A network monitoring system that summarizes a plurality of data packets of a session into a compact session record for storage and processing. Each session record may be produced in real-time and made available during the session and/or after the termination of the session. Depending on protocols, a network monitoring system extracts different sets of information, removes redundant information from the plurality of data packets, and adds performance information to produce the session record. The network monitoring system may retrieve and process a single session record or multiple session records for the same or different protocols to determine cause of events, resolve issues in a network or evaluate network performance or conditions. The session record enables analysis in the units of session instead of individual packets. Hence, the network monitoring system can analyze events, issues or performance of the network more efficiently and effectively.

Today's computer networks are extremely complex, with hundreds or more of applications, thousands or more of servers, hundreds or more of locations, hundreds of thousands of clients, and network traffic routed by numerous switches and routers on the computer networks. Network and application data collected from various parts of the network can provide insight into network conditions, but the enormous amount of data present a challenge for data storage, processing, and retrieval.
Many conventional network monitoring systems store data packets in storage devices on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis. These network monitoring systems store the data packets in the storage devices upon receipt. When operations such as analyzing network conditions or performance are called for, the data packets stored in the storage devices are retrieved and then analyzed. However, the network monitoring systems have limited storage capacity. Hence, the network monitoring systems can store data packets captured within a limited time frame. As data rate increases, the network monitoring systems can store data packets spanning over a shorter amount of time. The shorter retention of data packets may result in incomplete or inaccurate analysis. To store data packets for a longer time, the network monitoring systems must be equipped with more storage resources.
Moreover, various operations may involve extensive manual or automatic processing on the data packets. These operations may involve retrieval and analysis of a large number of data packets, which may take an extensive amount of time before the results of the operations are available. The extensive amount of time for retrieving and processing the data packets may result in belated responses or lost opportunity to detect and resolve issues. To obtain faster results of analysis, the network monitoring systems must be equipped with additional computation resources.

Real-time adaptive processing of network data packets for analysis


A microprocessor based controller with a JAVA virtual machine used to control a specific electric arc welder having a switching type power supply for creating a welding cycle with a real time current waveform constituting several control parameters by rapidly switching a D.C. current in a controlled fashion by a pulse width modulator, which controller displays a waveform generated on an electrically operated waveform screen; allowing manual adjustment of at least a portion of the waveform displayed on the waveform screen to generate a new waveform on the waveform screen; and, operating the pulse width modulator to cause the power supply to create a real time waveform corresponding to the new waveform to execute the control parameters by the electric arc welder.

Electric arc welding involves the movement of an electrode toward a workpiece while current is passed through the electrode and across an arc between the electrode and workpiece. Although some electric arc welders utilize a non-consumable electrode, most of the mass production arc welding involves an electrode which is consumed during the welding process whereby the electrode is melted by the arc and deposited on the workpiece. Thus, an arc welding process includes variable process characteristics, such as wire speed or electrode speed, gas composition, electrode diameter and workpiece metal. The actual electrical arc welding process at the production site takes into consideration these characteristics and involves a non-linear complex control system which determines the applicable metal transfer mode and the electrical parameters of the power supply performing the welding process. In order to achieve desirable results, a waveform is selected having several control parameters, which waveform is customized for the exact condition of each welding application. Thus, controlling arc welding has become an art which demands substantial knowledge and experience to select a waveform having several control parameters to produce an optimum welding process. A large number of controllers have been developed for use with electric arc welders that have real time current waveforms developed by welding engineers to optimize the welding process performed in the field. To accomplish this objective, a microprocessor based controller has been developed and is now used that allows an operator in the field to select one of many welding waveforms by merely using one of several overlays. This successful microprocessor based controller is illustrated in Blankenship U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,390 that is incorporated by reference herein. By using a known template for the controller, an operator selects a welding process having the desired control parameters especially developed for the process by a skilled welding engineer. This successful controller had a certain amount of adjustability in the field; however, such on-site adjustments were limited. Mass production use of arc welders has created a demand for the ability to conveniently adjust certain control parameters of the welding cycle in the field, especially when the welding process is continued over several hours as experienced when the electric arc welders are used for a robot application in industrial manufacturing procedures. Thus, there has been developed a need for a controller to be used with an electric arc welder, where the controller can process a desired waveform that is adjusted interactively at the manufacturing site.

Electric arc welder and controller therefor


The disclosure relates to a method, system and apparatus for extending Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology to conserve energy in multi-mode wireless devices. In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a device comprising a first module configured for radio communication at a non-BLE communication mode; a second module to communicate at a BLE communication mode; and a controller for controlling the first and the second communication modules, the controller configured to direct the BLE communication mode to at least one of advertise or scan for information relating to the non-BLE communication mode.

Field
The disclosure relates to a method, apparatus and system for Bluetooth-based general service discovery. Specifically, the disclosure relates to a method, system and apparatus for extending Bluetooth low energy technology to conserve energy in multi-mode wireless devices.
Description of Related Art
Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology provides connectivity between Bluetooth (BT) mobile devices and a variety of BT systems, including, cars, exercise devices, computers, tablets and the like. The BLE technology supports relatively low power consumption of the mobile device. For example, a BT mobile device may be a small sensor, a watch, or a Smartphone having a battery with limited power supply and the BLE technology may enable the BT mobile device to communicate with the variety of systems using a relatively low power consumption.
In all wireless devices an initial discovery process is used to identify networks and other devices capable of wireless communication. For example, a Wi-Fi network device may regularly transmit beacon signals which can be picked up and identified by other Wi-Fi devices enabling them to discover and join the Wi-Fi network.
Similarly, BLE devices continually transmit and scan for BLE advertising message in order to establish connectivity. For example, a first BT device (the BLE central device) and a second BT device (BLE peripheral device) may discover each other and establish a connection to enable data exchange. Compared to the conventional communication modes, BLE provides considerably reduced power consumption and lower cost while searching and discovering corresponding BLE devices.

Method and apparatus for bluetooth-based general service discovery


Methods and devices disclosed herein use techniques to resist glitch attacks when computing discrete-log based signatures. The methods and systems described herein replace the random nonce in conventional signature systems with a pseudorandom nonce derived in a deterministic way from some internal state information, such as a secret key or a counter, such that the nonce is not repeated. The methods and systems described herein may also use tests to verify that a glitch has not occurred or been introduced.

Systems that operate on sensitive data need to protect against unauthorized access to, or disclosure or alteration of, such data. Digital signatures can be used to attest to the integrity and authenticity of sensitive data. Tamper resistant cryptographic devices used to sign sensitive data may be used in environments where attackers can gain physical access to the device. Attackers who gain access to cryptographic keys and other secrets could generate counterfeit data, forge signatures or steal or otherwise tamper with the sensitive data, leading to severe consequences such as the subversion of critical operations of the system and exposure of confidential or proprietary information or expose unintended access to a physical resource.
In a "fault attack," an attacker deliberately attempts to modify some aspect of a device or its environment in the hopes of introducing an error or fault ("glitch") into an operation and gaining access to secret keys. Some non-transient fault attacks use a focused ion beam station to physically modify a device circuit. Transient faults are not intended to permanently modify the target device. Some of the best known transient fault injection techniques include introducing variations into a supply voltage, clock frequency, temperature, or blasting a circuit with a laser or other pulse of light.
Faults can have many effects. They can cause a step in a computation to be skipped. They can cause a step to be repeated. They can cause one operation to be substituted for another. They can modify a value in a memory or traversing a bus—for example, changing the address from which data or instructions are loaded. They can cause a value to be zeroed, or set to some other value. Such faults can lead to a cryptographic operation mixing a partially correct result with a partially corrupted state. Many faults are exploited by analyzing partially corrupted states.
Another type of attack depends on a transient fault that disrupts one type of computation but has no impact on another. For example, a certain physical glitch might kill operations of type "A", but have no impact if triggered during an operation of type "B". Observing which time locations are "safe", i.e. do not affect the result of the computation, allows an attacker to infer locations of the operations "B" which may in turn compromise the security.
Many countermeasures for preventing fault attacks have been developed. Some approaches are based on adding additional circuits to detect faults. Other approaches randomize the clock to make landing precisely-timed glitches harder. Duplicate circuits can perform a calculation twice; a fault in one circuit that leads to a difference in result may be detected. Software techniques involve performing additional verification steps, or implementing cryptographic algorithms to resist or detect faults. For example, one early countermeasure involved simply performing the calculation twice (perhaps using two different implementations) and confirming that the results are the same. Another approach is to perform a calculation such as decryption and then a corresponding inverse operation such as encryption and confirm that the output of the inverse operation is equal to the initial input before further processing the decryption result. Signature systems (including DSA) can check the signature result by performing a public key verification. This is particularly efficient for RSA, where checking the signature is much faster than calculating it (in contrast to DSA, where the public key verification is much slower than signing). This public key verification step confirms that the signature does indeed correspond to the message (or message hash) being signed. Notwithstanding, in a DSA system the public key verification step does nothing to prove that the nonce has not been reused or that it has not otherwise been tampered with.
Many countermeasures specific to RSA-CRT have been proposed, including some that expand some of the moduli used in the calculations in a way that allows a quick "sanity check" to be implemented using a few extra reductions. Still others attempt to implement cryptographic algorithms in a "fail safe" manner—i.e. where a faulty output is not helpful in recovering the secret key.
However, digital signature systems based on the discrete log problem (such as, for example ElGamal Signature Algorithm, Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA), and the elliptic-curve counterparts) are based on significantly different principles than RSA-CRT, and are subject to additional glitch attacks. For example, DSA signature systems use a random unique value (nonce) to secure each signature. The security of DSA requires that these nonce values remain secret, and never be reused. An attacker who collects n signatures can use them to construct n equations in (n+1) unknowns. If a nonce is reused or if a nonce's value becomes known then the system of n equations has only n unknowns, and the attacker can use standard algebraic methods to solve for the private key, d, also called the signing key. Fault attacks against devices employing these algorithms can succeed by introducing a "fault" or "glitch" in the operation of the device that causes a nonce value to be reused. Other fault or glitch attacks may cause a nonce to be forced to a known value, or an unknown value that is used multiple times. Still other fault or glitch attacks may cause one of the operations to be skipped during the modular exponentiation (or curve multiplication). Other faults may cause a multiplication or reduction not to take place in a later stage of the computation.
Because nonce values need to be unique for each message, confirming that a DSA signature corresponds to the message (hash) being signed does not prove that no compromising fault has taken place.

