An electrical hand-held device is provided with improved proximity detection, which can be placed on a surface and has at least one transmission electrode, at least one reception electrode and at least one compensation electrode arranged between transmission electrode and reception electrode. The transmission electrode and the compensation electrode can be supplied with an electric switching signal of predetermined signal frequency and predetermined signal amplitude. Switching electric signal at the compensation electrode is phase-delayed with respect to the switching electric signal at the transmission electrode. Alternating electric fields radiated at the transmission electrode and the compensation electrode generate a current in the reception electrode, which is representative of an approach of a hand to the hand-held device.; The transmission electrode and the reception electrode are arranged in such a way, that the impedance between the transmission electrode and the reception electrode exceeds a predetermined value, which is suitable to keep the current generated in the reception electrode under a predetermined value.

In the state of the art of electric devices and especially of electric hand-held devices the continuing wish emerges to improve energy efficiency. Especially in the case of portable hand-held devices, such as remote controls, input devices for game consoles or mobile phones, using exchangeable batteries or accumulators for power supply, such a wish is amplified, since batteries or accumulators must be frequently changed. An improved energy efficiency lowers on the one hand the power consumption, which leads to a higher battery or accumulator lifetime and produces on the other hand an advantageous ecologic effect, since fewer batteries or accumulators need to be disposed.
In the state of the art it is known that hand-held devices should be switched to a so-called sleeping mode when not in use. In the sleeping mode all the functions of the hand-held device, which are only necessary when using the device, are deactivated. In this way the power input of the device can be significantly reduced. When in use the hand-held device is switched to a so-called active mode, in which the full functional capacity of the device is made available.
In order to switch a hand-held device to the sleeping mode on one hand and from the sleeping mode to the active mode on the other hand, it is known that switches are provided with which the respective mode can be manually activated. This has the disadvantage that hand-held devices, also when not in use, such as for example in case of a computer mouse, often remain in the active mode, since a manual activation or deactivation of the active mode seems relatively complicated or easy to forget. Therefore, the desired energy efficiency improvement is not achieved to a great extent.
Usually computer mice allow the generation of X/Y control data by means of the corresponding movement of the computer mouse on or against a surface. These computer mice are further equipped with a key device through which selection operations can be performed. Moreover, computer mice are also often equipped with a scroll wheel through which input signals can also be generated. The keys and/or the scroll wheel of the computer mouse are also frequently developed as to bring the computer mouse into the sleeping mode or into the active mode. This requires, however, a manual action of the user.
Computer mice are increasingly formulated as cordless devices. The power supply of the computer mouse typically occurs by means of batteries or accumulators. In case of such mice, differently from conventional wired mice, an issue is that batteries need to be frequently replaced or that accumulators need to be frequently charged.
In order to avoid a manual activation or deactivation of the hand-held device active mode, the GB 2 398 138 A suggests providing the hand-held device with a wake detector, which includes a capacity sensor. When a hand-held device gets close or in contact with a hand, the hand-held device switches to the active mode automatically. When a hand is removed the hand-held device switches automatically to the sleeping mode. To detect the approaching of the hand, the capacity of the capacity sensor, which changes with the approach, is measured, in which a predetermined capacity constitutes the switching threshold for the wake detector.
Experiments have shown that such a wake detector has the disadvantage that the approaching of a hand to the wake detector is not reliably detected or, in the worst of cases, is even wrongly detected. This is especially the case, when a hand-held device is placed on an electrically conductive material, such as a table with a metal plate. Thus, the wake detector cannot reliably distinguish the electrically conductive surface from a hand. Therefore, there is the danger that the wake detector detects a hand by mistake, and the wake detector consequently switches the hand-held device to the active mode. This again remarks the fact that only a part of the desired energy efficiency improvement is achieved.
Another disadvantage of the solutions known from the state of the art, is that the approaching to different areas of a hand-held device or an approach from different directions is not detectable. Equally, with the known solutions it cannot be determined which areas of the hand-held device are to be touched.
The task of the present invention is that of creating solutions for an electrical hand-held device, by means of which the approaching of a hand to the hand-held device can be reliably detected and areas of a hand-held device can be identified where an approach and/or a contact occurs or the direction from which the approaching comes.

Electrode system for proximity detection and hand-held device with electrode system


A system for sensing the presence, position and type classification of an occupant in a passenger seat of a vehicle, as well as for sensing the presence of a rear-facing child seat therein, for use in controlling a related air bag activator control system to enable, disable or control inflation rate or amount of inflation of an air bag. The sensor system employs sensor fusion, a process of combining information provided by two or more sensors (24, 26), each of which "sees" the world in a unique sense. In a preferred embodiment, infrared sensor inputs (78) and ultrasonic sensor inputs (79) are combined in a microprocessor by a sensor fusion algorithm (80) to produce an occupancy state output signal (85) to the air bag controller.

