank to the engine fuel rail; a second valve controlling fuel flow from the second pressure regulator to the reference chamber; and a controller including memory with instructions therein for adjusting the valves based on a desired fuel rail pressure. In this way, the first valve may be actuated to supply gaseous fuel to the engine fuel rail at a pressure determined by the properties of the first pressure regulator. Then, in response to an increase in desired fuel rail pressure, the second valve may be actuated. The actuation of the second valve allows gaseous fuel to flow through the second pressure regulator into the reference chamber, thereby increasing the pressure of the reference chamber and low pressure chamber at a pressure determined by the properties of the second pressure regulator. Thus, the system enables at least two different fuel rail pressures such that peak fuel demand can be satisfied without maintaining peak fuel rail pressure at all times.
In another example, some of the above issues may be addressed by a method for regulating gaseous fuel pressure in an engine, comprising: increasing a regulating pressure in a low pressure chamber of a first pressure regulator by controllably increasing the flow of gaseous fuel into a reference chamber of the first pressure regulator via a second pressure regulator. In this way, multiple different fuel rail pressures may be set by altering the pressure in the reference chamber of the first pressure regulator. The flow of gaseous fuel may be controlled by valves in response to changes in desired fuel rail pressure without relying on mechanical pressure feedback to actuate or de-actuate the valves.
In still another example, some of the above issues may be addressed by a method for an engine cold start, comprising: closing a valve coupling a gaseous fuel tank to a high pressure chamber of a first gaseous fuel regulator and opening a valve coupling a fuel rail to a reference chamber of the first gaseous fuel regulator via a second gaseous fuel regulator. In this way, the gaseous fuel already present in the fuel rail may be used to establish a low injection pressure that may be used when marginal voltage is available to open the fuel injectors, as a lower injection pressure requires a lower injector opening voltage.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Variable pressure gaseous fuel regulator


A container having a plurality of receiving compartments is provided. Each of the receiving compartments have a base plate, a spring-loaded lockable slider member for engaging a magnetic tape cassette, locking devices, each of which including two adjacent independently pivotable rocker arms, and a sliding element on the base plate. The respective rocker arm matching the orientation of the magnetic tape cassette is brought into engagement by the sliding element provided with wedge-like control members to lock the reel hubs. To be able to use the same containers also for magnetic tape cassettes with closed reel hubs that are used for open reel hubs, the slider member is provided with centering elements and the sliding element is displacable by the centering elements into a middle position when the slider member is moved outward. When the slider member is moved inward and the sliding element remains in the middle position, a projecting ridge on the sliding element moves into a free space formed between the rocker arms so that no rocker arm is set upright.

The present invention relates to a container for magnetic tape cassettes and, more particularly, to a container for magnetic tape cassettes having several receiving compartments separated from each other by base panels for longitudinal insertion of magnetic tape cassettes.
For longitudinal insertion of the magnetic tape cassette, DE-OS 40 39 954 describes a container for magnetic tape cassettes having locking devices, each of which is constituted by two rocker arms arranged side-by-side and pivotable independently of one another. In this container, a projection on the base plate is associated with each rocker arm for joint disengagement thereof, while for the locking action there is only one member available for both pairs of rocker arms of a locking device. This member is arranged on a sliding element which is mounted in the base plate and is displaceable with the magnetic tape cassette transversely to the direction of insertion. This special structure for longitudinal insertion of a magnetic tape cassette enables the tape to be locked regardless of orientation in which the cassette is placed on the slider member. The reel hubs of the cassettes are in fact arranged displaced from the middle in the longitudinal direction of the cassette, so that only the rocker arm displaced in the same direction is engaged. Because the member arranged on the sliding element in each case pushes upright only one rocker arm for engagement, the other rocker arm remains in the disengaged position. The respective matching rocker arm is thereby brought into engagement since the sliding element is displaced with the member arranged on it by the magnetic tape cassette. The displacement of the sliding element is effected by the elevation arranged on the cassettes, which comes into contact with an inclined wedge-like control member of the sliding element projecting beyond the top side of the base plate.
Apart from cassettes with open reel hubs, magnetic tape cassettes in which the reel hubs are closed by a plate are now also known. The closed plate at the same time also assumes the function of locking the tape, so that such cassettes no longer require the tape to be locked in the storage container. The closure of the reel hub means that containers that have fixed locking devices or locking devices which are set upright automatically for the reel hubs can no longer be used for storing such cassettes.


Lens systems are disclosed having multiple focal lines and that are operable to form multiple narrow superimposable focal lines. The focal lines typically have linewidths of .ltoreq. approximately 10 .mu.m, formed from an incident light flux from a laser. The superimposed focal lines can have sufficient energy density to serve as a pumping-laser source for an X-ray laser. The lens systems comprise, axially from the incident light side, a wave-surface splitter and a focusing system. The wave-surface splitter splits the wave surface of the incident light into subfluxes. The focusing system focuses the subfluxes into respective linear focal lines that can be superimposed to form a combined focal line having very high energy density. The wave-surface splitter is preferably a prism having multiple facets with respective prism angles; the focusing system preferably comprises multiple cylindrical lenses each having a generation line perpendicular to the ridge lines separating the facets of the prism.

