A microwave energy emitter (108) is positioned in a microwave transparent chamber (123) within a fluid holding vessel (106) of a microwave containment vessel (122). The fluid holding vessel (106) may be transparent to microwave energy and is further provided with a microwave reflective component outward, on, or beyond an exterior surface (121) of the wall of the fluid holding vessel (106). The microwave reflective component reflects microwaves back into the fluid holding vessel (106). The fluid holding vessel (106) encloses a material that absorbs microwave energy. An inlet path (116) and outlet path (112) is provided for material to flow in and out of the holding vessel upon predetermined conditions. Heated material can be condensed via a condenser (124) into a collection vessel (120). A controller (126) is provided to send control signals to a switching device (100) for controlling the material flow and receiving sensing signals for decision generation.

I have invented a new apparatus, machine, and method for the heating of fluids via microwave frequencies induced into the material to be heated. The process began by trying to invent a better water distiller and purification system than the current one I am using at home. The unit I currently utilize for home has electrodes in a boiling chamber and the electrodes corrode because of the impurities in the water that supplies the house. This started me thinking how I might create a unit that would not have components that corrode because of the corrosive action of water in contact with metallic parts. To attempt a cure for this problem with the current home unit that is now being used I have installed several water conditioning units in front of it, including carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters. However this water is more "aggressive" and the units' electrodes seem to break down more rapidly and had more failures. The water purification process of the machine with electrodes heating the water is comparatively slow with the machine taking 24 hours or more to make 8 gallons of water and power intensive. The distilled water made is used mainly for drinking and cooking, as the replenishment times are prohibitively slow for other high volume usages.
Since I did not want the process to involve corrosion it seemed to me that a new way of boiling or heating water was necessary. I knew that a microwave oven could boil water but after doing the research found out that microwave ovens create "super heated water" and that boiling or steaming water was a problem in a microwave oven. I also did not want to cause microwaves to be injected into a cavity with another container in the cavity, as this seems to be a waste of power and efficiency because of the difference in the cavity geometries. This method has been utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,968 Armstrong, U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,857 Armstrong, U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,939 Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,133 Le Viet, and other patents mentioned in my patents examined further in this document. I then had the idea of building the antenna into the middle of the cavity, which held the fluid to be heated with the cavity being the wave-guide. The concept of having a remote antenna inserted into a vessel is mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,104 Greene et al. The problem with the '104 patent is that the antenna, or emitting device, is in direct contact with the fluid to be heated. As a result of using a material that was transparent to the microwaves I could design and build a device that can have an antenna physically isolated from the cavity for water heating, be in the middle of it, and cause the fluid to be heated without any direct contact by using the cavity as a wave guide/resonance chamber. This also causes the material or fluid surrounding the cavity into which the antenna or microwave emitting device is located to be evenly irradiated by the microwaves.
Others have proposed building microwave fluid heaters with their design entailing the conventional use of a microwave generator device located off to one side of the cavity or built into the side of the cavity, as in U.S. Pat. No. DES 293,128 Karamian, U.S. Pat. No. DES 293,368 Karamian, U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,968 Armstrong, U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,951 Masse, U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,952 Masse, U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,133 Le Viet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,969 Le Viet, U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,116 Black, U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,780 Riley. They typically use wave-guides to direct the microwaves from the source into the cavity containing the water or fluid to be heated or steamed. This invention uses the direct output from the microwave source or antenna to heat the fluid.
Another problem with heating water in a microwave is the super heated water problem. That is, water will heat to over the boiling temperature of water at sea level of 100° C. without boiling, or going into steam. As pointed out in the article Ask a Scientist Chemistry Archive, SuperHeated Water, by the USA Department of Energy, obtained from the internet, water heated in a microwave in a cup will superheat the water, but will not cause it to steam. A boiling point must be established for other water molecules to boil. From the above article "Boiling begins at a temperature when the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the ambient atmospheric pressure that is above the pool of liquid. However, you WILL NOT have boiling water if there are no sites for the vapor (within the liquid) to nucleate (grow) from.
Good nucleating sites are scratches, irregularities and other imperfections inside the cup, mug, or in your case the Pyrex." Thus, when a fork is put into a cup, the super heated water then explosively boils and steams vigorously. This is also a problem with very smooth glass, such as a pyrex bowl, and presents a technical barrier to be solved in the invention that I have outlined using a pyrex boiling/wave guide chamber. One solution is to make the pyrex chamber side walls uneven and rough, while another solution is causing the fluid or matter in the chamber to be stirred by an internal force, such as a fan, or an external stimulation, such as an ultrasonic transducer or even low frequency waves, or a device that rotates when the electric field is applied due to EMF forces. This is a problem when trying to heat a fluid to a boiling point and above to produce vapor or steam. It further helps the thermal distribution through out the mixture by causing a stirring of the mixture that will even out the heating throughout the fluid or material being heated.

Microwave fluid heating and distillation method


The present invention relates to a method of detecting a candidate vector and a method of detecting a transmission symbol using the same. According to an embodiment of the present invention, in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system using spatial multiplexing (SM), a receiver selects candidate vectors corresponding to a layer located at a last row among a plurality of rearranged layers, and sequentially ranks constellation dots of a next layer for each of the selected candidate vectors. Then, a plurality of arbitrary constellation dots are selected from the ranked constellation dots, accumulated costs of the arbitrary constellation dots are calculated, and a candidate vector is selected in correspondence with a constellation dot having a minimal accumulated cost. Then, a new arbitrary constellation dot is selected in place of the constellation dot selected as the candidate vector, an accumulated cost of the selected arbitrary constellation dot is compared with accumulated costs of the other arbitrary constellation dots, and another candidate vector is selected.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a method of selecting a candidate vector and a method of detecting a transmission symbol. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of selecting a candidate vector and a method of detecting a transmission symbol in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system using spatial multiplexing (SM).
(b) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a mobile communication system has been required to provide a high-speed data service including images and packets, in addition to an existing sound service. In order to satisfy these requirements, a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system using spatial multiplexing (SM) that enables multiplex data layer transmission has attracted attention.
In the MIMO system using spatial multiplexing, a data layer indicating different information is transmitted through each transmitting antenna, and a receiving terminal separates the transmitted data layers. In the data layer separation method according to the related art, maximum likelihood (ML) bit metric detection has been used in which a maximum likelihood metric is calculated for each of transmission symbol vectors that can be combined and a transmission symbol vector having the smallest ML metric is searched, in order to perform optimal transmission symbol detection.
However, even though the ML bit metric detection provides optimal transmission symbol detection performance, since hardware complexity is exponentially increased with respect to the size of a constellation and the number of transmitting antennas, the ML bit metric detection has a drawback in that extremely high complexity is required.
In order to remedy the drawback in the ML bit metric detection, as linear signal detection having reduced complexity, a zero forcing (ZF) method and a minimum mean square estimator (MMSE) method have been suggested in the related art. However, these methods have a problem in that performance is degraded as compared with the ML bit metric detection. In order to remedy the drawback in the ML bit metric detection, as non-linear signal detection having reduced complexity, ordered successive interference cancellation (OSIC) that is known as vertical Bell Lab layered space time (VBLAST) has been suggested. However, while the VBLAST can be easily implemented and provides excellent performance than the ZF and MMSE methods, it has a problem in that performance is degraded as compared with the ML bit metric detection.
As methods that have been suggested in the related art, there are original maximum likelihood detection with QR decomposition and M-algorithm (original QRM-MLD), and QRM-MLD with ranking. However, in the original QRM-MLD, excellent transmission symbol detection performance is provided, but complexity is high. In the QRM-MLD with ranking, complexity is reduced, but transmission symbol detection performance is degraded as compared with the original QRM-MLD.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Method of selecting candidate vector and method of detecting transmission symbol

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A method for selecting content items, comprising: receiving, using one or more processing devices, a request for content items for display in a content stream; retrieving, using the one or more processing devices, in response to the request, a condition for targeting a content item for display in the content stream; detecting, using the one or more processing devices, that the condition is satisfied; adjusting, using the one or more processing devices, the bid price in accordance with the condition; executing, using the one or more processing devices, an auction, based on the bid price adjusted and other bid prices for other content items in the auction; and selecting, using the one or more processing devices, based on the auction, the content items for display in the content stream.

A web page may display content items. An advertisement is an example of a content item. Selection of the content items may be based on numerous factors, including, e.g., age, gender, profession, and income level of a viewer of the web page.
In an example, the web page includes content. In this example, the content may also be used in selecting the content items, e.g., by selecting content items that are relevant to the content in the web page.

Selecting content items for display in a content stream


A junction device for a spray system. The device is arranged so as to connect, to an airbrush, at least one removable container containing a composition for spraying, the device includes at least a composition-outlet first orifice enabling the composition to leave the container in order to be sprayed via the airbrush, and at least an air-inlet second orifice enabling air intake by the container, the device including an air-intake channel that is connected to the air-inlet orifice, and said channel terminating by an air-entry orifice that is situated above the air-inlet orifice and the composition-outlet orifice.