Virtually all modern vehicles, autos, vans and trucks have air bag deployment systems. An increasing fraction of the air bag deployment systems currently available include a passenger-side air bag as well as a driver-side air bag.
However, a passenger-side air bag deployment system presents problems in regard to criteria for deployment. That is, it is not simply an issue of always deploying a passenger air bag, as injury to occupants can occur by deployment in certain situations. For example, the air bag should deploy only if an occupant is in fact in the passenger seat, and not when the seat is empty. An even more important problem is the danger of deploying a passenger side air bag when it has a rear-facing child seat (RFCS). The deployment of an air bag against the back portion of an RFCS occupied by a child can cause serious injury to the child by catapulting the child into the back of the car seat, thus defeating the safety advantages of both the air bag and the RFCS during a collision.
Accordingly, it is very important to provide a means for determining when the passenger seat is occupied and when it is not occupied. It is even more important to determine the classification of the "object" in the seat, including when it is occupied by a child in a RFCS so that such information can be used to prevent deployment of the air bag for an RFCS occupancy state. Any means for determining the nature and status of an occupant, including the presence and orientation of a child seat, must be highly reliable in order to signal selective deployment of the air bag when the seat is occupied by a passenger and prevent deployment of the air bag when the seat is occupied by an RFCS. This is compounded by the fact that there are over thirty-five different infant seats available. The seats are adjustable, and the interior configuration and buckling arrangement of each vehicle is different.
Thus, it is no easy task to provide a sensor system, meaning sensor units and methods of operation and signal processing, to reliably detect change of state from an empty to an occupied seat and determine the nature (classify), position (location) and/or orientation of an object or passenger in the vehicle. By way of example, if a thermal sensor is used, its reliability may be reduced by thermal conditions within the vehicle which can change dramatically with the seasons, weather, vehicle interior configuration, rapidly changing exterior shading, passenger clothing and/or size, driver's choice of interior climate, smoking, activity, hot food (e.g., pizza) on the seat, etc. Thus, a thermal sensor acting alone can lead to falsely declared occupant presence, and more importantly, failure to detect the presence of an occupant. Furthermore, there may be cases where the thermal signature of an RFCS blends so well with the seat upholstery that a thermal sensor does not see it, allowing the air bag system to deploy despite the presence of a child-occupied RFCS.
Conversely, if one were to use instead distance measurements, such as by the use of acoustic sensors, such sensor must be capable of distinguishing between the presence of an RFCS and the presence of a passenger holding an object, being in a position or making a motion which can result in distance measurements which mimic the presence of an RFCS.
There are other scenarios as well that require a sensor system to recognize, classify and signal air bag controllers to take appropriate action, such as an FFCS, inanimate objects, a passenger holding an inanimate object, an out-of-position passenger, and so on.
In addition to these basic sensor requirements, the system for determining the presence of a passenger in the passenger seat and the presence or absence of a rear-facing child seat, must be cost effective and must be in a sufficiently small package to prevent interference with normal vehicle operation. Such systems must be compatible with the aesthetics of the vehicle so as not to affect a vehicle's salability particularly as it relates to new passenger cars. Furthermore, the cost of installing such system in the vehicle must remain simple to keep manufacturing cost low. Preferably, all the sensors should be kept in a single unit to ease the assembly of the vehicle in production or retrofitting older vehicles.
There is no currently available sensor system known to the Applicants which can reliably distinguish the presence, absence and nature of an object or a passenger in the passenger seat. None today can selectively distinguish the presence or absence of a rear-facing child seat in the passenger seat.
There is also no currently available sensor system that can account for a wide variety of possible variations in both thermal and distance parameters that are encountered in the actual wide range of circumstances of occupancy, nor one that is sufficiently versatile to be adaptable to the wide range of vehicle interior configurations.
An example of a system for actuating a driver air bag restraint is shown in White et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,160 (Automotive Systems Laboratory) which employs an ultrasonic acoustic sensor for sensing the position of the driver, a "pyrotechnic" sensor for sensing the presence of the driver, and a pressure transducer within the seat to sense the approximate weight of the driver and an air bag control module to trigger deployment of the air bag. As best understood, when an impending crash is sensed by a crash sensor, a control module samples the sensed position of the passenger at fixed time intervals to calculate the rate or movement of the passenger relative to the various fixed motion structures of the vehicle. This rate of relative passenger movement is used to corroborate the acceleration data from the crash sensor and ensure deployment of the air bag where the passenger is at substantial risk of injury. That is, the interior passenger acceleration is apparently used to prevent false crash signals from the crash sensor. Crash sensors may trigger air bag deployment during a minor bump in close slow moving traffic or during parking. This "is-the-passenger-being-accelerated-at-the-same-time" system is directed to correcting false crash sensor signals.
The patent describes the desired results but does not detail the process or circuitry to achieve these results beyond stating that the air bag control circuit uses error correction methods such as a plurality of each type of sensors (crash sensor, pyrotechnic, ultrasonic, acoustic, and pressure transducer) for each assigned monitoring task to prevent falsing. Accordingly, the control circuit is said to employ redundant sensors for each monitoring task and the instructions executed by the control module are said to include error correction subroutines known to one skilled in the art. A dashboard signal lamp can be lit when the air bag effectiveness is too low, or the likelihood of passenger injury by the air bag is greater than the injury if he hit the steering wheel, dash or knee bolster, the latter being consistent with the slow bump situation described above.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a reliable occupant sensor system for use in conjunction with vehicle air bag deployment systems. There is also a need for a sensor system that can meet the aforementioned requirements for reliability in detecting the presence, absence and classification of an object, a passenger or RFCS in a wide range of circumstances, irrespective of whether a passenger is holding an object and irrespective of the thermal conditions that may be found in the vehicle. Such a sensor system must also be a cost effective component of the vehicle that does not detract from the aesthetics of the vehicle interior or unduly increase the cost of manufacturing or assembling a vehicle.

