In a communication apparatus which transmits parameters corresponding to a reception environment to a transmitting apparatus which switches the transmission rate based on the reception environment, reception quality calculated in the past is saved as a first reception quality, and past CPICH symbols used in calculating this first reception quality are saved. Channel compensation of the saved past CPICH symbols is performed using a current channel estimation value, and the channel-compensated CPICH symbols are used to calculate a second reception quality; the difference between this second reception quality and the first reception quality is used as a reception quality correction value to correct reception quality.

The present invention relates to a reception quality calculation method, a reception quality calculation apparatus, and to a communication apparatus, and in particular relates to a reception quality calculation method, a reception quality calculation apparatus, and to a communication apparatus in which reception quality is measured as a reception environment, and parameters (for example, CQI) corresponding to the reception environment are transmitted to the transmitting apparatus.
A W-CDMA (UMTS) mobile communication system is a wireless communication system in which circuits are shared among a plurality of users, and as shown in FIG. 6, comprises a core network 1, wireless base station control apparatuses (RNCs: Radio Network Controllers) 2 and 3, multiplex separation apparatuses 4 and 5, wireless base stations (Node B) 61 to 65, and a mobile station (UE: User Equipment) 7.
The core network 1 is a network used for routing within the mobile communication system; the core network can for example be configured using an ATM switched network, packet-switched network, router network, or similar. The core network 1 can also be connected with another public network (PSTN), so that a mobile station 7 can communicate with fixed-line telephone sets and similar as well.
The wireless base station control apparatuses (RNCs) 2 and 3 are positioned as higher-level apparatuses of the wireless base stations 61 to 65, and comprise functions for controlling these wireless base stations 61 to 65 and managing their wireless resources to be used and similar. Functions are also comprised by means of which, during handovers, signals from one mobile station 7 are received from a plurality of subordinate wireless base stations, and the data for which quality is better is selected and transmitted to the core network 1.
The multiplex separation apparatuses 4 and 5 are provided between RNCs and wireless base stations, and separate signals addressed to each of the wireless base stations received from the RNCs 2 and 3, and output the signals addressed to each of the wireless base stations; in addition, control is performed to multiplex signals from the wireless base stations and pass the signals to the RNCs.
The wireless base stations 61 to 63 are controlled by RNC 2, and the wireless base stations 64 and 65 are controlled by RNC 3, while performing wireless communication with the mobile station 7. By existing within the wireless area of the wireless base station 6, the mobile station 7 establishes a wireless circuit with the wireless base station 6, and communicates with other communication apparatuses via the core network 1.
The interface between the core network 1 and the RNCs 2 and 3 is called the Iu interface, the interface between the RNCs 2 and 3 is called the Iur interface, the interface between the RNCs 2, 3 and each of the wireless base stations 6 is called the Iub interface, and the interface between the wireless base stations 6 and mobile stations 7 is called the Uu interface; and a network formed by 2 to 6 apparatuses in particular is called a radio access network (RAN). Circuits between the core network 1 and the RNCs 2 and 3 are used in common by the Iu and Iur interfaces, and circuits between the RNCs 2, 3 and the multiplex separation apparatuses 4, 5 are used in common by Iub interfaces for a plurality of wireless base stations.
The above is an explanation of an ordinary mobile communication system; in addition, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) may be adopted as a technology enabling high-speed downlink data transmission (see Non Patent Documents 1 and 2). Here, a simple explanation of HSDPA is given.
Non Patent Document 1: 3G TS 25.212 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Multiplexing and channel coding (FDD))
Non Patent Document 2: 3G TS 25.214 (3rd Generation Partnership Project Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; Physical layer procedures (FDD))
HSDPA
HSDPA employs an adaptive coding and modulation method (AMC: Adaptive Modulation and Coding), and has the feature of enabling adaptive switching between, for example, the QPSK modulation scheme and the 16QAM scheme, according to the wireless environment between the wireless base station and mobile station.
In addition, HSDPA employs the H-ARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest) method. In H-ARQ, when a mobile station detects an error in data received from a wireless base station, the mobile station transmits a resend request (NACK signal) to the wireless base station. Upon receiving this resend request, the wireless base station resends the data, and the mobile station uses both the data already received and the resent reception data to perform error correction decoding. Thus in H-ARQ, data already received can be used effectively even when errors occur, so that the gain of error correction decoding is increased, and consequently the number of resends can be reduced. When an ACK signal is received from the mobile station, data transmission has been successful and resending is unnecessary, and so the next data is transmitted.
The main wireless channels used in HSDPA are, as shown in FIG. 7, (1) HS-SCCH (High Speed-Shared Control Channel), (2) HS-PDSCH (High Speed-Physical Downlink Shared Channel), and (3) HS-DPCCH (High Speed-Dedicated Physical Control Channel).
HS-SCCH and HS-PDSCH are both shared channels in the downlink direction (that is, from the wireless base station to the mobile station); HS-SCCH is a control channel used to transmit various parameters relating to the data transmitted in the HS-PDSCH channel. In other words, HS-SCCH is a channel used for notification of data transmission in the HS-PDSCH. The various parameters may include, for example, address information for the mobile station to which data is transmitted from the base station, transmission bitrate information, modulation method information indicating the modulation method used to transmit data using HS-PDSCH, the number of spreading codes allocated (number of codes), rate-matching patterns for transmitted data, and similar.
On the other hand, HS-DPCCH is a dedicated control channel in the uplink direction (that is, from the mobile station to the wireless base station), and is used when the mobile station transmits reception results (ACK signals, NACK signals) to the wireless base station according to the presence or absence of errors in data received via HS-PDSCH. That is, this channel is used when transmitting reception results for data received over HS-PDSCH. When the mobile station fails in data reception (when the reception data results in a CRC error, or similar), a NACK signal is transmitted from the mobile station, and so the wireless base station executes resend control.
In addition, HS-DPCCH is used by the mobile station, which has measured the reception quality (for example, SIR value) of signals received from the wireless base station, to transmit the reception quality, as a CQI (Channel Quality Indicator), to the wireless base station. In other words, the CQI is information used by the mobile station to report the reception environment to the base station, and takes the values CQI=1 to 30; the CQI for which the block error rate BLER in the reception environment does not exceed 0.1 is reported to the base station.
The wireless base station uses the received CQI to judge the acceptability of the downlink-direction wireless environment, and if satisfactory, switches to a modulation method enabling transmission at faster data rates; that is, if the environment is not acceptable, the modulation method is switched to a slower data transmission method (that is, adaptive modulation is performed). In actuality, the base station has a CQI table which defines formats with different transmission rates according to a CQI value of 1 to 30, uses the CQI table to determine the parameters (transmission rate, modulation method, number of multiplex codes, and similar) according to the CQI value, and uses HS-SCCH to notify the mobile station, while transmitting data over HS-PDSCH based on these parameters.
Channel Structure
FIG. 8 explains timing in the HSDPA system. In W-CDMA, code-division multiplexing is used, and so channels are separated by codes. The CPICH (Common Pilot Channel) and SCH (Synchronization Channel) are both shared channels in the downlink direction. CPICH is used by mobile stations for channel estimation, cell searching and similar, and is a channel used for transmission of so-called pilot signals. SCH comprises, more precisely, P-SCH (Primary SCH) and S-SCH (Secondary SCH), and are channels for transmission in burst mode with 256 chips at the beginning of each slot. SCH data is received by a mobile station performing three-stage cell searching, and is used to establish slot synchronization and frame synchronization, and to identify base station codes (scramble codes). SCH is 1/10 the length of one slot, but is shown as more broad in the figure. The remaining 9/10 is the P-CCPCH (Primary-common control physical channel).
Next, channel timing relations are explained. In each channel, one frame (10 ms) comprises 15 slots, and one frame is of length equivalent to 2560 chips. As explained above, CPICH is used as reference for other channels, and so the frame beginning in SCH and HS-SCCH coincides with the frame beginning in CPICH. On the other hand, the frame beginning in HS-PDSCH is delayed by two slots relative to HS-SCCH and similar; this is in order to enable the mobile station to perform demodulation of HS-PDSCH using the demodulation method corresponding to the modulation method after receiving modulation method information via HS-SCCH. In HS-SCCH and HS-PDSCH, one subframe comprises three slots.
HS-DPCCH is an uplink channel, the first slot in a subframe of this channel is used to transmit ACK/NACK signals, indicating the HS-PDSCH reception result, from the mobile station to the wireless base station after approximately 7.5 slots have elapsed from reception of HS-PDSCH. The second and third slots are used to periodically transmit feedback CQI information to the base station for use in adaptive modulation control. Here, the transmitted CQI information is computed based on the reception environment (for example, the CPICH SIR measurement results) measured over the interval from four slots before CQI transmission to one slot before CQI transmission.
Mobile Station Configuration
