A cold chain transportation device includes a body, a cover, and a detection system. The cover is coupled to the body. The detection system includes a control unit, a temperature sensor, and a detection unit. The temperature sensor senses a temperature of the cold chain transportation device. The detection unit detects opened/closed states of cover. The control unit determines motion states and working states of the cold chain transportation device and transmits the temperature, the opened/closed states, the motion states, and the working states of the cold chain transportation device to an electronic terminal.

To facilitate and extend the shelf life of products, such as, for example, chemicals, foods, and pharmaceutical drugs, from manufacture through distribution, a temperature-controlled supply chain (sometimes referred to as a cold chain) is generally required. An unbroken cold chain, for example, generally includes an uninterrupted series of storage and distribution activities, which consistently maintain a product's environment within a desired, relatively low, temperature range. Consequently, packaging used in the cold chain must often maintain a product's environment within the desired, relatively low, temperature range for an extended period of time, thereby ensuring that the product's temperature stays within a proper temperature range for the entire duration of the cold chain transmission, from manufacture to end use.

Detection system for cold chain transportation device


A chainless transmission mechanism for a bicycle, including a casing mounted in a bottom bracket to hold a bottom bracket bearing axle, permitting the bottom bracket bearing axle to be driven by pedals to turn a rear-wheel hub through a transmission shaft and two transmission gear sets, wherein the bottom bracket has a first end, a second end, and a notch at the second end thereof; the casing is a cylindrical shell inserted through the bottom bracket, having a first end secured to the bottom bracket outside the first end of the bottom bracket by a clamp, a second end disposed outside the second end of the bottom bracket, and a hollow projecting block raised from its second end and forced into engagement with the notch at the second end of the bottom bracket.

The present invention relates to a chainless transmission mechanism for bicycle, and more particularly to an improved structure of chainless transmission mechanism which is easy to install and durable in use, and which achieves a high performance.
Various chainless transmission mechanisms have been disclosed for use in bicycles for transmitting the driving power of the pedals to the rear-wheel hub. FIGS. 1 and 1A show a chainless transmission mechanism for a bicycle according to the prior art. This structure of chainless transmission mechanism comprises an axle housing 10 having a coupling flange 11 at one side fixedly fastened to a bottom bracket 2 of a bicycle frame 1, an end cap 14 covered on the axle housing 10 to hold a bottom bracket bearing axle 12 in the axle housing 10, a drive gear 13 fixedly mounted on the axle 12, a driven gear 18 mounted on an axle 4 of a rear-wheel hub 3, a shell 17 secured to the rear-wheel hub 3 by a nut 19, a first stay 5 connected between the axle housing 10 and the shell 17, a second stay 6 connected between the axle housing 10 and the rear-wheel hub 3, a transmission shaft 7 mounted in the first stay 5, a first transmission gear 15 and a second transmission gear 16 fixedly mounted on two opposite ends of the transmission shaft 7 and respectively meshed with the drive gear 13 and the driven gear 18. This structure of chainless transmission mechanism has drawbacks. Because the coupling flange 11 of the axle housing 10 which is fixedly secured to the bottom bracket 2 of the bicycle frame 1 is disposed at one side of the axle housing 10, the connecting area between the bottom bracket 2 and the axle housing 10 tends to be forced to deform or to break. Another drawback of this structure of chainless transmission mechanism is the complicated processing procedure of the coupling flange 11 of the axle housing 10. Still another drawback of this structure of chainless transmission mechanism is that the driven gear 18 tends to be forced out of place because it is fastened to the axle 4 of the rear-wheel hub 3 by a screw joint. Furthermore, because the gears 13;15;16;18 are bevel gear wheels, driving power may be intermittently transmitted from the bottom bracket bearing axle 12 to the axle 4 of the rear-wheel hub 3. This problem become worse when the teeth start to wear.
FIGS. 2 and 2A show another structure of chainless transmission mechanism for a bicycle according to the prior art. This structure of chainless transmission mechanism is substantially similar to that shown in FIG. 1. According to this structure, the bottom bracket 21 is shaped like a barrel; the axle housing 20 is coupled to the bottom bracket 21 and secured in place by a cap 22, which is fastened to the axle housing 20 by screws 23; the driven gear 18 is fixedly secured to the axle 4 of the rear-wheel hub 3 by a tightening-up screw 8. This structure of chainless transmission mechanism still has drawbacks. One drawback of this structure of chainless transmission mechanism is that the connecting area between the axle housing 20 and the cap 22 tends to be forced to deform, thereby causing the axle housing 20 to displace from the bottom bracket 21. Another drawback of this structure of chainless transmission mechanism is that driving power cannot be efficiently transmitted from the pedals to the axle 4 of the rearwheel hub 3 because the gears 13;15;16;18 are bevel gears. Furthermore, the driven gear 18 may be forced out of place easily because the tightening-up screw 8 wears quickly with use.

Chainless transmission mechanism for a bicycle

3/F., No. 37, Jih-Hsin St., Shu-Lin Town


Fiber optic based systems and related components and methods for monitoring soft tissue volume (pressure) and temperature change.

