The invention relates to an airbag, especially a lateral airbag, preferably in the shape of a tube, which is connected to at least two points on the motor vehicle and accommodated in its non-inflated state in a curved storage area. The invention provides for at least one tensioning cord (3) between the gas bag and a point of attachment to the motor vehicle, whereby said tensioning cord (3) can be tautened by the inflating gas bag. A preferred version provides for the tensioning cord (3) to be attached with one end to the gas bag (8) and with the other end to the motor vehicle (F1), whereby, when the gas bag inflates, the cord""s point of attachment on the gas bag, together with the gas bag, is able to move away from the point (F1) where the tensioning cord (3) is attache to the motor vehicle. In this way the gas bag can be tautened without the need for additional mechanical or electrical components.

Lateral airbags are known to protect the occupant of a vehicle in the event of lateral impact. Lateral airbags are provided for example in doors or in the side trims of the vehicle. These lateral airbags spread out and upwards in the event of a crash so that parts of the body lying level with the window are also protected.
The lateral airbags arranged in this way, however, are not suitable to protect the head of the occupant. Therefore airbags are known which are integrated in the vehicle seat. Thus a head restraint with integrated gas bag is known from DE 94 15 511.9 U1. This gas bag extends in the inflated state sideways from the head area and in the forward travel direction. The drawback with an airbag of this kind provided in the seat is that the sensor required for detonation of the gas generator has to be connected to the energy supply of the vehicle through a cable. Since vehicle seats are however in most cases movable and even removable these cables become in the way.
Therefore lateral airbags are also known which are mounted level with the head at the side in the vehicle. Here the gas bag extends between the A- and B-pillar or the B- and C-pillar of the vehicle. In the inflated state the gas bag covers the area of a side window. In the folded state the gas bag is stowed away above the window frame, i.e., it extends along a curve. In this curved position therefore the distance between the fastening points is greater than in the case where the gas bag runs straight in the inflated state. From this there is the need to tauten the gas bag or fastening sections of the gas bag in its inflated position.
To this end it is known from DE 195 19 297 to provide the gas bag on the A-pillar with a cable which runs over a tautening device. This has a guide pulley where the cable is deflected round 180xc2x0. The guide pulley is displaceable by means of a further mechanical device which is electronically controlled whereby the deflected part of the cable is extended and thus a tautening effect is achieved. This tautening device is operated during the inflation process. The drawback here is that a tautening device of this kind means extra mechanical and electronic expense.
Furthermore a lateral airbag is known from WO 94/19215 for protecting the head wherein this airbag likewise extends between two pillars of the vehicle, e.g., between the A and B pillars. The gas bag is tubular and consists of two crisscrossing threads with an elastic material extending inbetween. When the gas bag is not inflated but is stowed in this state above a vehicle window the threads lie practically parallel to each other. After inflation the threads rotate into the main unfolding direction of the gas bag. The diameter of the gas bag thereby increases whilst the length reduces. Thus a tautening effect likewise occurs without special additional mechanical or electronic aids. The drawback here, however, is that the gas bag has to be made from the said special material.
The object of the invention is to achieve a tautening action in an airbag, more particularly a lateral airbag, without additional mechanical devices and the electronics associated therewith and without having to use special material for the gas bag.
The present invention relates to an airbag, more particularly a lateral airbag with a tubular shape, which is connected to at least two points of the motor vehicle and in the non-inflated state is stored in a curved storage area. According to the invention at least one tensioning cord for shortening the unfolded gas bag is provided between the gas bag and a fastening point on the vehicle whereby the tensioning cord can be tautened through the inflating gas bag.
More particularly at least one tensioning cord is provided which is fixed at one end on the gas bag and at the other end on the vehicle whereby the fixing point on the gas bag can be moved together with the gas bag away from the cord""s fixing point on the vehicle as the gas bag inflates.
Furthermore the invention can be designed so that the tensioning cord is fixed at one end to the gas bag and at the other end to the vehicle and that the tensioning cord has at least one guide point on the gas bag which during inflation of the gas bag can be moved away from the point of attachment of the tensioning cord on the gas bag.
With the airbag according to the invention, the movement of part of the gas bag and in particular a movement away from the point of attachment of the tensioning cord on the vehicle or on the gas bag during inflation of the gas bag is thus utilised to tauten the tensioning cord and thus the gas bag as it unfolds. The length of the tensioning cord can remain unchanged or can be shortened as the gas bag unfolds. The advantage of using the movement of the gas bag to tauten the cord is that no additional mechanical devices and associated electronics are required and that the gas bag can be made from conventional materials.
In a first embodiment, it is proposed that the gas bag is bottle-shaped and has inside a tensioning cord which is shorter than the gas bag and is connected at one end in the area of the bottle neck to the gas bag and at the other end in the non-inflated state of the gas bag to the inverted end of same which corresponds to the bottle base wherein the end of the tensioning cord is connected to the vehicle in the area of the bottle neck and the gas bag is connected to the vehicle in the area of its inflation mouth which is set at a distance from the bottle base.
With this embodiment, the distance between the fastening points of the gas bag at the inflation mouth and at the end of the bottle neck during inflation of the gas bag is reduced to the debit of the distance between the inflation mouth and the bottle base in that this distance is increased by the stretching of the gas bag while the bottle neck is simultaneously folded and thereby shortened.
The tensioning cord can both end at the bottle-shaped end of the gas bag and also extend beyond the gas bag and only there be connected to the vehicle.
In a second embodiment, at least one connecting cord or at least one contraction cord is provided which runs at least approximately in the main unfolding direction of the gas bag and is fixed on opposite parts of the gas bag, and the tensioning cord is fixed roughly in the middle of the connecting cord/contraction cord. The point of attachment of the tensioning cord on the connecting cord moves away from the fixing point of the tensioning cord on the gas bag as the gas bag inflates. The displacement path of the point of attachment thereby corresponds to the slack in the tensioning cord which is to be compensated.
It is expedient if the connecting cord is provided approximately in the center of the gas bag and is designed as a closed ring.
In a first design of this embodiment, the connecting cord runs inside the gas bag and the tensioning cord extends out from the gas bag and is connected to the gas bag at the point where it emerges from the same.
In a second design, the connecting and tensioning cords are provided outside of the gas bag and the tensioning cord is guided at the end of the gas bag between this and a shackle. With this design, the tensioning cord is thus not connected to the end of the gas bag but is guided round the same through the shackle.
In a further embodiment, it is proposed that the tensioning cords are formed at their fastening points with the gas bag as guide shackles for each other tensioning cord.
When using a contraction cord which acts similar to the connecting cord, the tensioning cord is connected to opposite ends of the gas bag. The contraction cord is attached to predefined points of the gas bag so that it gathers together individual sections of the gas bag during unfolding and in this way compensates for the slack in the tensioning cord.
In a third embodiment, the tensioning cord is guided at one end of the gas bag in a shackle and in its non-inflated state is connected to the other end of the gas bag which is folded towards the shackle. As the gas bag unfolds, the folded end of the gas bag moves away from the shackle and away from the fastening point of the tensioning cord on the vehicle and thereby transfers this movement to the tensioning cord.
In a further design of this embodiment, it is proposed that each tensioning cord has at least one return lock which prevents the tensioning cord from moving back against the unfolding direction of the gas bag but allows the tensioning cord to move in the unfolding direction of the gas bag and/or that at least one additional support shackle is provided for guiding the tensioning cord in the middle area of the gas bag which is likely to bend.
Providing a return lock or an additional tensioning cord support shackle prevents the tubular gas bag from bending in through the strain of the occupant once it has unfolded. The protection of the occupant would be impaired if the gas bag were to bend inwards.
In a preferred embodiment, the return lock is formed as a guide shackle and is fixed on the gas bag in place of a guide shackle.
Where two tensioning cords are provided, each tensioning cord has a return lock.
Where two tensioning cords are provided criss-crossing each other, it is expedient to provide one double return lock at the cross-over point.
In a preferred embodiment, the return lock has two relatively movable wedges wherein the tensioning cord runs between opposite wedge faces and these can be pressed against each other by at least one elastically deformable fastening means. During unfolding of the gas bag, the tensioning cords press the wedge faces away from each other against the force of the elastically deformable fastening means, and the tensioning cord is drawn along with the end of the gas bag to which it is fixed, and tautens the unfolded gas bag. As the gas escapes from the gas bag at the end of the unfolding process, the wedge faces are pressed against each other under the action of the elastically deformable fastening means. The tensioning cord is thereby fixed at this point. The tensioning cord thereby remains tensioned between its fastening point on the motor vehicle and the wedge faces even if the gas bag collapses as a result of the escaping gas. This substantially prevents the gas bag from bending inwards.
It is expedient if one wedge is arranged fixed while the other wedge is displaceable relative to the fixed wedge and has the elastically deformable fastening means. As elastically deformable fastening means, a draw spring can be provided whose active direction runs substantially opposite the traction direction of the tensioning cord during unfolding of the gas bag.
To increase the clamping action of the wedge faces, it is expedient if the opposing wedge faces have grooves which run at least approximately cross-wise to the direction of movement of the tensioning cord.
In a further design, it is proposed that at least one additional support shackle is provided between the guide shackles or return locks provided at the ends of the gas bag. Where return locks are used, this support shackle represents an additional means for preventing the gas bag from bending in. In the event that guide shackles are used in place of return locks, the support shackle is the sole means for preventing the gas bag from bending in.
In one embodiment, the tensioning cord is guided on the gas bag and in the non-inflated state is connected to the other end of the gas bag which has been folded towards the fastening point on the vehicle.
In a fourth embodiment, the tensioning cord is connected to the gas bag at the site where the gas bag changes shape the most during inflation and is guided from there towards the end of the gas bag in at least one shackle. It is expedient if the site of the greatest change of shape is formed by a peak-like irregularity in the contour of the gas bag which can be provided as an indent or bulge in the gas bag. In the folded state, the shackles, as well as the fastening point of the tensioning cord on the vehicle, are mounted substantially along a straight line. During unfolding, the tensioning cord is drawn along as a result of the irregular airbag contour through the shackles in the direction of the fastening point of the tensioning cord on the gas bag and the slack in the tensioning cord is thereby compensated.
In a fifth embodiment, the gas bag is fixed in the area of its inflation mouth on the vehicle and extends to each side of the inflation mouth. The tensioning cord is fixed at one end inside the gas bag and with its other end runs out of the gas bag where it is connected to the vehicle outside of the gas bag. For assembly, the gas bag is gathered up in the area next to the inflation mouth which is remote from the fastening point of the tensioning cord on the vehicle. During unfolding of the gas bag, the gathered gas bag material expands and thereby draws in a corresponding piece of the tensioning cord. The tensioning cord can in this embodiment be guided to the outside from the gas bag through an outlet opening, valve opening or through the fabric of the gas bag.
In a sixth embodiment, a gas bag which during folding has been wound up through rotation about the unfolding axis is connected to the tensioning cord on the outside by at least one section which is opposite the fastening point of the tensioning cord on the vehicle. During unfolding the gas bag spreads out in the direction of the useful position and thus in the direction of the fastening point of the tensioning cord on the vehicle. At the same time the gas bag turns back into its original alignment and the slack of the tensioning cord winds up over the circumference of the gas bag.
In one embodiment two tensioning cords are provided of which each one is connected to the vehicle in the area of one end of two opposite ends of the gas bag.
The tensioning cords can be substantially non-deformable, but can however also be made from elastically deformable material.
The invention will now be explained with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