Methods of occupancy state determination and computer programs


A socket device with an indication portion comprises a colored sleeve; the sleeve being made by high molecular organic plastics; a socket; the sleeve being rotatable installed on the socket; an indication portion on a surface of the sleeve for indicating a value about the size of the socket. The socket has an annular recess for receiving the sleeve. The sleeve may be an annular ring; or the sleeve is a C ring; or the sleeve has a protrusion and the protrusion is received in the annular recess.

Currently, there are many kinds of sockets with various sizes. Thereby it is necessary to indicate the size of a socket. In one prior art, the socket has two annular recesses at two sides. Each recess has a protrusion. Color strips are adhered on the recess for indicating the size of the socket. The stripes are coated with oil or films as a protection layer. The stripes serve to indicate the size of the socket by two different specifications. In one prior art, the socket is formed with slide-stop trenches. A concave indication portion is formed on the periphery of the socket. Color layers are formed on the concave portion.
However all in the prior art have color layers coated on the peripheries of sockets. Protection layers or electric plating processes are used to protect the color layers. The sockets are frequently used tools. They are easy to wear or corrode in use or storage. Thereby above mentioned ways are not preferred. There is an eager demand for a novel one which can improve the prior art defects.


A biofeedback device is configured to be worn by a user. The biofeedback device includes one or more sensors and may include a transmitter. A physiological parameter of the user is measured with the sensor to obtain a measurement. The measurement is transmitted to a receiver. A receiver is configured to receive the measurement from the sensor. A plurality of ranges for the physiological parameter are defined based on a characteristic of the user. The biofeedback device includes a processor coupled to the sensor. The processor compares the measurement to the plurality of ranges. A display is coupled to the processor. The display is activated based on the measurement and the data ranges. The display provides a first output according to a first range of the plurality of ranges corresponding to the measurement. A first color is displayed based on a first range corresponding to the measurement.

Physiological information is useful for self-monitoring of one's personal health and fitness. Monitoring a person's physiological characteristics can be used to provide biofeedback about one's physiological state. A biofeedback device makes information about bodily processes perceptible to the senses, allowing the person to interpret the biofeedback information and react or alter one's activity in order to help control one's involuntary bodily processes. Various physiological characteristics can be monitored during physical activity or other activities. For example, a heart rate monitor is worn on the body to continuously or periodically measure heart rate. The heart rate can be transmitted to a device, such as a computer, which processes the signal and displays the heart rate information in the form of text, numbers, or a graph.
Wearable devices for receiving and displaying physiological information are often complicated devices displaying alphanumeric text to communicate a multitude of data points and statistics. Complex display devices, such as performance watches, display various types of personal data, such as heart rate as beats per minute or as a percentage of maximum heart rate, calories burned, time lapsed, lap time, lap count, distance, speed, acceleration, pace, pedal rotations or cycling cadence, elevation, altitude, incline, temperature, and other information about a person's activity or environment. Information is typically displayed in the form of alphanumeric text or in a graphical manner. Digital text, numbers, and charts displayed on a relatively small display screen, such as on a watch face, can be difficult to read and interpret during physical activity. Complex wearable devices are bulky and can contain an overwhelming amount of data that can actually interfere with the user's performance during an activity, rather than enhance performance. The device may take a user's attention away from an activity for several seconds while the user views the data. The distraction caused by a complex display of information can be merely interruptive, but can also be dangerous, for example, when a user takes his or her eyes off of the road.
Fitness and sport watches, for example, often include blinking lights or notification sounds or vibration to alert the user to a particular parameter or end point. However, intrusive lights and sounds are disruptive to certain types of activities and exercise. Other wearable devices record physiological data, but require a computer in order to upload and display the data after an activity. A user receives performance data after the activity and after the time has passed when the user can react and use the performance data. While past physiological data is useful for some purposes, real-time monitoring is more useful to allow the user to adjust his or her performance during an activity.

Device and method for displaying biofeedback


A subscriber identity module (SIM) card for mobile telephones contains a field of abbreviated dialing numbers (AND) and/or fixed dialing numbers (FDN) data records, corresponding to the GSM specification for storing telephone entries. The AND data record (or FDN data record) contains a sector that references a first extension data record. In this case, the first extension data record, contains three sectors, and has in its first sector an identifier that identifies it as a xe2x80x9chierarchicalxe2x80x9d data record. The extension data record refers to one or more further data structures that define the hierarchical order of the telephone entries. Furthermore, it is possible to form a chain of extension data records which refer to one another, and in which all extension data records are hierarchical starting from a specific index.