FIG. 9 shows the configuration of principal portions of a mobile station of the prior art. Wireless signals transmitted from a base station are received by the antenna and input to the receiver 1. The receiver 1 down-converts the wireless signals to baseband signals, and then performs quadrature demodulation, AD conversion, despreading, and other processing of the baseband signals, and outputs HS-PDSCH symbol signals, CPICH symbol signals, reception timing signals (frame sync, slot sync signals), and similar. The HS-PDSCH channel estimation filter 2 calculates the average value of CPICH symbol signals for the n symbols preceding the current symbol, for example 10 symbols, and for the next 10 symbols including the current symbol, for a total of 20 symbols, and outputs the average value as a channel estimation value in sequence at symbol periods. One CPICH slot comprises 10 symbols, and so the above 10 symbols are equivalent to one slot.
FIG. 10 explains operation of the HS-PDSCH channel estimation filter 2; the first symbol channel estimation value for the current slot# n is the average value of CPICH symbol signals for the 20 symbols which are the first through tenth symbols of the previous slot# n−1 and the first through tenth symbols of the current slot# n. The second symbol channel estimation value for the current slot# n is the average value of the CPICH symbol signals for the 20 symbols which are the second through tenth symbols of the previous slot# n−1, the first through tenth symbols of the current slot# n, and the first symbol of the next slot# n+1. Similarly, the channel estimation value at the tenth symbol of the current slot# n is the average value of the CPICH symbol signals of the 20 symbols which are the tenth symbol of the previous slot# n−1, the first through tenth symbols of the current slot# n, and the first through ninth symbols of the next slot# n+1. In this way, by calculating channel estimation average values for a plurality of symbols on both sides and using the result as the channel estimation value for the center symbol, high-precision channel estimation is possible.
In order to clarify the fact that the channel estimation value for the center symbol is obtained by calculating the average of a plurality of channel estimation values on both sides, FIG. 10 shows channel estimation and channel compensation processing being performed in slot# n. However, in actuality, channel estimation and channel compensation processing are performed in slot# n+1, as shown in FIG. 11.
Returning to FIG. 9, the HS-PDSCH symbol buffer 3 holds HS-PDSCH symbols for one slot interval, and inputs the symbols to the HS-PDSCH channel compensation processing portion 4. That is, HS-PDSCH symbols are input to the HS-PDSCH channel compensation processing portion 4 with a delay of one slot interval, until the channel estimation value is determined. The HS-PDSCH channel compensation processing portion 4 uses channel estimation values to perform channel compensation processing of HS-PDSCH symbol signals with a one-slot delay, as shown in the bottom of FIG. 11. The demodulation processing portion 5 uses channel-compensated symbol signals to demodulate HS-PDSCH symbols, and the decoding processing portion 6 performs error-correction decoding of the demodulated signals; the CRC computation portion 7 performs CRC computation to determine whether errors exist in the decoded results for each block, and if no errors are detected outputs the decoded data and generates an ACK, but if errors are detected generates a NACK, which is input to the HS-DPCCH generation portion 13.
The CPICH channel estimation filter for SIR calculation 8 calculates the average value of CPICH symbol signals for the immediately preceding 20 symbols including the current symbol, and outputs the averages as channel estimation values in sequence at symbol periods. FIG. 12 explains operation of the CPICH channel estimation filter 8; the channel estimation value for the first symbol of the current slot# n is the average value of CPICH symbol signals for the 20 symbols which are the second through tenth symbols of two slots previous, slot# n−2, the first through tenth slots of the previous slot# n−1, and the first symbol of the current slot# n. The channel estimation value of the second symbol of the current slot# n is the average value of CPICH symbol signals for the 20 symbols which are the third through tenth symbols of two slots previous, slot# n−2, the first through tenth slots of the previous slot# n−1, and the first and second symbols of the current slot# n. Similarly, the channel estimation value of the tenth symbol of the current slot# n is the average value of CPICH symbol signals for the 20 symbols which are the first through tenth slots of the previous slot# n−1, and the first through tenth symbols of the current slot# n. The reason why the CPICH channel estimation filter for SIR calculation 8 cannot use CPICH symbol signals for the 20 symbols which are the immediately preceding 10 symbols and the next 10 symbols including the current symbol, as in the case of the HS-PDSCH channel estimation filter 2, is explained later.
Returning to FIG. 9, the CPICH channel compensation processing portion 9 for SIR calculation uses the CPICH channel estimation values for SIR calculation to perform channel compensation processing of CPICH symbol signals, as shown at the bottom of FIG. 12, the demodulation processing portion 10 uses the channel-compensated symbol values to demodulate the CPICH symbols, and the CPICH-SIR calculation processing portion 11 uses the demodulated CPICH symbols to perform well-known SIR calculation processing, and outputs CPICH-SIR values which indicate the reception environment for the mobile station.
The CPICH-SIR-CQI report value conversion portion 12 comprises a CPICH-SIR and CQI correspondence table, as shown in FIG. 13, and determines CQI report values corresponding to input CPICH-SIR values from this table, for input to the HS-DPCCH generation portion 13.
In parallel with the above, the downlink reception timing monitoring portion 14 monitors the downlink timing based on reception timing signals (frame sync, slot sync signals), and the uplink transmission timing management portion 15 inputs transmission timing signals to the HS-DPCCH generation portion 13. The HS-DPCCH generation portion 13 generates HS-DPCCH signals, comprising CQI report values corresponding to the CPICH-SIR values for the previous fourth through first slots (in the example of FIG. 9, the CPICH-SIR for the second and first previous slots) for each subframe, as explained in FIG. 8, and comprising ACK/NACK signals as appropriate; the coding processing portion 16 performs encoding and inputs the result to the modulation processing portion 17. The modulation processing portion 17 performs spreading processing, DA conversion, and quadrature modulation, and the transmitter 18 frequency-converts the baseband signals to RF signals and transmits the signals via the antenna toward the base station. Although not shown, the base station demodulates the HS-DPCCH signals, and based on the CQI report value determines the transport block size, number of multiplex codes, modulation method and similar from the CQI table, and based on these values HS-PDSCH data is transmitted, and resend control based on ACK/NACK signals is performed.
As explained above, by delaying the HS-PDSCH symbols by one slot, the HS-PDSCH channel estimation filter 2 calculates the average value of CPICH symbol signals for a total of 20 symbols, including the 10 symbols immediately preceding the current symbol and the next 10 symbols including the current symbol, and can use this average value as the channel estimation value for the current symbol, so that high-precision channel estimation is possible. On the other hand, the CPICH channel estimation filter 8 for SIR calculation cannot calculate the channel estimation value using the next 10 symbols including the current symbol, as in the case of the HS-PDSCH channel estimation filter 2. This is because the CQI report value must be determined and transmitted for the current slot using the SIR measured based upon three slots' worth of CPICH symbols, which are previous fourth through first slots from the current slot, thereby the CPICH symbols for SIR calculation cannot be delayed for use in channel estimation.
From the above, the CPICH channel estimation filter 8 for SIR calculation calculates the average values of CPICH symbol signals for the immediately preceding 20 symbols including the current symbol, and outputs the average values in sequence as channel estimation values at symbol periods. This means that, as for example the channel estimation value for the first symbol of the current slot# n, the channel estimation value of the first symbol of the previous slot# n−1 is used. For this reason, a channel estimation value not suited to the first symbol of the current slot# n is calculated, and so the precision of the CPICH channel estimation value for SIR calculation is reduced compared with the HS-PDSCH channel estimation value. This effect is particularly prominent in an environment in which the channel estimation result changes in a short period of time due to rapid fading or for other reasons, so that past channel estimation values and current channel estimation values are different. That is, in an environment with rapid fading, the precision of CPICH channel estimation values for SIR calculation is reduced substantially compared with HS-PDSCH channel estimation values, and so the reception quality of CPICH symbols for SIR calculation is degraded considerably relative to the reception quality of HS-PDSCH symbols.
FIG. 14 is a graph showing quantitatively the HS-PDSCH block error rate (BLER) versus fading rate characteristic during fixed-format reception; FIG. 15 is a graph showing quantitatively the CPICH-SIR versus fading rate characteristic; and FIG. 16 is a graph showing the CQI report value versus fading rate when CPICH-SIR is converted to CQI report values using a technique of the prior art. Here, "fixed-format reception" means reception during transmission with the block size, modulation method, and number of multiplexing code channels fixed.
As is clear from FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, as the fading rate increases the CPICH reception quality for SIR calculation is degraded compared with the HS-PDSCH reception quality. As a result, as shown in FIG. 16, during rapid fading, CQI report values are reported to be low compared with the intrinsic CQI report values. As a result, in an environment in which high-quality HS-PDSCH data transmission/reception is possible even using a format with high transmission rate and low error-correcting capability, the base station transmits data to the mobile station over HS-PDSCH using a format with a low transmission rate and high error-correcting capability. As a result, the HS-PDSCH block error rate BLER is substantially lower than the stipulated value of 0.1; that is, quality is excessively high, and the communication system throughput characteristic is degraded.