Gas bag device with a tensioning cord and automobile therewith


An illumination apparatus for a telescopic sight has a lamp, in particular for a reticle of the telescopic sight. The apparatus comprises a control circuit for supplying the lamp, and an adjustment knob cooperating with the control unit for adjusting the brightness of the lamp. Incremental markings are associated with the adjustment knob. The control unit is provided with first means for scanning the incremental markings when the adjustment knob is operated, second means for generating incremental signals, and third means for generating from the incremental signals a signal for controlling the brightness of the lamp.

For telescopic sights, in particular for precision long-barrel guns, it is well-known to illuminate the reticle of the telescopic sight by means of a special illumination assembly. In a conventional illuminated reticle, a potentiometer is arranged within a laterally protruding assembly (commonly referred to as "Turm" in the German art) of the sight, the potentiometer being actuated by the user via an externally accessible rotatable knob. The potentiometer is arranged within the circuit of a lamp being supplied from a battery. Instead of using a potentiometer, it is also known to use a rotary switch with a plurality of switching positions to which a resistance cascade is connected.
In this context one has a well-known problem, namely that the battery used for supplying current to the illuminated reticle is discharged too quickly when the illuminated reticle is switched on for a too long period of time or when it remains switched on inadvertently.
German Utility Model document DE 202 08 819 U1 describes a telescopic sight having a reticle illumination unit. The illumination unit comprises a rotary potentiometer, however, it further comprises a push switch, such that the illumination unit may be switched off or on in any rotary position of the potentiometer. By doing so, the rifleperson, for saving battery capacity, may switch the illumination unit off in the last set brightness position, and may switch it on again, if needed, in particular when a target object appears, wherein the same brightness as had been set before is immediately set.
This and other prior art illumination units for telescopic sights, operating with rotary potentiometers or the like, have the disadvantage that the brightness varies as a function of the particular characteristic of the potentiometer, when the rotary knob is rotated. The characteristic is conventionally linear. Therefore, the brightness gradually increases or decreases, respectively, when the rifleperson turns the rotary knob.
This approach does not take into account that the lamp used normally has a non-linear characteristic (radiation intensity vs. current consumption). The same applies for the sensitivity of the eye which, in addition, may substantially vary from rifleperson to rifleperson. All these characteristics are difficult to evaluate beforehand and may in no event be compensated by a standard potentiometer. In practice it is almost or entirely impossible to properly match the brightness adjustment to extreme light conditions.
The same considerations apply for the industrial mass production of such illumination units. The components supplied from the suppliers, namely in particular the lamps and the rotary potentiometers, also vary from one component to another and, in particular, from batch to batch.
One might theoretically consider to avoid the afore-discussed problems at least partially in that rotary switches in conjunction with resistance cascades are used, as already described, wherein the individual resistances within the resistance cascade are selected in accordance with the desired overall characteristic.
Such an approach, however, would require extreme efforts and would involve substantial production costs. Moreover, for technical and spatial reasons the number of resistances for such a resistance cascade would be limited, such that only an illumination adjustment with coarse resolution could be effected.
Moreover, for an exact representation of the characteristic the resistances would have to be individually selected and assembled for each unit.
Finally, prior art illumination units with rotary potentiometers have the disadvantage that the mechanical angle of rotation of the potentiometer is conventionally limited to a value of substantially less than 360°. Limit stops are provided at the two end positions of the rotary potentiometer which not only require certain efforts in production but may also be mechanically damaged under the rough conditions under which firearms are actually used.
It is, therefore, an object underlying the invention, to improve an illumination unit of the type specified at the outset such that these disadvantages are avoided.
In particular, an illumination unit shall be created which allows to be individually matched to existing characteristics by using relatively simple and low-cost means, even under mass production conditions. Furthermore, a limitation in the actuation of the adjustment element, such as limit stops or the like, shall be avoided, such that the brightness may be increased or decreased starting from any position of the adjustment element.

Telescopic sight having an illumination apparatus


Method and apparatus for imaging of a subject. Radiation intensity data is transformed to a frequency domain, filtered, retransformed and then backprojected to allow an operator to examine a cross sectional image of the subject. Based upon this image, a filter function is adjusted and a second image is presented. Further adjustments can be made in the filter function to fine tune the image. The filter adjustments are all rapidly performed with the aid of a pointing device that can easily and intuitively allow the user to adjust the filter function characteristics.

Medical imaging techniques such as nuclear imaging, computerized tomography ("CT") and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging ("NMR") generate two-dimensional images from cross-sectional scans of patients. In nuclear imaging, for example, the image is generated from measurements tracing the position or movement of a radioactive isotope administered to the patient. Since certain radioactive isotopes accumulate in certain organs, it is possible to study these organs through the selection of an appropriate isotope.
The position or movement of the isotope is monitored by sensing the radioactive output from the isotope. After the isotope has been administered, the patient is monitored by detectors which detect radiation intensity. Each detector within an array monitors radioactive output from the patient, producing a set of intensity readings in the time domain representing a cross-section of interest within the patient. The subject cross-sections are frequently taken transversely, that is, normal to the long axis of the patient, in order to simplify the radiation detection equipment.
Many commercially available imaging systems use a five step process to reconstruct cross-sectional images. Raw time-domain data is extracted, that is, input and formatted into data views. The data from each view is then converted to a frequency domain by means of a fast fourier transform ("FFT") or other technique. The frequency domain data is then "filtered" to remove "noise" and sharpen the image. The filtered data is then converted back into the time domain, as by an inverse fast fourier transform, and backprojected over a cross-section to form an image. "Filtering" is essentially a weighted averaging process, in which the frequency domain data is subjected to convolution integration with a kernel referred to as a "filter." The filter is a vector in the frequency domain which augments one or more bands of frequencies likely to be of interest and attenuates others. Preferred types of filters have been developed over the years under names such as Butterworth, Hamming, Metz and Wiener filters. While the type of filter determines generally the shape of the filter, the details of the shape of the filter are determined by numerical parameters. The mathematical relations defining these filter types are well-known and available in reference books.
Care must be exercised in the selection of the filter. Filtering with too strong a filter, that is, a filter which is weighted too heavily in favor of selected frequencies, will tend to blur the image. On the other hand, filtering with too weak a filter will lead to a "noisy" image. The operator must select a proper filter based on his or her experience with images produced with the available equipment.
The amount of time-domain data, and hence the length of the frequency-domain data lines, is dependent on the actual size of the cross-sections and the structure of the array of radiation detectors. Different conditions may give rise to time-domain data sets, and hence frequency-domain data lines, of different length. As the length of the frequency-domain data lines varies, the filter must be adapted in order to discriminate between the frequencies of interest and those attributable to "noise."
Typical prior art systems offer a library of pre-defined filter functions for use within the reconstruction. A filter is selected prior to reconstruction and used throughout that processing session. If the pre-defined filter does not yield an image of the desired clarity, the operator must either select a different pre-defined filter or create a new one. Selection of a different pre-defined filter can be accomplished within the reconstruction application, but typically filter creation is a separate program and must be performed outside the reconstruction application. As a consequence, the image cannot be "fine-tuned" within the application to produce the desired image quality.