In a typical X-ray laser, the laser medium undergoes a suitable population inversion when light from a pumping laser is focused into one or more high-intensity focusing lines that are incident on a suitable target comprising the X-ray gain medium. Achieving a population inversion in the X-ray gain medium requires an input of highly intense energy in order to achieve the required ionizations in the gain medium. Several techniques are known for increasing the intensity of light from the pumping laser incident on the target to a sufficiently high level. One way is to focus the pumping-laser light as multiple focal lines on the target. The focal lines, each having a narrow width, are superimposed on the target. To such end, a lens with multiple focal lines can be used.
Conventional multiple-focal-line lenses have been manufactured at Quebec University in Canada and at the Shanghai Optical Precision Machine Research Institute in China. These lenses reportedly have been used in X-ray lasers. The lenses are configured as multiple cylindrical or convex lenses arranged vertically into several optical elements each capable of producing a line of pumping-laser light on the target. Exploiting a prism effect, the pumping laser light beam passes through each of the optical elements to "fire" simultaneously across all the focal lines. Such lenses can be cemented or non-cemented.
Unfortunately, splitting a cylindrical lens or a concave lens vertically or using a cemented configuration to form multiple focal lines does not ease the difficulty of making the width of the multiple focal lines sufficiently narrow to achieve the requisite high density of pumping radiation. That is, when a parallel pumping laser beam is directed into such a lens, the multiple-focal-line width cannot be made less than about 10 .mu.m; in fact, the line width is usually about 100 .mu.m or more. In the case of X-ray laser gain media that generate polyvalent ions when pumped, the wider the focal lines, the greater the required energy of each line (i.e., energy level is proportional to the line width). The minimum energy level required simply cannot be practicably reached with devices requiring a miniaturized X-ray source or X-ray laser. Furthermore, it has heretofore not be feasible to combine multiple split optical elements so as to produce multiple, narrow focal lines of pumping radiation with a high degree of accuracy.

Institute of Physical and Chemical Research


A drive control unit for a hydraulic elevator comprises: an inverter for variably driving the motor; a speed detector for detecting a rotating speed of the motor; a current detector for detecting a primary current of the motor; a speed control, unit for calculating a torque command value to the motor according to a deviation between the rotating speed detected by the speed detector and a speed command value; a torque control unit for controlling the inverter according to the rotating speed detected by the speed detector, the primary current detected by the current detector and the torque command value calculated by the speed control unit; a pump pressure detector for detecting the pump pressure of the hydraulic pump; a limiting means for limiting the torque command value output from the speed control unit when the pump pressure, detected by the pump pressure detector, decreases below a set value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drive control unit for a hydraulic elevator which makes a cage ascend and descend by a hydraulic pump at a variable speed and particularly to a drive control unit which prevents negative pressure from the hydraulic pump from occurring at the time of a descending operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional hydraulic elevator in which a cage is made to ascend and descend by using a hydraulic jack, a speed of the cage is controlled in such a manner that an electric motor is driven at a fixed rotating speed at the time of an ascending operation and an amount of oil provided to the hydraulic jack, from a fixed amount of oil sucked from an oil tank and emitted from the hydraulic pump, is adjusted by a flow controlling valve. At the time of a descending operation, the speed of the cage is controlled in such a manner that an amount of oil, which has been forced back from the hydraulic jack to the oil tank, is adjusted by the flow controlling valve.
However, in such a control method, since an excess amount of oil which is not provided to the hydraulic jack drives back from the hydraulic pump to the oil tank at the time of the ascending operation, a great loss of energy occurs. At the time of descending operation, since potential energy is converted to heat, this method is ineffective and the oil temperature rises greatly.
It has been proposed to control variably the amount of oil emitted from the hydraulic pump in such a manner that an induction motor is controlled at a variable voltage and a variable frequency (hereinafter called VVVF) by using an inverter or the like and the hydraulic pump is driven by the induction motor, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 64-311.
In accordance with the controlling method using such an inverter, since a required amount of oil corresponding to a speed command value is provided to the hydraulic jack during ascent and the induction motor is regeneratively driven by the amount of oil which has forced back to the oil tank during descent so that energy consumption is reduced, the rising oil temperature is controlled, and thus an efficient drive control unit for a hydraulic elevator can be provided.
FIG. 2 shows a construction of a conventional drive control unit for a hydraulic elevator in which an amount of oil emitted from the hydraulic pump is variably controlled by the VVVF control.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a cylinder 1 is provided in a pit of a hoistway of the elevator, pressure oil 2 is filled in the cylinder 1, and a plunger 3 is supported by the pressure oil 2 and is driven up and down. The hydraulic jack consists of the above members.
In FIG. 2, a deflector sheave 4 is rotatively provided at the top of the plunger 3; the end of a cable 5 is secured to the pit and the center portion thereof passes around the deflector sheave 4; and a cage 6, fastened to the other end of the cable 5, is driven up and down.
A solenoid-operated valve 7 is provided with an oil pipe connected to the cylinder 1 which closes when the cage 6 stops as shown in FIG. 2. When the elevator starts, the valve 7 is opened by energization of an electromagnetic coil to clear a passage to the hydraulic jack.
A hydraulic pump 9 is variably driven so that it sends and receives the pressure oil to and from the solenoid-operated valve 7. An oil tank 12 sends and receives the pressure oil to and from the hydraulic pump 9. A three-phase induction motor 14 drives the hydraulic pump 9. An inverter 15 drives the induction motor 14 by the VVVF control. Connected to the inverter 15 is a three-phase AC power source 16. A converter 17 converts AC voltage from the three-phase AC power source 16 to DC voltage. A smoothing capacitor 18 smooths DC voltage output from the converter 17 and applies it to the inverter 15. A regeneration resistor 19 consumes power regenerated from the inverter 15. A regeneration transistor 20 is energized when the inverter 15 is regenerated.
A speed detector 21 detects the rotating speed S of the induction motor 14. A pattern generator 22 outputs a speed command value Q corresponding to ascending and descending drive patterns. A speed control unit 23 transmits a torque command value T to the induction motor 14 in accordance with the deviation between the speed command value Q and the rotating speed S. A current detector 24 detects a primary current I flowing to the induction motor 14. A torque control unit 25 controls the inverter 21 according to the torque command value T, the rotating speed S and the primary current I.
An operation of a conventional drive control unit of a hydraulic elevator is shown in FIG. 2.
During ascent of the cage 6, the positive-polarity speed command value Q is input into the speed control unit 23 which generates the torque command value T according to the deviation between the speed command value Q and the actual rotating speed S of the induction motor 14.
The torque control unit 25 controls the inverter 15 according to the rotating speed S of the induction motor 14, the primary current I and the torque command value T. The torque control unit 25 drives the induction motor 14 by means of the VVVF control corresponding to the torque command value T. The hydraulic pump 9 raises an emitting hydraulic (pump) pressure to provide the pressure oil 2 to the cylinder 1. Thus the cage 6 ascends at a speed corresponding to the speed command value Q.
On the other hand, during descent, the negative-polarity speed command value Q is input into the speed control unit 23 which generates a reversed-polarity torque command value T according to the deviation between the speed command value Q and the rotating speed S, in contrast to the torque command value during ascent.
The induction motor 14 is driven by the VVVF control corresponding to the reversed-polarity torque command value T. The hydraulic pump 9 reduces the emitting hydraulic pressure to drive back the pressure oil in the cylinder 1 to the oil tank 12. Thus the cage 6 descends at a speed according to the speed command value Q.
The speed of the cage 6 can be controlled by variably controlling the amount of oil emitted from the hydraulic pump 9.
In contrast to the operation of the flow control valve, the solenoid-operated valve 7 provided between the hydraulic pump 9 and the cylinder 1 of the hydraulic jack has only a function of opening and closing the pressure oil passage when the elevator is started and stopped. Accordingly, the amount of the opening of the solenoid-operated valve 7 is preset in order that the valve's internal pressure loss is sufficiently minimized.
If the elevator is operated when the solenoid-operated valve 7 is defectively opened by some failure of a part and a pressure loss in the valve 7 is great, the speed control unit 23 generates the larger torque command value T by the pressure loss of the solenoid-operated valve 7 than usual in order to make an actual speed S follow the speed command value Q. As a result, the hydraulic pressure emitted from the hydraulic pump 9 becomes abnormally high during ascent and abnormally low during descent. Since the pump pressure, which decreases during descent, often becomes negative, a failure may occur in the hydraulic pump 9 causing very dangerous condition due to air mixed in the oil pipes. Measures have been taken against the abnormally high pressure of oil of the hydraulic pump 9 which may be generated during ascent. For example, the operation of a relief valve can minimize the effects of failure of certain parts. However, no measures have been taken against abnormally negative pressures of the hydraulic pump 9 which may be generated during descent.
A torque limiter may be provided to the output portion of the speed control unit 23. However, a limiting value of the torque command value T must be set higher than a value within which the ascent can be performed at a predetermined acceleration even with a heavy load. This limiting value cannot absolutely prevent a negative value of the hydraulic pump 9 caused by some failure of the opening of the solenoid-operated valve 7.
In the conventional drive control unit of the hydraulic elevator as described above, no measures have been taken against abnormally negative pressure which may occur in the hydraulic pump 9 due to the failure of the opening of the solenoid-operated valve 7 during descent, which cause a failure to occur in the hydraulic pump and an air to be mixed in the oil pipes.