Methods and systems for glitch-resistant cryptographic signing


To provide a fiberboard capable of reducing a load on the environment at all states of producing, using, and abolishing and moreover having a high degree of bending strength and a high bending-strength retention rate at high temperature and high humidity so as to be usable for an automobile interior material or building material and a fiber-board producing method. The fiberboard is formed by mixing natural fiber with polylactic acid resin serving as a binder and has an apparent density of 0.2 g/cm3.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fiberboard used as an automobile interior material or building material and its producing method.
2. Detailed Description of the Prior Art
A fiberboard formed by hot-pressing a fiber-layered product obtained by mixing thermoplastic fiber with a fibrous material is used as an automobile interior material such as a door-trim base material, inner panel, pillar garnish, rear package, ceiling base material, shock absorber or acoustic material, or as a building material such as a wall material, floor material, shock absorber under-floor or heat insulator.
Moreover, a fiberboard made by mixing natural fiber with cellulose biodegradable plastic is disclosed (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-127117) as a fiberboard having biodegradability with a view to reduction of the environmental load, given the recent emergence of global environmental problems, on final disposal.
However, with the cellulose biodegradable plastic there exists a problem in that it requires much solvent, resulting in a considerable degree of influence on the environment, at the producing stage. This type of the solvent includes alkaline solvent used in a process for isolating cellulose from a plant, dimethylacetamide, dimethyl sulfoxide or N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide used for synthesizing cellulose derivative, and carbon disulfide or methylene chloride used for fibrosing the plasatic.
Though the cellulose biodegradable plastic is non-petroleum biodegradable plastic, much petroleum solvent is used in its manufacturing process. Therefore, it is a problem that the cellulose biodegradable plastic greatly influences the environment when all stages of producing, use, and final disposal of a fiberboard using the cellulose biodegradable plastic are considered.


Disclosed are an illumination apparatus for adjusting a color temperature and brightness, which can determine duties of pulse width modulation (PWM) control pulses for driving two light sources having different color temperatures, and an illumination system including the same. The illumination apparatus includes first and second light source units emitting light of different color temperatures, first and second pulse width modulation (PWM) driving units respectively driving the first and second light source units by a PWM control method, and a duty control unit controlling respective duties of PWM control pulses of the first and second PWM driving units according to a color-temperature set value and a brightness set value input from the outside. The duty control unit controls the duties such that the color-temperature set value is reflected in the respective duties of the PWM control pulses of the first and second PWM driving units in a complementary relation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an illumination apparatus and an illumination system, and more particularly, to an illumination apparatus for adjusting a color temperature and brightness, which can adjust a color temperature and brightness by determining a duty of a pulse width modulation (PWM) control pulse based on a color-temperature set value and a brightness set value, and an illumination system including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a related art illumination apparatus includes two light source units that emit white light having different color temperatures. The light source units may be driven under pulse width modulation (PWM) control. The duty control of the PWM control pulse is necessary for adjusting the color temperature and brightness of light emitted from the lighting apparatus.
In a related art illumination apparatus, the duty is adjusted by repetitively inputting a command for increasing/decreasing a duty of a PWM control pulse for driving each color light source by predetermined steps. For this reason, it is impossible to set a desired color temperature and brightness at a time and to adjust the brightness while maintaining the color temperature or adjust the color temperature while maintaining the brightness. Also, the related art illumination apparatus has the following limitations. If an error occurs in transmission of the command for increasing/decreasing the duty of the PWM control pulse for driving each color light source, a difference is caused between a duty input by a user and a duty being actually applied. In addition, it is almost impossible to correct this difference.

Illumination apparatus for adjusting color temperature and brightness and illumination system including the same


A system and method are provided for identifying underperformance in a pumping system used to produce a desired fluid. Various conditions are sensed during operation of the pumping system, and those sensed conditions are used to determine measured parameters that are provided with an associated confidence factor. The measured parameters in conjunction with the confidence factors are compared to a reference composite curve for the specific pumping system to determine whether actual performance has satisfied underperformance criteria or moved across a threshold into underperformance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to artificially lifted oil wells, and in particular to the determination of underperforming submersible pumping systems.
2. Description of Related Art
In many artificially lifted wells, pumping systems are used to produce a desired fluid, e.g. petroleum, to a collection point. For example, a wellbore may be drilled to a subterranean reservoir, and the pumping system is used to lift fluid from the reservoir location to the collection point. In many applications, pumps are used to intake fluid from the wellbore and to pump the fluid upwardly or laterally through the wellbore via either tubing or the annulus formed between a pumping system deployment mechanism and the surrounding wellbore wall. During extended operation, pumping system components may be subject to degradation or breakage leading to underperformance of the overall pumping system.
Attempts have been made to detect such underperformance of the system. However, accurate determination of the onset of underperformance relative to the actual potential on a specific system has proved difficult.

System and method for determining pump underperformance


A cable laying attachment for an engine driven tiller has a cutter wheel with a plurality of countersunk carbide tips in the teeth of the cutter wheel; the cutter wheel being connected to a tine drive shaft connected to a transmission for transferring power from the engine for automatically cutting a trench to a desired depth as the tiller is driven forwardly by a pair of engine driven wheels and a trailing arm and feed tube are connected to a protective cowl on the transmission housing that guards the cutter wheel; the trailing arm and feed tube receiving and placing wire from a spool into the trench; the trailing arm serves to displace the cut trench material while positioning the outlet end of the feed tube so as to locate a wire or cable at the bottom of the trench formed by the cutter wheel.

Present day cable or wire layers include engine driven machines that have an oscillating blade that penetrates the ground to a predetermined depth while the machine is driven forward to feed the wire or cable into the ground. Examples of such machines are those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,201,944 and 4,685,832.
Other wire and cable laying devices are known in which a plow is drawn or forced through the ground to open a trench into which a cable or wire is laid. An example of such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,491 and in U.S. Pat. No. 781,568.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,686 discloses a pipe laying machine having a cutter wheel that digs a trench. A blade mounted water jet is provided to form path within a slit formed by the cutter into which a length of pipe is placed.
The engine driven machines of the '944 and '832 patents that include a vibrating arm are better adapted to soil conditions that do not have obstructions in the path of the machine. If such obstructions or other impediments such as roots are present the machine may have to be removed from the trench and the obstruction removed to clear a path for the oscillating blade to form the path for laying the cable.
The manually operated devices shown in the '491 and '568 patents require two separate trenching components. The first component is a small diameter wheel that forms a shallow depression in the ground surface. The shallow depression is then opened up by a plow member that forms a furrow defining a trench. As in the case of the engine driven machines, such devices are difficult to use in soil conditions that include obstructions such as roots or debris.
The special pipe laying machine shown in the '686 patent does not disclose or suggest a cable laying attachment system for use with engine powered tillers that include a carbide tipped saw blade for forming a full depth trench and that will cut through obstructions so as to obviate the need for removing and repositioning a cable laying implement to clear the obstruction.


Methods and compositions that serve to both darken a zinc or other active! metal surface and impart corrosion-resistant properties thereto, are disclosed. The compositions include an aqueous solution containing about 0.1 percent to about 5 percent ammonium chloride and about 0.1 percent to about 5 percent ammonium molybdate. The compositions utilize particular ratios of concentrations of ammonium chloride and ammonium molybdate.