Novel tools and techniques are described for providing media content to a plurality of set-top boxes (“STBs”) over a licensed spectrum and over an unlicensed spectrum. In an aspect, each of the plurality of STBs might comprise a first transceiver configured to receive media content or data over a licensed spectrum and a second transceiver configured to receive and send media content or data over an unlicensed spectrum. The first STB of the plurality of STBs might receive a first portion of the media content at the first transceiver and receive a second portion of the media content at the second transceiver from a second STB of the plurality of STBs. The plurality of STBs might query each other to determine available frequencies and/or bandwidth, and might store results of the query in a table in local memory or in a database accessible by all of the plurality of STBs.

Today, set-top boxes ("STBs") use WiFi for video distribution within the home, but such set-top boxes do not currently share bandwidth between set-top boxes. In addition, some STBs use a licensed spectrum with a gateway device to provide video content. However, these STBs have not been used with a combination of licensed and unlicensed spectrum to deliver video content from a combined device. With the advent of more STBs being deployed in the home, it will become more important to provide higher quality bandwidth.
The embodiments disclosed herein are directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Licensed and unlicensed spectrum set-top box


Labeled antibodies, antibody fragments or peptides binding to soluble cytokines or cytokine receptors are used to diagnose whether a patient has cancer or an autoimmune disease. In a preferred embodiment, a radiolabelled tag that is chemically bound to a peptide, antibody, or antibody fragment specific for sTNFR-1 and/or sTNFR2 is injected into a patient with a tumor, or suspected tumor, or with any disease associated with STNF-1/STNF-2. The patient is then imaged using standard nuclear imaging equipment to detect areas or sites of concentration of the radiolabel and/or receptor/inhibitor and/or antigen. By screening for cancer by the substances it produces, using an injected antibody to that substance with a tracer attached to it, one can detect cancer at a very early stage, potentially even microscopically.

This application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 60/590,400 filed Jul. 22, 2004.
The present invention is generally in the field of diagnosing areas in the body that contain antigenic, diseased, transformed or neoplastic tissue that is associated with an inflammatory response. This is accomplished by the administration and imaging of radiolabelled antibodies to tumor necrosis factor receptor. This diagnostic test is intended for early diagnosis of disease in mammals.
The two main causes of death in this country are heart disease and cancer. Researchers today are finding more and more evidence that these diseases start with an inflammatory response involving the immune system. The various response organs, such as the gut, skin, lungs, bone marrow, thymus, and spleen, react with the production of special messenger substances that activate/create macrophages, T-cells, B-cells and NK-cells, all with specific functions to protect the body from invasion of other living organisms as well as toxins. Some of these messenger substances include cytokines such as TNF and C-reactive protein, lymphotoxins, and leukotrienes.
Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) is a pirotrophic pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by macrophages. The amount of TNF is crucial; too much can cause cachexia and septic shock, while too little can allow infection and cancer. The body's white cells will recognize a cancer cell, bind to it (if not blocked/inhibited) and kill it with TNF. This reaction is inhibited by immunosuppressants, either from outside the body (medications, radiation, environmental toxins) or from within (tumor production of cell surface TNF receptors (sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2). If the inhibitors/blockers of the normal white cell response can be removed, then the immune system can attack and kill the affected cells.
The TNF receptors (sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2) are present on all mammalian cells. Over production and shedding of these receptors into body fluids causal to acquired immune tolerance. These soluble shed receptors are found in increased quantities in the immediate cellular microenvironment of antigenic tissues and cells. (Lentz M R. The phylogeny of oncology. Mol Biotherm. 2:137-144 (1990)). The result of this over-production and shedding is to protect the antigenic cell or an antigen from an otherwise normal inflammatory/immune response.
The most crucial aspect in the successful treatment of any cancer is early detection. Likewise, it is crucial to properly diagnose chronic and acute inflammatory conditions, i.e, autoimmune diseases, before tissue and organ destruction occurs. PET, MRI, and CT scans are limited in their sensitivity.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for early detection of tumors and other types of diseased tissue.

Methods for diagnosis using anti-cytokine receptor antibodies


An improved deployment method for a vehicular restraint system having an acceleration sensor and a restraint device to be deployed for occupant protection in a crash event, where a measure of the impact severity based on the difference between the cumulative change in filtered acceleration over a predefined window, and the slope of such cumulative change, is used to characterize the crash event and to adjust the deployment threshold accordingly. Low energy impacts having a soft onset, such as an impact with a gravel pile or a low speed fill frontal impact, will produce a relatively high value of the measure, referred to herein as the Soft Impact Index, or SI Index, in the early progression of the sensed event, whereas high speed impacts that require deployment will produce a relatively low SI Index in the early progression of the event. If the SI Index exceeds a threshold early in the progression of a sensed crash event, an offset is added to the .DELTA.V deployment threshold to reduce the likelihood of deployment, thereby increasing the system immunity to rough road and low velocity impacts. If the SI Index is below the threshold early in the progression of a sensed crash event, an offset is subtracted from the .DELTA.V deployment threshold to provide a more timely deployment of the restraints.

In general, supplemental restraint systems perform a number of functions including acceleration sensing, signal processing and analysis, and deployment of one or more restraint devices such as frontal or side air bags or seat belt pretensioners in response to a sensed crash event. Typically, the acceleration signal is monitored to detect a potential crash event, and then filtered or integrated over the course of the crash event to produce a velocity change or .DELTA.V signal. If the .DELTA.V signal exceeds a threshold, the crash event is determined to be sufficiently severe to warrant deployment of restraints. The threshold is typically time-dependent, and is calibrated based on data logged for different types of crash events, as well as data logged during rough road driving.
A problem with the above-described approach is that it is often difficult to distinguish between deployment events such as high speed crashes and non-deployment events such as curb impacts, rough road impacts and animal impacts, since the acceleration signal associated with the non-deployment events can exceed the acceleration associated with a deployment event, particularly in the initial portion of the crash event.

Impact characterizing deployment control method for an automotive restraint system


According to one embodiment, a control device for an air conditioner which is communicably connected to first and second terminal devices to be used by first and second users is provided. The control device includes a processor. The processor configured to receive a first personal set temperature which is a temperature set by the first user by operating the first terminal device, receive a second personal set temperature which is a temperature set by the second user by operating the second terminal device, and determine a set value of the air conditioner based on the first personal set temperature and the second personal set temperature.

Generally, an air conditioner (indoor unit) is installed in a room such as an office, and an operation of the air conditioner is controlled by a user in the room operating a remote controller of the air conditioner or the like.
Therefore, for example, when the user feels that the comfort level in the room is low, the user can operate the remote controller to change a set temperature of the air conditioner or the like.
However, when a plurality of users are present in the room, it is difficult to improve the comfort level of the plurality of users by operating one remote controller.

Control device and method for controlling air conditioner communicatively coupled to multiple user devices


An implementation of an apparatus and method for sensing electrical wiring, for example, hidden behind a surface such as a wall is provided. The apparatus and method use multiple sensor signals, which may measure electric fields or changes in a dielectric. Pairs of signals are combined and compared to a sensed reference signal. Multiple sensors help in determining a direction or gradient to electrical wiring. Combining or averaging sensed signal before comparing the combined signal to a reference single helps to make the detection of electrical wiring less dependent on the relative orientation between the sensor and the electrical wiring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical-test equipment used for tracing conductors and finding hidden electrical elements.
2. Background of the Invention
Electrical work often requires identifying elements of a circuit or tracing a circuit behind a wall or other obstruction. For example, an electrician may wish to identify whether any electrical wiring exists or find electrical wiring attached to a particular wall outlet so that repairs may be made. By identifying hidden electrical wiring, the electrician can de-energize the circuit before exposing the wiring and performing repairs. For example, an electrician may wish to trace a hidden wire along a wall to locate a convenient place to add another outlet.
Some devices for locating and identifying electrical circuits use a transmitter and a receiver. A transmitter induces a current signal on the circuit in question. A receiver senses the induced signal. For a further description of a circuit finders using a transmitter-receiver pair, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,933,712 by Miller, et al. on Aug. 23, 2005, titled "Electrical circuit tracing and identifying apparatus and method", the contents of which are included herein by reference.
Other sensing devices for locating and identifying electrical circuits and energized AC wiring use only a handheld receiver and rely on either changes in capacitance or a received electric field. Such devices are dependent on the environment. Such factors include the types of and dimensions of materials used in constructing the wall as well as the distance between the sensor and the wiring. These sensors operate by determining a threshold, which marks a boundary between the presence of a target and the absences of that target. The threshold is variable and is susceptible to variations in construction, thickness of the wall and subtle changes in temperature and humidity. Even the dielectric characteristics of the material used in an operator's shoes and how the operator holds the device may play a factor in the determined threshold. If an operator moves to a different floor material or the wall construction differs during operation, the determine threshold value may become ineffective and the sensor may fail to operate as intended.
In sum, the environment leads to unpredictability and uncertainty requiring careful calibration. For a sensor to have sufficient sensitivity and have the flexibility to operate in various environments, a sensor must be calibrated for that particular environment. If a sensor is not properly calibrated, the sensor may be less sensitive (e.g., if the threshold is too high) or give false-positive readings (e.g., if the threshold is too low).
The above-described conventional sensors require either a secondary transmitter or a step of threshold calibration. Therefore, a need exists to reduce or eliminate environmental variables leading to inaccurate sensor indications, thus providing an operator of a handheld sensing device with the ability to find hidden electrical wiring without relying on a secondary transmitter or reducing the emphasis placed on the initial threshold calibration step.