Drive control unit for hydraulic elevator


A method and an apparatus for generating a security token carrier, which belong to the field of data security, are disclosed. The method may include: generating multiple pieces of token information, establishing a relation which associates the token information with location information of a pre-set interactive security token carrier; obtaining security data which is set by a user for protecting the interactive security token carrier; and generating the interactive security token carrier by using the token information, the relation, the security data and public information of the interactive security token carrier. The apparatus may include: a token information processing module, a security data obtaining module and an interactive security token carrier generating module.

The present application relates to data security, and particularly, to a method and an apparatus for generating a security token carrier. At present, there are more and more Internet applications, such as online games, e-commerce and so on. Malicious behaviors including stealing user accounts and virtual properties are also becoming rampant and put users' various virtual properties at risk. In order to protect virtual properties of authorized users, user identities are checked by verifying login passwords of users when the users attempt to log into a system. But verification of login password is not enough to authenticate a user because the login password verification may be easily cracked through brutal guessing attempts, or through intercepting keyboard signals or through obtaining screenshots of the user and so on. One common method that is relatively secure in terms of protection of authorized users involves setting for a user multiple dedicated tokens and verifying one or more tokens besides the password verification to prove the user is authorized. Currently carrier of a token (also referred to as security token carrier) is often called a security token card.