Conventional airbrushes comprise a body that may be in the general shape of a pistol or a pen, on top of which a cup is sometimes provided, into which the composition for spraying is poured. Such airbrushes are known as "gravity" airbrushes.
The cup may be fitted with a stopper or with a hinged lid that the user puts back into place after filling the cup with the composition for spraying.
The presence of a single cup fastened on the body of the airbrush, and into which the composition is poured, results in numerous manipulations while filling and cleaning the airbrush, that are often accompanied by composition being wasted. Such manipulations are also troublesome when using a composition that requires avoiding contact with the environment, such as a composition that is sensitive to air or that is an irritant.
"Suction feed" airbrushes also exist in which the composition is contained in a container that, after being filled, is coupled, with its neck directed upwards, to the body of the airbrush, the airbrush including a dip tube that extends to the bottom of the container. As with the gravity versions, the suction versions result in tricky manipulations in order to clean the container between two uses. In addition, the ergonomics of such airbrushes is not as good as the ergonomics of cup airbrushes, since the presence of the dip tube is likely to hinder the user in some situations, e.g. when the airbrush is to be manipulated around the face or the head of a person, for example. Furthermore, suction feed airbrushes have an extraction rate that is insufficient.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,638,550, 1,703,219, 6,345,773, 2,057,434, and 3,191,869 relate to suction feed airbrushes. European patent application EP 0 492 333 relates to a closure system for closing a sprayable-liquid container that is provided with a dip tube for sucking up the liquid. US application No. 2009/0090297 gives examples of suction and gravity airbrushes.
Application EP 1 598 117 relates to an adapter for a spray gun including an expandable reservoir, and application EP 0 678 334 discloses a spray gun that operates by sucking up paint contained in a discardable flexible pouch. Such devices are adapted to very particular containers.
Application EP 1 470 867 A2 describes an airbrush in which the composition for spraying is contained in a container that is suitable for being fastened in removable manner on the body of the airbrush. The container is provided with a valve that closes when the container is not in place, and that opens after the container has been fastened on the airbrush. Although the use of a valve presents advantages by reducing the exposure of the composition to the environment, it results in the container being constructed in a specific manner that increases its cost. In addition, while drying or because of a particulate filler, some compositions are likely to prevent the valve from operating properly, e.g. by causing said valve to jam in its closed or open position.
US application No. 2007/0090206 A1 discloses an airbrush including a housing for receiving a container that is fastened in removable manner on the airbrush. The container includes a valve, thereby posing the same problem as mentioned above. In the airbrush disclosed in that publication, air is taken in on the same side as the side via which the composition is entrained into the airbrush, via a capillary passage that is formed along an endpiece that is configured to act on the valve and that comes to be engaged in the opening of the container.
Patent DE 10 2007 048 440 relates to a lid for connecting a spray gun to the composition outlet of a paint container. A labyrinth-forming gasket guides the outside air to the bottom of the container.
US application No. 2007/0018016 describes an assembly for spraying a liquid, the assembly including a removable container including an air-intake channel having an air-entry end that is situated below the air-inlet in the container.
There exists a need to improve airbrushes still further, while benefiting from good ergonomics and reliability in operation.


There are provided an image forming apparatus which can implement on-demand fusing with quick rise in temperature by using the upper current (power) limit of a commercial power supply more effectively and a control method for the apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a rechargeable battery device capable of charging and discharging. A load other than a heating element of a fusing device is designed to be capable of receiving power from the commercial power supply and/or the rechargeable battery device. At turn-on or upon returning from the energy saving mode, the supply of power from the commercial power supply and rechargeable battery device to the load is controlled. The power supplied from the commercial power supply to the fusing device is limited to a limit level corresponding to the above control result.

An image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process, e.g., a laser beam printer, comprising a fusing device which thermal-fuses a toner image formed on a printing medium (e.g., a printing sheet or OHP sheet). A heating system which can be used for the fusing device includes several types. Of these types, an electromagnetic induction heating system which induces a current in a fusing roller using a magnetic flux and generates heat using the resultant Joule heat, in particular, can directly cause the fusing roller to generate heat by using the generation of the induced current. This system is advantageous over a fusing device based on a heated roller system using a halogen lamp as a heat source in terms of achieving a high-efficiency fusing process (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 51-109739).
Recently, a color image forming apparatus (A4 apparatus) capable of printing on standard-sized sheets, e.g., A4 size sheets, at a rate of 16 sheets/min has been able to implement a technique of heating the roller only at the time of printing. This is often referred to as "on-demand fusing", which uses a fusing device with a small heat capacity based on the above electromagnetic induction heating system so that no fusing temperature control is required during standby.
On the other hand, in a color image forming apparatus (A3 apparatus) capable of printing on standard-sized sheets up to A3 size, the fusing device is generally required to have a larger heat capacity than the fusing device in an A4 apparatus, although it depends on the printing speed. This apparatus therefore performs preheating by supplying power to the fusing device at predetermined time intervals even during standby, i.e., so-called "standby temperature control" (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-056960). The following is the reason why standby temperature control is performed.
FIG. 27 shows, for a color image forming apparatus (A3 apparatus) using a fusing device based on a conventional electromagnetic induction heating system, the relationship between the start-up time required for the temperature of the fusing device in a cooled state to reach a temperature at which printing can be done (e.g., 180° C.) and the corresponding power (fusing power) supplied to the heater of the fusing device. Referring to FIG. 27, if the fusing power that can be supplied is about 900 W, the start-up time required to reach a temperature at which printing can be done (print temperature) is 30 sec (point Wa). This time is much shorter than the start-up time required in a commonly used fusing device using a halogen heater. However, if we consider the sheet convey time and the like, the time (first printout time) between the instant at which printing is started and the instant at which the first image-bearing sheet is discharged to a paper discharge unit increases to more than 30 sec, thus making the user wait. For this reason, in order to shorten the first printout time, power is supplied to the fusing device at predetermined time intervals even during standby to perform preheating (as generally done in an image forming apparatus using a fusing device based on the halogen heater system). Executing this standby temperature control makes it possible to quickly reach a predetermined fusing temperature, at which image forming can be performed, once a printing job is started.
The power consumption at the time of standby temperature control in the electromagnetic induction heating system can be suppressed low because the temperature at the time of standby temperature control can be set to be lower than that in the fusing system using a halogen heater. As compared with the on-demand fusing system, however, this system still requires extra power (power at the time of standby temperature control).
In this image forming apparatus, if the power supplied to the heater of the fusing device can be increased by about 200 W, a power of 1,100 W can be supplied to the fusing device, and the time taken to reach the print temperature becomes about 15 sec (a point Wb in FIG. 27). If, therefore, the target first printout time for this image forming apparatus is about 20 sec, on-demand fusing which requires no standby temperature control can be realized (although it depends on the arrangement, the paper convey paths, the convey speed, and the like of the image forming apparatus).
With the recent technical improvements in image forming apparatuses, even image forming apparatuses in the category of medium-speed apparatuses (middle-class apparatuses) have been reduced in size and cost and increased in speed. The printing speeds of such apparatuses have reached those of high-speed apparatuses a decade ago. Along with this tendency, the market has further demanded value added such as energy saving and a reduction in first printout time.
In light of this, even by using a fusing device based on the high-efficiency electromagnetic induction heating system or on-demand fusing, which has been implemented in conventional A4 apparatus, has become difficult to meet such market demands.
As described above, in an A3 apparatus using conventional standby temperature control practice, power is supplied to the fusing device during standby even though the necessary power is minimum. Therefore, this standby temperature control constitutes one of the factors that makes it difficult to reduce the power consumption of the image forming apparatus during standby.
However, in the case where power saving is important during standby and the standby temperature control is not executed, it takes more time to reach a predetermined fusing temperature, at which image forming can be done. As a consequence, another problem arises, that is, the first printout time becomes longer. In other words, there is a tradeoff between energy saving during standby and a reduction in first printout time.
An on-demand fusing system balancing energy saving during standby and reducing the first printout time, which comprises a short temperature rise time suited for the market levels needs to be developed.
Although a large-size, high value-added image forming apparatus such as high-speed monochrome printing apparatuses or high-quality color printing apparatuses, i.e., so-called high-speed apparatuses (high-class apparatuses), are devised to save energy, but also comprise value added such as high performance devices and abundant optional supply of equipment. That is, there is a tendency toward increasing power consumption. One of the criteria for determining the upper limit of the power consumption of such an apparatus is the maximum current that can be supplied by commercial power supplies. Assume that a maximum supply current of 15 A is specified for a 100-V commercial power supply. In this case, the upper power limit is 1,500 W (=100 V×15 A). An image forming apparatus is generally designed such that the maximum current, that the apparatus requires, does not exceed the maximum current of the commercial power supply.
For high-speed apparatus class fusing devices, a fusing device with a larger heat capacity is generally used to stand high-speed continuous fusing. The inconvenience of such a fusing device is that it takes a long period of time (several minutes) (warm-up time) for the temperature of the fusing device, in a cooled state, to reach a temperature in a standby state. One of the challenges to overcome this is to shorten the warm-up time.
Assume that the warm-up time of the fusing device is to be shortened by simply supplying large power. In this case, since the maximum power of the commercial power supply defines the upper power limit that can be used, it is difficult to further shorten the warm-up time unless the fusing device itself is improved.
For example, as a proposal to solve such a problem, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-41023 discloses that in order to effectively use power for a fusing device, an image forming apparatus whose fusing device includes a main heater and a sub-heater is provided with a rechargeable battery unit, and the rechargeable battery unit is designed to selectively connect to a DC power supply or DC motor control unit. More specifically, while the rechargeable battery unit is supplying power to the DC motor, power that should be supplied to the DC motor can be supplied to the sub-heater, and hence the temperature of the fusing device can be raised higher than in the prior art. During this period, copying can be done at high speed.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-174988 discloses a method of achieving energy saving and a reduction in print start time by providing a rechargeable battery device for an image forming apparatus and using both power from a commercial power supply and power from the rechargeable battery device during startup of a fusing device.
According to the arrangements disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-41023 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-174988, since the power supplied from the rechargeable battery means to the sub-heater or a predetermined load is simply turned on/off, the maximum power that can be supplied from the commercial power supply may not be effectively used depending on the voltage of the commercial power supply to which the image forming apparatus is connected to or the load condition of the image forming apparatus. In addition, the arrangement of the fusing device is complicated because it requires a plurality of heaters.
Furthermore, in an image forming apparatus whose fusing device includes a main heater and a sub-heater, when the fusing device is to be started up without sufficient power stored in the rechargeable battery device, there is a chance that no power will be supplied to the sub-heater or the loads of the image forming apparatus other than the fusing device. If no power can be supplied to the sub-heater, the sub-heater portion will also be heated by the main heater. Thus, it may require longer startup time than in a conventional fusing device having no rechargeable battery device. Furthermore, if the required power cannot be supplied to the loads of the image forming apparatus other than the fusing device, the image forming apparatus may not normally operate.