System non-maskable interrupts are detected by an override controller which initiates an NMI routine override operation. During override, address requests for an standard NMI routine are intercepted, and instead a predetermined memory space is addressed that contains a system specific NMI trace routine. The processor is unaware that the override controller has inserted the system specific NMI routines. The processor executes the system specific NMI routines, and when the specific routines are completed, the override controller generates a termination signal which returns program control back to the standard NMI routine. The system specific NMI routine is designed to trace errors created by new system functions or hardware or to enhance the error tracing capability for existing system functions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to computers and particularly families of related computer products that are rapidly evolving and adding new function. In particular the invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling non-maskable interrupts in rapidly evolving related computer products. Personal computers are such a family of products. Many of these personal computers are programmed to invoke generalized error trace routines when a non-maskable interrupt (NMI) occurs in the system. The present invention is directed to adding new error trace routines specific to new functions in new computing systems.
2. Description of Prior Art
The IBM Personal System/2 (PS/2) family of computers typically utilizes either the Disk Operating System (DOS) program or the Operating System/2 (OS/2) program as its system program. Application programs to perform word-processing functions, spreadsheet functions, database functions, etc., run on top of one of these operating system programs. In other words the application programs are written to interface with the operating system program.
The operating system program contains within it a non-maskable interrupt (NMI) trace routine that is useable across the family of PS/2 computers. When an error or fault occurs that generates an NMI, the interrupt controller notifies the system processor and invokes a generalized NMI trace routine provided by the operating system program. These NMI routines are designed to trace errors or faults in system features known as of the most recent version of the operating system program.
A problem exists in keeping the NMI routines in the operating system up to date with the rapidly evolving set of system features offered by the PS/2 computer family. New features in devices that attach to the PS/2 computers are added daily, and the PS/2 computer family itself adds models or model enhancements every few months. When an error or fault occurs during the operation of one of these new features or functions, the operating system will look to invoke an NMI routine. However if the NMI trace routine cannot recognize or take advantage of these new features, it will not be able to properly diagnose the source of the problem.
One skilled in the computing system arts will realize it is not practical to add a new NMI trace routine to the operating system on a daily or even monthly basis. The problem is thus how to deal with the need for rapidly evolving NMI routines which can keep pace with rapidly evolving computing systems.
Prior teachings do not offer a solution to this problem. The generation of non-maskable interrupts and the invoking of NMI routines is of course well known and a few examples include: (1) M. E. Dean et al, "Diagnostic Status for Non-Maskable Interrupt Arbitration," IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 30, No 5, October 1987, pp. 67-68; and (2) B. O. Anthony et al, "Enhanced Hardware Error Recovery for Microprocessor," IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 32, No. 5A, October 1989, pp. 441-442. The Dean et al publication teaches a program technique for initiating a diagnostic routine when an NMI occurs. The Anthony et al publication teaches a timeout sequence for forcing an NMI routine.
In addition, the invoking of error trace routines when faults occur is well-known. Some examples include: (1) K. Shiozaki et al, "Logic Tracing Apparatus," U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,508; and (2) D. R. Bourgeois et al, "Data Processing System With Self Testing and Configuration Mapping Capability," U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,307. The Shiozaki et al patent teaches hardware failure tracing apparatus that both stops memory writing in order to store data at time of error and puts a hold on memory writing so that other test programs will not inadvertently overwrite the stored error data. The Bourgeois et al patent teaches a particular power-on self-test routine for a computing system. The routine involves successively testing sections of memory and then using tested sections of memory to store test results from tests on other sections of memory and tests on I/0 devices in the computing system.
None of these publications or patents address or provide a solution to the problem of how to provide new NMI routines in an environment where computing systems are changing rapidly.

Computer, non-maskable interrupt trace routine override


In an embodiment, a block of memory cells is rested in response to the block of memory cells being deemed to fail. For some embodiments, a rested block may be selected for use in response to passing an operation. In other embodiments, a rested block may be rested again or may be permanently retired from further use in response to failing the operation.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory, including random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and flash memory.
Flash memory devices have developed into a popular source of non-volatile memory for a wide range of electronic applications. Non-volatile memory is memory that can retain its data values for some extended period without the application of power. Flash memory devices typically use a one-transistor memory cell that allows for high memory densities, high reliability, and low power consumption. Changes in threshold voltage of the cells, through programming (which is sometimes referred to as writing) of charge-storage structures (e.g., floating gates or charge traps) or other physical phenomena (e.g., phase change or polarization), determine the data value of each cell. Common uses for flash memory and other non-volatile memory include personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, digital media players, digital recorders, games, appliances, vehicles, wireless devices, mobile telephones, and removable memory modules, and the uses for non-volatile memory continue to expand.
A NAND flash memory device is a common type of flash memory device, so called for the logical form in which the basic memory cell configuration is arranged. Typically, the array of memory cells for NAND flash memory devices is arranged such that the control gate of each memory cell of a row of the array is connected together to form an access line, such as a word line. Columns of the array include strings (often termed NAND strings) of memory cells connected together in series, source to drain, between a pair of select transistors, such as a source select transistor and a drain select transistor.
A "column" refers to a group of memory cells that are commonly coupled to a local data line, such as a local bit line. It does not require any particular orientation or linear relationship, but instead refers to the logical relationship between memory cell and data line. Each source select transistor is connected to a source line, while each drain select transistor is connected to a data line, such as column bit line.
Memory arrays are sometimes arranged in blocks of memory cells, e.g., where a block may be arranged in rows and columns of memory cells. For example, a block of memory cells may be a plurality of memory cells (e.g., a plurality of NAND strings) that may be erased at once. For example, such blocks may be referred to as erase blocks. Blocks may include error correcting code (ECC) data that is used by ECC techniques to detect errors and correct errors, e.g., by recovering data, when the blocks are being read.
Blocks are susceptible to failure, i.e., a failure to meet some performance criteria or exceeding some performance limit, such as error correcting code (ECC) failures (e.g. where the ECC cannot recover data or where a number of detected ECC errors exceeds a certain value), erase failures (e.g., where the block cannot be erased in a certain number of erase-verify cycles), program failures (e.g., where the block cannot be programmed in a certain number of program-verify cycles), etc., and may be permanently retired from use at the first occurrence of such a failure. However, such failures are sometimes erratic and retirement schemes that permanently retire blocks at the first occurrence of such a failure can lead to the premature permanent retirement of those blocks.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternatives to existing block retirement schemes.

Resting blocks of memory cells in response to the blocks being deemed to fail


A method for assembling a gas turbine engine is provided. The method includes providing a turbine nozzle including an outer band and an inner band, wherein each band includes a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a body extending therebetween. At least one of the outer band and the inner band has at least one radial tab extending outward therefrom. The method also includes coupling at least one seal between at least one of the radial tabs extending from the outer band and the inner band and a respective leading edge of the outer and inner band. The method also includes positioning at least one non-planar seal support against at least one portion of the seal.