Soft tissue edema results from increased capillary permeability and subsequent leakage of intravascular contents into the interstitium with a rise in intra and extra compartmental tissue pressures. The increase fluid extravasation clinically manifests with dolor (pain), calor (heat), hyperemia, decreased range of motion, and swelling. Excessive fluid within the interstitial tissues can lead to "pitting" or "non-pitting" edema, terms describing the lasting imprint of a particular compressive force applied to the region.
The most common etiology to clinical edema results from the activation of the inflammatory cascade. Inflammation leads to changes to within the vascular structures leading to dilation and increased permeability resulting from cellular and plasma mediated components. Cellular invasion and degranulation of leukocytes and macrophages leads to release of cytokine and chemokine factors further leading to local tissue disruption and permeability. Plasma mediated contributors activate the bradykinin system responsible for pain and complement system further leading to vessel dilation and cellular death.
The Starling's equation can be used to predict how the homeostasis of fluid will shift during inflammation leading to edema: Jv=Kfc[(Pc−Pt)−σ(πp−πt)] where Kfc is the filtration coefficient of the capillary wall, Pc is the capillary pressure, Pt is the tissue pressure, a is a constant for a given tissue, πt is the colloid oncotic tissue pressure, and πp is the colloid oncotic plasma pressure.
Trauma represents the most common source of inflammation from soft tissue injury with injuries leading to over 6 million deaths in the United States alone and a conservative cost to health care of 27 billion dollars annually. Other sources of inflammation can occur from infection, thermal or chemical or burn injury, frostbite, allergic response to stimulus, and foreign body. Chronic forms of edema and swelling can arise from conditions such as lymphatic disorders, congestive heart failure, end-stage renal disease, venous hypertension, connective tissue disorders and myxedema, and hypertension.
Traumatic fractures to bones are associated with extensive soft tissue swelling and edema. Long bone fractures in the pediatric population are common. Secondary complications from edema and swelling following bone reduction and immobilization are frequent with as high as 28% incidence of skin following casting. Moreover, the overall hospital-associated cost to the patient to have the cast reapplied was in excess of $10,000.
Applying the correct amount of tension of casting materials during this time is largely anecdotally based on experience of the applier with a small margin of error to ensure success. Apply a cast too loose, and the young patient often ends up back in the emergency room that evening with the parents holding the cast. Applying too tight can result in less room for further inflammation and swelling thus leading to tissue ischemia, skin breakdown, and ulceration.
Supracondylar fractures represent a common subset of humeral fractures and currently represent the most common above the elbow fracture in the pediatric population. They represent 3-18% of all fractures, 60% above the elbow fractures, and two-thirds of children hospitalized for elbow injuries are due to this. The prevalence of displaced supracondylar humeral fractures presenting with vascular compromise has been reported to be up to 20%.
The treatment approach to this injury garners much discussion and debate today largely due to historically high rates of nonunion, malunion, incidence of compartment syndrome leading to Volkmann's contracture, and overall technical difficulties regarding success of the reduction through closed and open approaches.
Edema in itself is a normal process for defending against pathogens to lead to tissue healing and regeneration. However, when the insult is severe enough, the effects of soft tissue edema can lead to hypo-perfusion, ischemia, and ultimately tissue death. The most common or feared is microcirculatory compromise or compartment syndrome.
First described in the early 19th century, acute compartment syndrome results from increased pressures in an anatomically definable closed-fascial space. The pathophysiology arises when the tissue pressure, usually 0 to 8 mmHg, is increased above capillary perfusion pressures of 30 mmHg or more for extended periods of time. Usually a result of extremity trauma, crush injury, prolonged tissue compression, or reperfusion injury, compartment syndrome can lead to muscle ischemia in as little as six hours. If left untreated, further increases in pressure from arterial inflow and diminished outflow can lead to muscle necrosis, fibrosis, and muscle death. To compound the problem, treating compartment syndrome after a delay in intervention can lead to reperfusion injury as ischemic tissue sustains an inflammatory response with further exacerbation of swelling or edema.
Traditional symptoms of compartment syndrome are pain out of proportion to exam, pain with passive stretch, skin pallor, and diminished or loss of pulses, with paraesthesias and poikilothermia being late findings. Clinical exam findings are often unreliable, however, and in the pediatric, non-verbal, obtunded, or anesthetic population, diagnosis can be quite challenging. With very few objective measurements that can be utilized for monitoring, diagnosis, or prevention, compartment syndrome can lead to irreparable tissue damage if left untreated. If diagnosed in the early phase, the current surgical intervention involves the release of compartmental pressures through the opening of the restrictive tissue with fasciotomies. Once swelling or insult has subsided, the resultant defect may be closed in a delayed fashion or a skin graft may be warranted, both of which typically result in prolonged hospital courses, wound care, and medical costs.
Even more catastrophic sequela is the development of a Volkmann's contracture when compartment syndrome is left unrecognized and untreated. Scarred muscle from ischemic injury is replaced by fibrotic, non-functioning tissue. Greater than 60% of patients require on average four or more reconstructive operations involving muscle/tendon transfers, tendon lengthening procedures, tendon slides, and free tissue transfer. All reconstructive options lead to poor outcomes.
Many studies have looked at the frequency of compartment syndrome in traumatic fractures. One recent study looked at reported compartment syndrome in both open and closed fractures after sampling the National Pediatric Trauma Registry from October 1995 to January 2000. Within this time frame at 90 pediatric trauma centers, there were 133 reported cases of extremity compartment syndrome in hospitalized trauma patients. The majority of these fractures were closed on initial presentation with 95.4% requiring surgical intervention.
A diagnosis of compartment syndrome also carries a high risk of malpractice claims regardless of timing and intervention after diagnosis. One study evaluated the orthopedic claims of one large insurance company in one state from 1980 to 2003. 19 claims involving 16 cases led to a 56% indemnity payment. The average indemnity payment was $426,000, much higher than the overall orthopedic indemnity payment of $136,000. The majority of plaintiffs argued that the symptoms "failed to impress" in that the physician did not pursue further action with subtle findings such as numbness or reduced range of motion. A delay in the time to fasciotomy was significantly associated with an increased amount of indemnity payment.
A second study in the United Kingdom evaluated claims in the adult population and found that in over a 6-year period, there were 33 claims involving compartment syndrome and the question of its management. The average payment for delayed diagnosis of compartment syndrome was $355,863, with total payments of $11,743,839.
Technologies that attempt to capture pressure from increased edema and swelling are on the market today. Intracorpreal catheter placement is one such technology. In intracorpreal catheter placement, a large bore needle is inserted into the compartment of interest and a small amount of fluid is injected to allow a transduced reading. Effective at capturing the pressure to the deep compartment, the device is user dependent. For example, a false reading can occur if the needle is not placed in the right location. As another example, an erroneous (e.g., elevated) reading can occur if too much fluid is injected or pressed up against more dense tissue (bone/fascia over muscle). Moreover, the device causes measurable pain to the patient (already usually quite uncomfortable) since the tissue needs to be punctured by a large needle. The need to keep the patient (e.g., a child) from moving his arm or leg with muscle contraction is another limiting factor.
Electrical cast monitoring is another technology being pursued. A similar technology, which was initially developed to monitor breathing patterns, involves capacitive and piezoresistive textiles manufactured to act as a conforming fabric. This technology has also been reported to be applicable to cast lining to help determine strain and force.
A major concern of these types of technologies relates to the use of an electrical current to assist in pressure determination. In the pediatric population, keeping a cast or splint devoid of any moisture while placed on a patient can be very challenging and the safety and/or durability of the above technologies in common everyday use with children is unclear. Conversely, the inventive fiberoptic pressure monitoring system uses wavelengths of light to determine pressure and the fibers can be safely exposed to harsh environments.
Yet another technology in use is the near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) measuring tissue oxygenation (STo2). This technology shows promise in sensing tissue-specific perfusion; however, the results are not necessarily standardized. Limiting drawbacks also include overall cost, as well as measurements that may be influenced by skin pigmentation, direct light exposure, myoglobin presence, reduced ability to bend the sensors, and need for direct skin contact at all times.
The use of optical sensors for measuring force and temperature is known. For example, WO 2013/071351 discloses such an optical sensing apparatus, which may be used to measure pressures in the human body. In the '351 application, the sensing apparatus uses a pair of optical fibers which are wound around one another to form a double helical structure. Each optical fiber has a series of Bragg gratings (FBGs). The apparatus includes a series of sensing regions at which the FBGs are located. In particular, the fibers and the FBGs are oriented in a direction of the applied force to maximize the response of the sensing regions. A change in force at the sensing regions results in a change in strain in the FBGs of the sensing regions. The change in strain can be ascertained by detecting an optical response using an optical analyzer. Nonetheless, there remains an unmet need for an improved optical sensing apparatus for monitoring soft tissue.

Fiber optic based devices and methods for monitoring soft tissue


A heat and pressure fusing device (10) for fixing toner images to a receptor support, the device having a fixing (12) and a pressure (13) roller rotating in contact with each other, wherein the fixing roller has a diameter larger than 70 mm.

In electrophotographic printing, a toner image which has been transferred onto a receptor support, such as paper or plastic film, must be fixed in order to yield a useable image.
In a method using thermal energy, a toner image formed on a receptor support is melted by heating so as to adhere to the support, and for this purpose the toner image is generally pressed by a roller heated-up to the temperature at which the material composing the toner becomes adhesive. When the receptor support is paper, the toner is tightly fixed to the paper since the toner is melted and part of the toner is absorbed into the fibres of the paper.
A heat and pressure fusing device for fixing a toner image as described, comprises a fixing roller and a pressure roller in contact therewith, the receptor support having a toner image on it being passed between the nip of said rollers to fix the toner.
Inside the fixing roller, there is usually provided a heater which is switched on and off, or which is modulated in response to the output signal of a temperature sensor measuring the surface temperature of the roller, in order to obtain a reasonably constant surface temperature of said roller.
The fixing roller generally is a roller composed of a cylindrical metallic tube of aluminium or the like which is covered with a resilient layer, e.g. a layer of silicone rubber. The resilient layer may be a one-layer construction, but often this resilient layer is composed of a relatively thick inner layer of rubber comprising filler agents increasing the thermal conductivity thereof, and a thin outer layer having releasing characteristics for the receptor support in contact therewith. The fixing roller is rotatably mounted and driven by suitable motor means at a speed corresponding with the speed at which the toner image has been formed on the receptor support, but which may also differ therefrom. The pressure roller may have the same construction as the fixing roller but may also differ therefrom, e.g. by the thickness of its resilient layer, the composition thereof, the amount of its heating, its diameter, etc.
The nip between both rollers, more exactly between the resilient coverings of these rollers, is in fact the area where heat and pressure produce the fusing and thus the fixing of the toner image of a support conveyed between the rollers.
Whereas the fixing of black-and-white single layer toner images does not raise major problems in practice, the fixing of colour images is more difficult since in fact four superimposed toner colour separation images have to be fixed (Y, M, C and K) and this increased amount of toner requires a longer fusing time demanding a nip with a larger length (i.e. the dimension l of the nip measured in the transport direction of the support), unless the fusing speed is proportionally reduced.
A longer nip requires resilient layers on the rollers of increased thickness, but this raises a problem. Silicone rubbers (and similar materials) have a low thermal conductivity and therefore the surface temperature of the fixing roller largely varies with the passing-through of the receptor support because there is not sufficient time available for the heater of the fixing roller to compensate for the temperature drop of the roller surface caused by the contact with the support sheet being at room temperature. Even sophisticated temperature control systems are hardly capable of maintaining the surface temperature of common fixing rollers within acceptable limits. As a result image characteristics such as colouring, density and gloss vary whereby consistent image qualities are difficult to obtain.
Another disadvantage of a fixing roller having a resilient covering with increased thickness in order to obtain a nip with sufficient length l, is the reduction in lifetime of such covering caused by its increased deformation in the nip.


The invention involves a method and apparatus for treating and administering biological fluids, particularly hyperconcentrated biological fluids.