Reception quality calculation method, reception quality calculation apparatus, and communication apparatus


Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented as an identity management system to provide a single sign on to a master website and silent authentication for subservient websites. The identity management system may include an identity provider server and a user management server. The identity provider server may authenticate a user, redirect an authenticated user to the user management server, and receive and verify a silent authentication request including a cryptographic signature and a modified message on behalf of the authenticated user from the user management server.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
More and more businesses are deploying applications and services to the cloud. With the proliferation of cloud services and its usage, companies are increasingly leveraging PaaS (Platform as a Service). PaaS provides managed services to solve complex business problems and also to perform proof of concepts very quickly without having to set up a large infrastructure along with teams for supporting and maintaining the infrastructure on a nonstop basis. PaaS is a cloud computing model in which a third-party provider or the like delivers hardware and software tools, such as, for example, those needed for application development, to users over the Internet. A PaaS provider may host the hardware and software on its own infrastructure, or may provide access to multiple websites at one or more remote locations. As more and more businesses deploy applications and services to the cloud, there is an ever growing need to provide security for these applications and services.

System and method of single sign on to master website and silent authentication for subservient websites


A condensate chamber is a housing having an inlet, an outlet, a base, a top wall, and upstanding sidewalls. The upstanding sidewalls include a first end sidewall, a second end sidewall, a first side sidewall, and a second side sidewall. A divider is disposed within the housing and includes a proximal end disposed against the first end sidewall and extends towards the second end sidewall. A gap is defined in between a distal end of the divider and the second end sidewall. The divider defines a serpentine channel within the housing starting at the inlet and ending at the outlet.

The present invention relates to condensate neutralizer and, more particularly, to a condensate neutralizer with a serpentine flow for increased performance.
Condensing boilers are water heaters fueled by gas or oil. They achieve high efficiency (typically greater than 90% on the higher heating value) by using waste heat in flue gases to pre-heat cold water entering the boiler. Water vapor produced during combustion is condensed into liquid form, which leaves the system via a drain.
The condensate expelled from a condensing boiler is acidic, with a pH between 2 and 4. Condensing boilers require a drainpipe for the condensate produced during operation. This consists of a short length of polymer pipe with a vapor trap to prevent exhaust gases from being expelled into the building. The acidic nature of the condensate may be corrosive to cast iron plumbing, waste pipes and concrete floors but poses no health risk to occupants. A neutralizer, typically consisting of a plastic container filled with marble or limestone aggregate or "chips" (alkaline) can be installed to raise the pH to acceptable levels.
As can be seen, there is a need for condensate neutralizers with higher efficiency.


An electronic product with a stereoscopic display device includes a main body and a stereoscopic display device. The main body includes a housing and a circuit unit. The circuit unit is disposed in the housing. The housing has an accommodating slot. The stereoscopic display device is disposed in the accommodating slot. The stereoscopic display device includes a flat panel display, a lens array layer and a microstructure layer. The lens array layer is disposed on a display surface of the flat panel display. The lens array layer is configured to adjust light field. The microstructure layer is disposed on the lens array layer. The microstructure layer is configured to modulate a direction of light. The stereoscopic display device is configured to display a stereo image that is floating in mid-air. Accordingly, a user can naturally see the stereo image floating in mid-air at an oblique viewing angle.

Conventional electronic products, such as notebook computers, mostly include display devices that can display planar images. Some of the display devices are stereoscopic display devices that can display stereo images. However, the conventional stereoscopic display devices mainly employ the binocular vision imaging technology. For these kinds of display devices, a user has to view a stereo image at a frontal viewing angle directly facing the image, and cannot view the stereo image at other viewing angles (i.e. an oblique viewing angle). In certain situations where the stereoscopic display devices are placed horizontally, the user will naturally be staring at the image from an oblique angle, which prevents him from seeing a stereo (i.e., 3D) image as per the conventional technology. Moreover, the conventional stereoscopic display devices provide the user with visual stimuli in only one direction, i.e., either with the image projecting out or sinking in. Therefore, the conventional stereoscopic display devices cannot provide a vivid sensation that the image is escaping from the confines of a plane of the display surface and floating in mid-air.
In this regard, the present disclosure provides an electronic product with a stereoscopic display device to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks.

Electronic product with stereoscopic display device


A cargo tiedown permanently installable to the bed or floor of the cargo area of a pickup truck, trailer, or other vehicle, provides security for relatively thin, flat or narrow articles (e.g., sheet material, pipe, elongate extrusions, etc.) carried on the bed or floor. The tiedowns are preferably installed in pairs, on opposite sides of the floor or bed. Each tiedown may include one or more tiedown rings or U-bolts, providing for the securing of a rope or other retainer laterally across the floor or bed. The device includes counterbores in the bottom, to provide clearance for the attachment fittings used to secure the U-bolts and/or rings in the device, and allowing for flush mounting of the device to the underlying surface. The device is formed to eliminate sharp edges, in order to better protect any articles with which it might come in contact, and includes a recess at each U-bolt or ring for clearance of the rope or retainer. The main body of the device may be formed of a variety of materials, such as aluminum or steel, either standard or stainless, or even plastic.

Various devices and means have been developed over the years for securing cargo or articles within a pickup box, trailer, or other types of vehicles. In fact, many trailers and pickups are equipped with stake pockets along the side walls of the box or other area, into which stakes or other securing devices may be installed.
The problem with these securing means is that they are all disposed well above the cargo bed of the vehicle, and any ropes or other securing devices tightly secured across the bed, remain well above the surface of the bed. Relatively lightweight sheets of material (e.g., foam insulation) may be readily picked up by the relative wind while in transit, and damaged or possibly even lifted sufficiently to slip between tiedown ropes across the top of the side walls and be blown out of the bed. Even in the case of relatively heavy sheet or other thin material (e.g., pipes and other elongate articles), the play allowed by tiedown means disposed across the top of the side walls, allows a great deal of movement of such cargo on the floor of the cargo area.
The need arises for a tiedown system which is easily and permanently installable to the floor or bed of a cargo area in a pickup, trailer, or other truck or vehicle. The tiedowns should provide for ropes or other ties to be secured relatively close to the floor of the cargo area, thus limiting the vertical space for relatively thin articles to move within the cargo area. Moreover, the tiedowns should be relatively light and small, so as not to impinge significantly upon the area or volume otherwise available for cargo.


A digital cellular mobile radio communication system includes a mobile station transmitting an information block and a set of base stations receiving information blocks corresponding to the transmitted information block at each base station in the set. This communication system contains an up link macro diversity system with a device in each base station for determining a quality measure representing the reliability of each respective received information block, and a decision device for choosing the received information block with the best quality measure as a common output information block of the set of base stations.

In conventional digital cellular mobile radio communication systems a mobile station communicates with only one base station at each given time. However, recently it has been suggested to use so called macro diversity in such systems. This concept means that in the down link direction several base stations send the same information blocks to a mobile station, which combines the sent blocks into a final received block. In the up link direction a mobile station transmits an information block which is received at several base stations. The received blocks are transmitted to a common node in the land system, for example a mobile services switching center, where the received blocks are combined into a final received block. These procedures increase the reliability of the received information blocks, since the information has now travelled along different paths, one of which may distort the information less than the other.
A drawback of these up link diversity methods is that the received information blocks from several base stations have to be sent to the mobile services switching center, which reduces the capacity of the land system.

Up link macro diversity method and apparatus in a digital mobile radio communication system


A cleaning bullet for use in a pipe or track includes a compressible body. In one embodiment, a sheet draped over the body is engageable with interior walls of the pipe or track to clean small contaminants. In another embodiment, the body is formed from an absorbent material that absorbs a fluid, such as a cleaning solution, that can clean and/or disinfect the interior walls of the pipe or track. In yet another embodiment, an alignment key extends radially from a body axis for guiding the cleaning bullet in an air conveyor track.

Air conveyor systems are often used in the beverage industry to transport bottles by the bottle neck. These conveyor systems typically include elongated tracks defining a longitudinal slot through which the neck of the bottle extends. Compressed air directed at various portions of the bottle urges the bottle along a conveyor path. The interior of the track often accumulate dust, microorganisms, and other contaminants during operation which can enter the bottles and contaminate the product contained therein and impede bottle movement. As a result, the track must be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure the proper operation and sanitation of the track. Track cleaning is currently done manually by laboriously wiping the track with a dampened cloth. Since the air conveyor system track is typically overhead, this cleaning requires the use of lift devices that increase the time and cost of the cleaning.
Pipeline pigs are often used to clean the interior surfaces of long stretches of pipe. The pig is propelled through the pipe by a compressed fluid to dislodge contaminants adhering to pipe interior walls. The pigs typically include a body having an outer circumference that conforms with the interior of the pipe being cleaned. Unfortunately, these pigs must be in an enclosed pipe in order to operate effectively and small contaminants are often left undisturbed. Accordingly, the use of known pipeline pigs in an air conveyor track will not sufficiently clean an air conveyor track. Therefore, a need exists for a cleaning device that can operate efficiently in slotted tracks and pipes to clean small contaminants, such as dust and microorganisms.


There is provided a human myeloma cell tine for use in a method for producing a human monoclonal antibody.