The invention relates to a subscriber identity module (SIM) card for mobile telephones and, in particular, to the storage of directory entries on the SIM card for mobile telephones.
The number of directory entries in mobile telephones is constantly increasing because of the rising capacity of SIM cards. Thus, at present, it is possible to store up to 255 entries in an abbreviated dialing number (ADN) field or a fixed dialing number (FDN) field of the SIM card. However, it is not possible to store the directory entries in a hierarchical structure in the directories of current SIM cards, that is to say to organize the entries in various levels. The data structure of the SIM card including the definition of the ADN and FDN data records is, for example, explained in global system for mobile communications (GSM) specification 11.11, version 5.0.0 dated December 1995.
Telephones which organize their entries hierarchically, that is to say permit several telephone numbers per entry, or else assign only to that entry an identifier such as, for example, office or FAX therefore store this information not on the SIM card but in the telephone set itself. As a result, serious problems arise when the card is switched to other telephones that do not support the structure. For example, changing the memory location number in another telephone can lead to a false allocation of the identifier to a number when the SIM card is read by the telephone which contains the designations of the individual numbers.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a SIM card with directory entries for mobile telephones which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which has a data structure that permits a hierarchical directory, and the SIM card and its data structure being downwardly compatible.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card for mobile telephones. The SIM card contains a memory programmed with extension data records, further data structures defining a hierarchical order of telephone entries, and initial data records corresponding to a global systems for mobile communications (GSM) specification for storing the telephone entries. The initial data records are selected from the group consisting of a field of abbreviated dialing number (ADN) data records and a field of fixed dialing number (FDN) data records. Each of the initial data records contains a sector which can reference one of the extension data records such that it is possible to form an ordered chain of the extension data records referencing one another. Each of the extension data records are formed of three sectors including an identifier sector having an identifier for identifying a respective extension data record as a hierarchical extension data record. In turn, the hierarchical extension data record references at least one of the further data structures.
The SIM card according to the invention for mobile telephones contains a field of ADN and/or FDN data records, corresponding to the GSM specification for storing telephone entries, an ADN data record (FDN data record) containing a sector which references a first extension data record. In the simplest case, the first extension data record, contains three sectors, and has in its first sector an identifier which identifies it as a xe2x80x9chierarchicalxe2x80x9d data record, and the extension data record refers to one or more further data structures which define the hierarchical order of the telephone entries. It is also possible for the first extension data record still not to be a hierarchical data record. In this case, the first extension record refers to a further second extension data record which is identified as xe2x80x9chierarchicalxe2x80x9d by its first sector. Further following extension data records which relate, possibly via a chain of extension data records, to the first xe2x80x9chierarchicalxe2x80x9d extension data record, are likewise of xe2x80x9chierarchicalxe2x80x9d type. Expressed in general terms, the interlinking may be explained as follows: there can be a sequence of N extension data records for an ADN or FDN data record of an appropriate field, N being a natural number greater than zero, such that an nth extension data record with n xcex5{0, . . . , Nxe2x88x92l} references the (n+1)th extension data record, the data record for n=0 being identical with the ADN or FDN data record, at least a kth extension data record with kxcex5{1, . . . , N} being identified as hierarchical extension data record, and all further jth extension data records with jxcex5{k+1, . . . , N} likewise being xe2x80x9chierarchicalxe2x80x9d extension data records.
The hierarchical extension data record has an identifier sector, an extension data sector and a reference sector. In this case, the extension data sector is constructed from the subsectors type field, reference or link field and a further third sector. The link field contains a predetermined number of subaddresses, each subaddress referring to a further data structure, and the type of the subaddress being fixed by the type field. The extension data sector preferably contains the subsector type field with a length of 2 bytes, 8 subaddresses with a length of 1 byte in each case, and a subsector, which is reserved for later use, with a length of 1 byte.
The further data structures contain at least one subnumber field and/or one group field. A data record of the subnumber field contains an identifier of the number type and a number. A data record of a group field contains an identifier of the group name and a reference sector, a reference sector a referring to an overgroup.
Depending on the type of subaddress, the subaddress containing a reference and fixed by the type field refers to a data record of a subnumber field or to that of a group field.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a SIM card with directory entries for mobile telephones, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.


Disclosed are an apparatus and a method of automatically adjusting a tension of a steel rope that comprises a guide system along which a mining elevator car moves vertically. The apparatus and the method allow the flexible guide rail to be structurally simple, convenient to process, reliable in performance, and easy to install and to maintain. The apparatus and the method allow restriction of vertical orientation and horizontal deflection, and are capable of real-time detection and automatic adjustment of the tension in the flexible guide rail of the elevator.