Image forming apparatus with control of commercial and battery power supplies to fusing device


Disclosed are an electronic control apparatus for a vehicle and provides an electronic control apparatus for a vehicle using a radiation board in which a radiation plate having a slide fixing structure (for example, “U” shaped) is attached onto a portion opposite to a portion which requires the radiation in a printed circuit board (PCB) and if additional radiation performance is required, a slidable radiation board which is detachable is attached/detached to directly emit heat to the atmosphere through the radiation plate and the radiation board to the atmosphere, thereby improving a radiation effect and to implement a standard platform of the radiation structure and implement an optimal radiation structure through a slidable radiation board and a manufacturing method thereof.

In general, an electronic control apparatus such as an ECU, which electronically controls various types of devices, is equipped in a vehicle. The electronic control apparatus receives information from sensors or switches that are installed at each part of the vehicle. The electronic control apparatus serves to perform various electronic controls for promoting improvement of a riding quality and safety of the vehicle or providing various items of convenience to a driver and a passenger by processing the received information.
For example, the electronic control apparatus such as the ECU, which controls states of an engine, an automatic transmission, an anti-lock brake system (ABS), and the like in the vehicle using a computer, also serves to control all parts in the vehicle, such as a driving system, a braking system, and a steering system as well as the automatic transmission as the vehicle and the computer have been developed in terms of performance.
The electronic control apparatus such as the ECU has a structure that includes a case which includes an upper cover and a lower base, a printed circuit board (PCB) which is accommodated in the case, a connector which is coupled to a front end of the PCB so as to be connected to an external socket, and the like.
The cover and the base are assembled together with the PCB while covering the PCB, and particularly, the connector, which is interposed between the cover and the base when the cover and the base are assembled, forms a sealing structure with the cover side and the base side.
The electronic control apparatus includes a high integrated control circuit means and thus requires a predetermined sealing structure that may prevent external moisture or foreign substances from flowing into the electronic control apparatus, and the electronic control apparatus mainly adopts a sealing structure in which the cover and the base are typically assembled together with the connector in a state in which sealing materials are inserted on binding parts between the cover and the base and the connector so as to protect the PCB and the like in the electronic control apparatus.
In the meantime, in the electronic control apparatus, heating elements are provided on a top side of the PCB, and a heat radiation paste is attached onto a bottom side of the PCB. The cover and the base are fastened by a screw. Here, the structure coupled by the screw method may become loose, and external contaminants or moisture may flow into the structure. In the electronic control apparatus in the related art, heat generated from the electronic components is discharged to the cover surrounding the PCB. To this end, the cover may include a part which may discharge heat. However, heat generated from the electronic components of the PCB is not directly discharged to the outside through the base made of a metal material, so that heat radiation performance may deteriorate.

Electronic control apparatus for vehicle using radiation board and manufacturing method thereof


A rotatable sharpening device which includes a mounting shaft, and a sharpening head integral with the mounting shaft and having a disc-like sharpening face distal from and co-axial with the mounting shaft. The sharpening head is substantially in the form of a shallow frusto-cone having a base coated with fine particles of diamond to constitute the sharpening face, and having a chamfered rim portion adjacent the sharpening face. The upper surface of the sharpening head is shaped to allow lubricating fluid to lubricate a workpiece by flowing along the upper surface to the edge of the sharpening face.

The diamond coating of sharpening and cutting tools is known. These tools include saw blades for cutting masonry, files of many sizes and shapes used in pattern-making and machining, and honing stones which can vary in size from small pocket size for sharpening points on articles such as fish hooks to much larger honing stones for honing planer blades etc. Known sharpening tools may be made of plastic with the diamond rolled into the surface. Other sharpening tools have the diamond surface formed on an alloy base which is usually relatively thin and mounted onto a timber block for support. These known sharpening tools lack the strength and rigidity necessary for accurate grinding operations. It is sometimes necessary for tools such as drill and router bits to be reshaped by a grinding operation prior to being edge-sharpened by honing. Known sharpening tools are mostly ineffective for both grinding and honing.
Some router bits have concave cutting faces and are difficult to sharpen with a flat or straight edged stone which cannot reach into the concavity of the cutting face. Furthermore known sharpening tools are mostly inadequate for sharpening the bottom or plunging edge of a router cutter.
My Australian application no. 55928/90 addresses these problems and provides a sharpening device having an elongated mounting shaft and a disk-like sharpening head integral therewith at one end thereof, the distal surface of the sharpening head being coated with a fine layer of diamond particles to form a sharpening face. The tool is effective in overcoming many of the disadvantages outlined above but still has a number of disadvantages.
In particular, it has been found that when grinding with the sharpening device held in a drill positioned downwardly, it is difficult to ensure that lubricating fluid lubricates the workpiece which is obscured by the sharpening head. In use, as the sharpening device rotates, the lubricating fluid is spun outwardly over the substantially horizontal upper surface of the disc-like sharpening head and is flung off at the unction of the upper surface and the edge of the sharpening head. Furthermore because the edge portion of the disc-like sharpening head is relatively thick, the sharpening face is unable to enter a surface having a low or angled overhang and accordingly router bits having such surfaces cannot be effectively sharpened with the sharpening device of 55928/90.
The present invention aims to alleviate the above disadvantages and to provide a support assembly which will be reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.


A filter element has a filter body having a longitudinal axis and a concentric shape relative to the longitudinal axis. The filter body has a first end face and a second opposite end face. A first end disk is arranged at the first end face. A second end disk is arranged at the second end face. A support tube concentric to the longitudinal axis extends between the first and second end disks. At least one of the first and second end disks has support knobs arranged in a circular arrangement about the longitudinal axis and extending in axial direction outwardly. The support knobs, when the filter element is mounted in a housing that receives the filter element, rest against an inner cover contour of the housing and fold over in radial direction outwardly so as to be supported axially and radially on the housing.