This invention relates generally to turbine engines and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for assembling gas turbine engines.
At least some known gas turbine engines include combustors which ignite fuel-air mixtures which are then channeled through a turbine nozzle assembly towards a turbine. Some known turbine nozzle assemblies include a plurality of arcuate nozzle segments arranged circumferentially. At least some known turbine nozzles include a plurality of circumferentially-spaced hollow airfoil vanes coupled by integrally-formed inner and outer band platforms. More specifically, the inner band forms a portion of the radially inner flowpath boundary and the outer band forms a portion of the radially outer flowpath boundary.
To facilitate improving engine efficiency, at least some known engine assemblies include a seal, commonly known as a leaf seal, coupled between the turbine nozzle outer band and an aft end of the combustor. Known leaf seals are retained in position via a plurality of coil springs coupled to a plurality of fasteners that extend through radial tabs extending from the outer band. The coil springs enable the leaf springs to shift during engine operations. Because of the orientation of known turbine nozzle radial tabs, one end of known leaf springs is unsupported. In such engine assemblies, when combustion gases discharged from the combustor approach the nozzle vane leading edge, a pressure or bow wave may be formed from the vane leading edge stagnation and propagate a distance upstream from the nozzle assembly. Such bow waves may induce circumferential pressure variations across the leaf seal. Over time, exposing the leaf seal to such pressure variations may cause cracks to develop along the seal. Specifically, the unsupported free end of the leaf seal may break thus decreasing engine efficiency and/or, depending on the extent of the damage, may render the engine inoperable.
FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary known turbine nozzle 50 that may be used with a gas turbine engine. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of turbine nozzle 50. In the exemplary embodiment, nozzle 50 is one segment of a plurality of segments that are positioned circumferentially to form a nozzle assembly (not shown) within the gas turbine engine. Nozzle 50 includes at least one airfoil vane 52 that extends between an arcuate radially outer band or platform 54, and an arcuate radially inner band or platform 56. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, outer band 54 and the inner band 56 are each integrally-formed with airfoil vane 52.
Vane 52 includes a pressure-side sidewall 60 and a suction-side sidewall 62 that are connected at a leading edge 64 and at a chordwise-spaced trailing edge 66 such that a cooling cavity 68 is defined between sidewalls 60 and 62. Vane sidewalls 60 and 62 each extend radially between bands 54 and 56 and in the exemplary embodiment, sidewall 60 is generally concave, and sidewall 62 is generally convex.
Outer and inner bands 54 and 56 each include a leading edge 70 and 72, respectively, a trailing edge 74 and 76, respectively, and a platform body 78 and 80, respectively, extending therebetween. In the exemplary embodiment, airfoil vane(s) 52 are oriented such that outer and inner band leading edges 70 and 72, respectively, are each a distance d upstream from airfoil vane leading edge 64. Distance d is variably selected to ensure that leading edges 70 and 72 are upstream from vane leading edge 64, and to facilitate preventing hot gas injections along vane leading edge 64, as described in more detail below.
In the exemplary embodiment, inner band 56 includes an aft flange 90 that extends radially inwardly therefrom. More specifically, flange 90 extends radially inwardly from band 56 with respect to a radially inner surface 92 of band 56. Inner band 56 also includes a forward flange 94 that extends radially inward therefrom. Forward flange 94 is positioned between inner band leading edge 72 and aft flange 90, and extends radially inwardly from band 56. In the exemplary embodiment, an upstream side 100 of forward flange 94 is substantially planar between a radially outermost surface 102 of flange 94 and radially inner surface 92. Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, a downstream side 106 of flange 94 is substantially planar from flange surface 102 to radially inner surface 92.
Inner band 56 also includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced radial tabs 110 that extend radially inwardly therefrom. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the number of radial tabs 110 extending from inner band 56 is the same as the number of vanes 52. In the exemplary embodiment, each tab 110 includes substantially parallel upstream and downstream surfaces 120 and 122, respectively. Radial tabs 110 are spaced a distance d2 downstream from forward flange 94 such that a retention channel 130 is defined between each radial tab 110 and forward flange 94.
In the exemplary embodiment, outer band 54 includes an aft flange 140 that extends generally radially outwardly therefrom. More specifically, flange 140 extends radially outwardly from band 54 with respect to a radially outer surface 142 of band 54. Outer band 54 also includes a forward flange 144 that extends radially outward therefrom. Forward flange 144 is positioned between outer band leading edge 70 and aft flange 140, and extends radially outward from band 54. In the exemplary embodiment, an upstream side 146 of forward flange 144 is substantially planar between a radially outermost surface 147 of flange 144 and band radially outer surface 142. Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, a downstream side 148 of flange 144 is substantially planar from flange surface 147 to radially outer surface 142.
Outer band 54 also includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced radial tabs 160 that extend radially outwardly therefrom. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the number of radial tabs 160 is the same as the number of vanes 52. In the exemplary embodiment, each tab 160 includes substantially parallel upstream and downstream surfaces 162 and 164, respectively. Radial tabs 160 are spaced a distance d3 downstream from forward flange 144 such that a retention channel 166 is defined between each radial tab 160 and forward flange 144.
In the exemplary embodiment, channels 166 are approximately the same size as channels 130.
In the exemplary embodiment, inner band 56 includes a circumferentially-adjacent leaf seal assembly 168 including a seal 170 that is positioned between forward flange 94 and radial tab 110. Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, each nozzle assembly 50 includes one seal 170. In an alternative embodiment, each nozzle assembly 50 includes more than one seal 170. In another alternative embodiment, one seal 170 extends across two or more circumferentially-adjacent nozzle assemblies 50. Seal 170 is positioned adjacent forward flange 94 and is coupled to radial tab 110 via a fastener 172, such as a coil spring, as illustrated in the exemplary embodiment, that extends through an aperture 174 defined in radial tab 110. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, seal 170 may be coupled to radial tab 110 with any suitable coupling mechanism that functions as described herein. In the exemplary embodiment, a spring 176 circumscribes fastener 172 and is positioned between forward flange 94 and radial tab 110.
In the exemplary embodiment, outer band 54 includes a circumferentially-adjacent leaf seal assembly 178 including a seal 180 that is positioned between forward flange 144 and radial tab 160. More specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, each nozzle assembly 50 includes one seal 180. In an alternative embodiment, each nozzle assembly 50 includes more than one of seal 180. In another alternative embodiment, one seal 180 extends across two or more circumferentially-adjacent nozzle assemblies 50. Seal 180 is positioned adjacent forward flange 144 and is coupled to radial tab 160 via a fastener 182, such as a coil spring, as illustrated in the exemplary embodiment, that extends through an aperture 184 defined in radial tab 160. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, seal 180 may be coupled to radial tab 160 with any suitable coupling mechanism that functions as described herein. In the exemplary embodiment, a spring 186 circumscribes fastener 182 and is positioned between forward flange 144 and radial tab 160.

Methods and apparatus for assembling turbine engines


A robot control device includes an operation axis setting unit that sets a axis rotationally moved according to an applied force as an operation axis and sets a rotational moving direction of the operation axis; a first operation force acquisition unit that obtains a first virtual force that is virtually applied to the operation axis to assume that the first virtual force is a first operation force; and an operation command unit that outputs an operation command for moving the operation axis set by the operation axis setting unit on the basis of an operation force determined from the first operation force. The operation command unit obtains a target moving direction and a target moving velocity of the operation axis on the basis of the first operation force and the rotational moving direction set by the operation axis setting unit, so as to move the operation axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a robot control device for controlling a robot moved according to a force applied to the robot. More particularly, the invention relates to a robot control device of a robot system that moves a robot on the basis of a force applied to the robot including a plurality of axes including at least one rotation axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Direct teaching is known as a robot operation method for moving a robot by applying a force to the robot or a method for teaching a position by moving the robot. In such a case, force is applied in a direction to which the robot is desired to be moved to directly guide the robot, whereby the robot can be moved to a desired position and/or a desired posture on an orthogonal coordinate system.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S56-85106 discloses a method for moving a position and a posture of a tip of a robot arm on the basis of a signal generated by a force detector when operating a manual operation unit of the force detector attached to the tip of the robot arm.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. H6-250728 discloses a direct teaching device. In this device, a force sensor attached to a robot detects an artificially applied force, and with the use of a signal of the force, a position and a posture of the robot are moved while moving a robot arm only in a specific direction on a Cartesian coordinate system.
In Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 556-85106, the position and/or the posture of the tip of the robot arm on the orthogonal coordinate system is moved according to the force. Due to this, in the method of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. S56-85106, the position of desired each axis cannot be moved during direct teaching.
In Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. H6-250728, when moving the robot by direct teaching, the moving direction of the robot is limited to the specific direction to improve operability. The specific direction is a direction associated with the position and/or the posture of the tip of the robot arm on the Cartesian coordinate system. Accordingly, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. H6-250728 does not propose limiting a axis to be driven and the like, such as switching to control of each axis and driving of only a certain desired axis in direct teaching.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of such circumstances. It is an object of the invention to provide a robot control device that, when moving a position and/or a posture of a tip of a robot on an orthogonal coordinate system by moving the robot with application of a force to the tip of the robot arm, allows the tip thereof to be moved to a position to which it is difficult or impossible to move the tip thereof. The invention also further improves operability of such a robot control device.

Robot control device for controlling robot moved according to applied force


The present invention provides a process for hydrodelayed thermal cracking in combination with hydrostripping, which comprises feeding crude oil from a surge tank to a crude oil stripper via a feed line; separating the crude oil into a lighter fraction and a heavier fraction in the crude oil stripper; subjecting the lighter fraction to hydrodesulfurization; feeding the heavier fraction from the crude oil stripper to a first storage tank; hydrothermally cracking the heavier fraction for at least 10 minutes under a hydrogen pressure in the first storage tank; introducing a bottom residue of the first storage tank into a second storage tank or the feed line, and subjecting a cracked and vaporized fraction of the first storage tank to hydrodesulfurization; hydrothermally cracking the residue introduced into the second storage tank under a higher hydrogen pressure than the hydrogen pressure of the first storage tank; subjecting a portion of a bottom residue of the second storage tank to hydrodemetallization, hydrodesulfurization and hydrocracking, and introducing another portion of the bottom residue of the second storage tank into the feed line; and supplying hydrogen to the surge tank to facilitate pressurizing the crude oil in the surge tank.