Method and apparatus for generating a security token carrier

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


In a client and server system the execution of calls is synchronized to maintain a correct execution of a service application. At the server, calls are executed asynchronously by a plurality of threads, and when a thread change occurs, a synchronization call is generated and transmitted to the client, including a server call counter value indicating a number of calls executed at the server. With every synchronization call, the client determines whether the server call counter value corresponds to a current client call counter value. If the counter values are identical, the correct sequence of execution is maintained, but if they differ, an overtake condition has occurred, indicating that service calls from a first thread were overtaken by a second thread. The thread and service calls which have overtaken other service calls are placed into a wait condition to maintain the correct order of execution of service calls.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to synchronizing the execution of calls at a server and a client in a server and client system.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the availability of modern communication networks connecting large numbers of data processing devices, an increasing number of applications or services for users is executed involving more than a single data processing device.
A large number of such distributed applications are available today and may be executed on a plurality of data processing devices. Distributed applications may, for example, include office applications such as managing documents and data files, and may include visualizing information, banking services, shopping services and the like.
A distributed application or service may be executed involving a server data processing device and a client data processing device, the client data processing device being operated by a user. A user may, for example, launch a distributed application by entering a suitable instruction at the client data processing device. The client data processing device will then connect to the server data processing device to execute the application. Some parts of modules of the application may reside on the client data processing device, whereas other parts or modules of the application may reside at the server data processing device. The distributed application requires a potentially complex cooperation between modules executed at the client data processing device and modules of the distributed application executed at the server data processing device.
For example, a distributed application involving visualizing a document at the client data processing device may include (1) application modules executed at the server for processing or rendering the document in order to convert the document into a format which may be displayed at a display unit of the client, and (2) modules executed at the client data processing device for receiving frames for local display and supplying the frames to a display unit. If the user, moreover, wishes to edit the document, control information and further information to be visualized may be exchanged between the client data processing device and the server data processing device.
The above modules or parts of the distributed application at the client and at the server may run on data processing units starting corresponding processes. Such a process may involve the execution of one or a plurality of different threads, each of the threads generating a plurality of individual service calls, i.e., service calls to be transmitted to the client or server.
In order to achieve acceptable performance, the individual threads of the processes may be executed asynchronously, i.e., calls of different threads are not executed in a predetermined given sequence, as this could lead to delays for example, if one thread waits for a return message. Instead, the calls are executed asynchronously, i.e., if a thread for example, waits for a return message or the like, other threads may be executed.
An asynchronous execution of an application may be guarded by a MUTEX (Mutually Exclusive), i.e., a programming flag used to grab and release an object or thread when data is acquired that cannot be shared between different threads, or processing can be started that cannot be performed simultaneously elsewhere in the system. If exclusive operation of one thread must be shared, the MUTEX locks other attempts to use the respective resources of the system. The MUTEX unlocks the resources when the resources are no longer needed or a particular thread is finished.
In a scenario where a distributed application is executed at a server data processing device and a client data processing device, a MUTEX or scheduler may be used to guard the asynchronous execution of tasks at the server.
However, since the scheduler is only available at the server, calls from different threads which interact with the client, i.e., for exchanging data, sending requests and commands and the like, may overtake one another on the client side due to the scheduled execution at the server.
Thus, the sequence of calls from different threads at the server, due to the fact that the exact sequence of calls of different threads, i.e., the operation of the scheduler, is not known at the client, may not be maintained when executing the corresponding calls of corresponding threads at the client.
Further, if different calls from different threads overtake each other, processing results may be unacceptable. For example, in a visualization application, as a practical example, drawn objects on a client display unit may be moved from the foreground to the background, as a drawing sequence of objects may be changed.
Accordingly, the synchronization of the execution of calls of different threads at the server and the client is not maintained and causes unacceptable processing results.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved method and system to allow the synchronization of the execution of calls in a client and server system.

Method and apparatus for synchronizing calls in a server and client system


Inductors are described for motor drives or other power converters having an inductor connected in a switching circuit, with one or more conductive shields positioned between an inductor coil winding and a flux-carrying inductor core leg to redirect flux away from the coil winding so as to inhibit heating of the coil.

Power conversion systems convert electrical power from one form to another and may be employed in a variety of applications such as motor drives for powering an electric motor using power from an input source. Typically, the power converter is constructed using electrical switches actuated in a controlled fashion to selectively convert input power to output power of a desired form such as single or multi-phase AC of a controlled amplitude, frequency and phase to drive an AC motor according to a desired speed profile and varying load conditions. Many such power converters receive input AC power from a single or multi-phase source and perform input switching to create an intermediate DC bus voltage. Output switches are then employed to create the desired AC output for driving a single or multi-phase AC electric motor or other AC load using power from the intermediate DC bus. In the initial AC-to-DC conversion, common-mode voltages are produced, which if unaddressed, may damage the motor windings. To address this problem, many motor drive converters include a DC link choke or inductor is provided with windings connected in the intermediate positive and negative DC current paths between the input and output switches to smooth the DC bus used to create the output voltages and currents and to mitigate common mode voltages at the converter output. However, certain operational conditions can lead to thermal stresses on the coil windings of the DC link inductor, whereby designers often need to oversize the inductor to ensure against premature failure of the inductor component of the motor drive. Although this approach provides suitable operation for the expected operating points over the designed motor drive product life cycle, the oversized inductor is costly in terms of size, weight, and expense. Thus, there is a need for improved power converter inductors that will withstand worst-case operating conditions without thermal failure without adding excessive size or weight to a motor drive or other host power conversion system.

Methods and apparatus for flux dispersal in link inductor


Provided is a resonance converter for a wireless charger, which includes a full bridge inverter connected to an input power source that supplies an input voltage and having first to fourth switches, a resonance tank having a plurality of resonators composed of capacitors and coils connected in series and configured to receive the input voltage from the full bridge inverter and perform voltage conversion in an inductive power transfer manner among the plurality of resonators, and a rectification bridge configured to rectify an output voltage sent from the resonance tank and transfer the rectified output voltage to a battery.