Compositions for coating industrial components and assemblies are becoming increasingly important. For example, many mechanical parts and fasteners are coated with a composition to improve the aesthetics and overall appearance of the part or fastener, particularly when the part is visible in the final assembled product. Additionally, mechanical fasteners such as bolts or screws may be colored to simplify assembly or disassembly of a manufactured product. These compositions often contain pigments or other coloring agents as desired, to impart a certain color or appearance to the coated part.
Many mechanical components used in automobiles are coated with a darkening paint or composition to impart a black, gray, or dark finish. Since many mechanical components must, as a result of strength requirements, be metal; without such coatings, the metallic components are silver or at least shiny in appearance. In order to impart a black or dark appearance to such components, it is necessary to apply a suitable coating.
Various compositions are known for imparting a black or dark color to a metallic part. Many of these compositions are commercially available. However, for many applications, in order to effectively cover the silver and shiny metallic surface of the part, multiple coats of the coloring coating must be applied. This is undesirable because such compositions are often relatively expensive. And, multiple coating operations are labor intensive. Accordingly, there is a need for a technique to reduce the expense otherwise associated with the use of these coloring coatings.
In addition to applying a composition to color a metallic part, other compositions are often applied to the part to impart other physical characteristics. Corrosion resistance is a desirable property for metallic parts, and particularly for such parts used in automotive applications. The art is replete with a wide variety of compositions for imparting corrosion-resistant properties to a metal surface. Coating compositions have evolved along with the changing technology of alloys and understanding of the science of corrosion.
A factor affecting the evolution of corrosion-inhibiting compositions is the relative toxicity or environmental impact of the composition or its components. For this reason, molybdate has been investigated as a suitable anti-corrosion agent, and particularly as a replacement for toxic chromium or chromium-based compounds.
Molybdenum and compounds thereof have long been recognized as corrosion inhibitors. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,121, herein incorporated by reference, describes corrosion inhibiting compositions containing a molybdate salt. In the background section of that patent, the '121 patent notes other patents directed to corrosion inhibiting compositions containing molybdate such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,176,059 and 4,217,216; both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,721, herein incorporated by reference, describes compositions for inhibiting mineral scale and corrosion in the presence of aqueous liquids. The compositions of the '721 patent include one or more water-soluble molybdate compounds. Other patents directed to aqueous compositions containing molybdenum compounds include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,030,308; 2,147,409; and 2,147,395; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. These compositions are however, generally directed to anti-freeze compositions.
Further investigation into the corrosion inhibiting properties of molybdate led to U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,787, herein incorporated by reference. The '787 patent describes a composition that protects against cavitation-erosion and corrosion of aluminum in aqueous liquids. That composition is based upon the combination of a phosphate and certain water-soluble agents which may include a water-soluble molybdate compound.
Additional mention was made of the use of water-soluble salts of molybdenum in corrosion inhibiting mixtures based on a particular class of polymers, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,793, herein incorporated by reference.
Perhaps the most relevant prior work in the patent literature is U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,683, herein incorporated by reference. The '683 patent is directed to methods of controlling corrosion by the use of molybdate compositions. Specifically, the '683 patent describes methods and compositions for inhibiting the corrosion of metallic surfaces in contact with aqueous systems. The compositions of the '683 patent contain a molybdate ion source and certain water-soluble components. The '683 patent discloses molybdate ion sources as including magnesium molybdate, ammonium molybdate, lithium molybdate, sodium molybdate, and potassium molybdate.
Another interesting, although less relevant, prior work involving molybdate compositions is by Philippe Lienard and Clement Pacque entitled, "Analysis of the Mechanism of Selective Coloration Facilitating the Identification of Various Phases in Aluminum-Silicon-Copper Casting Alloys," Homes Et Fonderie, June-July 1982, p. 27-35. In that paper, an aqueous composition of 0.5 weight percent ammonium heptamolybdate and 3 weight percent ammonium chloride was used to emphasize and highlight grain boundaries in various alloys that were the subject of their work. There was no attempt to impart corrosion inhibiting properties to the alloys under review by the aqueous molybdate composition.
Although satisfactory in many respects, much of the prior art is directed to applications involving corrosion control in heat transfer systems and not to coating compositions for corrosion control. The two applications have significantly different criteria. Additionally, many of the prior art anti-corrosion compositions contain numerous other agents, many of which are exotic, costly, or highly toxic. Accordingly, there remains a need for a composition and method for readily imparting corrosion resistance to a metal surface. Moreover, prior art anti-corrosion compositions do not address the concerns over improving the aesthetics of metallic parts and fasteners, and particularly imparting a black or dark color to the coated part. The previously noted work by Lienard and Pacque was not directed to providing a dark surface to a metal. Moreover, Lienard and Pacque never described any aspect concerning a corrosion inhibiting composition for their alloy. Instead, they used the noted molybdate composition to render grain boundaries of an aluminum-silicon-copper alloy more visible, i.e. to increase the contrast between certain regions of a metal surface. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a composition and method for readily darkening a metallic surface. Moreover, it would be desirable to provide a composition and technique for reducing the contrast between a shiny or silvery metal surface and a dark pigmented or colored top coat. Furthermore, it would be particularly desirable to provide a composition and method for simultaneously imparting anti-corrosion, or at least corrosion-resistant properties and darkening the outer surface of a metal part.

Compositions and methods for darkening and imparting corrosion-resistant properties to zinc or other active metals


According to a positioning method of estimating a position of a terminal by being connected with a plurality of positioning, in the state in which a first reference position is calculated based on absolute coordinate positional information provided from one positioning resource, when a second reference position based on new absolute coordinate positional information from the positioning resource and reliability of the second reference position are calculated, an update of an reference position for user position estimation is optionally performed depending on whether the reliability of the second reference position satisfies a preset reference position update reference.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a positioning method and a positioning apparatus, and more particularly, to a positioning method measuring a position of a user based on reliability, and an apparatus thereof.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Recently, personal digital assistants which may provide positional information have been spreading rapidly, and the number of services which may provide positional and geographic information through the portable digital assistants are also quickly growing. To keep up with the tendency, attempts to smoothly provide a seamless positioning service which is a combination of an absolute positioning solution such as a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and a WiFi positioning system (WPS) using WiFi information, a dead reckoning solution measuring a relative position such as an inertial navigation system (INS) having a multiple sensor structure, and the like, breaking from the existing services which provide only outdoor positional information, have continued.
A method for increasing positioning reliability by estimating current position related information (for example, whether a user is indoors or outdoors, and the like) affecting the calculation of reliability of an absolute position used for the dead reckoning and positioning-related resource information which are acquired by these systems and using the position related information for the dead reckoning has been frequently researched.
However, the method for determining a current position of a user using signals or distribution characteristics of positioning related resources such as the commonly used GNSS or Wi-Fi has accuracy changed depending on situations, and therefore hardly ensures the stable positioning reliability.
The GNSS-based positioning has relatively high reliability in the environment such as an open area and provides positioning quality of relatively high accuracy, and therefore has been considered as the positioning service which is most widely used. However, since it is difficult to acquire the GNSS signal in an environment such as the interior of a room, a basement, and downtown buildings, in terms of service characteristics, there is a drawback in that the services may be restricted. Further, in the case of an urban area which is becoming a main target of the positioning service, as the user approaches a building, influences of refraction, reflection, interruption, etc., of a signal are serious, such that an error may be increased and thus the reliability may be reduced.
Therefore, researches to provide a GNSS service to a boundary area or the interior of a room using a pseudolite method and the like have been frequently conducted, but have restrictions in public spreading and commercialization.
Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi based WiFi positioning system (WPS) is a method of estimating the position using an access point of a wireless local area network (WLAN) network, and estimates a position by allowing a terminal to measure a signal strength transferred from APs and calculate a signal transmitting distance depending on signal attenuation. The method is very effective in a downtown area or an interior of a room in which the density of APs is high. However, in the case the exterior of a room or the suburbs in which the density of APs is low, there is a drawback in that the reliability is greatly degraded and the performance thereof shows a big difference, depending on the distribution characteristics of the APs.
To solve the above problems, many researches to provide the positioning service by continuously connecting the positioning technologies having different service areas and characteristics have been conducted. As the representative method, there is a method of estimating positioning services having a dominant quality for each region by using the signals and the distribution characteristics of each service resource, and when the user continuously moves in a region in which positioning resource distribution characteristics are different, providing the positioning service having higher reliability and higher accuracy based on a service transformation boundary point. Further, there is a method of providing a seamless positioning service by introducing a third information transfer means, such as a beacon, which radiates a signal capable of confirming the positioning service to the transformation point of the region.
However, the method of using the signals and the distribution characteristics of the resources has a measurement value which is excessively changed depending on the environment in which the user is located to cause a large error, and makes the service region transformation time of the user and the transformation time when the positioning service is provided different to increase the transformation time estimation error, thereby reducing the reliability. Further, the method of using a third information providing means needs to construct an additional transfer service therefor in advance, which acts as restriction to provide actual services.
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.