This invention relates to a crude cracking process, especially a process which helps to reduce the production of a heavier fraction of the process, i.e. asphaltene and the like. More particularly, it is concerned with the pretreatment of crude before processing to the following unit, that is a hydrostripping process or bottomless refinery. In a conventional topping unit, residue is treated and cooled by steam to stop polymerization, and is drawn off as quick as possible to be fed to a middle tank or to the next processing step. However it is common that C.C.R. carbon and asphaltene have shown an increase during the process of the conventional processing.
In order to improve defects of the conventional process, a new hydrostripping process as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,117 was invented by the present inventor. The invention therein is a hydrostripping process which is the combination of crude oil distillation and hydrotreating of a distillate overhead, wherein crude oil mixed with a large amount of hydrogen is distilled under high temperature and pressure and separated into a distillate overhead to be hydrotreated, and a heavy residue. Crude oil is separated into two fractions, a lighter fraction and a heavier fraction. The lighter fraction may be charged directly to the following HDS unit with accompanied hydrogen, while no treatment of the heavier fraction is proposed in the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,117.


A sensor for hydrogen in a fluid medium has a chamber for electrolyte with a window which is selectively permeable to hydrogen to allow hydrogen to pass from the fluid medium under test into the electrolyte in the chamber. A plurality of electrodes in contact with the ionic liquid electrolyte are used to observe hydrogen concentration by voltammetry. The electrolyte is an ionic liquid. Applications where such a sensor may be used include a wellbore tool for measuring the content of hydrogen in a subterranean fluid, monitoring of fiber-optic cables for damage by hydrogen, corrosion monitoring, and small-scale process plant where hydrogen is part of a gas stream.

Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless gas which is difficult to detect easily, and is flammable at concentrations above approximately 4 volume percent in air. Hydrogen gas is employed in a wide variety of industrial processes. It serves as fuel in fuel cells, and as a rocket propellant. It is also commonly used in a range of chemical syntheses, for example in the Haber process (converting nitrogen and hydrogen to ammonia in the presence of an iron catalyst) and in a range of hydrogen treatment reactions, such as the hydrogenation of fats and oils, hydrodealkylation, hydrocracking and hydrodesulfurization.
There are a variety of circumstances where it can be desirable to detect the presence of hydrogen and a variety of technologies have been employed for this purpose. Detectors have used oxides (e.g. SnO2), metal-insulator-semiconductor surfaces, polymers, and high-temperature molten salts, and have been based on techniques including optical sensing, acoustic detection, electrochemistry and gas chromatography. However, existing hydrogen sensors commonly have limitations which restrict their use. Some sensors are only suitable for laboratory conditions or require a trained operator. Some sensors cannot be used when other gases are mixed with hydrogen and some sensors cannot be used at elevated temperatures or pressures, such as those commonly found in chemical processes and in underground oil and gas wells.
At present, there are only very few reports of hydrogen sensors used in the upstream oil and gas industry. The concentration of hydrogen in wellbore fluids (oil, water and gas) is not routinely measured. Despite the absence of measurements, there are a number of problems associated with hydrogen, including a reaction with the silica optical fibers used in wellbores (forming SiOH groups that can severely reduce transmission of light through them) and its generation by corrosion reactions (including reaction of H2S with metals) where it can cause stress corrosion cracking in some steels and alloys.


A snow removal assembly for clearing an area. The assembly consists of a rake having a rake frame attached to the lower end of a rake handle and a snow moving member preferably formed of an elongated plate extending between the rake frame. The elongated plate also includes cutouts on either side of the plate for securing the plate to the rake frame on one side of the rake teeth. A bar is provided for bracing the plate to the rake. The bar is placed opposite the plate and has the rake teeth disposed between the bar and the plate. Screws are provided for attaching the bar through the rake teeth to the plate on the opposite side. The rake head with plate can be used to lift and remove snow from the area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to snow moving devices, and more particularly to a snow moving device that may be attached to a rake. The snow moving device permits snow to be pulled from a surface area while requiring no bending or lifting by the user.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Removing snow from areas such as driveways and walkways by shoveling places a strain on a user's back, heart and legs. While snow removal machines permit users to avoid much of the strain associated with shoveling, these machines are often expensive and difficult to maintain. There remains a need for a simple, inexpensive and easy way to move snow.


The invention is textured surface release layers for dielectric substrates used in liquid electrostatic imaging processes. The invention also includes means of providing textured release surfaces for dielectric substrates, and a method of liquid electrostatic imaging using textured dielectric substrates.

Deficiencies with temporary imaging receptors used in liquid ink imaging processes, particularly liquid electrostatic printing, are known to exist. In electrostatic printing, an electrostatic image is formed by (1) placing a charge onto the surface of a dielectric element (either a temporary image receptor or the final receiving substrate) in selected areas of the element with an electrostatic writing stylus or its equivalent to form a charge image, (2) applying toner to the charge image, (3) drying or fixing the toned image on the dielectric, and optionally (4) transferring the fixed toned image from the temporary image receptor to a permanent receptor. An example of a liquid electrostatic imaging process which makes use of all four steps is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,259. Suitable surface release layers useful in such electrostatic imaging processes are described in European Patent Application 444,870 A2 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,045,391 and 5,264,291
The surface of the dielectric element is typically chosen to be a release layer such as silicone, fluorosilicone or fluorosilicone copolymer,. The release layer should be durable and resistant to abrasion. The release layer should also resist chemical attack or excessive swelling by the toner carrier fluid. The release layer should also not significantly interfere with the charge dissipation characteristics of the dielectric construction. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that other properties could be important to durable release performance in liquid electrostatic printing other than those described herein.
One common problem that arises during electrostatic imaging is the phenomenon of carrier liquid beading on the temporary image receptor. Since electrostatic imaging processes typically make use of non-optical means (e.g. an electrostatic stylus or an array of styli) to generate the latent electrostatic image on the surface release layer of the dielectric element, such carrier liquid beading does not generally cause problems of image degradation in multicolor imaging processes due to diffraction of an exposing radiation source as occurs in liquid electrophotographic imaging. However, carrier liquid beading can still degrade image quality by causing the wet toned image to diffusionally broaden or flow, with adverse effects on image resolution. Such image degradation is commonly referred to in the art as "bleeding" of the image.
Another problem which arises in multicolor liquid electrostatic imaging relates to removal of a portion of one color toner layer during the application of a second color toner layer due to contact of the first, still wet toner layer with the electrostatic styli. This phenomenon is commonly referred to in the art as "head scraping."
Yet another problem which arises in multicolor liquid electrostatic printing processes, particularly as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,259, relates to the final transfer step of the fixed toned image from the temporary image receptor to a permanent receptor. This transfer process is commonly carried out using heat and/or pressure. This transfer process is inherently slow, and its speed is limited by the rate at which heat can be transferred through the temporary image receptor and by the upper limit of pressure which can be applied during the transfer step. If the applied heat and/or pressure are not correctly selected, or the transfer speed is too high, poor image transfer can result. Poor image transfer may be manifested by low transfer efficiency and incompletely or partially transferred images. Low transfer efficiency results in images that are light and/or speckled.

Electrostatic receptors having release layers with texture and means for providing such receptors