The technique for providing murine monoclonal antibodies was devised in 1975 by Köhler & Milstein (1,2). In this method, antibody-producing spleen cells from an immunised mouse are fused with cells from a mouse myeloma to produce hybrid cells known as hybridomas. After fusion, the cells are selected using drugs that kill the myeloma parental cell, whereas the unfused parental spleen cells have a limited life-span and soon die, so that only hybrid cells survive. These hybridomas have the capacity to proliferate indefinitely and to secrete antibody specific for the antigen used to immunise the spleen cell donor. Those hybridomas producing antibody of the desired specificity are cloned, resulting in a hybridoma cell line producing a homogenous population of antibody molecules (i.e. monoclonal antibodies).
Much research effort has been directed to the adaptation of this technology to produce human monoclonal antibodies. Attempts to use the mouse myelomas to derive human monoclonal antibodies were unsuccessful because the hetero-specific hybrids quickly lose the relevant human chromosomes. Attempts have also been made to use known antibody-secreting human myeloma cell lines (such as the IgEλ secreting U266 human myeloma cell line, and the RPMI-8226 cell line which contains a heterogeneous mixture of lymphoblastoid and plasmablast cells (3)) for the production of human monoclonal antibodies, but they have all failed, in spite of promising early reports.
Due to the lack of success in obtaining human antibody-producing hybridomas, various alternative cell lines have been considered. For example, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been used to immortalise antibody-producing human peripheral blood B-lymphocytes. However, such cell lines have a number of drawbacks when compared with the murine monoclonal antibody-producing hybridomas. For example, they tend to be unstable with respect to growth, they are low producers of antibodies, and EBV does not preferentially immortalise lymphoblasts engaged in antibody responses (4).
Strategies have also been developed to produce monoclonal antibodies with human character which bypass the need for an antibody-producing human cell line. For example, useful mouse monoclonal antibodies have been "humanised" by linking rodent variable regions and human constant regions (chimeric antibodies) (13). This somewhat reduces the human anti-mouse immunogenicity of the antibody but residual immunogenicity is retained by virtue of the foreign V-region framework. Moreover, the antigen-binding specificity is essentially that of the murine donor. CDR-grafting and framework manipulation (EP 0239400) has improved and refined antibody manipulation to the point where it is possible to produce humanised murine antibodies which are acceptable for therapeutic use in humans. However, the antibody specificity remains determined by the murine binding site donor. Moreover, their production involves complex manipulation of sequences and is laborious.
Phage display technology has been developed for the in vitro generation of human monoclonal antigen-binding fragments, whose V genes can be recovered and engineered into antibody genes to produce monoclonal antibodies (14). However, production of human monoclonal antibodies by this route is a complex multi-step procedure, and the binding specificity of the antibodies, since it is engineered in vitro as a result of combination of randomly-generated sequences, is not subjected to in vivo affinity maturation as is the case with natural antibodies.
A transgenic mouse strain which contains human instead of mouse immunoglobulin genes has been developed (15). This mouse strain contains human genes and produces human antibodies; however because the diversity created is selected not in a human but the mouse host, and the antibodies undergo affinity maturation in the mouse, the antibodies are not truly human.
From an analytical perspective, none of the known methods is capable of dissecting man's immune response to specific antigen challenges. Direct analysis of genes from heavy and light chains following polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification has become the method of choice to characterise the type of antibodies expressed by people in certain conditions This method has the disadvantage that the information of the heavy-light chains pairing is lost.
The murine hybridoma procedure for producing monoclonal antibodies has the added advantage (over the above-mentioned non hybridoma based procedures) that it can preferentially immortalise antigen activated B cells, thus producing a long-lasting supply of monoclonal antibodies.
There is thus a need for a method for producing human monoclonal antibodies which has all the advantages of the conventional murine monoclonal antibody production method.

Cambridge University Technical Services Ltd.


An optical receiver communication system converts optical signals modulated by analog or digital waveforms to RF signals. The optical receiver contains an automatic level control circuit to adjust the electronic gain of the system across a broad bandwidth spectrum. Two impedance matching circuits are designed using broad band matching technique to expand the bandwidth for increasing the maximum receivable frequencies to 1 GHz. A RLC impedance matching circuit forms a resonant combination to maintain .+-.1 dB fluctuation between the low-and-high-frequency limits of the bandwidth, and a 75.OMEGA. impedance matching circuit creates a 180.degree. phase shift between outgoing and incoming signals to ensure low return loss.

An increasing information traffic load flows on today's information superhighways. This has made fiber optic communication systems increasingly important for local and long distance video, voice, and data transmission of information. Information in optical cables is carried within a broad bandwidth spectrum of frequencies. As more information is carried on coaxial or optical cables, signal capacity throughout the broad bandwidth spectrum has become increasingly crowded and subject to congestion.
Typical fiber optical communication systems include a transmitter, a receiver, and a fiber optic cable line between the receiver and the transmitter. The transmitter of the optical communication system converts received RF signals into corresponding modulated light signals which carry information to its intended receiver through the fiber optic cable line. The receiver converts the light signals back into RF form.
Conventional optical receivers rely on impedance matching circuits which match impedance within a narrow frequency range available for cable television (CATV) channels between 50 and 550 MHz. These optical receiver systems restrict information transfer to the lower portion of the indicated frequency range. Current receivers are further limited in input power range and are susceptible to output RF signal instability. At the receiver output, surge protectors and bias tees implemented with a combination of parasitic capacitance and inductance are commonly provided. The combination of these two components results in poor return loss performance.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an optical receiver with broader bandwidth capability to facilitate handling of greater amounts of information.


A viscous fluid type heat generator including a housing assembly in which a heat generating chamber confining therein a heat generative viscous fluid to which a shearing action is applied by a rotor element rotated by a drive shaft, and having inner wall surfaces confronting outer surfaces of the rotor element, the inner wall surfaces of the heat generating chamber and the outer faces of the rotor elements defining a small space in which the heat generative viscous fluid is held, and having fluid movement regulator formed by an elongate recess or ridge formed therein to increase or suppress heat generation of the viscous fluid during the rotation of the rotor element in response to a change in an environmental condition in which the heat generator is used, and a change in an operation condition of the viscous fluid heat generator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a viscous fluid type heat generator in which a viscous fluid is subjected to a shearing action to generate heat that is in turn transmitted to a circulating heat-transfer or heat-exchange fluid in a heat receiving chamber, and is carried by the heat-transfer fluid to a desired heated area, such as a passenger compartment in an automobile. More particularly, the present invention relates to a viscous fluid type heat generator adapted for being used as a supplementary heat source incorporated in an automobile heating system and having such a construction thereof able to regulate heat generation in response to either a change in an environment in which the viscous fluid type heat generator is used or a change in an operating condition of the heat generator, i.e., an operating speed of the viscous fluid type heat generator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2-246823 (JP-A-2-246823) discloses a typical automobile heating system in which a viscous fluid type heat generator, to generate heat by using a viscous fluid generating heat when it is subjected to shearing action, is incorporated. The viscous fluid type heat generator disclosed in JP-A-2-246823 includes a pair of mutually opposing front and rear housings tightly secured together by appropriate tightening elements, such as through bolts to define an inner heat generating chamber and a heat receiving chamber arranged adjacently to the heat generating chamber but separated by a partition wall through which the heat is exchanged between the viscous fluid in the heat generating chamber and the water in the heat receiving chamber. The heat exchanging water is introduced into the heat receiving chamber through a water inlet port and delivered from the heat receiving chamber toward an external heating system, and the water is constantly circulated through the heat generator and the external heating system.
A drive shaft is rotatably supported in the front housing via anti-friction bearing so as to support thereon a rotor element in such a manner that the rotor element is rotated with the drive shaft within the heat generating chamber. The rotor element has outer faces which are face-to-face with the inner wall faces of the heat generating chamber and form labyrinth grooves therebetween, and a viscous fluid is supplied into the heat generating chamber so as to fill the labyrinth grooves between the rotor element and the wall faces of the heating chamber.
When the drive shaft of the viscous fluid type heat generator incorporated in the automobile heating system is driven by an automobile engine, the rotor element is also rotated within the heat generating chamber so as to apply a shearing action to the viscous fluid held between the wall surfaces of the heat generating chamber and the outer surfaces of the rotor element. Thus, the viscous fluid which typically consists of a polymer material, typically a silicone oil having a chain molecular structure presenting a high viscosity, generates heat due to the shearing action applied thereto. The heat is transmitted from the viscous fluid to the heat exchanging water flowing through the heat receiving chamber. The heat exchanging water carries the heat to the heating circuit of the automobile heating system.
In the above-described viscous fluid type heat generator according to the prior art, when the rotor element is rotated about an axis of rotation thereof at a given rotating speed, a radially outer portion thereof far from the axis of rotation thereof has a circumferential speed larger than that of a radially inner portion of the rotor element located around the axis of rotation of the rotor element. Therefore, the outer portion of the rotor element can provide the viscous fluid within the heat generating chamber with a shearing action to generate heat which is more effective than that provided by the inner portion of the rotor element. Namely, the radially outer portion of the rotor element can make a contribution to the heat generation by the viscous fluid greater than the radially inner portion of the rotor element. Accordingly, if the viscous fluid type heat generator is used in either an environmental condition such that the atmospheric temperature is constantly low or an operating condition such that a large part of the operation of the viscous fluid type heat generator includes a low rotating speed operation of the drive shaft and the rotor element, a viscous fluid type heat generator is required to have a capability of forcibly moving the viscous fluid within the heat generating chamber from a region adjacent to the radially inner portion of the rotor element toward a different region adjacent to the radially outer portion thereof, so that a stronger shearing action can be applied to the viscous fluid.
Further, it should be understood that if the viscous fluid held to be in contact with the inner wall surfaces of the heat generating chamber and the outer surfaces of the rotor element is able to have a larger contacting area within the heat generating chamber, the viscous fluid can generate a greater amount of heat during the rotation of the rotor element.
When the rotor element of a viscous fluid type heat generator is constantly rotated at a high speed, the viscous fluid within the heat generating chamber is constantly subjected to a strong shearing action to thereby generate an excessive amount of heat, and as a result, the viscous fluid is thermally degraded after a relatively short operating life of the heat generator. Therefore, if the viscous fluid type heat generator is used in either an environmental condition such that the temperature is constantly warm or hot or an operating condition such that a large part of operation of the heat generator includes a high rotating speed operation of the drive shaft and the rotor element, the viscous fluid type heat generator is required to have a capability of forcibly moving the viscous fluid within the heat generating chamber from a region adjacent to the radially outer portion of the rotor element toward a separate region adjacent to the radially inner portion thereof.
Nevertheless, the viscous fluid type heat generators according to the prior art, e.g., the heat generator as disclosed in JP-A-2-246823, are not provided with any means to realize the above-mentioned two capabilities.