Until recently, a plug-in charging method of connecting an electric vehicle and a system through a cable was most widely used in order to charge a battery of an electric vehicle (EV). However, the plug-in charging method has some disadvantages, such as safety problem due to the exposure of an electric plug.
To solve this problem, a wireless power transfer (WPT) method has been proposed. The wireless power transfer method has recently become a popular trend because it requires no wire connection, is capable of safely recharging a device, and is convenient.
As a representative example of the wireless power transfer method, there is an inductive wireless power transfer system using two resonant coils of a short distance. A topology of the inductive wireless power system may have maximum efficiency when an air gap is short. On the contrary, as the distance between a sender terminal and a receiver terminal increases, the magnetic coupling becomes weaker and the efficiency decreases rapidly. Thus, various methods for increasing the magnetic coupling are being studied.
For example, a method using a high permeability material such as ferrite has been proposed, but it is unsuitable to apply the high permeability material to an electric vehicle since the high permeability material increases size, weight and cost of the electric vehicle. Alternatively, a 3-coil system has been proposed which improves the coupling efficiency by adding intermediate coils. However, since it is impossible to achieve a zerophase angle (ZPA) condition in the charging operation, switching is impossible, and switching loss is inevitably caused due to a narrow soft switching range. In particular, primary switch elements are one of the major causes of reducing overall system efficiency.
Meanwhile, in a charging device, it is also important whether constant-current (CC) and constant-voltage (CV) charging can be performed. In a resonance converter applied to a wireless charger, a wide range of frequency change is required for constant-current and constant-voltage charging.
As a control method for constant-voltage charging, for example, it is possible to control an output voltage by a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) method, but a wide range of frequency change is inevitable, and in an overall charging operation, it is impossible to satisfy the zero phase angle condition. Alternatively, a control method combining phase shift and PFM has been proposed. This control method may achieve a soft switching condition of the primary switch elements by using the hardware for detecting the zero-crossing of the primary current. However, since an additional DC-DC converter is required to control a thrust voltage, this control method has drawbacks such as complicated implementation and an increased manufacturing cost.

Resonance converter for wireless charger and method for implementing the same

Foundation of Soongsil University-Industry Cooperation


An audio output method applied to an electronic device having a proximity sensor, where the method includes obtaining proximity data of the proximity sensor when the electronic device is coupled to an audio output device and has an audio signal to output, outputting, by an earpiece of the electronic device, the audio signal when the proximity data meets a preset condition, determining a type of the audio output device, and selecting, based on the type of the audio output device, whether to output the audio signal using the audio output device. Hence, an earpiece is enabled to output an audio signal under a specific condition when an electronic device including a mobile phone is coupled to another audio output device, thereby improving user experience.

Currently, in addition to a built-in earpiece, a mobile phone may also be connected to another audio output device such as a wired earphone, a BLUETOOTH earphone, and a loudspeaker stereo.
In the prior art, when a mobile phone receives user-entered indication information indicating that a new incoming call has been answered, the mobile phone first determines whether the mobile phone is currently connected to another audio output device different from an earpiece. If the mobile phone is connected to the another audio output device, the audio output device outputs a call voice signal; or if the mobile phone is not connected to the another audio output device, the earpiece of the mobile phone outputs a call voice signal.
It can be learned from the above that in the prior art, if it is determined that the mobile phone is connected to the another audio output device, the audio output device outputs the call voice signal, and the earpiece of the mobile phone does not output the call voice signal. When answering the call by using the earpiece of the mobile phone, a user hears no sound. In this case, the user may mistakenly consider that the call is abnormal, and hang up. Alternatively,  a user first realizes that a wrong answering device is used to answer the call, and can hear a call sound normally only after changing the answering device, delivering undesired user experience.

Audio output method, electronic device, and storage medium


The invention is directed to a budget planning system that improves the accuracy and predictability of budget planning within large organizations by enabling organizations to reconcile corporate financial models and organizational targets with detailed spending forecasts. The budgeting system includes a database that is configured to store data defining a budgeting model for the organization. The model has a plurality of hierarchically arranged nodes, each node corresponding to a “contributor” that either provides forecast data or review data provided by contributors associated with lower level nodes. The system is configured to capture target data from a set of financial analysts, capture forecast data from the contributors and reconcile the target data and the forecast data according to the model.

Businesses periodically perform detailed expense planning in order to forecast the cash requirements of the company. Expense planning, however, is a difficult and expensive task that often produces inaccurate results. Conventionally, budget planning has consisted of periodically distributing forms to management personnel and requiring each personnel to estimate upcoming expenses and allocate the expenses to a number of categories, such as advertisement, travel, and salaries.


Thermal energy is extracted from geological formations using a heat harvester. In some embodiments, the heat harvester is a once-through, closed loop, underground heat harvester created by directionally drilling through hot rock. The extracted thermal energy can be converted or transformed to other forms of energy.

Conventional hydrothermal geothermal energy may be extracted from the earth by drilling a well into an underground aquifer which has been heated by a co-located magmatic intrusion. The heated water may be extracted from the aquifer in the form of steam, heated brine, or a mixture of both, and is typically used to generate electricity. While high temperature rock (e.g., above 200° C.) exists pervasively in the earth's crust within commercially accessible depths (e.g., within 10 km), such resources may be only rarely co-located with natural underground reservoirs of water. Hydrothermal geothermal resources may also be subject to a depleting water inventory unless such inventory is replenished by reinjecting fluids, which poses difficulties in regions where the water supply is limited.
The rarity of a naturally co-located heat and fluid resource has led to the development of engineered, or enhanced, geothermal systems (EGS). EGS may create a network of cracks within a body of hot rock through hydraulic fracturing, and then introduce water into the newly created cracks to extract the heat from the rock. The advantage of EGS is that water reservoirs may be artificially created within a geological heat resource. However, EGS suffers from difficulties in controlling the fracture network pathway, from a loss of injected fluid, from leaching of minerals from the rock, and from declining heat extraction due to the rapid local cooling of rock around the fractures.