The invention concerns a filter element, in particular for use as an air filter of an internal combustion engine, as well as a filter system for installing such a filter element.
WO 2009/047196 A1 discloses a filter element in which it is ensured, by configuration of the seals of the filter element with two annular bead-shaped arrangements and a sealing groove positioned in between, that a sealing action, on the one hand, and an axial support of the filter element in a housing, on the other hand, can be achieved. Particularly when using plastic material for sealing on vibration-exposed elements, a design is required that works reliably even under extreme temperature fluctuations.
Furthermore, WO 2009/047196 A1 discloses a filter system with a filter element. This filter system serves in particular for filtration of the intake air of an internal combustion engine and is comprised of a housing and a cover for receiving the filter element. The filter system is provided with two annular grooves which communicate in the area of the sealing action with the sealing contours of the filter element.
Usually, the filter elements of air filters are exchanged after a certain operating time. Depending on the dust load, the service life of an air filter can be a few days (construction machinery) up to several months.
In particular in case of frequent exchange of filter elements, a reliable sealing action of the filter element in a housing is important for reliable operation. The sealing action should be temperature-resistant and vibration-resistant. Also, in devices or facilities that are exposed to strong vibrations or impacts, the sealing action of the filter element must be ensured. At the same time, the filter element itself should contain no metallic elements so that it can be thermally disposed of without problems.
One object of the invention is to provide a filter element with a reliable sealing action between the area of the unfiltered medium and the area of the filtered medium wherein the filter element, in particular in case of frequent exchange of the filter element, ensures a reliable installation in a housing.
A further object of the invention is to provide a filter system for receiving such an exchangeable filter element that provides a reliable sealing action and reliable installation.


Aspects of the present invention are related, in general, to Type-III phase-locked loops. In particular, aspects of the present invention relate to analog Type-III phase-locked loop arrangements comprising at least two signal paths, wherein each signal path may correspond to a bandwidth partition and may be selected by a selector according to a bandwidth parameter value. According to one aspect of the present invention, a first signal path may correspond to a fast loop (wide closed-loop bandwidth), and a second signal path may correspond to a slow loop (narrow closed-loop bandwidth).

A phase-locked loop (PLL) is a linear control system that operates by producing an oscillator frequency and phase to match those of a reference input signal. In the locked state, any change in the reference input signal first appears as a change in phase between the reference input signal and the oscillator frequency. This phase shift functions as an error signal to change the phase and frequency of the PLL oscillator. Phase-locked loops may be used in a wide range of applications and may realize a variety of functions. Exemplary functions for which PLLs may be used to accomplish include clock extraction, clock recovery, clock synchronization, carrier recovery, tracking filters, frequency synthesis, frequency and phase demodulation, phase modulation and numerous other functions.
A basic PLL may comprise a phase detector (PD), a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), a feedback interconnection and a loop filter. The phase detector is typically a non-linear device that, over a limited range, creates a linear output signal that corresponds to the phase difference between two periodic input signals: a reference signal and a feedback signal provided by a feedback interconnection. The voltage-controlled oscillator produces a periodic signal whose frequency is controlled by an input voltage with preferably a linear transfer function of voltage to frequency. Since frequency as function of time is the time-rate-of-change (time-derivative) of phase as a function of time, the phase of the VCO periodic output signal relative to a reference phase will be proportional to the time-integral of the input voltage. The constant of proportionality is the VCO gain with units of, for example, radians/volt-sec. In other words, the VCO accumulates phase (radians) proportional to the area (volts times seconds) under the voltage versus time input. Therefore, a PLL that contains a VCO rather than a simple phase modulator has at least one integrator in the control loop due to the VCO.
While the loop filter may be omitted, it is typically required in order for the PLL to function properly. In particular, it is needed when more than one integrator is used in the loop.
Two terms, type and order, may be used to describe a PLL. The type of a PLL system refers to the number of poles of the open-loop transfer function that are located at the origin. This also corresponds to the number of true integrators within the feedback loop. The order of a PLL system refers to the highest degree of the polynomial expression referred to as the characteristic equation.
In some applications, a Type-II phase-locked loop may be advantageous since the two integrators requisite for a Type-II classification effectuate removal of the static phase error for any frequency-offset. A Type-III phase-locked loop additionally removes any phase error for an input signal that is linearly changing with frequency over time.
In some applications, a Type-III phase-locked loop may be required to meet design and measurement specifications. In an exemplary application described in IEEE Standard 1521-20031, "IEEE Trial-Use Standard for Measurement of Video Jitter and Wander," which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, a Type-III feedback control phase-locked loop is suggested for measuring jitter using an extracted clock to trigger an oscilloscope. In this application, at least one analog VCO is desired to provide the periodic signal to trigger the oscilloscope. Two phase-locked loops, one of Type-II and the other of Type-I, may be cascaded to provide the requisite Type-III response in the cited standard but this is expensive so a single PLL is preferred. The PLL may be a hybrid of analog and digital signal processing using DAC and/or ADC converters, but would have an output from the VCO to provide oscilloscope trigger with a Type-III phase tracking response.
A single, analog Type-III PLL is preferable over the higher cost and power consumption of the analog/digital hybrid or two cascaded phase-locked loops. However, Type-III phase-locked loops are often described in the literature as inherently unstable or impossible to realize. In fact, while the IEEE Standard 1521-20031 suggests the Type-III phase-locked loop for measuring jitter using an extracted clock to trigger an oscilloscope, this document does not describe or teach an analog, or hybrid digital/analog, Type-III phase-locked loop design, nor does it teach the use of the cascade of two phase-locked loops.
Other design specifications and standards (for example, SMPTE RP 192-2003, "PROPOSED SMPTE RECOMMENDED PRACTICE Jitter Measurement Procedures in Bit-Serial Digital Interfaces") also expect a Type-III phase-locked loop response. However these documents neither teach nor enable the Type-III phase-locked loop. In fact, many of the references specifically state the difficulty, often state the impossibility, of realizing a single, stable, analog Type-III phase-locked loop. Typically these references further suggest less difficult to implement alternatives to the preferred Type-III loop, for example, a Type-II phase-locked loop.
A single, stable, realizable, analog Type-III phase-locked loop is desirable.


A plasma processing apparatus has a process chamber and a pair of electrodes provided in the process chamber to oppose each other. An RF power supply outputs an RF power to be supplied to at least one of the pair of electrodes in the process chamber. A power detector detects an actual RF power to be applied to one of the electrodes in the process chamber. A controller controls the RF power output from the RF power supply to a predetermined value in accordance with the actual RF power detected by the power detector.

Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a plasma processing apparatus and, more particularly, to a plasma processing apparatus, e.g., a plasma etching apparatus, for detecting an actual high-frequency (RF) power applied to an electrode in a process chamber and regulating the RF power to a predetermined value.

Plasma processing apparatus capable of detecting and regulating actual RF power at electrode within chamber


A digital video mixer apparatus is designed for inputting a video signal representative of a picture from a plurality of input channels, then processing the video signal to apply a visual effect to the picture, and outputting the processed video signal to an output channel. In the apparatus, a parameter value setting section includes a plurality of operators manually operable to set a plurality of parameter values used for applying a desired visual effect to the picture. A sequence control section sequentially feeds the parameter values in accordance with time progress of processing the video signal in order to vary with time the visual effect applied to the picture. A video signal processing section processes the video signal inputted from at least one of the input channels according to either of the parameter values set by the operators or the parameter values fed from the sequence control section.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying visual effects to video signals, and a program for visual effect application. In particular, the present invention pertains to a video mixer apparatus for mixing video signals of multiple channels while applying a visual effect to each of the video signals to output a mixed video signal.
2. Prior Art
A video mixer apparatus mixes video signals of multiple input channels specified by a human operator of the video mixer apparatus to output a mixed video signal in real time. Upon this operation, the video mixer apparatus selects input channels, sets a mixing ratio among video signals of the multiple input channels, and sets a visual effect to be applied to each of the video signals of the respective input channels.
At the time of switching between input channels, the human operator may want to gradually change scenes from the preceding picture to the succeeding picture. A gradual change in brightness from the previous picture screen to the next picture screen is called a "crossfade."
Such a gradual change may be made not only at the time of changing screens, but also anytime the human operator wants to vary a visual effect with time.
To obtain such a visual effect, the human operator of the video mixer apparatus manually adjusts controls or operators. However, since simultaneous operation of multiple operators is an error-prone operation, some skill is required to manipulate the operators. Further, since the operators are operated manually, it is difficult to repeat the same operation of the operators.
Especially when video signals inputted in real time need to be outputted in real time, quick manipulation of the controls is required and this makes it very difficult to make a sudden change in visual effect.
As is known in the art, for example, as disclosed in the following patent document 1, a video mixer apparatus having a function for recording and reproducing scene data is also known. The conventional video mixer apparatus can record setting states of multiple operators, which are set at certain timing on an operation panel in a memory device as a set of scene data, so that the setting states of the multiple operators on the operation panel at the recording time can be read out from the memory device at any later time to reproduce by a single operation the setting states of the multiple operators.
The above-mentioned scene data recording and reproducing function can be used to change visual effects automatically.
However, since the scene data is handled as a single unit, the current set of operational states is changed as a whole promptly at the time of switching, or over a certain period of time.
In other words, it does not allow for recording and reproducing a gradual change in visual effect in a period of transition during which the visual effect gradually varies.
The above mentioned patent document 1 is Japanese patent unexamined publication No. 2002-262179. The United States patent application corresponding to Japanese patent unexamined publication No. 2002-262179 is laid open as US-2002-0118302-A1.