Congenital hemolytic anemias include a heterogenous group of intrinsic red cell abnormalities that are sometimes classified as disorders of hemoglobin (hemoglobinopathies and thalassemia syndromes), red cell enzyme-deficiency disorders, and abnormalities of the red cell membrane and cytoskeleton. In patients affected with any of these conditions, red cell transfusions may be indicated to compensate for the decreased oxygen-carrying capacity associated with the underlying anemia. Furthermore, red cell transfusions may also be indicated for pathophysiological consequences unique to each of these disorders. It may therefore be desirable to transfuse patients with a red cell preparation.
Red blood cells are the type of transfusion normally associated with blood transfusion. Its primary purpose concerns oxygen transfer--hemoglobin in the red cells transfers oxygen in the lungs to tissues in other parts of the body.
A typical unit of whole blood includes about 450 ml of whole blood and about 65 ml of anti-coagulant. Thus a unit of whole blood typically includes a hematocrit of about 36% to about 44%. Hematocrit typically refers to the proportion of erythrocytes in blood. A method of measuring the hematocrit may be by dividing the volume of packed erythrocytes by the volume of the specimen, and multiplying by 100.
Whole blood may be separated into its components for use in transfusions. For example, red blood cells may be prepared as a component by removing approximately 200-250 ml of plasma. This red cell component is typically referred to as packed red cells (PRC), the hematocrit of which is typically in the range from about 52% to about 60% when additives are used, and about 70% to 80% when no additives are used. Under typical storage protocols, the hematocrit of stored PRC must be maintained from about 60% to about 70% in order to retain or assure viability of the red cells. Saline washed red cells are typically prepared using automated equipment for removal of plasma, with the usual final hematocrit in the range from about 70% to 80%.
It has now been shown that it may be desirable to transfuse a red cell product having a high hemoglobin content (i.e., high hematocrit, typically above about 80%) to increase the amount of oxygen-carrying capacity in the patient. Because high hematocrit packed red cells are typically not administered, the focus in the development of leucocyte depletion devices has been on normal hematocrit red cell containing solutions, i.e, solutions containing about 36% to about 70% red cells or fewer. However, as the desirability of administering high hematocrit red cell concentrates has increased, the need for a method and apparatus for depleting leukocytes from these solutions has become apparent.

Biological semi-fluid processing assembly


An automotive vehicle rear view mirror assembly automatically returnable from a rear seat viewing position to a rear window viewing position includes a bracket, a bracket rod having an axis and extending through and rigidly connected to the bracket, a resilient member disposed about the bracket rod and having an end, a mirror housing pivotally connected to the bracket rod, the housing having a wall portion in resilient contacting relationship with the end, and a flip lever attached to the mirror housing having a bracket receiving end with a bracket contacting surface.

When a driver or passenger in an automotive vehicle is conversing with rear seat passengers or if it is desired to check on rear seat children, typically in order to establish visual contact it is necessary to turn around and at least partially face the rear seat occupants. In the case of the driver, this distracts the driver from the attention required for driving. Although some incidental eye contact can be established through the rear view mirror, typically the rearview mirror is not adjusted to align with the location of passengers in the rear seats of the vehicle, but rather along the center line of the vehicle for viewing through the rear window.
One method of viewing rear seat occupants utilized by many drivers is to manually tilt the rear view mirror down until the rear seat occupants come into view. Once the rearview mirror is tilted downward and the rear seat occupants are within view of the driver, the mirror must be readjusted in order to return the mirror to a rear window view. This is a cumbersome and time consuming process. Similar to the aforementioned procedure of physically turning around to view the rear seat, this cumbersome process distracts the driver's attention from the road.
Another method of viewing rear seated occupants is to have a second "conversation" type mirror in addition to the rear view mirror. Although this dual mirror arrangement provides rear seat, as well as rear window, viewing without distracting the drivers attention from the road, it requires additional assembly and increases product cost.
Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a rear seat viewing mirror which does not increase overall product cost nor unnecessarily distract the driver's attention from the road.


A liquid cooling device includes a casing having an outer wall, a bottom base attached to a bottom end of the outer wall and a top cover attached to a top end of the outer wall. The casing defines a receiving space therein for receiving an impeller therein. A sealed chamber is defined in the casing and isolated from the receiving space. A motor driving unit is received in the sealed chamber and magnetically interacts with the impeller to drive the impeller to rotate. The motor driving unit comprises a motor having a stator and a printed circuit board electrically connecting with the stator. The top cover covers the motor driving unit and thermally contacts with electronic components on the printed circuit board for dissipating heat generated by the electronic components when the motor driving unit is operated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a liquid cooling device for heat-generating electronic components, and more particularly to a miniature liquid cooling device having an integral pump therein.
2. Description of Related Art
With continuing development of the computer technology, electronic packages such as central process units (CPUs) are generating more and more heat that requires immediate dissipation. The conventional heat dissipating devices such as combined heat sinks and fans do not have sufficient heat dissipation capacity to serve the needs of modern electronic packages. Liquid cooling systems are therefore increasingly being used in computer technology to cool these electronic packages.
A related liquid cooling system comprises a heat absorbing unit for absorbing heat from a heat source, and a heat dissipating unit which is filled with liquid. The liquid undergoes heat exchange with the heat absorbing unit, thereby taking away the heat of the heat absorbing unit when the liquid is circulated. Typically, a miniature pump is used to circulate the liquid in the liquid cooling system.
The miniature pump comprises an impeller and a motor for driving the impeller to rotate so as to circulate the liquid. The motor used therein generally comprises a printed circuit board having a plurality of circuits to control the motor. In conventional use, the motor with the printed circuit board is received in a sealed chamber. Thus large amounts of heat generated by electronic components of the printed circuit board are dispersed in the sealed chamber, which leads to high temperatures in the sealed chamber. Excessively high temperature causes a reduction in operational lifespan of the printed circuit board and enormously affects performance of the printed circuit board.
A liquid cooling system capable of overcoming the above shortcoming is therefore necessary.

Miniature liquid cooling device having an integral pump

Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd.


A piezo actuator includes an adaptation element, which is configured to adapt the piezo actuator to a controller for inductive loads, particularly to a converter for actuating inductive loads. The adaptation element allows use of controllers or converters of numerical control systems, which normally are used for actuating servo motors. Therefore it is no longer necessary to provide specially designed hardware for the actuation of piezo actuators, but instead the above-mentioned controllers can be used. Furthermore, as a result of the adaptation element, the piezo actuators can be integrated in the bus of the numerical control system. This allows communication in real time via the NC bus.

The invention relates to a piezoelectric device. The invention also relates to a machine tool having at least one piezoelectric device.
Piezoelectric actuators can be used in many ways and they are therefore available in various forms such as, e.g. stacked actuators, disk translators, bender or tube actuators. Among others, one field of application of piezoelectric actuators is controlled vibration damping in machine tools.
Piezoelectric actuators are driven by means of power amplifiers which provide the required drive voltages. Here, the magnitude of the drive voltage depends on the type of piezoelectric actuator. Thus, there are low voltage actuators which supply drive voltages up to 100 volts or 200 volts and high-voltage actuators which supply drive voltages up to 600 volts, 1000 volts or 2000 volts.
In this context, the power amplifiers are adapted to the respective piezoelectric actuator. No uniform standards exist, so that in the case of a numerically controlled machine tool, apart from the numerical control with power amplifiers for the servo motors, other power amplifiers are required for the piezoelectric actuators. However, using additional electronic assemblies has many disadvantages: no direct coordination is possible between the numerical control which drives the servo motors and the piezoelectric actuators. It is not possible to achieve advantages of rationalization by means of large batch sizes. Service and spare parts management are not uniform. The commissioning and optimization strategy differs between the servo motors and the piezoelectric actuators. This doubles the required personnel.
There is thus no uniform software and hardware for servo drives and piezoelectric actuators. The piezoelectric actuators do not communicate via the bus of the numerical control but hardware different from this and incompatible with it is used for controlling the piezoelectric actuator mechanism, which stands in the way of any further use of piezoelectric actuators in machine tools.


The processes and articles of the present invention use thermally stable and loft retentive polymers in sublimation printed flock fibers, which are particularly attractive for forming molded articles. A preferred polymer is poly(cyclohexylene-dimethylene terephthalate.

Flock is used in the manufacture of numerous types of articles, such as textiles. Such articles are typically manufactured by electrostatically depositing the flock onto the desired surface. In one process, the desired surface is a release-adhesive coated sacrificial carrier sheet. The free ends of the flock are then contacted with an adhesive. This structure, also known as a transfer, is thermally applied to the substrate. In another process, the desired surface is a permanent adhesive or the substrate itself. This process is known as direct flocking. The direct flocked structure generally does not include a carrier sheet and release adhesive.
Flock fibers are either pre-dyed (before application to the desired surface) or post-dyed (after application to the surface). Post-dyeing is typically effected by sublimation dyeing techniques in which the flock and dye are heated so that the vaporized dye is transferred to the flock fiber. A sublimation print in the desired design typically carries the dye for transfer to the flock either by inkjet or heat transfer techniques. As used herein, "sublimation" refers to a process where an image is printed by turning dye, ink or toner by heat and/or pressure into a gas which then impregnates itself into a substrate or a coating on a substrate.
The use of sublimation printing of flock has generally not been widely practiced for various reasons. Some polyesters, such as poly(ethylene terephthalate), can hold the dye but have little loft retention and flatten out during sublimation printing. Other polyesters typically melt or soften and deform under the high temperatures experienced during sublimation printing, losing desirable tactile characteristics (soft touch). Nylon and rayon fibers, though having loft retention, generally are unable to accept the vaporized dye consistently and/or permanently and therefore produce an irregular and/or unstable colored product.