Viscous fluid type heat generator with heat generation regulating performance

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho


An air suspension system, comprising a manifold, defining a first and second port, each port defining a receiving region at the second end, wherein the first and second ports are arranged in a common plane, a channel intersecting the first and second port, a cavity intersecting each port, and a pressure sensor port, positioned between the first and second port, defining a sensor insertion axis normal to the common plane, the pressure sensor port separated from the first port, the second port, and the channel by a thickness; a first and second solenoid valve, each solenoid valve arranged within the cavity and coaxially arranged with the first and second ports, each solenoid valve comprising a connector; a pressure sensor arranged within the pressure sensor port, the pressure sensor comprising a connector; and an electronics module arranged parallel the common plane, the electronics module configured to electrically couple to the connectors.

Vehicle suspension systems relying on air springs instead of conventional steel springs can provide improved and adjustable ride quality. Historically, vehicles have incorporated air springs where active adjustments of suspension parameters (e.g., attenuation force, ride height, spring constants, etc.) are desired. Electronic control systems and software have recently been developed to provide automation and control (e.g., closed-loop control, open-loop control) to active air suspension systems; however, such systems and methods suffer from a number of drawbacks. In particular, many systems are excessively complex (e.g., systems that require numerous machining operations to form and assemble, need complicated arrangements of gaskets and seals to function properly, etc.), highly specified (e.g., systems that are made for a specific vehicle configuration and/or lack reconfigurability), and expensive to manufacture (e.g., systems of predominantly metal construction that are expensively machined, systems with high part counts that are intensively assembled, etc.). Other limitations of conventional electronically controlled air suspension systems include one or more of: unacceptable quality tradeoff with cost, lack of manufacturability for low cost, large system cross-section and/or footprint causing difficulty with integration into other systems and/or facilities, and other deficiencies.
Furthermore, construction of robust electronic control units, including complex manifolds, that can be manufactured at a low per-unit cost is particularly challenging. Challenges include: integration of sub-system components (e.g., actuators, electronic control systems, etc.) with the manifold; fabrication of the manifold; retooling of the electronic control unit for various customer applications without unduly specializing the assembly process; and reducing the number of operations necessary to electronically couple the internal components of the electronic control units.
There is thus a need in the air suspension field to create a new and useful electronically controlled air suspension system and method of manufacture. This invention provides such a new and useful system and method.

Electronically controlled vehicle suspension system and method of manufacture


Methods and systems may provide for utilizing a skip check module located in a video processing component to facilitate Scalable Video Coding (SVC) by determining cost relating to compression techniques. In one example, the method may include determining a location value associated with a current macro-block (MB), determining a source surface value associated with the current MB, determining a reference surface value associated with the current MB, determining a skip center value associated with the current MB, and calculating a cost value for utilizing a compression technique using the location value, the source surface value, the reference surface value, and the skip center value.

Advanced Video Coding (AVC, e.g., H.264/MPEG-4) is a video coding standard used for recording, compression, and distribution of high definition video. Over time, a significant number of hardware and software components have been developed to support AVC.
Scalable Video Coding (SVC) is an extension of H.264/AVC video coding standard. SVC may allow multi-layered video streams to be encoded into a single bitstream composed of a base layer and additional enhancement layers with different resolutions, frame rates, and quality.
Hardware and software components that may be initially designed to support AVC may need to conduct additional, computationally-intensive operations to support SVC. Previously, dedicated software components may have conducted these computationally-intensive operations, thereby significantly increasing software complexity and memory bandwidth demands.

Prediction method using skip check module


The present invention provides a method, terminal and base station for avoiding device coexistence interference of a wireless communication terminal. The wireless communication terminal includes a Long Term Evolution (LTE)/Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) communication module and a coexistence communication module. The method includes the following steps: a first sending step, sending a coexistence communication module startup notification message to the base station, and a first interference avoidance step, before sending auxiliary information to the base station, the wireless communication terminal using a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) mode between the LTE/LTE-A communication module and the coexistence communication module.

In recent years, the fast increase of various wireless applications promotes the wireless communication system to be developed rapidly. On one hand, the performances of various wireless communication technologies (e.g., the 3rd or 4th generation cellular network, the Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), the Bluetooth, etc.) are greatly improved. On the other hand, the modes for a user to access the network are also diversified, especially after the smart terminal appears, the user terminal can be integrated with a variety of communication modules of the wireless system (herein the mode where a variety of communication modules coexist is referred to as in-device coexistence), so as to simultaneously access multiple wireless networks, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) system and advanced LTE (LTE-A) system, WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), Bluetooth, and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Herein for the convenience of description, other communication modules (e.g., WLAN, Bluetooth and GNSS communication modules) which coexist with the LTE/LTE-A communication module in the terminal are collectively referred to as coexistence communication modules.
Under the device coexistence mode, the transceivers of the communication modules have a small physical gap and their respective operation frequencies are close to each other, thus communication interferences certainly occur among the communication systems. For example, currently the possible operation frequency ranges of the LTE/LTE-A system include frequency range 40 (2300 MHz˜2400 MHz), frequency range 13 (777 MHz˜787 MHz), frequency range 14 (788 MHz˜798 MHz) and frequency range 7 (2500 MHz˜2570 MHz); the WLAN and the Bluetooth work in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency range (2400 MHz˜2483.5 MHz); and the possible operation frequency range of the GNSS is L1/E1 (1575.42 MHz). Thus, the transmission in the frequency range 40 of the LTE/LTE-A system may interfere with the reception in the frequency range of the ISM, the transmission in the frequency range of the ISM may interfere with the reception in frequency range 40 of the LTE/LTE-A system, the transmission in the frequency range 7 of the LTE/LTE-A system may interfere with the reception in the frequency range of the ISM, and the transmission in the frequency range 13/14 of the LTE/LTE-A system may interfere with the reception in the frequency range L1/E1 of the GNSS. In order to reduce the interference caused by in-device coexistence on the communication of one another so far as possible, studies on the mechanism for avoiding the in-device coexistence interference increasingly attract attentions. At present, the 3GPP has started a research group which is devoted to those studies. Currently, there are mainly two schemes for solving the problem of in-device coexistence interference: 1) Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) scheme, i.e., when the coexistence interference is found, the operation frequency of the LTE/LTE-A communication module of the terminal (or the coexistence communication module) is switched to a frequency having no or small interference; and 2) Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) scheme, i.e., making the LTE/LTE-A communication module of the terminal and other coexistence communication module work in the time division mode, so as to ensure that the modules do not transmit and receive signals at the same time. The above two schemes can effectively avoid the interference in the coexisting device, and their common characteristic is that the terminal shall provide some assistant information to the eNodeB (i.e., eNB), so as to help the eNB in deciding to use an appropriate mode (e.g., when the FDM scheme is adopted, the eNB decides a frequency to which the LTE/LTE-A communication module of the terminal shall be switched; and when the TDM scheme is adopted, the eNB decides an operation time duty ratio between the LTE/LTE-A communication module and other coexistence communication module) to avoid the interference. Before acquiring the assistant information, the terminal shall measure for a period of time, during which interference still exists between the LTE/LTE-A communication module and other coexistence communication module. But at present, neither the FDM scheme nor the TDM scheme considers how to avoid the in-device coexistence interference in the period of time. Thus, how to avoid the in-device coexistence interference before providing the assistant information to the eNB is a problem to be solved.

Method for avoiding in-device coexistence interference in wireless communication terminal, terminal and eNodeB


The present invention relates to a drilling hammer comprising a hammer tube (13) that is rotationally drivable inside a housing (10), a striking tool (14) located in the hammer tube (13) and provided with a piston (15) that can driven with a reciprocating motion, and an operating mode change-over switch (35) for the “impact drilling” and “chiseling” operating modes. The hammer tube (13) is decoupled from its rotary drive when in the “impact drilling” operating mode and is secured in the housing (10) in a non-rotative manner when in the “chiseling” operating mode. To obtain a switching mechanism (37) of the operating mode change-over switch (35) having a very flat design and requiring little installation space, an actuator ring (48) is fixed on the hammer tube (13) in an axially displaceable and torsion-proof manner, the actuator ring including at least one radially projecting locking spline (51) on its outer side facing away from the hammer tube (13), the locking spline being capable of engaging in at least one axial recess (52) in the gearbox and in locking toothing (53) in the housing. Rotational motion of a control button (36) of the operating mode change-over switch (35) is converted to axial displacement of the actuator ring (48) on the hammer tube (13) by the switching mechanism (37). In addition, the operating mode change-over switch (35) can be used to activate a “drilling” operating mode, in which the striking tool (14) is decoupled on the drive side.

