A media-compatible, high-pressure transducer cell (12), a rugged sensor assembly (10) incorporating the cell (12), and a method for its production. The pressure cell (12) generally includes a metal body having a diaphragm (26), at least one dielectric layer (28, 38) on the diaphragm (26), and at least one thick-film piezoresistive element (34) on the dielectric layer (28, 38) for sensing deflection of the diaphragm (26). For purposes of compatibility with a wide variety of media, the metal body is preferably formed of steel, most preferably a stainless steel alloy such as an AISI Type 300 or 400 Series. The diaphragm (26) can be formed by etching or machining the metal body. The dielectric layers (28, 38) are preferably formed by thick-film processing as done for the piezoresistive element (34), employing materials that will adhere to the metal diaphragm (26), withstand the strains induced as the diaphragm (26) deflects, and faithfully transmit such strains to the thick-film piezoresistor (34).

There is a continuous effort to develop pressure sensors that are lower in cost and smaller in size, yet are characterized by high reliability, sensitivity and linearity. Sensors finding wide acceptance on the basis of furthering these characteristics include those that utilize semiconductor materials with a micromachined sensing diaphragm, a notable example being micromachined single-crystal silicon pressure transducer cells manufactured using semiconductor fabrication processes. In the processing of such cells, a thin diaphragm is formed in a silicon wafer through preferential chemical etching. Ion implantation and diffusion techniques are then used to drive doping elements into the diaphragm, forming piezoresistive elements whose electrical conductivity changes with strain such that deflection of the diaphragm causes a change in resistance value of the piezoresistive elements, which can then be correlated to the magnitude of the pressure applied to the diaphragm.
Diaphragms of single-crystal silicon pressure transducer cells are typically small, rarely exceeding a few millimeters in width, and are very thin, with a thickness of often less than 100 micrometers. The use of standard single-crystal silicon wafers and standard semiconductor device fabrication processes allows many such cells to be fabricated from a single wafer, providing some economy of scale. However, silicon is susceptible to chemical attack and erosion by various media, particularly in applications where a high-pressure medium is to be sensed, e.g., automotive applications that involve sensing brake fluid, oil, transmission fluid, hydraulic fluid, fuel and steering fluid pressures. For such applications, a pressure sensor must also be physically rugged and resistant to the hostile environment of the sensed medium, necessitating that a micromachined silicon pressure transducer cell include some form of protection in order to realize its advantageous operational characteristics in the chemically hostile environment.
Current methods for producing media-compatible, high-pressure sensors include enclosing a silicon sensing chip in an inert fluid, such as a silicone oil or gel, and then further separating the sensing chip from the medium to be sensed with a metal diaphragm, such that pressure must be transmitted through the metal diaphragm and fluid to the sensing chip. While achieving some of the operational advantages of silicon pressure transducer cells, the manufacturing processes for these sensors, and hence the sensors themselves, are relatively expensive and complicated. As a result, these sensors are not suitable as mass-produced sensors for automotive applications. Furthermore, the influence of the fluid in contact with the silicon pressure transducer cell over the operating temperature range and over time is of sufficient magnitude to require complex electronics to separate their effect on the silicon pressure transducer cell from the effect of pressure.
An alternative approach is to form a capacitor plate on a ceramic diaphragm, which is then bonded to a base with a second capacitor plate. The use of a chemically-resistant and mechanically-tough ceramic materials, such as aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide, allows the diaphragm to directly contact the medium whose pressure is to be measured, thereby eliminating the requirement for protective packaging. As the ceramic diaphragm deflects under the influence of pressure, the gap between the capacitor plates changes, causing a corresponding change in capacitance that can be correlated to the applied pressure. However, the circuit required to detect capacitance changes is somewhat complex and subject to noise corruption. In addition, attaining an adequate seal between the ceramic diaphragm and base for high pressure applications can be difficult.
Yet another approach employing a chemically-resistant ceramic diaphragm uses thick-film piezoresistors that are screen printed on the diaphragm, thereby providing for pressure sensing in the same manner as described above for single-crystal silicon pressure transducer cells. As with ceramic capacitive pressure sensors, the ceramic material is chosen to allow direct contact with the medium whose pressure is to be sensed, eliminating the need for protective packaging. While the signal detection circuitry used is less complicated than that for the capacitive sensor, the difficulty of reliably sealing the ceramic diaphragm with a base is the same as that for the capacitive sensors in high-pressure applications.
Finally, another media-compatible sensor known in the prior art employs a metal diaphragm as the sensing element. Because metal diaphragms generally deflect more for a given thickness and pressure than ceramic diaphragms, which exhibit lower elongations before breaking and are therefore designed to deflect less under pressure, sensing is performed by thin-film polysilicon or metal deposited on a steel diaphragm. The metal diaphragm must first be coated with a dielectric layer to electrically isolate the diaphragm from the thin-film resistors and conductors. A thin-film polysilicon layer is then deposited to form the piezoresistors, followed by thin-film metallization to provide electrical interconnects. As is conventional, the thin-film layers are typically deposited by such processes as chemical or physical vapor deposition. The equipment necessary for these processes is expensive, and deposition rates are extremely slow. Deposition of the thin-film layers requires multiple patterning, exposure, developing and stripping steps for the required thin-film photoresists and metallization, and must be carried out in a controlled environment to assure that no air borne particles are present on the surface to be coated. In addition, because such processes deposit thin-films usually no thicker than 10,000 angstroms, the surface of the metal diaphragm must be extremely smooth to avoid rough surface features penetrating through or producing discontinuities in the deposited thin films. Finally, the resistance of the resulting polysilicon thin-film piezoresistors can vary dramatically with temperature.
While achieving some of the operational advantages of silicon pressure transducer cells, it is apparent that the above sensors and/or their manufacturing processes have significant drawbacks, including complicated manufacturing processes that render the sensors incompatible with mass-production applications. In addition, because of the difficulty of sealing a ceramic sensing element to a ceramic base, the above-noted ceramic pressure transducer cells are generally not suitable for applications in which pressures exceed about 1000 psi (about 7 MPa).
Accordingly, there is a need for a pressure sensor that is compatible with corrosive, high-pressure media, yet is relatively uncomplicated, low in cost, and characterized by high reliability and sensitivity.

Method of making a thick film pressure sensor


A key holding system including a binder. A pair of retention brackets are each secured on opposing cover members of the binder. The brackets are longitudinally disposed inwardly of free edges of the cover members. Each bracket defines a plurality of holding spaces. A plurality of tags are dimensioned for positioning in the plurality of holding spaces. The tags are used to hold keys.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a key holding system and more particularly pertains to organizing keys within a notebook for easy transportation with a key holding system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of key holders is known in the prior art. More specifically, key holders heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of holding keys are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,033 to Eckerdt discloses a key holder. U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,587 to Desanto discloses a storage case for keys with plural velcro retainers. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 354,768 to Muller et al. discloses the ornamental design for a ring binder. U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,768 to Rieffel et al. discloses a plastic key tag with a key bar. U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,917 to Cartwright discloses a key control of important security keys. U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,563 to Gerch discloses a keyholder for luggage.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a key holding system for organizing keys within a notebook for easy transportation.
In this respect, the key holding system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of organizing keys within a notebook for easy transportation.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved key holding system which can be used for organizing keys within a notebook for easy transportation. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A combined wiring board includes a wiring board set having multiple wiring boards and one or more adhesive agent portions such that the wiring boards are connected each other by the adhesive agent portion or adhesive agent portions, and a metal frame having an accommodation opening portion formed to accommodate the wiring board set such that the wiring board set is positioned in the accommodation opening portion of the metal frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combined wiring board where multiple wiring boards to be reflowed are fixed to a metal frame.
2. Description of Background Art
When mounting an electronic component on a wiring board and conducting other procedures on the wiring board, such procedures may be performed not on one single wiring board but on a combined wiring board where multiple identical wiring boards are accommodated in an accommodation kit. JP2011-23657A describes a multipiece wiring-board accommodation kit made up of multiple piece wiring boards and a frame having accommodation holes to accommodate the piece wiring boards. The entire contents of this publication are incorporated herein by reference.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Combined wiring board and method for manufacturing the same


A pressure-sensitive vibration processing method can be applied to a mobile terminal including an application processor, a pressure sensor, and a vibration motor. The method can include: in a first state of the mobile terminal, notifying directly, with the pressure sensor, the vibration motor to generate vibration, when pressure received by the pressure sensor exceeds a threshold, the first state including a state where the application processor is in sleep; and in a second state of the mobile terminal, notifying, with the pressure sensor, the application processor to control the vibration motor to generate vibration, when pressure received by the pressure sensor exceeds the threshold, the second state including a state where the application processor is awake. A timely response is therefore ensured when vibration is needed, and it can also be ensured that various vibrations are handled normally during system operation to avoid abnormal vibration feedback.

At present, pressure-sensitive buttons are applied more and more to various scenarios in mobile terminal devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers. The rapid response of pressure-sensitive vibration plays a crucial role in improving the user experience. The quick start, quick stop, and the short and sensitive response of the vibration motor can make users feel an effect of similar physical key pressing.

Pressure-sensitive vibration processing method and apparatus, mobile terminal and electronic device

BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.