Process for printing and molding a flocked article


A circuit is provided for controlling or regulating a phase-locked loop (PLL) output during times when the PLL is unlocked. Noise or corruption on the input signal of the PLL may cause the PLL output frequency to suddenly rise to match the input signal frequency. In many instances, the noise or corruption cannot be filtered by the low pass filter within the PLL. A detection circuit is coupled to receive the input signal, and discern times in which non-filterable noise occurs. The detection circuit may include a decoder which decodes, e.g., error correction coding within the input signal data stream to indicate possible instances in which the PLL will unlock. Once the detection circuit indicates an unlock condition and forwards an unlock selection signal to a multiplexer, the multiplexer chooses a frequency divided clocking signal rather than the PLL output clocking signal. The frequency divided clocking signal transitions at a rate acceptable to a digital processor, while the PLL output clocking signal during an unlock state is not acceptable. Thus, the digital processor can maintain its operating state during times when the PLL clocking signal exceeds the processor maximum operation frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an integrated circuit embodying a phase-locked loop ("PLL") and, more particularly, to a mechanism for controlling frequency of an output signal forwarded from the PLL whenever the PLL is unlocked.
2. Description of the Related Art
A PLL is generally used in many areas of electronics to control the frequency and/or phase of a signal. Instances of use include, for example, applications in frequency synthesizers, analog-digital modulators and demodulators, and clock recovery circuits.
Clock recovery is a term generally used to describe the derivation of a clocking signal. The clocking signal is produced without having to add a timing reference to the circuit which requires the clocking signal. Clock recovery circuits therefore arise when deriving a clocking signal from data transmitted across a communication channel or network. As the stream of data flows across the channel, the clocking signal is constructed and synchronized from transitions of the data. Thus, timing information (i.e., the clocking signal) is recovered from a data stream at the receiving end of, for example, a fiberoptic transmission channel. Avoidance in having to add a separate clock transmission medium or a clock generation circuit at the receiving end circuit is paramount as to the reasons for clock recovery in general.
The PLL compares the arrival of signal transitions on the incoming data stream with the PLL internally generated clock to increase or decrease frequency of the output signal produced from the PLL. Comparison of frequency and phase continues until the incoming data stream can be correctly decoded. Once the correct data is decoded, the PLL is said to be "locked". More specifically, a PLL is considered locked if the phase and/or frequency difference between the incoming data transitions and the PLL internally generated clock is equal or constant with time. If the PLL does not contain an internal clock divider within its feedback loop, then a locked PLL is one that implies an equal frequency and phase between the incoming data frequency (i.e., input signal frequency) and a clocking signal output from the PLL (i.e., output signal frequency).
For robust operation, the PLL must be designed so that it can operate over a wide frequency lock range. A wide range is needed to ensure that the PLL can lock to the input signal data under almost all possible conditions of component variations within the PLL circuit. This wide frequency lock range can produce a wide range of clock frequencies produced at the PLL output. On the other hand, a digital processor connected to receive the PLL output clocking signal will require the output clocking signal frequency not exceed the maximum operating frequency of the processor. Therefore, the recovered clock (i.e., output signal produced by the PLL) must be one which can be controlled so that it does not exceed the maximum operating frequency of the processor if short- and long-term variations in the incoming data stream phase and/or frequency occur.
The incoming data stream to a PLL can oftentimes be temporarily disrupted by, for example, noise placed on the transmission channel. Noise of relatively short duration can in most instances be removed by a low pass filter arranged within the PLL. It is not until, however, several sequential data bits change in phase and/or frequency that the low pass filter can no longer discern and therefore filter that variation.
One example of a relatively long-term variation is shown in reference to FIG. 1. In particular, an optical connector 10 is shown connected to one end of a fiberoptic cable 12. Cable 12 comprises a cylindrical core 14 arranged in contact with the inner surface of a cladding material 16. Core 14 is made of a transparent dielectric material having a refractive index preferably greater than cladding 16.
Connector 10 includes a mechanical attachment mechanism 18 for securing it to cable 12. Connector 10 houses at least one photodetector 20. Photodetector 20 includes any device capable of accepting light energy and converting into an electrical signal. Popular photodetectors include solid state devices, such as silicon photodiodes, phototransistors, and photo-Darlingtons.
To ensure accurate reproduction, coupling between connector 10 and cable 12 must be carefully and precisely made. Special connectors have been designed to mechanically mate and align the transmission path of cable 12 to its respective photodetector 20. Those connectors afford multiple connect and disconnect while maintaining proper alignment in the interim. Unfortunately, each time connector 10 is displaced from cable 12, the phase read by photodetector 20 of any data forwarded through cable 12 changes. Thus, only minor change in the spatial relationship between photodetector 20 and the distal end of cable 12 modify the phase and/or frequency recorded by photodetector 20. If the distance between photodetector 20 and cable 12 is altered (e.g., by disconnect or connect) while data stream 22 is being transmitted, the integrity of data stream 22 may be corrupted. Incorrectly formed transitions of data stream 22 which last for a sufficiently long time are, unfortunately, recorded by the PLL which then attempts to recover a clocking signal based on those transitions.
A relatively long duration of corrupted data cannot be removed by the low pass filter, and will instead cause the PLL clocking signal frequency to rapidly rise or fall. The clocking signal output from the PLL is, unfortunately, forwarded to digital circuits at the receive end of the fiberoptic cable. For example, the digital circuits may include a digital processor which is intended to operate within a pre-defined operating frequency. If the PLL clocking signal (forwarded as an output signal from the PLL) as presented to the digital processor clock input exceeds the maximum frequency of that processor, then the processor will malfunction.

Phase-locked loop with protected output during instances when the phase-locked loop is unlocked