An analog delay element for delaying an input clock signal to produce an output clock signal. The analog delay element includes a delay circuit for receiving the input clock signal and for providing an intermediate clock signal in response to a first bias voltage. A current mirror amplifier generates a first current in a first current branch in response to the intermediate clock signal, and generates a second current in a second current branch in response to the first current and a second bias voltage. The second current branch has an output node for providing the output clock signal having a logic level corresponding to the delayed intermediate clock signal logic level.

Delay locked loops are used to control the timing of an internal clock signal, to match that of an input or external clock signal. Typically an external clock signal is passed through a delay line, where the external clock signal is delayed for a controllable time. The output signal of the delay line is applied to a circuit to be clocked via a clock distribution tree. One of the clock signals from the distribution tree (the internal clock signal) is applied with the external clock to a comparator, which determines any phase difference. The difference is used to generate delay line control signals, which are applied to the delay line so as to cause the delay to vary and thus minimize any phase difference between the external clock signal and the internal clock signal.
Typically the delay line is formed of coarse delay elements and one or more fine delay elements. One or more coarse delay elements are connected in series with a fine delay element. The fine delay element can be adjusted to the maximum time delay of one coarse delay element. A system which uses this structure is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/106,755 filed Jun. 30, 1998, and entitled "Process, Voltage and Temperature Independent Switched Delay Compensation Scheme", invented by Gurpreet Bhullar et al, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In delay lines of this type, plural inverters are connected in series between an input for receiving the input clock and an output. Switches controlled by the delay line control are switched so as to bypass various ones of the inverters, and thus control how many inverters the external clock signal has to pass through.
However, it has been found that since even the fine delay is controlled in steps, there is some jitter remaining. This is because in attempting to maintain the DLL setting about a lock point, the DLL control circuitry may attempt to add and remove one fine delay element continuously. If one fine control step does not set the delay to cause the internal clock signal to be exactly in phase with the external clock, there will be jitter about the lock point.
It has also been found that the fine delay line cannot always compensate for one coarse delay element since the coarse element delay can have a longer delay than the maximum that can be provided by the dynamic range of the fine delay control due to temperature and voltage conditions.
It has also been found that noise on the power supply rails can cause jitter in the output signal of the delay line, especially in the case of RC-based inverter delay lines.
The digital delay line also takes up significant integrated circuit area, due to the resistors and capacitors required to provide the digital delay line.
It is also desirable to have as large a dynamic range as possible. This dynamic range is limited in a delay line having fixed coarse and fine delay elements. Furthermore, each delay element of the delay line will experience large variation of delay with variations in temperature and voltage.


An organic electroluminescent element is provided with a light transmissive substrate, a light transmissive electrode, a counter electrode paired with the light transmissive electrode, a sealing substrate facing the light transmissive substrate, an organic light emitting layer, and a resin structure. The organic light-emitting layer is disposed between the light transmissive electrode and the counter electrode. The organic light emitting layer is sealed with the light transmissive substrate and the sealing substrate. The resin structure is disposed between the light transmissive electrode and the light transmissive substrate. The resin structure is composed of a plurality of resin layers including a high refractive index layer and a low refractive index layer with different refractive indices. The high refractive index layer contains a physisorption-based moisture-absorbing material.

In recent years, organic electroluminescent elements (hereinafter also referred to as "organic EL elements") have been used in the applications of illumination panels or the like. Known has been an organic EL element in which a first electrode, an organic light-emitting layer composed of a plurality of layers including a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode paired with the first electrode are stacked on a surface of a first substrate such as a glass substrate in this order. In the organic EL element, a bottom emission structure in which light produced in the organic light-emitting layer is extracted outside through the first substrate or a top emission structure in which light is extracted outside through the opposite of the first substrate can be employed. In the organic EL element with the bottom emission structure, light produced in the organic light-emitting layer by applying voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode is extracted outside through the first electrode and the first substrate with light transmissive properties. It is also known to provide a light-outcoupling layer between the first electrode and the first substrate with light transmissive properties to increase light-outcoupling efficiency.
Since the organic light-emitting layer in the organic EL element can easily deteriorate due to moisture, it is important to prevent moisture from intruding to the inside of the organic EL element and to remove unprevented moisture. Deterioration of the organic light-emitting layer due to moisture causes light emission deficiency, leading to lowered reliability of the organic EL element.
Considering the above, in order to block moisture intrusion from outside, the first electrode, the organic light-emitting layer, and the second electrode are conventionally sealed with a second substrate which is bonded to the first substrate with an adhesive and thus shielded from outside.
However, there exists a problem that only providing the second substrate is not enough to completely block moisture intrusion from outside, since the adhesive used for bonding the first substrate and the second substrate may allow moisture to permeate.
When a substance with relatively high moisture permeability such as plastic is used as the light-outcoupling layer in the organic EL element with the bottom emission structure, there also exists a problem of moisture intrusion into the organic EL element through the substance.
JP 2003-142262 A discloses an organic EL display in which a seal layer and a resin layer containing a dispersed drying agent are formed between an electrode and a substrate. However, the organic EL element in this literature is sealed with the seal layer on the substrate and the resin layer granted with a sealing function due to a dispersed drying agent, which cannot adequately improve both of moisture prevention into the organic EL element and light-outcoupling efficiency at the same time.