The cylindrical piezoelectric actuator which comprised a piezoelectric element which provided electrode in each of an inner peripheral face and an outer peripheral face which was cylindrical at least, and drive power supply to drive it. And the outer side electrode of the piezoelectric element covered the substantially circumferential outer face entirety and it was connected to a ground potential, and the electrode in the internal perimeter surface connected to drive power supply.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator used in a positioning apparatus of a precision apparatus or the like, and is applied to, for example, a scanner or the like for a scanning probe microscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a background art, a circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator is used in various precision apparatus starting from a scanning probe microscope as a fine positioning apparatus of order to several hundreds micrometers from sub-nanometers.
Here, a positioning apparatus using a circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator will be explained by taking an example of a scanning probe microscope (refer to Patent Reference 1).
FIG. 11 is a constitution view of a scanning probe microscope of a background art, and FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator used as a 3 axes finely moving mechanism of the scanning probe microscope of FIG. 11. The scanning probe microscope of the background art is constituted by a cantilever 214 having a stylus 213 at a front end thereof, a sample holder 211 installed at a position opposed to the stylus 213 and mounted with a sample 212, a 3 axes finely moving mechanism 215 constituted by a horizontal direction finely moving mechanism for moving the stylus 213 relative to a surface of the sample and a vertical direction finely moving mechanism for moving the stylus 213 in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the sample, and a displacement detecting mechanism 219 for detecting bending of the cantilever 214.
According to the background art of FIG. 11, the circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator 215 as shown by FIG. 12 is used at the 3 axes finely moving mechanism 215. A circular cylinder type piezoelectric element constituting the circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator 215 is subjected to a polarization processing in a direction orthogonal to a center axis of a circular cylinder from an inner peripheral face in a direction of an outer peripheral face thereof. The inner peripheral face of the circular cylinder type piezoelectric element is formed with a single common electrode 232, and the outer peripheral face is provided with a strip electrode portion 235 provided along a circumference, and 4 divided electrode portions 233, 234 which are divided in 4 with regard to the circumference in a direction in parallel with the center axis. When a side of providing the strip electrode portion 235 is constituted as a front end and a side of providing the 4 divided electrode portions 233, 234 is constituted as a distal end, the front end is attached with the cantilever 214, and the distal end is fixed to a base (not illustrated).
According to the circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator, the 4 divided electrode portions 233, 234 are operated as a horizontal direction fine moving mechanism, and the strip electrode portions 235 is operated as the vertical direction finely moving mechanism. When the circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator is driven, the common electrode 232 of the inner peripheral face is connected to a ground potential, and voltages of inverse phases are respectively applied between two of electrodes of the 4 divided electrode portions 233, 234 opposed to each other relative to the center axis. At this occasion, one of the electrodes is elongated in a direction in parallel with the center axis, another one of the electrodes is contracted, as a result, bending is produced at the circular cylinder type piezoelectric element and the front end carries out a circular arc movement. Here, a moving amount of the circular arc moving is small, and therefore, the stylus 213 can be moved substantially in parallel with in-face of the sample 212. By making another one of two electrodes opposed to each other carry out a similar operation, the stylus 213 can be moved to two-dimensionally in-face of the sample 212.
Further, when a voltage is applied to the strip electrode portion 235 of the outer peripheral face, a strain is generated in a diameter direction, as a result, a strain is produced also in a direction in parallel with the center axis, and the stylus 213 can be moved in a direction orthogonal to the sample 212.
An optical lever method is generally used for the displacement detecting mechanism of the cantilever 214. The displacement detecting mechanism 219 is constituted by a semiconductor laser 216, a converging lens 217, and a photodetector 218. Light of the semiconductor laser 216 is converged to a back face of the cantilever 214 by the converging lens 217, and light reflected by the back face of the cantilever 214 is detected by the photodetector 218. When bending is produced at the cantilever 214, a position of a spot on the photodetector 218 is changed and bending of the cantilever 214 can be detected by detecting a change amount.
When the stylus 213 and the sample 212 are made to be proximate to each other by the scanning probe microscope constituted in this way, an atomic force or a contact force is operated and bending is produced at the cantilever 214. At this occasion, the bending amount depends on a distance between the stylus 213 and the sample 212, and therefore, the bending amount is detected by the displacement detecting mechanism 219 of the cantilever 214, the vertical direction finely moving mechanism is operated by a control circuit 221 such that the bending amount becomes constant, and while carrying out a feedback control such that the distance between the stylus 213 and the sample 212 becomes constant, by subjecting the horizontal direction fine moving mechanism to raster scanning by a scanning circuit 222, an image of recesses and projections of the sample surface can be measured. Further, other than the contact system of detecting a static bending of the cantilever 214, there is also a case of carrying out a measurement by a vibration system of controlling the distance between the stylus 213 and the sample 212 by a change amount of amplitude or a phase or a frequency by the atomic force or an intermittent contact force by vibrating the cantilever 214 at a vicinity of a resonance frequency.
Meanwhile, the 3 axes finely moving mechanism 215 used as the positioning apparatus of the scanning probe microscope is constituted by the piezoelectric element, and therefore, hysteresis or creep is produced. Hysteresis is a phenomenon in which when the voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, the displacement does not become completely linear relative to the voltage but an operation similar to a quadratic curve is carried out. Further, creep is a phenomenon in which when a certain voltage is applied to a piezoelectric element, a target moving amount is not reached immediately but small movements are carried out little by little over time.
When the hysteresis or the creep is generated, it is difficult to carry out accurate positioning, and therefore, normally, the hysteresis or the creep is corrected by a previously set calibration equation. Further, according to the correction by the calibration equation, it is necessary to take various parameters of a scanning speed and a scanning angle or a scanning amount or the like into consideration and there is a case of producing an error depending on a drive condition, and therefore, there is also a case of compensating for the hysteresis or the creep by detecting a displacement of the positioning apparatus by using a displacement detecting apparatus of detecting a displacement of the piezoelectric element as a more accurate positioning means.
Although various systems of an optical type sensor or an electrostatic capacitance sensor, a magnetic type sensor and the like are used for the displacement detecting apparatus of the piezoelectric element, detection by a strain gage is effective as a method which occupies a space the least, is inexpensive and simple.
FIG. 12 shows a circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator attached with a displacement meter of detecting a displacement of a 3 axes finely moving mechanism of a scanning probe microscope of a background art by the strain gage. According to the background art, strain gages 201a, 201b, 202a, 202b are adhered to the 4 divided electrode portions 233, 234 of the outer peripheral face of the circular cylinder type piezoelectric element 215 sheet by sheet to the respective electrodes. Further, 2 sheets of strain gages 203a, 203b are adhered to the strip electrode portion 235 in parallel with the center axis. The strain gage is a strain gage on sale generally, and is adhered in a direction of providing a large output when a strain is generated in a direction in parallel with the center axis of the circular cylinder type piezoelectric element. In a general strain gage, an insulating material of polyimide resin or paper, phenolic resin, epoxy resin, phenolic/epoxy mixture resin or the like is used for a base member, a resistance member constituted by a metal material of copper nickel alloy, nichrome species alloy or the like, or a semiconductor of a silicon single crystal or the like is provided on the base member, and is electrically connected to an outside detecting apparatus by way of an electrode pattern of nickel or the like formed on the base member similarly.
According to the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism, a bridge circuit as shown by FIG. 13 is integrated by respective 2 sheets of the strain gages 201a, 201b, 202a, 202b pasted on two electrodes 233, 234 opposed to each other and two of fixed resistors 241, 242, a bridge voltage e0 is applied to the bridge circuit, and an output voltage e1 is measured. When a strain is produced at the piezoelectric element, resistance values of the strain gages 201a, 201b, 202a, 202b are changed and a value of the output voltage e1 is changed. A strain amount of the piezoelectric element can be measured by detecting the output voltage e1. Further, according to the background art, respective 2 axial sheets of the gages 201a, 201b, 202a, 202b are adhered to the electrodes 233, 234 opposed to each other relative to the center axis, and therefore, directions of respective strains are reversed by bending the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism relative to the center axis, and therefore, also signs of detecting signals of the respective strain gages are reversed, an output voltage twice as much as that in a case of pasting the strain gage only to 1 sheet of the electrode can be provided and a signal intensity relative to noise is increased. Further, temperature compensation is also carried out by canceling an amount of a change of the resistance value in accordance with a change in a temperature.