Multi-channel video mixer for applying visual effects to video signals


An optical film comprising an optical base film having one surface or both surface thereof multilayers of pressure-sensitive adhesive layers, wherein the multilayers comprise a combination of pressure-sensitive adhesive layers each having a different stress relaxation time, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having the longest stress relaxation time is disposed at the outermost side, and the thickness thereof is 80% or less of the total thickness of the pressure-sensitive layers. The optical film is excellent in heat resistance and moisture resistance, is not difficult to cause foaming and pealing at the interface between a liquid crystal cell and the film even in using at high temperature and high moisture atmosphere, and is suitable for providing a liquid crystal display.

Hitherto, an optical film for liquid crystal display (LCD), which is formed by forming various pressure-sensitive adhesive layers such as an acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on an optical base film for attaching to a liquid crystal cell, such as a polarizing film, a retardation film, or an elliptically polarizing film formed by laminating these films, has been proposed. Such an optical film is formed by previously forming a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer for attaching to a liquid crystal cell on an optical base film for the purpose of improving the efficiency of LCD assembling and preventing the occurrence of dispersion of quality.
In the optical films for LCD described above, with the increase of the wide use of LCD in various fields as electronic watches, televisions, equipments for loading in cars, etc., and in particular, with the recent increase of the performance and the size of LCD, it has been required that the optical films have the characteristics such as the improved heat resistance and moisture resistance in the state of being mounted on LCD, that is, the characteristics of not causing foaming and peeling even in using in a high-temperature and high-humidity atmosphere such as a heating and moistening treatment, etc.
However, conventional optical films have problems in that these films are poor in heat resistance and moisture resistance, and when they are used in a high-temperature and high-humidity atmosphere, foaming and peeling occur at, for example, the interface between a liquid crystal cell and the optical film to decrease a visual recognition property of the display.


This invention relates to methods and compositions for coupling nucleic acid to a functionalized surface or support. In particular, the present invention provides an improved process for coupling aminated nucleic acid to a support functionalized with carboxylic acid groups, wherein the coupling reaction is conducted in the presence of an organic solvent. The invention further relates to compositions and kits for performing the coupling reaction and uses of nucleic acid-loaded supports for various applications.

Nucleic acid(s) may be immobilized on solid supports for various applications including on-support chemical or enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis, sequencing reactions, affinity chromatography for purifying substances, or hybridization assays used in in vitro diagnostics to identify and quantify very small amounts of targets. Immobilized nucleic acids are frequently used to specifically isolate target ligands from complex mixtures or biological samples where the nucleic acids are designed to selectively hybridize to the desired target molecule.
Various types of materials suitable for immobilizing nucleic acid are known in the art including nylon, nitrocellulose, activated agarose, diazotized cellulose, latex particles, plastic, polystyrene, glass and polymer coated surfaces. These materials are used in many formats such as membranes, plates, slides, chip, resin, beads, probes, microtiter plates, dipsticks etc. A wide variety of chemical modifications are available for covalent coupling of nucleic acids (either directly or through a linker) to these carriers which are often referred to as (solid) support. To allow binding of the nucleic acid molecule, the support is typically functionalized to expose nucleophilic groups that react with a reactive group on the nucleic acid. Alternatively, a reactive group is introduced into the support to react with a nucleophile present in the nucleic acid. Suitable groups or moieties include hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, amino and activated carboxylic acid groups, while the groups capable of reacting with these include dichlorotriazinyl, alkylepoxy, maleimido, bromoacetyl groups and others. Strategies for coupling nucleic acids to different types of functionalized solid supports are described e.g. in Gosh and Musso (Nuc. Acid Res., 15(13), 5353-5372, 1987) or Devor et al. ("Strategies for Attaching Oligonucleotides to Solid Supports", Integrated DNA Technologies, 2005). Dependent on the presence of either a reactive or nucleophilic group on the solid support and the nucleic acid molecule, coupling can either be performed directly or with bifunctional reagents or cross-linkers. Bifunctional and coupling reagents are well known in the art and are available from commercial sources such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Sigma-Aldrich, ProteoChem etc.
One widely used type of surface chemistry for attachment of nucleic acid to a solid support is carboxylic acid functional groups. Surfaces with carboxylic acid functional groups may in general be provided by treating the uncoated surface (e.g. uncoated polymer particles) with a polymer or copolymer of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid carrying such carboxylic acid groups. For example, solution copolymerisation with methacrylic acid yields a polymeric coating carrying terminal carboxyl groups. To allow covalent coupling to a carboxylic acid coated surface, the nucleic acid is typically modified with a functional reactive group. For example, the nucleic acid may be provided with a primary amino group at its 5′ or 3′ end to allow coupling of the aminated molecule with an activated carboxylate surface (e.g. using carbodiimide chemistry), which results in a covalent carbonyl amide linkage. Alternatively, the nucleic acid may be provided in thiol-modified form and may be covalently linked to a maleimide-modified surface via an alkylating agent.
Many applications strive for a highly efficient coupling process to allow for quantitative loading of nucleic acids onto a given support, which facilitates the predictability of coupling yields and thus, the reliability of coupling reactions. However, the coupling efficiency achieved by methods known in the art is limited when standard procedures are used to couple aminated nucleic acids to carboxylic acid functionalized support in aqueous buffer (for example by using carbodiimide chemistry to activate the carboxylic acid groups). The low coupling efficiency is often compensated for by providing increased amounts of nucleic acid to obtain adequate yields of immobilized nucleic acid. Another frequently observed disadvantage of standard coupling procedures is the high rate of non-specific coupling events via internal secondary amine groups of the nucleic acids or unfavorable hybridization kinetics of the immobilized oligonucleotide, both of which may lead to a high background in various assays.
Thus, there is a general desire to develop methods with improved coupling efficiency that result in high and predictable yields of surface-bound nucleic acid without the need to increase the amount of nucleic acid molecules added to the coupling reaction.
One object of the current invention is therefore to provide compositions and methods that allow for coupling of nucleic acid to a solid support at higher efficiency. A further object of the invention is to provide compositions and methods that reduce the amount of nucleic acid required to achieve a desired coupling yield. Another object of the invention is to provide compositions and methods that reduce the non-specific coupling of nucleic acid molecules to a solid support.

Methods and compositions for coupling nucleic acid to a functionalized support


An instruction decode mechanism enables an instruction to control data flow bypassing hardware within a pipelined processor of a programmable processing engine. The control mechanism is defined by an instruction set of the processor as a unique register decode value that specifies either source operand bypassing (via a source bypass operand) or result bypassing (via a result bypass operand) from a previous instruction executing in pipeline stages of the processor. The source bypass operand allows source operand data to be shared among the parallel execution units of the pipelined processor, whereas the result bypass operand explicitly controls data flow within a pipeline of the processor through the use of result bypassing hardware of the processor. The instruction decode control mechanism essentially allows an instruction to directly identify a pipeline stage register for use as its source operand.