The present invention is a method for identifying a point-to-multipoint service. When a plurality of point-to-multipoint services are multiplexed to one transport channel, a temporary service identifier (TSI) is defined and inserted into a MAC PDU header so that the plurality of point-to-multipoint services can be individually identified. Thus, overhead is reduced and multiple services having a different quality of service (QoS) or multiple streams of different QoS in the same service can be handled and provided to a mobile terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication system, and more particularly, to a temporary service identifier (TSI) for identifying a specific point-to-multipoint service among a plurality of point-to-multipoint services being transmitted through a specific transport channel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, mobile communication systems have developed remarkably, but for high capacity data communication services, the performance of mobile communication systems cannot match that of existing wired communication systems. Accordingly, technical developments for IMT-2000, which is a communication system allowing high capacity data communications, are being made and standardization of such technology is being actively pursued among various companies and organizations.
A universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) is a third generation mobile communication system that has evolved from a European standard known as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM). The UMTS aims to provide improved mobile communication service based on a GSM core network and wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA) wireless connection technology.
In December 1998, ETSI of Europe, ARIB/TTC of Japan, T1 of the United States, and TTA of Korea formed a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for creating the detailed specifications of the UMTS technology.
Within the 3GPP, in order to achieve rapid and efficient technical development of the UMTS, five technical specification groups (TSG) have been created for performing the standardization of the UMTS by considering the independent nature of the network elements and their operations.
Each TSG develops, approves, and manages the standard specification within a related region. Among these groups, the radio access network (RAN) group (TSG-RAN) develops the standards for the functions, requirements, and interface of the UMTS terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), which is a new radio access network for supporting W-CDMA access technology in the UMTS.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary basic structure of a general UMTS network. As shown in FIG. 1, the UMTS is roughly divided into a terminal (or user equipment: UE), a UTRAN 100, and a core network (CN) 200.
The UTRAN 100 includes one or more radio network sub-systems (RNS) 110, 120. Each RNS 110, 120 includes a radio network controller (RNC) 111, and a plurality of base stations or Node-Bs 112, 113 managed by the RNC 111. The RNC 111 handles the assigning and managing of radio resources, and operates as an access point with respect to the core network 200.
The Node-Bs 112, 113 receive information sent by the physical layer of the terminal through an uplink, and transmit data to the terminal through a downlink. The Node-Bs 112, 113, thus, operate as access points of the UTRAN 100 for the terminal.
A primary function of the UTRAN 100 is forming and maintaining a radio access bearer (RAB) to allow communication between the terminal and the core network 200. The core network 200 applies end-to-end quality of service (QoS) requirements to the RAB, and the RAB supports the QoS requirements set by the core network 200. As the UTRAN 100 forms and maintains the RAB, the QoS requirements of end-to-end are satisfied. The RAB service can be further divided into an lu bearer service and a radio bearer service. The lu bearer service supports a reliable transmission of user data between boundary nodes of the UTRAN 100 and the core network 200.
The core network 200 includes a mobile switching center (MSC) 210 and a gateway mobile switching center (GMSC) 220 connected together for supporting a circuit switched (CS) service, and a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) 230 and a gateway GPRS support node 240 connected together for supporting a packet switched (PS) service.
The services provided to a specific terminal are roughly divided into the circuit switched (CS) services and the packet switched (PS) services. For example, a general voice conversation service is a circuit switched service, while a Web browsing service via an Internet connection is classified as a packet switched (PS) service.
For supporting circuit switched services, the RNCs 111 are connected to the MSC 210 of the core network 200, and the MSC 210 is connected to the GMSC 220 that manages the connection with other networks.
For supporting packet switched services, the RNCs 111 are connected to the SGSN 230 and the GGSN 240 of the core network 200. The SGSN 230 supports the packet communications going toward the RNCs 111, and the GGSN 240 manages the connection with other packet switched networks, such as the Internet.
Various types of interfaces exist between network components to allow the network components to transmit and receive information to and from each other for mutual communication therebetween. An interface between the RNC 111 and the core network 200 is defined as an lu interface. In particular, the lu interface between the RNCs 111 and the core network 200 for packet switched systems is defined as "lu-PS," and the lu interface between the RNCs 111 and the core network 200 for circuit switched systems is defined as "lu-CS."
FIG. 2 illustrates a structure of a radio interface protocol between the terminal and the UTRAN according to the 3GPP radio access network standards.
As shown in FIG. 2, the radio interface protocol has horizontal layers comprising a physical layer, a data link layer, and a network layer, and has vertical planes comprising a user plane (U-plane) for transmitting user data and a control plane (C-plane) for transmitting control information.
The user plane is a region that handles traffic information of the user, such as voice or Internet protocol (IP) packets, while the control plane is a region that handles control information for an interface of a network, maintenance and management of a call, and the like.
The protocol layers in FIG. 2 can be divided into a first layer (L1), a second layer (L2), and a third layer (L3) based on three lower layers of an open system interconnection (OSI) standard model. Each layer will be described in more detail as follows.
The first layer (L1), namely, the physical layer, provides an information transfer service to an upper layer by using various radio transmission techniques. The physical layer is connected to an upper layer called a medium access control (MAC) layer, via a transport channel. The MAC layer and the physical layer send and receive data with one another via the transport channel.
The second layer (L2) includes a MAC layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a broadcast/multicast control (BMC) layer, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer.
The MAC layer provides an allocation service of the MAC parameters for allocation and re-allocation of radio resources. The MAC layer is connected to an upper layer called the radio link control (RLC) layer, via a logical channel.
Various logical channels are provided according to the kind of transmitted information. In general, when information of the control plane is transmitted, a control channel is used. When information of the user plane is transmitted, a traffic channel is used. A logical channel may be a common channel or a dedicated channel depending on whether the logical channel is shared. Logical channels include a dedicated traffic channel (DTCH), a dedicated control channel (DCCH), a common traffic channel (CTCH), a common control channel (CCCH), a broadcast channel (BCCH) and a paging control channel (PCCH) or a Shared Channel Control Channel (SHCCH). The BCCH provides information including information utilized by a terminal to access a system. The PCCH is used by the UTRAN to access a terminal.
For the purposes of MBMS, additional traffic and control channels exist. For example, an MCCH (MBMS point-to-multipoint Control Channel) is used for transmitting MBMS control information while an MTCH (MBMS point-to-multipoint Traffic Channel) is used for transmitting MBMS service data. Additionally, an MSCH (MBMS point-to-multipoint Scheduling Channel) is four transmitting scheduling information.
The MAC layer is connected to the physical layer by transport channels and can be divided into a MAC-b sub-layer, a MAC-d sub-layer, a MAC-c/sh sub-layer, and a MAC-hs sub-layer according to the type of transport channel to be managed. The MAC-b sub-layer manages a BCH (Broadcast Channel), which is a transport channel handling the broadcasting of system information. The MAC-d sub-layer manages a dedicated channel (DCH), which is a dedicated transport channel for a specific terminal. Accordingly, the MAC-d sub-layer of the UTRAN is located in a serving radio network controller (SRNC) that manages a corresponding terminal, and one MAC-d sub-layer also exists within each terminal (UE).
The MAC-c/sh sub-layer manages a common transport channel, such as a forward access channel (FACH) or a downlink shared channel (DSCH), which is shared by a plurality of terminals. In the UTRAN, the MAC-c/sh sub-layer is located in a controlling radio network controller (CRNC). As the MAC-c/sh sub-layer manages the channel being shared by all terminals within a cell region, a single MAC-c/sh sub-layer exists for each cell region. Also, one MAC-c/sh sublayer exists in each terminal (UE).
The RLC layer supports reliable data transmissions, and performs a segmentation and concatenation function on a plurality of RLC service data units (RLC SDUs) delivered from an upper layer. When the RLC layer receives the RLC SDUs from the upper layer, the RLC layer adjusts the size of each RLC SDU in an appropriate manner upon considering processing capacity, and then creates certain data units with header information added thereto. The created data units are called protocol data units (PDUs), which are then transferred to the MAC layer via a logical channel. The RLC layer includes a RLC buffer for storing the RLC SDUs and/or the RLC PDUs.
The BMC layer schedules a cell broadcast message (referred to as a 'CB message', hereinafter) received from the core network, and broadcasts the CB messages to terminals located in a specific cell(s). The BMC layer of the UTRAN generates a broadcast/multicast control (BMC) message by adding information, such as a message ID (identification), a serial number, and a coding scheme to the CB message received from the upper layer, and transfers the BMC message to the RLC layer. The BMC messages are transferred from the RLC layer to the MAC layer through a logical channel, i.e., the CTCH (Common Traffic Channel). The CTCH is mapped to a transport channel, i.e., a FACH, which is mapped to a physical channel, i.e., a S-CCPCH (Secondary Common Control Physical Channel).
The PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) layer, as a higher layer of the RLC layer, allows the data transmitted through a network protocol (such as an IPv4 or IPv6) to be effectively transmitted on a radio interface with a relatively small bandwidth. To achieve this, the PDCP layer performs the function of reducing unnecessary control information used for a wired network, and this type of function is called, header compression.
There is a radio resource control (RRC) layer at a lowermost portion of the L3 layer. The RRC layer is defined only in the control plane, and handles the controlling of logical channels, transport channels, and physical channels with respect to setting, resetting, and releasing of radio bearers. The radio bearer service refers to a service that the second layer (L2) provides for data transmission between the terminal and the UTRAN, and in general, setting the radio bearer refers to defining the protocol layers and the channel characteristics of the channels required for providing a specific service, as well as respectively setting substantial parameters and operation methods.
The RLC layer can belong to the user plane or to the control plane depending upon the type of layer connected at the upper layer of the RLC layer. That is, if the RLC layer receives data from the RRC layer, the RLC layer belongs to the control plane. Otherwise, the RLC layer belongs to the user plane.
The MAC header will now be described in greater detail. FIG. 3 shows a structure of a MAC layer for the UTRAN. FIGS. 4 to 7 show structures of the MAC-d and MAC-c/sh sublayer of the UTRAN, in which the square blocks show each function of the MAC layer. The primary functions thereof will now be described.
The MAC layer exists between the RLC and physical layers and its major function is to map the logical channels and transport channels to each other. The MAC layer needs such channel mapping because a channel handling method of a higher layer of the MAC layer is different from that of a lower layer of the MAC layer. Namely, in the higher layer of the MAC layer, channels are divided into control channels of the control plane and traffic channels of the user plane according to the content of data transferred on the channel. However, in the lower layer of the MAC layer, channels are divided into common channels and dedicated channels according to how the channels are shared. Therefore, channel mapping between the higher and lower layers of the MAC layer is very significant. The relationship of channel mapping is shown in FIG. 4, which illustrates a diagram of the channel mapping in a UE.
Another major function of the MAC layer is logical channel multiplexing. The MAC layer multiplexes several logical channels into one transport channel, so that a multiplexing gain is attained. Multiplexing gain is significant for intermittently transmitted traffic, such as signaling information or packet data. For circuit data, multiplexing is generally not used because data is continuously transferred, and as a result, the multiplexing gain is relatively not so high.
The channel mapping and logical channel multiplexing functions of the MAC layer are advantageous in increasing both the flexibility of channel selection and the efficiency of channel resources, but to support these advantages, certain kinds of identification functions are required.
Identification is classified into two types: UE identification and logical channel identification. First, UE identification is needed for a common transport channel, since it is shared by a plurality of UEs. Second, logical channel identification is needed when several logical channel are multiplexed into one transport channel. For identification purposes, the MAC layer inserts a TCTF (target channel type field), UE-Id Type, UE-Id and/or C/T (Control/Traffic) fields into the header of a MAC PDU.
In more detail, UE identification is required when a dedicated logical channel such as DCCH or DTCH is mapped to a common transport channel such as CPCH, DSCH, or USCH. To achieve this, the MAC layer adds a RNTI (radio network temporary identity) to the UE-ID field of the MAC PDU header. Currently, three kinds of RNTI such as U-RNTI (UTRAN RNTI), C-RNTI (cell RNTI), and DSCH-RNTI are used to identify a specific UE. Since there are three kinds of RNTI that are used, a UE-ID type field informing which RNTI is used is also added to the MAC PDU header.
For logical channel identification, two levels of logical channel identification are applied. The first level is logical channel type identification provided by the TCTF (target channel type field), and the second level is dedicated logical channel identification provided by the C/T (Control/Traffic) field.
The TCTF is required for a common transport channel like the FACH and RACH on which several types of logical channels are multiplexed. For example, the BCCH, CCCH, CTCH, and one or more dedicated logical channels (DCCH or DTCH) can be mapped on the FACH simultaneously, and the CCCH and one or more dedicated logical channels can be mapped on RACH simultaneously. Therefore, the TCTF provides logical channel type identification on the FACH and RACH, i.e., whether the received data on the FACH or RACH belongs to the BCCH, CCCH, CTCH, or one of the dedicated logical channels.
Although the TCTF identifies the type of logical channel, it does not identify each of the logical channels. The TCTF is required for the transport channel when a dedicated logical channel can be mapped together with other logical channels. Thus, the TCTF identifies whether the logical channel is a dedicated logical channel or other logical channel. However, for common logical channels, since only one common logical channel of the same type can be mapped on a single transport channel, the TCTF also provides logical channel identification in the case of common logical channels.
On the contrary, more than one dedicated logical channel can be mapped to the FACH or RACH at the same time. In other words, several DCCHs or DTCHs can be mapped to the FACH or RACH. Therefore, for dedicated logical channels, identification of each dedicated logical channel is needed in addition to the identification of the type of logical channel. The C/T field serves this purpose.
Identification of each dedicated logical channel is performed by using the C/T field for the following reasons. First, unlike common logical channels, a plurality of dedicated logical channels can be mapped to one transport channel at the same time. Second, a dedicated logical channel is handled by the MAC-d in the SRNC, whereas the other common logical channels are handled by the MAC-c/sh. A plurality of the dedicated logical channels that are mapped to the same transport channel have their logical channel identities, respectively. Additionally, such value is used as a C/T field value. If only one dedicated logical channel exists for the transport channel, the C/T field is not used.
Table 1 below shows the different identifiers of a MAC header that are used according to the mapping relationship between logical channels and transport channels for FDD. In Table 1, a C/T field exists when several dedicated logical channels (DCCH or DTCH) are mapped. Also, "N" indicates that there is no header, "-" indicates that there is no mapping relationship, and "UE-ID" indicates that both a UE-ID field and a UE-ID type field exist. A UE-ID field always exists together with a UE-ID type field.
TABLE 1DCHRACHFACHDSCHCPCHBCHPCHDCCHC/TTCTFTCTFUE-IDUE-ID——orUE-IDUE-IDC/TC/TDTCHC/TC/TBCCH——TCTF——N—PCCH——————NCCCH—TCTFTCTF————CTCH——TCTF————
As shown in the above table, in the related art, common type of logical channels like the BCCH, PCCH, CCCH, and CTCH do not have a C/T field to identify each logical channel. This is because, in the related art, there is no need to multiplex several common logical channels of the same type into a single transport channel. The reason is that since the same information is transmitted on the common logical channels of the same type, the receiving end (Receiver) does not have to receive more than one common logical channel of the same type at the same time. Therefore, a single common transport channel like the FACH or RACH always carries only one common logical channel of the same type, and there is no need to add a C/T field for the common logical channels in the related art.
Recently, a new type of service called MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service) has been proposed. MBMS is a PS (Packet Switched) domain service of transferring multimedia data such as audio, pictures, video, etc. to a plurality of terminals using a unidirectional point-to-multipoint bearer service. When the UMTS network 1 provides a specific MBMS using a multicast mode, UEs to be provided with the service must first complete a subscription procedure establishing a relationship between a service provider and each UE individually. Thereafter, the subscriber UE receives a service announcement from the core network 200 confirming subscription and including, for example, a list of services to be provided.
Since MBMS data is shared by multiple users, it should be transmitted through a common logical channel as in the related art. However, since MBMS is a multimedia service, multiple services of different QoS or multiple streams of different QoS in the same service may be provided to a single UE or to different UEs. That is, it is expected that multiple common logical channels of the same type need to be mapped to the same transport channel when providing MBMS.
In the related art, however, multiple common logical channels of the same type are typically not mapped to the same transport channel. One problem is that there is no common logical channel identifier in the MAC header. Another problem is that there is no identification function in the MAC-c/sh. Therefore, a new functionality of common logical channel identification should be considered when MBMS or other type of packet switched (PS) domain service is to be provided.
Moreover, in MBMS, there is a one-to-one mapping relationship between an MBMS service and a common logical channel such as an MTCH (MBMS Traffic Channel). Thus, because multiple common logical channels of the same type are to be mapped to the same transport channel when providing MBMS, as stated above, multiple MBMS services may be transmitted through the same transport channel. Consequently, a mobile terminal can simultaneously receive different services transmitted through the same transport channel.
The different MBMS services are globally identified by an MBMS service identifier. However, there potentially exist thousands of different services. If the MBMS service identifier is used, then a MAC header, including the MBMS service identifier, for allowing the mobile terminal to distinguish the different services would be very big in size and a large overhead would exist during transmission. Therefore, a method for identifying the different services while keeping the MAC header small in size is needed.