At present, elevator guiding systems mainly adopt rigid guide rails. As the rigid guide rail has errors during design, manufacture and installation, and shaft wall of the mine bears huge pressure and is deformed, lateral inclination, bending deformation, joint dislocation and local projection of the guide rail happen frequently. Consequently, the elevator car shakes violently during elevating. In serious cases, the elevator sliding guide shoes or the rolling guide wheel relying on the low-clearance guide rail are stuck and subsequently the elevator car is stuck in the shaft. It is a great hidden danger to the safe operation of the mining elevator and threatens the life and safety of the passengers in the elevator car.
In the current mine shafts, flexible guide rails of steel rope guides have been used, which are mostly a steel rope guide system based on tightening by heavy hammer in bottom hole, a steel rope guide system tightening by a hydraulic screw and a hydraulic tensioner based on a high-speed clip. Among them, the advantage of the steel rope guide system based on tightening by heavy hammer in bottom hole is a stable tightening force, but the heavier the goods in the elevating container is, the greater the mass of the heavy hammer for tightening will be and the larger the occupied space will be needed. Therefore, a deeper shaft sump needs to be dug. If coal briquettes or other sundries fall into the shaft sump and raise the level of sump bottom, i.e., the tightening force of the heavy hammer is decreased, resulting in serious lateral deflection of the elevator car. What is more, low work efficiency, high labor intensity and the accurate weight of the heavy hammer is difficult to be adjusted. The steel rope guide system tightening by a hydraulic screw overcomes many shortcomings of the tightening by heavy hammer, but the processing of the wedge device is difficult and it is not easy to have the wedge enter the bottom of the fixing device. As a result, the slipping between the steel rope and the wedge happens, resulting in fall of the steel rope of the guide from the top. The hydraulic tensioner based on a high-speed clip overcomes the drawbacks of the heavy hammer type and the screw type hydraulic tightening systems, but in case that the tightening force of the steel rope decreases due to permanent continuous tension, the steel rope is unable to realize automatic tensioning. To tension it, the steel rope clamp plate must be loosened manually. If the stroke of the cylinder is not long enough, the required tension cannot be achieved unless the steel rope is tensioned again, resulting in low efficiency of the lifting system.
According to the above analysis, it can be known that the current rigid guide rails for mining elevators cannot meet the requirement of normal lifting and there is not a steel rope guide system for mining elevator; the tightening heavy hammer in a steel rope guide system based on tightening by heavy hammer in bottom hole has large mass, occupies a large space, and the weight can not be adjusted easily; processing of the wedges of the steel rope guide system based on tightening by a hydraulic screw is difficult, and it is easy to cause the slipping between the steel rope and the wedge; the hydraulic tensioner based on a high-speed clip cannot be automatically adjusted and is inefficient.

Apparatus and method for automatically adjusting the tension of a flexible guide rail

CHINA UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY


Systems, methods and devices are provided to reduce change latency and/or to provide a picture-in-picture (PIP) feature within a placeshifted media stream. As the viewer receives a primary stream containing selected programming, secondary programming that is likely to be of interest to the user is predicted. A secondary stream containing the predicted content is obtained at the same time as the primary stream selected by the user. The secondary stream may be of lower quality than the primary stream to preserve network bandwidth. If the user subsequently selects the predicted secondary content, the previously-obtained content can be quickly provided as an output to the display. Alternately, the primary and secondary streams may be simultaneously output to the display in PIP or another manner.

"Placeshifting" refers to shifting the viewing location of television or other media content from one place (e.g., a home television) to another. Many commercially-available placeshifting devices and systems now allow viewers to placeshift content from their home televisions, television receivers, set top boxes (STBs), digital video recorders (DVRs) and/or the like to any other locations where network access can be obtained. Media content can be "placeshifted", for example, by providing a streaming media connection from the placeshifting device to a mobile phone, portable computer and/or other media player that may be located in a different room, building or other remote place that is nevertheless accessible via a local area and/or wide area network. Typically, the media player controls the remotely-located media source to select programming, change channels, fast forward/rewind, and so forth.
Generally speaking, it is desired that users have the same experiences with placeshifted content that they would have if they were located in front of their actual televisions. In practice, however, this is difficult to achieve. The realities of video encoding, network communications and other factors can often create latency that detracts from the user experience. If a user changes a channel within a placeshifted media stream, for example, it may take several seconds until programming from the new channel is obtained and a new stream with the content from the newly-selected channel can be provided. During this time, the user simply waits until the content is available. This delay can be particularly frustrating during "channel surfing", in which the user would like to scan the content provided on multiple channels, but must wait until the placeshifted media stream can be updated for each channel change commanded by the user.
It is therefore desirable to create systems and methods that are able to reduce latency that occurs upon channel changes or the like. Other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background section.

Systems, methods and devices to reduce change latency in placeshifted media streams using predictive secondary streaming


Disclosed are a wire rod and a manufacturing method therefor. The wire rod comprises in percentage by weight: 0.02 to 0.15% of C; 0.05 to 0.3% of Si; 0.5 to 1.2% of Mn; 0.3 to 0.9% of Cr; 0.02% or less of P; 0.02% or less of S; 0.01 to 0.05% of sol. Al; 0.01% or less of N; Fe as the remainder; and unavoidable impurities, wherein the wire rod satisfies following formulas 1 and 2, wherein, when the hardness of the wire rod measured in 1/2d position and in 1/4d position in the diameter direction of the wire rod is Hv,1/2d(Hv) and Hv,1/4d(Hv), respectively (here, d is the diameter of the wire).(Hv,1/2d+Hv,1/4d)/2≤150  [Formula 1]Hv,1/2d/Hv,1/4d≤1.2  [Formula 2]