A 3,6-diphenylcarbazole compound, which has a specific formula and realizes an organic electroluminescent device having high durability and high luminous efficiency. An electroluminescent device which includes an anode; a cathode which faces the anode; and at least one layer including a luminescent layer, optionally a hole transporting layer and an electron transporting layer, which is located between the anode and the cathode, wherein the at least one layer includes the 3,6-diphenylcarbazole compound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carbazole compound and a new organic electroluminescent device. In particular, the present invention relates to a 3,6-diphenylcarbazole compound which realizes an organic electroluminescent device having high durability and high luminous efficiency and an organic electroluminescent device including the same. Further, the 3,6-diphenylcarbazole compound of the present invention can be applied to other fields such as photoelectric conversion devices and charge transporting materials for organic photosensitive elements.
2. Discussion of the Background
Organic thin film electroluminescent devices have been noted because of having the following advantages:    (1) viewing angle is wide, and visibility is high because the devices are a self-luminescent device; and    (2) space can be saved because the devices are a thin film type perfectly solid device.
Therefore, in recent years, research on commercialization thereof has been conducted. However, there are the following problems to be overcome at the present time:    (1) the energy conversion efficiency and the luminescent quantum efficiency have been further improved; and    (2) the stability of the organic thin film with time (i.e., durability of the device) has to be further improved.
Organic electroluminescent devices through the use of low-molecular materials and through the use of polymers have been reported up to now. With respect to the low-molecular material systems, -realization of increases in efficiency due to adoption of various laminated structures and an improvement of the durability by appropriately controlling a doping method have been reported. However, in the case of an aggregate of low molecular materials, it is reported that change in the state of film occurs with a long time and, therefore, there is an essential problem in the stability of the film.
In contrast, with respect to polymer based materials, researches have been intensely performed primarily on PPV (poly-p-phenylenevinylene)-based devices, poly-thiophene based devices, and the like. However, these systems have drawbacks in that it is difficult to increase the purity, and the fluorescent quantum yield is essentially low. Therefore, any high performance organic electroluminescent device has not been-produced under the present circumstances. In consideration that polymer materials in a glass state is essentially stable, an excellent organic electroluminescent device can be provided if a high fluorescent quantum yield can be imparted to the polymer materials. As described above, it is known that organic electroluminescent devices through the use of low-molecular materials and through the use of polymers have advantages as well as drawbacks.
Recently, research has also been intensely performed on the improvement of efficiency through the use of triplet excitons (refer to T. Tsutsui et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 38, L1502 (1999); and C. Adachi, M. A. Baldo, S. R. Forrest and M. E. Thompson, Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 77, 904 (2000), and the like), and it has been made clear that the luminous efficacy has been improved significantly. In addition, reports on host materials used for luminescent layers have been increased. Among them, typical examples of host materials include 4,4′-bis(carbazolyl-9)biphenyl (CBP) represented by the formula described below. However, it has been made clear from the following research that crystallization of CBP has proceeded in the luminescent layer, resulting in shortening of the life of the device (refer to WO01/72927 A1, for example).

In attempting to avoid this problem, researches on carbazole compounds in place of CBP have been described in WO01/72927 A1, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-310066, and the like. Furthermore, researches on methods for synthesizing carbazole compounds and electrochemical behaviors of the carbazole compounds have also been performed (refers to M. Park et al., Tetrahedron 54 (1998) 12707 to 12714, W. Laum et al., Journal fuer Praktische Chemie (Leipzig) 317 (6) (1975) 995 to 1004, and the like). However, every compound described above does not have a desired durability and luminous efficiency.

3, 6-diphenylcarbazole compound and organic electroluminescent device


The variable speed switch according to the present invention is capable of outputting an electric signal for increasing or decreasing an amount of electric power supplied to the motor of an electric power tool according to a displacement amount of a switch-operating portion. The variable speed switch includes a wake-up contact configured to work when the switch-operating portion is operated and by which a voltage can be applied to a control circuit part of the motor to make the control circuit part in an operable state, and also includes a load sensor configured to receive a pressing force from the switch-operating portion by the displacement amount of the switch-operating portion after the operation of the wake-up contact is made and to output an electric signal according to the pressing force.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable speed switch mounted to an electric power tool and capable of outputting an electric signal for increasing or decreasing an amount of power supplied to the motor of the electric power tool according to a displacement amount of a switch-operating portion.
2. Description on of the Related Art
An electric power tool is generally provided with a wake-up switch for limiting power consumption of a battery. Owing to the wake-up switch, a power source of a control circuit part of a motor is shut off while the electric power tool is not being used.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No, 2003-260675 discloses an electric power tool in which a wake-up switch (contact) is incorporated into a variable speed switch. More precisely, the variable speed switch includes a switch main body portion provided with a trigger that can be pulled with a finger, a slide type variable resistor configured to operate in conjunction with a pulling operation of the trigger, and a wake-up switch (contact) incorporated into the switch main body portion. And, as shown in FIG. 11, in a state in which the trigger is pulled by a fixed amount L0 against the force of a spring, the wake-up switch (contact) is turned on, and a voltage is applied to a control circuit part. In this state, when the trigger is further pulled, the resistance value of a variable resistor varies in proportion to the pulling amount and the amount of electric power supplied to the motor can be increased or decreased by the control circuit part as the resistance value varies.


The present invention provides a bench top grill assembly that includes a rigid continuous grill body, a grill grate removably covering an upper opening, and a fuel element receptacle or container removably positionable in the grill body through a lateral opening dimensioned to closely receive the container. A safety handle projects from the fuel element container through the lateral opening away from sides of the grill body so that the handle does not become heated during use and may be safely gripped. A support table with multiple dimensions, forks, and condiment dishes increase the convenience of the bench top grill assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bench top grill assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bench top grill assembly providing improved safety and convenience features in a compact shape.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional grilling, heating and warming apparatus provide substantial detriments and operator safety risks, as noted below.
One type of conventional warming apparatus employs a solid/semi-solid fuel canister in a wire frame under a pan to be heated. This design allows flames and thermal energy issuing from a lit fuel canister to rise under pan and warm the contents. This design is inexpensive to manufacture but is unstable with heavy pans. This design also allows cross winds to affect the fuel canister and redirect the thermal energy in a direction other than toward the pan, risking fire hazards, heating of the wire frame, and damage to surrounding objects.
This wire frame design also makes it difficult to access the hot fuel canister for changing and replacement. As the fuel canister is retained under the pan, the safest access would be to remove the pan causing additional inconvenience and risk of spilling. If the fuel canister is accessed from the side, a special tool is required to grip the hot canister body and lift it from its retaining wire cradle, risking spilling of the now liquid fuel mixture and fire.
Alternative conventional embodiments have expanded on the above common themes by adding multiple fuel canister, replacing the wire frame with differently shaped wire frames, designs incorporating stamped and folded metal, and a multitude of collapsible designs for camping and recreation. Some of these conventional designs provide a grilling rack suspended over the fuel canister to support a pan or other item to be heated.
Unfortunately, each of these conventional designs retains in many of the detriments noted above. Particularly, each of these conventional designs allows multiple side access to the fuel container, usually require direct contact with the fuel container during replacement or transport, fail to limit access to a single side of the design, and do not allow both direct grilling without a grilling rack and an easily replaceable grill rack.
Conventional designs also fail to provide for user convenience in many ways. Since grilling operations often involve the use of forks or skewers it would be convenient for conventional designs to provide easy storage for these utensils. Additionally, since conventional grilling operations often include condiments such as vegetables, meats, fruits, marshmallows, etc, it would be convenient for conventional designs to provide easy storage for these condiments. Unfortunately, none of the conventional grill designs incorporate the ability to securely store utensils and condiments while addressing each of the detriments noted above.
In summary, the problems of commercially available grill assemblies, include:                1. Instability in set-up, operation, and transport for both a grill mechanism and the solid/semi-solid (or liquid in use) fuel elements.        2. Safety hazards through easy access to heating elements, air currents affecting heating elements, inappropriate structural heating, difficulty in removing or replacing heating elements, and inability to direct the flame issuing from the heating element during use.        3. Inconvenience in transportability, operation on a working surface, storage for utensils and condiments in a safe, secure and transportable manner, and access to the heating element for removal or replacement without additional tools such as pliers.


Improved apparatus and method for collecting and directing light from a source via a light guide and modulated display assembly in an efficient manner through the design and use of prismatic optical structures, diffusers and/or light redirectors.

The displays of many portable devices rely on backlights to provide their illumination. Viewers of these displays desire uniform light emission across the surface of a display with as few visual artifacts as possible. As screens become larger, multiple spatially separated light sources are used to illuminate the backlight. Such illumination schemes increase the challenge of providing artifact free, uniform light emission from a display. There is a need in the art for a display backlight that provide improved light emission, efficient energy usage, color uniformity, and limited visual artifacts, particularly when multiple, spatially separated light sources are employed to illuminate the backlight.

Light guides and backlight systems incorporating prismatic structures and light redirectors


The invention relates to a broaching machine comprised of a machine table for receiving a workpiece and being mounted in a machine frame. There is a platform which is driven so as to be displaceable relative to the table, as well as of one or more of axially operating broaching tools, which can be coupled with the platform. The machine table and the platform are displaceable in oppositely oriented directions. The machine table and platform are preferably driven via a common spindle drive. The spindles have two oppositely oriented threaded sections and the machine table and platform each are mounted on one of the two oppositely oriented threaded sections for a driving connection.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a broaching machine comprising a machine table receiving the workpiece, a platform, which is driven and displaceable by a drive relative to the machine table, as well as one or a plurality of broaching tools, which can be coupled with the platform and which work in the axial direction. The machine is mounted on a machine frame.
2. The Prior Art
Broaching machines for machining the inside and outside of workpieces, such as for producing grooves, toothings or the like, are known from the printed document "Broaching Machines" published in 1988 by the firm Honnema GmbH, Am Stadtwald B, Wickede. In detail, this broaching machine comprises a vertical arrangement, having a machine frame for a machine table that receives the workpiece horizontally. Below the machine table, there is a platform, which is displaceable via a spindle drive, and which can be coupled with one or more broaching tools in the form of broaching spindles, which grip through the table. In their operating positions, the end side shafts of the relatively long broaching tools are received in a shaft holder on the platform, in a pliers-like manner. The shaft of the broaching tools is adjoined by an insertion section which is adjoined by the actual broaching section supporting the cutters. The other end of the broaching tool may be detachably received in an end-piece holder on the frame of the machine.
Broaching work of this type requires that the broaching tool have a great working length. Therefore, the broaching tool must be displaced through the workpiece and the table via the platform over a long distance. The lift of the platform is therefore extensive, and the machine is required to have a great structural height. This necessarily results in a great operating height for working the workpiece which has to be placed or advanced on the table. These broaching machines therefore have to be equipped with either suitably dimensioned operating pits or operating platforms.
The lengths required for the broaching tools require long spindle drives. However, the spindles of the spindle drive, which are supported on their end-sides, with the platform being mounted on and driven by the spindle drive, permit only limited rotary speeds and thus limit the speed of the platform, because vibration is caused in the spindle drive when a certain speed is exceeded. These vibrations decrease the operating accuracy of the machines.