Mapping of point of multipoint service identifications


A franking machine is described including a unit for generating franking data and a unit for printing data connected to the data generating unit and adapted to receive franking data therefrom, the printer unit including at least one member for printing data, wherein the franking machine includes additional means for wireless communication between the print member and the data generating unit to enable identification of the print member by the data generating unit.

The invention relates in particular to a franking machine.
The problem of securing "sensitive" data consisting of franking data or marks arises in the field of franking machines.
In this type of machine, it is essential to secure data generated by a unit for generating franking data and sent to a printer unit (for example a printer) for the data to be printed by a print member, such as a printer cartridge, which includes an ink reservoir provided with a print head.
For example, if the data is not secure, a fraudster can intercept it between the data generating unit and the printer unit, or even within the printer unit itself. Thus when a franking mark of value X should be printed on an envelope, the fraudster can replace that mark by a franking mark of value Y greater than X.
Thus the management unit decrements its counter of franking values delivered to the printer unit by only an amount X when in reality a greater amount has been printed.
Various security methods to prevent this are known to the person skilled in the art.
In particular, encrypting the franking data in the management unit, sending it in encrypted form to the printer unit, and then decrypting it before sending it to the print member is known in the art.
However, this cannot be done with standard connections between the data generating unit and the printer unit.
Furthermore, a method of the above kind does not eliminate the risk of a fraudster intercepting the decrypted data in the printer unit and tampering with it before sending it on to the print member.
To make the securing of franking data more reliable, a dedicated print member could be provided that would include an internal circuit for decrypting data and would be inaccessible from the outside, for example a dedicated inkjet printer cartridge.
A solution of the above kind would require specific development of the print members (for example inkjet cartridges) and would therefore no longer allow the use of products available off the shelf.
A solution of the above kind could even lead to modification of the printer unit (printer) itself.
A solution of the above kind tends to make franking machines more complex.
It would consequently be beneficial to be able to secure the franking data in a franking machine in a simple, inexpensive, and efficient manner.
It would also be beneficial to secure the franking data in a franking machine without calling into question the architecture of existing franking machines, and in particular the printing technology used in the machines.
More generally, outside the context of franking machines, there exists a need for securing sensitive or confidential data coming from a data source external to conventional printing mechanisms that use a printer unit incorporating an inkjet printer cartridge.
The various aspects of the invention stated hereinabove aim to remedy at least one of the drawbacks previously cited.


A system for extracting oxygen from a liquid includes a separator allowing a liquid to pass lengthwise through the separator to produce a liquid mixture with the liquid having at least a portion of oxygen removed from the liquid. The separator includes a wall surrounding an interior portion of a tube. The wall has at least one aperture formed in the wall. The separator also includes at least one magnet positioned adjacently to the at least one aperture. The magnet has a north pole end and a south pole end. A magnetic field gradient is formed between the north pole end and the south pole end, and extends into an interior portion of the tube. The system also includes a storage tank fluidly coupled to the at least one aperture for storing the at least a portion of the oxygen removed from the liquid via the separator.