A cold working method has effects of having excellent productivity and a reduction in heat treatment costs, as compared to a hot working method or a machine cutting method, and is thus widely used for manufacturing materials for vehicles or materials for machine components such as nuts, bolts, or the like.
However, as described above, in order to manufacture a mechanical component using a cold working method, excellent cold workability of steel is essential. In detail, it is necessary for steel to have low deformation resistance during cold working, and to have excellent ductility. In this case, defective products may be generated because the service life of a tool used during cold working may be reduced if deformation resistance of steel is high, and because splitting may easily occur during cold working if ductility of steel is low.
Therefore, in the case of steel for cold working according to the related art, a spheroidizing annealing heat treatment is performed thereon before cold working. In this case, because, during the spheroidizing annealing heat treatment, steel is softened, deformation resistance is reduced, while ductility is improved, and thus, cold workability is improved. However, in this case, because additional costs may be incurred and manufacturing efficiency may be reduced, development of a wire rod capable of securing excellent cold workability without the need for an additional heat treatment has been required.

Wire rod having excellent cold forgeability and manufacturing method therefor


In displaying an antenna level on a display device, a bit error rate is measured by comparing, by a comparator, output signals of a QPSK demodulator and signals obtained by error-correcting those output signals by an error correction circuit and then again adding error correction codes to error-corrected data by a re-encoding circuit. The gain of an AGC amplifier is controlled in accordance with a measured value of the bit error rate, and an antenna value corresponding to the measured value of the bit error rate is displayed on the display device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital satellite broadcast receiver and an antenna level display method therefor and, more specifically, to a technique for increasing the antenna level range that can be displayed on a real-time basis.
2. Description of the Related Art
To properly receive radio waves of satellite broadcast, it is necessary to adjust a satellite broadcast receiving antenna (hereinafter referred to simply as "antenna") so that it is correctly directed to a satellite. In the case of a conventional analog satellite broadcast receiver, the direction of an antenna is adjusted so that the level of a BS-IF signal as an output signal of a BS converter or an AGC voltage of a BS tuner becomes maximum.
However, the direct application of the above adjustment method for an analog satellite broadcast receiver to a digital satellite broadcast receiver cannot realize level display that is specific to digital equipment.
In view of the above, it is conceivable to calculate the antenna level from the bit error rate of a demodulation output. However, even if a receiver is so constructed as to count errors in a demodulation output and display a count value, it cannot provide wide-range level display as performed in analog satellite broadcast receivers.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Bit error rate Time taken to observe C/N (dB) (Theoretical value) one error ______________________________________ 14 4 .times. 10.sup.-6 6 msec 15 3 .times. 10.sup.-7 83 msec 16 1 .times. 10.sup.-8 2.5 sec 17 1.4 .times. 10.sup.-10 179 sec 18 8 .times. 10.sup.-13 8.7 hours ______________________________________
This is because as the C/N value increases in a range larger than 15 dB, the time taken to observe one error steeply increases as shown in Table 1 and hence it becomes more difficult (actually, very difficult) to display the error rate on a real-time basis. Numerical values in Table 1 are those in a case of receiving a QPSK signal of a transmission rate 42 Mbps.
For the above reason, in adjusting the direction of an antenna, it is difficult to judge C/N values larger than 15 dB. In the case of antennas whose diameter is as small as 40-50 cm, judgment of C/N values smaller than about 14 dB is sufficient because such antennas do not have an ability of providing large reception C/N values. However, in the case of antennas whose diameter is larger than 75 cm and hence which can provide large reception C/N values, the antenna adjustment cannot be conducted with high accuracy.

Digital broadcast receiver and signal level display method


A wireless data network process and system are provided based on a network with prior network-based authentication of a connected mobile node (MN) and with a network connection to a packet gateway node (PGN). The method and system establish and use an authentication mechanism between the MN and the PGN using the network connection. An encrypted channel is then set up between the MN and the PGN based on authentication established with the authentication mechanism. Configuration data is sent from the PGN to the MN using the encrypted channel. The configuration data may then be used by the MN for communication to and from the MN with the PGN via an access point. Any network connected to the PGN via any access point may then be used.

The growth in laptop computers and handheld computing devices (e.g., PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant) has increased the need for users to seek network connectivity in many different locales. Wireless networks have thus gained popularity because of their convenience. However, security in a wireless networking environment is a serious concern. Because network traffic is broadcast over radio frequencies it becomes very easy for anyone with a proper radio receiver to intercept this traffic for the purpose of gaining vital information or for masquerading as a legitimate user. Protecting these communications is a strong requirement in mobile computing.
For wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communications, the 802.11 standard specifies the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) in order to address the security issues, primarily protecting data confidentiality, inherent in this technology. The WEP protocol is an international standard and widely deployed. Unfortunately, it has been shown that WEP fails to achieve its data confidentiality goals leaving users vulnerable to a number of different attacks.
These vulnerabilities are well known and documented in, for example, J. R. Walker, "Unsafe at any key size: An analysis of the WEP encapsulations, IEEE document 802.11-00/362, 2001." and references therein.
These security problems are a significant issue with regard to the use of the WEP. Further, combining the third generation wireless data access protocol General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) to allow secure roaming between these networks is advantageous. Indeed, roaming between GPRS/UMTS networks across networks deemed insecure is a significant problem requiring a solution.