The present Invention is directed to a drilling hammer.
It is commonplace today to equip drilling hammers having a certain rating such that they can be used in the "impact or hammer drilling" operating mode, in which the striking tool hammers the work piece in the axial direction while the tool is simultaneously started rotating using the tool holder, and they can be used in the "chiseling" operating mode, in which only the striking tool is activated and the rotational drive for the tool holder is turned off. Since a single electric motor drives, via a gear unit, a hammer tube that is connected with the tool holder in a torsion-proof manner, and it drives the striking tool via a crank driving mechanism, the piston of which makes a reciprocating stroking motion in the hammer tube and acts on a beater which, in turn, transfers the impacts to the end of the tool via a snap die, an operating mode change-over switch is provided that separates the hammer tube from the gear unit in the "chiseling" operating mode and secures it against rotation in the housing. In this mode, the rotatably supported driven gear of the gear unit encompassing the hammer tube is separated from the hammer tube.

Drilling hammer having an external mechanism for selectively switching operation between impact drilling and chiseling modes


A method of joining at least two sintered bodies to form a composite structure, including providing a first multicomponent metallic oxide having a perovskitic or fluorite crystal structure; providing a second sintered body including a second multicomponent metallic oxide having a crystal structure of the same type as the first; and providing at an interface a joint material containing at least one metal oxide containing at least one metal identically contained in at least one of the first and second multicomponent metallic oxides. The joint material is free of cations of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, P and Te and has a melting point below the sintering temperatures of both sintered bodies. The joint material is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the metal oxide(s) and below the sintering temperatures of the sintered bodies to form the joint. Structures containing such joints are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method of forming a joint at an interface between two sintered bodies comprising multicomponent metallic oxides of specific crystal structure. When employing such sintered bodies in a device such as an oxygen separation device, it is often mandatory to join the same securely or even to provide a gas-tight joint, said joint being required to withstand operation conditions of the device. Typical sintered bodies in the above devices are an ion transport membrane (an electrolyte), an interconnect, a support, ceramic tubes, seals and conduits, etc. Such sintered bodies are typically joined tube-to-tube, tube-to-flat-plate and flat-plate to flat-plate, respectively.
Any joint is likely to form the weakest point of the entire device. Weak points are critical in cases where the device is subjected to severe operation conditions such as high temperature, high pressure differences or highly oxidizing or reducing environments which are tolerated by the sintered bodies themselves. To provide a commercially viable device, the joint is thus likewise required to maintain mechanical integrity, compatibility with the sintered bodies-and gas-tightness even when subjected to the operating conditions. Accordingly an ideal joint would possess comparable chemical and mechanical properties as the materials to be joined, especially comparable thermal cycling stability.
Up to now, joints between sintered bodies have been formed by using metallic brazes, nanocrystalline oxides, oxide-metal eutectics, glasses and ceramic-glass composites. See, e.g., S. D. Peteves et al., "The reactive route to ceramic joining: fabrication, interfacial chemistry and joint properties", Acta mater. Vol. 46, No. 7, (1998), pp. 2407–2414; Y. lino, "Partial transient liquid-phase metals layer technique of ceramic metal bonding", J. of Mat. Sci. Lett. 10, (1991), pp.104–106; S. Serkowski, "Application of ceramic-metal eutectics for solid-state bonding between ceramics," Int. Symp. Ceram. Mater. Compon. Engines, 4th (Roger Carlsson et al. eds.) (1992) pp. 348–355; M. Neuhauser et al. "Fugen von Technischen Keramiken mit Keramik-Grunfolien," Ber. DGK, Vol. 72, No.1–2, (1995) pp. 17–20; D. Seifert et al. "Verbind poroser mit dichtgesinterter Al2O3-Keramik durch Fugen mit keramischen Folien," Ber. DGK, Vol. 73 No.10 (1996) 585–589; and R. Chaim et al. "Joining of alumina ceramics using nanocrystalline tape cast interlayer," J. of Materials Research, 15, (2000) pp. 1724–1728. Joining of sintered bodies using ceramic-metal eutectics has the disadvantage of requiring the use of a metal. Many metals oxidize in air at high temperatures and therefore require the use of special reducing atmospheres to prevent the formation of a metal oxide. The sintered bodies to be joined may not be stable in these reducing atmospheres, which would result in decomposition of the sintered bodies. Joining of sintered bodies using nanocrystalline interlayers has the disadvantage of requiring very high pressures that could damage the parts to be joined due to creep or even fracture.
The use of brazes, i.e., metallic materials, or glasses, i.e., solid solutions of multicomponent metallic oxides, has the disadvantage of leaving behind an interfacial phase of the joint material with properties differing from, and in most cases inferior to, those of the materials being joined. For example, brazes leave behind a ductile metal, which at elevated temperatures can creep, be incompatible with the surrounding ceramic materials, or oxidize. Similarly, glass joints may have significantly different thermal expansion coefficients compared with surrounding multicomponent metallic oxides having perovskitic or fluoritic structure, resulting in undesirable residual stresses following temperature changes. Glass joints will further soften and flow at temperatures above their respective glass transition temperature. Finally, glass joints can be chemically incompatible with a sintered body of perovskitic or fluoritic structure at elevated temperatures. In any case, due to the remaining material, the joint will inevitably be visually or microscopically detectable, its properties being determined by the material of the joint itself, not the bodies to be joined.
Another method of forming a joint is disclosed in B. H. Rabin, and G. A. Moore "Reaction processing and properties of SiC-to-SiC joints", Material. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 314, (1993), 197–203, Material Research Society, Pittsburgh. In this document it is disclosed that SiC components can be joined by using a mixture of Si and C powders. The document is silent on joining oxides in general, and especially on joining of multicomponent metallic oxides having fluoritic or perovskitic structure.
D. Seifert et al. "Verbind poroser mit dichtgesinterter Al2O3-Keramik durch Fugen mit keramischen Folien," Ber. DGK, Vol. 73 No. 10 (1996) 585–589, discloses a  method to join alumina ceramics using ceramic joining foils of alumina-titania-calcia-magnesia. Other joining foils of alumina-titania-calcia-magnesia-silica and alumina-titania-manganese oxide-iron oxide-silica are also described. The joining temperature was greater than 100° K lower than the sintering temperature of the alumina ceramics to be joined. These joining compositions formed a liquid phase upon heating to the joining temperature. After joining, the joint retained the composition of the joining foils and was compositionally different than the alumina bodies that were joined. This reference states that the joining compositions to be used are highly specific to the ceramics to be joined. This reference is silent on how to join multicomponent metallic oxides. It is specifically silent on how to join perovskitic multicomponent oxides.
Another method to join alumina ceramics is disclosed in M. Neuhauser et al. "Fugen von Technischen Keramiken mit Keramik-Grunfolien," Ber. DGK, Vol. 72, No.1–2, (1995) pp. 17–20. This method requires the use of ceramic foils made from a mixture of alumina, silica and other oxides. The presence of silica is undesirable since silica can be chemically or mechanically incompatible with the ceramics to be joined. In addition, this reference is also silent on how to join multicomponent metallic oxides.
A third method to join alumina parts using a (Al,Cr)2O3—Cr eutectic joining mixture is disclosed in S. Serkowski, "Application of ceramic-metal eutectics for solid-state bonding between ceramics," Int. Symp. Ceram. Mater. Compon. Engines, 4th (Roger Carlsson et al. eds.) (1992) pp. 348–355. To obtain the joint, special gas atmospheres to produce extremely low oxygen partial pressures were required to allow the joining mixture to melt. The requirement of these special gas atmospheres limits the ceramics with which the eutectic mixtures can be used. Many ceramics will not be stable under the low oxygen partial pressure conditions needed for the eutectics to melt. Also the eutectic joining mixtures will result in the joint material being chemically and mechanically dissimilar to the bodies to be joined. This will have a negative effect of the stability and integrity of the joint. In addition, this reference is silent on joining multicomponent metallic oxides.
A fourth method to join alumina is disclosed in R. Chaim et al. "Joining of alumina ceramics using nanocrystalline tape cast interlayer," J. of Materials Research, 15, (2000) pp. 1724–1728. This method requires hot pressing the alumina parts to be joined under uniaxial pressures of 55–80 MPa at 1200–1300° C. This method has the alleged advantage that the joint material is chemically and mechanically identical to the parts to be joined. However, the high pressures necessary to produce the joint are undesirable since the high pressures can lead to fracture or creep of the ceramic parts to be joined. In addition, this reference is also silent on how to join multicomponent metallic oxides.
In metallurgy, another type of bonding has been developed recently which is the so-called transient liquid phase bonding (TLP). See, e.g., Y. Zou et al., "Modelling of transient liquid phase bonding", Int. Mat. Rev. Vol. 40, No. 5, (1995), p. 181, and I. Tuah-Poku et al., "Study of the Transient Liquid Phase Bonding, etc.", Metallurgical Transactions A Vol. 19A, March 1988, p. 675. This process relies on the transient formation of a liquid phase depending on solute diffusion. The bonding technology has exclusively been used on metallic bodies.
It is therefore desired to provide a method of forming a joint between a first sintered body comprising a first multicomponent metallic oxide having a crystal structure of the perovskitic or fluoritic type and a second sintered body comprising a second multicomponent metallic oxide having a crystal structure of the same type as the first multicomponent metallic oxide, which method allows for formation of a joint that is chemically and mechanically compatible with the first and second sintered bodies. It is further desired that the formation of the joint does not leave behind a distinguishable interfacial phase. It is still further desired that the method should further allow for forming a compatible, refractory interfacial phase or joint, especially a joint exhibiting comparable thermal cycling stability.
It is also desired to provide a method of forming a joint between the above first and second sintered bodies, wherein the joint has similar chemical and mechanical properties as the sintered bodies to be joined or where the joint, if present in form of an additional phase, may even have a similar chemical composition and similar crystal structure as the first and second sintered bodies.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.