Positioning method based on reliability and apparatus thereof

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A multi-row pipe bending apparatus has a plurality of rows of pipe bending devices each including a pipe bending unit having at least one bending die, and clamping and pressure dies for securing to the bending die a pipe to be bent. Each bending device includes also a pipe twisting unit having a twisting plate having an opening for holding the pipe, and rotatable with a predetermined twisting angle about the longitudinal axis of the pipe for moving it to a position conforming to the shape into which it is to be bent. The bending and twisting units are movable longitudinally of the pipe. A pipe transfer device is provided for transferring the pipe from one row to another, so that the pipe may be bent close to one end thereof in one row, and close to the other end in another.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for bending mainly a long pipe having a small diameter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known bending apparatus of this type usually has a twisting unit for holding a pipe and rotating it on its longitudinal axis to predetermine the direction in which it is to be bent, and a bending unit, or units situated on one or both sides of the twisting unit for bending the pipe in the predetermined direction.
When the apparatus is used for bending a pipe at one point after another progressively starting at a point close to one end thereof, however, any previously bent portion of the pipe is twisted again when it is going to be bent at another point. The apparatus has, therefore, the drawback of causing any such bent portion of the pipe to collapse if the pipe has a small wall thickness and a large length. Its use is, therefore, limited to a relatively short pipe having a relatively large diameter and wall thickness.
Another problem is due to the fact that the twisting unit is fixed in position. If the twisting unit has its chuck position not corresponding to the middle portion of a pipe, its chuck position has to be altered; otherwise, the apparatus can be used for bending only a very short pipe.
In order to solve these problems, the applicant of this application has previously proposed a pipe bending apparatus comprising a chuck unit for holding a straight pipe at any point thereof, and a transversely movable bending unitsituated on at least one side of the chuck unit, in which the bending unit comprises a support having a guide groove formed at its top for setting a pipe to be bent, a rotor mounted on the support rotatably within an angle of 360 degrees in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and having a guide groove formed in its wall surface and similar to the guide groove of the support, a and a motor-driven roller type bending device attached to the rotor rotatably for predetermining the direction in which the pipe is to be bent (Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-9063).
The proposed apparatus, however, fails to achieve a high twisting speed, since its bending unit has a large mass. If the apparatus has to be adapted to bend a pipe to form a plurality of bends having different radii of curvature, its bending unit has a still larger mass, since it is necessary to incorporate in the rotor a mechanism for moving a plurality of bending and clamping dies as required by the bends to be formed. The increase in size or mass of the bending unit results not only in the restriction of the shape of the bend to be formed, but also in a further reduction of the twisting speed. Any forced increase of the twisting speed brings about the vibration of the apparatus which shortens its life and disables it to form an accurately shaped bend.


A hydraulically operated edge-of-dock dock leveler including a deck plate having its rear edge hinged to the dock and an extension lip is hinged to the front edge of the deck plate. In the storage position the deck plate is located in a generally horizontal position and the lip hangs downwardly in a generally vertical pendant position. A hydraulic cylinder unit interconnects the frame of the dock leveler with the deck plate and extension of the cylinder unit acts to move the deck plate to a generally vertical position where a latch that is pivotally connected to the underside of the lip engages an abutment on the frame to lock the deck plate in the vertical position. Retraction of the cylinder unit will pull the deck plate down and the linkage between the deck plate, the lip and the frame enables the outer edge of the lip to move in a generally curved path into engagement with the bed of a carrier. The hydraulic system for operating the cylinder unit includes a valve mechanism and when the cylinder unit is fully extended, as the deck plate is pivoted upwardly, the pressure increase in the hydraulic system shifts the valve and automatically retracts the cylinder unit.

Loading docks are frequently equipped with dock levelers that act to bridge the gap and height difference between the dock and the bed of the truck to enable material handling equipment, such as a fork lift truck, to move between the dock and the truck bed. One common form of dock leveler is what is referred to as an "edge-of-dock" type. With this type of dock leveler, no pit or recess is required in the loading dock and the dock leveler is mounted on the front vertical face of the dock.
A typical edge-of-dock dock leveler as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,077 is composed of a deck plate and an extension lip. The rear edge of the deck plate is hinged to the dock, while the lip is pivoted to the forward edge of the deck plate. In the storage position, the dock leveler is located in a generally horizontal position, while the lip assumes a pendant position in which it hangs downwardly in front of the dock.
As disclosed in the aforementioned patent, when it is desired to move the dock leveler to the operating position, the deck plate is manually pivoted upwardly to a generally vertical position, and a latch pivotally attached to the underside of the lip engages a rod or abutment on the dock leveler frame to lock the deck plate in the upper vertical position. In this upper position, the lip is located at an acute angle with respect to the deck plate and the upper edge of the lip is located above dock level. The deck plate is then manually forced outwardly away from the dock and the linkage between the deck plate and the lip and the supporting frame enables the outer edge of the lip to inscribe a generally curved path and move into engagement with the bed of a carrier or truck. In moving in this curved path, the outer edge of the lip initially moves upwardly, thereby ensuring that the lip will clear the bed of the truck, and then downwardly into engagement with the truck bed.
In use of the edge-of-dock dock leveler, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,077, the deck plate is pivoted to the vertical position manually by an operator standing on the dock and using a long bar or implement which engages the deck plate and pivots it to the vertical position. After the latch is engaged, the deck plate and lip are manually pushed forwardly to bring the lip into engagement with the truck bed. As the deck plate and lip have a substantial weight it is difficult to pivot the deck plate to the vertical position and then push the deck plate and lip forwardly. Therefore, there has been a need for an inexpensive, power operated mechanism to pivot the deck plate upwardly to its vertical position and then move the lip forwardly to its extended position on the truck bed.

Hydraulically operated edge-of-dock leveler


Provided is a method of manufacturing a joined member that is manufactured by applying resistance welding to a workpiece. The workpiece is provided with plating layers on sides to be in contact with electrodes. In a state in which a first electrode is in contact with a first area in a first plate material that is curved along a contour of a leading end of the first electrode and in which a second electrode is in contact with a second area in a second plate material that is curved along a contour of a leading end of the second electrode, energization between the first electrode and the second electrode is started to form a nugget.

The present disclosure relates to a technique for welding a plate material having a plated surface.
Conventionally, resistance welding is used for joining of metal steel plates. When plate materials with plated surfaces, such as hot stamp materials, are joined by resistance welding, plating tends to adhere to electrodes during the welding. Therefore, when welding is successively performed using the same electrode, an amount of plating that adheres to the electrode increases as the number of times of welding (hereinafter, number of spots) increases, and welding defects are likely to occur. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-35045, a plating layer is softened by energization with an initial current that is lower than a welding current, so as to inhibit adhesion of plating.


A cleaning tape having a cleaning effect for a magnetic head and an excellent picture quality and enabling the head cleaning state to be comprehended more reliably. The cleaning tape 1 includes a non-magnetic substrate 2 on which a magnetic paint mainly composed of magnetic powders and a binder is coated to form a magnetic layer 3. The Young's modulus in the longitudinal direction is 6000 to 10000 N/mm.sup.2, the residual magnetic flux density (Br) of the uppermost layer of the magnetic layer is not lower than 200 mT, the coercivity of the uppermost layer of the magnetic layer 3 is not lower than 127 kA/m and the centerline mean roughness of the surface of the magnetic layer (Ra) is 8 to 16 nm. The magnetic powders of the cleaning tape 1 are Fe--Co based alloy powders having a mean long-axis length of 0.06 to 0.20 .mu.m and containing 6 to 30 atm % of Co, 1 to 6 atm % of Y and 10 to 15 atm % of Al based on the amount of Fe, with the centerline mean roughness (Ra) of the surface of the magnetic layer 3 being 8 to 16 nm.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a cleaning tape for cleaning a surface of a magnetic head along which slides a magnetic recording medium (medium sliding surface). More particularly, it relates to a cleaning tape having a magnetic layer and adapted for reproducing video signals recorded on the magnetic layer and for cleaning the medium sliding surface.