Computer architecture generally defines the functional operation, including the flow of information and control, among individual hardware units of a computer. One such hardware unit is the processor or processing engine which contains arithmetic and logic processing circuits organized as a set of data paths. In some implementations, the data path circuits may be configured as a processor having a register file of general-purpose registers (GPRs) for use with operations that are defined by a set of instructions. The instructions are typically stored in an instruction memory and specify a set of hardware functions that are available on the processor. When implementing these functions, the processor generally processes "transient" data residing in a memory in accordance with the instructions.
A high-performance processing engine configured for use in, e.g., an intermediate network device may be realized by using a number of identical processors to perform certain tasks in parallel. In order to increase instruction throughput, the processors of the high performance engine may employ a technique called pipelining. A pipelined processor has a pipeline containing a number of processing stages, such as an instruction fetch (IF) stage, an instruction decode (ID) stage, an execution (EX) stage and a writeback (WB) stage. These stages are generally arranged so that a new instruction is stored in an input register of each stage as the result calculated in that stage is stored in an input register of a subsequent stage. Accordingly, there may be a number of instructions active in the processor pipeline at any one time.
For example, consider the following instruction sequence utilizing various GPRs of the processor:
(i1) add R3←R1, R2
(i2) add R5←R3, R4
Execution of instruction i1 results in register R3 storing the contents of R1+R2, while execution of instruction i2 results in R5 storing the contents of R3+R4. Assume i1 enters the pipeline at the IF stage in cycle 1 and proceeds to the ID stage at cycle 2 as i2 enters the pipeline at the IF stage. During the ID stage, operand values are fetched from the register file of the processor. That is during the ID stage of i1, the values of the registers R1 and R2 are fetched from the register file and are loaded into input registers of the EX stage at the end of the IF stage cycle.
In cycle 3, i2 reaches the ID stage and expects to load its operands from registers R3 and R4. However, i1 has only reached the EX stage and will not complete the WB stage until the end of cycle 4. Accordingly, the correct operand for i2 will not be loaded into register R3 until cycle 4 has completed. This is an example of data dependency between instructions executing in parallel in the pipeline. Here, the data dependency exists between the destination operand of i1 and the source operand of i2; in other words, i2 depends on a result produced by the preceding instruction i1 and cannot proceed until that result (stored in R3) is available.
Commercially available pipeline processors employ operand bypassing to improve processing time for sequences of instructions that have data dependencies. Operand bypassing is a technique whereby an operation result may be used without waiting for that result to flow through all of the stages of a pipelined processor. An implemention of operand bypassing involves the use of a conventional control mechanism that employs a GPR operand comparison approach to identify the data dependency during the ID stage. For example the comparison may be used to determine a data dependency between the instructions i1 and i2 for register R3. Once the dependency is identified, the control mechanism provides the result of i1 from the EX stage directly back to an input register of that stage, thereby bypassing the WB stage of the pipeline.
Where the data dependency is based solely on GPR registers, that dependency may be identified through use of a conventional scoreboarding technique that keeps track of the registers used by instructions propagating through the pipeline. The technique utilizes a scoreboard data structure having a plurality of bits associated with the GPRs; these bits are asserted when instructions utilizing the registers are dispatched into the pipeline. For example, the scoreboard technique marks register R3 as "not available" and the control mechanism suspends execution of i2 until R3 is available. Here, the conventional control mechanism "implicitly" specifies bypass conditions through instruction decode.
However, a problem arises with a processor architecture that also enables operands to address data from memory via a memory bus. Application of the conventional scoreboarding technique to memory addresses is rather cumbersome because of the additional "overhead" (logic) needed to realize the dependency function across an entire memory address space (e.g., a 32-bit address space). The present invention is directed to a technique that solves this problem. Specifically, the invention is directed to a pipeline stage addressing technique that obviates the need for a scoreboard data structure in the processor. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a technique for explicitly specifying bypass conditions in a manner that is efficient from a logic implementation and that reduces penalties from a microcode perspective.

Selected register decode values for pipeline stage register addressing


The current document is directed to efficient, distributed-search methods and subsystems within distributed computer systems, including computer systems distributed over multiple sets of geographically distributed data centers, each comprising multiple discrete computer systems, such as multi-processor servers. In one implementation, the distributed-search methods and subsystems are implemented locally within participating entities as well as within one or more distributed-search engines. Each search is directed, by a participant, to identify attribute-associated entities within, provided by, connected to, or otherwise accessible to a distributed computing system having attribute values specified or indicated by the search query. Certain attribute values are continuously collected and centrally stored by the one or more centralized distributed-search engines while other attribute values are obtained through information requests distributed among participating entities.

Computer systems and computational technologies have steadily evolved, during the past 70 years, from initial vacuum-tube-based systems that lacked operating systems, compilers, network connectivity, and most other common features of modern computing systems to vast distributed computing systems that today provide computational resources to hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, or more users from large numbers of multi-processor servers, data-storage appliances, and multiple layers of internal communications networks within data centers interconnected by various types of wide-area networks. As hardware, operating systems, and virtualization layers were developed and refined, over the years, in parallel to the advancements in computer hardware and networking, the robust execution environments provided by distributed operating systems and virtualization layers have provided a foundation for development and evolution of many different types of distributed application programs, including distributed database-management systems, distributed client-server applications, and distributed web-based service-provision applications. This has resulted in a geometric increase in the complexity of distributed computer systems, as a result of which owners, administrators, and users of distributed computer systems and consumers of computational resources provided by distributed computing systems increasingly rely on automated and semi-automated management and computational-resource-distribution subsystems to organize the activities of many users and computational-resource consumers and to control access to, and use of, computational resources within distributed computer systems. Many management subsystems are increasingly burdened with collecting various types of information from a wide variety of different types of entities within distributed computing systems, identifying particular entities, groups of entities, or classes of entities having certain characteristics and attributes, and using the identified entities, groups of entities, or classes of entities in myriad different management and computational-resource-distribution tasks and operations. In very large distributed computing systems, the continuous collection and processing of various types of information from thousands, tens of thousands, or more distributed-computing-system entities may represent significant computational-resource overheads and involve significant temporal overheads with respect to the large variety of management and computational-resource-distribution tasks and operations. Equivalent problems and challenges arise in distributed database-management systems, web-based client-server applications, including social-network applications, and in many additional systems. Therefore, owners, administrators, and users of distributed computing systems as well as consumers of computational resources and services provided by distributed computing systems seek efficient methods and subsystems for identifying particular entities, groups of entities, or classes of entities characterized by particular attribute values and contained within, provided by, connected to, or otherwise accessible to large distributed computing systems as a basis for the large variety of management, information acquisition and distribution, and computational-resource-distribution tasks and operations.

Efficient, automated distributed-search methods and systems


A battery unit is provided which includes a battery and a storage case in which the battery is mounted. The storage case is made up of a base, a cover, and an intermediate case. The cover is jointed to the base with an interspace therebetween. The intermediate case is disposed between the cover and the base and has a peripheral wall which occupies the interspace. The intermediate case is lower in stiffness than the cover and the base, thereby realizing a lightweight structure of the storage case without sacrificing the mechanical strength thereof.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a battery unit which includes a storage battery disposed in a storage case mounted in vehicles such as automobiles.
2. Background Art
Battery units are known which include a storage battery (also called an assembled battery module) equipped with a plurality of electrochemical cells and disposed in a storage case in the form of a battery pack mounted in vehicles such as automobiles. This type of battery units are concerned about being stepped by people at places of installation thereof and thus shaped to improve the mechanical strength thereof. For instance, in the case where the battery unit is mounted in an automotive vehicle, it may be located in a passenger compartment because it is desirable to place the battery unit away from hot environments in terms of characteristics thereof. It is, however, concerned that the battery unit is stepped in error by occupants in the passenger compartment or the occupants mistakenly drop things on the battery unit, thus requiring the battery unit to have a mechanical strength great enough to withstand the external force.
For instance, Japanese Patent First Publication No. 2006-339031 teaches a battery pack which includes a storage battery equipped with a stack of electrochemical cells each covered with laminate films (which will also be referred to as laminated cells or laminated-type cells below). The battery pack also includes a storage case, a cover, and clampers. The storage case has the storage battery installed therein. The storage case has an open end closed by the cover. The cover is pressed by the clamper to hold the storage battery under pressure within the storage case. The storage case is made of metal such as aluminum material which is shaped to have a thickness achieving a desired mechanical strength.
Generally, the stiffness or rigidity of the whole of the storage case is enhanced in order to increase the mechanical strength against the external force. This, however, results in an increased in weight of the battery unit, which is inconvenient for installation thereof in the automotive vehicles.

Lightweight and rigid structure of battery unit


A method for analyzing gas dissolved within a fluid filled asset includes extracting the fluid from the fluid filled asset, circulating the fluid though a first fluid loop, and passing the extracted fluid along a first side of a gas permeable membrane. Gas is extracted from a second side of the gas permeable membrane and the extracted gas is circulated through a second fluid loop. The first fluid loop and the second fluid loop are separated by the gas permeable membrane. The method further includes controlling a pressure differential across the gas permeable membrane to a predetermined pressure differential and providing the extracted gas to a gas analysis unit located within the second fluid loop. The chemical makeup of the extracted gas is periodically determined using the gas analysis unit.

It is widely accepted that a cost effective, dedicated online gas monitoring can provide early diagnostics for transformer failures and enable utilities to a move to condition based asset management programs. Current online DGA technologies are often cost-prohibitive to address a wide fleet of load tap changers ("LTCs") and transformers. As a result, unexpected failures due to LTC condition and transformer faults still occur that result in expensive outages and power delivery interruption. Accordingly, the demand for real-time, low-cost online DGA monitors is increasing for the aging utility infrastructure.
Fault conditions in power transformers and LTCs cause the breakdown of the insulating oil and paper inside the power transformer or LTC. The breakdown creates gases in the insulating oil. The dissolved gases in the oil are indicative of the fault. So the goal is to measure the dissolved gases in the oil and use their levels to indicate the health of the power transformer or LTC. In order to measure the dissolved gases in the oil of a power transformer or LTC, the gases must be separated from the oil.