Disclosed is an apparatus for detecting a position of a drawbar unit installed in a spindle unit. The apparatus is a part of an automatic tool exchange device for exchanging tools in the spindle unit of a machine tool. The apparatus transmits a signal to a main controller after detecting the position of the drawbar such that the main controller checks a state of a tool clamped by the drawbar unit. The drawbar unit is installed in the spindle unit forming the automatic tool exchange device and clamps the tool at a front thereof. A core is installed at a rear peripheral portion of the drawbar unit and a coil section having a cylindrical shape is wound around an outer peripheral portion of the core. An LC oscillating circuit is provided such that the LC oscillating circuit includes the coil section as a part thereof. An oscillating frequency of the LC oscillating circuit varies depending on a position of the core made of magnetic material, so the apparatus detects the position of the drawbar unit based on the oscillating frequency of the LC oscillating circuit. A position detecting section transmits present position information of the drawbar unit to a main controller, so the main controller detects the present position of the drawbar unit.

Generally, an automatic tool exchange device is used in a machining center or an automatic milling machine in order to automatically exchange a used tool with a new tool provided in a standby position. Such automatic tool exchange device includes a change arm having a gripper shape so as to rapidly and precisely perform the exchange work.
The machining center is a kind of a numerical control machine tool capable of automatically performing various kinds of machining works. The machining center has an automatic tool exchange function and is capable of automatically cutting, drilling or boring at least two planes of a workpiece. In order to achieve such various kinds of machining works in a short period of time, the machining center must automatically exchange tools. Hereinafter, clamping and unclamping operations of a conventional automatic tool exchange device provided in such machining center will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
In a case of a clamping operation, a tool 9 is introduced into a spindle shaft 6 along a tapered surface of the spindle shaft 6, so a collet 10 is inserted into the tool 9. Then, pressurized air is supplied into a pressurized air inlet hole 2 so that a piston 3 and a push rod 6 connected to the piston 3 moved up. As the push rod 5 moves up, a drawbar unit 7 installed in the spindle shaft 6 is also moved up due to elastic bias force of a disc spring 12 provided between the spindle shaft 6 and the drawbar unit 7.
Accordingly, an expansion part 8 formed at an end portion of the drawbar unit 7 is introduced into the collet 10, so that the collet 10 is expanded. Thus, the collet 10 securely grips the tool 9 and the spindle shaft 6, thereby clamping the tool 9.
In a case of an unclamping operation, pressurized air is supplied into a pressurized air inlet hole 1, so the piston 3 is moved down due to pressurized air. As the piston 3 moves down, the push rod 5 coupled to the piston 3 is also moves down along a guide surface of a housing 4.
When the push rod 5 moves down, an end portion of the push rod 5 downwardly pushes the drawbar unit 7 installed in the spindle unit 6, so the drawbar unit 7 is also moved down. As the drawbar unit 7 moves down, the collet 10, which has been expanded, recovers its initial shape and the end portion of the drawbar unit 7 pushes the tool 9, thereby unclamping the tool 9.
Recently, when an automatic tool exchange is installed on a main shaft of a machine tool including a high frequency spindle unit or a belt drive spindle unit, a drawbar unit is provided in a spindle shaft in order to strongly draw a tool or a tool holder including a taper shank, so that the tool or the tool holder is securely fixed to a nose of the spindle shaft. At this time, the drawbar moves in an axial direction of the spindle shaft within a range of 10 mm in order to draw and fix the tool. That is, the drawbar unit can be located in three different positions, such as a front position, a middle position and a rear position, within the range of 10 mm in the axial direction of the spindle shaft depending on a state of the tool.
In the front position, the tool is released from the drawbar unit. Since the tool is in a free state, the tool can be inserted into the spindle shaft or separated from the spindle shaft as required by a user. In the middle position, the drawbar unit securely draws the tool and fixes the tool to the spindle shaft. In the rear position, the tool is separated from the spindle shaft and the drawbar unit returns to its initial position without holding any tools.
Information about three different positions of the drawbar unit must be transmitted to a main controller in order to allow the main controller to prepare a next operation by checking the tool exchange state and in order to reliably and safely carry out machining work. A proximity switch is widely used as an inspection device for obtaining information about three different positions of the drawbar unit. Since only one position may be detected by using one proximity switch, three proximity switches are installed in the spindle unit in order to obtain information about three different positions of the drawbar unit.
However, a size of the proximity switch available from an open market is too large to install the proximity switch in an internal area of the spindle unit. In addition, it is difficult to install three proximity switches within a range of 10 mm corresponding to three different positions of the drawbar unit. Even if three proximity switches are installed in the spindle unit, it is required to adjust the positions of the three proximity switches by using a variable position fixing device so as to precisely install the three proximity switches. Moreover, since three cable lines are necessary for power supply and signal transmission in relation to three proximity switches, a cable line treatment work is additionally required.

Apparatus for detecting position of drawbar in automatic tool change device


The invention relates to a self-ventilated, ergonomic footwear item and elastomeric sole. According to the invention, both sides of the sole comprise a plurality of longitudinal grooves, in the area corresponding to the sole of the foot, which are essentially parallel to the edge of the sole closest thereto and which have a depth equal to half of the height of the sole. Moreover, the grooves are disposed in an alternating manner in relation to one another on either side of the sole in the form of a bellows-type structure. The upper comprises a perforated elastic laminar body which is disposed beneath the insole in the area corresponding to the sole and the foot and which, together with the sole, forms a chamber having a volume that varies upon walking. In addition, three thick bands are solidly connected to the body and the upper in order to stiffen said elastic laminar body, namely: one longitudinal band and two transverse end bands. In this way the footwear item and the sole adapt perfectly to the anatomy of the foot, enabling same to be automatically ventilated upon walking.

Within the scope of footwear, and more specifically of soles for same, one of the solutions normally used is that in which the sole is obtained by means of injection moulding from elastomeric materials.
The outsoles are manufactured according to pre-established sizes, based on a stepped table of foot lengths, such that any person can find shoes in the market with a size suited to the length of his feet.
The same does not apply regarding the transverse elevation, as this is usually fixed for a certain type or design of footwear, which as is known means a serious problem for those having "wide feet", who are forced to bear the discomfort of shoes which "pinch them" or are forced to use a larger size than they should depending on the length of the foot, because evidently as the size of the footwear increases, the width thereof increases in parallel.
The solution to this problem is to use lasts of different widths, this evidently having very negative effects from an economic point of view, specifically from the point of view of manufacturing and distribution costs.
A less encumbering solution is to use uppers based on soft materials, which partially resolves the problem, especially when the user's feet are not much wider than normal, but this leads to a deformation of the footwear making it lose its original appearance completely after a short period of use.
On the other hand, due to their very nature, these elastomeric soles offer virtually no degree of transpiration, such that they retain the user's body sweat, it thus being desirable to have an inner ventilation of the footwear for evaporating the sweat as it is produced.
Footwear provided with means of inner ventilation exists on the market, but the solutions adopted up to the present are structurally complex and functionally rather ineffective, thus their practical use is determined more by advertising propaganda than by a real effectiveness to that respect.

Self-ventilated, ergonomic footwear and sole


A composition of matter having multiple layers of different conductors separated by thin layers of dielectric materials has a high piezoelectric coefficient when the conductors are metals having a significant difference in work function and the dielectric materials have a low elastic modulus when the metal layers are connected to form a capacitive circuit. Alternatively, when the conductors are semi-conductors they should have a significant difference in Fermi levels.

The present invention relates to compositions of matter that exhibit piezoelectric phenomena, and more specifically to such composites formed from conductive and/or semi-conductive materials and dielectric materials.
Piezoelectricity is an effect by which energy is converted between the mechanical and electrical forms. The general form of linear coupling between stress tensor σJ and polarization vector Pi in direct piezoelectric effect is given by the equationPi=diJσJ  (1)
where diJ is the piezoelectric charge constants and indexes i={1, 2, 3}, J={1, 2, . . . , 6}. For index J the Voigt notation conversion is used.
Consider a crystal of piezoelectric material 10 with an electrical axis in the z direction (FIG. 1). Mechanical compression or tension acting in parallel to the z axis on the crystal induces excess of charge densityΔq=P3=d33σ3  (2)
The conversion of mechanical forces into electric potential (charge excess) is known as direct piezoelectric effect. The inverse process of conversion of electric potential into mechanical motion is known as inverse piezoelectric effect.
Today, for micro and nano-electromechanical systems, PbZn1-xTixO3 wherein x is about 0.48 (PZT) is widely used in the form of thin films. However, PZT films, like other ceramic materials, are extremely brittle. Further, PZT thin films exhibit a hysteresis effect. In addition, the piezoelectric coupling constancies of PZT materials are strongly temperature dependant. The nonlinear effects, parameter variations, and other phenomena and effects observed in piezotransducers make it extremely difficult to integrate the piezotransducer dynamics. In fact, the steady-state analysis does not allow one to fully examine the system performance and make a conclusion based on requirements and specifications imposed.
It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide piezoelectric materials for transducers, sensors and other applications that have a high piezoelectric coefficient yet are not brittle.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such piezoelectric materials in the form of thin films for ease of integration with micro electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) or nano-electrical mechanical systems (NEMS).