Cleaning video tape magnetic recording medium


An X-ray computed tomography apparatus scans a subject to be examined with cone beam X-rays, and generates reference volume data on the basis of projection data. This apparatus extracts a cone beam artifact component contained in the reference volume data on the basis of the typical shape and direction of the cone beam artifact component. This apparatus generates resultant volume data with the reduced cone beam artifact by subtracting the cone beam artifact component from the reference volume data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray computed tomography apparatus which can perform cone beam reconstruction, reconstruction processing apparatus, and image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is an X-ray computed tomography apparatus (cone beam CT apparatus) which generates volume data by performing reconstruction of the projection data acquired by scanning a subject to be examined with cone beam X-rays. In cone beam CT, cone beam reconstruction such as FDK reconstruction (Feldkamp reconstruction) is useful.
Recently, with an increase in the number of element rows of an X-ray detector, the cone angle has increased. Owing to the influence of the cone angle, cone beam artifacts noticeably appear in the volume data generated on the basis of cone beam reconstruction.
CT scanning includes circular orbit scanning and helical scanning. The following problems arise in the respective scanning techniques.
(Circular Orbit Scanning)
Circular orbit scanning cannot acquire enough projection data required to obtain a complete solution. Line+Circle scanning is an application of circular orbit scanning. Line+Circle scanning can acquire enough projection data required to obtain a complete solution. However, Line+Circle scanning requires additional scanning. Additional scanning has the following problem. That is, to satisfy the reconstruction principle, the state of a subject in additional scanning needs to coincide with that in main scanning before additional scanning. More specifically, a change in contrast medium concentration and the body movement of the subject must not occur during main scanning and additional scanning. In practice, it is very difficult to satisfy this requirement. In addition, additional scanning complicates the workflow. Furthermore, additional scanning increases the dose to the subject.
(Helical Scanning)
Helical scanning can acquire enough projection data required to obtain a complete solution. Owing to the influence of the cone angle, however, noticeable cone beam artifacts appear in the volume data generated by directly performing cone beam reconstruction of the acquired projection data. Using the reconstruction method proposed by Alexander Katsevich in 2003 can obtain a complete solution on the basis of the projection data acquired by helical scanning. The reconstruction method by Katsevich is however limited in terms of helical pitch.

X-ray computed tomography apparatus, reconstruction processing apparatus, and image processing apparatus


Sync positions are detected from a video signal. The detected sync positions are processed (e.g., averaged) to generate modified sync positions. The detected sync positions and the modified sync positions are selectively used to sample and synchronize a color signal derived from the video signal. For example, the detected sync positions and the modified sync positions may be selectively used to sample and synchronize the color signal responsive to differences between the modified sync positions. The invention may be embodied as apparatus and/or methods.

The present invention relates to video signal processing apparatus and methods and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for synchronizing a video signal.
A video processing system, such as a video decoder, may include apparatus configured to perform a 3D luminance/chrominance (Y/C) separation of an input video signal. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional video signal processing apparatus 100 for performing a 3D Y/C separation. Referring to FIG. 1, the video signal processing apparatus 100 includes an analog/digital (A/D) converter 110, a Y/C separator and demodulator 120, a sync detector 130, a field/frame memory 140, and a re-sampler 150.
The A/D converter 110 converts an input analog video signal into a digital video signal. The input analog video signal may be a composite video blank sync (CVBS) signal including a front porch signal, a horizontal sync level signal, a back porch signal, and an active video signal. The sync detector 130 detects a horizontal sync position and a vertical sync position used to define horizontal and vertical scan periods from the converted digital video signal. The field/frame memory 140 stores the detected horizontal sync positions {pi} for a plurality of fields or frames. The Y/C separator and demodulator 120 performs a 3D Y/C separation according to the detected horizontal sync positions {pi} stored in the field/frame memory 140, extracts a luminance signal Y and a chrominance signal C from the converted digital video signal, interpolates the luminance signal Y and the chrominance signal C, and generates color signals, such as R, G, B color signals (R, G, B) or luminance (Y) and chrominance component (Cb, Cr) signals used by a display device (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD)). The color signals generated in the Y/C separator and demodulator 120 are re-sampled in the re-sampler 150 according to the horizontal sync positions {pi}. The re-sampled color signals may be used to generate a display on a display device.
When a video cassette recorder (VCR) outputs a CVBS signal, mechanical factors may cause jitter among horizontal sync positions extracted from the CVBS signal. When a TV or a digital video disk (DVD) system outputs a CVBS signal, less jitter may occur. Noise in the CVBS signal may deteriorate accuracy of the horizontal sync positions detected from the sync detector 130. Referring to FIG. 2, when the re-sampler 150 re-samples the color signals generated in the Y/C separator and demodulator 120, the screen 210 may display an unstable image due to errors in the horizontal sync positions {pi}. In particular, phase differences among the horizontal sync positions {pi} may be present, which may cause an unstable display.

Video processing apparatus and methods using selectively modified sync positions


A heat-dissipating fan with an upward air-guiding member is provided. The heat-dissipating fan includes a housing, an impeller having a hub and a plurality of blades disposed around the hub, a base disposed inside the housing for supporting the impeller thereon, and an air-guiding member disposed between the base and the housing, wherein the air-guiding member has at least one inclined edge on the windward side or its opposite side relative to the horizontal line perpendicular to the axis of the heat-dissipating fan.

In a normal electronic product such as a computer, electronic devices will generate a lot of heat during operation. If the electronic devices are continuously operated at high temperature, they are easily damaged. Thus, to prevent such a damage, a heat-dissipating fan is normally disposed in the electronic product to dissipate heat to the surrounding.
Please refer to FIG. 1 which shows a conventional axial-flow fan for the computer. The conventional axial-flow fan mainly includes a housing 10, a motor 11 and an impeller 12 with a plurality of blades. The housing 10 includes a base 14 for supporting the motor 11 and has a plurality of ribs or stationary blades 13 at the air outlet side of the axial-flow fan. When the motor 11 drives the impeller 12 to rotate, the blades 121 will discharge the airflow from the air outlet side of the axial-flow fan. However, each upper edge of the ribs or stationary blades 13 is shaped in a horizontal form so that the airflow generated by the blades 121 will arrive at the ribs or stationary blades 13 at the same time. Furthermore, the distance H between the lower edge of the blade 121 and the upper edge of the rib or stationary blade 13 is relatively small such that it will cause a lot of noise in a very short time as the airflow passes therethrough and worsen the sound, resulting from the air turbulence.
Thus, it is desirable to reduce the air turbulence noise of the axial-flow fan generated while rotating.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The ensuring of predictable and quantifiable networking performance. Embodiments of the invention combine a congestion free network core with a hypervisor based (i.e., edge-based) throttling design to help insure quantitative and invariable subscription bandwidth rates. A lightweight shim layer in a hypervisor can adaptively throttle the rate of VM-to-VM traffic flow. A receiving hypervisor can detect congestion and communicate back to sending hypervisors that rates are to be regulated. In response, sending hypervisors can reduce transmission rate to mitigate congestion at the receiving hypervisor. In some embodiments, the principles are extended to any message processors communicating over a congestion free network.

1. Background and Relevant Art
Computer systems and related technology affect many aspects of society. Indeed, the computer system's ability to process information has transformed the way we live and work. Computer systems now commonly perform a host of tasks (e.g., word processing, scheduling, accounting, etc.) that prior to the advent of the computer system were performed manually. More recently, computer systems have been coupled to one another and to other electronic devices to form both wired and wireless computer networks over which the computer systems and other electronic devices can transfer electronic data. Accordingly, the performance of many computing tasks is distributed across a number of different computer systems and/or a number of different computing environments.
In some environments, computer systems operate in a cloud computing environment. In cloud computing environments, a cloud-service provider uses a common underlying physical network to host multiple customers' applications, sometimes referred to as "tenants". A tenant can have a set of virtual machines ("VMs") or application processes that is independently deployable and is solely owned by a single customer (i.e., subscription). Reachability isolation can be used to mitigate direct interference between tenants. However, reachability isolation is not sufficient, since a malicious or careless tenant can still interfere with other tenants in the network data plane by exchanging heavy traffic only among its own members (VMs).
Accordingly, other techniques can be used to attempt to isolate performance of tenants. Some techniques have relied on Transmission Control Protocol's ("TCP's") congestion control. However, a tenant can essentially achieve unbounded utilization of a network by using many TCP flows (connections) and using variations of TCP. Tenants can also use other protocols, such as, for example, User Datagram Protocol ("UDP") that do not respond to congestion control.
Trust of tenant networking stacks is also a problem.
Further, conventional in-network Quality of Service ("QoS") mechanisms (e.g., separate queues with Weighted Fair Queuing ("WFQ")) do not scale. These QoS mechanisms are also complicated and expensive to use for differentiating performance when tenants frequently join and leave. Statically throttling each VM on the sender side is inefficient and ineffective as it wastes any unused capacity and given a sufficient number of VMs, a tenant can always cause performance interference at virtually any static rate applied to each VM.
Accordingly, in cloud computing environments, due at least in part to one or more of these factors, it can be difficult to regulate network traffic in a way that reliably prevents disproportionate bandwidth consumption.