System and method for secure network roaming


A vehicle occupant safety apparatus (10) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (22) and an inflator (20) actuatable in response to sensing a condition indicative of a vehicle collision. A disable switch (40) has a first condition enabling actuation of the inflator (20) and a second condition disabling actuation of the inflator. An electrically energizable indicator (50), when energized, indicates that the disable switch (40) is in the second condition. The indicator (50) is energized when the ignition (58) of the vehicle is on and the disable switch (40) is in the second condition. The indicator (50) is also energized for a predetermined period of time, when the vehicle ignition (58) is off, in response to movement of the disable switch (40) from the first condition to the second condition. The indicator (50) is also energized in response to a vehicle event (70), for a predetermined period of time, when the vehicle ignition (58) is off and the disable switch (40) is in the second condition.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle safety apparatus including an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag. In particular, the present invention relates to a timing circuit for enabling operation of an air bag disable switch and an associated indicator when the vehicle ignition is off.
1. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to inflate an air bag to help protect a front seat passenger of a vehicle in the event of a vehicle collision. The air bag is stored in a deflated condition, together with an inflator, in the instrument panel of the vehicle. In the event of a vehicle collision, the inflator is actuated, and the air bag is inflated into a position between the front seat passenger and the instrument panel of the vehicle.
It is sometimes desirable that a passenger side air bag not be inflated in the event of a vehicle collision, for example, if a rearward facing child seat is disposed on the vehicle seat. It is known to provide a disable switch on the instrument panel of the vehicle, into which the vehicle ignition key can be inserted and turned in order to disable actuation of the inflator for the passenger side air bag. The disable switch is electrically connected with an indicator, such as a warning lamp, which indicates that the switch is in the "disabled" condition and that actuation of the inflator is not enabled.
If the indicator is connected at all times to the vehicle battery, then the indicator can alert a vehicle occupant, even when the vehicle ignition is off, that the switch is in the "disabled" condition. In this case, however, the indicator can, undesirably, drain the vehicle battery if the vehicle is not run for an extended period of time.
If the indicator is not connected at all times to the vehicle battery, then the indicator is not energized if the switch is in the "disabled" condition when the occupant enters the vehicle. In this case, the occupant does not know whether actuation of the air bag is enabled, until the vehicle ignition is turned on. Also, the indicator is not energized if the vehicle occupant moves the switch to the "disabled" condition upon entering the vehicle and prior to turning on the vehicle ignition. In either case, the vehicle ignition may have to be turned off and the ignition key removed in order to move the disable switch to the desired position.

Timing circuit for air bag disable switch


A system and method for dispensing tokens in a Point-Of-Sale ("POS") transaction. The system and method include sensing errors in the token-dispensing operation whereby a POS terminal operator can be notified if a token is jammed in the token dispenser or if the token dispenser is empty.

Video arcades, gaming establishments, public transit authorities, and other organizations have provided token dispensers for dispensing tokens in exchange for money or under other terms. For example, at a video arcade, a customer may insert ten U.S. dollars and receive forty tokens in exchange. The customer then, for example, gives up a token each time he plays one of the video games.
POS terminals are programmable computers that have been programmed specifically to perform retail-specific functions. For some retail chains, these POS terminals are custom-programmed for functions specific to the needs of that chain. The POS terminals are typically placed in the main store area, and the store's employees key in customer orders upon the POS terminal.

Automatic token dispensing apparatus and method


An evaporative fuel treatment system is disclosed that includes a canister, a detection passage having a reduced area portion, and switching device that switches fluid communication. Also included is a depressurizing device for depressurizing the detection passage coupled to the detection passage on a side of the reduced area portion opposite to the switching device, and a pressure detecting device. Moreover, the system includes an evaporative fuel state calculating device for calculating an evaporative fuel state in the mixture based on a cutoff pressure, an air pressure, and a mixture pressure of a mixture of air and the evaporative fuel. In one embodiment, the cutoff pressure, the air pressure, and the mixture pressure are detected independently and discontinuously. In another embodiment, the cutoff pressure and the air pressure are detected on a continual basis during purge of the evaporative fuel.