Further, in the case of the vertical direction finely moving mechanism, a bridge circuit is integrated as shown by FIG. 14 by 2 sheets of strain gages 203a, 203b and two fixed resistors 241, 242, a bridge voltage e0 is applied to the bridge circuit, and the output voltage e1 is measured. When a strain is produced at the piezoelectric element, a resistance value of the strain gage is changed and a value of the output voltage e1 is changed. The strain amount of the piezoelectric element can be measured by detecting the output voltage e1. Also in this case, an output voltage twice as much as that of a case of 1 sheet of the gage can be provided. However, compensation of an amount of a change in the resistance value in accordance with a change in a temperature is not carried out in the circuit.
Further, according to the output of the strain gage, the displacement and the output voltage e1 are calibrated from data when a sample for calibration is measured by other displacement meter a displacement of which is previously calibrated and the scanning probe microscope using the 3 axes finely moving mechanism, and a displacement amount can be measured from the output voltage e1 provided.
In this way, a feedback control is carried out such that the 3 axes finely moving mechanism is linearly operated relative to an applied voltage from displacement information measured at any time from the output voltage of the strain gage in this way. Further, it is not necessarily needed to carry out linear operation relative to the voltage in the vertical direction according to the scanning probe microscope and there is also a case of displaying height information provided from the output signal of the strain gage as it is.
Next, FIG. 15 through FIG. 17 show a scanning probe microscope of other background art (refer to Patent Reference 2).
The background art relates to a scanning tunnel microscope using a circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator which is a kind of a scanning probe microscope. FIG. 15 is a constitution view of the scanning tunnel microscope of the background art, FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a circular cylinder type piezoelectric element used as a horizontal direction finely moving mechanism in FIG. 15, and FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along a line B-B of FIG. 16.
According to the background art, a 3 axes finely moving mechanism 305 is realized by integrating together 2 pieces of circular cylinder type piezoelectric elements of that for a vertical direction finely moving mechanism 314 and that for a horizontal finely moving mechanism 306.
A circular cylinder type piezoelectric element 308 as shown by FIG. 16 is used for the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism 306. The circular cylinder type piezoelectric element 308 is constituted by a structure of being provided with 4 divided electrode portions (309a, 309b, 310a, 310b) at an outer periphery similar to the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism of the preceding background art, and provided with a common electrode 311 in a strip-like shape at an inner peripheral face. Further, the vertical direction finely moving mechanism 314 is constituted by a structure of being provided with strip electrode portions (316, 317) respectively at an outer peripheral face and an inner peripheral face similar to the vertical direction finely moving mechanism of the preceding background art.
2 pieces of the circular cylinder type piezoelectric elements (308, 315) are arranged in a shape of concentric circles such that respective center axes thereof coincide with each other by arranging the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism 306 at an outer periphery and the vertical direction finely moving mechanism 314 at an inner periphery, 2 pieces of the circular cylinder type piezoelectric elements (308, 315) use a connecting member 312 in a cylinder shape and having a flange portion c, the flange portion c of the connecting member 312 is fixed to a front end of the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism 306, and the vertical direction finely moving mechanism 314 is fixed to a bottom face of an inner side of the cylinder.
Respective electrodes of the 4 divided electrode portions (309a, 309b, 310a, 310b) of the outer peripheral face of the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism 306 are connected with drive power supplies (320, 321) for respective electrodes, and connected such that polarities of the electrodes opposed to each other by interposing an center axis differ from each other, grounds of the respective drive power supplies (320, 321) are commonly connected and connected to the strip electrode 311 of the inner peripheral face.
Further, also the vertical direction finely moving mechanism 314 is connected with a drive power supply 322, the strip electrode 316 of the outer peripheral face is connected with a plus electrode of the drive electrode 322 and the strip electrode portion 317 of the inner peripheral face is connected with a minus electrode thereof.
Further, according to the background art, the outer peripheral face of the connecting member 312 is provided with a shield electrode 313, and the shield electrode is grounded.
A front end of the vertical direction finely moving mechanism 314 is provided with a probe holder 319, and the probe holder 319 is attached with a conductive stylus 318. A sample holder 303 is provided and a sample 304 is mounted at a position of being opposed to the stylus 318.
When a measurement is carried out by the scanning tunnel microscope, electrodes (309a, 309b) (310a, 310b) opposed to each other of the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism 306 are applied with voltages magnitudes of which are equal to each other and polarities of which differ from each other, and the circular cylinder type piezoelectric element 308 is deformed to bend, thereby, while subjecting the stylus 318 to raster scanning, an offset voltage is applied between the stylus 318 and the sample 304, and a recessed and projected shape of the sample 304 is measured while controlling a distance between the stylus 318 and the sample 304 by the vertical direction finely moving mechanism 314 such that a tunnel current which flows therebetween becomes constant.
At this occasion, although an electric field is changed by the voltage applied to the electrodes (9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11) of the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism 306 and electric noise is added to the vertical direction finely moving mechanism 314, according to the background art, by providing the shield electrode 313 to the connecting member 312 between the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism 306 and the vertical direction finely moving mechanism 314, electric noise generated in the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism 306 is prevented, and an excellent recessed and projected image can be provided.    Patent Reference 1: JP-A-9-89913    Patent Reference 2: JP-A-2002-55038
However, according to the circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator of the background art constituted in this way, the following problem is posed.
The circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator is integrated to inside of an apparatus of the scanning probe microscope. Inside of the apparatus is normally arranged with a wiring for driving the circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator, a signal line of a displacement detecting signal of a cantilever, or in a case of using the displacement detecting apparatus of the piezoelectric element, a sensor or a wiring of the displacement detecting apparatus, further, in a case of detecting a physical property of the sample of an electric property or the like by the scanning probe microscope, a signal line or the like in a case of detecting the physical value in the form of surrounding an outer side electrode of the circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator is arranged. Further, in a case of carrying out a measurement by a vibration system, a signal line used for oscillating a cantilever is arranged. Further, in order to make the sample and the stylus proximate to each other, or position in a measured portion of the sample in a sample face, there is a case of integrating an electromagnetic type stage for roughly moving in which an accuracy is rough and a moving amount is larger than those of the 3 axes finely moving mechanism.
When the circular cylinder type piezoelectric element is driven, a high voltage of several hundreds V order is normally applied, and therefore, a component of the high voltage applied to the outer electrode of the piezoelectric element is mixed to a part, a wiring member or the like surrounding the surrounding as noise. As a result, a measurement accuracy of the apparatus is deteriorated.
Further, there is also a case of mixing a signal of driving the electromagnetic motor of the roughly moving stage from an outer peripheral face electrode side of the circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator as a noise component.
Further, when insulation of a part or a wiring member arranged at the outer side electrode of the circular cylinder type piezoelectric element is incomplete, there is a danger of destructing the apparatus by shortcircuiting the electrode of the outer peripheral face and the part or the wiring member surrounding the surrounding, or generating discharge in vacuum or the like.
Further, although according to the constitution of the scanning tunnel microscope of the background art, the electric signal of the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism can be prevented from being mixed to the vertical direction finely moving mechanism arranged at the inner periphery of the horizontal direction finely moving mechanism, the outermost periphery of the 3 axes finely moving mechanism is arranged with the 4 divided electrodes applied with the drive voltage, and therefore, electric noise cannot be prevented for a surrounding of the 3 axes finely moving mechanism.

Circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator and piezoelectric element and scanning probe microscope using those


An image recording method for visualizing an image signal of medical diagnosis, which has the steps of: inputting the image signal of medical diagnosis; processing the image signal of medical diagnosis to get correct sharpness in visualized image by applying a frequency enhancement processing; and visualizing the image signal of medical diagnosis by conducting an ink-jetting process to form an image on a recording medium based on a processed image signal, wherein the ink-jetting process has a characteristic such that sharpness of a visualized image varies in relation with a density of the visualized image; wherein degree of enhancement in the frequency enhancement processing is determined according to a density of visualized image.

This invention relates to an image recording apparatus and an apparatus for recording an image for medical use (hereinafter referred to as a medical-use image recording apparatus for simplicity's sake), which carry out recording on a recording medium or display on the basis of image information, as well as a system for an image for medical use carrying out the processing of an image (hereinafter referred to as a medical-use imaging system for simplicity's sake), and in particular, to an image recording apparatus and a medical-use image recording apparatus as well as a medical-use imaging system which practice the ink jet recording of image information for medical use obtained by an input apparatus such as a medical-use image radiographing apparatus.
In recent years, it has been put into practice to devise a method for obtaining the information of a medical-use radiation image without the use of a radiographic film composed of silver halide photosensitive material. For example, it has broadly been spreading a radiation image reading apparatus which uses an imaging plate mainly composed of a stimulable phosphor, once stores a radiation image, and after that, takes out the image as stimulated emission of light by the use of an excitation light, to obtain an image signal by the photoelectric conversion of the stimulated emission of light (an apparatus of Computed Radiography hereinafter abbreviated as CR).
Further, lately, also it has been proposed an apparatus for reading radiation image information by the combination of a radiation phosphor or a radiation photoconductor with a two-dimensional semiconductor detector such as a TFT switching device (a Flat Panel Detector hereinafter abbreviated as an FPD).
Further, also it has been spreading a radiation image input apparatus other than a simple X-ray radiographing apparatus such as an X-ray computed tomography apparatus (X-ray CT apparatus) and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus (an MRI apparatus). These medical-use image input apparatus provide image information in a form of a digital signal in most cases.
In diagnosing these images for medical use, it is mostly used a method in which image information is recorded on a transmission recording medium and/or reflection recording medium and observed in a form of a hard copy. For a medical-use image recording apparatus which records medical-use image information on a recording medium, it is often used an apparatus employing a method in which an image is recorded by exposing a transmission recording medium using a silver halide recording material to a laser beam. By this method, a monochromatic image having multiple gray scales can be depicted with an excellent gradation characteristic, and on top of it, a high diagnosis capability can be exhibited by the observation of the image recorded on a transmission medium using a transmission light.
Besides, lately, expectation is placed on the possibility of recording a medical-use image by means of a recording apparatus of an ink jet type.
It is desirable that the above-mentioned medical-use image recording apparatus expresses image information obtained by a radiation image input apparatus with a fidelity as high as possible, but actually, an image blur peculiar to the recording apparatus is produced.
For example, in a method in which an image is recorded by a laser beam exposure, an image blur resulting from the laser beam having a diameter of a certain size is produced. Further, in what is called a thermal recording method, in which an image is recorded by the application of heat to each of the pixels of the recording medium, an image blur resulting from the thermal head having a finite size and the heat spreading is produced. Further, also in an ink jet method, an image blur due to it that the coloring agent in the ink runs to spread inside the recording medium or on the surface.
Further, also in a display monitor such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display, an image blur is produced. Such an image blur brings about the lowering of diagnosis capability, and possibly it results in a diagnosis error.
As regards the above-mentioned image blur, its degree becomes different with the change of the medical-use image recording apparatus; further, in some cases, even in the one and same medical-use image recording apparatus, the degree of image blur becomes different in accordance with the density of an image to be recorded, which prevents the diagnosis from being performed on the basis of a stable image quality.
In order to make these kinds of image blur small, in a laser exposure method for example, it is appropriate to make the diameter of the laser beam smaller; however, there has been a problem that the optical system became of high cost and unevenness in recording occurred which lowered the image quality on the contrary. Further, also in an ink jet method, in order to make the diameter of ink dots smaller, it is appropriate to make smaller the ink drops to be jetted; however, the technology for making it is difficult, and also there has been a problem that, with the liquid drops being made smaller, the recording speed became lowered.
Further, in recording an image by an ink jet method, in some cases ink deposition amount onto a recording medium becomes different in accordance with the density of an image to be recorded. Depending on the ink deposition amount on the recording medium, mobility of the dye material in the recording medium becomes different, and owing to it, the degree of spreading, that is, the sharpness characteristic becomes different. Hence, there has been a problem that the sharpness characteristic became different in accordance with the density of an image to be recorded which made it impossible to obtain a stable image quality.
This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points of problem, and its object is to provide an image recording apparatus and a medical-use image recording apparatus which are capable of recording an image having no image blur and a high diagnosis capability in a simple method.
Further, it is another object of this invention to actualize a medical-use imaging system which is not influenced by the change of the density of an image to be recorded, and the change of the image recording apparatus and/or image display apparatus, and is capable of providing an image having a stable image quality.

Medical-use image recording apparatus and medical-use imaging system


Systems and methods for determining the gas composition of a gas mixture in a fuel tank of a motor vehicle filled with a compressed natural gas (CNG) mixture are provided. A pressure sensor and a temperature sensor are used to measure a gas pressure and a gas temperature in the fuel tank A processor may execute an algorithm to determine, based at least on the measured gas temperature and the measured gas pressure in the fuel tank, a current vapor pressure of each of at least one component of the CNG mixture in the fuel tank. If the measured gas pressure in the fuel tank falls below a threshold, a corresponding current composition of the CNG mixture in the fuel tank may be determined.

It is already known that motor vehicles equipped with an Otto engine can be operated with a natural gas, known as CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). The CNG mixture is also known as natural gas. With the appropriate equipment, such a CNG motor vehicle can be operated either exclusively with natural gas (monovalent operation) or as a bi-fuel variant with the option of gasoline or natural gas operation. The natural gas is heavily compressed at high pressure of around 200 bar and fed into one or more pressurized fuel tanks in the motor vehicle. The main component of natural gas is methane (CH4) with 85-98%. In addition however natural gas also contains significant proportions of higher hydrocarbons such as ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10). This is then referred to as a wet natural gas. The reason for this lies in the fact that the ethane, propane and butane components have a relatively low vapor pressure and thus vaporize quickly under pressure. The vapor pressure at 20° C. amounts to around 38 bar for ethane, 8.5 bar for propane and 2.0 bar for butane. Methane, the main component of the natural gas, only has a vapor pressure of 1.47 bar at a temperature of minus 157° C.
If the fuel tank is filled with the CNG mixture at high pressure, it is essentially methane that is available in a gaseous form, with the ethane, propane and butane components mostly being present in a liquid phase. These liquid components collect on the floor of the fuel tank and are not used while the gas pressure in the fuel tank is greater than the vapor pressure of ethane, propane or butane. If on the other hand the gas pressure in the fuel tank reaches the value of the vapor pressure of ethane, then the liquid ethane proportion evaporates first, for which the vapor pressure at 20° C. lies at around 38 bar. If the gas pressure in the fuel tank falls further, then at 8.5 bar the propane proportion and finally at 2 bar the butane proportion evaporate. The result of this physical behavior is that when the gas mixture is injected into the internal combustion engine in conjunction with the induced air, the chemical composition of the gas mixture changes continuously. With a full fuel tank a pure methane-air mixture is injected or burned, with the gas pressure in the fuel tank (system pressure) falling continuously. When the vapor pressure of ethane is reached at around 38 bar, this begins to evaporate and a mixture of methane and ethane is produced. The system pressure remains constant until such time as the ethane proportion in the fuel tank is evaporated. Subsequently the system pressure falls further. When the system pressure reaches the vaporization threshold of propane at around 8.5 bar. the liquid propane proportion evaporates. As from this point a fuel mixture of methane, ethane and propane is burned.
As the tank is emptied further, the butane proportion also evaporates at appr. 2 bar. In practice the latter situation will hardly ever occur since as a rule the injection pressure in the cylinder of the internal combustion engine is driven to over 2 bar and thus the butane proportion remains liquid and in such cases accumulates continuously in the fuel tank.
Since the different components of the CNG have different energy contents, significant effects emerge for the operating behavior of the internal combustion engine in relation to the cylinder filling, the mixture formation, the duration of the fuel injection and the combustion. The exhaust gas emissions can also be especially influenced by this.

Method and device for determining the composition of a gas mixture of a fuel tank of a motor vehicle filled with CNG


A multi-colored LED biasing circuit that allows users to selectively choose the colors for a given state or condition. A user will assign by use of switches which color of a multi-colored LED will light on the presence of an electronic signal representing a state or condition in need of a visual output. One embodiment for a tri-colored LED will allow a user to select a base color for when no signal is present, the base color selected between a first color, and a second color and a secondary color for when a signal is present, the secondary color selected between the opposite of the base color (first or second color) and a third color. The present invention can be embodied in toys in a variety of ways. For example, dolls and other figurines having eyes that can change color to represent a change of state or condition in the figurine for enhanced play or decorative purposes. One embodiment uses a figurine with tri-color LEDs as eyes and the configurable color selection circuitry to choose the color of the eyes using switches. The three different colors of a tri-colored LED may be achieved through proper switch positioning and each color can be assigned a condition or state by the fertile imagination of a child in order to enhance the play value of the toy. Another embodiment shows use of tri-color LEDs in a toy helicopter to represent a weapons system. Finally, a flying disk is shown outfitted with tri-color LEDs using the biasing circuit to light the LEDS while the disk is in flight thereby causing bands of illumination caused by the spinning disk.

1. The Field of the Invention
The field of this invention is multi-colored LED biasing circuitry providing user selectability of colors in multi-colored LEDs. More particularly, this invention deals with toy figurines using multi-colored LEDs for eyes and automobile accessories for providing secondary flasher/brake indicators in the automotive arts that use multi-colored LEDs as a means for indicating flasher/brake operation.
2. Present State of the Art
Although multi-colored LEDs, particularly bi-colored and tri-colored LEDs, are commonly used in a variety of different applications, the user rarely selects the particular color to be used in representing a designated state or condition. In other words, the designer of a particular application, whether it be a computer, a game, or a toy, will assign and incorporate meaning to the different colors the multi-colored LED will emit to represent an arbitrary meaning.
For example, a tri-color LED in a notebook computer having a rechargeable battery may be assigned the color green to represent the state of the battery when fully charged, red to represent the state of the battery when it is dangerously low, and amber to represent the state where the battery is in the process of being charged. The user would be unable to alter or change the different colors to match the different states according to taste. In other words, a user could not switch the color red to represent the state of the battery while being charged from the state of the battery being dangerously low.
It is desirable to allow a user to select the colors of a multi-colored LED representing state, condition, or the presence of a desired electronic signal in a number of situations. This could be done to match the decor of a given environment with the color of the LED in use to provide aesthetically pleasing color combinations or colors could be selected to minimize confusion with other LED indicators.
Present circuitry typically utilizes all available colors of a multi-colored LED by assigning each individual color to represent a particular state, condition, or presence of an electrical signal. Besides lacking the ability to switch colors between the different states, there are also no excess colors available. Excess available colors could be used for assignment to a particular state, condition or presence of an electrical signal to allow user selectability between available colors.
In the area of toys, LEDs and other lighting means are sometimes used for eyes in dolls, toy animals, and other figurines. While such figurines have been known to have eyes that light up, open and close, or blink, none of these variations substantially change the nature of the eye itself. By selectively changing the fundamental characteristic of an eye in a figurine, a different state may be represented in the figurine to enhance play or provide greater flexibility for decorative purposes.
Furthermore, no dolls, toy animals, or other figurines are known that have eyes that will completely change color. Completely changing the color of an eye found in the figurine is an example of a fundamental change of a characteristic of the eye that signifies a change of state for the figurine. The use of a multi-color LED as an eye in a figurine gives many options for changing the eye color without resorting to complex mechanical means for accomplishing such a purpose.
In the area of automotive flashers and brake indicators, there exist a number of different circuits and apparatuses that assist in reminding a person of flashers that have inadvertently been left in use. Many times, such circuits utilize alarms, different flash rates, and other means to indicate that a flasher has been left on for an inordinate amount of time. Other circuits will detect a burned out flasher lamp or brake lamp and provide means to indicate to the operator of an automobile that such a lamp is in need of replacement.
It would be desirable to have secondary flasher and brake operation indicator accessories that are decorative in nature as well as functional. In this way, an automobile operator may have a subtle and pleasant reminder of the status of brake and turn signal operations. A decorative secondary flasher/brake indicator may be placed in a variety of locations within a vehicle cockpit. The colors of the indicator light may represent the brake or flasher operation and the nonuse state where no brake or flasher operation is occurring. Also, the use of multi-colored LEDs as indication means would allow for decorative secondary flasher/brake indicators to be made in a much smaller form factor. Such miniaturization provides less obtrusiveness into the overall vehicle environment while still providing the secondary indication functionality desired by the automobile operator. Furthermore, inexpensive LEDs require less support structure in the way of filters, mounting brackets, etc. thereby providing a lower cost alternative to regular bulbs.