Ensuring predictable and quantifiable networking performance


A method of visualizing a color deviation of an actual color on a vehicle panel being painted utilizing a computer. A reference color image is displayed on a monitor to confirm that the reference color image is the appropriate color image relating to the actual color. Differences between that displayed reference color image and the actual color are inputted into the computer and the reference image is then translated into a revised color image. The revised color image is displayed on the monitor along with the reference color image such that a user can visually compare the differences between that displayed reference color image and displayed revised color image. The displayed revised color image can then be compared to the actual color to determine if any color deviations between the revised color image and the actual color remain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to color matching and more particularly to a method of visually displaying a color deviation of an actual color.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern vehicles, such as automobiles, typically are offered to consumers in a wide variety of paint colors. In fact, from model year to model year, it is not uncommon for a particular vehicle model to be available in several paint colors. Variations in the color and appearance of the paint color may arise from a number of factors including changes in paint formulation, effect degradation, paint and stability, and changes in the application conditions or equipment. Color changes brought about by environmental degradation of the coating may also take place.
Due to the variations in paint color it can be difficult to match the color of a vehicle during a repair of the vehicle. One refinish formula typically does not work for all vehicles of a given color code. For example, when a vehicle's body panels are damaged and require repainting, a refinish paint supplier must take into consideration variations in paint color and will therefore supply one or more paint formulations to the repair shop. By supplying a number of formulations or variants for a particular color, the paint manufacturer accounts for the paint color variations which may affect the actual color of the vehicle. Typically, the formulations for a particular color are distributed to the repair shops on paper, microfiche, compact disc, or over the internet. A color tool, composed of swatches of the variants for each color, may also be produced and delivered to each repair shop.
The repair shop then selects which formulation most closely matches the part to be painted. Typically this is done visually, i.e., by comparing swatches to the part or spaying a test piece with each formulation. The repair shop may then modify the selected formula by manually tinting the paint formula.
Several difficulties arise from these prior art approaches. Commonly a large number of variants are derived to properly characterize the color population. This is a difficult and time consuming task for the paint supplier to produce these variant formulas. Public showing of the variant formulas is also problematic as there is no convenient way for a repair shop technician to locate the best formula for the particular repair job. Often the paint technician uses a reference to aid in selecting the proper variant formula. Such a reference might be a spray out of the selected formula. Frequently, due to an insufficient number of variant formulas or difficulty in identifying the proper variant, the paint technician is forced to try to adequately tint the paint formula to match the actual color of the vehicle being repaired.
In order to expedite the process of variant selection, the paint supplier may provide the paint technician with color tools which are physical representations of the reference and variant colors. There are however limitations associated with these tools. Introducing a sufficient number of variant colors makes the tools unwieldy and expensive. Additionally, the time from variant identification to production and updating the customer's tool is significant. Color tools also have a limited life span. The color tools are typically color plates which can become worn and damaged with time.
Another option for variant selection is to use a spectrophotometer. This device however is costly, requires substantial customer training, and currently does no quantify the coarseness or sparkle of the finish. These instruments are also rather fragile and can be adversely affected by the repair shop environment.
Accordingly, it will be desirable to develop a method or system for determining a color match and locating a corresponding paint formulation that is relatively easy to use, is of low cost, can produce a large number of variants, and does not suffer from the prior art approaches outlined above.


The invention relates to a head rest carrying element which is produced out of a tubular member and which, can be connected to a seat at one end, and which carries a head rest at its second end. The tubular member is produced by being formed out of a flexibly rolled strip material with a variable wall thickness. Furthermore, the invention relates to a process of producing such a head rest carrying element.

The invention relates to a head rest carrying element for connecting a head rest to a seat, more particularly to a motor vehicle seat.
From DE 297 17 568 U1 there is already known a frame for motor vehicle head rests which is produced from a formed tubular piece consisting of light metal.
EP 0 916 549 B1 proposes a head rest for motor vehicle seats, which head rest comprises padding in which there is received a frame. The head rest is held by a pair of bars, with the height of the frame of the head rest being adjustable relative to the bars. The bars are connected to the back rest of the motor vehicle seat.
From EP 1 481 743 A2, it is known to use flexibly rolled strip material whose thicknesses vary in the longitudinal direction of the strip to produce a sheet metal element and to form this into a tubular member with an out-of-round cross-section. By carrying out a forming operation in the longitudinal direction of the strip, it is possible to produce a tubular member whose wall thickness varies along its length or, by carrying out a forming operation transversely to the longitudinal direction of the strip, to produce a tubular member whose wall thickness varies around the circumference.
DE 102 10 156 A1 describes a process of producing a tube which comprises a plurality of tube portions whose wall thicknesses differ from one another. The process comprises the following process stages: forming a sheet metal piece with a non-uniform thickness profile into tubular member and welding this into a tube. A tube produced in this way can be used as a roll bar for a motor vehicle.
From DE 603 07 484 T2 there is known a tool which serves to stamp notches into the tube of a head rest.


A washing machine having a weight sensing unit comprises a cabinet forming an appearance, a tub disposed within the cabinet, springs installed between the tub and a frame of the cabinet, and a weight sensing unit disposed on the frame of the cabinet, one end of the springs being coupled to the weight sensing unit. The weight sensing unit comprises a case coupled to the frame of the cabinet, a load cell supported with being received in the case, and a pressure distributing member mounted on the load cell to hold the spring thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
This specification relates to a unit for sensing a weight of a target to be washed in a washing machine.
2. Background of the Invention
A washing machine is a device for washing laundry, clothes or the like, and has a rotatable drum within a main body thereof. A target to be washed, such as clothes or the like, is stored within the drum and washing water, detergent and the like are then introduced into the drum so as to wash the target to be washed by a rotational force of a pulsator equipped in the drum.
As one example of such washing machines, a drum type washing machine includes a cabinet forming a receiving space, a tub to receive washing water within the cabinet, a drum rotatably disposed within the tub, and a driving motor to rotate the drum.
Among the drum type washing machines, for a certain type that the target to be washed is introduced through a front surface, the tub having a cylindrical shape whose front side is open is disposed within the cabinet. A plurality of springs, each of which has one end connected to an upper surface of the cabinet and is contractible and expandable up and down, may be connected to an upper surface of the tub. A plurality of dampers for reducing vibration generated in a vertical direction of the tub are disposed below the tub. The driving motor is mounted onto a rear side of the tub.
The drum is a cylindrical body rotatably disposed in the tub and receives the target to be washed therein. The driving motor provides a driving force for rotating the drum. The drum is rotated by a rotational force transferred from the driving motor.
In the meantime, the drum type washing machine rotates the driving motor by applying a current to the driving motor in order to sense a weight or an amount of laundry stacked in the drum. Accordingly, a sensor disposed in the driving motor senses a changing level of a rotating speed of the drum, and the sensed value is compared with a previously stored result value, determining the laundry weight.
However, the method of sensing the weight through the driving motor is to merely indirectly determine the weight other than directly measuring it. Consequently, the method has a problem of decreasing accuracy due to various causes, such as positions of the laundry, a characteristic of the driving motor or the like.
Hence, to directly sense the laundry weight within the drum, an approach of sensing the laundry weight by use of a load cell as a weight sensing sensor, which is disposed at a portion contacting a spring installed on the tub, may be used. The load cell which contacts the spring may be transformed due to pressure applied by the spring, and the laundry weight is sensed by electrically sensing a transformed level of the load cell based on strain gages or the like.
However, the case of using the load cell has also a problem of lowering accuracy of sensing the laundry weight, due to a biased transformation of the load cell or the like, which is caused due to non-uniform pressure being applied by the spring, the contact portion between the spring and the load cell being shifted due to vibration generated in response to driving the drum or the like, or the changed posture of the load cell.

Washing machine with weight sensing unit


A computer-implemented method for detecting calls from illegitimate calling parties may include (1) collecting information about a plurality of calls received at a plurality of telephonic devices, (2) analyzing the information about the plurality of calls to identify at least one call pattern of illegitimate calling parties, (3) detecting, at a telephonic device, an incoming call, (4) determining whether one or more calls from the calling party of the incoming call fit the call pattern of illegitimate calling parties, and (5) disposing of the incoming call based at least in part on determining whether the one or more calls from the calling party of the incoming call fit the call pattern of illegitimate calling parties. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Telephone users may receive calls from various illegitimate calling parties (e.g., fraudulent telemarketers). Typically when a user receives a call, the user is presented with an identifier of the calling party (e.g., the name or the telephone number of the calling party) with which the user may determine the identity of the calling party. Unfortunately, most users may be unable to determine the legitimacy of unrecognized calling parties based solely on identifiers of the unknown calling parties, and as a result some users may unknowingly accept calls from illegitimate calling parties.
While knowledgeable and/or cautious users may be capable of distinguishing calls from illegitimate calling parties from calls from legitimate calling parties and in doing so may prevent themselves from falling victim to calls from illegitimate sources, other less knowledgeable and/or less cautious users may be unable to do so. Accordingly, the instant disclosure identifies and addresses a need for additional and improved systems and methods for detecting calls from illegitimate calling parties.

Systems and methods for detecting calls from illegitimate calling parties


A facsimile (fax) machine is arranged to automatically answer a call and to transmit a fax message if a document or stored message is awaiting transmission, otherwise the fax machine goes into a fax receive mode. In another arrangement, the fax machine is connected to a station port of a customer switching system such that an existing call at a system station set can be transferred to the fax machine when a fax message is to be transmitted or received as part of that call. In one embodiment a station set and fax machine are packaged together in one housing.