A system and method are provided for monitoring body kinematics. A wearable coil configuration of the system comprises at least first and second electrically-conductive coils adapted to be secured to a subject in a predetermined spatial relationship and orientation relative to one another. The first coil acts as a first transmitter and generates a first magnetic flux when a first electrical current is passed through it. The second coil acts as a receiver. The first magnetic flux induces a first electrical current or voltage in the second coil. A measurement instrument of the system is configured to measure the first electrical current or voltage and to output a first measurement signal. A processor, which may be part of, or external to, the system is configured to execute a motion monitoring algorithm that processes at least the measurement signal to determine at least a first motion made by the subject.

Joint flexion is an intrinsic part of human motion, with different body parts relying on flexion/extension of different joints (elbow, knee, and so on) to perform activities as diverse as walking, running, climbing, etc. Expectedly, the feasibility of monitoring joint flexion as a function of time opens doors for numerous applications that include, but are not limited to: (a) healthcare (e.g., rehabilitation progress monitoring) (b) sports (e.g., personalized training) (c) gestural recognition (e.g., human-computer interfaces), and consumer electronics (e.g., gaming).
To date, a number of technologies have been reported for monitoring joint flexion. The "gold standard" approach employs camera-based techniques, viz. optical/infrared cameras that track on-body retro-reflective markers, or markerless techniques that use depth-sensitive cameras. These technologies are highly accurate but are restricted to contrived (e.g., lab) environments.
For real-world operation, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) have been reported that rely on combinations of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers. Unfortunately, IMUs suffer from integration drift (error caused by integrating acceleration to derive position) and are obtrusive and not injury-safe (e.g., in case of a fall). Ongoing research on IMUs is geared more toward improving their algorithms rather than the hardware. As an alternative, time-of-flight sensors use body-worn ultrasonic or ultra-wideband transceivers and measure the time taken for transmission as a way to assess distance and, hence, movement. However, they require line-of-sight at all times and are obtrusive.
Finally, bending sensors rely on strain produced upon their constituent material to monitor flexion. This strain can either be converted to equivalent change in resistance, or used on magnetostrictive materials to change permeability and, hence, inductance (Villari effect). They operate in non-contrived settings and do not require line-of-sight. However, they are placed atop the joint thereby restricting natural movement as they bend along with the joint, and raise concerns as to the maximum number of flexes they can withstand.
A need exists for a wearable system for monitoring body kinematics that is: (1) not constrained to the lab environment, (2) capable of working in real time in natural environments, (3) light weight and generally comfortable to the person wearing the system, (4) capable of allowing unrestricted natural movement, (5) safe to the wearer, (6) robust, and (7) capable of precision monitoring.

System and method for monitoring body kinematics


A monitoring system for providing services to clients as an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that upon determining whether or not termination times of the service-providing computers currently acquiring packets have been reached, service-providing computers that constitute a service-providing system other than the service-providing system constituted by the service-providing computers that have reached the termination times are selected as new packet acquisition destinations.

This invention relates to a monitoring system for monitoring the performance of a business operation system, and more particularly, to a business operation monitoring system for monitoring the performance of a business operation system by obtaining packets from a business operation executing computer that executes the business operation system.
Monitoring that is in demand in recent years is conducted for each business operation system provided to a customer, instead of each of individual platforms (for example, a business operation executing computer (business operation executing server), storage, and a network) that constitute a business operation system. There is also a demand from administrators which is to monitor a business operation system without changing the configuration of the business operation system.
A technology of monitoring a business operation executing server has been known in which packets of the business executing server are obtained by utilizing a mirror port of a network switch (referred to as switch) described below.
Specifically, the switch selects at least one of ports of the network switch (mirroring (monitoring) target port) and copies, through mirroring, packets flowing through the port to a mirror port. A management computer (management server) connected to the mirror port obtains the mirrored packets from the mirror port. The management server uses the obtained packets to measure the perceived performance of a business operation system that is felt by end users who use the business operation system, and thereby monitor the response performance of the business operation system.
In the monitoring of a business operation system that uses a mirror port, when the count of mirror ports is smaller than the count of monitoring target ports, there is a chance that more packets than the mirror ports can process flow into the mirror ports. In that event, packet loss occurs and the performance of the switch itself drops as well.
As a countermeasure, a technology is known with which monitoring target ports that are actually monitored by the management server are narrowed down in advance, thereby preventing the copying, through mirroring, of unnecessary packets to mirror ports and accomplishing efficient monitoring (see Patent Literature 1, for example).    Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent No. 4294673 B2

Service monitoring system, service monitoring method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium


A superconducting structure is provided comprising a substrate, a superconductor coating supported by the substrate and a diffusion barrier positioned between the superconductor coating and the substrate to inhibit diffusion of contaminants from the substrate to the superconductor coating. The coating is a ceramic oxide having superconducting properties. The diffusion barrier may likewise be a ceramic oxide, but differs in its specific composition to provide it with a peritectic decomposition temperature greater than the superconductor coating. Accordingly, the diffusion barrier exhibits substantially lower atomic mobility than the superconductor coating during manufacture of the superconducting structure, thereby preventing contamination of the coating by the substrate.

Superconductivity is the property whereby certain materials have the ability to lose both electrical resistance and magnetic permeability at extremely low temperatures. The commercial feasibility of a given superconducting material is to a large extent dependent on its critical temperature (T.sub.c), i.e., the temperature below which the material performs as a superconductor. Superconducting materials are presently known having a T.sub.c as high as 125K. Among known superconducting materials is the family of ceramic oxides having a perovskite crystal structure and the general formula R.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x, where R is a rare earth metal and x is between about 1 and 0. The rare earth metals are defined as the lanthanide elements 57 to 71, scandium, and yttrium. Compounds having the above-recited formula are colloquially known as "1-2-3" compounds because of the approximate ratio of R to barium to copper. Among other known ceramic oxide families which have superconducting properties are those based on compounds of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and Tl-Sr-Ca-Cu-O, each of which may have several phases.
Superconductors are commonly utilized as coatings on metallic substrates which act as a support for the superconductor. There are many different methods for depositing the superconductor coating on the substrate including powder deposition, high and low pressure vapor deposition, and liquid deposition methods. Exemplary vapor deposition methods are sputtering, thermal evaporation, laser ablation and chemical vapor deposition. Exemplary liquid deposition methods are sol-gel techniques using metal organic compounds.
All of the above-recited deposition methods commonly follow the same basic procedure of distributing the superconducting material over the substrate and heating the material to a temperature which effects a high level of atomic mobility in the material. This procedure may be performed in separate sequential steps or it may be performed simultaneously in a single step. In any case, when a high level of atomic mobility is achieved in the superconducting material, proper grain growth is stimulated within the material which imparts the desired superconducting properties thereto.
By way of illustration, a powder deposition method is performed by first distributing the powder onto the substrate in a porous undensified state. An elevated level of atomic mobility is then achieved in the powder coating by rapidly sintering the coating at as high a temperature as possible which does not substantially melt the powder, thereby avoiding formation of phases which would interfere with the superconductivity properties of the coating. Sintering of the powder stimulates grain growth and produces a densified coating which adheres to the substrate and desirably possesses superconducting properties.
Sintering, however, can also detrimentally result in contamination of the coating by the substrate which ultimately diminishes the superconducting properties of the coating. The high atomic mobility of the powder exhibited during sintering enables diffusion of contaminants into the superconductor from the substrate, particularly if any liquid phase is present. Even trace levels of such contaminants in the superconductor can decrease the critical temperature of the superconductor, thereby substantially diminishing the effectiveness thereof.
Substrate contamination of the superconductor coating is a problem with virtually all known superconductor deposition methods, wherein high atomic mobility is required to achieve proper grain growth. As described above, such methods include powder, vapor, and liquid deposition methods. Accordingly, the objects of the present invention set forth below, and the description provided thereafter, apply to coated superconductor structures produced by these known deposition methods generally.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to inhibit the contamination of a superconductor coating by a substrate supporting the same. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a diffusion barrier between a superconductor coating and a substrate supporting the same, thereby inhibiting diffusion of contaminants into the superconductor from the substrate, particularly during deposition of the superconductor coating onto the substrate when the coating exhibits a high level of atomic mobility. It is another object of the present invention to provide an effective diffusion barrier which does not react with the superconductor to form non-superconducting phases. Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a diffusion barrier which further serves as a parting layer, thereby enabling support of a superconductor coating by a substrate having a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the superconductor coating.

Contaminant diffusion barrier for a ceramic oxide superconductor coating on a substrate