Configurable color selection circuit for choosing colors of multi-colored LEDs in toys


The invention provides devices, systems and methods for tissue approximation and repair at treatment sites. The devices, systems and methods of the invention will find use in a variety of therapeutic procedures, including endovascular, minimally-invasive, and open surgical procedures, and can be used in various anatomical regions, including the abdomen, thorax, cardiovascular system, heart, intestinal tract, stomach, urinary tract, bladder, lung, and other organs, vessels, and tissues. The invention is particularly useful in those procedures requiring minimally-invasive or endovascular access to remote tissue locations, where the instruments utilized must negotiate long, narrow, and tortuous pathways to the treatment site. In addition, many of the devices and systems of the invention are adapted to be reversible and removable from the patient at any point without interference with or trauma to internal tissues.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical methods, devices, and systems. In particular, the present invention relates to methods, devices, and systems for the endovascular, percutaneous or minimally invasive surgical treatment of bodily tissues, such as tissue approximation or valve repair. More particularly, the present invention relates to repair of valves of the heart and venous valves.
Surgical repair of bodily tissues often involves tissue approximation and fastening of such tissues in the approximated arrangement. When repairing valves, tissue approximation includes coapting the leaflets of the valves in a therapeutic arrangement which may then be maintained by fastening or fixing the leaflets. Such coaptation can be used to treat regurgitation which most commonly occurs in the mitral valve.
Mitral valve regurgitation is characterized by retrograde flow from the left ventricle of a heart through an incompetent mitral valve into the left atrium. During a normal cycle of heart contraction (systole), the mitral valve acts as a check valve to prevent flow of oxygenated blood back into the left atrium. In this way, the oxygenated blood is pumped into the aorta through the aortic valve. Regurgitation of the valve can significantly decrease the pumping efficiency of the heart, placing the patient at risk of severe, progressive heart failure.
Mitral valve regurgitation can result from a number of different mechanical defects in the mitral valve or the left ventricular wall. The valve leaflets, the valve chordae which connect the leaflets to the papillary muscles, the papillary muscles or the left ventricular wall may be damaged or otherwise dysfunctional. Commonly, the valve annulus may be damaged, dilated, or weakened limiting the ability of the mitral valve to close adequately against the high pressures of the left ventricle.
The most common treatments for mitral valve regurgitation rely on valve replacement or repair including leaflet and annulus remodeling, the latter generally referred to as valve annuloplasty. A recent technique for mitral valve repair which relies on suturing adjacent segments of the opposed valve leaflets together is referred to as the "bow-tie" or "edge-to-edge" technique. While all these techniques can be very effective, they usually rely on open heart surgery where the patient's chest is opened, typically via a sternotomy, and the patient placed on cardiopulmonary bypass. The need to both open the chest and place the patient on bypass is traumatic and has associated high mortality and morbidity.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide alternative and additional methods, devices, and systems for performing the repair of mitral and other cardiac valves. Such methods, devices, and systems should preferably not require open chest access and be capable of being performed either endovascularly, i.e., using devices which are advanced to the heart from a point in the patient's vasculature remote from the heart or by a minimally invasive approach. Further, such devices and systems should provide features which allow repositioning and optional removal of a fixation device prior to fixation to ensure optimal placement. Still more preferably, the methods, devices, and systems would be useful for repair of tissues in the body other than heart valves. At least some of these objectives will be met by the inventions described hereinbelow.
2. Description of the Background Art
Minimally invasive and percutaneous techniques for coapting and modifying mitral valve leaflets to treat mitral valve regurgitation are described in PCT Publication Nos. WO 98/35638; WO 99/00059; WO 99/01377; and WO 00/03759.
Maisano et al. (1998) Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg. 13:240-246; Fucci et al. (1995) Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg. 9:621-627; and Umana et al. (1998) Ann. Thorac. Surg. 66:1640-1646, describe open surgical procedures for performing "edge-to-edge" or "bow-tie" mitral valve repair where edges of the opposed valve leaflets are sutured together to lessen regurgitation. Dec and Fuster (1994) N. Engl. J. Med. 331:1564-1575 and Alvarez et al. (1996) J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 112:238-247 are review articles discussing the nature of and treatments for dilated cardiomyopathy.
Mitral valve annuloplasty is described in the following publications. Bach and Bolling (1996) Am. J. Cardiol. 78:966-969; Kameda et al. (1996) Ann. Thorac. Surg. 61:1829-1832; Bach and Bolling (1995) Am. Heart J. 129:1165-1170; and Bolling et al. (1995) 109:676-683. Linear segmental annuloplasty for mitral valve repair is described in Ricchi et al. (1997) Ann. Thorac. Surg. 63:1805-1806. Tricuspid valve annuloplasty is described in McCarthy and Cosgrove (1997) Ann. Thorac. Surg. 64:267-268; Tager et al. (1998) Am. J. Cardiol. 81:1013-1016; and Abe et al. (1989) Ann. Thorac. Surg. 48:670-676.
Percutaneous transluminal cardiac repair procedures are described in Park et al. (1978) Circulation 58:600-608; Uchida et al. (1991) Am. Heart J. 121: 1221-1224; and Ali Khan et al. (1991) Cathet. Cardiovasc. Diagn. 23:257-262.
Endovascular cardiac valve replacement is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,840,081; 5,411,552; 5,554,185; 5,332,402; 4,994,077; and 4,056,854. See also U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,979 which describes a catheter for temporary placement of an artificial heart valve.
Other percutaneous and endovascular cardiac repair procedures are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,917,089; 4,484,579; and 3,874,338; and PCT Publication No. WO 91/01689.
Thoracoscopic and other minimally invasive heart valve repair and replacement procedures are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,855,614; 5,829,447; 5,823,956; 5,797,960; 5,769,812; and 5,718,725.

Fixation devices, systems and methods for engaging tissue


A dewatering process in which a product comprising water and other materials is simultaneously subjected to compressive mechanical forces and electro-osmosis using a belt (12) having a plurality of connected spiral yarns and, at least in part, electrically conductive material thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dewatering process and more particularly to a belt for use in the dewatering process.
2. Related Art
In any industrialized country there currently exists the problem of the disposal of the vast and ever increasing amounts of sludge produced during the purification of drinking water and sewage and the dredging of waterways such as harbors, canals and drainage channels. Some sludge may be used as a fertilizer or landfill material, or may be incinerated, but the largest proportion of waste sludge must be dumped due to its contaminated nature, particularly where it has been recovered from areas of significant industrial activity. As the price for disposal of sludge rises so does the need to reduce the sludge weight and volume, in order to lower both dumping and transport costs.
Waste sludge typically has a very low solids content (less than 10 wt. %--the rest being water), so it makes sense to reduce the weight and volume by lowering the water content. Traditional gravitational techniques such as sedimentation or flotation are slow and can only achieve maximum solids content in the order of 12 wt. %. More recent methods include the use of chamber filter presses, wire belt presses and centrifugal techniques. The former requires a large amount of flocculating agent to be added, whilst the latter two are restricted by the relatively low dwell time of the sludge in the dewatering areas. All are particularly unsuitable for fine, highly colloidal sludges, where a significant proportion of the solid particles can not be retained without the use of a much finer filter medium, thereby lowering the permeability of the sludge bed and leading to maximum achievable solids content of about 15 wt. % for such sludge types.
The use of electro-osmosis as a dewatering technique is described in DE 124509. A material is dispersed in a polar solution having a charged surface. Therefore the electrolyte in the immediate vicinity of the charged surface possesses a net excess opposite charge due to the electro-static attraction forces of the ions of opposed polarity. In the region of the charged surface a so-called diffuse double layer is formed, whereby some of the ions are firmly bonded at said surface and are removed from the equilibrium arising from the tendency of particles in the highly. concentrated surface region of the liquid to diffuse into the less concentrated bulk interior. This results in a concentration gradient of ions which drops off rapidly away from the charged surface. In order for these firmly bonded ions to become mobile once again, a potential needs to be applied--the so-called zeta potential. By keeping the sludge matrix between the electrodes, the rate of dewatering at the cathode will be accelerated upon the application of an electric field corresponding to at least the value of the zeta potential, since the ions are then able to move freely to and from the disperse phase.
The effectiveness of mechanical dewatering techniques is dependent upon the permeability of the medium to be dewatered, since the applied force (pressure for wire belt or chamber filter presses, gravitational acceleration for decanter centrifuges) compacts the bed of material particles. Hence the porosity of the bed is reduced and therefore the flow of water from the bed is reduced. For electro-osmosis the liquid flow is independent of the bed porosity. Here it is the electrical conductivity of said disperse phase that is the key factor and therefore low bed porosities will not reduce the effectiveness of water removal. Dewatering times can be reduced with respect to mechanical techniques by applying a potential difference across the sludge bed. This reduction in time results in a net energy saving.