Most facsimile (fax) machines are arranged to interface directly to facilities of the public telephone network. When a fax machine is utilized behind a key system or private branch exchange (PBX) system, a special interface is usually required to enable the fax machine to communicate using the proprietary protocol of the key/PBX system. In such an arrangement, the fax machine is not integrated into the key/PBX system operation, but merely uses the key/PBX as a conduit to access the public facilities. This type of arrangement requires that the user go to the fax machine location to initiate or receive fax transmissions.
While such an arrangement provides key/PBX users with a fax capability, undesirably the fax machine is not fully integrated with the key/PBX system operation.

Facsimile apparatus and method for use with customer switching system


An apparatus is disclosed for the secure storage of sockets for ratchet wrenches. The invention includes a system for securely holding one or more of a set of detachable bits, used with ratchet wrenches or other tools, by means of a cam-actuated rotator member mounted within a channel guide. Further, a novel display apparatus is disclosed which provides a secure mounting system for a ratchet wrench together with a set of sockets. Finally, a extension arm system is provided for attaching an accessory device such as an extension bar to the apparatus so that the ratchet wrench, sockets and accessory may be conveniently stored and displayed together.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the secure packaging of ratchets, sockets for ratchet wrenches, and ratchet extensions for merchandising and storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ratchet wrenches of the kind which are used by professional and amateur mechanics commonly include a gripping handle integrally formed with a ratchet head unit. The ratchet head unit generally includes a male sexed ratchet drive nub operationally connected to a reversible ratchet mechanism positioned within the ratchet head. Detachable sockets are available for use with such ratchets which include a drive aperture dimensioned to receive male sexed ratchet drive nubs of certain standard sizes. For example, standard sized drive nubs may be 1/4, 3/8 or 1/2 inches square. On an opposite end of the socket there is typically provided a second aperture designed to securely engage a nut or the head of a bolt. To aid in the use of such tools, it is often helpful to make use of a ratchet accessory item. Such an accessory item may be an extension bar, a knuckle connector or some other item for use in connection with ratchets and sockets.
It is often desirable to store a series of sockets for ratchet wrenches in an organized manner so that various socket sizes for use with different size nuts and bolts may be easily located. Systems of the prior art for storing such sockets have included elongated metal rack systems with resilient male-engaging members for engaging the drive end of a socket to be stored thereon. Significantly, however, such systems suffer from a serious drawbacks in that, if they are dropped on the floor or roughly handled, sockets mounted thereon will tend to be knocked off the rack, and thereby become disorganized. Furthermore, such systems typically suffer from corrosion problems due to the necessity of manufacturing such items from metal. To date, no economical and commercially available socket-storage systems have been available which have overcome the problem of securely holding a socket in a convenient, releasable manner.
Likewise, for the purposes of merchandising and maintaining tools in an organized manner, it is often useful to be able to store a ratchet wrench with a set of sockets. In the case of merchandising displays, the positioning of a ratchet wrench with a set of sockets promotes sales of the units as a set. It also provides a neat, organized package which can be easily stocked. For similar reasons, it is helpful to be able to sell a ratchet accessory with a set of sockets. Finally, in order to provide a more compact and attractive looking display, it is useful when storing a ratchet wrench with a set of sockets, to store the sockets on a rack which is elongated so that it follows the basic elongated shape of the ratchet wrench handle. In this way, the amount of display area required is minimized for the combination ratchet wrench and socket set. Of course, for reasons of appearance, it is important that the ratchet wrench handle be aligned in parallel with the elongated rack.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a secure merchandising device for displaying a set of sockets together with a ratchet wrench.
It would also be desirable to provide a secure merchandising device for displaying a set of sockets together with a ratchet wrench, and which can further be used by a consumer as a convenient storage rack after purchase.
It would also be desirable to provide a secure merchandising and storage rack for a set of sockets, a ratchet wrench and a ratchet accessory.

Locking holder for interchangeable bit members with accessory display unit


The post driver machine includes a housing, inside of which is a weight which can be lifted by a chain being rotated around a generally elliptical path by a powered sprocket. A catch mechanism is affixed to the chain, and can engage with a weight catch attached to the weight. However, when there is not a post positioned within the post driver, the weight rests at a position too low the weight catch to engage with the catch mechanism. Upon properly inserting a post into the post driver, the post presses upwardly on the weight until the weight catch engages with the catch mechanism to lift the weight.

The present invention relates generally to a post driver machine and, more particularly, to a weight catch mechanism which is especially adapted to prevent the post driver machine from "dry-firing" when there is no post engaged with the post driver machine.
A post driver machine is used for driving large posts into the ground. In general, post drivers utilize a pile driving principle in which a weight is raised to some distance above a post, and is then dropped in order to drive the post into the ground. Such post drivers rely on a post being present to dissipate the energy of the falling weight. When a post is properly positioned within the post driver, the kinetic energy of the falling weight is transferred into the post, pushing it into the ground. However, when a post is not properly positioned within the post driver, the weight may fail to contact the post upon falling, and may instead impact upon the frame of the post driver. Such a so-called "dry-fire" can damage the post driver apparatus. Repeated dry-firing often results in damage to the framework and mechanical structure of the post driver machine. Additionally, each dry-fire is time lost, as the post driver machine must be repositioned and the weight lifted back up and dropped again.
Thus, the presence or absence of a post within a post driver machine has important consequences for the post driver machine's performance and structural integrity. In many existing post driver machines, once the process of lifting and dropping the weight (called a "cycle" or a "stroke") has been initiated, the stroke will occur regardless of whether a post is positioned within the machine. Generally, it is left to the operator of the apparatus to decide when a stroke should occur. However, operator error is often of great concern.
A post driver machine is typically attached to a front loader, skid-steer, backhoe or similar vehicle so that the machine can be moved from location to location, allowing posts to be easily placed into the ground at desired locations. The operator's view of the post in the post driver is often at least partially obscured by the body of the post driver itself. Therefore, the operator may not be in the best position to decide when the post is properly positioned to initiate a stroke.
Thus, in current designs for post driver machines, there is therefore a need for preventing dry-firing, and largely removing the possibility for operator error.

Anti-dry fire mechanism for a post driver


A sensor device includes a circuit chip and a sensor chip. The circuit chip has a bonding portion. The sensor chip is stacked on the bonding portion of the circuit chip. The circuit chip and the sensor chip are bonded by a film-type adhesive containing 91 ±3 weight % of polyimide with no filler.

A conventional sensor device such as an acceleration sensor and/or an angular speed sensor includes a circuit chip with a bonding portion, a sensor chip stacked on the bonding portion of the circuit chip, and a film-type adhesive interposed between the circuit chip and the sensor chip.
In this type of conventional sensor device, a stack structure that mounts the sensor chip on top of the circuit chip is adopted in order to reduce manufacturing costs by minimizing an implementation size.
The adhesive that bonds an upper surface of the circuit chip and a lower surface of the sensor chip is a film-type polyimide adhesive containing an inorganic filler such as BN (boron nitride) or Ag (silver).
The film-type adhesive including filler is used to maintain both the binding strength of the circuit chip and the sensor chip, and the elasticity of the adhesive when the sensor is put in a high temperature environment.
However, the sensor chip attached on the circuit chip with the film-type adhesive including filler has the following problems according to a study conducted by the inventors of the present invention.
The film-type adhesive including a high density filler, e.g. approximately 10 weight %, tends to have lumps in the filler caused by cohesion. As a result, the lower side of the sensor chip damages the circuit chip by pressing the lumps in the filler against the surface of the circuit chip when the sensor chip is pressed against the circuit chip to be bonded thereto. The damage caused by the process may result in a decreased performance and malfunction of the circuit chip.


A method includes receiving an input signal and predistorting a baseband representation of the input signal at a carrier frequency and at one or more harmonic frequencies. The method also includes generating an output signal based on the predistorted baseband representation of the input signal, and transmitting the output signal to a power amplifier. Predistorting the baseband representation of the input signal at the carrier frequency could occur in parallel with predistorting the baseband representation of the input signal at the one or more harmonic frequencies.

Power amplifiers (PAs) are inherently nonlinear devices that are used in a wide variety of communication systems. Digital baseband predistortion is a highly cost-effective way to linearize a power amplifier. Unfortunately, most existing predistortion architectures assume that a power amplifier has a "memoryless" nonlinearity. This means that these architectures assume the output current of a power amplifier depends only on the input current of the power amplifier.

Method and apparatus for digital predistortion for a switched mode power amplifier


A magnetic resonance imaging system for imaging human breasts, in which the system includes a main magnet providing a static magnetic field, a gradient coil insert received within the internal bore of the main magnet, the gradient coil insert including gradient coils providing a spatially varying magnetic field, a patient support table configured to support the patient within the patient opening, the patient support table including a patient support member with at least one breast opening sized and positioned so that in use the patient's breast extends through the opening and is accessible below the patient support member, an RF transmitter coil mounted on the patient support table in the vicinity of the at least one breast opening, and an RF receiver coil separate from the RF transmitter coil and mounted on the patient support table in the vicinity of the at least one breast opening.