Organic electroluminescent element and illumination device

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


When a vehicle mounted with a fuel cell system travels using electric power supplied from the system, a predetermined portion forming the system, such as a fuel cell, is prevented from being frozen by the relative wind. The fuel cell system is mounted on a vehicle and has the fuel cell for generating electric power by using fuel gas and oxidized gas as fuel and also has a control section for controlling the system. When the speed of the vehicle is higher than or equal to a predetermined threshold and predetermined conditions determined by physical quantities relating to power generation conditions of the fuel cell are satisfied, the control section determines that freeze prevention processing is necessary even if the fuel cell is generating electric power and performs the processing.

Fuel cell systems, when left in a continuously halted state for a long time under low-temperature circumstances such as outdoors in cold climate areas, may suffer from freezing of water content within the systems. Accordingly, various methods have been conventionally proposed for preventing freezing of fuel cell systems.
JP 2005-267961 A discloses a technology concerning a fuel cell system for performing a so-called intermittent operation by switching between a power generation state and a halt state in accordance with electric power required by an electronic vehicle, a charged state of a secondary battery, and so on. In this system, when there is a possibility that the fuel cell will freeze, the intermittent operation is prohibited, thereby increasing the output power of the fuel cell to prevent freezing.
JP 2004-153947 A discloses a technology concerning a hybrid car equipped with a fuel cell system and an engine. According to this technology, when an outside temperature is lower than a predetermined reference temperature, power generation by the fuel cell is prohibited and desired electric power is obtained by the engine.
JP 2005-251576 A discloses a technology, in a fuel cell system, for performing a scavenging processing to remove water content within the fuel cell when there is a possibility that the fuel cell will freeze while the system is halted.
In this regard, when a vehicle in which a fuel cell system is mounted travels by using electric power generated by the fuel cell system in the low temperature circumstances, there is a possibility that the relative wind generated in association with running of the vehicle may cause freezing of a component forming the fuel cell system.

Fuel cell system and vehicle mounted with fuel cell system


A torque control element for a steering system in a motor vehicle, and such a steering system are provided. The torque control element includes at least two electrical units, each of the electrical units being assigned a separate power supply unit, connected via at least one fuse.

Torque control elements are provided for controlling and/or monitoring steering devices of a motor vehicle. In this context, a steering device is understood to be a steering handle such as a steering wheel, on one hand, but also a steered vehicle wheel or a steered vehicle axle. Torque control elements are used as components of electrical or electronic controlled systems for connecting a steering handle and at least one steered vehicle wheel in a motor vehicle. Such electrical or electronic controlled systems are known as steer-by-wire systems, and replace conventional steering systems in which steered vehicle wheels are mechanically coupled to the steering handle.
German Patent Application No. DE 198 334 60 A1 describes a steering system for acting upon or controlling vehicle wheels. In that case, a mechanical passage is always provided from the steering wheel to the wheels to be coupled. The steering system has two subsystems having one process computer each for calculating control tasks, one servomotor each, one reduction gear each and one power output stage each. The two essentially identical subsystems have the task of complementing one another, especially if a fault occurs, so that the steering system remains functional, even in the case of a fault.
Because of the diverse cabling of individual components of the one subsystem to individual components of the other subsystem, the one subsystem is not independent of the other subsystem. As a result, inoperability of one subsystem, even if only partial, may have an effect on the other system, which can lead to impairment or failure of the entire steering system.
German Patent Application No. DE 198 348 70 A1 describes a steer-by-wire system that is subdivided into two diversely redundant systems, having two servomotors, two control units and two diversely redundant process computers. Each of the two process computers receives information about the driving condition or even the setpoint steering angle to be set, via a data channel from a shared higher-ranking vehicle computer. It is further provided that a process computer of the one system is able to switch off the other system in case of a fault. Reciprocal influencing of the two systems is provided in this related art, as well. A fault within the one system can have an effect on the other system, and thus can impair the functioning of the entire steering system.

Torque control element for a steering system in a motor vehicle


A residual quantity measuring device is provided. The residual quantity measuring device includes a Hall element that is inserted into a path of a current flowing in a battery unit and outputs an output voltage associated with the current; and a Coulomb counter configured to be supplied with the output voltage of the Hall element via a voltage conversion circuit and to detect a total quantity of a current flowing into the battery unit and a current flowing out of the battery unit.

The present technology generally relates to, for example, a residual quantity measuring device which can be applied to measurement of the residual quantity of a lithium ion secondary battery, a battery pack, an electric power tool, an electric aircraft, an electric vehicle and a power supply device.
In recent years, many portable devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, and small electric power tools have appeared, and the size, weight and the charging time of the portable devices have been desired to be reduced. This is leading to a rapid increase in demand for a battery used as a power source for portable equipment. As a battery that satisfies such a demand, a lithium ion secondary battery using a laminate film is suitable, and a battery pack using the lithium ion secondary battery is known. When the battery pack is used as the power source of the portable device, a battery residual quantity is notified to a user by a battery residual quantity meter.
In the conventional calculation of the battery residual quantity, the following methods are used, for example.
A first method is inputting a potential difference generated across a current measuring resistor into a Coulomb counter to calculate the residual quantity.
A second method is using a Hall element and inputting an output voltage of the Hall element into a successive conversion type A/D converter for use in calculating the residual quantity.
In the first method, the use of a current measuring resistor causes a loss in the current measuring resistor. When the current is large, the loss is problematic. In the second method, due to conversion of the detected current to a discrete value by using the A/D converter, when a large current change in pulse form occurs between sampling periods of the A/D conversion, this current change is difficult to reflect, which might cause the accuracy in calculation of the residual quantity to deteriorate. Further, the accuracy deteriorates due to a quantization error of the A/D converter. In particular, the accuracy deteriorates when the dynamic range of the current change is large.