A memory cell including a bit and bitnot sense lines as well as a random access memory (RAM) word line and a read only memory (ROM) word line. The memory cell particularly includes a static RAM (SRAM) bit cell and a ROM bit cell. The SRAM bit cell is coupled between the bit and bitnot sense lines, and is responsive to a signal on the RAM word line. The ROM bit cell is also coupled between the bit and bitnot sense lines, and is responsive to a signal on the ROM word line. The ROM bit cell includes first and second ROM pass transistors, a first node for permanently programming connection of the first ROM pass transistor to either a voltage line or a ground line, and a second node for permanently programming connection of the second ROM pass transistor to either the voltage line or the ground line.

In general, current memory designs place static random access memory (SRAM) blocks and read only memory (ROM) blocks into completely separate arrays. These arrays then are not physically in proximity with each other and do not share the same basic cell layout. As a result of this, such SRAM blocks and ROM blocks typically have separate address decoding circuitry, output sensing and multiplexing circuitry, and timing circuitry. Some common adverse consequences of this are increased overall circuit complexity, footprint, and power consumption and dissipation.
Designs have now appeared where SRAM and ROM blocks use either common address decoding circuitry or shared sense amplifiers. Relatively recently, a few designs unify SRAM and ROM blocks in physical proximity in the same basic cell layout. These early unified designs, however, still have a number of disadvantages.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,073 by Liaw et al. (hereinafter Liaw '073) teaches a combination cell that adds a seventh-transistor ROM circuit to an essentially conventional six-transistor SRAM circuit. The result here, unfortunately, has a number of limitations. For instance, the resulting memory cell has a single word line; a bit line and a bitnot line for its SRAM function (i.e., the conventional differential arrangement); and yet further has a third bit line for its ROM function. When the single word line of Liaw '073 is enabled both its SRAM and ROM functions are accessed together, and the storage states of both appear across the three bit lines. It then falls upon "down stream" circuitry that is necessarily provided and used here to sort out whether RAM or ROM has been read.
Another example of a unified bit cell design is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,218 by You et al. (hereinafter You '218). This teaches a hybrid memory device that includes an essentially conventional six-transistor SRAM circuit and a four-transistor ROM circuit. [You '218 also teaches a six-transistor SRAM and six-transistor 2xROM cell that is not relevant here.] Conforming with tradition, and thus unlike Liaw '073, You '218 employs only a differential bit and bitnot line arrangement for both its SRAM and ROM functions. For its SRAM function You '218 employs a RAM word line, but for its ROM function it employs both a ROM word line and a ROM activation line. Thus, You '218 uses at least twice the transistors that are used in conventional two-transistor ROM cells, and using cells of this type requires complex "up stream" address decoding circuitry.
Accordingly, there still remains a need for a unified SRAM/ROM cell that efficiently integrates physically into a same basic cell layout, without increasing the transistor count beyond that of discrete SRAM cell and ROM cell solutions, and that uses simple and essentially conventional bit and word line arrangements.


An automatic dynamic balance adjusting apparatus is provided that adjusts the dynamic balance of a rotating body on a workpiece. The dynamic balance adjusting apparatus includes a control unit, a turntable for carrying the workpiece along a predetermined path, and a plurality of stations, arranged along the path, at which processes are performed on the workpiece. The stations include a measurement station at which the dynamic balance of the rotating body is determined, a dispenser station at which the application of a balance-weight agent is performed to adjust the dynamic balance of the rotating body, and an inspection station at which the dynamic balance of the rotating body is checked. In particular, the dynamic balance of the rotating body may be measured and checked after the rotating body has been mounted on a sub-assembly or the like by utilizing a holder, on which the workpiece is securely mounted, that is resiliently supported on the turntable and is provided with at least one acceleration sensor to provide data used in determining the dynamic balance of the rotating body.

The present invention is related to a dynamic balance adjusting apparatus for completely balancing a rotating body on a sub-assembly or finished device (such as a polygon mirror on a polygon mirror sub-assembly) in order to minimize vibration.
The dynamic balance of a rotating body is adjusted by (1) measuring a dynamic balance of the rotating body and (2) applying balance-weights on the rotating body according to the measurement. Generally, the balance-weight agent (a solid or a liquid) is manually applied on the rotating body. However, with manual application, the correct amount of the balance-weight agent may not be applied on the correct position of the rotating body. Further, a manual process is often slow and difficult to incorporate into a manufacturing line.
Furthermore, in order to adjust a dynamic balance of a rotating body which is already mounted to a sub-assembly or a finished device (such as a polygon mirror mounted on a polygon mirror sub-assembly), there are several problems. For example, if the rotating body is already mounted, it is difficult to measure the dynamic balance of the rotating body since sensors cannot be as easily mounted on the rotating body. Also, since the rotating body is already mounted, a rotation shaft of the rotating body does not generally protrude enough to be gripped to provide rotation during the adjustment process.


Device for driving at least one rotary screen printing stencil, comprising first main drive means having a first gear wheel which meshes with a circular toothed element which is connected to the stencil, and the axis of which coincides with the axis of the stencil, second main drive means for moving a web to be printed at right angles to the axis of the stencil and against the stencil, the first and second main drive means being synchronized with each other and an auxiliary drive means with a second gear wheel which meshes with the toothed element, while the auxiliary drive means constantly deliver such a couple that one of the gear wheels drives the stencil and the other gear wheel retains the stencil.

The invention relates to a device for driving at least one rotary screen printing stencil, comprising first main drive means having a first gear wheel which meshes with a circular toothed element which is connected to the stencil, and the axis of which coincides with the axis of the stencil, and second main drive means for moving a web to be printed at right angles to the axis of the stencil and against the stencil, the first and second main drive means being synchronized with each other.
Such a device, which is known in practice, has the disadvantage that with varying web speed or varying friction between the web to be printed and the stencil, for example as a result of varying viscosity of the printing ink used, the peripheral speed of the stencil varies through the occurrence of play between the teeth of the first gear wheel and the teeth of the toothed element of the stencil. As a result, jumps can occur in a pattern printed by the stencil, while the jumps of patterns printed by different stencils are independent of each other, and the quality of the printed web can deteriorate in a clearly perceptible manner. In an attempt to find a solution to this problem, the speed of the web can be selected so that it is higher than the peripheral speed of the stencil, so that the stencil is, as it were, driven by the web and retained by its drive. However, in this case also, for the above-mentioned reasons, this does not offer a completely reliable solution.

Stencil drive with main and auxiliary drive means


A wireless communication module is disclosed. A circuit board includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a third sidewall. The second sidewall is perpendicular to and connected between the first and third sidewalls. Multiple interlayer traces are formed in the circuit board. An antenna integrated circuit is disposed on the second sidewall of the circuit board and is connected to the interlayer traces. An antenna is formed on the first sidewall of the circuit board. One of the interlayer traces is connected between the antenna integrated circuit and the antenna. At least one external solder pad is formed on the third sidewall of the circuit board. Another one of the interlayer traces is connected between the antenna integrated circuit and the external solder pad.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to wireless communication modules, and more particularly to wireless communication modules with reduced impedance mismatch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional wireless communication module 1 comprises a circuit board 10, an antenna integrated circuit 20, and an antenna 30.
The antenna integrated circuit 20 and antenna 30 are disposed on two opposite surfaces of the circuit board 10, respectively. Here, the antenna integrated circuit 20 controls operation of the antenna 30 and transmission of signals.
Moreover, the circuit board 10 comprises a via 11 formed therein. Specifically, the via 11 penetrates the whole circuit board 10 to connect the antenna integrated circuit 20 to the antenna 30. Thus, the antenna integrated circuit 20 can be electrically connected to the antenna 30, enabling the antenna integrated circuit 20 to control the operation of the antenna 30.
Nevertheless, as the via 11 penetrating the whole circuit board 10 is often provided with a long conductive path, impedance between the antenna integrated circuit 20 and the antenna 30 cannot be controlled well, easily causing an impedance mismatch problem, and further resulting in RF (radio frequency) trace loss of the wireless communication module 1. Thus, the performance of the wireless communication module 1 deteriorates due to the impedance mismatch and RF trace loss.