An evaporation fuel processor has been proposed having a canister into which evaporative fuel generated in a fuel tank is temporarily adsorbed. As the need arises, the evaporative fuel is purged from the canister to an intake air passage of an engine.
For instance, Japanese Patent Publication No. 05-018326 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 06-101534 each disclose such an evaporative fuel treatment system. The system calculates an evaporative fuel concentration in a mixture to be purged to the intake air passage prior to purging. More specifically, the system detects a flow rate or a density of an air-fuel mixture in a passage through which the air-fuel mixture is purged to the intake air passage. Furthermore, the system detects a flow rate or a density of air in a passage open to the atmosphere. The system calculates the evaporative fuel concentration from a ratio of these detection results.
In this conventional system, a negative pressure of the intake air passage is applied to each passage, whereby the mixture or air flows through each passage and the flow rate or density is detected. With this configuration, when pulsation occurs in the negative pressure of the intake air passage, a fluctuation will arise in the flow rate or density. Therefore, calculation of the evaporative fuel concentration based on the flow rate or density becomes less accurate. Moreover, where the negative pressure of the intake air passage is small, the flow rate of the mixture or air in each passage is also relatively small. Accordingly, detection of the flow rate or density itself can be difficult.
Accordingly, an evaporative fuel treatment system has been proposed that depressurizes a detection passage having a reduced area portion (i.e., orifice, throttle, contraction, reference passage, etc.) with depressurizing means (e.g., a pump). The system detects a cutoff pressure of the detection passage with the atmosphere side of the reduced area portion blocked. The system also detects an air pressure with the reduced area portion and the atmosphere brought into communication. Furthermore, the system detects a mixture pressure of the mixture with the reduced area portion and the canister being brought into communication as a differential pressure at both sides of the reduced area portion. The system calculates the evaporative fuel concentration based on the cutoff pressure, the air pressure, and the mixture pressure. Since the detection passage is depressurized by a pump, the differential pressure of a detection object is stabilized if there is substantially no change in detecting conditions, and the flow rate of air or mixture is sufficiently maintained in the detection passage.
In contrast to this, an evaporative fuel treatment system illustrated in FIG. 19 detects the cutoff pressure Pt, the air pressure ΔPAIR, and the mixture pressure ΔPGAS on a continual basis. In addition, until detection of these three kinds of pressures is completed, a purge valve is closed and purging the evaporative fuel is not performed. As a result, a substantial amount of time may elapse during which the purge cannot be performed due to detection of the three kinds of pressures. In another case, when the three kinds of pressures cannot be detected on a continual basis because a pressure detectable time is short, the purge cannot be performed until the three kinds of pressures are detected. Accordingly, even when the purge execution condition exists, the purge may not occur. This incapability may lead to decrease in the number of purges. Start of the purge may also be delayed, which can cause a shorter purge time, and accordingly the quantity of the purged evaporative fuel may be decreased.


In an optoacoustic gas sensor having a sensor body (1, 2), a light source (10), a measurement cell (6) with a gas-permeable membrane (15), a measurement microphone (13), and an optical measurement filter (11) between the light source (10) and the measurement cell (6), a reference cell (7) is included that is separate from the measurement cell (6). The reference cell (7) has a reference microphone (14) that is shielded against optoacoustic signals from the gas to be detected via the reference cell being substantially free from intensity-modulated optical radiation having an absorption wavelength of the gas to be detected. The measurement signal, which indicates gas concentration, is obtained by subtraction of the signals from the two microphones (13, 14).

The present invention relates to an optoacoustic gas sensor and, more particularly, to an optoacoustic gas sensor with a sensor body having a light source, a measurement cell with a gas-permeable membrane and a measurement microphone, and evaluation electronics.
Such gas sensors operate on the basis of the photoacoustic effect, whereby modulated-light irradiation of a gas to be detected gives rise to an acoustic pressure wave whose magnitude is directly related to the concentration of the gas. The acoustic pressure wave arises as the gas absorbs the optical radiation and heats up and expands as a result. The pressure fluctuations correspond to the modulation of the optical radiation.
From the measured acoustic pressure, the gas concentration can be inferred. Different gases are distinguished by use of light sources having different wavelengths corresponding to specific absorption wavelengths of the gases. Laser sources, or broadband light sources such as coiled filaments together with band-pass filters, can be used for this purpose. Gas sensors of this are described in European patent applications EP-A-0 760 474 and EP-A-0 798 552, and in respectively corresponding U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/706,240 of Sep. 4, 1996 and Ser. No. 08/828,837 of Mar. 24, 1997 which are incorporated herein by reference.
Preferred gas sensors have a measurement cell whose longitudinal axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sensor body, and have a light source which is disposed to irradiate the measurement cell without irradiating the membrane, thus to minimize interference signals. Also, such gas sensors are explosion-proof, as the light source is sealed off from the ambient atmosphere. This type of photoacoustic sensor has proven effective in use, at least so long as the concentration of the gases to be detected lies above a certain minimum concentration, which for CO.sub.2 is practically always the case. But combustible solvents containing CH bonds in the range from 300 to 3,000 ppm, or NH.sub.3 in the range from 100 to 200 ppm are not readily detectable with such a sensor.
Potentially, the detection of combustible solvents containing CH bonds is a particularly important application for optoacoustic gas sensors, as pelliators can be used only to a limited extent in the range from 300 to 3,000 ppm, and can become contaminated easily. Metal-oxide sensors would be suitable, but they suffer from instability.
The sensitivity of optoacoustic gas sensors is limited due to interference signals caused by wall effects (zero signal), fluctuations in air pressure (caused by the actuation of doors or of ventilation systems), and vibrations (of the building or due to motors or persons). An immediate remedy for minimizing the effect of interference signals lies in the use of larger measurement cells and larger light sources. However, this would result in an appreciable increase in the dimensions of the sensor body and to a corresponding increase in sensor costs.