System and method for monitoring asset health by dissolved gas measurement


A system for manufacturing noodle casings includes a take-out device disposed between two conveyers. One of the conveyers serves to transfer a noodle sheet that has been punched to form noodle casings. The other of the conveyers serves to transfer a remaining noodle sheet. The take-out device is operable between a first position at the transfer level of the conveyers and a second position for permitting the noodle casings to fall onto another conveyer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for manufacturing noodle casings that are used for jiao-zis, won-tons, spring rolls and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in order to manufacture noodle casings, water that contains additives (such as salt and oil) is added to and mixed with wheat flour or the like. The mixture is then stirred to form noodle dough. The dough is rolled until a noodle sheet having a predetermined thickness is obtained. The noodle sheet is placed on a conveyer and is folded (in a suitable time and a suitable length). The folded noodle sheet is then fed to a punching device having a punching die. The punching die includes a plurality of punching die parts each having a predetermined configuration corresponding to noodle casings to be obtained, so that a plurality of noodle casings can be formed by the punching die parts. The folded and punched noodle casings are then separated from the remaining portion of the folded noodle sheet. The noodle casings are thereafter transferred to a packaging machine, while the remaining portion is transferred to a recovering machine.
Conventionally, in order to separate the noodle casings from the remaining portion of the noodle sheet, a vertically movable conveyer is disposed below the punching die so as to vertically oppose to the punching die. After the noodle casings have been formed by punching the folded noodle sheet, the conveyer moves downward, so that the noodle casings moves downward together with the conveyer, while the remaining portion of the folded noodle sheet is held to be positioned at a transferring level. After the noodle casings have been moved downward, the remaining noodle sheet is transferred to the recovering machine. On the other hand, the noodle casings are transferred to the packaging machine by the conveyer. This conventional technique is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-330692.
However, in the conventional technique, the conveyer is moved downward together with the noodle casings after the noodle casings have been formed by the punching machine and the remaining portion of the folded noodle sheet is held in the transfer level. Therefore, a difficult adjustment is required between the timing of the vertical movement of the transfer conveyer and the timing of the punching operation by the punching die. Therefore, it is difficult to smoothly sequentially perform the operations for punching the folded noodle sheet to form the noodle casings, separating the noodle casings from the remaining portion of the folded noodle sheet, and transferring the noodle casings and the remaining portion to the next steps independently of each other.

Systems for manufacturing noodle casings


A centrifuge vessel (10) for performing automated immunoassays is disclosed. The centrifuge vessel (10) comprises a center tube (11) and an outer waste chamber (15). A biomaterial (18) is held within the center tube (11) and is capable of binding specific analytes in test samples. In operation, the centrifuge vessel (10) is rotated at high speed about its longitudinal axis, thereby causing all fluid within the center tube (11) to be transported into the outer waste chamber (15) while the analyte of interest remains bound to the biomaterial (18) positioned within the center tube (11).

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is generally related to a centrifuge vessel which is rotated at high speed about its longitudinal axis and, more particularly, to a centrifuge vessel which can be used to separate an analyte from a biological solution in an automated fashion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Centrifuges are well known commercial and laboratory tools that are used to separate materials of varying densities. Centrifuges are often used for clarifying liquids whereby suspended solids such as cells or proteins are sedimented from solution by high speed rotation of the centrifuge vessel. Two common types of centrifuges are the horizontal centrifuge and the fixed angle centrifuge.
In the conventional horizontal centrifuge, sample containers of the solution to be centrifuged are placed in holders called "buckets". These buckets are subsequently attached to a vertical rotor in a balanced arrangement and swung to a horizontal plane under centrifugal force. While being rotated at high speeds in the horizontal position, the denser particles in the sample move along an unimpeded path toward the bottom of the buckets to form a smooth, even "pellet" of sedimented material. The non-pelleted supernatant solution can be decanted from the bucket once centrifugation is halted.
In the conventional fixed angle centrifuge, a rotor holds a plurality of sample containers at fixed angles relative to the axis of rotation. In the same fashion as in the horizontal centrifuge, at least a pair of sample containers must be used in order to balance the rotor during high speed spinning. During high speed rotation of the fixed angle rotor, the denser particles in the sample containers pellet along the side wall of the container. Pelleting on the side wall does make decanting of the supernatant more difficult because of the possible resuspension of the pellet; however, there are certain advantages in using the fixed angle centrifuge. For example, in the fixed angle centrifuge there is a shorter path for sedimentation resulting in a shorter time for separation and, more importantly, higher speeds of rotation are achievable with fixed angle rotors because they are subjected to less air turbulence than the hanging bucket centrifuges. Higher rotation speeds allow greater centrifugal forces to act on the suspended solids.
As pointed out above, in both the horizontal and the fixed angle centrifuges, the rotor must be balanced accurately in order to prevent damage to the centrifuge. In order to properly balance the rotor, the lab technician must precisely weigh each centrifuge sample container using a balance and then position two sample containers of equal weight in the rotor on opposite sides. This balancing step is very tedious and often requires withdrawing and adding back sample to the sample container until it reaches the desired weight.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,242 to Babson, the complete disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, a vessel was described which allowed for the complete physical separation of a precipitate and supernatant in a single tube. In operation, a precipitating agent is first mixed with the biological specimen and given time to react with analyte therein. Then the tube is rotated about its longitudinal axis at high speed. During high speed rotation, the contents of the tube is forced against the inner wall of the tube and moves upward towards the top of the tube due to the tube's inclined inner surface. At the top of the tube, the precipitate is deposited within V-shaped grooves on the tube's interior. After rotation is stopped, the precipitate is retained in the V-shaped grooves at the top of the tube while the liquid drops back to the bottom of the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,242 to Babson also discloses a procedure for using the tube whereby a radioactively labelled antibody is bound in the bottom of the tube. The radioactively labelled antibody reacts with an analyte of interest in the biological fluid during a short incubation time during which the biological fluid is permitted to mingle with the bound antibody so that it may bind the analyte of interest. Then the tube is rotated at high speed, thereby causing the fluid in the tube to rise to the top while the analyte remains bound to the antibody in the bottom of the tube. The radioactivity in the bottom of the tube is counted while the tube is spinning.
While the tube disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,242 to Babson is more adaptable to an automated processing environment than conventional horizontal and fixed angle centrifuges because it does not require the batch step of balancing pairs of rotor tubes, the Babson tube is not suitable for some of today's processing environments. For example, in some environments it may not be desirable to have a precipitation step. Not only does precipitation require extra chemicals to be used and time for the precipitation reaction to take place, but in some environments precipitation may reduce yield or the precipitating agent itself may affect the measured results. In addition, it may be desirable to stop the tube from spinning and use other instrumentation to make radioactive, fluorescent, or other related readings.

Centrifuge vessel for automated solid-phase immunoassay having integral coaxial waste chamber


A command from a host is received via a port of a storage system. The port is assigned a current port revision identifier. The current port revision identifier of the port is associated with the command. Responsive to a status change associated with the port, an updated port revision identifier is assigned to the port to replace the current port revision identifier of the port and execution of the command is aborted responsive to determining that the current port revision identifier associated with the command is different than the updated port revision identifier of the port.

A storage device may include one or more memory components that store data. For example, a solid-state drive (SSD) may include memory devices such as non-volatile memory devices. The storage device may further include a storage device controller that may manage each of the memory devices and allocate data to be stored at the memory devices. A host system may utilize the storage device, and write data to and/or request data from the storage device. The storage device controller may be used to retrieve data from the corresponding memory devices and return the retrieved data to the host system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention relates to an apparatus and method for detecting the presence of an element of interest within an object. The object is positioned where a beam of gamma rays of the required energy are directed to be scattered by the element of interest. The gamma rays are provided by excited atoms of the element of interest. The excited atoms result from the reaction of hydrogen or heavier ions and a suitable target. The excited atoms deexcite, releasing gamma rays which are scattered by the element of interest within the object. The scattered gamma rays are detected, output signals are produced, processed and analyzed to determine the amount of the element of interest within the object. A preferred embodiment relates to the detection of nitrogen-based explosives in luggage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to an apparatus and method for scanning an object for an element of interest and especially for nitrogen in nitrogen-based explosives. More particularly, the invention is directed to an apparatus utilizing gamma-gamma resonance which causes gamma rays to be scattered by the element of interest that is detected and analyzed to provide a representation of the concentration of the element of interest contained within the object.
The subject apparatus and method finds further application in drug detection, body composition, industrial applications, substance detection, food analysis and medical applications including veterinary medicine.
This invention is further directed to a gamma ray detector utilizing a nuclear resonance fluorescence filtering element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The technique of nuclear resonance fluorescence has been employed for elemental and isotope analysis, both qualitative and quantitative. Particular applications include devices for well logging, borehole prospecting, on-stream analysis and the analysis of planet surfaces.
A significant threat to human life and property exists when an explosive device is concealed in luggage or parcels brought into buildings, aircraft, etc. As a result, there is a need by both the public and private sector of the country for a reliable technique for the detection of such explosive devices. As the threat of terrorist activities throughout the world, especially in airports, has increased, the demand for an efficient and practical device for scanning luggage to determine the presence of explosives has intensified.
It is well known that explosives may be detected by sensing the amount of nitrogen in the object being examined. One technique of detecting nitrogen is by the subject method of nuclear resonance fluorescence (nuclear resonance scattering).
U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,961 relates to a method of well logging by nuclear resonance fluorescence for the detection of a given nucleus, particularly carbon and oxygen. Nuclear reactions are described as a method of providing radiation wherein a bombarding nucleon from an accelerator is employed to produce an excited nucleus of the atoms being detected in a geological setting.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,726,838 relates to the use of the reaction between accelerated elementary charged particles and target means to provide a monoenergetic neutron source for bombarding the analyzed object, thereby inducing a radioactive response which is detected. The preferred reaction is the reaction of deuterons with tritium.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,294 relates to the use of nuclear fluorescence for elemental analysis. The use of an accelerator to provide bombarding particles for nuclear reactions to produce gamma rays is discussed wherein the inventor indicates that the Doppler broadening may be too great and, therefore, would not provide a good method for the production of gamma rays.