Pure oxygen is useful in many ways. Fields that benefit from the use of pure oxygen include, for example, the medical field, sports and recreational fields, and the industrial field. Pure oxygen, however, is not readily available as a direct source but must instead be extracted from other sources including oxygen. There are various ways to capture or extract pure oxygen from such other sources. Extracting oxygen has typically been expensive and can require a complex setup that limits the supply of oxygen in various industries and fields.
In non-cryogenic extraction methods, process such as adsorption, chemical processing, polymeric membranes, and ion transport membranes may be used. In the adsorption method, a material made up of special compounds is used that has unique capabilities for adsorbing certain gases such as oxygen, thus removing that gas from a mixture of other gases. The adsorption method does not entail a chemical change in the material, thus allowing for reversible process. However, the complete removal of a specific gas using this process is difficult to achieve with great certainty. Since the process is reversible, an equilibrium state is achieved where the target gas starts flowing out of the adsorbing material.
By utilizing certain chemical approaches, it is possible to react with the gases and remove certain chemicals directly. This approach can be very effective to achieve 100% purity, since the chemical reaction will keep on happening given enough reactant and sufficient reactive area. Thus, the gas can be completely removed. However, chemical separation approaches can be quite complex to implement and do not currently present meaningful market share. Furthermore, creating continuous systems based on chemical approaches is difficult.
By filtering air through a permeable membrane such that the membrane has higher permeability to oxygen than another gas (such as nitrogen), the concentration of oxygen can be increased by trapping or filtering the other, larger gas. This technique, however, does not typically achieve a high purity in the target gas because, as a separator, the filter will allow gases that are more permeable than the target gas to pass through unimpeded. Thus, the resultant gas includes a mixture of all of the gases more permeable than what the filter can remove.
The ion transport membrane method uses hot liquid gases (that would ionize oxygen) passing over special (ceramic) membranes that allow the oxygen ions to pass through and recombine to create pure oxygen. However, while this process can achieve pure oxygen, it uses high energy costs for heating and for recompressing the recombined oxygen.
In one cryogenic extraction method, by utilizing pressure and centrifuges, it is possible to separate oxygen from air without liquefaction. However, this process suffers from high energy costs and complex equipment.
Another cryogenic extraction method takes advantage of the fact that at a certain pressure, every gas has a separate boiling temperature. By gradually reducing the pressure (i.e., relieving the pressure) from on outlet of a liquid air container, every gas will take its turn to exit the tank according to its boiling temperature. This approach is effective at separating all types of gases from each other, but suffers from energy losses at many stages and that the process cannot be done in a continuous mechanism, requiring staging of separate lines for compressing and separation.
Thus, it would be advantageous to utilize a system of extracting pure oxygen from air that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks.

Systems for extracting oxygen from a liquid


Agricultural devices and methods of operating the same are provided. In one aspect, an agricultural device includes a frame including a hitch and a roller assembly coupled to the frame. The roller assembly includes an outer roller and an inner roller. The outer roller includes a pair of end plates and a plurality of spaced-apart engagement members extending between and coupled to the end plates. Each of the engagement members include an inner edge extending into the outer roller and the outer roller is rotatably coupled to the frame. The inner roller is positioned in the outer roller and includes a pair of end plates and an exterior surface extending between the end plates. The inner roller is rotatably coupled to the outer roller and the inner edges of the engagement members are adapted to be positioned proximate the exterior surface of the inner roller.

Recently, no-till farming has become more popular. No-till farming requires that the soil remain untilled subsequent to harvesting of crops from the field. For example, a combine harvests corn from a field by cutting corn stalks a distance above the soil. No-till farming leaves the uncut portion of the corn stalks in the soil in order to achieve minimal soil disturbance. Some believe no-till farming has benefits and its adoption has grown steadily over the years. However, leaving remnant stalks in the soil after harvest have several deleterious effects.
One such deleterious effect is the damage the remaining un-cut stalks cause to tires of agricultural devices such as tractors, implements pulled behind tractors, etc. In some cases, remnant stalks accelerate the wear of tires. For example, tires may normally have a 5 or 6 year life when not exposed to remnant stalks. However, remnant stalks can decrease the life of a tire to 2 or 3 years. This decrease in life can be a substantial financial burden. Tires for agricultural devices can range from several hundreds of dollars to $5000 or even more, and many agricultural devices include numerous tires. As can be seen, tire costs are quite substantial and decreasing the life of a tire by 50% or more creates an added financial burden.
No-till farming can also decrease crop yield. Remnant crop stalks include the portion of the stalk above the soil and the root mass or root ball beneath the soil. When planting crops into the remnant crop stalks, the remnant stalks can create air pockets in a seed trench, cause shallow or inconsistent depth of seed placement, and/or poor seed-to-soil contact. All of these factors and others can delay plant emergence from the seed or may prohibit growth altogether, thereby greatly reducing crop yield.

Agricultural device for removing crop remnants


Features are disclosed for managing the use of speech recognition models and data in automated speech recognition systems. Models and data may be retrieved asynchronously and used as they are received or after an utterance is initially processed with more general or different models. Once received, the models and statistics can be cached. Statistics needed to update models and data may also be retrieved asynchronously so that it may be used to update the models and data as it becomes available. The updated models and data may be immediately used to re-process an utterance, or saved for use in processing subsequently received utterances. User interactions with the automated speech recognition system may be tracked in order to predict when a user is likely to utilize the system. Models and data may be pre-cached based on such predictions.

Modern speech recognition systems typically include an acoustic model and a language model. The acoustic model is used to generate hypotheses regarding which words or subword units (e.g., phonemes) correspond to an utterance based on the acoustic features of the utterance. The language model is used to determine which of the hypotheses generated using the acoustic model is the most likely transcription of the utterance based on lexical features of the language in which the utterance is spoken.
Acoustic models, language models, and other models used in speech recognition (together referred to as speech recognition models), may be specialized or customized to varying degrees. For example, a speech recognition system may have a general or base model that is not customized in any particular manner, and any number of additional models for particular genders, age ranges, regional accents, or any combination thereof. Some systems may have models for specific subject matter (e.g., medical terminology) or even specific users.
Speech recognition systems may be client-based or client-server-based. For example, a computing device such as a laptop computer may include application software and data to process audio input into text output or a listing of likely transcriptions of the audio input. Some speech recognitions accept audio input via a personal or mobile computing device and transfer the audio input to a network-accessible server where the audio input is transcribed or other processing is performed.

Speech model retrieval in distributed speech recognition systems


An automated container handling and processing system includes a metal container handling subsystem and a plastic container handling subsystem. Each container subsystem includes a roller conveyor for conveying a plurality of large bins carrying crushed containers derived from reverse vending machines. An automated dumping station receives and inverts the bins sequentially to dump the crushed containers into a central hopper, then sends the bins to a washer which cleans the bins for reuse. A separate belt conveyor receives containers which do not require identification or accounting and conveys them to the central hopper. A second belt conveyor which also leads to the central hopper receives containers from one or more sorting machines which process non-crushed containers from non-RV machine return centers. Each sorting machine is capable of reading a bar code on each container to identify the brand and of providing that information to a central accounting system which keeps track of the number of containers of each brand and credits them to the correct original distributor. The central hopper feeds all containers to a crusher/baler which crushes and bales containers from all three sources.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for materials handling, more particularly to systems for handling recycled materials, and most particularly to a system for receiving, sorting, counting, identifying, crushing, and packaging returned drink containers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In many states today, containers for carbonated soft drinks and beer are assessed a deposit of up to, for example, ten cents each at the time they are purchased for consumption of the contents by a consumer. After such consumption, the consumer may return each container to a return center, for example, a supermarket, and obtain a full refund of the deposit. As used herein, "container" refers to any of various sizes and styles of bottles and cans which may be formed from, for example, glass, plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or metal such as aluminum or steel. "Returnable" refers to any container which may be returned to a vendor by a consumer; most returnables also carry a refundable deposit. "Refillable" refers to any returnable container which may be washed, refilled with the same drink product as in its previous use, relabelled, and sold again. Refillables are exclusively glass containers. Most returnables are not refillable but instead are subject to a materials recycling process through which the individual containers are destroyed and the materials such as glass, plastic, and metals from which they were formed are recovered for reuse.
Until fairly recently, the handling of containers returned to a return center has been completely manual. Typically, a clerk receives containers from a customer, checks each container for deposit authenticity, counts the containers and sorts them by material, and refunds the appropriate amount to the customer. The containers are accumulated, typically without being crushed, at the outlet in large bags or bins which are then manually carried to a loading dock and loaded onto a truck which takes them to a central processing station for accounting and destruction. Such a central station may receive containers from a large number of return centers, for example, more than 1000, and must be able to accurately assign credit a large number of distributors, for example, about 100, for the containers it processes, which number may be in the tens of millions per week. At the central processing station, the bags are emptied, the containers are sorted by material of manufacture, and identified and counted by brand name of the contents to provide credit information for the original distributor who must reimburse the vendor for the original deposit. The containers are then crushed to reduce volume, and the crushed containers are packaged as by baling for shipment to a materials storage center or a materials purchaser.
The container handling just described is heavily labor-intensive. Manually-handled bags and boxes of containers can be heavy and cumbersome, and the recycling industry is known for a high incidence of back and muscle strains and consequent lost time and employee dissatisfaction.
More recently, machines have become commercially available which can perform all of the container-receiving and accounting tasks at a return center and in addition can crush the containers. Such machines, known in the trade as "reverse vending" machines (referred to herein as RV machines), can receive a succession of either individual metal cans or plastic bottles, rotate each container to read a bar code identifying the brand, count the containers for each brand and account for their number to the original distributor, and then crush each container. Crushing saves in-process storage space at the return center, but can actually make manual transport work more difficult and hazardous because the bags and boxes can hold several times the number of containers as previously and are now proportionally heavier. For example, a typical bag full of non-crushed aluminum cans may weigh less than ten pounds whereas the same bag full of crushed cans may contain about 630 cans and may weigh about 35 pounds.
Not all return centers are provided with such machines, however, and the cost of a recycling machine may always be prohibitive for smaller stores. Therefore, central processing stations must be able to receive and process both non-crushed and crushed containers.
Thus, there is a need for an automated materials handling system which is capable of receiving a wide range of metal cans and plastic bottles in a range of transport containers, of conveying, sorting, counting, crushing/shredding, and packaging the cans and bottles for shipment without significant manual handling or transport of heavy bags or boxes of containers, and of cleaning and returning transport bins for further service.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved automated handling system for converting whole or crushed metal cans and plastic bottles into processed materials suitable for reuse.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved automated handling system for containers which requires little or no manual heavy lifting or carrying of the containers or bins.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved automated handling system for containers which can account for the container item input from a large number of return centers and distributors.