The invention relates to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, particularly MRI systems for imaging breasts.
MRI systems typically employ a main magnet that produces a static magnetic field and gradient coils that superimpose spatially varying magnetic fields on top of the static field. The gradient coils are typically formed on a cylindrical insert that fits within the bore of the main magnet. Inside of the gradient coil insert there is usually a whole-body RF transmitting coil, which often also serves as the RF receiving coil. The RF transmitting coil excites the molecules of the anatomy being imaged, and the RF receiving coil detects the response of the molecules.
Sometimes, a separate RF receiving coil is positioned locally in the vicinity of the anatomy being imaged, e.g., around a breast. One prior art system (manufactured by Caprius) used a combined transmitting/receiving RF coil localized around a breast.

Separate local RF transmit and receive coils for breast MRI system


A device for the recording, storing and outputting of data of a control unit in a motor vehicle, besides the operating time of the control unit, makes it possible for other data to be acquired and stored as well, so that information will be provided regarding the probability of failure or the future reliability of the control unit. Noteworthy as these additional data is at least one of the quantities:. maximum control-unit temperature PA1 duration of a control-unit temperature above a certain value PA1 minimum control-unit temperature PA1 duration of a control-unit temperature below a certain value PA1 maximum value of the voltage on the supply-voltage line PA1 length of time a supply voltage is applied above a certain value PA1 duration and intensity of interference voltages on control-unit lines.

German Patent Application No. 36 09 428 is directed to "A Method and a Device for Testing Devices of a Motor Vehicle for a Fault-Free Condition". It concerns the detecting and storing of faults, both with respect to the input and output signals, as well as to the internal signal processing of a control unit, and the outputting of the same in response to a request signal. Specifically, the memory, into which possible fault signals are written, is queried on a block by block basis in response to a request signal and, moreover, there is a ranking of the faults when they are output to the display.
German Patent Application No. 40 38 972 is directed to a "Device for Computing a Motor-Vehicle Service Interval". It provides for various operational values to be recorded, such as number of starts, crankshaft revolutions, driving and parking times, engine temperature, engine oil pressure and the like, and for the service interval to be calculated from the values by a computer. This makes it possible for the driver to specify a service interval that is oriented to the specific operating conditions of the vehicle, so that he or she will be signaled when there is an actual need to have the vehicle serviced.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,652 relates to a "trip recorder", which makes it possible to indicate operational data to the driver, to record the data and, subsequently, to process them in an "off-line computer". This trip recorder must be a type of "black box", as is also provided in airplanes to protect data in the event of a crash.
A considerable cost factor is entailed by motor-vehicle control units. For that reason, efforts have often been made to increase their reliability and to reduce their probability of failure. However, because of the per se rough operation of a motor vehicle, mechanical, electrical, and external thermal influences constitute a certain potential for danger to a control unit. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to create a device which will allow statements to be made regarding the failure probability or the future reliability of a control unit.

Device for recording, storing, and outputting of data of a control unit in a motor vehicle


An electronic circuit and method to determine a resistance value of a resistive element. The circuit includes a current source coupled in series with the resistive element. The current source is configured to force a predetermined value of current through the resistive element and includes a transconducting device coupled to the current source. The transconducting device is configured to sense a voltage across the resistive element and transform the voltage into an output current of the transconducting device such that the output current is not dependent upon any other terminal voltages of the transconducting device.

Common methods to measure an electrical resistance of an electrically conducting element are (1) applying or forcing a known constant voltage across the two terminals comprising the resistive element and measuring the resulting electric current; and (2) forcing a known, constant current through the resistive element and measuring a resulting voltage drop across the element's terminals. The resistance is thus defined as the ratio of voltage to current under static (non-time-varying) conditions.
Any additional unknown resistance (e.g., wiring or switches) in series with the resistive element contributes to the measured resistance, creating a source of error. If the resistance of interest is not much larger than such additional parasitic resistance, then an alternative method is employed which relies on two additional terminals which perform a sensing function (often referred to as a Kelvin method). FIG. 1A illustrates a prior art approach for sensing the resistor terminal voltage when forcing a voltage across the resistive element. FIG. 1B illustrates another prior art approach for sensing the resistor terminal voltage when forcing a current across the resistive element.
In FIG. 1A, the applied voltage difference V1−V2 induces a current in the test resistor 101 (R) which produces the voltage difference V1′−V2′. The voltage difference is sensed by forcing a negligible current through each sense terminal (i.e., sense terminals 1 and 2) and measuring a resulting voltage on the sense terminals. The current, I, flowing through either terminal 1 or terminal 2 is measured, and the test resistance determined as R=(V1′−V2′)/I. Since negligible current is passing through parasitic resistances rsense1 and rsense2, they do not contribute significant error to a determination of the current I. Nor do rsense1 and rsense2 introduce a significant voltage drop, allowing V1′ and V2′ to be directly associated with voltages measured on their respective sense terminals. In addition, additional parasitic resistances r1 and r2 do not impact the accuracy of the measurement since V1′ and V2′ are sensed directly.
FIG. 1B illustrates a similar configuration differing from FIG. 1A only in that current flowing through a test resistor 151 (R) current is forced directly by a current source 151 (I=Ibias). In both configurations, the measurement apparatus must measure the voltages V1′ and V2′ in order to determine the resistance of the resistor 101.
In the event that the parasitic resistances r1 and r2 are very large compared with the test resistor 101, accuracy limitations arise. For a given force current (Ibias), or applied voltage V1−V2, the voltage drop across the test resistor 101 scales with a proportionality R/(R+r1+R2). If the voltage drop across the test resistor 101 becomes sufficiently small, noise-induced voltage fluctuations in the measurement system can cause accuracy degradation and/or long required test times. Test instrumentation can minimize random noise error but at the expense of using time averaging techniques, thereby increasing test time (often considerably). Resistance monitoring applications in a production manufacturing environment may not be able to accommodate a resulting reduction in throughput.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,952 to Chan and U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,638 Ashton, et al. each describe an application for measuring the interfacial resistances of integrated circuit films which are representative of the problem described above. However, the small interfacial resistances are measured using a force/sense method which must resolve small voltage drops. Long test times can result to counteract the adverse effects of system noise when measuring small resistances.
Therefore, what is needed is an electrical resistance measurement apparatus and method capable of both accurately measuring small values of resistance and in a time-frame conducive to production environments. The apparatus and method should further be capable of accurately measuring the small resistance value in the presence of series-connected parasitic resistance values that may be orders of magnitude larger than the resistor under test.

Method and apparatus for measurement of electrical resistance


A leak may be detected in a heat exchanger of a hemodialysis device. A drain valve is opened by the controller, and then closed by the controller after a pre-selected time period. An initial pressure is determined in the spent dialysate circuit and stored in the memory. A system pressure is determined at periodic time intervals and compared to a pre-determined maximum pressure. The controller then determines whether the heat exchanger has a leak, in that in response to the system pressure exceeding a predetermined maximum pressure, a command is generated to execute an event including suspending a disinfectant operation with a disinfecting agent, and in response to the initial pressure subtracted from the system pressure being greater than a predetermined minimum pressure differential, a command is generated to execute an event including suspending the cleanse operation with the disinfecting agent.

Medical devices involving fluid flow typically involve a fluid flow path for a disinfectant operation such as a chemical disinfection. A hemodialysis device can function in place of a kidney by filtering waste, salt, and fluid from a patient's blood when the patient's kidneys do not function properly. To ensure the flow paths are properly cleaned for patient use, a chemical wash flows a disinfecting agent or other cleaning chemicals through the flow path. It is extremely critical that hemodialysis devices do not permit a chemical wash to contaminate a flow path containing fluid that may interact with a patient.
During a dialysis operation, a valve in a spent dialysate circuit is always closed, thereby preventing any potential contamination from a chemical wash. Additionally, an airgap between a water inlet valve and a hydrochamber prevents any patient contamination if there is an external loss of water pressure. During a chemical wash operation, the valve is opened so that a chemical wash or other disinfectant flows from the spent dialysate side to the hydrochamber. A drain valve opens at a periodic time interval to disinfect the drain line, and fresh water flows through the water inlet valve to replace the volume emptied out the drain valve. Under normal circumstances, the fresh water circuit is under positive pressure, so water flows into the water inlet valve, and disinfectant is prevented from flowing back through the water inlet valve.
If an external water source fails, the water is no longer under positive pressure, and the chemical wash or disinfectant has a path for potential backflow. A heat exchanger may corrode over time, resulting in an opening in a wall or membrane. In the event of an external water source pressure failure, spent dialysate, which may include a disinfecting agent if a disinfectant operation is in process, may be drawn into the water circuit from the spent dialysate circuit, potentially contaminating the external water source and fluid that may interact with a patient. Although risk to the patient is remote, a solution is needed to detect leaks in a heat exchanger and prevent all potential backflow contamination to ensure patient safety.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present improvements may be useful.

System of detecting a leak in a heat exchanger of a hemodialysis device