Nuclear resonances in activation analysis, and particularly, its application to detection of nitrogen based explosives in luggage


The invention relates to a learning-based method for loop avoidance in a packet switched communication network. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by configuring each communication device to maintain a table of unique identifiers, where the unique identifiers include Media Access Control (MAC) address, MAC and Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) address, Internet Protocol (IP) address or any other unique device identifier, receiving one or more data packet on one or more port of the device, checking the table for unique source identifier of the received data packet, determining whether the received data packet is received from the same port of the device as in the table against the corresponding entry, and updating learned time entry with current system clock time of the device and forwarding the data packet to the next communication device if the packet is received from the same port.

Loops in the active topology of bridged networks can lead to severe problems including unicast frame duplication, multicast frame multiplication, and address table nonconvergence. The inability to tolerate active loops is a fundamental limitation to the topology of bridged networks. Such loops must be eliminated to ensure proper network operation. Generically speaking, two approaches have been taken in the past to eliminate loops: manual and automatic configuration.
Manual configuration simply means to configure the passive topology of the network so as to avoid loops. However, it is not always possible or even desirable to manually configure a loop-free topology. Manual configuration of a loop-free topology is generally only acceptable for small networks. Additionally, even in small networks link redundancy may be necessary and therefore small networks may have loops.
Networks may be designed using a plurality of distinct topologies, that is the entities in the network may be coupled together in many different ways. Referring to FIGS. 1, there is shown an example of "ring" topology. A ring topology is a network configuration formed when "Layer 2" bridges are placed in a circular fashion with each node having two and only two ports belonging to a specific ring. FIG. 1 shows a single ring having nodes 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 connected by communication paths.
Ring topologies shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 present Layer 2 traffic looping problems. As illustrated in FIG. 1, in a single ring topology, data traffic can circulate around in either direction past their origination and thus create repetition of messages. For example, data traffic may originate in node 110, travel counter-clockwise in the ring, pass node 120, 130, 140, 150 and return to node 110; this is called a loop. Loops are highly undesirable because data frames may traverse the loops indefinitely. Furthermore, because switches and bridges replicate (i.e., flood) frames whose destination port is unknown or which are directed to broadcast or multicast addresses, the existence of loops may cause a proliferation of data frames that effectively overwhelms the network.
To prevent looping, one of the paths in the ring is blocked, as shown in FIG. 2, by blocking data traffic in one or more of the ring ports; in this case, port 208 is blocked. The port is deemed to be in a "blocking" state, in which it does not learn or forward incoming or outgoing traffic.
Automatic configuration eliminates loops in the active topology of the network by means of a special computer protocol. These protocols are called are management protocol which run over the switch algorithms and create only one active path at a time to avoid loops. One such example of a protocol used for eliminating loops in a network is a Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). The Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a Layer 2 protocol designed to run on bridges and switches. The spanning tree is a reduction of the layer 2 network mesh constructed such that packets may be forwarded across the network without any looping.
The STP specification is defined in IEEE 802.1D and RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol) is defined in IEEE 802.1w (incorporated into IEEE 802.1D-2004). The main objective of STP is to ensure non occurrence of a loop situation, when redundant paths exists in a network. This objective is achieved in two steps. Initially, STP disables network loops by allowing devices to interact with other STP compliant devices in the network to ensure that only one path exists between any two stations on the network. Subsequent to disabling network loops, STP establishes backup links between switches or bridges along the identified non redundant path in a network. Hence, in achieving the aforementioned objective by the STP, a data packet travelling through the network takes a longer path to reach its destination, inspite of an availability of a shorter path.
For the reasons stated above, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, there is a need in the art for a method and a system to avoid loops in the network in an active topology.

Method and system for loop avoidance in a communication network


Crosslinkable polymers containing organopolysiloxane, polyurea, and/or polyurethane moieties further contain at least one photopolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated group and a photoinitiator which allows crosslinking upon exposure to radiation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to radiation-crosslinkable organopolysiloxane-polyurea block copolymers, to processes for preparing them, and to their use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organopolysiloxane-polyurea block copolymers are known, and can be prepared, for example, from aminoalkyl-terminated siloxanes and diisocyanates.
The formation of hydrogen bonds between the urea groups allow such polymers to be thermoplastic elastomers; in other words, they are plastic above the softening point, while below it they have elastic properties. Hence they can be used, for example, as hotmelt adhesives. A disadvantage is that the adhesive bond is reversible by an increase in temperature beyond the softening point. Moreover, moldings or adhesive bonds produced from such polymers are subject to cold flow, because even below the softening point hydrogen bonds are able continually to separate and reattach, so that deformation and hence failure are real possibilities. Accordingly, use is limited to applications where no heightened temperatures and/or forces act on the thermoplastic elastomer.
One solution to the problem is to crosslink the individual polymer chains additionally with covalent bonds, i.e., thermally irreversible bonds. If, in production, the thermoplastic elastomers are crosslinked through the use, for example, of trifunctional units, the processing properties (e.g., melt viscosity) are adversely affected. Crosslinking after application is therefore more sensible. Light-curable elastomers are known and are described for example in DE-A 42 11 391. Photocurable liquid silicone compositions are described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,544. Light-sensitive thermoplastic compositions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,053,316.


An electronic component includes an electronic device and a container containing the electronic device. The container includes a base having a first region to which the electronic device is secured and a second region around the first region, a cover facing the electronic device across a space, and a frame secured to the second region to surround the space. The frame includes a first member and a second member having a thermal conductivity lower than those of the first member and the base. The first member has first and second portions on inner and outer edge sides of the frame, respectively, on both sides of an outer edge of the base. The second member is located between the cover and the first member. A shortest distance between the first member and the base is smaller than that between the first member and the cover.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for mounting an electronic device.
Description of the Related Art
With increased functionality of electronic devices such as image pickup devices in recent years, the amount of heat generated by the electronic devices has increased. Therefore, in an electronic component having a container (package) that contains an electronic device, the container is required to have high heat dissipation performance. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-245244 proposes an image pickup element package made of a material having good heat dissipation properties. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-176224 proposes a solid-state image pickup apparatus having a resin package and a metal or ceramic substrate, but does not discuss heat dissipation.
When a container is formed by combining a member generally having a high thermal conductivity, such as a metal or ceramic member, with a member generally having a low thermal conductivity, such as a resin member, the heat dissipation performance of the container may be degraded if the member having a low thermal conductivity is positioned in the heat dissipation path.
The present invention provides an electronic component capable of efficiently dissipating heat generated by an electronic device.

Electronic component, electronic apparatus, and method for manufacturing the electronic component


A module for a fluid circuit of a vehicle includes a unitary housing. The unitary housing of the module contains a fluid moving device, a fluid control device, and a power sharing connection. The power sharing device is configured to provide power to the fluid moving device and the fluid control device.

As known, many components are employed in vehicle heating and coolant systems such as pumps and valves providing flow to heat exchangers, engines, tanks, batteries, and other vehicle heating and cooling components. Additionally, mounting brackets, electrical connections and harnesses, and fluid hose connections begin to increase as the necessity for additional devices such as pumps and valves, for example, are employed in heating and cooling systems in a vehicle. The devices require electrical connections in order to provide power to the devices. However, as the requirement for more compact vehicle packaging and additional components persists, a complexity of assembly and maintenance is increased. With a more complex assembly and maintenance, costs are increased. Therefore, there is a desire to minimize complexity of the heating and cooling systems by consolidating components to maximize space.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a single unit module including a pump and a valve that facilitates a minimization of vehicle packaging space and process and maintenance complexity, wherein the module is capable of being easily electrically connectable to another module.

Stackable pump and valve coolant modules