Residual quantity measuring device, battery pack, electric power tool, electric aircraft, electric vehicle, and power supply device


A system and method for managing a domain comprised of a plurality of database systems, wherein each of the database systems performs database queries to retrieve data stored by the database systems. There are one or more virtual regulators for managing the domain and one or more closed-loop system management (CLSM) regulators for managing each of the database systems in the domain. Both the virtual regulators and CLSM regulators perform parallel virtual optimization of the database queries performed by the database systems.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for optimizing database queries.
2. Description of Related Art
As database management systems (DBMS) continue to increase in function and expand into new application areas, the diversity of database workloads is increasing as well. In addition to the classic relational DBMS workload consisting of short transactions running concurrently with long decision support queries, workloads comprising of an even wider range of system demands are emerging. New complex data types, such as image files, audio files, video files and other large objects, and new active data warehouse requirements, such as capacity on demand, data replication, fault-tolerance, dual active query processing, recursion, user defined types (UDFs), external UDFs, and so on, result in widely varying memory, processor, disk and network demands on database systems.
In general, a DBMS has a number of operational characteristics. These include physical statistics, such as CPU usage, query response times and performance statistics. In some DBMS, the operational characteristics include rule sets under which the database operates, relating to the likes of resource consumption and request prioritization. Varying these rule sets often has an effect on other physical characteristics, for example altering performance statistics. Ideally, a DBMS should be able to accept performance goals for a workload and dynamically adjust its own performance based on whether or not these goals are being met.
Closed-loop system management (CLSM) is a technology directed towards this ideal. Under some known CLSM-type systems, incoming queries are split into workload groups, each workload group having respective service level goals (SLGs). The DBMS is responsive to whether or not these goals are met for selectively switching between predetermined rule sets or adjusting performance controls.
It is also known to operate multi-system environments, wherein a plurality of databases, database systems, or DBMS operate in parallel. For example, DBMS that use a Massively Parallel Processing (MPP) architecture across multiple systems or a Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) architecture. In particular, it is known to operate a "dual-active" system wherein a plurality of databases operate in parallel and intercommunicate. It will be appreciated that managing complex workloads and performance goals performance objectives across the board in a multi-system environment is difficult.
Moreover, query optimization in multi-system environments can be a time consuming compute-intensive task. High performance optimizers are designed to do an intelligent search of a query execution plan space within a limited wall clock time budget, so as to enable query time SLG conformance. In some cases, better query execution plans might be identified, if more plans could be explored within the time budget.
Consequently, there is still a need in the art for additional management techniques for use in multi-system environments. Specifically, there is a need for systems that can make more thorough explorations of optimized query execution plans. The present invention satisfies this need.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An apparatus (100) for guiding the movement of a flanged vial (10) during an automated process to prevent the flange (50) from disrupting the movement of the vial (10) during the process. The apparatus (100) includes a receptacle (120) with a narrowing peripheral wall (130) adapted to receive the vial (10) during a vertical drop and direct the movement of the vial (10) toward a slide (160). A weighted flap (170) contacts the vial (10) as the vial (10) moves along the slide (160), slowing the descent of the vial (10), holding the vial (10) against the slide (160), and pivoting to accommodate the flange (50). A platform (190) catches the vial (10).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing vials. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for guiding the movement of a flanged vial during an automated process to prevent the flange from disrupting movement of the vial.
2. Description of Prior Art
Automated prescription dispensing- machines, such as the SP200 robotic prescription dispensing system manufactured and sold by ScriptPro LLC of Mission, Kans., have been developed to more accurately and efficiently dispense prescriptions. Such machines often include a vial dispenser which stores and automatically dispenses empty vials which are then filled with medicaments, labeled, and dispensed to a pharmacist or other authorized person and then given to patients.
Vial dispensers typically include a narrowing chute which is used to guide and place the vials. Such chutes typically include a large opening adapted to receive vials and a small opening adapted to allow the vials to leave the chute, wherein the chutes gradually narrow from the large opening to the small opening. The small opening typically is about the same diameter as the body of the vials so that each vial is precisely placed as it falls through the small opening. Thus, the chute funnels the vials to a particular point, which may be a point on a conveyor belt or a platform intended to retain the vials until a machine removes them. It will be appreciated that it is critical to precisely control both the location and the position of the vials upon leaving the chute. Errors introduced in the placement of a vial on a platform, for example, may result in improper orientation of a vial in a gripping jaw, which could cause a collision or premature release of the vial.
Such chutes work well with vials and other articles that are cylindrical in shape, symmetric and do not have substantial irregularities. However, many vials are intentionally manufactured with irregularities, such as cap release tabs, locking lugs or flanges and are therefore asymmetric. For example, newer vials now often include cap release tabs which may be used to add cognitive control requirements to opening the vials. Unfortunately, cap release tabs introduce difficulties into the automation process because vials with the tabs are not symmetrical and the tabs are susceptible to snagging on other tabs and the automated equipment. Such difficulties often preclude the use of conventional vial dispensers.
Attempts have been made to modify prior art vial dispensers to accommodate vials with tabs and other asymmetrical features. For example, to allow the tabs of a vial to leave the chute, the bottom opening thereof has been made significantly larger than the diameter of the body of the vial. However, this increases the risk of imprecise placement of the vial. One or more of the tabs may also snag on the chute near the bottom opening, causing undesirable rotation and/or congestion. Furthermore, the tabs cause the center of gravity of the vial to shift near the end of the vial, which may render the vial even more susceptible to undesirable rotation during drops.
Due to the above mentioned and other problems and disadvantages in the art, a need exists for an improved apparatus for dispensing vials of irregular shape.