Automated system for handling returned drink containers


The present invention is directed to sufficiently reduce the level of EMI which occurs from a switching FET in a DC/DC converter and minimize deterioration in efficiency of a power supply. A DC/DC converter includes a switching circuit for driving a switching FET for increasing or decreasing voltage, and a switching circuit for driving a ringing frequency changing circuit. One end of a capacitor is connected to a drain of the switching FET for increasing or decreasing voltage, and the other end of the capacitor is connected to a drain of an FET for the ringing frequency changing circuit. A source of the FET for the ringing frequency changing circuit is connected to GND, and a control circuit is provided which makes the ringing frequency changing circuit valid so that a ringing frequency becomes low only in a ringing frequency component exerting large influence on deterioration in EMI.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a DC/DC converter and a display device including the same and, more particularly, to a DC/DC converter, in the case where the DC/DC converter is constructed by a switching circuit, in which deterioration in efficiency of the DC/DC converter is minimized and EMI is also reduced and a display device including the same.
2. Background Art
In recent years, as the panel of a thin display device becomes larger and comes to have higher resolution (higher definition), the transmission frequency of a video signal in the device is increasing. As the size becomes larger and the resolution becomes higher, unnecessary radiation (EMI: Electromagnetic Interference) generated from the display device also becomes larger.
As radiant sources of EMI, there are noises of an IC for outputting a clock signal on a signal processing board (printed board) on which circuit parts for driving a display device are mounted and a power supply circuit necessary to drive the IC.
Particularly, the case where the power supply circuit is constructed by a switching power supply will be considered. When a switching method is used at the time of converting voltage in the power supply circuit (DC/DC converter circuit), designing can be made with relatively high efficiency. Consequently, the switching power supply circuit is a circuit system which is often used.
It is, however, known that in the circuit configuration of the switching power supply circuit, necessary voltage is generated by switching, so that voltage fluctuation (ringing) having a certain frequency component occurs at the moment of on/off switching, and the voltage fluctuation is the cause of occurrence of unnecessary noise.
There is also the possibility that the unnecessary noise component of the ringing is largely influenced by resonance frequency of the printed board itself and the unnecessary noise component is increased.
With respect to EMI, the limit value on the permissible level of noise is determined for each frequency, and all of noise levels in a specified frequency band have to be set to the limit value or less. Obviously, the lower the noise level, the better. Therefore, as will be described later, a technique of reducing EMI even in the case of using a switching power supply is known.
The conventional technique of patent literature 1 relates to a drive circuit for a semiconductor optical amplifier gate switch, a semiconductor optical amplifier gate switch device, and an optical switching device and, particularly, is directed to reduce a ringing component by inserting a diode at a post stage of an inductor (refer to FIG. 14).
However, since the ringing frequency itself which worsens EMI cannot be changed by the diode, there is a problem such that a sufficient EMI reduction effect cannot be obtained.
The conventional technique of patent literature 2 relates to a switching power supply device and, particularly, is directed to reduce ringing at the time of switching by providing snubber circuits at both ends of an inductor (transformer) (refer to FIG. 15).
In the configuration of the conventional technique, however, since the snubber circuits always operate at the time of switching, the efficiency of the power supply is worsened.
In addition, the ringing frequency component which worsens EMI cannot be sufficiently eliminated by the snubber circuit, and there is consequently a problem such that a sufficient EMI reduction effect cannot be obtained.
The conventional technique of patent literature 3 relates to a self-excited DC/DC converter and, more particularly, provides a self-excited DC/DC converter which suppresses ringing by extending an off period of a switching element and can suppress increase in the frequency at the time of low load and contribute to improvement in efficiency at the time of low load (refer to FIG. 16).
However, the ringing mentioned in the conventional technique is ringing which is about a few times as high as oscillation frequency generated at the time of low load but is not ringing which is a few hundreds times to a few thousands times as large as that which occurs at the on/off timings of the oscillation frequency. Since a ringing frequency component in the band of tens or hundreds MHz which exert largest influence on EMI cannot be eliminated, there is, consequently, a problem that the EMI reduction effect cannot be obtained.
The conventional technique of patent literature 4 relates to a drive circuit of a voltage driving element and, more particularly, to a technique of providing a snubber circuit between a load such as a three-phase inverter and an input Vin, sending a feedback (F/B) to the input, and making gate opening/closing at the time of switching dull, thereby reducing ringing (refer to FIG. 17).
In the conventional technique, however, two protection diodes and three snubber resistors are necessary in addition to the present invention.
In the configuration of the conventional technique, in the case where the snubber circuit operates at the time of switching, a loss due to the snubber resistor occurs, so that the efficiency deterioration is caused.
Further, due to the method of eliminating ringing by feeding back (F/B) the voltage fluctuation in the load to the input to make the opening/closing timing of the gate of the switching FET dull, the efficiency deterioration becomes larger by the gate opening/closing timing.
In addition, by sending an F/B of the load to the input line, there is the possibility that noise having a ringing component is diffused into the input line.
The conventional technique of the patent literature 5 relates to an adaptive ringing suppressing device. In the configuration of the conventional technique, ringing is reduced by using a low-pass filter circuit including a delay circuit (refer to FIG. 18). By using the low-pass filter in a video signal processing circuit for a video signal or the like including a ringing component, the ringing component is eliminated.
However, the conventional technique does not eliminate a ringing component in a place where ringing occurs but an output from which the ringing component is eliminated as a result of passing through circuits is obtained.
That is, there is a part of an output of a single delay circuit, which is transmitted to the next stage while including the ringing component. The ringing component cannot be fundamentally eliminated. Even when the method of the conventional technique is applied, EMI cannot be reduced.

DC/DC converter and display device including the same


A reduced crosstalk capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array is provided. The CMUT array has at least two CMUT array elements deposited on a substrate, at least one CMUT cell in the array element, a separation region between adjacent CMUT array elements, and a membrane formed in the separation region. The membrane reduces crosstalk between adjacent array elements, where the crosstalk is a dispersive guided mode of an ultrasonic signal from the CMUT propagating in a fluid-solid interface of the CMUT array. Each cell has an insulation layer deposited to the substrate. A cell membrane layer is deposited to the insulation layer, where the cell membrane layer has a vacuum gap therein. The cells further have an electrode layer deposited to a portion of the membrane layer, and a passivation layer deposited to the electrode layer, the cell membrane layer and to the insulation layer.

Microfabrication technology that employed the techniques originally developed for the integrated circuit (IC) industry has become popular in diverse areas of science and engineering to create miniaturized transducers. A transducer is a conduit for transforming energy between two or more domains such as mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical and magnetic. Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUTs) relate electrical and mechanical domains in energy transfer to transmit and receive ultrasound. As an alternative to piezoelectric transducers, CMUTs offer several advantages such as wide bandwidth, ease of large array fabrication and potential for integration with electronics. Parasitic energy coupling, or crosstalk, between neighboring elements has been observed in immersed operation. It has been determined that the main crosstalk mechanism is a dispersive guided mode propagating in the fluid-solid interface. This coupling degrades the performance of transducers in immersion for medical applications such as diagnostic imaging and high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment.
Experimental, analytical and finite element methods have been used to understand the causes and effects of crosstalk in CMUTs. Attempts have been made to reduce the crosstalk, such as changing the substrate thickness and placing etched trenches or polymer walls between the array elements. These efforts were explored using finite element methods. These methods did not significantly affect the crosstalk observed to be −22 dB in immersion.
Another attempt, based on a mathematical CMUT model, covered the top of the array with a thin, lossy solid layer was found to damp out the unwanted resonances that occur on certain frequencies and steering angles due to the coupling in the acoustic medium. However the problem of reducing the dispersive guided mode of an ultrasonic signal remained unaddressed.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop a CMUT array that has reduced crosstalk between the neighboring array elements. There is a further need to improve transducer performance for applications such as diagnostic imaging and high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment in medicine. A need exists to reduce the effective element aperture and the ringdown time of a transducer, and improve angular response and range resolution. Further, it would be considered an innovative step with CMUT arrays to improve the axial resolution and bright patterns in the near field.

Acoustic crosstalk reduction for capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers in immersion

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University