Methods and systems for detecting passive malicious network-mapping software on a computer network are disclosed. An expected location within a computer system for storing a received data packet may be determined. An actual storage location of the received data packet may be identified and compared to the expected storage location. In the event that the expected location does not match the actual storage location of the received data packet on the computer system, the presence of passive malicious network-mapping software such as a sniffer may be detected.

Some attacks on computer networks involve passive mapping of the network. A packet sniffer is one example of malicious software which may be used to passively eavesdrop on the network traffic. In a typical scenario, malicious software penetrates the network, and passively operates a sniffer which can monitor network traffic. They are often difficult to detect because of their passive mode (sometimes referred to as "promiscuous mode" or "monitor mode") of operation.
An undetected sniffer operating on a network, however, may have an ability to significantly impact operations and to also cause security disruptions and/or financial loss. Sensitive internal traffic may be exposed to a sniffer, which can facilitate further breach into a network and/or computer systems on the network.


A method of increasing safety to occupants in a vehicle, the method comprising, monitoring an input from a user that identifies a presence of a non-autonomous entity; storing information relating to the presence of the non-autonomous entity; and, warning the user about the presence of the non-autonomous entity when a predetermined condition exists.

Safety is an important factor that consumers consider when purchasing a vehicle. To cater to these needs, automotive manufacturers are designing systems that enhance safety and security of the occupants of the vehicle. These designs, however, are typically targeted toward keeping occupants safe when the vehicle is moving or involved in an accident such as driver assistance systems, seat belt warning systems, and air bag deployment systems.
A need exists for increasing the safety of occupants when a vehicle is parked or lengthily started, but not moving. This is particularly important with respect to infants, handicapped or unconscious persons i.e. with non-autonomous occupants of a parked car. Unfortunately, there have been several reports recently of infants that have been left behind in a parked vehicle, and consequences of such negligence have been fatal. The infant died because of extreme environmental conditions that can arise in a parked vehicle. In another case, an infant seated in a started but not moving vehicle, while his father was shoveling the snow, died because of the toxic gas infiltration.
As mentioned above, there are a variety of situations where a non-autonomous person is left alone in the parked vehicle, with real risks that can result in tragic consequences. Such situations can be a result of forgetfulness, or may be caused by misevaluation of dangers of temporarily leaving the infant or the non-autonomous person alone in the vehicle. Finally, some situations may be due to a crash of the vehicle or a sudden indisposition of a driver of the vehicle that makes the driver loose consciousness, thereby becoming a non-autonomous occupant of the vehicle. In all these situations, the vehicle is not moving and a non-autonomous occupant exists inside the vehicle.
Though the situations as mentioned above occur rarely, the consequences of such situations are always tragic. In case of a vehicle in motion, there is a high probability that witnesses, though in some reasonable delay, will transmit an event of an accident or a crash. Therefore, adequate rescue resources are notified with minimum delay. On the other hand, in case of a parked or more generally a vehicle that is not moving, when the occupant's life is in danger, the probability that the dangerous event will be transmitted is very low.
Existing systems that could be related to implementation of safety measures in a parked vehicle consist of systems for controlling an interior temperature in a vehicle that respond to variations in temperature external to the vehicle. Further, systems exist that provide monitoring and control systems for remotely controlling undesirable climate condition inside a vehicle.

System and method of increasing safety to occupants in a vehicle


An embedded PCB, a multi-layer PCB using the embedded PCB, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The method of manufacturing an embedded PCB includes a first step of patterning an insulating layer on which a photoresist layer is formed using a laser such that parts of the insulating layer are selectively etched to form a circuit pattern region and a second step of filling the circuit pattern region with a plating material to form a circuit pattern. Accordingly, the method of manufacturing an embedded PCB can simultaneously or sequentially etch a photoresist layer and an insulating layer using a laser to form a circuit pattern so as to obtain a micro pattern and simplify a manufacturing process and achieve alignment accuracy in construction of a multi-layer PCB using the embedded PCB to thereby improve product reliability and yield.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a printed circuit board (PCB) and a PCB structure manufactured by the method.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A PCB, obtained by printing a circuit line pattern on an electrically insulating substrate using a conductive material such as copper, refers to a board before electronic components are mounted thereon. That is, the PCB is a circuit board that defines mounting positions of various electronic components and fixes a line pattern, printed thereon, for connecting the components such that the various electronic components are mounted on the board.
Methods of manufacturing the PCB use photolithography that has advantages of high productivity and low manufacturing cost. Methods of manufacturing the PCB board using photolithography include a subtractive process, a full additive process, and a semi-additive process. Particularly, the semi-additive process draws attraction since it can form a micro circuit pattern.
Referring to FIG. 1, the subtractive process forms a metal layer 2 on an insulating layer 1 (a), coats photoresist 3 on the metal layer 2, patterns the photoresist layer 3 through exposure and development (b), etches the metal layer 2 to form a circuit pattern (c), and removes the photoresist (d).
Referring to FIG. 2, the semi-additive process forms a seed layer 5 on an insulating layer 1 (a), forms a photoresist pattern 3 on the seed layer 5 (b), fills a metal material in the photoresist pattern 3 to form a circuit pattern (c), removes the photoresist pattern (d), and eliminates the seed layer 5 (e).
However, the above conventional processes are difficult to secure reliability in micro circuits because of a variation in patterns during photolithography and adhesion of materials in the micro circuits.
With the recent high integration of semiconductor chips and increase in a signal transfer rate, circuit miniaturization and PCB technology for achieving high electrical property, high reliability and high functionality are required. Accordingly, an embedded PCB having a circuit pattern embedded in an insulator, as shown in FIG. 3, is considered.
Referring to FIG. 3, a conventional method of manufacturing an embedded PCB includes a step (a) of preparing a carrier substrate having a metal layer 20 and an insulating layer 10 supporting the metal layer 20, a step (b) of coating photoresist on the metal layer 20 and patterning the photoresist to form a photoresist pattern 30, a step (c) of filling the photoresist pattern 30 with a metal material 40, a step (d) of removing the photoresist pattern to form a circuit pattern, a step (e) of aligning the carrier substrate on an insulating layer 50 with the circuit pattern 40 facing the insulating layer 50, a step (l) of pressing the carrier substrate against the insulating layer 50 using a press to embed the circuit pattern in the insulating layer 50, a step (g) of removing the metal layer, and a step (h) of removing the insulating layer.
However, the above conventional method of manufacturing an embedded PCB is complicated and it is difficult to perform interlayer alignment for embedding the circuit pattern in the insulating layer. Accordingly, there is a limitation in manufacturing a multi-layer PCB using a conventional manufacturing method.

Method of manufacturing an embedded printed circuit board


The invention makes a contribution in order that machines and installations are better utilized, their service life is extended, reliability is improved, the loss of valuable materials is avoided, test results are optimized, and energy consumption is diminished. It is an expert system that acquires and assesses the condition of installations, machines and apparatuses. The mechanism proceeds from a normal condition and permanently observes short-term, medium-term and long-term changes. If variations in the normal condition are detected promptly, major instances of damage can be avoided by promptly performing corrective actions before major instances of damage associated with prolonged downtimes occur.

The invention relates to a system for monitoring technical processes, machines, installations and apparatuses. If changes in the normal condition are detected promptly, major instances of damage can be avoided by promptly performing corrective actions before major instances of damage associated with prolonged downtimes occur. Changes in machines, apparatuses and installations are caused by wear, corrosion, deposits, plugging, contamination, and nonspecifically occurring operational malfunctions.
First approaches to machine condition monitoring with an eye to crash prevention and condition-oriented maintenance are based on complicated mathematical calculations preferably based on neuronal networks. They have the disadvantage that a very great cost expenditure is occasioned because the application in question must be trained. The results obtained are rather meager. Other methods also address only partial aspects and have not met with total success.
The difficulty in assessing a machine condition results from the following circumstances. Small changes in the temperature values of bearing positions, for example, are significant for the degree of wearing-out of the bearings. The temperature values, however, are subject to a number of service-associated influences. The temperature values are affected by the rotation speed, the radial force and the ambient temperature. It is therefore not possible, according to the existing art, to track small changes, because service-associated fluctuations in the measured values are larger than the small changes attributable to bearing wear.

Condition monitoring in technical processes