Wireless communication modules with reduced impedance mismatch


An improved upright circuit board assembly structure includes: an electronic component to be mounted on an external device so as for electrical functions of the electronic component to be used; and at least one circuit board including at least one first electrical connection portion and at least one second electrical connection portion. The first electrical connection portion and the second electrical connection portion are coupled to the external device by soldering with a solder paste. By soldering the circuit board to the external device in a double-sided, multi-point manner, the electronic component is mounted securely on the external device, and electric connection between the electronic component and the external device is enhanced.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an upright circuit board assembly structure and, more particularly, to an improved upright circuit board assembly structure in which at least one circuit board is soldered in a double-sided, multi-point manner to achieve strengthened physical connection and enhanced electrical connection between an electronic component and an external main printed circuit board.
2. Description of Related Art
A traditional printed circuit board (PCB) has a surface formed with specially designed electronic circuits and then mounted with different electronic components according to the circuit design, such that the functions of the electronic components can be used. The electronic components are arranged two-dimensionally on the traditional PCB and secured in position thereto by soldering the electrical soldering points of the electronic components to the PCB.
However, for certain electronic components, such as surface-mounted photo interrupters and side view LEDs, it is required that the PCB be fixed vertically on the assembly surface of an external device. Hence, an upright circuit board assembly structure has been successfully developed and is now in use.
Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 for a partial side view and a perspective view of a conventional upright circuit board assembly structure, respectively. The conventional upright circuit board assembly structure includes an electronic component 2′ and two circuit boards 5′.
The electronic component 2′ has a coupling portion 21′. The coupling portion 21′ has a first outer surface 211′ and a second outer surface 212′.
Each circuit board 5′ has a first surface 53′ coupled to the first outer surface 211′ or the second outer surface 212′ of the coupling portion 21′. Since the first outer surface 211′ and the second outer surface 212′ are vertically extending surfaces, the circuit boards 5′ are coupled respectively to the first outer surface 211′ and the second outer surface 212′ by means of a bonding substance. In addition, each circuit board 5′ includes two first electrical connection portions 51′. The first electrical connection portions 51′ are made of an electrically conductive metal and provided on a second surface 54′ of each circuit board 5′. The first electrical connection portions 51′ are soldered to an external device 3′ via a solder paste 4′ (tin solder). Thus, by soldering the circuit boards 5′ to the external device 3′ in a single-sided, two-point manner, the electronic component 2′ is mounted on the external device 3′. The physical connection between the first electrical connection portions 51′ and the external device 3′ also maintains electrical connection between the electronic component 2′ and the external device 3′ such that electrical functions of the electronic component 2′ can be used.
As shown in FIG. 2, while each of the circuit boards 5′ is coupled to the external device 3′ by soldering the two first electrical connection portions 51′ on the second surface 54′ to the external device 3′, the soldering is performed only in a single-sided manner. Therefore, when the electronic component 2′, such as a side view LED, having the conventional upright circuit board assembly structure is applied to a large outdoor LED bulletin board, solder joints between the first electrical connection portions 51′ and the external device 3′ are constantly subject to day/night temperature differences and moisture, which may cause the solder paste 4′ to fall off gradually. When the electronic component 2′, such as a side view LED, having the conventional upright circuit board assembly structure is applied to the backlight module of the LCD screen of a laptop computer or to the outer screen/backlight module of a cell phone, the shock and external force experienced by the laptop computer or cell phone while being carried around tend to affect the conventional upright circuit board assembly structure on a long-term basis. Consequently, the solder paste 4′ used for the single-sided soldering may fall off, thus impairing the electrical connection between the electronic component 2′ and the external device 3′. Even more seriously, the electronic component 2′ itself may fall off from the external device 3′, such that the electronic component 2′ can no longer be used.
Besides, in the case where the electronic component 2′ is a side view LED and applied to a large outdoor LED bulletin board, if the solder paste 4′ gradually falls off due to the fact that the solder joints between the first electrical connection portions 51′ and the external device 3′ are subject to long-term day/night temperature differences and moisture, the malfunctioning electronic component 2′ cannot be replaced or be repaired by re-soldering until the entire LED bulletin board is disassembled for maintenance. Such maintenance, however, is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and therefore undesirable.
Therefore, in view of the various shortcomings of the conventional upright circuit board assembly structure, the inventor of the present invention conducted extensive research and finally succeeded in developing an improved upright circuit board assembly structure as disclosed herein.

Upright circuit board assembly structure


4-Aralkylphenols and derivatives thereof expressed by general formulas (6) and (7) are useful for producing trisphenols.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing with ease at high yield and high purity in industrial settings trisphenols, which are useful as materials for polymer compounds such as epoxy resins, polycarbonate resins or the like or as materials or additives for photoresists. It also relates to a new 4-acylaralkylphenol derivative having a bisphenyl molecular skeleton with the acyl group in one phenyl ring and the hydroxyl group or acyloxy group in the other phenyl ring. Such compound is useful as various reactive materials having the effect of improving heat resistance, etc., especially as intermediate materials for generating trisphenols used as materials for polymer compounds such as polycarbonate resins or the like or as materials for photoresists, etc., through reaction with phenols.
Description of the Related Art
Among trisphenols, especially trisphenols other than of the trisphenol methane type, 1-[1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]-4-[1-methyl-1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]benzene is known. These trisphenols are favorably used as materials for polymer compounds such as epoxy resins, polycarbonate resins or the like or as materials or additives for photoresists, etc. These trisphenols are known to be obtained by reacting isopropenylacetophenone and phenols (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Sho 62-084035).
However, this known material isopropenylacetophenone presents a problem in that it contains active olefin groups and thus has poor storage stability, and easily forms a polymer by readily undergoing polymerization due to heat or impurities such as acid or the like are mixed in. Other problems of isopropenylacetophenone include high cost and low yield of synthesis.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method for producing trisphenols with ease and at high efficiency in industrial settings without using alkenyl acetophenones such as isopropenylacetophenone or the like as the materials, but using an readily available material offering high storage stability, as well as a need for a material compound that can be reacted with phenols to produce trisphenols.

4-acylaralkylphenols and derivatives thereof


A clamping device (3) for the saw blade (4) of a hand-operated compass sawing machine has a centering sleeve (7) for the clamped end (5) of the saw blade (4) and a clamping sleeve (10) rotatably mounted on the centering sleeve (7). During the rotation of the clamping sleeve (10) by means of a torsion spring (11), the clamping sleeve (10) is brought, via inclined planes, into the clamping position for the saw blade (4). To improve handling, and especially to make the adjusting member (27, 20) independent of the sawing stroke, a connection bush (27) with a gripping member (28), which connection bush is mounted axially nondisplaceably in the housing (1), is provided as an adjusting member.

Such a clamping device is described in DE 32,45,359 A1. The manner of clamping for the saw blade is unsatisfactory there, and it may lead to inaccurate cutting, especially in the case of different saw blade thicknesses. Even though a leaf spring is provided for pressing the saw blade, it cannot guarantee rigid, central guiding of the saw blades in the case of higher loads and different saw blade thicknesses. A slide is mounted in a slot of the housing as an adjusting member for releasing the saw blade. To release the saw blade, it is necessary to find the position in which the slide is able to release the saw blade from the centering sleeve. In addition, the point of clamping of the saw blade cannot be reached automatically. Actuating the slide is again necessary for this.
Clamping devices for saw blades of compass saws are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,473. However, these are intended for saw blades different from those mentioned here, namely, for saw blades which are guided at holes. Positive-locking, accurate fit is not guaranteed there either in the case of saw blades of different thickness.
DE 30,06,299 A1 discloses a clamping device for a compass saw, in which the end of the saw blade can be tensioned or released by means of an adjusting member accessible from the outside at the plunger. Even though this makes it possible to replace the saw blade rapidly and without auxiliary tools, a displacement, which has an unfavorable effect on the precision of the sawcut, may develop between the longitudinal axis of the plunger and the longitudinal axis of the saw blade in the case of different saw blade thicknesses.
A clamping device for a compass saw is disclosed in DE 41,02,011 A1, which was not previously published. The precision of the sawcut is improved by a centering sleeve there, in which the clamped end of the compass sawing machine can be clamped by means of a clamping sleeve. The adjusting member is axially rigidly connected to the clamping sleeve, and is rotatable relative thereto. The adjusting member follows the sawcut and, if desired, in the case of an oscillating compass saw, also the oscillating movement. This is undesirable for the handling of the compass saw, and involves a certain risk of injury.
A one-part, spring-loaded centering pin, which supports the end zone of the clamped end of the saw blade, is mounted in the centering sleeve according to DE 41,02,011 A1. There inherently is a clearance between the centering pin and the centering sleeve. This leads to undesirable lateral movements of the saw blade. Such lateral movements diminish the precision of the sawcut.

Clamping device for a compass sawing machine


A method for purifying erythropoietin is described. The method comprises treating partially purifying erythropoietin by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography to obtain homogeneous erythropoietin having a molecular weight of about 34,000 daltons on SDS PAGE and moving a single peak on reverse phase HPLC. The homogeneous erythropoietin protein preferably has a specific activity of at least 120,000 IU, more preferably at least 160,000 IU per absorbance unit at 280 nm.

Erythropoietin (hereinafter EPO) is a circulating glycoprotein, which stimulates erythrocyte formation in higher organisms. See, Carnot et al., Compt. Rend., 143:384 (1906). As such, EPO is sometimes referred to as an erythropoiesis stimulating factor.
The life of human erythrocytes is about 120 days. Thus, about 1/120 of the total erythrocytes are destroyed daily in the reticulo-endothelial system. Concurrently, a relatively constant number of erythrocytes are produced daily to maintain the level of erythrocytes at all times (Guyton, Textbook of Medical Physiology, pp. 56-60, W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia (1976)).
Erythrocytes are produced by the maturation and differentiation of the erythroblasts in bone marrow, and EPO is a factor which acts on less differentiated cells and induces their differentiation to erythrocytes (Guyton, supra).
EPO is a promising therapeutic agent for the clinical treatment of anemia or, in particular, renal anemia. Unfortunately, the use of EPO is not yet common in practical therapy due to its low availability.
For EPO to be used as a therapeutic agent, consideration should be given to possible antigenicity problems, and it is therefore preferable that EPO be prepared from a raw material of human origin. For example, human blood or urine from patients suffering from aplastic anemia or like diseases who excrete large amounts of EPO may be employed. These raw materials however, are in limited supply. See, for example, White et al., Rec. Progr. Horm. Res., 16:219 (1960); Espada et al., Biochem. Med., 3:475 (1970); Fisher, Pharmacol. Rev., 24:459 (1972) and Gordon, Vitam. Horm. (N.Y.) 31:105 (1973), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The preparation of EPO products has generally been via the concentration and purification of urine from patients exhibiting high EPO levels, such as those suffering from aplastic anemia and like diseases. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,397,840, 4,303,650 and 3,865,801 the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The limited supply of such urine is an obstacle to the practical use of EPO, and thus it is highly desirable to prepare EPO products from the urine of healthy humans. A problem in the use of urine from healthy humans is the low content of EPO therein in comparison with that from anemic patients. In addition, the urine of healthy individuals contains certain inhibiting factors which act against erthropoiesis in sufficiently high concentration so that a satisfactory therapeutic effect would be obtained from EPO derived therefrom only following significant purification.
EPO can also be recovered from sheep blood plasma, and the separation of EPO from such blood plasma has provided satisfactorily potent and stable water-soluble preparations. See, Goldwasser, Control Cellular Dif. Develop., Part A; pp 487-494, Alan R. Liss, Inc., N.Y., (1981), which is incorporated herein by reference. Sheep EPO would, however, be expected to be antigenic in humans.
Thus, while EPO is a desirable therapeutic agent, conventional isolation and purification techniques, used which natural supply sources, are inadequate for the mass production of this compound.
Sugimoto et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,513 describe one method for the mass production of EPO comprising the in vivo multiplications of human lymphoblastoid cells, including Namalwa, BALL-1, NALL-1, TALL-1 and JBL.
For therapeutic use of EPO, it is necessary to purify the EPO protein to homogeneity.

Homogeneous erythropoietin compositions and methods of using same


To compensate for temperature dependent variations and process variations in surface resistance of a main resistor (R1) on a chip (1), one or more compensating resistors (R11, R12. . . R1n) can be connected in series with the first resistor (R1) via normally open switches (SR11, SR12. . . SR1n). The switches are closed to connect one or more of the compensating resistors (R11, R12. . . SR1n) in series with the main resistor (R1) in response to whether the voltage across resistors (R21, R22. . . R2n) produced on the chip (1) in the same process and proportional to the compensating resistors (R11, R12. . . R1n) is higher or lower than a fixed reference voltage (VR3).

The invention relates generally to resistors and more specifically to an arrangement for compensating for temperature dependent variations and process variations in surface resistance of resistors on a chip.
When filters are produced on silicon chips, there are a number of factors that influence the transfer function of the filters. Since it is the RC-constant that sets the cut-off frequency of a filter, one can look at what causes the R, i.e. the resistance, and the C, i.e. the capacitance, to change.
The surface resistance of a resistor varies with temperature. Moreover, the surface resistance can vary in response to variations in the production process. The width of the resistor on the chip can e.g. vary.
In total, the resistance value can vary more than xc2x150%.
The capacitance value varies merely marginally and does not need compensation in the same extent.
The object of the invention is to provide an arrangement for compensating for such temperature dependent variations and process variations in surface resistance of a resistor on a chip.
This is attained in accordance with the invention by automatically connecting one or more compensating resistors in series with a main resistor.

Arrangement for compensating for temperature dependent variations in surface resistance of a resistor on a chip


An improved vehicle wheel alignment system includes at least one sensing device for acquiring automotive data, interface circuitry in communication with the sensing device for generating data representative of automotive data acquired by the sensing device, and a computer in communication with the interface circuitry. The computer is configured with an operating system adapted to provides one or more vehicle service or vehicle wheel alignment software applications with a protected operating environment, and which facilitates remote updating and servicing of the vehicle wheel alignment system.

The present invention relates to automotive service equipment, and more particularly to computerized vehicle wheel alignment systems configured to provide a dependable and reliable computing environment for one or more vehicle service or wheel alignment software applications, and which facilitate remote updating and servicing of the vehicle wheel alignment system.
It is desirable that a computer associated with an automotive diagnostic or service system such as a vehicle wheel alignment system be compatible with local and global computer networks, such as the Internet, to exchange information with remote computers and databases. For example, the vehicle wheel alignment systems set forth and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,455 B1 to Larson, herein incorporated by reference, facilitate compatibility with local and global computer networks. Computing products suitable for implementation of vehicle wheel alignment systems having Internet access include, but are not limited to, desk-top computers, laptop computers, tablet-type computers, wearable computers, and pocket-type computers, each of which is a form factor suitable for use in an automotive repair shop environment.
Computers included in traditional vehicle wheel alignment systems may provide limited access to a network of computers (e.g., LAN) and to the Internet, but generally do not integrate the Internet into associated automotive service, maintenance, repair or inspection software, such as wheel alignment applications. Instead, the computer operates in a traditional manner, configured to browse the Internet without fully integrating the Internet into the vehicle wheel alignment software applications to utilize the availability of remote access and information exchange.
Using conventional technologies means it is very difficult to guarantee a single, unified infrastructure. There is no guarantee that the remote service (i.e. software module) with which the vehicle wheel alignment system needs to communicate with at the remote system will have the proper infrastructure, i.e. it might have been modified for use with a different operating system, object model, or updated with a new programming language, resulting in an incompatibility between the vehicle wheel alignment system and the remote system.
Service-orientated computer systems, such as those utilizing ONC RPC, DCE, COM, CORBA, RMI, and JINI™ protocols, generally require special protocols for communications. For example, a COM client must use the COM protocols to communicate with a COM service. A JINI™ client must use the JINI™ protocols to communicate with a JINI™ service. Such special communications protocols are not common on the Internet, and firewalls disposed in the data communications pathway between the vehicle wheel alignment system and the remote computer may routinely block the communication.
In a service shop environment, automotive vehicle service computers are commonly used to run applications for the maintenance of vehicles. An example of such an application is a wheel alignment application. The wheel alignment application runs on the automotive vehicle service computer and communicates with one or more sensors to determine the alignment condition of a vehicle. The sensors may include a variety of direct angle measurement sensors, or may include one or more cameras configured to obtain images of objects such as targets, from which alignment angles can be determined. The wheel alignment application will commonly run within an operating system that is resident on the vehicle service computer. The operating system is responsible for managing the resources of the computer such as the memory, hard drive, keyboard, mouse, and disk files. The operating system provides a computing environment in which the wheel alignment application can communicate with the sensors, display alignment results, and accept input from the user.
Hunter Engineering Company manufactures a wheel alignment system known as the 611 Series alignment console. The 611 Series alignment console utilizes a vehicle service computer that runs a WinAlign™ alignment software application within a Microsoft Windows-98™ operating system. The Windows-98 operating system provides the essential resource management that is required for the WinAlign™ software application to function properly. However, the Microsoft Windows-98™ operating system does not provide the robustness, serviceability, and reliability desired by operators of vehicle service equipment.
When problems occurr with the alignment software application running on Microsoft Windows-98™ and other earlier operating systems, a trained technician is often required to service or maintain the vehicle service system computer. The technician may visit the shop and attempt to determine the source of the problem. The technician may look for problems with the operating system and incompatibilities between the various software applications, device drivers, and devices such as sensors or input components that were attached to the vehicle service system computer. If the technician can not determine the cause of the problem, the technician often needs to completely reinstall the operating system and the vehicle service or alignment software applications. A complete reinstallation of the operating system and various software applications is a time consuming process which risks significant data loss. In addition, any settings or customizations which have been added to the vehicle service system since the initial installation of the operating system and each software application will be lost, requiring additional time and expense to fully restore the vehicle service system to a desired configuration.
Conventional computer-based vehicle service and wheel alignment system required a trained technician to configure and maintain the installed software and hardware components. The technician is required to understand challenging personal computer concepts in order to maintain the computer system. For example, to configure a network of computers with traditional operating systems, the technician is required to understand the configuration of TCP/IP networks.
Accordingly, there is a need for vehicle wheel alignment systems and vehicle service systems in general, which employ computers configured to simplify setup procedures and to guide technicians through the process of configuring a network and other system settings without the need for specialized skills or training, and which facilitate servicing and repair of software applications associated with the vehicle service system such as a vehicle wheel alignment system.

Computerized wheel alignment system with improved stability and serviceability